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Winners, losers from NFL Draft

April 29, 2008

Saturday’s National Football League Draft offered more questionable picks, less excitement and more players named “Long” than in most years past. With the opportunity for every team to increase their talent and build for the future, few capitalized in the eyes of experts and fans. And, for the first time, the value of stereotypical skill players was diminished.

In a professional sport with headlines and endorsements dominated by so-called “skill players,” those who either throw, run with, catch or directly defend the ball, this year’s draft proved how valuable the “non-talent” players actually are. The Miami Dolphins chose offensive tackle Jake Long with the first overall pick, alluding to how protecting the stars is as important as the stars themselves. As the first round progressed, it seemed that every team had adopted the same mantra. Of the first 10 picks, only two players, quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Darren McFadden, were not linemen or defensive ends. The following 21 first round picks only included one quarterback, four running backs and one tight end. In total, 14 of the 31 players play on either the offensive or defensive line.

The most surprising aspect of the first round was that zero wide receivers had been selected. Michigan State receiver Devin Thomas and California receiver DeSean Jackson were both believed to be first round picks in most mock drafts, with Thomas projected as high as the top 15. Instead, both players fell to the second round (Thomas to the Washington Redskins, Jackson to the Philadelphia Eagles) and neither was the top receiver taken.

Instead, the rebuilding St. Louis Rams chose to reach with the 33rd overall pick, as they chose Houston receiver Donnie Avery. Only time will tell how intelligent the pick was, but for now, it will be examined for weeks to come.

Overall, the big winner of the 2008 draft was the Kansas City Chiefs. After giving up franchise defensive end Jared Allen only days before the draft, it appeared the already weak Chiefs were headed backward. Instead, the Chiefs landed defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, who many believed to be the most promising player in the draft and guard Brandon Albert in the first round and two-time first team all-Atlantic Coast Conference cornerback Brandon Flowers in the second round. When combined with Pro-Bowl running back Larry Johnson, the Chiefs might have completed a rebuilding process within a two-day stretch.

The Green Bay Packers might have made the most questionable picks in the draft, after selecting two quarterbacks — Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm in the second round and Louisiana State’s Matt Flynn in the seventh round. Both players have potentially bright futures, especially Brohm, who could have been a top-three pick in last year’s draft. But one can only wonder how little confidence Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has left. After being taken 24th in the 2005 draft out of California, Rodgers patiently waited behind Green Bay legend Brett Favre. Three years later, Favre is gone, as, it appears, is the Packers’ faith in Rodgers.