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The 1st round was filled with great talent. And still you had teams reach and players fall. There weren’t too many losers in the 1st round, but there was definally some big time winners. I know i said i would break down the rounds as they went, but i was at the Ravens spring football festival, which was awesome and then the Orioles game against Texas. Here i will break down the 1st round, sleepers, value picks, etc. Here we go.

The sleepers- Detroit TE Brandon Pettigrew- I know some people thought they would take a LB here at #20, but Pettigrew is a great recieving TE to go with an already good WR core that Detroit has built in the offseason. Pettigrew has great hands and runs good routes, he also creates seperation from LB’s.   My second sleeper is Baltimore OT Michael Oher. Even though it wasnt Baltimore’s biggest need, they always take the best overall player availiable, and that was Oher at #23. Oher has great stregnth, good feet and is very versitale, as he can play both tackle positions. This gives the Ravens a great, young OT to match with Jared Gaither for the future.

The reaches- Oakland WR Darrius Heyward-Bey. This hurts to put him in this catagory as a Terp fan and a huge DHB fan, but when Oakland has Michael Crabtree fall right into their lap, and they didnt take him just because they didnt have a timed 40! c’mon now, Oakland. San Fran is thanking you right now. Heyward-bey is a great WR prospect who is fast,strong, has great hands and is a big play threat, but his inconsistency at times was the main concern for Darrius. He is the WR of the future for Oakland and the automatic #1 target for good QB Jamarcus Russell, but the question is, can he stay consistent enough for that offense to be succesfull. He is the typical boom-or-bust pick. My second reach is the Colts at #27 with Uconn RB Donald Brown. He is a great Running Back, but he was definally not the best availiable at the spot. They, like Oakland had a great RB fall right to them in Chris Wells, but they passed on him. And the head scrather is they took a Joseph Addai clone, its not a bad thing, but most NFL teams are switching to the fast back-bruiser combo, and thats what Wells is and they needed that.

The fallers- SF WR Michael Crabtree. I cant believe Crabtree fell this far to #10. He was undisputedly the #1 reciever in the draft and he fell at least 6 slots from where he was projected to go.  He is a WR that runs great routes and has great hands, and he is a game changer as well. San Fran got the great #1 reciever to help out Shaun Hill, as he probably is the starter in 2009( another MD alum).This was definally the easiet pick in the draft, just with Crabtrees natural talent alone. my second faller is Arizona RB Chris ”Beanie” Wells. Wells was a great back for OSU for 3 years, putting up great numbers. He is a big back that has decent speed and has great vision and can break tackles and run people over. Arizona definally got their feature RB, and this probably means the end for Edgerrin James. The only downfall is Wells durability.  He should be a great back.

the expected- Detroit QB Matt Stafford. He was the undisputed #1 pick in my mind. He has a great arm and is accuarte, and most importantly for Detroit, is a natural born leader. Detroit definally got their franchise QB, something they have been looking for a long time. And this should make Calvin Johnson’s production go up in 2010( scary, huh?), the year i say Stafford starts, his 2nd yea0r, theres no harm in letting him carry a clipboard and adjust under Culpepper for a year. A lot better that throwing him to the wolves. My second expected pick was Tampa Bay QB Josh Freeman. Freeman is your typical boom-or-bust type pick. He can be great like Phllip Rivers or a bust like Tim Couch. He does have greay leadership skills and a great arm, but he is very raw and will take about 2 or 3 years to be ready. It looks like Byron Leftwich is the short term solution.

the winners of round 1- Detroit, San Francisco, Jets, Broncos, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Arizona, Green Bay

the losers of round 1- Oakland, Houston, San Diego, Colts

Thats it for now, check back soon for round 2

Round 3 has a lot of good talent. The whole first day has a lot of good prospects. But in the 3rd round, you might find some of the best sleeper picks on this years class. I have once again rounded out the most safe, underated and overated player in the 3rd round, in my opinion.

The safe- Iowa RB Shonn Greene- Greene is my safest pick of round3. He is a big running back at 5-11 and 230 pounds, yet he averaged 5.9 yards a clip in his 3 seasons at Iowa., including 1,850 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2008.  He has exellent size and bulk, and he breaks a lot of tackles, he also has great vision for a big RB., he also has great stamina, and thats when he really hurt teams in 2008 when he was faster than his opponets in the 3rd and 4th quarter. The only bad thing about Greene is his average speed(4.65) and his quickness, but for a big back, that is not particuarlly expected. A team like Cincinatti or Chicago could take him at the end of round 3, or a team like Kansas city or Jacksonville in the early 3rd round. He reminds me of a poor mans Larry Johnson just the way he runs.

The underated- Maryland CB Kevin Barnes- He was injured for most of his senior season, but when he played, he simply impressed. He also had great pre-draft workouts at the combine, pro day and had the highest wonderlic score in the whole draft class, and that is what vaulted him into the 3rd round. He had 6 interceptions in 2 seasons as Marylands #1 CB, and can also tackle very well. He is a great athlete, he has terrific instincts and awareness and has a very big upside. The only thing that wieghs on Barnes stock is his stregnth and he has trouble shedding blocks. St.louis, Jacksonville or Buffalo could take him in round 3. My comparison to Barnes is Jacksonville’s Reshean Mathis, who wasnt very known coming out of college either.

The overated- Pitt MLB Scott Mckillop- Like my other overated picks, i dont see what other people see in Mckillop. He is not athletic in the last bit, has horrible speed in the middle, subpar stregnth, and cant shake blocks. WOW. The only thing i like about Mckillop is is toughness and his motor. A team like Denver or Detroit might REACH, yes im calling it a reach and take Mckillop 3rd round. I’d take Jason Phillips of TCU, Darry Beckwith of LSU, Dannell Ellerbe of Georgia, Gerlad Mcrath of SMU, and even Virginia’s Antonio Applebee over him in the 3rd round if i was that desperate for a MLB. He reminds me of Niko Koutouvides as a best case scenario.

Thats it. And since the draft is tommorow, i will do the 4th round later today, and thats it.  But i will be doing a draft recap of day 1 and day 2 when it is said and done. Check back soon.

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There is a lot of 1st round talent in the 2nd round, as this draft class is very deep. The question on every teams mind after round 1 is who is worth a 2nd round pick, and for the teams in the early 2nd round, it shouldnt be that hard of a decision. I have tooken it upon me to breakdown the safest pick, the sleeper pick and the most overrated pick in RD.2 as i did in RD.1. Here we go

The safe pick- TE Mizzou Chase Coffman- Coffman is my safest pick in round 2. He is a big tight end at 6-5 and 245 pounds, and in the right system, could turn out to be a Owen Daniels or even a Dallas Clark type TE. The things you see in Coffman instantly is his athleticism and his hands. He is also a great route runner and is very tough snd quick off the line, making him a big passing target and the main reasons he caught 90 balls for 987 yards and 10 touchdowns his senior year at Mizzou. He only downfall to Coffman is his blocking and his stregnth, which shouldnt be a problem after he hits an NFL weight room.Teams that could look at Coffman in the 2nd are the Baltimore Ravens, who need insurance to Heap and Smith, as well has teams like the New York Giants to pair with Boss and now the Philadelphia Eagles if they dont take Brandon Pettigrew in the 1st.

sleeper of round 2- DE sjsu Jarron Gilbert- at 6-5 290, Gilbert could play DE or DT in any system. Gilbert had a very strong 2008 senior season, with 9.5 sacks and a whopping 22 tackles for loss. H e is very athletic for his size and has great stregnth and power. He has pretty good range and has good instincts. The only thing thats glares with Gilbert is his inconsistency as well as his aggressiveness in the trenches. Teams that could be looking at Gilbert are, the Ravens again, who need depth at DE coming into 2009, as well as the Patriots, who fits in very well in that system and could end up being a Richard Seymour type football player.

most overrated pick of round 2- WR osu Brian Robinske- like Clay Matthews in my 1st round edition, i do not see what makes people fall in love with this ordinary possesion reciever. He only has average speed and quickness, as well as his lack of explosiveness and doesnt really get away from seperation. He is a what you see is what you get pick in my opinion, as he looks to have already peaked. The only things i like about Robinske is his height and his hands, and is very durable, but that only takes you so far. He could end up being good with time, but i dont see it happening. A team like Miami, the football Giants, or even the Jets or Bears could end up putting a 2nd round pick for Robinske, but he reminds me of Drew Bennett, just 3 inches shorter, he like Bennett, might have 1 or 2 good years but thats about it.

Check back soon with my round 3 edition.

                                                                                                                           by- Logan Quick

- Jarron Gilbert with San Jose State

As the NFL draft, is approaching fast, only 1 week away, i have broken down who i think is the most guarenteed pick to become a star, the pick who i think everybody in the league is sleeping on, and the pick who is the most overrated. I could have gone with a couple other prospects at each position, and i will be doing this rounds 1-7. My first series is definally round 1.

The guarenteed- WR tx tech Michael Crabtree- He is my guarenteed future pro bowler. Not only were his stats ridicuously insane at tech, with 231 catches, 3127 yards, and 41 touchdowns in just 2 years in a pass heavy offense led by Graham Harrell. He is a 6-3 215 pound moster and is commonly compared to Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald coming out of college. Crabtree has great hands and is a great route runner, two things NFL teams look for. His only downfall is his average 40 time, but anybody who has seen Crabtree play a game of football, knows the 21 year old from Dallas, Texas is fast enough to be great.

Sleeper of the 1st round- RB Georgia knowshon Moreno- Most of the mock drafts i have seen have Moreno falling to pick 31 to Arizona,and sometimes early 2nd round. And if Moreno falls to Arizona, Ken Whisenhunt and company will be drooling at this prospect, making it an easy pick. It will give Arizona their feature back they need to replace Edgerrin James. He is 5-11 and 215 pounds and can carry a full NFL load. He is a running back who has great vision and breaks tackles and makes defenders miss. The only downfall to Moreno. again, is his average 40 time, and again, it is just a mirage, as Moreno has great game speed.

Overrated pick of the 1st round- OLB usc Clay Matthews- Call me a hater. Im not very impressed with Matthews, as almost everybody else is seeing him as a top 20 pick. He is #1 on my Overrated radar. For one, he has just average speed, not 40 time speed, real gametime speed, to be an NFL outside linebacker. Two, he is not a great athlete, he doesnt cover well, doesnt not have fluid hips and has some durability concerns. The only things i like about Matthews is his blitzing skills and his stregnth. If he is a good NFL linebacker, great for him and the team who drafts him. But he reminds me of Bobby Carpenter coming out of college too much, and that is definally not a good thing. Carpenter has just 50 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 3 years in Dallas, making just One start.

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Even though there is still the whole NBA playoffs to go, i wanted to break down the top 5 ( my top 5) prospects in the draft. The 2009 draft, that will be held in June, is very stacked at the top of the draft, but kind of fizzles out after pick 20. Alot of boom or bust picks are going pro, and some of them are even seniors. But without further interruption, here are my top 5 NBA draft prospects ( projected)-

PF OKL;A Blake Griffin 6-10 250 age- 20

Stregnths- Long and athletic, good hands, great rebounder, very physical, great low post player

Weaknesses- durability (knees), free throws, shot blocking, turnovers

Comparison- Carlos Boozer

SG MEM Tyreke Evans 6-6 220 age- 20

Stregnths- great scorer, sharpshooter, creating oppurtunitys, good assist man, quick and agile

Weaknesses- may be too jittery, rebounding, shooting off the dribble

Comparison- Jamal Crawford

SG ASU James Harden 6-5 220 age- 20

Stregnths- great scorer, also a sharpshooter, drawing contact, free throws, stregnth, defense

Weaknesses- not standout athlete, bot espically quick, turnovers, possibly his height

Comparison- Jason Richardson

C UCONN Hasheem Thabeet 7-3 265 age- 22

Stregnths- shot blocking, rebounding, wingspan, can run floor well, shoots high % for a center

Weaknesses- drops passes, clumsy with passes, offensive game is very raw

Comparison- Dikembe Mutombo

SG USC Demar Derozan 6-7 220 age- 20

Stregnths- great size, athletic, rebounding, both way player, creates oppurtunitys

Weaknesses- 3 pointers, passing, dribbling with his left hand, free throws

Comparison- Vince Carter

                                                                                                  by- Logan Quick

With all the pre-draft meetings and reports, it looks almost obvious that the Ravens are drafting a WR. The WR’s that could be availiable are Maryland’s Darrius Heyward-Bey, UNC’s Hakeem Nicks, Florida’s Percy Harvin, and Rutgers Kenny Britt. Who will fall? who knows. But i am here to breakdown these four top WR prospects.

First with Nicks. He has said it would be fun catching from Flacco, but no workouts have been held yet with Nicks. Nicks is a 6-1 210 pound WR that is tough and is reliable over the middle. He also is a great route runner, has good agility and is very physical. He also has decent speed, posting a 4.50 40 at the combine. He has some weaknesses, like his average quickness, and subpar elusiveness, also some people tend to think he is too cocky. All that aside, he did break every major recieving catagory at UNC. he broke the record for catches(181) rec yards(2,840) and rec TD’s (21), ill take that ‘cockyness’ anyday if he post those numbers in the NFL. I compare him to Arizona’s Anquan Boldin as far as toughness goes. availiable at 26? yes he will be.

Next is Heyward-Bey. The Ravens had out with him with Flacco in College Park 2 weeks ago, and director of player personnel Eric Decosta said this. ‘He is a work in progress, but is a big guy that is very, very fast’. The 6-3 205 pound WR out of Maryland is also a great athlete and is very explosive with great acceleration. He is also very quick and agile. Not to mention his 4.30 speed. He has few weaknesses but he is a raw route runner, and has average stregnth. His consistency has also been called out in the past. I compare him to Atlanta’s Roddy White. Both are very fast and are homerun hitters. White averaged 15.7 yards a catch in 2008, along with 7 TD’s. Availiable at 26? maybe, Minnesota at 22 or Miami at 25 could take Heyward-Bey.

Harvin is next. He also has not worked out with Baltimore yet, but they have shown interest. Harvin is in that Reggie Bush mold at 5-11 195, and is very shifty and has great speed and acceleration. He is a playmaker as well, having 1,929 Rec yards and 1,852 Rushing yards in his 3 years at Florida. And he did score 32 TD’s in 36 games. Weaknesses are his durability, and his route running. I compare him to Washington’s Santana Moss. He is shifty and can turn little plays into big ones, just as Moss can. Availiable at 26? maybe as well. Houston at 15, and of course Minnesota at 22 or Miami at 25 could land Harvin.

Britt is last. He also has not worked out with Baltimore, but they have shown interest in him as well. Britt stands at 6-3 and 220 pounds and caught 87 catches for 1371 yards and 7 TD’s in 2008. Britt is a bug guy with great range and good speed, and he also has good hands and is an exellent leaper. He also has a lot of upside just like Heyward-Bey. Decosta had mentioned  Britt is very talented. Weaknesses are his lack of quickness and acceleration and subpar elusiveness. I compare him to Kansas City’s Dwayne Bowe. He is like Bowe in many ways. Avaliable at 26? yes

My take is that the Ravens land Harvin at 26. Chicago traded away the #18, and that means most likely a WR will fall. I say it is Harvin to Baltimore. He provides the big play threat that the Ravens need to be dominant in 2009.

Whoever the Ravens get, they will end up with a great young WR to be the future #1 after Mason retires.

                                                                                                                                               By- Logan Quick

                                          by- Greg Quick

                       LF #18 Felix Pie

Info- 6-2 170

2/8/1985

Acquired 1/18/09 from Chicago for LHP Garret Olson

under team control 5 more years

2008 stats- (CHC)- .241 AVG, 1 HR, 10 RBI’s, 3 SB, 43 G, 83 AB’s

Outlook- The O’s acquired the one-time top prospect

for Lefty pitcher Garret Olson in January. Pie

never got a legit oppurtunity with the Cubs, and

is now out of minor league options. Pie still is a

5-tool player and will get his shot with the O’s in

2009. All Pie needs is consistent AB’s and should

show his talent. Pie is a natural CF but will be playing

LF in Baltimore, as the O’s have an all-around talent

in Adam Jones in center. The O’s are going to give Pie

most of the playing time in LF, but will be in a platoon

role with Ryan Freel, as Pie has trouble hitting lefties.

The O’s know one thing for sure, and thats Pie will

add some speed to the line-up and will give the O’s

one of the best young defensive outfieldsin the game

with Pie in left, Jones in center, and Markakis in right.

2009 projection- .270 AVG, 12 HR’s, 50 RBI’s, 25 SB, 7 CS, 130 G, 425 AB’s

Read more Oriole player profiles on Beltwaysports. Also check us out at Oriolecentral.wordpress.com

Thats it, we have covered our projected 25 man roster. Stay tuned in to Beltwaysports for more Orioles blogs throughout the entire 2009 season.

                                                     by- Greg Quick

                          DH/LF #30 Luke Scott

Info- 6-0 210

6/25/1978

Under team control 4 more years

2008 stats- .257 AVG, 23 HR’s, 65 RBI’s, 148 G, 475 AB’s

Outlook- The O’s acquired Luke from Houston in the Tejada

deal before last season. Scott gave the O’s a boost

on offense, helping lessen the sting of losing Tejada’s

bat. He will return to the same spot in the heart of the

line-up for the O’s again in the 2009 season, which

again should be a high scoring offense. Scott got most

of his playing time in left field in 2008, but will most likely

spend most of his time as the DH in 2009. Scott will more

than likely be in some sort of platoon with Ty Wigginton

at the Designated Hitter position, as Scott only hit .215

off Lefties in 2008. Scott might spend some time in LF,

but the O’s acquired Cubs one time top prospect Felix

Pie, and Pie will get most of the playing time in left field.

Expect Scott to still hit for a ton of power and drive in

a lot of runs even though he is in that platoon role.

2009 projection- .275 AVG, 25 HR’s, 82 RBI’s, 140 G, 425 AB’s

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                                                         by- Greg Quick

                             INF/OF #2 Ryan Freel

Info- 5-10 185

3/8/1976

Acquired from Reds for Ramon Hernandez (12/9/08)

1yr/4mil(2009)

2008 stats-Cincinatti- .298 AVG, 0 HR’s, 10 RBI’s, 6 SB, 4 CS, 48 G, 131 AB’s

Outlook- The O’s acquired Freel from the Reds for Ramon

Hernandez, basically to open up the catcher spot

for top prospect Matt Wieters. Freel also has talent

and can be a good utility guy and platoon partner for

someone, as he can play all outfield position, along with

every infield spot exept for SS, which the O’s have worked

him at in Spring training. Freel will probably get most of his

work in LF for the O’s, platooning with Felix Pie. Freel will

face mostly lefty pitching, as he hit .340 off them in limited

AB’s before missing most of 2008 with a Hamstring injury.

Freel is an agressive player, always going all-out on the

basepaths and in the field, which sometimes leads to him

getting hurt. Freel can also cause havoc on the basepaths

with his speed, as in 2005 he stole 36 bases and stole 37

bases in 2006. When healthy Freel is a top of the line utility

guy in the league and the O’s will focus on that, keeping him

100 percent healthy.

2009 projection- .270 AVG, 5 HR’s, 35 RBI’s, 30 SB, 7 CS, 105 G, 250 AB’s

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2009 NFL mock draft- round 1- picks 1-32

This draft will be interesting. With a month exactly until the draft, nobody

knows who #1 will be. Let alone the other 31 picks. So here is my mock

draft, and hopefully it has some right picks on it come April.

#1 DET- QB GEO- Matt Stafford- the Lions need a franchise QB, and Culpepper,Stanton, and Orlovsky arent the answer.

#2 STL- OT-UVA- Eugene Monroe- replacement for future H.O.F Orlando Pace, great run and pass blocker.

#3 KC- OT- BAY-Jason Smith- need a young OT to solidify line immeadiately to pair with 08 1st rd pick Branden Albert

#4 SEA- WR- TX tech- Michael Crabtree- need a top young WR to go with T.J. next Larry Fitzgerald? or better?

#5 CLE- LB- WF- Aaron Curry- need a playmakingLB to go with Jackson and Wimbley to form one of the top young LB cores

#6- CIN- DE- Texas- Brian Orakpo- boom or bust type pick. Bengals need consistent pass rusher

#7 OAK- WR- Mizzou- Jeremy Maclin- need a great WR to go with Jamarcus Russell, dynamic playmaker

#8 JAX- CB- OSU- Malcom Jenkins- need a CB to pair with Rashean Mathis. top DB in draft.

#9 GB- DT- BC- B.J Raji- need young DT to anchor D-line, great fit in GB system

#10 SF- OT- Ole Miss- Michael Oher- need a great OT to protect Gore and whoever there QB will be in 2009 ( Shaun Hill most likely)

#11 BUF- OG- OU- Duke Robinson- need an interior lineman to get more YPC up the middle, Robinson can do just that, hes a roadgrader

#12 DEN- DE- GT- Michael Johnson- need a top pass rusher and a run stopper like Johnson, Could be better than Orakpo in the NFL

#13 WSH- LB- FSU- Everette Brown- pure athlete, pairs up good with good LB core. Replacement for Marcus Washington

#14 NO- CB- ILL- Vontae Davis- replacement for Mike Mckenzie, best pure athlete at DB in the draft. He does have minor attitude problems

#15- HOU- DT- Ole Miss- Peria Jerry- great run stopper/pass rusher. Fits with Amobi Okoye very well in the middle

#16- SD- S-Mizzou- William Moore- Hart struggled last year, will help better in the pass secondary than Hart. Overall big upgrade

#17-NYJ-QB- USC- Mark Sanchez- like Detroit, need a franchise QB. Clemens and Ratliff arent the answer as well.

#18- CHI-WR-UMD- Darrius Heyward-Bey- need a great athletic WR to lead lead WR core in 2009

#19- TB-QB-KSU- Josh Freeman- need a QB of the future to go with new coaching staff ( see flacco and Baltimore, 2008 draft)

#20-DET-DE-LSU- Tyson Jackson- need a pass rushing DE to go with Cliff Avril

#21- PHI-RB-OSU- Chris :beenie” Wells- great young RB to take some load off of Brian Westbrook. Better than Buckhalter could

#22- MIN- C-Cal- Alex Mack- freak, one in a decade talented C will replace All-pro C Matt Birk in Minnesota.

#23- NE- OLB/DE- PSU- Aaron Maybin- need a complete DE/OLB verstaility to go with Meyo. Next T-sizzle?

#24 ATL- MLB- USC- Rey Malaluga- need a young LB for the future to pair with Lofton and Peterson in 2009

#25- MIA-WR- UNC- Hakeem Nicks- great, physical WR to pair with Ginn and RB core

#26- BAL-WR-FLA- Percy Harvin- Need dynamic WR that Baltimore needs for the future. Future #1 after Mason retires

#27- IND- DT-USC- Fili Moala- need a good young DT. period

#28- PHI-TE-OK ST- need a replacement for LJ Smith at TE. Great athlete

#29- NYG- WR- RUT- Kenny Britt- need a future #1 as well with Plaxco in legal trouble and Toomer basically gone. Pairs up with Smith

#30- TEN-CB-WF- Alphonso Smith- need a great young CB for depth. He fits the mold

#31- ARZ-RB-GEO- Knowshon Moreno- need a franchise RB to take over feature back role in 2009. Better than James at this point

#32- PIT-DE-NIU- Larry English- need young DE/OLB to help aging D-line. great pass rusher to go with Timmons and Hairson

Thats my mock draft. Hope you all like it. I had regular projected 1st rounders like Andre Smith and Eben Britton at OT. and MLB James Laurinits. They will go early 2nd round. (Laurinitis to DET at RD2-PICK1?, maybe)