2008 Woodie Awards
2008 NFL Draft looks to be weaker than most
Zack Gugenheim
Issue date: 4/17/08 Section: Sports
With the NFL draft a week and a half away, football fans are beginning to prepare themselves for the new wave of players that they will be cheering for in the fall. In fact, by this fall, there could be an impact player starting his first game that could change the landscape of the league. That's been the M.O. the past few years, that you can get future pro-bowlers and superstars that will take the league by storm within a few weeks. In my estimation, however, that seems like it is about to change, for at least this year. In looking at the draft, there are few players that catch my eye as key pieces to an NFL team, unlike in years past where players like Adrian Peterson, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, Philip Rivers, and other highly-coveted players were sure bets to take the league by storm. That being said, let's look at the most mentioned players in this year's draft.
Everybody knows that the most important position in the NFL is the quarterback position because he directs the offense. Consensus no. 1 quarterback Matt Ryan is a good signal caller. He has a good arm, won with below-average receivers, and even had a flair for the dramatic with a come-from-behind win at Virginia Tech. He is a great leader and has a great head on his shoulders. He's also not a top-15 pick, let alone a top-3 pick as many mock drafts have him (which would put him with the Atlanta Falcons). In fact, if this were the 2004 NFL draft, he would be behind Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger. Why? His accuracy is hardly superior, and he commits too many turnovers, throwing an astounding 19. He also played in a weak ACC, which makes those 19 interceptions look even worse. When he played the Michigan State Spartans (tied for seventh-place in the Big Ten last year), he looked less than thrilling, completing a mediocre 22 of 47 passes against one of the worst defenses against the pass. He's certainly a first round quarterback, but he is not good enough to be considered in the top 3.
Everybody knows that the most important position in the NFL is the quarterback position because he directs the offense. Consensus no. 1 quarterback Matt Ryan is a good signal caller. He has a good arm, won with below-average receivers, and even had a flair for the dramatic with a come-from-behind win at Virginia Tech. He is a great leader and has a great head on his shoulders. He's also not a top-15 pick, let alone a top-3 pick as many mock drafts have him (which would put him with the Atlanta Falcons). In fact, if this were the 2004 NFL draft, he would be behind Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger. Why? His accuracy is hardly superior, and he commits too many turnovers, throwing an astounding 19. He also played in a weak ACC, which makes those 19 interceptions look even worse. When he played the Michigan State Spartans (tied for seventh-place in the Big Ten last year), he looked less than thrilling, completing a mediocre 22 of 47 passes against one of the worst defenses against the pass. He's certainly a first round quarterback, but he is not good enough to be considered in the top 3.