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| Archive Mark Lyne-Austen A Long Way From Lambeau  The Good Enough ClubTeams use the draft for a variety of reasons and many of those reasons are about winning now. Adding a player to the ranks who fills an immediate need but also makes the team a greater threat is the typical expectation of a top draft pick. This year’s top picks all fit that mould… ( full article ) Rob Staton The Calm After The Storm  Offensive tackles seemed to be a popular choice in the first round, but it’ll be interesting to see how some of them work out. Jake Long was the first man off the board and the Dolphins will be hoping he has the same kind of impact Joe Thomas had as a rookie in Cleveland. Both will play left tackle next season. Are they similar players? Not exactly… ( full article )Chris Brophy Day Two Thoughts  Chris Brophy breaks down all the action from day two of the NFL draft.Straight away, picks are being traded. The Lions move up for Central Florida RB Kevin Smith. A smart move after passing on runners in round 1, Smith should be able to get involved in the battle for playing time straight off the bat for the Lions… ( full article ) CJ Sanchez Draft Day Winners and Losers  I was somewhere near London in the middle of the night, when the stats began to take hold. Suddenly the air was filled with what looked like huge boards. They were all flashing and firing out forty times and other combine figures. I remember hearing someone say. “Holy flying iguanas! Who are these sixth round players?”… ( full article )Chris Brophy First Day Thoughts  Chris Brophy breaks down all the action from day one of the NFL draft.The hype is (half) over, the intense build-up has passed and day one of the 2008 draft is in the book. As always, it was a draft that had its fair number of surprises and plenty of moving and shaking… ( full article ) | Archive CJ Sanchez I’m Spartacus.com  FootballExpert.com has Kevin Smith ranked as the 8th best RB available in the 2008 draft. Kevin Smith disagrees. On his website he has himself ranked first just ahead of Darren McFadden and Matt Forte. And why not? There’s nothing wrong with a bit of self-confidence is there?… ( full article )Paul Hopkins Draft Sleepers Part.5 4 Players Not To Overlook  Frank Okam is an incredibly smart guy, and physically is as gifted as any defensive tackle going into this year’s draft. So, why is he so far down draft boards? On his day, he can disrupt any offensive line and cause headaches for quarterbacks and running backs alike. The problem for him seems to be motivation… ( full article ) Sam Monson Draft Sleepers Part.4 4 Players Not To Overlook  Langford might have the best measurables of any defensive end in the draft. He’s 6’6 and 295lbs, and at that speed ran in the 4.7 range, and he was upset at that speed. He has the size and speed combination that teams would kill for, the question now is whether he can make the step up from Hampton to the NFL… ( full article ) Ben Stockwell Draft Sleepers Part.3 4 Players Not To Overlook  Slaton was forced out of Morgantown this year because of the emergence behind him on the depth chart of freshman phenom Noel Devine. All indications were that he would steal a significant number of carries from Slaton this year that would seriously impact upon his draft stock, forcing his hand to leave for the NFL a year early… ( full article ) James Izzard Draft Sleepers Part.2 4 Players Not To Overlook  The first Richmond Spider to be invited to the scouting combine since current Houston Texan linebacker Shawn Barber in 1998. Shields first came to my attention in last year’s season opener against Vanderbilt where he caught numerous catches for 107 yards against tough SEC opposition… ( full article ) Jody Jamieson Draft Sleepers Part.1 4 Players Not To Overlook  Up for evaluation: four guys that could be late round steals in 2008. The first player is a little underrated, the second could do well if utilised in a different position, the third could be a project, and the fourth is the ultimate sleeper prospect for this year, and could end up a star if it goes his way… ( full article ) Sam Monson A Glimpse at the Future  Taking a look not at the college prospects soon to wow the NFL, we’re taking a glimpse into the future, the Diner has its crystal ball at the ready (it came free with a Christmas Cracker..) and we’re looking at the NFL stars of the future, the college stars of tomorrow, some of the best players to come out of High School this year… ( full article ) Mark Bielby  Dan Shonka:Scouting Report Diner scout Mark Bielby spoke with legendary NFL scout Dan Shonka from Ourlads Scouting Services recently, and Dan gave us the following exclusive scouting reports on some of the biggest names in the coming draft class… ( full article ) Archive: Bowl Games… Sam Monson 2008 Senior Bowl Review  A final chance for the players to show off and make an impression on the NFL scouts in a game-time situation, add one more roll of tape to the stack that will make up their overall draft stock… ( full article ) Sam Monson 2008 Senior Bowl Winners and Losers  The week’s practices have finished, so it’s time to take a look back over the week and talk about whose stock is on the rise, and whose stock is falling thanks to their performance… ( full article ) Archive: Senior Bowl Wed & Thurs Senior Bowl Mon & Tues East-West Shrine Game Hula Bowl BCS National Championship Bowl Previews and Predictions | Archive 2008 Overall Rankings… James Izzard Big Board – The Top 70  1. Chris Long2. Jake Long 3. Glenn Dorsey 4. Vernon Gholston 5. Darren McFadden 6. Sedrick Ellis 7. Branden Albert 8. Matt Ryan 9. Derrick Harvey 10. Leodis McKelvin 11. Keith Rivers 12. Ryan Clady 13. Rashard Mendenhall 14. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie 15. Devin Thomas… ( complete Top 70 ) | ||||||||
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1. Jake Long
Last year’s draft produced a number of instant stars, most notably two rookie QB’s who lead their teams to the playoffs. One of the trends of the first round was teams focusing on the lines eight offensive linemen and six defensive linemen were chosen. Obviously the real winners and losers of this draft won’t become clear for a few years yet, so with that in mind let’s pronounce ruthless and arbitrary judgement on it … ( 
Wrapping up our Scouting of the 2008 Draft prospects we take a look at someone who no-one bothered to cover, but we’ll all now have a little interest in. David Vobora was the 252nd and last pick of the Draft this past weekend, thus making him the latest “Mr Irrelevant” hoping to make a roster. The St Louis Rams drafted him, and while we don’t expect him to ever be a starter in the NFL, Vobora actually has a good chance of making and staying on the roster… ( 
Welcome To The Beginning
One week after the NFL Draft, the majority of the undrafted free agents have found themselves a home. They have either been signed and invited to camps by NFL teams, or they’re trying to walk on to an NFL team, turning up as UFAs hoping they can show enough to earn another crack… ( 
No sooner has Mr Irrelevant had his name called out at Radio City Music Hall (sooner in fact if you caught the TV cameras showing Danny Woodhead on the phone before the final pick was made), then a second draft begins. All hell breaks loose, all hands on deck, man the phones! This really is no holds barred, first come, first served… ( 
For Stock & Doc’s new edition they sink their teeth into the draft and dish out their highs and lows of the weekend’s selections. Best & worst pick, worst & best team job, it’s all here with extra relish… ( 
All the dust has settled from two frantic days, players are set for their new teams whilst GMs, scouts & coaches alike review their choices. Diner writer Chris Brophy casts his own eye over the draft results and awards his grades:
Jake Long is now offically inked to the Dolphins, so stick a fork in the number one spot. But what about the rest? Our Draft teams takes a final look at the top two rounds and predicts the Diner Mock V4.0. Get it whilst it’s hot… ( 
Keith Rivers shoots up the board where Denver snags themselves a new LB, Dallas replace the loss of Julius Jones with the big play ability of Jamaal Charles, whilst in Round 2 it’s the year of the WR… ( 
Too many cooks spoil the broth? Not when it’s in the Diner’s Draft Kitchen they don’t. NCAA Scouts Sam Monson and Ben Stockwell open up their recipe books and cook up a late February Mock Draft… ( 
Super athletic San Diego quarterback Josh Johnson has stormed up the charts after a series of stellar workouts and a superb senior season in which he threw 43 touchdown passes and just one interception. The Diner caught up with Josh as he readied himself for the most important two days of his football life so far… ( | |