It's much easier to look good at drafting a particular position when you are using nothing but first round picks on it.
Unless you are talking about Newman... or Claiborne.
Wait, maybe my point sucks.
Newman was a fine CB. Played well above average most of his career with only a couple of years with a pass rush in front of him and never a stout front, giving opposing offenses a balanced attack every time. In 2005, he played coverage to the point where people didn't want to throw in his direction (they just picked the other side).
But Claiborne's not even a pro. It's not fair to Newman to lump both in the same category.
Newman was very similar to Quentin Jammer. Good enough to be a long term starter. But it's tough to see all the players you missed out on by picking him.
Can anyone recall a bigger fail than Claiborne in the Jones era?
Bobbeh Carpenter has to be in the discussion.
At least Bobbeh was only picked at 18 and we didn't trade up to get him.
Yeah, just a little bit. He's only considering the 11 starters on defense. And even then, not including that there are more than one starting corners on defense. But since we actually are allowed to use first rounders on the other side of the ball (which we have quite often) it lessens the shock value of his attempt if they're included. All in all, a pretty sad attempt.
Two top ten CBs since 2003. Only the Browns have accomplished that.
True but Claiborne at least was a starting player for us. Bobby Carpenter started like a total of 3 games in Dallas. In a league where first round picks get every opportunity to start some games that dude couldn't even manage to do that.
Stop manipulating the numbers.
At a position that comprises 1/11th of the starters, we will have used 4 first rounders on the position since 2003. That's 4/12.
Twice as often as average for a position that should get half as many first rounders.
We've drafted 8 first round Defensive end/Outside linebackers since 1994, and that means something!


Newman was very similar to Quentin Jammer. Good enough to be a long term starter. But it's tough to see all the players you missed out on by picking him.
Surely Newman was better than Jammer. I think Newman was more like Trufant.
Honestly I think people aren't being hard enough on Newman. I remember a lot of seasons where teams were passing on us effortlessly. (The end of the 06 season stands out particularly.) it may be unfair, but in a lot of ways Newman seems like the biggest staple of most of our "gutless" defensive efforts.