Smashmouth Football League Articles

This year marks the first year I have not had a Top 10 draft pick since the birth of the SFL. In 2003 we took Carson Palmer first overall. In 2004 we took Drew Carter and Tyson Clabo 3rd and 4th as well as Joey Thomas 9th overall, and then last year we selected Brandon Browner, Alfred Fincher, and Shawne Merriman in the top 10. This year we pick.....23rd, and only because we traded up. It's been a somewhat odd off-season in Arizona, without the draft capital to make the moves we want to. So this year we will sit and wait. But that doesn't mean I can't pretend I have a top pick...so in this article I will analyze the situation for each of the teams currently owning a top ten pick and what I would do with their selection. This should be especially fun in a year where the consensus is that the top of the draft is lacking in talent. So just because I know you all asked...



1.1 - WR Brandon Marshall

In this case, I would do exactly what it appears the Lions are going to do. This pick was originally owned by the Cowboys, but then traded to Tennessee for a pair of elite linebackers. The Titans owned the pick for maybe a day, probably less, before shipping it up to Detroit who apparently is set on taking WR Brandon Marshall to pair with last year's Top 5 selection WR Braylon Edwards. Lions GM Brad Barber at one time declared against conventional wisdom that height doesn't matter at the wide receiver position, but it appears he may be changing his mind on that front considering the trade. Marshall is the definition of an elite physical talent with 99 SPD, 96 AGI, and 96 ACC to go with his 6'4" 230 lb frame. The downside of course is his lack of polish on his routes, the fact that he routinely dropped balls in college, and his paltry 29 STR. Plenty of receivers have shown that they can succeed with raw talent, even if not quite at the level of their potential. The good news is that they should eventually get there. The strength issue however will always be a concern. Will it matter? I tend to think that his 230 lb build will go a long way in counteracting that negative, even if it still remains somewhat of a concern throughout his career. Still, you can't draft based on the now at the top of the draft, you have to draft based on the future. Marshall should be able to succeed in the short term even if his best days are a few years off. I think he is clearly the best player in a class without an elite cornerback and plenty of talented but raw talents. He should form a scary tandem with Edwards that NFC North GMs will have to account for for a long, long time.



1.2 - OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson

This is a really, really tough spot for the Saints. The most "elite" talent on the board is probably AJ Hawk - an outside linebacker. He's destined to be a superstar in this league, but not at a true impact position. That will be the biggest point of contention here for New Orleans - the best player or the player with the potential to make the biggest impact? Is there a difference? It's an intriguing question. If I were the GM of the Saints I would bypass the talent of Hawk and go with the also talented OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson. The big knock on Ferguson is that he just isn't an "elite" talent like Hawk is. His 60 SPD rating has the potential to slide into the 50s, while 74 ACC is very good this league but a long way away from the tackles taken Top 5 in previous years such as Tyson Clabo and Wes Sims. But there's another difference between Ferguson and those previous top picks - he is ready to play from day one. Maybe not on the right side, but easily on the left side. If you look at a tackle like Tyson Clabo, he has just now cracked the 60 AWR mark after two seasons in the league. D'Brickashaw meanwhile comes in with 68 AWR, 87 PBK, and 88 RBK. Now that is elite! Saints fans might point to the fact that they already have the quite talented Kyle Turley at RT and last year's top pick Marcus Johnson at LT, but Turley is 31 and hasn't exactly performed like a talented blocker. Drafting Ferguson here will give the Saints a dominant tandem of bookends at the tackle position once they fully develop, and I think New Orelans will be very happy with this pick 3-4 years down the road even if the payoff isn't immediate. Hawk would be the bigger difference maker from day one, but D'Brickashaw can grow with this team and QB David Greene, giving them the foundations of a truly elite offense. Of course, trading out of this pick is always a possibility, and it's rumored that that's what the Saints are trying to do. I don't blame them at all and would probably look to do the same myself - but will there be a market this year? It doesn't look like it.



1.3 - DE Darryl Tapp

The New York Jets at the three spot is one of the biggest mysteries to me in the entire draft. First of all, it's not often Kevin picks in the Top 5 or the Top 10. His teams are usually successful and not in the running to be picking this high. Secondly, he just traded away an elite talent at the position where I feel would be the most obvious selection for him in DE John Abraham. Abraham was on the block since the beginning of the off-season, and I was never really sure why. Yes, the Jets were in a bit of a bind with their cap situation. But if you pay attention Kevin's teams usually enter the off-season that way and always figure a way to make it work without too much trouble at all. And it's not like Abraham had a huge role in that - his salary without guaranteed money this year was just $2.59m. I have no way to confirm this but I believe he was only making $5-6m overall this year. So why trade away one of your best - and youngest - defensive talents? I really don't know. Kevin has a history of this though, trading DE Jadaveon Clowney in the prime of his career. It appears he just doesn't value production at the position as much of most others, and at the very least thinks he can replicate it or at least close to it with a player that doesn't cost/fetch significant resources. So this is all a long-winded way of asking - does it make any sense at all for the Jets to turn around and use this top pick on that very same position? Probably not. But if I were the Jets GM, that's what I would do. And honestly I can't see any pick that makes any more sense here. WR Cory Rodgers is perhaps the most explosive player left on the board, but he does not fit the Jets run first offense at all. AJ Hawk is 100% the type of player that Kevin likes on his defensive unit, but I simply can't see him trading all of those resources to draft an OLB. OTs Quinn Ojinnaka and Marcus McNeil are both options here, but the Jets already traded for LT Courtney Van Buren this off-season and drafted RT Pete McMahon last year. The only other spot I can see Kevin going is MLB here, and that makes Leon Williams a very real possibility given the value of Donnie Edwards to that defense and the fact that he is aging fast. But MLB James Farrior was signed just this off-season, giving them two solid at the position without drafting anyone. So I am still puzzled, and this one will likely remain a mystery up until draft day. But again if it were me drafting, Tapp would be the pick. He is the only truly elite talent on the board that plays a premium position, even if he is quite raw. But 84 SPD, 86 STR, 80 AGI, and 87 ACC is just too good to pass up. And even if it is a downgrade versus John Abraham at this point, Tapp has at least 6 seasons more than Abraham does left in the tank. I have no idea what Kevin will do with this pick, but I would certainly tap into the talent of Tapp here.



1.4 - WR Cory Rodgers

When was the draft class you can remember that had not one but two SPD receivers out of the gate. Keep in mind that we are not talking about 5'8" or 5'9" speedsters here, these guys are 6'4" and 6'2". It seems the Texans originally traded up to this pick to take the top quarterback Matt Leinart, but after acquiring two young journeymen who boast similar talents they have decided that the value with this pick is at a different position. I would have to agree. The only question is where that value lies. I would normally argue that OT is the way to go for a a team trying to groom a young quarterback, but the Texans have already done a nice job drafting that position in the past. So the next logical option is a legit weapon for said young QB, and that's exactly what WR Cory Rodgers brings to the table. With the aforementioned 99 SPD and 6'2" frame, this guy is nothing if not a playmaker. His more than sub-par combination of 48 STR, 44 AWR, and 75 CTH will be a huge turn-off for many GMs, myself included, but his height and athleticism combo on the other hand is simply too good to pass up. And I think you have to side with the athleticism here. If he had 50+ STR and 50+ AWR, I think there would be much less of a discussion about these flaws here. They would be acknowledged for sure, but more in the context that they can be overcome. Without any other significant weapons at the wide receiver position I think the decision becomes even easier for Texans GM Wade Pearce. They've found their young quarterback (even if it's one of two different guys), they've added an elite running back to take the pressure off of him, and now they can give him an elite playmaker to further relive the pressure. If Rodgers makes it to this pick I wouldn't have any hesitation pulling the trigger on a speeding bullet here.



1.5 - OLB AJ Hawk

I will star this one off by saying what I would not do with that pick, and that's what everyone seems to think the Ravens will do here in drafting DT Haloti Ngata. We all know that Norbert is a huge IRL Ravens fan - that much was obvious when he drafted the marginally talented DE Terrell Suggs in the first round back in 2003. So far Suggs has produced 14 sacks in three seasons at the LE spot in Baltimore, numbers that some DEs put up in a single year. Ngata is not a poor talent - he has a good amount of physical ability. But only the most elite DTs deserve to be drafted Top 10, and even then it is questionable. And that's to make no mention of Ngata's extremely suspect 50 AWR. So, on to the point of this article and what I would do if I was in the Ravens shoes picking 5th overall. While I didn't think Hawk was a great pick 2nd overall, I think he is much more palatable here at #5, especially given the 3-4 defense that Baltimore runs. Hawk will be an elite force as an edge rusher in this system as will as an intimidating presence stopping the run. The fact that Baltimore runs a 3-4 means he will be tasked with essentially playing the DE position a good portion of the time, but his athleticism also means he can get out in coverage and cover TEs. And he won't get swallowed up by opposing lineman near as easy with his elite 82 STR. The linebacker position has been sorely lacking for the Ravens in this once elite defense, and I think grabbing the unquestionable best talent left on the board here is a no-brainer for them if he is indeed still available.



1.6 - QB Matt Leinart

One of the biggest questions for teams drafting at the top this year is - "Is this QB worth it?" In the first few drafts the quarterback position was the most in demand by far. Several teams throughout the league were relying on sub-par options and just waiting for their chance to draft one of these high profile talents. For the first time this year, however, most teams are no in desperate need of a young gun with star potential. The Texans are one such team, but they seemingly have found other options that suit them for way less of a cost. The Buccaneers meanwhile have gone from Brad Johnson to Tony Romo to Marc Bulger to Kurt Warner and then back to Marc Bulger. But is Bulger the long term solution in Tampa? I don't think so. While he certainly presents the easiest and quickest path to an elite quarterback for the Buccs, is it really a good idea to spend the next 4 seasons getting him to that level? I would say no considering that he will most likely be 33 years old by the time that happens, giving the franchise an extremely short window for success before having to find yet another option at the position. To me it makes much more sense to hit the reset button, perhaps trade Bulger for a decent draft pick, and take Leinart here. His 69 AWR and 91 THA is just 11 progression points away from where Bulger is now, and it is extremely likely he can reach Bulger's level mid-way through his second season at age 24. Tampa Bay GM Blll Ryan is also in the envious position of being on a fresh GM contract, meaning he should have no qualms about riding things out with Leinart through the thick and thin. And if I am being honest here, this roster needs quite a bit of overhaul and is going to spend a few years in the development phase no matter what happens at this position. Some see a slide coming for QB Matt Leinart - but if I am the Buccs GM this is the only option that makes sense to me here.



1.7 - OT Quinn Ojinnaka

This is an interesting pick. Rock is on the hot seat for the second straight season after just narrowly missing the playoffs last season, and this time things will be much more challenging considering he has to get to the 9 win mark to keep his team. But at 7th overall there aren't many players on the board who can make a true immediate impact, at least at positions where the Seahawks significantly need help. So they could trade this pick for veteran help, but I don't think that's Rock's style, and the market hasn't exactly been thriving. To me the right thing to do here is simply stay the course and draft BPA - who in my mind is undoubtedly RT Quinn Ojinnaka, the most physically talented tackle in this class. What makes this pick truly a home run for Seattle is that they have perhaps the best infrastructure for him to enter of any roster in the entire league, they would just need to shuffle their OL around a little bit. And while Rock has not done that going on three seasons now, there is no time like the present. So, as this article presumes, if I were the GM in Seattle I would take Ojinnaka and then shuffle the hell out of my line. LT Walter Jones would immediately move to the right side and lock down the RT position for the next few seasons. That means Ojinnaka would have to move to the left side and endure a hit to his already low 60 AWR. That's not ideal but it is not that big of an issue for the Seahawks because they have a replacement for Jones already on their roster in Steve Hutchinson. Hutchinson can play tackle equally as well as guard, and means Ojinnaka will not need to move back to the right side until he is absolutely ready to. It will take some logistical work for sure, but I truly believe this pick makes about as much sense as any in the Top 10 this year. Most teams can't afford to draft this guy and then move him to the left side before moving him back to right tackle again, but the Seahawks certainly can. The best part about this pick for Seattle? They end up with the eventual best tackle in the class at 7th overall.


1.8 - MLB Leon Williams

This is probably one of the most up in the air picks of the entire Top 10, for multiple reasons. The first reason is that the most elite talents have already come off of the board and it's becoming tougher to identify exactly who the best pick remaining on the board is at this point. Secondly, the Colts entire defense was awful last season, meaning just about any pick on that side of the ball should make due here. That means they could go with a player like OLB Thomas Howard or one of several CBs such as Tye Hill, Marcus Maxey, or Antonio Cromartie here. But if I were picking for the Colts the selection here would be MLB Leon Williams. MLB Gary Brackett has clearly lost a step and is simply just not the player he once was. He lacks the quickness to meet running backs head on in the backfield, and also struggles to get out and cover players one on one in space. Some will argue that a guy like D'Qwell Jackson should be the pick because of how ready he is to play from day one, but in my opinion if the Colts go with Williams here they will appreciate the added athleticism he brings to the table while he gets up to speed. And although I find AWR to be paramount at just about every position on the defensive side of the ball, I agree with the sentiment that you can get away with less AWR at MLB if you have the kind of elite athleticism that Williams possesses. As mentioned earlier there are a number of different directions the Colts could go with the pick, but if it's me making the pick here it's Williams coming off the board.


1.9 - OT Marcus McNeil

New Panthers GM Leonard Jones has two back to back picks here at the tail end of the top 10 this year, and what he does with these selections are going to go a long way in defining the kind of tenure he will have in Carolina. After being the first team to get ousted via the hot seat, he surely is looking to make sure it doesn't happen again. That's why I think it's paramount that he address premium, cornerstone positions, and there's no better way to do that than with the offensive tackle position. While McNeil may lack the elite strength many GMs look for in an OT, he has everything else you could ever ask for. His mammoth 6'7", 336 lb build is quite impressive considering his 63 SPD/69 AGI/79 ACC, and this combination should be more than enough to overcome a lackluster performance on the bench press at the combine. And that's not to mention his 70 AWR/86 PBK/88 RBK which will see him find success from day one. Similar to Seattle and OT Ojinnaka, the Panthers have an ideal situation for developing a young OT. RT Bryant McKinnie is locked up in Carolina for two more seasons, giving McNeil plenty of time to get up to speed on the left side. He also has the added advantage of starting out on that side of the ball, meaning he will only have to undergo one AWR hit before finally ending up at the RT spot. It's easy to envision a scenario where McNeil hits 85 AWR by the end of his second year and is ready to replace McKinnie should the Panthers decide to move on. Regardless, you can't go wrong adding a player of his caliber for your roster, and he will allow Leo to build any kind of offense he wants in Carolina.


1.10 - CB Tye Hill

Once again I am advocating for the Panthers to draft a premium position with this pick. While Hill may not be everyone's cup of tea at 5'10", I think his 64 AWR makes him an ideal pick, especially considering his athleticism and playmaking ability with 96 SPD, 92 AGI, and 94 ACC. It's true the Panthers already have a slew of good CBs on their roster, but none of them are less than 5 YP and none of them are overly athletic. Hill gives them a different type of cornerback who can match up with the speed receivers in this league, and once again gives them a top talent at one of the highest impact positions. Other options for the Panthers here include WR Maurice Stovall or OLB Thomas Howard, but I just don't think those players will have the kind of long term value that Hill will have for the team. If it's me making this pick I take Hill 10/10 times...and twice on Sundays.