By Jim Corbett, USA TODAY
NEW YORK — The six elite players from the 2008 NFL draft class, nattily attired in expensive suits, posed for a group photo atop the Radio City Music Hall marquee on April 24.
Two days later, Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long, Virginia defensive end Chris Long, Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and Ohio State defensive end/linebacker Vernon Gholston emerged one by one, beaming from the greenroom as the first six selections of Saturday's first round.
This draft flowed faster and, perhaps, deeper than most. But was it better? What kind of immediate impact will it have?
Time will tell.
Time certainly sped up during commissioner Roger Goodell's new streamlined draft format, as Round 1 concluded nearly three hours faster than last year's 6-hour, 8-minute marathon. With the time between first-round picks shortened from 15 to 10 minutes and second-round intervals shaved from 10 minutes to seven, the first two rounds of 2008 were collectively in the books 15 minutes quicker than the 2007 first round.
But it will take much longer to reveal who will emerge as the true marquee players among the pick-six lotto winners from atop the Radio City Music Hall marquee, or which teams really made the biggest impact.
But consider: Last year's class produced three Pro Bowl players in the first 11 picks: Cleveland Browns tackle Joe Thomas, Minnesota Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson (the offensive rookie of the year) and San Francisco 49ers defensive rookie of the year Patrick Willis, a linebacker. That's never happened before, according to NFL.com senior draft analyst Gil Brandt.
Could it happen again this year?
"Getting three first-year Pro Bowlers last season is ridiculous," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock says. "I don't see an Adrian Peterson. I don't see a Joe Thomas."
But Mayock does see marquee potential. He sees it most in three players: Chris Long, the second overall pick by the St. Louis Rams; McFadden, the newest Oakland Raider and a man with 4.33 40-yard speed; and Dorsey, the dominant defensive tackle, taken fifth by the Kansas City Chiefs.
"The No. 1 guy who can have the most immediate impact would be Glenn Dorsey," Mayock says. "They're going to play him Day 1. That's a major rebuilding job. So his numbers might not be as good as if he was with a better team. But he's going to play every snap. … Kansas City has to be just ecstatic he fell there."
Same sentiment for the Raiders, owners of a versatile home run threat who should remind coach Lane Kiffin, the former Southern California offensive coordinator, of former Trojan Reggie Bush.
"The Raiders have JaMarcus Russell with that big arm," Mayock says of the second-year quarterback. "But they didn't have anyone capable of making explosive plays.
"That's why McFadden is very interesting. The whole key is Lane Kiffin getting creative with this kid and getting him out in space. The minute McFadden's in space, he's an athletic mismatch against anybody."
Mayock has similar advice for Rams defensive coordinator Jim Haslett to maximize Chris Long's rare defensive end/linebacker versatility. "We all saw the Super Bowl and what Justin Tuck did for the (New York) Giants," Mayock says of the pass-rushing gem, who had 10 sacks last season and two in the Giants' Super Bowl XLII win.
"Chris Long can play with his hand down or stand up. This is a kid who can have a Justin Tuck-like impact.
"That kid is special."
Not that the Atlanta Falcons' third overall pick, Ryan, can't be special. But Mayock says with the Falcons in such a rebuilding mode, "You have to write off this year" with Ryan.
Rams have big plans for Long
Chris Long's mother, Diane, felt embarrassed walking from the greenroom while accompanying Chris and Hall of Fame husband Howie, cellphone in hand.
On the phone (and on hold) was Rams head coach Scott Linehan.
"Coach Linehan called right after the pick," Diane Long says. "It was thrilling to speak to him. He was wonderful. But I had to keep putting him on hold because Chris was on stage and then the commissioner was speaking.
"I said, 'I am really sorry that I have to put my son's new boss on hold, but I really don't know what else to do.' "
Linehan will get over it. He called the Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year "just what the doctor ordered, for not only our defense or football team, but for our organization."
Haslett has a good idea why. He was a member of the 1993 Los Angeles Raiders coaching staff when Howie Long was wreaking havoc on quarterbacks and running backs.
Haslett plans to move Chris Long around the field and create opportunities for him to attack quarterbacks in space, a game plan Al Groh, Long's coach at Virginia, approves of.
The former Jets coach says if he was still in the NFL, he would flex Long outside as a linebacker, then move him around as a defensive end based on the situation.
"To take full advantage of his skills … in our regular first- and second-down defense, I'd play him at strong-side outside linebacker," Groh says. "And I'd move him around on our sub defenses like we did at Virginia to get the best possible matchups."
Long considers Groh a second father and invited him to be part of his draft-day entourage. "There's no sense of entitlement with Chris," Groh says. "Everything is about accomplishment and achievement on a daily basis. He came to us with that underdog mind-set, and he has it every day."
Groh says Long's lightning-quick hands and understanding of leverage are reminiscent of his famous father's abilities and says he comes into the league more NFL-ready than most.
Howie Long says his son is more grounded than he is. Chris had to tell his worried father to relax, take a ride and ditch the BlackBerry leading up to draft day.
"I'm nervous to begin with," Howie says.
The son has handled pressure all his life in the way he's dealt with the outsized expectations of living in a famous father's shadow.
"I said this to Chris and said it about Eli Manning on our pre-Super Bowl broadcast," Howie, also a Fox NFL analyst, says, "You have three names: The name you inherit, the name you're given and, eventually, the name you make for yourself. Chris has always wanted to be his own man."
It showed up when Chris was asked about playing on the faster Edward Jones Dome artificial turf. The one rap against Long has been he lacks the explosive speed of Gholston. Chris mocked mock drafters who insist he's already hit his peak upside.
"Evidently, it makes you faster, and I could use that," Long said of his new home's supposedly faster surface, tweaking nagging references to his high motor but apparent shortage of ideal top speed. "Hopefully, I'll get out there and play fast."
It figures to help that Long will be paired with Adam Carriker, another relentless, versatile defensive lineman and last year's first-round pick.
Diane Long smiles when revealing the genetic anomaly that Howie and Chris share. In addition to their sixth sense for how to use their quick hands to keep bigger blockers off them, both were born with a sixth finger on their right hand. "It's the strangest thing," she says. "They were both born with a sixth finger. No bone, but there was definitely a digit — same hand, same place."
Diane tugs at Howie's right hand and points to a spot just below his right pinkie. "You have the birth of your baby, and you're so excited," she says. "The nurse thought we were going to be a little upset that Chris had this extra finger, but we were actually so excited."
Asked how important it would be to avoid a contract holdout, Chris Long says, "It's very important to me. When I grew up watching people miss out on camp and stuff like that, I just didn't get it.
"I want to be a good teammate, and I want to set my best foot forward, and I don't want to show up when people have already started working. … I'm going to do my best to get into camp — everything in my power."
After months of swirling rumors and speculation, Long and his fellow rookies now know where they're going.
Will the stars from the Radio City Music Hall marquee emerge as marquee talents in their new cities? Or will all that potential merely live on in that pre-draft photo?
It's all up to them to live up to the advance billing.
NEW YORK — The six elite players from the 2008 NFL draft class, nattily attired in expensive suits, posed for a group photo atop the Radio City Music Hall marquee on April 24.
Two days later, Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long, Virginia defensive end Chris Long, Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and Ohio State defensive end/linebacker Vernon Gholston emerged one by one, beaming from the greenroom as the first six selections of Saturday's first round.
This draft flowed faster and, perhaps, deeper than most. But was it better? What kind of immediate impact will it have?
Time will tell.
Time certainly sped up during commissioner Roger Goodell's new streamlined draft format, as Round 1 concluded nearly three hours faster than last year's 6-hour, 8-minute marathon. With the time between first-round picks shortened from 15 to 10 minutes and second-round intervals shaved from 10 minutes to seven, the first two rounds of 2008 were collectively in the books 15 minutes quicker than the 2007 first round.
But it will take much longer to reveal who will emerge as the true marquee players among the pick-six lotto winners from atop the Radio City Music Hall marquee, or which teams really made the biggest impact.
But consider: Last year's class produced three Pro Bowl players in the first 11 picks: Cleveland Browns tackle Joe Thomas, Minnesota Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson (the offensive rookie of the year) and San Francisco 49ers defensive rookie of the year Patrick Willis, a linebacker. That's never happened before, according to NFL.com senior draft analyst Gil Brandt.
Could it happen again this year?
"Getting three first-year Pro Bowlers last season is ridiculous," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock says. "I don't see an Adrian Peterson. I don't see a Joe Thomas."
But Mayock does see marquee potential. He sees it most in three players: Chris Long, the second overall pick by the St. Louis Rams; McFadden, the newest Oakland Raider and a man with 4.33 40-yard speed; and Dorsey, the dominant defensive tackle, taken fifth by the Kansas City Chiefs.
"The No. 1 guy who can have the most immediate impact would be Glenn Dorsey," Mayock says. "They're going to play him Day 1. That's a major rebuilding job. So his numbers might not be as good as if he was with a better team. But he's going to play every snap. … Kansas City has to be just ecstatic he fell there."
Same sentiment for the Raiders, owners of a versatile home run threat who should remind coach Lane Kiffin, the former Southern California offensive coordinator, of former Trojan Reggie Bush.
"The Raiders have JaMarcus Russell with that big arm," Mayock says of the second-year quarterback. "But they didn't have anyone capable of making explosive plays.
"That's why McFadden is very interesting. The whole key is Lane Kiffin getting creative with this kid and getting him out in space. The minute McFadden's in space, he's an athletic mismatch against anybody."
Mayock has similar advice for Rams defensive coordinator Jim Haslett to maximize Chris Long's rare defensive end/linebacker versatility. "We all saw the Super Bowl and what Justin Tuck did for the (New York) Giants," Mayock says of the pass-rushing gem, who had 10 sacks last season and two in the Giants' Super Bowl XLII win.
"Chris Long can play with his hand down or stand up. This is a kid who can have a Justin Tuck-like impact.
"That kid is special."
Not that the Atlanta Falcons' third overall pick, Ryan, can't be special. But Mayock says with the Falcons in such a rebuilding mode, "You have to write off this year" with Ryan.
Rams have big plans for Long
Chris Long's mother, Diane, felt embarrassed walking from the greenroom while accompanying Chris and Hall of Fame husband Howie, cellphone in hand.
On the phone (and on hold) was Rams head coach Scott Linehan.
"Coach Linehan called right after the pick," Diane Long says. "It was thrilling to speak to him. He was wonderful. But I had to keep putting him on hold because Chris was on stage and then the commissioner was speaking.
"I said, 'I am really sorry that I have to put my son's new boss on hold, but I really don't know what else to do.' "
Linehan will get over it. He called the Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year "just what the doctor ordered, for not only our defense or football team, but for our organization."
Haslett has a good idea why. He was a member of the 1993 Los Angeles Raiders coaching staff when Howie Long was wreaking havoc on quarterbacks and running backs.
Haslett plans to move Chris Long around the field and create opportunities for him to attack quarterbacks in space, a game plan Al Groh, Long's coach at Virginia, approves of.
The former Jets coach says if he was still in the NFL, he would flex Long outside as a linebacker, then move him around as a defensive end based on the situation.
"To take full advantage of his skills … in our regular first- and second-down defense, I'd play him at strong-side outside linebacker," Groh says. "And I'd move him around on our sub defenses like we did at Virginia to get the best possible matchups."
Long considers Groh a second father and invited him to be part of his draft-day entourage. "There's no sense of entitlement with Chris," Groh says. "Everything is about accomplishment and achievement on a daily basis. He came to us with that underdog mind-set, and he has it every day."
Groh says Long's lightning-quick hands and understanding of leverage are reminiscent of his famous father's abilities and says he comes into the league more NFL-ready than most.
Howie Long says his son is more grounded than he is. Chris had to tell his worried father to relax, take a ride and ditch the BlackBerry leading up to draft day.
"I'm nervous to begin with," Howie says.
The son has handled pressure all his life in the way he's dealt with the outsized expectations of living in a famous father's shadow.
"I said this to Chris and said it about Eli Manning on our pre-Super Bowl broadcast," Howie, also a Fox NFL analyst, says, "You have three names: The name you inherit, the name you're given and, eventually, the name you make for yourself. Chris has always wanted to be his own man."
It showed up when Chris was asked about playing on the faster Edward Jones Dome artificial turf. The one rap against Long has been he lacks the explosive speed of Gholston. Chris mocked mock drafters who insist he's already hit his peak upside.
"Evidently, it makes you faster, and I could use that," Long said of his new home's supposedly faster surface, tweaking nagging references to his high motor but apparent shortage of ideal top speed. "Hopefully, I'll get out there and play fast."
It figures to help that Long will be paired with Adam Carriker, another relentless, versatile defensive lineman and last year's first-round pick.
Diane Long smiles when revealing the genetic anomaly that Howie and Chris share. In addition to their sixth sense for how to use their quick hands to keep bigger blockers off them, both were born with a sixth finger on their right hand. "It's the strangest thing," she says. "They were both born with a sixth finger. No bone, but there was definitely a digit — same hand, same place."
Diane tugs at Howie's right hand and points to a spot just below his right pinkie. "You have the birth of your baby, and you're so excited," she says. "The nurse thought we were going to be a little upset that Chris had this extra finger, but we were actually so excited."
Asked how important it would be to avoid a contract holdout, Chris Long says, "It's very important to me. When I grew up watching people miss out on camp and stuff like that, I just didn't get it.
"I want to be a good teammate, and I want to set my best foot forward, and I don't want to show up when people have already started working. … I'm going to do my best to get into camp — everything in my power."
After months of swirling rumors and speculation, Long and his fellow rookies now know where they're going.
Will the stars from the Radio City Music Hall marquee emerge as marquee talents in their new cities? Or will all that potential merely live on in that pre-draft photo?
It's all up to them to live up to the advance billing.