2008 NFL Draft Preview

What will Bill Parcells do with the #1 pick?

Shortly after 3pm on April 26th NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will walk up to the podium at Radio City Music Hall and put the ‘Big Tuna’, I mean the Miami Dolphins, on the clock. Bill Parcells is a draft day magician, but he hasn’t been forced to operate from the top spot since selecting Drew Bledsoe #1 overall at the 1993 draft. Times have certainly changed since then as this year’s #1 pick is slated to make over $30 million in guaranteed money. That said, Parcells would love to trade out of this spot and stock pile picks; however it’s highly unlikely that another team will relieve him of the burden. The #1 overall pick has become the equivalent of an NFL mine field – one wrong step and your franchise can explode! However, with Parcells behind the wheel, the Dolphins should be safe. Supposedly the Tuna poured over hours of tape on Matt Ryan before deciding he wasn’t worth the pick. It is also widely understood that Parcells has decided to pass on LSU stud DT Glenn Dorsey because of a combination of off-the-field problems and injury concerns. That leaves Miami deciding between Jake Long, Chris Long and possibly Vernon Gholston. The Dolphins will negotiate with all of them leading up to the draft. Unless a contract is reached with one of these guys prior to the draft, expect Parcells to keep everyone guessing before finally settling on Jake Long, the prototypical left tackle from Michigan. Thirty million dollars later the rebuilding project is officially underway on South Beach.

Is Vernon Gholston worthy of a top-five pick?

Every year there are those players who skyrocket up draft boards after the combine, only to climb a little higher after their school’s pro day. Vernon Gholston, outside linebacker from Ohio State, is a classic example. After having one of the best combine visits in years, Gholston followed that up with an even better performance at Ohio State’s pro day. In an NFL world where teams will give their right arm for a speed-rushing outside linebacker, Gholston’s stock has risen so high that the Miami Dolphins are now considering using the #1 pick on him. His ascent up the board has teams thinking he may be the next DeMarcus Ware or Shawn Merriman. So the question becomes: Has Vernon Gholston’s stock exceeded his actual worth? Will he be a player who will make the $20-$30 million-dollar investment worth the risk? From what I’ve seen the answer is clear – no. If this answer surprises you, then hear me out. Before the NFL combine and the Ohio State pro day, Gholston was projected as a mid-first-round pick. As teams scour this draft class for the next big-time pass rusher, Gholston’s pair of tremendous workouts have seemingly elevated him to top-five status in the eyes of many. Though he was a productive player at Ohio State, he was far from dominant. In fact, Gholston was a down right ghost on the field at times for Ohio State. As a senior he had 14 sacks in 13 games, but seven of those came against Wisconsin and Michigan. Think back to the National Championship game...do you remember Gholston making an impact? If you’re having trouble remembering Gholston’s performance, it may be because he was invisible that night, as LSU put up 38 points on Ohio State’s defense. At over $20 million in guaranteed cash, teams better be convinced that Vernon Gholston is more than just a guy who looked good with his shirt off at the combine; he better look good in pads on Sundays.

How good is Matt Ryan?

Selecting a quarterback at the top of the NFL draft is one of the biggest guessing games in all of sports. There were scouts who thought Ryan Leaf was a better prospect than Peyton Manning. Dan Marino was the fifth quarterback drafted in 1984, after the likes of Todd Blackledge and Tony Eason. Then there’s Alex Smith, David Carr and Joey Harrington, all recent top-three picks who have disappointed greatly. Picking a quarterback at the top of the draft is a crap shoot to say the least. For every Carson Palmer there’s a Rick Mirer. This year all of the hype surrounds Matt Ryan from Boston College. Like all who have come before him, he has the size and arm strength to suggest he can play in the NFL. Yet I honestly have no idea how good he will be. I’m the same guy who thought David Green (Georgia, 2005) was going to be an All-Pro, and he’s currently buried on the Seahawk practice squad. Predicting how well a quarterback will play at the next level is nearly an impossible task. Tom Brady wasn’t picked until the 7th round! Tony Romo went completely undrafted! You have better odds in Vegas throwing all of your money on black at the Roulette table than you do at predicting how good Matt Ryan will be in the NFL. One indication that Ryan might be rated too high is the fact that Bill Parcells reportedly spent hours evaluating every snap Ryan took at BC before concluding he wasn’t worth selecting with the Dolphins #1 pick. Atlanta and Baltimore will surely have a lot to think about between now and Saturday afternoon.

Where will Darren McFadden be calling home?

If you want to learn a little bit about how good Darren McFadden is, or you just need a quick refresher, simply go to You Tube and search ‘Darren McFadden highlight reel’. Then sit back and enjoy 9 minutes and 58 seconds of craziness. It will become obvious that he’s the total package and clear-cut grand prize of the 2008 NFL Draft. As Saturday afternoon quickly approaches the Darren McFadden sweepstakes is officially underway. How far will he fall? Will a team trade up for him? Will Al Davis grab him at four? Will he fall to the Jets at six? In 48 hours all of these questions will have answers, and Darren McFadden will have a new home.

A year ago Adrian Peterson fell all the way to seven and the Vikings walked away with the steal of the draft. This year a similar scenario is likely to unfold. Miami already made Jake Long the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL. St. Louis has Steven Jackson. Atlanta lured Michael Turner away from San Diego, giving him 30 million plus in the process. That brings us to the Silver & Black…the Black Hole…the Oakland Raiders. Al Davis is as unpredictable as they come, and will be on the clock with the forth pick in the draft. We can only assume he’s fascinated with McFadden’s ability and is salivating just thinking about JaMarcus Russell and McFadden in the same backfield. Yet, if you listen to the ‘experts’, they will tell you that the Raiders are also in love with Glenn Dorsey. They will also tell you that Al Davis is strongly considering Raider-legend Howie Long’s son, Chris Long. And the latest report has Al Davis completely enamored with the speed of Ohio State LB/DE Vernon Gholston. Good luck trying to figure out what name will on the Raider’s card because it’s anybody’s guess. New York Jet fans will be hanging on every word that comes out of Roger Goodell’s mouth as he reveals the Raider pick. And if it starts with anything other than “The Raiders select Darr….”, then the place will explode! Kansas City, picking at five, is no obstacle unless they considering trading out of the spot. Deafening chants of J-E-T-S will engulf Radio City Music Hall. Expect one of the craziest scenes the NFL draft has ever seen if Roger Goodell says the following: “With the sixth pick in the 2008 NFL Draft the New York Jets select Darren McFadden, running back, Arkansas.” In 48 hours we will have all the answers.