NFL Draft: One More Look

Now that the buzz of the draft is starting to die down, let’s take one more look at the first round and discuss which prospects found themselves in ideal situations and which players found themselves in situations that could spell trouble.  

The Draft: One Final Look

The Idea Situations

QB Matthew Stafford, Lions

Probably going to shock you at first, right? Well, let’s think about it for a moment. Stafford goes to Detroit to watch. I’d be surprised if we saw him under center in September. He’s a franchise QB, but I still expect Daunte Culpepper to start the season and Stafford to watch from the bench with a visor. Sure, he could see some action late in the year when the Lions are eliminated from playoff contention, but in my opinion, this is a free year for Stafford to learn and understand the NFL game.

DT B.J Raji, Packers

Raji might be in the best position of anyone in the draft because he’s an interior defensive lineman. He’ll probably play in a rotation with fellow NT Ryan Pickett, and although I do expect him to start, he will be a part of a unit that will allow him to be fresh when he’s on the field. Yes, expectations are high for any player in a Packers uniform, but Raji isn’t going to play 80 snaps a game.

OT Michael Oher, Ravens

Michael Oher could look back on this draft when he signs a monster contract in the future and be thankful he slid all the way to the Ravens at No.23 — something that had to do with the way the draft played out, not his overall talent. I’m a big fan of Oher’s game, and he now gets to go to a team that played in the AFC Championship, has one of the best defenses of the past decade and could slide into the right tackle position until he’s ready to protect the QB’s blind side at left tackle.

CB/S Malcolm Jenkins, Saints

Why Jenkins? Because of Gregg Williams’ defensive system. Sure, I’m biased toward Williams and his coaching because I got to see it firsthand, but no defensive back in the league will walk into a more demanding environment than Jenkins — one that will demand more from the rookie that he ever thought possible. Williams will ride him hard, but he’ll get the best Jenkins has to offer, and as a player, that’s what you want in your career. I expect Jenkins to get better each week of the ’09 season and become a playmaker quickly.

The Tough Situations

QB Mark Sanchez, Jets

Mark Sanchez? The gem of the draft in a tough situation? Yes, and here’s why. Rex Ryan came to New York with the Ravens’ defensive scheme, but Ed Reed and Ray Lewis weren’t part of the package. The Jets’ WR corps is not something we talk about with any sense of passion or energy, and as much as we want to compare Sanchez’s situation to Joe Flacco’s as a rookie in Baltimore, I just can’t see it. Sanchez will start, he will throw interceptions, and this Jets team isn’t the Baltimore Ravens. The AFC East is not the place I’d want to start a rookie QB.

OT Andre Smith, Bengals

I put Smith here because the demands will be great on this rookie — who doesn’t have the best work ethic — to protect franchise QB Carson Palmer, who is finally healthy. The Bengals gave up 51 sacks last season, and although Smith is a potential upgrade, their offensive line as a unit is pretty weak. This team’s only chance at competing with Pittsburgh and Baltimore depends on pass protection, and I doubt Smith is ready to make the jump to the NFL from a skill or a professional standpoint. Giving up a sack is one thing, but giving up a sack that knocks Palmer out of the game could be a season-killer.

WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, Raiders

Heyward-Bey has the reputation of an entire franchise riding on his back in the ’09 season. He’s a top-10 draft pick, and for analysts like me to label him anything other than a “bust,” he’s going to have to produce like a player who demands top-10 money — and that means big-time numbers in the stat column when the season ends. Because if he doesn’t, this Raiders team will take another step backward on the field and at the bank.  

DE Aaron Maybin, Buffalo

Why Maybin? Because this franchise needs to win now, or head coach Dick Jauron and his staff could be out of work at season’s end. The key to playing the Tampa 2 defensive scheme is getting a pass rush from your four down linemen — and that’s exactly why the Bills drafted Maybin at No. 11. If he can’t use his athletic ability or struggles to beat NFL offensive tackles due to his lack of size (6-4, 245), Buffalo is going to be in the same place it was last season as a defense.

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