The NFL draft is probably the most exciting non-competition athletic event out there, or at least all of the sports analysts want to make you think that. I think that between the end of the NCAA tournament and when baseball season finally heats up and kicks in there's not a whole hell of a lot else to talk about. Let's face it; the number of people who actually give a shit about the NBA playoffs and the NHL playoffs could fill up the Opryland hotel convention hall. But I am so sick of hearing about all of this because the draft is such a crap shoot. Don't be surprised this season if Carson Palmer, the number one draft pick last year, ends up being a bust, and Ken Dorsey, the fifth to last draft pick last year, has to fill in for an injured Tim Rattay and lights up the stage. Becuase these are the things that happen. One of the top performers out of the draft last year was Houston Texans running back, Jackson, who was picked in the fourth round. Look at the two superbowl QB's last year, Brady (a 4th rounder) and Delhomme (a 5th rounder). It's a crapshoot.
San Diego seems to be a no win situation here, and I can't figure out why. Granted, they have not had the greatest management teams over the years, but can anyone really blame them for picking Ryan Leaf over Peyton Manning; at the time he looked like the better pick. And everyone keeps mentioning how they traded down and missed out on Vick, but they got Ladanian Thomlinson, one of the top three running backs in the league. How is that a bad trade off? While Drew Brees is not a franchise player, he's a solid QB, that with the right receivers and offensive line could do just as well as a Delhomme or a Brady. So, they should forget this Eli Manning crap and go for someone like Robert Gallory, and then load up on some receivers down the line. But everyone fills they will pick Manning under pressure; if that is the real reason, then this team deserves to lose for the next seven years or so. Marino, Montana, and Elway are gone, and over the last few years if the league has proved anything it's that all you need is a solid QB, but without defense and a good running game you're screwed. I would think they could manage under that philosophy.
One thing you can count on though is that the Raiders will screw up their pick, and then eventually down the road pick up whoever is the first pick this year; they're good at doing that.