The marathon 2007 NFL Draft had a few surprises, particularly on the first day with Brady Quinn sliding to 22 and Ted Ginn Jr. rising to 9. Ohio State fans saw another great draft for the program. The Columbus Dispatch reports that Ohio State passed USC for the lead in all time first rounders.

Here’s a quick recap of the notables:

Ted Ginn Jr.
Despite an adverse reaction by Dolphins fans and harsh criticism by Keyshawn Johnson (the most overrated receiver in NFL history), Ted Ginn Jr. will have an immediate and significant impact in South Florida. For those of us who’ve watched him over the last 3 years, we know Ginn is a difference maker. Every time this kid touched the ball, the whole stadium held its collective breath. He’ll get better with the subtleties of playing receiver and getting off the ball. My guess is that there’ll be a bunch of NFL defensive backs who won’t sleep very well next season.

Anthony Gonzalez
For anyone who thought Anthony Gonzalez should’ve stayed at OSU for one more year, are there any other questions? He’ll play the slot for the Colts and become a Manning favorite. I can’t think of a better fit for Gonzalez’ style – the smartest quarterback in the league now has the smartest receiver. Watch for him to shake things up in the middle and put pressure on nickel guys right away. No one outside of Columbus really appreciates how fast he is and how well he runs after the catch. Don’t be surprised if he has a 14-year career and ends up in Canton. Yes, I said Canton. He’s that good.

Troy Smith
Despite the millions of dollars teams spend on player evaluations, they still make mistakes. Ok, so Troy Smith is an inch or two short by NFL standards. So what? He doesn’t play short. And, oh yea, all he does is make big plays and win big games (the only stats that matter). Apparently, there were 8 better quarterbacks in the draft this year. Huh? Did anyone see him play over the last 2 seasons? If you want to put things in perspective, Drew Stanton went in Round 2. Forget the numbers and combine nonsense, just watch a little film. Was there any doubt about the superior player? No matter, Smith’ll fight his way to the top in the NFL just like he did at the college level. Now he has a little extra motivation. Anyone ever hear of 6th round pick Tom Brady?

Brady Quinn
I know. He isn’t a Buckeye. But he’s a Columbus kid and now he’s a Cleveland Brown, so I’m compelled to comment. Forget the sappy melodrama of draft day. If he wants to prove that he was really worth a top 5 pick, he’ll have to show up in big games. And he’ll have to do it sooner rather than later. He could be just what the Browns need for the next 10 years. I just hope he can deal with the inevitable pressure that comes with a success-deprived city. But isn’t dealing with pressure what ND quarterbacks are supposed to do?

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