Baltimore Ravens
1, Jonathan Ogden, t, UCLA (4); 1, Ray Lewis, lb, Miami (26); 2, DeRon Jenkins, db, Tennessee (55); 5, Jermaine Lewis, wr, Maryland (153); 6, Dexter Daniels, lb, Florida (172); 6, James Roe, wr, Norfolk State (186); 7, Jon Stark, qb, Trinity, Ill. (238).
Comment: Ted Marchibroda’s revelation that he will try the athletic 6-8 Ogden at guard signals quite an evolution in line play. Lewis and Jenkins could fill immediate needs, but Ravens still need a better running back to complement Vinny Testaverde.
Buffalo Bills
1, Eric Moulds, wr, Mississippi State (24); 2, Gabe Northern, de, LSU (53); 3, Matt Stevens, db, Appalachian State (87); 4, Sean Moran, de, Colorado State (120); 5, Raymond Jackson, db, Colorado State (156); 6, Leon Neal, rb, Washington (196); 6, Dusty Zeigler, c, Notre Dame (202); 7, Dan Brandenburg, de, Indiana State (237); 7, Jay Riemersma, te, Michigan (244); 7, Eric Smedley, db, Indiana (249).
Comment: Bears coaching staff didn’t think much of Moulds at Senior Bowl, but he is athletic, has good size and could fill void left by expected departure of Andre Reed. Northern is a combination defensive end-linebacker who might get a chance to help fill big void left by exit of Cornelius Bennett.
Cincinnati Bengals
1, Willie Anderson, t, Auburn (10); 2, Marco Battaglia, te, Rutgers (39); 3, Ken Blackman, t, Illinois (69); 4, Jevon Langford, de, Oklahoma State (108); 5, Greg Myers, db, Colorado (144); 6, Tom Tumulty, lb, Pittsburgh (178); 7, Rod Jones, t, Kansas (219).
Comment: Bengals have targeted Anderson for months and got their man to help block for Ki-Jana Carter and Jeff Blake. Blackman will be tried at guard and Battaglia will provide interesting competition or complement for inconsistent Tony McGee.
Denver Broncos
1, John Mobley, lb, Kutztown (15); 2, Tory James, db, LSU (44); 3, Detron Smith, fb, Texas A&M (65); 3, Mark Campbell, dt, Florida (78); 4, Jeff Lewis, qb, Northern Arizona (100); 4, Darrius Johnson, db, Oklahoma (122); 5, Patrick Jeffers, wr, Virginia (159); 6, Tony Veland, db, Nebraska (181); 7, Leslie Ratliffe, t, Tennessee (213); 7, Chris Banks, g, Kansas (226); 7, L.T. Levine, rb, Kansas (235); 7, Brian Gragert, p, Wyoming (236).
Comment: Not a great draft. Lost out to Bears in trade bidding with Rams for CB Harris and settled for second-rounder James, who doesn’t like to hit anybody. Mobley is small-college projection. Campbell doesn’t appear ready to make an impact in area of great need.
Houston Oilers
1, Eddie George, rb, Ohio State (14); 2, Bryant Mix, de, Alcorn State (38); 2, Jason Layman, g, Tennessee (48); 3, Terry Killens, lb, Penn State (74); 4, Kendrick Burton, de, Alabama (107); 4, Jon Runyan, t, Michigan (109); 5, Rayna Stewart, db, Northern Arizona (143); 6, Anthony Dorsett, lb, Pittsburgh (177); 7, Mike Archie, rb, Penn State (218).
Comment: George should fit into Oilers’ one-back attack and prove more durable and consistent than Rodney Thomas did last year. Mix could make coach Jeff Fisher’s defensive line plans if he develops faster than former Alcorn teammate John Thierry and can play end at 300 pounds. How would you like to be Tony Dorsett’s son playing in Texas?
Indianapolis Colts
1, Marvin Harrison, wr, Syracuse (19); 2, Dedric Mathis, db, Houston (51); 3, Scott Slutzker, te, Iowa (82); 4, Brian Milne, rb, Penn State (115); 5, Steve Martin, dt, Missouri (151); 6, Keith Conlin, t, Penn State (191); 6, Mike Cawley, qb, James Madison (205); 7, Adrian Robinson, db, Baylor (232).
Comment: Harrison is fastest receiver in draft and gives Jim Harbaugh a deep threat. Some teams thought at less than 180 pounds Harrison was not physical enough. But he returns kicks and was never injured. Mathis came on late at position of real need for Colts. Good speed and size.
Jacksonville Jaguars
1, Kevin Hardy, lb, Illinois (2); 2, Tony Brackens, de, Texas (33); 2, Michael Cheever, g, Georgia Tech (60); 3, Aaron Beasley, db, West Virginia (63); 4, Reggie Barlow, wr, Alabama State (110); 5, Jim Herndon, t, Houston (146); 6, John Fisher, db, Missouri Western (170); 6, Chris Doering, wr, Florida (185); 7, Clarence Jones, wr, Tennessee State (227); 7, Gregory Spann, wr, Jackson State (228).
Comment: These picks should bolster a defense that wasn’t even the worst in the division last year. If they get instant results from Hardy and Brackens, it could be enough to vault them past the Ravens and Bengals in the win column. But will they regret passing on Phillips?
Kansas City Chiefs
1, Jerome Woods, db, Memphis (28); 2, Reggie Tongue, db, Oregon State (58); 3, John Browning, de, West Virginia (68); 4, Donnie Edwards, lb, UCLA (98); 5, Joe Horn, wr, Itawamba JC (135); 7, Ben Lynch, c, California (211); 7, Jeff Smith, c, Tennessee (241); 7, Darrell Williams, db, Tennessee State (245).
Comment: The safeties have a chance to start right away in a secondary that is over 30 even though the Chiefs finished second on defense last year. Why the Chiefs didn’t tap the deep wide receiver crop earlier is a mystery, although it means big expectations for Tamarick Vanover and Lake Dawson.
Miami Dolphins
1, Daryl Gardener, dt, Baylor (20); 3, Dorian Brew, db, Kansas (79); 3, Karim Abdul-Jabbar, rb, UCLA (80); 4, Kirk Pointer, db, Austin Peay (113); 4, Stanley Pritchett, rb, South Carolina (118); 4, LaCurtis Jones, lb, Baylor (125); 5, Jerris McPhail, rb, East Carolina (134); 5, Shane Burton, dt, Tennessee (150); 5, Zach Thomas, lb, Texas Tech (154); 6, Shawn Wooden, db, Notre Dame (189); 7, Jeff Buckey, t, Stanford (230); 7, Brice Hunter, wr, Georgia (251).
Comment: Jimmy Johnson loves quantity as much as quality. He thinks he’s smarter in middle rounds than others, so he stocked up on late picks and expects good special teams, if nothing else. Gardener has biggest upside in draft, but Bears staff was unimpressed at Senior Bowl. Brew and Abdul-Jabbar could win starting jobs in need areas.
New England Patriots
1, Terry Glenn, wr, Ohio State (7); 2, Lawyer Milloy, db, Washington (36); 3, Tedy Bruschi, lb, Arizona (86); 4, Heath Irwin, g, Colorado (101); 4, Chris Sullivan, de, Boston College (119); 4, Kantroy Barber, rb, West Virginia (124); 5, John Elmore, g, Texas (139); 5, Christian Peter, dt, Nebraska (149); 6, Chris Griffin, te, New Mexico (173); 6, Marrio Grier, rb, Tennessee-Chattanooga (195); 6, Devin Wyman, dt, Kentucky State (dt); 7, Lovett Purnell, te, West Virginia (216); 7, J.R. Conrad, g, Oklahoma (247).
Comment: Glenn gives Drew Bledsoe a deep threat. If he is close to being as productive as former Ohio State teammate Joey Galloway was last year for Seattle, he will make Patriots’ draft. Milloy should start in young secondary, but is defense strong enough up front yet?
New York Jets
1, Keyshawn Johnson, wr, Southern Cal (1); 2, Alex Van Dyke, wr, Nevada (31); 3, Ray Mickens, db, Texas A&M (62); 5, Marcus Coleman, db, Texas Tech (133); 6, Hugh Hunter, de, Hampton U. (168); 7, Chris Hayes, db, Washington State (210).
Comment: Receivers obviously were Jets’ main need. After adding the Bears’ Jeff Graham in free agency and following up Johnson with Van Dyke, former quarterback Boomer Esiason must feel better about himself in Arizona. Mickens is very good, but very small.
Oakland Raiders
1, Rickey Dudley, te, Ohio State (9); 2, Lance Johnstone, lb, Temple (57); 5, La’Roi Glover, dt, San Diego State (166); 6, Tim Hall, rb, Robert Morris (183); 7, Sedric Clark, de, Tulsa (220); 7, Darius Smith, c, Sam Houston State (224); 7, Joey Wylie, g, Stephen F. Austin (248).
Comment: Al Davis may have lost some luster, but when he decides he wants a player, at least he goes after him. Dudley was the most talked-about athlete in the draft in terms of great potential. He ran faster than little teammate Terry Glenn and may be next Kellen Winslow.
Pittsburgh Steelers
1, Jamain Stephens, t, North Carolina A&T (29); 3, Steven Conley, lb, Arkansas (72); 3, Jon Wittman, fb, Penn State (92); 4, Earl Holmes, LB, Florida A&M (126); 4, Jahine Arnold, wr, Fresno State (132); 5, Israel Raybon, de, North Alabama (163); 6, Dietrich Jells, wr, Pittsburgh (176); 6, Orpheus Roye, de, Florida State (200); 6, Spence Fischer, qb, Duke (203); 7, Carlos Emmons, lb, Arkansas State (242).
Comment: Stephens is a huge player from a small school with big shoes to fill after free-agent defection of Leon Searcy. Steelers spent second pick to land running back Jerome Bettis from Rams.
San Diego Chargers
2, Bryan Still, wr, Virginia Tech (41); 2, Patrick Sapp, lb, Clemson (50); 3, Brian Roche, te, San Jose State (81); 4, Charlie Jones, wr, Fresno State (114); 5, Junior Soli, dt, Arkansas (155); 6, Jim Mills, t, Idaho (190); 6, Bryan Stoltenberg, c, Colorado (192); 7, Freddie Bradley, rb, Sonoma State (231).
Comment: For the fourth time in recent years, Bobby Beathard traded a future No. 1 choice for a second-rounder. That means keep an eye on Still, because Beathard’s picks usually come through.
Seattle Seahawks
1, Pete Kendall, t, Boston College (21); 2, Fred Thomas, db, Tennessee-Martin (47); 3, Robert Barr, t, Rutgers (77); 3, Reggie Brown, rb, Fresno State (91); 4, Phillip Daniels, de, Georgia (99); 4, Eric Unverzagt, lb, Wisconsin (131); 6, Reggie Green, g, Florida (184); 6, T.J. Cunningham, db, Colorado (209); 7, Johnie Church, de, Florida (225).
Comment: This is a very unspectacular bunch of additions to most observers except quarterback Rick Mirer, who is thrilled to see potential help up front for a passing offense that finished 22nd and gave up 45 sacks.
