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Day 1 wrap: Luck of the draw
Seth Polansky
azcardinals.com
azcardinals.com
It’s hard to ignore the fact that when you look at Arizona’s three first-day picks from the 2007 NFL Draft, you would think the selections were based on need and not based on the best player available. An explosive offensive tackle, a mammoth defensive tackle and a playmaking inside linebacker were chosen.
Sometimes things just fall into place.
2007 Draft Day 1 wrapup
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Rod Graves and Ken Whisenhunt spoke to the media after the team's third-round pick and wrapped up Day 1 of the 2007 NFL Draft.
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Check out all the fun Cardinals fans had at the Draft Day Party at University of Phoenix Stadium.
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“To be able to come away with three quality players that … have the potential to make an impact on our football team, we feel excited about that,” said Vice President of Football Operations Rod Graves.
Penn State’s Levi Brown, Michigan’s Alan Branch and Florida State’s Buster Davis were three of the team’s top-rated players on the draft board. And how highly were they rated? Davis was the 31st-ranked guy on the board of 120. That’s three selections in the top quarter of prospects. Without a doubt the Cardinals feel they hit their targets.
Graves, his staff and head coach Ken Whisenhunt saw something in each of these players to make the team take a chance on them. There are always the naysayers who chimed in: Brown was too much of a reach at No. 5. There are concerns about Branch that deal with lethargy and the condition of his legs. And why trade up just a handful of spots to get him? Davis is too small to play at this level.
For every negative, there is a positive. According to the Cardinals’ draft board, Brown was rated just as high as Joe Thomas from Wisconsin, and is even considered a better run blocker. That is key for Whisenhunt’s offense. When you watch video on Branch it is impossible to see where he has been accused of taking plays off. And Davis was extremely active in the middle of the field, gathering 265 tackles and 27.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage against top-notch ACC competition.
Levi Brown
Regarded as the second best tackle in the draft, many prognosticators placed Brown in the latter part of the top 10. Many thought the Cardinals could have traded down a few spots and still taken the 6-foot-5, 323-pounder. But no other teams called in to inquire about gaining that pick. So a decision had to be made. And getting back to a point that Graves made in the pre-draft press conference on Tuesday and again right after the selection, no one is a reach when if they have a high grade. And Brown was graded “very, very highly.”
Regarded as the second best tackle in the draft, many prognosticators placed Brown in the latter part of the top 10. Many thought the Cardinals could have traded down a few spots and still taken the 6-foot-5, 323-pounder. But no other teams called in to inquire about gaining that pick. So a decision had to be made. And getting back to a point that Graves made in the pre-draft press conference on Tuesday and again right after the selection, no one is a reach when if they have a high grade. And Brown was graded “very, very highly.”
Brown has the mean streak and high motor needed to be successful in the trenches when trying to get his running back down the field. Yet he is disciplined enough not to make stupid mistakes. Only two penalties were committed during the 2005 season. That speaks to having proper technique and patience. The veteran defensive ends he is sure to encounter will try their best to rattle the youngster. It might not work with Brown.
“You put months of work into aligning players on your board, and when it comes time to pick, you put trust in that,” Whisenhunt said. “Levi was at the top of our board and when it came time to pick it was an easy decision. We thought he was the best player there and he’s somebody we’re happy to have.”
Alan Branch
Trading up to get Branch with the first pick in the second round can be considered a steal. Once regarded as the top defensive tackle in the draft just a few weeks ago, Branch could have easily gone in the top 10. But news about not playing at 100 percent all game long and the reports of shin splints put a damper on his status. But none of that fazed the Cardinals. The organization was enamored with his size, talent and work ethic from the start.
Trading up to get Branch with the first pick in the second round can be considered a steal. Once regarded as the top defensive tackle in the draft just a few weeks ago, Branch could have easily gone in the top 10. But news about not playing at 100 percent all game long and the reports of shin splints put a damper on his status. But none of that fazed the Cardinals. The organization was enamored with his size, talent and work ethic from the start.
Here’s another reason to love Branch. Even at 6-6 and 331 pounds, he ran the 40 in just over five seconds flat and could be used anywhere along the defensive line. Yes, that means at end also. Branch has the experience. He was placed there for several games while at Michigan. And Whisenhunt likes the idea of having someone able to do that.
“I think he has the versatility to play both (tackle and end),” the coach said. “Certainly, where we feel he’s going to make the biggest impact is inside because he’s such a big body. But I would definitely not preclude him from lining up in some shape or some form at defensive end. And that’s part of the experiment process and how other guys develop along that line. He’s a big inside presence, and that’s where we see him.”
On the issue of depth, it would seem puzzling that the club would take another DT when it is using the 3-4 defense and already has a few players on the roster that could line up at tackle. But just remember that this is not a complete shift to the 3-4; Whisenhunt is going to use elements of it. That means with normal 4-3 base alignments the Cards are going to need two tackles in there. Even if it’s one or two spots up for grabs, there’s still going to be plenty of healthy competition at the position.
Buster Davis
Maybe a reason Davis is so successful is because the offensive players can’t find him in a crowd. Whatever the case may be, Arizona ended up getting a first-round talent with a second-round grade in the third round. And it’s mainly because of his height. A 5-9 linebacker isn’t going to get a lot of looks. Maybe that’s because a 5-9 linebacker isn’t easily seen.
Maybe a reason Davis is so successful is because the offensive players can’t find him in a crowd. Whatever the case may be, Arizona ended up getting a first-round talent with a second-round grade in the third round. And it’s mainly because of his height. A 5-9 linebacker isn’t going to get a lot of looks. Maybe that’s because a 5-9 linebacker isn’t easily seen.
However, on Saturday, it took just one team to find Davis and consider it a done deal.
Height has nothing to do with playing football when it comes to making it work on the field. Muggsy Bogues was 5-foot-3 and played 14 seasons in the NBA. There’s nothing wrong with a linebacker under 5-10. There are already a couple in the National Football League with this kind of stature.
“I think Zach Thomas is pretty comparable in size as well as London Fletcher, and both those guys have been very productive football players in the league,” Whisenhunt noted. “One thing that resonates with me there is ‘football player.’ That’s what we feel like Buster is. He gives us the versatility at inside, which is something that is very good. He’s a very smart football player, which is another thing that gives him a lot of value. I think when you look at a player and what we are trying to get established here that is what shows up on the tape and that is what we’re excited about.”
With most of the team’s top 120 still on the board, it is safe to say the Cardinals will have just as much luck in the second day of the draft to find those quality players. But as of right now, only two more are slated to be taken. Arizona is not in the greatest of situations when it comes to the number of draft picks left and the trade potential that goes with them, but Graves pointed out those selections are high in the fifth and seventh rounds, and that may be attractive to some teams. Time will tell on that one.
All in all, this was considered a very successful first day. It’s tough to give grades on the new players when they haven’t even stepped out onto the field yet. But if one or more of them ends up starting on Monday Night Football against San Francisco in Week 1, this class would definitely deserve an “A.”
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