Do-over for the Top-10 picks of the 2008 NFL Draft (1 Viewer)

[Raider Nation]

Each player's actual draft position is in parentheses.

1. Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta (3)

Ryan is smart and accurate, and his decision making has improved each week.

2. Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee (24)

There was never a doubt about Johnson's speed, but he is a better inside runner than we thought.

3. Ryan Clady, OT, Denver (12)

The athletic Clady has yet to allow a sack.

4. Jerod Mayo, LB, New England (10)

Mayo is the Patriots' leading tackler and rarely comes off the field.

5. Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore (18)

We thought the Delaware product would be in over his head, but new coach John Harbaugh

recognized that Flacco's skills went beyond his physical tools (size, arm strength, mobility).

6. Chris Long, DE, St. Louis (2)

Long isn't physically dominant but has great instincts and vision and uses excellent technique.

7. Jake Long, OT, Miami (1)

A dominating run blocker, and much of Miami's improved running game (115.8 YPG) follows him.

8. Eddie Royal, WR, Denver (42)

Physically stronger than we thought and can work the underneath zones as well as getting deep.

9. Matt Forte, RB, Chicago (44)

He has accounted for more than a third of the Bears' offense.

10. Steve Slaton, RB, Houston (89)

Speed and cutback ability are perfect for a zone-blocking scheme; a threat to score on every touch.

 

[PosterNutBag]

nice post ... looks good, but i was thinking Forte would be a little higher

 

[Raider Nation]

nice post ... looks good, but i was thinking Forte would be a little higher

Beat me to it. The only glaring problem I saw is that Forte would be long gone by the 9th pick. He looks to be a special player.

 

[Whiplash Inc.]

Forte should be 2nd IMHO.

 

[thatguy]

Glad to see my Broncos have 2 guys in the top ten... They've been drafting very well the past few years (save for their failed attempts at landing a pass rushing DE last season). Cutler, Marshall, Scheffler, Royal, Clady, and Chris Kuper (starting OG) have all come from the '06 and'08 drafts. That's pretty much the nucleus of what should be a high powered offense for many years to come.

 

[Raider Nation]

Glad to see my Broncos have 2 guys in the top ten...

Yep. They KILLED this draft, as much as I hate to say it.

 

[Chreesto]

Forte should be 2nd IMHO.

I'm a Bears fan and I love Forte but I don't know if he's really "Special" I love his ability to catch out of the backfield but I'm not totally sold on his running skills. I think he's good but not great (at running the ball). I could see him up a couple of spots but also think 9 is pretty accurate. At this point I think Johnson is more deserving of the #2 spot. He seems to be the game changing player that Reggie Bush was supposed to be. Good list though. Glad to see Clady getting some love. I'm a big fan of building a team through the O-line.

 

[FUBAR]

Each player's actual draft position is in parentheses.

1. Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta (3)

Ryan is smart and accurate, and his decision making has improved each week.

2. Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee (24)

There was never a doubt about Johnson's speed, but he is a better inside runner than we thought.

3. Ryan Clady, OT, Denver (12)

The athletic Clady has yet to allow a sack.

4. Jerod Mayo, LB, New England (10)

Mayo is the Patriots' leading tackler and rarely comes off the field.

5. Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore (18)

We thought the Delaware product would be in over his head, but new coach John Harbaugh

recognized that Flacco's skills went beyond his physical tools (size, arm strength, mobility).

6. Chris Long, DE, St. Louis (2)

Long isn't physically dominant but has great instincts and vision and uses excellent technique.

7. Jake Long, OT, Miami (1)

A dominating run blocker, and much of Miami's improved running game (115.8 YPG) follows him.

8. Eddie Royal, WR, Denver (42)

Physically stronger than we thought and can work the underneath zones as well as getting deep.

9. Matt Forte, RB, Chicago (44)

He has accounted for more than a third of the Bears' offense.

10. Steve Slaton, RB, Houston (89)

Speed and cutback ability are perfect for a zone-blocking scheme; a threat to score on every touch.

I think I'd take Flacco 2nd, or maybe Clady. Ryan, Flacco, Clady, CJ3, and Forte are top 5 IMO.

 

[awesomeness]

Each player's actual draft position is in parentheses.

1. Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta (3)

Ryan is smart and accurate, and his decision making has improved each week.

2. Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee (24)

There was never a doubt about Johnson's speed, but he is a better inside runner than we thought.

3. Ryan Clady, OT, Denver (12)

The athletic Clady has yet to allow a sack.

4. Jerod Mayo, LB, New England (10)

Mayo is the Patriots' leading tackler and rarely comes off the field.

5. Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore (18)

We thought the Delaware product would be in over his head, but new coach John Harbaugh

recognized that Flacco's skills went beyond his physical tools (size, arm strength, mobility).

6. Chris Long, DE, St. Louis (2)

Long isn't physically dominant but has great instincts and vision and uses excellent technique.

7. Jake Long, OT, Miami (1)

A dominating run blocker, and much of Miami's improved running game (115.8 YPG) follows him.

8. Eddie Royal, WR, Denver (42)

Physically stronger than we thought and can work the underneath zones as well as getting deep.

9. Matt Forte, RB, Chicago (44)

He has accounted for more than a third of the Bears' offense.

10. Steve Slaton, RB, Houston (89)

Speed and cutback ability are perfect for a zone-blocking scheme; a threat to score on every touch.

I think I'd take Flacco 2nd, or maybe Clady. Ryan, Flacco, Clady, CJ3, and Forte are top 5 IMO.

And as good as Royal has been, i highly doubt anyone would draft him in the top 10.

 

[Raider Nation]

Each player's actual draft position is in parentheses.

1. Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta (3)

Ryan is smart and accurate, and his decision making has improved each week.

2. Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee (24)

There was never a doubt about Johnson's speed, but he is a better inside runner than we thought.

3. Ryan Clady, OT, Denver (12)

The athletic Clady has yet to allow a sack.

4. Jerod Mayo, LB, New England (10)

Mayo is the Patriots' leading tackler and rarely comes off the field.

5. Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore (18)

We thought the Delaware product would be in over his head, but new coach John Harbaugh

recognized that Flacco's skills went beyond his physical tools (size, arm strength, mobility).

6. Chris Long, DE, St. Louis (2)

Long isn't physically dominant but has great instincts and vision and uses excellent technique.

7. Jake Long, OT, Miami (1)

A dominating run blocker, and much of Miami's improved running game (115.8 YPG) follows him.

8. Eddie Royal, WR, Denver (42)

Physically stronger than we thought and can work the underneath zones as well as getting deep.

9. Matt Forte, RB, Chicago (44)

He has accounted for more than a third of the Bears' offense.

10. Steve Slaton, RB, Houston (89)

Speed and cutback ability are perfect for a zone-blocking scheme; a threat to score on every touch.

244. Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Pittsburgh (23)Before doing his fantasy owners a favor by getting injured, Mendenhall showed no heart, no ability to hold onto the football, very little desire to play the game at a high level, and displayed why he was stuck on the bench behind something named Pierre Thomas at the University of Illinois. Popular, handsome Footballguys.com poster "Raider Nation" is still suicidal after drafting this stiff in his dynasty league over Chris Johnson.

 

[MAC_32]

I don't know how you can re-do a draft before even one season is done. Some guys haven't gotten on the field yet/much and it's not due to lack of talent.

 

[piratemike]

Each player's actual draft position is in parentheses.

1. Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta (3)

Ryan is smart and accurate, and his decision making has improved each week.

2. Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee (24)

There was never a doubt about Johnson's speed, but he is a better inside runner than we thought.

3. Ryan Clady, OT, Denver (12)

The athletic Clady has yet to allow a sack.

4. Jerod Mayo, LB, New England (10)

Mayo is the Patriots' leading tackler and rarely comes off the field.

5. Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore (18)

We thought the Delaware product would be in over his head, but new coach John Harbaugh

recognized that Flacco's skills went beyond his physical tools (size, arm strength, mobility).

6. Chris Long, DE, St. Louis (2)

Long isn't physically dominant but has great instincts and vision and uses excellent technique.

7. Jake Long, OT, Miami (1)

A dominating run blocker, and much of Miami's improved running game (115.8 YPG) follows him.

8. Eddie Royal, WR, Denver (42)

Physically stronger than we thought and can work the underneath zones as well as getting deep.

9. Matt Forte, RB, Chicago (44)

He has accounted for more than a third of the Bears' offense.

10. Steve Slaton, RB, Houston (89)

Speed and cutback ability are perfect for a zone-blocking scheme; a threat to score on every touch.

244. Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Pittsburgh (23)Before doing his fantasy owners a favor by getting injured, Mendenhall showed no heart, no ability to hold onto the football, very little desire to play the game at a high level, and displayed why he was stuck on the bench behind something named Pierre Thomas at the University of Illinois. Popular, handsome Footballguys.com poster "Raider Nation" is still suicidal after drafting this stiff in his dynasty league over Chris Johnson.

 

[Tau837]

Kind of strange to call this a do-over of the top 10 picks of the NFL draft without addressing which teams were making those top 10 picks.

For example, would Miami be better off with Ryan than they are with Jake Long and Pennington? Should St. Louis have taken Chris Johnson when they already had Stephen Jackson? Etc.

 

[EBF]

Lots of RBs high. RB is a glamor position in FF, but in the NFL you can usually just plug a guy in there and get decent results.

Same thing with LB. Even though Mayo is a good player, would a team really take a LB at 1.05?

Typically, a good WR/OT/CB/DL is more valued than a good LB (which is why they tend to get picked a lot higher).

 

[phthalatemagic]

Kind of strange to call this a do-over of the top 10 picks of the NFL draft without addressing which teams were making those top 10 picks.For example, would Miami be better off with Ryan than they are with Jake Long and Pennington? Should St. Louis have taken Chris Johnson when they already had Stephen Jackson? Etc.

I agree with this. Doesn't seem that thought out to me

 

[Twilight]

Lots of RBs high. RB is a glamor position in FF, but in the NFL you can usually just plug a guy in there and get decent results.

Same thing with LB. Even though Mayo is a good player, would a team really take a LB at 1.05?

Typically, a good WR/OT/CB/DL is more valued than a good LB (which is why they tend to get picked a lot higher).

Considering AJ Hawk was a couple of years ago, yes. Not that I'm saying it's justified in Mayo's case, but it's definitely on the table.

 

[Pskov1420]

It's stupid doing draft retrospectives so soon. This time in 2005 everyone was saying what a great pick Cadillac Williams was. Who knows what will happen to Forte, Flacco etc.? Three years at an absolute minimum before you can evaluate a draft class.

 

[Burning Sensation]

It's stupid doing draft retrospectives so soon. This time in 2005 everyone was saying what a great pick Cadillac Williams was. Who knows what will happen to Forte, Flacco etc.? Three years at an absolute minimum before you can evaluate a draft class.

Nobody is suggesting this is how it will end up when all is said and done, but what the draft might look like if it were done today.I agree there are too many RB's up there, but of course there is going to be, as RB's develop quicker than any other postion.

Ryan and Flacco should be 1 and 2 at this point, IMO. Clady would be #3, the Longs 4 and 5, after that maybe start looking at RB's.

 

[EBF]

Lots of RBs high. RB is a glamor position in FF, but in the NFL you can usually just plug a guy in there and get decent results.

Same thing with LB. Even though Mayo is a good player, would a team really take a LB at 1.05?

Typically, a good WR/OT/CB/DL is more valued than a good LB (which is why they tend to get picked a lot higher).

Considering AJ Hawk was a couple of years ago, yes. Not that I'm saying it's justified in Mayo's case, but it's definitely on the table.

Of course there are exceptions, but by and large QB/DT/DE/CB/OT/WR are the most coveted positions in the NFL draft. These are the positions that teams build around. Every now and then you get a true franchise RB like Tomlinson or a true franchise LB like Ray Lewis, but I think almost any pro team would swap a LB/RB/OG/C/S for a QB/DT/DE/CB/OT/WR of equivalent quality. Knowing what we know about this class, I think Clady, Long, Long, Ryan, and Flacco would be the first five picks in some order.

 

[chris1969]

If you really want to do a do-ever, you should start with the the draft order and state what team should have picked who.

 

[awesomeness]

I dont watch any Chiefs games if i can help it, but my buddy who is a Chiefs homer said he has been playing well. He could be getting undervalued since the Cheifs are doing so horrible.

 

[Burning Sensation]

If you really want to do a do-ever, you should start with the the draft order and state what team should have picked who.

Agreed, here is what i think would happen:1. Dolphins - Matt Ryan(Clearly the best player in the draft, and at the most important postion)2. Rams - Joe Flacco(Of course this is assuming they would have the knowledge of how bad Bulger has played this year)3. Falcons - Ryan Clady(BAP)4. Raiders - Chris Long(Al Davis would probably still take Mcfadden, but cant pass up on Howies son)5. Chiefs - Jake Long(They should probably go defense here, but who?)6. Jets - Matt Forte(Thomas Jones hasbeen great this year, but i cant see them passing on Forte)7. Saints - Glenn Dorsey(based on need)8. Jaguars - Jeff Otah(Oline has been horrible this year)9. Bengals - Chris Johnson(maybe the best RB in the draft, and Benson is their current starter)10. Patroits - Darren Mcfadden(i dont think you can drop the guy out of the top 10, has averaged over 4.5 yards per carry despite suffering from turf-toe all season.)11. Bills - Dustin Keller(I like Leodis, but as a homer i would prefer Keller)12. Broncos - Jerod Mayo(He can tackle, enough said.)13. Panthers - Jonathan Stewart(I think they are getting what they wanted out of him)14. Bears - Steve Slaton(May not be as good as Forte, but he is pretty darn close)15. Chiefs - Eddie Royal(Best WR in the draft, plus helps the in return game)16. Cardinals - Leodis Mckelvin(Still the best CB in the draft, and is 2nd in the league in KR yardage)Im not smart or sober enough to go any further than this, and im tired.

 

[PranksterJD]

Ok... since we've all talked about it, I'll take a swing...

1 Miami Dolphins - Jake Long.... I think they got this one right.

2 St. Louis Rams - Ryan Clady... Hard call between Chris Long and Clady here. Both lines need major help, but they'll need a QB soon and it will help to have some seasoning on the offensive side.

3 Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan... Anyone gonna argue that they got this pick wrong?

4 Oakland Raiders - Chris Long... Lots of people wanted to see Howie's kid in Silver and Black. Seems like it would have been a great option in this situation.

5 Kansas City Chiefs - Joe Flacco... Maybe the brass could see Thigpen coming, but few others did. I fully believe we are not ( yet ) using Flacco's name in the same sentence with Ryan's if this is where he had landed.

6 New York Jets - Dustin Keller ... My off the wall pick. Sure they wouldn't have had to take him here, but this kid looks like the next elite TE, and there's not much else that makes sense for the Jets. This feels like a trade down, but I'm not handling that.

7 New England Patriots - Jerod Mayo... Forte was a thought, but their defense needed a youth infusion badly.

8 Baltimore Ravens - Chris Johnson... no need for Ray Rice later.

9 Cincinnati Bengals - Matt Forte... BPA meets need. They'll miss Rivers, but Forte's a special guy.

10 New Orleans Saints - Glenn Dorsey... Ok, so he's not shown his talent like the rest of these guys, but could you imagine the pop New Orleans gets from the LSU crowd with this pick? Would have loved to put Royal here, but even with the love Sean Payton has for his toys I dont think he could ignore the D side here.

 

[Raider Nation]

I dont watch any Chiefs games if i can help it, but my buddy who is a Chiefs homer said he has been playing well. He could be getting undervalued since the Cheifs are doing so horrible.

I'm going to assume that "he" is Dorsey?