Going into the 2008 NFL draft, there was no suspense when commissioner Roger Goodell walked to the podium for the first pick by the Miami Dolphins. Signing Jake Long on the Tuesday before the draft, Miami left all the guessing and waiting for St. Louis who had the second pick. This draft was not like any other in recent history. It had the most trades of any draft, 33, no wide receiver was selected in the first round (the first time since 1990), an offensive lineman was selected with the first overall pick, and two sons of Hall of Famers were drafted(Chris Long and Matt Slater), just the fifth and sixth time that has happened. Here is a recap of the top five, and a short analysis. 1.Miami Dolphins- Jake Long, OT, Michigan Jake Long is a tremendous athlete with outstanding size and strength. Although people don’t usually think of offensive linemen going first overall, Long should serve Miami best. The Dolphins were 23rd in rush yards with just over 98 per game, and 24th in pass yards with 189.4 per game. Long will open up holes for running back Ronnie Brown and give time for probable starting quarterback John Beck. 2. St. Louis Rams- Chris Long, DE, Virginia For the second straight year, the Rams drafted a defensive lineman, trying to establish an identity. Chris is the son of former NFL great Howie Long, and should have a good career, too. Long has good speed, running a 4.75 40 at the combine, along with good strength. Long should develop into a premier pass rusher in a league where that is critical. 3. Atlanta Falcons- Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College The Falcons simply needed Matt Ryan. Everything that could go wrong for the Falcons last season did. It all started with quarterback Michael Vick’s dog fighting scandal that landed him in jail. Atlanta had no idea who their starting QB should be, going through three quarterbacks (Joey Harrington, Byron Leftwich, and Chris Redman). Ryan is the right pick for this struggling franchise trying to rebuild. He is a player to build around, and they will not have to worry about any off field issues. 4. Oakland Raiders- Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas McFadden was probably the most talented athlete in the draft. Anytime he touches the ball, the opposing defense will hold their breath, and that is exactly why owner Al Davis and the Raiders selected him. The person that may be the happiest with this pick is current Oakland QB Jamarcus Russell. Last year’s number one overall pick should be the starter this fall and McFadden’s presence will take some pressure off of him. There were questions about McFadden’s off-field character, but apparently not big enough to detract Oakland. This is a solid pick. 5. Kansas City- Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU Dorsey was the elite Defensive Tackle in this year’s draft. After stock piling awards in his senior season and winning the National Championship, Dorsey is hoping to make Kansas City once again respectable. In a few years, look for Dorsey to be a dominant run stopper for the Chiefs. Many didn’t think Dorsey would fall to number five, so the Chiefs feel like they got a steal, and they did.