NFL draft: 2008 re-do
25. Dallas Cowboys
Tracy Porter, CB, Indiana
Actual pick: Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
I remember when Santana Moss used to burn Mike Jenkins every time the Skins played the Cowboys. The team did need a cornerback, but I don’t think it will be Jenkins — after all, Eli Manning, Amani Toomer, and Plaxico Burress torched that Dallas defense in the divisional round that January en route to a Super Bowl victory. Porter had a good four years in New Orleans until he left and got hurt in Denver. He did essentially win the NFC Championship AND the Super Bowl for the team in 2009. He’s not very good right now — I have no idea why the Redskins signed him — but he would’ve given Dallas a good couple years.
26. Houston Texans
Curtis Lofton, LB, Oklahoma
Actual pick: Duane Brown, OT, Virginia Tech
Curtis Lofton and Brian Cushing. Oh, and J.J. Watt right in front of them, and in a little more than a month, possibly Jadeveon Clowney. Enough said.
27. San Diego Chargers
Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona
Actual pick: same
Cason was once a top corner with San Diego along with Quinten Jammer. Jammer isn’t good anymore and Cason is average, but he did give the Chargers what I think they wanted from him. It seemed to have worked out fine, so I’m not going in a different direction with this pick.
28. Seattle Seahawks
Cliff Avril, DE, Purdue
Actual pick: Lawrence Jackson, DE, Southern California
I think Avril established himself as a top defensive end in Detroit. Seattle had an obvious DE need, and it took Lawrence Jackson. Avril has been a better player than Jackson, and I would even take him over former top five pick Chris Long. Avril ended up in Seattle after 2012 anyway and he really helped the pass rush there. A lot of Seattle’s sacks over the past couple years came because of the Legion of Boom locking down receivers and allowing the pass rush to get to the quarterback, but Avril has been able to do good things for Seattle’s (and Detroit’s) offensive line on his own as well.
29. San Francisco 49ers
Chris Long, DE, Virginia
Actual pick: Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina
Long finally gets taken. He was taken second overall in the actual 2008 draft, but due to other team needs and value, he falls down to the 49ers. Long adds to an already good pass rush alongside Aldon Smith and Justin Smith.
30. New York Jets
Red Bryant, DT, Texas A&M
Actual pick: Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue
Dustin Keller was a pretty good player for the Jets for a few years. But after the way Red Bryant has played for the Seahawks, I’m not passing on him with the Jets. Rex Ryan would like a big, disruptive presence on the defensive side of the ball. Although Bryant wouldn’t help much in terms of pass rush (because of often double-teams), he will aid immensely in run defense. He gets his hands up on passing downs when he doesn’t get to the QB, accounting for many batted passes, and contributes on special teams as well, blocking a lot of field goals.
(New England’s first round selection was stripped by the NFL due to the Spygate scandal. The pick would have been 31st overall.)
31. New York Giants
Kenny Phillips, S, Miami
Actual pick: same
I’ve always thought that Phillips was one of the league’s most underrated safeties. He was one of those unheralded players who helped the Giants go 12-4 in 2008 and also win the Super Bowl in 2012. The pick seemed to work out for New York and Phillips is still on the board, so I’m not changing the pick here.