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The NFL Draft Bible lets you in on who the losers of the 2009 NFL Draft were and why.
 Mancini's Take: New York Jets: I know the Jets might have found their franchise quarterback in Mark Sanchez, but one player does not make a draft. In addition to trading up to select the USC product, Mike Tannenbaum trades up to secure Shonn Greene? I mean, did you really have to trade up and squander more picks for someone who's a limited running back and can't catch the ball. Even if the Jets didn't think he'd be there without trading up, they could've always taken Andre Brown, who was picked by the G-Men in the fourth round. Tannenbaum doesn't realize that teams are built through the draft, and it's hard to be successful when you keep trading all your picks away. Gang Green ends up with only three picks and not one of them is a wide receiver, a position where the Jets are woefully undermanned.
Oakland Raiders: The beat goes on for clueless Al. How do you not trade down your seventh pick in the first-round if the man (Darrius Heyward-Bey) you really wanted is projected to go no higher than 17, especially when Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin are still on the board among the available wideouts? The story just keeps getting better when (Al) Davis goes with a man most people think was barely draftworthy (Michael Mitchell) in the second round. With the exception of Florida's Louis Murphy and maybe Stryker Sulak, Oakland reached on all of its picks in its endless quest of bringing in workout warriors.
Dallas Cowboys: Jerry Jones barely missed on bringing some of the players he really wanted, but the players he did select didn't really impress me. With 12 picks, the 'Boys certainly had the quantity, but not much quality with the exception of Mike Mickens in the seventh round. I can't see many of Dallas' picks being significant contributors down the road.
 Mandel's Take: Oakland Raiders: Why, why, why? I'm OK with The Raiders wanting Darius Heyward-Bey, but they could have traded down and still gotten him. They seem to revel in the reach, and they certainly reveled a great deal in round two, when they took Michael Mitchell. They should have drafted Usain Bolt since speed is all that apparently matters to these jokers. Louis Murphy wasn't a bad pick, but he sure doesn't make up for the initial two selections. The sad thing is, no one is shocked by these poor decisions; that's how big of a joke the Raiders have become when it comes to drafting.
Dallas Cowboys: Just consider what Dallas could have had if they'd stood pat. If they'd have kept TO, and not traded for Roy Williams, they would have been much better off. They gave up too much for Williams and didn't pull the rabbit out of the hat on draft day. The first pick, round three's Jason Williams, was a nice one...but that's it as far as I'm concerned. Are Cowboys fans going to feel good about Stephen McGee just because he played his college ball in Texas? The Cowboys went with quantity over quality and one has to wonder how seriously they take the draft when they select a kicker in the fifth round. Is there something wrong with Nick Folk? Nothing against David Buehler, but was this the best they could do with that pick?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh Freeman looks great, but AT BEST he's not going to contribute for a couple of years and I don't think he's going to amount to anything even then. To trade up for a guy who's at best a project when you have so many other needs shows a lack of discipline within the front office. None of Tampa's picks is going to make an impact and the Bucs seem to be the only ones who don't realize they needed big time help on defense and should have used that first rounder to address it. Kyle Moore and Roy Miller might turn out to be decent, but they're not game-changers. Bad job.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee (USC), College Press Box (Maryland)
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