1992 Draft Redo - What Should've Happened

What should each team have done in the first round of the 1992 NFL Draft?

Draft Redo ... 1992

How should the drafts have gone?

By Pete Fiutak 

2006 Draft Redo | 2005 Draft Redo | 2004 Draft Redo | 2003 Draft Redo
2002 Draft Redo | 2001 Draft Redo | 2000 Draft Redo | 1999 Draft Redo
1998 Draft Redo | 1997 Draft Redo | 1996 Draft Redo | 1995 Draft Redo  
1994 Draft Redo | 1993 Draft Redo | 1992 Draft Redo | 1991 Draft Redo
1990 Draft Redo | 1989 Draft Redo

Here's a look at past NFL drafts looking to see what each team needed, who they all took in the first round, and in hindsight, who should've gone based on how their pro careers turned out (forgetting about proper coaching and other circumstances).

If each team could draft knowing what we all know now and not taking future drafts into account, this is how the first round should've gone. There were 28 picks in the first round of the 1992 draft. In parentheses is the round the player was actually taken.

Who Went	How the Draft Should've Gone
1. Indianapolis Colts Steve Emtman, DT Washington	CB Troy Vincent (1st), Wisconsin Miami Dolphins
What happened to Steve Emtman was simply cruel as he looked like a perennial Pro Bowl player before the knee injuries hit. There isn't a rock solid lock at the No. 1 pick, but Vincent was one of the best, and most consistent, overall corners in the 1990s behind Deion Sanders. Vincent gets the nod as the top choice turning out to be the stronger player than Gilbert.
2. Indianapolis Colts Quentin Coryatt, LB Texas A&M	DT Sean Gilbert (1st), Pittsburgh Los Angeles Rams
The Colts needed as many good defensive players as they could get. Gilbert would've helped out the NFL's worst run D.
3. Los Angeles Rams Sean Gilbert, DT Pittsburgh	DB Darren Woodson (2nd), Arizona State Dallas Cowboys
The Ram offense was fine, but the defense needed some help in the secondary. It's a tough choice between Texas A&M's Kevin Smith and Darren Woodson of Arizona State. The Rams should have taken the big hitting, and often underrated, Woodson to pair with Todd Lyght, taken in 1991, to give them a great young pair of defensive backs.
4. Washington Redskins Desmond Howard, WR Michigan	WR Jimmy Smith (2nd), Jackson State Dallas Cowboys
It should've worked out. The Super Bowl champion Redskins we're going to bolster their arsenal with the nation's best wide receiver. The only problem was that Desmond Howard had the work ethic of a postal employee at 4:59 on a Friday. Smith was a great pick by the Cowboys, but Jimmy Johnson gave up on him too early. Washington made a practice of trading away draft picks for players and should've done it in 1992.
5. Green Bay Packers Terrell Buckley, CB Florida State	LB Levon Kirkland (2nd), Clemson Pittsburgh Steelers
The Packers needed playmakers on offense and they should've considered taking Carl Pickens of Tennessee or Robert Brooks of South Carolina to take the heat off Sterling Sharpe. The pick is Kirkland to add some bulk to the D.
6. Cincinnati Bengals David Klingler, QB Houston	CB Kevin Smith (1st), Texas A&M Dallas Cowboys
The Bengals had the NFL's worst pass defense in 1991 and Smith would've provided instant help. Cincy still wants a quarterback to step in for the aging Boomer Esiason, but it's worth hoping that Jeff Blake or Brad Johnson will still be there with the 28th pick.
7. Miami Dolphins Troy Vincent, CB Wisconsin	LB Ed McDaniel (5th), Clemson Minnesota Vikings
Miami's 1991 run defense was pitiful. McDaniel was the run stuffer Don Shula could've really used.
8. Atlanta Falcons Bob Whitfield, OT Stanford	OT Bob Whitfield (1st), Stanford Atlanta Falcons
Why mess with what worked? Whitfield was a fixture for Atlanta only missing one game from 1993 through 2001.
9. Cleveland Browns Tommy Vardell, RB Stanford	DE Robert Porcher (1st), South Carolina St Detroit Lions
I'm still not sure what the Browns were planning on doing with Vardell. DE Robert Porcher and his great sack production would've been a great boost to the lousy Brown pass rush.
10. Seattle Seahawks Ray Roberts, OT Virginia	WR Carl Pickens (2nd), Tennessee Cincinnati Bengals
The Seahawks didn't know it yet, but RB Chris Warren was about to blossom. Even though they needed help on the offensive line and Miami's Leon Searcy is awfully enticing, the receiving corps of Brian Blades, Jeff Chadwick, Louis Clark and Tommy Kane scares no one.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers Leon Searcy, OT Miami	DB Dale Carter (1st), Tennessee  Kansas City Chiefs
The Searcy pick worked out, but the Steelers needed help in the secondary in 1992. The lousy pass defense would've received a nice boost from the versatile Carter.
12. Miami Dolphins Marco Coleman, DT Georgia Tech	CB Terrell Buckley (1st), Florida State Green Bay Packers
Dan Marino could've used a nice safety valve at tight end and we might've given him Boston College's Mark Chmura if Philadelphia's Keith Jackson wasn't going to become a Dolphin in 1992. Buckley never lived up to his billing coming out of FSU, but he carved out a nice niche for himself and could've helped Miami.
13. New England Patriots Eugene Chung, OT Virginia Tech	QB Jeff Blake (6th), East Carolina New York Jets
The top New England QBs going into the 1992 season? Tom Hodson and Hugh Millen. The pick is Blake to groom as the quarterback of the future and be around for the next ten years. Will this pick prevent the Pats from taking a Drew Bledsoe next year?
14. New York Giants Derek Brown, TE Notre Dame	TE Mark Chmura (6th), Boston College Green Bay Packers
The Giants saw what happened without Mark Bavaro and wanted to replace his production at tight end. Brown wasn't bad, Chmura was better. Just keep him away from the hot tubs.
15. New York Jets Johnny Mitchell, TE Nebraska	DB Ashley Ambrose (2nd) Miss Valley St Indianapolis Colts
Johnny Mitchell spent too much time looking in the mirror to play football. The Jet pass defense was atrocious in 1991 and Ambrose would eventually be a playmaker.
16. Los Angeles Raiders Chester McGlockton, DT Clemson	QB Brad Johnson (9th), Florida State Minnesota Vikings
Johnson might still be in the league and he has a Super Bowl ring, but he likely wouldn't have been around too long for for the team that drafted him for too long. He was a project. Even so, he might have turned out to be a decent fit with the Al Davis bombs away passing dream. Todd Marinovich wasn't the answer.
17. Dallas Cowboys Kevin Smith, CB Texas A&M	DL Keith Hamilton (4th), Pittsburgh New York Giants
The Cowboys were on the verge of some big things, but needed help in the secondary in 1992. Ticked off that Vincent, Woodson, Smith, Carter, Buckley and Ambrose all went within the first 15 picks, they'll take the best player available with Hamilton who racked up 13.5 sacks in 1993 and has 61.5 for his career.
18. San Francisco 49ers Dana Hall, DB Washington	OT Leon Searcy (1st), Miami Pittsburgh Steelers
The Niners didn't need too much, so a player of Searcy's caliber would've given depth and have been a great help to the line.
19. Atlanta Falcons Tony Smith, RB Southern Miss	RB Edgar Bennett (4th), Florida State Green Bay Packers
Knowing what we know now, the Falcons would keep Brett Favre so he could throw to Andre Rison, Mike Pritchard and Michael Haynes. This is a reach at the 19, but the Falcons need a running back to replace dud pick Steve Broussard, and Bennett would've fit in nicely as a receiver out of the backfield and as the main ball carrier.
20. Kansas City Chiefs Dale Carter, DB Tennessee	WR Robert Brooks (3rd), South Carolina Green Bay Packers
With the 76-year-old Steve DeBerg and the lousy Mark Vlasic as the prime quarterback options, the Chiefs needed a replacement. There aren't any. Brooks would've filled a need as Tim Barnett, J.J. Birden, Emile Harry and Robb Thomas didn't provide much of a punch.
21. New Orleans Saints Vaughn Dunbar, RB Indiana	RB Sam Gash (8th), Penn State New England Patriots
Even though the NFC West champs already have beefy running Craig Heyward and a solid fullback GIl Fenerty, Gash would become one of the NFL's best fullbacks of the 1990s.
22. Chicago Bears Alonzo Spellman, DE Ohio State	DT Chester McGlockton (1st), Clemson Los Angeles Raiders
The Bears needed run stuffers and McGlockton would've been a big, but underacheiving, body in the middle for ten years.
23. San Diego Chargers Chris Mims, DT Tennessee	DL Chris Mims (1st), Tennessee San Diego Chargers
With John Friesz and Bob Gagliano at quarterback, the Chargers wish there was a signal caller available.  Mims didn't give the Chargers a long career, but he was a very effective run stuffer for the years he was there.
24. Dallas Cowboys Robert Jones, LB East Carolina	DT Steve Emtman (1st), Washington Dallas Cowboys
Knowing that his knee will give out in only a few years, Emtman didn't go earlier. For a team on the verge of greatness like the Cowboys, he'd give them unbelievable depth not needing to be relied on as the star defensive lineman. (Yeah, this is breaking ranks making this a potential pick rather than a production one.)
25. Denver Broncos Tommy Maddox, QB UCLA	WR Desmond Howard (1st), Michigan Washington Redskins
The Dan Reeves hissy fit pick of Maddox materialized into an XFL legend, but he's not worth picking up for nine years. The Broncos could've used help at receiver with an aging receiving corps and while Howard was a total bust as a pass catcher, he was one of the great kick returners in NFL history.
26. Detroit Lions Robert Porcher, DE South Carolina St	OT John Fina (1st), Arizona Buffalo Bills
Fina was considered a reach for the Bills at the time and it turned out fine. With a running back like Barry Sanders the running game should get all the help it can.
27. Buffalo Bills John Fina, OT Arizona	DL Santana Dotson (5th), Baylor Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bills had some huge stars on defense in the early 1990s, but they gave up a ton of yards and points. Dotson would've at least provided some depth behind Bruce Smith.
28. Cincinnati Bengals Darryl Williams, DB Miami	DL Brad Culpepper (10th), Florida Minnesota Vikings
Spellman never panned out for the Bears failing to live up to his potential. Cincinnati might have used his talent for a few years needing all the help they could get on the line to generate a pass rush to help out their lousy secondary.