Prediction: CJ goes #1 in the 2007 Draft

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ramblin_man

Jolly Good Fellow
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The more I read the more I am convinced of something that I have thought since CJ declared himself for the draft...I think he will go #1 or #2 at worst...I personally will be proud to see a guy so talented yet so HUMBLE go #1...it will be interesting to watch him progress through his rookie year in the NFL & go on to be great WR at that level as well. If he does go #1 it will be intresting to see if he holds out like so many past #1 picks prior to signing for more $$$ or will he sign right away....I imagine that there are many many endorsement deals on the table for him as well....Who has he picked to be his agent?? Just curious....here's an article I read from yahoosports.... his 40 time is at 4.3, and '45 inch verticle...in SUMMARY he's SPECIAL in SO MANY WAYS!!! (refreshing....)
TOP WIDE RECEIVERS
1. Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech. Potentially the best pound-for-pound athlete in the draft as he stands 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds and has been timed in the 4.3-second range in the 40. He also has a vertical leap between 42 and 45 inches and a broad jump of 11 feet.
Johnson matches that athleticism with playmaker ability on the field and a quiet unassuming presence off of it. In fact, for a player of his talent level, there has not been a prospect with less of an ego or more of a workmanlike attitude to enter the draft in years. He acts and wants to be treated like he's just one of the guys, but he brings such a wealth of ability to the field that it would not be surprising to see him taken No. 1 overall.
He is very flexible and has a fluid stride that allows him to separate from defenders, although he needs to do a better job of locating the ball when it is in the air, especially when going to out-jump opposing defenders. He has great moves in the open field as he can take a short screen or slant route and deliver big yardage after the catch.
Without putting too much blame on his former quarterback (Reggie Ball), the accuracy and pocket presence of Georgia Tech's quarterback play was inconsistent throughout Johnson's college career. One aspect he could improve upon is breaking off his routes and coming back to the ball. Still, he shows adept footwork to keep or get himself inbounds along the sideline or in the end zone. He's a good all-around talent as he looks for players downfield to block and was able to cut-block defenders with the best of them in college.
One of the hardest workers at his pre-combine training with coach Tom Shaw in Orlando, Fla., Johnson has continued to work on using his long arms to get off the jam. He does not allow defenders to get into his body or use their hands to knock him off routes. The combination of his pure physical tools, high character and willingness to be a quiet, consummate leader should earn him high marks across the board. A 40 time in the 4.3-second range at the NFL combine or his pro day would further confirm that Johnson could be the No. 1 overall pick.
 
That would be a pretty bad pick, especially for the Raiders. Who would they have throwing to him? Andrew Walters? Was that the name of the guy playing QB for them by season's end? The Lions do love to draft wide receivers, but they also certainly have more pressing needs. I think he will either go third/fourth to Tampa Bay, who I would guess are going to look to be sticking with Chris Simms, or fifth to the Cardinals, with Matt Leinart. Personally, I would love to see him go to the Cardinals; they were very big underachievers last year and have plenty of pieces in place. He could go there and they could have immediate success.

He is definitely the best prospect in the draft though.
 
Arizona doesn't need WR's either. I'm hoping that someone will trade up for CJ so he doesn't have to go to the Raiders. Otherwise, I'd think Tampa Bay too.
 
I think CJ will end up in the NFC South with Tampa Bay. If he does, I don't know if I'll be more excited that we still get to see him twice a year or more worried that the Falcons have to face him twice a year!?
 
I agree CJ goes #1 to Oakland. And then all of the free agent QBs (and then some) will line up for a one year deal with the Raiders. Moss and Johnson on either side ... would not suck.
I just hope he comes to Tampa so we can see him play.
 
BCWRECK said:
Moss and Johnson on either side ... would not suck.
I just hope he comes to Tampa so we can see him play.
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As if Moss & Porter somehow sucked? Well, yes, because they had no QB. CJ still needs to produce at the combine to get TB to take him, but that's where he should end up. If not he falls to #7.
 
Oakland would be out of their minds if they chose CJ. Besides I don't want to see CJ playing for that borderline criminal franchise.
 
The only way he goes #1 overall is if Oakland trades down, which they may very well do.
 
Couldn't they draft him & then later trade him for players more suited to their needs?
 
ramblin_man said:
Couldn't they draft him & then later trade him for players more suited to their needs?
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It's more likely that they'll trade the draft pick than draft him, sign him, and then trade him - he'll demand a significant signing bonus which will still count against Oakland's salary cap when they trade him.
 
Right. So here's the rub - which teams would want CJ enough to trade up to get him? Which teams need a marquis WR to round out their rosters? And what do they have to offer Oakland (or Arizona) for the pick?
 
The Ravens are dying for a Tall WR. They have one to two years to win it all. Give Oakland their 1st this year and next year, plus Kyle Boller. Oakland needs a quarterback and lots of players.

I wouldn't waste a high #1 pick on any of the available quarterbacks this year. Boller is close to being good and he would be a perfect short termer to take pressure off whoever they take.
 
Another impressive article!
Calvin Johnson a cut above in NFL Draft department

By Chris Harry
The Orlando Sentinel
(MCT)
INDIANAPOLIS - Calvin Johnson is well aware of the projections regarding his place in the 2007 NFL draft.
"I believe I'll be taken rather highly," he says.
The NFL's next great receiver probably has had a good idea of his status for some time. The next few days will bring rubber-stamp confirmation.
Johnson will be among the close to 350 college prospects herded through the RCA Dome this weekend for the cattle call known as the NFL Scouting Combine. Johnson, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound game-breaker from Georgia Tech, is expected to leave Indianapolis the same way he arrived: as the top-rated prospect in the draft.
Just don't expect him to be the No. 1 player taken.
Confused? Don't be. Since the AFL-NFL merger of 1970, only two receivers - Irving Fryar by New England in 1984 and Keyshawn Johnson by the New York Jets in 1996 - have been selected with the first overall pick. Such lofty status is reserved more often for quarterbacks (15 times) or impact defensive players (13).
That's the way it is in the NFL, and Johnson, as grounded a 21-year-old soon-to-be-millionaire as you'll meet, has no problem with the system. "It won't upset me at all, just as long as I get my chance to play in the league," he says. "Again, I expect to go kind of high."
Much can happen between now and April 28, but Oakland is on the clock. The Raiders, who finished 2-14 with an offense ranked last in the league, desperately need a quarterback and reportedly are considering LSU's JaMarcus Russell and Notre Dame's Brady Quinn. What the Raiders don't need is a receiver (certainly not a nice and well-adjusted one) with Randy Moss and Jerry Porter already in place.
Detroit picks second. The Lions need just about everything but a receiver, a position they filled with first-round picks for three consecutive years (2003-05) with limited returns. Wisconsin's Joe Thomas looms as a franchise-type left tackle who could lock down that spot for the next decade.
That leaves Tampa Bay or Cleveland at No. 3. The Bucs and Browns finished 4-12 and had identical strength-of-schedule percentages (.535). A coin toss, which will be some time this weekend at the Combine, will determine who gets that third spot, though it may not matter with regard to Johnson.
The Browns, who ranked 31st in rushing last season, are believed to be zeroing in on Oklahoma tailback Adrian Peterson. That would leave Johnson_and his 4.33-second speed in the 40-yard dash and 42-inch vertical jump_to add some punch to a lifeless Bucs offense that ranked 29th overall last season.
"I could definitely see myself fitting in there," he says.
Tom Shaw is a world-famous conditioning guru who spent the past few weeks honing the skills of more than three dozen athletes, Johnson included, at Disney's Wide World of Sports in preparation for the Combine. Shaw has trained 85 first-round draft choices, including four No.1 overall picks.
"Calvin Johnson is a sure thing," Shaw says. "He's Peyton Manning."
Shaw trained Manning in advance of Indianapolis taking its franchise quarterback with the first pick in 1998. With regard to work ethic, Shaw sees similar traits in Johnson.
"He already knows he's top five, but he works like he's a fifth-round choice trying to move up," Shaw says. "The kids who are usually successful are the kids who work the hardest. There are kids with great talent who don't work hard and last two, three years, then are pushed off to another team.
"This kid is one of the greatest I've ever met."
Johnson is a product of his upbringing in Tyrone, Ga., about 25 miles south of Atlanta. His dad is a train conductor and his mom a teacher, so his decision to leave Tech_where he was majoring in building construction_after his junior season wasn't made hastily.
"It was the best decision for me," Johnson says.
St. Louis safety Corey Chavous assisted Shaw during the training sessions at Disney. As a nine-year NFL veteran, Chavous knows something about receivers. He sees incredible skill and something else that spills over to teammates.
"You look for things, like does he feel or act privileged?" Chavous says. "You just don't see that with him. None of it."
What you end up seeing, instead, is pure receiver poetry.
Playing in Coach Chan Gailey's pro-style attack at Tech, Johnson caught 76 passes for 1,202 yards - nearly 16 yards per reception - for 15 touchdowns in 2006. For his career, Johnson had 178 catches (second in school history) and set school records with 2,927 receiving yards and 28 touchdown receptions.
Those numbers are even more impressive when you consider that Johnson's quarterback was the scatter-armed Reggie Ball. In three seasons playing with Johnson, Ball never completed 50 percent of his passes. In addition, he threw 47 TD passes and 44 picks with Johnson as his go-to receiver.
In his final college game, Johnson caught nine passes for a career-high 186 yards and two touchdowns in a Gator Bowl loss to West Virginia. Ball missed that game because of an academic suspension.
"The guy's great," Florida quarterback Chris Leak says of Johnson.
Leak witnessed that greatness firsthand during workouts at Disney. It was not unusual to see Johnson laying out for circus catches in drills.
"When you're out (there) diving for balls when you're just a couple of months from being a multimillionaire - that says more than anything about your competitiveness and desire," Chavous says.
It's all part of the package that some team will be unwrapping in 64 days.
Johnson was asked how he'd sell himself to a NFL general manager during the battery of Combine interviews.
"I'm a playmaker who goes 6-4 or 6-5, runs 4.4 or below and has great hands. That's it," Johnson says with a shrug and a smile. "And I have great character. Those are things that will make me a great player."
They're the traits that will get him drafted. And probably "rather highly."
 
Hey will be something to see with a qb that can get the ball to him over the middle .I would hate to be a cb or safety trying to cover him due to his ht and speed.I think he will be a darn good one!
 
Walk a mile in another man's shoes....well how bout just a fast 40 time... Quote from today's ajc "Johnson decides to run
Johnson solidified his position as one of the top prospects for the NFL Draft when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.35 seconds in a pair of borrowed shoes."

It's only going to get better!
 
another AJC quote from former GT team mates
"Johnson's old Tech teammates know he'll do just fine.
"There is not an athlete in the world like him," former Tech defensive tackle Joe Anoai said. "The guy's a freak, plain and simple. People talk about freaks, Jevon Kearse and all of them, but I don't really think they hold a candle to him. All of his measurements, the way he runs, the explosion, all of that."
Former Tech linebacker KaMichael Hall added, "He's the best receiver in the country. He has to go, I'm thinking, top five."
 
TechGator1066 said:
Oakland would be out of their minds if they chose CJ. Besides I don't want to see CJ playing for that borderline criminal franchise.
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Agreed. I love watching Calvin play, but I would have a difficult time rooting for him in a Faders uniform.
 
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