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1. Houston: QB David Carr, Fresno State
First impression: The expansion Texans now have the cornerstone around whom they can
build the franchise around. Carr is a poised leader, and he is expected to take over the
starting role by the fifth or sixth game.
Buchsbaum says: Potential franchise quarterback. When you have a chance to take an
elite QB, you have to take him because you may never get the chance again. Everyone talks
about the bust risk with QBs and how with a bad team they can get beaten up. By the same
token, the bust risk at almost any position is there with the No. 1 pick in the draft,
considering all of the pressure that is put on him. A lot of people like to make the point
about how few QBs taken No. 1 have led their team to Super Bowl wins, like Terry Bradshaw
and John Elway, and more often than not that is true. By the same token, you can take any
other position and say the same thing. You can make a case for Bruce Smith, but how many
players have there been other than Smith. O.J. Simpson never led the Bills to a Super
Bowl. If you look at all the quarterbacks who have had great success in the NFL, there is
only one common denominator. They all had a great ability to handle pressure. You had QBs
like Bart Starr and Bob Griese with limited ability; you had QBs with weak arms like Jim
McMahon. But the common denominator was they all could handle great pressure. In effect,
the game slowed down for them and they could see the field, whereas most QBs, when the
bullets start flying, it affects them. One reason Tom Brady had more success in New
England than Drew Bledsoe is because Brady has so much more mental toughness. In terms of
ability, there is no comparison. Why can a Billy Kilmer or a Joe Kapp lead a team to a
Super Bowl? It’s simply intangibles and the ability to handle pressure that go hand
in hand. The reason Jeff George is no longer in the league is he couldn’t handle the
heat; he let the rush affect him. The reason Brett Favre is so successful is he has as
much mental toughness and the ability to handle pressure as anyone in the game.
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2. Carolina Panthers: DE Julius Peppers, North Carolina
First impression: The Panthers couldn’t resist drafting a local favorite, even
though Peppers is a raw talent who has a reputation for not going hard on every down.
Buchsbaum says: Peppers is a player with as much upside as any player in the draft, but
there is also some downside to him. If you could draw up a prototype pass-rushing
defensive end, he would fit it to a "T." He has rare athletic ability that comes
along once in a decade. He really needs to work at his trade and toughens up, because
right now he is a bit of an underachiever. He’s a football player with a basketball
player’s tenacity. Toughness and tenacity will determine how far he goes.
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3. Detroit Lions: QB Joey Harrington, Oregon
First impression: Although the Lions were badly in need of help at cornerback, they
bypassed Quentin Jammer and took a quarterback, signaling their lack of belief in Mike
McMahon as the long-term answer behind center.
Buchsbaum says: Excellent size, great intangibles. Again, he’s one of those guys
who’s mentally tough and handles pressure very well. Isn’t the pure thrower that
Carr is and doesn’t have near the arm strength, but he has enough arm
strength. In college, Harrington managed a team very, very well. He was in a system that
was highly successful and he made the system work even better. He fits the West Coast
offense the Lions are planning to run and is an exttremely bright young man who learns
very quickly. The biggest concern I have about him is that he seems to have a little bit
too much arrogance about him, and while he has nowhere near the degree of arrogance that
Cade McNown had, he still could rub some of his teammates the wrong way. There is big
difference between arrogance that turns your teammates off and arrogance that angers
opponents but gets your teammates to play hard behind you. If you ask any opposing player,
Bert Jones was an arrogant SOB, but to his teammates he was a god. They would go to all
ends of the Earth to protect him. That’s the good arrogance. What McNown and Ryan
Leaf had was the bad arrogance.
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4. Buffalo Bills: OT Mike Williams, Texas
First impression: Adding an exceptional offensive tackle is one of the more important
moves any team can make in the era, and Williams is certainly that. He will become an
anchor at tackle for years to come.
Buchsbaum says: Mike Williams has a chance to be the type of tackle to play at a Pro
Bowl level for a decade or more. He is in the Orlando Pace mold. He has rare size, with
rare athletic ability to go with that size. It’s a $25 cab ride to get around him,
and unlike many big tackles, he’s a good knee-bender who has good lower-body
explosion as well as quick feet. He can be a Pro Bowl player at right tackle definitely,
and if he can make the move to left tackle, he will be worth his weight in gold. The Bills
didn’t screw around and try to wheel and deal because they were afraid San Diego
might grab him at No. 5. They felt Williams was the best fit for them of all the players
in the draft. Now it will be interesting to see how they address their QB situation. Will
they come back with an offer to Drew Bledsoe, will they consider just waiting to see if
Pat Ramsey lasts until their second-round pick, or will they trade up into the first round
to draft Ramsey? Or will they just sign a free agent like Charlie Batch when he gets
released by Detroit, or Jeff Blake?
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5. San Diego: CB Quentin Jammer, Texas
First impression: The Chargers beat Dallas to the punch, grabbing Jammer, who is a
physical bump-and-run corner.
Buchsbaum says: An excellent bump-and-run corner who is very physical and has good
cover skills. Better up-and-jam than back-door corner but can play man-off coverage too.
Good but not great speed. Physically tough. Plays hurt, plays hard and doesn’t lose
confidence when things go wrong. Good ability to break on the ball.
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6. Kansas City (from Dallas): DT Ryan Sims, North Carolina
Trade terms: Cowboys traded this pick in exchange for the eighth pick, the 75th
pick (third round) and a sixth-round pick in 2003.
First impression: The Chiefs got the player they badly wanted, and Sims is not a risky
pick in that he’s unlikely to be a bust. However, giving up two additional picks in
order to move up two slots seems like a high price to pay.
Buchsbaum says: Sims is the surest thing among the defensive tackles in this draft.
Everything about him is positive; he’s big, strong, quick, active, disruptive and yet
wide enough to play in a two-gap scheme. He’s a great-character guy and a team
leader. The Chiefs were afraid the Vikings would take him, which is why they dealt up.
However, the Chiefs gave up too much in trading a third-round pick this year and a
sixth-rounder next year.
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7. Minnesota Vikings: OT Bryant McKinnie, Miami (Fla.)
First impression: Besides their glaring needs on defense, offensive tackle was the
Vikings’ top priority on the offensive side of the ball. In McKinnie, they are
getting a player with great physical ability, one who was certainly the best athlete
available with this pick. However, they are getting a player with a reputation as
something of an underachiever, the type of player Dennis Green used to regularly draft
when he was the Vikings’ head coach.
Buchsbaum says: He fills a huge need for the Vikings at left tackle, and it means they
can keep Matt Birk at center, where he may be the best in the NFC. McKinnie has awesome,
awesome size; getting around him is like circumnavigating the globe. Natural pass blocker
who is surprisingly light on his feet for a person of his dimensions. You’d think
he’d be too stiff, but although he doesn’t test well in flexibility tests, it
doesn’t show in his play. The area he’ll need work on is run blocking. Also,
because he was so much bigger and better than everyone else in college, he has never been
forced to go the extra mile, and if he wants to be a truly great one, he’ll have to
work to take his game to the next level.
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8. Dallas (from Kansas City): S Roy Williams, Oklahoma
First impression: Dallas gets the player it wanted all along, as well as two extra
draft picks.
Buchsbaum says: Dominating safety. Big, strong, physical player. An extra linebacker
vs. the run. He’s great in the box. Not as athletic as a Ronnie Lott or a Kenny
Easley and is not going to be a man-on-man cover guy. Tremendous football instincts. With
the addition of Williams, look for the Cowboys to move Darren Woodson to free safety.
However, no team in the NFL will have as much money invested in their safeties as the
Cowoby will with Woodson and Williams, when they sign him. In effect, the Cowboys got the
player they wanted all along plus two extra picks, so you have to tip your cap to Jerry
Jones for this trade.
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9. Jacksonville: DT John Henderson, Tennessee
First impression: The Jaguars are getting a high-motor player they can count on, even
if doesn’t become a great player. They needed another defensive tackle after losing
their two starters in the expansion draft.
Buchsbaum says: In Henderson, the Jaguars took the safer of the two Tennessee defensive
tackles but the less talented. Henderson is a meticulous young man, and his preparation
fits in with what coach Tom Coughlin likes. Coughlin is going back to the old philosophy
he used when he took Kevin Hardy, Donovin Darius, etc., taking players you could count on
even if there were other players available with more upside. After getting burned by R.
Jay Soward and having last year’s first-round pick, Marcus Stroud, disappoint him as
a rookie, Coughlin didn’t want to gamble on another boom-or-bust type. Henderson was
the surest thing at a position of need. Now if they can get Stroud to play up to his
potential, the Jaguars can have an awesome set of tackles for the next decade.
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10. Cincinnati Bengals: OT Levi Jones, Arizona State
First impression: The Bengals typically surprise many observers with their first-round
selection, and this year was no exception. Nevertheless, Jones is a solid player who
should pay dividends, if not huge dividends.
Buchsbaum says: The Bengals could have moved down a bit and still gotten Jones, but
instead they took him here as an ultimate replacement for Richmond Webb. Jones also can
fill in at guard if they want to play Webb another year, and he makes them much more
athletic on the offensive line. Jones has the upside to be a great football player, but it
seems to me the Bengals, who don’t have a full scouting staff, based their pick more
on the Senior Bowl workouts. Jones was considered a late first- or early second-round pick
before the Senior Bowl, and then he continued to excel in the workouts. He’s a very
intelligent young man who knew he was in the spotlight and how much money he could make by
working out well. While I classify this as a slight reach, I wouldn’t say it was a
great reach. But I do feel they could have moved down and still gotten him or stayed where
they were and filled a more pressing need with CB Phillip Buchanon.
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11. Indianapolis Colts: DE Dwight Freeney, Syracuse
First impression: Freeney is another in a string of "safe" picks, in that
Freeney doesn’t figure to become a superstar but should be a solid, reliable player.
Buchsbaum says: In Dwight Freeney, the Colts got a player who fits Tony Dungy’s
defense. He’s a speed rusher with great quickness off the edge and a tremendous
motor. However, the one concern about Freeney is the way Bryant McKinnie engulfed him in
the Miami (Fla.) game. Maybe people are putting too much stock in that game, because if
Freeney had dominated McKinnie, this pick wouldn’t be surprising. Freeney is
undersized for a defensive end and although he’s strong and explosive, he’s not
as strong or explosive as Hugh Douglas. Also, until this year, he had never played a full
season in college due to injuries or other factors. With so many attractive players still
available, a lot of people feel the Colts could have dealt down and still gotten Freeney
later in the round. However, he fits the qualities that Bill Polian always looks for in a
player, in that he has great intangibles.
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12. Arizona Cardinals: DT Wendell Bryant, Wisconsin
First impression: Bryant not only fills an area of huge need for the Cardinals, he is a
quality pass rusher.
Buchsbaum says: Arizona was desperate for defensive linemen, and they felt Bryant was
the best on the board. He is a quick, active, penetrating player who can get to the
quarterback. Most of their defensive linemen are run-down players, whereas Bryant has
excellent speed and initial quickness for getting to the quarterback. He needs to get
stronger and learn to do a better job of handling double-team blocking.
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13. New Orleans Saints: WR Donté
Stallworth, Tennessee
First impression: Stallworth gives the Saints a very talented receiver who should help
them open up their offense considerably and provide a big-play dimension they had lacked.
Buchsbaum says: The Saints got a dynamite wide receiver in Stallworth, who has great
explosive speed and ability. Combining Stallworth with Joe Horn and possibly Willie
Jackson will allow the Saints to create numerous mismatches and allow them to take
advantage of Aaron Brooks’ skills. Further enhancing their passing game is the fact
that Deuce McAllister, who is replacing Ricky Williams at running back, is an outstanding
receiver in the mold of a young Chuck Foreman, who was much lighter than Foreman became
during his later playing days with the Vikings. He is so fast, so explosive and has such
great explosive speed and strength that he can run past you, or if you play off him, he
will take short flips and turn them into long gains. While he needs to improve his
consistency and concentration, he may the best wide receiver to come out of Tennessee
since the Patriots drafted Stanley Morgan. He has more upside than Willie Gault or Carl
Pickens did because to a large degree he has the strong points of both of those players.
Pickens was big, physical, rugged and had explosive strength, while Gault had rare
explosive speed. Stallworth is one of those players who is so good that even if you
don’t need a wide receiver, you still take him. With his speed, he’s a perfect
fit for the Saints, since Jackson doesn’t have speed and Horn isn’t as fast as
he thinks he is. I don’t think in their wildest dreams the Saints felt they would be
looking at Stallworth, Philip Buchanon and Jeremy Shockey all being available with their
pick.
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14. N.Y. Giants (from Tennessee): TE Jeremy Shockey, Miami (Fla.)
Trade terms: Titans traded this pick to the Giants in exchange for the
15th pick and the 110th pick (fourth round).
First impression: The Giants wanted Shockey so badly that they gave up a fourth-round
pick to trade up for him. Shockey has the potential to become one of the Giants’
primary offensive weapons with his receiving skills.
Buchsbaum says: In Jeremy Shockey, the Giants are getting a tremendous pass-catching
tight end who will be a great option for QB Kerry Collins. He’s a large target with
outstanding athletic ability and terrific hands; he can adjust to the ball well. He is
much more a receiver than a blocker. Because of his body build, he will never be a Mark
Bavaro/Howard Cross-type blocker. But because of his toughness and tenacity, he can be
more than adequate in the type of offense Jim Fassel runs. He should make a major impact
as a rookie. The Giants felt he had rare, almost Kellen Winslow-type ability and had him
rated very high on their draft board. From day one, they were afraid that Seattle, Oakland
or Cleveland would trade up and draft Shockey.
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15. Tennessee (from N.Y. Giants): DT Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee
First impression: Haynesworth is a boom-or-bust prospect who could either become a
perennial All-Pro or a huge disappointment.
Buchsbaum says: Haynesworth has the most upside of any defensive tackle in the draft.
If he ever realizes his potential, he could be King Kong in shoulder pads. He is bigger
(in the sense of being more massive), more powerful, quicker, faster and more explosive
than John Henderson, but he does not play every down as if it is the last. The big worry
with him is his immaturity. In college he left the team twice when the going got tough.
Although he did come back, it still creates some doubt about him. Throw in the fact that
he doesn’t play hard every down and doesn’t push himself though fatigue well,
and there is some bust potential. However, if you hit on a guy like this, you have a true
difference-maker on defense, and the combination of Haynesworth and Kearse could be the
most awesome in the NFL. Overall, most people felt Haynesworth would be a top-10 pick and
possibly even the first DT off the board. In our mock draft, we had Henderson dropping to
Tennessee and Haynesworth going to Jacksonville, but instead the Jaguars decided to play
it safe and the Titans swung for the home run.
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16. Cleveland: RB William Green, Boston College
First impression: The running game has been a problem area for the Browns since the
team returned to Cleveland, and Green should be able to remedy that situation pretty
quickly — if he gets the blocking.
Buchsbaum says: Green is the big, fast, explosive back that the Browns need to go with
QB Tim Couch. Although he doesn’t time well, he plays very fast and he runs hard.
He’s been consistently productive. He’s the type of big back that has had great
success in the NFL in recent years and is a huge upgrade over what the Browns had in their
stable.
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17. Oakland (from Atlanta): CB Phillip Buchanon, Miami (Fla.)
Trade terms: Falcons traded this pick to Raiders in exchange for 18th pick,
which they had just acquired from Washington minutes earlier, and the 158th
pick (fifth round).
First impression: The Raiders apparently got a steal with this pick, as Buchanon had
been projected to go much higher.
Buchsbaum says: Buchanon is the type of bump-and-run, trash-talking corner the Raiders
love. He is the elite man-on-man pass defender in this draft and fits the Raiders’
scheme extremely well, although they wish he were a little bigger. While Buchanon’s
trash talking turned off a number of teams and caused him to slip, none of those factors
bothered the Raiders whatsoever. As an added bonus, the Raiders needed a punt returner,
and Buchanon is one of the best punt returners, if not the best, in the draft. He’s a
player the Raiders felt they would have to go way up in the top 10 to get, and instead
they got him much further down in the round, in a more salary-cap-friendly area, which is
no small consideration when you have two first-round draft picks. The reason the Raiders
traded up a second time is that the Eagles, who wanted Buchanon badly, made the Falcons an
offer, but the Falcons didn’t want to drop down that far because they feared the
player they wanted would not be available if they traded down to the 26th pick.
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18. Atlanta (from Washington through Oakland): RB T.J. Duckett,
Michigan State
Trade terms: See No. 17 for terms involving Falcons-Raiders. Minutes earlier, the
Raiders had acquired the pick from Washington in exchange for the 21st pick and
the 89th pick (third round).
First impression: Taking a running back was a bit of a surprise after the Falcons spent
big bucks to sign Warrick Dunn in free agency, but Duckett could be the missing piece in
an offense that could suddenly be pretty potent as soon as Michael Vick matures.
Buchsbaum says: The Falcons were surprised Duckett lasted this long, and they feel in
Duckett and Warrick Dunn they can field a thunder-and-lightning type of backfield. Duckett
has great size, speed and ability but was a hot-and-cold player in college. If he runs
tough all the time, he can come close to being a franchise back. The combination of
Duckett, Dunn and Michael Vick could be lethal. Now throw in the fact that they have a
great, young receiving tight end in Alge Crumpler, and if they can somehow pick up an
elite receiver, they will have one of the fastest and best offenses in the game when their
young players mature.
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19. Denver: WR Ashley Lelie, Hawaii
First impression: Lelie fills a big need for the Broncos, who struggled mightily when
Ed McCaffrey went down with an injury last season. If McCaffrey returns to full health,
the Broncos will have three top-notch wideouts to go along with TE acquisition Shannon
Sharpe. If McCaffrey doesn’t come back strong, Lelie should be capable of moving into
a starting role.
Buchsbaum says: Lelie is a big, fast, athletic receiver who can make the difficult
catch. He is a quick learner. He never had to run disciplined routes in college, and he
has had recurring hamstring problems in the offseason, which may be related to his rapid
weight gain. He has gained nearly 15 pounds since the season ended, and very often players
who take supplements to gain weight become much more susceptible to muscle pulls.
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20. Green Bay (from Seattle): WR Javon Walker, Florida State
Trade terms: Seahawks traded this pick and 156th pick (fifth round) to
Packers in exchange for 28th pick (first round) and 60th pick
(second round).
First impression: The Packers badly needed a wide receiver, and they got one who has
been moving up many teams’ draft boards lately.
Buchsbaum says: Walker was the receiver who probably gained the most ground during the
offseason with his tremendous workouts and his rare combination of size and speed. Another
huge factor is although he didn’t test well on the written IQ test, it turns out that
he has a reading disability and when he was given a verbal IQ test, he did much better. He
also is football-smart. With his size and speed, he gives the Packers a dimension they
haven’t had since James Lofton was in his prime.
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21. New England (from Tampa Bay through Oakland and Washington): TE
Daniel Graham, Colorado
Trade terms: Redskins traded this pick to Patriots in exchange for 32nd pick
(first round), 96th pick (third round) and 234th pick (seventh
round).
First impression: Graham is a talented tight end who will make the Patriots’
offense much more effective, providing a dependable threat over the middle.
Buchsbaum says: In Graham the Patriots are getting the best tight end they have had
since Ben Coates. He’s an outstanding receiver, he runs well after the catch and is
an above-average to good blocker. He’s highly competitive, comes from a football
family and fits the mold of players the Patriots like. The general feeling is if the
Giants had not been able to draft Jeremy Shockey, they would have taken Graham with the 15th
pick in the draft, and there is no way Graham would have lasted until the 32nd
pick.
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22. N.Y. Jets: DE-OLB Bryan Thomas, Alabama-Birmingham
First impression: The catcalls from the audience at the Theater at Madison Square
Garden were plentiful when this pick was announced. Thomas is a very talented athlete, but
how does he fit into the Jets’ plans?
Buchsbaum says: Basically this looks like a best-athlete-available pick, unless the
Jets are planning to move Shaun Ellis back inside again, or if they have a trade in the
works. Thomas is a superb athlete with John Abraham-type speed and ability. He can be a
big-time pass rusher, but it’s hard to say how a combination of Abraham and Thomas
will work together. It’s very rare for a team to play two undersized speed rushers
together on an every-down basis.
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23. Oakland: LB Napoleon Harris: Northwestern
First impression: This was a pick for need as well as value. Harris will be a valuable
addition to a Raider defense that needed to be strengthened if they are to make another
playoff run.
Buchsbaum says: In Napoleon Harris, the Raiders are getting the best linebacker in the
draft at a position where they have a great need. All of their projected starting
linebackers are at least 32 years old, and Harris can play on either the strong or weak
side and may even be able to play in the middle. He’s a good athlete with a
basketball background and has the size and speed NFL teams are looking for.
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24. Baltimore: S Edward Reed, Miami (Fla.)
First impression: This was an area of need for a Ravens team that has been hit hard by
free agency, especially on defense.
Buchsbaum says: Reed is a super-instinctive safety who’s a ball magnet and makes
numerous big plays. He has better speed and range than most safeties, and some teams feel
he can be a cover-two corner. His tackling fell off this past season, but that was
probably because he was playing with a bad shoulder. He not only was viewed as the leader
of Miami’s secondary, but as the leader of the entire team. With his addition, the
Ravens have the option of using Gary Baxter at cornerback , where he played in college,
and using Reed at his natural FS position, or moving Baxter inside and using Reed on the
corner.
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25. New Orleans (from Miami): DE Charles Grant, Georgia
First impression: After losing Joe Johnson and La’Roi Glover during the offseason,
the Saints needed help on the defensive line and they get it in Grant. He is a quick and
effective pass rusher, but he needs to become more consistent.
Buchsbaum says: Grant is a player the Saints really wanted. He’s an explosive
speed rusher who was inconsistent overall as a college player.
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26. Philadelphia: CB Lito Sheppard, Florida
First impression: The selection of a cornerback by a team that already had one of the
best secondaries in the NFL at first seems a little puzzling. Nevertheless, the Eagles
don’t have a lot of pressing needs, except perhaps center, and they may figure they
couldn’t pass up a talented cornerback like Sheppard. They also want more depth in
the secondary since newly acquired SS Blaine Bishop has a history of injuries, and they
may have to move one of their corners inside.
Buchsbaum says: Sheppard is a quality cover corner who can also return punts. The
Eagles were definitely in the market for a young corner; they tried to move up and get
Phillip Buchanon earlier in the round. They now have four players who could be starting
cornerbacks in the NFL. The key to this drafting strategy is that the team the Eagles
would likely have to beat to get to the Super Bowl is the Rams, and you need four corners
on the field when you play the Rams.
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27. San Francisco: CB Mike Rumph, Miami (Fla.)
First impression: The 49ers would like Rumph to beat out RCB Jason Webster, who is
short and doesn’t play the ball very well.
Buchsbaum says: The 49ers wanted a big corner, and they got one in Rumph (6-2, 205).
He’s a good player, not a great one, and he fits what the Niners needed.
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28. Seattle (from Green Bay): TE Jerramy Stevens, Washington
First impression: Mike Holmgren envisions Stevens as a replacement for TE Itula Mili,
who doesn’t block well and lacks concentration. The problem is, Stevens has the same
shortcomings, although he has more natural talent than Mili.
Buchsbaum says: I think this pick was a bit of a reach. The question on him is
character, and I’m sure Mike Holmgren is monitoring that situation. Stevens has had
some off-the-field problems, but the Seahawks feel he will get straightened out. As for
wanting a tight end, the Seahawks would have liked to get Jeremy Shockey, but more
realistically they thought they could get Daniel Graham. However, the Patriots snatched
Graham right out from under the Seahawks’ noses when they traded up to No. 21.
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29. Chicago: OT Marc Colombo, Boston College
First impression: Colombo may be a bit of a reach at this spot. He’s an
overachiever, but some question whether he has the strength or natural ability to start in
the NFL. If the Bears don’t re-sign Blake Brockermeyer, whom they cut recently,
they’ll have a need at tackle that they hope Colombo can fill.
Buchsbaum says: The Bears felt like they had to have a replacement for Brockermeyer.
They like tall tackles, and he was the best of the offensive tackles that were left. He
was a need pick, and the Bears had to fill this hole. He’s a tough kid who has played
in bad weather, qualities that the Bears like.
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30. Pittsburgh: OG Kendall Simmons, Auburn
First impression: Simmons should challenge Rich Tylski for the starting ORG job and has
a good chance of winning it before long.
Buchsbaum says: I think he’s a terrific football player who was downgraded because
of his height and short arms. But in college he blocked Dwight Freeney and Julius Peppers.
All his intangibles are terrific; he’s tough and can play anywhere on the line.
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31. St. Louis: LB Robert Thomas, UCLA
First impression: After losing London Fletcher, the Rams’ LB corps wasn’t
what it used to be, but the addition of Thomas should be a big step in restoring the unit
to its former level of prominence.
Buchsbaum says: Derrick Brooks-type weak-side linebacker who can also play in the
middle. He’s undersized but very active and aggressive. May have improved as much as
any senior player in this year’s draft. If the Patriots had not traded up for Daniel
Graham, Thomas might have been their selection.
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32. Washington (from New England): QB Pat Ramsey, Tulane
First impression: The Redskins were rumored to be considering a trade up for QB Joey
Harrington, but instead they traded down twice and selected Ramsey. His stock moved up
considerably in the postseason. He has excellent intangibles, but his lack of mobility is
a drawback.
Buchsbaum says: I really like Ramsey. He’s an upper-echelon QB. He’s a
strong-armed thrower. He’s mentally and physically tough. I think this was a terrific
pick. The Redskins played their cards just right in trading down; they went where they had
to go to get him.
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