2005 NFL Draft : The Build Up

[Guest Wrestlekid]

I'm just curious...Does anyone think that the 49er's would take Mike Williams with the 1st pick? They lost Owens and need another big Playmaker and I think that Williams would slide right into that spot. They need alot of help in alot of other places, but that could be a start.

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[oldskool]

I can't see why Oakland would spend a high draft pick on a WR when they have such glaring needs for a speed HB. It's been obvious for years now that their idea of slow, power backs doesn't work in the offense. QB they're ok, with Collins, Gannon (should he return) and Tuiasosopo isn't that bad. O-line, their entire left side is coming off their rookie season (including #2 pick Gallery at LT).

If they don't take a HB with that pick then I hope they do with the #1 pick next year, because that's where they'll be.

Speaking of "should take"s, Washington NEEDS a QB. Brunell was awful this year and Ramsey (once again) proved he's not the answer. Take whatever QB is available (Smith or Rodgers).

Chicago needs WRs so taking Williams isn't a bad choice, but that year off might move Edwards ahead of him.

Finally, I skip to my team (Carolina). With all the returning starters next year (Smith, Davis, Smart at KR, not to mention Foster and Hoover at backup) I think they'll be a playoff contender again.

Smart move for them would be to trade Davis. Foster showed in the 2003 playoffs that he can play, and Davis is getting older. Smart is an OK backup and Goings carried the team during their 5-game win streak that brought them back into the playoff hunt.

Trade Davis and try to snag a draft pick or two.

Take an offensive lineman to give you some blocking assistance, and in the second or third round, get a quarterback. Delhomme's backups are Weinke (no good) and Peete (he'll retire eventually). You NEED a young gun to back him up, but don't get one in the first round.

[Guest BacknBlackHoez]

BnBH's Mock Draft (How I Would Draft It)

1. San Francisco 49ers - QB Matt Leinart (USC) (Pretty much a no doubter. Leinart can be a mainstay at QB, then can build around him on offense with better WR's, plus utilize Brandon Lloyd more. This is a deep year for WR's, a solid WR can be picked up in the 2nd round also. Kevan Barlow will need to step up more next year on offense.)

2. Miami Dolphins - RB Cedric Benson (TEXAS) (Dolphins have a damn good defense, and seem to be more and more trust worthy of Jay Feely. The WR core is going to be stacked with Boston,Chambers & Booker, Benson is the best RB available, and just makes since here.)

3. Cleveland Browns - OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson (VIRGINIA) (The best OT available is definatly what the Browns need, year after year draft dissapointments will be lifted from them this year. Kellen Winslow injury last year had a huge impact on the teams success, or lack there of. D'Brickashaw will provide great protection for, whomever is the Browns QB next season)

4. Tennesse Titans (from Chicago) - QB Aaron Rodgers (CAL) (With the uncertain future of Steve McNair, Rodgers now seems to be the choice for the future, not Billy Volek. I was originally going to go with Erasmus James or Antrell Rolle here, but because of McNair's situation id go with Rodgers)

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - RB Carnell Williams (AUBURN) (When Michael Pittman should up late in the season, i wouldnt have taken Williams here, and i would have went aftera WR like Edwards or Williams, but with such depth at QB a 2nd rounder is nice, and Cadillac will be a work horse in Tampa Bay.)

6. Chicago Bears (from Tennessee) - WR Mike Williams (EX-USC) (Bears defense is solid, Rex Grossman is the QB for years to come, and even though Thomas Jones didnt play good this year, he his the RB for years to come. Only problem with Williams is, that he hasnt played a game for a whole year, and game time speed may be rusty. However, he hasnt staye din shape and ready, and is the top WR available, and after trading Marty Booker away last year, the WR core needs help.

7. Oakland Raiders - WR Braylon Edwards (MICHIGAN) (This team has so many needs at QB, RB, WR, but Braylon Edwards seems to where they should go. already with Jerry Porter and the athletic Ronald Curry, Edwards will fit in nice, and will give Collins or Gannong another tall leaping target, and may start to revitalize this franchise.)

8. Arizona Cardinals - OT Alex Barron (FLORIDA ST.) (I still see Marcel Shipp as the future RB in Arizona, when Emmitt finally hangs it up. L.J. Shelton & Leonard Davis where both injured at some point this season, and the Cardinals are already thin at the OT position.)

9. Washington Redskins - DE Erasmus James (WISCONSIN) (The Redskins DE's have a total of 73 tackles with 6.5 sacks, James will make those numbers sky rocket. He can get through just about any offensive lineman, and will get pressure on the QB. Adding a player the calibur of Erasmus James to the 2nd rated defense in the league is something hat cannot be passed up.)

10. Detroit Lions - S Thomas Davis (UGA) (The Lions look to to be set offensively if Charles Rogers can stay healthy, and not become the NFL's Vince Carter, he should be able to stay healthy this year and give Joey Harrington 2 good receivers, alongside Roy Williams, and a running threat with Kevin Jones. Bracy Walker wont be holding up much longer out there in the open field. Davis is a young athletic safety that will learn from Brock Marion, the more that he plays in Detroit.)

11. Dallas Cowboys - CB Antrel Rolle (MIAMI) (The Cowboys corners really need help, Terence Newman will have to step up and play much better than last year, alongside Antrel Rolle who is going to be great in this league, arent all the guys from the U!)

12. San Diego Chargers - DE Mathias Kiwanuka (BOSTON COLLEGE) (The Chargers d-line didnt exactly stun anybody this year. Mathias is what the Chargers could use, some down and dirty defensive player that is relentless.)

13. Houston Texans - DT/DE Dan Cody (OKLAHOMA) (The Texans will probably look to beef up that defensive line, and after Mathias is gone Dan Cody is a smart player, and is very quick, and will punish o-lineman and QB's)

14. Carolina Panthers - OT Jammal Brown (OKLAHOMA) (With a solid defense, but an injury prone team, Delhomme will need some protection, and Brown is the next best available OT in the draft. Matt Willig is getting up in age, and Brown could easily step in and take over.)

15. Kansas City Chiefs - CB Justin Miller (CLEMSON) (The Chiefs desperatly need help in pass defense, and Miller is a good CB to take in the middle of the draft. He would most likely compete against Bartee & McCleon for a starting spot, on the other side from Eric Warfield.)

16. New Orleans Saints - OLB Derrick Johnson (TEXAS) The underachieving Saints began to put it together at the end of the year, but if they get the chance to take Johnson here, they cant pass it up. Johnson will add much needed help in the middle of the defense, and he should...should, push the Saints into the playoffs.)

17. Cincinnati Bengals - DT Anttaj Hawthorne (WISCONSIN) (The Bengals d-line didnt really stop anybody this year, leaving all the work to the linebackers & the secondary. Anttaj will clog up holes, and give other d-lineman a chance to make more tackles, and rack up some of his own.)

18. Dallas Cowboys - DE David Pollack (GEORGIA) (Marcellus Wiley dissapointed this year for the Cowboys, and was down right awful. Pollack proved he always gives 210% everytime he is on the field, and excellent pick for the cowboys.)

19. Jacksonville Jaguars - OLB Ahmad Brooks (VIRGINIA) (Daryl Smith wasnt doing to well last year, on a great Jaguars defense, Ahmad Brooks can fill his spot, and the Jags can have a very solid linebacking core, and may push into the playoffs next season.)

20. Baltimore Ravens - WR Fred Gibson (GEORGIA) (In a very physical Baltimore area, and playing on the VERY physical Ravens team, Fred Gibson fits to a cue. He takes big hits, and can catch the ball. He very well may be Kyle Boller's number 1 target if he goes at this spot.)

to be continued....

[Ol' Spanktooth]

Ya'll might want to change your mocks, Brick Ferguson isn't entering the draft

[RawisJericho]

Here is a question.

Will Jason White be drafted?

[Guest BacknBlackHoez]

yes, 6th round by the New England Pats.

[Typical Phenom]

I'm just curious...Does anyone think that the 49er's would take Mike Williams with the 1st pick? They lost Owens and need another big Playmaker and I think that Williams would slide right into that spot. They need alot of help in alot of other places, but that could be a start.

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[Guest Takayamanofear]

Yeah, I am sour on Joey not because I think that he is a bad quarterback I think is a good or OK quarterback. I just think that it was a bad draft for quarterbacks that year. No he has not improved drastically over the past year, I really do not see that improvement you talk about in stats. Stat wise it was a improvement but it was not drastic, its obvious towards the end of the year he had a running game. I think Joey can be a good QB but 1 of 2 things needs to happen. Either some one needs to light a fire under Harrington and that is where I see brining in a second or third round QB might be a good idea. It could be like happened to Drew Brees brining in some one brought out the best in him. Or he needs to be traded because I don’t see him as what we need the Lions need a leader and Harrington has not shown it to me. I think some where else he might be able to be a good QB but I think Lions and Bears seemed to be cursed when it comes to QBs.

Just a point here in that draft the top 5 QB’s were

David Carr

Joey Harrington

Patrick Ramsey

Josh Mcnown

David Garrard

[VerbalPuke]

Yeah, I am sour on Joey not because I think that he is a bad quarterback I think is a good or OK quarterback. I just think that it was a bad draft for quarterbacks that year.  No he has not improved drastically over the past year, I really do not see that improvement you talk about in stats. Stat wise it was a improvement but it was not drastic, its obvious towards the end of the year he had a running game. I think Joey can be a good QB but 1 of 2 things needs to happen. Either some one needs to light a fire under Harrington and that is where I see brining in a second or third round QB might be a good idea. It could be like happened to Drew Brees brining in some one brought out the best in him. Or he needs to be traded because I don’t see him as what we need the Lions need a leader and Harrington has not shown it to me. I think some where else he might be able to be a good QB but I think Lions and Bears seemed to be cursed when it comes to QBs.

Just a point here in that draft the top 5 QB’s were

David Carr

Joey Harrington

Patrick Ramsey

Josh Mcnown

David Garrard

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I'll admit, I'm not completely sold on Joey Harrington either. To be honest, I was hoping that Detroit would draft Quentin Jammer that year. Regardless, I object to the Lions starting over again at QB. Does Joey need a fire lit under him? As a Detroit QB, there is always going to be a fire lit under his ass. A QB in Detroit is almost always ripped to pieces by the local media and the fans. With all the negative press a QB in Detroit recieves, they have all their motivation right there. I'm also inclined to agree with drafting a QB, but I'd wait until the 5th round, unless there is an absolutely incredible talent still left in the 4th.

As it stands, Joey is still our best option to win right now, he knows the playbook, and is the best QB on the roster. I know that doesn't say alot, but the Lions were a 6-10 team that should have been in the playoffs. It's as simple as a few stupid mistakes and defensive breakdowns throughout the season that kept us out.

The statistical improvement is as follows...

Year Team G GS Att Comp Pct Yards YPA Lg TD Int Tkld 20+ 40+ Rate

2002 Detroit Lions 14 12 429 215 50.1 2294 5.35 64 12 16 8/75 28 6 59.9

2003 Detroit Lions 16 16 554 309 55.8 2880 5.20 72 17 22 9/55 24 3 63.9

2004 Detroit Lions 16 16 489 274 56.0 3047 6.23 62 19 12 36/196 43 4 77.5

He only improved by two on his touchdowns, but the important part here is the lack of INT's and the 10+ improvement on his QB rating. He also threw for a little over 3000 yards, which is quite a milestone for a QB in Detroit. Don't believe me? He's the only the fifth in franchise history to do so (which doesn't say much for the Lions franchise). His 56% completion percentage isn't entirely his fault, as I mentioned earlier, his recievers dropped the ball 40 times. That is just ridiculous, how can anybody expect a decent QB rating with 40 dropped balls? I can also clearly remember two of those dropped balls were certain touchdowns. Give him half of those drops (not including the touchdowns) and his rating comes out to a 81.7. Other factors that hindered Joey were losing Charles Rogers for a full season, not having Roy Williams at 100%, and not getting much help out of the TE's or Tai Streets. Hakim made plays, but only if he actually caught the ball.

For a third season, I think Joey did alright, but the true test is next year. I don't think I'm the only one expecting this Lions team to challenge for the NFC North Division title with a few more improvements. Joey needs to work on his accuracy a bit more, and develop a stronger rapport with Roy and Charles during the off-season.

And as a sidenote, you're right, that was a shitty year for QB's.

[Guest Takayamanofear]

First of all Detroit is not that tough of place to play media wise. We don’t have a preconceived good quarterback that we all wish that we still have because we have had to live though Rodney Pete, Andre Ware, Scott Mitchell and many more that have been disappointing. If a QB that did not have Barry Sanders in the backfield was able to get us to the playoffs 2 out of 4 years we would be happy.

Harrington's stats are improved, and don't include drop balls because some are the receivers fault but others can be the QB's fault and they did not happen. My real problem is all I heard from that draft was Harrington is the most ready QB he can play in the NFL now. He has great game management and that he can lead a team in the 4th quarter when they need it. 3 years into the NFL I have not seen that. You talk about needing 4 years to develop he was supposed to be ready by his second year.

The way I look at it we can fill up the Defensive End problem with a Free agent there are a ton of good DE’s on the market this year. Safety might be a concern, I don’t want to wait till next year to pick a QB though or even late this year that is what the Lions always do and it gets us no where. It gets us a bunch of average level QBs. I have to look at the big picture the top 3 Quarterbacks coming out this year are Juniors. Next year is going be a weak year for Quarterbacks I see because this year is going be so strong. I am not giving up on Joey right now he is our best option to win but I want an insurance policy when it looks like you can get some one good. Not next year where like usual we get the best of the leftovers.

[livid]

You don't need an insurance policy when the guy's like, what, 25. If he was 35, I could see needing an insurance policy. The first year Harrington wasn't the greatest, but he was rookie and he was trying to grasp the West Coast offense with no help. The 2nd year, he had no help because Rogers went down with an injury 5 weeks into the season or so. This year, Harrington, poised to make an impact doesn't because of a lack of blocking on the line's part and an injury to a certain playmaker by the name of Roy Williams. If you can recall, before Williams got injured, the Lions were hot. So just wait and see how this next year pans out because I believe this is going to be the season much like a Drew Brees, where Harrington steps up huge for the team. Why? Because both Rogers and Williams, I believe are going to be healthy and the addition with a more skilled and mature Kevin Jones at running back and you have a great young nucleus on the team.

It took Mariucci 2 years to turn the 49ers around from salary cap hell and he made them into a playoff contendor while he was there. Remember who Mariucci has coached before (see: Favre, Brett), so it's not like he can't deal with a "gun slinger". You need to stop making it look like Harrington's been the Kurt Warner of the league, getting concussed and fumbling all the god damn time. He just needed some people around him to make plays and he will have that next year.

In 2005: Watch out for the Detroit Lions.

And in other news, I hope to god the 49ers find a coach that's good. When York hired Erickson 2 years ago, I actually went "Who?" Anyways, whoever it is, they need to turn around the luck the Niners have with drafts because a lot of the picks lately haven't been some would call mindblowing. Sure Peterson's great and Plummer flashes some big play ability at times, but other than that, not really all that great. So hopefully they get Leinart or a guy that will make an impact on the team.

[livid]

Wow, I really killed this thread

Anyways, apparently Leinart's announcing his draft decision on Thursday. I hope he enters, the 49ers need something great on the team. Though the idea of trading down to get more picks would also be awesome, because we need an entire offensive line besides Newberry. Also, some d-linemen would help, plus some corner's. Hell new players all around besides Peterson, Newberry and Winborn.

[EddieRuckus]

All I know is that anyone who says the Hawks will draft a defensive player as their first round draft pick is probably right. Hopefully they can keep Hasselbeck, Alexander, and Walter Jones, cause otherwise, their offense just isn't as potent anymore.

[oldskool]

I was watching NFL Live today, and they said that Alexander probably won't return to the Seahawks; sounds like he wants to play somewhere with more all-around talent.

[Guest Wrestlekid]

All I know is that anyone who says the Hawks will draft a defensive player as their first round draft pick is probably right.  Hopefully they can keep Hasselbeck, Alexander, and Walter Jones, cause otherwise, their offense just isn't as potent anymore.

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Edited January 13, 2005 by Wrestlekid

[oldskool]

The franchise tag, as rumor has it, remains on T Walter Jones, and thanks to the relatively large amount of talented RBs available in the first round, Alexander won't be long for Seattle.

[Brock Lesnar]

Can anyone please explain to me what the"franchise tag" does? And how its beneficial to the owner?

[Mofoticon]

Franchise tag is applied to a player to keep them for a year....if applied, then that player is paid in the top 5 money wise at his position, for 1 year...Its basically used to keep players who teams cant sign to long term deals.

[Brock Lesnar]

Does the player have to agree to be tagged? or is it just up to the owner?

[Mofoticon]

the player cant control if he is tagged or not. However, they can still sign with other teams, but the team that tagged him would have the ability to match it, or could get 2 1st rounders for the player if they let him sign with another team.