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Reactions: Feeling a draft Users comment on their teams' 2000 NFL Draft movesPosted: Monday April 24, 2000 05:25 PM
CNNSI.com asked users to tell us how their team fared in the NFL Draft. A sampling of the responses follows: The Vikings had a great draft. Hovan and Randle are going to be a great tandem on the inside. Maybe even as good as Culpepper and Sapp in Tampa Bay. Tyrone Carter is another great player. He is one of the most explosive hitting corners/safeties I have ever seen. Tyrone could be the next Rod Woodson. I don't think defense will be a problem this year for the Vikes!
I am a Chicago Bears fan. I think that they did a good job once again in the draft. They addressed the needs they wanted. I would have liked to see them get an OL but other than that I was pleased. I see Brian Urlacher being a very good player in the NFL. Im not sure if Chafie Fields of Penn St. was drafted. If he wasnt I would like to see the Bears pick him up via free agency. But they do need to sign Bobby Engram. All in all I am very excited and looking forward to the upcoming season. Go Bears!!!
I'm a Steelers fan, and I'm thrilled they were able to come away with Marvel Smith, Danny Farmer, and Tee Martin in the later rounds. Those were all steals. As far as Plaxico Burress is concerned, I definitely think he'll help the team, but I'm disappointed the Steelers didn't take Chad Pennington in the first round. I don't care if you have Lynn Swann, Jerry Rice, Keyshawn Johnson, and Randy Moss as your receivers. It doesn't do you much good if Kordell Stewart keeps throwing the ball to the defensive linemen. Hell, at this point, I'd feel more confident with Stephen Hawking behind center than Kordell Stewart. They should have taken Pennington and moved Stewart permanently to wide receiver.
Being a Colts fan, I waited patently for what I hoped would be some solid help on the obvious places the Colts needed help-interior run stopper, MLB, second receiver, and inside o-line help. We got our MLB, but after that is a mystery of what the Colts front office is seeing. A short stocky DB, a linebacker project, and mystifyingly a fat, 27 year old rookie guard that had 9 athletes ranked higher than him at his position, including an All American from Miami that was selected shortly afterwards. I am, needless to say, shocked and dismayed at the dismal prospects of really anyone in this draft except for the MLB. What is happening here? We TRADED UP for a low rated fat 27 year old!!! Inexplicable. Oh well, the Colts know how loyal we suckers are as fans, they know we'll come anyway.
Dallas gets a A+ for the draft not only for need but for players they got (or should i say steal) Goodrich and Edwards CB were a steal, glad to see Larrimore fall to them also, got 1st round talent in Goodrich and Edwards, and 2nd round talent with the 4 pick in Larrimore, not to mention Wiley in the fifth. It was a great draft to me and the cowboy fans will be glad to see them start this year.
The Raiders pulled a major coup in the draft. In Janikowski, the Raiders get one of the few players who will completely change the way Football is played. He is clearly an excellent field goal kicker, but the distance on his kickoffs will nullify opponents' special teams games. Moreover, Janikowski is a true Raider: cocky, confident, and a little bit too much of a party animal. Quite simply, the man has nerves of steel. Incidentally, a solid placekicker was also the Raiders' biggest need. Jerry Porter is also a natural-born Raider. Al Davis loves his speed receivers, and he picked yet another cheetah to complement Tim Brown's skill and the Jett's speed. His vertical is especially impressive, and he has some two-way potential. The Raiders also scored a top-notch punting prospect in the 5th round in Shane Lechler. He'll also serve as an insurance policy for Janikowski (in case the Polish Powder Keg gets in trouble again). Quite simply, this draft was a return to Raider football.
As a Denver Broncos fan, I know learned to trust Shanahan's judgement in his picks. With picks like Pryce, Mobley, T. Davis, Al Wilson, Olandis Gary, and really only one bust in Marcus Nash, Shanahan deserves a benefit of the doubt in any selection. That said, I think he made a huge mistake in not trading up to get Dez White, picked right before the Broncos by the Bears in round 3. I'm sure Dez White dropped for a good reason, but the difference between White and Chris Cole is still huge. Cole can develop into a nice 3rd receiver, but White could've been a #1 receiver a few years down the road when McCaffery and Smith retires.
The Giants had an excellent draft, with only one questionable pick. Ron Dayne, (assuming the revamped off. line does well-yes a big assumption) has the chance to solidify the Giant's offense and give Kerry Collins a chance to throw the ball downfield. On the new grass field at Giants' Stadium Dayne will do for the Giants what Rodney Hampton and O.J. Anderson once did: smash the defense into submission. The defensive selections could stabilize the depth on the other side of the ball. The Giants defense is still one of the better ones in the NFC, as long as the depth holds up. Only question is the little known WR taken in the 3rd round. But, the Giants have had success with such picks before, i.e. Phil Simms! Overall, all the weak areas of the Giants' roster were addressed: starting tailback, DL, LB, CB depth. Glad to see the Giant's didn't take the old "best available player" this year.
The Kansas City Chiefs made an excellent pick at #21 by selecting Sylvester Morris. He has the size and speed that the Chiefs need at WR. But the second round was a different story. General Manager "King" Carl Peterson has only drafted 5 starters in the past 5 years, so I guess that he wanted to stay consistent. Who is this Bartee that the Chiefs got in round two? Talk about a reach pick. The Chiefs should have selected safety Deon Grant, running back Travis Prentice, or bolstered the WR position even more by drafting Dugans or Coles out of Florida State.
I think the Steelers will regret their number 8 pick with Plaxico Burgess. I mean sure he's an excellent play maker, but the steelers need it more at quarterback, and Pennington would have been the perfect fit. Kordell Stewart seems to have lost he will to play, and having constantly being pulled from games didn't help. I think the Steelers' first rounder was one of the worst picks in the draft.
I am surprised at the Kansas City Chief's draft. Morris is a good pick, and the top four running backs were gone when they picked. I was hoping they would address the running game in the second round, and was surprised they didn't. Maybe the thinking is that the running game isn't in that much trouble since K.C. was third overall in rushing last season. Like all drafts, time will tell.
Washington Redskins: Now here is the most productive team in the draft. Their picks should make them eligible for the Super Bowl this year. It should be a great season for all teams.
Philadelphia: A- / B+ Niners have filled some major holes on defense. Julian Petersen gives them an impact player like Charles Haley was early in his career. Ahmed Plummer gives them a tough corner they haven't had in years. John Engelberger (what a gift!) gives them another impact player at end. Ask Fla. State about him. Jason Webster is small, but very tough. Saw him play against Texas & Texas Tech. Giovanni Carmazzi will have time to develop as a QB, rather than be thrust into play immediately. Jeff Ulbrich gives them a stout middle line backer. Ken Norton Jr.'s best days are behind him. So far, great draft!
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