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| Michael
Abromowitz's Column |
This site heavily promoted an Ultimate Mock Draft where 32 draft
experts took the role as a G.M. for an NFL team. The draft
included some of the biggest NFL Draft sites on the net. There
were eighteen sites involved including NFL Draft Countdown,
Ontheclockdraft.com, and Condraft.com. My site
TheFootballExpert.com had three writers involved: Greg Cox
(Raiders), Nick Krow (Titans), and myself (Patriots). Due to time
constraints, the draft only includes the first three rounds.
Because of trades, each person was given up to 24 hours in the first
two rounds, and 12 hours in the third round to make a choice.
Because of this, the draft just took too long. However, with the
recent events such as the combine and free agency, there will be the
Ultimate Mock Draft II where the time limit will be shorten to make
sure the draft can go through all seven rounds.
Because I made the New England Patriots picks, those will be the picks
I will comment about. I can’t comment about the other teams’
picks because I was not in their war room. I can’t ask the
Cleveland Browns’ G.M. what he was thinking when taking Bobby Carpenter
at 12, when Chad Greenway was still on the board. So before
further ado let me introduce what the New England Patriots drafted in
the first three rounds (If I was running the team).
Coming into the draft, the Patriots were in great shape. They had
9 draft picks, including two 3rd round and two 4th round picks.
With that, I decided to use that to the team’s advantage. I
hardly expect the Patriots to keep 9 draft picks on the team, so I
traded my picks. Prior to the draft I made a trade to immediately
help booster the Patriots defensive backfield. I traded the
Patriots first 3rd rounder (3.11) to the Green Bay Packers for CB Ahmad
Carroll. Carroll, a former first round pick from Arkansas,
immediately strengthens the Patriots’ backfield.
There were some positions I really targeted coming into the
draft. I was really looking for a RB, S, CB, OLB, and
WR. Because I got Carroll via trade, I immediately crossed
CB off the list. This did not mean I was not going to draft a CB;
it just was not a priority. I drafted by need, but would consider
Best Player Available. If a guy falls to me and he is too good to
pass up I will take him, despite position (unless QB).
In the first round, I was really targeting one of the four RBs:
Bush, Williams, White, and Maroney. I knew there was a
possibility of White or Maroney falling to me, but not the other
two. However, despite my luck all four of them got snatched up by
pick 17. When my pick at 21 came up I knew it was too early to
pick the next RB on the list: Joseph Addai, so I went in another
direction. OLB and S were the choices. Do I take a S
like Ko Simpson or OLB like Demeco Ryans or Ernie Sims. I looked
at my board (computer screen) and saw Demeco Ryans from Alabama was the
BPA so I took him. Actually Vernon Davis was the BPA, but I doubt
the Patriots will take another TE in the first round. OLB was
crossed off the list.
In the second round, I really got lucky. Two RBs: Brian
Calhoun and Dontrell Moore got drafted before the Patriots pick at
52. Both of which I had ranked below Addai. With that it
was an easy choice: Joseph Addai, RB out of LSU.
Cross RB off the list.
The third round was another magical round. After drafting Addai,
I immediately stared at the draft board to see if Martin Nance, WR out
of Miami OH got picked. Nance, who is 6-5, would give the
Patriots the tall possession WR that the team does not have.
Nance also was rated as my 4th WR. As my pick at 86 came closer,
I begin to get excited that Nance might actually fall to me. 5
WRs were drafted between 52 and 86, none of them Martin Nance.
Once Kansas City drafted Devin Hester at 85, I quickly ran to the
podium (click submit on computer) with my pick. I had gotten my
man: Martin Nance, WR. Cross WR off the list.
The only position still on my list was S. After looking at the
draft board, the safety position was going fast. After seeing
Greg Blue and Pat Watkins get drafted, I knew I had to make my
move. There was still one safety I still really liked. I
contacted (email) the Denver Broncos about a trade. I was
successful. I traded my 4.9 and 5.3 to get the 29th pick in the
3rd round. After the trade, I got my guy, Anthony Smith, S out of
Syracuse. I was thrilled. After three rounds, I have
already fulfilled the five positions I wanted to fill. Bob Kraft
would have been proud of me. I consider it a success ending up
with Ahmad Carroll, Demeco Ryans, Joseph Addai, Martin Nance, and
Anthony Smith on the first day. I would have given myself an A-,
but again I am a little bias.
It was a lifelong dream for me to be a G.M. for an NFL team. Then I was
quickly reminded that this was just pretend, it did not actually
happen. I am just another football nerd. But at least this
football nerd gets another opportunity to pretend. I am the G.M.
for the Cincinnati Bengals in the Ultimate Mock Draft II. When
the draft starts I will put the link on the front page. Take
care, I’m out.
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