NFL Draft Overview for the AFC
2008 NFL Draft Recap and Results including Team Highlights for AFC
The madness has subsided in New York City as the league basks in the aftermath of the 2008 NFL Draft. In case you missed the 14 hours and 26 minutes (what kind of fan are you?), here are the highlights for the AFC:
Top 5 Overall Picks:
Miami- Jake Long, Offensive Tackle, Michigan
St. Louis- Chris Long, Defensive End, Virginia
Atlanta- Matt Ryan, Quarterback, Boston College
Oakland- Darren McFadden, Running Back, Arkansas
Kansas City- Glenn Dorsey, Defensive Tackle, LSU
Kansas City- Probably the best draft class in the league this year. They started with Glenn Dorsey, widely considered the first or second best player available. Then they added Branden Albert at guard, who was also considered a top prospect. In round 2 they selected a very tough cornerback in Brandon Flowers out of Virginia Tech, the latest large, nasty Hokie corner. In round 3 they picked up Texas running back Jamaal Charles and eventually added Tennessee tight end Brad Cottam. Every one of these players could potentially see substantial playing time next year for the Chiefs.
Miami- The Dolphins took bookend tackle Jake Long first overall, but followed that up strongly by grabbing projected first round DE Phillip Merling out of Clemson in Round 2 AND Chad Henne, Jake Long’s quarterback out of Michigan, also in Round 2. This gives Miami a solid starting tackle, potential future quarterback and fills the need at DE all in the first 2 rounds. Did you expect anything less from Parcells?
New England- The Evil Empire drafted not one, not two, but THREE outside linebackers. Jerod Mayo from Tennessee, Shawn Crable from Michigan and Bo Ruud from Nebraska all went to the Pats. They also added quarterback Kevin O’Connell from San Diego State, who’s raw physical talent may start getting some attention after being selected by the guru himself Bill Belicheck.
J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!- The Mean Green Machine didn’t light up Broadway but did score freakish athlete Vernon Ghoulston in Round 1. Ghoulston stands 6’3, 266 pounds, ran a 4.67 40 yard dash and benched 225 pounds a ridiculous 37 times (which tied Jake Long for the most this year). They added perhaps the best receiving tight end available with Dustin Keller from Purdue and also brought in Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge.
Baltimore- The Ravens moved up to take Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco, who came from nowhere to become a darling of pro scouts. With the retirement of Steve McNair this was a glaring need. More intriguing were some later picks. Ray Rice was a superstar running back at Rutgers, and the Ravens added Notre Dame headhunter Tom Zbikowski at safety. Both players were not great combine athletes but were completely dominant on the field during their careers. Also the Ravens picked up Tavares Gooden, a run-of-the-mill super-athlete from Miami at inside linebacker.
Cincinnati- Chad Johnson did not get traded and Chris Henry is still off the team. Not surprisingly, the Bengals drafted 3 wide receivers. Jerome Simpson from Coastal Carolina (a bit of a shocker going in round 2), Andre Caldwell from Florida and Mario Urrutia from Louisville will all be vying for time catching passes. The first round pick however was linebacker Keith Rivers from USC, considered the best all-around player at his position.
Pittsburgh- The wily Steelers wasted no time in jumping all over Illinois running back Rashad Mendenhall after he inexplicably slipped by Chicago and Detroit in the first round. Another steal came in round 2 when they snagged wide receiver Limas Sweed out of Texas, who could have gone in the first round. A very interesting pick was Dennis Dixon, the phenom quarterback out of Oregon. Pittsburgh had great success in using former college ‘athlete’ quarterbacks Hines Ward and Antwaan Randle-El in the past and is probably the perfect team to incorporate Dixon into the NFL.
Tennessee- The first big head-scratcher was the Titans first round selection of running back Chris Johnson from Eastern Carolina. This appeared to be a ‘combine’ pick due to Johnson burning a 4.24 40 yard dash. There are many doubts about whether he is a legitimate every down running back prospect however his open field speed could prove useful for Vince Young. They also added a strong blocking tight end in Craig Stevens from Cal.
That's a look at the top 5 overall picks and the AFC highlights. Check suite101 for a rundown of the NFC, Mr. Irrelevant and find out who Caleb Campbell is as well.
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