Getting prepared for this week’s NFL draft, I began looking at some of our past draft stories here at LBS. At that point it became pretty clear to me that we have been pretty nails on our predictions. With that in mind, I’d like to pump up our credibility before the 2010 NFL draft gets underway on Thursday night. Here are some of the classic predictions/observations made at LBS to convince you we know what we’re talking about:
March 2nd, 2007: Oakland Raiders Don’t NEED to Take Quinn or Russell. We said:
Talk to any draft expert and it’s case closed, signed sealed delivered, Raiders are taking Quinn or Russell. I ask the question however, why?
How great was Brady Quinn against USC? In any Bowl Game? Against Michigan? Is he mobile enough to survive in the NFL with a horrifically brutal offensive line?
Further, 3 interceptions against good defenses like Florida and Tennessee worry me, as does [JaMarcus Russell’s] 265lb out of shape frame. What does it show about your work ethic and motivation if you can’t get in shape when the top pick of the draft millions of dollars are at stake?
June 27th, 2007: I Would Take Kevin Durant (over Greg Oden). What we said:
It might seem weird because the easy starting point is a big man — a true center — a Greg Oden. But if you ask me, Kevin Durant is the pick. He’s a special, special talent. He can do things that nobody else in the draft can do (perhaps 30/10 a game). And by golly, I’d want him on my team more than anyone else.
April 25th, 2009: Raiders Show Why They’re the Raiders, Select Biggest WR Bust Heyward-Bey. We said:
How is it possible for a guy who’s supposedly a top-10 pick in the NFL draft to be so easily taken out of games in college? For an 8-4 team, does 42 catches, 609 yards and 5 touchdowns impress you? That doesn’t seem too impressive for a 12-game season. Heyward-Bey only had one game where he caught more than five passes and that also was his only 100-yard game of the season. Does that scream out game-changer to you? Me neither.
Of course, no story would be complete without the full truth and the reality is that I have screwed up before. I called Joakim Noah a bust in the middle of the regular season and I was obviously wrong about him. The good news is we’ve been on the right end of predictions many more times than the wrong end, so keep that in mind when we begin pontificating later this week.
