Perhaps the most fitting quote of why there is so much attention given to the NFL Draft came from ESPN's popular sports anchor, Stuart Scott. In his most recent two-way column in ESPN The Magazine, Scott responds to Garth by saying, "Garth, it's football. It's king, ruler, and czar. It's master, emperor, president and chief. You know-football." Football has always been my favorite sport since I was a little kid and my passion for the game has only grown over the years. I truly love the game of football. It is the greatest game ever.
Anyways, it's time for me to break down the 2007 NFL Draft selections, pick-by-pick. Most people do a team-by-team analysis, but for now I'm just going to breakdown the picks in the order they came. There will probably be a team-by-team grading to come eventually, so stay tuned. I plan on doing a pretty thorough and in-depth breakdown of each player, pick-by-pick, so look for me to release picks 5-10 pretty soon and we'll keep rolling down the countdown. Let's get down to it!
1. Oakland Raiders: JaMarcus Russell (QB/LSU)
In a draft full of surprising twists and turns, Russell was perhaps the surest bet to go number one to the Raiders. I like JaMarcus Russell a lot and like many other analysts, I think he's absolutely oozing with potential. He reminds me of Jacksonville quarterback Byron Leftwich, except with a stronger, more accurate arm. The kid is 6'6, 263 pounds, can throw the ball to the moon and place it there accurately. He has perhaps the best combination of strength and accuracy of any quarterback in this draft. He can throw the ball 65 yards off his knees and completed over 67% of his passes in 2006 against some ferocious SEC defenses. Did I mention that he also threw for over 3,000 yards in '06 as well with a phenomenal TD-INT ratio(28 touchdowns:8 interceptions)? He is also deceptively fast for somebody his size and can get away from pressure when he needs to since he runs a 4.72-40 yard dash. He can throw the ball from pretty much every awkward position imaginable. If you need proof, just check out the highlight on YouTube, where Russell spins away from not one but two Ole Miss defenders and completes a pass 53 yards down the field off his back foot. He makes ridiculous throw after ridiculous throw and has probably become a YouTube legend by now. The deep ball he had against Notre Dame off his back foot was pretty absurd too. He's going to desperately need to summon throws like those in Oakland because he's going to be running for his life behind that atrocious offensive line. Note to Russell: The Raiders' o-line allowed an eye-gouging 72 sacks last season! Yikes. Lucky for Oakland fans, their signal-caller is strong enough and big enough to absorb pretty much any kind of punishment.
It's one thing to be a physical specimen, but when you combine that with an amazing amount of productivity on the Division 1 level in the toughest conference in college football(SEC), well that is where you have a once in a generation type of player. He's still a little raw in certain spots, but I think Russell is going to be a phenomenal pro for the Oakland Raiders. Al Davis simply cannot go wrong placing the franchise in the hands of LSU's second all-time leading passer. First, the offensive line has to be fixed. Then he will actually have enough time to throw the ball to speed merchants like Johnnie Lee Higgins of UTEP and the ultra-versatile Michael Bush of Louisville.
Pick Rating: 10/10
2. Detroit Lions: Calvin Johnson (WR/Georgia Tech)
Calvin Johnson is the most physically gifted player in this draft, regardless of position. If you were going to create a robot in a factory and turn him into a wide receiver, Calvin Johnson would be it. I'm convinced the kid was sent from Mars to snatch pigskin from the sky. I've never seen a receiver combine a blend of size, speed, and leaping ability in the uncanny fashion that Calvin Johnson does. He's 6'5, 235 lbs. runs a 4.35-40 yard dash, and even has a 45 inch vertical leap! This guy is a freak. Johnson has got to be doing back flips now that he has Jon Kitna throwing him the pigskin instead of Reggie Ball. Don't get me wrong, Reggie Ball was always one of my favorite quarterbacks in college football, but his inability to see Johnson down the field hurt the Yellow Jackets in numerous games. I'll admit I thought the Lions were going to take this pick and trade down to get Gaines Adams, but it never happened. I was wondering why Detroit would ever keep Mike Williams if they selected Johnson, but Williams was quickly dealt to Oakland. Johnson will help to take pressure off the sure-handed Roy Williams. If you're going to take a receiver in this draft, you certainly cannot go wrong with either Calvin Johnson or Dwayne Jarrett. They are the best receivers in this class and are head and shoulders above any other receiver in the NCAA. Johnson's stats from 2006 are almost as impressive as his physical ability. He snatched 76 balls for over 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns. That's not even taking into account the fact that Reggie Ball couldn't find him open down field half the time! If the Lions decided that Calvin Johnson was their receiver of the future instead of Mike Williams, I think for once in his life, Lions GM Matt Millen actually made a good decision. Jon Kitna could put on a blind fold and throw it up to Johnson, because if it's anywhere near the same zip code as Johnson, this kid is coming down with the rock. Detroit fans say goodbye to Mike Williams and say hello to the receiver from outer space, the immensely gifted Calvin Johnson. He'll create a new highlight reel, just in different colors.
Pick Rating: 10/10
3. Cleveland Browns: Joe Thomas (OT/Wisconsin)
Most people crowned Joe Thomas as the best offensive lineman in this class, just ahead of Penn State's Levi Brown. I am higher on Levi Brown than Joe Thomas, but that is more of a credit to Brown than it is a discredit to Thomas. That's not to say that I don't think Joe Thomas is going to be good, I am just not sure if he can become the franchise type of tackle that warrants a top 5 pick. The biggest problem I have with Thomas is something that he cannot control; he lacks one of the physical traits that you look for in a tackle, more specifically long arms: his arms are only 32 inches long. That being said, Cleveland desperately needed help on the offensive line and if Phil Savage feels like Joe Thomas is his guy, then I agree with the pick. Thomas is remarkably athletic for somebody his size and runs a 5.0-40 yard dash time. Wisconsin even used him as a tight end in goal-line situations and as a defensive lineman early on in his career. The Badgers are a school that is very tradition rich in producing some of the best offensive linemen in college football and people have said that Thomas is the most dominant blocker to wear a Wisconsin uniform since Paul Gruber('85-87). I think Thomas's versatility and athleticism will help him tremendously on the next level and I think he'll be solid, but certainly not all-pro. It was a good pick for the Browns, but I would've picked Levi Brown instead of Joe Thomas.
Pick rating: 7/10
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Gaines Adams (DE-Clemson)
Listed at an imposing 6'4, 265 pounds with 4.65 speed, Gaines Adams is perhaps the best pure-pass rusher in this NFL Draft class. He and Jarvis Moss are in a league of their own when it comes to dominating the edge in pass rush situations. Adams exploded onto the college football scene during his last two seasons at Clemson, where his numbers and physical ability eventually catapulted him into the top 5 of nearly every major draft list. The Fork Union Military Academy product has tremendous speed off the edge and is remarkably good at using his long arms to rip past opposing tackles. He has the ability to beat the tackle to the outside edge or he can use his excellent change of direction to beat them to the inside. He has jaw-dropping athleticism and showed that against Wake Forest in 2006, when he tipped Riley Skinner's pass in the air, intercepted it, and raced down the field untouched for a 55-yard touchdown return. If you don't believe me, then just check out his highlights on YouTube.( I know this is starting to sound like an advertisement for YouTube, but the site shows highlights of pretty much every athlete imaginable and I can never get enough.) Adams has phenomenal closing speed and can chase down quarterbacks from just about any position on the football field. He was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2006 after leading the league in sacks(12.5) and he also earned unamimous All-America honors. Adams also happens to be the proud owner of the Clemson school record in quarterback hurries(29) in a season. His non-stop motor and his excellent ability to use his hands effectively will serve him well in the pros. I envision him being a nightmare for opposing tackles to block, and I think Adams could eventually be an all-pro defensive end for the Bucs. After watching his highlights and studying his film, I have no doubt that Gaines Adams will be a phenomenal pro. He'll be a terror in opposing backfields for years to come.
Pick rating: 10/10
5. Arizona Cardinals: Levi Brown (OT/Penn St.)
I am extremely high on Levi Brown. He's definitely my favorite offensive line prospect in this draft. After watching him in the Senior Bowl, I fell in love with him. One announcer at the Senior Bowl said it best when he said Brown has the "size of a sumo and the feet of a ballerina." His bio on Penn State's athletics website lists him as "Penn State's best offensive lineman in the past 10 years." He started 45 of the last 48 games of his career and earned second-team All-America honors from The Sporting News and the Walter Camp Foundation. Brown only allowed 2 sacks during the 2006 season. He plays much faster than his 5.3-40 yard dash time and many critics were all over him about his slow 40-time at the combine. I'm not a huge fan of using the combine numbers and I never will be. I would much rather take a prospect if he was productive on the collegiate level and had a poor showing at the combine than the other way around.
Brown is extremely good at sliding out to the edge and has a great knack for changing the direction of opposing defensive linemen. The Norfolk, Virginia native is very explosive off the ball and is also very good at accelerating to the block point. The Cardinals drafted Brown to protect Leinart's blind side and I think Cardinals' fans should be more than happy with this pick. Levi Brown will be a franchise tackle in the NFL and I think he'll be an all-pro really soon. Matt Leinart's blind side will be safe for years to come with this stud protecting him.
Pick rating: 10/10
For the breakdown of picks 6-10, click here.
I'll go in-depth like I always like to do. Until then...stay classy football fans.
