what do people think of the abbate pick? i loved this kid this year in college, and we all heard his story. i didnt know of him as an nfl prospect though. is he? wheres he projected?

I seen him currently as a 5th round projection and dropping.

from nfldraftscout.com. (I recommend this site to anybody wanting to reasearch players and get tons of information)

03/27/07 - Stock Falling: Anyone who has seen Abbate play knows that his production has little to do with running 40 yards in a straight line. That said, the 40 is among the industry's standards for grading prospects, and more than a few eyebrows were raised when the undersized linebacker ran an abysmally slow 5.0 at the Combine. Eager to prove he could run faster, Abbate may have lost his last chance to better his time when he pulled his hamstring in his first attempt at Wake Forest's March 19 Pro Day. Abbate may simply run out of time to heal enough to run again, meaning that the 5.0 at the Combine is the only verified time scouts have for the three-time ACC honoree.

He was an extremely big reason for Wake's turnaround season last year, both on the field and off. If he falls to the second day which like Mike noted, he likely will, someone's getting a steal IMO.

not really intending to complain, as my picks are all done anyways, but with just 10 picks in the last week, are we assuming this effort is about dead?

Pretty happy about getting Hunt with our 3rd round pick.
Rutgers' Brian Leonard was our initial RB target with this choice, with Hunt hot on his tail. He was very productive as a feature back, and capable enough at receiving out of the backfield (averaged over 2 receptions/game over his career) and chip blocking in pass protection.
Another good character guy from a stable NCAA program who will work to get better with NFL coaching and won't rock the boat about being a complimentary player at first.
I personally view him as a slightly thicker Verron Haynes with better goal-line potential and a perfect "Thunder" to Willie Parker's "Lightning"

whats wrong with haynes? hunt seems like a really similar guy and not much of an upgrade.

Haynes was released in February the same time as Joey Porter, unless I totally missed something.. hence the need for a replacement.
I don't see Hunt as "better", necessarily as much as being equal (right now) with different strengths/weaknesses and the potential to carry the load somewhere down the line.

ah ok, thats what i was wondering, thought i probably missed something like that.

Love the pick, was hoping I could grab him for the Eagles to finally replace Buckhalter...but isn't Davenport the next Bus?

I cannot advocate a young man who once shat in a woman's clothes hamper in college as the replacement of an icon.

And yes, I realize that The "U" has at times been referred to as a "shithole" but I don't think that means you can poop anywhere you wish.

I think Wendling will be able to battle Manuel for the starting job next to Nick Collins. Wendling has the size, speed and agility to cover a tight end in man to man. He is willing to play physical and would be able to cover the slot receiver in the nickel package.

damm, I wanted Tim Crowder from texas but Baraka Atkins - DE - Miami will do
Baraka Atkins
DE, nfl/draft/2007/colleges/miamifl.html','_blank','scrollbars=yes,width=545,height=350')" target="_blank">Miami (FL) War Room analysis
Strengths: Shows great coordination, body control and balance. Excels at using hands and penetrating. Shows polished pass-rush moves; was impressive in one-on-one drills at East-West Shrine week. Is strong. When using hands aggressively against the run, holds his ground nicely before shedding and making the tackle. Shows surprising first-step quickness to threaten corners. Runs smoothly to come down the line and make tackles on runs away from him. Changes directions with nice burst. Splits double-teams with hands, strength and quickness.
Weaknesses: Is an end/tackle 'tweener; played end in '06 after playing tackle in '05. Lacks the explosiveness and speed to be a dangerous edge rusher. Lacks the bulk/size for tackle, and tends to play upright and long-legged too often to deal with big interior linemen.
Bottom line: Atkins is a sleek, penetrating, versatile lineman who should be a Day 1 pick. His athleticism and competitiveness should get him on the field. He is best suited to start at strongside end and shift to tackle on passing downs, where he can display his inside rush skills. If he can bulk up to 290 pounds, Atkins could become a 3-4 end.
Strengths: Versatile defensive lineman with experience at DE, DT and NT in a 4-3 scheme. Possesses very good agility for his size. He fires out of his stance with excellent quickness and leverage. Shows the initial burst to consistently penetrate inside. He is very quick and powerful in the short-area. He can penetrate, find the ball quickly and redirect seamlessly when he wants to. An explosive tackler with good power. He displays good power moves as a pass rusher. Does a nice job of standing the offensive lineman up with an initial power move, and then change directions once his opponent is off-balance. He has had some nicks throughout his career but for the most part he has been durable. Also has great experience at the highest level.

Weaknesses: His motor runs hot and cold. He can get lazy on the field and will take too many plays off. Is undersized as a fulltime defensive tackle prospect. Lacks the bulk and base to hold up as an every-down player inside. Also lacks top-end speed and athleticism as an edge rusher. He is quick enough to penetrate along the interior but he lacks the first-step quickness and closing burst to generate consistent pressure at DE. Marginal score on the Wonderlic Test.

Overall: Atkins received a redshirt in 2002. He returned as a redshirt freshman in 2003, played in all 13 games (12 starts), and collected 43 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, and three forced fumbles. Atkins started all 12 games in 2004 splitting time between defensive end and defensive tackle. For the year he made 33 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles (returning one for a touchdown). In 2005, Atkins played in all 12 games with 11 starts (did not start vs. Clemson; sprained knee) at defensive tackle and registered 26 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, and two forced fumbles. Atkins appeared in all 12 games in 2006 at defensive end and finished with 37 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four sacks, and two fumble recoveries. Atkins saw significant playing time both inside and outside during his collegiate career. He will never be an impact edge rusher and he lacks the size to stack up inside as a fulltime defensive tackle in the NFL. However, he could fit as a 3-4 defensive end or play a hybrid end/tackle role in a 4-3 scheme. Regardless, Atkins displays the physical tools to make an impact in the NFL. The trick is motivating him to play his best at all times. After getting benched for poor effort early on as a senior, Atkins got the message and became very productive during the second-half of the 2006 season. If he carries over that same type of motor to the next level he could enjoy a productive career. Unfortunately for him, it was too little too late. Atkins is too much of a risk-reward prospect for NFL teams to consider selecting prior to the third round of the 2007 draft.

LOL, would have let you put the pick in if I had seen you online

Was extremely close to getting a QB here until I realized Crowder had slipped. I have him as the 5th rated DE in this class with a possible early 2nd round forecast. He's the guy I want rushing the edge while teams double-team Jax's interior all-pros, Henderson and Stroud.
Also, at 6'4" and 270'ish he can hold the outside against the run as well.

There is a change coming to the Titans pick.

Well, I thought there was anyway. Maybe he changed his mind.

*chuckles* He really did that? Sad in a way, but still funny.

Dammit Mike, I wanted Irons for Philly. Damn, damn, damn!

Nice grab for the Giants though.

I don't know if I can hold that against him though.. he simply DID what many of us have probably WANTED to do on more than one occasion...