Tag: 2002 NFL Draft

Texans picking David Carr over Julius Peppers considered a draft blunder

The Houston Texans may have had a different start to their early years had they gone with Julius Peppers over David Carr at No. 1 overall in 2002.

Not every team can nail their draft picks, and the Houston Texans are no exception. In fact, their very first draft choice in team history may be considered a blunder.

So says Tyler Sullivan, who released his list of draft blunders since 2000 for CBS Sports. One of the mistakes to make the list was the Texans’ selection of quarterback David Carr at No. 1 overall.

David Carr was picked to usher in a new era in the NFL as he joined the new expansion team in the Houston Texans. However, his arrival to Houston didn’t produce a ton of wins out of the gate. For his Texans tenure, Carr went 23-53 as a starter and completed 60% of his passes while averaging 176.2 yards passing per game. Not exactly what you’d be hoping for from a No. 1 overall pick at quarterback, but Carr was admittedly in a tough position and led the league in sacks in three out of the first four seasons of his career.

Who Sullivan says the Texans should have taken was North Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers, who went the very next pick to the Carolina Panthers.

Had the Texans elected to bolster their defense upon first entering the league, they likely would have found a little more success as the Carolina Panthers were able to select pass-rusher Julius Peppers right after Carr. Peppers went on to have a tremendous carer that just wrapped up back in 2018. He was named to nine Pro Bowls over his career and is a member of the All-Decade Teams for both the 2000s and 2010s. Peppers also holds the NFL record for most forced fumbles of all-time.

Peppers went to a scheme under John Fox where the Panthers were deploying a 4-3 front, and Peppers was able to play as a down lineman. Had he gone to Houston, where new coach Dom Capers was running a 3-4 scheme, Peppers would have played standing up as an outside linebacker.

Of course, Peppers proved he could play as an outside linebacker standing up when he played for the Green Bay Packers from 2014-16. Incidentally Capers was the Packers’ defensive coordinator during Peppers’ tenure.

It could be argued the Texans decided to go always go with the defensive end over the quarterback. Houston’s next two No. 1 overall selections (2006, 2014) were edge rushers in Mario Williams and Jadeveon Clowney. The first quarterbacks off the boards in those respective drafts were Vince Young and Blake Bortles.

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Potential Eagles NFL draft target David Ojabo suffered a torn Achilles during pro day

#Eagles #NFLDraft2022: #Michigan Edge rusher David #Ojabo sustained a torn Achilles in pass rush drill at his Pro Day

The Eagles had eyes on potential pass rushers before signing Haason Reddick to a deal, and one of the draft’s top prospects could slide in the draft after suffering a serious injury.

Michigan star pass rusher David Ojabo had to be helped off after suffering an injury in front of scouts and coaches.

Adam Schefter is now reporting that Ojabo tore his Achilles on Friday, an injury that both Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham, and Rams running back Cam Akers both suffered this season. Akers was able to return in six months, and a team drafting Ojabo will have to decide if he’ll likely sit out or miss the bulk of his rookie season.

An explosive player at Michigan, Ojabo ran a 4.55 in the 40 and had a 10-foot-2 broad jump at the NFL Combine, and could still be an option for the Eagles at some point.

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Potential Eagles NFL draft target David Ojabo suffers injury during Michigan pro day

#Eagles #NFLDraft2022: #Michigan Edge rusher David #Ojabo sustained injury in pass rush drill at his Pro Day

The Eagles had eyes on potential pass rushers before signing Haason Reddick to a deal, and one of the draft’s top prospects just had to be carted off from his pro day.

Michigan star pass rusher David Ojabo had to be helped off after suffering an injury in front of scouts and coaches.

An explosive player at Michigan, Ojabo ran a 4.55 in the 40 and had a 10-foot-2 broad jump at the NFL Combine.

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Tennessee Titans don’t land Albert Haynesworth in 2002 NFL re-draft

Who did the Titans take in Bleacher Report’s re-draft of the 2002 NFL Draft?

In the 2002 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans came away with a true impact defender in defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who was chosen by the team with the No. 15 pick after a trade back.

Haynesworth went on to have a productive career with the Titans. In seven seasons in Nashville, he made it to two Pro Bowls and was twice named a First-Team All-Pro.

Before running into issues later in his career and ultimately leaving the Titans for the Washington Redskins, Haynesworth was one of the best at his position in the NFL.

If NFL teams had the chance to do it again, the Titans never would have been able to grab Haynesworth at the spot they got him, forcing the team to go in a different direction.

Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon did a re-draft of the 2002 NFL Draft and the Titans ended up with guard Brandon Moore at No. 14, and Haynesworth landed with the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 8 overall instead.

With Haynesworth gone and Henderson also unavailable, the Tennessee Titans go an even less sexy but extremely steady route with an undrafted guard.

Brandon Moore wasn’t a superstar at a glamor position, but he started every game for eight consecutive seasons with the New York Jets and was extremely consistent and reliable as both a run- and pass-blocker.

It’s surprising he made just one Pro Bowl, but he would have eventually lent a huge hand to a Titans team that often had continuity along the offensive line but could have used more young interior talent when they were competitive between 2007 and 2011.

They were always stronger outside than inside, which is why McKinnie continues to slide.

Originally, Moore went undrafted, but he was able to prove to every team that passed on him that they made a mistake.

Moore had a long career with the New York Jets and started in 16 games for eight consecutive seasons, one of which resulted in a Pro Bowl nod (2011). As Gagnon points out, he probably should have been voted to more than that.

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Giants select Javon Walker in 2002 NFL re-draft

In Bleacher Report’s 2002 NFL re-draft, the New York Giants select wide receiver Javon Walker.

In 2002, the New York Giants held the 15th overall selection in the NFL Draft. They got a bit antsy as their turn to pick neared and traded up one spot with the Tennessee Titans to get their man — Miami tight end Jeremy Shockey.

The Giants gave up picks 15 and 110 to Tennessee, who chose defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and cornerback Mike Echols with those picks.

In Bleacher Report’s re-draft of the 2002 NFL Draft, writer Brad Gagnon has Shockey going 9th to the Jacksonville Jaguars, so he wasn’t there for Ernie Accorsi to grab.

Instead, Gagnon has the Giants selecting Florida State wide receiver Javon Walker, who went 20th that year to Green Bay.

What actually happened: Traded up, drafted TE Jeremy Shockey 14th overall

Where he was actually picked: 20th overall by the Green Bay Packers

The New York Giants were also pretty solid at offensive tackle in these days, but they did lose a pass-catcher when Shockey went to Jacksonville in the top 10. Here, they sort of replace him by at least giving eventual franchise quarterback Eli Manning another talented target in wide receiver Javon Walker.

In Green Bay during Manning’s rookie year with the Giants, Walker caught 89 passes for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns. That was his only Pro Bowl campaign, but he also went over 1,000 yards with the Denver Broncos in 2006. It was downhill from there, but the Giants might take this chance, hoping to squeeze a little more out of the Florida State product.

At the very least, he would have provided a huge upgrade over Ike Hilliard in support of Amani Toomer (and, later, Plaxico Burress).

I don’t know how much (if any) of an upgrade Walker would have been over Hilliard or Toomer, who is the Giants’ all-time leading receiver. And there’s no way he was better than Plaxico.

The correct revisionist pick here would have been Miami safety Ed Reed, taken 24th by Baltimore, the only player in this draft class to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame thus far.

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Ravens select Michigan G Ben Bredeson with No. 143 pick in 4th round

The Baltimore Ravens continue to add some talent in the trenches, bringing on board strong guard Ben Bredeson in the fourth round.

The Baltimore Ravens are back for Day 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft. With their first pick of the day, No. 143 in the fourth round, the Ravens select Michigan G Ben Bredeson.

We came into this draft expecting the Ravens to add some mass upfront to their offensive line following the retirement of Marshal Yanda and with center Matt Skura still rehabbing after his season-ending knee injury. But the Ravens double-dip at guard after taking Mississippi State’s Tyre Phillips with the last pick in the third round.

We had actually pegged Bredeson as the best guard prospect expected to be available in the fourth round and apparently Baltimore agreed. He’s a determined and intelligent blocker with a ton of strength, all important features in the Ravens’ power-rushing attack.

Baltimore could have gotten a little inside information on Bredeson from coach John Harbaugh’s older brother, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. Bredeson started every game at left guard at Michigan over the last three seasons, getting playing time in all 13 games as a freshman too.

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4 things the Steelers picking Alex Highsmith means for Pittsburgh

The addition of Alex Highsmith will be big for the Steelers on both sides of the ball.

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

The Pittsburgh Steelers found a way to keep outside linebacker Bud Dupree for 2020 on the franchise tag. But the reality is he’s likely a one-year rental before he heads off to sign a massive free-agent contract somewhere else in 2021. After releasing Anthony Chickillo, it was no stretch to think the Steelers would use a top pick on a player to bolster depth at edge rusher.

That pick turned out to be Charlotte edge Alex Highsmith at the end of the third round.

There’s a competition to replace Bud Dupree

If we assume Dupree is gone after this season, his successor comes down to a battle between Highsmith and Ola Adeniyi as of right now. Adeniyi is a former UDFA who has looked solid in preseason but couldn’t see consistent reps behind Dupree and Watt last season. Highsmith is a better player right now that Adeniyi so he should push him from day one.

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The time Mel Kiper thought Texans QB David Carr wasn’t going to be a bust

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper predicted that former Houston Texans quarterback David Carr wouldn’t be a bust.

ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper believed Houston Texans quarterback David Carr wasn’t going to be a disappointment or a bust for the expansion franchise.

Ty Bronicel of the Touchdown Wire compiled some of the biggest misses of Kiper’s career, and believing Carr and the Detroit Lions’ first-round quarterback Joey Harrington weren’t going to flame out was up there.

“I think when you look at Carr and Harrington, three or four years down the road, you’re not going to call any one of these two players a bust or a disappointment,” Kiper said via Bronicel.

The Texans drafted Carr from Fresno State with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, making the 22-year-old the first ever draft pick in the history of the franchise.

Carr enjoyed a 19-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys in his first game, and the city of Houston’s since the Oilers left in 1996. However, he took a beating with a league-leading 76 sacks on the way to a 4-12 record. Over his career with the Texans, Carr took 249 sacks and compiled a 22-53 mark as a starter. His best season was 2004 when he led Houston to a 7-9 record and had an 83.5 passer rating.

As for Harrington, he went 18-37 in Detroit and threw for the most interceptions in the NFL in 2003 with 22. The Lions never had a winning season, and he was out of the Motor City after the 2005 season.

The only two quarterbacks worth any value out of the entire 2002 draft class were Josh McCown, who went 81st overall in the third round to the Arizona Cardinals, and David Garrard, who went 108th overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round. McCown was a backup for the Philadelphia Eagles last season, and Garrard earned a Pro Bowl as he led the Jaguars to a wild-card playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at the end of the 2007 season.

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Panthers 2020 NFL draft: 4 prospects worth trading up for

If they are looking to move up from the No. 7 selection, here are the only four prospects who they should be considering.

The Panthers hold the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft. That should be high enough to land a strong long-term starter to fill one of the team’s many needs. The last time Carolina had a top-10 pick, the team got a generational talent at running back by taking Christian McCaffrey at No. 8 back in 2017.

However, staying put at that spot might put them out of range to pick a true game-changing kind of player. If they are looking to move up from the No. 7 pick, here are the only four prospects who they should be considering.

LSU QB Joe Burrow

Joe Burrow
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

David Tepper’s time as team owner has been defined by making bold moves. Some have been quite popular, others not so much. It doesn’t get any bolder than moving up for the top quarterback in the draft class.

The Panthers already have a connection to Burrow with new offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who helped him win the Heisman after a historic 2019 season. It’s hard not to imagine the possibilities of reforming that tandem and seeing what they can do together at the next level.

Burrow is not only the top QB prospect in the 2020 class, some analysts believe he’s the best to come along since Andrew Luck. It’s rare to get a guaranteed slam dunk at quarterback, even for a No. 1 pick. The chance to pair a potential superstar with a bright and innovative young offensive coordinator has to be alluring.

Trading up for Burrow would almost certainly require the team to move up to the No. 1 overall spot, though. The Bengals are in prime position to pillage any team that wants to deal with them. Any package would have to include a bare minimum of three first-round picks, a few choice Day 2 picks and probably much more going to Cincinnati. That’s a lot of capital to give up for as many needs as Carolina has.

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NFL Combine: Bears have met with WRs Van Jefferson, Gabriel Davis

While receiver doesn’t rank high on the list of priorities for the Bears this offseason, they’d do well to target a receiver in the draft.

While receiver doesn’t rank high on the list of priorities for the Bears this offseason, they’d do well to target a receiver in the NFL Draft.

With the departure of Taylor Gabriel, who was one of the first cap-casualties of the offseason, the Bears should look to the draft to bring in a speedy young talent.

There are no shortage of explosive playmakers in this receivers class, and luckily for Chicago, it’s a good year to need a pass catcher.

The Bears have met with Florida receiver Van Jefferson and UCF receiver Gabriel Davis at the NFL Scouting Combine this week, according to Zack Pearson.

Davis excels at route running and ball skills, and he’s a speedy receiver that would help the Bears. Davis ran a 4.54 in the 40-yard dash during Thursday’s workout. He also had a 35-inch vertical jump and 124-inch broad jump.

Unfortunately for Jefferson, he wasn’t able to showcase his skills. He’ll be sidelined for the next few weeks after being diagnosed with a Jones fracture in his right foot by doctors at the NFL Combine, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Jefferson will undergo surgery next week, which is expected to sideline him for six to eight weeks. Obviously, that means Jefferson won’t be able to participate in the Scouting Combine or Florida’s Pro Day, which usually happens in late March. Jefferson really raised his draft stock at the Senior Bowl, but he didn’t have a chance to further that.

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