MTSuper7 Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 (edited) Today I was thinking about how inept Matt Millen and the Lions have looked during the NFL draft in the past years, and it got me wondering which teams tend to fare the best on draft day. I thought some homers could chime in on their teams' success at the draft (or failures if you wish) as it is really difficult to know all of the successes and failures of each team at a casual glance. In looking at some of the recent drafts, it looks like the Chargers have been dead on with a lot of their choices. Sure, Ryan Leaf was a bust a number of years ago, but they did trade down in the 2001 draft to let Atlanta take Vick. Who did they get at #5 that year? LT. (And they got a couple of other picks in that deal too.) They've had good success with first rounders in LT, Antonio Cromartie, Shawne Merriman, and Quentin Jammer as well as good second rounders in Marcus McNeill, Drew Brees, Luis Castillo, Drayton Florence, etc. They've also had some later round successes like Shaun Phillips, Darren Sproles, Mike Scifres, etc. How long has A.J. Smith been the GM there? The Patriots also look like they've done well at the draft in recent years as well. Are these two teams clear front-runners for being the best talent evaluators, deal workers, etc.? Does anyone else deserve mention? Edited January 21, 2008 by MTSuper7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32. Chiefs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wolf Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 (edited) 32. Chiefs. I can top that my friend...did the Chiefs ever trade away their first round pick for...Doug Jolley? Then use their 2nd rounder on a freaking kicker??? Damn Jets.... I'm double 'gin it Edited January 21, 2008 by The Wolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziachild007 Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 Today I was thinking about how inept Matt Millen and the Lions have looked during the NFL draft in the past years, and it got me wondering which teams tend to fare the best on draft day. I thought some homers could chime in on their teams' success at the draft (or failures if you wish) as it is really difficult to know all of the successes and failures of each team at a casual glance. In looking at some of the recent drafts, it looks like the Chargers have been dead on with a lot of their choices. Sure, Ryan Leaf was a bust a number of years ago, but they did trade down in the 2001 draft to let Atlanta take Vick. Who did they get at #5 that year? LT. (And they got a couple of other picks in that deal too.) They've had good success with first rounders in LT, Antonio Cromartie, Shawne Merriman, and Quentin Jammer as well as good second rounders in Marcus McNeill, Drew Brees, Luis Castillo, Drayton Florence, etc. They've also had some later round successes like Shaun Phillips, Darren Sproles, Mike Scifres, etc. How long has A.J. Smith been the GM there? The Patriots also look like they've done well at the draft in recent years as well. Are these two teams clear front-runners for being the best talent evaluators, deal workers, etc.? Does anyone else deserve mention? A.J. Smith took over as GM in 2003 after John Butler passed away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caveman_Nick Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 (edited) JMO, and I do not intend this to take anything away from the Chargers.....but I think a team that has done that well with so many of their picks has been very lucky, and other teams have had less fortune. The players that go in the first and second rounds of drafts are rarely surprises. They are the players everyone thinks will be drafted. They just don't necessarily all work out that well. And ISMHO, a big part f the problem as to why teams at the top of drafts stay there when they have access to the "best talent" is that they get saddled with enormous salary cap implication for players that have not proven that they can play in the NFL. And the players at the top are the most likely to hold out for money. Sure, it's their right under the CBA, and it is exactly what they should do at this time, but the CBA is dumb in that regard. The players union should find a way to send that money to the veteran players by raising the minimum....or coming up with years of service adjustment....or something like that. Get unlucky with some high draft picks for a couple of years and your salary cap is a mess. And what can you really do about it other than try to trade down? ETA: I mention the Chargers and not the Pats only because they have been in the position to have many more high picks in the last 8 years. Edited January 21, 2008 by Caveman_Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainHook Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 (edited) Um, the Colts? 1996 Marvin Harrison (multiple pro bowls) 1997 Tarik Glenn (multiple pro bowls) 1998 Peyton Manning (multiple pro bowls, 2 mvp's, super bowl mvp) 1999 Edgerin James (multiple pro bowls) 2000 Rob Morris (starting lb in super bowl) 2001 Reggie Wayne (multiple pro bowls) 2002 Dwight Freeney (multiple pro bowls) 2003 Dallas Clark (starting te in super bowl and imo mvp of the super bowl run) 2004 Bob Sanders (2 pro bowls, defensive player of the year) 2005 Marlin Jackson (intercepted tom brady to seal afc championship) 2006 Joseph Addai (pro bowl) 2007 Anthony Gonzalez and that's just first rounders . . . (technically Bob Sanders was a second round pick, but the Colts traded out of the first round that year and he was their first selection.) Edited January 21, 2008 by CaptainHook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furd Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 The thing that is spectacular about the Lions draft failures is that they fail to draft even servicable players. I challenge anybody to show worse drafts than the Lions since 2000: Round, Overall Player, Pos., College 2007 1 2 Johnson, Calvin WR Georgia Tech 2 34 Choice to Buf 2 43 Stanton, Drew(from Buf) QB Michigan State 2 58 Alama-Francis, Ikaika(from NO) DE Hawaii 2 61 Alexander, Gerald (from Bal) S Boise State 3 66 Choice to NO 3 74 Choice to Bal 4 101 Choice to Jax thru Bal 4 105 Davis, A.J. (Choice from Arz thru Oak) CB NC State 4 117 Ramirez, Manny LB Texas Tech 5 139 Choice to StL 5 145 Choice to NO 5 154 Choice to StL 5 158 Baldwin, Johnny (from Den) LB Alabama A&M 5 176 Choice to Min thru Den 5 212 Choice to Dal thru NYJ 6 255 Robinson, Ramzee CB Alabama 2006 1 9 Sims, Ernie LB Florida State 2 40 Bullocks, Daniel S Nebraska 3 74 Calhoun, Brian RB Wisconsin 4 Choice to NE 5 141 Scott, Jonathan T Texas 6 179 McCann, Dee CB West Virginia 7a 217 Matua, Fred G Southern California 7b 247 Cannon, Anthony LB Tulane 2005 1 10 Williams, Mike WR Southern California 2a 37 Cody, Shaun (From Ten) DT Southern California 2b Choice to Ten 3 72 Wilson, Stanley CB Stanford 4 Choice to Ten 5 145 Orlovsky, Dan (From NE thru Arz) QB Connecticut 6a 184 Swancutt, Bill DE Oregon State 6b 206 Goddard, Johnathan (From NE) LB Marshall 7 Choice to SF 2004 1 7 Williams, Roy WR Texas 1 30 Jones, Kevin RB Virginia Tech 2 37 Lehman, Teddy LB Oklahoma 3 73 Smith, Keith CB McNeese State 5 140 Lewis, Alex LB Wisconsin 6 172 Butler, Kelly T Purdue 2003 1 2 Rogers, Charles WR Michigan State 2 34 Bailey, Boss LB Georgia 3 66 Redding, Cory DE Texas 4 99 Pinner, Artose RB Kentucky 5a 137 Holt, Terrence S N.C. State 5b 144 Davis, James LB West Virginia 6 175 Kircus, David WR Grand Valley State 7a 216 Johnson, Ben T Wisconsin 7b 220 Adams, Blue CB Cincinnati 2002 1 3 Harrington, Joey QB Oregon 2 35 Edwards, Kalimba DE S. Carolina 3 68 Goodman, André CB S. Carolina 4© 134 Taylor, Jonathan DE Montana State 5 138 Owens, John TE Notre Dame 6 175 Cash, Chris CB USC 7a 214 Staley, Luke RB Brigham Young 7b© 253 Murphy, Matt TE Maryland 7c© 259 Rogers, Victor T Colorado 2001 1 18 Backus, Jeff T Michigan 2a. 50 Raiola, Dominic C Nebraska 2b. 61 Rogers, Shaun DT Texas 5a. 148 Anderson, Scotty WR Grambling State 5b. 149 McMahon, Mike QB Rutgers 6 173 Glenn, Jason LB Texas A&M 2000 1 20 McDougle, Stockar T Oklahoma 2 50 Green, Barrett LB West Virginia 3 81 Droughns, Reuben RB Oregon 4 Choice to Philadelphia 5 145 Franz, Todd CB Tulsa 6 181 Reese, Quinton DE Auburn 7 253 Boone, Alfonso DT Mt. San Antonio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonromig Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Colts and Steelers drafting comes to mind... Von Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahawks21 Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Tim Ruskell and the Seahawks get a lot of credit for trading up to pick up Tatupu, and rightfully so, however most of the players they have drafted over the past few years have been flops. All the guys looked like they had the potential and just didn't perform like expected. The picks on the top of my head are Stevens, Hamlin, Boulware, Tubbs, Spencer, & Tapp. I suppose the jury is still out on Spencer and Tapp, but just one or two better picks and the Seahawks could be a little closer to their '05 form. The Giants seem to have done a pretty good job in recent years. The Patriots have drafted some key players in recent years, later on in the order (Wilfork, Maroney). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarryTheRock Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I can top that my friend...did the Chiefs ever trade away their first round pick for...Doug Jolley? Then use their 2nd rounder on a freaking kicker??? Damn Jets.... I'm double 'gin it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTSuper7 Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 Um, the Colts? 1996 Marvin Harrison (multiple pro bowls) 1997 Tarik Glenn (multiple pro bowls) 1998 Peyton Manning (multiple pro bowls, 2 mvp's, super bowl mvp) 1999 Edgerin James (multiple pro bowls) 2000 Rob Morris (starting lb in super bowl) 2001 Reggie Wayne (multiple pro bowls) 2002 Dwight Freeney (multiple pro bowls) 2003 Dallas Clark (starting te in super bowl and imo mvp of the super bowl run) 2004 Bob Sanders (2 pro bowls, defensive player of the year) 2005 Marlin Jackson (intercepted tom brady to seal afc championship) 2006 Joseph Addai (pro bowl) 2007 Anthony Gonzalez and that's just first rounders . . . (technically Bob Sanders was a second round pick, but the Colts traded out of the first round that year and he was their first selection.) Even though first rounders are typically expected to last in the league, having a string of pro-bowlers like this is very impressive. Of course, they had very high picks in the late nineties when they blew chunks. But I don't think you can point to luck or coincidence when teams like the Colts, Chargers, Pats, etc. consistently hit with their picks while teams like the Lions consistently with theirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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