Swamigp’s Weblog

Offensive tackle Jake Long is officially a Miami Dolphin as they selected him #1 after signing him to a long term deal to start the 2008 NFL Draft. Chris Long, an defensive end out of Virginia, was selected number 2 by the St. Louis Rams, who desperately needed help on the defensive end of the ball. Matt Ryan, quarterback out of Boston College, Darren McFadden (aka Run-DMC), running back out of Arkansas, and defensive tackle Glen Dorsey, out of LSU, rounded out the top 5, going to Atlanta, Oakland, and Kansas City, respectively.

After losing Michael Vick to jail time and having to rely on, well, Chris Redman, Joey Harrington and Byron Leftwich, the Falcons needed a fundamentally sound QB in the biggest of ways. They got their man. Ryan was a very good leader at Boston college and should translate to the pro’s well, if you agree with draft guru Mel Kiper.

Darren McFadden, one of my favorite players to watch in college, will help out Oakland team immediately with his explosiveness after the loss of leading rusher Lamont Jordan. He, Run-DMC, imposed his will on the brutal SEC, tearing through each defense easily. He is very versatile, with the ability to return kicks as well as the ability to be an option quarterback, if needed.

Glen Dorsey, selected by the Chiefs, was chosen primarily because he was the best player available. They were thought to have needed to address their shortage on the offensive line as well as defensive end before choosing a tackle, but went with Dorsey anyways. He was very good at LSU during his college career, possessing very effective moves and quickness for his 300+ pound size. After Kansas City sent Jared Allen, their leading tackler, to the Vikings in a trade, they probably need to focus on getting players later in this draft to replace him.

Former Oregon power running back Jonathan Stewart who was just a beast against the Pac-10 in his career, to say the least, was selected 13th overall by the Carolina Panthers. Carolina filled their second biggest need with this pick, getting a solid runner who is deceptively quick. They made a trade with Philadelphia to get the 17 pick, selecting offensive tackle Jeff Otah out of Pittsburgh, a position that was their biggest need. Jonathan Stewart will now be paired with fellow youngster DeAngelo Williams in the Panthers backfield.