Day 2 Draft Notes

Well, the 2009 NFL Draft is in the books...

• The Jets' butchered their day two draft with the Shonn Greene trade. They gave up their 3rd (12th pick in the round), 4th, and 7th round picks to the Lions for their 3rd round pick (1st pick in the round). They also missed out on a wide receiver, which is brutal.
• Brandon Tate was an interesting pick for the Pats; he was caught smoking marijuana during the combine and also had several injuries. They might not put him in immediately, but he may be a pick that other teams will fear in the future.
• The Cowboys also had a bad draft; no picks in day one and a lot of their picks were questionable. Kicker David Buehler, despite the combine workout, was chosen in the 5th round when the Cowboys still have Nick Folk.
• Chicago stole Juaquin Iglesias from other teams. He will be one of the hidden gems on day 2. He has the skills to be a good NFL wide receiver and will help Jay Cutler in Chicago.
• ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. had OLB Kaluka Maiavia in his top 10 for players in day 2; he was the 4th pick in the 4th round, falling out of the 3rd round. He could end up being a quality linebacker in time.
• Buffalo addressed its defense with a late-round pick of Nic Harris, the former safety from Oklahoma. Harris was a star on Oklahoma, but he transformed into a linebacker due to his size. With his experience in the secondary, he could become a quality linebacker (with some time) in the future with a lot of range.
• If San Francisco runs into a block with their QB situation, Nate Davis from Ball State may be able to help. He has a strong arm and accuracy.
• Michigan State RB Javon Ringer had tremendous skill in college, but fell to the end of the 5th round to Tennessee. Though he will see little playing time with Chris Johnson and LenDale White, it is hopeful that he shows upside to impress coaches.
• I believe Mike Teel (Rutgers) can be this year's "Tom Brady." A 6th round choice with a lot of arm strength and upside can go far. If the right opportunity arises, he may be able to prove himself NFL-worthy.
• I was surprised Texas WR Quan Cosby went undrafted. Though he does not posses the ideal height of a wide receiver, he can control the ball well and can fake out defensive backs.

Day 1 Draft Notes

One day down, one day to go. The NFL Draft yesterday was very exciting to watch. A lot of cheers and a lot of boos.

• The Seahawks took Aaron Curry because he was the best available player. They did not think he would fall to them, but because he did, he was taken.
• The Jets did NOT give up too much in the Mark Sanchez trade. Brett Ratliff is a backup, Abram Elam was replaced over the off-season, and Kenyon Coleman can be replaced via the draft. While the Jets did not take a WR in round one, there is still a Brandon Tate or a Juaquin Iglesias in the later rounds.
• The Raiders will regret picking Darrius Heyward-Bey over Jeremy Maclin AND Michael Crabtree. Heyward-Bey impressed the Raiders with his 4.3 40-time, but that is it. He is fast, but does not have all the skills necessary to become an elite WR like Crabtree or Maclin.
• The Bills had one of the best drafts in the first round. Aaron Maybin is a great defensive end and they help solidify their offensive line with Eric Wood and Andrew Levitre.
• The Broncos missed out in the first round for their franchise QB - twice. They could have easily traded up for Sanchez, but chose not to and he ended up going to the Jets. After picking Knowshon Moreno #12, they still had the #18 pick, but Tampa Bay traded up two slots to steal Josh Freeman from the Broncos.
• The Eagles stole Jeremy Maclin from everyone. No one thought he would fall that low and even though they picked DeSean Jackson (Cal) last year, they still need help at WR. Plus, Maclin was the best player taken in that situation.
• The Lions answered their QB needs, but they did not help their offensive line or defense. Brandon Pettigrew is a receiving tight end, not a blocking one. Detroit also made the mistake of taking safety Louis Delmas (Western Michigan) over Patrick Chung (Oregon) and William Moore (Missouri). Those picks may come back to haunt them.
• Even though the Browns were smart by trading down, and down, and down, their first pick (Alex Mack) was not such a smart one. He is good, but they could have taken a different, more talented player (Michael Oher).
• I like the first round picks by the Dolphins (Vontae Davis/CB/Illinois) and the Giants (Hakeem Nicks/WR/UNC). Both can make any play explosive and are both highly touted draft prospects. Davis will help Miami's secondary and Nicks will help the Giants recover from the whole Plaxico Burress fiasco.
• Every Patriots fan is disappointed with their day-one draft, but I do not understand why. Patrick Chung is one of the best safeties in the draft and will help their secondary. He and Brandon Merriweather will frighten the opposing teams' passing games. They also drafted cornerback Darius Butler (Connecticut), who will also help their secondary. Butler and Ellis Hobbs can make a good duo at the cornerback position. New England had a surprising, underrated draft.
• With Cleveland taking Brian Robiskie (Ohio State) and Mohamed Massaquoi (Georgia) in the second round, that may be an indirect sign of what Cleveland will do with Braylon Edwards. Edwards wants a new team and now the Browns have two young wide receivers who can both suffice.
• James Laurinaitis (Ohio State) and Ray Maualuga must be regretting not entering the draft last year. Both of them were shoe-ins for being in the top-10, but neither one of them declared. Now, Laurinaitis was the 35th overall pick (St. Louis) and Maualuga the 38th overall pick (Cincinnati). Those are good picks for both teams, but as for contracts, it can only be a dream for Laurinatis and Maualuga.
• Miami surprised many by taking QB/WR Pat White (West Virginia) with the 44th overall pick. White can help with the wildcat offense and while he could have slid down more, he was actually a fairly decent pick.
• Oakland's other mistake was taking Michael Mitchell (Ohio) in the SECOND round. He could have slid down to the later rounds of the draft, but they took him in the SECOND! William Moore from Missouri, one of the best safeties in this draft class, was still available and they still passed on him. Unbelievable.
• The Cowboys had the worst draft - they took no one. They gave up their first round pick (#20 overall) to the Lions in the Roy Williams and sat at #51. They traded that pick away to the Bills for a few picks on day two. Cowboys' fans must hate Jerry Jones right now, as he has not helped their future at all.
• Picks 53-55 (LeSean McCoy - Philadelphia, Phil Loadholt - Minnesota, William Moore - Atlanta) are all great picks that fill voids and accomplish needs. Moore was probably the most surprising name to see down there, as he could have easily been taken #33 overall.

Day 2 may not be as exciting as day 1, but there is still a lot of intrigue with it. Day 2 begins in a few hours from now, so let's get ready.

My 2009 NFL Mock Draft

Sorry for the lack of updates, I have been fairly busy of late. I will be sure to keep this updated.

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1. Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford/QB/Georgia
The Lions desperately need a quarterback and Stafford is the guy. He can be a franchise-type player and will help his team around him, especially Calvin Johnson. Stafford is young and is the best quarterback in the draft. Plus, it is a given since they did sign him to an enormous deal.

2. St. Louis Rams: Jason Smith/OT/Baylor
Smith will help out the Rams' offensive line and will give QB Marc Bulger more protection. He is a great pass protector and is worth being drafted number two overall.

3. Kansas City Chiefs: Aaron Curry/LB/Wake Forest
Curry is one of, if not the best player in the draft. He impressed a lot of scouts in the combine and his stock has risen so much throughout. The Chiefs have to pick the best player available with this pick.

4. Seattle Seahawks: Eugene Monroe/OT/Virginia
Seattle needs help at a lot of positions, but the offensive line is one of their biggest needs. Monroe helps their pass blocking makes their offensive line a strength. Though they could pick Mark Sanchez, they still have Matt Hasselbeck.

5. Cleveland Browns: Tyson Jackson/DE/LSU
Jackson is the best defensive end in the draft and he can help stop the run. Cleveland allowed 151.9 rushing yards per game last season, which ranked 28th in the league. Jackson would be a very good pick here.

6. Cincinnati Bengals: Andre Smith/OT/Alabama
The Bengals adding a troubled player, what are the odds? But seriously, the Bengals need help on their offensive line. The Bengals struggled without a strong passing game last year, and their weak offensive line did not help.

7. Oakland Raiders: Jeremy Maclin/WR/Missouri
Oakland could select Michael Crabtree, but with his draft stock plummeting, Maclin is a better fit. He is versatile, fast, and is just what Al Davis wants.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars: B.J. Raji/DT/Boston College
Ever since the Jags lost Marcus Stroud, their defense has not been the same. Raji could be the next Stroud for Jacksonville as he is strong and helps against the run.

9. Green Bay Packers: Brian Orakpo/DE/Texas
Green Bay needs a pass-rushing defensive end (or OLB) and Orakpo is that player; he is a pass-rushing expert and an explosive defensive player who any team would covet.

10. San Francisco 49ers: Michael Crabtree/WR/Texas Tech
Brandon Jones and Isaac Bruce are currently San Francisco's top two wide receivers...really? Though Crabtree has fallen due to injury, he is too tough to pass up at the number ten spot.

11. Buffalo Bills: Michael Oher/OT/Ole Miss
After the Bills traded OL Jason Peters, a void was created in the offensive line. Oher is one of the top offensive linemen in the draft and will help Buffalo's offense in bettering the run and the pass.

12. Denver Broncos: Mark Sanchez/QB/USC
Trading away Jay Cutler gave the Broncos a definitive player to look for in the draft. Kyle Orton is not suit to be a quarterback, whereas Sanchez is young and can play in the Broncos' system.

13. Washington Redskins: Brian Cushing/OLB/USC
Washington needs improvement on their defense and Cushing can help. He is a hard hitter and is strong enough to make an immediate impact for Washington.

14. New Orleans Saints: Malcolm Jenkins/CB/OSU
The Saints were in the bottom tier for pass defense last season and need help in their secondary. Adding Jenkins will fulfill their needs.

15. Houston Texans: Robert Ayers/DE/Tennessee
Houston's pass defense was above average last year, but their run defense was not. Ayers could play opposite Mario Williams and help stop the run.

16. San Diego Chargers: Aaron Maybin/DE/Penn State
Maybin, who could play alongside Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips, would only make San Diego's linebacker core even stronger. Maybin led the Big Ten in sacks last year and is explosive enough to make a strong presence for San Diego.

17. New York Jets: Percy Harvin/WR/Florida
Personally, I believe the Jets should trade down, but assuming they stay at #17, Harvin is the wide receiver they will go to. He is fast and versatile and can play the wide receiver position well enough to suffice.

18. Denver Broncos (from Chicago): Chris Wells/RB/OSU
Even though the Broncos are known for constantly picking running backs, Beanie Wells can be the one who will last the longest and be the franchise back. He knows where to find the open hole and can make a big play at any time.

19. Tampa Bay Buccanears: Josh Freeman/QB/Kansas State
The Bucs need a quarterback and Freeman can be the young quarterback they need. Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown are not good enough to be starters in the NFL anymore. Freeman is a fresh arm and a lot of scouts and analysts are high on him.

20. Detroit Lions (from Dallas): Vontae Davis/CB/Illinois
The Lions desperately need help in their secondary and Vontae Davis is the cornerback who can help. He times his jumps well and is a strong open-field tackler.

21. Philadelphia Eagles: Knowshon Moreno/RB/Georgia
With Brian Westbrook aging and Donovan McNabb's impatience, the Eagles will need a strong running game again. Moreno is a quick running back and can make big plays at all times.

22. Minnesota Vikings: Darrius Heyward-Bey/WR/Maryland
The Vikings are in need of a wide receiver and Heyward-Bey will be available to them at number 22. Heyward-Bey is extremely fast and can be a threat when next to Sidney Rice and Bernard Berrian.

23. New England Patriots: Clay Matthews/OLB/USC
The Patriots' linebackers are not getting any younger and Matthews is a young, powerful linebacker who will be available. Matthews can replace an aging Tedy Bruschi full-time and become an intimidating presence in their defense.

24. Atlanta Falcons: Brandon Pettigrew/TE/Oklahoma State
Pettigrew is the best tight end in the draft and the Falcons have been eyeing him. He can block and he can catch, which is perfect for the Falcons and Matt Ryan.

25. Miami Dolphins: Hakeem Nicks/WR/North Carolina
Nicks is an explosive wide receiver with great hands. If he had a better workout at the combine, he could have gone higher in the draft. He is big and has tremendous hands.

26. Baltimore Ravens: Darius Butler/CB/Connecticut
Rex Ryan "stole" some of Baltimore's secondary when he went to the Jets. Dominique Foxworth and Fabian Washington are decent corners, but Butler is the young corner who can intercept passes at the NFL level quickly.

27. Indianapolis Colts: Peria Jerry/DT/Mississippi
The Colts need another strong player for their defensive line alongside Dwight Freeney and Jerry is that. Peria Jerry can stop the run, which is something the Colts are not known for.

28. Buffalo Bills (from Philadelphia): Ray Maualuga/LB/USC
Maualuga is an agile linebacker who can make his presence well known. He is a great pass-rusher and can handle the man-to-man in the NFL.

29. New York Giants: Kenny Britt/WR/Rutgers
Britt is a hometown boy who will fit in right with the Giants. He is a great route runner and will help ease the pain left by Plaxico Burress. Though he is known for dropping the ball at times, he has the ability to get open as a receiver and make key plays.

30. Tennessee Titans: James Laurinaitis/LB/OSU
Though Tennessee may not need Laurinaitis to fill a need, he is the best player at this point and it will be too tough to resist passing him up.

31. Arizona Cardinals: Donald Brown/RB/Connecticut
The duo of Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower worked at times last year, but neither one of them did extremely well. Brown is a talented, young back and can help Arizona's offense.

32. Pittsburgh Steelers: Max Unger/C/Oregon
The minor flaw in Pittsburgh's offensive line is at the center position, with Justin Hartwig. Unger is an improvement and also helps bolster their offensive line.