2007 NFL Draft Thread

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

The good news is that the Eagles got a lot of volume of players!

No one under 6'1" and no one under 220!  WAR SIZE!  BIG BACK!

[hunt]

The good news is that the Eagles got a lot of volume of players!

No one under 6'1" and no one under 220!  WAR SIZE!  BIG BACK!

yep...they didn't go "undersized" like they usually do.

[hunt]

any chance they could get a 4th for moats?

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

any chance they could get a 4th for moats?

Maybe... if they use one of their 5ths along with him.

[PhillyGirl]

Sean Salisbury and Michael Smith both say the Eagles are the losers of Day 1.

farg 'em.

Salisbury IS a loser...and Smith seems to be buds with McNabb so you can see what he thinks.

Anyway, last year at this time (like I've said), we were the #1 or #2 team in the draft on the winner board. Worked out real well for us so far. 

[shorebird]

Kevin Kolb
Victor Abiamiri
Stewart Bradley
Tony Hunt

I think Hunt could be the perfect compliment to Bwest. He fits the Penn State mold of a downhill bust the line runner. He won't break any big ones but on third and 2 he could be a viable option that would change the way defenses look at our offense. He's the bust it up the middle runner we haven't had since Duce.

I like Bradley. Finnally a lb with some size. NFL.com says he could put 20 more lbs. on his frame with no loss of quickness, so might have a future at DE.

Abiamiri fits Rieds mold for players, great guy, workout warrior. Like others have said, I watched quite a few ND games this year and don't remember this guy.

Kolb........Kevin friggen' Kolb.

It was said a lot on ESPN that Marty is in love with this guy. Looking at what is written about him, I see a qb with a very accurate, but not very strong arm. Throws great on the run and is good at making something of nothing, but will turn it over when pressured and can't find anyone open.

I don't understand this pick at all. The last position on the field that we needed with our first pick in the second round was qb. Absolutly no attempt to get extra picks for a wr or s. We draft a farging quarterback.

Either this Kolb ends up a pro-bowl qb, or Ried gets fired.

[hunt]

the ramblings of some guy from scoutsnotebook.com:

First, let's start with a review:

Day 1 is in the books.

Let's review:

2nd Rd - QB Kevin Kolb - 6'3, 220

Tommy's Notes on Kevin Kolb:

Very experienced. 4 year starter. Threw for over 12,000 yds. Had 85 TD passes, but only 31 INTs. Ran for a surprising 21 TDs. Durable. Didn't miss a start in 4 years. Has played in the same offensive system since HS. That is a bit of a concern. How easily will he adjust to a new offense? Good combo of size, skill, experience, and athleticism. Runs okay. Will scramble if he has open field. Had a 46 yd TD run in C-USA title game. Can make throws from all sorts of angles and positions. Can throw on the move. Can create plays. Was pressured vs Miami. Moved around in pocket and then flipped the ball to his RB, who ran for a medium gain. Has a good, but not great arm. Makes good decisions. Accurate. Houston's offense is based on a lot of RAC yds. Kolb can hit guys on the move. Also throws a very catchable ball. Good touch and good pace on his short throws. Doesn't force the ball. Solid mechanically. His offensive system featured a lot of shotgun and a lot of short, quick throws, so he will have to adjust to dropping back and making reads. Played in the Senior Bowl and looked pretty comfortable running an NFL offense down there. Adjusted better than Chris Leak or Troy Smith. Showed a good pocket presence. Made good reads. Also looked good at his Pro Day. Reminds me of Kellen Clemens from last year's draft class.

SUMMARY

I like Kevin a lot. I think he's the #3 QB and a 2nd Rd player. I see him as a starting NFL QB.


Senior Bowl:

Practices - KOLB - Played smart. Hit his checkdown receivers when nothing was open. Moved around in the pocket if needed.

Kolb - Nice throw to Taylor on the right side. Looked fairly smooth in taking snaps under Center and dropping back. Threw a deep ball to Bowe in the seam that should have been a TD. Threw the ball pretty well. Had a couple of nice medium throws.

Game - KOLB - Played 3rd Qtr. Good throw to Chris Davis running out route from left slot. Made a quick read and got the ball to him in a hurry. Davis was able to run for the 1st. Good pocket presence. Stood in the middle of pressure and focused on receivers. Threw a bootleg pass to TE. Looked good on the rollout, but had to throw ball into the ground because of pressure on him and tight coverage. Was sacked when the RB couldn't solo block Carriker. Screwed up a handoff to Darby. Ball may have slipped from his hand as he went to give it away. Screen pass was blown up and he had to throw the ball away.


OVERALL:

I had Kevin as my #3 QB and worthy of a 2nd Rd pick.

This pick really caught me off guard. I knew the Eagles really liked Kevin, but I didn't think they would go for a QB this high.

Andy Reid said that he was the highest rated player on the board. This could be entirely possible. Wouldn't surprise me if the Eagles had a 1st Rd grade on Kevin. I only really had two major concerns with Kevin. First, he played in the same offensive system in HS and college. How will he adjust to an NFL offense? My second concern is that he played in the spread offense. How will he adjust to playing under Center?

I thought Kevin handled himself very well in the Senior Bowl and looked fine under Center. That made me feel better about him as a pro prospect.

How does he fit in to Philly's plans? That is the key question. He'll be the 3rd stringer for the next couple of years, assuming AJ and Donovan stay healthy. After that, who knows? Might move up to 2nd. Might challenge for the starting job. Time will tell.

Fans have to think of this as an investment in the future. I think Kevin has the talent to be a starting NFL QB. Philly can now take their time in developing him for the future.
_____________________________________________


2nd Rd - LDE Victor Abiamiri - 6'4, 275

Tommy's Notes on Victor Abiamiri
Plays LDE. Does a good job of pursuing plays from the backside. Not the biggest or strongest, but can be stout when he extends his arms and plays with leverage. Had an outstanding play vs Michigan when he pushed back the RT and forced a run wide, then used a spin move to get off the block and make the TFL. Good motor. Good closing speed. Looks quick and athletic, but not fluid. Looks a bit gangly at times. Quick off the ball, but not explosive. Used inside move for sack vs Stanford. Used good inside move vs LSU to get pressure. Good pass rush vs Michigan when he was unblocked. Victor stayed under control as he came upfield, then used a good burst to hit Henne as he threw. Had 19 sacks over the last two years. Very cut, muscular build. Did 25 reps at the Combine. Very raw as a pass rusher. Fires upfield and also has an inside move. Needs to learn how to use his hands, how to set up blockers, and other moves.

SUMMARY

2nd Rd player with a lot of upside. Has the frame to develop into a decent sized LDE in the NFL.


Senior Bowl:

Practice Note - ABIAMIRI - Great looking body. Very muscular. Needs to show better burst. Moves? Has to battle harder. He doesn't quit, but pauses if initial progress is stopped. Needs to go all out til the whistle blows.

Game Notes - ABIAMIRI - LDE. Runs weird. Good rush off the edge. Was held around the neck by Wrotto, but drew no flag. Quick off the ball. Played a little at RDE. Used inside move vs Staley to blow up running play.

OVERALL:

I had Victor rated as my #9 DE.

The Eagles have looked for a DE with some size for the last couple of years. Victor fits that bill. He can rush the passer as well. In the short term, he may be on the bench. He'll be slotted as the #5 DE. That may seem like a waste with a 2nd Rd pick, but remember that the Eagles have lost a DE to injury for at least 8 games in each of the last 5 years. Even as the 5th DE, there is a good chance Victor will get some playing time.
_____________________________________________



.

[hunt]

more....

3rd Rd - SLB Stewart Bradley - 6'3, 256

Tommy's Notes on Stewart Bradley

The top pure SAM LB in the Draft. Good size. Can be stout at the POA. Moves pretty well. Had a sack and FF vs USC. Not a great athlete. So-so COD. Doesn't start 'n stop all that well either. Does hustle. Chases plays all over the field. Can run with TEs. Just missed sack when he rushed off the edge vs Texas. Lines up over slot at times. Generally disciplined in playing his gap/area. Good tackler. Not a gifted pass rusher, but can get some pressure because he comes hard off the edge. Good STer.

SUMMARY

Complete SAM. Can play the run, cover, rush the passer, and tackle well. Isn't great in any one area, but solid in all. Should be a late 2nd or 3rd Rd pick. Isn't a great fit for Cover 2 or 3-4 teams, so might have a limited market.


Senior Bowl:
BRADLEY - SLB. Good tackle on run play. Was unblocked. Read the play as it developed, then shot upfield to tackle RB at the line. Hit TE on short catch. Pursued well. Had TFL. DL disrupted play and Stewart fired upfield and nailed the RB.

OVERALL:

I had him ranked as the #4 OLB and #1 SAM.

I didn't think the Eagles would take a SAM. I was thinking they'd go either MLB or WLB. After the pick, I figured Bradley would be moved to MLB. Reid said in a press conference that Stewart would in fact be at SAM, but could backup MLB as well. I'll comment on the LBs below.

_____________________________________________


3rd Rd - RB Tony Hunt - 6'2, 233

Tommy's Notes on Tony Hunt
Workhorse power runner. Runs behind his pads. Can make guys miss. Good balance. Tough, rugged RB. Lacks top speed. Good blocker in pass pro or on running plays. Very good blitz pickup/pass blocker. Can hold up guys or simply stonewall them. Was used as a lead blocker on some QB sweeps in '05. Does not have quick feet and will struggle with penetration. At his best as a N-S runner. Very good on screen passes. Catches the ball well. Had 88 catches for his career. Breaks arm tackles. Will run over some defenders. At his best as a downhill runner. Big guy, but knows how to make himself small. He will lower his shoulder when a defender is in front of him. Gives him more power and makes him a smaller target. Very good on Draw plays. Always seems to fall forward. Strong enough to drag defenders. Took one Tennessee DB for a 10 yd ride. Does have a pretty good burst. Had a very good showing at the Senior Bowl. That was very important to me. Proved that he can run on top flight defensive players. Also had a great bowl game. Ran for 158 yds on Tennessee and really wore down their defense.

SUMMARY

Lacks the speed to be a 1st Rder. Still, has the kind of ability where he could be a starting RB in time. High character, competitive guy who had to fight for the job at Penn State over more heralded recruits. Won't shock me to see him do the same thing in the NFL.


Senior Bowl:
HUNT - Started at RB. Caught a couple of passes. One was a swing pass. Got it behind the LOS and worked through defenders for a gain of 8. Lined up out wide on the other catch. Short gain. Had the ball stripped by DB, but was ruled down. 7 yd TD run. Play went to the right side. Tony got behind Beekman and read the defense. Saw the defenders heading wide, so Tony cut inside for easy score. Stepped up into pocket and helped with pass pro on DT. Ran over Buster Davis on Iso run up middle. Only got a couple of yds, but "won" the collision. Ran through a tackle attempt by Simpson. Got to the edge and headed down the sideline. Lacks top speed. Can take a big hit and hop right up. Runs with terrific balance. Keeps his feet under him and runs under control. That allows him to run through some hits/tackles. Runs as N-S as possible. Had an off-tackle play to the right where he cut up inside. Tony had space out wide, but seems to understand that he is a power runner. Patient. Let's plays develop.
OVERALL:

I had him ranked as the #4 RB.

Tony is the power runner that many fans and media have wanted. He's underrated as a receiver. He should be the #3 RB this year. I'm fairly certain the Eagles will look to trade Ryan Moats.
_____________________________________________

[hunt]

more still....

A look at the Eagles LB situation:

WLB: Spikes.....McCoy

MLB: Trotter.....Gaither

SLB: Gocong.....Bradley.....Daniels

I anticipate us trading Dhani Jones on Sunday in order to move up a few spots in one of the rounds.

Reid mentioned that Chris and Stewart offered the Eagles a pair of big LBs to play TEs up on the LOS, something they haven't been able to do for a couple of years.

Based on his PC, I really got the feeling Gocong was going to be penciled in as the starting SAM with Bradley as a backup.

This allows Takeo to play WLB, the spot he's most comfortable with. Trotter and Gaither are left to battle in the middle...assuming the Eagles don't take a MLB on Day 2.

This lineup isn't set in stone. We won't know for sure until we see what happens at the mini-camps and early in Training Camp.

_____________________________________________

UPDATED DEPTH CHART (guys likely to make the team)

WR.....Reggie Brown.................Jason Avant............Greg Lewis
WR.....Kevin Curtis...................Hank Baskett
TE......LJ Smith.........................Matt Schobel
FB......Thomas Tapeh..............
RB......Brian Westbrook............C. Buckhalter...........TONY HUNT......Ryan Moats
QB.....Donovan McNabb............AJ Feeley...............KEVIN KOLB.......Kelly Holcomb
LT......Tra Thomas....................Winston Justice
LG......Todd Herremans.............Max Jean-Gilles
C.......Jamaal Jackson...............Nick Cole
RG.....Shawn Andrews..............Scott Young
RT......Jon Runyan....................Pat McCoy


DE......Darren Howard.............Trent Cole..................Jerome McDougle
DT......Brodrick Bunkley.............Montae Reagor
DT......Mike Patterson...............Sam Rayburn.............LaJuan Ramsey
DE......Jevon Kearse................Juqua Thomas.............VICTOR ABIAMIRI
LB.......Takeo Spikes...............Matt McCoy
ILB.....Jeremiah Trotter............Omar Gaither
LB......STEWART BRADLEY........Chris Gocong..............Tank Daniels --- Dhani Jones???

SS......Sean Considine.............Quentin Mikell
FS......Brian Dawkins
CB......Lito Sheppard.............Joselio Hanson
CB......Sheldon Brown.............BillyJim

PK......David Akers
P........Dirk Johnson
LS......Jon Dorenbos
RS.....Jeremy Bloom

_____________________________________________

onto Day 2

* I think the Eagles will try to trade Moats, McDougle, and Dhani so they can move up in a round.

* I think Tra Thomas is staying put for 2007.

* Don't expect the Eagles to use all 4 picks. I think they'll package them to move up. I'm only expecting 2 or 3 picks.

I'm sure Heckert will work the phones as hard as possible to try and move up in the 4th Rd. There have to be a few players the Eagles are interested in.


What are the needs for Sunday?

SS
CB

Possibly: MLB...TE...WR...DT

Picks:

(pick #100 will be the first of the day overall...just to put things in perspective)

5th Rd - 159

5th Rd - 162

6th Rd - 201

7th Rd - 236


Targets for us:

SS

Tanard Jackson
John Wendling
Daren Stone
Eric Frampton
Kevin Payne
Josh Gattis
Brannon Condren
Jessie Daniels
Leonard Peters
Craig Dahl


CB

Fred Bennett
Tarell Brown
David Irons
Michael Coe
Geoff Pope
Courtney Brown
Marcus Hamilton

** CJ Gaddis of Clemson could be of interest at either spot


MLB

Brian Robison (converted DE)
Tim Shaw
Desmond Bishop
Brandon Siler
HB Blades
Rory Johnson

_____________________________________________

I didn't expect a lot of what happened on Saturday. That means Sunday should be pretty interesting

[MDS]

A new day and this still doesn't feel better. farg Philly sports.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

If they go MLB, I'm hoping it would be Anthony Waters. I'd be cool with Wendling at safety, granted he's white, but he's the best available, and has been pimped as a sleeper by a lot of "experts".

[SD_Eagle5]

You know those restless nights where you toss and turn after your team loses a big game? I had  one of those last night over this draft.

[Seabiscuit36]

I think Waters got picked at the end of the third last night PPinDC

[SD_Eagle5]

In a deal consummated by a phone call between the two owners - Jeffrey Lurie and the Cowboys' Jerry Jones - the Eagles picked up an extra selection in the third round - 87th overall - from Dallas, giving them four first-day selections.

Why is Lurie involved in any way shape or form? He's been consistent in saying he leaves the football decisions to the experts.

[SunMo]

wow...Randy Moss to the Patriots for a 4th round pick