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Team that had best draft: Arizona — When you’ve got a star, it only makes
sense to surround him with talent in order to make him a bigger star. Jake Plummer is a
star. Jake Plummer is about to become a bigger star, thanks to this draft. With the
addition of David Boston, the Cardinals can run the same sort of scary three-WR sets that
the Vikings did last year. I’m stunned that OT L.J. Shelton lasted as long as he did.
He’s a nice start to the building of the Cardinals’ offensive line to protect
Plummer. Then the Cardinals added a couple of cogs in LB Johnny Rutledge and DE Tom Burke,
who could help a rapidly improving defense. It’s the two first-round picks, Boston
and Shelton, who really fire me up about this draft, though.
My favorite individual draft selection: CB Champ Bailey, Georgia, seventh pick —
How on earth did Bailey slip this far? This is highway robbery on the part of the
Redskins. Not only do they get the best player in the draft, regardless of position, but
they hit the lottery in extra picks by trading down before taking Bailey.
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Team that had best draft: Washington — If I had to base this choice strictly on
the players picked up during the draft, I’d probably cast my vote for Arizona or
Detroit. However, after taking into account the veteran players acquired as a result of
trading picks in this draft, plus future draft choices acquired on Draft Day, I’ll
take the Redskins’ draft. Champ Bailey will be a star in the NFL for years to come,
and the team badly needs another corner to play across from Darrell Green. As a bonus,
Bailey can be used occasionally at wide receiver, providing game-breaking skills. Just as
important as Bailey is the addition of QB Brad Johnson in exchange for No. 1 and No. 3
draft choices prior to the draft. Unlike the hyped QB class of 1999, Johnson has already
proved he can perform at a high level in the NFL. Getting Michigan OT Jon Jansen early in
the second round was a stroke of good luck, giving the Redskins help for their shaky
offensive line. The key is whether Jansen has quick enough feet to play left tackle,
because that’s the position they most need to fill. Fifth-round OT Derek Smith should
get considerable playing time, and Jeff Hall could win the PK job and provide better
kickoffs than the Redskins have had in recent years. Last, but certainly not least, is the
No. 1 draft choice in 2000 that Washington acquired from New Orleans. Despite what Mike
Ditka says, I suspect that draft pick will be in the middle of the first round or higher.
The keys to this actually becoming the best draft are Johnson’s ability to stay
healthy and Jansen’s ability to handle the OLT spot that is so vital in keeping
Johnson free of injury.
My favorite individual draft selection: OT-OG Aaron Gibson, Wisconsin, 27th
pick — Gibson was probably the best run blocker in the draft, and that’s exactly
what Detroit needed. He was a great value with the 27th pick. Gibson should win
a starting job at either right tackle or guard, and he will be the road-grader that will
enable Barry Sanders to have one of his most productive seasons ever, despite the fact
that Sanders will turn 31 in July.
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Team that had best draft: Arizona — Last season the Cardinals got over the hump,
reaching the playoffs for the first time since coming to Arizona. My prediction is the
Cardinals won’t be strangers to the postseason in years to come, largely due to their
deft drafting in 1998 and ’99. This year they added a big-time receiver in David
Boston. With Rob Moore and Frank Sanders already on board, Arizona has one of the most
talented WR trios in the NFL. Their second first-round pick, OT L.J. Shelton, should have
been off the board by the 21st overall pick. The Raiders and Giants passed on
him. Their loss will be the Cardinals’ gain, as he will be a starter early on. LB
Johnny Rutledge is a nice addition to an up-and-coming defense. Rutledge is a need pick
because free-agent OLB Jamir Miller remains unsigned and MLB Ronald McKinnon’s
contract is up after ’99. DE Tom Burke is another pass rusher who adds depth to a
potentially dominant defensive line. Joel Makovicka is the fullback the Cardinals have
needed for some time. Each of their top five picks will contribute heavily in 1999.
My favorite individual draft selection: CB Champ Bailey, Georgia, seventh pick —
The Redskins added extra picks by trading down with the Saints and still got the man they
coveted. While they had to surrender some of those additional picks to move back up to get
Bailey, the net result was a couple of extra picks (which is important because they gave
up several picks to get Brad Johnson) and the best athlete in the draft. Bailey comes in
and will replace Cris Dishman right away. He will learn the NFL ropes from a future Hall
of Famer in Darrell Green. Down the road, Bailey may be able to contribute on offense as a
receiver, as well.
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Team that had best draft: Detroit — The Lions pulled off a draft rarity: They
filled their needs while at the same time acquiring the best available players. USC LB
Chris Claiborne was the best all-around linebacker in this draft, and he’s versatile
enough to play outside, where Detroit is most likely to use him. When they realized that
Wisconsin OL Aaron Gibson was still on the board at No. 27, the Lions acted quickly to
move up and nab him. If Claiborne hadn’t been available at No. 9, the Lions might
have taken Gibson at that spot. Instead, they get tremendous value 18 spots later.
Third-round pick Jared DeVries of Iowa is a hard-working, character guy who can give the
Lions immediate help on the defensive line, while fourth-round RB Sedrick Irvin of
Michigan State has the potential to someday succeed Barry Sanders. Irvin lacks top-end
speed, but he has outstanding moves and instincts.
My favorite individual draft selection: QB Brock Huard, Washington, 77th pick —
Huard’s stock plummeted during his junior year, and he probably should have stayed in
school, but things couldn’t have worked out any better for him. Huard isn’t
going to the Seahawks so much as he’s going to Mike Holmgren, who has a Midas-like
touch when it comes to quarterbacks. Holmgren’s résumé with QB’s (Steve Young,
Brett Favre, Mark Brunell) rivals that of his mentor, Bill Walsh, and I wouldn’t be
shocked if, years from now, Huard turns out to be the class of this QB class of ’99.
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Team that had best draft: Arizona — The Cardinals continued to reap the benefits
of last year’s trade with San Diego, taking the second-ranked wide receiver (Ohio
State’s David Boston) and second-ranked offensive tackle (Eastern Michigan’s
L.J. Shelton) in Round One. Both could have tremendous impacts in their rookie seasons.
Boston is solid insurance for the unsigned Rob Moore (though I will be shocked if Moore
isn’t in training camp), and he’ll also give the Cards a formidable three-WR
set. Shelton will compete for the starting OLT spot vacated by Lomas Brown.
My favorite individual draft selection: LB Jevon Kearse, Florida, 16th pick
— The Titans were trying to trade up to get Kearse but watched him fall into their
lap. For a team in dire need of pass-rush help, Kearse is a perfect fit, especially in
Tennessee’s blitzing "46" defense.
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Team that had best draft: Buffalo — Don’t be surprised if the Bills’
first-round pick, Ohio State CB Antoine Winfield, turns out to be a better NFL cornerback
than either Champ Bailey or Chris McAlister, who were both top-10 picks. The 5-foot-9,
176-pound Winfield is a terrific little cover man and a remarkable hitter for a man of his
size. He’s also very dangerous as a blitzer, and I believe he’ll soon emerge as
a spiritual leader for the Bills. If Winfield were two inches taller, he probably would
have gone much higher than 23rd overall. Buffalo general manager John Butler
got very good value in the second and third rounds with WR Peerless Price and RB Shawn
Bryson, both of Tennessee. Price is a big-play guy with hands like flypaper (I like him
better than WR David Boston, the eighth overall pick), and Bryson is an athletic,
versatile back with enormous potential. The Bills’ fourth-round pick, North Carolina
LB Keith Newman, should make a nice contribution, and their seventh-round pick, Air Force
DE Bryce Fisher, could be a steal. Brigham Young OT John Tait told me at this year’s
NFL Scouting Combine that Fisher was the best defensive end he faced during his college
career.
My favorite individual draft selection: S Anthony Poindexter, Virginia, 216th pick
— If Poindexter is able to recover from the devastating knee injury he sustained
during his senior season (ACL, MCL, LCL — you name it, he tore it), a lot of NFL
teams are going to feel awfully stupid for passing on him. Every time I watched Poindexter
play in college, I thought I was watching the second coming of Ronnie Lott. Poindexter is
a devastating hitter who stops running backs dead in their tracks and makes wide receivers
hear imaginary footsteps. He has a knack for making big plays, and he has the sort of
intangibles that coaches love. Obviously, Poindexter’s knee injury is a huge concern.
But, if he’s able to fully recover, the Ravens will have gotten first-round value in
the seventh round.
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