A look back at the 2008 draft

Here are 8 players picked within 10 spots after each of those 2008 Skins picks. They are all starters:

2-Curtis Lofton, LB
2-DeSean Jackson, WR
2-Ray Rice, RB
4-Tyvon Branch, FS
4-Jacob Tamme, TE
6-Geno Hayes, LB
6-Nick Hayden, DT
6-John Sullivan, C

Here's three starters that weren't even drafted: Gary Guyton, BenJarvus Green Ellis, and Danny Woodhead. All play for the Pats...

I hate looking back at the 2008 draft. Especially every time Desean Jackson catches a 50 yard pass.Ditto. That we passed on Jackson twice to select Devin Thomas and Fred Davis shows what an idiot Cerrato was. 2008 was our worst draft ever.

To, like, the fourth round.

Which, admittedly, is a vast improvement from the past.

Well, I could see Cooley gone, for a 3/4th so if we add that with the 5th and 6th we could get a 2nd. Of course if we gave up our 1st we could get 7 7ths, and than we could have wrapped up all the draft picks and still be home for dinner.

:cheeky-sm
:pimp:

Here are 8 players picked within 10 spots after each of those 2008 Skins picks. They are all starters:

2-Curtis Lofton, LB
2-DeSean Jackson, WR
2-Ray Rice, RB
4-Tyvon Branch, FS
4-Jacob Tamme, TE
6-Geno Hayes, LB
6-Nick Hayden, DT
6-John Sullivan, C

Here's three starters that weren't even drafted: Gary Guyton, BenJarvus Green Ellis, and Danny Woodhead. All play for the Pats...



All those guys make me sick to think that we could have had one of them and we got a bunch of average guys that aren't even on the team any more.

I still remember that 2008 draft real well.
I remember hearing from the news, espn, washingtonpost, this website, and other draft places "the redskins need to get that big wide receiver they've been missing" I also remember thinking "we should get calais campbell the freakish DE from Miami, or we should get DeSean Jackson because he sure is fast and explosive...size really doesn't matter" The I saw that we got Devin Thomas, and I was like "Ok nice! we got that big WR, now lets get that good DE or that fast WR to replace moss...but NOOOOO lets get ANOTHER FREAKING TE!!! what is this teams obsession with TE's?!?!

I remember also watching the draft and Chris Berman and them being like "whose going to draft this kid Danny Woodhead?" and when no one got him and they were showing his stats and plays I was like "he sure looks quick and like a guy that will show up and play week in and week out we should sign him to our practice squad."

I also remember this being the draft that we wanted to draft Jerod Mayo, but Belicheat beat us to him.


anyway, heres our draft from this year and who we should have drafted according to SI's don banks. 2010 NFL Draft redux has Dez Bryant to Raiders - Don Banks - SI.com (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/don_banks/12/16/2010-nfl-draft-redux/index.html?eref=sihp)

No argument that I'd rather have the chances at players with more picks but I didn't trust previous regimes with them anyways.

We hadn't had any 'busts', but only Rak and arguably Landry this year (only) have lived up to their draft slot. Unfortunately of our 1st and 2nd round picks since '02 only Taylor (RIP), Cooley, Landry, Rak and Williams have performed to their draft slot. That's pathetic. Since '00 we haven't drafted a single player who has been an impact player in the 3rd round or beyond. It's no surprise that regime after regime struggles to be successful.

Actually Cooley was a third if I am not mistaken...I do agree with the overall point though

What is your definition of a bust?
What level of play do you expect out of a second round linebacker?

I get the impression you want him to be Clay Matthews.Competency = not a bust. There's a little bit of a curve at the top of a draft. A top five pick like Robert Gallery who needs to kick inside to have value is probably a draft bust. It's more acceptable for the 14th overall pick, such as Chris Williams, to kick inside to left guard in my mind. Maybe that's just me, since there's not much of a difference there, just about $15 million.

I think, if Rocky McIntosh was a competent but unspectacular starter, he could be labeled an overdraft. Considering his best days came in 2007, he's not an overdraft, he's a bust who has survived on a complete lack of depth.

Well, I could see Cooley gone, for a 3/4th so if we add that with the 5th and 6th we could get a 2nd. Of course if we gave up our 1st we could get 7 7ths, and than we could have wrapped up all the draft picks and still be home for dinner.

:cheeky-sm
:pimp:Tight ends are the currency of passing offense. We should hold both the TEs and learn to get them both the ball. If they don't combine for 1,000 receiving yards and 8-10 TDs, that's on the coaches and the quarterback, not the TEs.

I will also consider the fact that, with two down receiving years in a row, Cooley may simply be a player who is declining earlier than expected.

I do not think this is the case, I am merely watching for it. He might not be one of the 10 best receiving TEs in football anymore.

I will also consider the fact that, with two down receiving years in a row, Cooley may simply be a player who is declining earlier than expected.

I do not think this is the case, I am merely watching for it. He might not be one of the 10 best receiving TEs in football anymore.

Despite being under utilized this year his numbers are still on pace to be the 2nd highest of his career (catches, yards) so how is he declining exactly?

Despite being under utilized this year his numbers are still on pace to be the 2nd highest of his career (catches, yards) so how is he declining exactly?Well, his catch rate, which peaked at 75% in 2008, dropped to 64% in 2009, and now sits around 60%, which is acceptable for a WR, but low for a TE.

That could simply be a product of his usage pattern, although, right now, his usage is "blocking" because we feel like we have better options to throw to, but no better options to protect with.

He also stopped scoring around 2007. Tight ends need to be red zone monsters. The last TD reception Cooley had inside the 10 yard line happened in this game (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200710070was.htm). Or, not quite as recently as a Carlos Rogers pick six.

Early in his career, he was a money receiver from that close. It's safe to say now that Cooley is not a help to this team in terms of scoring TDs. We've struggled in the red zone for years, and unfortunately, our best red zone performance post-2005 came in the 10 games Cooley missed in 2009.

Still, we need to keep Cooley for what he can do, but he's not the guy you want to be throwing to deep in the red zone.