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Michigan State WR
Plaxico Burress
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Anchor man Casey McCall and producer Jeremy Goodwin are conversing on the set of
"Sports Night," the fictional sports newscast featured on the ABC television
show of the same name.
"You like Draft Day, don’t you?" Jeremy asks Casey as the two prepare to
cover the event.
"To an admittedly psychotic extent, yes," Casey replies.
It’s not the best example of the brilliant writing the struggling but outstanding
program has to offer, but the point is clear: There is the Super Bowl, there is opening
day and there is Draft Day, king of all days.
With that in mind, I have laid out a brief prelude to the big day, examining the five
most intriguing teams, in my mind, to watch in Round One. Each team’s first-round
picks are listed in parentheses.
Ravens (Nos. 5 & 15) — For some reason, few have noticed the
driver’s seat in which the Ravens sit. They could fulfill needs at wide receiver and
running back in the first round, the best-case scenario, in my eyes, being that Michigan
State WR Plaxico Burress and Alabama RB Shaun Alexander land in their lap.
Burress (6-foot-6) would give head coach Brian Billick the big, playmaking receiver he
currently lacks. Alexander would be an upgrade over Priest Holmes, who, despite a strong
finish last season, isn’t nearly as well-rounded as the ’Bama product.
In a matter of hours, Billick may find the pieces he needs to run his kind of offense,
one that catapulted the Vikings to a 15-1 season in ’98. That is, if this Tony Banks
thing pans out.
But don’t forget about the recently shut-down Keyshawn talk. While Jets head coach
Al Groh said the Jets wouldn’t entertain trade offers for Johnson, he added the
amendment "at this time." I find it hard to believe the Jets won’t revisit
this closer to the draft. If the Ravens can acquire Johnson with the fifth pick and keep
the 15th pick, they could gain a big, playmaking receiver with experience and not have to
endure the growing pains of Burress.
Bears (No. 9) — Chicago is the only team with a top-10 pick that
doesn’t have an immediate need to fill. That’s what makes the ninth selection so
interesting. The Bears seem to have two options: (1) take the best player available,
regardless of position; or (2) trade down.
Don’t get me wrong; the Bears have plenty of needs. But they took care of their
most pressing needs in free agency with the signings of DE Phillip Daniels, CB Thomas
Smith and S Shawn Wooden. So, in what direction will they go?
The boldest move they could make would be to draft a running back. In two seasons,
Curtis Enis hasn’t lived up to his billing, though a knee injury has had a lot to do
with that. Still, Enis is entering a contract year, and if he fails to pan out,
wouldn’t it be nice to have an impact player at the ready?
Personally, I see the Bears giving Enis the benefit of the doubt and taking a running
back in the middle rounds. If the Bears stay put, look for them to select a defensive
player.
49ers (Nos. 12 & 24) — The fate of these two first-round
picks won’t come into focus until QB Steve Young decides whether he’s going to
retire. I’m banking on Young hanging up the helmet and putting away the Advil. He has
a new wife, he has a good life and he’d probably like to be healthy for both.
If that scenario comes to fruition, the 49ers should begin the rebuilding process. That
means finding a new quarterback, who could turn out to be Chad Pennington. He seems to be
a good fit for the 49ers’ West Coast offense. He has good size and mobility, and a
lot of his completions in college came on short passes that the receivers turned into big
plays. If that’s not a West Coast quarterback, I don’t know what is.
San Francisco could take Pennington with the 12th pick and use the 24th pick on a
defensive back, an area of great need. The beauty of the 49ers’ positioning is that
DBs probably won’t start to go until the 20s, so the Niners could have their pick of
the litter. It’s not a very impressive litter, but given the state of their
secondary, I can’t see them being picky.
Buccaneers (Nos. 13 & 27) — What luck! At the precise time
Tampa Bay needs receivers in the worst way, the college ranks produce a boatload of them.
The Bucs are this close to a Super Bowl, and this draft may put them there.
With talents such as Florida’s Travis Taylor and Jackson State’s Sylvester
Morris available, the Bucs could improve their one glaring deficiency — the passing
game. They could stockpile receivers with two first-round picks or trade up for the prized
pass catcher himself, Florida State’s Peter Warrick. Their Draft Day moves will be
most interesting.
Jets (Nos. 16 & 18) — This could be director of football
operations Bill Parcells’ last foray into the draft. He’s already turned in his
whistle; his stopwatch is soon to follow. With that in mind, Parcells seems intent on
going out with a bang, and Keyshawn Johnson would provide some powerful ammunition.
Parcells seems willing to give his left arm for a top-five pick. And even that might
not be enough. Rest assured, if Parcells is stuck where he is, he won’t be happy
— but he’ll make do. He usually does.
Defensive end is a priority, and there could be some quality players available, such as
Virginia Tech’s John Engelberger and Tennessee’s Shaun Ellis. Offensive tackle
is another need. Wisconsin’s Chris McIntosh or Oklahoma’s Stockar McDougle could
fill that bill.
So don’t cry for Parcells if he strikes out in his quest to move up. In fact, he
may be better off standing pat. |
