[mmarra82]

2004 NFL Draft
Round 1

1. Chicago Bears – Shawn Andrews, LT, Arkansas (24 current, 78 potential) The Bears get the highest rated player in the draft, and their offensive tackle to protect Kyle Boller’s blind side for the next ten years.
2. Houston Texans – DeAngelo Hall, CB, Virginia Tech (31, 72) The Texans get the highest rated corner of the draft. Hall will not have the pressure of starting right away behind Glenn and Coleman, so he can be eased into the NFL setting. Hall is a terrific athlete, and the Texans need to get the ball in his hands on special teams.
3. Cleveland Browns – Tommie Harris, RDT, Oklahoma (30, 69) The Browns go with the 3rd highest rated player on the board in Harris. Harris is an excellent talent who needs to learn how to diagnose plays. He will backup Warren Sapp this season.
4. Philadelphia Eagles – Kevin Jones, RB, Virginia Tech (45, 64) The first surprise of the draft saw the Eagles pass on Larry Fitzgerald and draft Jones here. The Eagles lack any receivers, and currently have Staley to run the ball.
5. Carolina Panthers – Nat Dorsey, RT, Georgia (31, 58) Carolina made a safe pick here. Last year the team took Jordan Gross who had a fine season at RT. Dorsey is naturally a RT and will probably be a reserve T this season. Look for Gross to make the move to the left side next year, and Dorsey to be the future starting RT.
6. Buffalo Bills - Marquise Hill, RDE, Louisiana State (35, 56) Buffalo needed help at DE, and they got it in Hill. Hill was a better fit than Udeze for Buffalo here. Hill has the build to be a 3-4 DE or a 4-3 DE.
7. Arizona Cardinals - Larry Fitzgerald, FL, Pittsburgh (33, 68) Arizona goes with the best available player here. They are deep at WR, but how do you pass a player like this up. Fitzgerald can fly (4.3 40) and along side the NFL’s fastest man, Bryant Johnson (last year’s #1 pick), the Cards have some big play at the wideout position. Now they need someone to get it to them.
8. Minnesota Vikings – Jeremy LeSuer, LCB, Michigan (35, 62) Minnesota needed a CB, and they got one here. The second highest rated corner on most boards. LeSuer is a notch below Hall, but he is clearly the 2nd best corner in the draft.
9. Atlanta Falcons – Matt Ware, FS, UCLA (29, 66) Atlanta went with need as well, and drafted the big, athletic corner in Ware. Ware is excellent against the run and a solid cover man, a rarity at the safety position.
10. New York Jets – Jonathan Vilma, MLB, Miami (38, 60) The Jets pressing need was OLB, however, they got the best LB of the draft in MLB Jonathan Vilma. Vilma is smart and athletic, he will see time this season in the middle, weak and strong side.
11. Dallas Cowboys – Kenechi Udeze, RDE, Southern Cal (31, 59) Dallas signed the All-Pro DE, Rob Burnett this season, what better than Udeze to learn from him. Udeze will get time at both the righ and left side this season, and should be a starter by his second year.
12. Detroit Lions – Bruce Thornton, RCB, Georgia (29, 59) Detroit needed a RB or CB here. They thought that Kevin Jones would be available, but he went earlier. Instead Detroit gets the 3rd or 4th rated corner of the draft.
13. Kansas City Chiefs – Mathias Kiwanuka, LDE, Boston College (30, 56) Kansas City needed an ILB or DE here, with Vilma gone the Chiefs opted for Kiwanuka over ILB Duffy or OLB Williams. Kiwanuka is an excellent pass rusher, but will take time to learn how to play the run at this level.
14. Cincinnati Bengals – Regis Crawford, LG, Arizona State (18, 62) Cincinnati went strictly with need here in Crawford. Crawford is the highest rated guard in the draft, but most teams had him going in the later part of the first round.
15. Baltimore Ravens – Randy Starks, LDT, Maryland (31, 64) Baltimore was hoping that Ware would still be on the board here, but went with best available when he was not. Starks can do it all and will quickly make an impact for the Ravens.
16. Green Bay Packers – Greg Jones, RB, Florida State (44, 63) This is another move that makes little sense. The Packers are desperate for help at OLB, and DJ Williams is sitting there for the taking. Instead they get the power running back of Greg Jones to play behind Ahman Green.
17. Seattle Seahawks – Ahmad Carroll, LCB, Arkansas (28, 62) Seattle needed help at corner and they got that in Carroll. Carrolll may not be the best man cover corner, however, in the right system this guy will be a player.
18. San Diego Chargers – Tony Pape, LT, Michigan (31, 57) San Diego was hoping that Carroll or Thornton would have been here, but make a nice selection in LT Tony Pape. Left tackles are hard to come by, and the Chargers now have one.
19. Washington Redskins – Raheem Orr, RDE, Rutgers (18, 49) This was without a doubt the biggest duh move. Yes, the Redskins needed help at DE, but this kid Orr from Rutgers is not the answer. Orr looks like he can be a decent pass rusher in the future, but has a lot of work to do. Perhaps the better move here would have been to go with safety Jim Leonhard or Sean Taylor.
20. Indianapolis Colts – DJ Williams, SLB, Miami (31, 58) Love the pick here, Williams slides down a little, and the Colts get perhaps the best available player and fit a need as well.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers – Will Poole, LCB, Southern Cal (21, 61) This pick was not as surprising of a pick as you might think. Yes, the Steelers need a QB and Eakin or Manning would have made more sense. However, Poole is a play maker, and this team will be carried by its defense this year.
22. Houston Texans (via NY Giants) – Dwan Edwards, RDT, Oregon State (28, 56) In perhaps a bit of a surprise move, the Giants sent their #1 to Houston for NT, Seth Payne. Houston than used the pick on run stuffer, Dwan Edwards.
23. New Orleans Saints – Douglas Goodwin, NT, Boston College (28, 51) The Saints had eyed up Edwards here but get perhaps a better all around DT in Douglas Goodwin. The Saints were hoping DE here, but you see how that worked out.
24. Oakland Raiders – Kevin Eakin, QB, Fordham (16, 65) Oakland needs a QB in the future, and they appear to have got it. Although Eakin comes from a small college, he has wowed scouts with his intelligence and accuracy. Eakin will have some growing pains, but rest assure this kid will be effective in a ball controlled offense.
25. New England Patriots – Mewelde Moore, RB, Tulane (42, 58) The Pats needed help at RB, and got one in Moore. Moore can run ok between the tackles or outside, however, he is the best receiving back in this year’s draft.
26. St. Louis Rams – Chris Snee, LG, Boston College (31, 54) St. Louis was hoping for Will Poole to be here, but when he was not, they went with their starting left guard of the future in Chris Snee.
27. San Francisco 49ers – Dunta Robinson, LCB, South Carolina (31, 54) The Niners were hoping for Jones or Moore to be here to replace Garrison Hearst. The Niners get a corner to play opposite Plummer and slow down some of these NFC West wide outs.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars – Jeb Terry, LG, North Carolina (20, 59) Jacksonville went with need here. Terry is a bit of a work in progress. But, Terry possesses all the necessary tools to be a starter at this level.
29. Miami Dolphins – Vince Wilfork, LDT, Miami (27, 56) With the exception of Jason Taylor, the Dolphins have no D-Line this season. Wilfork will be expected to come right in and start. Wilfork is a wide player who can play the run.
30. Denver Broncos – Jim Leonhard, SS, Wisconsin (31, 60) Denver was excited when they saw that Leonhard was available here. Leonhard will come in and get a chance to play right away.
31. Tennessee Titans – Antwan Odom, LDE, Alabama (28, 42) The Titans went with need here, and came away with Antwan Odom. This is a spot where the Titans could have gotten some help for McNair, with TE Ben Watson available or wideouts Darrius Watts or Roy Williams.
32. Tampa Bay Buccanears – Tatum Bell, RB, Oklahoma State (42, 51) The Bucs need some help on the OL, and perhaps center Scott Wells or project tackle Kelly Butler would have been a better pick. But, the Bucs add some explosion to their aging offense in Bell.