With the 10th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft the New Orleans Saints select..... (1 Viewer)

[john markins]

answer me this please what does 40 straight line speed mean? cromartie runs a good straight line speed so that makes him a good player? the answer is no i take the guy that produces on the field.

So Cromartie has not produced? This guy might be the future of the position, he has an unlimited ceiling. Is he raw? Yeah, but what corner is ready as a rookie to be a shut down guy? I would be thrilled to have him.

 

[SodiumBenzoate]

So, seeing as how you can make a bold statement like that, I can only assume that you've seen many, many Tennessee State games, so maybe you could explain why DRC is not a top-10 prospect.

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.

 

[john markins]

Why? 6'2 CBs who run 4.33 40s, display excellent body control and footwork and exceptional ball skills who has completely overshadowed all the competition at the Senior Bowl and Combine don't do it for you? Say all you want about the fact that he went to Tennessee State, didn't play against a top level of competition, blah blah blah... BUT, look at it from the start: He didn't start playing football until his senior year of high school and even then, his team finished 5-5. It's completely natural for scouts to miss that. So he goes to this small school and doesn't put up huge numbers; what's wrong with that? It only goes to show that teams were smart enough to not throw at him. Nnamdi Asomugha didn't put up big numbers, either.

So, in light of that, seeing as how you can make a statement like that, I can only assume that you've seen many, many Tennessee State games, so maybe you could explain why DRC is not a top-10 prospect.

Or do you base all of your opinions on reading mock drafts?

You said it better than me

 

[longtime lurker]

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.

He tackled extremely well in the Senior Bowl...

 

[SodiumBenzoate]

He tackled extremely well in the Senior Bowl...

He did. But, from what I've read, that was not the case during his career at Tennessee State, and he only had a couple tackles during the Senior Bowl.

 

[JethrO]

I would have said DRC until I heard the interview with Leodis McKelvin on Sirius yesterday. That dude has the mentality a shutdown cornerback needs.

 

[john markins]

He did. But, from what I've read, that was not the case during his career at Tennessee State, and he only had a couple tackles during the Senior Bowl.

A corners ability to tackle would be about fourth on my list of requirements for the position.

 

[St.RobE]

I hope it's traded up for Dorsey or Ellis

lus-un2:

 

[SodiumBenzoate]

A corners ability to tackle would be about fourth on my list of requirements for the position.

It's more important than height or a 40-yard dash time.

 

[SW Saints Fan]

1. Briggs and Gay are signed as FAs on Monday/Tuesday of next week.
2. We trade down about 6-10 spots and still get Balmer, DT from NC....get an extra 2d or 3d rd pick for next yr.
3. 2d round we take Flowers, CB Va Tech
4. 3d rd we take best Carlson, TE ND
5. rest of draft we pick a QB, S, C and WR/KR specialist.
See you at camp!

 

[john markins]

It's more important than height or a 40-yard dash time.

Ask Deion if he believes that.

 

[canuckredux]

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.

 

[9thwardsaint]

if not a defensive tackle then i would take vernon gholston. this guy is the second coming of pat swilling.

 

[SodiumBenzoate]

Ask Deion if he believes that.

Deion was a sucky tackler, but he wasn't a great CB just because he was fast and tall.

canuckredux: Good point - DRC does have easily the highest ceiling of any of the CBs. However, I think too much is being made of his workouts and who his second-cousin is. It's not just McKelvin being able to contribute earlier, I also think he's less likely to be a bust.

That said, I don't think DRC would be a terrible choice at #10, I just don't think he'd be the best value (though that certainly changes based on who is taken before the Saints pick).

 

[canuckredux]

He did. But, from what I've read, that was not the case during his career at Tennessee State, and he only had a couple tackles during the Senior Bowl.

Stop reading and start watching.

For the record, DRC had 158 tackles in college in 44 games; Jenkins had 133 in 53 games. Not huge numbers, by any means, but I'd say that's okay: If they're not making tackles, then the teams aren't throwing at him. You'd like more help in run support, sure, but CBs make their money by cutting the field in half and creating turnovers. Antonio Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha aren't big tacklers, either.