Because I managed to crawl out of bed in a timely manner this morning, it's time to live blog the NFL draft. I won't be here for every pick or anything, but I'll do my best to bring you the highlights and some trenchant observations. Feel free to add your own thoughts to the mix, and be sure to check out all our football sites, especially because I've received word that one of them intends to be extremely drunk for the whole draft. Which one? You'll have to figure that out yourself!
There'll be more when the draft starts, so just click Read more.. to get to it. Check out the following:
Pride of Detroit
Daily Norseman
Mile High Report
The Falcoholic
Cincy Jungle
The Phinsider
Stampede Blue
11:54 ET Wow, you gotta love the people booing through the VT tribute. It's great that your hatred for Mike Vick means more to you than honoring the dead. Way to go, guys.
11:57 Ed Werder cracks me up for some reason. That may be the least manly mustache ever. He's talking about the Raiders moving down, but I would be amazed if that actually happened.
12:00 I love this montage. I half expect Brady Quinn to say "You're risking a draftee's life!" but I doubt we're going to get that lucky.
12:04 I don't really hate Keyshawn anymore. He's going to make a pretty good studio guy down the line, and I'd rather listen to him than Berman. That being said, I'm not sure how ESPN expects him to offer anything of value to the proceedings.
12:06 Good lord, did Mel Kiper just throw up a fist? Somebody get that man a tranquilizer!
12:11 Now comes the dull part, where we listen to a lot of blah blah blah before Berman tips the pick. Let's see what the Raiders do; my money's still on JaMarcus.
12:17 The Raiders have had months to plan this out, and of course they're still going use their full 15 minutes. Unreal. If you got one of them pregnant, it would take them a full 3 years to conceive.
12:20 QB JaMarcus Russell! I was right! This could make or break the Raiders for the next several years, and Russell could make or break their buffet line for that same span. Exciting pick all around.
12:21 Might be a little late on this next pick, as it's time to run in for a shower. If the Falcons trade up to get CJ, somebody track Blank down and punch him in the face.
12:35 The Lions select Calvin Johnson, which means they're either going to dangle him in the faces of other teams or Millen's intent on building a glorious empire of wide receivers.
12:36 If I'm the Browns, I'm taking Adrian Peterson here. I still think Charlie Frye could be a solid NFL QB, and I'm not sold on Quinn at all.
12:40 Chris Berman and Brady Quinn, sitting in a tree...
12:41 And they go with Joe Thomas. If he catches a big bass while he's out there, this is clearly the greatest day of his life. 12:44 Bucs are going to do one of two things here: pick up Brady Quinn or trade for Calvin Johnson. And Sal just called Chris Simms "Phil Simms". Frankly, the Bucs would be better if that was the case.
12:49 Screw you, Brady Quinn. Screw you for being interviewed just because the guys at ESPN are crushing on you. I hope someone hurries up and picks you so we don't have to see you for the rest of the damn draft.
12:55 Whoa! I did not see this coming. Gaines Adams is apparently going to Tampa, unless they flip him to Detroit for Johnson. Stranger things have happened.
1:06 Two tackles in the first five picks, even though I think Levi Brown is a reach for the Cardinals. I'm thinking the Cardinals are finally realizing how much their line sucks, though, and that may make a world of difference for them in coming years.
1:10 Man, it might be a little tricky for the Redskins here. I know they're half-hoping to get out of this spot, but there's a lot of talent available. I'm saying Okoye if they don't trade out.
1:12 Oh dear god. They're showing Landry on the phone. Please, please please don't let the Redskins pick Landry. I'm going to cry.
1:17: Well, months of pre-draft mancrushing and the Redskins destroy it. The Redskins are on my shit list now. That being said, good pick.
1:20 Vikings on the clock, and I'd expect them to go for Peterson. That being said, Quinn's on the board, and it's going to be a little bit of a tough choice here.
1:27 And the Vikings go for Peterson. In my mind, one of the better picks of the draft thus far. He'll immediately improve their offense, barring a catastrophic injury. Jinx!
1:29 Falcons on the clock. Looks like Quinn's gonna keep dropping, as I'd expect the Falcons to get either Anderson or Okoye here. Anything else would be all foolish and shiz.
1:31 Honestly, the more I think about it the more I think the team should try to hit a home run with Okoye. You can get good ends a little further down in the draft, but Okoye could have a fantastic career and all our tackles are either old or in trouble with the law. Let's see what happens.
1:37 I love how they spent all of the Falcons' time talking about Brady Quinn. Your vest looks stupid, Quinn!
1:39 Atlanta Falcons select Jamaal Anderson, DE. Talented kid, the logical choice here now that Landry's gone, but hard to get excited about it. Obviously going to make a big impact, but we'll need other quality picks later on in order to make this one really worth it. Still, I have no doubt he'll be a good player for us.
1:45 Lemme check...oh, still talking about Brady Quinn. Good to know other draft picks get the time of day. Like, you know, the one that was just picked! Upon an additional few minutes of reflection, I've decided the Falcons could've done much worse than Anderson. He and Abraham do provide a pretty potent rush combo, so this ought to work out. Still would've liked to see how Okoye would do for us, though.
1:52 Whoa. Whoa. The Dolphins pull of the surprise of the draft so far, leaving Brady Quinn sitting there looking like a moron. That was an absolutely awful pick for the Dolphins, as far as I'm concerned. Ginn is fast but he's nothing special, and Mel Kiper is furious. I'm greatly amused by this turn of events, but I'm worried Matt from The Phinsider might kill himself.
1:56 The ESPN guys are ripping this pick apart. Mel Kiper is legitimately angry about this pick, and I hardly blame him. Quinn might slide all the way to Jacksonville or further at this point, and I can't think of a single good reason why the Dolphins think Ted Ginn is a better player than Brady Quinn...and I strongly dislike Brady Quinn. This could be the worst pick of the whole damn draft, but it's too early to tell.
2:04 Great pick by the Texans getting Amobi Okoye. Their line now has two of the best young players in football. Smart pick, good move, and just a smart offseason for them for once. Except for all the picks they gave up for Schaub. Almost forgot about that...hahahahaa!
2:15 I'm going to be on the road for quite a while after this, so the 49ers are going to be my last pick to profile for now. Please check out all the other blogs who are livin' it up...they're doing a fantastic job today. I'll return a few hours from now, just in time to see Brady Quinn go.
2:19 I'm not enamored with Patrick Willis, but this was a classic case of filling a need for the 49ers. He should be a solid player at a position of need for them. I'm sure Niners Nation is happy about this one.
2:20 And that'll do it for me for now. Leave your comments on the draft so far, especially Anderson. Will he be the next great DE for the Falcons?