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Rocky's Round-Up
Day 1 Draft Awards
Rocky Parrish
Feature Presentation Columnist
April 30, 2006
Day 1 of the draft is behind us with rounds 1-3 completed, but don’t worry NFL
fans there is still time to watch round 4-7 today. I, along with the other
die-hard NFL fans, watched every bit of the 10 plus hours that were covered
today. There were some things done by teams around the league that made
everyone scratch their head, so lets go ahead and hand out some awards for day
one shall we:
Best Day 1 Individual Selection:
Reggie Bush RB USC Pick 2 New Orleans
New Orleans Saints- I could write my 50 page Masters thesis on this award, but I’ll make
it short and too the point. Reggie Bush will run for 1500 yards, 12 plus
touchdowns, return at least 2 punt/kick returns for td’s, and will rack up a
solid 500 yards receiving, all in the first 10 weeks of the season. Ok, so
that’s what I predict he’ll have at the end of this upcoming season, but my
point is, you do not let this type of athlete drop to the 2nd pick when your
franchise could use such a player. Mario Williams will get his 9 plus sacks
and about 45 tackles but when we turn back in 10 years and look at this draft
everyone will be asking the question, “Mario who?”
Worst Day 1 Individual Selection:
Mathias Kiwanuka DE Boston College Pick 32
New York Giants- I am not just picking on this choice by the Giants because
I’m a fan, but because of the simple idea of team needs. The Giants had 22 ½
sacks combined last year at the defensive end position with Usi and Strahan,
so this just makes no sense to me. I sat here and listened to Ernie Accossi
talk about his belief that to build a future for your organization, you need a
QB and then a defensive pass rusher. Newsflash EA, you just passed up on Chad
Jackson along with two corners that could have helped your team out. The
Giants eventually did pick up a WR in the University of Miami’s Moss, but
Jackson will be a better pro in the long run. Giant fans don’t worry, your
still ok. You did just sign Lavar Arrington, and if need be, he can step into
the slot and catch a few balls that Eli throws up to him.
Best “1-2 combo for future: Offense”:
Vince Young QB Texas & LenDale White RB USC:
Tennessee Titans- I don’t care what the experts are yapping about
with Young and his mechanics, the bottom line is Chow is a genius and will fix
whatever problems Vince has. Young had something that Leinhart didn’t have,
which is athleticism, and the ability to make a play out of nothing. Once you
throw in there the warrior mentality of White, this is going to be a dangerous
combo for years to come down in Nashville. In his eyes, LenDale slipped way
too far down the draft board, and now will show every team why they should
have picked him come game day.
Best “1-2 combo for future: Defense”:
Kamerion Wimbley DE FSU & D’Qwell Jackson ILB Maryland:
Cleveland Browns- Wimbley is that tweener guy that every defense that runs the 3-4 looks for, meaning he played OLB and DE in
college. They can put him down in the three point stance or stand him up at
the outside linebacker position. His numbers the three years speak for
themselves, tallying up 22 ½ tackles for loss and 11 ½ sacks. Willie McGinest
is there to place Wimbley under his wings and teach him everything the rookie
will need. Jackson played in the 3-4 defense while at Maryland, and in my
mind was the best linebacker behind A.J. Hawk and Chad Greenway. He is a bit
small at 6-0 and 229 pounds, but his ability to read and react to the play
will help him be a successful linebacker for years to come. The dog pound
will be pumped to watch these two play along side each other.
Day 1 “Steal of the Draft”:
Chad Jackson WR Florida Pick 36
New England Patriots- Most NFL experts had him going in the top 15 of the draft, but
obviously GM’s around the league thought differently. Jackson is a big
receiver at 6-1 and 212 pounds, and his speed (4.4 in the 40) helps him get
separation from corners down the field. The major factor here is the simple
fact that Tom Brady will be throwing him the ball for years to come. Look for
these two athletes to make some noise once Jackson settles into the Patriots
system, and is comfortable with the physical play he will see each and every
Sunday from opposing defenses.
Day 1 “Should have went back to college:”
Devin Hester ATH Univ Miami
Chicago Bears- Hester was taken with the 57th pick by the Chicago bears, who have him as a WR
on their roster. His 40 time at the combine was slower than everyone expected
(4.5 seconds), and scouts were questioning why Devin even came out this year
since he never really established himself at Miami on either side of the
ball. He runs routs below-average, not to mention the Bears don’t exactly
have a future Hall-of-famer throwing the ball to their receiving core, so
Devin would have been more suited to go back for his senior year at the U.
The bears will likely use him for special teams.
You can reach Rocky Parrish @ raparrish@featurepresentationonline.com.
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