Okay... suffice it to say that the draft went a little different than anyone expected. Yes, they traded down like HogsHaven reader Dr WNC (and my fellow blogger Skin Patrol) wanted, but after that it took a different turn. But first, meet your newest Washington Redskins:
WR Devin Thomas, Michigan State
TE Fred Davis, Southern Cal
WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
Thomas was probably the best WR in the draft and the Skins got him in the second round. I like this pick. He's a bigger WR (6'2, 216) who is still developing. He really had the one season at Michican State (he was a JuCo transfer) but he did well. He'll immediately make the team able to run the 3 WR sets that Holmgren used in Seattle.
I'm not as familiar with Fred Davis... mostly because I didn't think the team would be drafting a TE, especially early. I was happy with the Cooley-Yoder combo, and with Tyler Ecker coming back after a year on IR, I thought the TE position was set for years to come. But then comes Fred Davis. He's a big target (6'2ish, 250) and a pretty good recieveing TE. He should project well as a pass-catching TE in Zorn's West Coast system, giving the team the flexibility to run some 2 TE sets in passing situations. I still expect Yoder to get some playing time, especially as a blocker, but I'm not sure how this bodes for Ecker. 4 TEs seems like a lot for the team to carry.
And yet, there was another surprise. Calais Campbell was picked just before the 3rd Redskins second round selection. Kelly has made quite a name for himself in the past few weeks... and let's just say, it's not the most positive image. But he's an even bigger WR than Thomas (6'4, 224) and the Skins should now have the ability to go 4 WRs... and one of those WRs doesn't need to be Cooley. Interesting pick.
So, what do we gather from this? Here's a quick recap of the second round from ESPN. As SP told me earlier, this draft smells of a very large Zorn influence. He got some weapons for his new offense... and he got the flexability to run all sorts of different sets. The draft focus for day 2 should be a more rounded one, and I expect some defensive draft picks early.
Think about the options: spread the field with Kelly and Moss on one side, with ARE and Thomas on the other. Hell, go five wide with Cooley out there. The perfect combination of speed and size. And then when that turns into a first down, the next play you could have a 3 TE set with Cooley, Davis, and Yoder. Power running. Zorn's got options and options are always good.
This should help the development of JC exponentially. He has all sorts of weapons that he can throw a five yard pass that turns into an 80 yard TD. All these threats on the outside should also allow the running game (and subsequent play-action) to be more effective. Clinton Portis couldn't have been happier if the team drafted a bunch of offensive linemen.
ESPN is interviewing Zorn as I type. He said that he was shocked that Thomas was still there, and that he thinks Davis should be TE in the mold of Cooley. Also, he said that Kelly should help out in the red-zone in particular. He went on to say that the WC is a "sneeky" running offense (his word, not mine) because the perception is that the WC throws the ball so much.
The draft went a whole lot differently than I expected, but I like the pick-ups in that is should make this offense capable of scoring 20+ points a game even on a bad day, which should take some pressure off the defense. Speaking of that defense... I expect the draft focus to switch over to the defense, especially with the round 3 selection.
There are some interesting names left on the board. AT DT, you got Harrison (ARK), Sims (AUB), Okam (UT), and Bryant (A&M) among others. You have King (PSU), Branch (Iowa), Jackson (LSU) at CB. At S, you have Zbikowski (ND), Griffin (UT), and Steltz (LSU) among others. And at DE, you have Ellis (Va Tech) still hanging around. There are plenty of options left for the 3rd round selection. Schuening (Ore St) and Collins (Kansas) are still there. The team could go in a few different directions with the 3rd round pick, and then I expect them to fill in some depth with the 4th, the 6th, and the 3 7th round picks. Interesting stuff.
Anyway, let me know what you think. Hit up the comments section about today's picks, tomorrow's possibilities and what the future now holds.
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