2009 "V" Draft Recap
Pick #1: Andre Smith T ALABAMA
—Holdout and broken foot cost Smith most of his rookie season. Saw action in last two games and played well. Marvin Lewis has said Smith is the best lineman in camp and is a shoe in to win the Right Tackle spot on leagues most powerful line. Valenti Status—Am I nervous? A bit. Any time a player get hurt and misses a rookie season it raises an eyebrow…or in my case a uni-brow. I'm standing behind Smith and he should enter season as starter. Also has lost weight which is always good. Never been sold on Stafford and his rookie season didn't give me goose bumps either. I'll stick this one out and take the bullets if Stafford turns All-Pro while Smith goes the way of Gosder.
Pick #20: Peria Jerry DT OLE MISS
—Missed most of rookie season with knee injury. Prognosis reportedly is fine but clearly never a good thing for a kid to get hurt 4 games in. Valenti Status—whether it's bad luck or bad job on my part both guys got hurt. Unacceptable so I will take the hit. Jerry should be fine but I'm not going to lie and say I'm totally confident. Falcons love him and Mike Smith feels he is the starter inside. Again, hard to evaluate when he was hurt after two games. Both Pettigrew and Jerry coming off similar injuries and frankly too early to tell. Like Pettigrew but love/loved what Jerry brought to table considering Lions scheme of "attacking" on the line at all times. Funny how people knock Suh because he isn't used to doing it yet flamed me for wanting Jerry as he fit right into what Lions want.
Pick #33: Ron Brace DT BOSTON COLLEGE
—Started three games while being a backup to all-world DT Vince Wilfork. No negative reports nor any positive ones. All three second round selections by Patriots are mysteries at this point. Evaluation starts now. Valenti Status—No doubt Lions got me here. No excuses no defensive response. Delmas is a solid player and started from jump street. Sure Patriots are a superior team and it's harder to start early but I gotta give Delmas credit. I still love Brace and still believe it was his presence that allowed his fellow BC draft pick BJ Raji to flourish. We shall see.
Pick 76: Antoine Caldwell C ALABAMA
—Started for Houston in 4 games and played in 12. Likely a full-time starter at center or guard for 2010. Valenti Status—What? He didn't get hurt too? Lol, in all seriousness I like the kid and should be just fine moving forward. Solid value at this pick in draft and sure is better than Derrick Williams.
Pick #82: Lardarius Webb CB NICHOLS STATE
—Stud. Period. Starts for Ravens at CB and is special team ace as KO return man. Totaled 897 return yards. Downside? Drumroll….hurt his knee late in season. Valenti Status—Kid showed major ability and was a starter for one of the best units in the league. Also provided major punch to the special teams return unit on Kick offs. Hard to believe three guys, two of which had no injury history, got hurt and missed time but it is what it is. I'm standing by this kid. I nailed this one. Steal.
Pick # 115: Stanley Arnoux MLB WAKE FOREST
—Hurt on first day of rookie camp…shocking. Is reported to be in running for a starting job on a very thin Saints linebacking corps for 2010. Valenti Status— Sammie Lee Hill was a decent pick. He played. However, playing on the Lions isn't tough considering where the franchise is coming from. Arnoux getting hurt made this, as a few others, tough to gauge. I believe the kid can play, saw a bunch of him at Wake Forest and it was he, not last years Top 5 pick Aaron Curry, who manned the middle for the Deacons. OVERALL—Not my best work but how much is my fault? Outside of Jerry none of these players had a track record of injury to truly consider. Four players getting hurt in one class is pretty rare. I still have strong belief in Smith, Jerry, Webb, and Brace. Arnoux is on a Super bowl team and they may simply draft ahead of him. We shall see. Lions draft was solid. Stafford will tell us all we need to know this year. He struggles we have issues, he blossoms it's a hit. Period. Pettigrew was OK as a starter, again injury status and presence of Scheffler will make it interesting. Delmas is a stud, no argument. Williams is simply awful and Hill is decent depth nothing more. My draft could be boom or bust. Injuries have clouded what looked like a decent situation. I will update this after next season to have some fun with you guys and see where we stand. Valenti Draft 2.0 coming Monday after draft.
