NFL Draft: 10 Picks I Did Not Love  

10 Picks I Did Not Love

1) Washington Redskins - Laron Landry #6 overall pick

Landry is arguably the best defensive player in the draft so from a talent perspective the pick makes perfect sense. The problem, however, lies in the personnel already on Washington's roster. The Redskins were terrible this past season, and they have a ton of holes to fill on both sides of the football. The worst part, though, is that the Skins had only one first day pick to fill those holes, and they used it on Landry, who despite his immense talent, happens to play the same position as Sean Taylor, the only pro bowl caliber player on the Skins' defense.

2) Green Bay Packers - Justin Harrell #16 overall pick

The reach of all reaches. Green Bay was another team with tons of holes to fill and while they had their normal allotment of picks, reaching for a guy like Harrell just isn't the answer. Harrell might turn out to be a nice player, but the fact remains that Green Bay could have traded way back in round 1 (or possibly into the early part of round 2), still gotten him, and picked up extra picks to fill more needs.

3) San Diego Chargers - Craig Davis #30 overall pick

Another huge reach in round 1, made worse by the fact that there were a plethora of more talented receivers still on the board (Anthony Gonzalez, Steve Smith, Dwayne Jarrett, Sidney Rice to name 4). A case could be made for taking any of those 4 guys over Davis, especially considering his lack of consistent production at LSU. San Diego certainly needed WR help, but I can't see how they wouldn't be better off taking a chance on a superstar level talent like Jarrett or Rice.

4) Philadelphia Eagles - Kevin Kolb #36 overall pick

I see two main problems with this pick. First, it sends a terrible message to Donovan Mcnabb. It's not like Philly didn't have other needs (pass rusher, safety), and they spend their first pick on a quarterback? How is Donovan supposed to take that? Second, Kolb wasn't even close to being the best option on the board for Philly. Kolb has some ability, but his skill set does not make him an ideal candidate for Andy Reid's west coast system. Someone like John Beck or Drew Stanton or even, dare I say, Troy Smith would have made more sense.

5) Cincinnati Bengals - Kenny Irons #49 overall pick

Irons is actually decent value at this point in the draft, but I fail to see how he actually help the Bengals team. With Rudi Johnson entrenched as the starter, and former first round pick Chris Perry on the roster as a solid backup and third down option, Irons seems to be a man without a role. Furthermore, he isn't quick enough to help in the return game, and he doesn't have enough pass catching ability to be a real third down back. If they wanted a RB why not take Brian Leonard? He is as talented as Irons, plus he is a high character player whose skill set fits in better with the personnel already on the Bengals roster.

6) Tennesee Titans - Chris Henry #50 overall pick

By far the most absurd pick in the draft. Sure Henry fits a need for the Titans, but I just don't see how they can justify taking him with the following running backs still on the board: Brian Leonard, Tony Hunt, Michael Bush, and Antonio Pittman. Henry couldn't even produce in the Pac-10 (career high of 581 yards in a season), yet the Titans allowed his blazing 40 time to transform him into a top 50 pick! Drafting a RB at this spot was a fine idea, but taking Henry over four PROVEN commodities is just stupid.

7) Dallas Cowboys - Isaiah Stanbeck #103 overall pick

Ugh, the only pick by the Cowboys that I dislike. At 6'2'' and 215 lbs. Stanbeck, a former QB, projects as an NFL wideout, and he does have some intriguing ability. But what makes no sense to me is why the Cowboys would choose a developmental project like Stanbeck, with productive college wideouts like Chris Davis, David Clowney, Aundrae Allison and Ryne Robinson still on the board. Terry Glenn and TO are entrenched as starters, but Dallas could desperately use some youth at the position, and instead of taking a college wideout who might contribute immediately, they choose a converted QB who could be years away from helping.

8) Washington Redskins - Jordan Palmer #205 overall pick

Why, just why? Palmer stinks. He has the big arm but he is terribly erratic, and struggled with interceptions all throughout his college career. Moreover, here is another QB pick whose skill set just doesn't transfer to the offensive system of his new team. Personally, I think the guy who would have been an absolute perfect fit for the Redskins was Troy Smith, who wasn't available at 205, but could have been had a round earlier. Moreover, Chris Leak was still available, and while he may never be a starter he could be a fine backup.

9) Minnesota Vikings - Tyler Thigpen #235 overall pick

Again, how does this pick make any sense. Thigpen has good size and a nice arm, but at Coastal Carolina he was only able to post one season with a completion percentage above 54%, and only one season with more than 11 touchdown passes. And it's not like he was playing against LSU and Miami every week. Bottom line, while NFL teams have found a lot of value with quarterbacks in the late rounds in recent years, the best guys come from big time schools, so the Vikes might have been better off taking a flier on Chris Leak, or 323 favorite Sam Hollenbach.

10) New York Jets - Chansi Stuckey #235 overall pick

I guess it would be disingenuous to nitpick a 7th round pick too much, but picking Stuckey was basically a waste of a pick. Here we have a scrawny wide receiver, who is supposed to be a home run hitter, only problem is that his 40 time is only acceptable for an NFL wideout running through sand. Stuckey isn't big enough to contribute as a flanker, and he isn't fast enough to play the slot or help in the return game. The Jets would have been better off taking a flier on one of the many talented players who went after Stuckey (Abraham Wright, Brandon Siler, and Andrew Carnahan).