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The Ocean City Hammerheads' draft went "extremely well" according to GM/Head Coach Joshua Biddle, "this team now has a very strong foundation and we believe this will be the start of something good here in Ocean City".
The Hammerheads went to defense in the early rounds, with five of the first 6 picks being defensive selections. OLB's Julian Peterson and Takeo Spikes went in the first two rounds to help give the Hammerheads two of the best outside linebackers in the PFL. Third round selection CB Lito Sheppard puts a superb pair or hands and great coverage ability in the secondary to boost the defense's big-play potential. 4th round selection Jordan Gross provides the Hammerheads with a superb young talent to anchor the right side of the Hammerheads' offensive line. 5th round pick Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and 6th round pick CB Shawn Springs help the defense in different ways. Gbaja-Biamila, a talented pass-rusher, is expected to play right end and Springs is expected to give the Hammerheads a strong one-two punch in the secondary as he teams up with Sheppard. Springs is one of the oldest starters on the team and his leadership in the secondary will be crucial. Both the 8th and 9th round selections were used on offensive linemen - OG Eric Steinbach and OT Levi Jones. Biddle, who used to believe in skill positions over non-glamour positions has developed a strong belief in the power of building from the trenches. That's why these two young men were selected early and will likely be mainstays on the Hammerheads' offensive line for years. The 10th round selection, HB Rudi Johnson, will likely be the team's main offensive threat. Although not the fastest back, Johnson has enough power and guile to be effective in the PFL. Biddle held out on choosing a runningback through the first nine rounds regardless of the fact that they were going off the board quick, but is happy with the end result. 11th and 12th round picks WR Michael Clayton and WR Drew Bennett were selected to give the team's QB some big, talented targets. |
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13th round pick QB Philip Rivers gave the Hammerheads a young QB to put at the helm. "Rivers is a young talent we just couldn't pass up" Biddle said. Another offensive pick in round 14 - WR Dante Hall - gave the team a speed threat in the receiving corps as well as a special teams fiend. Hall is expected to be the team's kick and punt returner as well as a gunner on kickoffs. The focus went back to defense with picks 15-19. In round 15, the Hammerheads selected DE Will Smith - who will learn LE and provide a unique balance of pass-rushing and run-stuffing. In round 16, the Hammerheads selected CB Daylon McCutcheon, who was originally penciled in as the nickleback but became expendable after late round secondary selections. McCutcheon is going to learn safety, but the possibility of being traded still remains. Rounds 17 and 18 provided the glue that should hold together the interior defensive line - DT's Ryan Sims and Ian Scott. Both are young and have superb burst off of the line and have the potential to make the Hammerheads' defensive line one of the PFL's best. In round 19, the Hammerheads filled their last vacant linebacker position by drafting rookie MLB Lofa Tatupu. Tatupu is expected to provide all of the physical tools necessary to patrol the middle and the fact that he's along side two of the PFL's best outside linebackers should make help make his transition from the college game to the pro game fairly smooth. In round 20, the Hammerheads decided to grab a TE after many of the available TE's were taken - they selected TE Chris Cooley. Cooley is a young potent TE who hopes to become a weapon for the Hammerheads. The 21st and 22nd round selections were both for defense - CB Ahmad Carroll and FS Erik Coleman. Carroll, who is relatively short for a PFL CB, is expected to get first stab at nickleback duties. He has outstanding speed and great intution for coverage that the coaching staff is hoping outweighs his small stature. Coleman is a young safety who looks to have a very bright future ahead of him. He awed the Hammerheads' coaching staff after a few excellent workouts and is likely guarenteed a starting spot. In round 23, the Hammerheads grabbed a young, potent center in C Chris Spencer to fill the fourth spot out of five on the offensive line. In round 24, the Hammerheads grabbed a young SS in Sean Jones, who appears to have talent in both run defense and coverage. He'll have every opportunity to win the starting position. Rounds 25-29 were focused on offensive picks, which includes TE Eric Beverly in round 25. The 31-year old was stunned to have his name called as he half expected to go undrafted. His superb blocking is what intrigued the Hammerheads' coaching staff and they fully intend to convert him into a FB who will hopefully start on opening day. Round 26 selection OG David Baas also will have an impact on blocking as he is expected to start at RG. This raw talent is the final selection needed on an offensive line that will be crucial for the team's success. Round 27 and round 28 focused on depth at two crucial offensive positions - runningback and quarterback. HB LaMont Jordan (round 27) is expected to get at least 30% of the carries and will help make the Hammerheads' backfield one to be feared. QB Patrick Ramsey (round 28) was originally selected for depth at quarterback, but now is viewed as a potential starter. The Ramsey/Rivers situation should be an interesting fight as the coaching staff has announced their intentions to let the two battle it out for the starting spot in training camp/preseason. Either way, the objective of adding depth to the quarterback position is achieved as the roster will be comprised of two starting caliber quarterbacks. It is even possible that one or both could draw interest from other teams in the trade market. Biddle said, "he is keeping all avenues open". Round 29 involved drafting the "best player available", and in Biddle's eyes, it was C Alex Stepanovich, another young, talented center to help bolster the depth of the offensive line. He could possibly battle with Spencer for the starting spot, but it appears that Spencer is all but penciled in officially as the starter. CB Eric Green, selected in round 30, is a dimeback/nickleback who provides a changeup from previous pick Ahmad Carroll. Green is a big-bodied cornerback who has speed and potential and is expected to contribute right away. The staff is so excited by him that he knocked CB Daylon McCutcheon off of the Hammerheads' depth chart at CB, forcing him to learn safety. Rounds 31 and 32 were both picks to bolster depth on the offensive line much like the Stepanovich pick. OT Alex Barron (round 31) provides depth to both tackle positions and OG Marcus Johnson provides depth to both guard positions. Both are young talents who are starting caliber, making their situations exactly like Stepanovich. If an injury occurs to any of the offensive linemen, the coaching staff will enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing any of these guys can step right in without missing a beat. In round 33, the Hammerheads selected SS Thomas Davis, a hard-hitting run stuffer. Davis is viewed as a liability in coverage; however, his age and potential leads the team to believe they got a steal in round 33. He is likely going to play behind Jones. In rounds 35 and 36, the Hammerheads put the finishing touches on their receiving corps and tight ends by adding WR Brian Finneran (round 35) and TE Brian Jones (round 36). It remains to be seen if Finneran will see the field much due to the surplus of talented wideouts the team possesses; however, Jones will be the #2 tight end at worst, and has a decent shot of winning the starting position over Cooley. In round 36, the Hammerheads added depth at MLB with the selection of speedy MLB Boomer Grigsby. The fast, agile linebacker is a changeup from Tatupu and if he progresses as the coaching staff hopes, he could become a force in the league. He is great in coverage and if he can bulk up and become an asset in run coverage, he could be a steal as well. DT Jonathan Babineaux was drafted in round 37 and he adds depth at DT as he will likely enter a rotation that consists of fellow draftees Sims and Scott. Babineaux is a good pass-rusher for his age, and if he can add a bit more bulk, the rotation could be very strong. In round 38, the Hammerheads looked to HB Marion Barber for even more depth at HB. This young physical specimen is strong and capable of playing on special teams as well. Next, the Hammerheads focused on special teams, spending their 39th and 40th selections on K Paul Ernster and P Andy Groom. The team was a bit skeptical on putting their special teams in the hands of two inexperienced players, but Biddle stands by his decision. "There were players available earlier in the draft who we felt were of better value than a kicker or punter. We took those players and I'm glad we did. I think Paul [Ernster] and Andy [Groom] will do just fine and we were able to add talents like them at this point in the draft" Biddle said. With the 41st round pick, the Hammerheads selected HB Tyson Thompson - a runningback who is quick as lightning. With a team full of bruising backs, Biddle was thrilled to get a speedster that he can use in the backfield. And with the 42nd and final pick in the live draft, the Hammerheads selected OLB Roy Manning, who is fast like Grigsby and will provide depth and potential at the outside linebacker position. |
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