ESPN's draft look back 2006-2008

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=6528474


NFL Draft: Take Two

Some of us can't help fixing things.

Long ago we took the 1979 Best Picture Oscar from "Kramer vs. Kramer" and gave it to its rightful owner, "Apocalypse Now."

Halle Berry has now won Miss World 1986; forget the talk about her finishing sixth.

And don't even get us started on Jennifer Hudson.

Yet nothing needs fixing more than the NFL draft, which is the only monster event in American sports that gets breathless coverage and yet declares no winner and no loser. It's all poseurs and no closures.


LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell may have gone first in the first 2007 draft, but at the Official Re-Draft his phone never rings.

Everybody leaves Radio City Music Hall giddy as a Girl Scout that they've drafted the greatest team since the 1972 Dolphins. Yet within three years, those drafts look like they were conducted by drunk chickens. But nobody ever calls them on it.

Until now.

With America's first-ever Official First Round Re-Draft, we figure out which teams know the draft and which are just daft. Talking to draft experts and using our own eyes, you'll find below the re-drafts of the first rounds of 2006, 2007 and 2008. Each draft was conducted as if you were drafting right now with the same pool of players, but now you have three years of watching them in the bank.

Maurice Jones-Drew isn't going to last long in the 2006 re-draft, but you can bet Matt Leinart will.

LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell may have gone first in the first 2007 draft, but at the Official Re-Draft, his phone never rings. (We finally had to sneak him out the back.)

The first five in the 2008 re-draft look pretty sweet now, don't they? Matt Ryan, Chris Johnson, DeSean Jackson, Ray Rice and Jamaal Charles. You remember Mel Kiper's mock draft having that?

Below you'll find re-drafts of the 2006, 2007 and 2008 first rounds. Each re-draft shows the player's new draft position, his old draft position, and how far he rose or fell. For instance, if a player (like Tennessee DB Cortland Finnegan) went 215th in the first draft but would go 15th now, he'd have a plus/minus score of +200. Some players, like former Jets DE Vernon Gholston, wouldn't be drafted at all now. So he falls from sixth overall to the last pick possible, 252nd, for a plus-minus of -246. Plus, you'll also see how your team ranked in the team plus/minus re-totals.

NFL Re-Draft2006
Pick Player Team Position Original Pick Change
1 Mario Williams Texans DE 1 0
2 Haloti Ngata Ravens DT 12 +10
3 Maurice Jones-Drew Jaguars RB 60 +57
4 Nick Mangold Jets C 29 +25
5 D'Brickashaw Ferguson Jets OT 4 -1
6 Santonio Holmes Steelers WR 25 +19
7 Jahri Evans Saints G 108 +101
8 Devin Hester Bears WR 57 +49
9 Greg Jennings Packers WR 52 +43
10 Elvis Dumervil Broncos DE 126 +116
11 Jay Cutler Broncos QB 11 0
12 Kamerion Wimbley Browns LB 13 +1
13 DeMeco Ryans Texans LB 33 +20
14 Johnathan Joseph Bengals CB 24 +10
15 Cortland Finnegan Titans CB 215 +200
16 Tamba Hali Chiefs DE 20 +4
17 Brandon Marshall Broncos WR 119 +102
18 Marcedes Lewis Jaguars TE 28 +10
19 Vernon Davis 49ers TE 6 -13
20 Chad Greenway Vikings LB 17 -3
21 A.J. Hawk Packers LB 5 -16
22 Antonio Cromartie Chargers CB 19 -3
23 DeAngelo Williams Panthers RB 27 +4
24 Marcus McNeill Chargers OT 50 +26
25 Eric Winston Texans OT 66 +41
26 Davin Joseph Bucs G 23 -3
27 Ray Edwards Vikings DE 127 +100
28 Antoine Bethea Colts S 207 +179
29 Brad Smith Jets WR 103 +74
30 Owen Daniels Texans TE 98 +68
31 Andrew Whitworth Bengals OT 55 +24
32 Reggie Bush Saints RB 2 -30
First-round picks and where they'd be drafted now (255 picks in 2006 draft)
Pick Player Team Position Original Pick Change
38 Michael Huff Raiders S 7 -31
93 Joseph Addai Colts RB 30 -63
99 Manny Lawson 49ers LB 22 -77
118 Vince Young Titans QB 3 -115
129 Donte Whitner Bills S 8 -121
160 Ernie Sims Lions LB 9 -151
172 Mathias Kiwanuka Giants DE 32 -140
182 Jason Allen Dolphins S 16 -166
206 Bobby Carpenter Cowboys LB 18 -188
219 Brodrick Bunkley Eagles DT 14 -205
241 Kelly Jennings Seahawks CB 31 -210
Undrafted Matt Leinart Cardinals QB 10 -245
Undrafted Tye Hill Rams CB 15 -240
Undrafted Laurence Maroney Patriots RB 21 -234
Undrafted John McCargo Bills DT 26 -229