John Clayton of ESPN.com handed out his top winners and losers from Day 1 of the NFL Draft.
Winners:
1. Kansas City Chiefs: The plan was to find a pass-rusher to replace Jared Allen, who was traded to the Minnesota Vikings. The Chiefs made out even better, getting perhaps the best defensive player in the draft, LSU’s Glenn Dorsey, at No. 5. Some feel Dorsey might be the best defensive player to come around in years. Now he’s the anchor of Kansas City’s improving defense. The Chiefs also were able to get the offensive lineman of their choice in Virginia’s Branden Albert, and they got a good break toward the top of the second round when CB Brandon Flowers fell to them. For a team hoping to find five or six starters out of this draft, Day 1 was a bonanza.
Losers:
3. New England Patriots: Thanks to the 49ers’ horrible 2007 season, the Patriots ended up with the seventh pick in the first round. They hated it. It was a horrible spot for the Patriots, a franchise that mastered the team concept.
The seventh pick probably would have received the third- or fourth-highest salary on the team, so it was evident the Patriots would trade down. They dumped the pick to the Saints and got moderate value. With the 10th pick, New England drafted Jerod Mayo, who probably would have fallen to the Redskins at No. 21. Mayo could end up being a Pro Bowler for the Patriots — he’s smart and can play inside or outside. But he’s going to get a max contract worth around $4 million a year. At least the Patriots got out of the No. 7 spot, which would have cost them more than $7 million a season.
I think we’re going to look back on this day and say the Chiefs built a solid core. They got tremendous value from their trades and wound up getting the best defender in the entire draft (Dorsey) and an offensive lineman (Albert) many thought they might take at No. 5. It’s weird to see the Patriots in the “losers” category.
Photo Courtesy of Flickr
