PNF attempts to grade other teams' drafts
Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 8:38 pm
Dallas Cowboys: B-
Mike Jenkins, Tashard Choice and Orlando Scandrick were pretty good value picks. I do question the doubling up of running backs, among other things, but I guess the 'Boys figure they're enough of a contender this year that they can afford a luxury pick or two. I'd have gone with an offensive lineman at some point, but it's not like the Cowboys won't be able to pound the rock this year.
New York Giants: B
It could be argued that two of their biggest needs, secondary help and linebacking help, were summarily ad-dressed on draft day with talented players at nice perceived value. Mario Manningham isn't going to be a world-beater in the NFL, but if you look at the receiver talent drafted after him...pretty slim pickings. I also didn't think Terrell Thomas was that great, but the Giants don't need him for much.
Philadelphia Eagles: B
I'm a big fan of Laws, McGlynn, Ikegwuonu and Gibson in terms of value. I wouldn't have touched DeSean Jackson on the first day because to me he's nothing but a glorified kick returner, but he does fill a nice need in Philly. Again, not a world-beating draft, but you can see that the Eagles are taking stock of where they are this year and getting ready to pounce after the 2009 draft.
Washington Redskins: C
This is the entrance to the region of "meh". Some great talent drafted but the Redskins won't be able to play 5 WR sets on every down. Chad Reinhardt, Chris Horton and Durant Brooks are all picks that can be contributors in the near future IMO. I'd probably give them a lower grade but the fact that they've just stockpiled all kinds of offensive talent with their selections is a little hard to ignore.
Chicago Bears: B
They may still be in a cloud over Rex Grossman, but can you fault them for surrounding him with quality depth? All three drafted offensive linemen could see significant time. If Kellen Davis and Greg Olsen both work on their blocking, they could make up with Dez Clark the best TE group in the NFL. Craig Steltz is a little underrated, Bennett and Marcus Monk should contribute, Matt Forte should get quite a few carries...the offense looks a little dysfunctional at present but it's hard to argue that it's improved. Cut Cedric Benson immediately, please.
Detroit Lions: C-
So many holes, so little time, and so little brainpower to assist in the process. Gosder Cherilus was good for a laugh; he's probably already the best OL the Lions have. Cliff Avril was probably the draft's best pick, and Fluellen, Cherilus and Campbell do fill needs, but what are the odds that all but one or two players are gone after three years?
Green Bay Packers: B+
I have no qualms whatsoever about Nelson and Brohm's selections, even if Nelson doesn't fill an immediate need. They didn't address the offensive line until late, but they did get Patrick Lee to shore up the secondary and Matt Flynn was a nice selection as a third QB. Life in the post-Favre era will be unkind; they had to be prepared.
Minnesota Vikings: C+
Well, yeah, they only had five picks, but what did they really get out of them? Johnson was a necessary pick even though they may have overpaid and Sullivan is a steal where he was taken. John David Booty will not threaten Tarvaris Jackson at all if recent history is any indication. Jaymar Johnson may not even make the team, and there is still no TE. Give the Vikings a little credit for improving their OL, but even with the Jared Allen deal it's still a draft I'm nonplussed about.
Atlanta Falcons: B-
The first six picks are good players, even if Baker was a hellacious reach that Falcons fans kicked themselves over. Robert James is OK (probably a special teams stalwart) and Thomas Brown might be productive. Wilrey Fontenot is not bad but they chose the wrong team's No. 2 corner as Jonathan Zenon went undrafted. Plenty of deserved questions about Matt Ryan, and plenty of loose ends to be tied up, but we'll see where this goes.
Carolina Panthers: A-
The Panthers were probably the only NFL team whose draft got BETTER as the night went on. Otah was very pricy, but if John Fox exercises some patience he could work out real well. I expect every single member of the draft class to see significant time except Hilee Taylor, who seems like a good special teamer waiting in the wings. Connor, Barnidge, Schwartz and Bernadeau were excellent second-day selections.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B
Dre Moore and Jeremy Zuttah were excellent picks, and it could be that all of their draftees see time (even Cory Boyd, who I admittedly think was vastly overrated out of college). This team may be a mess, but they're a deeper mess now.
New Orleans Saints: B+
All of a sudden, a perennial weakness (defensive line) has become a strength, and Tracy Porter only adds to the defense's potential. Carl Nicks was also a solid pick, but Mehlhaff and Arrington should not have been drafted. It'll barely matter once the Saints roll into the regular season.
Arizona Cardinals: B-
They made two really good picks before appearing to mail in their draft until the seventh round, when they came back with the monster Brandon Keith. Don't they have about six DE/OLB tweeners on the roster now?
San Francisco 49ers: C
Kinda uninspiring draft outside of Kentwan Balmer, as Chilo Rachal may not be able to crack the starting five OL and Reggie Smith is decent depth filler. This team just has a ton of needs and they couldn't solve them all with six picks, but Balmer could go a long ways in helping things go well. What happens, though, when the 49ers find themselves 3-10 next season with more offensive questions, a very likely scenario?
Seattle Seahawks: A-
Quietly had one of the better draft days of any NFL team. Lawrence Jackson and Red Bryant will contribute right away for a DL that really struggled at times. John Carlson will go a long way toward solidifying the TE position, and Owen Schmitt is a force. They pride themselves on special teams, so they got a snapper and a kicker without reaching for either. They needed a WR badly and did not get one, and they probably could've used some secondary help, but the Seahawks did everything they needed to do to become NFC West champs once again.
St. Louis Rams: B
I laughed very hard at the Donnie Avery selection, but it's pretty hard to deny any of what the Rams did on draft day. Even Mr. Irrelevant, David Vobora of Idaho, figures to be a special teams contributor.
Buffalo Bills: B-
Had a wonderful first day, grabbing Leodis McKelvin and James Hardy without trading, and they looked like potential winners. Alas, the good fortune did not necessarily extend all the way through draft weekend, but I can imagine we'll hear from Chris Ellis, Xavier Omon and Demetrius Bell sometime soon.
Miami Dolphins: B+
Jake Long, Philip Merling and the two guards look to be potential mainstays for several years. How Henne works out is extremely up in the air, but you've always gotta have choices available. Look out for Lex Hilliard, who will probably be converted into a fullback; he had a very productive career at Montana and is a pretty powerful runner. They probably could have gotten a better player but the kid has a lot of heart.
New England Patriots: D
No, I'm not feeling one bit of this draft. The only player who I like as a positional need/value player is Shawn Crable, who will probably see significant time. The rest of this class may be summarily written off, although we'll probably still hear from a few of these guys sometime soon. And no, I'm not high on Jerod Mayo at all, but thanks for asking.
New York Jets: C
Vernon Gholston is an excellent pick, but it's entirely possible that he and Dustin Keller are the only two players sticking around after three years. They suddenly have a lot of question marks popping up at inopportune times.
Baltimore Ravens: B
Yes, Joe Flacco and Ray Rice were massive reaches. But forgive Baltimore, as they went deep in this draft and grabbed guys like Tom Zbikowski, Allen Patrick and O'Neil Cousins, as well as a potential steal in Haruki Nakamura, an outstanding special teams player and intelligent safety.
Cincinnati Bengals: C+
I'll refer you to the Bengals board if you want detailed feedback.
Cleveland Browns: B+
Turned in one of the most impressive draft weekends despite not having a pick in the first three rounds. Ahtyba Rubin should never have lasted that long and could be the best of all of them. No wonder Cleveland is enjoying a bit of a renaissance.
Pittsburgh Steelers: B+
The Steelers threw the playbook out the window when the draft went the way it did, and they can't be sad about grabbing Rashard Mendenhall, Limas Sweed, Dennis Dixon and Tony Hills out from under some teams. But their best pick in the whole draft may have been Bruce Davis in the third round; Davis was a DE and quarterback terror at UCLA who projects as an OLB in the NFL. He was a major sleeper in my opinion and the right team snatched him up. He could be a stud in a very short amount of time.
Houston Texans: C
Duane Brown was a huge reach IMO, but you can't do too much better than Houston in terms of needed depth. I definitely don't agree with some of their selections but they had a nice draft day.
Indianapolis Colts: B+
With Jeff Saturday now a Raven, the Colts drafted three centers, including the best one of the class in Mike Pollak. Talk about healthy competition. The oddest one out probably becomes a backup G, and Philip Wheeler, Mike Hart and Pierre Garcon should all see significant time. Not a bad draft for a team without a first-rounder.
Jacksonville Jaguars: B
Love it or hate it, the Jags went for the jugular and may have hit it sooner than we all think. This draft is really made, however, by the selections of Trae Williams and Chauncey Washington, who were each drafted about a round later than they should have been.
Tennessee Titans: D
Somewhere, far off in the distance, J.Kim starts screaming...
Denver Broncos: B
They probably should have paid more attention to the defense but what a haul they got on offense! Ryan Clady is a future stud, Kory Lichtensteiger has a big future, Eddie Royal and Peyton Hillis should really help, and Josh Barrett was a nice late-rounder. The biggest coup of the Broncos' draft was Arizona State RB Ryan Torain, who very few Broncos fans have ever heard of. He will be Denver's next 1,000-yard rusher.
Oakland Raiders: C-
They had five picks, they took some nice players, but they're still pretty dreadful and the players don't fill needs. We'll see how this goes.
Kansas City Chiefs: A
They did well for themselves, from Glenn Dorsey to Bryan Johnston. Not a hugely questionable pick out of the entire bunch, and while they might not win so many games they should show strides.
San Diego Chargers: D
This may surprise, but I am not at all a fan of the Chargers' draft day. Antoine Cason was IMO a third-rounder at best and a reach at 27th overall. Trading up to grab Jacob Hester (costing them a 2009 2nd-rounder) was a very questionable decision as well. DeJuan Tribble may end up being their best draft pick, but given what little San Diego needed it's startling how little they actually came away with.
Mike Jenkins, Tashard Choice and Orlando Scandrick were pretty good value picks. I do question the doubling up of running backs, among other things, but I guess the 'Boys figure they're enough of a contender this year that they can afford a luxury pick or two. I'd have gone with an offensive lineman at some point, but it's not like the Cowboys won't be able to pound the rock this year.
New York Giants: B
It could be argued that two of their biggest needs, secondary help and linebacking help, were summarily ad-dressed on draft day with talented players at nice perceived value. Mario Manningham isn't going to be a world-beater in the NFL, but if you look at the receiver talent drafted after him...pretty slim pickings. I also didn't think Terrell Thomas was that great, but the Giants don't need him for much.
Philadelphia Eagles: B
I'm a big fan of Laws, McGlynn, Ikegwuonu and Gibson in terms of value. I wouldn't have touched DeSean Jackson on the first day because to me he's nothing but a glorified kick returner, but he does fill a nice need in Philly. Again, not a world-beating draft, but you can see that the Eagles are taking stock of where they are this year and getting ready to pounce after the 2009 draft.
Washington Redskins: C
This is the entrance to the region of "meh". Some great talent drafted but the Redskins won't be able to play 5 WR sets on every down. Chad Reinhardt, Chris Horton and Durant Brooks are all picks that can be contributors in the near future IMO. I'd probably give them a lower grade but the fact that they've just stockpiled all kinds of offensive talent with their selections is a little hard to ignore.
Chicago Bears: B
They may still be in a cloud over Rex Grossman, but can you fault them for surrounding him with quality depth? All three drafted offensive linemen could see significant time. If Kellen Davis and Greg Olsen both work on their blocking, they could make up with Dez Clark the best TE group in the NFL. Craig Steltz is a little underrated, Bennett and Marcus Monk should contribute, Matt Forte should get quite a few carries...the offense looks a little dysfunctional at present but it's hard to argue that it's improved. Cut Cedric Benson immediately, please.
Detroit Lions: C-
So many holes, so little time, and so little brainpower to assist in the process. Gosder Cherilus was good for a laugh; he's probably already the best OL the Lions have. Cliff Avril was probably the draft's best pick, and Fluellen, Cherilus and Campbell do fill needs, but what are the odds that all but one or two players are gone after three years?
Green Bay Packers: B+
I have no qualms whatsoever about Nelson and Brohm's selections, even if Nelson doesn't fill an immediate need. They didn't address the offensive line until late, but they did get Patrick Lee to shore up the secondary and Matt Flynn was a nice selection as a third QB. Life in the post-Favre era will be unkind; they had to be prepared.
Minnesota Vikings: C+
Well, yeah, they only had five picks, but what did they really get out of them? Johnson was a necessary pick even though they may have overpaid and Sullivan is a steal where he was taken. John David Booty will not threaten Tarvaris Jackson at all if recent history is any indication. Jaymar Johnson may not even make the team, and there is still no TE. Give the Vikings a little credit for improving their OL, but even with the Jared Allen deal it's still a draft I'm nonplussed about.
Atlanta Falcons: B-
The first six picks are good players, even if Baker was a hellacious reach that Falcons fans kicked themselves over. Robert James is OK (probably a special teams stalwart) and Thomas Brown might be productive. Wilrey Fontenot is not bad but they chose the wrong team's No. 2 corner as Jonathan Zenon went undrafted. Plenty of deserved questions about Matt Ryan, and plenty of loose ends to be tied up, but we'll see where this goes.
Carolina Panthers: A-
The Panthers were probably the only NFL team whose draft got BETTER as the night went on. Otah was very pricy, but if John Fox exercises some patience he could work out real well. I expect every single member of the draft class to see significant time except Hilee Taylor, who seems like a good special teamer waiting in the wings. Connor, Barnidge, Schwartz and Bernadeau were excellent second-day selections.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B
Dre Moore and Jeremy Zuttah were excellent picks, and it could be that all of their draftees see time (even Cory Boyd, who I admittedly think was vastly overrated out of college). This team may be a mess, but they're a deeper mess now.
New Orleans Saints: B+
All of a sudden, a perennial weakness (defensive line) has become a strength, and Tracy Porter only adds to the defense's potential. Carl Nicks was also a solid pick, but Mehlhaff and Arrington should not have been drafted. It'll barely matter once the Saints roll into the regular season.
Arizona Cardinals: B-
They made two really good picks before appearing to mail in their draft until the seventh round, when they came back with the monster Brandon Keith. Don't they have about six DE/OLB tweeners on the roster now?
San Francisco 49ers: C
Kinda uninspiring draft outside of Kentwan Balmer, as Chilo Rachal may not be able to crack the starting five OL and Reggie Smith is decent depth filler. This team just has a ton of needs and they couldn't solve them all with six picks, but Balmer could go a long ways in helping things go well. What happens, though, when the 49ers find themselves 3-10 next season with more offensive questions, a very likely scenario?
Seattle Seahawks: A-
Quietly had one of the better draft days of any NFL team. Lawrence Jackson and Red Bryant will contribute right away for a DL that really struggled at times. John Carlson will go a long way toward solidifying the TE position, and Owen Schmitt is a force. They pride themselves on special teams, so they got a snapper and a kicker without reaching for either. They needed a WR badly and did not get one, and they probably could've used some secondary help, but the Seahawks did everything they needed to do to become NFC West champs once again.
St. Louis Rams: B
I laughed very hard at the Donnie Avery selection, but it's pretty hard to deny any of what the Rams did on draft day. Even Mr. Irrelevant, David Vobora of Idaho, figures to be a special teams contributor.
Buffalo Bills: B-
Had a wonderful first day, grabbing Leodis McKelvin and James Hardy without trading, and they looked like potential winners. Alas, the good fortune did not necessarily extend all the way through draft weekend, but I can imagine we'll hear from Chris Ellis, Xavier Omon and Demetrius Bell sometime soon.
Miami Dolphins: B+
Jake Long, Philip Merling and the two guards look to be potential mainstays for several years. How Henne works out is extremely up in the air, but you've always gotta have choices available. Look out for Lex Hilliard, who will probably be converted into a fullback; he had a very productive career at Montana and is a pretty powerful runner. They probably could have gotten a better player but the kid has a lot of heart.
New England Patriots: D
No, I'm not feeling one bit of this draft. The only player who I like as a positional need/value player is Shawn Crable, who will probably see significant time. The rest of this class may be summarily written off, although we'll probably still hear from a few of these guys sometime soon. And no, I'm not high on Jerod Mayo at all, but thanks for asking.
New York Jets: C
Vernon Gholston is an excellent pick, but it's entirely possible that he and Dustin Keller are the only two players sticking around after three years. They suddenly have a lot of question marks popping up at inopportune times.
Baltimore Ravens: B
Yes, Joe Flacco and Ray Rice were massive reaches. But forgive Baltimore, as they went deep in this draft and grabbed guys like Tom Zbikowski, Allen Patrick and O'Neil Cousins, as well as a potential steal in Haruki Nakamura, an outstanding special teams player and intelligent safety.
Cincinnati Bengals: C+
I'll refer you to the Bengals board if you want detailed feedback.
Cleveland Browns: B+
Turned in one of the most impressive draft weekends despite not having a pick in the first three rounds. Ahtyba Rubin should never have lasted that long and could be the best of all of them. No wonder Cleveland is enjoying a bit of a renaissance.
Pittsburgh Steelers: B+
The Steelers threw the playbook out the window when the draft went the way it did, and they can't be sad about grabbing Rashard Mendenhall, Limas Sweed, Dennis Dixon and Tony Hills out from under some teams. But their best pick in the whole draft may have been Bruce Davis in the third round; Davis was a DE and quarterback terror at UCLA who projects as an OLB in the NFL. He was a major sleeper in my opinion and the right team snatched him up. He could be a stud in a very short amount of time.
Houston Texans: C
Duane Brown was a huge reach IMO, but you can't do too much better than Houston in terms of needed depth. I definitely don't agree with some of their selections but they had a nice draft day.
Indianapolis Colts: B+
With Jeff Saturday now a Raven, the Colts drafted three centers, including the best one of the class in Mike Pollak. Talk about healthy competition. The oddest one out probably becomes a backup G, and Philip Wheeler, Mike Hart and Pierre Garcon should all see significant time. Not a bad draft for a team without a first-rounder.
Jacksonville Jaguars: B
Love it or hate it, the Jags went for the jugular and may have hit it sooner than we all think. This draft is really made, however, by the selections of Trae Williams and Chauncey Washington, who were each drafted about a round later than they should have been.
Tennessee Titans: D
Somewhere, far off in the distance, J.Kim starts screaming...
Denver Broncos: B
They probably should have paid more attention to the defense but what a haul they got on offense! Ryan Clady is a future stud, Kory Lichtensteiger has a big future, Eddie Royal and Peyton Hillis should really help, and Josh Barrett was a nice late-rounder. The biggest coup of the Broncos' draft was Arizona State RB Ryan Torain, who very few Broncos fans have ever heard of. He will be Denver's next 1,000-yard rusher.
Oakland Raiders: C-
They had five picks, they took some nice players, but they're still pretty dreadful and the players don't fill needs. We'll see how this goes.
Kansas City Chiefs: A
They did well for themselves, from Glenn Dorsey to Bryan Johnston. Not a hugely questionable pick out of the entire bunch, and while they might not win so many games they should show strides.
San Diego Chargers: D
This may surprise, but I am not at all a fan of the Chargers' draft day. Antoine Cason was IMO a third-rounder at best and a reach at 27th overall. Trading up to grab Jacob Hester (costing them a 2009 2nd-rounder) was a very questionable decision as well. DeJuan Tribble may end up being their best draft pick, but given what little San Diego needed it's startling how little they actually came away with.
