Post-NFL Draft Thoughts and Predictions

Looking back at my post from yesterday, I forgot to mention the fact that I also participate in the most-pointless of all "big days" in sports. My list of the "big days" would include the Super Bowl, NCAA Men's Basketball Final, BCS National Championship Game, Selection Sunday, Game 7 of the Stanley Cup or NBA Playoffs, World Cup Soccer Finals (only every four years, sadly), opening ceremonies at the Olympic Games, and actually somewhere in the middle of those already named, the NFL Draft.

Yes, the NFL Draft. I've watched it since I was seven years old. For some reason the sight of college players holding up a jersey of their respective new team with the number one on it has seemed like an excuse to do nothing on one Saturday every April for the past 12 years. I know, and yes, I agree, it would explain quite a bit.

The 2007 draft was no different than years past, as I sat in my room, and watched for hours on end as the "drama" unfolded. I feel like my team, the New York Giants, had an okay draft. Many experts are handing us grades of "C" on our "draft report cards". I'd say C+, but of course, I'm kind of biased. Still, it wasn't that story that had me talking to anyone who would listen that day. It was the same thing everyone else was chatting it up about, the fact that Brady Quinn dropped as far as he did. Now, I'm not a Brady Quinn fan. I HATE Notre Dame in general, to be completely honest. Not so much their basketball team, which earned some angst this past year because of what they did to my Syracuse Orange, but the football team. Those gold helmets just tick me off everytime I see them. Still, on this day, I felt sorry for him. My Dad and I both felt sorry for him, and my Dad and I were two of his biggest critics for the past four years. To be honest, I still don't think he was as good as advertised. I think he has a great personality, but I just think he, and his football program, are overrated, as evidenced by their collective performances in big games. To close on the Quinn matter, I think he'll be a good quarterback in this league because of the fact that he's playing for his hometown team. Put him in the space between the legacies of Steve McNair and Donovan McNabb when it's all said and done. Not that I can give you an estimate of where that is exactly, but yeah, that sounds like a good place.

As for the rest of the draft, teams seemed to address their needs, and teams without needs (Philadelphia, in particular) drafted in an area where they really DIDN'T need (a team with QBs McNabb, A,J. Feely, and Kelly Holcomb, who have all started in the NFL, draft Kevin Kolb from Houston, a "product of the system" school if I've ever seen one). Even with teams meeting needs, the collective need of making the NFC better was NOT met. To be honest, I can't even name four teams from the conference that could CONTEND for a Super Bowl title, nevermind win one. That being said, my annual (I always do this, but this is the first time it has been in blog form) Post-NFL Draft predictions are as follows:

American Football Conference
East
1. New England Patriots
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins
4. Buffalo Bills
North
1. Baltimore Ravens
2. Cincinnati Bengals
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Cleveland Browns
South
1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Tennessee Titans
3. Jacksonville Jaguars
4. Houston Texans
West
1. San Diego Chargers
2. Denver Broncos
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Oakland Raiders

National Football Conference
East
1. Philadelphia Ealges
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. New York Giants
4. Washington Redskins
North
1. Chicago Bears
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Minnesota Vikings
4. Detroit Lions
South
1. New Orleans Saints
2. Atlanta Falcons
3. Carolina Panthers
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
West
1. Seattle Seahawks
2. San Francisco 49ers
3. St. Louis Rams
4. Arizona Cardinals

AFC Seeds: New England, San Diego, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Jacksonville
NFC Seeds: Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle, New Orleans, Dallas, Atlanta

AFC Championship: New England over San Diego
NFC Championship: New Orleans over Philadelphia

SUPER BOWL XLII: New England Patriots over New Orleans Saints

I wish I didn't have to write that, but well, after the offseason the Pats have had, I really can't find any argument as to why they won't win their fourth title in seven years. I can't believe I just said that. I hate the New England Patriots.