David Carr has already signed a seven-year, multi-million-dollar deal with the expansion Houston Texans, Julius Peppers is all but locked up to stay in North Carolina with the Panthers, Bryant Mckinnie has openly stated he does not want to play in Buffalo and would ideally like to be in San Diego, and Roy Williams flat out wants to be in Dallas.
What does this all mean?
Well, not much, because as we all know, the NFL draft is a meticulous science. Never had people been paid so much (Mel Kiper) to be so wrong.
If North Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers (he is not Lawrence Taylor just because he wore Carolina Blue) is not snatched up by John Fox and the Panthers, it will be a major surprise.
The key to the entire draft is that Oregon basketball fan who donned a blonde wig during the Midwest Regionals at the Kohl Center who happens to double as one of the top-rated quarterbacks in the draft, Joey Harrington. The Duck, who decided to come to Madison to watch the Ducks hoops team, chose not to go to the draft (which happens to be located at Madison Square Garden in New York, across the street from the infamous “Joey Heisman” picture) although he could go as high as three to the Lions or as low as 10 to Cincinnati.
Chris Wienke is set as the QB in Carolina, for some reason Matt Millen is in love with incumbent QB Mike Mchmahon in Detroit, and the Buffalo front office will be sitting in the war room with egg on their face — or maybe it’s just Rob Johnson (now in Tampa).
Buffalo seems like a logical fit for Harrington, if the Bills do not acquire Drew Bledsoe by Saturday and thus are stuck with lifetime bench-warmer Alex Van Pelt. Albert Haynsworth, the massive defensive tackle from Tennessee (320 pounds), has also been bandied about as a possible pick for the Bills.
Back to Detroit — expect the Lions to go the route of Quinten Jammer, the corner out of Texas. Buffalo will either take Harrington, Haynsworth or Texas offensive tackle Mike Williams.
At five, San Diego is concerned with the work ethic of Bryant McKinnie, but if Mike Williams is not there, the Chargers are fully aware that the Miami tackle has never given up a sack in his entire career, which should bode well for new QB Drew Brees.
Expect, then, a flurry of guys like Oklahoma’s Roy Williams, Tennessee’s Donte Stallworth and John Henderson, North Carolina’s Ryan Sims and Miami’s Phillip Buchannon to all be taken in the top 10 to 15.
Second-tier players include Hawaii speedster Ashley Lelie, Big Ten-er T.J. Duckett, fellow tailback William Green and Miami tight end Jeremy Shockey.
As for the locals, Wendell Bryant visited a number of teams, including Arizona, Minnesota and Kansas City. The Chiefs, Cowboys, Bengals and Saints are said to be very high on the defensive tackle. Mike Echols will go anywhere from round three to five, and then guys like Mark Anelli and Nick Greisen figure to go in rounds six or seven if they are drafted at all.
The Packers — surprise, surprise — are said to be in the market for another wide out. Josh Reed of LSU is an option.