Looking back at the 2002 Rookie Draft...
 

If nostalgia is what you are looking for why not look at the entire 2002 Draft. Not sure how much we can determine at this point (most folks say to give NFL players three years before passing judgement) but other than Portis and Shockey I am not sure that there have been any fantasy studs. Some decent players who could still develop but no one that really jumps out at you.

Feel free to make this it's own thread.

Round One
1-Jersey Toxic Waste-William Green
2-Hudson Valley Undead-Joey Harrington
3-Urza's Ragers-DeShaun Foster
4-Royal Hawaii Opihi -TJ Duckett
5-Devil Hounds-David Carr
6-Philadelphia Freedom-Jeremy Shockey
7-Bay Area Bloodsucking Insects-Clinton Portis
8-Brain Dead Squirrel Chasers-Donte Stallworth
9-Parkwood Predators -Ashlie Lelie
10-Philadelphia Freedom-Jabar Gaffney
11-Hudson Valley Undead-Daniel Graham
12-Wonder Mutts-Antonio Bryant
Round Two
1-Hudson Valley Undead-Josh Reed
2-Parkwood Predators-Javon Walker
3-Urza's Ragers-Jonathan Wells
4-Parkwood Predators-Jeramy Stevens
5-Royal Hawaii Opihi-Reche Caldwell
6-Detroit Wyverns-Ladell Betts
7-Bay Area Bloodsucking Insects-Lamar Gordon
8-Brain Dead Squirrel Chasers-Maurice Morris
9-Jersey Toxic Waste-Brian Westbrook
10-Nittany Dodgers-Patrick Ramsey
11-Detroit Wyverns-Andre Davis
12-Wonder Mutts-Josh McNown
Round Three
1-Jersey Toxic Waste-Luke Staley
2-Philadelphia Freedom-Travis Stephens
3-Urza's Ragers-Jeff Chandler
4-Hudson Valley Undead-Tim Carter
5-Royal Hawaii Opihi-Chester Taylor
6-Jersey Toxic Waste-Matt Schobel
7-Wonder Mutts-Josh Scoobey
8-Brain Dead Squirrel Chasers-Adrian Peterson
9-Devil Hounds-David Garrard
10-Devil Hounds (via Predators)-Antwaan Randl-El
11-Nittany Dodgers-Marquise Walker
12-Bay Area Bloodsucking Insects-Doug Jolley

Who had the best draft?

Who had the worst draft?

Who were you hoping to get (and did)?

Who were you hoping to get (and didn’t)?

Biggest sleeper?

Biggest reach?

Best value?

Any other thoughts?

Re: Looking back at the 2002 Rookie Draft...
 

Who had the best draft?

Being as objective as possible I have to say myself: Portis is a stud, Gordon has been a starter, and so has Jolley.

Who had the worst draft?

I think the Undead screwed up with the position they were drafting out of: Harrington, Josh Reed, Tim Carter all the second picks of each round.

Who were you hoping to get (and did)?

1st Round: Portis

Who were you hoping to get (and didn’t)?

1st Round: Shockey, but that turned out alright.
2nd Round: Wells, Betts
3rd Round: Staley

Biggest sleeper?

None

Biggest reach?

Harrington at 1.2 I know he was a hot prospect, but I don't understand passing on RBs early in the draft, especially for QBs who are hit and most often misses. I know at the time the rookie salaries were very high, but for me a 2nd overall pick on a QB is a waste.

Best value?

Clinton Portis

Any other thoughts?

Would be curious as to how the new rookie scale would've affected this draft. I probably would not have gotten Portis as the first 4 picks may have been RBs. That is why this year I am wondering how the positions are drafted. This is a rather weak RB pool, as of now, but there are a boatload of great WRs. Most of which will be gone by the end of the first round.

Re: Looking back at the 2002 Rookie Draft...
 

That was one of the few good things about the former scale, the draft wasn't just RB-RB-RB-RB, which is what I think we'll be seeing more of. Every position was represented in the 1st round. It will happen again this year I would think with Winslow, but outside of premeir TE prospects, I think we've seen the last of them in the 1st round.

Looking at this draft though, I would say:

Best Draft: Have to concur and agree with the Blood Suckers. Portis is heads and shoulders above everyone else in the draft, he could have screwed up his next two picks and still be in the running for best draft. He didn't, got two good players for their position (in the draft), so he gets my nod.

Worst Draft: Thats so harsh. I'll nominate the six teams that passed up on Portis in the 1st, and throw in myself as well since I would have passed him up had I had the chance.

Hoping to get and did? I had my eye on Ramsey the whole time (not because he was tops on my list, but tops on my list of guys I thought had a chance to fall to me).

Hoping to get and didn't? Antwan Randel El, though he was going to get past the Devil Hounds. Ended up with Marquise Walker. Wash up to this point.

Biggest Sleeper? Come on, Ramsey, a first round QB in the end of the second round? A 3rd round QB went 2.7 in 2003, and I got a first rounder at 2.10 in '02. Now if he can just keep his starting job.

Biggest Reach? William Green at #1. I never like him. I bad mouthed him at FBGs message boards all summer, and I'm glad to see he never lived up to expectations.

Best Value: Portis at #1 would have been good value, at #7, he can't be rivaled.

Other Thoughts? I'm never trading a first round pick again (ok, never say never).

Re: Looking back at the 2002 Rookie Draft...
 

We didn't have a TE go until late 2nd round last year.

I don't 100% agree on Franks QB assessment, with the salary scale much much cheaper for QB's now I think they are much more attractive picks, and this draft has at least 3 solid QB's.

Re: Looking back at the 2002 Rookie Draft...
 

True about TEs last year, but do you think under the current salary scale, Daniel Graham still goes in the first round? I don't think so. Unless there is a Shockey, Heap, or Winslow type prospect, we won't be having people taking TEs in the first round.

Re: Looking back at the 2002 Rookie Draft...
 

I think 2 years is a bit premature to judge this draft. Only 2 players are "studs" from this entire draft, Portis and Shockey. There's still some potentials out there, for whatever reason, have not been able to show their stuff. This year I believe some of the sleepers will have significant impacts (Josh McNown, Andre Davis, Javon Walker). As it sits right now, the Insects had the best draft. I remember distinctly trying to move up to grab Portis, unforetunately Frank or Matt didnt want to budge.

Re: Looking back at the 2002 Rookie Draft...
 

btw, why is this in the Trading Block forum?

Re: Looking back at the 2002 Rookie Draft...
 

good point, I've moved it to the Chat forum...

Re: Looking back at the 2002 Rookie Draft...
 

I'm pretty sure with the adjusted scale that the 1st 4 picks will be RBs. The new scale will affect the draft order, but not the proportion of positions selected.

I can see the draft going something like:

RB
RB
RB
RB
WR
QB
TE
WR
QB
WR
RB
RB

6 RBs, 3 WR, 2 QB, 1 TE

In the past draft we had:

2002: 4 RBs, 4 WRs, 2 QBs, 2 TEs
2003: 5 RBs, 4 WRs, 3 QBs, 0 TEs

This years RB prospects are a bit better, thus the record 6 RBs taken in the first round. Although this is a WR rich draft, aside Roy and Fitz, teams will wait till the supplemental and second round picks to nab a WR. The QBs this year are better, but the number of QBs taken in the first 12 picks will suffer because of the RB maddness. Winslow will be taken someplace in the draft. Not sure where because of the new salaries, but my guess is in the mid to latter part of the draft.

So if you want an RB you'd probably have to trade up into the Top 4 or 5. No more Top 4 backs getting past the Top 4 picks.

Re: Looking back at the 2002 Rookie Draft...
 

I disagree, I think this is a weak RB draft. It really depends on who gets drafted where. I'd be surprised to see that many RBs drafted in our rookie draft in round 1. There's unbeliable talent at WR and 3 blue chip prospects at QB. I cant wait till Saturday.

Re: Looking back at the 2002 Rookie Draft...
 

Before New England traded for Corey, I would have agreed that the first four picks would have been RB. Now, with the Pats out of the running for a rookie starter, I project only the top three picks as RBs. I would think it would to tough to pass on a Winslow, or Fitz, or one of the QBs (depending on need), to take a RB not projected to be a starter. But who knows. Can't wait until we can get some mocks running!