Every year, in the last weekend of April, hundreds of young men travel to New York City with the hopes of becoming the next Walter Payton or John Elway. Many are called, but few are chosen.
It is a time when NFL fans experience their second Christmas. Some make the pilgrimage to New York, while others stay at home in front of their television sets with friends and neighbors with the hope of their favorite franchise drafting the next superstar that will improve their team.
The NFL Draft has become as much of a grand display of talent similar to the likes of the Super Bowl and Pro-Bowl. NFL fans take the draft as seriously as the regular season. In one day, the wrong draft pick can make or break a team’s entire season or legacy.
Those of us who follow the NFL Draft have seen teams fall from grace (San Francisco 49ers) or rise from the ashes like the phoenix (New England Patriots) just through key selections in the draft.
Take the San Diego Chargers who, in 1998, traded up in the draft to get the 2nd pick overall. They had a choice, Ryan Leaf or Peyton Manning. The Chargers chose Leaf instead of Manning and in the immortal words of the Grail Knight, “They chose poorly.” It took the Chargers five years to recover from that pick, and if the Chargers could find a 1982 Black Delorean with a Flux Compacitor, would they have been the 2006-07 Super Bowl Champs instead of the Indianapolis Colts? The world will never know.
Then you have a situation like the Miami Dolphins. In the 2007 NFL Draft, The Miami Dolphins needed a QB. Cleveland Browns backup QB, Brady Quinn, was a lock going into the draft as the Dolphins first round pick. Instead, this happened:
What!?
One of the biggest draft surprises came in the 2000 NFL Draft. The New England Patriots already had Drew Bledsoe as the starter, but wanted to add some depth at the QB position. So with the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, Bill Belichick drafted Tom Brady and the rest, as they say, is history.
In our continued commitment to bring you the best from the world of Hip-Hop and Sports, we present to you our 2008 AllHipHop.com NFL Mock Draft. Platinum Greg, moderator of the Ill Community’s Cheap Seats, and one of our very own posters, Rewind2, have put together a mock draft for football fans.
You can also go to the Cheap Seats, see the predictions for the later rounds and discuss with other football fans about this year’s draft, or you could just discuss other topics from the world of professional sports. There’s plenty to talk about nowadays.
So, as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would say, “With the first pick of the 2008 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins are now on the clock.”
2007-08 NFL Record: 1-15
Needs: OT, CB, WR, QB, G
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Jake Long, OT, Michigan
Rewind2’s Pick: Jake Long, OT, Michigan
Thanks to Bill Parcells and the Miami Dolphins organization, Jake Long has already signed a 5 year, $57 million contract and taken away all of the suspense from figuring out who would be the 1st pick overall. At least we won’t have to wait for the Phins to use their entire 10 minutes to make a pick. We move on.
2007-08 NFL Record: 3-13
Team Needs: DE, DT, WR, C, OLB, OT
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Chris Long, DE, Virginia
Rewind2’s Pick: Glen Dorsey, DT, LSU
2007-08 NFL Record: 4-12
Team Needs: QB, OT, CB, DT, TE
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Glen Dorsey, DT, LSU
Rewind2’s Pick: Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
2007-08 NFL Record: 4-12
Team Needs: DE/DT, OT/G, SLB, WR, RB
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
Rewind2’s Pick: Chris Long, DE, Virginia
2007-08 NFL Record: 4-12
Team Needs: OT, CB, DT, G, C, WR, QB
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Ryan Clady, OT, Boise St.
Rewind2’s Pick: Sederick Ellis, DT, USC
2007-08 NFL Record: 4-12
Team Needs: DE, WR, CB, FS, ILB, RB
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
Rewind2’s Pick: Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
7. New England Patriots (From San Francisco)
2007-08 NFL Record: 16-0
Team Needs: ILB, OLB, CB, ROT, TE
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy
Rewind2’s Pick: Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State
2007-08 NFL Record: 5-11
Team Needs: QB, CB, LOT, OLB/DE, ILB
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
Rewind2’s Pick: Leoids McKelvin, CB, Troy
2007-08 NFL Record: 7-9
Team Needs: NT, OT, DE, LB, WR, C
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State
Rewind2’s Pick: Keith Rivers, OLB, USC
2007-08 NFL Record: 6-9
Team Needs: CB, DT, LB, TE, ROT, S
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas
Rewind2’s Pick: Dominique Rodgers Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State
11. Buffalo Bills
2007 NFL Record: 7-9
Team Needs: WR, TE, CB, DE, FS
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Malcom Kelly, WR, Oklahoma
Rewind2’s Pick: Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State
12. Denver Broncos
2007-08 NFL Record: 7-9
Team Needs: OT, WR, DT, MLB, S
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh
Rewind2’s Pick: Ryan Clady OT Boise State
2007-08 NFL Record: 7-9
Team Needs: ROT, FS, DE, RB, TE
Platinum Greg’s Picks: Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
Rewind2’s Pick: Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
14. Chicago Bears
2007-08 NFL Record: 7-9
Team Needs: OT, QB, RB, WR, G, S
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois
Rewind2’s Pick: Branden Albert, OL, Virginia
15. Detroit Lions
2007-08 NFL Record: 7-9
Team Needs: RB, DE, OT, LB, DT
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
Rewind2’s Pick: Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
2007-08 NFL Record: 8-8
Team Needs: CB, FS, RB, LOT, WR, S
<!–[if !supportLists]–>c. <!–[endif]–>Platinum Greg’s Pick: Mike Jenkins, CB, Ohio State
<!–[if !supportLists]–>d. <!–[endif]–>Rewind2’s Pick: Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois
17. Kansas City Chiefs (From Minnesota)
2007-08 NFL Record: 8-8
Team Needs: DE, QB, OT, CB, WR
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan St.
Rewind2’s Pick: Jeff Otah, OT, Pittburgh
18. Houston Texans
2007-08 NFL Record: 8-8
Team Needs: CB, LOT, DE, G/C, S
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
Rewind2’s Pick: Mike Jenkins, CB, USF
2007-08 NFL Record: 8-8
Team Needs: S, WR, LB, OT/G, DE
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Limas Sweed, WR, Texas
Rewind2’s Pick: John Stewert, RB, Oregon
2007-08 NFL Record: 9-7
Team Needs: WR, LOT, CB, QB, DT
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
Rewind2’s: Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
2007-08 NFL Record: 9-7
Team Needs: WR, S, DE, OL, CB
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Desean Jackson, WR, Cal.
Rewind2’s Pick: Limas Sweed, WR, Texas
22. Dallas Cowboys (From Cleveland)
2007-08 NFL Record: 13-3
Team Needs: CB, WR, RB, OT, S
Platinum Greg’s Picks: Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan
Rewind2’s: Aquib Talib, CB, Kansas
2007-08 NFL Record: 10-6
Team Needs: DE, OT, WR, G, FS
Platinum Greg’s Picks: Sam Baker, OT, USC
Rewind2’s: Gosder Cherlius, OT, Boston College
24. Tennessee Titans
2007-08 NFL Record: 10-6
Team Needs: WR, DE, DT, CB, OLB
Platinum Greg’s Picks: James Hardy, WR, Indiana
Rewind2’s: Desean Jackson, WR, Cal
25. Seattle Seahawks
2007-08 NFL Record: 10-6
Team Needs: TE, WR, DT, S, OL
Platinum Greg’s Picks: Jamaal Charles, RB, Texas
Rewind2’s Pick: Chris Johnson, RB, ECU
2007-08 NFL Record: 11-5
Team Needs: DE, DT, SS, OT, WR
<!–[if !supportLists]–>c. <!–[endif]–>Platinum Greg’s Picks: Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson
<!–[if !supportLists]–>d. <!–[endif]–>Rewind2’s Pick: Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson
2007-08 NFL Record: 11-5
Team Needs: ROT, S, RB, NT, CB
Platinum Greg’s Picks: Brandon Albert, OT, Virginia
Rewind2’s Pick: Kenny Phillips, S, Miami (Fl)
28. Dallas Cowboys
2007-08 NFL Record: 13-3
Team Needs: WR, CB, RB, G/C, QB, NT
Platinum Greg’s Picks: Matt Forte, RB, Tulane
Rewind2’s Pick: Jammal Charles, RB, Texas
29. San Francisco 49ers (From Indianapolis)
2007-08 NFL Record: 5-11
Team Needs: ROT, OLB, WR, G/C, QB
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Early Doucet, WR, LSU
Rewind2’s Pick: Quentin Groves, OLB, Auburn
2007-08 NFL Record: 13-3
Team Needs: CB, S, OT, TE, QB, RB
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue
Rewind2’s Pick: Antone Cason, CB, Arizona
2007-08 NFL Record: 16-0
Team Needs: ILB, OLB, CB, ROT, TE
Our Pick: Draft Pick forfeited due to Spygate. Sorry Pats Fans.
They say “cheaters never prosper” and this is what happens when you cheat in the NFL, they take away your Draft pick. The problem with that, many fans and analyst argue that the wrong pick was taken away. For references, look at the 7th overall pick.
32. New York Giants
2007-08 NFL Record: 10-6
Team Needs: S, OLB, CB, WR, G/T, DT
Platinum Greg’s Pick: Jerod Mayo, LB, Tennessee
Rewind2’s Pick: Jerod Mayo, LB, Tennessee