Does anyone draft better than Steelers?
Posted: Sun April 19, 1998 at 3:27 PM ET
Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King has been tracking the 1998 NFL Draft for CNNSI.com all weekend.
PHOENIX (CNN/SI) -- Here are 10 things I think I think after the draft:
1.) I think I know now, for sure, why the Pittsburgh Steelers are so good. They never panic over losing any free agent or free agents and never overpay them because they know they're such good drafters that they can get a lot better bargain in the second
or third round. This
draft was a perfect example. The first-round pick, Alan
Faneca, will be a starter no later than Opening Day 1999 at
guard. The second pick, defensive tackle Jeremy Staat, will
immediately enter their tackle rotation; he's truly quality depth. I was in the Arizona draft headquarters Saturday, and
the Cardinals were torn over four tackles, including Fresno State's Chris
Conrad, at the top of the second round. The Cards passed on Conrad, and the Steelers stole him at the top of the third
round. Then they got the 30th selection on the St. Louis Rams' draft board with the 92nd selection overall in the
draft: versatile Georgia wideout Hines Ward. My hat's
off to Tom Donahoe.
2.) I think that the best post-second-round rookie in 1998 will be new Washington running back Skip Hicks, the 69th overall
pick. With Terry Allen still struggling to come back from yet
another injury, Hicks could be a 1,100-yard back this fall.
3.) I think that I wouldn't be surprised at all in 2003 if Brian Griese is a more accomplished player
quarterbacking a winning team in Denver than any quarterback in this draft. That's no
knock on Peyton Manning. That's a credit to Mike Shanahan.
4.) I think I would pay to see the Dallas-Arizona opener 20 weeks from today. Larry
Allen and Simeon Rice, one-on-one.
Erik Willliams and
Andre Wadsworth, one-on-one. And maybe, if Chan Gailey moves
Flozell Adams inside to guard, Flozell "Hotel" Adams and
Eric Swann, one-on-one.
5.) I think the Cardinals are no longer a bye week on anybody's schedule.
6.) I think I looked at the NFL schedule this morning and I came to this conclusion: The Cardinals open the season with six
straight winnable games -- Dallas, Seattle, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Oakland and Chicago. If Jake Plummer is as mature as he showed
last December, these guys will be a playoff contender by the end of the World Series. And, thanks to that lovely
last-place schedule, New Orleans and San Diego finish the season in succession at Sun Devil Stadium.
7.) I think Jimmy Johnson sounded like the biggest cheerleader I've ever heard when I talked to him on
the phone. "I'm more excited about the first five picks of this draft than our first five picks last year," said Johnson. That's saying
something, considering that last year two of the three or four best defensive rookies in football,
Jason Taylor and Derrick
Rodgers, were early Miami picks. Johnson told me he is already
penciled in his mid-second round defensive end, troubled LSU pass rusher Kenny Mixon, in the rotation at defensive end.
8.) I think Chicago will live to regret not lowering its trade demands at No. 5 in the first round and taking
Curtis Enis instead of trading down to No. 9 and taking
Keith Brooking or Takeo Spikes and pulling needed depth out of the
second round.
9.) I think Vonnie Holliday is pretty darn good -- a
possible Reggie White retirement insurance policy in
Green Bay when drafted, who will be called upon to contribute immediately since White announced hir retirement Sunday.
10.) I think -- and I'm not exactly sure why -- that Joe
Jurevicius will turn into the player the Giants were never patient enough to develop in Ed McCaffrey.
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