NFL Draft- Defensive Ends

The 2008 NFL Draft class was very deep and talented in terms of defensive ends. The class was led by the ultra-talented Chris Long, son of NFL Hall of Famer defensive end Howie Long. Long was the first defensive end taken in the draft, and was followed by two more in the first round and four in the second round. This position has a chance to produce some very exciting players.

The St. Louis Rams spent the second overall selection on Long. Long's brilliant college career at Virginia ended with 79 tackles, 14 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and an interception in his senior season. As well, Long earned the Ted Hendricks Award (nation's top defensive end) and an All-America selection. There is absolutely nothing not to like about Chris Long. He is unbelievable athletic ability, great size, great power and strength, and gives 110% no matter what. In other words, there is no reason to doubt that Chris Long will be a long-time Pro Bowl defensive end in the NFL.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were the next team to take a defensive end, using the 8th selection on Florida's Derrick Harvey. Jacksonville, looking to put more pressure on the quarterback, took a potentially good end in Harvey. Harvey does lack great speed, but he is very agile and shows great athleticism. Harvey could be the missing piece for Jacksonville, who watched Tom Brady spend what seemed like hours in the pocket, shred the defense in a New England playoff win.

The next defensive end taken was Lawrence Jackson from USC, taken by the Seattle Seahawks at pick 28. Jackson is a very big defensive end, and does provide enough burst to get to the quarterback. However, at 282 lbs, Jackson will end up being a very good run stuffer for the Seahawks, and should give them a very reliable defensive end for years to come.

With the first pick in the second round, the Miami Dolphins selected Clemson defensive end Phillip Merling. Merling had an outstanding senior season, racking up 78 tackles with 7 sacks. Merling is another big, powerful defensive who could thrive in the Dolphins 3-4 scheme. He is very athletic for his size, and he should be a very good defensive end in the NFL, especially in terms of shutting down the running game.

Calais Campbell of Miami was the next defensive end selected, with pick 50 by the Arizona Cardinals. After an outstanding sophomore year, Campbell's play took a step back last year at Miami, but he is still an extremely talented player. At 6'8" and 290 lbs, Campbell should be able to thrive in Arizona's 3-4 scheme. He has incredible athleticism for his size, and should be able to get to the quarterback, even in the 3-4. If he can pick up his play, the Cardinals may have gotten one of the best defensive players in the draft.

The Jaguars took their second defensive end of the draft with pick 52, selecting Quentin Groves of Auburn. Groves is a very inconsistent player, but he has the physical attributes to be able to succeed. He is very athletic, has great speed, and has very good
strength for his small size. If the Jaguars can make him play hard all the time, they could have found a very solid defensive end, with great ability to rush the passer.

The Tennessee Titans made Eastern Michigan Jason Jones the next defensive end taken in the draft. Jones will need to make the adjustment to playing the best in order to succede at the next level. He also is not much of a pass rusher, but is strong and good at stopping the run. Jones also has the option of bulking up to play defensive tackle for Tennessee, where is run-stuffing abilities may be better suited.

The Miami Dolphins took their second defensive end of the draft, taking Hampton's Kendall Langford. If Langford can make the adjustment from small-school to the NFL, he has the potential to be a very good defensive end in the 3-4 scheme. Even at 2887 lbs, Langford has great athletic ability and is an excellent run-stuffer. Because he was drafted by Miami, Langford could get some extra tutelage from All-Pro Jason Taylor to make the adjustment to the NFL easier.

Chris Ellis of Virginia Tech was taken by the Buffalo Bills 72nd overall. Ellis is a very good pass rusher, but fell in the draft due to his inability to help stuff the run and off-field issues. However, he does have the talent to be a solid starting defensive end for Buffalo, especially with teams double-teaming fellow defensive end Aaron Schobel.

In all, the 2008 defensive end draft class could produce some gems for some teams. Many teams may have drafted some very good future starters, but there were some ends in this draft that could end up being complete busts. However, after seeing the Giants take down the Patriots in the Super Bowl using many pass rushers, other teams are stockpiling defensive ends, looking to give quarterbacks even less time to throw the ball.