Former Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker was drafted No. 11 overall by the San Diego Chargers. (AP photo)
– I cannot get over the fact that the Detroit Lions did not take Dee Milliner at No. 5. The Lions already have Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley on the defensive line, and have no one in the secondary to speak of. Instead, they draft Ezekial Ansah, a defensive end from BYU, to add to a defensive line that is set as it is. One of the biggest head-scratchers of the draft, I think.
– That being said, Milliner found a pretty good landing spot in New York. The Jets recently traded Darrelle Revis away to the Tampa Bay Bucs and leaves a hole wide-open for a No. 1 cornerback that an aggressive, blitz-heavy defense like the one Rex Ryan runs needs desperately. Milliner will be tested heavily and quickly, being in a division with greats like Tom Brady in New England, plus meetings with Matt Ryan and Julio Jones (Falcons), Drew Brees (Saints), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) and Joe Flacco (Ravens) on the schedule for 2013 as well.
– Speaking of head scratchers, I’m also a little skeptical of North Carolina guard Jonathan Cooper being taken No. 7 overall ahead of Chance Warmack
Cooper, on the other hand, had the chance to pick on lesser competition such as Wake Forest, Isaho, Duke and Virginia, to name a few, last season with the Tar Heels. Warmack will fit in beautifully in Tennessee, as the Titans are trying to build a balanced run-pass attack and they have the perfect guard for it.
- Speaking of perfect fits, it's hard to hate D.J. Fluker going to the Chargers. I don’t see Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers complaining at the thought of putting Fluker’s massive body in front of him for protection. Fluker may not be on a winning team right away, sometimes because of Rivers…..
And now D.J. Fluker goes with the 11th pick. His biggest job at San Diego will be recovering Philip Rivers’ fumbles.
— Mark Edwards (@MarkSportsStar) April 26, 2013
….but he will certainly have a chance to shine.
– I am not surprised that both Eddie Lacy went undrafted after the first round. Lacy is quite injury prone, as you have surely noticed by now, to the point where he really only played one game close to 100 percent – the BCS National Championship Game against Notre Dame. He may have exploded for 140 yards a a touchdown on seven yards per carry, but that’s just one game. There is not enough data on him as a fully healthy back.
Plus, in today’s NFL, a 20-carry back is a thing of the past. Lacy will be part of a three-man rotation, in all likelihood, and first-round money might be a little too much to pay for one of three backs.
– I can say the same for Barrett Jones. His Lis franc injury in his foot surely does not help his case, but his versatility could come back to bite him: we all know he can play every position on the line, but can he be a soldified starter in the NFL at any of them? This is a question that a lot of general managers have about Jones. Whoever gets Jones will certainly be drafting a valuable player, as his attitude and public perception will do wonders for the team’s PR department, but his on-field potential is being questioned, whether that be fair or not.
