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NFL DRAFT TRACKER: A PICK BY PICK LOOK AT ROUND FOUR PDF Print E-mail
Written by Brian Vornberg   
Monday, 28 April 2008 10:52

Pick by pick analysis of round four.

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Photo Credit: College Press Box (Connecticut)
#100 Oakland Raiders: CB Tyvon Branch, UConn
The Raiders get a guy who they hope can form a future shutdown tandem with Nnamdi Asomugha. Corner wasn’t a huge need here, but it never hurts to have a guy as fast and as versatile as Branch, especially in the fourth round.

#101 St. Louis Rams: CB Justin King, Penn State
The second cornerback in a row taken and a terrific value pick this late in the draft as many teams had King ranked higher on their overall draft boards. King’s production dropped off a bit last season, but he is fast and athletic enough to play in the NFL and also gives the Rams a reliable corner opposite Fakhir Brown.

#102 Green Bay Packers (from NY Jets): DE Jeremy Thompson, Wake Forest
Thompson was one of the late risers of the draft. He has great size and explosiveness to get to the QB and although the Demon Deacons don’t traditionally produce great defensive ends, don’t be surprised if Thompson makes a name for himself in the coming years.

#103 Tennessee Titans (from Atlanta through Washington): DE William Hayes, Winston-Salem
Probably the most unknown player in the entire draft, Hayes wasn’t even listed on the NFL’s official list of prospects entering the draft. Could Jeff Fisher have found a diamond in the rough??

#104 Cleveland Browns (from Oakland through Dallas): ILB Beau Bell, UNLV
One of the true steals of this year’s draft, Bell was tabbed as a top 3 inside linebacker by almost every pre-draft publication. He’s a big, physical linebacker who loves to play aggressively and will help a fairly weak Browns linebacking corps.

#105 Kansas City Chiefs: WR William Franklin, Missouri
I’ve had Franklin very high on my list of receivers for the last couple of months and certainly the Chiefs agreed with me. He has prototypical NFL size for a receiver, is deceptively fast, tough, and runs well after the catch. If the Tigers didn’t have so many weapons this past season, Franklin would’ve caught even more balls. He’s a sleeper who could easily slip into the #2 role behind Dwayne Bowe by mid-season.

#106 Baltimore Ravens: WR Marcus Smith, New Mexico
Smith is a big receiver who looks the part. He switched from running back to wide receiver a couple of years ago and has all the makings of a possession receiver who could help the Ravens passing attack immediately.

#107 San Francisco 49ers: OL Cody Wallace, Texas A&M
Wallace is a technically sound blocker, but is not as strong as most teams would like an offensive lineman to be. If he gets stronger, he could be for Frank Gore what he once was for Mike Goodson.

#108 Denver Broncos: OL Kory Lichtensteiger, Bowling Green
The Broncos desperately need help along the front line if they look to continue their traditional Mike Shanahan pound-and-ground run game.

#109 Philaelphia Eagles (from Carolina): OG Mike McGlynn, Pittsburgh
The Eagles have almost no help opposite stud Shawn Andrews at the guard position, so this is a huge pick. McGlynn was valued much higher on a lot of draft boards. He will attempt to help pave the way for Brian Westbrook and the rest of the gang.

#110 Miami Dolphins (from Chicago) - OG Shawn Murphy, Utah State
It’s blatantly obvious that Bill Parcells wants to build this team from the trenches out and Murphy (along with #1 pick Jake Long) will definitely help. The son of former Atlanta Braves legend Dale Murphy, Shawn is still raw and fairly new to the game, but could be a force once he develops.

#111 Cleveland Browns (from Detroit through Dallas): TE Martin Rucker, Missouri
Yet another solid pick for the Browns (who were without a pick through the first three rounds). Rucker possesses great speed for his size, crisp routes, and has the softest hands of any tight end in this draft, in my opinion. He could’ve gone much higher, so consider this one a steal, too.

#112 Cincinnati Bengals: OT Anthony Collins, Kansas
Collins really came on this season and was one of the leaders in a magical year for the Jayhawks. The Bengals front line is solid, but Levi Jones is prone to injuries and Willie Anderson isn’t getting any younger. A good pick in the middle rounds for a position that could use some depth.

#113 NY Jets (from New Orleans through Green Bay): CB Dwight Lowery, San Jose State
The Jets have Darelle Revis at corner and that’s about it. If he takes advantage of this opportunity, Lowery could step in and start right away. He’s very athletic, but needs to refine his skills to compete at the NFL level.

#114 Buffalo Bills: CB Reggie Corner, Akron
One of the more overlooked cornerbacks in the draft, this aptly-named athlete could be a surprise at the next level. The Bills are extremely thin in the secondary and Corner could make an impact right away.

#115 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Philadelphia through Miami and Chicago): DT Dre Moore, Maryland
This former Terrapin has more upside than almost any other player in the draft. He is possibly the most athletically-gifted tackle in the draft, is fast, but underachieved at Maryland. If he develops, he could be scary good.

#116 Arizona Cardinals: DE Kenny Iwebema, Iowa
Another defensive player whose ceiling is extremely high. However, he too underachieved while in college. As ripped as a Greek statue, Iwebema has all the physical gifts to play in the NFL but will have to prove that he has matured and will play hard on every snap.

#117 Philadelphia Eagles (from Minnesota): S Quintin Demps, UTEP
Demps will be a demon on special teams for the Eagles, if nothing else. He showed tremendous speed and quickness in post-season workouts. However, he is not much of a playmaker in the secondary and may need to work on his technique.

(118) Houston Texans: OLB Xavier Adibi, Virginia Tech
The Texans steal one here with Adibi. He is constantly flying around the ball and making plays, showing great instincts. He’s super quick and loves contact. Although he is a bit undersized, Adibi is fearless in rushing the quarterback and has the ability to stick with receivers. His production at Virginia Tech was outstanding and cannot be overlooked.

#119 Denver Broncos (from Washington): CB Jack Williams, Kent State
The Broncos were looking to add depth to their secondary with this pick. Williams played through an ankle injury for most of the year, but it did not slow down his production. He is an underrated prospect who could be a great nickel or dime back down the road.

#120 Chicago Bears (from Tampa Bay): S Craig Steltz, LSU
The Bears show once again how much they enjoy drafting defensive backs in the middle rounds.  This, however, is a much needed, sensible pick. Steltz had a breakout year this past season for the champion Tigers with over 100 tackles and a team-high 6 interceptions.  Besides the aging Mike Brown, the Bears have little at the safety position. This was a solid pick that could pay big dividends.

#121 Seattle Seahawks: DT Red Bryant, Texas A&M
The Seahawks addressed a major need with this pick, and just in time, too.  Bryant was the best available at the defensive tackle position at this point. Bryant has great size and athleticism and should be able to help right away as a backup.

#122 Dallas Cowboys (from Cleveland): RB Tashard Choice, Georgia Tech
Choice is the second running back taken in this draft by the Cowboys and don’t be surprised if he ends up getting a decent amount of playing time.  He is just the type of running back that ends up making it in the NFL with his powerful, low running style.  He doesn’t have the speed to break away to the outside, but he makes terrific cuts and jukes in traffic and is rarely tackled by the first defender.  The Cowboys could end up leading the league in rushing next year with him, Felix Jones, and Marion Barber.

#123 New York Giants (from Pittsburgh): OLB Bryan Kehl, BYU
My good buddy Wade loves the Cougs and this is part of the reason why.  Kehl has a motor that is simply non-stop--he plays every snap with heart and determination.  He’s also got incredibly long arms which could help when trying to reach out and grab for tackles.  Kehl wowed scouts at the combine with his athleticism and is just the type of player that Tom Coughlin wants.  Don’t be surprised if this guy makes it big in the NFL someday.

#124 Washington Redskins (from Tennessee): CB Justin Tryon, Arizona State
Tryon has been steadily improving throughout his college career and he had an amazing 19 pass breakups this past season. Tryon’s track star speed could be an immediate help in the kick/punt return game --you just can’t teach his type of speed. The Redskins got a steal here.

#125 Oakland Raiders (from Jacksonville through Baltimore): WR Arman Shields, Richmond
This may have been a little too high for Shields to go, but Al Davis does like drafting those athletic receivers.  Shields comes from a good small school program, but might get bumped off of his routes easily.  He might never be a star, but does have the talent to stick around as a #3 or #4 option.

#126 Tennessee Titans (from Dallas): WR Lavelle Hawkins, California

Only the good Lord himself knows why the Titans waited until the fourth round to get an actual wide receiver to help Vince Young in the passing game right away, but then again, I’m not a football coach...or GM.  Either way, this is a good pick up here. If you check out the numbers from this past season, Hawkins was arguably a better prospect than DeSean Jackson.  Hawkins is deceptively strong and has playmaking abilities in both the passing game and the return game.  He was somewhat of an underachiever at Cal, but could be great if he reaches his full potential.

#127 Indianapolis Colts: TE Jacob Tamme, Kentucky

Tamme is a good pass-catching tight end who could excel with Peyton Manning throwing him the rock.  Plus, Tony Dungy really likes to use tight ends in the Colts offense.  He might not be the best blocker in the world, but should see significant playing time and put up bigger than expected numbers due to the off-season loss of Ben Utecht to the Bengals.

#128 St. Louis Rams (from Green Bay): WR Keenan Burton, Kentucky
Burton is the second consecutive Kentucky player drafted and, along with Houston alum Donnie Avery, fills an enormous need at the receiver spot for the Rams.  I don’t believe Burton is as good of a pro prospect as his former teammate Steve Johnson but he consistently put up numbers at Kentucky. He’ll be a valuable #3 option in St. Louis for a struggling receiving corps.  

#129 New England Patriots: CB Jonathan Wilhite, Auburn
Wilhite is almost a clone of the corner that the Patriots took in the second round, Terrence Wheatley out of Colorado.  He is a bit small, but is very physical and plays with intensity and passion.  Not to mention, he comes from a great tradition of defensive backs at Auburn.  If he can learn to temper his physical play with a little more discipline, he could be very good.

#130 Pittsburgh Steelers (from NY Giants): OT Tony Hills, Texas

Hills joins his former college teammate Limas Sweed in the Steel City.  Max Starks did re-sign in the off-season so this isn’t a huge need, but Hills has the talent to find himself somewhere on the line if he works hard enough.  He’s still adjusting to playing on the line after starting his career as a tight end.

#131 Philadelphia Eagles: CB Jack Ikegwuonu, Wisconsin
This is the only place in the draft where Philly got a corner, a much-needed position of depth for them. The former Badger tore his knee ligaments in post-season workouts, but I think the Eagles are banking on Ikegwuonu being 100% once he returns.  If he can return fully healthy, before and stay out of trouble off the field, he could be one of the steals of the draft.

#132 Buffalo Bills: TE Derek Fine, Kansas
Fine is undersized for his position, but has phenomenal hands, character, and could excel on special teams, an area which the Bills emphasize a lot.  He will fill a gaping hole at the position and could surprise.

#133 Baltimore Ravens: OT David Hale, Weber State
Top-notch intangibles are what make Hale such an intriguing prospect.  He isn’t the most physically-gifted offensive lineman in the world, but will work hard on every single snap.  He potentially gives the Ravens a much-needed backup opposite Jonathan Ogden on the O-Line. 

#134 Tennessee Titans: OLB Stanford Keglar, Purdue
Keglar was one of the standouts of the 2008 NFL combine as he showed his tremendous athleticism. He played alongside another prospect and third round draft pick Cliff Avril at Purdue.  Keglar has starting potential based on talent alone, but he might have been a bit over-drafted at this spot.  The Titans aren’t too desperate for outside linebackers, so he could be a nice developmental pick for them.

#135 Green Bay Packers: OT Josh Sitton, Central Florida

The Packers needed help all over the offensive line this year, and Sitton is a big (I mean that literally) pickup.  He has good size, but not great athleticism and could be moved over to guard to help out a position of need for the Packers.

 

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