OT: NFL Draft 2008- Day 1 (Now Recap)

by LPLancer23 on Apr 26, 2008 10:22 AM CDT Comment 22 comments

Ive been counting down to today for a couple months now. Our Chicago Bears have alot of places to improve upon, and it will be interesting to see when they address their needs. I cant really say too much about the draft beforehand without typing for the next half hour, so I'l keep it short and simple. Heres the Round 1 draft order with the picks, which I'll try to keep updated...

ROUND ONE

1. Miami    [OT Jake Long, Michigan]
2. St. Louis [DE Chris Long, Virginia]
3. Atlanta    [QB Matt Ryan, Boston College]
4. Oakland    [RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas]
5. Kansas City    [DT Glen Dorsey, LSU]
6. New York Jets    [DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio State]
7. New Orleans (from New England) [DT Sedrick Ellis, USC]
8. Jacksonville (from Baltimore) [DE Derrick Harvey, Florida]
9. Cincinnati    [LB Keith Rivers, USC]
10. New England (from New Orleans) [LB Jared Mayo, Tennessee]
11. Buffalo    [CB Leodis McKelvin, Troy]
12. Denver    [OT Ryan Clady, Boise State]
13. Carolina    [RB Jonathon Stewert, Oregon]
14. Chicago    [OT Chris Williams, Vanderbilt]
15. Kansas City (from Detroit)    [OG Branden Albert, Virginia]
16. Arizona    [CB Dominic Rodgers-Cromartie, Tennessee State]
17. Detroit (from Kansas City)    [OT Godser Cherlious, Boston College]
18. Baltimore (from Houston)    [QB Joe Flacco, Delaware]
19. Carolina (from Philadelphia) [OT Jeff Otah, Pittsburgh]
20. Tampa Bay   [CB Aqib Talib, Kansas]
21. Atlanta (from Washington) [OT Sam Baker, USC]
22. Dallas (from Cleveland)    [RB Felix Jones, Arkansas]
23. Pittsburgh    [RB Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois]
24. Tennessee    [RB Chris Johnson, East Carolina]
25. Dallas (from Seattle)    [CB Mike Jenkins, South Florida]
26. Houston (from Jacksonville)    [OT Duane Brown, Virginia Tech]
27. San Diego    [CB Antoine Cason, Arizona]
28. Seattle (from Dallas)    [DE Lawrence Jackson, USC]
29. San Francisco (from Indianapolis)    [DT Kentwan Balmer, North Carolina]
30. New York Jets (from Green Bay)    [TE Dustin Keller, Purdue]
* New England (forfeited)
31. New York Giants    [S Kenny Phillips, Miami]

ROUND TWO
1. (32) Miami    [DE Phillip Merling, Clemson]
2. (33) St. Louis [WR Donnie Avery, Houston]
3. (34) Washington (from Atlanta)    [WR Devin Thomas, Michigan State]
4. (35) Kansas City    [CB Brandon Flowers, Virginia Tech]
5. (36) Green Bay (from New York Jets)    [WR Jordy Nelson, Kansas State]
6. (37) Atlanta    [ILB Curtis Lofton, Oklahoma]
7. (38) Seattle (from Baltimore) [TE John Carlson, Notre Dame]
8. (39) San Francisco    [OG Chilo Rashal, USC]
9. (40) New Orleans    [CB Tracy Porter, Indiana]
10. (41) Buffalo   [WR James Hardy, Indiana]
11. (42) Denver    [WR Eddie Royal, Verginia Tech]
12. (43) Minnesota (from Philidelphia) [S Tyrell Johnson, Arkansas State]
13. (44) Chicago    [RB Matt Forte, Tulane]
14. (45) Detroit    [OLB Jordan Rizon, Colorado]
15. (46) Cincinnati    [WR Jerome Simpson, Coastal Carolina]
16. (47) Philidelphia (from Minnesota) [DT Trevor Laws, Notre Dame]
17. (48) Washington (from Atlanta)    [TE Fred Davis, USC]
18. (49) Philadelphia [WR DeSean Jackson, California]
19. (50) Arizona    [DE Calais Campbell, Miami]
20. (51) Washington    [WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma]
21. (52) Jacksonville (from Tampa Bay)    [DE Quentin Groves, Auburn]
22. (53) Pittsburgh    [WR Limas Sweed, Texas]]
23. (54) Tennessee    [DE Jason Jones, Eastern Michigan]
24. (55) Baltimore (from Seattle)    [RB Ray Rice, Rutgers]
25. (56) Green Bay (from Cleveland)    [QB Brian Brohm, Louisville]
26. (57) Miami (from San Diego)    [Chad Henne, Michigan]
27. (58) Tampa Bay (from Jacksonville)    [WR Dexter Jackson, Appalaccian State]
28. (59) Indianapolis    [C Mike Pollack, Arizona]
29. (60) Green Bay    [CB Patrick Lee, Auburn]
30. (61) Dallas    [TE Marellus Bennet, Texas A&M]
31. (62) New England    [CB Terrence Wheatly, Colorado]
32. (63) New York Giants    [CB Terrell Thomas, USC]

Today was nice and quick. Fastest day 1 since 1990, when ironically, there wasnt a single WR taken in the first round (just like today). There were plenty of trades, the most in recent memory. Today's clear winner was Kansas City, who adressed their needs and got some firepower.

Now, onto the Bears... Da Bearsss! The Bears went out and got the offensive tackle they needed, Chris Williams out of Vanderbuilt. After that, they unsuspectedly took Matt Forte, running back out of Tulane. Forte reminds me alot of Cedric Benson, to tell you the truth. Some bright signs for this kid is that he rushed for over 2200 yards last year. He was the only weapon on the Tulane team, and defense's knew that to beat this team, all they had to do was stop him. And they continued to fail all year. In the 3rd round, Kiper has John David Booty as the 8th best player available, so maybe that is the QB the Bears take. So thats it for Day 1, tommorrow is another day, and a crutail one for the Chicago Bears franchise.

For any information you could possibly want, here's a link to draft central at ESPN.com.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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No knock to you...

but I think the NFL Draft has vaulted past the East Coast Bias as my least favorite thing about ESPN. This thing has been previewed for 3 MONTHS! I have no idea why the draft is THAT big of a deal. I’ll be interested enough to check out my team’s picks and see how the first round shaped out. How someone could sit down and watch this whole thing is beyond me…

I wonder if they can somehow slip in a quick Sox-Yanks story…as I’m sure a Favre retirement story will surface along with 25 things about the Pats, their almost-undefeated season, and Spygate.

Please. Make it stop.

by Kansas25 on Apr 26, 2008 10:43 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yup

The draft does not begin until 3pm EST. The artificial hype that goes into it is just insane. The time between picks makes it ridiculously boring and I don’t watch. If we had a pick coming every five minutes then, as a big college football fan, I’d likely watch.

DmL

by dmlichte on Apr 26, 2008 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know its still alot,

but they have reduced it from 15 minutes to 10 minutes for day 1. Day 2 I think is down to either 5 or 7 minutes.

"I can accept failure, but I can't accept not trying" - Michael Jordan, the one and only...

by LPLancer23 on Apr 26, 2008 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just for the record...

"I can accept failure, but I can't accept not trying" - Michael Jordan, the one and only...

by LPLancer23 on Apr 26, 2008 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

This draft will define Angelos career...

...he needs to come away with several starters with 4 picks in the first 90.

The draft itself is very anti-climatic due to length and totally overdone in typical Chris Berman fashion. I would prefer to just read about the picks Sunday morning in the Trib…

Felix Pie must play everyday!

by JB 23 on Apr 26, 2008 10:56 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I hate

that you can sign players before the draft even begins. With the first two players already picked, it just takes away from the fun and quality of the draft. What’s going to happen next year? Is it going to get to the point where the draft actually starts from the 2nd round and on?

by ams05g on Apr 26, 2008 10:56 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

ohhh nice. ESP fan?

isnt that the atreyu signature guitar? i really like it. but my favorite is alexis followed by willy adlers.

by xene on Apr 26, 2008 1:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

yea it is!

i like adlers, and for alexis you talkin bout children of bodom? honestly i dont think esp can make a bad guitar

by ams05g on Apr 26, 2008 2:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

picking and signing are two different things

Have the Rams actually signed Chris Long? If yes, then Atlanta is indeed “on the clock”. If not though, then this is just more noise and anything could still happen.

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Apr 26, 2008 12:02 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

More reports are showing

Matt Ryan to Atlanta
McFadden to Oakland

"I can accept failure, but I can't accept not trying" - Michael Jordan, the one and only...

by LPLancer23 on Apr 26, 2008 12:20 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Any players like the opposite of jeff?

That played baseball and football and decided to play football?

Maybe the bears could hook us up with somoen to replace Fontenot.

My 08 Cubs record 4-0
Updated April 19th

by Rudey on Apr 26, 2008 1:06 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Booty comes to mind...

Get your mind out of the gutter!!! I meant Josh Booty… ;-) he got drafted by Marlins out of high school, spent a few years in their system, made it into the bigs in time to get a ring on the 97 team, then decided football was his gig. Went to LSU, did well enough to get drafted in the NFL, but bounced around several teams since. .

Similar example is Chris Weinke. Committed to Florida State out of high school but decided to give baseball a try first. Signed with Toronto, spent several years in their system, got as far as Triple-A. Then decided to go back to school and was a QB for Florida State, won the 2000 Heisman, got drafted by NFL but don’t think he’s done too much since.

Then, of course there was John Elway, though I can’t remember how far he got with his pro baseball career. Might have been just a negotiating ploy to help orchestrate his trade to Denver.

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Apr 26, 2008 1:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Elway played one summer in the NY-Penn League...

... in the Yankees organization. IIRC he hit pretty well (over .300) in limited play as an outfielder. I agree with you, I think it was part of a negotiating ploy.

The Cubs had former Cowboys QB Quincy Carter in their farm system for four years. He couldn’t hit. As it turned out he wasn’t much of a QB either.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Apr 26, 2008 2:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i believe his name is....

john david booty.

Go Cubbies Go!!!!!!

by cubsluver22 on Apr 27, 2008 8:27 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

No, he's talking about John David Booty's big brother...

... Josh Booty, who was going to play college football until the Marlins made him their #1 pick in the 1994 draft, and he decided to play baseball.

Trouble was, he was a really bad baseball player. He tried, IIRC, to go back and play college football, but it was too late. He might have had a decent NFL career.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Apr 27, 2008 12:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i hope atlanta

gets matt ryan… being a bucs fan, id really rather not have to face dorsey twice a year… i go to florida st., and matt ryan really doesnt scare me as much as dorsey does

by ams05g on Apr 26, 2008 2:01 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Good pick for Da Bears

"Chicago baseball fans, who are composites of scar tissue and mortifying memories..." - George F. Will

by eswan9 on Apr 26, 2008 3:38 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Damn,

Mendenhall fell so far I was sorta waitin for the Bears to trade down and pick up the bargain… Oh well.

"I can accept failure, but I can't accept not trying" - Michael Jordan, the one and only...

by LPLancer23 on Apr 26, 2008 4:47 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

ESPN Insider scouting report on Matt Forte, RB 6'1 217lbs Tulane

Strengths: A compact runner who displays good burst through the line of scrimmage and enough strength to push the pile as an inside runner. Very instinctive runner with vision and patience to set up his blocks. Runs with solid pad-level and will lower his shoulder to deliver the blow. Churns out a good amount of yards after contact by staying low and driving his legs. He displays balance and body control as a runner. Not great suddenness but is fluid enough to change directions in order to hit the cutback lane. He is very versatile, especially for a bigger back. He displays soft hands and is very comfortable catching the football. He also shows good instincts and the strength to anchor as a pass-blocker.
Weaknesses: Lacks explosive burst. Is quick to and through the hole but will struggle to consistently bounce runs outside in the NFL. Lacks a second gear and will get tracked down from behind by faster defenders. Not very elusive and won’t make many defenders miss in space. Very reliable and experienced as a receiver but will not provide homerun hitting ability as a route runner or after the catch. Durability is somewhat of a concern due to 2006 knee injury.

Overall: In his first three seasons at Tulane (2004-’06), Forte appeared in 31 games (18 starts) and ran for 2,138 yards and 16 touchdowns on 472 carries (4.5 average). He also had 71 receptions for 703 yards (9.9 average) and five touchdowns during that period. As a senior, he played and started in all 12 of the Green Wave’s games, ranking second in the nation in rushing. Forte piled up 2,007 yards and 22 touchdowns on 336 carries (6.0 average) and added 29 receptions for 257 yards (8.9 average). He also was a regular on special teams coverage units, even during his colossal senior season. Forte missed the last three games of the 2006 season after tearing the meniscus and posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Forte proved to NFL teams at the Senior Bowl that his outstanding production (the nation’s second-leading rusher in 2007) was not simply a byproduct of the lower-level FBS competition in which he played at Tulane. While he is not a good fit for every team, those seeking a bigger back with versatility in this year’s draft, he will be a good value later in Round 3. In our opinion, only Oregon’s Jonathan Stewart and Illinois’ Rashard Mendenhall rank higher than Forte in terms of running backs weighing in at 215-plus pounds from the 2008 class. Forte would excel in a one-back set and he has the size/versatility to serve as a hybrid RB/FB type in the NFL.

Felix Pie must play everyday!

by JB 23 on Apr 26, 2008 6:39 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs