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  • Draft grades

    Arizona Cardinals

    Best pick: Taking Matt Leinart in the first round was a great pick for the future of this franchise. He's the next star quarterback in this league.

    Worst pick: Hard to find one. No, really. They had a heck of a draft. The top four were all good picks. You can get nitpicky with Gabe Watson, a fourth-rounder who hasn't lived up to expectations in college.

    Overall grade: A+. Love the pick of Leinart and second-round selection Deuce Lutui will be an immediate starter. It was a good weekend for the Cardinals.
    Atlanta Falcons

    Best pick: Running back Jerius Norwood, a third-round pick, is an explosive runner who has good speed. He could be the eventual replacement for Warrick Dunn.

    Worst pick: Taking Jimmy Williams in the second round could be a boom or bust. He has talent, but he has off-the-field issues that have to be resolved. That might be too much to overcome.

    Overall grade: C. If Williams can stay out of trouble, it's a good draft. That's a big if, judging by what a lot of personnel people said before the draft.
    Baltimore Ravens

    Best pick: Fourth-round pick Demetrius Williams is a steal. He will become a 60-catch guy by his second year. He's polished like Keenan McCardell.

    Worst pick: It's really hard to find one, but this is always a team that drafts well. It's being nitpicky, but we'll go with third-round pick David Pittman, mainly because he is a raw.

    Overall grade: A. Eric DeCosta picks up where Phil Savage left off, picking good football players.

    Buffalo Bills

    Best pick: Fourth-round pick Kyle Williams a hard-nosed, tough player who will find a way to get playing time. He's small for a lineman, but he's a good player.

    Worst pick: Trading back into the first round to get defensive tackle John McCargo was a risky move. They must really like him.

    Overall grade: C+. The McCargo move is a risky one, but they made up for it later. Williams might actually outplay him down the road.

    Carolina Panthers

    Best pick: Third-round pick Rashad Butler is one of those players who will be better on the next level than he was in college. He needs to get stronger, and then he will be a starter at right tackle.

    Worst pick: Really tough to find a bad one. They had a nice draft. I liked Laurence Maroney better than DeAngelo Williams, but not by much, so maybe that's it.

    Overall grade: A. As usual, the Panthers picked good football players. First-round pick DeAngelo Williams and Richard Marshall, the team's second-round pick, are both good players.

    Chicago Bears

    Best pick: Getting defensive end Mark Anderson in the fifth round is a steal. He has pass-rush ability.

    Worst pick: They traded out of the first round and then used their first pick, a second-round pick, on corner Danieal Manning, which might have been a reach.

    Overall grade: C-. They needed help on offense and didn't get any if they play Devin Hester at corner, which they plan to do. This was a strange draft.

    Cincinnati Bengals

    Best pick: Third-round pick Frostee Rucker is a better player than many think. He was inconsistent at times at USC, but he has pass-rush skills that the Bengals will come to like a lot.

    Worst pick: Second-round pick Andrew Whitworth is a huge man, but there is some concern as to whether he can handle speed rushers on the next level.

    Overall grade: B. Getting Jonathan Joseph was a nice move in the first round, as was Rucker in the third, but the rest of the draft was so-so.

    Cleveland Browns

    Best pick: Second-round pick D'Qwell Jackson was a tackling machine at Maryland, and he might have been a first-rounder if he was a little taller.

    Worst pick: Wide receiver Travis Wilson has talent, but he is raw. He has good size, but not great speed. The third round might have been a little high for him.

    Overall grade: B+. General manager Phil Savage knows how to pick football players. The Browns are moving in the right direction.

    Dallas Cowboys

    Best pick: Fifth-round pick Pat Watkins has a chance to be a starter down the road at safety. He has the tools, even if he didn't play to them last year at Florida State.

    Worst pick: Anthony Fasano is a good player, but with Jason Witten on the roster, why is he needed?

    Overall grade: B-. I liked the pick of Bobby Carpenter in the first round, but Fasano wasn't a need.

    Denver Broncos

    Best pick: Fourth-round pick Brandon Marshall is a tall receiver with good speed who will help a receiving group that needs a deep threat.

    Worst pick: They must really like Jay Cutler. But this is a team built to win now. So why waste a pick on a project quarterback?

    Overall grade: B-. I don't like the Cutler move, and trading a second for Javon Walker is risky.

    Detroit Lions

    Best pick: First-round pick Ernie Sims will be a star at linebacker. He has some concussion issues, but he's a great run-and-chase linebacker.

    Worst pick: Sims. How could they pass up Matt Leinart? It makes no sense, no matter how good they think Sims will be.

    Overall grade: C. You don't pass up franchise quarterbacks when you don't have one. Second-round pick Daniel Bullocks was a nice pick.

    Green Bay Packers

    Best pick: Grabbing A.J. Hawk in the first round was a great move. He is the safest pick in this draft, a guy who will start for years in Green Bay.

    Worst pick: They took Boise State tackle Daryn Colledge in the second round when Marcus McNeil was still on the board. McNeil is a better player.

    Overall grade: B. Getting Hawk is a great move, and third-round pick Abdul Hodge is another linebacker who will find his way onto the field.

    Houston Texans

    Best pick: By taking Eric Winston in the third round, they get a player with first-round ability. Before tearing up a knee, he was considered a potential top 10 pick.

    Worst pick: Mario Williams. They should have selected Reggie Bush. That said, Williams will be a good player.

    Overall grade: A. Even without drafting Bush, they had a heck of a draft. The first four picks will all start as rookies.

    Indianapolis Colts

    Best pick: I love Joseph Addai as a player. Taking him in the first round was the right move for this team. He will be an immediate impact player.

    Worst pick: Freddie Keiaho is a small linebacker who can run, which would seem to be a good fit for the Colts, but the third-round was a bit high for him.

    Overall grade: B. They drafted for speed, and Addai is a faster back than James. Second-round pick Tim Jennings is small, but he can run and could push for time at corner.

    Jacksonville Jaguars

    Best pick: Marcedes Lewis will give the Jags a dimension they've never had, a tight end who can stretch the field.

    Worst pick: They traded up in the third round to get linebacker Clint Ingram, who might have been there had that waited until their pick in that round. And they gave up a fourth-round pick to do so.

    Overall grade: B. I love the Lewis pick and second-round pick Maurice Drew will help the return game in a big way.

    Kansas City Chiefs

    Best pick: Getting Brodie Croyle in the third round as the potential replacement for Trent Green down the road is a nice move.

    Worst pick: A lot of scouts had a lower grade on second-round pick Bernard Pollard. He might have been a bit of a reach, although they do need safety help.

    Overall grade: C. Taking Tamba Hali with the 20th pick in the first round might have been a reach.

    Miami Dolphins

    Best pick: Fourth-round pick Joe Toledo is a former tight end who played left tackle last year for Washington. He's a huge player who can help an offensive line that needs it.

    Worst pick: Some might say that taking Jason Allen, coming off a hip injury, is a risk. Using a first-round pick on him could be chancy.

    Overall grade: B-. If Allen can stay healthy, he can be a starting corner. Third-round pick Derek Hagan put up big numbers in college.

    Minnesota Vikings

    Best pick: First-round pick Chad Greenway will be a rookie starter at outside linebacker. Getting him with the 17th pick is a good move.

    Worst pick: Using a second-round pick on quarterback Tarvaris Jackson in the second round is a risky move. He has a big arm, but he's raw.

    Overall grade: B+. I love the Greenway pick and second-round corner Cedric Griffin will be a nickel starter next year.

    New England Patriots

    Best pick: They needed running back help, so taking Laurence Maroney was a great move. He will be a star.

    Worst pick: The Patriots have used high picks on tight ends the past four years, so why bother with David Thomas in the third round? How many do you need, even with losing Christian Fauria?

    Overall grade: A. They know how to get good football players. Maroney and second-round pick Chad Jackson were really premium picks.

    New Orleans Saints

    Best pick: They have to be thrilled Reggie Bush was there. Even with Deuce McAllister, a player I like a lot, they had no choice but to take Bush.

    Worst pick: Second-round pick Roman Harper was a reach. They used a second-round pick on Daniel Bullocks last year, and they traded for Byron Scott, so this is a strange pick.

    Overall grade: B. That grade is high only because they landed Bush. The rest of the draft was ho-hum.

    New York Giants

    Best pick: Tackle Guy Whimper, the team's fourth-round pick, is a former tight end who has good feet. In a year or two, he will be a starter.

    Worst pick: They took Mathias Kiwanuka with the last pick of the first round, which was way too high. Plus, they don't need a defensive end and they had other needs.

    Overall grade: C. I think trading down for Kiwanuka was a risk, but getting Sinorice Moss in the second round was a good move.

    New York Jets

    Best pick: Fourth-round pick Leon Washington is a fast back who could eventually be the replacement for Curtis Martin. He's a steal in this round.

    Worst pick: Brad Smith played quarterback at Missouri, and he showed some good athletic ability. But he insisted he wanted to play quarterback in the NFL, and the Jets see him as a receiver. Him going in the fourth round is a bit high.

    Overall grade: B. They passed on Leinart, which is a mistake, but they got two good players in D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold. They obviously wanted to build that offensive line.

    Oakland Raiders

    Best pick: Fourth-round pick Darnell Bing will be a steal. He is a big hitter who is better in coverage than people think.

    Worst pick: Michael Huff will be a good player, but they Raiders should have taken Matt Leinart. You don't pass on franchise quarterbacks when you don't have one.

    Overall grade: B. I like Huff and Bing, and second-round pick Thomas Howard can fly and will start as a linebacker. A good draft, but passing Leinart wasn't too bright.

    Philadelphia Eagles

    Best pick: Getting tackle Winston Justice in the second round was a steal. Sure, he has some character issues, but he's a first-round talent.

    Worst pick: Fourth-round pick Jason Avant is a receiver who doesn't run well. That's not going to help the passing game.

    Overall grade: A+. I love the pick of Brodrick Bunkley in the first round and Justice is a great pick. Third-round pick Chris Gocong has some pass-rush skills.

    Pittsburgh Steelers

    Best pick: Defensive tackle Orien Harris, the team's fourth-round pick, has first-round skills. Look for the Steelers to get the most out of him.

    Worst pick: Second-round pick Anthony Smith looks the part, but he didn't make enough plays at Syracuse. The Steelers might have forced a safety pick looking for a replacement for Chris Hope.

    Overall grade: B+. Trading up to get Santonio Holmes in the first round was a heck of a move, and third-round pick Willie Reid will help the return game.

    St. Louis Rams

    Best pick: They traded down in the first round and still landed the corner they wanted to get in Tye Hill. That's good drafting.

    Worst pick: Using a third-round pick on defensive tackle Claude Wroten is a risky move considering all the character flaws.

    Overall grade: A. They drafted a lot of good football players. Hill will start, as will either Joe Klopfenstein or Dominique Byrd at tight end.

    San Diego Chargers

    Best pick: Third-round pick Charlie Whitehurst has big-time skills as a passer if his shoulder holds up. He will be a nice backup to Philip Rivers.

    Worst pick: Second-round pick Marcus McNeil is a massive player, but he has some back issues. Eric Winston, who went to the Texans, would have been a better choice.

    Overall grade: B- Their first two picks have medical issues, although first-round pick Antonio Cromartie has a chance to be a star.

    San Francisco 49ers

    Best pick: Vernon Davis, the team's first-round pick, will be a star. They loved him. We know why.

    Worst pick: I don't like the idea of using a fourth-round pick on Michael Robinson with the idea of moving him to wide receiver.

    Overall grade: B+. They got Davis and Manny Lawson in the first round and both will start as rookies.

    Seattle Seahawks

    Best pick: The Seahawks needed a corner, so they took Kelly Jennings in the first round. Jennings is quality cover player who will push for a starting job.

    Worst pick: Some scouts thought second-round pick Darryl Tapp was a tad overrated. But it was the back end of the second round.

    Overall grade: C. It wasn't too exciting, but they think they filled some needs.

    Tampa Bay Buccaneers

    Best pick: Cornerback Alan Zemaitis, the team's fourth-round pick, didn't run that well, which dropped his stock, but he's a perfect fit for what the Bucs want from their corners.

    Worst pick: Second-round pick Jeremy Trueblood was probably taken a round too high. But the Bucs liked him.

    Overall grade: C. They needed line help and got it early, but did they get the right linemen?

    Tennessee Titans

    Best pick: LenDale White coming in the second round is a good move. Despite some weight issues, he's still a quality player.

    Worst pick: Picking Vince Young third is risky. They will either hit a home run, or it will be three strikes and out. He's years away from playing.

    Overall grade: B-. This team does a good job of finding football players. The Young pick drops the grade down some.

    Washington Redskins

    Best pick: Second-round pick Rocky McIntosh is a linebacker who can run. He might wind up starting as a rookie.

    Worst pick: Trading away their first-round pick for Jason Campbell last year was an awful move.

    Overall grade: C.- It's hard to give them anything higher without a first-round pick.

  • #2
    From Jay Leno last night...

    At least New Orleans has a Bush they can count on now....

    Great write up bro - did you use another source to help you along or did you just come up with it all on your own - either way - quite impressive......

    Comment


    • #3
      I hated my teams draft :(

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by fog_hat1981
        From Jay Leno last night...

        At least New Orleans has a Bush they can count on now....

        Great write up bro - did you use another source to help you along or did you just come up with it all on your own - either way - quite impressive......

        haha, I could never come up with stuff like that as much as I like the NFL. I got it from NFL.com

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Shibby
          haha, I could never come up with stuff like that as much as I like the NFL. I got it from NFL.com
          Oh - I just got the impression you had written it :D...

          It seemed to be written in first person and kind of sounded like things you say....

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by fog_hat1981
            It seemed to be written in first person and kind of sounded like things you say....
            Well I take that as a compliment :)

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Shibby
              Well I take that as a compliment :)
              Of course - that is how it was intended...

              Comment

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