How the 2004 draft should have gone.

[Guttpuppy]

How the 2004 draft should have gone
By Adam Schefter
Special to NFL.com

Adam Schefter's commentaries can be seen on Tuesday night's NFL Total Access show on NFL Network. Schefter's around-the-league information reports air Mondays and Fridays.

(Feb. 15, 2005) -- Before we get to any of this year's mock drafts -- and they should start blooming long before spring -- let's do one for last year. Rather than playing "Monday Morning Quarterback," it's more fun to play with a one-year veteran quarterback instead.

One year after the 2004 draft unfolded, we're re-slotting it to see how it should have fallen, not how it actually did.

1. With the No. 1 overall pick, as NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue likes to proclaim, the San Diego Chargers select … Texas wide receiver Roy Williams. Pair Williams with LaDainian Tomlinson and the Chargers would have the youngest and most dangerous running back/wide receiver combo in the game.

2. With the No. 2 overall pick, the Oakland Raiders select … Miami of Ohio quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, whose name is easy to pronounce compared to Marques Tuiasosopo's. Roethlisberger gives Al Davis the gunslinger he needs, and lacks.

3. At No. 3, the Arizona Cardinals select … Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning. Of course. There's no reason any team should pass on a franchise quarterback when it already has Anquan Boldin and Bryant Johnson. The Cardinals had their choice of two and came away with none.

4. At No. 4, the New York Giants select … Iowa offensive tackle Robert Gallery. Before landing a franchise quarterback, the Giants need an offensive tackle to protect him first. No offensive line was any shakier than New York's, and that shakiness revealed itself in Eli Manning's confidence level.

5. With the No. 5 overall pick, the Washington Redskins select … wide receiver Michael Clayton. Before the draft, one scout compared Clayton to Michael Irvin. Too bad 14 other teams picking before the Buccaneers didn't recognize it.

6. With the No. 6 overall pick, the Detroit Lions select … South Carolina cornerback Dunta Robinson. The Lions loaded up on offense, but they really could have used some help on defense. Especially from the player who played well enough to win the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

7. At No. 7, the Cleveland Browns select … North Carolina State quarterback Philip Rivers. No need to trade up for a tight end when the franchise's greatest need was, and still is, a franchise quarterback.

8. At No. 8, the Atlanta Falcons select … Miami of Florida safety Sean Taylor. The Falcons now need to go after a safety this offseason, either in free agency or through the draft. Taylor would have spared them the trouble and created some for other teams.

9. With the No. 9 overall pick, the Jacksonville Jaguars select … Virginia Tech cornerback DeAngelo Hall. The Jaguars always could use secondary help. And once he matures, Hall is going to be great.

10. With the No. 10 overall pick, the Houston Texans select … Miami of Florida tight end Kellen Winslow. Tight ends shouldn't go much higher than this, no matter how good they are.

[joshyboy72]

Well that's why they say should've....could've....would've.

[CC]

No Larry Fitzgerald in the top 10? I may be biased, but thats just foolish to me. I doubt the Jags would pass on Larry, he had a very good rookie season plus Jimmy Smith isn't getting any younger.

[disgruntledjetsfan]

And where is defensive rookie of the year Jonathan Vilma?

[Dr. Duran Duran]

Looks like Schefter was a little bored. It's nice to look back for laughs, but little else. In 2005, some of the players he listed might not even be worthy of being named as top-10 picks if they fail to deliver. Say Roy Williams becomes a flop...all the sudden this list becomes even more laughable.

[portisfan24]

I thought it was interesting. I would have liked to see the whole first round.

[joshyboy72]

Having DeAngelo Hall in the top 10 seems a little stupid. I mean he had a terrible year on defense...most people forgot about it just because of a few nice special teams plays. He's the new Michael Vick of cornerbacks. These are the stats he let up to his covered receiver each week:

week 1- 7 catches, 94 yards, 1 TD
week 2- 9 catches, 121 yards, 1 TD
week 3- 5 catches, 37 yards
week 4- 7 catches, 114 yards
week 5- 3 catches, 18 yards
week 6- 6 catches, 76 yards, 1 TD
week 7- 3 catches, 52 yards
week 8- 9 catches, 208 yards, 1 TD
week 10- 6 catches, 90 yards, 1 TD
week 11- 6 catches, 118 yards, 2 TD
week 12- 9 catches, 101 yards, 1 TD
week 13- 1 catch, 15 yards
week 14- 2 catches, 33 yards
week 15- 10 catches, 135 yards, 1 TD
week 16- 5 catches, 76 yards
week 17- 3 catches, 18 yards, 1 TD

If we're talking about "once these players mature" then Eli would still be taken higher than Big Ben, etc. Like CC said, 2005 has proven that Jacksonville needs to improve that offense with a WR...drastically. I believe they averaged somewhere around 15 or 16 points a game this year, which is pathetic.

[UNDEFEATED]

You guys can have Roethlisberger. I do not want him in black and silver. Black and yellow is just fine. Hey my Raiders need a major impact player. Big Ben was the beneficiary of a great TEAM. Which the Raiders are NOT. So he would have looked worse than Collins.

No offense Pittsburgh. But the Raiders have other needs.

[Flux]

Having DeAngelo Hall in the top 10 seems a little stupid. I mean he had a terrible year on defense...most people forgot about it just because of a few nice special teams plays. He's the new Michael Vick of cornerbacks. These are the stats he let up to his covered receiver each week:

week 1- 7 catches, 94 yards, 1 TD
week 2- 9 catches, 121 yards, 1 TD
week 3- 5 catches, 37 yards
week 4- 7 catches, 114 yards
week 5- 3 catches, 18 yards
week 6- 6 catches, 76 yards, 1 TD
week 7- 3 catches, 52 yards
week 8- 9 catches, 208 yards, 1 TD
week 10- 6 catches, 90 yards, 1 TD
week 11- 6 catches, 118 yards, 2 TD
week 12- 9 catches, 101 yards, 1 TD
week 13- 1 catch, 15 yards
week 14- 2 catches, 33 yards
week 15- 10 catches, 135 yards, 1 TD
week 16- 5 catches, 76 yards
week 17- 3 catches, 18 yards, 1 TD

Where are you getting these stats? Did you just assume that Hall covered the best WR on the other team? Thats very misleading.

I know you didnt actually find stats that actually showed who he exactly covered and how many yards he gave up, simply b/c he didnt even play in the 1st 6 games, yet you have those games up there

[CC]

For the record, in the long run Larry will be better than Roy and Eli will be better than Big Ben.