So, this is my last, pathetic attempt at a mock draft. I've done more mocks this year than any other year, and the reason why is I've been more focused on this year's draft than any other. It was a goal of mine (a small one, mind you) to have better draft coverage in 2008. I hope I've done that for you guys. So, without further ado, here's my final mock with explanations: 2 (59): Matt Forte' (RB, Tulane) I have a suspicion that East Carolina's Chris Johnson will get gobbled up by a team like San Diego or Tampa Bay, aka t... lire la suite
Lien du post: http://www.stampedeblue.com/2008/4/25/460404/final-2008-mock-draft-indi
So, this is my last, pathetic attempt at a mock draft. I've done more mocks this year than any other year, and the reason why is I've been more focused on this year's draft than any other. It was a goal of mine (a small one, mind you) to have better draft coverage in 2008. I hope I've done that for you guys. So, without further ado, here's my final mock with explanations: 2 (59): Matt Forte' (RB, Tulane) I have a suspicion that East Carolina's Chris Johnson will get gobbled up by a team like San Diego or Tampa Bay, aka teams looking for part-time RBs with game-changing ability. Unless Chicago takes Forte' at pick #44, I think he will fall to Indy. If he does, it's a major coup. Forte' is a complete stud, and much better than other backs ranked higher than him. He's a more complete player than Mendenhall and doesn't have the injury concerns Jonathan Stewart does. Forte' would add a totally new dimension to the Colts offense, which will be in the top 5 in running the football next year if it sports both Addai and Forte'. 3 (93): John Greco (OT, Toledo) Colts fans expect DE Marcus Howard of Georgia to get drafted here, and he will likely be here at pick #94, but I think the Colts will pass on him to take Greco. The Colts are very big on Greco, and he fits the kind of player Howard Mudd loves to coach. If drafted by Indy, he will likely will play guard his rookie year, challenging Dylan Gandy for the starting spot. With the nagging injuries plaguing RT Ryan Diem of late, and the inconsistent play of Charlie Johnson, Greco is versatile enough to play guard and tackle, if needed. I think the Colts look at Greco as their future RT. 4 (127): Jack Williams (CB, Kent State) According to DraftTek, Marcus Howard is still on the board at this pick. If he is, the Colts will obviously take him with a big grin on their faces. However, in reality he's likely gone here, which means a player like Jack Williams is perfect. Williams is a proto-typical Cover 2 corner who can contribute immediately on special teams. With Dante Hughes returning and Michael Coe growing into his own, the Colts will have a strong stable of CBs for the first time in a dog's age. 5 (161): Arman Shields (WR, Richmond) This is actually a very tough pick because I think there are three guys in this area the Colts have targeted, but all three will be gone by the 6th round. C Kory Lichtensteiger, DT Carlton Powell, and LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar will all be there, and each offers something very special. But WR is a need position in this draft, and if a talented prospect like Arman Shields is still sitting there in the 5th round, you take him. I don't care what Jim Irsay, Bill Polian, or Tony Dungy say. Until I see Marvin Harrison playing like Marvin Harrison, one has to assume he is still hurt. Shields offers speed, quickness, great route running, and good hands. He'll struggle his rookie year a bit, but eventually he'll catch on and play some slot receiver. 6 (196): Rudolph Hardie (DE, Howard) This is the first of four 6th round picks for the Colts, and it is here that Indy will target the pass rushers Colts fans are SCREAMING for. It will start with Hardie, who is an excellent rusher at 270 pounds. The reason you pass on Carlton Powell is because Hardie is big enough to play DT and DE in Indy's defense. The last player the Colts picked from Howard in the 6th round was eventual Pro Bowler Antoine Bethea in 2006, and that worked out pretty well for them. 6 (202): Mackenzy Bernadeau (OG, Bently) The Colts like this versatile guard who could challenge (along with, potentially, Greco) for the starting OG position. Bernadeau could play multiple line positions, providing a more stable back-up option than Charlie Johnson. 6 (205): Titus Brown (DE, Mississippi State) Titus Brown fits the mold for the kind of pass rushers the Colts are looking for. They want guys who can come in and provide speed off the edge on 3rd and 4th down, and who also play special teams. Brown has the speed to make an impact on special teams, and could develop into a Robert Mathis-type player. He also has the temperament and character to excel in this roll. Well, there you have it. I am likely 100% completely wrong about this mock draft. Hell, if I get one player right out of this, just one, I'll consider myself a genius (yeah, I have low standards for genius). You'll notice I left off players like QB Kevin O'Connell. Folks, I would be shocked if the Colts took a QB. I know they aren't happy with Jim Sorgi, but the reality is there aren't many good QBs in the later rounds of the draft. Maybe they will take someone like O'Connell, and I hope they do. But, a mock draft is a guesstimate of what the team may do, and what they should do. You'll also notice that many of these draft picks come from small schools or division IIA schools. This is because Bill Polian and the Colts do not subscribe to the "big school" mentality when it comes to drafting, and considering the Colts are the best sports franchise on the planet, I think that pretty much blows the "big school "theory out of the water. The best players do not come from Ohio State, Nebraska, Michigan, or LSU. Like Polian says, "If you can play, we will find you." I've seen far too many busts come from big schools, and too many great players from small schools, to subscribe to the "big school" theory.
If you want to be a scouting director, ask in the comment thread. I will update the main thread to indicate who each director is. Once you see your name on the list, please start a Mock Organization Diary, titled MOD:Cardinals or MOD:Giants or whatever your team is. Remember, you MUST be available for the Mock Draft on Saturday, May 31st, at 12:00 PM central time. Duties of the Scouting Director include managing the conversation in the MOD Diary threads. This is a collaborative effort. I don't want you to run your threads like a dictator, but approach it like you are really a scouting director and the other participants are your scouts, farm analysts, etc. Each scouting director should have a deputy to run the draft if the SD has to step away or cancel at the last minute.
Into the home stretch of NFL.com's 12-team Fantasy 2008 Mock Draft and you have to wonder what kind of league you're in when a 1300 yd rusher goes #19 overall. Can I be in NFL.com's league this year? 20 Clinton Portis, RB, Was - He's back, he's healthy and you can count on him. His stats from last season (1262 rush yds, 11 TDs) are actually a bit low as the Redskins treated him gingerly to start the season and he needed time to get into game shape. He finished strong at the end though (70 rushes, 306 yds, 4 TDs in the final three games of the season), including wins over the Cowboys and Giants. Ladell Betts seems to have been given the kiss of death by somebody, so feel comfortable with drafting Portis as a #1 RB -- about five to seven slots higher than this.
Please keep discussion in the thread to a minimum during the draft portion. It clutters things up. There will be plenty of time to discuss after the round is over.
Our friend Colt Homer has a post up over at Naptown's Finest ranking the top 5 Indianapolis Colts busts. I actually disagree with Colt Homer's take on certain players, in particular Rob Morris. Labeling Morris a "bust" is just not correct. How a guy who was a key starter on a Super Bowl winning team can be labeled a "bust" makes no sense to me. Morris was a solid starter for many years who was wrongly lambasted by fans. He found his true position in the Dungy 2 defense at SAM backer, and his play saved the 2006 season (along with Booger McFarland and Bob Sanders). Some of his other selections are right on, like Jeff George, the post boy for draft busts and bad hair ideas. Colt Homer’s post got me wondering who I’d list as the top Indianapolis Colts draft busts. Here are my results: 5. Leonard Coleman, CB, Vanderbilt: Coleman was the #8 overall pick in 1984 and he lasted a whopping three seasons in Indy. His 1987 season was cut short due to the strike, but he did not return to the Colts after 1987. He spent the next two seasons playing bad football for the Chargers. So, five seasons netted only 6 INTs. Coleman left football in 1989. Players drafted after Coleman by other teams: LB Wilber Marshall, LT John Alt, OG William Roberts. 4. Quentin Coryatt, LB, Texas A & M: Coryatt wasn’t necessarily a bad player or a bad guy. He’s retired from football, and works to help disadvantaged children. However, Coryatt was the #2 overall pick in 1992, and he just did not live up to that billing. Unlike Steve Emtman, who was the #1 overall pick that season whose career was cut short due to two terrible knee injuries, Coryatt’s career fizzled because he was not as good as his #2 overall draft selection warranted. Players drafted after Coryatt: CB Dale Carter, DT Chester McGlockton, KR Desmond Howard, CB Troy Vincent. Photo: Colts.com 3. Jack Trudeau, QB, Illinois: Everyone’s favorite player is the back-up QB, unless your back-up is Jack Trudeau. A second round pick, Trudeau never started all 16 games in one season, ever. His career completion percentage was 53% and it was only in one season (1989) that he threw more TDs than INTs. His claim to fame in Indy is he helped the Colts get to the playoffs in 1987, where they were mauled by the Cleveland Browns. After that, Trudeau just sucked. He now enjoys giving alcohol to minors. Players drafted after Trudeau: LB Pepper Johnson, LB Pat Swilling, OG Tom Newberry. 2. Trev Alberts, LB, Nebraska: This one is easy. Alberts is probably the biggest bum ever to wear the blue shoe. Loathed and hated by just about everyone, Alberts optimized the "me only" athlete. Despite getting drafted #5 overall in 1994, Alberts never started. The Colts used him as a situational blitzer in their "joker" blitz packages, back when Vince Tobin and now-Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson ran the Indy defense. Alberts was part of the team that was a hair’s breath away from beating Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game during the 1995 season, but after that he did absolutely nothing. Then, right before the start of training camp in 1997, Alberts decided to quit. This has been a pattern for Alberts, as he decided not to show up to work for ESPN College Football announcing job one day. ESPN said he violated his contract by not showing up, and fired him. While broadcasting, Alberts never shied away from bashing the Colts, the team that drafted him #5 overall, paid him handsomely, and that he subsequently quit on. Classy guy, that Trev. Trev’s draft selection did prompt the famous "Who is Mel Kiper?" reaction from Colts VP Bill Tobin. Other than that, Alberts was a complete waste of flesh as a player. Players drafted after Alberts: QB Trent Dilfer, DT Bryant Young, LT Todd Steussie, WR Isaac Bruce.
With Ben Utecht gone to Cincy and Bryan "Mr. Suggestion" Fletcher cut a few months ago, the battle to play the #2 TE position is between Tom Santi (rookie), Jacob Tamme (rookie), and Gijon Robinson (2nd year player). Understand, the #2 TE is not a "backup" to Dallas Clark. At its core, the Colts offense is a base 2 TE offense. So, when you see Colts in 3 WR, even with Clark lined up as the slot guy, it is still not the base offense. The Colts like the 2 TE because they can both run and pass from the formation with great affect, and it is one of the reasons why Tamme and Santi were drafted this year. The Colts want to go back to more 2 TE formations. However, to do that, someone must step up in training camp and take the job. Just looking at the basics, Santi is the one who clearly fits what the Colts need at the #2 TE position. He's not deficient in any one area, save experience. He also hails from TE University, aka University of Virginia. Colts Couch Crew did a nice write-up on Santi a while back: It’s the University of Virginia, where head coach Al Groh has made it his mission to turn tight ends into more than guys who can block and catch the occasional ball over the middle. One of Groh’s latest achievements: Tom Santi, the senior tight end chosen in the sixth round by the Indianapolis Colts. It seems, based on who they are and how they were drafted, that Santi will assume Utecht's old role while Tamme will take on Fletcher's role, with a few wrinkles. Bill Polian said Tamme would be the Colts "flex" guy, or "move player." This means we can expect Tamme to get split out wide as a receiver, lineup at TE, or even run routes out of the backfield. His speed, route running, hands, and athleticism will drive safeties and linebackers nuts. via Chris Hall at Colts.com And then there is Gijon Robinson, a dark horse player one should not underestimate. Robinson played FB in college. Last year, the Colts signed him as an undrafted rookie, converting him to H-Back. With Luke Lawton traded, we might see the Colts shift Robinson back to FB. Of the three TEs, he is the biggest in weight (255 pounds), and he is a proven lead blocker. Santi also played some FB in college due to injury to Virginia's starting FB. The key for Robinson is proving he can make plays after catching the ball. His Combine report from 2007 said he lacked the ability to run after the catch. Also, based on his SI.com college profile, he might need to show he can pass block. Lead blocking on running plays is one thing. Pass blocking is a different mindset and technique. Also, he's only 6' tall, and as much as I state that height and size are over-rated (and they are), a starting TE must be over 6' tall.Despite his size Robnson is tough and has high character. I can see a place for all three of these guys on the roster, which is likely why Luke Lawton was traded, Bryan Fletcher cut, and Ben Utecht allowed to sign with the Bengals. Robinson might fill Lawton's role, Tamme's got Fletcher's, and Santi is the front runner for Utecht's. I'd like to see all three step in and compete for the #2 TE, pushing each other to get better. Despite losing 2/3 of their TEs this off-season, the additions of Santi and Tamme, and Robinson's development could make this unit better in 2008. The key is Santi. He has to come into training camp, learn this offense quick, and prove something if the Colts want to run more 2 TE.
Well, it looks like the Dolphins and the Jaguars made Shake n Bake's decision easy. At pick #59, Shake made the obvious (and best) choice, Matt Forte. Here's Shake's explanation why he chose Forte:Joseph Addai performs best in a RB tandem, he split time his whole college career and the Colts won the Super Bowl while pairing him with Dom Rhodes. Unfortunately Kenton Keith doesn't have the hands to play for the Colts as shown by the multiple dump-off that he not only couldn't catch, but several times tipped into the air, causing interceptions. A Colts RB needs to block well, catch the ball out of the backfield, not fumble and be a good runner, in that order. Three out of four isn't good enough. Especially when it's job #2 that is their weakness. Matt Forte can do all four. He's a great blocker, so much so he can lead block for Addai in a 2 RB set in addition to his outstanding pass blocking. He wasn't a huge receiving threat, but showed good hands and route running. He never had fumble problems. As a runner his pounding style will contrast the smaller Addai. Forte is a high character guy and a tremendously hard worker. Forte's weakness is a lack of big play explosiveness, a weakness that the Colts don't mind in a RB and shared by Addai and a post knee injury Edge James. Forte gives the Colts the flexibility they lose with Utecht's departure. Without another RB, TE or WR the Colts are locked into a Marvin, Wayne, Clark, Gonzalez and Addai lineup with no depth behind them.You can read the rest of Shake's write-up, and my take, over at Mocking the Draft. With less than four days to go to the draft, SB Nation will end its mock draft right on time with a very solid prognostication of how the draft could go. Damn fine job this year by TheSportsGuru, BrianG, and Matt Miller. They organized this thing damn near to perfection. Also, a special thanks to Shake n Bake for taking the initiative to draft for the Colts this year, and for creating a very good write-up. Poll · No, the Colts need pass rushers
What did we learn about the 2008 NFL Draft and all those mocks that I showed you over a two month period? Well, that I'm a lot better at picking who the Denver Broncos wanted in the draft than the Indianapolis Colts. DT Carlton Powell, CB Jack Williams, and OC Kory Litchensteiger were all drafted by the Broncos from rounds 4-6. While sitting in Radio City as round 5 was winding down, TheSportsGuru was lamenting the Broncos had not drafted a DT. With both Williams and Lichtensteiger taken, I joked that Carlton Powell would get drafted next by Denver. Back to reality, it is no surprise that people are already giving the Colts a "C" grade for the draft? But, regardless of the silly and useless "grade," everyone seems to believe that taking Mike Pollack was a coup at pick #59: BEST MOVE There's a reason why coach Tony Dungy and general manager Bill Polian have had such a successful tenure in Indianapolis. They're always thinking one, maybe even two, steps ahead of everyone else. Without a first-round pick (they traded it to San Francisco last year to get tackle Tony Ugoh), Dungy and Polian didn't try to make up for it by reaching for an immediate need in the second round. With the No. 59 overall pick, they drafted Arizona State center Mike Pollack, who really was the best player on the Colts' draft board. The Colts already have a very solid center in Jeff Saturday, but he is getting older. The beauty of this move is Pollack will get to spend a season learning from Saturday and the Colts won't have to draft a center next year. Already on the Colts website, Pollack is listed as a OG. Jamey Richard out of Buffalo, who also played OC and was drafted in the 7th round, is listed as a general o-lineman, and may get moved to OT, OG, or whatever. Only Steve Justice, OC out of Wake Forest, is listed as a back-up center. Going into the draft, we identified several specific needs the team had to address before the start of the 2008 season. It seems that in this draft, Bill Polian also saw those needs and did his best to address them. Those needs were: So, just like that, the Colts have addressed pretty much every need they had going into the 2008 season. The question now is can these guys come through. The Colts are also doing their normal thing post-draft, signing several rookie free agents. They recently signed Rudy Burgess, WR out of Arizona State. So, while our team didn't quite get the flashy Chris Johnson or the explosive Matt Forte', they did what they always seem to do: Quietly OWN the draft, filling needs and stocking up on quality players. More fallout on the 2008 draft throughout the day.
2008 NBA Mock Draft Rush is an excellent jump shooter that has improved his off-the-dribble game substantially. Unlike his older brother Kareem, Brandon is a plus defender with the potential to become an excellent defender. He has great length and moves his feet well. Coming back from the knee injury in such a short time was an impressive feat. However, having suffered the injury in the first place may limit how high he can climb in this draft, even with good workouts, because it’s chock-full-o-wings. Rush would be a fantastic fit in Phoenix, almost regardless of who they hire to coach, because he could contribute right away in any penetrate-and-kick offense. But he also has the skills to be much more than just a spot up shooter. Much of what NJ does in the draft will depend on whether they decide to break up Carter & Jefferson. But Rod Thorn also has decisions to make on Nenad Kristic and DeSagana Diop. It's a fairly safe bet that only one or neither makes it to Brooklyn with the Nets. So drafting yet another big would still be in order for the Nets. I am not a fan of Jordan’s, but frankly I’d be stunned if someone doesn’t take a shot at him long before NJ at 21. You can’t order athletic, post-oriented 7-footers like this kid from a catalog but I think he should go in the 20s because of some major red flags (some of which typically accompany young bigs). I know a lot of Knicks fans are intrigued by this kid but he is a project in all capital letters. He may turn out to be something but you’re probably not gonna know for quite some time. The things he did well at A&M-shoot a high percentage and board-come with substantial caveats. He shot a high percentage but doesn’t have much of a post game. He scored mostly on alley-oops and putbacks. I’ve seen reports of good hands but that was not my impression from the games I saw, and he was certainly turnover prone (3+ per pace-adjusted 40). In this draft class Jordan is a decent but not exceptional rebounder and shot blocker. Consider also that despite rarely being in major foul trouble (he had 4 fouls only once) Jordan only played about 20 mpg, coming off the bench behind a clearly inferior talent. Like a lot of big kids his energy and intensity came and went-and mostly went-so that by the end of the season he was injured and hardly played. Even if he matures, I wouldn’t say the sky is the limit. He may only ever be as good as DeSagana Diop. This is the right kind of gamble for NJ if they keep this pick. They could pair him with their two emerging bigs (Boone and Sean Williams) without asking too much of him, which might be helpful in his development. Final thoughts: I expect to see a fair amount of wheeling and dealing in this draft. Interestingly, I think a number of teams selecting in the late teens and twenties would like wing players but this draft seems thin at SG/SF but deep with rebounding frontcourt players. This is a much stronger rebounding class than last year's class. Some of the players I have described as “decent but not great” rebounders (e.g., DeAndre Jordan, DeVon Hardin, Robin Lopez) would have looked much better in last year's class. So teams between, say, 8 and 15 looking to add rebounding depth might do well to entertain offers to trade down.