April 26, 2008...10:28 am
NFL Draft Thoughts
Today is the NFL Draft.
I’ll watch. What else am I going to watch on this Saturday? It’s April and after The Masters there isn’t much going on sports wise until you get to the Kentucky Derby next weekend.
The pick to watch is Atlanta at No. 3. The consensus thought is that the Falcons will use the pick to take Matt Ryan, the quarterback from Boston College, if available. This would all but end the Falcons’ obsession with all things Michael Vick because you cannot afford to have two-high price quarterbacks on the roster. (Yes, Vick is still a cap at $7.572 million if he is a June 1 cut, which could happen if the Falcons go with Ryan.)
After the Falcons, Kansas City should be making a run at improving its team through the draft. The Chiefs have the most picks of any team and will have will picks within the first 35. That will give the Chiefs a lot of opportunity to improve and play catch-up with the AFC West.
The big debate today in the early rounds will be who to take Glenn Dorsey, of LSU, or Chris Long, of Virginia. Regardless of who gets picked when, both players are going in the top 5 and will make immediate impacts on defense. Dorsey could go to St. Louis at No. 2, while Long may go to Oakland at No. 4 or Kansas City at No. 5.
And then there is Darren McFadden. Teams will have some concerns about character issues, but McFadden has all-around NFL ability so character issues will be swept under the rug. The Jets don’t mind though. They are hoping that McFadden is still available at No. 6 to make a move on him, giving the squad a running back it needs.
All eyes here will be waiting for two WVU players to get their names called - Steve Slaton and Owen Schmitt. Schmitt will likely be the first Mountaineer taken and possibly in the second or third rounds. Even at the fullback position, rarely used in the NFL today, Schmitt offers possibilities with his speed as a running back or even a move to Tight End from the slot. Plus, you just can’t deny this guys ability and force.
I will admit to being selfish and hope the 49ers take him.
As for Slaton, I believe another year in college would’ve helped, but he will be a later round selection. He’ll make a good contribution, but his draft stock fell after a lack of Slaton-type performance last season.
Other Mountaineers like Marc Magro, Johnny Dingle, and Vaughn Rivers could get a call tomorrow.
Leave a Reply