Analysis & Articles On The Picks

[Sgt PSN]

Bowen said that Andy hinted that he would have taken Otah at #19 if the Carolina trade offer hadn't come in. Judging by the posts in that 1st round thread, a lot of guys here barely avoided having some broken furniture and injured pets in their homes this morning.

There were reports during the draft yesterday....about 3 or 4 picks before the Eagles at 19, that the Eagles were trying to trade up a couple of spots so they could grab either Albert or Otah. 

Taking a lineman at 19 would have been bad enough.  But had they actually traded up to do so would have been the cause for the deaths of several innocent house pets. 

[Rome]

i would have been fine with albert.  blood would have flowed if i heard otah's name called, though.

[SunMo]

i would have been fine with albert.  blood would have flowed if i heard otah's name called, though.

same

[reese125]

NFL Network says that the two teams with the best drafts have been the Kansas City Chiefs and your Philadelphia Eagles.

[Rome]

On the clock @ 109.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Kiper's grades

NFC East
Dallas Cowboys: GRADE: B+
Felix Jones will join Marion Barber in the Cowboys' backfield and will also return kicks. Cornerback Mike Jenkins has really good ball skills and should be a major contributor this season in the secondary. Tight end Martellus Bennett has talent and should be able to help out in the passing game. Running back Tashard Choice had a knee injury in 2007; otherwise he would have gone a little higher in the draft. He can run between tackles, but isn't going to run away from anyone in space. I projected Boise State cornerback Orlando Scandrick to go late in the second round, and I was surprised to see him last until the fifth round. However, the Cowboys didn't draft a wide receiver, which I thought was one of their top three need areas.

New York Giants: GRADE: C+
I understand taking safety Kenny Phillips with the last pick in the first round. He had a great sophomore season in 2006. Terrell Thomas could be a No. 2 cornerback, but I thought that pick was just OK. Wide receiver Mario Manningham is worth a role of the dice in the third round because he has talent, but his stock dropped in the months leading up to the draft, with some teams viewing him as a late-round pick. Jonathan Goff was a good find in the fifth round, and the same can be said about Andre' Woodson in Round 6. Defensive end Robert Henderson is just a marginal prospect.

Philadelphia Eagles: GRADE: C+
Trevor Laws had a very good 2007, and was arguably Notre Dame's best player. I like where the Eagles got DeSean Jackson because he's an exciting player (when healthy) who will help out in the return game. Bryan Smith is a combination DE/OLB, and Michael McGlynn had a nice season at right tackle opposite Jeff Otah. Cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu is a pick for the future; after declaring for the draft, he suffered a knee injury in January and isn't expected to play in 2008. Andrew Studebaker out of Wheaton has the potential to be a situational pass-rusher.

Washington taterskins: GRADE: B+
They traded out of the first round and still were able to get three offensive weapons in the second round: wide receivers Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly and tight end Fred Davis. Chad Rinehart is a versatile offensive lineman who can play guard or tackle. In the sixth round, Georgia Tech's Durant Brooks was the first -- and only -- punter drafted. He has a strong leg and should compete for the starting job (30 of his 65 punts were 50 yards or longer). Hawaii QB Colt Brennan went in the sixth round. He isn't very big, but he has some ability. What hurt Brennan was his performance in the Sugar Bowl and the Senior Bowl practices, and the system he played in, which allowed him to put up big numbers. Safety Christopher Horton will be a good backup and special teams player. The only thing the taterskins didn't get was a pass-rushing defensive end.

[QB Eagles]

It would have been nice if Kiper explained his C+ with actual analysis instead of just rattling off facts that everyone already knows. That same writeup could be used to justify anything from an A to a D.

[QB Eagles]

Peter King

The five teams I liked

2. Philadelphia. The Eagles always ask for too much in trade. Always. They couldn't get rid of Lito Shepard last weekend, but that was primarily because Shepard, who gets hurt too much, wants a new contract even though he has four years left on his current one. But the Eagles were able to auction off the 19th pick in the draft for a mind-boggling sum, which they got from Carolina -- second- and fourth-round picks this year and the Panthers' first-round pick next year.

On the draft-trade chart, the 19th overall pick is worth 875 points. If you assign Carolina an average 2008 season and give them the 16th pick in the first round next year, this trade will be worth 1,546 points on the trade chart -- almost double what the 19th pick is worth. In terms of real additions this year, DeSean Jackson as a receiver/returner with the 49th pick is excellent value.

It's too bad that King is wrong so often, because I thought this was funny:

2. I think -- I guess -- Jerry Reese didn't think he got enough value from New Orleans for Jeremy Shockey. I would think an unhappy tight end who's missed time with injuries would be worth second- and sixth-round draft picks (or a second this year and a fifth next year). I like Reese a lot, but I think he'll think back on this moment in October and say, "I really should have taken that deal for Shockey.''

[Rome]

i was much happier with day one than day two.  both picks on saturday filled immediate needs and i really liked the booker trade, but the more i look at yesterday's picks i don't see much in terms of help.  i fully expect half of those picks to be on the street by september.

[MadMarchHare]

Wait, Laws had 112 tackles last year as the NT in a 3-4?  Jesus.

He played end in the 3-4, but still... yeah.

Laws played nose tackle in Notre Dame's 3-4 defense

From one of Phreak's articles, I don't watch CFB much, especially not ND, so I wouldn't know personally.

[Sgt PSN]

i fully expect half of those picks to be on the patriots by september.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Wait, Laws had 112 tackles last year as the NT in a 3-4?  Jesus.

He played end in the 3-4, but still... yeah.

Laws played nose tackle in Notre Dame's 3-4 defense

From one of Phreak's articles, I don't watch CFB much, especially not ND, so I wouldn't know personally.

NFL.com draft profile.  First sentence.

Trevor Laws found a home at left defensive end during his senior year in the Fighting Irish 3-4 defensive alignment after spending his first three seasons manning the left defensive tackle position in a conventional 4-3 set.

[Seabiscuit36]

If JJ is going with a 3-4 alignment like has been said, he now has the players to do that with.  Tons of speed. 

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

If JJ is going with a 3-4 alignment like has been said, he now has the players to do that with.  Tons of speed. 

By whom?  This team is not going to a 3-4.

[Seabiscuit36]

it's been in the philly papers.  Not the entire alignment or philosophy change, but adding in packages utilizing the 3-4 to use players that they have