Flop at the Top

[HoosierCat]

In the wake of the Curry trade, Clark Judge has a good summary of the suckitude that was produced by the top of the 2009 draft.

The No. 1 overall pick was Matthew Stafford, quarterback of the unbeaten Detroit Lions. Until this season, he seemed like an injury waiting to happen. Now he's the quarterback the Lions expected. Score that one a bull's eye.

At second we have St. Louis tackle Jason Smith, who recently was benched during a game. The Rams have him on the right side, and while he's a starter he's not a top offensive lineman. As one NFC executive put it, "He's not great, he's not bad, but he catches flak because he should be more than he is as the second pick of the draft."

I'd say that just about nails it.

In the third spot is Kansas City's Tyson Jackson, who hasn't made a dent since joining the Chiefs. He has one career sack. Then there's Curry. In the fifth spot is New York Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez, and I don't care what you think of his ability; the guy is 4-2 in the playoffs and went to the conference championship game twice in his first two years.

Not bad.

But the curve turns downward as we move to Cincinnati offensive tackle Andre Smith at the sixth spot, Darrius Heyward-Bey at the seventh, Eugene Monroe at the eighth, B. J. Raji at 9, Michael Crabtree at 10 and Aaron Maybin at 11. Of that group, there's one bona- fide star, and that's Green Bay's Raji -- a legitimate Pro Bowler for years.

But the others are nothing more than adequate, with Maybin a wash-out at Buffalo and a fringe player now with the Jets.

I was a big Raji pimp that year, but let Hair talk me into Smith...ah, well.

[HairOnFire]

I was a big Raji pimp that year, but let Hair talk me into Smith...ah, well.

And I was a big Orakpo pimp who let the rest of the board talk me into pimping whatever OT was available.

No, just kidding. I liked Smith well enough and I think he's playing pretty well.