| Although the first few picks of the draft will make the biggest headlines
on Draft Day, that is not the area of the draft that interests me the most. Sure, these
are the guys who have the greatest potential to become superstars down the road. That
said, by definition, they are going to teams that do not figure to make much noise next
season. The "does a tree that falls in the forest with no one around make any
noise" theory comes into play short term.
The players that interest me the most right now are those who will be drafted in the
first round by teams positioned to make serious noise in the 2002 season.
Thus, here are some random thoughts on teams that won’t be picking in the first
few picks of the draft:
Elite teams
New England Patriots — The Patriots are a strange team in that
there do not seem to be any gaping holes, which you’d expect of a Super Bowl
championship squad, yet there is very little star power. Thus, they can go in a lot of
different directions, although I think I’d go defense since that is their point of
emphasis.
St. Louis Rams — This pick really intrigues me since so many
draft experts think they will take a wide receiver. How can you not be excited about the
prospect of a No. 1 pick being added to stars Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce and pro’s
pro Ricky Proehl? Opposing cornerbacks must be sick to their stomach at the thought. While
a wide receiver would be a glitzy, eye-popping move, an offensive lineman might be the
more fundamentally sound way to go.
Pittsburgh Steelers — Given their history of draft success,
I’m declaring right now that whomever they take in Round One is a good pick.
Chicago Bears — The defense was terrific last year, and it
appears that an edge pass rusher could be added to the mix to try to fill one of the few
things that was missing from the unit.
Green Bay Packers — Brett Favre needs receivers. Brett Favre is
arguably the best quarterback in football. Give him more weapons and the possibilities are
thrilling.
San Francisco 49ers — The 49ers have had a fantastic offseason in
terms of keeping almost all of their own key players as well as bringing in a couple of
terrific free agents. Whomever they take in Round One will seem like icing on the cake.
Philadelphia Eagles — The Eagles need to keep surrounding QB
Donovan McNabb with weapons. They’ve tried to do so at wide receiver in the past, so
I think now is the time they need to upgrade at running back. Coincidentally, there
figures to be pretty good value at the position when they pick.
Oakland Raiders — Any time you have a Super Bowl contender with
two first-round picks, you have an intriguing combination. Look for the Raiders to take a
player to help their front seven on defense and a receiver or tight end for QB Rich Gannon
to throw to.
Teams ready to make a move
Cleveland Browns — This is the most interesting pick in the draft
in my opinion. The Browns look ready to win big time right now if they can just add a
franchise back. They may very well get to choose the best running back in the draft
despite the fact that they pick from the No. 16 spot.
Indianapolis Colts — The Colts remain a Super
Bowl contender despite last season’s disappointing results. Thus, a prime time team
gets to pick in the portion of the draft reserved for also-rans. The Colts’ defense
will get a much needed infusion of talent with this pick.
Arizona Cardinals — Are the Cardinals ready to finally make their
move or was last year a mirage? We’ll have to see, but I think they are going to get
excellent value at the No. 12 spot in the draft. S Roy Williams may slip to their pick
simply because he plays a position that doesn’t go real early in the first round. He
would be a great addition. Otherwise, the Cardinals look like they will get excellent
value at the DT spot.
Kansas City Chiefs — The Chiefs look like a team ready to take a
sizable step up either this year or next. The question becomes, do they fill a need for
right now at defensive tackle, or do they take QB Joey Harrington with an eye on the
future?
Minnesota Vikings — Sure, the wheels fell off last season, but I
think the Vikings have made some nice moves on defense this offseason. This pick should
continue the building process on defense as they try to provide some balance for the
offense. I think an offense with Daunte Culpepper, Randy Moss, Michael Bennett and Matt
Birk can make quite a bit of noise. Add a little defense, and Minnesota might bounce back.
Dallas Cowboys — If the Cowboys would simply have signed a
halfway decent veteran quarterback to be a one- or two-year starter, instead of having 19
quarterbacks of the future on the roster, I’d really like them to be a super team in
2002. As it is, I still think they’ll be quite improved. The question is, will they
continue to upgrade their defense with a defensive tackle or cornerback and fill areas of
need for right now or will they take WR Donté Stallworth despite the fact that this is
not a huge area of need in the short term?
San Diego Chargers — I think San Diego is ready to take a big
step up in class. Last year they drafted a star in RB LaDainian Tomlinson. Now it’s
time to get someone to block for him. Cornerback is another possibility, but if you have a
franchise back, you need to give him the tools for success. |
