| | Michael Lev: Greetings, draftniks. We're less than 24 hours away from Draft Day 2000, and I couldn't be more excited. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to sleep tonight, and it has nothing to do with my chronic insomnia. I'm just excited about Draft Day, which truly is the best day of the year. In lieu of actual picks, let's talk draft for the next hour. Fire away with any questions you might have.
Storm: Do you think that the Bucs gave up too much and paid too much for the services of Keyshawn Johnson? He is a fine WR, however, the Bucs could have drafted a speedy WR and upgraded their running game at the same time for less money.
Michael Lev: I don't think the Bucs gave up too much. I think they got a steal. They gave up the 13th and 27th picks for a guy who was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft just four years ago. And not only was he the first pick, but he has lived up to his billing. In exchange for two unknown quantities -- the draft picks -- the Bucs received a known quantity who can help them win now. After losing in the NFC championship game by just five points, the Bucs are in position to go
for it. Acquiring Keyshawn was a go-for-it type of move.
William Snyder: Are there any better alternatives for Pittsburgh at #8 other than Pennington or Burress "the head case", because the Steelers really need a WR or OT badly.
Michael Lev: The Steelers are in a tricky spot. They need help in a lot of areas, especially offensive line, but there isn't real good OL value with the eighth pick. I don't think Plaxico Burress is going to be available at No. 8, despite all the recent rumblings about his stock dropping (frankly, I don't buy into any of it). That means they'll probably have their choice between Florida WR Travis Taylor and Marshall QB Chad Pennington. Taylor would be a sound selection, but I don't think he'll be as big an impact player as Burress. Pennington could be a solid pro for years to come. But are the Steelers willing to commit to him? If they draft Pennington, the Steelers are saying the Kordell Stewart experiment is basically over. I'm not sure they've made up their minds on Kordell quite yet. If that's indeed the case, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Steelers trade down with a team that wants Pennington. With a pick in the 12-16 range, the Steelers could
start rebuilding their offensive line.
Court: Since the Packers don't appear to have enough to offer to move up, what do you think they will do in the first round?
Michael Lev: The Packers reportedly were looking to move up to the No. 5 spot, presumably to draft Florida State DT Corey Simon. If that falls through and the Pack stays put, I look for Green Bay to still focus on defense. In my personal mock draft, I have the Packers taking Michigan State OLB Julian Peterson.
Peterson is a very good athlete who can rush the passer and had a very good Senior Bowl. Pro Football Weekly's draft expert, Joel Buchsbaum, had the Packers taking South Carolina DE-OLB John Abraham in his Friday morning mock draft. Abraham is a poor man's Jevon Kearse who can really get around the corner to get to the quarterback. Are you sensing a theme here? After drafting three DBs last season, the Packers need to upgrade their front seven on defense, plain and simple. I look for them to take a big wideout in the second or third round.
Craig Lovelock: Do you know which defensive players the 49ers are looking at for their 16th pick and do they intend to get one of the second tier quarterbacks in the later rounds?
Michael Lev: If they go for defense, the 49ers are likely to take one of the following players with their first first-round pick: Michigan State OLB Julian Peterson, Syracuse LB Keith Bulluck, Virginia Tech DE John Engelberger or Tennessee DE Shaun Ellis (if he slips). The 49ers also might try to upgrade their offensive line by taking Oklahoma OT Stockar McDougle. Regarding the QB
position, the hot rumor right now is that the 49ers have their eye on Hofstra's Giovanni Carmazzi, who's expected to go in the third or fourth round. Carmazzi has very good leadership skills, and he has looked very athletic in his workouts. Don't completely rule out Georgia Tech's Joe Hamilton with a sixth- or seventh round selection.
DSGarwood: love your publication .. now to the draft .. if offered . should the Browns trade the no. 1 pick for 4 other 1st rd picks?
Michael Lev: Supposedly, that's the only way the Browns would trade out of the top spot -- if the Jets offered all four of their first-rounders (which they reportedly are unwilling to do). I think it would be a mistake for the Browns to trade down. In order to win in the NFL, you have to have superstars, and the Browns can get a future superstar in Penn State DE Courtney Brown. With Brown and Tim Couch, Cleveland has a building block on each side of the ball. I view QB, OT, DE and CB as the four most important positions. With Brown and Couch aboard, Cleveland would be halfway home.
Kevman: Are the rumors about the Rams possibly drafting Sebastian Janikowski in the first round true? If the rumors are true, would drafting Janikowski be a smart move in the first round?
Michael Lev: I have heard the rumors, and I think they might have some validity. Just ask yourself this: What was the one weakness on the Super Bowl champion Rams? Answer: placekicker. With Janikowski, the Rams would rule the field-position battle, and in the dome on turf, they'd be in position to go for a field goal any time they reached the opponent's 40-yard line. I'm very involved in formulating PFW's fantasy-football rankings, and if Janikowski were drafted by the Rams, I just might rank him as the No. 1 placekicker for the 2000 season. If the Rams don't take Janikowski, I expect them to draft an offensive lineman such as Mississippi State's Todd Wade or Hawaii's Adrian Klemm.
MacDaddy7777@webtv.com: If you were GM of Jaguars would you select a wide receiver or offense linemen in first round and what would be your reasoning behind it.
Michael Lev: I'd go for a wide receiver. The Jaguars need another playmaker on the outside. Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell make for a very solid 1-2 WR tandem, but the Jags have never really had a No. 3 guy who can stretch the defense. This is a WR-rich draft, so Jacksonville should be able to get a quality wideout with its first-round pick. Names mentioned for that spot include
Georgia Tech's Dez White (if he falls that far), West Virginia's Jerry Porter and Arizona's Dennis Northcutt. My dark-horse candidate: Southern Mississippi's Todd Pinkston, who's a little on the skinny side but has good height and can make the acrobatic catch.
Coolfox22: Do you think the raiders would trade to move up in the draft?
Michael Lev: With Al Davis in the war room, anything is possible. And whatever you're hearing probably isn't true. The Raiders reportedly are one of the teams interested in moving up and grabbing that No. 5 pick, currently owned by the Ravens. If the Raiders were to make such a move, I'm fairly certain Plaxico Burress is the guy they'd be going after. Oakland desperately needs to upgrade
its size at the WR position, and go-to guy Tim Brown isn't getting any younger. If the Raiders stay where they are, they could get Jackson State WR Sylvester Morris, who has the requisite measurables (6-3, 215).
nygiantsfan: What do you think the Giants are going to do?
Michael Lev: Most of the speculation has the Giants taking a running back with their first-round pick. The Giants have a history of drafting Big Ten players (Tyrone Wheatley, Amani Toomer, Joe Montgomery, etc.), making Wisconsin's Ron Dayne the most logical candidate. However, I believe Alabama's Shaun Alexander is a better pro prospect. In order to be a big hit in the NFL, Dayne has to be in just the right system. He needs to be on a power-running team that will stick him in the I-formation and give him the rock 20-25 times a game. Alexander is more versatile, is a much better receiver and was at his best in big games in college, rolling up huge numbers vs. Florida (at The Swamp) and Michigan this past season. (Check out Dayne's record vs. the Wolverines -- it isn't too impressive). If they don't take a running back, I look for the Giants to possibly take a linebacker (Julian Peterson? John Abraham?). They need to upgrade their speed and athleticism at that position.
jeff: Who do you think the Vikes are looking at in the draft? Obviously a defensive player, but where do you start?
Michael Lev: Based on his offseason moves to date, it's hard to say what Dennis Green is going to do. About the only position we can rule out completely is quarterback. Based on their draft position (No.
25), I see the Vikings taking a cornerback with their first pick. Their pass defense the last few years has ranged from bad to awful, and the Vikes need people who can cover the big, playmaking receivers in the NFC Central. (Besides their own Randy Moss and Cris Carter, the Vikes must contend with the likes of Keyshawn Johnson, Germane Crowell, Marcus Robinson and Antonio Freeman.) If they go the CB route, the Vikes could end up with Jackson State's Rashard Anderson (who has terrific size), California's Deltha O'Neal or Ohio State's Ahmed
Plummer. If not defensive back, I look for the Vikings to focus on either the offensive or defensive line.
Stu: Are the eagles going to take Travis Taylor?
Michael Lev: If they stay at No. 6, I see the Eagles nabbing one of two players: Florida WR Travis Taylor or Florida State DT Corey Simon. (Those two schools are always warring, aren't they?) Both would satisfy big-time needs in Philadelphia. The question is whether Simon will be available at No. 6. A lot of rumors are swirling that the Ravens just might take the big fella with their pick at
No. 5. If so, Taylor is a nice consolation prize. QB Donovan McNabb needs weapons, and Taylor would instantly become the Eagles' No. 1 receiver.
Bearsfan: Do you see Urlacher falling to the Bears at 9?
Michael Lev: Yes, I do. The only other team Brian Urlacher has been linked to is the Cardinals, who pick seventh, but I'd be absolutely floored if they took the New Mexico defender over a running back such as Virginia's Thomas Jones or Tennessee's Jamal Lewis. If they want to get the best out of Jake Plummer, the Cards need to improve their running game. Doing so would prevent opposing defenses from teeing off on Plummer, who really got banged around last season.
Urlacher would be a nice fit for the Bears at outside linebacker. They need to upgrade their speed at that position. Rams RB Marshall Faulk had 200-plus receiving yards vs. the Bears in their 1999 meeting. Chicago's linebackers simply couldn't keep up with him in an embarrassing display of ineptitude.
Dan: Why do the Redskins need Chris Samuels if the already have a outstanding offensive line?
Michael Lev: The Redskins' offensive line performed better than expected last season, but I wouldn't call it outstanding. They managed to get by with an aging Andy Heck at left tackle. Heck is nearing the end of the line and probably would be better off in a backup/swingman role at this point. Samuels has a chance to be special. Scouts put him in the same class as Baltimore's Jonathan
Ogden, a perennial All-Pro. Samuels is a tremendous pass protector who can keep Brad Johnson in one piece. If they take Samuels, the Redskins shouldn't have to worry about the OLT position for the next decade.
Belifan: What will the Pats be able to get out of this draft?
Michael Lev: Having given up their first-round pick to obtain the services of Bill Belichick, the Patriots don't have a selection until the middle of the second round. But not all hope is lost. The Pats can still get a quality player at that spot. I see them focusing on one of three positions: defensive line, running back or offensive line. There should be good value at the RB position, with Travis
Prentice of Miami (Ohio), Trung Canidate of Arizona and Sammy Morris of Texas Tech looking like strong possibilities. The Patriots would be doing themselves a favor if they took Alabama DT Cornelius Griffin, one of my top sleepers in this draft. At the Senior Bowl, Griffin showed a great knack for getting into the opponent's backfield. I also don't rule out wide receiver. UCLA's Danny Farmer is another sleeper who should be available when the Pats are on the clock.
Michael Lev: Unfortunately, we're out of time. My thanks to everyone for their insightful questions. Please enjoy ESPN's day-long draft coverage. I know I will. | |
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