Aaron Rodgers' draft position
National Football League
Draft King Mailbag
January 2, 2005
Lou Pickney, DraftKing.com
Reader feedback is always welcomed here at DraftKing.com. Send your thoughts to me at LouPickney@gmail.com.
From: OyzukiBloom@***.com
Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 3:02 PM
To: Lou Pickney
Subject: Chicago, Oakland, etc
No way Chicago takes Braylon Edwards. Their experience with Michigan WRs (David Terrell) will make them steer clear.
If Oakland picks in top 5 look for them to take Antrell Rolle and dump Charles Woodson and his oft-injured overpriced butt.
Tennessee has the #4 pick right now - look for them to go for DE / OLB to replace Kearse.
If Dallas picks high enough, they could take a shot at Edwards or Williams to replace the aging Glenn and KJ. But their most glaring needs are LB and O-line - I dont see a CB with their first pick.
Was - hard to argue with erasmus james, but they really need help at O-line, TE, and Wr. Gardner is mediocre at best and Coles is injured.
Carolina - dont be surprised to see them go RB with Davis aging/injured and Foster injury prone.
KC - wont pick high enough to get Rolle but they definitely will go for a DB
Miami won't take a QB with the 2nd or 3rd pick - they are invested in Feeley. Watch them trade down and take an RB or an OT in the first round.
Cleveland - could take a QB with 2nd or third pick, but their needs are across the board and they may stick with McCown. Look for defense as theirs is abysmal, or o-line.
SF - Leinart is the logical pick, but this is the Niners we are talking about, and they won't pay the $30mm in guaranteed money a QB at #1 would demand. They either trade the pick or go for o-line or d-line.
Lou: I accidentally overlooked this e-mail initially, but there are many good comments in here that are worth noting and/or disputing.
I doubt that Chicago's bad luck with David Terrell will make them steer clear of Braylon Edwards. If they don't go with Edwards, it's because they like someone better, not because Edwards is a Michigan WR. You can't stereotype a school by position (consider Heath Shuler and Peyton Manning, both University Tennessee QBs who had drastically different pro careers). Well, except perhaps for Penn State running backs.
I agree on Antrel Rolle to Oakland -- it very easily could happen. But the Raiders need a good RB in the worst way, so their moves in free agency might play into this a bit... Tennessee drafted two DEs in the second round last year, no way they're taking one in the high first round this time around... Dallas has many needs, but I think Parcells will look for the "best player on the board", so who knows there... Washington's offense calls for a good blocking TE, much moreso that one who can receive, which is in part why the Redskins opted for Sean Taylor over Kellen Winslow last year... Carolina *could* go RB, but DeShaun Foster has the goods and if Davis is going to be back, I except the team to give that combo one more time around in 2005... Kansas City is a team I'd never say never about, but I concur about them needing CB help bad... Miami trading down makes all kinds of sense, but it takes two to tango. We'll see who wants to move up, and what they'd be willing to offer... Cleveland has many needs, they might take the "best available player" approach... And yes San Francisco and Leinart is the most logical combo (if not San Fran and Aaron Rodgers), but these are the 49ers. But the team says it's keeping the #1 pick, so I think they'll draft Leinart.
From: BlueDevilsCBWR@***.com
Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2004 8:59 PM
To: Lou Pickney
Subject: Your Latest mock.
It was great except for a couple things:
- Rogers WILL NOT go all the way down to pick #10, Arizona or Miami should have taken him.
- Panthers selecting Charlie Fyre? They have Delhome what's wrong with him and Fyre at pick 16 is crazy!
- Fred Gibson is round 1 and pick 20!! Why would the Ravens pass on Mark Clayton?
- Has much as I love this pick..Mark Clayton to Patriots I hate to say won't happen, Clayton will go to the Ravens or with a good combine could be a top 10 pick. However I like the WR option there, I would like Roddy White there he is amazing and with the combine he could be a late 1st rounder.
Other than that good job.
Lou: You brought up some interesting points here... Let me do my best to address them all.
The Aaron Rodgers slide to #10 won't happen in all likelihood, you're right. However, I believe very firmly that Miami will not use a QB as their top pick. Nick Sabin might have other ideas, but the Dolphins don't have a second round pick -- that was used (squandered?) on A.J. Feeley last off-season. The team is in desperate need of a high-end RB, much moreso than a QB who won't be prepared to give it a go right away. The only way I see that changing is if Miami signs Shawn Alexander this off-season... short of that, I say they're going RB.
Likewise, Arizona needs both a RB and a QB. Clearly Dennis Green, with his QB rotating door of 2004, could use some stability at the QB position. But by the same token, that team also needs a top-notch RB. And unlike Miami, the Cardinals could use their high second round pick on a QB (like Arizona State's Andrew Walter) and take either Cedric Benson or Cadillac Williams in the first round.
Maybe I'm giving Fred Gibson too much credit, but I think he's going to have a great combine and that he'll be an excellent WR in the NFL. Remember how Lee Evans ended up going so high to Buffalo last year? These things happen. Moreover, Mark Clayton, while skilled, is seen as a "possession" or #2 receiver, and the Ravens need a prospect who can turn into a #1 guy.
Roddy White's stock is on the rise, but it remains to be seen if he'll earn a spot in the first round. Like you mentioned, the combine will be important for him (and the other second-tier WR prospects).
As for Jake Delhomme, he turns 30 later this month. While he still has some years left in him, you never know when a team like Carolina will want to begin to develop a top-notch replacement.
