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After watching 10 straight mindless hours of the biggest crapshoot on Earth, the NFL Draft, I find myself looking deep into each team’s selections after day number one.
Of course, everyone and their mother has an opinion when it comes to selection weekend. I am basing mine not necessarily on a team’s ability to draft the best available player, but their proficiency in filling holes on the depth chart, with the best available players.
It’s only fitting that I start with the worst team in the league last season, the Houston Texans. Now, I am aware that they passed on Reggie Bush, but really they didn’t downgrade that much. Mario Williams is a big-time player and is going to make a huge impact for the Texans.
Unlike what Michael Irvin was preaching all Saturday afternoon, defense does win championships. And at 6-7 and 294 lbs., the ex-North Carolina State defensive end gives the Texans a playmaker on the defensive side of the ball, something they frankly have never had. I predict that by this time next year, Texans fans won’t even remember the name Reggie Bush.
The second-round choice of the Texans was DeMeco Ryans from Alabama. The outside linebacker, along with Williams, will greatly improve a defense that ranked dead last in the AFC and second to last in the NFL.
The two third round selections by Houston arguably could be the smartest picks of any team in this draft. Offensive tackle’s Charles Spencer and Eric Winston out of Pittsburgh and Miami, respectively, will allow David Carr to finally get a good night’s sleep. Carr has been sacked a total of 206 times over the last five years, the most of any other quarterback in the NFL. The sight of two big, physical offensive linemen will no doubt put a smile on Carr’s face.
Of course, now, the homer pick. The Patriots did another outstanding job on draft day. We’re usually talking about all these no-names from nowhere, that the Pats pick up in the sixth and seventh rounds, who then end up making a huge impact half-way through their rookie season. Also, if anyone else noticed, the Pats did not take a defensive player in the first three rounds!
But the offensive players they did get are going to flourish in the Patriots system. At No. 21, the Pats selected Laurence Maroney from Minnesota. The explosive running back is going to be a colossal addition to the Pats backfield.
Maroney can run over you if you get in his way, and he’ll run by you for the big one if called upon.
For their second round pick, the Pats moved up into the Packers position to draft Chad Jackson, wide receiver from Florida. Jackson was arguably the top wide receiver in the entire draft and the Patriots got extremely lucky that he dropped to the second round.
The Patriots and Texans both had a successful opening day of the draft. The Texans resisted the temptation to take the best player, instead opting to make their team better, and I applaud them for that. And the Patriots were, well, the Patriots.
