Bubbles
11-06-2008, 10:27 PM
I'm seeding sub-.500 teams in a draft based on records to this point, with ties broken on objective feelings of how bad the teams are in comparison to one another. Here goes...
1) Detroit Lions (0-8): TRADE PICK.
Rationale: Simply put, the Lions have too many need positions. They could move down in the draft to a lower top-five pick, get an additional third-round choice or so, and try and find a warm body they can develop into a long-term upgrade at a position at that spot. Here's one scenario after they trade the pick...
1) Cincinnati Bengals (1-7, from #3): Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
Rationale: Chris Perry and Cedric Benson are glorified spell backs. They can still be used in the offense (Perry has good hands, while Benson could be a decent short-yardage guy in the right offense), but Cincinnati has not had a top-tier running back...well, ever. That changes here, and it gives the offense another dimension for defenses to plan against.
2) Kansas City Chiefs (1-7): Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
Rationale: It's no secret that KC's rebuilding from the inside out. Last year, they took Glenn Dorsey and Branden Albert. In this draft, they complement Dorsey with a great all-around defensive end who can play right away. I could see them taking Moreno if he falls to them, but I doubt he will.
3) Detroit Lions (from #1): James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State
Rationale: I see this as an easy, low-risk pick. Detroit already has one promising linebacker in Ernie Sims. If I'm in that front office, I pick Little Animal and watch gleefully as the two prospects grow together to form a dominating unit for years to come.
4) Oakland Raiders (2-6): Malcolm Jenkins, CB/S, Ohio State
Rationale: Oakland's got several young prospects on offense. Their defense couldn't be worse. Jenkins is the best defensive player on the board, and is a guy who can both cover and hit hard. They may also be a candidate to trade up, given Al Davis's penchant for the spotlight.
5) St. Louis Rams (2-6): Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Rationale: Is he streaky? Yes. But at his best, he's the best passer in college football, and it's not close (sorry, Tim Tebow, Matt Stafford, and Sam Bradford). Marc Bulger has grown to be very ineffective, and this marks the start of a new era in the history of a team once renowned to have the greatest show on turf...provided he declares for the draft after this year.
6) San Francisco 49ers (2-6): Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss
Rationale: I don't like taking offensive linemen this early (for every Orlando Pace, there are three or four Robert Gallery's). However, you need to protect young quarterbacks to give them a chance, and that's what SF's failed to do. Plus, Frank Gore will reap huge rewards with an improved O-line.
7) Seattle Seahawks (2-6): Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Rationale: I know Mike Holmgren is leaving and that Seneca Wallace is supposed to be the heir apparent to Matt Hasselbeck. But what Holmgren doesn't want to know is that Wallace is horrible. It comes down to Bradford and Matt Stafford, but I'm not sure Stafford's nearly as good without Knowshon Moreno to take the pressure off him.
8) Houston Texans (3-5): William Moore, S, Missouri
Rationale: I could also see them going with an offensive lineman, but their secondary has gotten exploited a lot this year. This team strikes me as being just a few years away from being pretty good, and a quality safety is one more piece of the puzzle.
9) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-5): Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
Rationale: The crying in the South isn't because John McCain lost; it's David Garrard wondering where his deep targets went. Crabtree is a big-time playmaker who's a threat to score on every single down, as he proved against Texas.
10) San Diego Chargers (3-5): Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech
Rationale: San Diego's run defense has betrayed them, and Johnson is the best d-lineman left in the draft. The 3-4 puts a lot of weight on the linemen, but Johnson could be able to carry it right away.
11) Cleveland Browns (4-5 with a win tonight): Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
Rationale: Javon Ringer and Chris Wells both fit here given Jamal Lewis's advanced age, but Cleveland needs a ton of help on defense. Maualuga is a complete player who can drop back in coverage, play the run, and blitz the quarterback, and he'd be a good fit.
1) Detroit Lions (0-8): TRADE PICK.
Rationale: Simply put, the Lions have too many need positions. They could move down in the draft to a lower top-five pick, get an additional third-round choice or so, and try and find a warm body they can develop into a long-term upgrade at a position at that spot. Here's one scenario after they trade the pick...
1) Cincinnati Bengals (1-7, from #3): Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
Rationale: Chris Perry and Cedric Benson are glorified spell backs. They can still be used in the offense (Perry has good hands, while Benson could be a decent short-yardage guy in the right offense), but Cincinnati has not had a top-tier running back...well, ever. That changes here, and it gives the offense another dimension for defenses to plan against.
2) Kansas City Chiefs (1-7): Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
Rationale: It's no secret that KC's rebuilding from the inside out. Last year, they took Glenn Dorsey and Branden Albert. In this draft, they complement Dorsey with a great all-around defensive end who can play right away. I could see them taking Moreno if he falls to them, but I doubt he will.
3) Detroit Lions (from #1): James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State
Rationale: I see this as an easy, low-risk pick. Detroit already has one promising linebacker in Ernie Sims. If I'm in that front office, I pick Little Animal and watch gleefully as the two prospects grow together to form a dominating unit for years to come.
4) Oakland Raiders (2-6): Malcolm Jenkins, CB/S, Ohio State
Rationale: Oakland's got several young prospects on offense. Their defense couldn't be worse. Jenkins is the best defensive player on the board, and is a guy who can both cover and hit hard. They may also be a candidate to trade up, given Al Davis's penchant for the spotlight.
5) St. Louis Rams (2-6): Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Rationale: Is he streaky? Yes. But at his best, he's the best passer in college football, and it's not close (sorry, Tim Tebow, Matt Stafford, and Sam Bradford). Marc Bulger has grown to be very ineffective, and this marks the start of a new era in the history of a team once renowned to have the greatest show on turf...provided he declares for the draft after this year.
6) San Francisco 49ers (2-6): Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss
Rationale: I don't like taking offensive linemen this early (for every Orlando Pace, there are three or four Robert Gallery's). However, you need to protect young quarterbacks to give them a chance, and that's what SF's failed to do. Plus, Frank Gore will reap huge rewards with an improved O-line.
7) Seattle Seahawks (2-6): Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Rationale: I know Mike Holmgren is leaving and that Seneca Wallace is supposed to be the heir apparent to Matt Hasselbeck. But what Holmgren doesn't want to know is that Wallace is horrible. It comes down to Bradford and Matt Stafford, but I'm not sure Stafford's nearly as good without Knowshon Moreno to take the pressure off him.
8) Houston Texans (3-5): William Moore, S, Missouri
Rationale: I could also see them going with an offensive lineman, but their secondary has gotten exploited a lot this year. This team strikes me as being just a few years away from being pretty good, and a quality safety is one more piece of the puzzle.
9) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-5): Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
Rationale: The crying in the South isn't because John McCain lost; it's David Garrard wondering where his deep targets went. Crabtree is a big-time playmaker who's a threat to score on every single down, as he proved against Texas.
10) San Diego Chargers (3-5): Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech
Rationale: San Diego's run defense has betrayed them, and Johnson is the best d-lineman left in the draft. The 3-4 puts a lot of weight on the linemen, but Johnson could be able to carry it right away.
11) Cleveland Browns (4-5 with a win tonight): Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
Rationale: Javon Ringer and Chris Wells both fit here given Jamal Lewis's advanced age, but Cleveland needs a ton of help on defense. Maualuga is a complete player who can drop back in coverage, play the run, and blitz the quarterback, and he'd be a good fit.