Thor goes to the Texans

It took a lot longer than I thought, but James Casey was finally selected. He will be playing his pro football three miles from where he starred at Rice, as the Houston Texans took him in the fifth round. Time to check the Texans schedule.

James Casey Overview Electing to turn pro after only two seasons with the Owls, Casey is a rare all-around athlete who was a seventh-round pick by the Chicago White Sox out of high school and spent three years in their farm system before retiring from baseball and signing with Rice.

Once with the Owls, it didn't take long for the former quarterback to establish himself as a dominant weapon at various positions, earning consensus Conference USA Freshman accolades and honorable mention all-conference honors from league coaches. Casey lined up at seven different positions in one game in 2007, and has played everything from defensive end to safety to quarterback to wide receiver.

Playing primarily at wide receiver in 2008, Casey was dominant in Rice's spread attack; he finished second in the country with 111 receptions for 1,329 yards and 13 touchdowns. For some, Casey will be characterized as a Matt Jones-like 'tweener. But also like Jones, Casey's unique upside could land him a stunningly high draft selection come April, even if he'll be turning 25 during his rookie season. Had an arm span of 30 5/8 inches and a hand span of 9 1/2 inches at the combine.

Finally! C-USA Guys are Being Taken

Finally, the NFL teams have started drafting Conference USA players. After Sebastian Vollmer surprisingly went in the second round yesterday to the hated New England Patriots, it was a long time until Southern Miss TE Shawn Nelson came off the board in the fourth round to the Buffalo Bills.

Buffalo is a terrific spot for Nelson. Tight end is a position that the Bills were thin at, so Nelson has a chance to make an immediate impact in Western New York. The only downfall is sharing a locker room with Terrell Owens.

Nine picks later in the fourth round, his teammate Gerald McRath was taken by Tennessee. A tackling machine at Southern Miss, McRath should be able to play both linebacker spots for the talented Titans.

The Titans grabbed a C-USA guy for the other side of the ball five picks later when they took Tulane OL Troy Kropog. A big offensive tackle, he will help provide for Tennessee and perhaps help guide the way for former East Carolina RB Chris Johnson, one of the top rookies last year.

In the fifth round, the incredibly productive Jarett Dillard was taken by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The owner of nearly every Rice receiving record, Dillard set an NCAA career record with 59 touchdown receptions. Jacksonville should be a good spot for him, as the Jaguars completely re-work their receiving corps. Hopefully, Dillard can learn some things from new Jags wideout Torry Holt.

Five picks after Dillard went, Baltimore grabbed East Carolina TE Davon Drew. Overshadowed by more productive tight ends in C-USA, Drew is viewed as an ideal H-Back at the NFL level.

White Hot

The Dolphins pulled off a big surprise with their first of two second round picks, taking West Virginia's Pat White at No. 44 overall. White will be perfect in the Wildcat formation. I can see White playing quarterback, running back and wide receiver. His versatility will be a huge plus for veteran offensive coordinator Dan Henning.

As the great NFL Network host Rich Eisen said, "this officially means that the spread offense has hit the NFL."

Sad

Well, I didn't get what I wanted out of this draft. Three picks after the Dolphins selected Vontae Davis, the New York Giants took Hakeem Nicks. It's bad enough that he didn't go to Miami, but did he have to go to one of the teams I dislike most (among those not named New England)? What a bummer.

Dolphins Select Vontae Davis

Miami took Illinois cornerback Vontae Davis with the 25th selection. It wasn't Hakeem Nicks, which disappointed me. But, Davis is a good selection. He'll help the secondary and that's more of a Parcells-type pick, anyway. ILL! INI!

Picks 18-24

Some random thoughts on picks 18-24:

Denver clearly needed defensive help and Tennessee DE Robert Ayers is a fast-riser who should help in that regard.

Brandon Pettigrew might be the best tight end in the draft, but I can't help but wonder if the Lions hould have been thinking defense at No. 20.

Philadelphia grabbed Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin, a very interesting selection. This will give the Eagkles another speed threat to go along with DeSean Jackson and give Donovan McNabb another weapon.

Cleveland took Cal C Alex Mack. Not a lot that you can say about picking a center. It's an important position that often goes overlooked because it's not sexy. Mack was highly-regarded, so I guess it's a good selection.

Minnesota just added the talented, but enigmatic Percy Harvin to its mix of offensive weapons. If he has his head on straight (a big if) this could be a great pick for the Vi-Queens. If he could play quarterback, it would have been an even better pick.

New England trasded their pick to Baltimore so that the Ravens could select Old Mess OT Michael Oher. Will he play tackle for the Ravens as long as Jonathan Ogden?

Atlanta made it back-to-back Old Piss selections when it took DT Peria Jerry. This wasn't a huge need area for the Falcons, but there is nothing wrong with adding defensive pieces...especially when the Falcons just added Tony Gonzalez on the other side of the ball.

The Best QB in the Draft

Tampa Bay just traded up to get the guy that I think will be the best quarterback in this draft, Kansas State's Josh Freeman.

Freeman is a tall, fairly athletic QB with a real good arm. He gives the Buccaneers a quarterback to build around for the future. With Byron Leftwich in Tampa, he won't have to start this year, but I think he will be a productive starter for many years.

Nailed a couple of picks

I had to take a breath. Blogging a thought on each of the first 10 picks was a bit exhausting. Here are some quick hits on picks 11-15:

Buffalo selected Penn State DE Aaron Maybin. Fills a need for the Bills who need toimprove their pass rush.

Denver took Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno. The Broncos have been doing the running back by committee thing ever since Clinton Portis left town, so perhaps Moreno will be the guy they have been looking for since.

Washington grabbed Texas DE Brian Orakpo. A terrific selection for the Redskins, I thought that he would go in the first 10 picks, so this is great value for Washington. One of my fav five players in this draft.

New Orleans selected CB Malcolm Jenkins. Yea!, I finally nailed another pick. A great selection for the Saints, who certainly need to improve their defense.

Houston then took USC LB Brian Cushing. That's two picks in a row that I successfully predicted. Hurray for me! Cushing fills a need for the Texans, who are so close to turning the corner and being a contender.

Gold Rush

San Francisco 49ers fans should be elated. with a little help from their idiot rivals across the bay, Michael Crabtree has fallen into their laps at No. 10.

Crabtree has an immense amount of talent and possesses what it takes to be a superstar receiver in the National Football League. And, the Niners were in dire need of a receiver, so this is a match made in heaven.

In 2013, when Crabtree is making his third straight trip to the Pro Bowl, Al Davis can read all about in the San Francisco Examiner (if they're still publishing).

Go Pack Go

Green Bay has added an important piece to its defense by selecting Boston College DT B.J. Raji withe th ninth selection.

I hope he enjoys beers and brats and hearing the Go! Pack Go! song at Lambeau Field.

Jacksonville Tackles No. 8 Pick

Jacksonville just selected Virginia OT Eugene Monroe with the eight selection. A real solid pick that will help pave the way for Maurice Jones-Drew and pass protect for David Garrard (East Carolina).

The Newest Cliff Branch

Another ridiculous selection by the Raiders. Senile Al Davis continues to be obsessed with speed as he looks to replace Cliff Branch for the 31st consecutive season. The Ray-duhs used the No. 7 pick on Darrius Heyward-Bey.

The fastest receiver in the draft, Heyward-Bey totaled 42 catches for 609 yards and five touchdowns last season. In comparison, Rice's Jarett Dillard produced those numbers in about a month.

And, with a selection like this, we'll probably see the Raiders picking in the top 10 again next year.

Another Bengal Bust

Cincinnati needed an offensive tackle and they just selected one in Alabama's Andre Smith. Great, another guy with questionable character and maturity going to Cincinnati. Remember, this is the guy that just left the combine without telling anyone. After that episode, he was expected to drop through the draft. But, leave it to the Bengals to stop his slide.

He played left tackle at Alabama, but there is some discussion about hm eventually playing guard in the NFL.

J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets!

WOW! The first big trade of the day. Fireman Ed is elated! The New York Jets trading up to the No. 5 spot to select USC QB Mark Sanchez. (Ironically, they traded with Eric Mangenius and the Cleveland Browns).

While Jets fans are ecstatic with this move, I as a Dolphin fan am also ecstatic. That is because I believe that Sanchez is the most overrated player in the first round of this draft.

Dish of Curry

Seattle has just selected Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry. I think it's a great pick. He's a very talented player and will team with Leroy Hill and Mosa Tatupu to give the Seahawks one of the best linebacking corps in the National Football League.

Remember, with all of the injuries that Seattle had last year, this is not your average 4-12 team. The additions of Curry and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, along with a healthy Matt Hasselbeck and other Seattle receivers could put this team right back into contention for the NFC West title.

First Major Reach

The Chiefs just had the first reach of this draft, selecting late-rising DE Tyson Jackson of LSU at number three.

This is third time in four years that the Chiefs have spent a first round pick on a defensive lineman, as Jackson joins Glenn Dorsey and Tamba Hali in that grouping. It is also the third straight year that KC has used its selection on a player from LSU (Dorsey and Dwayne Bowe).

I know that the Chiefs had an anemic pass rush last season, but I think this is too early for Jackson. I would have gone with Aaron Curry or maybe Michael Crabtree. Curry could be a 10-year starter on a defesne that needs playmakers right now. And Crabtree could team with Bowe to gove new QB Matt Cassel a great pair of targets to throw to.

Coach Art Briles is Proud

The Lambs have made their selection and it's Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith. It marks the earliest that a Baylor player has ever been selected in the NFL Draft.

Coach Art Briles, one of our favorites when he was in C-USA coaching at Houston, was seated right next to Smith in New York when the selection was made.

Maybe he can keep Marc Bulger upright for some of the season as the former Greatest Show on Turf tries to keep its signal caller off fo the turf.

(And if you're wondering, yes, I plan to find every C-USA angle that I can in this draft blog)

Rebuilding Detroit

Matthew Stafford, the pride of Highland Park in Dallas, was just officially chosen by the Lions with the first pick and the 2009 NFL Draft is underway.

BTW, how many times have we heard Bobby Layne's name this week? Granted, he was the last really good quarterback that the Lions have had (Scott Mitchell's 1995 season does not count), but it's been everyone's buzzwords when discussing the Lions selection.

Stafford, the former Georgia star, should be able to hold a clipboard for much of the season while an slimmer Daunte Culpepper (UCF) guides the Detroit offense. Stafford appears to have very good skills. Will he be an elite quarterback? The jury is out on that.

With the drafting of Stafford, along with their new logo (well barely new), it's the dawning of a new era in Motown. The question is, will the results end up the same for a team that hasn't won a playoff game since 1991?

Move over Mel

Move over Mel Kiper. It's time for the RDA Mock Draft. Read it now and mock me on Sunday. Here it goes:

FIRST ROUND
1. Detroit Matthew Stafford QB Georgia
2. St. Louis Jason Smith OT Baylor
3. Kansas City Aaron Curry LB Wake Forest
4. Seattle Eugene Monroe OT Virginia
5. Cleveland Michael Crabtree WR Texas Tech
6. Cincinnati Andre Smith OT Alabama
7. Oakland Jeremy Maclin WR Missouri
*8. Washington (from Jax) Mark Sanchez QB USC
9. Green Bay Brian Orakpo DE/LB Texas
10. San Francisco Michael Oher OT Mississippi
11. Buffalo Tyson Jackson DE LSU
12. Denver B.J. Raji DT Boston College
*13. Jacksonville (from Wash) Robert Ayers DE Tennessee
14. New Orleans Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio State
15. Houston Brian Cushing LB USC
16. San Diego Knowshon Moreno RB Georgia
17. New York Jets Darrius Heyward-Bey WR Maryland
18. Denver Chris Wells RB Ohio State
19. Tampa Bay Josh Freeman QB Kansas State
20. Detroit Rey Maualuga LB USC
21. Philadelphia Brandon Pettigrew TE Oklahoma State
22. Minnesota Eben Britton OT Arizona
23. New England Clay Matthews LB USC
24. Atlanta Larry English LB Northern Illinois
25. Miami Hakeem Nicks WR North Carolina
26. Baltimore Aaron Maybin DE Penn State
27. Indianapolis James Laurinaitis LB Ohio State
28. Buffalo Alex Mack C California
29. New York Giants Kenny Britt WR Rutgers
30. Tennessee Darius Butler CB Connecticut
31. Arizona Clint Sintim LB Virginia
32. Pittsburgh Alphonso Smith CB Wake Forest

*projected trade
(Also, Washington trades QB Jason Campbell to New York Jets)

SECOND ROUND
1. Detroit Everette Brown DE Florida State
2. New England Donald Brown RB Connecticut
3. St. Louis Brian Robiskie WR Ohio State
4. Cleveland Michael Johnson DE Georgia Tech
5. Seattle LeSean McCoy RB Pittsburgh
6. Cincinnati Vontae Davis CB Illinois
7. Jacksonville Phil Loadholt OT Oklahoma
8. Oakland Evander Hood DT Missouri
9. Green Bay William Beatty OT Connecticut
10. Buffalo Ron Brace DT Boston College
11. San Francisco Peria Jerry DT Mississippi
12. Miami D.J. Moore CB Vanderbilt
13. New York Giants Jamon Meredith OT South Carolina
14. Houston Louis Delmas CB Western Michigan
15. New England Patrick Chung S Oregon
16. Denver Connor Barwin LB/DE Cincinnati
17. Cleveland Emmanuel Cook S South Carolina
18. Chicago Juaquin Iglesias WR Oklahoma
19. Dallas Percy Harvin WR Florida
20. New York Jets Jarron Gilbert DE San Jose State
21. Philadelphia Shonn Greene RB Iowa
22. Minnesota Pat White QB/WR West Virginia
23. Atlanta Rashad Johnson S Alabama
24. Miami Fili Moala DT USC
25. Baltimore Jared Cook TE South Carolina
*26. Houston (from N.E.) Andre Brown RB N.C. State
27. Carolina Lawrence Sidbury DE Richmond
28. New York Giants Marcus Freeman LB Ohio State
29. Indianapolis Derrick Williams WR Penn State
30. Tennessee Kevin Barnes CB Maryland
31. Arizona James Casey TE Rice
32. Pittsburgh Duke Robinson G Oklahoma

*projected trade

My fav five

My Five Favorite Players in this Draft:
Some of these guys may not end up being selected in the first round. None grade out at the top one or two spots at their position. These are just guys that I really like:

Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina….see previous post devoted to him. Every year I have a guy that I fall in love with going into the draft. Sometimes it works out, like last year with RB Jonathan Stewart. Some years it doesn’t, like when I thought Charles Rogers was the next Randy Moss. Nicks is this year’s mancrush.

James Casey, TE, Rice (surprise!)….anybody who is a gifted athlete as “Thor” is and has played seven positions in a single game has a future in the NFL. Can play TE, WR, FB or run the Wildcat formation. His versatility will help him get drafted earlier in the draft. Former pitcher in the White Sox organization, also a huge plus.

James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State….this is like the second coming of former OSU great Chris Spielman. A bit of a throwback, he is a playmaker that seems to always be around the ball.

Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas….great pass rusher in college who is athletic for his size. Played DE at Texas, but may see some action at OLB in the NFL. Durability is his only concern.

Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State….I like him better than Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez (the most overrated player in this draft). Tall and has a great arm. Surrounded by mediocre supporting cast at KSU, he didn’t receive as much publicity as other Big 12 quarterbacks.

In a Nicks of Time

I'm not asking much out of this year's draft...just that the defending AFC East Champion Miami Dolphins select North Carolina WR Hakeem Nicks. Nicks is a tall, sure-handed receiver that I fell in love with during his breakout performance against West Virginia in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. He is exactly the type of big receiver that the Dolphins need to compliment speedster Ted Ginn, Jr.

Nicks should still be on the clock when the Fins pick at No. 25. Though he gained a little weight and ran a slower time than expected during spring workouts I wouldn't expect him to still be on the board when Miami selects at No. 44 in the second round.

Here's a closer look at Nicks:

Overview
After earning multiple high school All-American honors, Nicks did not disappoint Tar Heel fans during his three seasons as a starter. He quickly established himself as a prospect NFL scouts had to keep an eye on, catching 113 balls for 1,618 yards and nine touchdowns in his first two seasons.

Nicks took his play to another level as a junior, however. A first-team All-ACC selection, Nicks snared 68 passes for 1,222 yards and 12 touchdowns, with many of them coming dramatically. The strength and athleticism he displayed with eight receptions for 217 yards and three touchdowns against West Virginia in the Meineke Car Care Bowl helped him turn in arguably the most memorable performance of the 2008-09 bowl season.

Hicks may lack elite stopwatch speed, but NFL scouts would do well to remember that so too did Anquan Boldin and Chad Johnson. Had an arm span of 33 1/2 inches and a hand span of 10 1/2 inches at the combine.

Analysis
Positives: Passes the eyeball test. Good initial quickness off the snap. Good strength and lateral agility to fight through press coverage. Sneaky downfield speed. Good burst out of his breaks to generate separation, especially on slants. Rare body control for a player of his size. Can contort his body in space to make the spectacular reception. Sticky hands. Can snatch out of the air or absorb with his body when he feels an impending big hit. Knows where the sidelines, down markers and, most importantly, end zone are. Good height and leaping ability for the fade. Rare strength, balance and agility to turn short and intermediate catches into long gains. Good vision to cut back against the grain. Improved with each year of experience. Might just be scratching the surface of his potential.

Negatives: Questionable deep speed. May lack the top-end speed to challenge defensive backs over the top, allowing savvy NFL defenders to close off the crossing routes on which Nicks generated much of his success. One of three legitimate NFL-caliber receivers for the Tar Heels, and capitalized on defenses spread thin.

NFL Draft Weekend

It's NFL Draft weekend! Two days of non-stop football coverage as the 32 NFL teams re-stock their squads for the upcoming season. The time for Mel Kiper, Jr. to shine!

Throughout the weekend I will posting updates on the NFL Draft...thoughts on players that were selected too early, guys that are falling, why Chris Berman's schtick is so old and most of all, why the Dolphins need to select Hakeem Nicks.

RDAngle