Kiper on top draft picks/Bears

[southsider2k5]

ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. believes the Bears will take Michigan's Braylon Edwards in this weekend's NFL draft. But that's not what Kiper would do if he were selecting at No. 4.

 

"I would take Mike Williams," Kiper said of the USC wideout. "I think he's going to turn out to be the best player in this draft. He'll catch a ton of balls and will be very difficult to handle with the [illegal contact] rules the way they are."

 

Kiper has Williams first on his board, followed by Auburn running back Ronnie Brown. Edwards is third, ahead of Auburn RB Carnell Williams, Texas RB Cedric Benson, Utah quarterback Alex Smith and Cal QB Aaron Rodgers.

 

Kiper said Williams gets the nod over Edwards because of his consistency.

 

"Had he played this year, he would have been the No. 1 [overall] pick," Kiper said. "He struggled the first couple of games as a freshman at USC, but from that point on he never dropped a ball. He was dynamic, caught almost 200 passes (actually 176) in two years. The kid's phenomenal."

 

At 6 feet 5 inches, 229 pounds, Williams is two inches taller and 18 pounds heavier than Edwards. And Kiper is not deterred by Williams' 4.56-second 40-yard time, even though Edwards' was 4.45.

 

"I'll tell you this," Kiper said. "Mike Williams is faster than Michael Clayton, and Clayton was one of the top rookies in the NFL last year for the Buccaneers."

 

Kiper also said the Bears, who don't have a third-round pick, would be wise to consider selecting Ohio State kicker Mike Nugent on the draft's first day.

 

"I've never seen a kid split the uprights on a regular basis the way Nugent does," he said. "You couldn't throw it right down the middle of the uprights the way the kid does. He has an amazingly accurate foot and range up to 55 [yards. But] his kickoffs are OK, not great."

[T R U]

Braylon has to get to #4 first.. so far everything I have heard leads me to believe if Miami is stuck at #2 and cant trade out, Braylon will be their pick..

 

Saban doesnt think the RB's there deserve to be paid at #2 price so they would rather take the best overall talent, Edwards..

 

I think Miami will trade out though, and damn the Bears will be filthy with Muhsin and Braylon lining up.. Finally Grossman will have some weapons..

[nitetrain8601]

I think the Bears would be better off with Mike Williams too for every reason Kiper stated. He's a matchup problem, especially with the rules.

[witesoxfan]

I think the Bears would be better off with Mike Williams too for every reason Kiper stated. He's a matchup problem, especially with the rules.

 

So that way you can have two slower, bigger possession receivers, which is probably less advantageous then having a speed receiver to go along with a possession receiver?

 

I will probably end up having Braylon go to Chicago in my mock, just because it is too difficult to predict trades...but personally, I would look for Minnesota to trade up to 2 or 3, even though I think that is the wrong move, due to Minnesota still probably needing some depth defensively. As someone once said, why hope a receiver falls when you can guarantee it?

[CWSGuy406]

I don't know who they're going to pick, but I really hope that if they go with a WR, they go with Williams, and if they go with a RB, they go with Benson.

 

And, maybe Angelo can make a trade with that second round pick to get a late second rounder and a fourth rounder. I think taking Nugent that early in round two is sort of a waste, but I'd definitely love to see him in a Bears uni...

 

EDIT: And you guys have sold me on Benson, so, if they do in fact pick him, I'm hoping that everything (most) of you guys said about him is true.

Edited April 20, 2005 by CWSGuy406

[witesoxfan]

I don't know who they're going to pick, but I really hope that if they go with a WR, they go with Williams, and if they go with a RB, they go with Benson.

 

And, maybe Angelo can make a trade with that second round pick to get a late second rounder and a fourth rounder.  I think taking Nugent that early in round two is sort of a waste, but I'd definitely love to see him in a Bears uni...

 

EDIT:  And you guys have sold me on Benson, so, if they do in fact pick him, I'm hoping that everything (most) of you guys said about him is true.

 

Nugent is like a mid-2nd round pick, so if you trade down with the 2nd rounder to a late 2nd rounder, you probably won't get him.

[Chisoxfn]

So that way you can have two slower, bigger possession receivers, which is probably less advantageous then having a speed receiver to go along with a possession receiver?

 

I will probably end up having Braylon go to Chicago in my mock, just because it is too difficult to predict trades...but personally, I would look for Minnesota to trade up to 2 or 3, even though I think that is the wrong move, due to Minnesota still probably needing some depth defensively.  As someone once said, why hope a receiver falls when you can guarantee it? 

Thats overrated because of the illegal contact rules. Plus Edwards has good size too. If both are on the board I'm taking Edwards but I have no problem having two super talented receivers in Mushin and Williams.

[nitetrain8601]

Exactly, the no contact after the initial 5 yards is going to make it very hard to cover him. Yeah, they are going to try to bump him, but he's too strong and his hands are like magnets when it comes to catching the ball. He's also a fantastic toute runner. Him and Mushin would be killer. And Mike's game speed is much faster than his 40 time would suggest. He's the only sureshot superstar in this draft IMO.

[T R U]

Exactly, the no contact after the initial 5 yards is going to make it very hard to cover him. Yeah, they are going to try to bump him, but he's too strong and his hands are like magnets when it comes to catching the ball. He's also a fantastic toute runner. Him and Mushin would be killer. And Mike's game speed is much faster than his 40 time would suggest. He's the only sureshot superstar in this draft IMO.

 

I think Braylon is the only sure thing in this draft.. Mike Williams hasnt played in a while and they knock his speed (High 4.5's) but I still think he will be good but Braylon has the speed and showed in college he can take over and win games for you (Michigan State Game)

 

And CWS, everything about Benson is true.. He is the most NFL ready back in the draft and should easily get over 1,000 yards in the season.. He has solid speed for a guy who is an in between the tackles runner.. He will be a good player, thats one thing you dont have to worry about if the Bears select him.. I see him play all the time living down here in Texas and I havent seen a game where he didnt dominate..

 

When they play OU they are usually down by so much they have to resort to passing, but Benson is a solid player, and he should be just that in the NFL

[EvilJester99]

I think Braylon is the best of the draft, but I don't think he makes it past Cleveland at #3. From everything I have read they want him...the Bears will have to either draft one of the 3 RBs or Mike Williams.

[Credepopsup]

From what I've been reading/hearing, Minnesota will trade up and get Edwards - most likely with Miami at #2.

 

With the #3 spot also there for the taking for any team who really wants it, there is a chance (albeit a small one) that Edwards and M.Williams will both be gone by #4.

 

Lots of twists and turns still to come in the next couple of days.

[southsider2k5]

If that is the Bears get their pick of the top RB, and that is fine with me.

[CanOfCorn]

And CWS, everything about Benson is true.. He is the most NFL ready back in the draft and should easily get over 1,000 yards in the season.. He has solid speed for a guy who is an in between the tackles runner.. He will be a good player, thats one thing you dont have to worry about if the Bears select him.. I see him play all the time living down here in Texas and I havent seen a game where he didnt dominate..

 

When they play OU they are usually down by so much they have to resort to passing, but Benson is a solid player, and he should be just that in the NFL

 

Cedric was out of the game in the first half of the three OU games I saw. Trust me, that's all they talk about here in Austin after the game. Why can't Ced take over the game against OU...blah, blah, blah.

 

I'll tell you why, because Mack Brown can recruit, but he can't coach worth a damn.

[Leonard Zelig]

What time does the draft begin?

[AddisonStSox]

What time does the draft begin?

 

11:00 CST ESPN

[CWSGuy406]

Am I the only one who likes Williams more than Edwards?

[AddisonStSox]

Am I the only one who likes Williams more than Edwards? 

 

A few weeks ago you weren't.

 

I've really come around on Braylon Edwards. After having read up on him and looked over his numbers, it is becoming more and more obvious he is the guy the Bears SHOULD go after. He put up sick numbers in both his sophomore and junior years, but made the wise decision to come back for his senior year. His speed and size are second to none at his position. He can out-run corners, he can knock them over, he can out-jump them...he can basically do it all with his size. He uses every bit of that 6'3 208 frame on the field.

 

As you probably know, the one knock that continues to haunt him is his inability to consistantly catch the "easy" ball. While that is something to consider, the pros greatly out-weigh the cons. Another lesser knock is his inability to sell his routes. That said, I think those are two things that can be worked on at the professional level and he shouldn't have a difficult time catching-on with a good WR coach.

 

Another tell-tale sign of his skill is evident in all these teams scrambling to get a shot at him at the top of the draft. Personally, if I was San Francisco, I'd take a LONG hard look at him; he's that good. With Muhammad on the opposite side of the field, Grossman would have two EXCELLENT options to throw to (especially if the Bears think Grossman is the QB of the future; this would help bring out that potential).

 

While Brown, Benson, Carnell Williams, and Mike Williams are all sure-fire picks, Braylon would be the best fit. At the end of the day, it comes down to me believing Edwards would benefit the Bears immediately as well as down the road. With the RB, you risk screwing up a good thing with Thomas Jones. The rookie would be sharing time with Jones and no one is sure how that would go out. That said, most importantly this is the deepest RB draft I've seen in a LONG, LONG time. The Bears could get a primo back in the 2, 4 and 5 round >.

 

As for Williams: I think he may take a little longer adapting to the professional game, but when he gets there it will be his speed that separates him from Edwards. Edwards is just the real freaking deal. You know what you're getting. Flat out. And anytime you know what you're getting on draft day, that is usually the way to go.

[Punch and Judy Garland]

WHover had dee in his avatar is a big fan of DJ and I think he lieks Williams over Edwards. Don't get me wrong, I like Braylon a lot and I would take him. But, he is NOT Andre Johnson, Chuckles Rogers, or Roy Williams as a prospect. That doesn't mean he's bad but I think he's going to be more like an Ashley Lelie type that catches 70 balls for 1000 yards and 7 td's. That's perfectly acceptable too.

[CWSGuy406]

Right on, Addy. I'll trust your judgement.

 

I'm still hoping somewhat gets a last minute rush of giddi-ment (hey, a new word! ) and offers a couple of first-rounders for #4, and we're able to grab to talents, but whatever.

 

I really can't see the Bears making a pick that I'm mad about. Edwards, Williams, Brown, and Benson all seem to be logical choices, with Johnson and Rolle trailing defensively (though it really looks like the Bears are gonna go RB/WR). I think the only way I'd be mad is if they took Rodgers/Smith...

[Soxbadger]

I hope the Bears do not trade down.

 

When the Bears traded down and got Grossman, they could have just stayed put and taken Leftwich.

 

Of the teams with 2 picks, only the Vikings have a selection where there is a high possibility that one of the four top offensive players will be available.

 

If they trade down and miss out on;

 

Edwards, M Williams, Brown, or C Williams they will have made a huge mistake unless they are some how able to come out with a combination of that includes Williamson or Clayton.

 

In this draft 4 is a great spot, and unless the Bears are overwhelmed I hope they stay there and pick the best offensive player available.

 

My preference would be:

 

1. R Brown

2. C Williams

3. Edwards or M Williams

 

I know WR is probably a bigger need, but I think in the 2nd the Bears could get a TE or WR who will be a good compliment to Mush.

 

SB

[CWSGuy406]

Badger, you like Caddy over Benson?

 

Care to explain why? Most people I've seen (maybe) like Brown over Benson, but I don't think I've seen anyone who likes Caddy over Benson.

 

(And I hope I don't come off as an asshole in the post, I just would like your reasoning behind it. This is one draft where I'm dumfounded on who I want the Bears to take, and I want all the opinions I can get on the matter)

[Punch and Judy Garland]

Any chance this whole "Benson has a lot of miles on him" thing will embarrass most of us in a couple of years? Maybe.

[Soxbadger]

Williams may be the best back in this draft period. There is a reason that he started over Brown, and its not because the coach liked him better. He can catch the ball, he breaks tackles, and every time he touches the ball he can go the distance.

 

Since his freshman year, his lowest ypc over a season is 4.9, and only in 2004 did Brown have a longer run than Williams.

 

As for Benson, I just am not very high on him.

 

Nothing to do with mileage on him either, some of those games came against powder puff opponents.

 

SB

Edited April 21, 2005 by Soxbadger