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May 3, 2003 The big day finally came and the guessing is over. Some players were surprised to be taken as high as they were, and others were amazed to be taken late, or not at all. Willis McGahee was a big winner, taken as the first running back. Who were the big winners among the NFL teams? The Baltimore Ravens picked up two potential superstars in Terrell Suggs and Kyle Boller. The Ravens put their future in the hands of this pair as they traded away next year’s first round pick. The thought of Suggs and Ray Lewis on the same team has got to give a lot of quarterbacks nightmares. Another team which did real well in the draft is Minnesota. Yes, they fumbled the first round, trying to trade down a few places and still get the guy they wanted. However, from their on out their draft was nothing short of spectacular. E.J. Henderson was predicted by many to be a first round pick and getting him in the second was a steal for the Vikings. He gives their defense an instant attitude. His play in the recent bowl game was superb. He is a hard-hitter with game speed and a strong sack specialist to boot. Minnesota has really upgraded their linebacking group over the past couple of years. Another choice pick was the University of Oregon’s Onterrio Smith. Smith is a multi- purpose back who is somewhat fashioned in the mold of a bigger Marshall Faulk. Smith can take it up the middle, outside, or catch it on the run. Smith also has fairly good blocking skills and may indeed start some games this year for the Vikings. In the later rounds the Vikings picked up the nation’s top punter, a guy who was hitting something close to 55 yards per punt in an indoor venue at Idaho State University. Since Minnesota is an indoor team, he will be a good fit. The St. Louis Rams had a draft that filled their needs and more. With the departure of Dre Bly and Dexter McCleon prior to the draft, the Rams were looking at some help at the cornerback position as well as linebacker. When James Whitley broke his foot recently, the Ram’s cornerback needs escalated. The Rams took three cornerbacks in the draft – but not before addressing their need at linebacker. They choose Hawaii’s Pisa Tinoisamoa in the second round, a fast player who fits in well with their speed scheme. Tinoisamoa is also a head-banger, which will help the Ram’s defense to increase the level of its nastiness. The Rams also picked up a handful of speedy wide receivers to attempt to get someone to fill Az-Zahir Hakim’s role, and a guard from the University of California. The Detroit Lions can pat themselves on the back for a great draft. The Lions grabbed top-notch wide receiver Charles Rogers of Michigan State as expected. Their second round choice was also a good one, Boss Bailey, a speedy outside linebacker who has great vertical abilities. One particular good pick was defensive end Cory Redding of Texas in the third round. Some believed that Redding would go higher in the draft. Redding should be able to work into the lineup right away, as should Rogers and Bailey. Rogers will team up with Az-Zahir Hakim to immediately upgrade the passing attack. Terrence Holt, a free-safety taken in the ? round, is the brother of St. Louis Ram standout Tory Holt. It appears that speedster Aveion Cason is now with the Dallas Cowboys. The Chicago Bears had a so-so draft. They did get Michael Haynes and took a flyer on Rex Grossman at quarterback. The Bears picked up a running back in the later rounds, selecting one of the nation’s most prolific backs in Brock Forsey of Boise State University. Cincinnati’s number one pick should finally pay off for them. Carson Palmer, the overall number one choice in the draft, looks to be the real deal and will finally give the Bengals a true quarterback. Kelley Washington, the Bengal’s third round pick, will give Carson a great target as Washington is big and fast. Dennis Weathersby, a cornerback from Oregon State, was a much vaunted choice on the second day of the draft. Weathersby will have to recover from a drive-by shooting injury that occurred recently. Denver took big George Foster of Georgia (340 pounds) as their top pick, who is expected to provide protection for Jake Plummer. ------------ About the author: Dwayne Hines currently has 12 books selling in major bookstores and writes for major magazines such as Physical and FitnessRX. Email Dwayne Hines: dhines@3dinet.com Comment on this column in the forum. ------------ |
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