The real wild card in the first round is Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington, whom a
few teams rate on par with Carr but most teams have rated much later in the
round.
Players who figure to go in the top 10 are Carr, North Carolina defensive end Julius
Peppers, offensive linemen Mike Williams of Texas and Bryant McKinnie of Miami, Texas cornerback Quentin Jammer,
Oklahoma safety Roy Williams, possibly three defensive tackles and Miami cornerback
Phillip Buchanon. That is, unless Harrington works his way into the top 10.
| FIRST-ROUND PROJECTIONS |
| The Pick |
The Skinny |
1. Houston Texans
QB David Carr
Fresno State |
Had a great senior year and sold a lot of people on his worth at the Senior
Bowl. He's a passer, not a thrower, with a big arm, a very quick trigger and
excellent character, toughness and intangibles. However, he has just average
mobility and a low, funky delivery that could lead to passes being batted
down. If Carr had a classic delivery, he would be compared to former Cowboy
Troy Aikman.
|
2. Carolina Panthers
DE Julius Peppers
North Carolina |
Best and most gifted athlete in the draft. Tremendous upside if he's got the
heart, passion and tenacity to be a great one. Otherwise, he will make plays
of the week on "SportsCenter" but will be more like Simeon Rice than Michael
Strahan.
|
3. Detroit Lions
FS Roy Williams
Oklahoma |
Matt Millen goes for a great football player in the Kenny Easley mold, unless
he moves down to add picks.
|
4. Buffalo Bills
OT Mike Williams
Texas |
Looking for a replacement for OLT John Fina, and if the Bills feel Williams
can play the left side, they might go in his direction. He has the size and
feet to be a tremendous pro.
|
5 San Diego Chargers
OT Bryant McKinnie
Miami (Fla.) |
Don't rule out a top corner, but the weakest part of the Chargers' team is
its offensive line.
|
6. Dallas Cowboys
CB Quentin Jammer
Texas |
Cowboys really need a shut-down corner. Could also deal down since Jerry
Jones loves to wheel and deal.
|
7. Minnesota Vikings
DT Albert Haynesworth
Tennessee |
Need help almost everywhere on defense, but Haynesworth could be a good
starting point.
|
8. Kansas City Chiefs
DT Ryan Sims
North Carolina |
Is a better every-down football player than Peppers and a coach's delight.
|
9. Jacksonville Jaguars
DT John Henderson
Tennessee |
With Henderson and Marcus Stroud at tackle, the Jaguars' defensive line will
be tough to throw over.
|
10. Cincinnati Bengals
CB Phillip Buchanon
Miami (Fla.) |
The Bengals really need a No. 1 corner, and Buchanon can be a dandy.
|
11. Indianapolis Colts
DE-OLB Kalimba Edwards
South Carolina |
The Colts were hoping one of the two corners would last. Do not be surprised
if they deal down with a club that wants an offensive player, like Cleveland
or Washington, and then get Edwards, Miami (Fla.) S Ed Reed or a cornerback
later in the round.
|
12. Arizona Cardinals
DT Wendell Bryant
Wisconsin |
The Cardinals must rebuild almost the entire defense.
|
13. New Orleans Saints
WR Donte Stallworth
Tennessee |
Will make Aaron Brooks a very happy quarterback.
|
14. N.Y. Giants
(subject to coin flip with Titans)
TE Jeremy Shockey
Miami (Fla.) |
The Giants need a tight end who can get down the field and catch the ball in
the worst way.
|
15. Tennessee Titans
(subject to coin flip with Giants)
OG Toniu Fonoti
Nebraska |
The Titans need a replacement for Bruce Matthews, and Fonoti is the type of
run blocker who can make Eddie George a happy camper.
|
16. Atlanta Falcons
(subject to coin flip with Browns)
RB William Green
Boston College |
The Falcons will need a big-time runner unless Jamal Anderson can come all
the way back, which is doubtful. Green is an excellent buy here.
|
17. Cleveland Browns
(subject to coin flip with Falcons)
RB T.J. Duckett
Michigan State |
The Browns need to upgrade at running back, where they have a lot of
good backup types but no true starter.
|
18. Washington Redskins
QB Joey Harrington
Oregon |
Most people have him going in the top five in the draft, and he could. But I'm not entirely sold. However, at this juncture he would be a solid
selection.
|
19. Denver Broncos
WR Ashlie Lelie
Hawaii |
Look what happened when Ed McCaffrey went down.
|
20. Seattle Seahawks
TE Daniel Graham
Colorado |
He can run, catch and block.
|
21. Oakland Raiders (From T.B.)
WR Jabar Gaffney
Florida |
Jerry Rice and Tim Brown are not kids anymore.
|
22. N.Y. Jets
CB Derek Ross
Ohio State |
Has the size Herman Edwards likes in his corners.
|
23. Oakland Raiders
OLB Napoleon Harris
Northwestern
|
The Raiders' weakest position is probably outside linebacker.
|
24. Baltimore Ravens
OT Levi Jones
Arizona State |
The Ravens had a huge hole at offensive right tackle last year.
|
25. Miami Dolphins
RB DeShaun Foster
UCLA |
The Dolphins have been looking for a big-time runner for years, and Foster
could be their answer. He looked very good at the Senior Bowl.
|
26. Philadelphia Eagles
C-OG Andre Guarde
Colorado |
The fact he can play center sells the Eagles.
|
27. San Francisco 49ers
OL Kendall Simmons
Auburn |
The one area the 49ers could get old in a hurry is their offensive line,
where they also have a number of possible free agents.
|
28. Green Bay Packers
WR Josh Reed
Louisiana State |
Could be another Sterling Sharpe although he is not as big or fast. Great
run-after-the-catch guy who can cut on a dime.
|
29. Chicago Bears
DE Dwight Freeney
Syracuse |
The Bears could use a big-time edge rusher to go with their other players on
defense. They might also go for Florida's Alex Brown.
|
30. Pittsburgh Steelers
S Ed Reed
Miami (Fla.) |
A major upgrade on Brent Alexander. A real ballhawk.
|
31. St. Louis Rams
WR Reche Caldwell
Florida |
This pick is based on the assumption the Rams will lose free-agent WR
Az-Zahir Hakim and keep DE Leonard Little and MLB London Fletcher.
|
32. New England Patriots
DT Anthony Weaver
Notre Dame |
Has a Patriot-type attitude and could combine with DT Richard Seymour for
years to come.
|
Material from Pro Football Weekly.
