Wargaming the NFL Draft

I’ve been spending a lot of my procrastination time reading NFL mock drafts. So I decided to try my hand at it. Accordingly, here’s what I’d do if I were the GM of the teams with the top 10 picks.

Miami Dolphins: Jake Long. Done Deal

St Louis Rams: If I’m the Rams’ GM, I’m desperate to trade down, but nobody in the league thinks there’s anybody in this draft worth paying the guaranteed money a #2 pick would command. So I’m taking Glenn Dorsey (DT) to anchor my defense for the next 10 years.

Atlanta Falcons: I’m tempted by Matt Ryan, but do I really want to pay #3 money for a guy with this many question marks? I wanted Glenn Dorsey or Jake Long. Chris Long would be a safe choice, but I need somebody in the middle more than at end. So I take a flyer on Vernon Gholston, hoping everybody’s right that he’s got more upside than Long.

Oakland Raiders: Does my boss Al Davis want to take Chris Long, so he can torment Howie’s kid? Or does Al want to pass on Chris so as to tormet Howie? Plus. despite my plethora of backs, Al loves speed and flash. So I’m going to pick Darren McFadden.

Kansas City Chiefs: Trade the # 5 pick to the New Orleans Saints: Chris Long is slipping and I’m a little surprised. But like Atlanta, I need somebody in the middle more than end, and I traded up to get Sedrick Ellis.

New York Jets: I’m delighted Matt Ryan slipped this far and grab him.

New England Patriots: Trade the #7 pick to the Philadelphia Eagles. Philadelphia doesn’t need ends, having picked up Chris Clemons from the Raiders and with last year’s second-round pick Victor Abiamiri coming back, so Long is going to slide further. Instead, the Eagles pick Ryan Clady to strengthen their O-line.

Baltimore Ravens: I’m very disappointed that Matt Ryan is off the board. I’m shopping the pick. If I can’t trade down, I’m taking Mike Jenkins to shore up my defensive backfield.

Cincinnati Bengals: I hoped to pick up Sedrick Ellis, but I’m delighted Chris Long has slipped this far. I’m taking him.

Kansas City Chiefs (from the trade with the Saints): Branden Albert was slated at Guard initially, but he has been charging up the mock draft boards and I think I can move him to tackle. So I’m taking him over Chris Williams.

Posted on Thursday, April 24 2008 | Permalink

I don’t think Chris Long would go that far down.

Al Davis not taking Chris Long if he’s available is a no brainer.  Al haven’t made a decent pick in a long while.

Posted by  on  04/25  at  12:31 PM

Reply to Bigfire: Somebody always slips. My candidates this year are Matt Ryan and Chris Long. QBs are such a scarce commodity that I don’t see Ryan slipping, although I was surprised at how far Brady Quinn slipped last year. Too many teams need QBs this year for that to happen again, I think. So I settled on Long as my candidate for a surprise slip, although again I don’t see him slipping as far as Quinn did.

Who do you see taking Long?

Posted by Professor Bainbridge  on  04/25  at  01:42 PM

I don’t understand the fascination with Matt Ryan.  Put him in last year’s draft (with a paucity of QB talent compared to years prior) and he doesn’t come out in the first round.  Just because there is *even less* QB talent this year doesn’t mean he’s worth first round. 

It was driving me nuts when people were saying Miami should pick Matt Ryan over Jake Long!  How do you pass up a virtually guaranteed pro-bowler OL for a most-likely mediocre QB?  Good QBs are tough to find, but good OL are even rarer.  Kudos to the ‘fins for not rivaling the Jets on draft-day blunders.

Per Chris Long, he’s a great player, but he’s competing with big DTs in the early part of the round.  I see him and McFadden dropping (based on team needs).  Chris Long will be another perennial performer however.

Posted by  on  04/25  at  05:49 PM

Well, consider Jake Long’s position is literally the most important one on the offensive line (for a right handed QB), Left Tackle.  Left Tackle is the blind side protection that all QB needs since most QB rush/blitz route through the QB’s blind side.

As for Chris Long’s situtation, the problem is that some of the teams are drafting for need, and not for the best player on the board.  Don’t worry about him, if he drops far enough, he might even get into a good team like Patriots (who can definitely use him).

Posted by  on  04/26  at  11:54 AM
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