Now let me start by saying I was happy with our overall draft. The trades while frustrating at the time watching were fantastic moves. This is just a fun exercise to see what alternatives we could've come up with.
22 - I would have taken Dez Bryant. The talent was too great to pass up IMO. Randy Moss said himself he likely won't be a part of this team next year. The WR class might be better next April, but the need for another deep threat is NOW. Granted this kid Taylor Price looks like a burner, so who knows.
44 - Rob Gronkowksi. Pat's nailed that selection IMO. He may need time to develop, but in the long run he could be one of the greatest TEs of all time.
Trade 47 & 119 to AZ for 58 & 89 as they did.
Trade 53 to NO for 64 & 94
58 - Jared Veldheer
64 - Jon Asamoah
89 - Corey Wootton
94 - Austen Lane
6th rd comp - Kyle Calloway
7th - Max Hall QB BYU
7th rd comp - Brandon Deaderick
7th rd comp - AJ Jefferson
7th rd comp - Brandon Lang
Obviously I felt the OL needed to be addressed more than most.
What would you have done different?
I liked the trade-downs in the 1st round. I felt it was imperative to recoup the 3rd-rounder (& 5th-rounder) foolishly thrown away for Derrick Burgess.
27) CB Kyle Wilson; less physical than McCourty, but a better cover corner. Plus he returns punts which, as of now, we still have nobody capable/experienced of doing, unless you're willing to risk Kevin Faulk's health there.
44) OLB Sergio Kindle; risky at 27, but a No-Brainer at 44 once Koa Misi was off the board. Who cares if he might need micro-fracture surgery by the end of his rookie contract? He would have automatically been the best player at the position at which we have our greatest need.
Gronk was too much of an injury risk; unlike Kindle, he has actually missed time due to injury - as in an Entire Season - because of a bad back, which usually never really goes away.
53) WR Golden Tate; great value at a position of clear need. His familiarity with the basic offense plus his YAC ability places him ahead of the other avail. WRs despite his lack of ideal height.
Cunningham was over-drafted by AT LEAST 2 rounds. Horrible, horrible pick.
62) SILB Brandon Spikes; good value at another position of need. His instincts Must be able to overcome his obvious lack of natural speed, otherwise we could have another Freddie Roach on our hands.
90) This one's a little tough. I really like the Taylor Price pick: he has the size & speed, plus he's one of the best blocking WRs in the draft. However, if I've already drafted Golden Tate, then the need for another 2nd-day WR has been mitigated.
There's value to be had at DE in the persons of Corey Wootton & Everson Griffen. Neither are natural 3-4 DEs, but when healthy & motivated, both are very disruptive in the backfield. I would have leaned, I think, toward Griffen beacuse he's healthier, stronger (32 reps @ 225), more athletic and just a bit closer to a 3-4 DE's weight than Wootton. Why not take a chance at the end of the 3rd round on a borderline first-round talent and hope that his pilot light fires up at either 3rd-down DE (plus a dozen lbs) or Willie Mac-style Elephant 'Backer (less a half-dozen lbs)?
Wootton's advantages are better height to add bulk, better on- and off-field IQ, and better intangibles. If you prefered Wootton, I would've understood.
113) TE/HB Aaron Hernandez; despite his dalliances with the Holy Ganja, he offers good value plus a dimension that the less-risky Dennis Pitta can't match: big-play & YAC abilities. Even if Bill had drafted Ben Patrick in '07 and kept David Thomas, Hernandez would have complemented them because of their superior short- & intermediate-range skills, and their superior blocking - though neither of them will ever make us forget Grahambo. And because I would not have drafted Gronk, who might have gone to Baltimore at 43, Hernandez would have filled a position of need.
OLB Ricky Sapp would've been tempting, too. Perhaps if Ozzie Newsome - aka The Best Drafter in Football - had taken Kindle at 43, then I might've been persuaded to take Gronk at 44, then Sapp at 113 - but I would nevah, evah have drafted both Gronk & Hernandez: too many other positions of need to fill.
150) C Matt Tennant; I don't know if The Zoltan is even the best Punter in the draft, never mind if he's worth the 150th pick in the draft. He's dangerously slow getting the ball off his foot, and is only OK directionally.
Dan Koppen has to go, the sooner the better - for Brady's health, and the health of our inside running game. Just as BC alum Koppen replaced BC alum Damien Woody, why not have BC alum Tennant replace Koppen? Tennant has more height to add bulk than Ted Larson, is just as strong, is more athletic, and has more experience on the OL. He's the unanimous 2nd-best Center in the draft after Pouncey, and is worth the 40 spots ahead of where Larson was selected.
Other possibilities better than The Zoltan were: pass-rushing DEs Greg Hardy & Austen Lane - if he could add a dozen lbs; run-stopping DEs Arthur Jones & Clifton Geathers; WRs Riley Cooper, Carlton Mitchell & David Reed; and power RBs Jonathan Dwyer & Anthony Dixon.
190) I include this pick because I would not have traded it to Oakland just to move from 44 to 42. If Ozzie wanted Gronk at 43, then he could have him. I'll take Kindle, thank you.
At 190, I would've narrowed my options to: WRs Dezmon Briscoe, Joe Webb & Blair White; RBs Charlie Scott, Lonyae Miller & Jamie Starks; H-Backs Dorin ****erson & Jameson Konz; OTs Selvish Capers & Kyle Calloway; DE CJ Wilson; OLBs Brandon Lang & Lindsey Witten; and SS Myron Rolle.
If a DE hadn't been chosen at 150, then I would prob. lean towards CJ Wilson based on need & value. 32 reps @ 225 added to his athleticism suggests to me that he could work as a 3-4 DE despite his lack of ideal height.
205 & 208) If I don't have 190 and didn't use 150 on Arthur Jones or Clifton Geathers, then CJ Wilson is def. one of my 2 picks here. The other can now be used on The Zoltan. If he's gone, then Matt Dodge or Brent Bowden will do just nicely, thank you.
If I have 190 and used it on Wilson, then Dante can have his newest pet project at 208 - LT Selvish Capers, not the short-armed, lead-footed Tom Welch.
247, 248 & 250) One of these is for Blair White; the other is for Lindsey Witten.
250 can be used on Tom Welch, if Bill insists, but only if 208 wasn't used for Capers.
It could also be used on a DB such as SSs Darian Stewart or Harry Coleman, FSs Donovan Warren or Brian Jackson, or CBs AJ Jefferson or David Pender; or on RBs Lonyae Miller or Andre Dixon; or on FBs Rashawn Jackson or Manase Tonga; or on Kade Weston as a more athletic, yet still stout NT; or on local dudes like ILB Mike McLaughlin or TE Scott Sicko.
Hell, just so we can hear the PA announcer say his name, let's make #250 "Scott Sicko".
Ask, and Ye shall receive. You're welcome.