NFL Modern Era Draft: Draft Picks Only Thread

[Myrmidon7328]

Round 2, Pick 13 (45th Overall) -- Cris Carter



Cris Carter is arguably the great possession receiver to ever play the game. He made eight pro bowls, and was part of one of the greatest offensive tandems of the 1990s. His 1998 Vikings team may be the second best ever to never win the super bowl.

Statwise, Carter is second only to Jerry Rice is career receptions and has 130 TD catches. He is one of the only four players to have more than 1,000 career receptions. He is also the only player to ever catch 120+ catches in two consecutive seasons. Although he is one of the players who has never really had a career-defining season, I would like to take him from the 2995 season, in which he caught 122 passes for 1,371 yards, and a league-leading 17 TD receptions.

Some more highlights:

* 8x Pro Bowl selection (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)
* 3x All-Pro selection (1994, 1995, 1999)
* NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
* Minnesota Vikings #80 Retired
* Led NFL in receptions in 1994 with 122
* Led NFL in receiving TD's in 1995, 1997, and 1999

Team so far:
LB: Brian Urlacher
WR: Cris Carter

[SMIGLET]

Round 2 Pick 14 (46th overall)

DE - Jason Taylor



Perhaps one of the better players ever to have been on mostly bad teams. There is no doubt Taylor has been one of the elite DE's for quite some time now. His 18.5 sack season was completely overshadowed b/c strahan broke the record that same year. At only 6'6'' 255 lbs I'm curious as to whether anyone thinks he would be good in a 3-4 but concede that i may now have to run a 4-3.

I'll take him at the age 32, in 2006 when he recorded:

• 13.5 sacks
• 11 passes defended
• 9 forced fumbles
• 2 ints

which won him defensive player of the year, over champ bailey who arguably may have also had the best year of his career

6 Time pro bowler, 3 time all-pro
118 career sacks

My Team:
OL - Walter Jones
DL - Jason Taylor

[Steroid Boy]

Round 2 Pick 15 (47th Overall)

OT Jackie Slater






"Of all the people I played with or against, he'd be one of the first three I'd pick if I were starting a team."
[Hall of Famer] on Jackie Slater


To me Jackie Slater is a clear BPA at a position where the depth is quite scarce. Although used primarily as a backup and special teams player during his first three seasons, Slater became a starter in 1979 and was a part of an offensive line that surrendered just 29 sacks and helped the Rams’ offense finish second in the NFL in total yards gained with 6,006.

Twenty-four different quarterbacks and 37 different running backs played behind Slater during his long career. A powerful drive blocker, Slater blocked for seven different 1,000-yard rushers. He also blocked in 107 games in which a runner gained 100 yards or more. Slater was also a quality pass blocker.

A seven-time Pro Bowler and 2001 Hall of Fame inductee, Slater was also a tone-setter for the Rams. After the team surrendered a sack to [name redacted] in 1983 — [name redacted] proceeded to do his infamous sack dance — Slater belted his flamboyant opponent, triggering an on-field melee. The incident led to a league ban on excessive celebrations like [name redacted].



Career highlights and awards
• 7x Pro Bowl selection (1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990)
• 3x First-team All-Pro selection (1987, 1988, 1989)
• 2x Second-team All-Pro selection (1983, 1985)
• 3x First-team All-NFC selection (1983, 1986, 1987, 1989)
• 3x Second-team All-NFC selection (1985, 1988, 1990)
• 7x All-Pro selection (1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990)
• 1996 Bart Starr Award
• St. Louis Rams #78 Retired
• NFL Record 20 seasons with 1 Team (tied with Darrell Green)

[SuperUberBob]

Slater was drafted in 1976. I thought we were only going from 1980-present.

[BiiiiigChips]

Originally Posted by SuperUberBob

Slater was drafted in 1976. I thought we were only going from 1980-present.

I thought it was anyone that played in 86 or later. Slater played in 86 and later. The only thing with a guy like that is the youngest you can take him at is his 86 age. From what I understand of the rules he's eligible.

Assani, confirmation?

[Zimmer4141]

Round 2 Pick 16 (48th Overall)

ZACH THOMAS - MLB





I struggled with this pick for a while, there are tons of guys that I thought about, but I'm taking this pick based on need, value, and also intangibles like leadership. With Zach Thomas, I feel like I get one of the last few guys that can truly be the cornerstone of a defense. He provides excellent defense against the run as well as adequate pass coverage. He is also the captain of a defense, and an outstanding leader (and I'm not just saying this cause he's white). I'm taking him in his 2002 season at the age of 29. In that season he put up 101 tackles, had one pick, and led the Dolphins to an AFC East Title.

-7x Pro Bowl selection
-5 time first team All-Pro
-2x NFL Alumni Association Linebacker of the Year
-3x Dolphins Leadership Award

Team so far

OT- Jonathan Ogden
MLB- Zach Thomas

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Round 2, Pick 49: WR Sterling Sharpe



“"Everybody can catch a ball. The difference is how bad you want to run with it." – Sterling Sharpe


If not for a career-ending neck injury, Sterling Sharpe would have gone down as one of the two or three greatest receivers to ever play the game. In seven seasons, Sharpe was a 5-time Pro Bowler and a 3-time first-team All-Pro. Sharpe’s skillset was one of a kind. Like several of the receivers in this draft, Sharpe had tremendous hands, speed, and body control. What sets Sharpe apart from even the best receivers was his incredible strength and physical play. At 6-0, 207 pounds, Sharpe played with the power of a bull and the speed of a gazelle. He was an absolute nightmare to tackle in tight spaces or in the open field.

Before Brett Favre arrived, Sharpe led the league in receptions in 1989, with 90 receptions for 1,423 yards (2nd in receiving yards) and 12 touchdowns (2nd in receiving touchdowns). From 1992 to 1994, with Brett Favre, Sterling Sharpe had one of the greatest three-year stretches ever produced. In 1992, Sharpe led the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.

1992
Receptions: 108 (League Rank: 1)
Receiving Yards: 1,461 (1)
Receiving Touchdowns: 13 (1)

1993
Receptions: 112 (1)
Receiving Yards: 1,274 (3)
Receiving Touchdowns: 11 (3)

1994
Receptions: 94 (5)
Receiving Yards: 1119 (NR)
Receiving Touchdowns: (18) (1)


Sterling Sharpe demands double coverage no matter who you have in your backfield. Case in point, in Brett Favre’s first ever career start, September 27, 1992, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sharpe is being guarded in man coverage by Rod Woodson. Sharpe runs a hook and go, Woodson bites on the hook, and Sharpe completely smokes Woodson for a 76-yard touchdown.

Throughout his career, Sterling Sharpe played the biggest in his biggest games.
1993: Green Bay at Detroit (Wild Card Playoff): 5 receptions, 101 yards, 3 TDs
1993: Green Bay at Detroit (Divisional Playoff): 6 receptions, 128 yards, 1 TD
1994: Green Bay at Dallas (Thanksgiving): 9 receptions, 122 yards, 4 TDs

In the final game of Sterling Sharpe’s career, the Packers needed a win at Tampa Bay to make the playoffs. Sharpe went out with a bang and the Packers made the playoffs.
1994: Green Bay at Tampa Bay: 9 receptions, 132 yards, 3 TDs

In seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Sterling Sharpe did not miss a game until the 1994 playoffs. The fact that Sterling played against Tampa Bay on December 24, 1994 after his neck injury the previous week is a testament to his toughness.

Team so far:
RB Marshall Faulk (age 27)
WR Sterling Sharpe (age 27)

[NameOnTheCake]

Round 2, Pick 50: LT Gary Zimmerman



I need someone to protect Elway's blind side, and all the studs are flying off the board so I figured I'd better grab one.

Zimmerman fits the bill. He's a 6-6 300lb 7 time pro bowler. He was a 3 time first team all-pro, elected to the hall of fame this year. I kinda like the synergy b/c he actually played with Elway for the last four years of his (Zimmerman's) career, ending in 97 during Elway's first Superbowl season (although I believe he played more RT than LT that year). Before that he was on Warren Moon watch with the Vikes.

Anyway, not the sexiest pick, but I'm really happy with it.

Team so far:
John Hustle
Gary Zimmerman

Epipiepen you're on the clock

[SuperUberBob]

I was convinced that this player might be taken before my pick.

Round 2, Pick 51: DE Chris Doleman



A team wins a game by building up their offensive and defensive lines and this theme will continue with selecting Chris Doleman. I will argue until I am blue in the face that behind Reggie White and Bruce Smith, Doleman is the best pass rushing defensive end in this draft. If not for the aforementioned two players, Doleman would be a more recognized player when it comes to the best, or the greatest at his position.

Surprisingly, Doleman did not start out as a defensive end. Rather, he was a linebacker in Minnesota's 3-4 defense in the early 80's. However, that changed a few years into his career when he became a 4-3 defensive end and history showed that it was for the better. Chris Doleman recorded 150.5 sacks in a career that spanned from 1985-1999, placing him 4th on the all-time career sacks list. He had a career-high 21 sacks in 1989, the third highest recorded total in a single season in the NFL.

Doleman was selected to 8 Pro Bowls and 6 All-Pro teams during his NFL career. He was also selected as a member of the 1990's NFL All-Decade Team, recognizing his accomplishments at the professional level.

As expected, I will take Doleman from his 1989 seasons, where he recorded 94 tackles, 21 sacks and 5 recovered fumbles from the defensive end position.

[BiiiiigChips]

Team Biiiiig Chips Round 2 Pick 52 Defensive End - Richard Dent







SuperUberBob stated that he didn't think Doleman would be around when he picked if he didn't trade and I totally agree. The pickings are getting slim for elite DEs and I had my choices narrowed down to Richard Dent and Doleman. I was going back and forth with it so SUB basically made the decision for me by taking Doleman. I was happy to get either one so I can't complain too much. As far as my team I decided to build aroudn defense so I went with a lockdown corner at #1 and I'm going with an elite pass rusher at #2. I like the way my defense is shaping up right now.

My Team So Far

CB - Deion Sanders
DE - Richard Dent


Richard Dent Bio from HOF Website.

An eighth-round draft pick out of Tennessee State, rookie defensive end Richard Dent immediately exceeded the Chicago Bears' expectations.Dent played in every game as a rookie in 1983 and even started in three.The following year, he became a permanent starter at right end. That year he recorded a team record 17.5 sacks which was also the most of any defender in the NFC. Making his accomplishment even more significant is the fact that he was a starter in only the final 10 games of the season. Appropriately, he was named to the first of his four Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro and All-NFC honors as well.

For Dent, the 1984 season was the beginning of a remarkable 10-year period during which he recorded 10 or more sacks in eight of the next ten seasons including five consecutive (1984-1988). His only double digit misses during that period came in 1989 when he logged 9 sacks, and in 1992 when he added 8.5 more.

Dent’s NFC leading 17.5 sacks in 1984 was immediately followed up with an NFL best 17 sacks in 1985. That year the Bears trounced the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. Dent’s Super Bowl performance – three tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles – earned him Most Valuable Player honors. In the two playoff games against the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams, building up to the Super Bowl, he was credited with a combined total of nine tackles and 4.5 sacks. In the 1986 season, Dent registered 11.5 sacks, 7.5 of which came during the final seven games.

Twice – once in 1984 and then again in 1987 – the Bears’ pass rushing specialist, dropped Los Angeles Raiders quarterbacks for a career high 4.5 sacks in a single game. Chicago’s defenses of the mid-to-late 1980s ranks as one of the best of all time. Dent, a pass-rushing force, was a dominant player on a dominant defense. “He’ll make the guy in front of him know he’s in for a day’s work,” former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Ray Rhodes said of Dent when he signed him late in his career.

At the time of his retirement, Dent’s 137.5 career sack total was third behind Reggie White and Bruce Smith. Additional career statistics – including seasons with the San Francisco49ers (1994), Indianapolis Colts (1996), and Eagles (1997) – include 8 interceptions, a safety, and fumble recovery for a touchdown. Four times he was named first- or second-team All-Pro, five times All-NFC, and selected to play in four Pro Bowls (1985, 1986, 1991, and 1994).

[AC-Cobra]

Round 2 Pick 53 - Aeneas Williams







An elite NFL cornerback, Aeneas Williams serves to be a leader on our defense as well as a deterrent to teams wanting to pass on us. The list of elite CB's especially those who stayed at such a level for a prolonged period of time is short and in mine and MacGuy's opinion, Williams is pretty far above the remaining class (whilst also representing great value being more than a round after Champ Bailey).

Williams toiled away on some horrid Cardinals teams whilst still managing to be recognised as one of the greatest of all time at his position. He even managed to lift the team to a playoff victory. Read that again, Cardinals playoff victory.

-8 time Pro Bowl
-5 time All Pro
-NFL 1990's All Decade team

We will be taking Williams at age 26. In the relevant season, Williams tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with 9.

Team so far:

QB - Dan the Man
CB - Aeneas Williams

[Dudd]

Round 2, Pick 56

Kevin Greene, LB



With this pick, I am further solidifying my pass rush by selecting one of the greatest pass rushing linebackers in the history of the NFL. A five time pro bowler and two time first team all pro, Greene had ten seasons of double digit sacks in a fifteen year career, finishing with a total of 160 sacks, third all time and first for linebackers. Twice he led the league in sacks. I will be selecting him at age 27, the year of his second straight 16.5 sack effort.

With Reggie White already selected, I now have two of the top three sackers of all time. Due to the plethora of offensive talent in this league, I feel as though a dominant pass rush is the only way to defend, and with these first two picks I am well on my way to having the most disruptive front seven in the league. Greene played well in both a 4-3 and a 3-4 defense, and while I will probably use a 4-3 since that is White's most natural defensive alignment, he does have the strength and size to be a dominant 3-4 end if the talent available for that scheme is too good to pass up. One thing is for sure, quarterbacks in this league will have trouble sleeping prior to playing my team.

Team so far:

Reggie White - DE
Kevin Greene - LB

[Mikhail's Fortunes]

Round #2, Pick #58: Dwight Freeney, DE



I'm taking Dwight Freeney to be my elite pass rusher. Even the greatest quarterbacks make bad throws when under consstant pressure, and that is what Dwight Freeney excels at. His ability to harass the quarterback will allow me to drop players back into coverage to defend against the pass. He is lightning quick around the end, and a lot of the top run blocking tackles like Ogden and Allen will have trouble containing his speed.

I'm taking him at age 24, when he had the first of his two 1st team All-Pro seasons. He recorded 16 sacks and forced three fumbles that year, with many more hurries and knockdowns. It is not only the sacks that make him so valuable, but also the pressure that impair quarterbacks' decisionmaking ability.

I used this photo because I thought Sage Rosenfels' superman pose is pretty funny.

Team so far:
Ray Lewis
Dwight Freeney

SC___72 you are up.

[Assani Fisher]

Round 2 Pick 55: Emmitt Smith








Alright before I start talking about Emmitt specifically, let me talk about my general view of the various positions.....

In the real NFL, its generally accepted that QBs are the most important and LTs are the second most important. Some have CBs as third most important, but thats more debatable. Many people are carrying over that line of thought, and I believe thats a big mistake. I've already said this a few times, but I want to restate it. Heres my reasoning:

When people say "QB is the most important position" what they mean is that you absolutely cannot succeed with a horrible QB like Rex Grossman or Tavaris Jackson. And since there are not 32 non-horrible QBs to go around, getting a good QB is vital. You can have a great team at every positions except QB, but that bad QB can still drag it down. It is very similar with left tackle. You simply can't have a poor left tackle or else your QB will get killed.

However, in this draft there are no horrible players being taken as the talent pool is much much deeper. And therefore I don't believe that QB or LT are any more important than other positions. I believe this is especially true in the first few rounds when we're drafting the truly impactful players- these guys are all absolute studs and will dominate a game. Yet I see many people starting to take second or third tier QBs and LTs. Personally, my strategy is to scoop up the first tier players at other positions and still get very solid players at those positions late.

Its very difficult to argue this because I can't mention names, so I can't say which QBs or LTs I expect to be there later on. However, I think we can revisit this issue at the end of the draft, and I have a lot of confidence that I'll be correct.

And Emmitt Smith fully falls in line with this philosophy. I had him as my #2 RB behind only Faulk, slightly ahead of Sanders and LT, and clearly ahead of Dickerson(note that I do think others are in this conversation as well but they have yet to be drafted).


"Emmitt Smith played behind a great offensive line and thats why he put up such great numbers."

First off, lets note that two of the other RBs who have been drafted have also had o-linemen drafted already like Smith, so they had some help too. In fact, the only RB you can make a case for in this regard is Barry Sanders, and I will admit that Barry is a better runner than Emmitt, but I think that Emmitt is better than Barry is basically every category except pure rushing ability(which I'll admit is the most important skillset for a RB) and I think that makes Emmitt better overall.

Now the only way to really evaluate this is to see how much better another RB does behind that o-line, and unfortunately Emmitt's durability left us with a very small sample size. However, rather than ignore it, lets admit that its better than nothing and take a look:

-Emmitt held out the first 2 games of the 1993 season....AND THE COWBOYS WENT 0-2 WITHOUT HIM! In the first game they had 21 rushes for 91 yards. In the second game they had 28 rushes for 103 yards. They only scored 16 and 10 points in those two games.

-In 1994 Emmitt missed one game. They rushed for 90 yards on 24 carries, and they scored only 10 points.

-In 1996 Emmitt missed on game. They rushed for 119 yards on 23 carries. They again only scored 10 points!


Now obviously I understand that we're dealing with a backup RB here in these games, so I shouldn't expect greatness. However, some teams(Denver for example) have clearly shown the ability to plug any RB into their system.

If the Dallas o-line was so great then why did they only score 16, 10, 10, and 10 points in those 4 games without Smith?

Yes I fully understand thats a small sample size. However, what does anyone have to suggest that it wasn't Emmitt making the line look good rather than the other way around? It seems to me that this has become accepted line of thought when theres really nothing to suggest it.





Now I do believe that there are certain RBs out there who can run as well as Emmitt. However, I believe that only Marshall Faulk was a better complete package(in this draft). Emmitt was known as a great leade, and with Rice my team should have no problems there. Emmitt was great at short yardage. Emmitt was very good at recieving out the backfield. And Emmitt was great at blitz pickup.

A quote from wikipedia which backs up my claims:

Emmitt Smith was noted for being a very durable back with excellent vision, tremendous leg strength, great balance, a competitive heart, and one of the most complete players to ever play the position of running back. Smith excelled at running between the tackles as a highly efficient downhill runner skilled at cutting through quickly changing gaps toward "daylight", but was also skilled in running to the outside, and catching the ball as a receiver. Although Smith is right-handed, he mainly carried the ball in his left hand.

In the mold of (name edited out), Smith was a great blocker in pass protection - the great blocking fullback (name edited out) noted that Smith was better in pass protection than he was.

Emmitt's numbers are just ridiculous. From 1991-1995:

rush yards/rec yards/TDs

1563/258/13
1713/335/19
1486/414/10(missed 2 games due to holdout)
1484/341/22(missed 1 game)
1771/375/25


I'll take Emmitt at any age in between these season, as it doesn't really matter.


Plus the Emmitt/Rice combo gives me a ton of points from the casual onlookers of this draft who just recognize the stars and will overrate my team due to that!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkJRIBRPGro

Team So far:

[SL__72]

Round #2, Pick #59: Will Shields, RG





I wouldn't have guessed that my second overall pick would be a RG, but this feels like a lot of value for the end of the second round. With 11 offensive linemen off the board I'm happy to be able to get the guy who, in my opinion, is the greatest right guard of the era.

Shields was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the draft in 1993. He stepped into his role as RG part way through his first game with the Chiefs and never left. He went on to start the next 223 regular season games for them before retiring in 2007.

In his 14 year career he went to 12 pro-bowls and was named all-pro 9 times (first team twice). In 2003 he won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his work with the Will to Succeed foundation. In 11 of Shields 14 seasons his blocking helped earn a pro-bowl appearance for the Chiefs' running back. One of the other three seasons was 2004 when Priest Holmes, Larry Johnson and Derrick Blaylock ran for a combined 2012 yards rushing and the Chiefs had the #1 offense in the NFL.

Another thing Shields was known for was avoiding penalties. I couldn't find a better reference, but according to this ESPN article, it appears he was only flagged twice (total) over the coarse of his last 3 (I think?) seasons.

Adding that up:

Great blocker
+ never missed a game
+ maintained dominance
+ rarely committed penalties
+ great role model off the field
= my 2nd round selection

I'm choosing Shields at age 31 (2002). Why? Well I don't think it matters too much as long as it is before he was 34 or so. Dr Z named him to his all-pro team (or whatever he calls it) in 2004, his age 33 season. I guess I like that year because the Chiefs run-game was particularly good and he was named first-team all-pro.


Team SL__72

QB: Steve Young
OG: Will Shields