Linebackers not having value at top 5 is a joke. Allow me to show you
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It seems like you guys are holding way too much stock in top 5 or top 10 values. The value they hold is like getting beads at a mardis gras parade. It's only good for one day, then it doesn't matter. Here's the top 10 players taken for the past few years (plus the top two linebackers), and will give you an idea of what exactly I'm talking about:
2004
1 San Diego Eli Manning QB Mississippi
2 Oakland Robert Gallery T Iowa
3 Arizona Larry Fitzgerald WR Pittsburgh
4 N.Y. Giants Philip Rivers QB North Carolina State
5 Washington Sean Taylor FS Miami
6 Cleveland Kellen Winslow TE Miami
7 Detroit Roy Williams WR Texas
8 Atlanta DeAngelo Hall CB Virginia Tech
9 Jacksonville Reggie Williams WR Washington
10 Houston Dunta Robinson CB South Carolina
-- 12 N.Y. Jets Jonathan Vilma MLB Miami
-- 17 D.J. Williams OLB Miami
2003
1 Cincinnati Carson Palmer QB Southern California
2 Detroit Charles Rogers WR Michigan State
3 Houston Andre Johnson WR Miami
4 N.Y. Jets Dewayne Robertson DT Kentucky
5 Dallas Terence Newman CB Kansas State
6 New Orleans Johnathan Sullivan DT Georgia
7 Jacksonville Byron Leftwich QB Marshall
8 Carolina Jordan Gross T Utah
9 Minnesota Kevin Williams DT Oklahoma State
10 Baltimore Terrell Suggs OLB Arizona State
-- 29 Green Bay Nick Barnett MLB Oregon State
2002
1 Houston David Carr QB Fresno State
2 Carolina Julius Peppers DE North Carolina
3 Detroit Joey Harrington QB Oregon
4 Buffalo Mike Williams T Texas
5 San Diego Quentin Jammer CB Texas
6 Kansas City Ryan Sims DT North Carolina
7 Minnesota Bryant McKinnie T Miami
8 Dallas Roy Williams FS Oklahoma
9 Jacksonville John Henderson DT Tennessee
10 Cincinnati Levi Jones T Arizona State
-- 23 Oakland Napoleon Harris ILB Northwestern
-- 31 St. Louis Robert Thomas MLB UCLA
2001
1 Atlanta Michael Vick QB Virginia Tech
2 Arizona Leonard Davis T Texas
3 Cleveland Gerard Warren DT Florida
4 Cincinnati Justin Smith DE Missouri
5 San Diego LaDainian Tomlinson RB Texas Christian
6 New England Richard Seymour DE Georgia
7 San Francisco Andre Carter DE California
8 Chicago David Terrell WR Michigan
9 Seattle Koren Robinson WR North Carolina State
10 Green Bay Jamal Reynolds DE Florida State
-- 11 Carolina Dan Morgan MLB Miami
-- 39 Pittsburgh Kendrell Bell ILB Georgia
2000
1 Cleveland Courtney Brown DE Penn State
2 Washington LaVar Arrington OLB Penn State
3 Washington Chris Samuels T Alabama
4 Cincinnati Peter Warrick WR Florida State
5 Baltimore Jamal Lewis RB Tennessee
6 Philadelphia Corey Simon DT Florida State
7 Arizona Thomas Jones RB Virginia
8 Pittsburgh Plaxico Burress WR Michigan State
9 Chicago Brian Urlacher MLB New Mexico
10 Baltimore Travis Taylor WR Florida
(this year was crazy for LBs, also includes Julian Peterson, Keith Bullock, Ian Gold in the top 40)
Something else that might convince you that Linebackers are worth their draft value here: the top linebackers in each draft have combined for as many pro bowls than the rest of the aforementioned players combined.
This happens every year, and every year someone like Ray Lewis falls to the middle of the first round, or Derrick Brooks, etc. Guys like this come out year in and year out, and despite having all-american college careers, they slip because "linebackers aren't worth top 5 picks."
Well, you can argue that all day long, but look back after a few years, and you'll be smacking yourself in the face for saying "we passed up on Brian Urlacher to draft Thomas Jones!"
Nearly all of these top players are studs right now, and to say that one is obviously not "worth" a top pick because this player is rated higher is just asenine.
The Jets had this same debate last year, saying that they all wanted Vilma, but he wasn't worth the 12th pick by a long shot, that they should trade down to 17 or 18 and get him. 16 starts, 107 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 INTs, 2 Passes Defensed, a Fumble Recovery and a Defensive Touchdown later, who's still saying that?