Every year, in the last weekend of April, hundreds of young men travel to New York City with the hopes of becoming the next Walter Payton or John Elway. Many are called, but few are chosen.
It is a time when NFL fans experience their second Christmas. Some make the pilgrimage to New York, while others stay at home in front of their television sets with friends and neighbors with the hope of their favorite franchise drafting the next superstar that will improve their team.
The NFL Draft has become as much of a grand display of talent similar to the likes of the Super Bowl and Pro-Bowl. NFL fans take the draft as seriously as the regular season. In one day, the wrong draft pick can make or break a teams entire season or legacy.
Those of us who follow the NFL Draft have seen teams fall from grace (San Francisco 49ers) or rise from the ashes like the phoenix (New England Patriots) just through key selections in the draft.
Take the San Diego Chargers who, in 1998, traded up in the draft to get the 2nd pick overall. They had a choice, Ryan Leaf or Peyton Manning. The Chargers chose Leaf instead of Manning and in the immortal words of the Grail Knight, They chose poorly. It took the Chargers five years to recover from that pick, and if the Chargers could find a 1982 Black Delorean with a Flux Compacitor, would they have been the 2006-07 Super Bowl Champs instead of the Indianapolis Colts? The world will never know.
Then you have a situation like the Miami Dolphins. In the 2007 NFL Draft, The Miami Dolphins needed a QB. Cleveland Browns backup QB, Brady Quinn, was a lock going into the draft as the Dolphins first round pick. Instead, this happened:
What!?
One of the biggest draft surprises came in the 2000 NFL Draft. The New England Patriots already had Drew Bledsoe as the starter, but wanted to add some depth at the QB position. So with the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, Bill Belichick drafted Tom Brady and the rest, as they say, is history.
In our continued commitment to bring you the best from the world of Hip-Hop and Sports, we present to you our 2008 AllHipHop.com NFL Mock Draft. Platinum Greg, moderator of the Ill Communitys Cheap Seats, and one of our very own posters, Rewind2, have put together a mock draft for football fans.
You can also go to the Cheap Seats, see the predictions for the later rounds and discuss with other football fans about this years draft, or you could just discuss other topics from the world of professional sports. Theres plenty to talk about nowadays.
So, as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would say, With the first pick of the 2008 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins are now on the clock.
2007-08 NFL Record: 1-15
Needs: OT, CB, WR, QB, G
Platinum Gregs Pick: Jake Long, OT, Michigan
Rewind2s Pick: Jake Long, OT, Michigan
Thanks to Bill Parcells and the Miami Dolphins organization, Jake Long has already signed a 5 year, $57 million contract and taken away all of the suspense from figuring out who would be the 1st pick overall. At least we wont have to wait for the Phins to use their entire 10 minutes to make a pick. We move on.
2007-08 NFL Record: 3-13
Team Needs: DE, DT, WR, C, OLB, OT
Platinum Gregs Pick: Chris Long, DE, Virginia
Rewind2s Pick: Glen Dorsey, DT, LSU
2007-08 NFL Record: 4-12
Team Needs: QB, OT, CB, DT, TE
Platinum Gregs Pick: Glen Dorsey, DT, LSU
Rewind2s Pick: Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
2007-08 NFL Record: 4-12
Team Needs: DE/DT, OT/G, SLB, WR, RB
Platinum Gregs Pick: Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
Rewind2s Pick: Chris Long, DE, Virginia
2007-08 NFL Record: 4-12
Team Needs: OT, CB, DT, G, C, WR, QB
Platinum Gregs Pick: Ryan Clady, OT, Boise St.
Rewind2s Pick: Sederick Ellis, DT, USC
2007-08 NFL Record: 4-12
Team Needs: DE, WR, CB, FS, ILB, RB
Platinum Gregs Pick: Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
Rewind2s Pick: Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
7. New England Patriots (From San Francisco)
2007-08 NFL Record: 16-0
Team Needs: ILB, OLB, CB, ROT, TE
Platinum Gregs Pick: Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy
Rewind2s Pick: Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State
2007-08 NFL Record: 5-11
Team Needs: QB, CB, LOT, OLB/DE, ILB
Platinum Gregs Pick: Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
Rewind2s Pick: Leoids McKelvin, CB, Troy
2007-08 NFL Record: 7-9
Team Needs: NT, OT, DE, LB, WR, C
Platinum Gregs Pick: Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State
Rewind2s Pick: Keith Rivers, OLB, USC
2007-08 NFL Record: 6-9
Team Needs: CB, DT, LB, TE, ROT, S
Platinum Gregs Pick: Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas
Rewind2s Pick: Dominique Rodgers Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State
11. Buffalo Bills
2007 NFL Record: 7-9
Team Needs: WR, TE, CB, DE, FS
Platinum Gregs Pick: Malcom Kelly, WR, Oklahoma
Rewind2s Pick: Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State
12. Denver Broncos
2007-08 NFL Record: 7-9
Team Needs: OT, WR, DT, MLB, S
Platinum Gregs Pick: Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh
Rewind2s Pick: Ryan Clady OT Boise State
2007-08 NFL Record: 7-9
Team Needs: ROT, FS, DE, RB, TE
Platinum Gregs Picks: Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
Rewind2s Pick: Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
14. Chicago Bears
2007-08 NFL Record: 7-9
Team Needs: OT, QB, RB, WR, G, S
Platinum Gregs Pick: Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois
Rewind2s Pick: Branden Albert, OL, Virginia
15. Detroit Lions
2007-08 NFL Record: 7-9
Team Needs: RB, DE, OT, LB, DT
Platinum Gregs Pick: Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
Rewind2s Pick: Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
2007-08 NFL Record: 8-8
Team Needs: CB, FS, RB, LOT, WR, S
<!–[if !supportLists]–>c. <!–[endif]–>Platinum Gregs Pick: Mike Jenkins, CB, Ohio State
<!–[if !supportLists]–>d. <!–[endif]–>Rewind2s Pick: Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois
17. Kansas City Chiefs (From Minnesota)
2007-08 NFL Record: 8-8
Team Needs: DE, QB, OT, CB, WR
Platinum Gregs Pick: Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan St.
Rewind2s Pick: Jeff Otah, OT, Pittburgh
18. Houston Texans
2007-08 NFL Record: 8-8
Team Needs: CB, LOT, DE, G/C, S
Platinum Gregs Pick: Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
Rewind2s Pick: Mike Jenkins, CB, USF
2007-08 NFL Record: 8-8
Team Needs: S, WR, LB, OT/G, DE
Platinum Gregs Pick: Limas Sweed, WR, Texas
Rewind2s Pick: John Stewert, RB, Oregon
2007-08 NFL Record: 9-7
Team Needs: WR, LOT, CB, QB, DT
Platinum Gregs Pick: Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
Rewind2s: Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
2007-08 NFL Record: 9-7
Team Needs: WR, S, DE, OL, CB
Platinum Gregs Pick: Desean Jackson, WR, Cal.
Rewind2s Pick: Limas Sweed, WR, Texas
22. Dallas Cowboys (From Cleveland)
2007-08 NFL Record: 13-3
Team Needs: CB, WR, RB, OT, S
Platinum Gregs Picks: Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan
Rewind2s: Aquib Talib, CB, Kansas
2007-08 NFL Record: 10-6
Team Needs: DE, OT, WR, G, FS
Platinum Gregs Picks: Sam Baker, OT, USC
Rewind2s: Gosder Cherlius, OT, Boston College
24. Tennessee Titans
2007-08 NFL Record: 10-6
Team Needs: WR, DE, DT, CB, OLB
Platinum Gregs Picks: James Hardy, WR, Indiana
Rewind2s: Desean Jackson, WR, Cal
25. Seattle Seahawks
2007-08 NFL Record: 10-6
Team Needs: TE, WR, DT, S, OL
Platinum Gregs Picks: Jamaal Charles, RB, Texas
Rewind2s Pick: Chris Johnson, RB, ECU
2007-08 NFL Record: 11-5
Team Needs: DE, DT, SS, OT, WR
<!–[if !supportLists]–>c. <!–[endif]–>Platinum Gregs Picks: Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson
<!–[if !supportLists]–>d. <!–[endif]–>Rewind2s Pick: Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson
2007-08 NFL Record: 11-5
Team Needs: ROT, S, RB, NT, CB
Platinum Gregs Picks: Brandon Albert, OT, Virginia
Rewind2s Pick: Kenny Phillips, S, Miami (Fl)
28. Dallas Cowboys
2007-08 NFL Record: 13-3
Team Needs: WR, CB, RB, G/C, QB, NT
Platinum Gregs Picks: Matt Forte, RB, Tulane
Rewind2s Pick: Jammal Charles, RB, Texas
29. San Francisco 49ers (From Indianapolis)
2007-08 NFL Record: 5-11
Team Needs: ROT, OLB, WR, G/C, QB
Platinum Gregs Pick: Early Doucet, WR, LSU
Rewind2s Pick: Quentin Groves, OLB, Auburn
2007-08 NFL Record: 13-3
Team Needs: CB, S, OT, TE, QB, RB
Platinum Gregs Pick: Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue
Rewind2s Pick: Antone Cason, CB, Arizona
2007-08 NFL Record: 16-0
Team Needs: ILB, OLB, CB, ROT, TE
Our Pick: Draft Pick forfeited due to Spygate. Sorry Pats Fans.
They say cheaters never prosper and this is what happens when you cheat in the NFL, they take away your Draft pick. The problem with that, many fans and analyst argue that the wrong pick was taken away. For references, look at the 7th overall pick.
32. New York Giants
2007-08 NFL Record: 10-6
Team Needs: S, OLB, CB, WR, G/T, DT
Platinum Gregs Pick: Jerod Mayo, LB, Tennessee
Rewind2s Pick: Jerod Mayo, LB, Tennessee