The results…
By Nick Bishop
So, when we left each other, I had just finished the last mock draft before my first real one. As I said yesterday, the league I was drafting for tonight was a head-to-head, 12-team draft with 15 rounds (one extra), starting 1 QB, 2, RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 flex (RB/WR) 1 K, 1 DEF, and 6 bench spots. We dropped the PPR category, but took away a WR, added a flex and changed the point scoring up a bit (won’t go into that), but I think we stayed pretty true to form over past with past years. Since we are now without Kirkwood, we held this year’s draft at the friendly confines of Melrose Pool Hall, my favorite bar left in Nashville, and also where you can find me watching many a Braves baseball games. However ugly they are these days. Below are the results of my draft. I felt much better about this real one, than the crappy, not-real one I drafted last night.
Note: I almost traded up in the first round of the draft to Jody’s three spot. I wasn’t so sure that pick six was going to get the caliber of player that I could have gotten with the third, but after knowing who was picking before me, I thought I might still be able to get one of those guys that I would have targeted in the first three picks. We shall see…
1st round: Joseph Addai. He was one of my top four overall last night, and that didn’t change this evening. After Steven Jackson and Tom Brady went four and five, I got my guy at six without trading up. I was going to take Brian Westbrook with the third if I had traded (who Jody rightfully took) but I was thrilled to get Addai in the six hole.
2nd round: Reggie Wayne. I know it’s another Colt, but in my estimation, Wayne is the best WR in the draft outside of Moss and Owens. Fitzgerald was taken a few picks before mine (who is also up there), so I was thrilled when he made it to me three spots later.
3rd round: Drew Brees. So this wasn’t really my plan, but I couldn’t pass on Brees here. If he stays healthy, he’ll have a plethora of options to throw to (Colston, Shockey, Bush, Meachem, etc.) and a schedule that favors the pass. I may have taken a QB higher than I wanted to, but I really feel as though Brees is the last of the truly elite quarterbacks.
4th round: Santonio Holmes. Missed out on a few of the top-tier WR’s left (Plax, Welker, Colston) so I took a guy that I think will put up just a good of numbers, and with maybe more upside, in Holmes. He had a breakout year last season, and I think he is primed to jump into the elite class of receivers this year.
5th round: Jonathan Stewart. I don’t know what really came over me here, but I needed another RB, and his was the name I kept seeing the most. I’ll need to get DeAngelo Williams as a handcuff later on though if I can.
6th round: Roddy White. Again, don’t know what really came over me, but I actually like the pick. The more I looked at his numbers last year, and realized how steadily he got those numbers, I saw it as my only move. Most of the top RB’s were gone (see my 5th round pick), so I took a guy that I can play at WR or the flex position. I know he doesn’t have a QB to speak of throwing to him, but I still think he’ll get his. I mean, who was throwing to him last year? Oh that’s right, Mr. Champagne and Caviar himself, Joey Harrington. I thought I could wait and get some decent RB value later.
7th round: Jeremy Shockey. Ok, so I hate him as a person (not as a patriot), but if healthy, I think he’s a great fit for the Saints. I missed the run on top TE’s (Witten, Gates, Winslow, Clark) and actually saw a few others go before my pick, so Shockey sort of landed in my lap. I hate taking a TE this early, but with the run, and the Brees-Shockey connection (Drew loves his TE’s) on the table, Captain America was too hard to pass up.
8th round: DeAngelo Williams. I had seen him going a lot higher in mock drafts (before Stewart much of the time) so I went on and got my handcuff here. Glad I waited.
9th round: Kevin Smith. I take another RB because A) you can always use more RB’s, and B) he was the last starting RB left and the highest rated RB left on my board. Could have gotten great depth as RB, or a great trade piece if he is indeed the top back in Detroit.
10th round: DeSean Jackson. Value pick. With Kevin Curtis out indefinitely, he could do some damage returning kicks and running up the seam in Philadelphia. This is when it starts getting hairy in 12-team drafts.
11th round: Brett Favre. I could have waited and gotten another decent backup (John Kitna or Jason Campbell) but I didn’t see anyone else that I really liked. Plus, Favre has some nice weapons (Coles, Cotchery, Jones, Baker) to work with. I think he has one more great year in him.
12th round: Steve Slaton. Not really sure what I was doing here, but since I missed out on all of the top defenses that I wanted (another position that I had hoped wouldn’t go so high), I took another guy with tremendous upside. He’s still third in line in Houston, but I’d bet you a small fortune that Ahman Green and Chris Brown don’t stay healthy all year.
13th round: Baltimore’s defense. I hate them so, so much, but I didn’t really have a choice once the Colts and the Bucs D were taken out from under me. I really did want the Titans D, but they went way too high (what else did you expect?) and there isn’t that big of a difference between the middle-tier defenses. I’ll keep an eye on matchups to play for defenses throughout the year because honestly, that may be the way to do it.
14th round: Philadelphia’s defense. Another defense to play with. They play in a dreaded division for defenses, but they did get Asante Samuels, and they do have some other nice pieces there. Again, we’ll see how long either of these defenses stick.
15th round: Josh Brown. This was the last round, and I stuck to my word by waiting until then to take a kicker. You just never know who is going to be the next fantasy stud here (Neil Rackers in 05′, Robbie Gould in 06′ and our very own Rob Bironas in 07′) so I didn’t invest a whole lot in this pick. The Rams will be able to move the ball with Jackson and Holt, and Brown was an incredibly accurate kicker in Seattle last year, so kicking indoors at the Edward Jones Dome may only boost his value. It is what it is. I’ll take it.
Overall, I was pretty happy with this draft. I would have preferred a great second RB but I feel like I got some guys who may fill that spot rather well. I got a top three running back, wide receiver and quarterback (in my opinion), plus a TE that fit really well with my team and a great bench.
I’m hoping that some of the other guys that participated in this draft, and that read this blog (you do read this don’t you?) will post their teams as well so that you, the loyal readers, can help break this league down. Bring it on fools, let’s allow the public to speak!
Finally, I got a t-mail message from one of the kids I’m in a New Jersey draft with this weekend, doing a whole lot of s-talking, telling my how he thought the team that I mocked last night was complete garbage. I told him that it was just a warm-up, and that I would be much more prepared come time of the real/fantasy draft. Well, I am. I’ll talk to you on Sunday Jersey. And remember, practice makes you (me) perfect…
LINKS
Game-planning could make offense run smoother
Titans/Falcons Friday game preview