Ask the Experts: Best Value
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April 28, 2007 @ 16:00:00
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By ProFootballWeekly.com
Which team got the best value in top half of Round One?
This content is provided by ProFootballWeekly.com - "The Best Coverage in the NFL from the Authority on Pro Football."
We asked our staff: Which team got the best value in the top half of the first round with their pick? Not the best talent - the most value where they were.
Associate editor Chris Neubauer - Redskins S LaRon Landry (No. 6)
The Redskins will be happy they didn't trade away their No. 6 pick. LSU safety LaRon Landry is, for my money, the best defensive player in this draft. He has the elite speed and range to blanket the secondary and the box, and he is a huge upgrade over Adam Archuleta. Landry and Sean Taylor instantly form one of the most devastating safety tandems in the league. Landry is an intimidating hitter and good tackler. Sounds a lot like Taylor to me. With the Redskins getting burned for several big passing plays last year, Landry should help eliminate that problem.
Associate editor Court Mann - Vikings RB Adrian Peterson (No. 7)
For a team that sorely lacks for dynamic talent, the Vikings had to be absolutely ecstatic to see Adrian Peterson on the board at No. 7. They have a capable running back in Chester Taylor and a more dire need at wide receiver, but all things considered, they have no offensive centerpiece and no game-breaking superstar to build around long term. There are more than a few personnel and draft experts who had Peterson ranked as one of the very best prospects in this draft, behind Calvin Johnson and ahead of top picks like JaMarcus Russell, Gaines Adams and LaRon Landry. To acquire a talent like that with the seventh pick, for a team with so many problems on offense, the Vikings got tremendous value.
Executive editor Dan Arkush - Vikings RB Adrian Peterson (No. 7)
To me, the Vikings made out like bandits with the surprising selection of Oklahoma RB Adrian Peterson with the seventh pick overall. Peterson is a potential franchise featured back, and the combination of him and Chester Taylor, who is more of a grind-it-out power type, gives Brad Childress a backfield to die for. Suddenly, Minnesota's offense has gone from milquetoast to the toast of the NFC North. An argument can be made that Detroit, with Calvin Johnson in tow, might be more deserving of that claim, but even though Minnesota still has issues at quarterback and receiver, its new-look backfield, combined with a strong O-line, has made the Vikes look a lot more potent. Remember: This is a great WR crop this year, and they still have a shot at getting some excellent receivers before the first day runs its course.
Associate editor Trent Modglin - Lions WR Calvin Johnson (No. 2)
The best value arrived in the form of Calvin Johnson to the Lions. Or, more appropriately, much-maligned GM Matt Millen. The reason I say this is because Johnson, by every account I've heard, is the best player in this draft. A once-in-a-generation type. And Detroit got him with the second pick. The Lions could have traded down probably, but believed this was too big of a prize to pass along to watch someone else polish. Johnson is the fourth wide receiver Millen has taken in the first round in five years, which has raised plenty of eyebrows. But he had to do it. If Millen's going to go down, it might as well be with the best player on his side. Not that he was worried about public perception, but selecting Johnson was great value for any choice, and it's one that can't be held against him, unlike a few others Lions fans haven't forgotten.
Associate editor Eric Edholm - 49ers LB Patrick Willis (No. 11)
A talent evaluator I speak to once in a while likes to remind me: linebackers are overrated. But I can't help but love this pickup for the 49ers, who can plug Willis in to their defense for the next 10 years and expect great production. He's a team leader and a guy who will rack up the tackles and big plays. Mike Nolan coached Ray Lewis. Willis is the same type of inspirational player, though he might not have quite the natural ability. But I am telling you, the kid is an animal, and with all the talk of the Broncos moving up and stealing Willis, the 49ers have to be thrilled to get him here. A perfect building block for a defense on the rise.
Associate editor Mike Wilkening - Vikings RB Adrian Peterson (No. 7)
I'll cast my vote for the Vikings, who were wise to stop Oklahoma RB Adrian Peterson's mini-slide down the draft board. They cannot go wrong with this pick. For now, he splits carries with Chester Taylor, who has not proven he can hold up for 16 games. In 2008 and beyond, Peterson will be the centerpiece of a Minnesota offense that has the potential to be very exciting if the Vikings can add some receiving talent and QB Tarvaris Jackson blossoms under the tutelage of head coach Brad Childress. The Vikings are building a club that can win in the NFC North; the defense is stout, and the offense - with that strong O-line and a formidable RB tandem - is going to control the clock against teams with weak front sevens on defense.
Managing editor Mike Holbrook - Texans DT Amobi Okoye (No. 10)
The old axiom that defense wins championships is still applicable, even in this day and age of passing offenses and rules benefiting that side of the ball. The Texans have clearly made it a point to upgrade their defense the past two drafts, with the picks of DE Mario Williams and LB DeMeco Ryans last year and the selection of man-child Okoye, who has the potential to be a run-stuffing monster for years to come, this year. Though rookie defensive tackles rarely make a big splash, Okoye is a great building block for the future at the tender age of 19. His intelligence and athletic ability can't be coached and will serve him well as he learns to play the position at the professional level.
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