NFL Draft Remix: Re Mock of the 2008 NFL Draft
The conventional wisdom is that it takes three years for players to hit their stride in the N.F.L. So I began to wonder if teams could have a second chance after watching these players in the league for three years, what would they do now? The problem with this exercise is semantics. If I’m redrafting, do I go back to 2008, which would cause a ripple effect for each subsequent year, or do I pretend that these players are just put back into the drafting pool and teams get to draft based what’s no the roster now. I’m going with the latter, try to ignore the butterfly effect that happens (for instance the Rams draft Chris Long, but now he’s back in the pool DE becomes a need, but we’ll pretend that in those three years they were able to plan for Long’s exit). Even though it’s an utterly useless exercise, it should be fun to take a look at what teams did in the 2008 draft and what they could consider doing now.
Miami Dolphins-Jake Long, T, Michigan
Leading up to the 2008 N.F.L. draft the big question was Jake Long or Matt Ryan? Jake Long or Matt Ryan? The Dolphins decided to go with the talented offensive linemen (even though there was a prevailing wisdom that he wasn’t worthy of the first overall pick) and Long has rewarded them with three very good years where he’s started 48 games and played continually at a pro bowl level. Do the Dolphins regret the decision? That’s possible because they are still searching for a franchise quarterback. Are the Dolphins unhappy with Jake Long? No way.
Remix pick
Matt Ryan, QB
As tough as it would be to throw a cornerstone LT back into the mix, the Dolphins would take the franchise QB. They were worried that Matt Ryan might not be a franchise quarterback, but the pre-draft Peyton Manning similarities that were swirling around Matt Ryan seem fairly apt right now. Ryan has shown tremendous leadership and production. He’s coming off a 28 Touchdown, 9 INT season. A M.V.P. caliber season in some years. Matt Ryan would be the easy choice today.
#2 St. Louis Rams-Chris Long, DE, Virginia
The son of former Raiders great Howie Long was expected to be a consistent pass rusher because of his natural abilities, intelligence, and never quit attitude. While he didn’t make an immediate impact, Long has 17.5 sacks in his first three years and has improved each and every year. He had 4 sacks his first year, 5 his second, and then 8.5 last year (along with 3 forced fumbles). Even though his tackle numbers were bad last year (23). I’m not sure the Rams got what they expected from Long, but he’s doing a decent job.
New pick: Sedrick Ellis, DT, (Saints)
This one is tough. The easy pick would be Jake Long, but the Rams are very satisfied with Roger Saffold, so I think they could go away from that direction. Chris Long wasn’t a bad pick. They also added Robert Quinn who they hope can add talent to their DE position. The Rams, however, are lacking young talent at the defensive tackle position. Their best DT, Fred Robbins, is still a plus player and good interior pass rusher, but he’s at the tail end of his career. Ellis has been one of the best defensive tackles in the game against the run and the pass and would be an excellent toy for Spags to play with on defense.
#3 Atlanta Falcons, Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
As already discussed, Matt Ryan has been everything and more the Falcons could have hoped for. He’s a great leader, he’s shown clutch ability, he’s developed an excellent rapport with WR Roddy White. Ryan looks to have a great future, and if the Falcons win a Superbowl in the next decade nobody would bat an eye. Ryan threw too many interceptions in college, which was a big knock when he entered the draft, but it seems that it’s likely the talent that was surrounding him more so than it was his decision making.
Remix pick
Jake Long, T, Michigan
Potential Franchise LT of Long’s ability don’t last very long in the real draft, and there’s no way he’d last much longer than this if teams knew 100 percent what they were getting. Sam Baker is no where near Long’s caliber (plus he’s in this draft pool anyway). Ryan Clady is the other option. The Falcons would miss out on their franchise QB in this draft, but would be very good at the tackle position.
#4 Oakland Raiders: Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
Prior to the 2010 N.F.L. season Mcfadden was seen as a bust waiting to happen. He averaged 3.4 yards per carry in 2009 and he couldn’t stay on the field. But then 2010 happened. Mcfadden rushed for a whopping 5.2 yards per carry and had more than 1600 combined receiving and rushing yards in 13 games (over 120 yards combined per game) to go along with 10 touchdowns. A very good season for Mcfadden, unfortunately he couldn’t stay healthy for all 16 games last year either. To boot Mcfadden makes the Raiders special in Madden football.
Remix pick:
Joe Flacco, QB (Ravens)
The difference between the playoffs and an average season for the Raiders is two fold. First, I believe the instability at the coaching position is curtailing the growth of some of their players. Hopefully for Raiders nation, Hue Jackson will last a while. The second is the quarterback position. Jason Campbell is an improvement, but he’s not Joe Flacco. I think the jury is still out on how good Joe Flacco can be, but there’s no question he has all the tools of a franchise Quarterback and is an instant upgrade for the Raiders. A player like Joe Flacco could finally get the Raiders back to the playoffs.
#5 Kanas City Chiefs Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
It seems silly now that the debate for the Falcons was whether or not to draft Matt Ryan or Glenn Dorsey. Matt Ryan has gone on to become one of the best Quarterbacks in the game, and a true leader. Glenn Dorsey is beginning to draw the irate of fans as a “bust”. I don’t think he’s that bad, but he hasn’t been what they hoped. Dorsey had a decent season last year with 69 tackles and 2 sacks as he continued learning the 34 defense the Chiefs use. What’s disappointing for fans and the Chiefs is that Dorsey was considered a premiere pass rusher and he only has 4 sacks in three years. He’s still a useful player and could still become the player they hoped they had when they used the fifth overall pick on him in 2008, but he wouldn’t be a top 10 pick if the draft were happening again today.
Remix pick: Ryan Clady, T, (Broncos)
Ryan Clady is an excellent pass blocker and that is extremely valuable in the N.F.L. based on the Chiefs blocking system though, Clady could be a less than stellar fit which gives me some reservations about this pick especially with all of the talented running backs and wide receivers available at this point, but I’ll still the pick here for the Chiefs.
#6 New York Jets, Vernon Gholston, DE Ohio State
Gholston is sometimes dubbed the worst draft pick in history by over zealous fans. I don’t think he’s the absolute worse, but he definitely is not good at all. He might not even be drafted in the first five rounds if this draft were to happen again today and teams got a sneak peek (he’s still too talented physically to not get drafted, I believe. I mean he did just land on another N.F.L. roster)
Remix pick: Chris Johnson, RB (Titans)
Depending on who you ask, Chris Johnson is either the best or second best running back in the N.F.L. Johnson could get a bit of a knock if teams knew that he’d want to hold out every year (even though he deserves the money). Still that wouldn’t stop the Jets. They want to ground and pound and who is better in the league to do that with than Chris Johnson. He’s had over 300 carries the past two seasons so he can handle the heavy workload. On top of that Johnson with the Jets offensive line could put up ungodly numbers.
#7 New Orleans Saints, Sedrick Ellis, DT, Southern Cal
DeSean Jackson, WR (Eagles)
The Saints just lost Reggie Bush, but DeSean Jackson could even be an upgrade. Desean Jackson’s size will always be a deterrent to some teams because they’ll be worried about his durability, though he hasn’t missed much time in three seasons with the Eagles (3 games total). Jackson is absolutely dynamic. The little WR averaged an absolutely ridiculous 22.5 yards per reception last year. Just re-read that last sentence for a second. 22.5 yards per reception. Those are Madden like numbers.
#8 Jacksonville Jaguars, Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
I strongly disagreed with the Harvey pick when it happened and was stunned when Kiper came on the night before the draft and said the Jaguars wanted Harvey (though in all honesty I can’t remember who I did think they should take). And unfortunately for the Jags I was right (as were many others). 8 sacks in three years is all you need to know about Harvey. Players have blossomed late in their careers before, but that seems unlikely with Harvey at this point.
Remix pick:Chris Long, DE, Viringia
In the real draft, Long was long gone (uh I wish I could avoid being so lame) by now, but in this scenario the Jaguars get a legitimate N.F.L. Defensive end. Long’s all hustle all the time mantra would also fit in well with coach Del Rio and the Jaguars. Long hasn’t been an All-Pro, but he’s improved every year and is a pretty good defensive end.
#9 Cininnati Bengals, Keith Rivers, LB, USC
Keith Rivers hasn’t been worthy of the 9th overall pick for the Bengals. What he has been is an average N.F.L. Starter. 77 tackles and 1 sack last year in 13 games started. Not the kind of production you expect from a top 10 pick at the linebacker position, but there is always much worse.
Remix pick: Jamaal Charles, RB (Chiefs)
I’ve been trying to get Charles in before this pick, but positional value and the fact that this draft also had Chris Johnson in the draft pushed Charles down. Whether or not Charles can be an every down back and carry the ball 300 times is almost irrelevant with how explosive and important he has been to the Chiefs success. The Bengals would have a great running back situation if they could pair Charles with Benson.
#10 New England Patriots, Jerod Mayo, LB, Tennessee
Mayo has been excellent with the Patriots on a pick I thought was a bit of a reach, as did perhaps the rest of the league as the Giants were reportedly interested and targeting Jerod Mayo at the end of round 1. But a very good pick. Mayo has been very productive with the Patriots. Jerod Mayo had a whopping 175 tackles last year and led a young defense to a 14-2 record (well, Tom Brady probably had something to do with that), as well as 2 sacks and pass defensed. He’s one of the best young 34 linebackers in the game.
Remix pick: Cliff Avril (Lions)
Avril has really come along as a pass rusher. A player many thought could play the 34 before. The Patriots could believe that they can take Avril’s natural abilities and get the most out of his talents. Even though to do so they would have to pass on some talented cornerbacks and wide receivers. I could see the Patriots grabbing Jerod Mayo again, but that’s boring to me so I’ll stray away from Mayo here. Thought I like Avril I’m not in love with my own pick here.
#11 Buffalo Bills, Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy State
Remix pick: Carl Nicks (Saints)
Nicks is one of the best young interior offensive linemen in the game, and the Bills are absolutely desperate for offensive line help. They still need a franchise QB and they like talented cornerbacks, but they can’t pass on Nicks here. Nicks is better than Gosder Gherilus, Chris Williams, or Duane Brown who all have started games at tackle. According to profootballfocus.com
Fresh off a superb season, Nicks made the Pro Bowl squad (though not as a starter) and was criminally overlooked on the All-Pro team. He also was the highest positioned offensive linemen on my top 101 players of the year list, and I’m going to tell you why I think he’s better than anyone appears prepared to give him credit for. (…) Now this isn’t to say Nicks is the best offensive linemen there is, but rather that he’s one of the best. More so, he’s coming off as strong a year as any offensive lineman in the league, despite what the All-Pro team tells you. But, perhaps soon and with thoughtful review, there’ll be more voices echoing our opinion that Carl Nicks is already one of the best offensive linemen in the league.
#12 Denver Broncos, Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
Ryan Clady has been very good for the Broncos since he was drafted and he’s considered one of the best young pass blockers in the entire league. He’s not considered a dominating run blocker, but a great zone blocker and he hasn’t regressed since his stellar rookie year. The Broncos are definitely happy with what Clady has brought to the team.
Remix pick: Darren McFadden (Raiders)
Instantly improves the Broncos rush attack and gives Orton/Tebow a chance to be even better in the passing game. Mcfadden has trouble staying healthy, but there’s no question in my mind the Broncos would pounce on an opportunity to get Darren McFadden. In this mock Clady is gone and Mcfadden is the biggest difference maker still available. There are a lot of directions they could go here, they could grab a talented cornerback, they could add Glenn Dorsey, there are some good WR, but no players left are game breakers like Mcfadden is, and in this pass happy N.F.L. league big plays are essential for successful offenses.
#13 Carolina Panthers, Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
I think Jonathan Stewart’s reputation is better than his actual production was last year, though he’s still good. Stewart has been pretty good, but had a bad year last year. He played in 14 games last year averaging 4.3 yards per carry, but saw a terrible drop in his touchdowns (from 10 the previous two years to 2 last year….I think a lot of that could be attributed to how poor the offense was overall). Stewart has averaged 4.7 yards per his career and gets nearly 200 carries a year. Good, solid, N.F.L. player.
Remix pick: Brandon Flowers, CB (Chiefs…how good was this Chiefs draft? )
Stewart is pretty good, but he’s not Brandon Flowers. Flowers is recognized around the league as one of the best young cornerbacks in the National Football league for good reason. He’s maybe the best all around cornerback in the league as far as a tackling and coverage standpoint is, he’s a younger version of Antoine Winfield. A player who can make plays in all facets of the game and looks to have a long productive N.F.L. career
#14 Chicago Bears, T, Chris Williams, Vanderbilt
Chris Williams was supposed to the player that ended the longstanding problems the Bears had at protecting the quarterback, but he’s been a major disappointment. Drafted initially to be a bookend offensive tackle. He hasn’t lost his starting position yet, but he has been used at guard and the Bears are looking for a way to get all they can out of Williams. Maybe this is the year Williams puts it all together and turns into a pro-bowl caliber interior offensive linemen (like Robert Gallery did after disappointing at tackle).
Remix pick: Stevie Johnson, WR (Bills)
Johnson would have to be the biggest beneficiary of this hypothetical, unrealistic draft situation. A late round flier by the Bills, Johnson exploded onto the scene last year for the Bills racking up over a 1000 yards receiving and hauling in touchdown passes (10). Though he seems a little crazy and a possible budding diva, he’d be the best WR on the Bears right now. Johnson also has the size 6’2 205 the Bears need in their WR corps to play with Johnnie Knox and Devin Hester (and what they are looking for in former Lions/Cowboys WR Roy Williams).
#15 Kansas City Chiefs, Branden Albert, T/G, Virginia
Branden Albert is another offensive linemen who has been decent, but not as good as the team had hoped when they spent the fifteenth pick on in the 2008 N.F.L. Draft. Albert has started 44 straight games for the Chiefs and was apart of one of the most productive rushing offenses in the league (usually attributed in large part to the play of the offensive line), but still has left fans wondering if he’s the real deal along the offensive line. This is a huge year for Albert.
Remix: Jerod Mayo, LB (Patriots)
Mayo has been excellent with the Patriots. Obviously there is the Chiefs/Patriots connection that’s well established, but more than that, the Chiefs could have a very good defense if they were able to pair a player like Mayo with their fearsome pass rusher Tamba Hali. Mayo is a natural leader on defense and backs it up with insane numbers. Mayo can rush the passer a bit and is plus in coverage. A complete 34 interior linebacker. Interior Linebackers don’t generally get drafted that high because they don’t put pressure on the quarterback, but it happens and Mayo is clearly worth it at this point.
#16 Arizona Cardinals Dominque Rodgers Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State
The other day on twitter I tweeted quote from Profootballweekly that basically said the Cardinals think DRC is excellent…when he’s focused but that he doesn’t have great study habits (desire?). And that’s a huge reason why they were willing to part with him in the trade to obtain Kevin Kolb. Cromartie has the measurables General Managers drool about, and it’ll be interesting to see how well he can adjust to the Eagles aggressive defensive system.
Remix pick: Jermichael Finley, TE (Packers)
The man crush of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, Jermichael Finley is perhaps the most promising young tight end in the game. If we ignore the fact that he’s coming off a serious season ending injury, Finley could easily go this high. There are plenty of players who could be picked up here. Glenn Dorsey has taken a plummet in this new remix draft, but could come off the board at some point around here. CB Brent Grimes is a nice pick. Mario Manningham the WR of the Giants has improved every year and could be poised for a breakout year this year (over 900 yards receiving last year and about 10 touchdowns), so he’s intriguing. And the talented Ray Rice is still available as well. With all that being said, Finley is a match-up nightmare and the Cardinals take a chance at pairing one of the most talented tight ends in the game with an elite WR in hopes of instantly improving their lack luster offense (and to give Kolb another weapon). This could be a reach pick, and I’ll admit that, but that always happens and Finely has the kind of talent that makes teams do crazy things in the draft.