With this talk about AJ Hawk going in the top 5 of the draft. And people who have already claiming that he is a future hall of famer. Is Hawk's rank higher than Vilmas? I ask this because Vilma is an exceptional talent and if he keeps up this pace can be in Canton. What Im saying is that would it be worth it to spend a fourth overall pick in a draft on a player like Hawk? Because what would be the point if AJ couldn't match or duplicate the success of Vilma?
Hawk is rated higher than Vilma, but personally, I liked Vilma more coming out of college than I do Hawk. However, both are great players.
Hawk's rating higher, also Nfl executives dont like to draft MLb to high. Coming out of college some people like Mel Kiper questioned his size and his durability. I thank those people b/c I watched as Vilma fell into the Jets lap. At the time Kiper said the Jets may have reached a bit to draft Vilma
It was also a much stronger draft in 2004...if Vilma was coming out this year he would go no later than 7 or 8 imo. Vilma was the top LB in '04 but there were 3 top QB's, 2 standout corners, 2 stud WR's (not sure how Reggie Williams was a top 10 pick), not to mention Gallery, Winslow, and Taylor. This year is just a weaker draft and Hawk is benefiting from that.
people have been so high on hawk for so long, i think he's lost some of that momentum, but he will be an amazing player, possibly better than vilma
speaking of kiper i wonder who's stock he is gonna killl this year on draft day.. remember kevin jones a few years ago guy went from top 15 pick to the 2nd rd . cause kiper said he wasnt tough
Reggie Williams is going to be a dominant receiver like TO eventually, it's just taking him time because Leftwich always gets hurt, Fred Taylor always gets hurt, hell half the Jaguars are always hurt, and they keep drafting big receivers for some reason instead of defensive backs which they need.
I guess you never know but i would like to think that what Kiper says about players does not affects how GMs around the league draft. I think thats pretty sad if you are a proffesional scout and you are basing your opinion of a player off of what Mel Kiper said. But the kevin Jones dropping thing i think he proably dropped more because all he can really do or could do coming out of college was run he was just a pure runner, wasnt and i think still isnt much of a threat to catch the ball and dont remember him doing a whole lot of blocking when he was at VT.
He's never going to be better than the 2 WR's picked ahead of him...Larry Fitzgerald and Roy Williams. Those 2 have already proven themselves on some pretty bad teams.
Yes Hawk's predraft rating is higher than Vilma's. People on this site seem to think that if they say anything bad about Vilma that he will just up and leave the team--he was not a perfect prospect and he's not (quite) a perfect player (yet.)
:grin: You don't watch many Jags games do you? He's already been out performed by the guy they drafted in the 4th rd that year, as well as QB turned WR Matt Jones. Williams = BUST
lol, agreed. Hawk is an incredible talent, and is more highly regarded than Vilma was going into the draft. Vilma's playing better than his draft rating was at the time and is proving all of his naysayers wrong. Coming out however, Hawk is an elite prospect, Vilma was just a "very good" prospect with a mid-first round grade.
I agree in a way, this draft is overall weaker. However, I do think that Hawk would most definately be a top-8 prospect even in that draft, he's really that good. The top of this year's draft is about as talented as that year's draft, it just drops off after slot 10 or so.
NO NO NO NO There is no chance that that draft was stronger than this years. He was projected as a mid teen pick by most. Please dont tell me that you think this years draft is weaker even when there are about seven blue chips. What a ridiculous thing to say....I am so caught off guard by your overly generous view of pre draft Vilma that I am all over the place right now. If VIlma were to be in this draft he would carry the same weight as he did before, a mid teen pick. As for the top end of the draft this years class is as deep as it has been in a long time. Young, Leinart, Bush, Williams, Ferguson, Hawk, Ngata, Davis and possibly Huff round out a top nine that would rival ANY year that I can think of. So in the end, Hawks pre draft status is WAY higher than Vilmas was, why that is may be for another thread but there is no question that Hawk is rated much higher.
And based on what we have seen from him I would say that he is the thoughest of all the first round RB's that went that year. Marinelli has said that they are going to give this guy tthe ball. He is going to be productive as hell this upcoming year. In his rookie year he finished with more yards than anyone in the last eight games
Vilma was supposed to go later in the draft but the Jets were scared if they dropped a few slots they would lose him. Bradway loved Vilma and has proved to be his best draft pick. A year later I was listening to ESPN radio and they were talking about the draft and if you could go back and do it again...Vilma should have been a top 5 pick.
