Angel
04-27-2006, 10:46 AM
Just like old times
By Charles Robinson, Yahoo! Sports
Five mock drafts and seven weeks later, 10 of the top 11 picks have come full circle.
Despite free agency, the scouting combine and a nationwide orgy of personal workouts, all but one of the first 11 players from the first mock draft in February have been reunited with their original projected employers.
Vince Young has rejoined Matt Leinart in the top five, while Jay Cutler is once again hanging on the cusp of the top 10. Only the Bills have a different selection seven weeks later, with Winston Justice replacing Haloti Ngata.
Justice is one of the big movers since the initial first-round forecast, steadily ascending to take his place in the top 10 – a ranking that we took some heat for almost two weeks ago but now seems correct after his outstanding pro day.
Projections haven't been nearly as kind to Justice's USC teammate LenDale White, who started at No. 13 in February. Since then, the running back has trickled down the draft board and now hangs at No. 29 after a disastrous pro day on April 2.
Here is the way the first-round picks stack up, with teams now pulling together their final reports and hunkering down in draft meetings over the next two weeks.
1. Houston Texans – Reggie Bush, RB, USC. Bush put up a very strong performance on his pro day, running well and wowing in the bench press (24 repetitions of 225 pounds). The Texans were very happy to see his good upper-body strength. Bush said he's 99.9-percent positive he's going No. 1 overall. The Texans had a good visit with him after his workout, and the team is expected to start negotiating a contract in the coming days. Houston coach Gary Kubiak told Bush he envisions using the multi-talented star in the same manner the Trojans did – 30-plus touches split between running back, wide receiver and special teams.
2. New Orleans Saints – Matt Leinart, QB, USC. This is a trade pick. Every indication is that the Saints are going to deal down a few spots to take a defensive player. If they get stuck, linebacker A.J. Hawk is the likeliest pick. They are already set with their starting defensive ends, so that dims the possibility of Mario Williams, and permanently moving Jammal Brown to left tackle doesn't bode well for the selection of D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Look for the Saints to trade – but stay in the top-five picks and draft Leinart.
3. Tennessee Titans – Vince Young, QB, Texas. Up, down, up, down. Every week, the needle on the Vince-o-meter swings a different way. Reliable sources indicated last week the Titans like both Matt Leinart and Young – in that order. If they can't get Leinart, they like Young enough to take him in this spot. But believe it or not, the Steve McNair situation might trigger a trade-up to No. 2 or even No. 1 to take Leinart, depending on how the Titans feel about the possibility of Billy Volek running the team for a year while Young learns the ropes. If the Titans don't like that idea, they could move up to take offensive coordinator Norm Chow's top choice in Leinart and go with him as a starter from Day 1.
4. New York Jets – D'Brickashaw Ferguson, OT, Virginia. The Jets have scheduled workouts with all of the first-round quarterbacks, as well as A.J. Hawk. Word is that their pecking order is Matt Leinart, Jay Cutler, and then Vince Young, but they view Cutler and Young as projects who aren't worthy of the fourth overall selection. The Jets have excess picks to move up, but they are said to be reluctant to mortgage what could be a deep draft class just for Leinart. With that in mind, the signing of Kimo von Oelhoffen shores up the void left by John Abraham, so Ferguson is the selection here. He should step in and immediately start at left tackle.
5. Green Bay Packers – Mario Williams, DE, North Carolina State. The team hasn't scheduled a visit yet with A.J. Hawk, but he would be tough to pass up in this spot. The Packers already have serviceable defensive ends, but neither has the total package of size, speed and skill that Williams offers. Plus, inconsistent end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila is in the first of several big hikes in his base salary ($3.85 million in 2006, then $5 million, $6.15 million and $7.3 million through 2009). Williams is a good insurance policy and would give the Packers a very strong defensive end rotation.
6. San Francisco 49ers – Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland. Scheduled visits have included A.J. Hawk, Vernon Davis, Mario Williams and Jimmy Williams. Hawk is tempting, but the 49ers are making a push to upgrade the offense around Alex Smith. Yes, they have Eric Johnson at tight end, but Davis has the tools to have an Antonio Gates type of impact. It was thought Hawk might be able to fit in the 3-4 scheme on the outside, but now that's looking less and less likely.
7. Oakland Raiders – A.J. Hawk, OLB, Ohio State. Hawk would inject a playmaking presence into the linebackers. The offense has the weapons to get the job done, but the defense lacks game-changing players. From a need standpoint, Haloti Ngata could get a look, but if Hawk isn't on the board, Vernon Davis and Michael Huff have gotten plenty of interest. And if something catastrophic happens at the top of the board and Vince Young slides, he likely won't get beyond this point.
8. Buffalo Bills – Winston Justice, OT, USC. Justice had a huge pro day, notching a 39-inch vertical, knocking out 38 reps in the bench press and running a 40-yard dash that would have been in the 4.9-second range if he hadn't suffered a pulled hamstring. Justice has put up better workout numbers than D'Brickashaw Ferguson and looks athletic enough to make the switch to left tackle.
9. Detroit Lions – Michael Huff, CB/S, Texas. A.J. Hawk and Jay Cutler have been scheduled for visits, and the Lions could go several ways with this pick. With Jeff Backus unsigned and Dan Wilkinson pondering retirement, Winston Justice and Haloti Ngata should factor. But Huff is an impact starting-quality player that gives the Lions flexibility at safety and cornerback. He is also a tough player, and that's one of the qualities that coach Rod Marinelli has been harping on over and over since taking over.
10. Arizona Cardinals – Jay Cutler, QB, Vanderbilt. Cutler is making the rounds, visiting with the Vikings, Titans, Rams, Lions and Jets. The Cardinals have a pressing need at cornerback, and if Michael Huff falls to this spot, he would be an ideal choice. Jimmy Williams is also a possibility. Don't rule out a possible trade at this point, with a lower team moving up to grab Cutler. If not, he gives Arizona a player to groom behind Kurt Warner.
11. St. Louis Rams – Jimmy Williams, CB, Virginia Tech. Brodrick Bunkley and Jay Cutler have been in for visits. Head coach Scott Linehan is believed to be very interested in Cutler, but there are more pressing defensive needs. With the linebackers improved through free agency, the cornerbacks still need to have more starting-quality talent added to the mix. There are varying opinions of Williams, who is best in man-to-man coverage. Some think he's at the top of the cornerback board, while others put him in the middle of the class.
12. Cleveland Browns – Brodrick Bunkley, DT, Florida State. The Browns have visited with Bunkley, Haloti Ngata and Chad Greenway. There are rumors flying about them warming up to Kamerion Wimbley at this pick, too. But the Browns need to improve their starting lineup with this pick, and Bunkley represents the biggest upgrade. He can step in and be a big impact player at defensive end immediately.
13. Baltimore Ravens – Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon. The Ravens scheduled visits with Vince Young, Brodrick Bunkley and Ngata. Don't be surprised if they try to engineer a trade to move up if Young falls to the bottom of the top 10. If not, Ngata would be the replacement for Maake Kemoeatu. The Ravens need both depth and talent on the defensive line, and Ngata gives them both. If Bunkley is here, he would be another target.
14. Philadelphia Eagles – Ernie Sims, OLB, Florida State. Winston Justice and Haloti Ngata have been scheduled for visits, and there is talk the Eagles could try to deal up for one of those two. If the Eagles can't make that move, the weak-side linebacker spot is still shaky. Even with the stopgap signing of Shawn Barber and the development of Matt McCoy, Sims offers a fast, playmaking upgrade.
15. Denver Broncos (from Atlanta) – Chad Jackson, WR, Florida. Visits have been scheduled for wide receivers Chad Jackson and Santonio Holmes and running backs LenDale White and DeAngelo Williams, but rumors are burning that the Broncos are trying to move into the draft's top six selections by packaging both of their first-round picks, or the 15th overall pick and wideout Ashley Lelie. It's more likely that Denver stays put and takes Jackson with this pick. A running back is possible, but there will definitely be one available at No. 22 when both Jackson and Holmes could be gone.
Continued......
By Charles Robinson, Yahoo! Sports
Five mock drafts and seven weeks later, 10 of the top 11 picks have come full circle.
Despite free agency, the scouting combine and a nationwide orgy of personal workouts, all but one of the first 11 players from the first mock draft in February have been reunited with their original projected employers.
Vince Young has rejoined Matt Leinart in the top five, while Jay Cutler is once again hanging on the cusp of the top 10. Only the Bills have a different selection seven weeks later, with Winston Justice replacing Haloti Ngata.
Justice is one of the big movers since the initial first-round forecast, steadily ascending to take his place in the top 10 – a ranking that we took some heat for almost two weeks ago but now seems correct after his outstanding pro day.
Projections haven't been nearly as kind to Justice's USC teammate LenDale White, who started at No. 13 in February. Since then, the running back has trickled down the draft board and now hangs at No. 29 after a disastrous pro day on April 2.
Here is the way the first-round picks stack up, with teams now pulling together their final reports and hunkering down in draft meetings over the next two weeks.
1. Houston Texans – Reggie Bush, RB, USC. Bush put up a very strong performance on his pro day, running well and wowing in the bench press (24 repetitions of 225 pounds). The Texans were very happy to see his good upper-body strength. Bush said he's 99.9-percent positive he's going No. 1 overall. The Texans had a good visit with him after his workout, and the team is expected to start negotiating a contract in the coming days. Houston coach Gary Kubiak told Bush he envisions using the multi-talented star in the same manner the Trojans did – 30-plus touches split between running back, wide receiver and special teams.
2. New Orleans Saints – Matt Leinart, QB, USC. This is a trade pick. Every indication is that the Saints are going to deal down a few spots to take a defensive player. If they get stuck, linebacker A.J. Hawk is the likeliest pick. They are already set with their starting defensive ends, so that dims the possibility of Mario Williams, and permanently moving Jammal Brown to left tackle doesn't bode well for the selection of D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Look for the Saints to trade – but stay in the top-five picks and draft Leinart.
3. Tennessee Titans – Vince Young, QB, Texas. Up, down, up, down. Every week, the needle on the Vince-o-meter swings a different way. Reliable sources indicated last week the Titans like both Matt Leinart and Young – in that order. If they can't get Leinart, they like Young enough to take him in this spot. But believe it or not, the Steve McNair situation might trigger a trade-up to No. 2 or even No. 1 to take Leinart, depending on how the Titans feel about the possibility of Billy Volek running the team for a year while Young learns the ropes. If the Titans don't like that idea, they could move up to take offensive coordinator Norm Chow's top choice in Leinart and go with him as a starter from Day 1.
4. New York Jets – D'Brickashaw Ferguson, OT, Virginia. The Jets have scheduled workouts with all of the first-round quarterbacks, as well as A.J. Hawk. Word is that their pecking order is Matt Leinart, Jay Cutler, and then Vince Young, but they view Cutler and Young as projects who aren't worthy of the fourth overall selection. The Jets have excess picks to move up, but they are said to be reluctant to mortgage what could be a deep draft class just for Leinart. With that in mind, the signing of Kimo von Oelhoffen shores up the void left by John Abraham, so Ferguson is the selection here. He should step in and immediately start at left tackle.
5. Green Bay Packers – Mario Williams, DE, North Carolina State. The team hasn't scheduled a visit yet with A.J. Hawk, but he would be tough to pass up in this spot. The Packers already have serviceable defensive ends, but neither has the total package of size, speed and skill that Williams offers. Plus, inconsistent end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila is in the first of several big hikes in his base salary ($3.85 million in 2006, then $5 million, $6.15 million and $7.3 million through 2009). Williams is a good insurance policy and would give the Packers a very strong defensive end rotation.
6. San Francisco 49ers – Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland. Scheduled visits have included A.J. Hawk, Vernon Davis, Mario Williams and Jimmy Williams. Hawk is tempting, but the 49ers are making a push to upgrade the offense around Alex Smith. Yes, they have Eric Johnson at tight end, but Davis has the tools to have an Antonio Gates type of impact. It was thought Hawk might be able to fit in the 3-4 scheme on the outside, but now that's looking less and less likely.
7. Oakland Raiders – A.J. Hawk, OLB, Ohio State. Hawk would inject a playmaking presence into the linebackers. The offense has the weapons to get the job done, but the defense lacks game-changing players. From a need standpoint, Haloti Ngata could get a look, but if Hawk isn't on the board, Vernon Davis and Michael Huff have gotten plenty of interest. And if something catastrophic happens at the top of the board and Vince Young slides, he likely won't get beyond this point.
8. Buffalo Bills – Winston Justice, OT, USC. Justice had a huge pro day, notching a 39-inch vertical, knocking out 38 reps in the bench press and running a 40-yard dash that would have been in the 4.9-second range if he hadn't suffered a pulled hamstring. Justice has put up better workout numbers than D'Brickashaw Ferguson and looks athletic enough to make the switch to left tackle.
9. Detroit Lions – Michael Huff, CB/S, Texas. A.J. Hawk and Jay Cutler have been scheduled for visits, and the Lions could go several ways with this pick. With Jeff Backus unsigned and Dan Wilkinson pondering retirement, Winston Justice and Haloti Ngata should factor. But Huff is an impact starting-quality player that gives the Lions flexibility at safety and cornerback. He is also a tough player, and that's one of the qualities that coach Rod Marinelli has been harping on over and over since taking over.
10. Arizona Cardinals – Jay Cutler, QB, Vanderbilt. Cutler is making the rounds, visiting with the Vikings, Titans, Rams, Lions and Jets. The Cardinals have a pressing need at cornerback, and if Michael Huff falls to this spot, he would be an ideal choice. Jimmy Williams is also a possibility. Don't rule out a possible trade at this point, with a lower team moving up to grab Cutler. If not, he gives Arizona a player to groom behind Kurt Warner.
11. St. Louis Rams – Jimmy Williams, CB, Virginia Tech. Brodrick Bunkley and Jay Cutler have been in for visits. Head coach Scott Linehan is believed to be very interested in Cutler, but there are more pressing defensive needs. With the linebackers improved through free agency, the cornerbacks still need to have more starting-quality talent added to the mix. There are varying opinions of Williams, who is best in man-to-man coverage. Some think he's at the top of the cornerback board, while others put him in the middle of the class.
12. Cleveland Browns – Brodrick Bunkley, DT, Florida State. The Browns have visited with Bunkley, Haloti Ngata and Chad Greenway. There are rumors flying about them warming up to Kamerion Wimbley at this pick, too. But the Browns need to improve their starting lineup with this pick, and Bunkley represents the biggest upgrade. He can step in and be a big impact player at defensive end immediately.
13. Baltimore Ravens – Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon. The Ravens scheduled visits with Vince Young, Brodrick Bunkley and Ngata. Don't be surprised if they try to engineer a trade to move up if Young falls to the bottom of the top 10. If not, Ngata would be the replacement for Maake Kemoeatu. The Ravens need both depth and talent on the defensive line, and Ngata gives them both. If Bunkley is here, he would be another target.
14. Philadelphia Eagles – Ernie Sims, OLB, Florida State. Winston Justice and Haloti Ngata have been scheduled for visits, and there is talk the Eagles could try to deal up for one of those two. If the Eagles can't make that move, the weak-side linebacker spot is still shaky. Even with the stopgap signing of Shawn Barber and the development of Matt McCoy, Sims offers a fast, playmaking upgrade.
15. Denver Broncos (from Atlanta) – Chad Jackson, WR, Florida. Visits have been scheduled for wide receivers Chad Jackson and Santonio Holmes and running backs LenDale White and DeAngelo Williams, but rumors are burning that the Broncos are trying to move into the draft's top six selections by packaging both of their first-round picks, or the 15th overall pick and wideout Ashley Lelie. It's more likely that Denver stays put and takes Jackson with this pick. A running back is possible, but there will definitely be one available at No. 22 when both Jackson and Holmes could be gone.
Continued......