The 2009 NFL Draft's Best Offensive Prospects
A Look at the Best College Players Available in the 2009 NFL Draft
Jan 22, 2009
Each year as the NFL playoffs get started and teams end their season, excitement starts to build for what might be possible next year. The main source of new talent for each NFL franchise comes from the NFL draft, and the crop of players that have already committed or are expected to commit to the 2009 NFL draft look like a very talented bunch of players. The test for teams will be to break down the talent by what they each need the most and to draft accordingly.
Best Quarterbacks Available in the 2009 NFL Draft
One of the biggest things an NFL team needs is a leader, and several of them, including the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs need to be focused on drafting a new one in the 2009 NFL draft. The two best quarterbacks available in this draft are Matthew Stafford of the University of Georgia and Mark Sanchez of USC. Detroit has the first pick in the draft, and should probably go with a strong presence like Stafford who put up 3,459 passing yards and 25 touchdowns in the 2008 college football season.
The third pick in the draft goes to the Kansas City Chiefs, who need quite a few players, but should start with a leader at quarterback who can develop a young team. This is where the maturity of Mark Sanchez comes in to play, who had 3,207 passing yards along with 34 passing touchdowns in the 2008 season to lead USC to a 13-1 overall record. The thing about Sanchez though, is that if he isn't drafted high, he could be pushed to the second round.
Other quarterbacks that should be expected to be drafted on Day 1 or early in Day 2 include Graham Harrell of Texas Tech and Rhett Bomar of Sam Houston State.
Best Running Backs Available in the 2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL draft doesn't look to be packed with difference makers at running back, but should have quite a few that could perform well down the road. The only running back that should be expected to be drafted high in the first round is Knowshon Moreno out of Georgia, who rushed for 1400 yards on 250 carries in his Sophomore year. It's hard to pin down where he will be drafted, but mid-first round would be a good bet.
Other top running backs that should have their name heard on draft weekend include Javon Ringer of Michigan State, Cedric Peerman of Virginia, and James Davis of Clemson. Chris Wells of Ohio State had been courting going into the draft, but he just doesn't seem ready, and the junior should probably head back to college for one final year.
Best Wide Receivers Available in the 2009 NFL Draft
It is widely expected that the Seattle Seahawks will be looking for a big time wide receiver with the #4 pick in the 2009 draft, and they have their eyes on Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree. Crabtree racked up the statistics in 2008, with 97 catches for 1165 yards and 19 touchdowns along the way. He could be exactly what they are looking for.
There are a number of senior wide receivers that should be drafted early on that include Juaquin Iglesias of Oklahoma, Brian Robiskie of Ohio State, Jarett Dillard of Rice, and Jordan Shipley. It is also expected that a few underclassmen will toss their names into the draft; including Jeremy Maclin of Missouri, Darrius Heyward-Bey of Maryland and Hakeem Nicks of North Carolina.
 |
