As the title says, the Dirty One himself had the draft lottery from his home last night and out of 12 choices, yours truly got the Number 1 overall pick in the CHUM, errrrr, CTVGlobemedia NFL Draft, so now I have two weeks to decide who I'm going to take with that pick.....and it took me all of 5 seconds to decide who I was going to take....
So, with the first pick overall at the draft, I will take......Adrian Peterson from the Minnesota Vikings! This one is really a no-brainer......He was already a phenom when he was in a one-dimensional offense and everyone was expecting him to run the ball.....now with the signing of Brett Favre and the potential emergence of Percy Harvin to create a pass threat, he could be an even bigger monster.....
Alright, so, the next time I pick will be at the number 24 and 25 spots as we're doing a traditional snake draft....In this position, it's so important that I get these two picks right or else my chances at winning the league are shot....so I'm looking at these options....I'm assuming that half of these guys will be gone, but if I can get two of these 4 guys, I'll be happy....
Reggie Wayne, WR - Indianapolis Colts
Reggie Wayne emerged as the number one receiver last year, but Marvin Harrison was still there and commanded some throws and looks from Peyton Manning....this year, Harrison is gone and Wayne will be the number one guy....it's not a sexy pick, but it's a really safe pick and I don't mind the fact that he's durable and will get his touches and scores...
Roddy White, WR - Atlanta Falcons
White emerged as one of the top receivers in the NFL a year ago as he was able to mesh so well with rookie quarterback Matt Ryan.....you have to think that the duo can only get better in their second year together....sure, White will have more attention payed to him, but with Michael Turner as a threat at the RB position, White will still get his touches....
Anquan Boldin, WR - Arizona Cardinals
Everyone knows how good Larry Fitzgerald is, but that's allowed for Anquan Boldin to become the forgotten one in the desert.....he missed four games last year for various injuries, including the brutal hit by Eric Smith of the Jets that left him concussed, but he still managed to catch the ball 89 times for 1038 yards in only 12 games.....not bad for a number 2 option!
Ronnie Brown, RB - Miami Dolphins
It's tempting to take a running back in this position to solidify my RB position since we start two running backs every week.....even without the Wildcat formation, Brown always had big-play potential....he was hobbled last year by a lingering injury to his ACL from 2007, but reports suggest he's motivated to return to form....the fact that it's a contract year for him too also helps in the motivation department....
Like I said, I think at least 2 of these 4 guys will be gone by the time it gets back to me for my 2nd and 3rd round picks, but these are guys that aren't really being talked about....so hopefully I can swoop in....I guess it makes it a bit harder to do though when I'm basically telling everyone what my strategy is heading into the draft.... :-)
Just looking at the top 100 lists of the different football outlets online and there are a couple of surprises to me.....first off, there really isn't that big-name quarterback that might make you think about reaching.....Peyton Manning isn't as valuable anymore 'cause he doesn't have as many weapons and Tom Brady has a ton of question marks because of the injury factor from a year ago....
Secondly, there are as many as 7 tight ends in the Top 100 to choose from, so in a 12-team league like ours, the tight end position could be a big difference this year.....if I choose someone like a Jason Witten and end up going against someone with a lesser tight end, that could be the difference between winning and losing this year....
Adrian Peterson is chosen....Pick Number 2 is now officially on the clock!