KAC SPORTS 2005 NFL DRAFT DAY COVERAGE

KACSPORTS 2005 NFL DRAFT DAY COVERAGE

SAN FRANCISCO - ALEX SMITH QB UTAH -No surprise here, now that speculation is whether there will be a Chargers/Giants like trade after Tampa Bay's pick. If he's really going to Tampa an hour from now, at least he's putting on a good poker face (unlike Eli Manning). According to one report, he really has an eye for playingt for Jon Gruden.

MIAMI - RONNIE BROWN RB AUBURN - No trade, as Ronnie Brown goes to the Dolphins - guess Ricky Williams can be let loose now.

CLEVELAND - BRAYLON EDWARDS WR MICHIGAN - So much for my trade scenarios.

CHICAGO - CEDRIC BENSON RB TEXAS - The skill position run continues, and surprisingly Benson goes before Cadillac. Now the Bucs have to decide between Cadillac and Mike Williams - unless the Vikes want Troy Williamson you think they have to trade up now.

TAMPA BAY - CADILLAC WILLIAMS RB AUBURN - Now the Titans have to look at Mike Williams.

TENNESSEE - ADAM JONES CB WEST VIRGINIA - So much for Mike Williams v. Antrel Rolle, as the first defensive player goes off the board. 4.41 with a 38 inch vertical on pro day. A head scratcher if you ask me, Mike Williams and Aaron Rodgers should be next.

MINNESOTA - TROY WILLIAMSON WR SOUTH CAROLINA - The talk about Williamson ending up with the Vikes end up being true, who thought it'd be with Mike Williams still on the board.

ARIZONA - ANTREL ROLLE CB MIAMI - Rodgers is looking like the guy that got all dressed up only for his date not to show up.

WASHINGTON - CARLOS ROGERS CB AUBURN - Fills a need area, but you have to wonder where Mike Williams finally goes.

DETROIT - MIKE WILLIAMS WR USC - So much with the Lions focusing on defense this year, but Williams is probably too good to pass up at this point. Whoever's the starting QB is going to be a pretty good fantasy play now.

DALLAS - DEMARCUS WARE LB/OLB TROY - Well, actually got this one right. Parcells says Ware reminds him of someone else he coached, when pressed Parcells hinted Lawrence Taylor.

SAN DIEGO - SHAWNE MERRIMAN LB/OLB MARYLAND - Surprised he didn't go at #9 or #11, but the Manning trade looks really good now.

NEW ORLEANS - JAMMAL BROWN OT OKLAHOMA - Saints trade up and in a mild surprise Brown goes off the board before Alex Barron.

CAROLINA - THOMAS DAVIS S GEORGIA - Davis stock has also steadily improved, and goes about ten spots higher than projected on most boards.

KANSAS CITY - DERRICK JOHNSON OLB TEXAS - - I almost called him Derrick Thomas, Chief fans have to be estatic to see Johnson drop to #15.

HOUSTON - TRAVIS JOHNSON DT FLORIDA ST - - Texans get an extra pick out of it, but the other Johnson may had been a better pick at linebacker replacing the departed Jamie Sharper.

CINCINNATI - DAVID POLLACK DE GEORGIA - - Bengals desperately need a pass rush, Pollack is a great pick despite size concerns.

MINNESOTA - ERASMUS JAMES DE WISCONSIN - Maligned pick due to injury and attitude concerns (still don't like the term 'Bo Jackson-type hip injury') , but James has the talent to make this pick come out.

ST LOUIS - ALEX BARRON OT FLORIDA ST - Stock has dropped recently, but Barron will allow the Rams to deep six Kyle Turley the minute June 1 hits.

DALLAS - MARCUS SPEARS DE LSU - Spears was actually expected to go a few spots earlier. Spears and Ware will upgrade the Cowboys defense tremendously

JACKSONVILLE - MATT JONES WR/TE ARKANSAS - Interesting observation made on Sirius Radio's pre-draft show, where someone said that if Matt Jones were black, he'd be a top-five overall pick. Myself, I disagree that race or stereotypes are an issue, Matt Jones workout #'s are off the chart - but trying to convert a quarterback with little experience at other positions is always a risk. As high as Jones was already going in some mocks, he ends up going even higher.

BALTIMORE - MARK CLAYTON WR OKLAHOMA - Ravens offensive makeover should now be complete, Todd Heap, Derrick Mason, and Clayton should give the Ravens their bast offensive weapons in at least the last ten years.

OAKLAND - FABIAN WASHINGTON CB NEBRASKA - A typical Raider pick, a cornerback with plenty of speed.

GREEN BAY - AARON RODGERS QB CALIFORNIA - I could of told Rodgers not to show up in the Green Room. Still this is a good situation for Rodgers, who can sit back for the next 1-2 years until he's ready to take over for Brett Favre. Most Packer fans are happy with the pick, but I offer this piece of history - the last time a team selected a QB in the first round was when Rich Campbell went #5 overall in 1981, and wound up being one of the biggest busts in team history. Where did Campbell go to school??? Cal-Berkely.

WASHINGTON - JASON CAMPBELL QB AUBURN - Of course selecting someone named Campbell would have also been looked at as a jinx by Packer fans. Still, I think Jason will go down as the better QB long-term, and most have just started to figure it out in recent days. How these two pan out in coming years will be debated greatly.

SEATTLE - CHRIS SPENCER C MISSISSIPPI - Spencer has been on the rise in recent days, but this a shock as even the best centers rarely get drafted in the first round. Speculation is that Spencer will start out at guard and eventually move to center.

ATLANTA - RODDY WHITE WR UAB - Nicknamed after wrester Roddy Pipers, it seems fitting that White lands in the shadows of Georgia Championship Wrestling. This is about the time, and with a team in need - that Roddy was expected to go.

SAN DIEGO - LUIS CASTILLO DT NORTHWESTERN - As is the case with Dallas, the Chargers defense got much stronger in Round 1 along, and the two teams open the season against each other. An FYI, Castillo was stand-up about his steroid violation, owning up to the fact in a letter sent to all 32 teams, where he offered to give up his signing bonus if he were to test positive again.

INDIANAPOLIS - MARLIN JACKSON CB MICHIGAN - Secondary was a big need for the Colts, and they good a get a good one in Jackson.

PITTSBURGH - HEATH MILLER TE VIRGINIA - Here's another one most mocks actually got right - Miller could had been top-ten, but was unable to workout due to surgery for a sports hernia.

PHILADELPHIA - MIKE PATTERSON DT USC - Interesting that he goes before teammate Shaun Cody.

NEW ENGLAND - LOGAN MANKINS G FRESNO ST - Another one projected to go at least a round later, but considering recent drafts the Patriots get the benefit of the doubt.

SECOND/THIRD ROUND NOTES

In yet another puzzling pick, the Raiders took yet another raw cornerback at #38 overall with trackman Stanford Routt, who has only played one year of college ball.

Eastern Washington offensive tackle Michael Roos, another player without a lot of experience (has only been playing since senior year of high school) went at #41 to Tennessee, at least one round higher than any projections.

Dallas added to their defensive bounty with Tennessee linebacker Kevin Burnett at #42.

Perhaps trying to follow Dallas' blueprint from last year, Arizona selects running back J.J. Arrington at #44. Depending on whether the team trades for Travis Henry, Arrington could have as much a fantasy impact as any of the big three that went top five overall.

In a surprise, undersized USC linebacker Lofi Tatupu went before the likes of Odell Thurman and some other inside backers.

To the dismay and shock of their leather-lunged fans in the building, the Jets selected kicker Mike Nugent with the 47th pick, only the fourth time since 1990 a kicker went second round or higher. However considering the Doug Brien experience plus the fact that the Vikings also had a need two picks later played a role in that decision.

Not even listed on many draft sheets, Bethune Cookman's Nick Collins went at #51 to Green Bay. Besides playing cornerback, Collins also fills a need as a kick returner with sub 4.4 speed and a 40½ vertical. Those who follow the Bethune Cookman program says that Collins compares favorably with follow alum Rashean Mathis (Jaguars). Collins also raised eyebrows by holding star Hampton receiver Jerome Mathis to one catch for nine yards in a game this year.

Oklahoma's Dan Cody made a good decision cancelling his draft day party. As expected he fell drastically, but some thought he would slide even more. Cody goes at #53 to the Ravens, and the thought of Cody and Ray Lewis getting psyched during pre-game warmups is absolutely scary.

Why you don't get in trouble the weekend before the draft. Justin Miller lasts all the way until #57 with the Jets. A good value pick for the team there, and the fact that they were able to get Nugent then have Miller still on the board was fortunate.

At first glance the Packers didn't need another receiver, but I think getting Terrence Murphy at #58 wasn't a bad move. Javon Walker is threatening holdout with new agent Drew Rosenhaus while the jury is still out on whether Robert Ferguson (like Murphy, a Texas A&M product) will recover fully from the vicious clothsline delivered by Donovin Darius late last year. Murphy is one of the true sleepers in the receiving class.

Charlie Frye, who some thought the Packers would reach on with #24, ends up going to Cleveland at #67, a great move with someone who should be ready to take over a couple years down the road.

Arizona State's Andrew Walter, who some had up with Aaron Rodgers a year ago at this time, falls at #68 to the Raiders. Another nice pick who could take over by 2007.

And just when you thought the Broncos had an undisputed featured back in Tatum Bell, along comes Maurice Clarett, who surprisingly sneaks in as the 101st and final player selected in Day One. Despite unloading Reuben Droughns, Denver still has Bell, Quentin Griffin, Mike Anderson, Ron Dayne, and now Clarett. Nice situation for Maurice though, who can slowly work his way into some playing time over the next couple of years.

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