NFL Draft 2006 – Round 1 #21 – New England Patriots – RB Laurence Maroney

The Pats, who had a mediocre year after winning two straight Super Bowls, are on the clock.

The pick: Minnesota RB Laurence Maroney.

An interesting choice, especially with an aging Corey Dillon. He was rated #22 overall by Goose. Still, with Manny Lawson still on the board, I’m surprised the Pats didn’t jump at a studly defensive end who’s the highest rated player on the board.

NFL Draft 2006 – Round 1 #20 – Kansas City Chiefs – DE Tamba Hali

The Chiefs went 10-6 last year and just made the playoffs. They are, however, getting rather old at key positions, notably quarterback. There’s not a first round QB left on the board.

The pick: Penn State DE Tamba Hali

The crowd at the draft doesn’t like it and, frankly, I’ve never heard of him. But Rick Gosselin had him projected to go to KC here and had him rated #27 overall.

NFL Draft 2006 – Round 1 #19 – San Diego Chargers -CB Antonio Cromartie

The Chargers are on the clock with several players that weren’t supposed to be available still on the board, including Antonio Cromartie.

The ESPN gang says Cromartie has huge upside on the athleticism side but he’s only 19, thus explaining why he has fallen this far. But, if he can’t make it as a corner, he’s got the speed and hands to play wide receiver.

Pick: Cromartie

One wonders why FSU was so mediocre last year, despite having so many players go in the 1st round this year.

NFL Draft 2006 – Round 1 #18 – Dallas Cowboys – OLB Bobby Carpenter

The moment I’ve been waiting for since last November! The Cowboys are on the clock. There are a lot of studs left, including FSU corner Antonio Cromartie, the 14th best player in the draft according to Rick Gosselin. Still, the Cowboys probably don’t need to spend a 1st on a cornerback and there are several stud linemen still in this draft.

Jerry Jones has said he’d love to trade down to pick up the 4th rounder he traded away last year to draft Eric Canty. I’d love that, too, if they can do it without dropping too far.

If not, I’d love to have NC State DE Manny Lawson or Ohio State OLB Bobby Carpenter.

Safety is the biggest “need” position for the ‘Boys but, short of Michael Huff falling to them, spending another 1st round pick (Roy Williams) on a safety just doesn’t make sense. On the other hand, with the 3-4 now firmly in place, another pass rusher would be a welcome addition. If defense wins championships, and games are won in the trenches, it just makes sense.

The pick: Bobby Carpenter

Arguably, not the best player available. But Parcells loves linebackers and he coached Bobby’s dad, Rob, who was a running back with the Giants in the 1990s.

Update: DC.com’s Rob Phillips,

For the second consecutive year, the Cowboys spent their first-round pick on a dynamic outside linebacker. The Cowboys drafted Ohio State linebacker Bobby Carpenter with the 18th overall pick, bolstering their depth at one of the most important positions in the 3-4 defense. Carpenter was the fifth linebacker taken in the draft, following fellow Buckeye A.J. Hawk (5th overall), Florida State’s Ernie Sims (9th) and Kamerion Wimbley (13) and Chad Greenway (17).

Carpenter (6-2, 254) has good size for an outside linebacker in a 3-4 and shows good instincts and range. His father, Rob Carpenter, played running back for Bill Parcells when he coached the New York Giants.

Carpenter helped form perhaps the best linebacker group in the country last season, featuring first-round pick Hawk and Anthony Schelegel. The Buckeyes ranked first in rush defense (72.4) and fifth in both total defense (281.3) and scoring defense (15.2).
Carpenter finished 10th on Ohio State’s all-time sack list (14.5) and recorded 142 of his career 191 tackles in his final two seasons with the Buckeyes.

[...]

The Cowboys still haven’t drafted an offensive player in the first round since 1997, when tight end David LaFleur was taken with the 22nd overall pick. The club selected linebacker Ware (No. 11) and defensive end Marcus Spears (No. 20) with its two first-round picks last year.

The Cowboys seemingly addressed all of their needs in some capacity through free agency. They added depth on the offensive line with guard Kyle Kosier and tackle Jason Fabini and signed high-profile free agents Terrell Owens and Mike Vanderjagt to fill their needs at wide receiver and kicker, respectively. Safety has been mentioned as a potential first-round target throughout the off-season, but the Cowboys matched New Orleans’ offer sheet for Keith Davis and signed veteran Marcus Coleman two weeks ago. Both players have NFL starting experience at free safety.

NFL Draft 2006 – Round 1 #17 – Minnesota Vikings – LB Chad Greenway

The Vikings surely hoped that one of the Big 3 quarterbacks would drop to them, since they decided to trade Daunte Culpepper for a bag of magic beans in the offseason. That didn’t happen.

But there are several stud players still left, with teams starting to go off the reservation in their picks. The further one goes down in the draft, the less likely there is to be consensus as to who’s the best player, since everyone starts having weaknesses.

Goose had the Vikes taking linebacker Chad Greenway.

The pick: Greenway

NFL Draft 2006 – Round 1 #16 – Miami Dolphins – S Jason Allen

The Dolphins are on the clock with several very good players available. FSU CB Antonio Cromartie is the best player left on Goose’s board at #14 but North Carolina State DE Manny Lawson, ranked #16, is the first player at a position of need. Given this close an alignment between “best available” and filling needs, the latter is the smart choice.

Pick: Tennessee safety Jason Allen

So, they took neither the best available nor the biggest need. I would scoff but have quite a bit of confidence in Miami head coach Nick Saban. And, as the ESPN gang notes, he scouted this guy while coaching at LSU, so he may have special fondness.

NFL Draft 2006 – Round 1 #15 – St. Louis Rams (from Broncos) – CB Tye Hill

The Rams are on the clock. Again. They moved down four spots to pick up an extra 3rd rounder. A great move so long as they didn’t lose the guy at the top of their board.

Pick: Tye Hill, CB Clemson

Interesting choice. He was the #20 player on Goose’s board. Not horrible for the 15th pick, I guess, but he wasn’t even the best corner on the board. FSU’s Antonio Cromartie (#14) and South Carolina’s Johnathan Joseph (#19) were still available. Apparently, the Rams had them ranked differently.

NFL Draft 2006 – Round 1 #14 – Philadelphia Eagles – DT Brodrick Bunkley

The Eagles have a flock of needs this year, with the wheels having come off last season and their best playmaker (although worst teammate), Terrell Owens, gone to their division rival Dallas Cowboys. Two FSU teammates, DT Brodrick Bunkley (#10) and cornerback Antonio Cromartie (#14) are the best players left on Goose’s board. He projected the Eagles to take Cromartie in his mock draft.

Goose has done well so far. The Bills tooks Donte Whitner about ten spots early but only two of the top fourteen players are available at #14. That’s pretty impressive.

Which do the Eagles need more, a DT or a DB? Goose says, “The Eagles need to fortify the offensive and defensive lines. But with Terrell Owens signing with Dallas and Plaxico Burress playing in New York, the Eagles had better find a big physical corner who can match up with those offensive giants if Philadelphia is to once again contend for an NFC East title.” But can they pass up a top ten player?

If Bunkley were a defensive end rather than a tackle, it’d be a no brainer. I’m less sure given a safety-DT choice. My tendency would always be to take the lineman, though.

Pick: Bunkley

As a Cowboys fan, I’d have prefered they take the safety. You just don’t go wrong taking the best available player. The Eagles did. The good news from the Cowboys’ standpoint is that they pick at #18 (presuming they don’t trade) and could really use a safety.

NFL Draft 2006 – Round 1 #13 – Cleveland Browns (from Ravens) – DE Kamerion Wimbley

The Browns dropped one spot. There’s still a stud D-lineman available in Kamerion Wimbley.

Interestingly, Goose had Wimbley going to Cleveland at #12 and Baltimore at #13. It would be funny if the new Browns got a free pick from the old Browns for taking the guys they would have taken anyway.

Pick: Wimbley