|
Who
Went
|
How the Draft
Should've Gone
|
|
1.
Cincinnati Bengals
Ki-Jana Carter, RB Penn State
|
RB
Curtis Martin (3rd), Pittsburgh
New England Patriots
|
|
This
is a very tough pick to make. The Bengals had no running
game, but were worse against the run even after taking Big
Daddy Dan Wilkinson the year before. What happened to Ki-Jana
Carter was cruel as he had all the makings of a star before
tearing up his knee in the preseason of his first year.
Warren Sapp would've been just as good a fit.
|
|
2.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tony Boselli, OT USC
|
OT
Tony Boselli (1st), USC
Jacksonville Jaguars
|
|
You
can't ask for more production than what Boselli gave
Jacksonville. Knowing he won't be a Jaguar several years down the
road, he'd still be the pick as he was one of the top tackles
in the game when he was 100%. They're going for quality over quantity.
Steve McNair should probably go here, but Mark Brunell, and
eventually, Byron Leftwich would do just fine.
|
|
3.
Houston Oilers
Steve McNair, QB Alcorn State
|
QB
Steve McNair (1st), Alcorn State
Houston Oilers
|
|
Some thought
McNair wasn't worth the third overall pick at the time. He
turned into a star after finally getting an above-average
receiving corps to work with, and no one has been tougher.
Getting his team to within a yard of being the Super Bowl
champion is enough to take him at the three without all the
other great years he had.
|
|
4.
Washington Redskins
Michael Westbrook, WR Colorado
|
DT
Warren Sapp (1st), Miami
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
|
|
Under
Bobby Beathard, the Skins ditched draft picks for players
and won Super Bowls. Without Beathard, Washington kept the
picks and whiffed time after time. The passing game needed
help, but the running game was 24th in the NFL in 1994.
Terrell Davis would be considered, but Sapp can't slide any
longer.
|
|
5.
Carolina Panthers
Kerry Collins, QB Penn State
|
RB
Terrell Davis (6th), Georgia
Denver Broncos
|
|
Would
you start a franchise with Davis? Collins would've worked
out great for the Panthers if alcohol and immaturity didn't
kick his butt before he became a solid player and better citizen
for New York. Even though his career is over, Davis was too good in
his prime to last any longer than this. Trivia question ...
who went with the pick before Denver took Davis? Oregon
running back Dino Philyaw was selected by New England. Imagine
if the Patriots had Curtis Martin and Davis from the same
draft.
|
|
6.
St. Louis Rams
Kevin Carter, DE Florida
|
LB
Derrick Brooks (1st), Florida State
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
|
|
It's
hard to argue with the production Carter gave the Rams while
he was there, but was he worth the No. 6 pick? Needing
offense, the Rams should've stuck with Chris Chandler at
quarterback (dumping Chris Miller and Tommy Maddox) and give
him a weapons to work with later on in the draft. Brooks
could've been an Hall of Fame cornerstone for the Ram D.
|
|
7.
Philadelphia Eagles
Mike Mamula, DE Boston College
|
DE
Hugh Douglas (1st), Central State
New York Jets
|
|
Mamula
came close to working out for the Eagles, but it just didn't
happen. Douglas, a future Eagle, would've been the pass
rusher Philadelphia was hoping to get when they
drafted the workout warrior.
|
|
8.
Seattle Seahawks
Joey Galloway, WR Ohio State
|
QB
Kerry Collins (1st), Penn State
Carolina Panthers
|
|
This
is a tough call. Galloway was a premier player in his prime, but the
Seahawks didn't exactly set the world on fire with him.
Knowing that they'll have to fight through the tough years,
they'll ride out the storm with Collins instead of going into
1995 with Rick Mirer, Dan McGwire and Stan Gelbaugh at
quarterback.
|
|
9.
New York Jets
Kyle Brady, TE Penn State
|
DB
Ty Law (1st), Michigan
New England Patriots
|
|
Brady was the proverbial looks-like-Tarzan-plays-like-Jane
player for the Jets. A wide receiver to help out Rob Moore
would've been nice, but a steady playmaker like Law would've
been better.
|
|
10.
San Francisco 49ers
J.J. Stokes, WR UCLA
|
WR
Antonio Freeman (3rd), Virginia Tech
Green Bay Packers
|
|
Who
out there had shivers down their spines when the Niners took
Stokes? If the Niners had held onto Ed McCaffrey, the
receivers would've been just fine as Rice was still well in
his prime. Adding either Freeman or Joey Galloway would've
made the attack even more deadly.
|
|
11.
Minnesota Vikings
Derrick Alexander, DE Florida State
|
WR
Joey Galloway (1st), Ohio State
Seattle Seahawks
|
|
Minnesota
passed on Warren Sapp because of drug rumors ...
OOOOOOOOOPPS. Had the Vikings taken Sapp, they would've gone
to at least two Super Bowls. Forget defense. Imagine the
eventual possibilities the Vikings would have with Galloway
and Cris Carter (and eventually Randy Moss).
|
|
12.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Warren Sapp, DT Miami
|
CB
Bobby Taylor (2nd), Notre Dame
Philadelphia Eagles
|
|
The
Bucs needed help everywhere and the pass defense wasn't all
that bad. Even so, Taylor, who quietly put together an
outstanding career, is too strong a player not to
take.
|
|
13.
New Orleans Saints
Mark Fields, LB Washington State
|
DE
Luther Elliss (1st), Utah
Detroit Lions
|
|
Few
linebackers are faster than Fields, but he just never lived
up to the billing. The defense was 27th out of 28 in
points allowed so they'll pass up Kordell Stewart and a slew
of top offensive linemen for help on D. They're taking the consistency
of Ellis over the unfulfilled talent of Kevin Carter.
|
|
14.
Buffalo Bills
Ruben Brown, OG Pittsburgh
|
OG
Ruben Brown (1st), Pittsburgh
Buffalo Bills
|
|
Brown provided 136
starts for the Bills before becoming a Chicago Bear. There might be better players on the
board, but if it ain't broke ...
|
|
15.
Indianapolis Colts
Ellis Johnson, DE Florida
|
QB
Kordell Stewart (2nd), Colorado
Pittsburgh Steelers
|
|
While
Johnson turned into a decent player for the Colts, they
should take a quarterback with Jim Harbaugh, Don "The Muffin
Man" Majkowski and Browning Nagle calling signals going
into the 1995 season.
|
|
16.
New York Jets
Hugh Douglas, DE Central State
|
DE
Kevin Carter (1st), Florida
Los Angeles Rams
|
|
Carter
might have turned into a dog with fleas, but his sack total is
nothing to sneeze at. He probably should've gone earlier than
this.
|
|
17.
New York Giants
Tyrone Wheatley, RB Michigan
|
OG
Adam Timmerman (6th), South Dakota
Green Bay Packers
|
|
With
Danger Dave Brown and Kent Graham at quarterback, the Giants
would be ticked that Collins and Stewart are gone. Going
with the Best Player Available theory, the Giants could've
plugged Timmerman in for a decade.
|
|
18.
Los Angeles Raiders
Napoleon Kaufman, RB Washington
|
OT
Zach Wiegert (2nd), Nebraska
Los Angeles Rams
|
|
Kaufman
was the final-piece-of-the-puzzle type of player. The
Raiders needed more every down players on offense and more
building blocks like Wiegert.
|
|
19.
Jacksonville Jaguars
James Stewart, RB Tennessee
|
RB
James Stewart (1st), Tennessee
Jacksonville Jaguars
|
|
It sort of
worked. When he was healthy, Stewart was a tremendous player
for the Jaguars.
|
|
20.
Detroit Lions
Luther Elliss, DE Utah
|
FB
Cory Schlesinger (6th), Nebraska
Detroit Lions
|
|
It's
not a sexy pick by any means and it may be a total reach,
but Schlesinger was a solid producer as a Lion. Now if Detroit could just figure out how to
use him to open holes for Mr. Sanders in 1995.
|
|
21.
Chicago Bears
Rashaan Salaam, RB Colorado
|
RB Napoleon
Kaufman (1st), Washington
Los Angeles Raiders
|
|
Salaam
should've worked out for Chicago if only he had held onto
the ball as well as he held on to his weed. Yeah, Kaufman is
more of a luxury than a necessity for a team like the 1995
Chicago Bears, but there was little to no speed in a
backfield consisting of Robert Green, Raymont Harris, Lewis
Tillman, Merrill Hoge and Tim Worley.
|
|
22.
Carolina Panthers
Tyrone Poole, DB Fort Valley State
|
DE
Ellis Johnson (1st), Florida
Indianapolis Colts
|
|
The
Panthers were building their franchise around veterans on
defense. They could've really taught Johnson a few things
and maybe made him even a better player than he turned out
to be.
|
|
23.
New England Patriots
Ty Law, DB Michigan
|
TE
Ken Dilger (2nd), Illinois
Indianapolis Colts
|
|
The
Patriots were already the No. 1 passing team in the league
following a 4,555 yard season by Drew Bledsoe and they
certainly didn't need a tight end with Ben Coates
established as one of the league's elite. Taking Dilger
would allow them to use a two-tight end set and would give
Bledsoe yet another safety valve.
|
|
24.
Minnesota Vikings
Korey Stringer, OT Ohio State
|
OT
Korey Stringer (1st), Ohio State
Minnesota Vikings
|
|
The
Vikings were in the midst of putting together one of the
league's best offensive lines. On the field, they'll take the great years
Stringer gave them, tragedy and all.
|
|
25.
Miami Dolphins
Billy Milner, OT Houston
|
OT
Blake Brockermeyer (1st), Texas
Carolina Panthers
|
|
Milner
never panned out for the Dolphins. Brockermeyer would've been the
tackle they were looking for.
|
|
26.
Atlanta Falcons
Devin Bush, DB Florida State
|
C
Cory Raymer (2nd), Wisconsin
Washington Redskins
|
|
Atlanta
needed defense more than offense and didn't really have a
huge weakness on the offensive line, but Raymer is the best
player on the board.
|
|
27.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Mark Bruener, TE Washington
|
TE
Mark Bruener (1st), Washington
Pittsburgh Steelers
|
|
The
Steelers got 108 solid starts out of Bruener, so
it's hard to argue with the pick.
|
|
28.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Derrick Brooks, LB Florida State
|
FB
Charles Way (6th), Virginia
New York Giants
|
|
The
Bucs needed help on offense and could've used a bruising
fullback to open holes for Errict Rhett. They'll take Way just
barely over North Carolina's William Henderson.
|
|
29.
Carolina Panthers
Blake Brockermeyer, OT Texas
|
WR
Frank Sanders (2nd), Auburn
Arizona Cardinals
|
|
He
won't be a superstar, but for a franchise just starting up,
a 60+ catch a year receiver like Sanders would've been a
nice complementary player for a team needing
playmakers.
|
|
30.
Cleveland Browns
Craig Powell, LB Ohio State
|
LB
Mark Fields (1st), Washington State
New Orleans Saints
|
|
With
a backfield of Leroy Hoard, Earnest Byner and Tommy Vardell,
they'd consider taking Tyrone Wheatley, then go with the speed
of Fields, a first round disappointment-turned late career
Pro Bowler.
|
|
31.
Kansas City Chiefs
Trezelle Jenkins, OT Michigan
|
OG
Frank Garcia (4th), Washington
Carolina Panthers
|
|
The
Chiefs were looking for offensive line help.
|
|
32.
Green Bay Packers
Craig Newsome, DB Arizona State
|
FB
William Henderson (3rd), North Carolina
Green Bay Packers
|
|
Henderson
was a productive player for the Pack for several years and
while the first round may be a bit of a reach, and Ty
Wheatley is still on the board, there's no reason to mess
with what worked.
|