April, 25 2002
by Rob Baker
Clubhouse Writer and Draft Analyst
 

DAY 1

STEALS

Team          Round Pick Overall
1. Jacksonville  2   8    40    Mike Pearson  Florida  OT
Was supposed to be challenging for top OT honours and a top 10 pick. Won’t be as good as Tony Boselli, but will be a nice replacement.

2. Dallas          2  31   63    Antonio Bryant  Pittsburgh WR
Rumoured to go to the Saints at pick 25. Fell 38 spots to land in Dallas’s hands, giving Quincy Carter a dangerous weapon.

3. Oakland       1   17  17     Phillip Buchanon  Miami (Fl)  CB
A definite top 10 pick, and Oakland did a great job of trading up twice to pick him up. The start of our bay rivals great draft.

4. Tennessee   1   15  15     Albert Haynesworth Tennessee DT
Many ranked Haynesworth as the draft’s best DT. Three DTs (Ryan Simms, John Henderson and Wendell Bryant) were taken ahead of him. Definitely too good for a 15th overall pick.

5. Derek Ross   3   10  75     Derek Ross  Ohio St.  CB
Should have been a high second rounder, if not a low first rounder. Dallas is now right on track to be a very good team.
 

REACHES

Team          Round Pick Overall
1. Seattle        2   28  60     Anton Palepoi  UNLV  DE
A sixth rounder in the second round? Our new division rivals had a great draft last year, this year’s crop of rookies was no where near as good.

2. Cincinnati     1   10  10     Levi Jones  Arizona St. OT
Could have traded down around 15. But hey, it’s Cincinnati!

3. Chicago       1    29  29    Marc Colombo  Boston College OT
Again, could have traded down to pick him up, or waited until their second round pick.

4. Carolina       3     8   73    Will Weatherspoon Georgia  LB
Could have been waiting for the Panthers in Round 6.

5. Buffalo        3     32  97    Coy Wire  Stanford  S
Another guy that would have been waiting in Round 6. 
 

DAY 2

STEALS

Team          Round Pick Overall
1. Detroit        7      48  259     Victor Rogers  Colorado  OT
A second rounder fell down to the third last pick of the draft.

2. New Orleans 4      27  125     Keyou Craver  Nebraska CB
The fifth best CB in the draft, a second round pick, fell to New Orleans in the fourth.

3. Chicago       4       6   104     Alex Brown  Florida  DE
If Brown went out early last year, he would have gone top 10. This time around, he didn’t even go top 100.

4. Atlanta        5      23  158      Kurt Kittner  Atlanta  QB
Fourth best QB and am early third round choice. Atlanta have a great backup for Michael Vick.

5. Houston       5      18   153     Ramon Walker  Pittsburgh S
The Texans will be happy with a potential third rounder taken in the fifth.
 

WHY????

1. Why would Cincy take Levi Jones so high?
Many people would have a simple answer for this, it’s Cincinnati, what do you expect? Sure Levi Jones is a good player, but not top ten material. Could have pick up a few extra draft picks and still have had him at pick 15.

2. Why did Atlanta take another HB?
TJ Duckett was a nice pickup at 18, but with Jamal Anderson and Warrick Dunn behind Michael Vick, surely Duckett will just add controversy. Or it’s a signal that Anderson wont be back next season.

3. Why did Seattle have such a turnaround, an amazing draft in 2001, a poor draft in 2002.
Well, it all started when the waited for Daniel Graham to fall into their laps, they were even cocky enough to trade down. It was working well, until New England jumped up and snatched him. So they reached for Jerramy Stevens. Then came Anton Palepoi, and to finish day one they took Kris Richard, with many other promising CB’s still around. And it didn’t improve from there!

4. Minnesota, WHY????
What happened in round 1 with Ryan Simms wouldn’t have given the big 6’8” OT too much to smile about. No doubt he’ll help Daunte Culpepper stay safe, but unless the Viking start making him feel like a big time star, this hard working stud will be looking for a way out of Minnesota.

5. Why don’t the NFL kick out Cincinnati and introduce the NFL’s newest franchise, the Miami Hurricanes?
Cincy have had top 5 picks for as long as anyone can remember, and they still average 4 wins a year. Give Miami a go, 5 first rounders, 11 overall, these guys help create NFL teams.
 

- NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year:  Antonio Bryant  WR Dallas
Quincy Carter has a big time weapon, and that’s where most of his passes will end up.
- NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year:  Roy Williams  S Dallas
A Dallas double, but Williams will help turn Dallas into a power house.
- AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year:  William Green  HB Cleveland 
A HB was all the Brown’s need. Expect him to start strait away and gain a lot of yards.
- AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year:  Quentin Jammer  CB San Diego
Will be shutting down WR for years to come.

SAN FRANCISCO’S DRAFT

BEST PICK
Player   Round Pick  Overall
Kevin Curtis  4 29 127
Reminds me of a quiet Lance Shulters
   
WORST PICK
Player   Round Pick Overall
Mark Anelli  6 29 201
Could have found a better undrafted free agent

Suprises:
1. A K
2. A QB
 

COMMENTS: Last season was a draft with if’s; IF Andre Carter plays bigger than his size, IF Kevin Barlow trains hard etc. This year it more wills. Mike Rumph WILL be a good nickelback, Saleem Rasheed WILL be a nice backup, Jeff Chandler WILL win the kicking job, Brandon Doman WILL make the team (thank you Mr. Young) and Josh Shaw WILL recover from his injury and prove we’ll be a tough back-up. A draft that narrows the gap between starters and backups. 
 

A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE, SEASON 2008:

- Mike Rumph: Starting alongside Ahmed Plummer.
- Saleem Rasheed: Unfortunately, I see him starting with another team.
- Jeff Chandler: Donahue changes the 49ers revolving door system for K, and he’s still kicking for the niners.
- Kevin Curtis: Starting alongside Tony Parrish.
- Brandon Domon: Replacing Tim Rattay as the 49ers backup QB.
- Josh Shaw: Replacing the old Braynt Young as a starter.
- Mark Anelli: Not in the NFL.
- Eric Heirmann: Not with the 49ers, a backup elsewhere.
- Kyle Kosier: Not in the NFL.
 

Rookie of the Year: Mike Rumph  CB

COMMENTS: 

Mock Draft Results (Not including Draft Day Trades)
Round 1:                      Compared to Last Draft
Matched Round & Prospect: 24/32  75.0%  -5.6%
Matched Team & Position:  8/22  36.4%  -9.4%
Matched Team & Prospect: 6522  22.7%  -2.3%

Round 2:
Matched Round & Prospect: 12/33  36.4%   -8.8%
Matched Team & Position:  3/28  10.7%  -15.6%
Matched Team & Prospect: 1/28    3.6%  -1.7%

Round 3:
Matched Round & Prospect: 8/33  24.3%  -3.0%
Matched Team & Position:  1/23    4.4%  -3.6%
Matched Team & Prospect: 0/23    0.0%    0.0% 

Overall:
Matched Round & Prospect:  44/98  44.9%  -7.2%
Matched Team & Position:  12/73  16.4%   -10.1%
Matched Team & Prospect: 6/73    8.2%   -2.1%