2008 Draft-Just The Facts Jack (For Those Just Starting Out)

[bblack1207]

1. HB Darren McFadden (96)
   FB Jacob Hester (80)
   LT Jake Long (96)
   LG Branden Albert (92)
   LE Derrick Harvey (87)
   RE Chris Long (94)
   DT Glenn Dorsey (91)
   LOLB Jerod Mayo (84)
   ROLB Keith Rivers (94)
   CB Mike Jenkins (90)
   SS Kenny Phillips (91)
   P Durant Brooks (82)
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   3
   
   
   
   

   OVERHYPED
   
   QB Matt Ryan (89)
   WR Devin Thomas (81)
   TE Dustin Keller (71)
   C Mike Pollack (81)
   RG Chilo Rachal (82)
   RT Jeff Otah (84)
   MLB Curtis Lofton (82)
   FS Thomas Decoud (79)
   K Taylor Mehlaff (65)

   
   
   
   
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   Note, a BUST is someone projected to go in the 1st or 2nd round who's potential is under 85.
   
   QB
   There's generally 19 QBs, 16 that pretty much always are drafted. The easiest philosophy to draft for is Strong Arm/Tools but BE WARY. It is an overhyped philosophy (so are Speed, Size/Strength, and Prototype). The easiest philosophy besides that is Mobile Speed. The hardest philosophy to draft for is Field General.
   
   There's one bust among the QBs, potentially two. Joe Flacco usually goes pretty damn early in the 1st round. But he is not worth a 1st round pick. His average potential is 81 and unless you're rolling with the Strong Arm/Tools or Mobile/Speed philosophy, do not draft him. Chad Henne sometimes slips into the later parts of the 2nd round. His average potential is actually a bit higher than Flacco. There's 4 QBs (including Henne) that have a higher average potential than Flacco that you can take later in the draft.
   
   The best QB(s) in the draft are Andre Woodson and Josh Johnson. Both have an average potential of 92. Josh Johnson has the highest potential for Mobile/Speed (93) and is tied with Woodson for highest POT for Pure Passer (93). Andre Woodson has 94 POT for the Balanced philosophy. Even better, you can get both in the 3rd or 4th round! If you're gonna get Woodson, get him in the 3rd. He usually falls in the middle of the 3rd round so take him early (trade up if needed). Johnson falls into the 4th round usually. But get him in the 3rd just to be extra safe. I get Woodson because he comes better than Johnson.
   
   If you pass on those two, get Alex Brink in the 6th round. His average POT is 87. He has 92 potential as a Field General.
   
   If you'd rather get other people in the late draft, you can get Brian Brohm in the 2nd round. He has 93 potential as a Field General. He comes with 84 THA IIRC too.
   
   Dennis Dixon is not really worth getting. In a matter of fact, Ryan, Brohm, Woodson, Johnson, and Brink are the only QBs you should even consider drafting.
   
   HIGHEST AVG POT: Andre Woodson, Josh Johnson (92)
   HIGHEST BALANCED POT: Andre Woodson (94)
   HIGHEST STRONG ARM/TOOLS POT: Andre Woodson (93)
   HIGHEST FIELD GENERAL POT: Brian Brohm (93)
   HIGHEST MOBILE/SPEED POT: Josh Johnson (93)
   HIGHEST PURE PASSER POT: Andre Woodson, Josh Johnson (93)

   
   
   
   
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6. HB
   There's 29, count them, 29 HBs you could potentially draft but only 14 almost always get drafted. Aside from speed, the easiest philosophy to draft for is Moves, the hardest being Receiving.
   
   Darren McFadden is quite easily the best HB in the draft. He has the highest potential for ALL 6 HB philosophies. You have to get him super early, like top 5 pick early.
   
   There's 4 busts in this one, based on average potential. Chris Johnson, usually a 1st round pick, is 90 POT as a Moves HB and 91 as a Speed HB (but you should never use the Speed philosophy for a HB OR a WR). Any other philosophy and he's a bust. Jonathan Stewart, outside of Speed HB, is a bust in all the philosophies. Matt Forte is a bust in ANY philosophy (even Speed LOL). Kevin Smith can usually be pretty good ut his average POT is 84. He's 85 in the Moves philosophy and 86 in the Workhorse and Power philosophy. His learning rating is pathetic though and you'd have to use a 2nd round pick on him.
   
   Aside from McFadden, there's some other serviceable HBs available. You could get Rashard Mendenhall (averge POT 89) or Felix Jones (AVG POT 91) but you'd have to get them in the 1st round.
   
   Ray Rice is a steal in the late 2nd round/early 3rd round. His AVG POT is 87, 91 as a Power HB. For a solid Moves HB there's Jamaal Charles in the 3rd round. He needs a lot of time to develop though. Slaton sucks, don't get him.
   
   3 more steals you can get very late are Mike Hart, Xavier Omon, and Jamaal Buckingham. I've seen Hart go early in the 5th and as low as late into the 6th round. His AVG POT is 84 but I usually go after Omon and/or Buckingham. I play as the Raiders usually and instead of getting McFadden, I draft Omon and Buckingham as a one-two combo. Omon either goes midway into the 7th round OR he might go undrafted and Buckingham pretty much ALWAYS goes UNDRAFTED. Omon has 88 AVG POT, 91 as a Workhorse or Power HB. Buckingham has 84 AVG POT, 90 as a Workhorse or Power HB. Both are great power HBs that do pretty good early on (especially Omon)
   
   FB
   There's just 8 FBs available in this draft class. The easiest philosophy to draft is Balanced, the hardest Blocking. There's literally no reason you should draft any of these FBs. By AVG POT, Jacob Hester is the best one and he goes in the 4th round.
   
   But to me, Carl Stewart is the best FB of them all and he goes undrafted. He is a great ballcarrier (actually the best ballcarrier out of all of them) and is very athletic. And he's not a bad blocker either.
   
   So if you need a FB, wait til you can sign the UDFAs and get Stewart.
   
   HIGHEST AVG POT: Jacob Hester (80)
   HIGHEST BALANCED POT: Jerome Vatter (84)
   HIGHEST BALLCARRIER POT: Carl Stewart (81)
   HIGHEST BLOCKING POT: Jacob Hester, Jerome Felton (77)
   HIGHEST RECEIVING POT: Carl Stewart (81)
   
   
   
   
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8. WR
   The easiest philosophy that matters to draft for is Tall/Redzone Threat, the hardest is Strong/Blocking (but why would that be your philosophy?)
   
   There's a lot of busts average potential-wise in the 2nd round. Yea, you won't be drafting ANY receiver in the 1st round. None of them have ever went in the 1st round IIRC. By average potential, Devin Thomas, James Hardy, Eddie Royal, Limas Sweed, and Malcolm Kelly are all busts. Nelson is just LOL. He's below 80 POT in all philosophies outside of Speed. Same with Hardy, Thomas, and Royal. Sweed is an 88 in the Tall WR philosophy and Kelly is an 85 in that philosophy. Donnie Avery is 89 balanced, 90 quick/route runner, and 96 speed. He's OK I guess.
   
   A lot of the prizes are past the 2nd round. In the late 2nd round/early 3rd round you can get Desean or Dexter Jackson. DeSean is the better WR but has personality problems. But I'd still get Desean over Dexter. The two best WRs average potential-wise are in the 3rd round too, Earl Bennett and Early Doucet. Doucet has the highest AVG POT but I get Bennet because Doucet is injury-prone. Harry Douglas gets drafted in the late 3rd/early 4th and he's good too (87 balanced and 87 quick/route runner). Another prize is Mario Manningham in the 4th round. He is 90 balanced and 91 quick/route runner but has personality problems like DeSean Jackson. Kevin Robinson has an AVG POT of 87 and falls in the 5th or even 6th round.
   
   
   HIGHEST AVG POT: Early Doucet (90)
   HIGHEST BALANCED POT: DeSean Jackson (92)
   HIGHEST TALL/REDZONE POT: Earl Bennett, Early Doucet (90)
   HIGHEST QUICK/ROUTE RUNNER POT: DeSean Jackson, Dexter Jackson, Mario Manningham (91)
   HIGHEST STRONG/BLOCKING POT: Earl Bennett, Early Doucet (87)
   HIGHEST SPEED POT: Donnie Avery, DeSean Jackson (96)
   
   

[Byron Yatch]

Good stuff, like that you're putting this info out for the noobs. If you need any help or I see anything you miss, I'll chime in, but this is an awesome start.