2008 Woodie Awards
Triple Threat: NFL Draft steals
Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: Sports
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie went to the Arizona Cardinals as the 16th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Rodgers-Cromartie had been projected to go as high as the 10th pick to the New Orleans Saints, and during Saturday's first round, there was talk the New England Patriots would take Rodgers-Cromartie with the seventh pick. Rodgers-Cromartie was rated as one of the best athletes in the draft and could be a steal for the Cardinals at 16.
Here are three other 2008 NFL Draft steals.
1. Josh Johnson - Tampa Bay might have confused people by taking Johnson in the fifth round because it gives the Buccaneers seven quarterbacks on their roster, but the 6'-2" quarterback from San Diego had one of the most efficient seasons of any quarterback his senior season. He completed 206-of-301 pass attempts (68.4 percent) for 2,988 yards, 43 touchdowns and one interception. All of that equated in a 198.3 passer rating. The highest quarterback rating in the Football Bowl Subdivision was Oklahoma's Sam Bradford's 176.52.
2. Glenn Dorsey - The fifth pick of the draft might not sound like much of a steal, but the Kansas City Chiefs got just that when they picked Louisiana State defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey. Many football pundits labeled Dorsey as a possible No. 1 pick, and for him to fall to fifth was a blessing for Kansas City which had just traded its top defensive lineman (Jared Allen) to the Minnesota Vikings. Darren McFadden is good for Oakland, but Dorsey would have been a good fit with the Raiders considering Warren Sapp retired.
3. Steve Slaton - The West Virginia running back thrived in the Mountaineers' spread offense and was a good pick by the Houston Texans in the third round. Slaton was named the Big East Rookie of the Year in 2005, set the West Virginia rushing record his sophomore season (1,744 yards) and left after his junior season as the Mountaineers' touchdown leader (50). He has all the speed to be a versatile running back in the NFL, but his size (5'-9") could keep him from succeeding.
-Scott Richey
Here are three other 2008 NFL Draft steals.
1. Josh Johnson - Tampa Bay might have confused people by taking Johnson in the fifth round because it gives the Buccaneers seven quarterbacks on their roster, but the 6'-2" quarterback from San Diego had one of the most efficient seasons of any quarterback his senior season. He completed 206-of-301 pass attempts (68.4 percent) for 2,988 yards, 43 touchdowns and one interception. All of that equated in a 198.3 passer rating. The highest quarterback rating in the Football Bowl Subdivision was Oklahoma's Sam Bradford's 176.52.
2. Glenn Dorsey - The fifth pick of the draft might not sound like much of a steal, but the Kansas City Chiefs got just that when they picked Louisiana State defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey. Many football pundits labeled Dorsey as a possible No. 1 pick, and for him to fall to fifth was a blessing for Kansas City which had just traded its top defensive lineman (Jared Allen) to the Minnesota Vikings. Darren McFadden is good for Oakland, but Dorsey would have been a good fit with the Raiders considering Warren Sapp retired.
3. Steve Slaton - The West Virginia running back thrived in the Mountaineers' spread offense and was a good pick by the Houston Texans in the third round. Slaton was named the Big East Rookie of the Year in 2005, set the West Virginia rushing record his sophomore season (1,744 yards) and left after his junior season as the Mountaineers' touchdown leader (50). He has all the speed to be a versatile running back in the NFL, but his size (5'-9") could keep him from succeeding.
-Scott Richey
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