Draft weekend live blog
by The New Era Staff
(6:48 DG) Check out the following link to see the best players left, who might be signed as undrafted free agents: Check out the http://www.newerascouting.com/overall-rankings/. Thanks again!
(6:46 DG) On behalf of all of us at New Era Scouting, especially my fellow bloggers Dan Kadar and Luke Paul Chandler, I would like to say thank you for being with us over the past couple of days. We hope you stick with us for the exciting summer we’re going to have, and in fall when we will unveil a completely revamped coverage of the NFL.
(6:42 DG) David Vobora of Idaho is selected and will go get his party in New Port Beach.
(6:40 DG) The crowd gets free tickets if they stay for the whole draft, which is why they’re cheering.
(6:39 DG) Is it Danny Woodhead? ESPN is making it seem like he is.
(6:38 DG) The last few picks have gone by in a flury. Mr. Irrelevant in three minutes…
(6:36 DG) Well, I was wrong about a quarterback. Shoot. But I like Marcus Monk. He’s big like a tight end, but he hurt his knee last year. I think he’ll surprise people. Well, pick 250 is coming up and we’ve still got a few good players left here to get drafted. ESPN is back in Radio City Music Hall for the last little stretch here. The Panthers selected another offensive linmen. They’re going to have to get a bigger buffet for training camp, they’ve got a lot of big bodies on the o-line.
(6:33 DK) Bears go with Kirk Barton and Marcus Monk with their picks. I almost picked Barton as Mr. Irrelevant, so at least I would have guessed right he got drafted. It’s about all I got right this weekend. Barton could catch on. The Bears really took their sweet time on that second pick. Thanks, Jerry Angelo.
(6:27 DG) Chicago is up for back-to-back picks, I think one of them will be a quarterback. I mean, honestly, how can they not take a quarterback?
(6:24 DK) For no real reason, I’m taking Chris Horton, a safety from UCLA as Mr. Irrelevant. An no offense to Kiper, but anyone could breakdown Allen Patrick. I’m a little surprised by how many “name” guys are left. But after the guaranteed 75 or so guys, things really become a crapshoot. Last year, NES had something like 82 top of its top 100 guys drafted in the top 100 picks. Mario Urrutia, another guy who should have gone back to Louisville. He could make Hunter Cantwell a first-round pick. Also, does Cincinnati really need three wide receivers? That’s why they’ll be picking in the top 10 next year.
(6:20 DG) Yeah, I’m ready to go outside more than anything else. I did like the Bears fan calling out the pick, but he didn’t say “Da Bears!” or anything, which was more than a little disappointing. At this point, I think St. Louis will look for some quarterback depth, so maybe Ricky Santos of New Hampshire. Your thoughts, Dan?
(6:17 DK) I don’t know about Dave, but my hands are starting to hurt a little. What you may not know is that Dave has been updating team needs throughout the day while I’ve been writing a little more in-depth about the Browns picks for Ohio.com. Crazy weekend for us, but I don’t think we’d have it any other way. Fun times. It’s what we work the whole year for. After pick 243, the Bears still have two more picks to go, which is sickening. Dave, any guess on Mr. Irrelevant?
(6:14 DG) The Colts have now taken three centers in this draft, and even though they will all most likely be moving to guard in the short-term, what do you think is on Jeff Saturday’s mind? We’ve got ten picks left!
(6:11 DK) With Allen Patrick, the Ravens get another solid player. Not a bad draft for them as a whole.
(6:10 DK) The Chiefs close out their marathon with Michael Merritt, a tight end from Central Florida. Let’s tally it up, they get two cornerbacks, two wide receivers, a defensive tackle, a guard, a running back, a tight end, a safety, an offensive tackle and a defensive end. Phew. How tiring.
(6:03 DG) The Bucs just got booed because they are taking the full five minutes to make their final selection, and you thought that the draft was no fun this late. They grabbed Cory Bord, which will make consecutive seventh-round SEC running backs for them. They showed today that they’re more confident in their running backs than everyone else is.
(5:58 DK) The Saints made a trade while Trey Wingo was interviewing head coach Sean Payton. Weird. Nice enough pick even though Adrian Arrington has stone hands. And look what’s come up, another Kansas City pick! That’ll be 12 for them. Unreal.
(5:55 DG) And so the master plan has been revealed: the Seahawks just drafted K Brandon Coutu, who will be snapped to by… you guessed it, Tyler Schmitt.
(5:54 DK) Agreed on Forsett. He’s a viable third-down running back even though his timed speed wouldn’t indicate as much. Looking at Seattle’s picks — they took back-to-back Schmitt players. Fortunately, Chris Berman doesn’t do the second day of the draft.
(5:50 DG) Glad to see Justin Forsett, a friend of New Era Scouting, land in the right situation in Seattle. He’ll get some touches this year, and he’s got all the drive in the world to make them count.
(5:47 DG) Cleveland again goes defensive line, but where are the bodies in the secondary? Pressure only takes you so far, you still need top corners and playmaking safeties. Philadelphia also is going heavy on the line late here, which is the opposite of their typical draft strategy.
(5:45 DG) This was a few picks back, but I really like Peyton Hillis for Denver. He should succeed as a blocker and as a situational runner, a la Cecil Sapp.
(5:42 DG) By my count, only seventeen teams have picks left in the draft at this point. So let’s see how it unfolds. There are still some name players out there.
(5:41 DG) Hey, it’s everyone’s favorite blogger, Dave Gardner back on the keyboard. Team needs are going to take the backseat with the back half of round seven, but I’ll be here with you until the end of the draft.
(5:36 DK) With their last pick, I totally expected the Raiders to take some athletic freak, which they did wih the wide receiver from San Diego State. Denver gets a nice player in Peyton Hillis. They’ve taken some solid second-day players.
(5:28 DK) The Texans get Alex Brink who is a smart quarterback and could be a solid backup for a while.
(5:25 DK) More with Campbell. This is really neat. Easily one of my favorite draft moments ever. Hopefully this guy makes it.
(5:22 DK) Denver got an absolute steal in Arizona State strong safety Josh Barrett. I think he’s one of the 75 best players in the draft. He’s been banged up some, but let him completely heal for a year and he could become a starter.
(5:16 DK) No one is talking about it, but the Dolphins have had as good of a draft as anyone. Their first four picks could be starters and Donald Thomas could be at some point as well. Nice that Caleb Campbell got drafted. Neat moment.
(5:12 DK) Tony Reali wins the weekend with his Entourage reference. You can hug it out with me anytime, Reali. Wait. That comes out wrong. Shoot.
(5:11 DK) Philadelphia has picked players from Wheaton, North Dakota State, McNeese State and Notre Dame. Not exactly football powerhouses there. Ha! This post was aimed at chat moderator Eric “Sebastian” Loomis, I’m not going to front.
(5:05 DK) Fourteen of the picks in this round have been traded around in some fashion. That’s almost a third of the picks. Crazy. Jacksonville takes a chance on Chauncey Washington, the running back from Southern California. Washington, when healthy, showed some quickness as a senior. However, knee injuries have killed his distance speed. San Francisco gets a nice player in Larry Grant. He too will be a special teams guy, if he makes it.
(5:00 DK) The Chiefs make something of a hit on their 11th pick in Brian Johnston from Gardner-Webb. He tested really well and could contribute in some fashion.
(4:57 DK) Another quarterback for Green Bay with Matt Flynn. Very odd. I guess he’ll be a good scout team guy. He seems smart.
(4:55 DK) What a nice introduction. Love the Ravens picks of Haruki Nakamura. He’ll be a solid special teams guy. There are a lot of “name” guys left in the seventh round. See some of them here.
(4:52 DG) So with the Bengals picking TE Matt Sherry, the sixth round has come to an end. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Daniel Kadar.
(4:45 DG) I thought Philly would go defensive end earlier than this, and Studebaker is a small-school prospect who might be on the roster bubble.
(4:39 DG) The Colts stop the Mike Hart free-fall, and you just have to think he’ll excel in the offense as Addai’s backup. They also pick up Wake Forest center Steven Justice, and knowing Howard Mudd, the Colts got two really good players who will likely be guards in the short-term. Justice is unlikely to crack the starting lineup for a while, though.
(4:37 DG) The Patriots again go linebacker with Bo Ruud. I really like this pick. His brother, Barrett, is a standout at the Mike linebacker spot for the Buccaneers, and he is a very coachable player who will absorb all that Belichick tells him.
(4:31 DG) The Colts shore up their need at tight end with Tom Santi, who is a crisp route runner and has nice hands; he needs to improve as a blocker, however, to replace Ben Utecht. Andre Woodson, who was at one point a top quarterback in this class, goes to the New York Giants. I think he’s underrated, and he won’t have a lot of pressure in New York as the third string QB behind David Carr.
(4:27 DG) NFL Network just talked about the Seahawks picking a long snapper for about seven minutes. That guy is the god among long snappers right now. He got selected, and he got a lot of air time.
(4:24 DG) Does anyone out there understand why there is laughter in that G2 commercial after Dwyane Wade says that it’s a good choice for athletes because it has fewer calories? Don’t athletes need more calories? And either way, is it funny?
(4:23 DG) Interesting little note that I just looked up: the Chargers have only selected two position (four players): running back and cornerback. They’re confident not only in their starters, but also in their depth. “It’s a bold strategy, Cotton, let’s see if it pays off for them.”
(4:20 DG) Steelers make their last selection, the Cowboys and the Saints are also done.
(4:16 DG) I really like the Vikings draft. They addressed a lot of needs by getting a game-ready backup quarterback (Booty), an underrated defensive tackle (Guion), a starting safety (Johnson), and another young wide receiver just now with Jaymar Johnson. Not to mention, they spent three picks on the best defensive end (in my opinion) in the game in Jared Allen.
(4:10 DG) After giving away their first-, second-, and third-round picks in this year’s draft, what has Cleveland done? Given up their third- and fifth-round picks this year. They did it so they could select consecutively Ahytba Rubin and Paul Hubbard. I don’t know about the Rubin pick with all the money and picks invested in the defensive line. I still don’t see any help for the secondary.
(4:07 DG) The guy who will have the longest career of this draft class — and always my favorite position — long snapper Tyler Schmitt has been selected by Seattle.
(4:05 DG) And the “winner” of the Colt Brennan sweepstakes is (drum roll, please)… Washington. Also, on ESPN’s draft tracker, they list John Sullivan as an OC (offensive center). I wasn’t aware of the position of defensive center…
(4:00 DG) So I just realized were only half-way through the sixth with all the compensatory selections, make sure you’re stickin’ around out there. Tom Brady and Marques Colston are still out there.
(3:58 DG) The Eagles grab another guard named “Mike” and the Cardinals select their third defensive end. Don’t write off defensive ends this late in the draft, great players like Aaron Kampman have been selected late in day two.
(3:55 DG) Interesting programming note/team needs plug: the Broncos — with the selection of Arizona’s Spencer Larsen — have addressed all of their top seven needs (according to us).
(3:52 DG) I don’t think anyone is going to confuse Nick Hayden for Kris Jenkins, but he’s a big, physical player who is an excellent tackler. He can get after the passer as well, he had 21.5 career sacks.
(3:48 DG) I’m more than a little surprised that it took the Redskins this long to address their need at safety. I guess they have a lot of faith in the versatility of Laron Landry and the competency of Reed Doughtry.
(3:44 DG) Well there we have it, the first kicker is off the board. No surprise that it’s the Saints, who suffered through a Gramatica-infused season last year. Mehlhaff has got a big leg and should have no trouble winning this job.
(3:38 DG) I’m really not crazy about the Bucs draft so far, I think they have identified their needs very well, but have gone after the wrong players. Cincinatti just got an extremely underrated safety in Corey Lynch. I seem him a stater in a couple of years, tops (but maybe that’s just because of his last name).
(3:36 DG) I don’t know how many of you out there are watching the NFL Network, but they, I think, only have three commercials on loop (at least on the nfl.com stream). Or maybe I’ve just been sitting in this chair for too long…
(3:31 DG) Dominique Barber has royal blood in Texas, but he had a slow 40 time. He seems like a less-talented Roy Williams to me.
(3:27 DG) Atlanta adds some depth to running back with Georgia senior Thomas Brown. He rushed for 780 yards last year, which is in between unimpressive and okay. I think he can be a good third running back behind a strong starting tandem.
(3:25 DG) It’s a Kansas weekend here, I like Marcus Henry as a big possession receiver to compliment Coles and Cotchery.
(3:24 DG) Two reminders: team needs are being updated by yours truly, and BPA and analysis are running like fine-oiled machines. The second, email me at theconstantgardner@newerascouting.com with any questions. I’ll get back to you either via email or post it on the blog if I deem it worthy.
(3:20 DG) Barry Richardson is an interesting prospect because he’s got ideal size and long arms, but he has really slow feet and isn’t a good run blocker.
(3:13 DG) Hey guys, hope you’re getting your second wind as I am. Mine is the benefit of a nice shower and a chicken philly. I just wanted to add a note about Josh Johnson: he is more raw that Tarvaris Jackson coming out of college, but he is a perfect fit in Gruden’s offense. Too bad Gruden can’t develop young QBs…
(3:12 DK) Dave Gardner is taking over this thing again. I have to do some things for my real work when the Browns pick. The Cowboys close round five with a player perfect for the 3-4 in Erik Walden. Severly underrated player.
(3:01 DK) Jets take Erik Ainge. Sucks for him. More importantly, what’s with Chris Mortensen? He looks exceedingly orange. And his voice appears to be going out. Get rid of him and Cris Carter. Wingo too, actually. Give the whole seventh round to Kiper and Jaworski. I would love that.
(2:57 DK) Outside linebacker Geno Hayes clearly illustrates why players should stay in school. But, when you have academic problems, sometimes you have to skip out.
(2:54 DK) Whee, an interview with Antoine Cason! He seems like a good guy who should do well. And look at that, Tampa Bay picks a quarterback. That may give them an even dozen.
(2:51 DK) Trae Williams to Jacksonville at pick 159 is a solid choice. Coming into last season some people (re: me) thought he was better than South Florida teammate Mike Jenkins.
(2:47 DK) Don’t look now, but the Bears, who have five seventh-round picks, have put together a solid draft. Not a lot of players who stick out, just quality players. Their last pick of the fifth round, tight end Kellen Davis, fits perfectly.
(2:44 DK) Washington trades out of 157 to St. Louis who steals guard Roy Schuening. Apparently Washington has no need for a defensive end.
(2:41 DK) Steelers take Dennis Dixon. Let the Kordell Stewart comparison begin.
(2:37 DK) Atlanta has had a good draft, even though they reached for Sam Baker. In a year or two, they could have four or five starters from this draft, which is excellent for any organization.
(2:33 DK) New England jumped up to 153 to take a nobody receiver from UCLA. Very weird stuff. By the way, nice work by ESPN on the Caleb Campbell stuff. He’s a fun player to watch.
(2:30 DK) Three out of the last five picks have been defensive tackles. Can you say mini run? Nick Hayden probably hopes you can.
(2:28 DK) The mystery of ESPN’s Stephania Bell has been answered. Wingo referred to her as “ESPN’s physical therapy expert.” You know you’re hiring a ridiculous amount of people when you hire that kind of person at a television network. Oh, the Texans just took Frank Okam. Nice pick. Outside of Duane Brown in the first round (that kind of rhymes!), they’ve had a decent draft.
(2:21 DK) Minnesota is a team that will really benefit from late quality. They have one more fifth-round pick and two in the sixth. Same thing with the Giants.
(2:19 DK) Dave “Stinky” Gardner needed a break, so I’m back for at least the rest of round five. Denver has had a ho-hum kind of draft and it doesn’t get much better with Carlton Powell from Virginia Tech. There are a lot of good players left, so teams in the sixth round will find some value.
(2:08 DG) Although they had their board set on Sedrick Ellis in round one yesterday, the Bengals have appeared to move on, selecting Pat Sims in round three and now Jason Shirley, who is a good two-gapper.
(2:04 DG) The Cowboys are clearly planning on Pacman Jones not being able to play this year, they’ve selected another defensive back here.
(2:01 DG) Adam Schefter just brought up an interesting topic: Chris Simms trade time is coming up here soon. If someone is looking for Dennis Dixon or Andre Woodson late and don’t get him, Simms could be an option for a sixth-round pick
(1:52 DG) Yesterday there were consecutive Indiana players selected, and now two Arizona players have been selected in a row. Weird stuff. It looks like the Falcons were a little more worried about linebacker than they let off, and meet the newest 1,000-yard rusher out of Denver: Ryan Torain.
(1:46 DG) The Detroit Lions are all about trading up to the top of rounds in this draft, huh? And the Vikings have finally gotten a solid backup quarterback. I like John David Booty a lot more than the rest of the guys at NES, and I think that he can’t fit well into their offense. He is ready to play.
(1:40 DG) Green Bay closes out the first round with an offensive linemen, a big need of theirs. It’s the fifth round, which means that I am officially beginning Dennis Dixon watch.
(1:36 DG) Hello again, I hope you reached a consensus on the Rhode Island discussion. The Caldwell interview was great, so check back tomorrow for that being transcribed. I think a few teams finally addressed some big needs while I was on the phone: Ravens and Steelers go o-line and the Bills get a tight end.
(1:25 DG) I’m about to get an interview with Andre Caldwell, so talk amongst yourself for ten minutes. Rhode Island is neither a road nor and island, discuss.
(1:20 DG) The Patriots certainly went into this draft with a plan to get younger on defense. They’ve now selected two corners and two linebackers. Jonathan Wilhite played opposite of Patrick Lee and was a little overlooked, but he could be very good with some Patriots-coaching.
(1:16 DG) Jaws just said that Browns fans would be “lathered up” for their first Monday night game at home in a long time. Um, Jaws, nevermind…
(1:14 DG) And for those who wondered where the Colts were going to select a wide receiver and a tight end, they just got both in Jacob Tamme of Kentucky. He’s a Dallas Clark-type guy, who is more like a slot receiver than a tight end. They still need a blocking tight end, but they can address that later.
(1:12 DG) The Titans finally address the need at wide receiver, Vince Young has got to be happy. DeSean Jackson’s running mate, Lavelle Hawkins, is a really good receiver today.
(1:08 DG) (Editor’s Note:) A previous post here read that the Titans had selected a corner; they actually traded that pick to Washington, who selected Justin Tryron.
(1:02 DG) I get excited every time Jerry Reese and the Giants are on the clock because I just have a feeling that he will take the right person. Brian Kehl is a good pick here, they need depth at linebacker.
(1:00 DG) The Cowboys are going to be even more explosive on offense. Tashard Choice was a guy that a lot of NES Staffers were high on, he will be a good third-down back. Barber, Jones, and Choice is a solid rotation.
(12:57 DG) So does anyone think the Cowboys will actually draft anyone here? They traded out of 100, 104, and 111.
(12:54 DG) I love the Craig Steltz pick. He shows up on game film more than a lot of the other safeties in this group. I think he’ll be a starter before a lot of people realize. The Bears have had a terrific draft with one exception: where is your quarterback of the future? Grossman? Orton? I don’t think so.
(12:50 DG) Texans go back-to-back on corners. They really needed depth there, and they’ve gotten it. If this team were in any other division, they’d be a playoff pick. The Broncos also add a corner, Jack Williams, who will compete at dime.
(12:46 DG) I really love the Quintin Demps pick. He had 17 career interceptions, and he should be able to take over for Dawkins eventually. He could even start opposite of him this year.
(12:42 DG) Bucs make their first move in this draft to go up and get defensive tackle Dre Moore. Last year, they went defense in almost all of their ten picks. This year, they’re even: 2 offensive players, 2 defensive players.
(12:39 DG) The Bills are really stockpiling talent. They’ve gotten one really good corner in McKelvin and now a good backup who could develop into a starter in Reggie Corner — honestly, what other position could this guy have ever played? All the teams in the AFC East are trying to catch up with the Patriots, and the Bills are the closest team right now.
(12:33 DG) So the rotation of bloggers continues, but it should be more for a little while. Team needs are completely caught up, by the way. My article this morning detailed which teams filled the most needs yesterday. By the way, if anyone has any questions out there, feel free to email me at theconstantgardner@newerascouting.com… then I’ll try to find someone who can answer you.
(12:23 LC) Trader Phil Savage makes ANOTHER deal with Dallas, the fourth in a total of the past two years. Now at Pick 111, The Browns select TE Martin Rucker from Missiouri. May not seem like a huge need, but no one knows how long Kellen Winlsow II’s knees will hold up, plus Rucker has great talent as a receiver.
(12:21 LC) Fabian Washington goes from Oakland to Baltimore for a fourth round pick. Not bad value, considering Washington never should have gone in the first round of the draft originally. Also ESPN making a big deal out of WR Marcus Smith to the Ravens, but Smith is slow. He’s very limited athletically.
(12:16 LC) Nice run on the centers starting. Lichtensteiger (say it three times fast) and Wallace go back to back. Both aren’t quite pro ready, but Wallace has a better shot to make it in the league.
(12:07 LC) So Dave has erased over two of my picks, but the Browns are on now. They select Beau Bell, who’s a great inside run stuffer. Andra Davis is on notice now.
(12:05 DG) So let me get this straight. The Browns figured that they had enough flexibility in their draft that they could trade away one of their three picks! This team didn’t even go to the playoffs last season.
(12:02 DG) Hold the phones, everyone! The Browns are on the clock!
(11:59 DG) I like the Jeremy Thompson to the Packers, he is a high-motor guy that could learn a lot from Aaron Kampman. The Packers don’t have a lot of flashy picks (other than Brohm), but they are adding quality depth. I do think they need to turn some attention to the offensive line, though.
(11:53 DG) Good to be here again, everyone. Hope you enjoyed your morning with Dan, as I slept in. So the Raiders select a true Raiders-player Tyvon Branch. I think he’ll be a good gunner, but he doesn’t have good ball instincts. Meanwhile, Jets fans are unhappy that Green Bay traded into their slot.
(11:51 DK) This is my last post for a while. Dave Gardner will handle round four and Luke Chandler may chime in as well. Atlanta made a solid choice in Thomas DeCoud. He’s going to be a good NFL player.
(11:43 DK) Andre Caldwell to the Bengals clearly tells me they’re going to do something with Chad Johnson. There’s no way you add two wide receivers to that offense without taking someone out.
(11:36 DK) Giants fans are happy with Mario Manningham? Oof.
(11:34 DK) Ha, Jets fans are chanting “18-1″ as the Patriots are picking. Sadly, they forget the Patrios destroyed the Jets. Kevin O’Connell to New England is weird. What’s the point?
(11:31 DK) The Colts pick of Philip Wheeler was a great one. He’s a perfect fit for the cover-2. General manager Bill Polian does like NES. Maybe he got the idea from Luke Chandler’s scouting report.
(11:27 DK) Another potential Cleveland Brown in Cliff Avril goes. Well, shucks. Still no trade updates from ESPN. Thanks, Norby!
(11:16 DK) Finally, as a Browns fan, something good happens with the Texans picking Steve Slaton. That means Cleveland can’t take him.
(11:14 DK) Bruce Davis, gone. Andre Fluellen, gone. Oh Phil Savage, I hope you know what you’re doing.
(11:08 DK) Seriously, who make the picks for Tennessee? Craig Stevens is a sixth round guy, at best.
(11:02 DK) Falcons snag Harry Douglas. I like when teams that draft a quarterback early take a receiver. I think it helps build good chemistry.
(10:56 DK) Finally the Chiefs make a sensible pick here in round three. At the moment, they have no picks left in the third round, but that could change. Tony Gonzalez for a third and fifth! Do it! Actually, don’t. That would be dumb.
(10:54 DK) What sense does it make for the Cardinals to draft Early Doucet? That’s why this team will never go anywhere. The Cardinals always have big needs and wide receiver surely isn’t one of them. Hey, look, it’s the Chiefs again!
(10:47 DK) Houston takes Antwaun Molden, a guy I really wanted for my Browns in the next round. A lot of the guys who many speculate the Browns will take are really coming off the board quick here.
(10:45 DK) No fair. The Patriots get Shawn Crable from Michigan. That could be real scary for the rest of the league. Crable may not start as a rookie for them, but I don’t doubt for a second that they’ll mold him into a stud. Scary, scary stuff.
(10:43 DK) ESPN is really treating the third round like its the fifth round this year. They’re way behind on the picks and still haven’t announced what the Patriots/Chargers trade consists of.
(10:40 DK) I like Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum. Why? Because he looks like an everyday kind of guy. I could share a beer with Mike Tannenbaum, I bet. Chiefs take Brad Cottam with their second pick today. I don’t like it. He’s mainly a blocker only.
(10:38 DK) The 49ers also get a guy who is a borderline first round player with Reggie Smith from Oklahoma. And look at this, the Chiefs are picking again. Get used to that. They have nine picks today, as do the Ravens.
(10:35 DK) Panthers steal Dan Connor in the third round. He has first round talent and could start for them instantly. There were questions about an injury with Connor, but I don’t think it’s anything serious.
(10:33 DK) Jamaal Charles will be a good change-of-pace kind of running back for the Chiefs. He could easily get 10 carries a game and return kickoffs. Another solid choice for the Chiefs. They may not make the playoffs this year, but they’re definitely going to be a good team again in a few years.
(10:31 DK) Chris Ellis to the Bills is a solid pick. He could see a lot of playing time early for them. Kansas City could easily draft its fourth starter of the weekend at pick 73.
(10:28 DK) Why is Trey Wingo always yelling? Take it easy, bro. Baltimore made a good pick with Tavares Gooden. At one point, some considered him a late first round pick. The Bills pick could really solidify their draft. They’re doing good things there.
(10:23 DK) The Chargers traded into the third round to take a fullback? They had to give up a good amount because they didn’t have a pick in the third. Is it really worth that much to draft Jacob Hester? It’s possible he or Peyton Hillis from Arkansas could have been had for much less later.
(10:20 DK) Charles Godfrey to Carolina and Chevis Jackson to Atlanta. Two decent cornerbacks. Tony Michael Reali on the draft? Awesome? Sure, I guess.
(10:15 DK) ESPN appears to be not popping the picks at the bottom of the screen. Maybe I’ve blinked when it happens, but boy is that dumb. I’m totally not feeling the draft’s presentation this year. Oh, the Dolphins took Kendall Langford. He’s going to be a good player, a lot like Chris Canty in Dallas.
(10:12 DK) Dave Gardner may or may not be around today. I haven’t heard from him. He’s one of many NES staffers who is MIA. Included in those missing is site president Matt Miller, who has a propensity for strip clubs following the first day of the draft. He could be fighting off a disease, who knows.
(10:10 DK) John Greco to the Rams with the second pick of round two. He’s a Danny K guy. He could be a good guard and a serviceable tackle.
(10:08 DK) Kevin Smith (snootchy bootchies) to Detroit makes some sense. He’ a guy who will really have to bulk up, though. His legs are so tiny.
(10:06 DK) Trade! The Lions swapped with Miami. Kind of odd. ESPN is talking about quarterbacks. The only one left I could see becoming a starter is Erik Ainge.
(9:55 DK) By the way, make sure to check out the site this Wednesday. Our first scouting report for 2009 will be going up and be in the featured player location. We’re making a huge effort to produce a lot more scouting reports this year and will also feature some junior reports.
(9:41 DK) It appears as though Cris Carter is going to be on set today for ESPN. That kind of stinks. Trey Wingo could also become super annoying. But, at least there is Jaws.
(8:35 DK) Don’t forget, the draft begins at 10 a.m. (EST) today.
SATURDAY
(9:06 DG) I’ll add Philly and Washington to that list. Thanks for reading everyone. Get some sleep and then get your butts back here early tomorrow morning!
(9:05 DK) Personally, I like the longer format. Oh well. Make sure to check back here tomorrow for more blogging fun.
The ESPN guys seem to think Kansas City had the best draft. I’d put them right up there with Dallas and Baltimore (only because the Ravens could stockpile some picks).
(8:58 DG) Thank you, Mr. Goodell. The first two rounds combined this year clock in fifteen minutes shorter than the first round last year.
(8:52 DG) Wheatley makes it two consecutive reaches for the Patriots.
(8:48 DK) What’s funny about the Vikings getting passed over in the 2003 draft is that they still ended up with the best player in Kevin Williams. Whose laughing now, Jacksonville? Patrick Lee to Green Bay is a very good pick. He’s one of the better physical cornerbacks in the draft.
(8:43 DG) Good pick from the Colts (what else is new?). Pollack can start at guard this season, and then, in a few years, be violated by Peyton Manning for another five years.
(8:39 DK) Round two is almost over. While my predictions have been terrible, I’ve at least kept the eating to a minimum. So, that’s great, I guess. It should be interesting in Miami whether or not Henne can beat out John Beck. Both are pretty decent but not great.
(8:36 DG) You’re welcome, everyone. I really thought that Caldwell was going to be selected by the Bucs, but we also had them as being interested in Dexter Jackson.
(8:32 DK) Dave is so intimidated by my whit and knowledge he’s made it so I can’t post for the last half hour. Thanks, Dave!
(8:29 DG) And the wait ends for both of the remaining upper-tier quarterbacks. This is just me, but it looked like he was talking to Bill Parcells on the phone — he wasn’t smiling. Now let’s just wait for everyone to talk again about how Ireland isn’t calling the shots.
(8:26 DG) Well picks are slowing down here, but they aren’t getting any less exciting. Brian Brohm is going to come in to back up Aaron Rodgers. Not only is he a great backup, he will likely get the Packers a first-round pick in a few years if he doesn’t overtake Rodgers.
(8:15 DG) Big Ben gets his wish, a big receiver. The Steelers are focusing on offense, which is a bit of a surprise considering their head coach’s background.
(8:07 DG) Wrong. The Bucs trade out of here so that the Jags can again add to their defensive line. Groves’ stock dropped a little bit because of that pre-draft heart surgery. Peyton Manning and Matt Schaub are hating this draft (VY will be fine).
(8:05 DG) And I’m going to step out on a limb: I like Andre Caldwell here to the Bucs
(8:03 DG) I don’t apologize for it. The Redskins have made it clear that they are trying to surround Jason Campbell with as much talent as possible here in the second round.
(8:02 DK) Dave has posted over my post three times now. Bastard.
(7:57 DG) There’s a player that we forgot about: Calais Campbell. He’ll be a good investment for the Cardinals.
(7:54 DG) The Eagles end DeSean Jackson’s wait. His speed should immediately add to their offense. The Eagles had a long first day considering their picks ended up being in a three-pick span. Guarantee: their draft will be underrated. They robbed the Panthers.
(7:44 DG) ESPN’s interviews with Chad Henne and Brian Brohm were painful.
(7:43 DK) Jerome Simpson over Limas Sweed? Oh, Bengals. Your return to idiocy was quick.
(7:32 DG) I think that Tarvaris Jackson will develop into a better QB than Rex Grossman, but I still can’t believe that either team would pass up the value of these guys here in the middle of round two.
(7:28 DK) A little surprising the Vikings didn’t take Brian Brohm. They must really like Tavaris Jackson.
(7:24 DG) Piggy-backing on that thought, we will continue to update team needs and best player available tomorrow. We’ve got a lot of exciting stuff coming in summer, when football is boring.
(7:23 DK) Don’t forget that later tonight or early tomorrow we’re going to have articles up about the draft today. And, this is big, beginning in early May is our 2009 coverage. We’ve already assembled a top 100, which can be found at the end of this year’s draft guide.
(7:19 DK) The pick of Tracy Porter by New Orleans was a little puzzling. The Saints took Usama Young in the third round last year and haven’t really given him a shot. They had greater needs for sure. Backt-to-back Indiana players. That has to be the first time that’s ever happened.
(7:14 DG) Well the Shockey trade didn’t happen, and it seems unlikely now that it will with the Saints.
(7:11 DG) This is the Jeremy Shockey slot, let’s see what happen.
(7:10 DK) The Rachal pick was a good one for the 49ers. He can be a nasty player inside for them. Too bad quarterback Alex Smith still has nothing to work at receiver.
(7:06 DG) Welcome back, Danny boy. Ozzie Newsome is certainly making my job more interesting right now. He is wheeling and dealing today. He is one of the best in the business. The Seahawks used that selection wisely to address their glaring need at tight end with John Carlson
(7:02 DK) The Falcons draft looks solid, but I’m not real hot on Ryan or Baker and indifferent toward Lofton. This will be pretty crazy if a run on wide receivers doesn’t begin at some point.
(6:58 DG) The Falcons are done for the day now barring a trade, but they have done a really good job, picking up a future quarterback, left tackle, and linebacker
(6:48 DG) Well if you thought the first round was moving quickly (it was actually the shortest first round since 1990), take a look at the second round so far. Three picks in 5 minutes. Kansas City continues to knock this draft out of the park. Brandon Flowers is a steal here. I’m sure the Packers were hoping that he would fall to them.
(6:46 DG) Well here’s a little curve ball for you. Who had Donnie Avery at the top of their wide receiver class? And Devin Thomas follows him.
(6:43 DG) I love the Phillip Merling pick. The Dolphins are going to follow the Bill Parcells track of success: they’ll be in the playoffs in two year. It’s about time someone challenged New England there in the AFC East.
(6:38 DG) I’m sorry as well. In case you’re keeping score at home, I will be holding down the live blog, the instant analysis, and the updated team needs.
(6:35 DK) Time for an entire meal of food. For the next 30 minutes, this thing is all Dave’s. I apologize in advance.
(6:31 DK) I don’t like Devin Thomas very much, but this is getting kind of laughable. Why does Chad Henne have an ear piece in? Are they going to go live to him after he gets drafted in the middle of the next round (at best)?
(6:26 DK) This has to be some kind of record for the amount of trades made in the first round.
(6:22 DG) No surprise with this trade, the Packers wanted out of here. They’ll probably get some very good value for it. For the Jets, they look to continue to go quality over quantity.
(6:10 DK) I saw a mock yesterday with Brown in the first round and I figured they were nuts. Apparently, I am the one who is crazy. To me, he just seems like a third-round talent.
(6:07 DG) The Texans finally address the left tackle position: Duane Brown.
(6:04 DK) Jenkins is the first small steal of the draft. He should start immediately.
(5:59 DG) This has been a really busy first round trade-wise. The Cowboys made the trade and had their pick in almost immediately. This makes a lot of sense, too. Jenkins is a stud.
(5:53 DG) I think this pick is tough to justify with the second-round pick they spent on Chris Henry last season, but he should compliment LenDale White.
(5:51 DK) Pass me the booze!
(5:46 DK) If Tennessee doesn’t pick a wide receiver, I might begin drinking heavily and turn off the television for a while.
(5:45 DG) I’m back on top, baby!
(5:42 DG) Who is going to stop the Mendenhall free fall now? I think the Steelers have got to be considering him right now.
(5:40 DK) And once again I am idiot. This just isn’t my draft, it appears.
(5:38 DK) This is where Mendenhall go, but who knows. I don’t buy into Dallas taking Felix Jones because he’s an Arkansas guy. How many Razorbacks do the Cowboys even have?
(5:35 DG) I did mean terrible, the keys for “terrible” and “underrated” are right next to each other. Do you think Mendenhall goes here, Dan?
(5:34 DK) Just for clarification, when Gardner said underrated about Baker, he meant terrible. I watched every USC game the past two seasons, and this guy just doesn’t seem to have it. How intense is the draft? Site president Matt Miller is sweating he’s so anxious. Ha!
(5:32 DG) Sam Baker is an underrated left tackle who should start from day one. We’ll have to see what the Falcons gave up to get him, because many assumed he would still be around for their first second-round pick.
(5:30 DG) Here come the Falcons.
(5:28 DK) Agreed. Passing on Jenkins to take Talib was a poor move. Talib isn’t that much bigger and there will always been a question about his drug use.
(5:22 DG) I can’t believe the Bucs passed on Mike Jenkins.
(5:19 DK) Bad trade for Carolina giving up a 2nd and a 4th this year and a 1st next year for Otah.
(5:15 DK) Always a nice touch bringing in the military people. Too bad Keyshawn Johnson talked over most of Roger Goodell’s speech.
(5:11 DG) Alright, that makes up for my Arizona blunder earlier.
(5:09 DG) What is Carolina trading into this position for, Dan? Offensive line?
(5:03 DG) I like Flacco, but at eighteen, and ahead of Brohm?
(5:02 DK) I guess Joe Flacco is a nice enough pick. The Ravens really needed a quarterback. I liked hearing Mort talking about the pick. Hopefully we’ll hear Berman going on a tirade in the same manner.
(4:58 DG) Don’t look now, but Millen has made two good moves in a row. He got Gosder Cherilus of Boston College to play right tackle.
(4:56 DK) So far Chris Berman has only whipped out one nickname and didn’t tip any picks. I hate to take my hat off to the guy, but I may have to if he keeps this up. Still, not enough Kiper this year.
(4:52 DG) I think the Cardinals need to take Mendenhall here. They’ve got a young tackle, a young quarterback, and they lost their third wideout. But Rodgers-Cromartie shores up a need to, here comes the Commissioner.
(4:51 DK) That is a sound move by Millen, for once. If they’re going for a corner or running back, one is guaranteed to still be there and they get more picks.
(4:45 DG) Good move by Millen, it seems. The Lions get a third-rounder (66) and fifth-rounder (136). I wonder who the Lions are targetting, maybe a corner. The Chiefs are shoring up their lines early, that’s intelligent drafting.
(4:42 DK) Steve Young pointed out how spectacularly awful the NFC North is saying Jon Kitna is the best quarterback in the division. Oooh, a War Room shot in Detroit. Not enough of those these days.
(4:38 DG) John Tait must be jumping for joy; he can move back to right tackle where he is much more suited to play. And here comes another flashy pick from the Matt Millen, Mendenhall is on the board.
(4:31 DG) I think Clady is a good fit for the Broncos (he actually was a Bronco already), and that Jonathan Stewart will certainly add a spark to the anemic Carolina offense. But is he better than Rashard Mendenhall?
(4:25 DK) Possibly. I think there will be a bunch in the last 10 picks of the first round. It seems like having only 10 minutes per pick has really cut into Kiper’s air time. For a draft nerd like me, that’s not a good thing.
(4:22 DG) Dan, does the Leodis McKelvin selection begin the run on cornerbacks a little sooner than most expected?
(4:17 DG) One last point on that Jacksonville-Baltimore trade: the Ravens spotted the Jaguars 223 points on the trade value chart.
(4:15 DK) Jerod Mayo the 10th pick? Oh my. Well, he’s probably happy.
(4:11 DK) I agree that the Ravens probably didn’t want to draft in that slot. They clearly need a corner and there will be plenty available at 26. Poor deal for the Jags, though. Harvey would have been there at 11 or 12, guaranteed.
(4:06 DG) Two third-rounders and fourth to the Ravens from the Jags. I think it’s a good deal for both.
(4:05 DG) You know, Dan, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Jags didn’t break the bank (as much as will be expected) on this trade. I don’t think the Ravens had any interest in picking in their slot.
(4:04 DK) Is Derrick Harvey really worth jumping from 26 to eight to take? I don’t think so, but that’s probably why I’m live-blogging the draft. Well, shucks. I don’t want Rivers to Cincy. Like Ellis, I love Rivers but hate Cincy.
(3:59 DG) Here’s the word on the Patriots-Saints trade: the Patriots get the Saints’ third-rounder and the Patriots give up their fifth-round pick. Good move again by the Patriots.
(3:58 DK) Jacksonville had to give up a load to move this far up. Baltimore I’m sure is fine with it because they only need a good amount of solid players.
(3:55 DG) And here comes another one! Jacksonville trades into Baltimore’s spot right here at eight. This is getting good.
(3:53 DK) NOW A TRADE!! I like that the Saints are likely going to get Ellis, my favorite player in the draft. Better New Orleans than Cincinnati, who is loathe.
(3:50 DK) Was that the first Under Armor commercial on ESPN? Boy did those “klick-klack” commercials get old last year. Also, Iron Man looks awesome. That’s right, I’m publicly announcing my nerdiness, as though it wasn’t obvious.
(3:47 DG) The NFL picked their six players correctly this year. Now we’ll have to find out in what order they were invited.
(3:46 DK) Nevermind. I suck. It sounded like a trade was announced though.
(3:45 DK) TRADE!! Awesome.
(3:36 DK) Dorsey to the Chiefs is the first mini-surprise. I don’t remember seeing much speculation about that. Does Dorsey not know the names Carl Peterson and Herm Edwards?
(3:34 DG) The Saints were offering the tenth pick, their second-rounder, and next year’s first… and the Chiefs passed. Wow.
(3:30 DG) I know he’s a sexy pick, but considering the Raiders won’t be picking again until the fourth round, don’t you think they could have tried to fill a more pressing need, say at left tackle?
(3:27 DK) There really isn’t a game-changing defensive tackle past Dorsey (edit: and Sedrick Ellis). There’s just a bunch of solid guys, which is fine. More importantly, I need more Steve Young. Not having him on Sunday NFL Countdown is the pits.
(3:22 DG) Well Dan, it looks like Dimitroff didn’t agree with our assessment of the quarterback class. Now where do you think he’ll find the game-changing defensive tackle in round two?
(3:15 DG) Miller is two for two so far, though, so keep your chin up.
(3:12 DK) My mock draft is officially screwed. I hate mock drafts.
(3:08 DK) I have no idea what Tagliabue called it. The NFL selection ceremony? By the way, Glenn Dorsey is totally the best-dressed prospect in the green room. It’s been eight minutes. I need more Mel Kiper Jr.
(3:03 DG) Goodell called it the “NFL Draft,” something Tagliabue never did. Dan, trivia question: do you know what Tag always said?
(3:00 DK) It’s here!
(2:55 DG) Actually, I think Favre just said that if the Packers pick a wide receiver at some point in the draft, he could possibly consider maybe coming back at some point this season. That’s what they were cheering about.
(2:51 DK) Does Radio City Music Hall have a hype man pumping up the crowd? What is this, Total Request Live? They should have Flavor Flav doing it.
(2:40 DG) And we’re now just twenty minutes away from finding out who that first pick is… oh wait. Despite the reports that have come out, I think we will have a shake up somewhere in that top five.
(2:34 DK) I came to the conclusion that I don’t really care for Ryan. The 19 interceptions are really troublesome and outside of the Virginia Tech game last season, he hasn’t really had many memorable moments. The mechanics and arm strength are good enough, but I just have a feeling he won’t be better than Brohm. Some people are scared by Brohm’s injuries or that he’s been coddled, but I like him just as much or more.
(2:24 DG) Dan, let me get your opinion on this: how much better is Matt Ryan compared to Brian Brohm? Those two are our top quarterbacks, and I personally think that Brohm will make just as good of a pro quarterback as Ryan will. Just look at his numbers from last season: 4024 yards (65.1%), 30 touchdowns, 12 interceptions.
(2:10 DK) Wendi Nix has officially taken over the No. 1 slot on my ESPN football ladies list. Sorry Rachel Nichols. And, no, I don’t include sideline “analysts” on that list. Dave, negative on the light beer. In fact, negative on the beer completely. I need to stay fresh! Who dresses Keyshawn Johnson, the corpse of Ray Charles? Ray Charles is dead, right? Is that insensitive? Oh well.
(2:05 DG) You know, Dan, I’ve eaten those chips before… they’re not terrible. Are you kicking back light beer, though? I clicked on the link for the drinking game, and it looks like you’re gonna be bending back the elbow a few (hundred) times this afternoon.
(2:02 DK) Hey Dave, does it say anything about me as a man that I’m eating organic potato crisps instead of something packed with grease and made by Frito-Lay? Man, this needs to start already. Having the draft start three hours later has me thinking funny things. And not ha-ha funny things.
(1:58 DK) Want to make the draft inherently more amazing? Try the drinking game from the Bleacher Report. Also, one of the ESPN guys just said the Eagles will draft OJ Mayo. Awesome.
(1:48 DG) Along those lines, I prefer NFL Network’s coverage to ESPN’s. Don’t have NFL Network? Don’t worry. You can go right here and watch their coverage live around 2:30: http://www.nfl.com/draft/live?campaign=draftL_PFT01
(1:39 DK) Cris Carter is obnoxious. That is all.
(1:34 DG) Hey everyone, I will be here to post some thoughts (re: the worse ones) throughout the day. The only thing that I worry about here is if the Falcons are just trying to scare some other team (i.e. the Ravens) to trade up to that third pick. I think Dorsey would be the better pick here. If they don’t take Ryan, they can still add the Brohm, Flacco, or Henne by trading up into round one or using their first second-rounder there.
(1:25 DK) NES staffer Dave Gardner may be joining me here in the live blog. As you can probably tell, my posts (re: the better ones) will have a DK with the time. Dave’s will have DG. ESPN is projecting picks like CNN projects states in an election. Kind of dumb. No surprise the Falcons will take Ryan. That’s what I projected in my mock. Does this begin a Glenn Dorsey watch?
(12:58) Luke checking in here…Dan is nowhere to be found and we want to keep updated. It’s been reported by Adam Schefter that the Falcons intend to take Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan with the third pick; and then Michael Smith is reporting that Oakland intends to take former Razorback Darren McFadden with the fourth pick. I’ll let Dan throw his analysis in later!
(11:25 DK) Supposedly the Rams are going to take Virginia’s Chris Long with the second pick. Even though I had it different in my mock, I don’t hate it. What I do hate is know that more than three hours before the draft begins. While I appreciate breaking news more than most, ESPN needs to realize people watch for the suspense. At this rate, we’ll know the first seven picks before it even gets to 3 p.m. Boo-urns to that. Anyway, time to run to the store to grab a mouse for my new laptop and some eats. I’ll be back before 1 p.m.
(11:15 DK) Oh man, I’m really getting the fever now. ESPN talking heads are going on about trades, a Rams VP already said he knew who the team was going to pick, barring a trade. Sadly, we’re still hours away. Moving the draft to 3 p.m. is the only bad move commissioner Roger Goodell has made during his tenure.
(11:00 DK) At least on ESPNU we get South Carolina/Arkansas from last season. Watching these games for 2008 talent is pretty worthless, though. Everyone knows all these players already. If you’re tuned in to this game, check out Arkansas’ center Jonathan Luigs. He’s good.
(10:40 DK) It’s still several hours away from the draft and I’m already angry. I’m wildly hungover, I’ve agreed with Merrill Hoge (ugh) and Chris Berman has already been on my television set (and made a 70s rock ref, ugh). This looks to be an ominous day.