The Craft That Is The Draft - AFC
With nothing but good intentions, each NFL team entered the 2008 draft armed with ideas of who they thought were the best fits for their squad and plans on how to obtain those players. For the past few months, GM’s and their fellow front office members have toiled over what voids need to be filled, what positions need talent upgrades, and who is going to be the best bargain bin producer. Sometimes the amount of energy spent pays off and sometimes it doesn’t. And while every person involved woke up on April 26th thinking that in the next 48 hours they would have the best possible rookie class in the entire league, there were a select few that stood out.
The AFC has been a very dominant force in the NFL for the past several years. While the New York Giants brought the World Championship back to the NFC this year, it’s hard to argue that the best teams lie outside of the American Football Conference. Whether teams focus on improving small holes, like New England, or are in the middle of revamping completely such as Oakland, watching AFC teams determine the players they want to match the talent that is in the conference is a very interesting and thought-out process.
The Pittsburgh Steelers had an excellent draft. Running back Rashard Mendenhall was a steal (no pun intended) at the bottom level of the first round, not because no one expected him to go so late, but because he’s a solid player that most overlooked. Look for him to compliment Willie Parker, who never has had that “pop” ever since the Bus left the Steel city. They also grabbed Dennis Dixon in the 5th round, a guy that was a potential 1st or 2nd rounder until he got injured in his senior year. While some may ask why they drafted him with big Ben at the helm, don’t be surprised to see the Steelers take a Randle El-esque approach and test his skills at wide receiver.
The Buffalo Bills discovered a gem with their 11th pick when Leodis McKelvin fell into their laps. Thought to possibly be coveted by Baltimore, Buffalo saw their window open when the Ravens traded their 8th pick away in order to move down for Joe Flacco. Alongside his stellar performance at the scouting combine, McKelvin could develop into a very dangerous NFL kick specialist. James Hardy is also a potential standout, setting several records at Indiana as a wideout.
The AFC West, a very weak division outside of San Diego, took steps in the right direction. Oakland continued to build an offense that could become extremely dangerous by adding future superstar Darren McFadden and wide receiver Arman Shields. The Chiefs took full advantage of their huge number of draft picks. They got their hands on DT Glen Dorsey and CB Brandon Flowers in order to bolster their defense, not to mention a huge bargain in RB Jamaal Charles out of Texas. Denver stepped up their game by drafting Jake Long as well as a potential perennial return man in Eddie Royal out of VT. The Chargers took Jacob Hester- look for him to step up his game to the point where San Diego won’t miss Michael Turner too much.
NFC coming soon.
Tags: NFL, Draft, 2008 NFL Draft, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, AFC, NFC, Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, Darren McFadden, Jamaal Charles, Leonis McKelvin, Pittsburgh Steelers
You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.