1994 Draft Redo - What Should've Happened

What should each team have done in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft?

Draft Redo ... 1994

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 29 picks in the first round of the 1994 draft. In parentheses is the round the player was actually taken.

Who Went	How the Draft Should've Gone
1. Cincinnati Bengals Dan Wilkinson, DT Ohio State	RB Marshall Faulk (1st), San Diego State Indianapolis Colts
The Bengal run defense was miserable and needed a ton of help. Wilkinson was supposed to be the man to fill the void and while he was fine, he wasn't a star for Cincy. With Steve Broussard, Derrick Fenner and Harold Green combining to score all three of their rushing touchdowns, Faulk would've been the obvious choice.
2. Indianapolis Colts Marshall Faulk, RB San Diego St	DT Bryant Young (1st), Notre Dame San Francisco 49ers
The Colts were 28th in the league against the run in 1993. Young would've been the exact ten-year type of player they could've really used. With a running back corps of Roosevelt Potts, Rodney Culver and Anthony Johnson, they'll be ticked Faulk is gone.
3. Washington Redskins Heath Shuler, QB Tennessee	OG Larry Allen (2nd), Sonoma State Dallas Cowboys
If conducting this exercise with 20/20 hindsight, the Skins should used their backup QB Rich Gannon and late round pick Gus Frerotte, forgotten about Shuler, and taken the player who'd grow into the premier NFL guard in the game.
4. New England Patriots Willie McGinest, DE USC	WR Isaac Bruce (2nd), Memphis Los Angeles Rams
McGinest wasn't a bad pick and worked out nicely for the Pats, but with a receiving corps of Vincent Brisby, Michael Timpson, Greg McMurtry and an underutilized Troy Brown, the Reverend Ike would be a sensational weapon for Drew Bledsoe.
5. Indianapolis Colts Trev Alberts, LB Nebraska	DT Tim Bowens (1st), Mississippi Miami Dolphins
Maybe Mel Kiper was right and the Colts should've taken QB Trent Dilfer  to boost the woeful passing game. The Colts already took Bryant Young with the second overall pick, so the pick would be Bowens (just barely over Dan Wilkinson) to provide a dynamic run stuffing duo in the middle.
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Trent Dilfer, QB Fresno State	DB Rodney Harrison (5th), Western Illinois San Diego Chargers
The Bucs needed help everywhere so going with the best-player-available theory, the pick is Harrison as a hard-hitting defensive back in a soon-to-be killer defense. Things didn't work out with Dilfer.
7. San Francisco 49ers Bryant Young, DT Notre Dame	DE Willie McGinist (1st), USC New England Patriots
The Niners didn't need too much with one of the NFL's top offenses and a good defense. The one missing ingredient was a top corner, but they're about to get Deion. McGinest would be a 10+ year performer and a rock of the defense.
8. Seattle Seahawks Sam Adams, DT Texas A&M	OL Todd Steussie (1st), California Minnesota Vikings
Adams wasn't a bad pick, but Steussie would've worked out better in the long haul.
9. Cleveland Browns Antonio Langham, CB Alabama	RB Dorsey Levens (5th), Georgia Tech Green Bay Packers
Langham wasn't a star, but he was a very decent player for the Browns/Ravens. With little running game to speak of with bust Tommy Vardell and the average Leroy Hoard carrying the rock, Levens would've worked out well.
10. Phoenix Cardinals Jamir Miller, LB UCLA	WR Derrick Alexander (1st), Michigan Cleveland Browns
At times Miller looked like a superstar and was good enough to be a decent player for several years. The Cards had the pieces in place, but screwed it up. The QBs were Chris Chandler and Steve Beuerlein while RBs Garrison Hearst and Ronald Moore weren't bad. All they needed was a solid receiver with only Randal Hill, Ricky Proehl and an over-the-hill Gary Clark to throw to.
11. Chicago Bears John Thierry, DE Alcorn State	DB Jason Sehorn (1st), USC New York Giants
The Bears were hoping to turn Thierry into a pass-rushing outside linebacker. Sehorn wouldn't have been a bad player on a Bear secondary that needed work.
12. New York Jets Aaron Glenn, CB Texas A&M	CB Aaron Glenn (1st), Texas A&M New York Jets
The Jets needed defensive backs so Glenn is still the pick.
13. New Orleans Saints Joe Johnson, DE Louisville	DT Sam Adams (1st), Texas A&M Seattle Seahawks
The Saint run defense needed help and even though Adams never really panned out like many thought he would, he would've been an instant help for the Saints.
14. Philadelphia Eagles Bernard Williams, OT Georgia	OT Wayne Gandy (1st), Auburn Los Angeles Rams
Williams was a B-U-S-T. Gandy would've been exactly what the Eagles needed.
15. Los Angeles Rams Wayne Gandy, OT Auburn	DT Dan Wilkinson (1st), Ohio State Cincinnati Bengals
The Rams needed help in the secondary, but there wasn't anyone available here. Wilkinson was never great, but he would've been a decent fill-in.
16. Green Bay Packers Aaron Taylor, OT Notre Dame	RB Jamal Anderson (7th), Utah Atlanta Falcons
Edgar Bennett was a nice complementary runner, but not a bruising every down back. Anderson would've been a great addition to take the heat off Bennett and QB Brett Favre.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers Charles Johnson, WR Colorado	WR Bill Schroeder (6th), UW-LaCrosse Green Bay Packers
The Steeler O could've used receiving help evidenced by the miserable pick of Johnson. Schroeder quietly became a productive player and a top deep threat.
18. Minnesota Vikings Dewayne Washington, CB NC State	QB Trent Dilfer (1st), Fresno State Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Not believing in Jim McMahon or Sean Salisbury, the Vikings should've taken Dilfer here and hope they'd get the Baltimore/Seattle version.
19. Minnesota Vikings Todd Steussie, OT California	C Kevin Mawae (2nd), LSU Seattle Seahawks
The Vikings were putting together a great offensive line and after not getting Steussie, they could've used the steady pro Mawae who'd be a Pro Bowl performer more than a decade later.
20. Miami Dolphins Tim Bowens, DT Mississippi	RB Charlie Garner (2nd), Tennessee Philadelphia Eagles
With Dan Marino's career winding down, the Dolphins could give him one more shot at the big-time with a speed back like Garner to help give the offense a boost..
21. Detroit Lions Johnny Morton, WR USC	C Tom Nalen (7th), Boston College Denver Broncos
They'd consider picking up Morton, but he didn't exactly set the NFL on fire. Instead the Lions could use Nalen's 112 straight starts to open holes for Barry Sanders.
22. Los Angeles Raiders Rob Fredrickson, LB Michigan State	DE Chad Bratzke (5th), Eastern Kentucky New York Giants
Fredrickson was considered a reach for the Raiders and he turned out to be a nice player. They should've taken Bratzke as he was a bit more productive and he really shouldn't slide further than this.
23. Dallas Cowboys Shante Carver, DE Arizona State	RB Errict Rhett (2nd), Florida Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ahhh the post-Jimmy era for Dallas. Carver is proof the Cowboy scouting department needed Johnson as a talent evaluator if nothing else. Not that Emmitt Smith needed much help, but he might have been even more effective had Rhett been there to take a few carries away from the fellow Gator.
24. New York Giants Thomas Lewis, WR Indiana	WR Johnnie Morton (1st), USC Detroit Lions
Lewis was considered a nutty pick by the Giants, and for good reason. They had Ed McCaffrey and didn't use him correctly, so Morton would've helped him and would've boosted the receiving corps.
25. Kansas Chiefs Greg Hill, RB Texas A&M	LB Rob Fredrickson (1st), Michigan State Los Angeles Raiders
With Marcus Allen, Kimble Anders, Todd McNair and Harvey Williams already in the backfield, Hill was surprise pick by Marty Schoettenheimer and it didn't work out. Fredrickson would've been the better pick.
26. Houston Oilers Henry Ford, DE Arkansas	DL Joe Johnson (1st), Louisville New Orleans Saints
Ford was still with the Titans as a decent backup several years after joining the team, but he was never worth a first round pick. The run defense was No. 1 in the NFL and the offense was still high-octane in 1993. Johnson would've worked out better.
27. Buffalo Bills Jeff Burris, DB Notre Dame	DT Mike Wells (4th), Iowa Minnesota Vikings
He didn't have a very distinguished career, but Wells would've been a nice backup to keep Bruce Smith and the rest of the great Buffalo line fresh.
28. San Francisco 49ers William Floyd, RB Florida State	P Mitch Berger (6th), Colorado Philadelphia Eagles
What do you give the team that has everything? How about a Pro Bowl punter?
29. Cleveland Browns Derrick Alexander, WR Michigan	RB Lamar Smith (3rd), Houston Seattle Seahawks
The Browns already drafted Dorsey Levens earlier in the draft and taking Smith would allow Cleveland to dump Vardell, Hoard and Kevin Mack and have a solid running game for eight years. With 20/20 hindsight they'd find a way to impress upon Smith that the importance of not driving drunk so he wouldn't screw up the early part of his career.