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5. Matt Slater, safety, New England -- He was the best special-teams player out there, someone who can return kicks, block kicks and cover kicks. Plus, he has the right genes: He's the son of Hall of Famer Jackie Slater. You wonder why the Patriots never have down years? They know how to draft.
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Five biggest gambles
1. Matt Ryan, quarterback, Atlanta -- One GM compared him to David Carr and Joey Harrington. For Tom Dimitroff's sake, I hope he's wrong. I liked Ryan when I watched him play and liked him more when I met him. Good things should happen to good people, and Ryan is one of the best in any draft.
2. Joe Flacco, quarterback, Delaware -- The Ravens moved up to take him with the 18th pick when they probably could've gotten him by sitting tight in the second round. That means they had a conviction about Flacco, and that's good. Here's hoping they have better luck with this move than the last time they traded up to take a quarterback.
3. Carl Nicks, tackle, New Orleans -- He was the best run blocker in this year's draft, but there were so many red flags regarding character that clubs everywhere bumped him from their boards. I'm not sure what it says about a player when his school bans him from its Pro Day, but maybe Nicks can explain. Anyway, if he can stay out of trouble, he's a find.
4. Duane Brown, tackle, Houston -- Most people had him ranked in the middle of their second rounds. Yet the Texans make him a first-round pick, taking him after they bailed out of the 18th position. "We've been in love with Duane for a long time," coach Gary Kubiak said. "I think this kid is an automatic fit with what we want to do running the ball." He better hope so. The Texans must start building a credible offensive line, but they're counting on someone who played left tackle for one season at Virginia Tech.
5. Aqib Talib, cornerback, Tampa Bay -- Several clubs removed him from their boards. Reason: Character, which is another way of saying they don't trust him. Talib has first-round ability, but he could be an accident waiting to happen. "I'm not going to live in the past," coach Jon Gruden said. "I'm going to live in the future. I trust this kid." He should. He drafted him.
Five quotes to remember
1. "We'll get him ready to play, but Aaron's the guy" -- Green Bay GM Ted Thompson on Brohm.
2. "We just brought another guy in to compete for the job" -- Miami GM Jeff Ireland on Henne.
3. "This is more exciting than scoring a touchdown" -- Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome after drafting Joe Flacco.
4. "This isn't one of the biggest risks I've taken" -- Dallas owner Jerry Jones on the trade for Pacman Jones.
5. "Jeremy Shockey's our starting tight end, and I'm going to leave it at that" -- New York Giants' GM Jerry Reese on a possible trade of Shockey.
Five reasons to attend the 2009 draft
1. Chance to see NFL Network in New York City.
2. Appeal Pacman Jones' latest suspension in person with Roger Goodell.
3. To say you were there when Mel Kiper body-slammed Todd McShay.
4. Refresher course on spelling J-E-T-S! Jets! Jets! Jets!
5. The soundtrack at Radio City Music Hall. No one had a better second day than the DJ there. Anyone who dials up Deep Purple's Highway Star, Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend and (something?) anything by Todd Rundgren in the same afternoon makes my A-list.
