AFC EAST
BUFFALO BILLS: C+. There is no doubt that the Bills got a huge offensive and special teams threat in RB C.J. Spiller from Clemson. The only running back I could possibly compare him to is Chris Johnson from Tennessee. He ran a blazing 4.37 40 yard dash time and has the ability to hit paydirt everytime he touches the ball. The problem he has though is durability. In his 4 years at Clemson he had an average of only 151 carries per year. That's nothing compared to what some backs have to do. The thing was that Spiller and WR Marcus Easley from UCONN were the only notable offensive players drafted. For a team that finished 30th in total offense I would've expected them to at least also draft QB Jimmy Clausen when he was available.
MIAMI DOLPHINS: B-. I like what they did by trading down and getting a slightly underrated DT Jared Odrick from Penn State. However they have a glaring weakness at the free safety position. Right now their starter is Tyrone Culver (who?). If they didn't trade down from the twelfth pick they could have easily grabbed the second best defensive back in the draft in Earl Thomas from Texas. But in the later rounds I think they should have gotten a Taylor Mays, Major Wright, or Chad Jones.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: A. Yet another typical Bill Belichick draft. What he and his people do during the draft is so not fair to everyone else it should be called Draftgate. They had a 1st, three 2nd and a 3rd round pick and I think they delivered on all of them. They also set themselves up for the 2011 draft as well by having two 1st rounders (one from Raiders) and two 2nd rounders. Their first pick CB Devin McCourtey will start extremely soon and their fourth round pick of TE Aaron Hernandez is a Top 5 steal of the draft (even though he failed multiple marijuana tests) I'm kind of starting to get the impression that Belichick is the Godfather making offers during the draft that another team can't refuse. Just a thought.....
NY JETS-B. With only four picks in the entire draft I still think who they drafted, combined with their offseason acquisitions such as Santonio Holmes, Jason Taylor, and Antonio Cromartie, made for a very productive offseason. They drafted arguably the best corner in the draft in Kyle Wilson. Are you kidding me? Their secondary is equivalent to the Smoke Monster from "Lost". Once an enemy of the Smoke Monster goes near it they are not coming back. I am also salivating waiting for the Jets on "Hard Knocks". This team is someone that absolutely no one wants to play because they physically wouldn't be able to play offense against them.
AFC NORTH
BALTIMORE RAVENS-A-. Even with not having a 1st round pick, the Ravens still had one of the best drafts out of any team. They drafted Sergio Kindle who if not for his knee injury could have gone in the top 20. They also aquired Terrence "Mount" Cody. With him and Haloti Ngata anchoring the defensive line I would not be surprised if a ball carrier was actually crushed to death under their combined almost 700 pound weight. They also took Ed Dickson at tight end who is freakishly athletic and fast for his size. This draft combined with the off season acquisition of WR Anquan Boldin makes Baltimore a legitimate contender.
CINCINNATI BENGALS-B. Offense was the way to go here and the Bengals filled their major flaw of tight end with the highest rated tight end in the draft, Jermaine Gresham. Last year's finish of 26th in the passing department also promoted them to draft Jordan Shipley from Texas. He could possibly a poor man's Wes Welker which would be a huge boost to their struggling passing game. Chad Ochocinco has by now treated the draftees with the finest dining around, McDonald's. I believe as Ochocinco would state it, every other team should kiss the baby right now because it is over for the other teams.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS-C-. Oh where do we start with Pittsburgh. How about with Big Ben. What is going on with superstars and women lately? I feel like the last couple of months have been The Jerry Springer Show: Sports Edition running over and over again. Also let's be realistic here. I know the Steelers said that they contacted teams about trading for Ben. I'm sure they did that to scare him but I think that there was no way that he was ever seriously being discussed to leave. He won two Super Bowls with them. There was no way the Steelers were going to backtrack 7 years because of Ben's stupid actions. So that is why they drafted C/G Maurkice Pouncey to protect him for years to come. If they did let him go they would have been stuck with Byron Leftwich or Dennis Dixon. Those two compared to Ben is like trying to compare a Double Whopper from Burger King to a Double Double from In N Out. It's not even a question that In N Out, in this case Ben, wins every time.
CLEVELAND BROWNS-C+. Joe Haden at cornerback was desperately needed to improve the Browns 29th ranked pass defense. S T.J. Ward and RB Montario Hardesty were both reaches at their respective positions. But what saved their draft was the Football Gods gift to the Browns: Colt McCoy. To get him in the 3rd round at the 85th overall pick was the best thing that ever happened to McCoy. I was certain that the Browns would possibly trade up in the 2nd round to get McCoy. And when that didn't happen I was thinking, " Did Jake Delhomme transform into the Delhomme of 2004 and no one knew it but Mike Holmgren?" I think that McCoy will start for the Browns sometime this year or next year for sure. West Coast QB for a West Coast GM= offensive harmony.
AFC SOUTH
HOUSTON TEXANS-B-. Come on Texans. Can this finally be the year that they get over the hump and finish second in their division? The Texans are like a younger female "prospect" that you see could look very good in the next couple years but they having quite reached their potential yet. CB Kareem Jackson is a physical cornerback who will immediately replace Daunta Robinson. They also sneakily grabbed RB/KR Trindon Holliday who ran a blistering 4.34 40 yard dash as well as TE Dorin Dickerdon in the last round who ran a 4.40. If they get some stability at the running back position, watch out for the Texans to make the playoffs.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS-B. The Colts desperately needed to get younger on the offensive line. Instead, they chose to get younger on the defensive side of the ball by drafting the speedy DE Jerry Hughes from TCU. This man, who is Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis eventual replacement, will be very similar to a Freeney or Mario Williams. They also drafted LB Paul Angerer who will replace Gary Brackett. As long as Peyton is there this team will continually compete for a Super Bowl.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS-C-. Honestly where do we begin with Jacksonville? Don't get me wrong Tyson Alualu is a good defensive tackle, but to spend the 10th pick of the entire draft on him is just crazy. Most of the teams had him ranked in the second round. Trade down a couple spots he would have definitely still been there. And did the Jaguars forget that nearly all of their home games were blacked out last year? Draft a guy with some star value to fill the seats. Can you imagine their public relations department right now? How do they possibly excite the fans about the upcoming season when 99.9% of the fans don't know who they picked?
TENNESSEE TITANS-B. With the losses of Kyle Vanden Bosch and Jevon Kearse the Titans needed to reload at defensive end. Enter Derrick Morgan. Possibly the best defensive end in the entire draft, he will be the medicine for the Titans 31st ranked pass rush. WR Damien Williams is also a very nice complement to Kenny Britt. This will be the year that Vince Young has to show that he can win some games because all teams will put 8 men in the box to defend RB Chris Johnson.
AFC WEST
DENVER BRONCOS-B. The Broncos made the most interesting picks of the draft with QB Tim Tebow and WR Demaryius Thomas. They had a chance to have BOTH Dez Bryant and Jimmy Clausen and passed on both. The fact of the matter is that Tebow will define Coach Josh McDaniels' career. If Tebow turns out to be a superstar, then McDaniels will be praised as an absolute genius. If Tebow is a bust, McDaniels will be looked at like the ugly friend that tries to tag along with the more popular group. They also got WR Eric Decker who will be another large target for Kyle Orton, Brady Quinn, or Tebow. All eyes will be on this team like Big Ben on drunk college girls (too soon?).
KANSAS CITY CHEIFS-A-. They got the next possible Ed Reed with Eric Berry. They got an explosive complement to Jamaal Charles with Dexter McCluster. And to top it all off they got a great cornerback and return man with Javier Arenas. The only slight problem I found was that I think they really needed a receiver to raise their 25th overall passing offense. 7 wins is not a long stretch for this team by any means.
OAKLAND RAIDERS-B-. I had to do a double-take with their first 2 picks just to make sure i was seeing them right. I can't believe I'm saying this but Rolando McClain and Lamarr Houston are actually pretty good picks. Those two will greatly help in improving their 29th ranked rush defense. Then Al Davis woke up from the coma that he was deliberately put in by the coaching staff for the first two days of the draft. They picked OT Edwin Veldheer from Division II Hillsdale and all Al Davis saw that he was 6'8''. Then they picked OT Bruce Campbell because he ran a 4.85 40 yard dash. Funny fact though; Campbell never received a vote for First Team All-ACC. And last but not least they picked Jacoby Ford who ran the fastest time at the combine at a 4.28. Doesn't an extremely fast receiver from the ACC sound familiar though? (see Heyward-Bey, Darrius). That didn't work out so well the first time you thought they may have learned but alas Al Davis is still alive and running the team into the ground.
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS-B-. After RB Darren Sproles averaged 3.7 yards a carry and with LT's departure the Chargers were in dire need of a stable workhorse running back. They traded up to the 12th pick to get RB Ryan Mathews from Fresno State. Is he going to be a good running back? Probably. Did they jump up to high to get him? Absolutely. They only other option that Mathews could have potentially gone near where the Chargers picked were the Texans at 20. They also got safety Darrell Stuckey from Kansas who could be a better fit than Kevin Ellison in the years to come. Overall not bad but the main question remains, can Mathews produce immediately?
NFC EAST
DALLAS COWBOYS-B+. Just about the only person not celebrating the 24th pick of WR Dez Bryant was WR Roy Williams. Roy unless you step up very soon your replacement just got drafted. Bryant was an absolute steal being picked at 24 because he was a top 10 overall talent if not for his off field issues and he was probably the best receiver in the entire draft. Also watch out for 4th round pick CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah from Division II Indiana University of Penn. Despite the fact that his name is almost as hard to pronounce as the volcano in Iceland, he will be a primary return man and possible replacement for Mike Hamlin at safety. How bout them Cowboys playing in their own stadium in the Super Bowl? This is now a legitimate possibility.
NEW YORK GIANTS-C+. They drafted the kid with the most potential upside in the draft, Jason Pierre Paul from South Florida. Problem is that he only started playing football his junior year of high school and has only one year of Division I experience. It will be very interesting how the Giants get him involved with Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, and Mathias Kiwanuka already implemented on the defensive line. Other than that the Giants didn't make any big moves or "wow" picks. They are the show of "Lost", really confusing and doesn't seem to be going there but you are hoping they know what they are doing.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES-C+. Honestly because of the sensational draft hey had last year, whatever their draft was this year would seem like a slight let down. However they did trade up to nab OLB Brandon Graham. This kid is well worth the 13th pick. He actually took away 1st round offensive lineman Brian Bulaga's manhood when they played against each other in college. Now with that being said I think that they reached on S Nate Allen and DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim. S Taylor Mays was till available 12 picks later and I think he could have been the enforcer the Eagles have been lacking since Brian Dawkins left. The more intriguing story however is the beginning of the Kevin Kolb era. I actually think he is going to be a really good NFL quarterback.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS-B-. The acquisition of QB Donovan McNabb has to play a role in their grade beacsue they gave up some valuable picks for him. After the 4th pick of the entire draft, the Redskins had to wait 99 more picks before they were back on the clock. OT Trent Williams will start from Day 1. I still think that Russell Okung who went at 6 would have been a better pick. I'm also surprised they didn't make more offseason moves than they did. It's an uncapped year so Dan Snyder, one of the wealthiest owners in the league, could have bought anyone he wanted to. He only ended up with McNabb. I think they now could be a 7 win team.
NFC NORTH
CHICAGO BEARS-B. DE Julius Peppers and RB Chester Taylor play a big part of their grade. If Peppers really wants to he has the skills to be a top 5 defensive end. Taylor will complement Matt Forte who had a bit of a Sophomore Slump. Their first pick of the draft, S Major Wright, came in the 3rd round. Instead of a safety, why not pick a Damien Williams or Jordan Shipley who will make Jay Cutler a much better QB? I feel that the Bears didn't fully address their most dire needs at WR and OL. Let's see if spending massive amounts of money pays off.
DETROIT LIONS-A-. Detroit is very sneakily putting together a pretty good roster. DT Ndamukong Suh will dominate the defensive line for years to come. They also got a veteran defensive end in Kyle Vanden Bosch in free agency. The Lions traded up at the end of the first round to get speedster RB Jahvid Best who at the beginning of last year was a legitimate pick to win the Heisman Trophy. With QB Matthew Stafford at the core, give this team a couple more years and they will be challenging for the division title.
GREEN BAY PACKERS-B-. They desperately needed an offensive lineman to patch up the New Orleans levee that was the offensive line last year. Aaron Rodgers was sacked a league leading 57 times! So they pick OT Brian Bulaga for their first pick. He had his ups (completely shutting down DE Derrick Morgan in the Orange Bowl) and his downs (being absolutely abused like one of Michael Vick's dogs by Brandon Graham). Other than that none of their picks really jumped out at me as being an immediate impact. By the way has anyone seen a picture of Bulaga? He looks like he was born and raised in Green Bay.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS-B. And the Brett Favre saga continues. I don't know why he hasn't just told Coach Brad Childress (aka Creepy Pedophile from next door) that he is returning. There is no way he doesn't come back. With that said the Vikings got a tall, physical cornerback in Chris Cook who will help a position that is a little thin. Now for one of the most intriguing picks of the draft...Toby Gerhart. Let's all be honest with ourselves for a second. The guy is 6 feet tall and weighs 231 pounds. he ran for 1,871 yards and 27 touchdowns last year. He scored the highest number on his Wonderlic Test among all running backs. Now I really don't want to say this but how does this man not get drafted in the first round? Maybe because the last white running back to rush for over 1,000 was Craig James for the '85 Patriots (Yes the same Craig James whose son on Texas Tech was put into an electrical closet). All I'm saying that Gerhart will be scrutinized for years to come.
NFC SOUTH
ATLANTA FALCONS-C. Really nothing special going on here. They boosted their 21st ranked defense with the addition of LB Sean Witherspoon. At this point I can't see them competing with the Saints or even the Panthers because they really did nothing to help out the face of their franchise for years to come, QB Matt Ryan. The only bright spot of their offseason was getting CB Daunta Robinson from free agency. He could possibly be a difference maker.
CAROLINA PANTHERS-A-. Any time you get top 10 talent at pick number 48 you had a great draft. How in the world did QB Jimmy Clausen slip this far? There is no way that he so called "attitude" cost him millions upon millions of dollars. There has to be something else behind this. He is by far the most pro-ready quarterback in the draft. How as the decision maker of the Bills, Browns, Broncos, Jaguars, or 49ers can you justify not taking the most NFL ready QB in the draft? The Bills and Browns are most guilty. Trent Edwards will not have as good a career as Clausen. And what in God's name was Cleveland thinking. They had not one but two chances to get him. Jake Delhomme just came off a 8 TD 18 INT season. What about that shows that he's going to be a good starter for 5 more years? Wow I'm really starting to get angry at this for some reason. They also added WR Brandon LaFell who will be a nice target for either Clausen or Matt Moore.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS-B-. All eyes are on the Super Bowl winning Saints. Never in the 7 year history of the NFC South has the winner of the division repeated. But they added another young, possibly lockdown corner in Patrick Robinson. Then, in one of the biggest risk-reward picks of the draft, they drafted TE Jimmy Graham from the University of Miami. This guy is a freak of nature athlete. He is a former basketball player (also see Gates, Antonio) who is 6'6'' 240 pounds and ran a 4.56 40 yard dash. If this guy reaches his full potential watch out for the Saints to be marching down Bourbon Street once more.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS-A-. I was actually really impressed with what the Bucs did. DT Gerald McCoy at #3 was a no brainer and he will start immediately. But then they also picked DT Brian Price, who I have personally seen and is a force to be reckoned with, for their 2nd pick. At first I thought it was a little bit of overkill but then I realized that Tampa Bay finished DEAD LAST in rushing defense allowing 158.2 yards/game. With the addition of those two behemoths look for the Bus to finish near the middle. Also in an aggressive mood, they traded up to the 39 pick to grab WR Arrelious Benn from Illinois who will be of great help to QB Josh Freeman. If their running game becomes somewhat consistent, people who live in Tampa may actually want to go to a game once in a while.
NFC WEST
ARIZONA CARDINALS-B+. And let the Mattt Leinart era begin. With the departure of future Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, Leinart steps into the starting role to prove he's worth what he's getting (over the table this time, unlike in college). And to think he has to play against Pete Carroll twice a year is just two good to not watch. Their 1st round pick was an absolute steal, NT Dan Williams, who will start wreaking havoc from Day 1. OLB Daryl Washington complements newly acquired OLB Joey Porter well. Also watch out for 3rd round pick Andre Roberts from The Citadel (the same school that lost to the University of Florida by 51 points). He is a speedster (4.46 40 yard dash) that will also help in the return game.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS-A. They might have the the best draft in the entire league. LT Walter Jones will be retired any week now and OT Russell Okung fits the left tackle mold beautifully. He will be a Pro Bowl tackle for years to come. If that wasn't enough they also got the second best defensive back with Earl Thomas from Texas. He will greatly improve their 30th ranked pass defense. At this point I already gave the Seahawks an A. When they got WR Golden Tate in the 3rd round, my jaw dropped so much that an onlooker would've thought I saw Jessica Alba. Honestly any ball that was thrown in the general area of him last year was caught and then turned into a 50 yard touchdown. This draft was an absolute dream come true for new coach Pete Carroll.
SAN FRANSISCO 49ERS-B+. What they needed dearly was offensive lineman, what they got was OT Anthony Davis and OG Mike Iupati. Davis has huge upside but the guy is a head case. Coach Mike Singletary may have to go "Vernon Davis" on him from time to time. Iupati is a great fit and should be a Pro Bowler within his first 5 years. Then they picked S Taylor Mays. He is honestly not human. He is 6'3'' 203 pounds and runs a 4.43. Are you kidding me? Tht's just not fair. Problem is Mays can't cover. Stevie Wonder would honestly have a better chance of covering a receiver. Overall these three players are going to make an immediate impact.
ST. LOUIS RAMS-B-. Last but certainly not least: the Rams. With the #1 overall pick of the draft the Rams selected their quarterback of the future Sam Bradford. Problem is he's still on the Rams. Granted Steven Jackson did rush for the 2nd most amount in the league. They drafted OT Rodger Saffold to try and protect Bradford for years to come. I don't think WR Mardy Gilyard was the right pick. He's not tall and he;s not fast=not good for a receiver. I would've waited another round and get Riley Cooper who is taller, bigger, and faster than Gilyard. Of course all eyes will be on Bradford to start from day 1.
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