Looking back at some draft things I said from last year

[The Dirty Bird]

1) For those of you who read my mocks for last year's drafts, odds are you don't remember me drafting Matt Ryan for the Patriots in my 6th mock. It was a joke, and here is what I said:

"On the clock: The New England Patriots.

Pick 7) The New England Patriots select: Matt Ryan, QB.

Don't be so surprised. If you haven't checked ESPN lately, it turns out Tom Brady's ankle is actually in horrible condition. Seems like the boot scandal was no scandal after all. Bill convinced Brady to play in the SB, saying he would never play another snap in New England if he didn't suit up. The ankle will require severe reconstructive surgery which will also require about a year of rehab, so he is done for at least the 2008 season. His injury was obvious after re-examination of game tape in which he couldn't evade the Giants pass rush for his life, and how he played under those conditions is beyond me. My hat goes off to him. The Pats pull the shocker of the draft, and take Matt Ryan here at #7. With Tom Brady out for at least one year, maybe even done for good, the Pats need a franchi......GOTCHA!! Haha I can only imagine your faces right now. I just hope you haven't jumped ship on me. The real pick here is Leodis McKelvin, CB. After losing two of their starting cornerbacks, the Pats need secondary help badly. Leodis McKelvin is the top rated CB on all draft boards (except for Dallas for some reason) and is also a dynamic return man."

Who here actually thought that Brady would be out for at least one year, maybe even done for good (from his knee injury and recurring infections)?...

2) I repeatedly said that Brian Brohm would be a 2nd round pick - in every single mock of mine and in every thread that had a related topic - and I got flamed by everyone here. One point for me.

3) I said Matt Ryan would suck and that if we drafted him I'd cry until the room I was in filled up with tears and I drowned. Good thing the room I was in at the time had a window open so drowning wasn't a possibility and I am able to see Ryan excelling in his rookie year with the Falcons. Negative 1,000 for me.

4) Two late round guys that I really wanted and advocated for in some of my mocks and in some sleeper threads were OG Donald Thomas from UConn and DT Marcus Harrison from Arkansas. Well, both of them were named to the midseason all-rookie team: http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8...mp;confirm=true.

Thomas: "Sixth round, 195th overall

Currently out with an injury, but he was good enough to be the Dolphins starting guard in Week 1, and he looks to be a future Pro Bowl player; a sixth-round steal." Could have been our future Pro Bowler and 6th round steal...

Harrison: "Third round, 90th overall

Has not started but is active in the Bears' tackle rotation, with 11 tackles and 2 sacks." Harrison was taken a lot earlier than expected by the Bears, but he as worked out for them really well. I think he is going to be something really special if he doesn't have an off-the-field incident.

Also worth noting, Falcons' Matt Ryan and Curtis Lofton make this list.

Another guy that I wanted in UDFA just for KR/PR was Brian Witherspoon and I had us signing him in my Final Mock Draft. Unfortunately, the Jags signed him in UDFA.

What I said: "3) Brian Witherspoon, CB/KR

Goodbye Jennings should be Witherspoon's nickname, or GJ for short. Jennings has not gotten it done at KR, and while we do not need another CB and could opt for Anthony Alridge as a HB/KR with 4.36 speed which I have in all my other mocks, I don't think Alridge makes it out of the 7th round without being picked. Also, Witherspoon's 4.2 speed trumps Alridge's 4.36 speed anyday. Witherspoon could be our poor man's Devin Hester, but at 4.2, he's worth a shot."

He too made the midseason all-rookie team as a....kick returner! He "has a 26.6-yard average on 26 kickoff returns, including three returns of 40 or more yards." We could've used him...

5) I loved Chaz Schilens last year and took him in the IMD for the Raiders in the 7th round. Low and behold, the Raiders did the same thing and grabbed him up in the 7th round and he is now getting the majority of the looks in their offense. Schilens is 6'4 and has 4.3 speed.

6) I had us drafting Glenn Dorsey in every single one of the mock drafts I made where we did not trade down. That didn't work out too well.

[Ethanga62890]

I wanted Witherspoon. I was pumping him all offseason. I was wrong on Matt Ryan. Agreed with you on Brohm. I also had us getting Dorsey in many of my mocks.

[The Dirty Bird]

I remember someone else wanted Witherspoon too...

The one that hurts most is Donald Thomas...

[Keas McFalcon]

I wanted Witherspoon. I was pumping him all offseason. I was wrong on Matt Ryan. Agreed with you on Brohm. I also had us getting Dorsey in many of my mocks.

I think the majority of us were wrong about Matt Ryan and would have preferred Glen Dorsey instead. But we are all happy that we didn't make that decision in the War Room on draft day. Hind sight is always 20/20.