You know whats really important? How long a player hugs the commissioner after they’re drafted. Thankfully, Deadspin took the time out of their day to time out the hugs so I didn’t have to. And what did they find?
Here’s all 20 players drafted who were in attendance last night, ordered by length of hug—from Kendall Wright’s 2.26 second come-and-go to Fletcher Cox’s any-longer-and-it’ll-be-ranked-PG-13 lovefest.
So, I guess you can say officially that Roger Goodell and Cox have a special bond.
1 – Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck QB Stanford
-He really is Peyton Manning part two, his intelligence is just off the charts. I remember reading that Luck would call three plays and then depending on what the defense showed him he’d choose one. That’s Manning level stuff. He’s going to be a problem in the NFL for opposing defenses. And unlike Manning, Luck is actually athletic and he moves really well for a QB. This guy is a mortal lock to be a franchise QB unless something goes horribly, horribly awry.
2 – Washington Redskins – Robert Griffin QB Baylor
-The Redskins draft the flavor of the month, Robert Griffin shot up in the draft with a huge Heisman season and the Redskins jump all over the charismatic athlete and make him the face of their franchise. He’s got a really good arm and he’s a heck of a scrambler too but he’s got some development to do. He could be an all-pro if he puts it all together and the Redskins could hit a home run shot. Personally I think that he’s a little skittish in the pocket and that his accuracy drops a lot when you get pressure. And another thing you notice when watching Griffin is that he take a lot of unnecessary punishment, he holds onto the ball, he doesn’t slide, he runs the ball quite a bit and as noble as it is to try and block, it isn’t smart and this is all especially concerning when you realize that Griffin already has already torn his ACL once. I think Robert Griffin is the next QB in the long line of super athletic QBs who are good players but they never quite nail down the mental part of the game. He’ll make some highlights though and he’ll put people in the seats.
3 – Minnesota Vikings – Morris Claiborne CB LSU
-The Vikings throw the first curve ball, Claiborne is a big time corner with a really good all around skill set and really smooth athleticism. Claiborne can play press and off coverage in both man and zone. He locates the ball in the air and he makes some really nice interceptions. He could develop into a shut down corner for the Vikings and they need one in a division where they face Rodgers, Cutler and Stafford and their barrage of weapons two times a year.
Dontari Poe’s Journey via The Memphis Commercial Appeal
“Jim Washburn, who coached the defensive line for the Titans for a long time and is now with Philadelphia, said he saw Dontari on film and thought he was better than Albert Haynesworth at this stage of his career,” DuBose said. “If Dontari had been in our system at Alabama (where DuBose was once the head coach), he’d be a top three or top five pick.”
Yep, coach Washburn is smitten. He spent a top pick on Haynesworth coming out of Tennessee and he says that Poe is better. He’ll look pretty good in Midnight Green.
By drafting Melvin Ingram, you drafted one of the most versatile defensive playmakers in the draft. Ingram is a super athletic playmaker who can come in and make a difference right away in a bunch of ways. He can play right end, left end, he bulked up to 280 pounds and played defensive tackle last year and he’s athletic and instinctive enough to play any linebacker spot in some schemes.
More after the jump…
By drafting Mark Barron you just added an enforcer to the back half of your defense. There are questions regarding his durability and athleticism but he’s probably the safest safety prospect in the draft. Bottom line, you get a big, hard-hitting safety who can play the run as well as anyone and be a weapon on blitzes. But perhaps the most appealing thing about Mark Barron is that he knows his role, he plays smart and he functions well as a piece of a greater whole.
More after the jump…
"You like me, right?"
Ever heard the phrase “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”? Oh, you have? Well then meet Chandler Jones. Some people can’t stop talking about how great he is, others can’t stop talking about how overrated he is. Let me show you what I’m talking about.
Josh Norris, draft writer for Rotoworld, doesn’t like him much.
Ryan Riddle, former NFL player and budding draft nik doesn’t see much to like either.
In general, draftniks present a unified front against Chandler Jones.
But then the experts and NFL Draft types just can’t get enough.
Mike Mayock says he’s the 9th best player in the draft.
7. Mark Barron, SS, Alabama
8. Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
9. Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse
10. Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
Greg Cosell projected him to the Eagles in his full meta mock draft saying:
With that said, the pick is Chandler Jones from Syracuse. Jones has an intriguing combination of size, length and athletic movement. I think of Eagles defensive line coach Jim Washburn, and I could easily envision Washburn looking at Jones, and seeing a better version of Jason Jones, whom Washburn coached in Tennessee for 3 years.
Mike Lombardi, NFL analyst and former NFL general manager has even gone so far as to compare Chandler Jones to Jason Pierre-Paul.
And the ESPN talking heads just loooooooove Chandler Jones. Todd McShay says that “I think the most underrated player maybe in the entire draft and certainly among defensive linemen is Chandler Jones.” And Mel Kiper said this in a mock draft earlier this month:
Listed as a defensive end at Syracuse, Jones has the talent, upside and a great frame to make the move to OLB in a pass-rushing role. He’s still a little raw, but the instincts are there and offensive linemen have a really tough time getting their hands on him. Could blossom into a star for the Chargers.
And ESPN’s third wheel Kevin Weidl loves Chandler Jones just as much.
Opinions, everyones got one. But not all opinions are created equal and one side of this debate is going to end up looking smarter a few years down the line. Which side? I’ll throw my opinion hat into the ring after the page break.
So you drafted Quinton Coples. What are you getting? That is a really good question. Are you getting a spoiled, big time talent with work ethic issues? Or are you getting a guy who is a victim of bad circumstances at North Carolina? Are you getting a defensive end or a defensive tackle? Who knows. But what you can know is that you’re getting a very talented player with a bunch of potential and positional versatility.
More after the jump…
Brian Dawkins, one of the greatest safeties in NFL history just retired from the NFL on twitter. I’m thrilled that I don’t have to see him in that horrible Bronco orange but I’m sad that my favorite player ever is leaving the NFL. Here is what Dawkins had to say:
The Lord has blessed me to play in the NFL for 16 years. I would like to thank the Eagles & the Broncos 4 believing In me. I would like 2 thank all my teammates & Coaches that I have been blessed 2 go to battle with. Along with u, the fans 4 helping make my career 1 that i have enjoyed tremendously. In other words. I am announcing my retirement from the NFL. #BBTB
I’m so happy to have watched Brian Dawkins play football. Years from now I’ll be a cranky old grandpa that bemoans the current state of the NFL and I’ll tell the youngsters all about Brian Dawkins and what he stood for. He was just a football player but he was more than that, wasn’t he? Listening to him speak was nothing less than a religious experience. He was always respectful. He was inspiring. He was hard working. He pulled no punches. And he cared, he cared about how well he played, how well the team played and how the fans were doing. Brian Dawkins isn’t just a football player, he’s a top notch person that just happened to play football and he did it well enough to become a Philadelphia icon. He’s the epitome of what a football player should act like on and off the field. He’s mentioned in the same breath as Chuck Bednarik, Reggie White and Steve Van Buren and he deserves nothing less; Brian Dawkins was the single most dominant Eagle I’ve ever seen with my own eyes.
I can’t even think of a single moment that defines Brian Dawkins’ career. Brian Dawkins is a transcendent football player that needs to be immortalized in the hallowed halls of Canton’s Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is an all time great on the field and he was a great person off of it too. Brian Dawkins was the heart and soul of a defense that helped propel the Eagles to 10 playoff wins in the 2000s. He was a player that played a huge role in setting up the foundation of a winning franchise with leadership ability and his take no prisoners mentality on the field.
So all I can say is this:
Thank you Brian Dawkins. Thank you for caring. Thank you for leaving your heart and soul on the field every game. Thank you for sacrificing your well being over and over again. Thank you for laying out Crumpler. Thank you for all the years that you dedicated to the Eagles. Thank you for everything B-Dawk, it was a blast. I’ll see you in Canton five years from now.
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