After the heat of the moment draft review

Draft picks: DT Corey Liuget (first round), CB Marcus Gilchrist (second round), LB Jonas Mouton (second round), WR Vincent Brown (third round), CB Shareece Wright (third round), RB Jordan Todman (sixth round), OL Steven Schilling (sixth round), LB Andrew Gachkar (seventh round).

The initial reaction to the draft had me in a frenzy. Why are we selecting a defensive back when we could select Da’Quan Bowers. Who in the world is this guy Jonas Mouton? Did AJ completely lose his mind in this draft? Martez Wilson and Justin Houston are on the board and you go with a linebacker that could be selected in the 5th round? Just complete madness!

Then after settling down and really analyzing the picks, AJ still is crazy! We should have made a better selection in the second round. We should have picked up a pass rushing linebacker with one of those two picks.

BUT…. the players that we did pick up have talent and can contribute right away on the team. 2 Liuget 2 quit is going to be a beast of an upgrade on our defensive front and will allow the other linebackers to get things done. The combination of Liuget, Antonio Garay, and Luis Castillo should allow Shaun Phillips and Larry English to get into the backfield and make some crushing hits. Jacques Cesaire should be brought back and he can work his way into the rotation. That would set up the d-line well with Leguit able to give Garay a break if needed.

Even though there were other selections that would have made more sense, talent was still brought in through the draft. Marcus Gilchrist and Shareece Wright will add depth to the secondary and both will see playing time in different packages. They have potential to be good and will get the chance to learn the game from one of the game’s top professionals in Quentin Jammer. They both will also be able to immediately contribute on the special teams as soon as they get on the field. Gilchrist has the ability to return punts or kicks and that will prove to be valuable since the lightning bug Darren Sproles is likely out the door.

One of the fan favorites already from the draft is the wide receiver from the Aztecs. Vincent Brown has already been winning the hearts of the local crowd with his play with the Aztecs and he will get more time on a larger stage to show off his skills. He is not the fastest receiver in the draft, but he has some of the best hands (if not the best) of the draft class and is one of the best route runners. He is not afraid to go over the middle to make a catch and he could develop into a starter down the road. Norval should have a ball putting him in some packages and drawing up plays for a Vincent Brown-Vincent Jackson package.

In the 6th, we couldn’t get to the podium fast enough to select Jordan Todman out of UConn. The kid is a burner and has lightning quick moves but his running style scared off some teams because it is likely that he will have some injuries. He still should have been draft a couple of rounds earlier and we got a steal with that draft pick.

In the late rounds, AJ LOVES to select some big ol’ offensive lineman that he can develop and put into the system. We took Michigan’s  Steven Schilling to fill that role. He is praised for his work ethic and the right coaching may turn this kid into a future starter.

Even though Jonas Mouton was selected too high, he still is not a terrible player. He is also a player praised for his work ethic and there have already been some comparisons made to Stephen Cooper. He still has a lot of work to do, but he will definitely get a chance to shine on the special teams.

We leave the draft a better team and we will just have to see how everyone develops before we can judge. At least the initial reaction is not the same as it is now.