Sanchez Splash

The New York Jets stole the show on draft day by making a splash and trading up for USC quarterback, Mark Sanchez. Now the future is looking bright for a team entering the draft in disarray. The Southern California star is the face of the franchise in New York. Sanchez becomes the symbol and spokesman for the Jets. He doesn’t have the strongest arm and his experience is limited, but Sanchez was a steal for New York. The Jets moved up 12 spots to the number five spot Saturday in round one. The selection belonged to Cleveland before the teams agreed on the trade sending quarterback, Brett Ratliff, and defensive players. Kenyon Coleman and Abram Elam to the Browns. Cleveland also received two of the Jets draft picks for the Trojan quarterback. Elam was a playmaker and showed glimpses of greatness a year ago. But, let’s face it. Neither Coleman nor Elam are going to provide or produce what Sanchez will. Ratliff is no better or no worse than Kellen Clemens and became expendable as soon as the Jets decided to trade up.
The Sanchez splash leaves out the possibility of a rotating door at quarterback. It’s clear the Jets intend on Mark being their future leader, although Clemens is probably still the starter for this year. You don’t make a move like the Jets did this weekend if you do not have complete faith in situating Sanchez in the spotlight. Interestingly, Clemens and Sanchez share the same agent. The charismatic Sanchez should learn quickly and he will give this team an excess of excitement. Coming out of college, he was the sexiest and trendiest pick in the draft despite being the second quarterback selected. The talented rookie exudes confidence and presents himself well, with poise and popularity. Mark’s played only 16 games and hasn’t been tested in the cold Meadowlands winds. But with drafting Sanchez, Rex Ryan need not worry about his franchise’s future at the quarterback position. The problem was essentially solved Saturday with an investment that in all likelihood will pay dividends for years to follow. Sanchez will have some time to develop while Gang Green learns to play for a different head coach and new look defense. Sanchez is used to standing out and he sure won’t blend in while a New York Jet, especially if he can get this team into the playoffs. But the Jets defense is not the Ravens defense. Ryan saw success with developing Joe Flacco because Baltimore’s defense allowed him to manage the game. The Jets are not a ready-made defensive juggernaut yet. Sanchez seems ready to handle the duties as well as the malicious media. There was a lot of emphasis on the quarterback at USC and Sanchez was up for the challenge. He is hoping to recapture the respect fans displayed for Chad Pennington when the Marshall grad first starred for the team. Perhaps Sanchez will even make up for the Brett Favre debacle last season.
New York GM, Mike Tannenbaum traded up again in the third round to snag Iowa running back, Shonn Greene. The Jets gave up a 3rd, 4th and 7th round pick to Detroit to fill a potential hole in the backfield. The Jets current tailback, Thomas Jones, is threatening to skip camp until he renegotiates his contract.
I was happy the Jets were aggressive in day one, but surprised they went after a running back before trying finding a wideout yesterday. I think they need to take a look at their current receivers and could have addressed the issue by drafting one this weekend. Greene is an intriguing prospect though, and will fancy taking handoffs from whoever the quarterback may be.
One team that stocked up receivers is the Giants, and rightly so. The main mission for Big Blue was replacing Plaxico Burress. The Giants will be a competitive team even without a big-time wide receiver, but they are logically a legitimate Superbowl contender with one. They still could be a championship team with a mix of proven players and rookie receivers. The Giants drafted UNC reciever, Hakeem Nicks, with their first round, 29th overall pick in day one. Yesterday they also landed Cal Poly’s Ramses Barden. Barden is no Anquan Boldin and is an unpolished receiver. He is not as fast as Plaxico but he is comparable physically. The 6’6”, 230 lbs Barden is a red zone threat, catching for close to 1,300 yards at Division I-AA Cal Poly his senior year. He scored 18 touchdowns in each of his final two years. Barden is quick off the line of scrimmage and anything but bland with the ball. If he can create harmony with Eli Manning, the Giants will complete another solid draft.
I was all for the Giants trading a first and third-rounder for Cleveland’s Braylon Edwards. They chose to draft wisely instead and will take a risk with two players instead of a proven Pro Bowler.
Nicks was still on the board when the Giants were on the clock Saturday. Big Blue’s love affair with the UNC receiver was not a secret, and the team did not hesitate to draft him. The wideout has great hands according to scouts and average to good speed. New York also drafted a player in round two they believe will upgrade and contribute to the defense. The speedy linebacker, Clint Sintim, from Virginia, was a safe selection and he could be an immediate impact in 2009. Connecticut’s William Beatty was the final Giant drafted Saturday. Beatty is a large and powerful offensive tackle who should be a beneficial backup in year one.
The team also added a tight end, who performed for a dangerous Badgers team in Wisconsin. The reputed Big 10 program pumps out players who thrive on blocking and tackling. The third round selection of Travis Beckum gives the Giants a weapon offensively who is capable of diverse skills. Running back, Andre Brown, out of North Carolina State, should fit nicely into the offensive scheme. Tom Coughlin will use Brown in Derrick Ward-like fashion.
The Giants added depth with two cornerbacks, DeAndre Wright and Stoney Woodson, in rounds six and seven. Wright is a New Mexico product who the Giants took 200th overall. Thirty-eight picks later, they chose 5’11” Woodson out of South Carolina. Rhett Bomar, the Sam Houston quarterback, was also a Big Blue draftee.

Here are some other draft day notables from around the NFL:

Ohio State saw four former Buckeyes drafted on the first day. Cornerback, Malcom Jenkins, was taken 14th overall by New Orleans. Running back, Chris Wells, was the second Buckeye picked in the first round. Wells went to Arizona with the 31st pick. I was expecting the Saints to go for Wells and was surprised Beanie fell so far. The Saints probably made the right decision because they are only a few defensive players short of being a Superbowl caliber team. Donald Brown, the Connecticut running back, was even taken ahead of Wells and I was disheartened by that. I realize the former Buckeye MVP had an injury-plagued 2008, but I feel he will be a terrific NFL running back. Arizona is a fine fit for Beanie because Tim Hightower is more of a third-down player and Wells in a great inside rusher. He should be the featured back for the NFC champs. Knowshon Moreno, the well-publicized Georgia tailback, was taken first. Moreno is talented and I did expect him to go higher than Wells. Moreno went 12th overall to Denver, in what is historically a running team. The Broncos also took a defensive end from Tennessee, Robert Ayers, who can play inside or from the edge.
Malcom Jenkins is not a captivating cornerback, but he was the top pass defender in the draft. His size and strength match up against big receivers and he was college football’s top defensive back last year. The All-American Jenkins can tackle, intercept, break up passes, block punts and force fumble. He’s a great pick for New Orleans because he has the ball skills of a pro already.
OSU captain and linebacker, James Laurinaitis was the 35th overall player taken in the second round. The Rams took the three time All-American who exhibits class, maturity and integrity on and off the field. Laurinaitis is a two-time defensive player of the year and 2006 Nagurski Award winner. St. Louis couldn’t have added a better linebacker to rush the passer in my opinion. Wide receiver, Brian Robiskie was taken with the very next pick at 36 by Cleveland. I was secretly hoping the Giants would draft Robiskie. The productive, reliable receiver can score touchdowns and catch passes very well. He is everything you desire in an offensive player, and he’s fleet footed.
Matthew Stafford, the Georgia signal caller, was taken number one by nobody’s surprise. Detroit needs a quarterback and a franchise player to earn some sort of credibility again. Stafford, at least, will provide that. The Lions took the mystery out of the day one selection by signing Stafford Friday night to a ludicrous and lucrative $78 million deal over six years. Stafford does have poor footwork in the pocket but the Lions will appreciate his big arm. The team also selected the potent Penn State player, receiver Derrick Williams. Williams has experience in kick returns and was the 2004 high school player of the year.
New England traded down and out of round one but Bill Belichick picked up highly-touted safety, Patrick Chung in the second. Chung played for Oregon and gives the Patriots weak defense some ammunition next year. New England shored up more of their secondary with Darius Butler, selected in the second round out of Uconn. Butler was believed to have first round cornerback competence.
Jason Smith, a tackle, was the second pick. Smith will probably replace Orlando Pace on the Rams. His attitude and accomplishments as a pass protector will open up holes for the running game. Smith should turn out to be one of the stud selections from this year’s draft class. Marc Bulger will appreciate his protection ability with the tried tackle taking the hits instead of him.
The quirky outside linebacker, Aaron Curry, went to Seattle. He’s ready to play with the big boys now and will make his mark where Julian Peterson did for the Seahawks. The rookie won the 2008 Butkus Award and is viewed in the same class as Laurinaitis.
The nation’s most touted pre-draft receiver, Michael Crabtree, disappointingly, didn’t go as soon as he thought. Darrius Heyward-Bey went seventh to Oakland before Crabtree stumbled into San Franciso’s lap at number ten. The Dallas native Crabtree suffered a stress fracture in his foot during the scouting combine, but he is a better player than Heyward-Bey. Darrius was thought to be considered the third best receiver in the draft. The Maryland receiver was the fastest on the board. He will play alongside another speedster in Florida’s Louis Murphy. The Raiders have two track-star-like wideouts, but who exactly is getting the ball to them?
Receiver-returner, Jeremy Maclin from Missouri's will play for the Eagles next year. I am confused about this move for the Eagles because they have a similar style player in last year’s draftee, DeSean Jackson. I am sure Andy Reid will find use for Maclin and the Eagles will not have an overabundance of receiver return men. Philadelphia picked Pitt’s LeSean McCoy 53rd overall. McCoy is a great fit for the Eagles because he similar to Brian Westbrook. I thought LeSean would go higher, perhaps in the first round, after being an impressive college leader. Victor Harris, gifted when it comes to intercepting the ball, adds flair on special teams. The Virginia Tech cornerback was another player taken by the Eagles.
Michigan State runner, Javon Ringer, clobbered defenses the entire season at Michigan State. He was only a fifth round selection. Another surprise stumble was USC linebacker, Rey Maualuga. He slipped into the second round when Cincinnati took him at 38th. The Bengals drafted fairly well this year. Alabama’s Andre Smith torments defenses at the offensive tackle position. Smith was overweight while playing for Nick Sabean, but is going to be a good NFL player.
The other two talented Trojan linebackers, Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews were drafted by the Texans and Packers in the opening round. Cushing is the best of the trio and will play a versatile role. He was the head of the class at Southern Cal and makes the front seven much stronger in Houston. Matthews plays outside linebacker. If he signs, he will join B.J Raji in Dom Capers’ 3-4 defense. Raji was Green Bay’s first overall pick. He played nose tackle for Boston College and is quick to the quarterback.
Rutgers receiver, Kenny Britt, is a local product for me. He went to the Titans late in the first round. Britt drops a lot of passes but is a good pickup for a Jeff Fisher’s team that didn’t need to address many missing pieces.
Brian Orakpo from Georgia solidifies a Redskins defense already revamped by Albert Haynesworth. Orakpo went 13th and has tremendous upside. Brian is a beefy edge pass rusher. Linebacker/defensive end, Larry English, landed with the San Diego Chargers at number 16. English was expected to miss out on the first round entirely but was taken off the board early Saturday. The Northern Illinois pass rusher helps San Diego with the loss of Igo Olshansky. Gartrell Johnson, running back from Colorado, led the Mountain West in yards per game and will play for the Chargers next year also.
Minnesota boned up their prolific offense with Florida receiver, Percy Harvin. Harvin tested positive for marijuana a week before the draft but is a weapon with his blistering speed. Two centers were chosen in the first round. Alex Mack from California went to the Browns at 21 and Louisville’s Eric Wood was taken by Buffalo at 28. I like how the Bills also selected Aaron Maybin. The Penn State pass rusher addresses their needs because he is a smart player who has great reaction time.
Besides Harvin, I was surprised Oklahoma receiver, Juaquin Iglesais fell to the 99th spot. He was a profound factor for the Sooners and will play for the Bears. I thought he would be at least a second round draftee.
Atlanta didn’t do much but chose to focus on defense with Ole Miss tackle, Peria Jerry. The Ravens also selected a player from Ole Miss with their trade up for offensive tackle, Michael Oher. The 23rd overall pick is a smart player rated highly by scouts.
The Colts connected with a nice player in Curtis Painter. The Purdue quarterback is a leader who should learn a lot playing behind Peyton Manning. He was selected in the sixth round, after Indy landed USC inside defensive tackle, Fili Moala, at 56th overall.
I love the idea of Pat White playing for Miami. Bill Parcells is smart in drafting the smooth and adept running West Virginia product. The prospect can handle the Wildcat formation down in Florida and is expected to compete for a starting job. Ronnie Brown and Pat White projects to be a deadly combination and hard adjustment for defensive coordinators. White’s deep-ball threat may be the most underrated aspect of his well-rounded, athletic game.
Jacksonville was looking for pass protectors and think they found the right players in linemen, Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton. Monroe played for the Virginia offense in college, and Britton took out defenses in Arizona.
Tampa Bay thought it worthwhile to trade up in the first round for quarterback, Josh Freeman. The Kansas State selection isn’t a schooled player but will be an ongoing project for the transitioning Bucs. Brian Griese and Byron Leftwich are on the roster at the position but both are pretty washed up quarterbacks.
The Steelers had an okay draft. On day one, they coveted Ziggy Hood, the Missouri defensive end. Ziggy was available and now Pittsburgh has their prime player. But Hood has a long way to go before he becomes a starter. The Steelers attacked their needs and stuck to their plan this weekend. Kraig Urbik is a massive guard and Mike Wallace has speed at the receiver and kick return position. Both are from Mississippi. Wallace is an outside wideout with nice size. He is expected to be a number three receiver, replacing Nate Washington. The Steelers are searching for the next Antwaan Randle El in Wallace as a special teams star.
The disgruntled Dallas Cowboys barely made noise in the draft. I don’t understand the philosophy down in Big D. Remember the team already threw away their first pick to acquire Roy Williams last year and then traded a second rounder. Jerry Jones didn’t add a single player in day one but found Jason Williams and Robert Brewster to his liking in round three. Williams is an inside linebacker from Western Illinois. Brewster played tackle and guard for Ball State. Texas A&M tosser, Stephen McGee, was drafted in the fourth round, along with linebackers, Victor Butler and Brandon Williams. McGee has good pocket sense but lacks that solid arm of a quality quarterback. Williams was also a state college football player, starring at Texas Tech. The Cowboys started 2009 thin at linebacker so these selections should help. USC kicker, David Buehler, was an interesting fifth round choice for the Cowboys. Cincinnati cornerback, Mike Mickens lit up the Big East with his tackling technique. Mickens has huge value and I thought his deserved a higher selection. I thought they were ultra weak at the kicking position so was thrilled they opted to load up with a rookie.

Parting points: It’s 89 degrees out there. What are you doing inside?!?