NFL Draft

I don't think there was a big surprise at the NFL draft over the weekend. I don't think I could have gone with Matthew Stafford number one, but the pick doesn't surprise anyone. And yes, the New York Jets traded up for the number five pick, but that wasn't a surprise either.

I think Mark Sanchez will be good for New York. Coming out of USC, he understands what pressure is and what it's like to have a very large city watching you play. That and his seemingly great presence will help him charm New York, if he can win.

I like what the Carolina Panthers did even though they didn't have a first round pick. When they saw a first round quality defensive end available at the 11th spot in the second round, they made a move to get him. This makes tons of sense with the Julius Peppers situation.

I was a little surprised to see Michael Crabtree fall to San Francisco at tenth. I do think it made their draft though. Now the quarterbacks there won't have the excuse of not having a viable wide receiver.

I think Al Davis needs to let someone else make the football decisions in Oakland, and this draft shows why once again. I think there were two better receivers on the board when he took Darrius Heyward-Bey, but Davis' love of speed won out again.

Philadelphia benefited the most from Al Davis' pick, winding up getting Jeremy Maclin with the 19th pick. If Maclin can learn the system quickly, it gives Donovan McNabb an elite wide receiver for the first time in years.