NFL Draft

2008 NFL Draft Day One Recap: Movers and shakers galore on a crazy Saturday

It was a quite the wild first day in this year’s NFL Draft, with prospects falling, a plethora of trades, and a number of surprise picks. Here’s a recap of some of the notable happenings from the first two rounds.

If your mock draft is looking pretty good right now, it might be a good idea to grab your life savings and go to Vegas, because you’re one of the lucky ones. Mine? Well, let’s just say if I had written it down, I’d have balled it up and thrown it into the trash pretty quickly.

Trades, Trades, Trades, and more Trades

The first six picks passed without a trade, and without a great deal of true surprise, but the trades started coming with lucky #7 and didn’t stop until the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded their second-round pick (#52) to Jacksonville for their second-rounder, a fifth-rounder, and a seventh-rounder in next year’s draft.

That’s 11 trades in all, 12 counting the one that Philadelphia made with Miami, acquiring RB Lorenzo Booker for a fourth-round pick.

The Fall of the Receivers

So much for four or five receivers being taken in the first round, eh? Not a single receiver was taken in the first round, and a tight end was taken before a receiver, as the New York Jets traded up with the Packers to nab Purdue’s Dustin Keller with the 30th pick.

But, the second round made up for it, as 11 receivers were taken in the second round. As for the first guy who was taken, well, it wasn’t Devin or DeSean, but Donnie, as in Donnie Avery of Houston, who the St. Louis Rams took with the second pick of the second round (#33).

The Waiting Game

While the slew of projected first-round receivers waited, so did a few other guys.

A pair of pass rushers, Clemson’s Phillip Merling and Auburn’s Quentin Groves were both rated as potential first-rounders, but Merling had to wait until the first pick of the second round to be taken by Miami, while Groves had to wait much longer, as he didn’t go off the board until the 52nd pick to Jacksonville. I had the Jaguars taking Groves #26, so hey, I did get it somewhat right.

The most high-profile guys who waited, besides the receivers, were QBs Chad Henne and Brian Brohm. I didn’t have Henne going off until the middle of the second round, but I didn’t think Brohm would have to wait as long as he did.

But, as it turns out, they came out pretty good. Brohm will get to back up Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him win the starting job there sometime soon. Henne won’t get separated from one of his key comrades from the last four seasons, as he’ll go to Miami and join forces with Michigan teammate Jake Long.

There are a number of highly-rated prospects who are still without a home. Dan Connor, Early Doucet, Mario Manningham, and Reggie Smith all had first-round grades at one point, but 63 picks went by on Saturday without any of them being selected. Which one was the biggest surprise? Make your pick in the poll on the front page.

Winners and Losers

The Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Redskins arguably came out the best of anyone on Saturday.

The Chiefs lucked out big-time by having Glenn Dorsey fall to them at #5 (thanks Atlanta!), and were still able to select a top-tier offensive lineman, as they got Virginia’s Branden Albert ten picks later after their trade with Detroit. Then, in the second round, they rounded out a good first day by nabbing Virginia Tech corner Brandon Flowers, who many gave a first-round grade.

The Redskins did a lot to improve their offense, and didn’t have to use a first-round pick to do it. They were able to get Devin Thomas with the first second-round pick that they got from Atlanta in the trade for the #21 pick, and then took USC TE Fred Davis with the other second-rounder that they received from the Falcons. Then, they rounded off a dream round by getting Oklahoma’s Malcolm Kelly with the second-round pick that they originally had. If all three of these guys play up to their high potential, Washington could really have a top-notch passing game very, very soon.

Carolina and Buffalo also came out pretty well. The Panthers got Oregon’s Jonathan Stewart at #13, then traded up to get Pittsburgh tackle Jeff Otah at #19. They still need to get a defensive end and a safety early on the second day, but if they do that, they’ll have had a pretty successful draft.

Buffalo was able to get the top corner prospect on the board at #11, nabbing Troy’s Leodis McKelvin, and then they were able to get their big offensive target in the second round, taking Indiana’s James Hardy. McKelvin fell into their laps, and not reaching for a receiver turned out to be a smart move.

Green Bay and Dallas didn’t come into the draft with a lot of serious needs, but added a trio of talents to their ranks. Green Bay was able to get Kansas St.’s Jordy Nelson with the second-round pick from the Jets, nabbed Brian Brohm with the one that they got from Cleveland in the Corey Williams trade, and with their original second-round choice, got Auburn corner Patrick Lee. Lee rose up the draft boards on the strength of a breakout senior season, and after learning from Charles Woodson and Al Harris for a few seasons, should step into the starting lineup.

I figured the Packers might add a tight end with the release of Bubba Franks, but Jermichael Finley should be there in the third. Nelson’s addition makes three straight years that the Packers have taken a receiver in the second round, and the last two turned out well. Greg Jennings (2006 second-rounder) had 12 touchdown receptions in 2007, and James Jones (2007 second-rounder) had 47 catches for 678 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie.

Dallas didn’t trade up to get Darren McFadden, but still got a Razorback runner in Felix Jones at #22, giving power back Marion Barber a good complement and beefing up their return game. Then, they traded up with Seattle, and took South Florida corner Mike Jenkins with the #25 pick, snatching him from the grasp of Houston, who would have likely taken him with the #26 pick (unless they wanted Duane Brown that badly). In the second, they picked up Texas A&M TE Martellus Bennett, who fills the hole left by Anthony Fasano’s departure to Miami, and has the potential to form a dynamic duo with Jason Witten.

Losers

Okay, we’re not surprised by now about what Detroit does when it comes to the draft. But, you’d have expected them to go in a different direction with their first two picks instead of Gosder Cherilus and Jordon Dizon. This isn’t a knock on either player, because Cherilus wasn’t a real reach at that point, and Dizon, whiel he’s undersized, is just an all-around playmaker, and could prove to be a real steal for them.

However, where will Cherilus fit on their line, and as for Dizon, he would’ve been there in the third, or even the fourth. The Lions still need a running back, secondary help, and they also need a defensive tackle. They best choose wisely with those two third-round picks that they have. Jamaal Charles will likely be there at #66, and they could go for Arizona State SS Josh Barrett or Arkansas DT Marcus Harrison with the #87 pick, and come out looking decent. But, will they come to regret not taking Rashard Mendenhall at #17?

Questionable Pick That Could Prove to Be Smart

Tennessee made a questionable pick at #24, taking East Carolina’s Chris Johnson instead of taking a receiver. The pick is questionable not because of Johnson’s talent, but because they drafted a speed back in Chris Henry in the second round last year, and that will make for a crowded backfield.

However, Johnson could do a lot of things for Tennessee, including giving Vince Young a weapon in the passing game (37 catches, 528 yards, 6 TD in 2007). That versatility could prove to really help Tennessee have a little more punch on offense, and while Johnson has room to improve and may not be an every-down back for a while (if ever), he won’t have to carry the load in Nashville, which will aid his development.

I had Johnson in that late first-round/early-second range (in my final mock, I had him going to the Panthers in the second), so it wasn’t a monster reach.

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