Smashmouth Football League Articles

1.1 - QB Carson Palmer

This pick has been the worst kept secret in the league for at least the past week. Not that I told anyone, of course, but it became fairly obvious when I traded last year's starter Matt Leinart to the Browns to move up in the draft. While I typically abhor taking a quarterback this early because they can be developed more than any other important position, Palmer's extremely good starting attributes coupled with the lack of true superstar players elsewhere made this a pretty easy decision for me. Now hopefully we can the rest of team out of the cellar before he is truly ready to rock and roll

1.2 - QB Byron Leftwich

No surprise here with the second pick either, as the Lions confirm what everyone knew was going to happen and take QB Byron Leftwich out of Marshall. While Leftwich isn't quite as SFL ready as Palmer is, he still is pretty impressive coming out of school, with better accuracy than some established veterans. He's got great size for the position, and is tough as nails, having shown he can play on just one leg. Some might see his lack of elite arm talent as a concern, but I think between progression and potential boosts he will be just fine. A good pick here for the Lions as they find their future franchise quarterback. No we will just have to see if the Cowboys follow suit...

1.3 - WR Andre Johnson

As soon as Will started looking to move out of this pick it was pretty clear he wasn't set on taking a quarterback here as Leftwich and Grossman aren't that far apart, and he was guaranteed one of them. Andre Johnson isn't my kind of stud receiver at only 93 SPD/6'2", but he is an elite all-around athlete, so I can't argue with the pick. The Cowboys will be set back another year having not found their franchise quarterback (assuming they don't draft one later), but that may actually improve their tank in the long run.

1.4 - QB Rex Grossman

With the Cowboys going with Johnson here (I hear Will makes that choice a lot), the Bills had a pretty easy decision with the fourth pick taking the last elite quarterback on the board. He's not Palmer in terms of being SFL ready, but he has a cannon for an arm and is going to develop into a stud. I suppose the biggest question surrounding Grossman is the age old question of whether or not height is a factor for QBs in Madden as he's just 6'1". I know some won't go less than 6'2", while others don't care. I've also heard some GMs with arguments against 99 THP. I will be following Grossman's exploits closely throughout the coming seasons.

1.5 - RT Brett Williams

With the fifth pick the Jaguars take a player I really loved in this class, the ultra athletic OT Brett Williams. While he is a bit more raw than some of the other prospects, he is by far the most physically talented. This is a bit out of left field after most of the mocks had him going in the 10-15 range, but I don't think it's a bad pick at all. Williams will be a stud, cornerstone RT for the next decade plus, and the Jags have to be thrilled to come away with him. 54 AWR will take quite some time to bring up, but it can and will be done. I had him as my 7th ranked prospect.

1.6 - WR Tyrone Calico

With the 6th pick in the draft the Cleveland Browns land the consensus second best receiver in Tyrone Calico. This league surely doesn't not have a plethora of 6'3" athletic freaks at this position, and Calico is here to change that. His 50 STR/57 AWR is not ideal, but he checks all the other boxes. Calico will be a stud and the Browns have found themselves a scary new offensive weapon.

1.7 - CB Marcus Trufant

As is the case with Calico, Trufant will instantly become one of the more athletically gifted players at his position in the league. And unlike many of the CBs in this draft he has the AWR to be able to play from day one. The biggest knocks on Trufant will be that he is only 5'11" and his agility is subpar at just 88, but it's hard to argue with the overall package he brings. I had him ranked as my 6th best prospect and the Steelers grabbed him at #7

1.8 - MLB EJ Henderson

Henderson was a player I had ranked really high at first - in the top 5 on my board. Then I remembered he was only 6'0". For whatever reason I am not a big fan of undersized linebackers, especially in the middle of the field. With that said - Henderson is a complete stud in every other regard, and he plays a premium position. 66 AWR/87 TAK is fairly ridiculous entering the league, so he will be able to play from day one. I like the pick, but I can't say I love it. He will be a force but perhaps a liability in pass coverage at time between his height and only a 50 CTH rating.

1.9 - CB Charles Tillman

This is probably my least favorite pick of the draft so far. It's not that the Jaguars got a bad player, but I feel that 6'1" CBs come around often enough that the premium is not worth it for a guy with that low AWR. Looking at things a second time, however, I probably had him a bit low on my board at #21. ACC is his lowest physical attribute and that will receive +3 just from base progression alone. It will take a while for Tillman to develop, but he will be a shutdown cornerback when he does.

1.10 - WR David Tyree

At pick #10 the Seahawks apparently found themselves in a bit of a bind with their top two targets - CB Trufant and MLB Henderson - already off the board. Without a #3 target in mind, they quickly scrambled and went with the speedy wideout David Tyree. I thought this was just about the right spot for him. He's going to take some time - and effort - to truly develop his deep threat ability, but the potential is all there. And his 76 STR is almost unheard of for a play of this mold. There will be some growing pains associated with the 71 CTH - but I think we've all seen how this story ends, and that's with Tyree catching passes off the side of his mother****** helmet.

1.11 - CB Nnamdi Asomugha

Asomugha was a player most pundits had pegged as a top five or top ten draft pick, but apparently the teams drafting did not see it that way, and the Jaguars even selected CB Charles Tillman before him. For me, I consider 6'2" the cutoff between good and great, and Asomugha fits that bill at 6'2". He did skew down -1 SPD in workouts, but should be able to reach 93 SPD after boosts no problem. His AGI also skewed way down - to 88 - but in reality it won't be able to skew more than -5 down to 89, which would put it at 91 AGI after progression. In the end Asomugha should reach 93 SPD/91 AGI/94 ACC which I will take all day, every day. There's only two cornerbacks in this league with 90 SPD/ACC at 6'2", neither are very good.


1.12 - MLB Angelo Crowell

Angelo Crowell was the 11th ranked player on my board, so I think the Bengals made a pretty good pick here. 85 SPD/80 STR/85 AGI/85 ACC is a great benchmark for any MLB, and Crowell hits it. 63 AWR is also a nice touch. The biggest issues I have with Crowell are his 73 TAK, 6'1" is a little short still for a MLB for me personally, and MLB was one of the most loaded positions within the roster to begin with, so a stud MLB does not carry the same weight as say a stud WR or CB for me. With all that said, I did have him as my #11 player, and he will be a great anchor for this defense for a long time.

1.13 - WR Jon Olinger

I've already received some criticism for this pick, as Olinger apparently was not included in too many mocks (one if I heard right?). But I will always draft on physical talent and potential, and Olinger has it in spades. Jon was the first player we worked out, and he didn't disappoint with a 93 SPD/95 AGI/93 ACC showing, which means he will likely end up with 96 SPD/97 AGI/95 ACC. His 46 STR, 50 AWR, and 70 CTH are all concerning, but the AWR and CTH will go up. As I said in the chat - I'm not trying to win a championship this year, I'm trying to win one in four years. He will be developed enough by then.

1.14 - DE Osi Umenyiora

With the 14th pick in the draft and our last of four first round picks, we decided to go with Umenyiora out of Troy State. We were strongly, and I mean strongly, considering a running back here, and almost didn't work out Osi. But boy are we glad we did. His workout returned 84 SPD/86 STR/80 AGI/88 ACC. He won't actually have 84 SPD as he can only skew up +5, but 83 is certainly a possibility. Either way, the boost in speed is a game changer as Osi jumped from a DT/RE tweener type guy to a full on explosive LE. Speaking of which, I need to hurry up and get Vanden Bosch on the block.

1.15 - DE Ty Warren

I was a little surprised with all of the pre-draft love for Warren. He's got a nice set of attributes, but - similar to MLB - DE was one of the most loaded positions on the original roster, watering down the value of any new potential talents just a bit. Warren also does not have the strength that many of the current superstar DEs do at only 73. On top of all that, 39 AWR is no bueno, even for a DE. I actually had Warren as a second round talent on my board for these reasons. Still, there's no denying the physical talent and potential is there. It's not a terrible pick by any means

1.16 - MLB Nick Barnett

Originally I had Barnett ranked probably right around this spot on my board, but the lack of physical talent had me move him back towards the end of the 1st round on my board. Don't get me wrong - 76 AWR/95 TAK is absolutely insane - but that's a floor and not a ceiling. Once again, I'm also going to make the comment that a player is a bit undersized for a MLB - just a matter of personal preference. Love the floor, don't love the ceiling, but they found themselves a surefire starter in the middle of the 1st.

1.17 - OT Kwame Harris

With the 17th pick the Detroit Lions draft a cornerstone tackle to protect Byron Leftwich, and I think it's a really good pick. I had Harris ranked as the 14th best player on my board. Similar to a lot of the more talented lineman in the league he lacks elite acceleration, but he's got everything else you're looking for, including 70+ AGI to go with his 91 STR (-> 94 with progression). Throw a boost point or two into his ACC, and you've got a hell of a talent.

1.18 - OLB Alonzo Jackson

Jackson is one of my absolute favorite players in this whole class. You know how we've been talking about undersized linebackers? Jackson is the complete opposite and an absolute beast at 6'4", 266 lbs! And with 83 SPD/82 STR/83 AGI/87 ACC, he is a complete player. I don't value the OLB position as high as some others, so I had to struggle to keep his ranking in check on my board, but he still ended up all that way at #13. A great find here with the 18th pick.

1.19 - OT Courtney Van Buren

I had Van Buren ranked as the #23 player on my board, and looking back, I have absolutely no idea why. The guy is a stud. It's most likely because of his 50's AWR, and the Jaguars are certainly going to have a time developing these raw prospects, but the physical traits are off the chart. Let's start with the elephant in the room - and by the elephant I mean Van Buren. He clocks in at 6'5", 350 lbs and is an absolute mammoth. He's not the strongest guy in the room, but that should jump to 91 STR from basic progression. And boy can he move for a big fella - 67 SPD/69 AGI/73 ACC is insane for his size. I'm sure the low AWR and semi-low ACC is what kept him out of my top 20, but there's no question this guy is going to develop into a stud. The Jaguars are building their team the right way.

1.20 - QB Tony Romo

I don't have anything nice to say about this pick, so I'm not going to say anything other than that it is certainly a head scratcher. Maybe Paul is a huge Romo fan IRL?

1.21 - SS Mike Doss

With the 21st pick the Saints take Mike Doss off of the board, a standout SS out of Ohio State. I actually had Doss ranked #30 on my board, which is saying A LOT for a 5'10" safety. It should be pretty clear by now I am not a fan of undersized players, and 5'10" makes for an undersized safety. But Doss is elite across the board everywhere else. SPD, STR, AGI, ACC, CTH, TAK - you name it, Doss has it. He should be a real good player in New Orleans.

1.22 - WR Anquan Boldin

Boldin had some pre-draft love, but I always felt like this was one of those cases where people see the big name more than the actual attributes. Unfortunately that appears to be the case even more so as someone shared his workout which was...not good. I had Boldin as the #28 guy on my board, but with the kind of speed he showed in front of teams I would have pushed him into the 2nd round. He could still be a dependable wideout in Denver, but I don't see him becoming anything special.

1.23 - CB Andre Woolfolk

Woolfolk is another guy I saw some love for in mock drafts that I wasn't really feeling on my board. I had a 2nd round grade on him. 90 SPD/88 AGI/91 ACC just doesn't excite me. The one thing he does have going for him is that he is 6'1" with 62 AWR, which is a good start if he can skew up in athleticism. I did not work him out so I'm not sure what all information Buffalo had when pulling the trigger here. It's not a bad pick by any means if they were looking for a floor rather than a ceiling.

1.24 - RT Jordan Gross

There were a lot of good offensive tackles in this draft, and the Chargers managed to snag one of them here with the 24th pick. I had Gross as my 17th ranked player, so this is a really good find at this point. Like many of the OTs in this class, and the better OTs in the league, Gross lacks elite ACC, but makes it up for it elsewhere. Specifically in his case he has 68 AWR and superb blocking skills, and was the most SFL Ready OT in the class. The ceiling is the lowest of all the first round OTs so far, but he will be a good, if not great player for a long time.

1.25 - HB Musa Smith

I mentioned earlier that I was strongly considering a RB at the 14th spot, and Musa Smith would have been my guy. He was the 10th ranked player on my board, by far the highest guy remaining. I even attempted to trade up to grab him, but, as usual, Travis knew what was going on and beat me to it. Plug Smith's numbers into fit the system and you will find that he is almost an exact clone of Ricky Williams, just larger. That's a win all day, every day in my book. A fantastic pick for the Patriots who can go screw themselves (just kidding, kind of :D ).

1.26 - FS Bryan Scott

With the 26th pick the Dolphins select FS Bryan Scott. Checking my board I had a 3rd round grade on him. It was almost certainly due to his piss poor AWR, but in this low AWR class perhaps that was a bit low. Still, I can't see Scott getting to 70 AWR until after his 4th season, and then he's got a long uphill climb to 90 AWR. He will be a great athlete, but I have a hard time seeing him being a reliable starter for a long time. He also was known for dropping balls in his collegiate days. I think this would have been a better pick for the 2nd round.

1.27 - CB Drayton Florence

At pick #27 the Seahawks take CB Drayton Florence off the board. In a class filled with low AWR cornerbacks, it's no surprise we see another one here. Florence has elite AGI and a nice 6'0" frame, but is a little weak and lacks great hands. He's also treading awfully close to 40's AWR. Still, 91 SPD/98 AGI/92 ACC isn't a bad flier. His workout will tell a lot about what kind of player he can become, but Rock is going to have to commit to - and perhaps invest in - the growing pains to make this work.

1.28 - C Jeff Faine

And at pick 28 we have our first center off the board, Jeff Faine. I can't say I love the pick as there are still some nice talents on the board at more important positions, but as far as centers go Faine has almost everything you want. Like many OL in this league and class ACC is not the strongest, but other than that he's got it all. He will be a reliable starter for a long time as the Giants play it safe here.

1.29 - DE Terrell Suggs

Suggs is the second player taken I did not have a grade on. 68 SPD/82 STR just doesn't do it for me at the DE position. He's got good AWR/TAK and will have a decent OVR, but I don't see him becoming an impact player. It's cool to see him go to the Ravens, though, and I'd venture a guess that name recognition played a role here.

1.30 - MLB Terry Pierce

With the 30th pick the Miami Dolphins take MLB Terry Pierce. Like a lot of guys coming off the board now I had a 2nd round grade on Pierce, mainly due to his lack of strength. To me he seems like he would make a better OLB than MLB. What he does have going for him is decent athleticism and his size at 6'1", 252 lbs. I don't love the pick as I think there were better talents on the board, but it could have been much worse.

1.31 - WR Bobby Wade

The Eagles must be all about speed at WR. They traded for a pair of speedy wideouts last season and now they've doubled down on that philosophy by drafting track star Bobby Wade. With 98 SPD, I had Wade ranked as the #29 player on my board, so I consider this to be pretty good value. I'm not sure how great a team of small, speedy burners will fare, but there's no doubt Wade is going to be able to out-run just about anyone. We'll see if this strategy pays off for the Eagles this coming season.

1.32 - OLB Boss Bailey

Bailey is another guy I had a 2nd round grade on. Good intangibles, great size, low ceiling. He would make a much better MLB than an OLB in my opinion, but you will lose all that AWR playing him out of position. With just 78 SPD he's always going to be a liability in coverage. I know the talent is starting to thin out, but in my opinion there were still guys with long-term starter potential available here.