Official 2008 NFL Draft thread Day 2

[Rastak]

Phins - Kendall Langford:


Strengths: Has a great frame and shows the ability to play around 290 pounds. Displays a violent punch, has a mean streak and flashes the ability to shed blocks quickly. At his best playing inside and taking on blocks. Can be very difficult to move when he stays low. Has experience lining up at defensive tackle and is versatile enough to slide inside as a 3-4 end in the NFL. Wraps up upon contact and is a reliable open field tackler. Is a relentless pass rusher and flashes the ability to fight though double teams. Use hands to protect legs, stays balanced and can get over cut blocks. Drives legs once engaged, shows adequate lower body strength and can push tackles back into the pocket. Looks to knock the ball loose when gets to the quarterback and is a ball hawk. Tall, jumps well and blocked a kick during 2006 season.

Weaknesses: He lacks the burst and athletic ability to apply any consistent pressure as a pass rusher. Needs to know his role and must maintain bulk in order to be successful as a 3-4 end in the NFL. Plays far too high at times and can get driven off the ball. Lacks great awareness and doesn't always get hands up when isn't going to get to the quarterback.

Overall: In Langford's first three seasons at Hampton (2004-'06), he appeared in 36 games (27 starts) and recorded 164 total tackles (42.5 for losses) and 18.5 sacks. As a senior in 2007, he started all 11 games and finished the season with 72 tackles (13.5 for losses), six sacks, two forced fumbles and a blocked kick. He began his career at defensive tackle, moving to right defensive end in 2005 before switching to the left side in '06. Playing at a small school obviously raises concerns about Langford's ability to make the leap to the NFL. He needs to become a more fundamentally sound run defender and learn to play with more consistent leverage. However, Langford has the frame, bulk and natural strength to take on blocks as a two-gap end in a 3-4 alignment. That's why we think the small-school product will not last long on Day 2 of the 2008 draft.

[SkinBasket]

Still some decent CBs out there. Would TT grab another if one fell to us?

TT did say he tried to trade up yesterday. He might not wait for one to fall.

[red]

godfrey gone to carolina

[Lurker64]

There goes Godfrey. I was never a huge fan of his, he always seemed to be more of an athlete playing football than a football player.

[Rastak]

Decent pick here Godfrey:

Strengths: Is tall, very well built and possesses outstanding top-end speed for his size. Shows good quickness and is sudden coming out of his breaks. He plants and drives well and shows closing burst coming forward. He has the long speed and size to keep up with most NFL wide receivers, so long as he gets a shove in at the line and turns on time. He competes hard and brings a lot of energy to a defensive secondary. He is tough and physical. Fills hard versus the run and will deliver some big hits. A fiery competitor. Plays the game hard but also has been mostly durable throughout his career (missed only one game in four seasons). Comes with some versatility, having played SS, FS, CB and several different roles on special teams while at Iowa. Has excellent experience on special teams and won Iowa's Special Teams Player of the Year award in 2005. Covers kicks very well and possesses the speed to excel in that area of the NFL game.

Weaknesses: Hips have some stiffness and loses too much in transition when turning and running vertically. He's not fluid enough to keep with quicker receivers on double moves if he doesn't get a shove in. Continues to improve his recognition skills and confidence but still can be a bit hesitant at times. He's not fluid enough to recover on certain occasions when he's slow to react. Ball skills are improving but still below average. Needs to do a better job with his hands in press coverage and when attempting to disengage from blocks. Also needs to take more consistent angle in pursuit and break down more consistently in space as a tackler.

Overall: In his first three seasons at Iowa (2004-'06), Godfrey appeared in 35 games (16 starts) and had 95 tackles (three for losses), one forced fumble, two interceptions and five pass breakups. He moved from safety to cornerback before the '06 season, and as a senior in 2007 he started all 12 games turned in 65 tackles (one for a loss), five interceptions and nine pass breakups. Godfrey is still a work in progress. He will never have the quick-twitch athleticism or fluid hips of a pure man-to-man cover corner. He also is still developing his recognition skills, which are vital to a defensive back playing in space. However, Godfrey's upside thanks to an outstanding combination of size, straight-line speed and toughness is hard to ignore. Eventually he should emerge as a No. 2 starter at cornerback or simply a sub-package defensive back in a zone-heavy scheme. In the meantime, he projects as an instant impact player on special teams. Godfrey should be an early Day 2 selection.

[Gunakor]

Give Rodgers two years to prove him self. If he sucks trade/cut him, and Brohm by then is ready to go. If Rodgers is good, trade Brohm.

You make it sound like Packer fans will accept 2 shitty QB years. Now that Brohm is here, I doubt they'll accep 2 shitty quarters before screaming from the bleachers....

i think as soon as rodgers throws his first INT or loses his first game you're going to hear rumblings for brohm

They'll give Rodgers the full season barring injury. As many have mentioned in other threads, there is no way Brohm is going to come in and upseat Rodgers for the starting job in his rookie season.

He doesn't know the offense, but more importantly, he's not going to get enough reps in practice to learn the offense that quickly. Believe me, they are going to give Rodgers 90% of the practice reps now that he's been annointed the starter. Brohm just isn't going to get the reps needed to develop into a starter in his rookie year.

[The Leaper]

I like King...he's a solid prospect, albeit a little raw.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

If the pats get Connor I might just vomit.

[red]

Give Rodgers two years to prove him self. If he sucks trade/cut him, and Brohm by then is ready to go. If Rodgers is good, trade Brohm.

You make it sound like Packer fans will accept 2 shitty QB years. Now that Brohm is here, I doubt they'll accep 2 shitty quarters before screaming from the bleachers....

i think as soon as rodgers throws his first INT or loses his first game you're going to hear rumblings for brohm

They'll give Rodgers the full season barring injury. As many have mentioned in other threads, there is no way Brohm is going to come in and upseat Rodgers for the starting job in his rookie season.

He doesn't know the offense, but more importantly, he's not going to get enough reps in practice to learn the offense that quickly. Believe me, they are going to give Rodgers 90% of the practice reps now that he's been annointed the starter. Brohm just isn't going to get the reps needed to develop into a starter in his rookie year.

yeah, the team will give rodgers his chance

i was talking about the fans. if a-rod shows any signs at all of not being the next brett favre, YOU WILL start to hear some fans wanting brohm

[Rastak]

Falcons take Chevus Jackson:


Strengths: Possesses good height and adequate-to-good bulk. Will finish his career with excellent experience at the highest collegiate level. He has an uncanny knack for reading quarterbacks' eyes, as well as anticipating receivers' breaks. Made huge improvements in terms of recognition skills, ball skills and overall confidence as a senior. Shows goods balance and initial burst coming out of his pedal. Very good lateral quickness and lower body explosiveness. Is at his best when he can keep the play in front of him, read-and-react and close coming forward. He uses very long arms (33) to knock down a lot of passes. He's aggressive, physical and strong enough to hold his own versus bigger receivers. Is a strong tackler for his size and does a fine job of wrapping up in space. Fills hard versus the run. A versatile athlete with some experience in the return game (punts). Also has some experience at the safety position. He has been extremely durable throughout his career and is a hard worker with a passion for the game.

Weaknesses: Lack of top-end speed and hip fluidity limit his upside. Will struggle to hold up on an island versus quicker and/or faster receivers. Takes too long in transition and lacks the second-gear to catch up when the ball is in the air. Still gets caught on too many pass interference calls and must learn when to use his hands and time his jumps. Needs to improve his upper body strength. He lacks ideal ball skills both on defense and in the return game. Can be too indecisive when fielding punts and lacks the second gear to excel in that area of the game in the pros.

Overall: In Jackson's first three seasons at LSU (2004-'06), he appeared in 36 games (26 starts) and notched 98 tackles (five for losses), three interceptions and 20 pass breakups. As a senior, he started all 14 games and had 44 tackles (three for losses), five interceptions and 16 pass breakups. In '06, Jackson returned 15 punts for 100 yards (6.7 average). Jackson does not possess the fluid hips or top-end speed of an elite cornerback prospect, which is why he will likely need to play in a Cover 2 scheme in the NFL. However, it does not take long studying LSU's defense on film to realize he's the most naturally instinctive cover corners in the 2008 class. He has a thicker body with good strength to battle through the routes or to come up and play the run. Jackson is also aggressive and will hit. If used properly, Jackson could emerge as a solid No. 2 or No. 3 starter in the NFL and he also can contribute on special teams. He projects as an early Day 2 pick.

[ND72]

Give Rodgers two years to prove him self. If he sucks trade/cut him, and Brohm by then is ready to go. If Rodgers is good, trade Brohm.

You make it sound like Packer fans will accept 2 shitty QB years. Now that Brohm is here, I doubt they'll accep 2 shitty quarters before screaming from the bleachers....

i think as soon as rodgers throws his first INT or loses his first game you're going to hear rumblings for brohm

They'll give Rodgers the full season barring injury. As many have mentioned in other threads, there is no way Brohm is going to come in and upseat Rodgers for the starting job in his rookie season.

He doesn't know the offense, but more importantly, he's not going to get enough reps in practice to learn the offense that quickly. Believe me, they are going to give Rodgers 90% of the practice reps now that he's been annointed the starter. Brohm just isn't going to get the reps needed to develop into a starter in his rookie year.

And truthfully, why should Green Bay hurry Brohm along if he does turn out? You have a guy who has sat for 3 years, and is now in year 3 of this offense. He's earned the right to start. Why potentially ruin the growth of Brohm in the offense or pro football by pushing him into the lineup? It will be in the Packers & Brohm best interest to sit and relax and learn this year and NEVER see the field.

[Lurker64]

I wonder why Connor is dropping. Possibly it's similar (athough Connor is a much better player) as the fall of Ben Patrick last year. Patrick was highly rated but NFL teams really didn't like his upside and most passed on him at least five times.

[ND72]

Dan Connor would be a real piss me off pick if the Patriots got him.

[red]

I wonder why Connor is dropping. Possibly it's similar (athough Connor is a much better player) as the fall of Ben Patrick last year. Patrick was highly rated but NFL teams really didn't like his upside and most passed on him at least five times.

i don't get it either

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

I see the bears pick Manningham.