2007 Draft In Review: Part 3
A Retrospective Look at the PEBA's First-Ever First Year Amateur Draft
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Don Walker – Round 1, pick 15, 15th overall. 1B – L
Walker has been a bit slow to develop, having spent his first three seasons in professional ball in the low minors. He has made decent progress each of the last two seasons, batting .297 with 12 HR this past season. He will be 24 going into next season and needs to make some progress at the upper levels soon. Scouts think he will hit just well enough to be a bottom-tier PEBA first baseman with about average power. His plate discipline could be a bit lacking.
Emílio Díaz – Round 2, pick 15, 39th overall. C – R
Díaz has spent his first three seasons in professional baseball in the low minors, and after some rather lackluster numbers his first two seasons he finally took a real step forward this past season, batting .291/.391 with 11 HR and 56 RBI. More impressive; after walking 34 times in his first two seasons combined, Díaz walked 57 times while striking out 51 times. Díaz projects to have well above average power and a decent eye at the plate, though his propensity for striking out may keep his batting average a bit on the weak side. His skills behind the plate are very good and scouts believe he will be a PEBA level starting catcher in the not-too-distant future.
Edward Baxter – Round 2, pick 23, 47th overall. RF – L
Baxter suffered a torn back muscle in 2008 that seems to have derailed his career permanently. After missing the entire second half of 2008 and being sidelined for eight months, he returned this year but hasn't been the same. He batted .238 in 49 games at short season ball and .151 in 61 games at single A, posting a -17.9 VORP at the single A level. Baxter has some very good speed and some decent defensive abilities, but scouts are generally in agreement that you can stick a fork in him; he is done as a productive ballplayer.
Carlos Féliz – Round 3, pick 15, 63rd overall. 1B – R
Féliz made great progress in his third season of pro ball, getting a promotion to AA midway through the season. For the season he batted .332/.404 with 27 doubles, 12 HR and 57 RBI in 407 at bats. At this point scouts project Féliz as a slightly better prospect than Walker, who was drafted in the first round. Scouts believe he will hit enough to make it to the PEBA level, with average home run power and good power to the gaps. His defensive skills are about average for a first baseman.
Lee Clem – Round 4, pick 15, 87th overall. SP – R
Has spent three seasons at single A, and showed nice progress this year, posting a 15-6 mark with a 3.08 ERA. Has great endurance and does a decent job of keeping the ball in the park. Throws in the low 90s but his stuff doesn't blow hitters away with any regularity, and scouts wonder about his control going forward. He relies on smart pitch selection to get by. Despite his decent numbers this season, scouts remain unconvinced that he will ever be much more than a career minor leaguer.
José Alfaro – Round 5, pick 11, 107th overall. SP – R
In his third season of pro ball, Alfaro showed the ability to dominate at the short season level (9-6, 2.11), but scouts think short season might be his ceiling. There are some things to like; the low 90s heat and the six-pitch arsenal, as well as very good endurance. He was drafted out of high school so he is just 20 years old. The one thing that seems to be lacking is talent. He has enough going for him and is young enough that he could hang around for awhile as Kentucky waits for the light to go on; I just wouldn't advise them holding their breath while they wait.
Alfonso Canseco – Round 5, pick 15, 111th overall. 2B – R
Third season of pro ball and he finished it in a part time utility role at the short season level. He did bat .305 in limited at bats, but that may be as good as it ever gets for Canseco. He has great speed and plays decent defense, but he has very little ability with a bat in his hand and at best projects as a minor league utility infielder until his worthless bat finally wears out its welcome in professional baseball.
Dave Roberson – Round 6, pick 13, 133rd overall. 2B – S
Three seasons in professional ball and has yet to make it out of the low minors. It is unlikely he ever will. Has great speed but below average defense, and his bat has probably reached its ceiling. Projects to be nothing more than a minor league utility infielder and does not have enough defensive ability to even hold onto that role for very long.
Vicente Maestas – Round 6, pick15, 135th overall. SP – R
Maestas has recovered nicely after a disaster of a first year in pro ball. He has not been worked very hard either of the last two seasons, but has shown very good ability. In 13 starts at short season ball in 2008 he was 5-4, 2.53, walking 18 while striking out 53 in 85.1 IP. Missed two months of the season, but in 16 starts split between single A and double A in 2009 he went 7-3, 2.93, walking 31 while striking out 83 in 98.1 IP. Can reach 94 MPH on the gun and has decent endurance. Does fairly well at keeping the ball in the park. Scouts believe he should be at least a back of the rotation type starter at the PEBA level, but they do question his makeup in some regards. It's probably time to increase his workload, but if he continues to post numbers like he has the last two seasons he should be on his way to the PEBA level.
Ty Peters – Round 7, pick 15, 159th overall. LF – R
11-02-2008 Was traded by the Kentucky Thoroughbreds to the Arlington Bureaucrats in exchange for MR Yoriyuki Yamasaki.
Peters has a career batting average of .218 in three seasons in the minors and projects to be nothing more than a minor league reserve player for a short period of time. Kentucky swapped him for a career minor league pitcher (Yamasaki) who is somewhat useful as an organizational soldier, though at age 26 he has probably reached his ceiling and will never help the Thoroughbreds in any way.
Travis Cruz – Round 8, pick 15, 183rd overall. SS – R
Plays the game hard, as evidenced by his 6 minor injuries over three seasons. He's always straining, scratching, or bruising something. Presently rated the #52 prospect in PEBA, Cruz has risen all the way to AAA and is just 20 years old. Has above average speed, stealing 53 bags the last two seasons. Has hit at every level, posting batting averages of .373 at A-ball, .329 at AA and .307 at AAA. Won't hit for much power, but his ability to scratch out singles and steal a base will make him a decent table-setter. Needs to work on his plate discipline a bit, but otherwise his bat is nearly ready for a starting job at the PEBA level.
Overall – A very good draft for the Kentucky organization, all things considered. While first round pick Walker doesn't seem like he will reach the stardom projected on draft day, he may yet be a useful player. Díaz should be a starting catcher at the PEBA level before too long. Féliz may yet be a useful player. Steals were found getting Maestas in the sixth round and Cruz in the eighth round.
José Díaz – Round 1, pick 7, 7th overall. CL – R
04-05-2009 Was traded by the London Underground to the Bakersfield Bears, along with MR Simon Yates and a 6th round draft pick, in exchange for RF Rémi Young and a 6th round draft pick.
We're highly critical of the trade that sent Díaz and Yates – both potential studs at the back of a bullpen – to Bakersfield for Young, a player of marginal ability who has struck out over 300 times the last two seasons, has yet to hit more than 22 HR in a season and has a career batting average of .253. Díaz has electric stuff; he lights up the gun at 101 MPH and has a devastating changeup that keeps hitters off balance. He may on occasion have some control issues, but he has great movement and does well at keeping the ball in the park. He will arrive at the PEBA level very soon and be a stud at the back of a bullpen for a long time.
George Shaw – Round 2, pick 7, 31st overall. 1B – R
Hit .172 in 2007. Hit .172 in 2008. Hit .060 in 2009. There's really not much else to say other than bust.
Matt Ramey – Round 3, pick 7, 55th overall. 1B – R
06-07-2009 Released by the London organization.
Released this past season after several lackluster years. Unlikely to ever get another shot in the PEBA.
Jeffrey Wilkinson – Round 4, pick 7, 79th overall. 1B – R
Wilkinson has made steady progress through the London system, playing at AAA this past season and batting .280/.313 with 24 doubles and 11 home runs. Still has much work to do on his plate discipline, walking just 21 times while striking out 121 in 558 at bats. Scouts think he will have above average power to the gaps, average home run power, and should hit for enough average to play at the PEBA level. His defensive skills are not completely horrible and he has a good makeup. Another season at AAA to improve that plate discipline and let the power more fully develop and Wilkinson could possibly see the PEBA level in 2011.
Cristián Gonzáles – Round 5, pick 7, 103rd overall. RF – R
Three years in pro ball and he has done almost nothing. Seems to have been poorly handled in being rushed to the AA level way too soon. Most scouts doubt he will ever hit enough to get past single A.
José Lara – Round 6, pick 7, 127th overall. C – S
Awful defensive skills and scouts think he his bat has a ceiling of AA at best. His numbers in three seasons of pro ball have done nothing to disprove their assessments.
Mitch O'Clery – Round 7, pick 7, 151st overall. MR – R
His numbers in three seasons at A-ball: 0-10, 5.73, 1.87 WHIP, 50 BB, 35 K. Did have a brief period of success at the short season level, but that's about as good as it gets for this talentless hack.
Sacha de Lijser – Round 8, pick 7, 175th overall. 3B – R
Has displayed slightly more talent than most of the bums drafted by London in this draft, but that's not saying a lot. His defense and speed are both rather average, and he will probably never hit enough to get past AA.
Overall – One of the uglier drafts we have examined to this point. We are critical of the trade that packaged Díaz and another young stud reliever for a very mediocre outfielder. We think Bakersfield got the far better end of that deal and that makes this draft look so much worse. London may salvage something here from Wilkinson, who may play at the PEBA level in a couple of seasons, but it will be a very minimal return.
José Rivera – Round 1, pick 2, 2nd overall. SS – S
07-31-2008 Was traded by the Manchester Maulers to the Aurora Borealis, along with C Wilson Berry and a 7th round draft pick, in exchange for C Francesco Amati, SP Ryuichi Yamauchi and 1B Tony Torres.
Hard to be critical of the deal that moved Rivera as it netted Manchester a very good young pitcher in Yamauchi. Rivera will be a fixture as SS for a PEBA team very soon. Has well above average defensive skills. He lacks power and his speed is barely average, but he has hit at every level and scouts believe he will be a well above average hitter at the PEBA level with very good power to the gaps and well above average plate discipline. Batted .299/.365 with 35 doubles this past season at AAA and is very close to making the move to the PEBA level.
Roger Adams – Round 2, pick 2, 26th overall. SS – L
Good defensive skills, good speed. Nothing else to hang your hat on with Adams. Has solidified a position as a career minor league utility infielder. Bust.
Dennis Huffman – Round 3, pick 2, 50th overall. 2B – R
Below average speed, below average defense, no power. So what's to like? You guessed it: nothing. Has batted .238/.269 in 3 seasons at the single A level and scouts say it's all downhill from here. Was exiled to short season Wasilla near the end of the 2009 season.
Steve Allen – Round 4, pick 2, 74th overall. CF – R
08-20-2009 Injured (fractured skull), out for 8 months.
The 20-year-old Allen made great progress single A this season, batting .334/.381 in 428 at bats, with 26 doubles. Has great defensive skills and above average speed, but his base running instincts are a bit suspect. Scouts believe he will hit well enough to be an asset at the top of a PEBA lineup someday and, while he won’t have much power or be a true burner, he should have the plate discipline to get on base with regularity. A fractured skull will keep him out of the lineup until at least next June, but he is just 20 years old and should be able to quickly make up for the lost time.
Kevin Hollins – Round 5, pick 2, 98th overall. SP – R
11-02-2008 Was traded by the Manchester Maulers to the Arlington Bureaucrats in exchange for 2B Juan Ríos.
Hollins throws in the low 90s with decent stuff. The problem is he’s 23 and has yet to display anything resembling control. Was probably rushed quite a bit in making the jump to AAA; a full season at AA would have been a better development strategy for the young pitcher this past season. He has an outside chance at making it to the PEBA level if he ever harnesses the control, but scouts believe that is unlikely. The trade that moved Hollins to Arlington in exchange for Ríos is essentially a wash as Ríos never figures to be much more than a career minor leaguer as well.
Carlos Zapata – Round 6, pick 2, 122nd overall. SP – R
Drafted out of high school, the 20-year-old Zapata struggled at A-ball in parts of two seasons; 3-9, 5.19, 42 BB, 25 K in 109.1 IP. A torn labrum in 2008 forced him to miss most of that season. He started over at short season ball this past year and showed much better results; 8-6, 2.82, 33 BB, 53 K in 121.1 IP. Does not throw hard for a man his size, barely reaching 87 MPH. He’s an extreme ground ball pitcher with a nasty sinker. At the moment scouts doubt that he will ever get past the AA level with his meager potential, but his age and his decent numbers this past season give some hope that he could yet develop. Just don't place large wagers on it.
Jorge Casteneda – Round 7, pick 2, 146th overall. 1B – R
Has yet to show much in three seasons at the single A level, batting .231/.286 with 6 HR in 338 AB in limited playing time over three seasons. Will be 24 going into next season and scouts see no reason to believe he will ever be anything more than what he is right now.
Jimmy Fountain – Round 8, pick 2, 170th overall. SS – R
Plays decent defense and has some power to the gaps, but that's about all the scouts see. Not projected to hit enough to ever make it out of the minor leagues. Has no power and barely average speed. Was finally making some progress early this season in his third try at single A, batting .361/.390 in 35 games before a fractured foot cost him the remainder of the season. Probably won't rise much higher in the minor leagues.
Overall – Getting Yamauchi for Rivera was probably a move Manchester had to make, and it has paid off with a playoff berth in 2009. Allen still has a chance to play at the PEBA level, but the long-term injury casts at least some shadow over him for the moment. The rest of the Maulers first draft looks rather bleak; it's unlikely they will get any return on any of their other selections from the 2007 amateur draft.
Patrick Hunter – Round 1, pick 4, 4th overall. SP – R
12-12-2007 Was traded by the New Jersey Hitmen to the Tempe Knights, along with LF Brian Patton, MR Vaughan Farris and SP Barney Sharp, in exchange for SP Clancy O'connell and SP Ross Hanlon.
The deal that sent Hunter to Tempe remains an interesting deal to look at. New Jersey netted O'Connell, who has become a key piece of their rotation, but it remains to be seen if New Jersey may have given up too much to get him. Despite the fact that he has been Hancocked to Tempe – where is struggling mightily – Hunter is the 24th rated prospect in the PEBA. Farris has turned into a decent reliever and Sharp is considered a decent prospect now calling the San Antonio organization his home (for the time being, at least… beware “Trader Matt”). Hunter throws in the low 90s but has a meager 3-pitch arsenal. His 143 walks in 165.2 innings greatly underscore the fact that he is nowhere near ready for the PEBA level. We remain highly critical of Tempe's handling of their young players, and Hunter is yet another example of a young player with great potential who is in jeopardy of being ruined by a desperate GM who simply refuses to be patient and properly develop his young talent.
Leo Coury – Round 2, pick 4, 28th overall. C – R
07-14-2008 Was traded by the New Jersey Hitmen to the Canton Longshoremen, along with SP Anthony Bagg, MR Zander Miller, CF John Knight, 1B Albert Rishworth, a 3rd round draft pick and $1,000,000, in exchange for SP Oscar Holloway.
New Jersey made another deal here that netted them a mainstay in their rotation, Oscar Holloway. Again, they may have given up a lot, but give them credit on one count; they were willing to pay the price to bring in quality pitching. Coury projects as a very good defensive catcher who will have above average power but may struggle to hit for much of a batting average. Hit 15 HR at AA in 2008, and followed that with 18 HR at AA in 2009. He will probably always strike out too much and not hit for a very great average, but he should make it to the PEBA level. He’ll be an asset behind the plate and offer some pop from the lower part of the batting order.
Anthony Hough – Round 2, pick 6, 30th overall. 1B – R
Hough skipped AA after two seasons in the low minors, going straight to AAA in 2009. He fared decently at that level, batting .272/.321 with 19 HR and 85 RBI, but his season was cut a couple of weeks short by a torn hamstring in late August. Scouts believe he will hit enough with decent plate discipline to make it to the PEBA level, and he should have above average power. Has no speed and his defensive skills are lacking, but if his power continues to develop he should be asset in the not-too-distant future.
George Doss – Round 3, pick 4, 52nd overall. SS – R
Doss plays very good defense. Scouts think he might possess a little bit of power. Unfortunately, he has never batted over .209 in any of his three seasons at the minor league level. Bust.
Barney Sharp – Round 3, pick 5, 53rd overall. SP – L
12-12-2007 Was traded by the New Jersey Hitmen to the Tempe Knights, along with LF Brian Patton, MR Vaughan Farris and SP Patrick Hunter, in exchange for SP Clancy O'connell and SP Ross Hanlon.
06-28-2008 Was traded by the Tempe Knights to the San Antonio Calzones of Laredo, along with CF Manny Lara, in exchange for LF Víctor Martínez.
Traded twice already in his young career, Sharp has amazingly made it through a full season in the San Antonio organization with out being dealt yet again. A southpaw who can barely bump 90 MPH on the radar gun, Sharp relies on a five-pitch repertoire and smart pitching to keep hitters off balance. Likes to nibble a lot and won't leave a ball in the middle of the plate. His stuff won't blow hitters away, but he knows how to pitch and figures to be a solid middle-of-the-rotation-starter who will eat a lot of innings in the not-too-distant future. Was rushed to AAA this season and still has work to do on his control, but he did post a very good 8-3 mark with 3.24 ERA in 14 starts at Joplin.
Pedro Rivera – Round 4, pick 4, 76th overall. 3B – R
Has no power, no speed and below average defense. Has never hit above .210 in any of his three seasons in the minors. He's just 20 so there is still plenty of time for a career change.
Anthony LeBlanc – Round 5, pick 4, 100th overall. MR – L
Lefthander who hits 90 MPH on the gun, has about average stuff and does a decent job of keeping the ball in the park. He has major control issues, walking 31 while striking out 37 in 47.2 innings at two minor league levels this past season. Could be a middle-of-the-bullpen option if he ever harnesses the control, but scouts are unwilling to hold their breath waiting for something they feel is unlikely to ever happen. Has probably reached his ceiling at AAA.
Skip Nelson – Round 6, pick 4, 124th overall. SS – R
Plays very good defense and has above average speed. Lacks much plate discipline and has no power, but scouts think he will hit just enough that he could be a decent PEBA level utility infielder with his speed and defense making him an asset off the bench.
Marcos Rodríguez -Round 7, pick 4, 148th overall. 2B – R
Drafted out of high school, Rodríguez has poor defense and a similarly poor bat. He has spent the last two seasons at short season ball in a mostly reserve role and that's probably as good as it will get for Rodríguez, who simply has nothing in the way of talent.
Overall – The three best players from the draft – Hunter, Coury and Sharp – were dealt away to net the Hitmen two solid members of their rotation. Outside of that, Hough has a chance to play at the PEBA level and Nelson has an outside shot at being a PEBA level utility infielder. Busts in the 3rd and 4th rounds with Doss and Rivera stick out a little bit, but overall the drafting and the end results for the Hitmen in terms of what they gained long-term from the 2007 draft are decent enough.
Felipe Rodríguez – Round 1, pick 10, 10th overall. SP – R
07-14-2008 Was traded by the New Orleans Trendsetters to the London Underground, along with LF Daron Little and 1B Morimasa Sasaki, in exchange for 3B Dominic Gagné.
Rodríguez lights up the gun in the mid 90s and has a six-pitch arsenal. He also has very good endurance, but he lacks anything even resembling control; he walked 61 while posting a 1.74 WHIP in 103 innings at the AA level this season. Scouts are convinced he will never harness the control and consider his ceiling to be an eventual stop at AAA at best. New Orleans did well to pick up Gagné in trade last season for their playoff push, as Rodríguez is looking like a glaring first round bust.
Wil Suárez – Round 2, pick 10, 34th overall. SP – L
12-10-2007 Was traded by the New Orleans Trendsetters to the Connecticut Nutmeggers in exchange for a 3rd round draft pick.
A soft-tossing southpaw who is a bit short on endurance, Suárez seemed to regress slightly in his third season at the single A level. He will be 24 going into next season and seems destined for a career in the minors. He just doesn't have the stuff to dominate hitters; despite his experience and age, he walked 53 while striking out just 52 this past season at A-ball. The fact that New Orleans was able to unload him for a 3rd round pick is looking pretty good right now.
Todd Hansen – Round 3, pick 10, 58th overall. RF – R
06-28-2009 Retired from professional baseball.
Had an electrifying run as a rookie, setting the world on fire with his speed and uncanny ability to smack singles despite poor plate discipline. Banned from the PEBA two seasons later due to steroid use.
Oliver Robinson – Round 4, pick 10, 82nd overall. 2B – R
Plays decent defense and has some decent speed. He has even displayed a little more patience at the plate than scouts give him credit for, but he is 23 and has spent three seasons in the low minors. Scouts doubt he will ever be more than maybe a utility infielder who might scratch his way to AAA someday in a best-case scenario.
Richard Carlson – Round 5, pick 10, 106th overall. 1B – L
Carlson hit for a very good average in all three minor league seasons but possesses no power. He has displayed better plate discipline than scouts might be giving him credit for, walking 56 times this past season at AA. Has enough speed to be an annoyance on the base paths from time to time. Plays very good defense at first base but lacks the tools to play anywhere else on the diamond. Not many teams are in the market for a light-hitting first baseman or a second baseman who can't field, making it highly unlikely Carlson ever sees any significant time at the PEBA level even if he does continue to hit for a decent batting average.
Overall – The drafting itself was rather lacking in quality. The top two picks turned out to be busts. Hansen was forced out of baseball. Robinson and Carlson will likely never contribute anything. New Orleans did well in trades to salvage something from the busts that are Rodríguez and Suárez, but even that was probably not enough to make up for the long-term effects this poor draft may have on the organization.
Cory Pierce – Round 1, pick 19, 19th overall. LF – L
12-16-2008 Was traded by the Omaha Cyclones to the Aurora Borealis, along with a 1st round draft pick, in exchange for SP Fernando Madrid and a 1st round draft pick.
An interesting trade that sent Pierce to Aurora in exchange for Madrid, a pitcher who possesses good control but has no ability to dominate hitters and has never proven he can win at the PEBA level. Madrid made only 10 starts for Omaha before having his season cut prematurely short by injury, so the jury is still out on him, but there is a very good possibility that time will show that Omaha took the short end of the deal in this swap. Pierce is proving to be a solid contact hitter with decent plate discipline. His defensive skills are rather average on his best days, and he lacks speed. He projects to have decent power to the gaps and maybe average home run power. Hit .316/.384 in half a season at the AAA level this past year, with 18 2B and 6 HR in 275 AB. Hit .307/.415 in the first half of the season at AA. Will be a solid hitter in a PEBA lineup in the not-too-distant future.
Miguel Amador – Round 2, pick 19, 43rd overall. CF – R
07-31-2009 Was traded by the Omaha Cyclones to the West Virginia Coal Sox, along with SP Samuel Reed, CL Rick Alexander, C Gerald Simmons and LF John Mayer, in exchange for CL Phil Mathis, MR Guillermo López and SP Jorge Hernández.
Traded at the trade deadline this past season, Amador has very good speed, decent range in the outfield and a fair arm. Unlikely to ever hit for much power, but scouts believe he will hit more than enough and have decent enough plate discipline to make it to the PEBA level in some capacity. Just 20 years old and has shown slow but steady progress in his 3 minor league seasons, but was injured near the end of 2009 and missed the final few weeks. Should be ready to go to start the 2010 season.
John Mayer – Round 3, pick 19, 67th overall. LF – L
07-31-2009 Was traded by the Omaha Cyclones to the West Virginia Coal Sox, along with SP Samuel Reed, CL Rick Alexander, C Gerald Simmons and CF Miguel Amador, in exchange for CL Phil Mathis, MR Guillermo López and SP Jorge Hernández.
Another part of the trade deadline deal between Omaha and West Virginia, Mayer has shown the ability to hit for a decent average with good plate discipline. Other than hit for average, he doesn't do much else all that well; he lacks power or speed, and his defense is a bit lacking. His ability to hit and be an on base machine will get him to the PEBA level but he is going to have to improve in some other area if he is going to be more than a one-dimensional player.
Larry Jennings – Round 4, pick 19, 91st overall. LF – R
His ability to swat singles has landed him a starting job at the PEBA level this season, where he has batted .292 with 148 hits, all but 16 of them singles. He has struck out 157 times. All this adds up to a VORP of -1.6. Has some moderate speed and a decent throwing arm from the outfield but lacks range. He will never have plate discipline and will be of very minimal value to a PEBA team no matter how high the batting average.
Manny Flores – Round 7, pick 19, 163rd overall. SS – R
A singles hitter with no plate discipline, Flores plays poor defense and has no power or speed. Scouts view him as worse than worthless going forward.
Lyle Ferrell – Round 8, pick 19, 187th overall. 3B – R
Corner infielder with no power, no speed, no plate discipline and barely average defense who has yet to play above A-ball and will be 24 going into next season. Simply wasting space in the Omaha organization.
Overall – Omaha packaged their three top selections from 2007 in deals over the last season. We are at least slightly critical of both deals, though the jury is still out on how well they will play out for the teams involved. Our gut instinct is they gave up too much young talent for older pitchers of marginal quality. Jennings is at the PEBA level but his contributions are more negative than positive. Having traded their 5th and 6th round selections away prior to the draft left them empty handed in the middle rounds. Nothing of any value came at the end of the draft. Hard to question their selections in the early rounds, but very easy to paint a bullseye on the Cyclones for the deals they made later that may have squandered what talent they did acquire in the 2007 draft.