| Fantasy Football Picks That Hit the Target | ||
|---|---|---|
|
||
| AFC Draft Needs |
|
|
| Written by Phil Unwin | |
| Sunday, 20 April 2008 | |
|
Baltimore – QB is a high priority for this team, as Steve McNair is on his last legs, and Kyle Boller is not the answer. Troy Smith looked okay in limited time last year, but if Matt Ryan is on the board when the Ravens pick, they will be hard pressed to pass on him. Cornerback is another issue. Chris McAllister is still quite good, but Samari Rolle has been hit hard with injury and illness, and depth is a major problem. Offensive tackle will probably be addressed sooner than later, too. Jonathan Ogden is nearing the end of a career that’s nearly certain to end up with him enshrined in Canton, Ohio. Buffalo – The Bills will look for a wide receiver very early on. Lee Evans needs a running partner to take some pressure off; fantasy owners know all too well that Evans was as inconsistent as any receiver in football last year. They could use a tight end, too. Buffalo hasn’t had a receiving threat at tight end in a decade, and Robert Royal won’t be the first. If Fred Davis is there in round 2, they’ll likely give him a long look. Cincinnati – The Bengals need help all over their front seven. Various combinations of age, injury, suspensions and free agent defections have decimated a group that wasn’t anything to write home about to begin with. And wide receiver may become a need soon, as well, with Chad Johnson wanting out and TJ Housmandzadeh wanting more money (a situation that usually precedes exit from Cincy). Cleveland – Cleveland opted to address many of their needs by dealing away draft picks. Their picks in the first three rounds of the draft turned into Brady Quinn, Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers. Cornerback and running back are areas in which they’ll be looking to strike gold with late round picks. Denver – Defensive tackle is a crying need for a team that used to feature one of the most formidable run defenses in the NFL. The Broncos have seldom been shy about trading on draft day, and would surely love to find a way to move up into the top 5 and get Sedrick Ellis or Glenn Dorsey. They could use an upgrade at wide receiver, as well, with Javon Walker gone and Brandon Stokley not really starter material. An insurance policy against Brandon Marshall’s continued problems might be nice too. Houston – The Texans haven’t had a quality left tackle since their inception, and will take a long look at Chris Williams if he’s there at 18, or maybe Jeff Otah. Running back is a need for this team as well, as Ahman Green should not be counted upon. The Texans don’t have a second round pick, having traded it for Matt Schaub. Indianapolis – No crying needs, as you might expect, but depth is an issue at many positions, like guard, defensive end, cornerback and linebacker. Jacksonville – The Jaguars are likely to address the defensive line early and often. They traded away Marcus Stroud, so they’ll be looking for a replacement run stuffer to team with John Henderson. They would also like a big time pass rusher. There’s a rumor floating around that they’re trying to pry Jason Taylor from the Dolphins, which would obviously solve that need quite nicely. Kansas City – Plenty of needs here. The Chiefs struck gold with Dwayne Bowe last year, but need another wide receiver. Defensive tackle has been a need since Hank Stram roamed the sidelines, it seems. However, the Chiefs have good, young corners…unfortunately, the good players aren’t young and the young players aren’t good. If Jake Long somehow slips to them at 5, the Chiefs will take him, as offensive tackle, a long time strength, has become a weakness. Finally, they appear not to be sold on Brodie Croyle, and are considering Matt Ryan at 5. Miami – 1-15 teams tend to need improvement in more than a couple spots. Realistically, the Dolphins could stand upgrades pretty much everywhere but running back, nose tackle and special teams. Miami could probably just take the best player available in each round and not be wrong. New England – The Patriots have been hemorrhaging defensive backs in free agency. Asante Samuel, Randall Gay and Eugene Wilson are all gone. Look for the Patriots to carpet-bomb their secondary in the draft. Some youth and athleticism at linebacker might be welcome as well, with too many players on the wrong side of 30. New York – The Jets have done a fine job of filling holes in free agency, especially on the offensive line, but other areas of need remain. Running back is an issue, and Darren McFadden is a real possibility, should be fall to 6. Another pass rusher on their defense would be welcome. They added Calvin Pace in free agency, but another one would be very helpful. Finally, they’ll probably be looking for an upgrade at tight end. Oakland – The Raiders desperately need help on both sides of the line of scrimmage. They’d love Chris Long, but he’s not falling to them. Jake Long might, but that’s a long shot too. Glenn Dorsey or Sedrick Ellis should be the guys they’re considering at 4. Pittsburgh – The Steelers have seldom passed on a competent offensive lineman when given the chance, and indeed, they’ll probably pick an offensive lineman in round 1, as they have multiple holes on the line. San Diego – The Chargers are in decent shape almost everywhere, but would probably like to upgrade at offensive tackle, as Shane Olivea had a poor season. Depth in the front seven would be nice, and they might be looking for a running back; Michael Turner’s ability to spell LaDainian Tomlinson effectively was instrumental in keeping Tomlinson healthy and keeping the Chargers’ offense moving. Tennessee – The Titans have one of the weakest groups of wide receivers in the NFL, and it’s time to give Vince Young some downfield targets. The defensive line was hit hard by free agency, and they’ll need to get help there, as well. |