The lousy 2007 draft class (merged)

[FredFromDartmouth]

One needs look no further than the 2007 draft. Here is the order:

1 JaMarcus Russell QB Louisiana State Oakland Raiders
2 Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech Detroit Lions
3 Joe Thomas OT Wisconsin Cleveland Browns
4 Gaines Adams DE Clemson Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5 Levi Brown OT Penn State Arizona Cardinals
6 LaRon Landry SS Louisiana State Washington Redskins
7 Adrian Peterson RB Oklahoma Minnesota Vikings
8 Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas Atlanta Falcons
9 Ted Ginn Jr. WR Ohio State Miami Dolphins
10 Amobi Okoye DT Louisville Houston Texans
11 Patrick Willis ILB Mississippi San Francisco 49ers
12 Marshawn Lynch RB California Buffalo Bills
13 Adam Carriker NT Nebraska St. Louis Rams
14 Darrelle Revis CB Pittsburgh New York Jets
15 Lawrence Timmons LB Florida State Pittsburgh Steelers
16 Justin Harrell DT Tennessee Green Bay Packers
17 Jarvis Moss DE Florida Denver Broncos
18 Leon Hall CB Michigan Cincinnati Bengals
19 Michael Griffin FS Texas Tennessee Titans
20 Aaron Ross CB Texas New York Giants
21 Reggie Nelson FS Florida Jacksonville Jaguars
22 Brady Quinn QB Notre Dame Cleveland Browns
23 Dwayne Bowe WR Louisiana State Kansas City Chiefs
24 Brandon Meriweather DB Miami (Fla.) New England Patriots
25 Jon Beason MLB Miami (Fla.) Carolina Panthers
26 Anthony Spencer OLB Purdue Dallas Cowboys
27 Robert Meachem WR Tennessee New Orleans Saints
28 Joe Staley OT Central Michigan San Francisco 49ers
29 Ben Grubbs G Auburn Baltimore Ravens
30 Craig Davis WR Louisiana State San Diego Chargers
31 Greg Olsen TE Miami (Fla.) Chicago Bears
32 Anthony Gonzalez


Now in hindsight how should the draft have gone? Here is my take:

7 Adrian Peterson RB Oklahoma Minnesota Vikings
14 Darrelle Revis CB Pittsburgh New York Jets
11 Patrick Willis ILB Mississippi San Francisco 49ers
2 Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech Detroit Lions????

...
then a whole bunch of other guys. Merriweather went at about the right place considering the lack of talent in this draft.

 

[patchick]

Re: Drafting: an Imprecise science

So where would you slot Welker and Moss?

 

[SeauOUCH]

Re: Drafting: an Imprecise science

I only see about 10 guys on that list I rather have than Merriweather, 2007 was really a pretty horrible draft class.

 

[patchick]

Re: Drafting: an Imprecise science

I only see about 10 guys on that list I rather have than Merriweather, 2007 was really a pretty horrible draft class.

Absolutely. You could argue that the real "winners" in that class were the teams that traded their picks away -- like the Jets trading away half their draft to get the one impact player they saw in the first, and the Pats trading for vets and future picks (Moss, Welker, Mayo).

Minnesota seems like an obvious winner with Peterson, but after round 2 their draft was a total washout too. In fact, for all that Pats fans grouse about the likes of Mike Elgin and Oscar Lua, take a look at ALL of the rounds 6 & 7 and UDFA players in 2007:
2007 NFL Draft - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Who the heck would you want?

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

Re: Drafting: an Imprecise science

I agree; the Patriots played their cards well in trading for Moss and Welker. It was a terrible draft.

 

[DaBruinz]

2007 draft - Pats correct in belief that it was weak?

Ok.. reviewing the 2007 draft, I found something that will startle the naysayers who rip the Pats for just having Meriwether. I reviewed the players and here is my list of players who either are complete busts, or have either been traded or moved on from their original team.

1st round picks - 7 players who could be considered busts or have been traded by their original team: Jamarcus Russell (OAK), Gaines Adams (TB), Tedd Ginn Jr (MIA), Craig Davis (SD), Adam Carriker (STL), Jarvis Moss (DEN), Brady Quinn (CLE)
2nd round picks - - John Beck (MIA), Dwayne Jarrett (CAR), Chris Henry (TEN), Kenny Iron (CIN), Brian Leonard (STL), Tim Crowder (DEN), Victor Abiamiri (PHI), Ikaika Alama-Francis (DET), Samson Satele (MIA), Dan Bazuin (CHI), Gerald Alexander (DET), Chris Houston (ATL), Brandon Jackson (GB)
3rd round picks - Quentin Moses (OAK), Usama Young (NO), James Marten (DAL), Buster Davis (ARI), Lorenzo Booker (MIA), Marcus McCauley (MIN), Yamon Figures (BAL), Laurent Robinson (ATL), Paul Williams (TEN), Tank Tyler (KC), Andy Alleman (NO), Aaron Rouse (GB), Jonathan Wade (STL) , Tony Hunt (PHI), Garrett Wolfe (CHI), Michael Okwo (CHI), Dameion Hughes (IND), Anthony Waters (SD), Quinn Pit**** (IND),

4th round - 17 players
5th round - 22 players
6th round - 28 players

I did the first 6 rounds.. I think that if someone looked in even further, people would see just how poor (overall) a draft class 2007 was.

 

[BritPat]

It was a shocking draft from top to bottom.

 

[stinkypete]

Fantastically bad. It would be tough to find 32 players out of that entire draft that justify a 1st round pick.

 

[Ice Cold Bruschi]

Re: Drafting: an Imprecise science

Kind of amazing that Revis was drafted so late when you look at the other bums in this draft.

 

[dhamz]

I recall hearing BB on WEEI the day before the draft say there were a lot of guys going to be picked on day 1 that were graded as UDFA on the Pats board.

 

[BradyBranch39]

only looking at rounds 1 and 2, here's your top 10:

2 Calvin Johnson WR
3 Joe Thomas OT
7 Adrian Peterson RB
11 Patrick Willis ILB
14 Darrelle Revis CB
28 Joe Staley OT
36 Kevin Kolb QB
44 Sidney Rice wR
46 Lamarr Woodley LB/DE
51 Steve Smith WR

 

[BKBroiler]

only looking at rounds 1 and 2, here's your top 10:

2 Calvin Johnson WR
3 Joe Thomas OT
7 Adrian Peterson RB
11 Patrick Willis ILB
14 Darrelle Revis CB
28 Joe Staley OT
36 Kevin Kolb QB
44 Sidney Rice wR
46 Lamarr Woodley LB/DE
51 Steve Smith WR

I would think that Dwayne Bowe would be ranked ahead of Steve Smith on any top 10 list from this draft. Bowe has had three very productive years while Smith has really only had one (Yes I know Rice only has had one productive year too but it was one extremely impressive year).

Also, isn't it a little premature to say Kolb is a top 10 player from that draft? After this season he may very well be at the top of the list, but currently I'd think that at least David Harris, Jon Beason, Eric Weddle, Meriweather, Stewart Bradley, and Ahmad Bradshaw would all be ranked in front of Kolb.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Its a shame Gaines Adams didn't live long enough to show his value...R.I.P.

 

[DaBruinz]

I recall hearing BB on WEEI the day before the draft say there were a lot of guys going to be picked on day 1 that were graded as UDFA on the Pats board.

Yet, with as bad as that ENTIRE draft was, the naysayers still say that BB and Company sucked for only getting Meriweather. They refuse to even acknowledge Moss and Welker.

 

[mgteich]

I think that the patriots ended up with Meriweather, a 2008 1st (Mayo), Welker, a 2008 3nd (Crable), Moss and Gabriel (acquired in 2006 for a 2007 fifth), and some Practice Squad worthy players.

And we are told that this Belichick's worst effort!

1st Meriweather
1st Mayo (in 2008)
2nd Welker
3rd Crable (in 2008)
4th Moss
5th Gabriel (in 2006)

 

[jeffbiologist]

I still remember that we passed on Beason....throwing crap at the TV. Had we got him I'd have to assume we wouldnt have needed Mayo and likely be in much better shape now. All you Meriweather fans please stand up! :bricks:

 

[BKBroiler]

I still remember that we passed on Beason....throwing crap at the TV. Had we got him I'd have to assume we wouldnt have needed Mayo and likely be in much better shape now. All you Meriweather fans please stand up! :bricks:

That was the year where I was also expecting (and hoping) either Beason, Harris, Staley, Weddle, or Rice would be the pick especially since many sites were projecting Meriweather to the Pats. Low and behold, that ended up being one of the few times where the "draft experts" called the Pats pick. However, Meriweather so far seems like an above average pick since it also prompted us to grab Mayo the next year (and I would prefer the Meriweather/Mayo combo over most of the other possibilities).

 

[BritPat]

I still remember that we passed on Beason....throwing crap at the TV. Had we got him I'd have to assume we wouldnt have needed Mayo and likely be in much better shape now. All you Meriweather fans please stand up! :bricks:

You mean you wanted the 6'0 235lb Jon Beason playing ILB in the 3-4?

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

You mean you wanted the 6'0 235lb Jon Beason playing ILB in the 3-4?

Some did. :confused2: