FanHouse Leodis McKelvin

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A good magician never reveals his secrets, so we're never going to know how Tom Brady pulled off this latest trick. How could he look so rusty and timid for 55 minutes, and so sharp and confident for the final five? How did he look up at a stadium full of 68,756 fans so spitting mad they were booing the cheerleaders and feel so certain he could send them all home happy, with a 25-24 comeback win for the ages? How did he and the Patriots survive this Monday night land mine without the deep passing game? Without, really, any help from their defense?

We have some of these answers, and for others we'll just have to wonder, and draw our own conclusions. In the end, Brady and the Patriots sidestepped an inexcusable season-opening upset because the Bills choked -- and because, just before it got too late, their quarterback turned from a rag-armed pumpkin back into Tom Brady.

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Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. " We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Offense -- It's almost impossible to decide how this team will perform in 2009. I have high hopes for Trent Edwards, being that he's a Stanford man and all, and frankly, I can't shake the feeling that Terrell Owens is going to return Lee Evans to superstar mode this coming season. After all, teams have to cover Owens, even if he's getting older and could be hurt half the time; with a second-string CB manning up on Evans as he streaks down the sidelines, well, I like his chances. In terms of running the ball, you also have to think that Marshawn Lynch's three-week absence because of suspension is going to hurt the Bills ... until you realize that Fred Jackson will be highly motivated and might just come out gangbusters to start the season. Which means that Dick Jauron will probably just give the carries to Dominic Rhodes. Heat Index: 5

The increase in popularity of Individual Defensive Player (IDP) leagues was easy to see coming. After all, why break down offensive players individually by position yet group all defenders as a team? Of course, when IDPs come into play, the defense can't be just an afterthought.

Sleeping on defenders while other teams amass high-sack guys like James Harrison and DeMarcus Ware, or consistent 100-tackle linebackers like Patrick Willis or Ray Lewis could leave you high and dry at critical positions. You wouldn't be stuck with Donald Driver and Devin Hester as your top two receivers, would you?

However, it'll get to that point in the draft where 20 or 30 defenders are off the board at a certain position, and you need to add a sleeper or two to your IDP core, someone who has the ability to finish in the top ten at their position. Today, I'll examine a few potential breakouts at each position -- hopefully, you'll add one or two of the good ones on draft day.

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After looking through some Average Draft Position lists as well as my rankings, it's proven difficult to come up with a list of five underrated defenses. In my opinion, the top ten drafted defenses are the right ones to draft. Some may be a spot high or low, but there are no surefire starters out there that are underrated.

What I want to talk to you about today, class, is the ill-conceived strategy of drafting defenses in the middle rounds. In the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh rounds, you need to concentrate on adding quality value picks before turning to your defensive selection. All it takes is one injury to turn your supposedly-great draft into a mess, so use these middle-round picks to fortify your QB, RB and WR starters. Because in the end, you don't even need to draft a good defense. It's much more cost-effective to cycle through defenses playing at home against inferior offenses.

But leaving you with that would eliminate the fun, so here are a couple of defenses that you should consider adding at the end of the draft.

Last year, Matt Forte and Leodis McKelvin opened some eyes with their Senior Bowl performances, and both would go on to have outstanding NFL rookie seasons. Andre Woodson, on the other hand, struggled in the college football showcase game, and the former Kentucky star's draft stock plummeted -- he eventually ended the 2008 season on the Giants practice squad.

While a poor Senior Bowl won't automatically torpedo a prospect's NFL aspirations (Joe Flacco stumbled through the game last year), it's a great way for players to separate themselves in a crowded field.

After the jump: a quick rundown of those who impressed and those who didn't.

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is right around the corner, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Quarterback: The J.P Losman era has come to its logical conclusion. Which is to say, he probably won't be around after this season. Trent Edwards, the team's 2007 third-round pick is now the starter, and if the Bills are to have any chance to improve on last year's 7-9 record, it will lie largely with him. Heat Index: 5

Running backs: Marshawn Lynch had a relatively quiet offseason until he accidentally ran over a pedestrian and bonked out before the cops showed up. The case has been settled, and he won't miss any time, which is great news for a Bills offense that can't afford to lose one of its best players. I suspect the hit-and-run victim might feel differently, however. Fred Jackson is more than capable behind Lynch. Heat Index: 8

Buffalo Bills strong safety Donte Whitner has one of the brightest futures of any NFL player. He's already started 29 games in his career, and he's only 22 years old. I like him a lot.

So that's why, while I'd consider this type of statement to be over the top coming from some players, I kind of like it from Whitner:

When asked if he expects the Bills to make the playoffs, Whitner makes it clear how serious he is. "Do I expect us to make the playoffs?" he says. "I'm guaranteeing it.

That's what Whitner said to Clifton Brown of The Sporting News in a story that portrays Whitner as one of the league's smartest and hardest-working young players, not to mention as a mentor to Bills rookie Leodis McKelvin, who is only a month younger than Whitner but is much less experienced.

I don't know if I'm ready to buy into Whitner's guarantee, but I do know that I like his confidence. It sure seems like a long time ago that people were criticizing the Bills for drafting him.

Via PFT.

Safety Donte Whitner is apparently very serious about helping the Bills turn things around. The former first-round pick is entering Year 3, and Buffalo has managed seven wins in each of his first two seasons. Not awful, particularly given their division, and the fact that they haven't had much stability at the quarterback position. But not great, either.

In any case, Whitner's not taking any chances. He's taking the team's 2008 first-round pick, cornerback Leodis McKelvin, under his wing.

"I'm having him stay with me until he finds a place of his own," said Whitner. "Each night I'm going to teach him a little bit more about the defensive scheme. It's hard as a rookie because you're going to make mistakes. So I'll try to slowly bring him up to speed on things and be a sounding board for him if he has any questions."

BuffaloBills.com's Chris Brown writes that McKelvin "was floored by the offer ... but happily accepted the invite." This could be the turning point in McKelvin's rookie season; often early-first-round defensive backs come into the league with humongous expectations only to flounder for a year or two. Usually, it has very little to do with being physically overmatched and everything to do with being mentally overwhelmed. The Redskins' Carlos Rogers immediately comes to mind.

Ideally, McKelvin would be eased into the lineup, but there's a chance he starts opposite Terrence McGee, and Jabari Greer moving to nickel back. And while it's way too early to pencil in the starters, working with Whitner certainly won't hurt McKelvin's chances for the gig.

Buffalo Bills 2008 Draft Picks:

Round 1 (11): Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy
Round 2 (41): James Hardy, WR, Indiana
Round 3 (72): Chris Ellis, DE, Virginia Tech
Round 4 (114): Reggie Corner, CB, Akron
Round 4 (132): Derek Fine, TE, Kansas
Round 5 (147): Alvin Bowen, OLB, Iowa State
Round 6 (179): Xavier Omon, RB, Northern Missouri State
Round 7 (219): Demetrius Bell, OT, Northwestern State (LA)
Round 7 (224): Steve Johnson, WR, Kentucky
Round 7 (251): Kennard Cox, CB, Pittsburgh

The Good: Not only was Buffalo able to land the cornerback they so desperately needed, they were also able to land the big-time wide receiver they coveted as well. Both Leodis McKelvin and James Hardy will come in and have an immediate impact for the Bills, giving them two dimensions they were lacking last year. Additionally, Derek Fine was a tremendous value pick in round four and will likely add some quality depth to Buffalo's currently shallow tight end position.

The Bad: Outside of McKelvin and Hardy, many of the players Buffalo drafted have several question marks. Can Ellis become a more consistent player at the next level? Is Corner's size (or lack thereof) a major concern? Is Bowen big enough to play every down? And does Bell have enough game experience to offer any significant value? Those are some rather concerning questions ...

The Grade: B-. At the very least, Buffalo got two solid starters out of the draft and a lot of depth. Some of the other players will most likely realize their talent and reward the Bills, while the rest will eventually fade away into nothing. It wasn't an outstanding draft by any means, but it certainly wasn't a poor one either.

Click here to read other draft grades.

Heading into yesterday's festivities, Bills fans had pretty much resigned themselves to the team landing either a big-play cornerback or deep-threat wide receiver. But certainly not both.

Which is exactly what happened thanks to a bunch of trades, an early run on defensive linemen and linebackers, and a mid-round run on offensive tackles. Leodis McKelvin, who can also return kicks, was the first cornerback off the board when the Bills selected him 11th. He's in line for the starting job opposite Terrence McGee, which will allow Jabari Greer to move to nickel back. Everybody's happy ... well, except for J.P. Losman.

With the 10th pick in the second round, Buffalo looked to be prime position to take their game-changing wideout since one wasn't drafted in Round 1 for the first time in the history of man. And then, just like DL, LB and OT before them, there was a run on receivers. Three of the first five second-round selections were wideouts, but 6-6 James Hardy was still on the board when the Bills went on the clock.

While there was no agreement on a name, there was a pre-draft consensus that the Bills needed a tall target to line up opposite Lee Evans. Done and done. And head coach Dick Jauron was, in his own special way, super psyched:

Personally, for me, I'm really pleased," said Bills coach Dick Jauron. "It's a relief in terms of the draft because these are two critical positions on any football team, and on ours they were two critical needs. Now we go into the second day of the draft a little more open, a little more at ease."

Virtual high-fives all around.