Draft Grades

[LavarIsAnAnimal 0]

Was just reading this article that gave the giants a C

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5559064

 

I think they deserve a B. The first round draft pick was suspect, but we got Sinorice, who i would have been happy with at pick 32 anyway. And we addressed all the necessary positions

[RLLD 4,219]

I think the B- for the Ravens is accurate

[shovelheadt 71]

I'll agree with the C for the Bengals. The only thing they needed was TE, CB and DT. They picked so low in the draft (for once) that their only option was Joseph.

[hoffdaddy 1]

5. Green Bay: The Packers went for intelligent, all-around football players starting with all-everything linebacker A.J. Hawk, who can play the middle and also be a nickel linebacker. Boise State offensive tackle Daryn Colledge could end up being a starting guard this season while Jason Spitz of Louisville was another critical need at center. Green Bay lost its three best interior linemen from the 2004 season. Cory Rodgers of TCU and Will Blackmon of Boston College will be shooting to break the lineup as a receiver. The only knock on the Packers was giving up on Javon Walker, a former first-round pick and a Pro Bowl player, for a second-round choice. They could end up regretting that trade. Grade: B+

 

 

This is pretty accurate, barring a couple of things.

 

1. Blackmon is going to be a DB/Returner, not WR.

 

2. While it would've been nice to get more for Walker, reality dictates that they got what they could. It was never going to work out in Green Bay, so why would they keep him? They were never going to get much more than a 2nd, so what would they be waiting for? Thompson did a nice job of turning Walker into five players. It may or may not work out, but he did what he could with that one.

 

Oh, and I know these ranking reall don't mean much, but it was nice to see the rest of the NFC North way back at 14, 30 and 31.

[Isotopes 1]

I agree with the C for the Bengals. Not a great draft but not bad. I wish they would have taken Pope in the 2nd. I do not know much about Joseph and the different sites say something different about him. The sporting news says he may be the best cb in the draft and others say he is too inexperienced. We will have to see. I trust Marvin.

[TimmySmith 2,782]

An F for the Skins is unfair, that's like saying that all of their draftees are certain failures, plus without a 1st round pick there is no flashy name. Draft grading is certainly unpredictable but I think a C- is more appropriate.

[skins1967 0]

The only way you can actually grade a draft is 2-3 years after it is done. You can then look at those picks and see what kind of impact they are making in the NFL.

[Portis26 0]

An F for the Skins is unfair, that's like saying that all of their draftees are certain failures, plus without a 1st round pick there is no flashy name. Draft grading is certainly unpredictable but I think a C- is more appropriate.

 

I know ... we got a TALENTED LB with our one and only 1st day pick -- from the factory of NFL players... an F is just an ignorant grade

[Franknbeans 46]

A solid B. Higher if Holmes and Reid pan out as speed threats.

[Parja 0]

The Vikings get a G. F is too good for 'em. I think they all got stoned and forgot they were in the 2nd round. 5 bucks says their draft board was in crayon.

[Saturday Night Beaver 2]

Jet fan here- i would say, A or A-.

 

Loved the first 3 picks.

[Timinator 0]

Packers B+ sounds about right. I'm very satisfied. Got fair value for Walker--may have even forced the trade! Didn't reach. Didn't take names ahead of football intelligence. May have gotten three or four starters.

 

At least I'm not saying WTF?!? after this year's draft.

[swamp dog 0]

i'd give the lions a b. they got great value throughout and filled big needs.

 

they're getting knocked down a bit by most media for not taking leinhart...but that is completely ridiculous.

[Portis26 0]

Jet fan here- i would say, A or A-.

 

Loved the first 3 picks.

 

Jets could have had....

 

Leinart

Mangold

Winston Justice

 

instead of

Dbrick

Mangold

and that QB from Oregon

 

could have been better - but all in all a SOLID DRAFT for the Jets

[MikeMoses 0]

I'd agree with a B for the Jags after rating every pick myself. Looking at where we selected in the draft and the number of picks we had I'd say a B is fair.

[football_scooter 0]

San Francisco:

 

They get a solid B for their draft IMO.

 

The first two picks of Vernon Davis and Manny Lawson are A's in my opinion, with Lawson an A+

 

The next 3 rounds are a bit perplexing in that they took nothing but WRs....at a glance they will likely use the diminutive Williams as a return specialist, but he could also be useful in the slot...and if one of the 3 works out, then hey - good for the Niners for getting help for Alex Smith. I gove these three picks a C until I see how they intend on utilizing them.

 

I love the sneaky "undersized DE's" they added, who will undoubtedly be converted to LBs in Nolan's 3-4 defense and should be instant contributors.

 

The late safety Hudson was a solid value for where taken...big and athletic, he could be a solid addition.

 

Overall I'm going to give the Niners a B...I think they addressed needs, but I am a bit disappointed that they didn't add depth to the OL in what was a pretty deep OL draft. I think they could have taken an OL or two instead of those 3 WRs. But Davis & Lawson should both be immediate starters and Lawson looks like a total steal there. He was the guy I was hoping they'd take with that 22nd pick, and I was pretty sure they would take VD at 6th - he's going to be a monster and was probably the best receiver in the draft. He'll create mismatches wherever he lines up and should help the struggling offense get 1st downs. Here's hoping he can improve his blocking ability.

[kutulu 1,676]

Was just reading this article that gave the giants a C

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5559064

 

I think they deserve a B. The first round draft pick was suspect, but we got Sinorice, who i would have been happy with at pick 32 anyway. And we addressed all the necessary positions

 

I agree, although I am not that bummed about the 1st pick, esp. since we got S. Moss II.

 

Mathias Kiwanuka:

 

Finished college with 34 sacks and 57 tackles for loss. Earlier this year, he was considered a top-15 player, but he had a terrible Senior Bowl week against D'Brickashaw Ferguson. He has all the measurables and now we can envision a third-down pass rush to include Mathias Kiwanuka, LaVar Arrington, Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora.

[football_scooter 0]

Packers B+ sounds about right. I'm very satisfied. Got fair value for Walker--may have even forced the trade! Didn't reach. Didn't take names ahead of football intelligence. May have gotten three or four starters.

 

At least I'm not saying WTF?!? after this year's draft.

 

For that Walker deal alone I give the Packers an A+.

 

I am stunned that a malcontent WR coming off a severe knee injury commanded an extra 3rd and 4th. Amazing - good for the Pack. And Hawk was a GREAT "A+" pick at 5. I was so hoping D'Brickshaw was there at 5 because I think the Packers woulda taken him and that would have left Hawk for the Niners, but that was a great pick by GB. Plus the deals - one of the best drafts I've seen out of GB in years.

[TerrySilver 0]

the guy gave the eagles a f'n "C"?!

 

he pretty much said that justice sucks because he missed one assignment in the rose bowl. whopee-damn-doo. then makes no mention of max jean-gilles, who many projected to be the 2nd best OG in the draft.

 

the fact is that the eagles got the projected 2nd best OG, DT, and OT available in the draft (hell some reports had all 2 of these guys going in the first, and gilles going early 2nd) , and a few guys with tons of upside to fill holes in the team.

 

whatever, to each his own, and i guess we'll only find out whos draft was great a few years from now

[bigmarc27 24]

29. Atlanta: When coach Jim Mora was praising the selection of CB Jimmy Williams he spoke about how many Virginia Tech players have a certain competitiveness and athletic arrogance while also being so-well grounded. "We want to create that type of culture here," Mora said. Williams, who expected to be a first-round pick, already has a $250,000 gold Lamborghini on order. Jerious Norwood, a running back from Mississippi State, may have a tough time sticking and he was the 79th overall pick. Grade: D

 

 

I think that's a little harsh. I like that we got Abraham, and I thought Williams was very good value. He's a bit arrogant, but hopefully Vick and DHall can keep on him being that they're all VT guys. I really like Norwood too; I think he's a future starter in ATL. Day 2 was a complete wash. I'd give a C.

[Trollmonger 0]

Dallas had an average draft. I think the C rating might be fair. Maybe a B-.

 

Carpenter might have been a reach. I'm not unhappy with Carpenter but if they could of traded down and still got him, I would be happier.

 

I expected they'd take a TE but not in the 2nd. Again, I'm not unhappy with Fasano. He should be a good player.

 

DE Hatcher was the pick I liked the least. He may very well have been the BPA in their eyes but he could have been acquired 2-3 rounds later. And how much playing time will he get behind Spears, Canty, Ellis, Ratcliff?

 

Green should provide return help and a little depth at the WR position but I don't see him as a future starter.

 

Watkins was great pickup in the 5th!

 

Stanley looks to be the type of player they need at NT. A space eater that'll take at least two OL to block. He won't be flashy but he'll get the job done.

 

Overall, a little surprised by the TE in the 2nd, Hatcher in the 3rd and Watkins lasting until the 5th but otherwise, probably not too far from what I expected.

[HTH 95]

I agree, although I am not that bummed about the 1st pick, esp. since we got S. Moss II.

 

Mathias Kiwanuka:

 

Finished college with 34 sacks and 57 tackles for loss. Earlier this year, he was considered a top-15 player, but he had a terrible Senior Bowl week against D'Brickashaw Ferguson. He has all the measurables and now we can envision a third-down pass rush to include Mathias Kiwanuka, LaVar Arrington, Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora.

 

And Justin Tuck.

 

Hopefully we'll get some push from Joseph, Robbins etc as well.

 

 

[Vikings4ever 550]

I give the Vikes a C-.

 

Greenway was an excellent pick, as was Cedric Griffin. Blue may not have good coverage skills, but neither does the best cover 2 saftey ever, John Lynch. Edwards fell farther than expected, and provides pretty good depth.

 

Yes, Cook was a horrible pick. And Jackson went much higher than expected, but I've heard a few other teams were rather high on him, and may have grabbed him before the Vikes next pick. He's got a great arm, and is rather athletic. He's raw, so it looks like the Vikes are counting on BJ holding up for a couple more years. Won't know if he ends up being a good pick for at least 2 years.

 

The Vikes also picked up a solid guard in Artis Hicks in a trade with Philly (4th and 6th rounders for Hicks and Philly's 4th rounder), and he'll compete for the starting RG spot.

[Flea 0]

For that Walker deal alone I give the Packers an A+.

 

I am stunned that a malcontent WR coming off a severe knee injury commanded an extra 3rd and 4th. Amazing - good for the Pack. And Hawk was a GREAT "A+" pick at 5. I was so hoping D'Brickshaw was there at 5 because I think the Packers woulda taken him and that would have left Hawk for the Niners, but that was a great pick by GB. Plus the deals - one of the best drafts I've seen out of GB in years.

 

Denver didn't give up a extra 3rd and 4th pick for Walker did they? I thought they gave up the #36 pick they aquired from SF. They used the 3rd rd pick to move up for Cutler. If they gave that much up for Walker I missed it and would like to see a link.

[murf74 461]

to grade a draft you have to wait for at least 2 complete years to pass.

[yostevo 0]

Lions------C

 

I'm not too thrilled personally. Ernie Simms appears to be the real deal but 5 concussions while in college? Anyone remember Steve Young, Troy Aikman, Merrill Hoge or Bill Romanowski? Once they received a couple, they seemed to be getting them every other week. Not to mention that Simms is a LB who would probably be involved in way more violent head trauma producing collisions than a QB. Considering Huff was gone, I guess this was probably their best move (outside of a trade) but it still bothers me to no end.

 

It's laughable to me to think the Lions will "regret" not taking Leinart. All the Millen bashers would then say "How can you keep drafting offense when defense wins championships" yada yada. Mike Martz is more than capable of making Kitna or McCown into an efficient enough QB to get victories. Leinart would have been an unavoidable cancer. It would have completely undermined the FA signings and would have caused distension in the clubhouse all over again with more QB controversay.

 

I like the Bullocks pick. A wonderful cover 2 safety prospect. The 3rd rd. pick of Wisconsen rb Calhoun is a definite head scratcher. A change of pace speed back with good hands who can't block. They just resigned Shawn Bryson who is all of that but is the best blocking blitz pickup RB on the team. The linemen picks are all boom or bust value picks. They seemingly all were projected higher but managed to drop. :shrug:

 

I'm really kinda indifferent about it all. Perhaps I had my brain set on Michael Huff.

[kraziness 0]

BROWNS

 

 

I'm not going to give a grade, because you never know how guys are going to turn out and because you never know what happens behind closed doors. They got a lot of guys that people haven't heard of, but they were highly rated. I'd say that it was a very good draft though, for these reasons:

 

- They filled holes with highly regarded players

 

-The got those highly regarded players at value picks, meaning that instead of reaching to fill a need or get the guy you want (Bills) or sitting back and getting BPA, but not at needed positions, they made trades to make sure they got good value (Faine trade was VERY good but I don't think the 6th rounder was enough to give your division rival the player they wanted at #12... obviously the Browns didn't want Ngata and weren't willing to call Ozzie's bluff).

 

-While a lot of the 3-7 Rd. players weren't the "sexy" picks, they were all among the highest rated at their positions and (if they pan out) can contribute right away.

[mulletia 0]

BILLS

 

I think the grade now should be a B with the potential to turn into an A draft

 

whitner, mccargo, williams fill huge holes

 

youboty is a nickleback that didn't exist last year

 

simpson could be the FS in 07

 

the Bills may have pulled 4 starters from this draft, and that makes it an A draft

[swamp dog 0]

BILLS

 

I think the grade now should be a B with the potential to turn into an A draft

 

whitner, mccargo, williams fill huge holes

 

youboty is a nickleback that didn't exist last year

 

simpson could be the FS in 07

 

the Bills may have pulled 4 starters from this draft, and that makes it an A draft

 

i don't think it was ever about them not getting good players...simply the price they paid to get those players. if you over-pay for a car it doesn't mean it's necessarily a bad car--only that you paid too much for the car.

 

they paid a premium to get back into the first round to draft a guy (mccargo) who would have easily been there much later. ditto whitner.

 

that doesn't mean these guys won't be solid players.

[esoitl 0]

Jets could have had....

 

Leinart

Mangold

Winston Justice

 

instead of

Dbrick

Mangold

and that QB from Oregon

 

could have been better - but all in all a SOLID DRAFT for the Jets

the Redskins could have had two first day picks instead of their one and not given up a 2nd next year

i think the consensus was that Justice was a lock for the 1st round and many people here thought that Mangold wasnt going to be around at 29 either

 

anyways, it was solid but i think an A+ is a little high

IMO they liked the people that they picked but im curious about some of the picks

Brad Smith is a converted QB to WR and where he was pciked there were some 3 and 4 years starters at WR that could have been taken instead

if he turns out to be like Randle El, sure thats a great pick and great value but i think for picking a WR i would rather a guy that has played the position for a while over him

 

i like it, i like it a lot but i would be very hesitant to ever give it an A+, let alone give any draft an A+

 

 

did you also notice that he ranked teams lower for not trading down?

i didnt reas them all but for the Jets he knocked them for not putting a serious offer in for Bush, the cost was 3 1st rounders or 2 1st rounders and 2 2nd rounders.... waaaay too much to move up 2 picks, in fact more than the offer Houston gave...

he also criticized Houston for not trading down, give them a break, they tried but nothing could get worked out.... how he points out these things and criticizes them for it is pretty stupid

[dcgangstas 41]

For the Beloved Silver and Black, I'd bestow a C.

 

Michael Huff was the right pick at 1.07; Al's finally realized that Derrick Gibson is a bust, and Stuart Schweigert is merely a servicable Safety with questionable tackling skills.

 

Again, Thomas Howard in the 2nd round is a classic Al Davis pick. Al was clearly blown away with Howard's 4.42 speed, though I am not sure he has the instincts necessary to play OLB at the NFL level. Sounds like Sam Williams all over again.

 

Paul McQuistan was a decent 3rd rounder, though Darnell Bing may never be more than a special teamer, since his cover skills are questionable.

[Ravens 03 0]

BILLS

 

I think the grade now should be a B with the potential to turn into an A draft

 

whitner, mccargo, williams fill huge holes

 

youboty is a nickleback that didn't exist last year

 

simpson could be the FS in 07

 

the Bills may have pulled 4 starters from this draft, and that makes it an A draft

 

Why were all the TV guys giving them terrible grades?

[titan20 0]

Well its not a complete grade, it's more of a grade of satisfaction of your team compared to what you want.

 

For the Steelers

 

1. Santonio Holmes - liked this pick a lot, fills a big need with best reciever in draft, lets give Ben some weapons.

 

3. Anthony Smith - from what i hear, hes a guy who will fit in our system which is most important.

 

3. Willie Reid - love the speed though thought we could get some RB help.

 

other notables

 

Omar Jacobs - seemed like a great pick for a third QB

 

Cedric Humes - big RB might get a chance to help fill the void the Bus left

 

My grade: A- i thought we could get better RB help by packaging some picks together, but really filled the WR, the most glaring hole.

[kraziness 0]

Why were all the TV guys giving them terrible grades?

 

Because in the first couple of rounds, the accepted goal is to maximize value- to get the highest rated player possible at that pick. The Bills took guys that they wanted/needed, but weren't highly rated/regarded. Most people thought that they could have gotten the same guys, and picked up extra picks.

 

I guess the above comparison seems pretty good, it's not that they're bad players (cars), it's that they paid more than necessary. For instance, the Browns traded down a spot and got the guy they wanted, PLUS an extra pick. The Bills stayed there and took a guy that'd be there a few spots down.

[mulletia 0]

Why were all the TV guys giving them terrible grades?

 

dunno but it you look at pompei's grades, he gave them a B+ and he loved the mccargo pick

 

 

Because in the first couple of rounds, the accepted goal is to maximize value- to get the highest rated player possible at that pick. The Bills took guys that they wanted/needed, but weren't highly rated/regarded. Most people thought that they could have gotten the same guys, and picked up extra picks.

 

I guess the above comparison seems pretty good, it's not that they're bad players (cars), it's that they paid more than necessary. For instance, the Browns traded down a spot and got the guy they wanted, PLUS an extra pick. The Bills stayed there and took a guy that'd be there a few spots down.

 

 

the thing is this, obviously the bills had mccargo and whitner pinned as their guys, and they wanted to make sure that they got whitner at 8, the worry was that if they moved down some team would move up past them

 

and kiper had no problem with whitner as he said that he was 12-15 and still moving up draft boards

 

mccargo I am not nearly as familiar with, but he fits the bills cover 2 scheme, more so than any other DT draft daddy.com in three drafts had him going anywhere from 30-35. After mccargo you saw that wroten who is a walking red flag was the next dt picked

 

levy is trying to build a team with a certain work ethic and certain amount of character, and that describes the first two guys picked

 

from the 3rd round on I think the bills had one of the best drafts of any team

 

the first two picks will start right away, and the next 3 will see time

 

the Bills cared more about getting their guy than they did about possibly missing out on him to get an extra pick.

 

You have to understand that Levy is trying to fundamentally change the make-up of this team

[ellisonb11 0]

I'd agree with a B for the Jags after rating every pick myself. Looking at where we selected in the draft and the number of picks we had I'd say a B is fair.

 

 

i dont know about that...im also a jag homer, but i dont believe that it was a B caliber draft. i really like Marcedes lewis, but when i saw pope drop that far in the draft, i think it would have been alright to get pope in the later rounds. i dont like the pick on drew because i believe he is only for special teams, and i dont want to waste a 2nd rounder on special teams. i liked the pick on Dee Webb...but not a bad draft at all...looking forward to the new offense with Lewis in it. i give it a C+/ maybe B-

[kraziness 0]

There's no way that Wittner would have been gone at 13. They could have made a trade with Baltimore, still gotten Whittner and grabbed some extra picks too. I seriously don't think anything would have changed between 9-13. PERHAPS someone would have wanted Whitner and done something to get him, but I doubt it.

 

Also, about Kiper not murdering them... I think that he learned a while ago that you can't trash GM's that you'll eventually want info from. Bottom line: He was rated 12-15 (course, so was Jimmy Williams), he should have gone 12-15, to take him higher means that they overpaid.

 

btw-I'm really not trashing them, looks like they got some good players, but I really do think they overpaid on both of their first rounders. I thought the Browns should have gotten more for moving down one spot, let alone if they would have just taken their guy 5-10 spots early.

[Raider 84 29]

I think we all agree that the Raiders got an A for going with defense!

 

RAIDER NATION RULE!!!!!!

[sharkie22 0]

I won't bother to try attaching a grade to this draft but I will say it appears to me the Steelers had a very good draft.

 

They found nice quality in the depth and development players like Orien Harris, Willie Colon and Marvin Phillip. All of these players either won or were among finalists for a variety of awards given to linemen as well as were good "team" guys by assuming leadership roles on their respective teams.

 

The Steelers may have filled their need for a short yardage back with a steal in the 7th round of Cedrick Humes. He is an effective short yardage back who hits the hole and moves the pile but is also surprisingly fast and is a decent receiver.

 

Holmes is the big news and while he's not as versatile as Randle el, he should prove to be a more effective "pure" WR. He definitely has the speed and ability to run in the open field to become another weapon in the Steelers arsenal of gadget plays.

 

TE Charles Davis is unfamiliar to me but after looking up his stats he does show to be an able pass catcher at that position.

 

Third rounder Willie Reid will provide depth to the receiving corps, but more importantly, he's a better than average kick returner and should ensure there won't be a drop-off in the Steelers big play ability on special teams.

 

Another third rounder, safety Anthony Smith, fills one of the Steelers big needs at free safety. When teams have handled the Steelers pass rush and zone blitz packages they've had good success throwing on an average at best secondary. There are a few questions on whether Smith can help improve the secondary or whether he will be another guy making the same mistakes. The biggest concern with Smith has been his inconsistency. Apparently he's got the tools and track record to be a good cover guy at the position but also has blown enough plays to raise legitimate concerns. I think how well or how poorly he does will have a lot to do with how this years draft is viewed down the road.

 

The Steelers will try to improve their 5th round QB selection, Omar Jacobs, into a legitimate backup to Big Ben. Jacobs has much of the intangibles needed to be a good QB but will need a lot of work and the willingness to change most of his technique. He's a high risk/ high return selection that could go either way and the Steelers will have to decide most likely by next years draft whether or not this pick was wasted.

 

I think a C was the grade the article gave this draft and I have no idea if that's appropriate. I do know the Steelers once again managed to stay in front of the curve by drafting players in the mid to late rounds who have shown the talent and the make up to develop into the next starters or quality backups in addition to addressing areas of need with early picks and selecting guys who will get the job done. Next year they can find the next impact LB and maybe even a real cover corner.

[kristv 0]

Denver didn't give up a extra 3rd and 4th pick for Walker did they? I thought they gave up the #36 pick they aquired from SF. They used the 3rd rd pick to move up for Cutler. If they gave that much up for Walker I missed it and would like to see a link.

 

 

Near as I can come to understanding what happened, is that Denver gave up a second round pick, the Packers traded down in the second round with that pick and acquired a 3rd and 4th for that trade down as well. Then, they traded down again with the fourth round pick to get a lower 4th, and acquired a 5th and 6th round pick with that as well.

 

So in essence, the Packers actually picked up 5 picks from the Walker trade. Nice job, TT.