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Brown, Revis on the rise in the first round
By Mel Kiper Jr.
ESPN.com
Archive
In the days leading up to the NFL draft Saturday and Sunday, there are last-minute moves that can change the complexion of the first round. Last year it was defensive end Mario Williams going to Houston after it seemed running back Reggie Bush was a lock to be the No. 1 pick. This year, the rumors start at the top with the Oakland Raiders and what they might do with the top pick.
• The Raiders reportedly are going after a free-agent quarterback (Tim Rattay, Josh McCown, Daunte Culpepper) as a stopgap that would allow them to take Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson instead of LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell. I can't buy into that because what good is it to have a bridge to a rookie quarterback if your new passer isn't that good? I understand Russell isn't going to start Week 1, but Rattay and McCown aren't much different than Andrew Walter or Aaron Brooks. Oakland needs a bridge to Russell, but bringing in Rattay or McCown shouldn't prevent the Raiders from drafting Russell. The Raiders have to pick Russell, they really can't go any other way. Passing on Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler last year -- when they really needed a quarterback-- has really affected them in this draft.
• I don't want to say it's 100 percent certain, but it's more than likely the Detroit Lions aren't keeping the second pick. They are going to trade down with a team that wants to take Johnson. The team you keep hearing that wants Johnson is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which has the fourth overall pick and two second-round picks. If the Bucs and Lions make a deal, the Lions would trade down and take Clemson defensive end Gaines Adams with the fourth pick, then use their second-round pick (34th overall) to take Stanford quarterback Trent Edwards.
• The Cleveland Browns pick third and have three options: Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn or Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas. If Quinn goes to Cleveland, that will have a significant impact on the Washington Commanders (see below).
• With the fifth pick overall, the Arizona Cardinals still seem intent on taking Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas, but the offensive lineman who is really hot right now is Penn State tackle Levi Brown. At worst, Brown will go either eighth overall to Atlanta, ninth to Miami or 10th to Houston. Brown is the buzz of the early first round.
• The sixth pick overall is a critical one for Washington in that it needs Quinn to be on the board for this pick to have value. If Quinn is available, teams like Minnesota or Miami could look to trade up and take the Notre Dame quarterback. If Quinn is gone, then the Commanders' ability to trade down is limited. It's important for the Commanders to trade down and get more picks because right now they don't have any second-, third- or fourth-round choices.
• The Minnesota Vikings have the seventh pick and the three names I hear there are Quinn, Peterson and LSU safety LaRon Landry.
• The Falcons appear to be locked in on either LSU's Landry, Penn State's Brown or Louisville DT Amobi Okoye, who played for Atlanta coach Bobby Petrino in college.
• Along with Brown, Pittsburgh CB Darrelle Revis is another player who is on the rise and could go as early as No. 10 to the Houston Texans. I had Michigan CB Leon Hall going to Houston in my last first-round projection (see below), but Revis is on the heels of Hall as being the top cornerback in the draft. If both Hall and Revis are available, it will be interesting to see who Houston picks.
• Auburn's Ben Grubbs is one of the top 20 players in this draft; you just have to find spot for a pure guard. Kansas City (23rd pick) or Baltimore (29th overall) would be an ideal spot for Grubbs.
• USC WR Dwayne Jarrett could end up being one of the biggest bargains of the draft. At one point I had him going to San Francisco with the 11th pick. There's a chance Jarrett could be available to San Diego, Chicago or Indianapolis late in the first round, or even early in the second round. He would present great value to a team if he's an early second-round pick.
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By Mel Kiper Jr.
ESPN.com
Archive
In the days leading up to the NFL draft Saturday and Sunday, there are last-minute moves that can change the complexion of the first round. Last year it was defensive end Mario Williams going to Houston after it seemed running back Reggie Bush was a lock to be the No. 1 pick. This year, the rumors start at the top with the Oakland Raiders and what they might do with the top pick.
• The Raiders reportedly are going after a free-agent quarterback (Tim Rattay, Josh McCown, Daunte Culpepper) as a stopgap that would allow them to take Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson instead of LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell. I can't buy into that because what good is it to have a bridge to a rookie quarterback if your new passer isn't that good? I understand Russell isn't going to start Week 1, but Rattay and McCown aren't much different than Andrew Walter or Aaron Brooks. Oakland needs a bridge to Russell, but bringing in Rattay or McCown shouldn't prevent the Raiders from drafting Russell. The Raiders have to pick Russell, they really can't go any other way. Passing on Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler last year -- when they really needed a quarterback-- has really affected them in this draft.
• I don't want to say it's 100 percent certain, but it's more than likely the Detroit Lions aren't keeping the second pick. They are going to trade down with a team that wants to take Johnson. The team you keep hearing that wants Johnson is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which has the fourth overall pick and two second-round picks. If the Bucs and Lions make a deal, the Lions would trade down and take Clemson defensive end Gaines Adams with the fourth pick, then use their second-round pick (34th overall) to take Stanford quarterback Trent Edwards.
• The Cleveland Browns pick third and have three options: Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn or Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas. If Quinn goes to Cleveland, that will have a significant impact on the Washington Commanders (see below).
• With the fifth pick overall, the Arizona Cardinals still seem intent on taking Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas, but the offensive lineman who is really hot right now is Penn State tackle Levi Brown. At worst, Brown will go either eighth overall to Atlanta, ninth to Miami or 10th to Houston. Brown is the buzz of the early first round.
• The sixth pick overall is a critical one for Washington in that it needs Quinn to be on the board for this pick to have value. If Quinn is available, teams like Minnesota or Miami could look to trade up and take the Notre Dame quarterback. If Quinn is gone, then the Commanders' ability to trade down is limited. It's important for the Commanders to trade down and get more picks because right now they don't have any second-, third- or fourth-round choices.
• The Minnesota Vikings have the seventh pick and the three names I hear there are Quinn, Peterson and LSU safety LaRon Landry.
• The Falcons appear to be locked in on either LSU's Landry, Penn State's Brown or Louisville DT Amobi Okoye, who played for Atlanta coach Bobby Petrino in college.
• Along with Brown, Pittsburgh CB Darrelle Revis is another player who is on the rise and could go as early as No. 10 to the Houston Texans. I had Michigan CB Leon Hall going to Houston in my last first-round projection (see below), but Revis is on the heels of Hall as being the top cornerback in the draft. If both Hall and Revis are available, it will be interesting to see who Houston picks.
• Auburn's Ben Grubbs is one of the top 20 players in this draft; you just have to find spot for a pure guard. Kansas City (23rd pick) or Baltimore (29th overall) would be an ideal spot for Grubbs.
• USC WR Dwayne Jarrett could end up being one of the biggest bargains of the draft. At one point I had him going to San Francisco with the 11th pick. There's a chance Jarrett could be available to San Diego, Chicago or Indianapolis late in the first round, or even early in the second round. He would present great value to a team if he's an early second-round pick.
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