Archive for the '4th Round' Category

Indianapolis - Does Any Team Ace The Draft More Consistently?

Published by Sigmund Bloom April 27th, 2008 in 2nd Round, 3rd Round, 4th Round and Indianapolis Colts. 0 Comments

The Colts didn’t have a first round pick, but that’s because they were able to turn it into Tony Ugoh last year, who filled the massive vacuum left by Tarik Glenn’s retirement. In the second round this year, all they did was take a player who can start at guard right away in Mike Pollak, which takes the sting out of division rival Tennessee’s signing of Jake Scott. Pollak should also end up being an eventual replacement for Jeff Saturday in the middle of the offensive line. In the third, the Colts took one of my favorite players in the draft, Philip Wheeler - he’s decent enough dropping into coverage to play the middle in the cover 2, and he’s one of the best blitzing linebacker in the draft. In the fourth, they get a one-dimensional TE in Jacob Tamme, but the Colts rarely ask their TEs to do anything but catch the ball. Tamme is clutch, and he’s courageous over the middle.

We get tired of saying this, but well done Polian & co.

Steelers *finally* address the o-line

Published by Marc Faletti April 27th, 2008 in 4th Round and Pittsburgh Steelers. 1 Comment

And with a good pick, too! Tony Hills was tremendously undervalued in this draft. He only allowed a single sack in 2007 despite his QB’s struggles with quick passes, and he thumped opponents for 68 pancakes. Is he a tear-your-face-off guy like Lichtensteiger? Heck no. But is he *that* much different from Bears’ first-rounder Chris Williams? Not at all. He’s also very active in children’s charities and should be one of the team’s finest public citizens.

The Steelers’ draft has to be graded as at least an A- so far.

The guy who made my favorite Senior Bowl practice and game plays goes to the Titans

Published by Marc Faletti April 27th, 2008 in 4th Round and Tennessee Titans. 0 Comments

Thank goodness. Now they finally have a player I feel will certainly help the team.

Hawkins isn’t an over-the-middle guy due to his frame, but like Manningham, the dude can track a deep ball and adjust fluidly. The opening TD of the Senior Bowl was an underthrown bomb from Henne, and Hawkins used a light veteran push-off on Chevis Jackson to come back to the ball and score. In practice, he burned Terrell Thomas on the most sudden stop-and-go route I’ve seen in a while. He stopped quickly and managed to flash his entire body back to the QB — most WRs never sell a move that completely. He did, and it got him 5+ yards of separation in a one-on-one drill. Unreal.

I like the kid a lot, especially since his absolute ceiling is something like Marvin Harrison.

Video profile of Arizona State CB Justin Tryon, now with the Washington Redskins

Published by Marc Faletti April 27th, 2008 in 4th Round and Washington Redskins. 0 Comments

He’s a gambler, but he can make up for his mistakes!

Manningham the perfect “we’re the champs” gamble

Published by Marc Faletti April 27th, 2008 in 3rd Round, 4th Round and New York Giants. 1 Comment

Did anything Mario Manningham did on the field ever make you think he lacked the tools to make it in the NFL? All I saw was a guy who could track the ball like a hawk, make tough catches, and jump for the ball when it mattered. Think about it — he made an outstanding adjustment on Chad Henne’s deep ball gamble against App State, and his catch set up what should’ve been the game winning field goal. That’s just one example of Manningham coming through when it counted, even if others let him down. Rumors of off-the-field issues and a poor Wonderlic sent Manningham’s stock tumbling, and WRs in general have been in a massive free-fall the entire draft. But when you’re coming off a Super Bowl win, you can afford to take a few chances, and the Giants have nothing to lose by taking Manningham. I think he’ll be helping the team long after physical but non-instinctive CB Terrell Thomas goes elsewhere.

In the 4th, the Giants grab BYU ‘backer Bryan Kehl, a weak-side defender with adequate athleticism who racks up tackles in space. He’ll help on special teams and possibly more in 2008.

Bloom called the Jack Williams pick to Denver.

Published by Marc Faletti April 27th, 2008 in 4th Round and Denver Broncos. 0 Comments

He’s sick!

Clarity in Cleveland

Published by Sigmund Bloom April 27th, 2008 in 4th Round and Cleveland Browns. 0 Comments

You have to give it up for Phil Savage. He trades away the Browns first, second, and third round picks to get Brady Quinn, and beef up the D-Line with Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers. Then, after patiently waiting, he makes his move to get a perfect run stuffing 3-4 ILB in Beau Bell (who reminds me of Jeremiah Trotter) and a receiving threat at TE in Martin Rucker that can make two TE sets as lethal as most teams four wide sets in the passing game.

Video profile of Dwight Lowery, CB, San Jose State — now with the New York Jets

Published by Marc Faletti April 27th, 2008 in 4th Round, New York Jets and Draftguys TV. 3 Comments

A heady player who could become a starter next to Darrelle Revis. He does seem better suited to a cover 2, though…

Wallace and Lichtensteiger go back-to-back

Published by Marc Faletti April 27th, 2008 in 4th Round, Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers. 0 Comments

As Bloom just said, it’s fitting that these two guys went in the same place as they’re both nasty linemen who can play a couple positions. True blue collar guys…

Best Players Available as We Enter the Fourth

Published by Sigmund Bloom April 27th, 2008 in 4th Round. 0 Comments

Andre Woodson, QB, Kentucky - Yeah, he has a hitch in his delivery, and we’re not sure if he can throw into small windows, and his ball kind of floats instead of zips, but come on, QBs with his size and athleticism and big time college football experience don’t usually last til the 4th round.

Tashard Choice, RB, Georgia Tech - High character kid, will run inside, good hands, everything you want in a backup RB who can start a few games in a pinch.

Owen Schmitt, FB, West Virginia - I know old school fullbacks are going out of style, but Schmitt is worth a fourth because of he raises the level of play of everyone around him with his warrior mentality.

Carl Nicks, OT, Nebraska - Banned from the pro day, but if Mario Manningham is worth the risk now, Nicks is and then some.

Xavier Adibi, LB, Virginia Tech, Gary Guyton, LB, Georgia Tech - These guys flat out get after it. Adibi is undersized, but cover 2 teams shouldn’t care. Guyton might seem like a one year wonder, but he also had a sick combine, and is a heady player who can rush the passer, fill against the run, and drop into coverage with equal aplomb.

Red Bryant, DT, Texas A&M, Ahtyba Rubin, DT, Iowa State - Guys who are built like coke machines that can tie up two blockers at the point of attack are hard to find. Neither one should last much longer.

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