Now What?

On to 2009! The draft counter has been restarted...only 361 days to go until the 2009 NFL Draft! It could be the year of the LB, led by Ohio State "animal" James Laurinaitis.

One More Round!

After trades involving 14 first round picks, Day 1 of the 2008 NFL Draft is in the books! There were some big surprises - the Jags trading up from 26 to 8 in the 1st round to grab DE Derrick Harvey, only to follow that up with DE Quentin Groves in round 2 - Rashard Mendenhall sliding down to the Steelers at the bottom of the 1st round - the Bengals picking WR Jerome Simpson over Limas Sweed, Malcolm Kelly and DeSean Jackson - are just a few that come to mind. As we predicted, it appeared teams had the prospects rated all over the board, and there were more than a few jaw dropping moments. One thing that is clear this year is teams aren't afraid to "reach" for the player they want. LB Jordon Dizon to Detroit in round 2 is proof of that. The fans at Radio City Music Hall could be heard yelling "one more round!" at the end of the day...and we echo those thoughts. The new 10-minute time limit in the first round moved things along nicely, but 2 rounds just aren't enough to quench our Day 1 thirst. Next year, move the start up a couple hours and bring back the 3rd round.

Enjoy day 2! Lots more presents to open!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas morning is finally here! Now we just have to bug our parents to let us open up our presents...but unfortunatley they want to relax and drink coffee and eggnog until 3pm ET. Just a few hours to go...but things are already happening. While Santa was flying from NFL town to NFL town, the Cowboys, according to Foxsports.com, were busy trading LB Akin Ayodele and TE Anthony Fasano to Miami for a fourth round pick, which signals to us that there's some under-the-table dealing happening between Bill Parcells and his former team. That's quite a steal on the Dolphins part if you ask us. Regardless, more deals could occure before the draft starts, so stay alert!

They Hold the Key

The Rams and Falcons now hold the key to the top half of the draft. If he's available, the Falcons are expected to grab Glenn Dorsey. But if Dorsey if the Falcons pick, that means the Rams went with Gholston or Long. Which leaves Matt Ryan available for K.C. or Baltimore. If the Rams go Dorsey, the Falcons could easily go Ryan, which makes things interesting for the Raiders, who would have to choose between Howie's son, Chris Long, the freak of nature Vernon Gholston, or the enigma that is Darren McFadden. With Ryan off the board, what do the Ravens do? Will they improve an aging secondary or will they steal Sedrick Ellis away from the Bengals? There are tons of scenarios and they all depend on what the Rams and Falcons do at 2 and 3.

With the 2nd Pick...

It sounds like the Rams officials are close to a consensus on Glenn Dorsey as the second pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. You can throw Chris Long and Vernon Gholston into the mix of prospects being considered, but as we inch closer to Saturday, it sounds like Dorsey should be the pick. A few teams are still showing interest in moving up, but it would take a lot to pry the #2 pick from the Rams.

Here we go!

Our mock draft was half right for the Minnesota Vikings pick...we had them selecting a pass rush specialist, and they have...in the form of the Kansas City Chiefs' Jared Allen. The Chiefs traded Allen, who led the NFL last season in sacks with 15.5, to Minnesota for the Vikings' 1st round pick (17th overall) and two 3rd rounders. While they could have snagged Derrick Harvey or Calais Campbell at 17, the Vikings get an every down proven DE who can get to the passer, something that has eluded them in the last few years. This is a costly, but safe play on their end. The Saints are still rumored to be looking to move up. If the Chiefs move down five spots and take the Saints #10 pick, they could pick up an additional 2nd round and probably more. Watch out for the Chiefs on draft day!

Jake Long #1 Overall

The Miami Dolphins made Jake Long the #1 overall pick 4 days before the card is due at the podium by agreeing to a 5-year, 57.5 million dollar contract with the big offensive tackle. He's as safe a pick as any at the top spot of this year's draft, and answers the draft guide's question of who will go #1 overall. The St. Louis Rams are now on the clock...

The More I See...

The best thing about the week leading up to the draft is the saturation of coverage on television. ESPN Classic has "draft week," airing games from the 2007 season. Yesterday was Maryland vs. Virginia. The more I see of Maryland LB Erin Henderson, the more I grow to love him. It wasn't his play that caught my attention in this game (although he racked up 133 tackles, 11 for loss as a junior) but his leadership skills. I've seen most of the prospects on the field, but in this late stage of evaluation I'm looking for the intangibles that make good players great. Henderson is not the elite athlete and has struggled with injuries, but he's a leader respected by his teammates, and it shows on the field.

The Ultimate Bust Lands on his Feet

Perhaps the biggest draft bust of all-time, Ryan Leaf, seems to have found peace in life as quaterbacks coach for Division II West Texas A&M. It's hard to fathom that Leaf was rated right up there with Peyton Manning coming out of college...just another one of the great storylines the NFL draft offers each year. You can read all about Leaf's new career here.

It's Almost Here!

The unofficial kickoff to the 2008 NFL season is almost here, and we've got you covered with the 2008 NFL Draft Guide! We've recently been featured in the Quincy Herald-Whig, and more on our love of the draft will be documented this week on WGEM News. We'll also be talking draft on WGEM's AM 1440 Sportscenter morning radio show this Thursday from 7:10 to 7:45 a.m. Thanks to all our friends in the local media who share in our excitement of the upcoming NFL draft. We hope everyone has a merry Christmas in April! If you have trouble viewing the pdf file below, you can download the guide by clicking here!

Read this doc on Scribd: 2008 NFL Draft Preview

When Production Doesn't Measure Up

There's two sides to every story. First, you have to ask, who wouldn't want a WR who stands nearly 6'3" with speed in the 4.4's and played in the Big Ten? Side two asks, who would want to draft a wideout with only 53 career receptions and only 5 TD's? Welcome to the world of Wisconsin's Paul Hubbard. Hubbard is a track star who has every infamous measurable you want in a football player except one - the statistics to back up his size and speed. The bottom line with Paul Hubbard is the same with most fringe prospects: If you have the right coaches with the talent and patience to teach the guy, you'll eventually have a decent pro on your hand. On the flipside, if your team doesn't have a history of coaching up day 2 WR prospects, don't get too excited if you hear Hubbard's name on April 27. He has all the tools to be successful, but will need the right situation for everything to come together.

The Scrappers we Love

Every year we fall in love with the late round scrappers who may not have the most physical talent in the world, but would be first round talent if teams picked by heart. Don't tell these guys they don't have what it takes to make it in the NFL.

Jordon Dizon, LB, Colorado: Dizon is small by NFL standards at a shade under 6' and 230 lbs. Just ask opposing RB's slammed to the ground by Dizon how small he is. They'll probably give you a different story. The four-year starter is a sure tackler who should be a staple on special teams and may play his way into a lineup.

Jamie Silva, S, Boston College: Silva lacks the top end speed to be a star in the NFL, but he makes up for it with natural football instincts. His senior year stats - 125 tackles and 8 interceptions - speak for themselves.

Kevin Robinson, WR, Utah State: Robinson owns the NCAA All-Purpose Yards per Play record, averaging 16.2 yards every time he touches the ball. A tough wide receiver who didn't put up amazing stats (55 receptions in 2007) but led the nation in returns. His future in the NFL probably lies there - as a return specialist and maybe a #3 receiver.

Corey Lynch, S, Appalachian State: Lynch has the speed that Silva lacks, but not the big game experience. Lynch does everything you want as a football player and leader, and draws comparison to another Lynch - all-pro safety John Lynch.

Breaking the Laws...and the Century Mark

It's not every day a defensive tackle records 112 tackles. It's even more rare for a DT to do it on an awful 3-9 team. Notre Dame's Trevor Laws finished with 8 tackles for loss and 4 sacks in addtion to the 112 tackles in 2007. Oh yea, he blocked 3 kicks, too. When compiling the final DT ratings, it was with a heavy heart that we put Laws at #3 behind Ellis and Dorsey. The three could easily be rated 1a. 1b. and 1c. While Ellis and Dorsey grab all the headlines, Laws will go somewhere in the late 1st to mid-2nd round and give some lucky team a stud DT for years to come.

Minute Rice

If you're a fan of Rutgers RB Ray Rice, but don't think your team will spend an early pick to grab him, keep an eye on Georgia RB Thomas Brown. Brown stands 5'8" and 205 lbs. and can run inside or bounce outside for a big gain. Brown may have fresher legs than Rice after never carrying the ball more than 200 times in a season. He averaged at least 5 yards a carry in three of his four seasons. Brown tore his ACL in 2006, but proved he was back from the injury last year, rushing for 779 yards and 10 TD's. He can also return kicks. Brown is flying under the radar a bit - no height joke intended - because he lost his job to super-freshman Knowshon Moreno this season.

Twenty-Three

Why do we have Rashard Mendenhall rated higher than Darren McFadden? Well, McFadden's 23 fumbles in 3 years is one reason. Granted, our math is a little fuzzy, but even we know that equals out to around 8 fumbles per season...and those are 11 game collegitate seasons, not the 16 game pro seasons. Can he be coached up? Sure, Tom Coughlin was finally able to teach Tiki Barber how to hang on to the ball - but ran him out of town at the same time. There are lots of question marks surrounding McFadden, but there's no question that he needs to learn how to hang on to the ball.

Think Philip Rivers with Wheels

San Diego's Josh Johnson isn't the only mobile QB in Southern California this year. In fact, he's not the only mobile QB in the city of San Diego. San Diego State's Kevin O'Connell is a good QB who played on some very bad teams. The Aztecs have certainly fallen from grace after giving us Darnay Scott and Marshall Faulk in the mid-90's. Watching O'Connell play reminds us alot of Philip Rivers, but with added mobility. In addition to throwing for more than 3,063 yards and 15 TD's as a senior, he also rushed for 408 yards and scored 11 TD's on the ground. For his career he rushed for 1,312 yards and 19 TD's. Not bad for a 6'5" 225 lb. quarterback.

Kiper's Man Crush

Mel Kiper appeared on ESPN Radio's Mike & MIke in the Morning today and claimed he would get out of the draft business if Matt Ryan fell past #8. Really, Mel, do you promise? I'm a big B.C. fan and like Ryan, but come on...he's not the second coming of Peyton Manning, even if his film room habits equal that of Manning. We'll take a bet that 1. Ryan slips past 8, and 2. Kiper is on ESPN next year with an even more of an Eddie Munster looking haircut.

Just who is Josh Johnson?

His career stats will blow your mind. With 9,699 yards passing, 113 TD's to only 15 INT's, he is the NCAA's all-time passing efficiency leader. He's smooth as silk on the field, evoking images of Randall Cunningham in his prime. And you've probably never seen him play. Josh Johnson proved he could play with the big boys during the East-West Shrine game, where he was named offensive MVP. He's big at 6'3", 215 lbs. Yea, he's for real.

Rams Trading Down?

Reports have the Saints interested in trading up into the top 5, no doubt to secure one of the two big DT's in Sedrick Ellis and Glen Dorsey. It appears Atlanta may have their hearts set on Dorsey, because they are now inquiring about moving up one slot to #2. Either way, the Rams come out winners. Stay tuned...

The Guide!

Welcome to Draft IQ! The drama of the 2008 NFL Draft unfolds right here! Below is the annual 2008 NFL Draft Preview. Enjoy! If you have trouble viewing the pdf here, you can always download it by clicking here!

Read this doc on Scribd: 2008 NFL Draft Preview