NFL Modern Era Draft: Draft Picks Only Thread

[metsandfinsfan]

Round 3 - Pick 74
Andre Tippett LB - 1987 (28 years old)



With 2 key offensive players on my team already, i felt it was essential for me to pick a defensive stud. Lucky for me, One of the 3 best linebackers of the 1980s-1990s were still available (LT and Singletary being the other two)
After not recording a sack as a 23 year old rookie in 1982, Andre Tippett had 100 sacks in 142 games over the next 10 seasons. He is one of six NFL players ever to have 2 seasons with over 16 sacks. From 1984-1987, from age 25-28, Andre Tippett had 57 sacks in 54 games, an average of better than 1 sack per game. Tippett was elected Linebacker of the Year in 1985, 1986, and 1987 by the NFL players association. He had 30 multiple sack games and sacked 41 different quarterbacks. For his career, he has 100 sacks in 151 games, an avg of .662 sacks per game, 4th all time among linebackers. He has 19 fumble recoveries in his career. I cannot find a site with statistics on tackles, but Tippett was always involved. He spend most of his career as a LOLB.

career highlights.
Top 2 in the NFL in sacks -- 1984, 1985, and 1987
ProBowl - 84, 85, 86, 87, 88
18.5 sacks in 1984 -- 4th most ever in a season
35 sacks in 1984-1985 - most ever by a lineback in two consecutive seasons
averaged over 1 sack per game in his 5 year peek of 1984-1988
Helped lead Patriots to AFC championship in 1985 - a team that only allowed 300 yards passing once the entire season.
Voted onto the PRO Football Weekly alltime 3-4 defensive team in January 2008, voted by a panel of former NFL players and Coaches
Member of the NFL Hall of Fame

Current Team
QB - Kurt Warner
RB - Eric Dickerson
LB - Andre Tippett

[vixticator]

Bob Sanders
Safety, 2007



Why? Tony Dungy calls Bob Sanders "the eraser" because of his ability to nullify a lot of mistakes made by the rest of the defense. When a player blows their gap assaignment or plays the one which Sanders was supposed to cover, he adjusts on the fly and fills the hole. The way he flows in traffic is beautiful to watch, see this video (same link below).

In 2005, his first year of full time service, after missing most of his rookie season due to injury; Sanders and the Colts defense ranked 2nd best in points allowed. In 2006 he only played 4 regular season games. The defense was 23rd in points allowed and historically bad against the run. He returned for the playoffs on a team that allowed 173 yards rushing per contest in the regular season, and a mere 83 per game over the Superbowl run.

In 2007, again back to playing full time, the Colts allowed a league low in points per game. This is not a sample size issue. The evidence is overwhelming. When Bob Sanders is healthy the Colts have among the best defenses in the NFL. When he is unable to particiapte, it is below average. Note he has only played in 2 games this season and once again the run defense is in disarray.

His only weakness is the ability to consistently remain on the field. There is no better player when healthy. In the two seasons he has been healthy he was a 1st-team all-pro and 2007 defensive player of the year.

WATCH THIS VIDEO!

Current Team
Michael Strahan, DE
Derrick Brooks, OLB
Bob Sanders, S

[kkcountry]

round 3 pick 12 (76 overall)

Keith Millard - DT/DE




with cortez kennedy more than capable of playing nose tackle and taking on two blockers, i believe keith millard is the perfect compliment at the other defensive tackle position, cementing my team's status of having the most formidable defensive tackle combo in the league. the guy was an absolute menace, a QB killa before "the QB killa" playing alongside kennedy will virtually guarantee 1-on-1 blocking. he also offers me an significant amount of flexibility in this draft as he his more than athletic enough to play end in a 3-4. i don't want to slam other people's picks, but millard is undeniably better than a number of defensive linemen already off the board.

awards -
* 2x Pro Bowl selection (1988, 1989)
* 4x All-Pro selection (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989)
* NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
* 1989 NFL Defensive Player of the Year
* 1989 UPI NFC Player of the Year


i'll be taking him at his age 27/1989 season, where he had 18 sacks (the most ever by a defensive tackle) and won defensive player of the year. please note that this is the year before his career altering knee injury. this is a draft of peaks, and millard had as sick as peak as any defensive tackle in the draft.

team kkcountry

QB Warren Moon
DT Cortez Kennedy
DT Keith Millard

[Myrmidon7328]

Round 3 Pick 13 (77th Overall)

Neil Smith - DE





Neil Smith was a first round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs. In his prime, he was one of the top defensive linemen in football. Smith finished his 13 NFL seasons with 105 sacks, 12 fumble recoveries, 19 return yards, and 1 touchdown. He also intercepted 4 passes, returning them for 68 yards and a touchdown. He is currently a co-owner of the expansion Kansas City Brigade of the Arena Football League. He also helped with two consecutive super bowls as a member of the Denver Broncos. On October 22, 2006, Smith was inducted to the Chiefs' Hall of Fame.

A few more highlights:

* 6x Pro Bowl selection (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997)
* NFL 1990s All-Decade Team


We will be drafting Neil from the 27/1993 season, in which he had a league-leading 15 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, and 1 interception.

Team Myrmidon7328/Chuckleslovakian

LB - Brian Urlacher
WR - Cris Carter
DE - Neil Smith

[LurchySoprano]

Round 3, Pick 75: Priest Homes, RB

Year: 2002 (Age 29)





For the third pick, wiper and I are going with Priest Holmes.

Awards & Recognitions

- 3 Time Pro Bowler (2001-2003)
- 3 Time All Pro (2001-2003)
- AP Offensive Player of the Year (2002)
- Top 25 All Time in TD's scored

First off, I realize this pick will get some criticism since two of Holmes' offensive linemen have already been drafted (Roaf & Shields). While it is impossible to argue that Holmes didn't run behind a good offensive line, it is important to note two things.

1.) Holmes missed two games at the end of the season and the Chiefs went from scoring 31.6ppg in 14 games with Holmes to 12.0 ppg without him. In week 16, the Chiefs played the Chargers and scored 24 points without Holmes after scoring 34 in week 6 vs. the Chargers with Holmes. Similarly, the Raiders shut out the Chiefs in week 17 without Holmes and in week 7 with Holmes, the Chiefs scored 20 points.

2.) Holmes had 150 yards of offense vs. San Diego in week 6 (63 rushing yards, 97 receiving yards and 1 TD). His replacement against the Chargers in week 16 vs. San Diego was Mike Cloud who had 19 yards rushing on 16 carries and 3 catches for 28 yards and 0 TD's. Similarly, Holmes had 184 yards of total offense and 1 TD in week 7 vs. the Raiders in week 7. In week 17, the entire Chiefs team didn't have that many yards, mustering only 176 yards of total offense.

The year in which we have Holmes (2002) he was simply a beast. He ran for 1,615 yards at 5.2 yards per carry and his average game running the ball was 22.4 carries, 115.4 rushing yards, and 1.5 TD's. That all sounds well and good but then we come to the thing that I think truly sets Holmes apart from other running backs, his receiving. Also in 2002, Holmes had 70 catches for 672 yards and 3 TD's. Adding his rushing and receiving yardage together, Holmes averaged 163 yards of offense per game in 2002.

On this team, Holmes will be a workhorse back that will run the ball 20+ times a game while also providing a nice third down back who makes an excellent checkdown option.

Finally, as a fun fact Priest Holmes had a game in the 2002 season where he put up the highest DYAR (defensive yards above replacement) in the last 13 years when he played the Seahawks in week 12. Holmes had 23 carries for 197 yards and 2 TD's and caught all 7 passes thrown his way for 102 yards and 1 TD.

Quotes on Priest Holmes

-"We studied film all week on him, and we kept saying, 'Find Priest Holmes. Find him. Find him. If he's your guy, hug him.' But for three and a half quarters, we didn't do that. That little guy was all over the place." -- Rod Woodson, Raiders safety

- "Priest Holmes is Marshall Faulk without the name. What a player—in the passing game and running inside and outside...." -- Unnamed Scout

-"We have a chance to be pretty good, and Priest is where it all starts," Kansas City coach Dick Vermeil says. "How big a component of our success is he? Well, Priest Holmes is the component." In the next breath Vermeil goes out of his way not to cast Holmes in an egotistical light. "There are some superstars who other players don't care for—guys who are a pain in the ass and act like superstars," Vermeil says. "Priest is the opposite. He's not a big-timer, and his teammates love and respect him so much, they feel they can all share in his rewards."

- "He's what Marshall Faulk was two or three years ago—the premier back in the NFL," - Undrafted Pro Bowl LB

Team so far:

DE: Bruce Smith (Age: 27)
LB: Junior Seau (Age: 27)

RB: Priest Holmes (Age:29)

[EPiPeN11]

Round 2 pick 78 Ed Reed



I'm taking Ed Reed who is imo the 2nd best Saftey in this draft behind Lott when u consider it's only for 1 year. His season he has in 2004 was amazing as he recorded 9 INT's and helped the Ravens D stay elite. He was not only the best safety that year, he was the best defensive player winning DPOY in 2004.

He is the best at playing in coverage as "center field" in the entire draft. He also is a very hard hitter who can play either SS or FS who will help intimidate recievers. The next year in 2005 he was slowed by an ankle injury, and a few years later got a pinched nerve which doesn't allow him to hit as hard as he did in 2004. If this weren't a peak type draft i'd have a few safety's over Reed, but Reed's peak imo is better than anyone else's besides Lott's.

Here is a mixtape of Ed Reed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAd77BzajGk

[Steroid Boy]

Round 3 Pick 79 Overall

TY LAW






Ty Law is a true shutdown corner back. I have rated as the #3 corner behind Champ Bailey and Deion Sanders. He has the ability to completely lock down an opposition’s top receiver and has worked on his training with Jackie Joyner Kersee’s husband. The training focused the flexibility and power in his hips. That gave Law a smoother, faster, more efficient break on the ball to complement his 4.35 speed in the 40. "Ty could be a world-class sprinter," says Kersee. According to Law himself, “Now I can swat little receivers down like gnats. I can run with the big, fast guys or just pop 'em in the mouth once or twice, and all of a sudden they aren't so big anymore, and they're not running so fast, either."

Quotes on Ty Law

"This man is the new breed and the leader of the next generation of great NFL cornerbacks!"
Deion Sanders

"He reminds me of the old Oakland Raiders kind of corner, like Lester Hayes. He can get right in a guy's face, or he can run stride for stride with any receiver in the league."
[name redacted]

"Ty had what can only be described as an extraordinary year," says Patriots coach Pete Carroll. "It was as dominant a season at cornerback as I have ever seen in this league—and I have seen some great ones."

I will be selecting him during the 1998 season at age 24 where he was 1st Team All-Pro

That year Law finished the season with the most All-Pro votes of any NFL defender and was named the top defensive back by the NFL Players Association.

Accomplishments from 1998
• 1st Team All-Pro
• Pro Bowl MVP
• Pro Football Weekly: 1st team all-conf.
• Associated Press: 1st team all-NFL
• Pro Football Writers: 1st team all-NFL
• Sporting News: 1st team all-NFL
• Top Defensive Back recognized by the NFLPA
• League Leading 9 INTs


Proof of Law's success in 1998 is spread across the mantel and around the fireplace in his den. Another nine-pick season and he might have to add a second fireplace. So he plans to build a bigger house, complete with a trophy case for his purloined footballs.
"I've got an Aikman, a Kelly, a Manning, a Marino and a Young," says Law, "but I don't have a Brett Favre ball yet. The problem is that the guy just won't throw at me. If he does, maybe I can add him to my collection."


Team So Far
QB Brett Favre
OT Jackie Slater
CB Ty Law

[Zimmer4141]

]ROUND 3 PICK 16 - PICK 80 OVERALL

Team Zimmer4141 selects

LEROY BUTLER - SS





With this pick, I get an extremely versatile strong safety who can both step up and stop the run, as well as provide excellent pass coverage. With him and Zach Thomas, I have two aggressive playmakers against the run, and as long as I can get some big hogs up front, I really like how my run defense is shaping up.

I'll be taking Butler at age 28 in the 1996 season. That year he anchored a Green Bay run defense that only allowed 1416 yards rushing during the regular season, and allowed only 16 points per game during the playoffs. They only allowed 13 points to a San Francisco offense with Steve Young, Terrell Owens, and Jerry Rice. I almost took Ty Law because I felt like he was huge value, but with him off the board I like building my defense up the middle, and I have two guys who are great against the run and in pass coverage.

Awards and Accomplishments
- 4 time Pro-bowler
- 4 time First team all-pro
- 1x Super Bowl Champion
- Member of NFL's 1990s All-decade team

Team so far:

LT Jonathan Ogden
MLB Zach Thomas
SS LeRoy Butler

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Round 3, Pick 81: LT Bruce Armstrong (age 30, year 1995)



Bruce Armstrong was a rock at left tackle for the New England Patriots in his 14-year career.
• Armstrong started in all 212 games he played, and is the Patriots’ leader in career starts.
• 6-time Pro-Bowler
• 4-time UPI 1st team all-conference
• 3-time Pro Football Weekly 1st team all-conference
• 2-time AP 2nd team All-Pro
• Voted offensive team captain in 1996 and 1998 and offensive team captain for the playoffs in 1997


Armstrong is an elite pass-blocker and a solid run-blocker. In 1994, Armstrong surrendered only one sack in 699 passing attempts according to Pro Football Weekly. Considering who the Patriots’ QB was in 1994, that is a remarkable achievement. In 1994, 1995, and 1996 Patriots QB led the league in pass attempts. Said QB was sacked only 22 times in 1994, 23 times in 1995 (15 games), and 30 times in 1996. The offensive line allowed only 27 sacks on 713 pass plays in 1995. The 26.4 pass plays per sack allowed ranked third in the league.

Patriots RB’ success in 1995 and 1996 is a testament to Armstrong’s prowess as a run-blocker. Said RB rushed for 1,487 yards and 14 touchdowns on 368 carries, setting franchise records in each category. When rushing to the left in 1995, the Patriots gained 651 yards on 153 carries, a 4.3-yard average. In 1996, over 40 percent of all rushing yardage for the Patriots was gained on runs to the left side of the line. Anchored a line which dominated the trenches vs. Pittsburgh (1/5/97) in the divisional playoff game, as Patriots RB rushed for 166 yards and three touchdowns on just 19 carries (8.7 avg.).

Armstrong (6-4, 295) doesn’t have the size and reach of an Orlando Pace or a Jonathan Ogden, but he is a rock at left tackle and a leader on the offensive line.

Team so far:
QB Drew Brees
RB Marshall Faulk
WR Sterling Sharpe
LT Bruce Armstrong

[NameOnTheCake]

Round 3, pick 82: Safety Steve Atwater (age 25)



Team so far:
John Elway
Gary Zimmerman
Steve Atwater

[SMIGLET]

Round 3, Pick 83

Ted Washington



4 pro bowls, 1 first team all pro

it goes without saying that ted washington is absolute mammoth of a human being. at 6-5 365 lbs he might be the biggest player to ever play in the nfl. i wanted a DT who will require an opposing double team every single snap, and he is capable of playing either the 3-4 or 4-3.

i initially wanted haynsworth but after researching, i think i may have gotten a better fit here looking at the following stats:

1999 Buffalo Bills Defense (with ted) 1370 rush yards allowed, 3.4 y/c, 1st in total yardage allowed, 2nd in points allowed, team went 11-5
2000 Buffalo Bills Defense (with ted) 1559 rush yards allowed, 3.5 y/c, 3rd in total yardage allowed, 19th in points allowed, team went 8-8
2001 Buffalo Bills Defense (WITHOUT ted) 2133 rush yards allowed, 4.4 y/c, 21st in total yardage allowed, 29th in points allowed, team went 3-13

quite a difference eh? lets look at the team he went to:

2000 Chicago Bears Defense (without ted) 1827 rush yards allowed, 3.9 y/c, 16th in total yardage allowed, 20th in points allowed, team went 5-11
2001 Chicago Bears Defense (with ted) 1313 rush yards allowed, 3.5 y/c, 15th in total yard allowed, 1st in points allowed, team went 13-3
2002 Chicago Bears Defense (ted injured, only plays 2 games) 2076 rush yards allowed, 4.1 y/c, 25th in total yardage allowed, 25th in points allowed, team went 4-12

now its always hard to attribute all of a difference to one player, but imo these numbers are pretty ridiculous. for both these teams when he was on the field, he made the defense dominant, especially against the run. when he wasnt there, both teams suffered immensely, both on defense and overall record. washington never racked up a ton of stats (career high sacks 4.5) but nose tackles never do, and its not surprising when opposing offenses are always forced to double team him. this should also help guarantee that jason taylor never gets double teamed

ill take him in 2001 when he single handedly transformed the bears defense, he had 26 tackles 1.5 sacks 4 passes defended, looks pretty bland right? yet this is the only season he won first team all pro

my team so far:
OL - Walter Jones
DL - Jason Taylor, Ted Washington

[Franchise 60]

Round 3 Pick 84

Pat Swilling LB





Swilling was a dominant pass rusher and key part of the great NO Saints defense of the early 90's. I feel that his peak was extremely high, and he is great value at this point. I think that he could have easily gone a full round ago, and has been one of the more overlooked players in this format.

He made 6 all pro teams (including 3 in a row), and 5 straight pro bowl teams. His 1991 season was the best in his career where he recorded 17 sacks and won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. I will be taking him at the age of his DPOY season.

I wanted to get a pass rusher in this spot, and I think that I got the best one left on the board who had an extremely high peak over multiple years.

My team:

RB: Barry Sanders
QB: Troy Aikman
LB: Pat Swilling

[BiiiiigChips]

Round 3 Pick 85 Team Biiiiig Chips selects...

Thurman Thomas RB







My originial plan was to try and build a dominant defensive team but I had to break off course for this round to pick up RB Thurman Thomas. I just couldn't pass up the value here of getting Thurman as the 7th RB towards the end of the third round.

Pro Football HOF Bio

Thurman Thomas slipped to the second round of the 1988 National Football League Draft due to concern about a knee injury he had suffered during his senior year at Oklahoma State. The Buffalo Bills, who had no first round pick that year, selected Thomas, an All-America running back, in the second round with the 40th overall pick.

In 1989, after an impressive rookie season that included a division title for the Bills, the multi-dimensional Thomas rushed for 1,000 yards, caught 60 passes, and scored 12 touchdowns in his second season.

His ability to catch the ball as well as run with it was a key ingredient to the Bills' "No Huddle" offensive attack. The team improved to 13-3 in 1990 as Thomas led the NFL in all-purpose yards. He rushed for 1,297 yards and scored 11 touchdowns while catching 49 passes for 532 yards and two touchdowns. With the versatile back leading the way, the Bills marched through the playoffs to the first of their unprecedented four straight Super Bowl berths.

Thomas rushed for 100 yards in each of the playoff games that post-season including Super Bowl XXV when he gained 135 yards on just 15 carries and scored on a 31-yard run early in the fourth quarter. He also had 5 receptions for 55 yards.

In 1991, Thomas amassed more than 2,000 all-purpose yards, just the 11th player ever to do so. His league-leading yardage output included 1,407 yards on the ground and an additional 631 yards on a career-high 62 receptions. He scored 12 touchdowns. He reached the 2,000-yard total again the following season which marked a record fourth straight season of leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage.

Named to the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1990s, Thomas was selected first- or second-team All-Pro and All-AFC five times, and was voted to the Pro Bowl five straight years. Thomas retired as the NFL's ninth ranked rusher with 12,074 yards and added another 4,458 yards on 472 catches. He scored 65 rushing and 23 receiving touchdowns in his 13-season career.

My Team:

CB Deion Sanders
DE Richard Dent
RB Thurman Thomas

[MacGuyV]

Round 3, Pick 86 - Charles Haley - DE/OLB

Wiki: A versatile defensive player, Haley began his career as a specialty outside linebacker, eventually progressing to pass-rusher and finally full-fledged defensive end. Haley had the reputation of being a volatile and unpredictable yet exceptionally talented and hard working player.
Haley has the distinction of being the only player in NFL history to have been on five Super Bowl-winning teams.

Like everyone else we wanted a stud pass-rusher, and with my boy Thurman off the board we decided to go that route in Round 3. We feel Haley is in the same tier as most of the pass-rushers taken after RD1. His proven ability to play both OLB in the 3-4 and DE in the 3-4 gives us the added bonus of putting him where we need most based on how the rest of the draft plays out. He's no slouch against the run either. A record # of Super Bowl rings isn't a shabby footnote. Considering we went offense in round 1, the defense looks promising at this early stage w/ Williams & Haley.
We'll be taking him at age 26 - his 5th season.

Our Team:
QB - Dan Marino(1)
DE/OLB - Charles Haley(3)
CB - Aeneas Williams(2)

[Mikhail's Fortunes]

Round 3, Pick #90: Dexter Manley, DE



Dexter Manley is overlooked by many around the NFL, because he did cocaine, was illiterate due to an undiagnosed learning disability, and was a star black player when there was still a lot of prejudice against blacks in pro sports. However he was one of the most feared pass rushers of his day, racking up 18.5 sacks in 1986, second to only Lawrence Taylor. He was an elite player for several years, finishing his career with 103.5 total sacks

Here is a good article about Manley and how he's been unfairly been left off the HOF ballot, let along the HOF itself.

With Freeney and Manley as elite pass rushing DEs, I'm going to get a lot of sacks and a lot of knockdowns and hurries. Even the best QBs perform significantly worse when under immense pressure, and it makes the secondary's job a lot easier. I won't have to run a lot of blitzes and leave guys open because my front four will be able to generate sufficient pressure. A lot of teams will have one very good or great tackle, but on the other side they will likely be much weaker, and either Freeney or Manley will have a field day against that unlucky soul.

Team so far:
MLB Ray Lewis
DE Dwight Freeney
DE Dexter Manley