Pro Football Weekly and Riddell present ...
2002 NFL Draft Day coverage

Pulse of the draft, pick by pick

Go to round recap: 1|2|3|4|5|6|7

* New England originally had the 244th pick, before the start of the compensatory choices, but passed on the pick until eventually exercising its selection at No. 253.

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Impressions of the seventh round

Multiple injuries to his knees and shoulders scared most teams away from Brigham Young RB Luke Staley, who consequently dropped from a first-day pick to the seventh round. Staley has many positive attributes, including power and excellent running and receiving skills. The latter would make him an ideal fit for Marty Mornhinweg’s West Coast offense in Detroit, provided he can overcome the considerable concerns about his health. If he can, he might prove to be a seventh-round steal.

The Vikings’ choice of Virginia Tech DT Chad Beasley could turn out to be another steal. The son of former Steelers and Redskins DL Tom Beasley, Chad is a hard worker who has overcome his lack of a wide power base with hustle. Although he’s only a seventh-round pick, Beasley rates a good chance of making Minnesota’s roster, particularly in light of the Vikings’ needs on the defensive line.

Virginia Tech DE Derrius Monroe is an interesting developmental project for the Saints. He has excellent workout numbers, having run as fast as 4.49 on a very fast surface. Although he hasn’t translated his workout numbers to production on the field, he could develop into a useful player if the Saints’ coaches can work with him. Although New Orleans picked Georgia DE Charles Grant in the first round, they need plenty of help on the defensive line after losing Joe Johnson and La’Roi Glover.

Denver grabbed a down-the-road prospect in Virginia DT Monsanto Pope, who played much better this past season than he had in the past. The Broncos have a relatively deep and talented DL corps, so they can afford to wait a year or two on Pope to develop.

Two quarterbacks were drafted back-to-back in the middle of the round. The Raiders chose North Carolina QB Ronald Curry, a very athletic player who has never turned his skills into on-field production. The Ravens followed that selection with their choice of Stephen F. Austin QB Wes Pate, a developmental guy who made big strides in 2001 but needs to learn to avoid the rush better and become a more consistent passer.

The 49ers picked Stanford OG Eric Heitmann midway through the round. PFW draft analyst Joel Buchsbaum had Heitmann rated as a third-round talent, but evidently concerns about his health (which his agent said he was unaware of) caused him to drop precipitously.

Two long-snapping specialists were drafted in the seventh round. The Redskins tabbed UCLA’s Jeff Grau, and the Rams took Marshall’s Chris Massey. These selections emphasize the added importance being placed on long snappers.

Colorado OT Victor Rogers lasted until the 259^th pick of the draft after having been rated as the eighth-best offensive tackle and a potential third-round pick. Rogers had seven surgeries in a 16-month period during 1998-99, and concerns about his future health dropped him like a rock.

Terms of seventh-round trades

No trades were made.

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