With the 10th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft the New Orleans Saints select.....
DRC was a late 20's kind of prospect until he ran his 40-yard dash.
He's very raw, and not a great tackler. As of now, the Saints need a CB that can contribute ASAP. DRC is not that guy. McKelvin and Jenkins are safer picks that are more likely to contribute early.
Hey, man, I'll agree that playing against a higher level of competition can make a player more NFL-ready, but are you really going to base a selection on immediate impact or long-term impact? In the long run, DRC has a higher ceiling than anybody, so why wouldn't you take him? McKenzie's still got another year or 2 left while the CB develops and Usama Young's coming up. It's entirely possible that Jason David could improve (he couldn't get much worse).
Let's face it: Do you really want to start a rookie corner? Do you really think that we're so close to a Super Bowl that drafting a more NFL-ready CB is worth sacrificing what could be, and, if so, is a rookie CB the missing piece in that puzzle? Is a rookie CB EVER the missing piece? If we are looking for a CB to start right away, then we had better not have much in the way of playoff aspirations.
Look at another Cromartie, Antonio. Guy started ONE GAME at Florida State; he was a huge risk, but the Chargers took him and, in his 2nd year, blew the doors off by picking off 10 passes, despite only starting half the season. Do you think the Chargers are second-guessing themselves, or the 18 teams who picked ahead of them? Think of this, too: Antonio started 1 game at FSU; DRC played 44 games at Tennessee State.
Simply put: DRCs talent is way too high to not take him. If we take the more NFL-ready Jenkins or McKelvin and DRC lights it up, we will be kicking ourselves for years and years and years.
p.s. DRC is physical enough; he can lay the lumber.