2008 NFFL Draft Review

The (apparently) highly-anticipated review of the 2008 NFFL Draft is live! Here is a team-by-team look at the draft:

Washington Braves

• RB Darren McFadden (1.01)
• QB Erik Ainge (5.12)

The Braves took the consensus #1 pick in the NFFL Draft when they selected Darren McFadden #1 overall. McFadden has all the big-play potential in the world, but I worry about him holding up over a 16-game season as the feature back. Expect to still see plenty of Justin Fargas in Oakland. For the Braves, McFadden looks like the long-term replacement for Edgerrin James, who has entered the downside of his career. DeAngelo Williams doesn't look like he'll get a fair shot in Carolina, so it was critical for Washington to bring in another RB that can possibly be an every-week starter with LaDanian Tomlinson. Erik Ainge is a nice no-risk, potentially high-reward pick. The Jets still don't have a unquestioned #1 starter, so if Kellen Clemens doesn't develop into that player maybe Ainge can.

Bertrand Ground Force

Here's what the Ground Force draft could/should have looked like:

• RB Jonathan Stewart (1.02)
• QB Joe Flacco (2.02)
• RB Ryan Torain (3.02)
• RB Mike Hart (4.02)

Carson City Bandits

• RB Jonathan Stewart (1.03)
• WR James Hardy (1.11)
• LB Dan Connor (2.01)
• LB Jordan Dizon (2.03)
• QB Brian Brohm (2.04)
• WR Malcom Kelly (2.08)
• WR Earl Bennett (2.09)
• QB Josh Johnson (2.10)
• DE Chris Long (2.11)
• DE Derrick Harvey (2.12)
• WR Limas Sweed (2.15)
• RB Ryan Torain (3.06)
• RB Steve Slaton (3.10)
• WR Keenan Burton (4.10)
• DT Sedrick Ellis (5.15)

How many of these guys can Carson City possibly sign? Even if they have to trade a few more of these players, the Carson City Bandits made out like a, well, bandit in the draft. Jonathan Stewart will be an instant starter and should quickly establish himself as a scoring threat. Stewart averaged over a TD a game in college. One of the best picks in the draft could turn out to be Ryan Torain, whom I had graded as a first-round NFFL pick. The Broncos staff sees visions of Terrell Davis in Torain, an ideal back for Denver's scheme. Stewart and Torain could wind up being an excellent 1-2 tandem as soon as this year. Steve Slaton was another great value pick, but has since been shipped to Japan.

The Bandits drafted several receivers, and my two favorites of the bunch are first-rounder James Hardy and late-second rounder Limas Sweed. Hardy measures six-and-a-half feet tall, giving him an advantage over every CB out there. Look for the Bills to utilize him in the red zone, which could lead to Hardy scoring double-digit TDs in his rookie season. Sweed was the victim of bad luck, getting injured in his senior year; otherwise he'd have mostly been the #1 WR in this draft and a sure first-round pick. He will only be a third WR to start his career but could eventually take Hines Ward's spot. He's been traded to the Raiders with the Bandits picking up a future first-round pick in the trade. Malcom Kelly has a shot at being an eventual producer for Carson City. Earl Bennett will struggle to adjust to the NFL and I think he'll end up being a wasted pick. I don't see Keenan Burton contributing either.

The Bandits selected two QBs in the second round, the first being Brian Brohm. Once a top-of-the-first-round projection, Brohm fell out of favor and landed in Green Bay at the end of the second round. He'll push Aaron Rodgers to start, but has no guarantee of playing time going forward. What made this a peculiar pick is that there was another QB on the board that is guaranteed a shot at being a starting NFL QB, so I think Carson City made a mistake by picking Brohm. Josh Johnson, the Bandits' other QB selection, could also develop into a starting NFL QB. His problem is as much athleticism and upside as he has, he's not a very good passer. This will limit his NFFL numbers even if he gets the starting gig in the future.

On defense, the Bandits came away with two potential starters on the defensive line and two more at linebacker. Carson City used their first two second-round picks on LBs Dan Connor and Jordan Dizon. Connor is the more highly-touted prospect, but suffered a free-fall in the NFL draft before landing in Carolina. He will be played at MLB, but the Panthers have rejected the idea of moving Jon Beason outside. If Connor is to have any playing time, it will likely have to be outside. Dizon is the reverse case, as the Lions drafted him while Dan Connor was on the board presumably because they wanted Dizon to play outside. It has come to light that Detroit plans on playing Dizon at MLB, making him a very good potential point-scorer behind the Lions' weak DL. I see Dizon getting a majority of starts for Carson City this year. Toward the end of the second round, the Bandits added pass-rushers Chris Long and Derrick Harvey. Both have a good shot at being successful NFL players, but Long has much more potential than Harvey, so it was a good move by the Bandits to stick with Long and trade Harvey. Sedrick Ellis is a fantastic gamble at the end of the draft as we know he'll receive a lot of playing time in New Orleans.

Boston Inferno
RB Rashard Mendenhall (1.04)
RB Ray Rice (1.15)
LB Xavier Adibi (3.01)
S Kenny Phillips (3.03)
RB Justin Forsett (4.15)

Rashard Mendenhall will be a fantastic pro, as he's good at the little things that come with being an NFL RB like pass-protection and moving the pile. He'll eventually supplant Willie Parker as the feature back and in my opinion will be the best player to come out of this NFFL draft. Ray Rice could be a nice complement to Willis McGahee, but he won't get more than 100 carries a year, making this a questionable use of a first-round pick to anyone but Boston. The Inferno of course have McGahee on their roster, so this was a case of locking up an entire team's backfield in case of injury. The next two Boston picks were used on defense with the Inferno adding Xavier Adibi and Kenny Phillips. Adibi will start his career as Morlon Greenwood's backup; however, the Texans have unproven Zach Diles starting on the strong-side so Adibi might eventually end up there, making him a solid pick in the third-round but with a lower ceiling than most LBs. Phillips on the other hand has the best scoring potential out of any DB in this draft and shouldn't have lasted to the third round. Justin Forsett doesn't have a future in the NFFL. The Inferno do have to be taken to task for not selecting a player with their fifth-round pick, missing the opportunity to add someone to their taxi squad. In my mind there were at least five undrafted rookies that could potentially develop into starters in the NFFL, so to pass on taking one is bad form.

Chicago Goodfellas

• RB Matt Forte (1.05)
• RB Felix Jones (1.07)
• QB Matt Ryan (1.08)
• WR Devin Thomas (1.09)
• QB Joe Flacco (2.05)

When we look back on this draft in three years, I think Chicago might end up being the biggest winner of all. Matt Forte and Felix Jones will probably begin their careers in backfield-by-committees. Forte will battle highly-paid Cedric Benson with the Bears. With the consistently-underrated Forte having more talent than the former first-rounder, the rookie should eventually be the feature back for both Chicago teams. I was personally crushed that Forte was selected the pick before mine, though I knew it was nearly inevitable. Jones split time in college and will continue to do so in the NFL. But Marion Barber's contract is up after this year, so there's a possibility that Jones could get the lion's share of carries starting in 2009. The Goodfellas also drafted the top-rated WR in the draft with the selection of Devin Thomas. With the Redskins rebuilding the passing game (they used three second round picks on pass catchers), Thomas could see a lot of playing time immediately.

The Goodfellas won this draft with their picks at the QB position. With only the inconsistent Vince Young and the much-maligned Jake Delhomme at the position, Chicago brought in the draft's top two signal callers. Matt Ryan is as great off the field as he is on the field, which was very important to the Falcons when they drafted him to be the new face of the franchise. He'll be starting by 2009 at the latest and will get the opportunity to mature along a couple of young WRs in Roddy White and Laurent Robinson. Joe Flacco, the QB that had the Ravens hopping up and down the draft board, was a great value in the middle of the second round. If his game translates well to the NFL and he makes the necessary adjustments, he has the potential to be even better than Ryan. Either way, the Goodfellas likely received a future starter and a future solid QB2 for their team at worst.

Austin Predators

• RB Kevin Smith (1.06)
• RB Jacob Hester (4.07)
• CB Leodis McKelvin (4.11)
• CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (4.16)
• RB Xavier Omon (5.05)

Never one to rely too much on the NFFL Draft, the Predators ended up trading a couple of their picks away for future draft picks, including first-rounder Kevin Smith and fifth-rounder Xavier Omon. Smith is walking into the same scheme he ran at college and he doesn't have a whole lot of competition, making his path to playing time much easier than most of the RBs listed above him. He's not without negatives though, as he's run into off-field problems and has been leaned on heavily in his college career, including a 400+ carry 2007 season. Omon was amazing in college but doesn't have a shot at starting behind Marshawn Lynch. The Chargers gave up quite a bit to move up and select Jacob Hester. News from San Diego has him sticking at tailback, meaning he's the likely replacement for Michael Turner. The Predators used two late fourth-round picks on the top two CBs in this draft, Leodis McKelvin and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, with the thinking that quarterbacks like to pick on rookie CBs. Both players should start for their NFL teams, meaning they could rack up quite a bit of tackles and/or interceptions early on, depending on how good they are in the NFL.

Utica Devils

• RB Chris Johnson (1.10)
• WR Donnie Avery (1.12)
• LB Jerod Mayo (1.16)
• DT Glenn Dorsey (2.06)
• QB Chad Henne (2.07)
• RB Jamaal Charles (2.16)
• WR Eddie Royal (3.15)
• DE Quentin Groves (4.06)
• DE Lawrence Jackson (5.06)

A team in the midst of rebuilding, the Devils did a good job bringing in a lot of talent. Moreover, the players they selected for the most part have large roles with their NFL teams in the future, so that will mitigate bust potential somewhat. However, with a number of their picks I feel the Devils passed on better players at the same position they drafted. This wasn't the case with their first pick, as Chris Johnson was the last first-round RB on the board and drew consideration as high as #6 overall. He has been compared to Reggie Bush and the Titans plan to use him in a similar role. If Tennessee switches to an option attack, with LenDale White up the middle and Vince Young and Johnson on the outside, it could be potentially very difficult to defend. Not that it will happen. Donnie Avery was selected 12th overall, which is much too high for a guy I think has the ceiling of a #3 WR. Jerod Mayo is a solid end-of-the-first-round pick and should eventually rack up the points starting in New England.

In the middle of the second round, Utica picked up Glenn Dorsey, a player whom many considered the best player in the NFL draft. His upside is limited in our format as he won't get a whole bunch of sacks. Next came Chad Henne, a quarterback the Dolphins reportedly love. Henne is favored to eventually start in Miami, and with their offensive line being improved he has the potential to score some points and turn into a solid contributor down the line. Jamaal Charles won't have the chance to start in Kansas City, but he does have a nice skill set. Still, I would have liked to see Torain picked here for his starting potential. Eddie Royal was a great pickup at the end of the third round, and I think he'll end up playing more than Avery for the Devils. He'll start out as a return man but will be in the starting lineup in the future. The Devils used their last two picks on defensive ends. Fourth-rounder Quentin Groves has the higher big-play potential and could be a double-digit sack monster. Fifth-rounder Lawrence Jackson is the better all-around player and the better pick. Both should see action for Utica.

Fairfax Foxes

• LB Keith Rivers (1.13)
• WR Mario Manningham (3.08)
• DE Phillip Merling (3.09)
• RB Tim Hightower (4.13)
• WR Arman Shields (5.07)
• TE Dustin Keller (5.10)
• LB Bryan Kehl (5.13)

While not expected to play in the middle, Keith Rivers is still filled with upside. As a high first-round pick, the Bengals will commit to using him as much as possible, which should lead to a bunch of tackles. He's a guy whom I wouldn't have been surprised to see taken in the top ten picks. Mario Manningham is likely one of those college players that doesn't have what it takes to be a good NFL player. He's a big name guy, though, so using a middle-third round pick on him seems about right. However, I don't see him succeeding. Phillip Merling probably won't get a lot of sacks, but he's a good run-stopping DE and could wind up with solid numbers based mostly on tackles. Tim Hightower was an excellent fourth-round pick, drawing comparisons to Marion Barber. He'll help lighten the load for Edgerrin James and could be worth a spot-start or two in the NFFL. Out of their three fifth-round picks, I only see Dustin Keller as possibly contributing for the Foxes. Arman Shields and Bryan Kehl are eventual free agents.

Halifax Armada

• LB Curtis Lofton (1.14)
• WR Jordy Nelson (2.14)
• LB Taveras Gooden (3.11)
• WR Early Doucet (3.14)
• QB John David Booty (4.14)
• RB Peyton Hillis (5.14)
• RB Thomas Brown (5.16)
  

At the end of the draft, Halifax wasn't a team that stuck out in my mind as having a great draft. However, after seeing their group of players as a whole this has got to be one of my top-three favorite drafts. I love the Curtis Lofton pick and see him as the 2008 NFFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, barely beating out Jordan Dizon and Keith Rivers. He'll get a boatload of tackles behind a weak defensive line, and he has the talent to capitalize on the opportunity to start. Jordy Nelson is buried on the Green Bay depth chart. He is still learning the WR position after beginning his career on defense. With 122 catches last year, he looks like a quick learner. I see him and Greg Jennings as the eventual starters in Green Bay, meaning that the Foxes will have a very good WR on their hands if they can be patient with Nelson. Taveras Gooden was an absolute steal late in the third round, as he'll be a future starter on the Ravens (aka LB Heaven) for a long time. Early Doucet is another underrated player I really like. He'll fill Bryant Johnson's role in Arizona and could eventually start when the Cardinals decide they can't pay big money to keep Anquan Boldin.

I completely regret thinking John David Booty would make it to my fifth-round pick, passing on him twice in the fourth round. His skill set matches Minnesota's West Coast offense, and QB is the only big weakness in Minnesota. When the Vikings give up on Tarvaris Jackson, Booty will be there to possibly make a Tom Brady-like impact on that team. I don't like the pick of FB Peyton Hillis at all, but then again, Mike Anderson used to be a Denver fullback. Can't say I like Mr. Irrelevant Thomas Brown either.

Lower Saxony Patriots

• WR DeSean Jackson (2.13)
• DE Vernon Gholston (3.05)
• WR Jerome Simpson (3.12)
• LB Phillip Wheeler (3.13)
• RB Jalen Parmele (4.09)
• LB Geno Hayes (4.12)
• RB Jerome Felton (5.07)

The Patriots used their first pick on spark plug DeSean Jackson. He won't make an immediate impact on offense for Philadelphia (though he'll save their horrid return game) but could develop into a big-play threat in the future. I don't think he'll ever be an every-week starter in our league. Vernon Gholston was a great third-round pick, a guy many think will be a sack machine in the NFFL. If he develops into a consistent double-digit sack player, this might end up being one of the best value picks in the draft. Jerome Simpson is an NFL project, coming from a small college. He should get the opportunity to at least fill Chris Henry's role in Cincinnati. If he's successful, he could develop into Chad Johnson's successor. He's been traded since the draft. Phillip Wheeler is a guy I was targeting for my fourth-round pick, and I see him as being a solid starter in the NFFL if the Colts send Gary Brackett on his way. I don't see any of the Patriots' final three picks (Jalen Parmele, Geno Hayes, and Jerome Felton) contributing.

California Xtreme

• LB Jonathan Goff (3.04)
• RB Tashard Choice (3.07)
• LB Shawn Crable (4.04)
• S DaJuan Morgan (5.04)

I don't see either LB California selected as making a meaningful contribution in the NFFL. Shawn Crable, the team's fourth round pick, has a better chance of being useful in New England, but I don't see Jonathan Goff having any impact. The Xtreme's other two picks were excellent. Tashard Choice has an opportunity to be Marion Barber's replacement in the Dallas running game in 2009, so to get him in the third round must feel like quite a steal. DaJuan Morgan is walking into a situation in Kansas City where he can start opposite another excellent young safety, Bernard Pollard. While Pollard will score more points, Morgan has a lot of upside and is as good a pick as you'll find in the fifth round.

Cincinnati Snake Keepers

• WR Will Franklin (3.16)
• RB Mike Hart (4.05)
• WR Lavelle Hawkins (5.02)
• S Hakuri Nakamura (5.11)

Cincinnati didn't pick until the end of the third round and understandably didn't come away from the draft with a whole lot. I like Will Franklin's long-term prospects: he enters the league with a team that's had a gaping hole at WR for a long time, he has good size being over six feet tall and 210+ pounds, he had an extremely fast 40-time (4.30). Franklin could eventually team up to start alongside Dwayne Bowe, and if Kansas City ever brings in a QB they could both be every-week starters. Mike Hart had an outstanding college career but most people feel he doesn't have a big future in the NFL. His outlook was also dampened when the Colts decided to bring back Dominic Rhodes. After watching Hart in college I wouldn't bet against Hart succeeding, but the road appears to be long and winding. Lavelle Hawkins dropped on the merit of his combine numbers, but he's proven himself as a big-time player in a big-time college conference (Pac 10). I wouldn't be surprised if he outperforms Cal teammate DeSean Jackson in the NFL. Hakuri Nakamura was an interesting pick, but one that I don't see panning out.

Osan Dark Knights

• LB Beau Bell (4.01)
• CB Brandon Flowers (5.01)

With Andra Davis and Leon Williams not performing like starters, the Browns will give Beau Bell a chance to win the ILB spot opposite D'Qwell Jackson. Bell is huge and still quick, notching double-digit sacks from the MLB spot in college. I can see him eventually being a solid starting NFFL LB. Brandon Flowers is a fantastic tackler and will get the opportunity to succeed playing in Kansas City, a team needing long-term answers at CB.

Glasgow Warriors

• QB Colt Brennan (4.08)
• QB Andre Woodson (5.09)

The Warriors took a couple long-term projects at QB that are behind solid NFL starters. Colt Brennan has a better chance to pay dividends. Once thought of as a first-round pick, he was picked apart by the NFL Scouting gauntlet and lands in Washington after being picked in the later rounds. It's up to him to adjust from the June Jones offense to a pro-style offense. If he does, he could eventually compete to start for the Redskins. Andre Woodson is another guy who was at one point graded as a first-round, with some placing him in the Top Ten! He lands in New York behind current Super Bowl hero Eli Manning, so his upside for our league is limited. If he can show enough in pre-season, maybe a QB-starved team takes a chance on him down the road. Both QBs find themselves on the Glasgow taxi squad.

New North Las Mexico Vegas Raiders

• No picks.

Horrible draft. Didn't pick a single player that has a chance to contribute short-term or long-term. Better luck next year. But the Raiders did trade for Limas Sweed, who should help in the future and Derrick Harvey, whom I'm not really too high on.

Greenville Storm

• No picks.

A way better draft than the Raiders. Greenville actually gave up a couple first-round picks to acquire Kevin Smith, who will immediately give them depth behind Marshawn Lynch and Thomas Jones. The Storm also brought in Xavier Omon to back up Lynch and Jerome Simpson to develop at WR.