Rd 1: Antoine Cason/CB Arizona. Although I'm sure the Chargers were praying that Mike Jenkins would manage to slip to them, they claim that Cason was at the
top of the CB board. And given the outrageous success of AJ's past four drafts, I'll go ahead and assume this guy will be a stud. I would have been tempted by
Phil Merling, who went to the Fins in round 2, but CB was a bigger need to not only fill the nickel but also allow Paul Oliver to switch to Safety. Cason is a 4-year
starter in the Pac-10 and that says a lot. He's got great technique, sticky hands and isn't afraid to lay the wood--his only issue is only decent speed. Jacko's
Grade: B+
Rd 3: Jacob Hester/FB LSU. AJ traded way up (giving up a 4th and a 2nd in 07) to grab Hester with whom he reportedly fell in love with last fall. Now as much as I
think AJ is one of the all-time best drafting GM's, this one just feels like a reach. Apparently he is just a classic football player and AJ reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally
wanted him. He'll spell LT every now and then, play a little FB and be a special teams demon. But he probably could have been had without the trade and even if
we missed out on him, FB is just not a priority position. He'll probably end up being a freak of nature stud but I've gotta go with my gut on this one. Jacko's Grade:
D
Rd 5: Marcus Thomas/RB UTEP. Thomas is more of a traditional RB prospect than Hester, so he'll give the Bolts even more depth at the position. Not sure I
understand why AJ wouldn't grab an OT at this point--probably the single biggest need position, so you have to assume they had this guy rated quite a bit higher.
But it's a bit of a snooze pick in my opinion. Jacko's Grade: C
Rd 6: DeJuan Tribble/CB Boston College. Drafting another CB is like drafting another RB. And although I think Tribble is a decent value at this point, I don't really
get the choice from a position perspective. Plus if you're going to double up at a position that's not even an extreme need, he better be high-potential, which
Tribble is not. He's just a guy in all areas. So I'm going to guess that AJ sees this guy as a possible Free Safety. Otherwise, I don't get it. Jacko's Grade: C-
Rd 7: Corey Clark/OT Texas A&M. Finally, the need position is filled but way too late. At least Clark has a high ceiling--it doesn't sound like he's played to his
potential at all and could use some better coaching. Probably has a shot to make the team but I can't imagine he'll take over at starting RT. Jacko's Grade: C+
Final Analysis. Although I expect Antoine Cason to prove to be a solid corner, he wasn't exactly at a huge need position. And the rest of this draft is a bit
disappointing. Jacob Hester could have likely been had much later in the draft--AJ Smith just fell in love with him to ensure he got him on the team. But to give up
a #2 to grab a fullback some expected to possibly be available as a free agent is a move only achievable out of hubris. Assuming the bolts could have sat tight
and probably still had Hester with where they were in the 3rd round, that's a huge sacrifice. The rest of these guys look like practice squad guys, although Tribble
could surprise. A surprisingly weak AJ Smith draft. Final grade: C-.
top of the CB board. And given the outrageous success of AJ's past four drafts, I'll go ahead and assume this guy will be a stud. I would have been tempted by
Phil Merling, who went to the Fins in round 2, but CB was a bigger need to not only fill the nickel but also allow Paul Oliver to switch to Safety. Cason is a 4-year
starter in the Pac-10 and that says a lot. He's got great technique, sticky hands and isn't afraid to lay the wood--his only issue is only decent speed. Jacko's
Grade: B+
Rd 3: Jacob Hester/FB LSU. AJ traded way up (giving up a 4th and a 2nd in 07) to grab Hester with whom he reportedly fell in love with last fall. Now as much as I
think AJ is one of the all-time best drafting GM's, this one just feels like a reach. Apparently he is just a classic football player and AJ reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally
wanted him. He'll spell LT every now and then, play a little FB and be a special teams demon. But he probably could have been had without the trade and even if
we missed out on him, FB is just not a priority position. He'll probably end up being a freak of nature stud but I've gotta go with my gut on this one. Jacko's Grade:
D
Rd 5: Marcus Thomas/RB UTEP. Thomas is more of a traditional RB prospect than Hester, so he'll give the Bolts even more depth at the position. Not sure I
understand why AJ wouldn't grab an OT at this point--probably the single biggest need position, so you have to assume they had this guy rated quite a bit higher.
But it's a bit of a snooze pick in my opinion. Jacko's Grade: C
Rd 6: DeJuan Tribble/CB Boston College. Drafting another CB is like drafting another RB. And although I think Tribble is a decent value at this point, I don't really
get the choice from a position perspective. Plus if you're going to double up at a position that's not even an extreme need, he better be high-potential, which
Tribble is not. He's just a guy in all areas. So I'm going to guess that AJ sees this guy as a possible Free Safety. Otherwise, I don't get it. Jacko's Grade: C-
Rd 7: Corey Clark/OT Texas A&M. Finally, the need position is filled but way too late. At least Clark has a high ceiling--it doesn't sound like he's played to his
potential at all and could use some better coaching. Probably has a shot to make the team but I can't imagine he'll take over at starting RT. Jacko's Grade: C+
Final Analysis. Although I expect Antoine Cason to prove to be a solid corner, he wasn't exactly at a huge need position. And the rest of this draft is a bit
disappointing. Jacob Hester could have likely been had much later in the draft--AJ Smith just fell in love with him to ensure he got him on the team. But to give up
a #2 to grab a fullback some expected to possibly be available as a free agent is a move only achievable out of hubris. Assuming the bolts could have sat tight
and probably still had Hester with where they were in the 3rd round, that's a huge sacrifice. The rest of these guys look like practice squad guys, although Tribble
could surprise. A surprisingly weak AJ Smith draft. Final grade: C-.
| Jacko's Original 2008 Draft Analysis |
