2003 NFL Draft Review – Round 1

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What a draft! Missed deadlines, busy phones, lots of wheeling and dealing… This year’s rookie class may not go down as the most talented ever, but this draft had as much intrigue as any, and for teams that knew where to look, the talent was there. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the players chosen:

Cincinnati Bengals:
1. Carson Palmer, QB, USC
Ok, we knew this one. The Bengals made no secret of their interest in Palmer, who certainly has considerable talent. Unfortunately, Cincinnati has a history of letting skilled quarterbacks go to waste. Don’t look for much fantasy impact from Palmer this season – it’s unclear when he’ll be handed the reins of the Bengals’ offense. Unfortunately, Palmer’s signing also significantly lowers the stock of Jon Kitna, who was considered a solid sleeper for the upcoming season. It now looks as if it’s unsafe to draft a Bengal signal-caller once again… but we knew that too.

Detroit Lions:
2. Charles Rogers, WR, Michigan State
No surprise here either, as Detroit grabs the best WR available in this year’s draft. Rogers is extremely talented, and could wind up contributing much earlier than most rookie receivers. The former Michigan State star has to be considered a strong candidate to win the offensive rookie of the year award. Joey Harrington has to love this pick.

Houston Texans:
3. Andre Johnson, WR, Florida
Johnson has the speed and skills necessary to succeed in the NFL, and should become one of David Carr’s favorite targets this season. It’s hard to argue with this pick, but we can’t shake a nagging feeling that Jordan Gross would have helped the Texans – and their young quarterback – even more…

New York Jets:
4. Dewayne Robertson, DT, Kentucky
The Jets paid a very steep price to get Robertson, the best DT on the board, sending two first and a fourth round pick to Chicago, but they feel he’s worth the high price. With Robertson in the middle, the Jets’ porous run defense should improve significantly this season.

Dallas Cowboys:
5. Terence Newman, CB, Kansas State
Newman is quite simply the best cover corner in this year’s draft, and fills a gaping hole in Dallas. The fact that he’ll be able to help on special teams is a nice bonus for the Cowboys. He could be a solid pickup in fantasy leagues with individual defenders if he winds up returning kicks as well as playing defense.

New Orleans Saints:
6. Jonathan Sullivan, DT, Georgia
New Orleans moved up to number 6 in a trade that nobody saw coming, and justified the swap by landing an excellent defender and instant contributor in Sullivan. While it’s a bit surprising that they passed on Marcus Trufant, Sullivan fills an equally important need for the Saints.

Jacksonville Jaguars:
7. Byron Leftwich, QB, Marshall
Amid all the chaos surrounding the Vikings’ missed pick deadline, the Jaguars drafted their quarterback of the future. Jacksonville will bring Leftwich along slowly, barring injury to Mark Brunell, and give the Marshall standout time to grow into the NFL game. We won’t see much of Leftwich this year, but he makes a solid pickup in dynasty leagues for teams that can afford to be patient.

Carolina Panthers:
8. Jordan Gross, OT, Utah
Also jumping ahead of Minnesota, the Panthers took a huge step toward revamping their offense by plucking Gross with the eighth pick. Gross can play, and will be successful in creating holes for Carolina’s running backs to exploit.

Minnesota Vikings:
9. Kevin Williams, DT, Oklahoma State
The Vikings blew it… or did they? Widely ridiculed for missing their pick when their trade with Baltimore couldn’t be finalized on time (note to the NFL: invest in a couple more phone lines next year), Minnesota wound up with the player they wanted all along, and may end up paying a lower signing bonus than they would have if they had made their pick on time. Williams may not have the strength of a Robertson or a Sullivan, but his speed makes him a dangerous defender.

Baltimore Ravens:
10. Terrell Suggs, DE, Arizona State
How on earth did Suggs fall to number ten? The Ravens thanked their lucky stars when their pick rolled around, and gleefully scooped up Suggs, who will give opposing offensive lines and quarterbacks fits with his pass-rushing skills. Thus begins an absolutely fantastic draft for Baltimore…

Seattle Seahawks:
11. Marcus Trufant, CB, Washington State
The Seahawks couldn’t believe their luck in seeing that Trufant was still available at this point in the draft. Trufant and Springs give Seattle one of the best corner tandems in the league – unless Springs is traded, as has been speculated.

St. Louis Rams:
12. Jimmy Kennedy, DT, Penn State
In a draft loaded with defensive linemen, Kennedy ranks among the best. He’ll step right in as a leader in the Rams’ defense and take quite a bit of pressure off the rest of the line. An excellent value at #12.

New England Patriots:
13. Ty Warren, DT, Texas A&M
This was a true need pick for New England, whose run defense was often atrocious last season. The Patriots explored the possibility of trading up in order to land Robertson or another higher-ranked defensive tackle, but in the end made the right decision in not overspending in order to move up, deciding instead to send one of their two first rounders to Baltimore for a #1 next year.

Chicago Bears:
14. Michael Haynes, DE, Penn State
Trading down from number four was a risky decision by the Bears, who wound up filling a need with Haynes, and also picking up extra picks. Haynes might not turn into a Pro Bowl regular, but he’ll help Chicago’s defense regain respectability.

Philadelphia Eagles:
15. Jerome McDougle, DE, Miami
The Eagles were desperate for help on the defensive line, and sent their first and second rounder to San Diego in order to add McDougle to their roster. McDougle isn’t a sure thing, though, and might need time to adjust to the pro game.

Pittsburgh Steelers:
16: Troy Polamalu, S, USC
The Steelers landed their man in Polamalu, the consensus top safety on the board. The draft picks Pittsburgh dealt to the Chiefs in order to move up to this spot were well worth it; Polamalu will energize the entire secondary.

Arizona Cardinals:
17. Bryant Johnson, WR, Penn State
Arizona was in truly desperate need of a wide receiver, and Bryant Johnson is a very solid player…

Arizona Cardinals:
18. Calvin Pace, DE, Wake Forest
… just like Pace is a good talent at defensive end with plenty of upside. On the other hand, if the Cardinals had kept the #6 pick instead of trading with New Orleans, they could have had Terrell Suggs at DE, followed by Taylor Jacobs at WR at #37. Ouch – that hurts.

Baltimore Ravens:
19. Kyle Boller, QB, California
The Ravens were looking to land Boller all along; the fact that they were able to pick up Suggs and Boller makes them one of the early winners of this draft. Boller is a solid quarterback who could develop into a star if given time; if he doesn’t, Baltimore will wind up regretting giving up a 2004 first rounder for him.

Denver Broncos:
20. George Foster, OT, Georgia
The Broncos have all sorts of needs, and Foster fills one of the main ones. We feel he may have been underrated by many going into the draft, and will be a key factor in stabilizing Denver’s line.

Cleveland Browns:
21. Jeff Faine, C, Notre Dame
Who says you shouldn’t pick centers in the first round? Faine is a very talented player, and will fit in well with Cleveland’s line. Faine should be a standout for many years to come.

Chicago Bears:
22. Rex Grossman, QB, Florida
The reason the Bears traded down from the number four spot, Grossman is clearly the QB of the future in Chicago. But with so many quarterbacks still available in the second round and beyond, the price may have been too high. How quickly Grossman has a chance to show his skills in the NFL depends largely on how well Kordell Stewart performs.

Buffalo Bills:
23. Willis McGahee, RB, Miami
In one of the first day’s biggest surprises, the Bills, who already have Travis Henry and Olandis Gary at RB, took a chance on Willis McGahee, injuries and all, rather than filling a more pressing need. Can McGahee recover fully and become a premier NFL back? Who will be carrying the ball for Buffalo in 2004? Stay tuned…

Indianapolis Colts:
24. Dallas Clark, TE, Iowa
Is Clark a solid tight end? Yes. Will he fit in well with the Colts’ system? Definitely. Could Indianapolis have waited until the second round to pick him? Well, maybe.

New York Giants:
25. William Joseph, DT, Miami
Joseph doesn’t rank among the top defensive tackles with Robertson, Sullivan and Co., but he isn’t as far behind Ty Warren as his draft position would indicate. Not a bad pick by the Giants, who needed help in this area.

San Francisco 49ers:
26. Kwame Harris, OT, Stanford
Harris may or may not start for San Francisco this season; this pick was primarily about adding depth to the Niners’ roster.

Kansas City Chiefs:
27. Larry Johnson, RB, Penn State
A surprising pick, considering that Kansas City has quite a few holes to fill. Does this mean that the Chiefs are more concerned about Priest Holmes’ health than they’ve admitted? If so, Johnson should be a solid replacement and could be a nice fantasy sleeper as well.

Tennessee Titans:
28. Andre Woolfolk, CB, Oklahoma
This pick should probably have been spent reinforcing other positions, but Tennessee is convinced Woolfolk has the talent to become an impact player. Besides, the Titans were pretty successsful in filling their holes – such as wide receiver – in the following rounds.

Green Bay Packers:
29. Nick Barnett, LB, Oregon State
An interesting choice, Barnett might actually work out well in Green Bay’s system. Many were expecting the Packers to draft a quarterback in case Brett Favre ever does decide to retire, but linebacker was simply a greater need.

San Diego Chargers:
30. Sammy Davis, CB, Texas A&M
He’s no Terence Newman, but this late in the opening round, Davis is a nice find for San Diego. Still, the Chargers would have loved to find one of the top defensive tackles available at their original #15 slot.

Oakland Raiders:
31. Nnamdi Asomugha, S, California
A surprise first rounder, Asomugha might be a slight reach, but he does have considerable upside. He won’t become a household name overnight, but this pick could work out well down the road.

Oakland Raiders:
32. Tyler Brayton, DE, Colorado
Brayton is very similar to Asomogha: a player not expected to be chosen in round one, but who has solid potential. If defensive upside was what the Raiders were after, however, it’s a bit surprising that they passed on Boss Bailey.