Category: NFL Draft (Page 68 of 102)

Athlete Profile: Everette Brown

As a society, we’re always trying out the next new thing; well, not so much “new” as a combination of the old stuff we already like. They don’t always work out (Mustardayonnaise? Sparks Malt Beverage?), but we can get a great hybrid off the line every once in the while.

Most people get a look at Everette Brown’s size and speed and see what could be the first true defensive end/ linebacker to make it in the NFL. Take something more than a glance at the man, and you’ll see a hybrid of a different kind: a top-tier athlete who graduated early and still found time to do endless volunteer work. That kind of work ethic is going to be what makes him something special in the pros, and it’s that same thing that has gotten him this far already.

So where did he start out? Well, Brown was born in the small town of Stantonsburg, NC, and went to Beddingfield High School. While there, Brown started compiling some serious numbers and by his senior year he was the top defensive lineman in North Carolina, the third weakside defensive end in the country, and was ranked 78th in the nation overall. His senior year alone, Brown has 16 sacks and 120 tackles. But rather than rest on the bench, Brown iron-manned it as a tight end, catching 40 passes for 770 yards with 10 touchdowns.

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Lions to trade No. 1 overall pick?

Lions’ GM Martin Mayhew says he’s open to trading the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft.

Martin MayhewWhen asked specifically about Jay Cutler and if Mayhew would consider trading the top pick for the unhappy Broncos quarterback, he didn’t shoot down the idea.

“We’re open to all options with that pick,” Mayhew said during a break at the NFL Annual Meeting.

“Obviously, it has value to us, and if it has value to somebody else, then we can talk about that.”

On Sunday, Lions president Tom Lewand told Tom Kowalski of Booth Newspapers in Lansing, Mich., that the team was looking forward to discussions with “agents of players we’re interested in.” Speculation elsewhere has identified the Lions’ leading candidate as Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith.

Before Lion fans start doing back flips about the possibility of trading out of the No. 1 slot in hopes to acquire more draft picks and essentially get better value for their selections, trading out of the top spot isn’t like shopping for toilet paper. It’s just not that easy – especially when there isn’t an elite prospect that multiple teams are after. (I know Aaron Curry is a stud, but he’s still not a prospect that multiple teams are going to trip over in trying to trade for the No. 1 pick.)

The last time the No. 1 overall pick was successfully traded was in 2001 when the Chargers dealt the top selection to the Falcons for the 5th overall pick, a third round pick and a second round pick in 2002. But Atlanta wanted Michael Vick and didn’t know if he would slide to No. 5 if they waited. Guys like Curry, Matthew Stafford, Jason Smith and Eugene Monroe aren’t going to garner that kind of attention, so I would imagine that the Lions will still be drafting out of that slot come next month.

Rumor: Lions set on Jason Smith

Rotoworld.com (via KFFL) has a juicy draft rumor about the Lions:

KFFL posted an item late Sunday saying that the website has “learned” the Lions will take Baylor LT Jason Smith with the No. 1 pick in the draft.

KFFL is usually very accurate, but it rarely reports anything and there are no sources cited. It’s also still over a month away from the draft, leaving plenty of room for skepticism. That the Lions have begun contract talks with their No. 1 pick to be makes it possible, however, that they’ve settled on Smith. He is probably willing to take a deal only slightly larger than Jake Long’s.

I’m sure we’ll see a lot of these rumors in the next month. As Rotoworld points out, KFFL.com is solid but this report can be filed in the speculation category.

Lions focusing on Mark Sanchez instead of Matthew Stafford?

ProFootballTalk.com is reporting a rumor that the Lions are focused on USC quarterback Mark Sanchez and not Matthew Stafford.

Mark SanchezWe’re putting this one squarely in the “rumor” file for now. But since this is a “rumor mill,” we’re not going to ignore it pending official confirmation or a second source.

There’s a rumor making the rounds in league circles that the Lions are focused not on Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, but on USC quarterback Mark Sanchez.

As previously mentioned, the Lions apparently plan to talk to multiple players about a possible rookie contract. It could be that the Lions will float multiple names, and ultimately talk to multiple players, in order to soften up the expectations of the guy whom they really want.

I wouldn’t trust anything PFT.com posts, but if the Lions do take Sanchez at No. 1, that would be the shock of the year.

Who knows, maybe Sanchez will be a solid pro. But he had some of the best talent in the country around him at USC and he was far from spectacular. He has limited starting experience, wasn’t necessarily great in the clutch and doesn’t throw a great ball.

Stafford might not have been spectacular in college himself, but there’s no denying he has pro talent.

2009 NFL Mock Draft Version 1.0

It would probably be good for me to do an intro to this piece, but I’m going to skip all the foreplay and just get right to the action. And let’s be honest – you probably wouldn’t have read the intro anyway.

Below is my first mock draft of the year. You can disagree all you want, but just make sure you go into detail in the comments section so I know you care. I hate those bastards that trash my work and don’t have the common courtesy to tell me how much of a moron I am in print…

Let’s mock!

1. Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia
Jason Smith (Baylor), Eugene Monroe (Virginia) and Aaron Curry (Wake Forest) are all possibilities for new GM Martin Mayhew with this pick. But the offensive tackle and linebacker positions are deep in this year’s draft – the quarterback position is not. Mayhew can get his franchise quarterback in Stafford, select an offensive tackle at No. 20 and then fill the middle linebacker need in the second or third round. There, I just fixed the 0-16 Detroit Lions in less than 100 words.

2. St. Louis Rams: Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
If Smith goes No. 1 to the Lions, then I fully expect the Rams to take Virginia offensive tackle Eugene Monroe. With the jettison of long-time veteran Orlando Pace this offseason, St. Louis needs to address their need at left tackle and they’ll do so with either Smith or Monroe depending on who’s available. If it’s Smith, then they land one of the most athletic offensive lineman in the draft.

3. Kansas City Chiefs: Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
The Chiefs could really use a right tackle to pair with last year’s first round pick, Branden Albert, but Curry would be too good to pass up here. GM Scott Pioli put a premium on versatile defenders while he was in New England, and that’s exactly what Curry is. The Wake Forest product could play either outside or inside in a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme and is easily the best defensive prospect in this year’s draft.

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