So I hope that nobody was shocked or surprised by the #1 pick of the 2007 draft. When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell took his first ever walk to the podium to announce the Oakland Raiders decision to take the 6’6” 263lbs quarterback from Louisiana State, JaMarcus Russell, you had to just shrug your shoulders and say you knew that. The offensive-minded Al Davis loves a strong arm behind center, and he couldn’t pass up on the former junior QB who could toss a ball 80 yards down field. Just as the Raiders offense didn’t fool anyone on the field last year, their attempts to blow smoke in the direction of Adrian Peterson and Brady Quinn were never taken seriously.
The fact is, the draft started out on a very predictable level. Although many would say the Detroit Lions didn’t need to take yet another wide receiver in the draft, you’d have a difficult time arguing that Detroit didn’t take the most valuable player in the 2007. Calvin Johnson, a 6’4”, 237lbs. receiver from Georgia Tech, is the closest you’re going to find when looking for an NFL ready starter fresh out of college. He’s blessed with a size, strength and quickness that stand out over all the other receivers in this draft and his college stats aren’t bad either. Chalking up 2,151 receiving years, 121 receptions and 20 touchdown-scoring catches in only 28 games definitely makes him a stand-out player.
What did come as a shock would be the fate of Notre Dame Quarterback, Brady Quinn. Expected by most to go to the Cleveland Browns on the third pick, the 6’3”, 226lbs quarterback was passed over for the Wisconsin offensive tackle Joe Thomas. Many had felt that if Cleveland didn’t take Quinn, they would probably be moving down in the draft. With a need to fill numerous area on their roster, more picks during the duration of the draft might have proven useful. However, Joe Thomas did address one of their needs on the line of scrimmage.
As for the possibility of Quinn going to Tampa Bay, Arizona, or Washington: many felt these teams had other needs besides a quarterback. The Minnesota Vikings were the next team in line that had a need to fill a quarterback position. Of course, that depended on whether or not the Miami Dolphins could trade up with Washington in their attempt to acquire Quinn. But Quinn would continue to fall. Miami didn’t make the move to jump ahead of Minnesota and the Vikings chose to pass on Quinn as well. Announcers and fans alike couldn’t believe that Quinn would actually drop into the lap of the Miami Dolphins. Just like when Dan Marino fell to Miami in the 1983 draft, Cam Cameron’s decision or inability to move up in the draft seemed about to pay off. Not that Brady Quinn is in any position to be compared to Marino at this point of his career, but the need for a quarterback was about to be filled. Or was it?
The largest blunder of the first round of the 2007 Draft has to go to the Miami Dolphins. As the Miami Dolphins took the clock at number nine the camera closed in on Quinn who had expectations of going to Miami. The city of Miami had expectations of Quinn coming to Miami. Only Coach Cameron had other plans as he made the shocker of the afternoon by taking Ted Ginn Jr. from Ohio State. Once again Quinn had been passed over. Miami had fumbled their chance at a quarterback for a wide receiver who had injured himself celebrating in the opening of the BCS title game. A wiry 6’0” 180lbs receiver who will need extensive improvement on his footwork, pass routes, and holding onto the ball, Ginn has difficulty beating press coverage and will back away from a pass across the middle.
Ironically, Quinn did have his day when Cleveland made the bold maneuver to trade up with Dallas to number twenty-two and obtain Quinn before he might have fallen to the Kansas City Chiefs. Quinn, who grew up a Browns fan in Dublin, Ohio, let out an obvious sigh of relief in front of the cameras, then took the stage with his Browns jersey to shake the commissioner’s hand.
Few other big moves were made within round one. The New York Jets traded up with Carolina to fill their need at cornerback with Pittsburgh’s Darrelle Revis, and Denver sacrificed too much in order to move up four picks in order to obtain a defensive end in Jarvis Moss. Although Jarvis Moss is an extraordinary pass rusher that stands 6’6” and weighs in at 251, one would have to believe Denver could have waited four picks to fill that position. Chances are, Moss could have still been available. New England stepped forward in order to grab hold of free safety Brandon Meriweather out of Miami and Dallas moved back into the first round courtesy of a trade with Philadelphia. At pick number twenty-six, Dallas acquired Purdue’s defensive end Anthony Spencer.
So round one of the 2007 draft has come and gone. The only true test of who scored big and who bombed will come with time. Can JaMarcus Russell be the turning point for the struggling Oakland Raiders? Is Calvin Johnson really the outstanding athlete we’ve all claimed him to be on the professional level? And did Miami know something we didn’t when they passed on Brady Quinn? Or will this be a mirror of the Texans choice to pass up Reggie Bush in 2006? Only time will tell who know it and who blew it, and we haven’t even started that timer yet.
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