NFL Draft Day 1 Winners and Losers

Like many expected, the Detroit Lions took Matthew Stafford as the #1 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

They're paying Stafford a maximum of $78 million over six years, with $41.7 million being guaranteed to go in Stafford's pocket. This hefty deal seems to be a big risk for the Lions. If Stafford somehow ends up being a bust, then the Lions could continue to be one of the worst franchises in the league. However, if Stafford becomes an elite quarterback, then this could be the pick that turns this franchise around.

Day 1 Winners

1. Lions ( Matthew Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew)
   
2. Bengals (Andre Smith, Rey Maualuga)
3. Broncos (Knowshon Moreno, Robert Ayers, Aphonso Smith, Darcel McBath,Richard Quinn)

The Lions added obviously a very talented quarterback in Matthew Stafford and added a great target to help Stafford out in Brandon Pettigrew.

The biggest steal in the draft so far was the Bengals snatching up Rey Maualuga in the 2nd-round. A great linebacker that could end up being the face of this franchise. You also can't forget the great addition of Andre Smith on the offensive line.

The busiest team on draft day #1 was definitely the Denver Broncos. They had five picks and addressed all of their needs with some great picks. Knowshon Moreno is a versatile running back that can do some many things for you on offense. They also had a value pick in the 2nd round in Aphonso Smith from Wake Forest. Great first day of the draft for the Broncos.

Day 1 Losers

1. Cardinals (Chris "Beanie" Wells)
2. Dolphins (Vontae Davis, Pat White, Sean Smith)

I understand that Edgerrin James is way past his prime, but I just don't think Beanie Wells is the right choice here. He's got some health issues and he really doesn't fit the Cardinals' style of offense. Pittsburgh's Lesean McCoy would have been a better fit for them as he can also turn into a viable receiver for Kurt Warner.

Some may think the Dolphins had a descent draft day, but not me. Their first pick was Vontae Davis out of Illinois. This pick may turn out to be a good one, but Davis has had is moments where doesn't play well at all. I really don't like taking Pat White. White was a great college quarterback thanks to the quirky offense of West Virginia, but I'm not so sure thats going to translate to the NFL. Pat White reminds me of a Vince Young, if that gives you any idea of why I see them as a Day 1 loser.

The Titans Need to Pick a Wide Receiver at No. 30, But Will They?

The Titans won't officially be on the clock until Saturday, but they might as well be on the clock now.

If you haven't already noticed, this year's draft class is probably one of the strongest in terms of wide receivers that we have seen in recent years. The Titans have the #3o overall pick and have a great chance at getting a quality wide receiver at that pick.

Some people are saying the Titans need to focus on the defensive side of the ball and bolster up the secondary and the defensive line. Their reasoning behinds this is simply because we lost Albert Haynesworth and because cornerback Nick Harper is aging.

Even though both of those things are true, it's a whole lot easier to find quality defensive players in the later rounds than it is to find a quality wide receiver in the later rounds.

Just look at the Titans wide receiver picks in the last 3 years:

2008 Lavelle Hawkins
2007 Paul Williams, Chris Davis, Joel Filani
2006 Jonathan Orr

None of these receivers have done much in terms of production with Joel Filani and Jonathan Orr not even with the team anymore. The combined career numbers for the other three receivers is 10 receptions for 90 yards and no touchdowns.


This is the year the Titans have to break away from the habit of drafting receivers in the third round or later. There's going to be some great options out there when the time comes for the Titans to make their pick. Here's the possibilities:

• Hakeem Nicks (North Carolina)
• Percy Harvin (Florida)
• Darius Heyward-Bey (Maryland)
• Juaquin Iglesias (Oklahoma)
• Mohamad Massaquoi (Georgia)

All of these prospects put up great numbers for their respective schools and at least two of them will be available for the Titans.

There's also rumors swirling that the Titans front office has made an offer to the Cardinals to sign Anquan Boldin. Obviously if the Titans find a way to sign Bolding then things change for the draft. However, I don't think that's going to happen before Saturday so the Titans have to be perpared to pick up a wide receiver.

To add on to everything else, the Titans need a future number one receiver for the sake of Vince Young for whenever he finally returns as the starter. Young needs confidence in his receivers has has never had that luxury in his short career.

The Titans haven't picked as wide receiver in the first round since 1998 when they picked Kevin Dyson out of Utah, but hopefully that will change on Saturday.

NFL Draft Questions: Who Ya' Got?

Every NFL team entering the draft has at least two positions they need to build on during the draft.

This draft has a ton of option at wide receiver and defensive tackles, and sometimes you can only narrow it down to two players and then just pray that you make the right choice from there.

Who Ya' Got?
1. Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez?

Matthew Stafford has an absolute cannon for an arm and has descent accuracy, but another huge selling point for me is that he was an SEC quarterback. Anytime a quarterback as talented as Stafford comes out of the SEC and played against some of the best defenses in college football, you know he's going to be a solid NFL quarterback.

For Mark Sanchez it just isn't that simple. There is no doubting Sanchez's talent, but he only started for one season and that raises some concern for me if I had the pick.

Verdict: Matthew Stafford

2. Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin?

Both of these receivers had great quarterbacks getting them the ball. Maclin had more yards and more receptions than Crabtree with 102 receptions and 1260 yards, but Crabtree was an absolute touchdown machine with 19 TD's.

When it comes to NFL readiness I would have to take Crabtree due to his scoring ability. Standing at 6'3'', Crabtree will be a valuable asset inside the redzone. He reminds me of a Plaxico Burress, minus the stupidity of shooting yourself in a nightclub.

Verdict: Michael Crabtree

3. Knowshon Moreno or Chris "Beanie" Wells?

This may be one of the toughest choice to make. Both running backs had their moments in 2008 that made them look like future NFL stars.

Moreno is probably one of the most versatile running backs in this year's draft, but Wells has him beat in power running.

This choice will vary greatly on a team to team basis. In the end, I think both running backs will be good in the NFL, but Moreno can do more things for you on offense. He's a better receiver than Wells and has much better speed, which is extremely important in the NFL.

Verdict: Knowshon Moreno