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2002 Draft Redo - What Should've Happened
North Carolina DE Julius Peppers
North Carolina DE Julius Peppers
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Apr 20, 2008

What should each team have done in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft?

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 32 picks in the first round of the 2002 draft. In parentheses is the round the player was actually taken. 

This was an awful, awful draft. You'll soon see why.

Who Went How the Draft Should've Gone
1. Houston Texans
David Carr, QB Fresno State
S Ed Reed (1st), Miami
Baltimore Ravens
Carr was one of the NFL's hard luck stories. He never, ever, ever had time to work. It's tempting to jump on a Julius Peppers or Dwight Freeney, but the Texans could've used a sheriff in the secondary.
2. Carolina Panthers
Julius Peppers, DE North Carolina
DE Julius Peppers (1st), North Carolina
Carolina Panthers
Peppers quickly became one of the league's superstar defensive ends and a premier pass rusher giving the Panthers exactly what they wanted when at the two.
3. Detroit Lions
Joey Harrington, QB Oregon
RB Clinton Portis (2nd), Miami
Denver Broncos
Joey Harrington stunk. Portis quickly turned into one of the NFL's elite home run hitters. 
4. Buffalo Bills
Mike Williams, OT Texas
DE Dwight Freeney (1st), Syracuse
Indianapolis Colts
Mike Williams went from solid to bust in a big hurry. Freeney was too small, he wasn't going to be able to blow past NFL tackles, blah, blah, blah.
5. San Diego Chargers
Quentin Jammer, CB Texas
DE Aaron Kampman (5th), Iowa
Green Bay Packers
Jammer turned out to be a good corner, but not an elite one. Kampman became a special pass rusher.
6. Kansas City Chiefs
Ryan Sims, DT North Carolina
RB Brian Westbrook (3rd), Villanova 
Philadelphia Eagles
While running back would hardly become a need for Kansas City, Westbrook would've gone ballistic behind the Chief line. His pass catching skills would've given the offense another dimension.
7. Minnesota Vikings
Bryant McKinnie, OT Miami
OT Bryant McKinnie (1st), Miami
Minnesota Vikings
No need to mess with what worked.
8. Dallas Cowboys 
Roy Williams, S Oklahoma
S Roy Williams (1st), Oklahoma
Dallas Cowboys
Williams has been a strange superstar. Tremendous at times, inconsistent at others, he still turned out to be good enough for Dallas to do it again.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars
John Henderson, DT Tennessee
DT John Henderson (1st), Tennessee 
Jacksonville Jaguars
There are better players still on the board, but Henderson worked out well as a steady force in the middle of the young Jaguar line.
10. Cincinnati Bengals
Levi Jones, OT Arizona State
OT Levi Jones (1st), Arizona State 
Cincinnati Bengals
Roundly laughed at for taking Levi Jones too early, Cincinnati actually got a good player.
11. Indianapolis Colts
Dwight Freeney, DE Syracuse
DT Albert Haynesworth (1st), Tennessee
Tennessee Titans
Indianapolis needed a pass rusher and got it in Freeney. Off the board in the redraft, getting the run stuffing tackle wouldn't have been a bad option, but the Colts would've had to wait a bit for the payoff.
12. Arizona Cardinals
Wendell Bryant, DT Wisconsin
WR Javon Walker (1st), Florida State
Green Bay Packers
Eventually, receiver would be a strength for the Cardinals. They don't have Anquan Boldin or Larry Fitzgerald yet.
13. New Orleans Saints
Donte Stallworth, WR Tennessee
DE Charles Grant (1st), Georgia 
New Orleans Saints
This is debatable. Stallworth has shown flashes of brilliance when he's healthy enough to be on the field, but he's hardly worth the 13th pick. For his 27.5 sacks from 2002 to 2004, Grant might be worth the 13.
14. New York Giants 
Jeremy Shockey, TE Miami
TE Jeremy Shockey (1st), Miami
New York Giants
Shockey hasn't been worth all the hype, but he's the best option in an awful draft.
15. Tennessee Titans
Albert Haynesworth, DT Tennessee
CB Lito Sheppard (1st), Florida 
Philadelphia Eagles
The knock on Haynesworth was his age, but outside of one ugly incident, he turned into a star. Sheppard would become a good ball-hawking option for the quickly fading Titan secondary.
16. Cleveland Browns 
William Green, RB Boston College
CB Quentin Jammer (1st), Texas
San Diego Chargers 
Green was a strange bust. Jammer might not have turned out to be special, but he would've been a consistent starter for the Saints.
17. Oakland Raiders
Phillip Buchanon, CB Miami
OG Kendall Simmons (1st), Auburn 
Pittsburgh Steelers
While he might not be an elite NFL corner, Buchanon turned into a productive defender for a few years. Simmons would've been a far better option for a line that would go into the tank in a big hurry.
18. Atlanta Falcons
T.J. Duckett, RB Michigan State
WR Donte Stallworth (1st), Tennessee
New Orleans Saints
Duckett has been erratic, but he wasn't a bad pick. Stallworth would hardly be consistent, but he might have been a great weapon (at least occasionally) for Michael Vick to work with.
19. Denver Broncos 
Ashley Lelie, WR Hawaii
DE Alex Brown (4th), Florida
Chicago Bears
Lelie is still waiting to justify his selection. A Pro Bowl caliber pass rusher like Brown would've been a more immediate help.
20. Green Bay Packers
Javon Walker, WR Florida State
WR Deion Branch (2nd), Louisville
New England Patriots
Branch might turn out to be inconstant and erratic, but he'd have blown up with No. 4 throwing to him.
21. New England Patriots
Daniel Graham, TE Colorado
C LeCharles Bentley (2nd), Ohio State
New Orleans Saints
Through injuries and all, Bentley would eventually be a productive starter. It would take a while for the payoff to come, but he'd be a nice leader for the constantly overachieving Patriot line.
22. New York Jets
Bryan Thomas, DE UAB
LB Scott Fujita (5th), California
Kansas City Chiefs
New York could use all the good defenders it could get. Fujita might be average, but he made a lot of stops and he'd have been a starter right away.
23. Oakland Raiders
Napoleon Harris, LB Northwestern
WR/QB Antwaan Randle El (2nd), Indiana 
Pittsburgh Steelers
Randle El is the type of quirky do-it-all player who would've gotten a lot of work in the Raider offense.
24. Baltimore Ravens
Ed Reed, S Miami
LB Ben Leber (3rd), Kansas State
San Diego Chargers
Everyone produces in the Raven defenses in the early 2000s. Leber would've made a ton of tackles.
25. New Orleans Saints
Charles Grant, DE Georgia
OG Andre Gurode (2nd), Colorado 
Dallas Cowboys
The Saints needed defense, but Gurode is the type of player who'd be a steady starter for the Saints for a decade.
26. Philadelphia Eagles 
Lito Sheppard, CB Florida
RB T.J. Duckett (1st), Michigan State
Atlanta Falcons
Donovan McNabb could use all the help he could get. Duckett would be a nice power runner to keep defenses from keying on the passing attack. Of course, that would only happen if the Eagles ever ran the ball.
27. San Francisco 49ers 
Mike Rumph, DB Miami
QB David Garrard (4th), East Carolina
Jacksonville Jaguars
How long would the Niners be able to wait for Garrard to turn into a productive starter? Considering the future of the San Francisco quarterback situation, developing the ECU star wouldn't be a bad idea.
28. Seattle Seahawks 
Jerramy Stevens, TE Washington
LB Larry Foote (4th), Michigan
Pittsburgh Steeler
The Seahawk D would soon start investing in linebackers far better than Foote. For the time being, the Michigan defensive leader would've filled a gap.
29. Chicago Bears
Marc Colombo, OT Boston College
OT Langston Walker (2nd), California
Oakland Raiders
Colombo was a good pick for the Bears up until he suffered a career altering/ending leg injury. Walker would've been a better producer.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers 
Kendall Simmons, OG Auburn
CB Phillip Buchanon (1st), Miami
Oakland Raiders
Pittsburgh needed offensive linemen, but the defense always found ways to get the best out of decent talents. Buchanon was a decent talent.
31. St. Louis Rams
Robert Thomas, LB UCLA
RB Najeh Davenport (4th), Miami
Green Bay Packers
By taking Davenport and hoping he doesn't get hurt, the Rams would've had help to keep Marshall Faulk fresh.
32. Washington Redskins
Patrick Ramsey, QB Tulane
QB David Carr (1st), Fresno State
Houston Texans
Carr never got a chance behind the awful Houston line. This would be taking a chance on him developing in a different situation. However, he wouldn't have gotten a ton of protection behind the Steve Spurrier front five.




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