Draft Revisited 2008

I hate draft grades, the idea of watching the draft and the next day deciding who did better than who is ridiculous. You have no idea who did better than who. We can make jokes and remark on draft picks but we have no clue what that player will mean for the franchise in the coming years. When I do these and I go on Wikipedia and look at the entire draft list, there is always a highlighted player in the 4th or 5th round from a team that wins the Super Bowl in the next couple years. This draft has a few of them teams, New Orleans, Green Bay, Baltimore, and New England all made picks in 2008 that helped them win Super Bowls. So yeah it's fun to read who won last week, but I don't think you can grade a trade until players reach that 2nd contract, IF they reach that 2nd contract. The top 10 of the 2008 draft is full of big time players from college, but the picks from 11-30 had more success in the NFL and made bigger impacts. Not sure how the top 10 got graded but I assume very well, because I know most of these guys and they were all dynamite in college.

Pick 1 Miami Dolphins: Jake Long OT, Michigan. The Dolphins had their hearts set on Jake Long or not, I know some other guys were bigger names Long was the guy they wanted. Jake Long was a great pick and did some good things in Miami before leaving in 2013. The Dolphins however never found a QB for Long to protect, so kind of like Joe Thomas he was a wasted stud. He fought the injury bug the 2nd half of his career and never reached his entire potential but he was named to 3 straight Pro Bowls in Miami.

Pick 2 St. Louis Rams: Chris Long DE, Virginia. I think Chris Long has made a name for himself even having a hall of famer for a father. He was never the elite player his dad was but he was consistent. But when you're taken 2nd overall consistent isn't what teams want. He did lead the Rams in sacks in 2012, but that was about it. He never made a Pro Bowl, after the Rams released him after 2015, he went to New England and then Philly to win some Super Bowls. He retired after 2018 with 70 career sacks in 11 seasons. He's a much bigger presence on social media, being a vocal voice for his college town in Charlottesville, and all around a decent dude.

Pick 3 Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan QB, Boston College. Dude Boston College used to be a factory, what happened? Anyway, Matt Ryan was the prototype coming out of college. Checked every box that a 2008 offense would want, who could say otherwise. He has been great in Atlanta, reached a Super Bowl and has mostly lived up to this draft position. Great pick by Atlanta and he's still doing all these years later.

Pick 4 Oakland Raiders: Darren McFadden RB, Arkansas. Run DMC had 3 1,000 rushing yard seasons in 3 years and only had 2 1,000 rushing yard seasons in 9 NFL seasons. He was the next greatest thing coming out of Arkansas and of course he went to Oakland where it seemed all talent of the late 2000's went to die. He never played an entire season in Oakland, missing a few games each season, which for a RB is expected. His 3rd year was his best but the other years for the Raiders left a lot to be desired. Run DMC eventually ended up in Dallas had a decent season in 2015, but was done with football by 2017.

Pick 5 Kansas City Chiefs: Glenn Dorsey DT, LSU. I remember thinking Dorsey was can't miss. He was awesome at LSU, 2 time All-American awesome. Well that didn't happen. He never found his game in Kansas City, totaling 4 sacks in 5 years and getting a little over 50 tackles a year. Dorsey tried again in San Francisco but didn't find much success there either. He tore his ACL in 2015 and ended his career, he missed, damn it.

Pick 6 New York Jets: Vernon Gholston DE, Ohio State. When you take a 4-3 DE and then stand him up to be a 3-4 LB, things sometimes don't work out. For Vernon Gholston, nothing worked out, the Jets switched his position, he never played his rookie year, or his 2nd season, or even his 3rd season. Then he was gone from the Jets and never played again. 3 years 42 tackles 0 sacks, and the Jets made the AFC championship game a couple years in a row after whiffing that bad on him.

Pick 7 New Orleans Saints: Sedrick Ellis DT, USC. Ellis ended up being a cog in the Saints defense, he was never a monster but he was solid. He started every game he played in and helped the Saints on their run to the Super Bowl. He made it 5 years with the Saints, signed with the Bears in 2013 and retired before camp started.

Pick 8 Jacksonville Jaguars: Derrick Harvey DE, Florida. I swear Jacksonville is in the top 10 of every one of these I do, and every guy they take is in contention for bust of the top 10. Derrick Harvey is no different, 3 years in Jacksonville then 1 year in Denver and he's gone. Harvey fared a little better than Vernon Gholston but not much. Now you know why Jacksonville plays a game in London every year, they suck at drafting.

Pick 9 Cincinnati Bengals: Keith Rivers LB, USC. Rivers was on his way to making a difference his rookie year, until Hines Ward broke his jaw with a helmet block to the face. Rivers had 2 more decent years with the Bengals before being traded to the Giants for a draft pick. He didn't do as well in New York and much like other guys was out of the league after 2013. This top 10 has a few 5 year or less careers.

Pick 10 New England Patriots: Jerod Mayo LB, Tennessee. Here's the thing, when New England takes a guy this high you know he's good. They are the kings of moving back in the draft and still getting their guys. In fact New England had traded off of 7 (who they got from San Francisco) to New Orleans to move back to 10. Mayo was very good for the Pats, he won defensive rookie of the year. Mayo was a force the Patriots defense for 8 seasons before hanging it up, this was a good pick.

11-20 if full of studs, Ryan Clady went to Denver at 12, he was a top tackle in the league and played for a decade. Jonathan Stewart went at 13 to Carolina, he was on my fantasy team many times. Kansas City double dipped in the 1st round with tackle Branden Albert at 15. Arizona selected Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie at 16. Joe Flacco went to Baltimore at 18, that worked out for them. Finally at 20 Aqib Talib went to Tampa, he worked out alright for a few teams.

Rashard Mendenhall and Chris Johnson went back to back at 23 and 24.

The Patirots forfeited their pick at #31, believe that was spygate. This was coming off the perfect season for them, so they were in full FU mode.

The Giants took Kenny Phillips at 31, he turned out alright.

2nd round Green Bay took Jordy Nelson, he was a very good player for them.

Bears got Matt Forte in the 2nd round, this turned out to be an ok RB class with Stewart, Mendenhall, Forte, Ray Rice (2nd Baltimore), Jamaal Charles (3rd round Kansas City), and Justin Forsett (7th Seattle)

More 2nd round gold, DeSean Jackson to Philly and Calais Campbell to Arizona.

Green Bay in the moving on from Brett Favre faze selected 2 QBs, Brian Brohm in the 2nd and Matt Flynn in the 7th.

Cliff Avril was picked by Detroit in the 3rd, I remember more for his damage done in Seattle.

With the last pick of the 4th round Green Bay took Josh Sitton, he was an anchor on the line for a few seasons.

Saints got Carl Nicks in the 5th, Nicks was an all pro for the Saints and started on the Super Bowl winning team.

I think Matt Ryan and Ryan Clady were the best 2 guys in this draft.

Vernon Gholston is for sure the bust.

New Orleans probably had the best draft, but New England and Green Bay also did well.

This was a fun one, that top 10 reminds me a lot of 2006, where there were a lot of studs from college in the top 10 who just flamed out. I'll get to 2007 next and then I'll work my way forward with 2011.