NFL Rookie Most Likely To.....

Now that the NFL Draft is complete and the official offseason has begun, many fans are looking through the first round of picks and evaluating each player. I have decided to go in a different direction and have my own fun with the first round. The following few predictions have a great possibility to come true and do not be surprised if I am correct in my picks.

Here are the NFL rookies most likely to...

Pass for 3000 yards: Mark Sanchez, New York Jets
-Sanchez is coming in to lead and already decent team in New York. The Jets finished last season at 9-7 and were one win away form making the playoffs. With the running game in tact from last year, the coaching staff just wants Sanchez to keep them in the hunt.

Rush for 1000 yards: Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos
-Denver is a breeding ground for NFL running backs. Moreno is a solid back with decent speed and an amazing ability for find a hole to run through. Look for the lineage to continue as Moreno should have a solid rookie campaign.

Compile 1000 receiving yards: Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers
-Crabtree is will start out as the #2 wide receiver but look for him to learn from Isaac Bruce and become the number 1 target no matter who the quarterback may be in San Francisco this season.

Make 80 tackles: Aaron Curry, Seattle Seahawks
-The Seahawks drafted arguably the best player in the draft with the 4th pick overall. Curry plays sideline to sideline on defense and with the loss of Leroy Hill look for him to get the majority of the stops in Seattle.

Get 10 sacks: Brian Orakpo, Washington Redskins
-With newly aquired Albert Haynesworth occupying blockers in the middle on defense Orakpo will have one-on-one matchups which he should easily win. His strength and motor wil allow him to get in the backfield and be an immediate defensive prescence in the league.

Make 5 interceptions: Malcolm Jenkins, New Orleans Saints
-Many believe that the Saints will move Malcolm Jenkins to safety and I agree. He has good size for a defensive back but not the elite speed needed to keep up in coverage. Jenkins instinct for the ball will allow him to roam freely in the middle of the field and pick off opposing quarterbacks with ease.

Score 10 touchdowns: Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles
-Maclin will be getting the majority of the long balls in Philly which should provide for some longs scores. His ability to return kickoffs and punts also gives him a better chance to score, which he is used to doing.

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Cory Guinn

cryguinn@yahoo.com

FANdemoniumSports.blogspot.com

2009 NFL Draft Evaluations

The 2009 NFL draft may lack the marketability and wow factor of players in previous drafts, but many consider this draft to be deeper top to bottom then others, meaning success can be had if managed correctly. It can also highlight how the idea of NFL parity is somewhat of a myth because of the current draft setup (top drafting teams must spend millions more than teams lower in the draft for a somewhat negligible talent difference) and because you still have teams that have no idea what they are doing (here’s to looking at you Oakland).


Best:

The Redskins, much maligned for their free agent spending and emphasis on getting big names rather than smartly acquiring talent, practically had Brian Orakpo fall into their laps. The Broncos, who had almost as bad a draft as the Raiders, passed up on the highly touted Orakpo to take a running back, as if new coach McDaniels didn’t see that his roster was already littered with running backs to choose from. Did you see the way Washington practically ran to the podium after the announcement of the Denver pick? Probably the fastest I have seen a team turn in a 1st round card. Considering Orakpo was ranked higher than his counterpart at the #3 pick, Tyson Jackson, you have to like teaming up Orakpo with new signee Albert Haynesworth.

I also thought the Ravens had a surprisingly good draft. While many would argue they still lack a big play wide receiver, the Ravens understand what their success is based on, and reloaded again with big guys up front in Michael Oher and gritty linebackers in Phillips and Kruger. Nothing flashy about these picks, but I guarantee you the Ravens will get production out of this group and continue to terrorize teams on defense and with their speed and toughness.


Worst:

For a model on what not to do, please see the Raiders of Oakland. It’s hard to feel more sorry for a team than the Detroit Lions, but the Raiders are a close 2nd. There’s almost no analysis to give because the picks they made in the 1st and 2nd round were so laughably bad that even ESPN didn’t know what to say. Why? Well they didn’t even have a profile on the Raiders 2nd round pick, Michael Mitchell, who wasn’t invited to the Combine.

I looked up Mitchell, not knowing him myself, and while he looks very explosive, he also lacks basic football traits. He doesn’t wrap up on tackles, and he plays too high. Mitchell might make a few flashy plays, but he will get swallowed up by a league that features much superior athleticism compared to the talent he played against at Ohio. While the Heyward-Bey pick created more controversy, the Mitchell pick was worse. The Raiders are drafting for speed, and while speed is an important trait, there’s a reason Usain Bolt isn’t in the NFL, as you must have football talent to match that speed.

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Joseph Kelley
opethguitarist@gmail.com
FANdemoniumSports.blogspot.com