2008 NFL DRAFT

ROUND 1 (1-16):

1) MIAMI:
JAKE LONG (OT, MICHIGAN) 6-7, 315, 5.29
Bill Parcells believes in building a team on the strength of the line-of-scrimmage. He did it in New York (twice) and he did it in Dallas. I thought he might actually go with a DE (Chris Long or Vernon Gholston), trying to recreate a Lawrence Taylor/DeMarcus Ware scenario, but Jake Long will be the starting tackle for the Dolphins for the next decade.

This pick could have been five different players. Nobody would have batted and eye if Chris Long, Matt Ryan, Darren McFadden, Glenn Dorsey or Vernon Gholston would have been selected with this pick.

I love this pick because NFL games are won and lost on the line-of-scrimmage. Jake Long will win many more battles than he loses.

2) ST. LOUIS:
CHRIS LONG (DE, VIRGINIA) 6-3, 278, 4.75
This pick was a toss-up between Long and Glenn Dorsey. Ironically, the player they would pick may have been based on the Rams first-round selection of a year ago, Adam Carriker. Carriker played over the center last year but many experts believe his natural position is at DE. If the Rams wanted to move Carriker to DE, they probably would have selected Dorsey. But apparently, they like the job Carriker did at nose so they picked Chris Long.

Chris Long has got the motor of a Mustang Shelby-Cobra 500! The kid will flat-out ball and has an outstanding pedigree (his father is Howie Long). Every great pass-rusher has two qualities: athleticism and a relentless determination to get to the quarterback. Long has got both in spades.

It’s hard to argue this pick unless you think Carriker is a better DE than NG.

3) ATLANTA:
MATT RYAN (QB, BOSTON COLLEGE)
This pick threw a wrench in the machine. Many thought this would be Glenn Dorsey. In the end, a wounded franchise decided to heal itself.

What’s the best way to put an era behind you? Start a new one. That’s exactly what the Falcons did with this pick. Not only do they get a very talented, smart, franchise quarterback, but they officially put the Mike Vick era behind them.

Ryan reminds me of Tom Brady. His throwing mechanics are eerily similar to Brady; he has the same body type and athleticism as Brady. And most importantly, the same brain as Brady.

I LOVE this pick by Atlanta. Ryan should develop into a Pro Bowl QB but it took courage to select – and pay – another franchise quarterback so early in the draft.

4) OAKLAND:
DARREN McFADDEN (RB, ARKANSAS) 6-2, 210, 4.33
What a shocker here…a player with character questions ends up in the silver-and-black! But Al Davis had to ake this pick. McFadden may be the biggest freak in the draft and no team is more susceptible to freaks than the Raiders.

McFadden is Adrian Peterson with more speed. I thought he was a better back than Peterson after watching him play this year. Experts are worried about his skinny legs and upright frame but he’s powerful and runs with great authority. This guy is the best athlete in the draft and should help Lane Kiffin deliver on his promise to “bring an explosive offense” to Raider-Nation.

This pick makes perfect sense but one wonders how McFadden will fair off the field going to LA from Little Rock, Arkansas?

5) KANSAS CITY:
GLENN DORSEY (DT, LSU) 6-1, 313, 5.0
Merry Christmas, Coach Edwards! This had to be the most implausible scenario the Chiefs could have imagined when they ran through their mock-drafts. Many experts believed Glenn Dorsey may have been the best player on the board. When the Falcons passed on Dorsey, the Chiefs draft room must have exploded, knowing the Raiders would most likely take McFadden at four.

Dorsey can play the 1-technique (shaded on the center) or the 3-technique (shaded on the weak-side guard) equally well. He has the bulk and strength to hold the point and the speed and quickness to get up the field and disrupt blocking schemes. He is without question the best interior defender in this draft and the Chiefs got a steal at five.

6) NEW YORK JETS:
VERNON GHOLSTON (DE, OHIO STATE) 6-3, 266, 4.58
In my opinion, Gholston is the BIGGEST freak in this draft. I had him number one on my board. Knowing the Patriots were drafting behind them and knowing that Belichik covets versatility in a player, the Jets had to take Gholston even if they weren’t crazy about him or face him twice a year for the next decade!

Gholston’s combination of speed, strength and size makes him a unique player. He shows up in big games and will terrorize quarterbacks for years to come. Bill Parcells loved him and considered him for the top spot.

I love the pick because I love this player. He’ll have Pro Bowls under his belt in no time and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rams kick themselves for not taking this guy when they had the chance.

7) NEW ORLEANS (FROM NEW ENGLAND):
SEDRICK ELLIS (DT, USC) 6-0, 307, 5.3
The Saints wanted Glenn Dorsey but couldn’t move up to get him. Ellis was the next best defensive tackle in the draft, a poor man’s version of Dorsey. The Saints could not stop the run to save their souls and needed this pick badly. Ellis will move right in at NG and start from day one.

Although Ellis doesn’t have great speed, he is extremely quick and has a great get-off. This will suit him well playing in the “A” gaps. Also, because he’s so short, he’s hard to get under and plays with great leverage. He’s almost impossible to move off the ball, which is exactly what the Saints were looking for.

I like the pick but I don’t know why the Saints would give up picks to move up. I think Ellis may have been there at ten, but it does show how much they liked him.

JACKSONVILLE (FROM BALTIMORE):
DERRICK HARVEY (DE, FLORIDA) 6-4, 260, 4.84
Reach? Wow, I did not have Harvey going this high and the Jaguars moved up to get him! Marcus Stroud is in Buffalo and Jacksonville’s aging DL is going through changes so I guess it does make sense. But here? The Wizard of Baltimore, Ozzie Newsome, worked his magic again, trading down, gaining picks and still getting their quarterback at 18: Joe Flacco out of Delaware State.

Harvey is not without skills. He has great get-off, uses his hands well and plays with good leverage. He’ll be a solid starter in this league for a while, able to hold up against the run and contribute a few sacks every year but he isn’t flashy.

This certainly isn’t a sexy-pick but playing in the SEC probably prepares Harvey to contribute immediately than other conferences. Jack Del Rio loves workman-like players and Harvey fits-the-bill: a blue-collar pick from a blue-collar coach.

9) CINCINNATI:
KEITH RIVERS (OLB, USC)
Rivers might be the best person in the draft! It doesn’t surprise me the Bengals would be the team to select the best OLB in the draft, whom happens to be on the All-Character team. The Bengals desperately needed to improve their defense and their line-backing unit was a mess in 2007. Rivers fills that need both on and off the field.

When I watch Rivers play I see Derrick Brooks. Rivers does everything well. He may not be the best pass-rusher in the draft, the best tackler, the best cover-guy or the most physical at his position, but he’s darn good at all of these things. This guy does not have a lot of weaknesses and I’m shocked Belichik moved behind Cincinnati, knowing how badly the Bengals needed a linebacker.

Rivers may not have been the best LB on the Trojans football team but he was the best pure OLB in the 2008 draft. This was a safe, no-brainer pick for the Bengals. Just what the doctor ordered!

10) NEW ENGLAND (FROM NEW ORLEANS):
JAROD MAYO (ILB, TENNESSEE)
This guy’s stock has been rising over the past week or so, but no one thought he would go this high. His versatility makes him appealing to many teams, especially to Bill Belichick. I thought Keith Rivers was the perfect fit for the Patriots at 7 but New England traded down to 10. Knowing how badly the Bengals needed a LB, and that Rivers was rated the best of the bunch, it tells me they wanted Mayo the whole time.

Mayo can play ILB or OLB and is a bit of a “tweener,” just the way Belichick likes it. He may have more upside than Rivers but he isn’t as steady. Still, he is a fierce tackler, especially in the open-field, and has a nose for the ball.

Belichick, love him or hate him, knows what he’s doing and this alone makes me think he knows something about Mayo that others do not.

11) BUFFALO:
LEODIS McKELVIN (CB, TENNESSEE STATE) 5-10, 186, 4.37
The first CB finally makes his debut in the 2008 draft. Buffalo still has not recovered from losing Nate Clemens and their porous secondary was in dire need of a facelift.

McKelvin was the best CB in the draft according to most of the experts. He’s got decent size and long arms, which allows him to defend jump-balls and hold up well against bigger receivers. He may be the best man-cover CB in the draft and he becomes dangerous once he has the ball in his hands.

I like the pick but I don’t think the Bills got the best CB in the draft, even though they picked the first one.

12) DENVER:
RYAN CLADY (OT, BOISE STATE) 6-6, 320, 5.15
The Denver Broncos have built their entire franchise on generally drafting OL in the mid-to-late rounds of the draft. Their scheme, the quintessential zone-scheme in the league, is predicated on undersized, fleet-footed, intelligent lineman. Because they don’t look for road-graders, they have had the pick of the litter for the type of lineman they want and it’s all because of their scheme.

Clady breaks the mold but will fit into their scheme perfectly. He has great range, long arms, great feet and a football IQ that will allow him to develop quicker than most rookie tackles.

13) CAROLINA:
JONATHAN STEWART (RB, OREGON) 5-10, 235, 4.48
Carolina moved DeShaun Foster so nobody was surprised they took a RB but THIS RB was a bit of a surprise! Jonathan Stewart has had surgery on his toe and won’t be ready to go until sometime in August. Although any team would be able to live with this because of Stewart’s incredible talent, many felt that Rashard Mendenhall (Illinois) would be the second RB taken after McFadden.

I love the pick because Stewart will be an every-down back. He has great explosion and decent speed, but he is a punisher as well. His stocky frame makes him a load to tackle and he can make people miss in the open-field. His ability to hold up in pass-protection allows him to stay on the field on third-down.

14) CHICAGO:
CHRIS WILLIAMS (OT, VANDERBILT) 6-6, 317, 5.16
Ryan Clady started the run on OT’s at #12 and Williams makes the run official. Chicago is in the process of rebuilding their offense after losing Bernard Berrian, Thomas Jones, Mushin Muhammed over the last couple of years. And Cedric Benson (RB) and Rex Grossman/Brian Griese/Kyle Ortman are expanding question-marks. It wasn’t a surprise the Bears went offense, but I did not expect them to draft an OL with all the skill-position players they’ve lost.

Williams should do well and has all the tools to be a Pro Bowl tackle but only time will tell.

15) KANSAS CITY (FROM DETROIT)
BRANDEN ALBERT (OT, VIRGINIA) 6-6, 320, 5.16
The Chiefs will not be pushed around anymore. Carl Peterson and Herman Edwards were mortified last year, watching their players get whipped at the point-of-attack. By receiving the gift of Glenn Dorsey at #5, they continued to get stronger up front by drafting the most athletic OL in the draft.

Albert can play inside but I think he’s going to be a LT some day, maybe sooner than later. He has great feet and all the size a QB would ever hope for from their LT. He reminds me of Walter Jones when he came out of college.

The Chiefs have had a great day and it only got better when Brandon Flowers (CB, VaTech) was drafted in the second-round.

16) ARIZONA:
DOMINIQUE RODGERS-CROMARTIE (CB, TENNESSEE STATE) 6-1, 183, 4.33
The Cards needed a RB or a CB with this pick, but getting Rodgers-Cromartie here was a blessing if you’re a Cardinals fan. Antrelle Rolle is moving to safety and although Rod Hood and Eric Green are doable starters, depth at the position was a major concern. This guy is the real-deal and will compete for a starting job immediately.

I love his height and his vertical game is second-to-none. He may be the fastest CB in the draft and his ball-skills are superb. He’s going to have to put on some weight and be more physical against the run, but his upside is absolutely huge.

The Cards got what they wanted and to get a player of this quality at #16 improves the Big Red now.

A volunteer rolled the Beautiful Miss Stephanie into room L7 at Paradise Valley Hospital. With a resolute jaw and 14 bags of clothes, lotions, vitamins, beauty products, powders, toiletries and other sundry Bed, Bath and Beyond offerings, I doggedly followed my bride through the narrow aperture, bent on protecting my kin and escorting my kind into the world and the Wolfley way.

My Warrior Queen was going to have our baby.

I squeezed my way through the door, catching baggage-straps, handles and shoulder supports on every conceivable latch, projection or knob guarding the entrance. The straps wrapped around my neck like a brood of vipers, constricted, and cut my blood-flow to a trickle. My brain screamed for oxygen, demanded relief and searched for somebody to blame, but the brain cells that were getting blood fired off a synapses that made me think of me.

The struggle continued at the birthing-gate but a well placed hand from an ill-disposed nurse and three orderlies set me free. I staggered toward a small clearing of the room like Herman Munster on a bender. Bags hit the floor, the serpent-pit scattered and, suddenly, it was over.

I looked at the Beautiful Miss Stephanie and, despite her discomfort, thought of asking her if she wouldn’t mind burning the pile of gift-certificates she’s collected to stores that prey upon a person’s good taste and better hygiene, but the words failed me as her classic face creased with pain.

Without another thought, bags, vipers and bath-products vanished for all time, disappearing into the rhythmic beat of battle-drums and an urgent call to arms. “Are you OK, Stephie?”

Warrior Queens love their Spartan men but her eyes flashed across my pupils and I knew she couldn’t see my shield, Spatha or spear but momentarily saw me as an unemployed jester.

“I’m fine,” she said, crawling into a stirrup-laden bed while fighting off a contraction the size of Texas. “I just need to get settled.”

Never have I loved my queen more. She set her jaw against the foils of nature and braved the inanity of my question with such strength, dignity and patience that my eyes could not hold her gaze.

With thoughts of jesters and unemployment vanishing into the immediacy of the moment, I surveyed the room, perusing the paradigm that would usher my child into being.

Although the powers that be tried to make the birthing room homey, the room was Spartan. Instruments, computers and machines of all shapes, colors and complexities were encased in assembly-line armoires, dressers and hutches. Particle board – covered by thin, veneer paneling – gave the “at home” furniture its strength and functionality but its pulp-and-glue odor could not mask the sterile, disinfectant of a room filled with life but never lived in.

“She’s about 5-centimeters,” said the ill-disposed nurse, pealing off a latex-glove. “She’s going to stay. You’ll have to move these bags and put them away.”

As I looked at the bonfire of bags piled into the small, linoleum clearing of the room, I shuddered at the notion of there being any question of the Beautiful Miss Stephanie staying or not. This possibility never crossed my mind and I almost laughed out loud in spite of my growing aversion to this new authority. The only way you’re getting her out of here is with a crowd of crowbar carrying orderlies and three luggage-racks.

The Beautiful Miss Stephanie’s contractions began to intensify and their spacing became more consistent, dumping a truckload of agony between a space of five minutes of rest. Like her contractions, the room filled and emptied with medical personnel getting her settled, preparing her for a lengthy stay and making sure our paperwork was in order.

The initial insertion was over and I prepared myself to shine like the sun itself, coaching my queen like a queen has never been coached before. No woman throughout history would have a more vigilant warrior to guard her way; no Egyptian princess, no Grecian heiress, no Roman queen, no wealthy-merchant’s daughter would have the wisdom, strength and courage passed along to her during her time of need like what the Beautiful Miss Stephanie was about to receive.

I stood before her, tennis balls in hand, preparing to club the back-labor from her body like a Mongol on Moore, galloping across the Steppes of Asia. “Roll to your side, baby, and let me know I’m on-spot.”

I began to work the magic of the tennis balls into the small of her unblemished, pristine back, rejoicing in her spoken relief and appreciation. My hands moved with cunning and strength. Hours of preparation, classes and visualization had gone into this one, shining moment, this time of crisis where the feeble hide and Athenians back away.

“You need to fill this paperwork out, sir.”

I turned to confront the vacuous voice breaking my concentration and wasn’t surprised to see my ill-disposed nemesis holding a stack of papers in her hand. Nurse You’ll-Have-To-Move-These-Bags locked eyes with me, daring me to usurp her power. “But I’m coaching her, nurse,” I said with a tone of righteousness. “Can’t it wait till later?”

“No. One of you needs to do this now,” she said with a tone of victory, knowing the Beautiful Miss Stephanie was in no mood to scribble in boxes while fighting the pain of the pre-natal rack.

I was undone. The reality of the situation reduced me to a commoner. As I moved toward uncomfortable chairs that did not match – paperwork in hand – I heard jester-bells in my ears and my Levi’s felt like tights. The epidural was on its way and just as I was engaging the enemy my Achilles heel received a paper-cut.

My queen did not flinch but took refuge in the promise of better drugs and better days ahead. She would stand alone, hold the line, battle the troll and pay the toll as a party of one.

But she is my warrior-queen and She-Wolf is her name.

The next hour and some odd minutes were filled with labor sorrows and righteous fire. The Beautiful Miss Stephanie’s brow furrowed and her jaw clenched as I wrote my birth-date into a box. Her back arched and her legs writhed as I declared in writing the sex of our child. Her fists curled and her neck bulged as I proclaimed my Anglo heritage.

And then, in a paper and pulp fit of irony only Updike could appreciate, the Beautiful Miss Stephanie was caught in a contortion-contraction that Harry Houdini couldn’t escape just as nurse She’s-Going-To-Stay dropped another piece of paper on me. The final indignation demanded that I record every item we brought to the hospital in case some kind of thievery broke out in L7.

I was ready to erupt. Mount Vesuvius hath no fury like what I was about to unload on nurse latex and just as my mouth opened my eyes were caught by a pool of green. The eyes of my warrior-bride were suddenly calm and strong and I saw my folly in their reflection.

This wasn’t about me and my explosive nature; this was about the one I love and whether or not I had the strength to sacrifice my indignation for her well being.

This was the easiest decision I’ve ever made in my life and expect it to be so for the rest of my days: no contest. I would shut my mouth, square my jaw and become resolute for the sake of the Beautiful Miss Stephanie and our daughter, Savannah Shea. I would fill out every form they could throw at me. I would drain the ink from every pen in the building and use my own blood and a feather if need be. I would check every box, count every sock, shirt, bottle of lotion and sample-sized toiletry item in all 14-bags and do it with the measure of love and sacrifice I have for those that matter more than me.

Fortunately, the Fair and Noble Gwenna, mother of the Beautiful Miss Stephanie, recognized my angst, retrieved the form and calmly recorded our possessions.

The hours that followed were filled with contractions, back-rubs, a bag of Pitosin, an epidural, nervous laughs, a new nurse (Irene), contractions without pain, some dry-run pushing and loads of encouraging words. Minutes turned into hours and the hours changed the date on the calendar. The Year of Our Lord, April 20, 2008 turned into April 21, 2008.

The doctor – also known as “baby-catchers” by the maternity nurses – arrived and the hour of those that wish to be counted had come. It was time to step forward. It was time to be numbered. It was time to state your name in a clear, loud voice and brave the furtive sights and sounds of the impossible. It was time to bare witness to one of God’s greatest gifts to His creation; it was time to come face-to-face with love.

My mind drifts even as I write this, much as it did that wonderful, beneficent day. Although I cannot reproduce exact images, sounds, smells or the way things felt, impressions remain stamped on my soul like negatives from a camera that will only vanish with my last breath:

Savannah Shea’s birth made me fall in love with my four other children all over again.

It was quicker than I had expected.

There was a mirror and although I was head-side, determined not to look, my eyes were drawn toward my daughter.

She is beautiful.

She has ten-toes and ten-fingers.

She has my eyes.

Please let her have her mother’s nobility.

She was crying but the tears were mine.

Love.

THE END

I have always believed the true measure of a man can found in his capacity to love. I now know this to be true. There is no greater strength, nothing more virtuous, no greater motivator and no emotion more fierce than love. People will die because of it and sacrifice for others in the name of it.

There are those that will think I’m soft, that tears aren’t for men and love is somehow not cool. My reply is simple: step outside, cave-dweller, and find out why the Spartans fought so fiercely.