PCI

Hear that noise? That’s Mel Kiper descending into the film room to hibernate for the next 11 months. The NFL draft has come and gone, with the hysteria surrounding it eclipsing that of a Justin Bieber concert. Pundits have shifted away from their mock draft boards to their post-draft team evaluations. As big of a joke as mock drafts are, the grading system is just as ludicrous. These draft grades are complete speculation and there is no evidence to prove otherwise, seeing how these players have yet to play a single down on Sunday. With that said, let me chime in with my “expert” opinion on which teams had the best draft. 

The NFC West is a futile division. Usually one of the NFL’s cellar-dwellers resides there and the division’s lone formidable team lost its Hall of Fame QB to retirement. In essence, the division is definitely up for grabs. Well, two teams took giant steps towards claiming alpha dog crown with their draft maneuvering.

The San Francisco 49ers’ draft strategy resembled that of the Jets a couple years back. Armed with two first round picks, the team neglected drafting a QB, instead choosing to go with offensive linemen with both picks. Offensive tackle Anthony Davis and OG Mike Iupati should slot in immediately, providing protection for incumbent QB Alex Smith.

Davis impressed scouts with his build and had been labeled as having tremendous upside while Iupati was the stud guard of this class. With a revamped offensive line, the 49ers can either pound the ball with Frank Gore or give Alex Smith the time he needs to find Michael Crabtree or Vernon Davis. The other pick that stood out was second round selection Taylor Mays. Mays developed a reputation as a hard-hitting safety at USC, which makes him an ideal fit for a Mike Singletary defense. 

The Seattle Seahawks also had two first round picks to play with, choosing to address their needs at tackle and safety. Offensive tackle Russell Okung, regarded as the best tackle in the class, is the likely replacement for future Hall of Famer Walter Jones and safety Earl Thomas, a versatile, instinctive, ball-hawk, will improve a pass defense that ranked 30th last year. The passing game improved with the selection of Golden Tate, which should shift some defensive focus off T.J. Houshmandzadeh. What was more impressive were the draft day trades made to bolster the running game. Trading for the elusive Leon Washington and bruiser LenDale White gives Seattle a 1-2 punch to compliment aging QB Matt Hasselbeck. Kudos to Pete Carroll for his draft, but come on, man, leaving Southern California for the Pacific Northwest? It’s still puzzling. 

Well that concludes this PCI analysis of the NFL draft. Tune in next week as we compare our 2011 Mock draft to that of Mel Kiper’s and Todd McShay’s. Hey it’s never too early, right?

                              - Chris Crawford ’10

Possessing powerful legs, a strong jaw, and long canine teeth, a lion can bring down and kill large prey with ease. Consequently, the lion is one of the most feared animals in the safari.  Unfortunately, Lions in Detroit do not evoke such fear. Instead of being the hunter, these Lions are the hunted. But this is all going to change in the aftermath of this year’s draft. Even though other teams such as the Buccaneers and 49ers arguably had deeper drafts, the Detroit Lions drafted two of the draft’s premier players in Ndamukong Suh and Jahvid Best, catapulting the Lions to the top of this year’s draft class.  These two players will help the Lions, currently one of the NFL’s worst teams, become a contender in future years. The rest of the NFL better watch out because the Lions are finally lurking. 

Ndamukong Suh, a 6’4,” 300-pound defensive tackle, will undoubtedly become one of the NFL’s elite defensive linemen within a few years, joining the likes of Julius Peppers, Jared Allen, and Vince Wilfork. Suh, who was the top prospect according to many scouts, is truly a gem, combining versatility, good instincts, agility, rare athleticism for his position, and a strong work ethic. In his final season as a Nebraska Cornhusker, he compiled a resume that seems surreal. His highlights include being named the Associated Press College Player of the Year, a Heisman Trophy Finalist, a unanimous first-team All-American, and the Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year, among others. Like a lion, he is powerful and aggressive, and he will soon be the “mane” event in Detroit. 

Another play ready to make an impact in Detroit is Jahvid Best. During his three seasons as a California Golden Bear, Best proved to be one of the nation’s most explosive and exciting running backs.  He made first-team all-Pac 10 during his first two seconds, and was a second-team selection this past year. He entered the 2009 season as the nation’s leading returning rusher and one of the nation’s top candidates to win the Heisman Trophy. Unfortunately Best missed several games in his final collegiate season due to injury, which consequently prevented him from receiving many of the accolades he was favored to receive at the beginning of the season. Nonetheless, he had a very successful career at Cal, breaking many records. For example, Best is the only player in Cal history with multiple 200-yard rushing contests which is a tribute to his explosiveness and stamina. Despite his speed and ability to make big plays, many scouts criticize Best because he was fairly injury-prone throughout his collegiate career.  Although defensive players in the NFL are bigger, stronger, and faster, many players who suffered injuries during college have gone on to have very successful professional careers.