Hopefully, by the time you’re reading this, you’ve recovered from your 2009 NFL Draft hangover. Your mock draft was ripped to shreds by the time Denver selected, and you couldn’t bring yourself off the ground to watch the second day. What is it that you crave most, now? Semi-educated snap judgments, of course!
I have (perhaps unwisely) attempted to grade every single NFL team, and I look forward to randomly arguing with you as I walk down 13th Avenue today.
Buffalo Bills -Grade:B-
The Bills addressed a major need in solidifying the offensive line with Eric Wood of Louisville and Andy Levitre of Oregon State. But I can’t stand one-trick ponies like Aaron Maybin, the 11th-overall pick drafted on his merits as a pass-rusher (in the Big Ten, no less), and even though I will openly stand and applaud any team who drafted a Duck (in this case, Jairus Byrd), three secondary players may have been a bit much.
Miami Dolphins – Grade: C-
This draft pains me as a Dolphins supporter. The first two picks – Vontae Davis and Pat White – are small, skilled guys who don’t represent great value, though they do fill needs. We’ll see if USC’s Patrick Turner and Ohio State’s Brian Hartline amount to much as receivers; I don’t believe they do, but this was a dire need for the Dolphins in a draft light on quality at that position.
New England Patriots – Grade: C
I hereby declare the Patriots’ draft mystique officially gone. They did well in grabbing two second-rounders for the 2010 draft, and they filled a ton of depth areas with their picks, but I’m not convinced they grabbed the requisite talent needed for those positions. I openly laughed out loud when they drafted Houston offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer with the 58th overall pick; I’d have looked for him in the 200s.
New York Jets – Grade: C-
I don’t know what to think of Mark Sanchez. His arm is neither mind-numbingly strong nor deathly accurate, and he really only started for one year. That the Jets traded two defensive starters to get him makes the pick look even more bizarre. But, with only three picks and the high cost of trading up, I can’t see them as a better team fresh out of the draft.
Denver Broncos-Grade: – Grade: D
I think Knowshon Moreno will be a productive NFL back, and he was a worthy first-round pick, but certainly not at 12th overall. Really, if you’re a Broncos fan, you cannot be satisfied with how this draft went. Robert Ayers at 18th overall is a huge reach to me (never trust Tennessee defensive players not named Eric Berry), and two secondary players and a tight end filled out an underwhelming second round.
Kansas City Chiefs – Grade: C-
The Chiefs passed on the best available player (and the best player in the draft, in my opinion) in Aaron Curry to grab Tyson Jackson, and they addressed their offensive line exactly once, in a player (Missouri’s Colin Brown) many weren’t sure would even be drafted. This team is not going to be much better than they were last year, and that’s a frightening thought.
Oakland Raiders – Grade: F
One of the more interesting bits of post-draft fallout centered around former Ohio University safety Michael Mitchell, drafted 47th overall by the Raiders despite not being among most paid analysts’ top 50 safeties. Rumor has it that the Chicago Bears were dead set on drafting him 49th overall; failing that, a couple of teams had graded him as a third-round pick. Regardless, that was an awful selection, and the Raiders are early favorites to capture the 2010 No. 1 overall pick.
San Diego Chargers – Grade: C
Speaking of draft mystique, A.J. Smith, the Chargers’ general manager, should not get a pass either for what I feel is another underwhelming draft. They probably could’ve traded down in the first round and picked up Larry English at a better slot. The later rounds produced some intrigue – Demetrius Byrd, the LSU wide-receiver and seventh-rounder, was seriously hurt in a car accident last week, and fourth-rounder Vaughn Martin is the first Canadian college football player ever drafted. Remember Martin’s name.
Baltimore Ravens – Grade: A-
They got bigger in the trenches with Michael Oher, addressed some defensive needs later, and even snagged a steal in running back Cedric Peerman of Virginia. I’m calling it now: the Super Bowl winner next year will be a team from the AFC North.
Cincinnati Bengals – Grade: B
The biggest winners of the first day might’ve been the Bengals, a notoriously awful-drafting team that let the top players – in this case, Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith and USC linebacker Rey Maualuga – come to them. As the draft progressed, they managed to fill more holes (see Arkansas center Jonathan Luigs, a fourth-rounder and likely Week 1 starter), but the quality tailed off.
Cleveland Browns- Grade: B-
I thought the Browns were smart to trade down and pick up extra ammunition, and I felt like Alex Mack could’ve been a top-10 pick without issue. However, this team finished last in the AFC North last year and, given what teams around them did, I don’t think they improved upon that. Former Oregon State (and San Jose State) corner Coye Francies could start for them next year.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Grade: A-
The rich get richer along both trenches and add some cornerback depth in Keenan Lewis and Joe Burnett to boot. Ra’Shon Harris has, in my eyes, a legitimate chance to make the Steelers, but he must improve his leverage and learn to occupy two blockers at once, every down. I see no reason to doubt the Super Bowl Champions entering next season.
Houston Texans – Grade: B+
I don’t believe too many people would’ve batted an eye if the Texans had selected Connor Barwin of Cincinnati over Brian Cushing of USC. They got both anyway, and now I feel that their defense could finally push them into Wild Card contention and respect.
Indianapolis Colts – Grade: B
The Colts shored up their defensive line with USC’s Fili Moala, and added to their depth with their early picks. Donald Brown was excellent at UConn, and I believe he’ll do all right in among the Colts’ multiple running backs. Curtis Painter is nice Peyton Manning insurance in the sixth round.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Grade: B+
The winners of the draft’s first day, getting a nice pair of bookend tackles in Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton at excellent value. Their next two selections were confusing, but their middle-round back-to-back wide receivers – Arizona’s Mike Thomas and Rice’s Jarrett Dillard – are both excellent players that should make the team and make the Jaguars a force.
Tennessee Titans – Grade: B+
Kenny Britt will be a godsend for a wide receiving corps starved for an all-around package, but their middle-round selections (Gerald McRath, Troy Kropog and Javon Ringer) really make this draft for the Titans. Ringer, especially, could be a near-automatic short-yardage back in the NFL and was an excellent value pick.
Dallas Cowboys – Grade: C+
No first-day selections, and a lot of projects and conversions. Even a kicker, the first one off the board at the time. My favorite player in their class is Cincinnati cornerback Mike Mickens, who slid to the seventh round because of injury concerns, but has a track record of shutting down wide receivers.
New York Giants – Grade: B+
Jerry Reese put this class together nicely. Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden will fight to crack the starting receiver rotation (with Nicks the obvious favorite), Andre Brown will replace Derrick Ward and then some, Clint Sintim is a great value pick, and even Rhett Bomar looks in place as a career backup to Eli Manning.
Philadelphia Eagles – Grade: A-
Arguably the best draft of anyone, and they only had two picks in the first four rounds. But they spent those on Missouri wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and Pitt running back LeSean McCoy, two difference-makers. Could the Eagles have the NFC East’s most powerful offense?
Washing
ton Redskins-Grade: C
I’m not a fan of Brian Orakpo – again, he’s a one-trick pony as a pass rusher – and the Redskins’ draft doesn’t amass a huge amount of confidence in the team, especially given how the Giants and Eagles got better. Marko Mitchell was hyped a bit coming out of Nevada, so he might be a steal, but this doesn’t change my opinion that the Redskins are mediocre and stale as a franchise.
Arizona Cardinals-Grade: C
I’m not a Beanie Wells fan at all. To me, he just wasn’t as good as the other Ohio State products of recent years, and while the need was there I question the talent. Drafting Herman Johnson of LSU and Trevor Canfield of Cincinnati late in the second day was a pleasant surprise; those two could become steals.
San Francisco 49ers-Grade: B-
Sorry, Niners faithful, I don’t give brownie points for obvious picks. Michael Crabtree should excel in the NFL, and he was the second-best player in the whole draft class to me. My favorite Niners pick, however, came in the sixth round: tight end Bear Pascoe, out of Fresno State.
Seattle Seahawks-Grade: A-
Loved what Seattle did in grabbing the draft’s best player, Aaron Curry, without even thinking twice. Letting go of Leroy Hill will prove costly, but that doesn’t factor into my grade. Max Unger has to find a position and work on his lower body strength, but I feel like he’ll thrive in Seattle.
St. Louis Rams-Grade: B
Jason Smith and James Laurinaitis will be cornerstones, but this team is not getting out of the NFC West basement. Too many holes, and they sure weren’t filled with seven draft picks.
Chicago Bears-Grade: C+
My favorite picks of the Bears also have some sweet highlight videos: San Jose State defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert (who JUMPS OUT OF A POOL – search his name on YouTube) and Abilene Christian wide receiver Johnny Knox, who has 4.3 40-yard speed.
Detroit Lions-Grade: C
I’m fine with Stafford as the top overall selection even though he wasn’t my first choice, but Brandon Pettigrew is a luxury pick if I’ve ever seen one in the first round. The Lions didn’t bother to address their porous offensive line until the seventh round, with one player. Good luck with that.
Green Bay Packers-Grade: A-
Defense is the magic word. B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews add to an already potent front seven, and sixth-rounder Brandon Underwood has a legitimate shot to make the team as a nickel cornerback. I almost want to pencil them in as NFC North champions.
Minnesota Vikings-Grade: D
Ugh. As a Viking supporter, this draft could not have gone worse. Percy Harvin is the next Reggie Bush positionless wonder, and Phil Loadholt is big, slow, stupid, and incapable of going to a pass rusher to block him out. This could be a bigger debacle than the Troy Williamson/Erasmus James draft.
Atlanta Falcons-Grade: B+
The Falcons didn’t touch an offensive player until the fifth round, which was a great strategy after bringing Tony Gonzalez into the fold last week. Both first-round Peria Jerry and seventh-rounder Vance Walker should contribute at the defensive tackle position.
Carolina Panthers-Grade: C
One good pick does not erase a draft’s worth of mistakes, and trading a first-round pick next year to the 49ers for Everette Brown is a big mistake. Duke Robinson, in the fifth round, fills a huge need as a road-grading guard for Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams.
New Orleans Saints-Grade: B-
The Saints only had four picks and used the first two on defensive backs, which is a fair strategy. And upgrading the kicking game is always nice, but was it really necessary to draft a punter with their final pick? And to trade up for him?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Grade: B-
I like Josh Freeman, but I don’t feel that he was as valuable a commodity as Tampa Bay did. Look for former Oregon State wide receiver Sammie Stroughter to make his presence felt, both in special teams and on the offensive side of the ball.
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