NFL Draft Recap #2

This begins the second edition of our NFL Draft Recap.

5. New York Jets (from Cleveland) – Mark Sanchez – QB – USC: In what would prove to be the first of Cleveland’s three first round trades, the New York Jets moved up to nab Sanchez at #5. The USC quarterback only has one year of starting experience coming out of college, but what he lacks in experience he makes up for with raw talent. While his arm strength is not quite as excellent as Stafford, it is nothing to joke about, and Sanchez has tight, accurate throws that his Georgia counterpart sometimes lacks. He is also a quick learner, as displayed by his strong performances during the second half of last year. He had some injury concerns, so it will be interesting to see how he performs over the long haul of a 16-game season, but the Jets have an expensive and veteran offensive line that should help him along the way.

6. Cincinnati Bengals – Andre Smith – OT – Alabama: Cincinnati has a history of taking players with character concerns, and the theme continued on Draft day. Andre Smith is probably the most talented offensive lineman in this year’s class, but his suspension from Alabama’s Bowl game and his unflattering appearances at the Combine and his Pro Day have raised questions about his work ethic. I don’t question Smith’s skill, but there is reason to question his discipline, and given the Bengals’ inability to effectively handle undisciplined players I’m not sure that it is the best place for him. At Alabama he flourished under Nick Saban’s orderly structure, but someone will have to give him the same discipline in Cincinnati for him to be successful.

7. Oakland Raiders – Darrius Heyward-Bey – WR – Maryland: This pick had a chance to be my Most Intriguing and Most Puzzling, but came up short on both counts. While Heyward-Bey might have been a stretch at #7, Raiders owner Al Davis loves raw speed, which the Terrapins receiver certainly provides as the fastest player at the Combine with a 4.30 second 40-yard dash. That being the case, it is little surprise that Davis picked Heyward-Bey over Michael Crabtree. While Heyward-Bey may not have been the best overall receiver, but with his combination of height and speed he is in many ways a poor man’s Randy Moss and will give JaMarcus Russell and the Raider’s lackluster pass attack a much-needed shot in the arm.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars – Eugene Monroe – OT – Virginia: A common pre-Draft argument was whether Monroe or Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith would go second overall to the Rams; few other names were even in contention. Despite Jacksonville’s repeated attempts to trade out of this pick, they can’t be too disappointed with Monroe. Regarded by many as the best pure pass protector in this year’s draft (so good that he made last year’s first-round pick Brandon Albert play guard at Virginia), Monroe will give David Garrard some time to drop back and throw after the departure of previous left tackle Khalif Barnes, and like Jason Smith has few character issues to worry about.

9. Green Bay Packers – B.J. Raji – DT – Boston College: The Packers were fortunate and likely ecstatic to land Raji at this spot. As the most highly rated defensive tackle in the draft, the BC product is a dominant force at the point of attack, and at 330 pounds at only 6’1” he is also an excellent space eater. With Ryan Pickett as the only other considerable option at nose tackle, it is highly likely that the Packers will start Raji right away in their new 3-4 defense. His suspension in to 2007/2008 season due to academic ineligibility and positive drug test at the Combine may have raised some eyebrows about his character (or perhaps his intelligence), but Raji is one of the premiere defensive players this year and a special nose tackle in the mold of Steelers starter Casey Hampton. Ironically, both Hampton and Raji teamed up with second-round picks during who came out the same year they did (Browns DT Shaun Rogers and new Patriots DT Ron Brace, respectively).

10. San Francisco 49ers – Michael Crabtree – WR – Texas Tech: The 49ers came into the draft amidst speculation that they were hunting for a new signal caller, but they may have instead gotten the best overall player in this draft with the selection of Michael Crabtree. While his college tape shows he possesses excellent athleticism and natural hands, Crabtree came to the Combine requiring ankle surgery for a fractured metatarsal and did not run there or at the Texas Tech pro day. Without a 40 yard dash, it is not inconceivable to think that his stock might have taken a little dip. Despite TTU’s tendency to be a pass-happy team, it still takes a special talent to dominate games against quality opposition the way Crabtree did against the Texas Longhorns and to win back-to-back Biletnikoff awards as a redshirt freshman and sophomore (in fact, he is the first player to ever win the award twice).

11. Buffalo Bills – Aaron Maybin – DE – Penn State: The Bills are on the cusp of becoming a playoff team after years of shattered expectations, which has featured no playoff seasons in over a decade. The Bills teams that went on a historic run of four straight Super Bowl appearances seem a distant memory. Their defensive line improved tremendously with the addition of Marcus Stroud in last year’s offseason, but Aaron Schobel is close to being on his last legs at 32 years old and Chris Kelsay has not been as productive as the Bills management has hoped, so Aaron Maybin was brought into the fold. Considered to be undersized by the standards of most NFL ends at only around 250 pounds, Maybin nevertheless has superb speed and edge-rushing ability. He will also have the opportunity to be mentored by the veteran Schobel, who is similarly undersized.

Picks 12-18 will be covered in the next Draft Recap, so stay tuned until then.