Fuerto's Thoughts on the Draft

1 St. Louis Rams – Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma
I think Sam’s Why couldn’t anyone trade up for this pick? look as soon as it was announced sums this pick up. No question, I think Bradford is a hell of a quarterback, but there is no one around him. I’m willing to bet that none of their receivers will be rated over a 75 in Madden, and there’s not much of an O-Line either. I’m also a little questionable about Bradford’s ability to win big games. The 2008 Florida and Texas games come quickly to mind. Bradford even struggled against the Mormons before getting hurt, which may have been the toughest defense he faced on the field his senior year. But, it’s hard to go wrong with a potential franchise QB given their effects on a team. Just ask Danny Snyder and the Skins.

2 Detroit Lions – Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska

Wow. I'm not gonna lie, knowing the Lions, I was kind of hoping for Dez Bryant. Already had a paragraph rant for it, but the Lions actually do something smart. If anyone has an argument that Ndamukong Suh is not the best player in the draft, I would really like to hear it. I'm just gonna say I'm glad he's going to the NFC North, not the AFC.

3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Gerald McCoy DT
Oklahoma
Not a lot to complain about here. In most drafts, McCoy is the best D-Lineman available, but Suh is a once-in-a-generation freak. Even John Gruden liked this pick. So, nothing to rip yet but here come Dan and the Skins...

4 Washington Redskins - Trent Williams OT Oklahoma
Did Roger Goodell really just refer to him as Trent "Silverback" Williams? Anyways, it appears that Trent has a lot of "upside" so obviously it was a great pick.


5 Kansas City Chiefs - Eric Berry S Tennessee
Thank God he's not headed to the AFC North. If you happened to watch a Vols game last year, you know what I'm talking about. Berry is probably a better prospect than Ed Reed and would wreck havoc in the already Safety loaded AFC North, as many mocks had him going to Cleveland. Moral of the story? Sucks to be a Browns fan.

6 Seattle Seahawks - Russell Okung OT Oklahoma St
This is so weird. It's like the GMs are going with the questionable strategy of solidifying their O and D Lines, then letting skill positions grow around them. Well, Fuerto's been doing that since Madden 2005, so I'm not impressed.

7 Cleveland Browns - Joe Haden CB Florida
OK, so maybe it was a little bit of a reach, but compared to the Tim Couch, Brady Quinn, and Courtney Brown standards, it was a great move. With that said, according to Scouts Inc., his tackling is well below the NFL level, so I can't wait for Cedric Benson to lower a shoulder into him next fall. Sorry, Jewell.

8 Oakland Raiders - Rolando McClain LB Alabama
So, Oakland wins the first team to draft a player not at the draft award. Like much of the booing crowd, I was very disappointed with this pick. Ricky Brown doesn't need any competition.


9 Buffalo Bills - CJ Spiller RB Clemson
As much as it hurts to say this as a Gamecocks fan, Spiller is amazing. He's the most dynamic offensive playmaker in the draft, and will be a great fit in Buffalo's run heavy offense. This is my third favorite pick of the draft, after Suh and Berry. However, I would like to point out that he failed to show up to a certain rivalry game late in the year. 34-17.

10 Jacksonville Jaguars - Tyson Alualu DT California
Yes! Mel Kiper is finally pissed! I can't really blame him, though. Alualu looks like a Domata Peko wannabe. They actually would have been better off going with Tebow. Kiper said he is reminiscent of Tyson Jackson, becoming the second player (after Jason Pierre-Paul) to earn that "honor".

Some thoughts later on the round:

Ryan Matthews from Fresno St heading a couple miles south to San Diego is a great move. Matthews is a tough runner who will be a great successor to LT. Anyone who watched the New Mexico Bowl will agree with me.

As Burnside knows, I was ready to rip into whoever drafted Jason Pierre-Paul. He is a classic "upside project player" who never seem to do well in the pros. Todd McShay called him a less physical Tyson Jackson. My cat is more physical than Tyson Jackson. But, with the Giants he can develop under Osi, Justin Tuck, and Kiwanuka instead of being handed a starting job in Oakland or Cleveland. Not a bad pick at all.

Usually I would say that its not a very good idea to spend a first rounder on someone from Idaho (or any WAC school not named Boise, Fresno, or Hawai'i for that matter) but Mike Iupati, going to the Niners, may be an exception. I'm not really sure how good he's gonna be, but those are some sick tattoos he has.

Burnside will give you the scoop on the Bengals draft in a couple of days, but I want to say that I like Gresham pretty much. I know a lot of people wanted Dez Bryant, but I think some white guy who completely dominated him in college (when Bryant wasn't suspended) shut those guys up.


Finally, everyone's favorite pick of the draft. Tim Tebow to the Broncos at 25. This is easily my favorite pick of the day. When it comes down to it, Timmy Tebow wins ballgames. That's what he did at Florida, that's what he's gonna do in Denver. A lot of people think he's gonna fail because of his mechanics. In that case, just think of him as Ben Roesthlisberger minus the rapes. Or Vince Young, which in all reality is who I think he most resembles. As much as people hate on Vince, he's 25-12 as a starter in the NFL and has played in 2 Pro Bowls. A lot better than say, Matt Leinart. And the only reason he hasn't played more is because Kerry Collins turned into Superman for a year and a half. Bottom line is this: Tim Tebow WILL win a Super Bowl for the Broncos.