Blackbird Nation

2009 NFL Draft - Round 1

Start of Draft: April 25th, 2009 - 4:00PM ET

Go to Round:

Team Selections:

#1 The Lions Pick:
Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia

The Lions select the Junior QB out of Georgia as their new franchise quarterback. He has great feet, fundamentally sound, extremely talented, and all the right tools to be a leader on the field. He will be going up against Daunte Culpepper for the starting job this off-season for the Lions in 2009. Stafford has already impressed the the Lions in his private workouts and has proven he is ready for the NFL and to lead this team to it's first win since week 17 of the 2007 season.

#2 The Rams Pick:
Jason Smith, OT, Baylor

With the release of Orlando Pace, the Rams need to bolster their line with a great young LT in the draft. Smith size, strength, and has great intensity. He takes great angles on blitzing linebackers and attacks them until the wistle blows. He continues blocking downfield and works well in zone-blocking schemes. He has great technique and will continue to get better with his outstanding work ethic. The Rams know they desperately need help at this position and Smith has become the #1 offensive tackle and probably the most athletic of all the tackles in this draft.

#3 The Chiefs Pick:
Tyson Jackson, DT, Louisiana State

Tyson Jackson is the top defensive ends in the draft with the size strength and stamina to be an every down player. He sheds blocks to get to the quarterback, but really excels against stopping the run. He has the the power to push tackles into the pocket and disrupt a play or use his hands to disrupt a QB's passing lane or he can move offensive tackles around so other defenders can make plays. He plays through the wistle and will try to chase down the ballcarrier. He has great character and a great work ethic. He can be a pivotal piece in any defense.

#4 The Seahawks Pick:
Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest

Curry is a hard hitting player who can make tons of plays all over the field. He left Wake Forest as one of its most highly decorated players of all time as an All-conference, All-American, and the recipient of the 2008 Butkus Award as the best linbacker. He is solidly built with long arms that keep linemen off him when playing the run or blitzing the QB. He has fluid hips and a smooth back pedal that makes him great in pass coverage. He takes great angles on the ball and has the hands for making an interception. He shows good awareness and will quickly diagnose a play.

#5 The Jets Pick:
Mark Sanchez, QB, USC

Mark Sanchez has all the physical tools, intelligence, and leadership qualities a team would want in a young franchise quarterback. He's not a 4 year starter but still shows great recognition and poise under center. He decifers defenses extremely fast, reads coverages very well, and can find the open man down field. He has solid fundamentals, great footwork, and a nice release. He has adequate arm strength, but will make plays with his excellent accuracy. He anticipates the play and puts the ball infront on his target while giving the defense a hard time to read his throws. He's deceptively mobile and can avoid the sack and move around to create plays.

#6 The Bengals Pick:
Andre Smith, OT, Alabama

Eventhough their were questions about this young athlete, he was once the #1 proscpect and in his film, you can see why. He has rare quickness and blocks down extremely well. He can storm into the secondary and take out several defenders along the way. He has great lateral movement to stop outside blitzes and the necessary long arms to secure a threat. He is smart, very intuitive, and has great awareness. He is incredibly durable considering and has never missed a game from an injury in three seasons.

#7 The Raiders Pick:
Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland

He might be young and extremely raw, but he has all the tools to grow into a #1 WR. He has great vision, exceptional leaping ability and he is one of the fastest players at the combine in 10 years. He is quick off the snap and strong enough to avoid jams and break tackles. He has the speed to get separation and opponents will find him hard to cover. He tracks the ball well in the air on deep routes and can hit the afterburners to make the catch when overthrown. He can make people miss in the open field and is hard to bring down. He has all the moves to evade defenders and can take it to the house everytime he touches the ball.

#8 The Jaguars Pick:
Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia

Taking an elite OT will keep their QB healthy and able to finish the season. Monroe has prototypical size with a powerful lower body and a great punch. He run blocks just as well as he pass protects and coaches love the way he always finishes plays. His quick feet will help in slide protection to take care of outside blitzes and he is powerful enough to beat bull rushes. He is one of the best when he gets rolling because he can take out two or three defenders along the way. He should be a good anchor for the line for years to come.

#9 The Packers Pick:
B.J. Raji, NT, Boston College

B.J Raji's dominant strength and elite ability to blitz as well as stop the run will make him a great addition to Green Bay's defense. With his versatility, he can play in a 3-4 or 4-3 alignment. A great DT like Raji will also allow their LBs to run free and make more plays. Raji has a great burst off the line to penetrate into the backfield with the power and awareness to get to the QB or the RB. He is great at shedding bloack and getting free to disrupt the play in the backfield. He's quick to find the ball and once he does he will make the play.

#10 The 49ers Pick:
Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech

The 49ers are looking for a weapon on offense and Crabtree is all that and more. He is a young, competitive, and physical who can make plays all over the field and get into the endzone. He has prototypical size for the position and excellent hands that he uses to naturally catch the ball away from his body. He has strong hands and the leaping ability to fight for the ball at it's highest point and secure it from defenders. He knows how to use his size and quickness to get separation and pick up yards after making the grab. He who can contribute day one and his productivity has no ceiling in sight.

#11 The Bills Pick:
Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State)

With this pick they will be fortifying their defense with one of the best blitzers in the draft. He has great size and speed, but he might need time to develop and hone his other skills. He is still a prodigy and has all the tools to be a dominant player in the league. His explosive first step will make him a terror off the edge and his speed will also make him an asset in passing situations and can chase down the ball carrier from behind. He possesses great change of direction and can make plays in space. He has the potential to soon make this team have one of the best pass rush in the entire NFL.

#12 The Broncos Pick:
Knowshon Moreno, HB, Georgia

The Broncos are looking for a dynamic back like Moreno who is is tough, quick, and can explode throught the hole.He is known for his excellent vision and lateral quickness to elude defenders and make plays. He in hard to bring down and can shed several blocks on the way to a first down or to the endzone. He possesses good tricks such as an agile spin move, a devastating stiff arm, and infamous leaping ability able to jump right over defenders. He is extremely intense and very competive who can make game changine and game winning plays when he touches the ball.He has all the tools needed to be a #1 HB for this team.

#13 The Redskins Pick:
Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas

The Redskins want to upgrade their defense with one of the most productive pass rusher in the draft. He is a legend in the weight rooms and monster on the gridiron. Orakpo flashed game changing ability but saved his best for last. As a senior, he won the Lombardi, Hendricks and Nagurski awards and established himself as arguably the elite senior defensive lineman in the 2009 draft. Either with his hand in the dirt or standing up, Orakpo will show his phenominal ability to shed blocks and get to the QB. He has great size, strength, and the neccessary speed to play OLB in a 3-4. With a powerful bullrush he can blow up plays in the backfield and is a solid tackler who will wrap up the ball carrier.

#14 The Saints Pick:
Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State

Jenkins is believed to be the best a lockdown corner in the draft. He is a very physical athlete who can knock a receiver off their route or attack the ballcarrier behind the line of scrimage. He has great footwork and quick feet who can shadow his man and knock the ball away. He has fluid hips, a smooth backpedal, and can accelerate to the ball and make the play. He has excellent hands for the interception and the leaping ability to grab the ball at its highest point. He has the speed to stays with even the fastest receivers down the sideline and versatile enough to make the switch to playing free safety in the league.

#15 The Texans Pick:
Brian Cushing, LB, USC

He is a physical prototype with a combination of excellent size and overall athleticism for the position. He is very versatile having played defensive end, strong side linebacker, and even middle linebacker. He is a intense player and big hitter who looks to intimidate opponents with his physicality. He attacks blocks aggressively and flashes explosiveness and ferocity as a tackler. He has the speed and footwork to cover tight ends and backs. He can reads the QB and break on the ball as well as Blitz. He was a standout performer who has tons of experience and a great work ethic.

#16 The Chargers Pick:
Larry English, DE, Northern Illinois

A dominating pass rusher and playmaker on defense. He has a solid build with the strength and speed to become a 3-4 OLB. He was named the MAC's Most Valuable Player 2 times in a row and the MAC Defensive Player of the Year. He holds the Huskies career sack record with 31.5. He has great instincts, fantastic awareness, and is a natural athlete and team leader earning the MAC's Vern Smith Leadership Award. He plays very physical, has a mean streak and a non stop motor. He is relentless and does an excellent job of looking to knock the ball loose when closing from the quarterback's blindside. He has long arms and sheds blocks very wella nd is a terror off the edge with a good array of moves to get past offensive linemen and the ability to beat doubles teams. He has been extremely productive in his college carreer and still has a lot of upside.

#17 The Buccaneers Pick:
Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State

Josh Freeman is an enormous athlete with a solid frame and blenty of bulk. He does well under center as well as in the shotgun. He gets in and out of his motions smoothly and has a quick release. He has terrific arm strength, can fit the ball into tight spaces, and make all of the NFL throws. He has adequate speed and good quickness to move around in the pocket and tacklers will find him hard to bring down. He keeps his eyes downfield and can find the open man. He can pick up extra yards on the run and will lean in and use his body to gain extra yards. He is a good team leader and can raise the game of others around him and motivate them to be better.

#18 The Broncos Pick:
Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee

This athlete is quick, intelligent, and very powerfully at the point of attack. He shows the athleticism to beat double teams or tackles on a wide blitz. He has good footwork and the lateral quickness to tackle in space. He has phenominal hands to push around linemen or beat them with a variety of moves. He has an explosive bursts off the line and accelerates quickly. He is very versatile with experience at DT and DE and could adjust to OLB with ease. He has great work enthic and developed into a team leader. He has tremndous upside who hasn't come close to his full potential.

#19 The Eagles Pick:
Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri

Jeremy Maclin is a great impact player who can take over a game and make the play all the way to the endzone. He is an All-American receiver who also doubles as a leathal returner that can take it the distance. He has great vision that will help him find lanes in the defense. He has great speed and the explosiveness to get separation before and after the catch. He has quick feet, smooth hips and is agile enough to explode out of his breaks. He has natural hands and the great leaping ability to go get the ball at it's highest point. He has great body control and can make the phenominal catch. He is tough enough to get the ball across the middle of the field. He is an underrated blocker in the running game and can play through pain.

#20 The Lions Pick:
Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State

Pettigrew has everything a young talent needs to be a top TE in this league. He has prototypical size and strength, blocking ability and sure hands to be a reliable receiver. Some were let down by his speed at the combine, but he still had adequate speed to get open and the power to shed tackles and pick up yards after the catch. He can run block as well as he can pass block.He is a large target for the quarterback and has strong hands to secure the catch. He will create mismatches with his size and get yards over the middle. He's a tough player who can go toe to toe with the biggest linbackers and drag smaller ones for extra gaines.

#21 The Browns Pick:
Max Unger, C, Oregon

He has great footwork, hands, balance, awareness, and technique to shield the ballcarrier from defenders.He is a tough and competitive player who sustains blocks through the whistle. He is not the strongest or the quickest lineman but he beats people with his solid technique. He is quick out of his stance and great at recognizing blitzes and quick to isolate the defender with his hnads and keep him from making a play.He is a great pass protector and can create a nice wall of protection while miantaining blocks.He has a lot of experience and great vision to find defenders and uses his feet to take proper angles. Very durable and a great team leader on and off the field.

#22 The Vikings Pick:
Percy Harvin, WR, Florida

Durability, is a concern, but he is tough physical player.He is a small guy but stronger than he looks and a main contributor to his college team's success. He is a gamebreaker who can mave moves and take one to the house whenever he touches the football. He has rare speed, solid hands, great elusiveness, good vision, is great in space, and excels in tight quarters. He has great agility and quick comming out of his breatks. He lowers his hips well and makes nice quick moves that make him hard to cover.Brave enough to go across the middle and quickly moves upfield to gain yards.He has good leaping ability to make the spectacular reception. He is versatile who can contribute as a receiver, running back or returner.

#23 The Ravens Pick:
Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi

Oher's stock dropped, but he has all the tools for people to look back and realize he was the best OT in the class. He has prototypical size, excellent bulk for the position, and the necessary athleticism. He has great footwork, a powerful lower body, long arms to lock on a blitzing defender, and the strength to bully him out of the play. He gets out of his stance very quickly and uses good mechanics to get leverage on his opponent. He is smart and rarely causes penalties by metal lapses or comming out of his stance too soon. He is an underrated run blocker who can take out numerous defenders on a screen. As soon as he take his man out, he moves onto a second target and won't stop untill the wistle blows. He had a great senior year and started to show a real mean streak that line coaches love to see. He has a great work ethic, will be a great teammate, and loved by his quarterback.

#24 The Falcons Pick:
Peria Jerry, DT, Mississippi

He possesses a rare burst off the snap, great lateral quickness and a nose for getting to the football. He has good height and girth to plug up holes inside and able to beat the down block by tackles.He can get good benetration and get great pressure on the quarterback. Has great hands that can push guards into the pocket and disrupt the play. He has the speed to chase down plays in the backfield for such a big man. He can handle double teams and still able to get to the ball. He is an unquestioned leader of the defensive and has good bloodlines.

#25 The Dolphins Pick:
Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois

Vontae Davis is one of the best corners of the entire draft. He has the size, speed, and strength to be a threat to any receiver. He has great cover skills and he is young so he has an extremely high ceiling for his potential and production. He attacks the run with great tenacidy and has the power to send a message to the ball carrier with an explosive hit. He has fluid hips, great footwork to blanket his man, and the anticipation and speed to break on a ball and make the interception. His great vision and speed will enable him to return interceptions to the house.He has the strength to force fumbles and timing to blitz the QB. He has the talent to start at CB and is also a great special teamer and can also return punts and kicks.

#26 The Packers Pick:
Clay Matthews, NT, USC

He is a phenominal athlete with prototypical size, good speed, and a natural ability to make plays. He is a versatile player who can rush the passer, fall into coverage, and can tackle in space. He has the speed to chase the play down from behind and an array of moves to get past blockers. He has great vision and instinctincts to make game changing plays. He is an excellent special teams player who was co-special teams player of the year twice in a row. He has excellent bloodlines. His Father and Uncle were multiple Pro Bowlers and his uncle was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2007. He is a workout warrior and earning a 3.06 GPA in international relations. He has tremendous potential and should have huge production in the league.

#27 The Colts Pick:
Donalrd Brown, DT, Connecticut

Brown has a compact build, runs with a low center of gravity, has good speed, and show a nice burst through the hole. He has tremendous his vision, good agility, and great at accelerating from a quick stop. He has great lateral quickness and can be a real slash type runner with nice cuts. He does well in space and can break through small holes in the line. He has great game speed and can get into the secondary with ease or even break a long run. He possesses great balance and adequate at breaking tackles. He can run inside and quickly bounce back to the outside. He has very soft hands and can cathc the ball with ease out of the backfield. Could even line up at receiver on some plays. He is intense and a hard worker.

#28 The Bills Pick:
Eric Wood, C, Louisville

He is taller than most centers, but is a natural knee bender who stays low and comes at blockers with a good punch. He gets off the ball quickly and shows great fundamentals and footwork in a strong stance while keeping his hands inside to take defenders out of the play. He is a solid anchor with long arms and great power to pancake his man. He is a tough player who goes hard all the way through the play. He is a true leader on the line and confident when making the calls as a team captain as a senior. He does a good job of latching onto a defender's inside shoulder and driving them out of the play. He can open up large holes inside for the running back or picks up late blitzers up the middle.

#29 The Giants Pick:
Hakeem Nicks, CB, North Carolina

He gets good quickness off the snap, good strength, and lateral agility to fight through press coverage. He has good speed downfield, good bursts out of his breaks, and can generate separation. He has good balance and great agility to turn short catches into big gains. He shows rare body control and phenominal hands who can makes all the catches. He has good height and leaping ability for the fade route and the toughness to come across the middle. He possesses good field awareness helps him to find gaps in the defense or make the catch on the sideline or in the corner of the endzone. He improves every year and is just scratching the surface of his potential.

#30 The Titans Pick:
Kenny Britt, CB, Rutgers

Britt is a smart and giffted athlete. He is tall with a long frame, but still has speed and the quick moves needed to perform in the NFL. He is a great fit for the slot or can line up outside to make a spectacular catch running down the sideline. He runs crisp routes and looks good in and out of his cuts. He can find the seams in zone defense and he's big and tough enough to make great catches over the middle. He can accelerate to top speed quickly and has the agility to make people miss in the open field. He was the strongest WR in the draft and is an underated blocker in the run game. He is great at picking up extra yards and tough enough to break tackles.

#31 The Cardinals Pick:
Chris Wells, HB, Ohio State

Wells has the size, strength, the agility, the vision, the speed, and a nasty stiffarm to boot. He is one of the most multitalented athletes ion this draft. He's a downhill runner that uses the most out of his power to break a lot of tackles. He is a real natural at his position with great vision to find openings down field and the patience to wait for other to set up their blocks. He has the quickness and uses good pad level for such a large back. He's a homerun hitter and can take one too the house at any moment. He can also protect the quarterback with his underrated pass blocking skills. He's extremely tough and will stay in a game and play through pain. He a hard worker and a high character individual.

#32 The Steelers Pick:
Evander Hood, DT, Missouri

He has formitable size great quickness, and excellent use of his hands. He is a very passionate player who plays with an intense and very physical style any coach would love to have. He is a great pass rusher and can locate to ball quickly even in traffic. He even shown the speed to chase down the ball carrier or QB out of the pocket. He shows a great burst off the line and a great punch to knock back blockers and dirupt the play. He shows great quickness and good moves of beating his man and back the play. He has good experience and awareness whoi can recognizes the trap block burst through the hole. He is a durable player who shows great toughness and the ability to play through pain if he has to.

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2009 NFL Draft - Round 1

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