A few weeks ago I started going back and drafting each NFL draft over as if they were happening today knowing what we know now. This has been done for 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 and now 1992...
1 Indianapolis Colts
Select: Robert Porcher DE South Carolina State
Porcher was actually selected with the 26th overall pick by the Detroit Lions.
Actual Selection: Steve Emtman DE Washington
Emtman was not a strong selection for the Colts in 1992. He is not worthy of a 1st round selection let alone the #1 overall pick. The Colts would choose the sure thing if they could do it again. The pass rush for the Colts at this time was their biggest weakness though and they could have used that elite pass rusher. Good thing for them that there were several good ones, none better than Robert Porcher. His pass rushing abilities would have helped the Colts defense tremendously at this time.
2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Select: Brad Johnson QB Florida State
Johnson was actually selected in the 9th round, #227 overall by the Minnesota Vikings
Actual Selection: Quentin Coryatt LB Texas A&M
The Colts actually made this selection and managed to have the worst first two picks of any team in history at 1,2. These players did nothing for Indy. The pick though belonged to Tampa and neither would want to move this pick in a re-draft scenario. Vinny Testaverde was fine for Tampa at the time, but it never clicked for him and the team was a loser with him. Brad Johnson though won a Super Bowl for the Bucs when he came to them later in his career. Getting Johnson in his prime and being able to trade Testaverde is to good an opportunity for Tampa to pass up.
3 Los Angeles Rams
Select: Darren Woodson S Arizona State
Woodson was actually selected in the 2nd round, #37 overall by the Dallas Cowboys.
Actual Selection: Sean Gilbert DT Pittsburgh
Gilbert was a really good selection for the Rams and was fantastic early on in his career. That being said, he did not stick with the team and they could have gotten a better player who would have stuck with the team. That player could have also filled a bigger team need. The Rams had a need at FS, but a decent SS. However, they could have drafted one of the best strong safeties of his generation and moved their SS to his more natural free safety spot. The selection of Darren Woodson instead of Gilbert could have been a game changer for the Rams.
4 Cincinnati Bengals
Select: Terrell Buckley CB Florida State
Buckley was actually selected with the 5th overall pick by the Green Bay Packers.
Actual Selection: Desmond Howard WR/KR Michigan
Now, Desmond Howard was a fantastic specialist who was a Super Bowl MVP. However, the Redskins already had a better kick returner when they traded up to get Howard in the 1992 NFL Draft. There is no way the Skins trade up if given the opportunity for a do-over like this. Having to keep the pick is not a huge negative for the Bengals. They have a ton of options at the 4th pick in this scenario. They go for best available player who just so happens to be at a position of need. Terell Buckley is probably the greatest player that never went to a Pro Bowl and he was a key member of the Packer Super Bowl team. He would record 50 career interceptions over an awesome career. Buckley would have greatly improved the Bengals secondary at the time. If they went for biggest need though, the team would have selected a left tackle.
5 Green Bay Packers
Select: Troy Vincent CB Wisconsin
Vincent was actually selected with the 7th overall pick by the Miami Dolphins.
Actual Selection: Terrell Buckley CB Florida State
With their actual selection gone the pick before, the Packers select the next best available corner here. Troy Vincent is a very solid consolation prize for the Packers and not much of a dropoff. Vincent went to 5 Pro Bowls and had 47 career interceptions. No doubt that he would have worked out fine for Green Bay.
6 Washington Redskins
Select: Bob Whitfield OT Stanford
Whitfield was actually selected with the 8th overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons.
Actual Selection: David Klinger QB Houston
As I said earlier, the Redskins don't make the mistake of trading up for Howard. Instead they sit at 6 and try to build the team through depth and making a wise decision. The best way to do that is to strengthen the offensive line and build the team with the hogs. The hogs are what make the Redskins grow. They went away from that in this draft. They get the best offensive lineman available if given the chance to do it over. The pick came to Washington via a trade a few days before the draft from San Diego. That deal may not have gone through either, but I decided to keep this pick with the Redskins for purposes of this re-draft.
7 Phoenix Cardinals
Select: Jeff Cristy C Pittsburgh
Cristy was actually selected in the 4th round, #91 overall by the Phoenix Cardinals.
Actual Selection: Troy Vincent CB Wisconsin
The Dolphins made out good in this draft by trading Randal Hill to the Cardinals for the 7th pick which was used on Troy Vincent. Given the chance to do it over, Phoenix never trades that pick with all the fantastic talent on the board. Instead, the use it to select one of the greatest centers of all-time. The funny thing is that the Cardinals actually selected Cristy in the 4th round of the real draft and let him rot on the bench. Knowing the kind of player he would be, the Cardinals draft him, play him, and lock him up.
8 Atlanta Falcons
Select: Marco Coleman DE Georgia Tech
Coleman was actually selected with the 12th overall pick by the Miami Dolphins.
Actual Selection: Bob Whitfield OT Stanford
This is a trade that I think still makes sense for both teams with the Falcons moving up to 8 and the Patriots moving down to 19. It matches up nicely for both teams. The issue with this trade is that the guy the Falcons selected in 1992, Bob Whitfield, is off the board in this re-draft. As good as Whitfield was though, he didn't start right away, but Marco Coleman did and he could have upgraded the Falcons pass rush. Coleman would have been a fine selection for the Falcons in the 1992 draft.
9 Cleveland Browns
Select: Jeff Blake QB East Carolina
Blake was actually selected in the 6th round, #166 overall by the New York Jets.
Actual Selection: Tommy Vardell FB Stanford
Vardell was a decent pick and a decent pro. However, eventhough he was decent, they could have done better. There were several better players available at the time. The best choice for the Browns probably would have been a QB. This franchise struggled mightily to find a QB and its arguable that they didn't find a good one until Joe Flacco recently took the reigns in Baltimore. Now, Jeff Blake was not perfect, but he was a heck of a lot better than the other options Cleveland had at the time.
10 Seattle Seahawks
Select: Jimmy Smith WR Jackson State
Smith was actually selected in the 2nd round, #36 overall by the Dallas Cowboys.
Actual Selection: Ray Roberts OT Virginia
Roberts was a first round and possibly top 10 worthy selection during this draft and he made 116 career starts. That being said, the Seahawks have the opportunity to upgrade on that pick in this re-draft and they do it. This Seattle team had numerous needs and could not possibly avoid the disastrous season that was to come. In order to set up best for the future though, they take the best player available. Jimmy Smith took a while to develop, but you can argue that he had the best career of any player in this draft. The guy had 12,000+ career receiving yards. The Seahawks would have loved to have him on their side for his career.
11 Pittsburgh Steelers
Select: Levon Kirkland LB Clemson
Kirkland was actually selected in the 2nd round, #38 overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Actual Selection: Leon Searcy OT Miami
Searcy started 111 games over his career which was mostly in Pittsburgh. He made the 1999 Pro Bowl team and was twice a 2nd team All-Pro. He was one of two Pro Bowlers the Steelers selected in that 1992 draft. However, the guy they picked next had the bigger impact with Pittsburgh and is the selection here. The Steelers seemed set at linebacker at the time, but Kirkland had over 1,000 career tackles and was twice an All-Pro for Pittsburgh. He was also twice the team MVP for the Steelers. They have to make sure they get their guy here.
12 Miami Dolphins
Select: Derrick Deese OT Southern Cal
Deese was an undrafted free agent signing of the San Francisco 49ers.
Actual Selection: Marco Coleman DE Georgia Tech
Coleman was a great pick for Miami, but he is off the board in this re-draft. The Dolphins have to try to get Marino to the Super Bowl in another way. The team was weak at right tackle and thus take the best tackle available to try and bolster that offensive line. Perhaps by giving Marino more time in the pocket and strengthening the run game, they are able to make that run that never came. The incredible Derrick Deese went undrafted in this draft and would have been a welcome addition at any point for Miami. The guy helped bring the 49ers a Super Bowl and it would have been interesting to see if he could have done the same for Miami.
13 Minnesota Vikings
Select: Dale Carter CB Tennessee
Carter was actually selected with the 20th overall pick by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Actual Selection: Eugene Chung OT Virginia Tech
While these drafts do not affect each other let me be consistent in saying that the Herschel Walker trade doesn't happen if we go back in time. That trade occurred well before this draft, but the Vikings don't make it if given a do-over. Chung was not a good pick for the Patriots and the Vikings do not make the same mistake the Pats did in the re-draft. The Vikings could have been a serious contender in the early 90s without that Walker trade and especially with a good pick here. They pick the best fit for the team at the time. Dale Carter had 7 INTs as a rookie and would have paired well with Audray McMillian in the Vikings secondary. He would have replaced the aging Carl Lee quite well and been a stud for Minnesota for years to come. The 4x Pro Bowler could have helped the Vikings reach that elusive Super Bowl.
14 New York Giants
Select: Sean Gilbert DT Pittsburgh
Gilbert was actually selected with the 3rd overall pick by the Los Angeles Rams
Actual Selection: Derek Brown TE Notre Dame
Brown had 1 career touchdown which is far less than anything you would expect from a 1st round tight end. It is quite obvious that New York would have liked a better outcome with this pick. The '92 Giants were falling far off the Super Bowl winning team of 1990 and needed some help in this draft that never came. The defensive line for the Giants was just dreadful at this time and Sean Gilbert is clearly the best player left on the board. The Giants would have loved Gilbert in this draft and stuck him up front to plug a hole..
15 New York Jets
Select: Chester McGlockton DE Clemson
McGlockton was actually selected with the 16th overall pick by the Los Angeles Raiders.
Actual Selection: Johnny Mitchell TE Nebraska
Mitchell had 16 career receiving touchdowns and was a much better player than the tight end that was selected before him. That isn't saying much though as that tight end had just one career touchdown. He should not have been the selection. The Jets had an oportunity to get an elite defensive lineman in this draft to make a devastating defensive line and they don't pass it up in the re-draft. Especially since that defensive lineman is the best player left in the draft.
16 Los Angeles Raiders
Select: Ashley Ambrose CB Mississippi Valley State
Ambrose was actually selected in the 2nd round, #29 overall by the Indianapolis Colts.
Actual Selection: Chester McGlockton DE Clemson
The Raiders hit a home run with their actual selection in this draft, but he is gone at this point in the re-draft. They missed McGlockton again by just one pick. Lionel Washington's career was winding down at corner so replacing him with the younger, better, Ambrose is a solid consolation prize for the Raiders. Ambrose was a very good corner over his NFL career and would have looked great in silver and black.
17 Green Bay Packers
Select: Carl Pickens WR Tennessee
Pickens was actually selected in the 2nd round, #31 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Actual Selection: Kevin Smith CB Texas A&M
The Eagles would have had this selection, but during the 1991 draft, they traded their 1st rounder and nest years first rounder to the Packers to move up in that draft. Therefore, the Packers held this selection heading into the 1992 draft, but traded it to the Falcons for Brett Favre. The Falcons hold onto Favre for purposes of this re-draft and the Packers sit here at 17. Without Favre the obvious position of need is QB for the Packers. However, no decent options are available there. With no good options at QB, the Packers set up their next signal caller with better weapons. They select the best wideout available to line up opposite Sterling Sharpe.
18 San Francisco 49ers
Select: Robert Jones LB East Carolina
Jones was actually selected with the 24th overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys.
Actual Selection: Dana Hall FS Washington
The 49ers started one rookie in 1992 and it was free safety Dana Hall. Hall was their selection in this draft and he provided little value to the team totaling just 7 interceptions in his career. They clearly should not have taken Hall and let Merton Hanks still start in that place. It could have helped this team advance to and even win a Super Bowl. They were deep and would have wanted to take the best available player. He would have to be ready soon though because this was a contender that wanted to win now! They could have bolstered their weakest position and blocked the Cowboys from getting a key member of 3 Super Bowl teams. Taking Robert Jones before the Cowboys got their hands on him is the obvious move here.
19 New England Patriots
Select: Leon Searcy OT Miami
Searcy was actually selected with the 11th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Actual Selection: Tony Smith RB Southern Miss
This selection was actually made by the Falcons who traded back into the pick after trading it to New England. However, without the Herschel Walker trade and the Cowboys sending the pick to them, they couldn't do it. Therefore the Patriots make this selection after trading with the Falcons. Smith didn't even rush for 400 yards in his career. He was a complete bust and wouldn't have been drafted period in a re-draft let alone 1st round. Additionally, the Patriots offense had very few skill players at this point. They could have bolstered the offensive line though and had a true team strength for when those skill players did come. Leon Searcy was an All-Pro tackle that the Pats would have been thrilled with at 19.
20 Kansas City Chiefs
Select: Ray Roberts OT Virginia
Roberts was actually selected with the 10th overall pick by the Seattle Seahawks.
Actual Selection: Dale Carter CB Tennessee
The Chiefs couldn't have done much better than they actually did by selecting Dale Carter in '92. The guy was a fantastic corner and a great pick for Kansas City. In the re-draft though he is off the board and they need to go elsewhere. The best options for the Chiefs here are to take the best corner available, still, the best tackle to replace right tackle, take a receiver, or drafting a pass rusher. The best player available at one of those spots is a tackle. Because of this they take Ray Roberts.
21 New Orleans Saints
Select: Daryl Williams S Miami
Williams was actually selected with the 28th overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Actual Selection: Vaughn Dunbar RB Indiana
Dunbar did not run for 1,000 yards in his NFL career. His career rushing total falling below what most good backs do in one season shows that he was a disaster at 1. It also shows why the Saints were as bad as they were in the 90s. There were far better options for the Saints and options that could have kept this team picking later in the 1st round. Following this season they wouldn't have another winning season until 2000 and it was due to draft ineptitude. A team with such failure needs to take the best available player in a spot like this. That best available player was Miami safety Daryl Williams. He didn't come at a huge position of need, but he was a very productive NFL safety and would have provided a true quality player that New Orleans failed to pick.
22 Chicago Bears
Select: Kevin Sargent OT Eastern Washington
Sargent was an undrafted free agent signing of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Actual Selection: Alonzo Spellman DE Ohio State
Spellman had 43 career sacks, but was not quite the 1st round caliber player that some other options were at the time the Bears picked.The Bears had a big dropoff in 1992 and it was largely due to a terrible offensive line, and a bad QB. There was nobody to help out for the QB, but they could have chosen better help for the offensive line. Kevin Sargent went undrafted, but he was absolutely a better pro than Alonzo Spellman and a better fit for the Bears.
23 Houston Oilers
Select: Shane Dronett DE Texas
Dronett was actually selected in the 2nd round, #54 overall by the Denver Broncos.
Actual Selection: Chris Mims DE Tennessee
The Chargers made this selection after trading Lee Williams to the Oilers, but that trade doesn't happen in the re-draft. With their pick that they keep the Oilers don't select Mims like the Chargers did either. They instead bolster their own weak pass rush by selecting the better player in Shane Dronett. He instantly helps that pass rush and helps keep the Oilers in Houston!
24 Dallas Cowboys
Select: Robert Brooks WR South Carolina
Brooks was actually selected in the 3rd round, #62 overall by the Green Bay Packers.
Actual Selection: Robert Jones LB East Carolina
Jones was a rookie starter and key member on all three Super Bowl teams, but he is gone at this point in the re-draft. San Fran locked him up to block him from getting to the Cowboys. The Cowboys' biggest need at the time was linebacker, but there are none left worth selecting in the 1st round. Instead, they upgrade their passing attack and make it even more difficult to stop by drafting Robert Brooks to start opposite Michael Irvin. This allows them to move Harper into the 3rd receiver position which should make him far more valuable.
25 Denver Broncos
Select: Sam Gash FB Penn State
Gash was actually selected in the 8th round, #205 overall by the New England Patriots.
Actual Selection: Tommy Maddox QB UCLA
Drafting Tommy Maddox made zero sense for the Broncos at the time as they already had John Elway who had several quality years left. They could have contended sooner by drafting a difference maker. At the time, Denver employed a two tight end package, but had they had a fullback the quality of Sam Gash, I don't think they would stick with that plan. Their rushing attack would have been upgraded tremendously with Gash. Clarence Key provided very little as a 2nd tight end and employing a fullback would have been a much more productive strategy in the early 90s.
26 Detroit Lions
Select: Edgar Bennett RB Florida State
Bennett was actually selected in the 4th round, #103 overall by the Green Bay Packers.
Actual Selection: Robert Porcher DE South Carolina State
Porcher went #1 overall in the re-draft making it quite clear that he was an awesome selection at this point in the draft. With him off the table though the Lions absolutely cannot get the same value out of this pick. The obvious need was for linebacker, but there were no more 1st round talents available at the position. There was however a good back to pair with Barry Sanders who could have been the fullback. You see the Lions could have run a more conventional set instead of their 4 WR look they ran in 1992 that led to disastrous results. That kind of look makes little sense when you have Barry Sanders at RB and Rodney Peete at QB. A look with Barry Sanders and Edgar Bennett in the backfield is deadly though. Especially if it means that you keep Bennett away from the dreaded Packers. This would have had a tremendous impact on the NFC landscape if it was made.
27 Buffalo Bills
Select: Phillippi Sparks CB Arizona State
Sparks was actually selected in the 2nd round, #41 overall by the New York Giants.
Actual Selection: John Fina OT Arizona
Fina was a two-time AFC Champion and had 131 career starts at tackle. There are worse players the Bills could have selected. This team though that came so close so often including losing the Super Bowl this season could have used someone that made a more immediate impact. Especially when you consider that Fina sat the bench his 1st season in Buffalo. A guy that could have helped a lot is any corner that could have started opposite Nate Odomes. Phillippi Sparks is the best option for that and he really came along late in the year earning the starting spot in New York. Playing for the cross-state Bills, it is possible that he help them win the title in either 1992 or 1993.
28 Washington Redskins
Select: Brad Culpepper DT Florida
Culpepper was actually selected in the 10th round, #264 overall by the Minnesota Vikings.
Actual Selection: Daryl Williams S Miami
Williams was a great selection for Cincinnati, but he is gone at this point in the re-draft. Additionally, by the Redskins not trading up to take Desmond Howard, they get to keep this selection. Howard just happens to still be on the board for the re-draft as well. With their first pick of this re-draft, the Redskins selected an offensive lineman to add depth and build the strength of every great Redskin team. With their second selection of the re-draft, they get a 3-technique tackle to start in the 4-3 next to Tim Johnson. Culpepper was great for the Bucs and helped that team win a Super Bowl. It is entirely possible that he help the Redskins do the same. Trading up to take Howard was the 5th greatest mistake in Redskin history since I have been alive. The only ones higher are hiring Cerrato, signing Haynesworth, drafting Shuler, and trading up for RG3. Even hiring Jim Zorn wasn't as bad as that trade up. Culpepper and Whitfield are infinitely better selections for the Skins than Desmond Howard.
Stay tuned the next two weeks as I take a deeper look at LeBron James and the "help" he gets from his teammates. Is it really all that bad?
-Noland
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