The Official NFL Draft Thread - Page 114

PokerFink · #**1131** 04-29-2007, 01:11 AM

I'm back from the bar. I went to drink my misery away.

I'm sorry, but there is really no excuse for the Kevin Kolb pick. I'm not a fan of BPA to begin with, but Andy Reid's reasoning that they have no glaring needs is [censored]. We might not have glaring needs, but we still have depth issues at CB, S and LB. And you have a fantastic LB avaliable at #26 in Puz. You have a solid CB avaliable at #36 in Houston. To take a quarterback, especially a quarterback that would be avaliable at your next pick, is just mind boggling. The pick is an F, period. I'm pissed.

PokerFink · #**1132** 04-29-2007, 01:12 AM

Richard Tanner · #**1133** 04-29-2007, 01:44 AM

I really like your reasoning for giving Ugoh a D, it's the truth. It doesn't matter how good a player is if you give up way too much to get him. That pick, like others, will be evaluated by other factors (some to be decided as early as tomorrow).

Cody

TruFloridaGator · #**1134** 04-29-2007, 01:55 AM

I know you put Durant as a C for the Jags pick, but let's not forget what happened last time the Jags went outside of D1, Rasheen Mathis. Apparently, they know their scrubs.

anatta · #**1135** 04-29-2007, 04:57 AM

I don't like the D for the white shadow, Weddle. Weddle wouldn't have lasted, so they made the move, filled a need. Normal compensation might be just the 3rd and the 5th to swap 2nd rounders, but the Bears got a 3rd next year, too. Big deal. The Bolts already got extra 3rd from the Brees deal, will get something similar for Turner, if not better in a deal. And a 3rd from the Chargers is worth less than a 3rd from other teams.

They don't have a lot of needs, they have depth at a lot of positions, they have more than enough day two picks already. It would be hard for a 5th rounder to stick anyways. So they overpaid by a fraction and got the guy they clearly wanted, but they can afford to overpay. Now can the dude play? AJ's "reaches" seem to pan out quite well so we shall see.

Jeff W · #**1136** 04-29-2007, 05:26 AM

[ QUOTE ]
AJ's "reaches" seem to pan out quite well so we shall see.

[/ QUOTE ]

I long ago stopped second guessing AJ. For major decisions, almost every time he's made what I thought was the wrong move at the time, it turned out great. Even when I thought it was a mistake to give up on Brees so quickly(I was right), it really didn't turn out badly in the long run.

.Alex. · #**1137** 04-29-2007, 07:56 AM

Apparently the Eagles had Kolb rated higher than Quinn, which is funny because as Quinn was falling down the board I half-jokingly asked PokerFink if we should consider taking him if he drops to us. All things considered, I would have rather had the Eagles try to get Quinn, just for the hilarity of the strong possibility of a potential #1 overall pick sitting on the bench for the next 5-7 years. That's the sad thing about Kolb; for such a controversial pick, we won't know how good he is for a very long time since it'll probably be a few years before he even takes the backup job from Feeley, let alone gets a chance to start.

SuperUberBob · #**1138** 04-29-2007, 08:22 AM

Here's the SuperUberBob Day 1 draft grades!

Note: Really freaking long

Rating System:
A+/A/A-: Solid, top notch day one
B+/B/B-: Above average, good draft.
C+/C/C-: Okay at best. Average or below average.
D: Seriously lacking in common sense and intelligence
F: What were these guys thinking?

Atlanta Falcons
8. Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas
39. Justin Blalock, T/G, Texas
41. Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas
75. Laurent Robinson, WR, Illinois State

Trade: Atlanta traded their #44 pick and 4th round pick (#121) to the Vikings for #41 pick

Grade: A. Among all the crazy trades made, Atlanta's outstanding day one is almost hidden from view. They fulfilled all of their major needs in day one.

Arizona Cardinals
5. Levi Brown, OT, Penn State
33. Alan Branch, DT, Michigan
69. Buster Davis, ILB, Florida

Trade: Arizona traded their #38th pick and their 4th round pick (#105th overall) to the Raiders for their 33rd overall pick

Grade: B+. A pretty solid draft. They got screwed when Joe Thomas ended up getting drafted by Cleveland. They ended up reaching for Levi Brown at #5, but got a steal with Alan Branch and got a solid Buster Davis in round 3.

Baltimore Ravens
29. Ben Grubbs, G, Auburn
74. Yamon Figurs, WR, Kansas State
86. Marshal Yanda, G, Iowa

Trades:
1) Baltimore traded their second round pick (61st overall) to Detroit for picks #74 (3rd round) and #101 (4th round)

2) Baltimore traded their first fourth-round selection (101st overall), their first fifth-round selection (166th overall), and their first sixth-round selection (203rd overall) to Jacksonville for their second third-round selection (86th overall, used to select Marshal Yanda)

Grade: B+. A reasonable trade by Baltimore. Picking at 61st overall might have forced them to reach for need. Baltimore didn't have that many weaknesses, but they definitely shored up their O-line and got a solid return threat by drafting Yamon Figurs.

Buffalo Bills
12. Marshawn Lynch, RB, California
34. Paul Posluszny, LB, Penn State
92. Trent Edwards, QB, Stanford

Trade: Buffalo traded their second round pick (#43) and first third round pick (#74) to Detroit for their second round pick (#34)

Grade: B. Although Lynch is a great back, he is a bit of a reach at #12. The pick was too need based rather than going for the best player available that fills one of their needs (Leon Hall). They made a great deal trading up and grabbing Paul Posluszny to replace London Fletcher-Baker. But I don't understand picking Trent Edwards at #92. To me, you either have to stick with J.P. Losman or you don't. If Losman doesn't work out, how would another young QB with little to no experience help out? They really should have looked at getting at Tanard Jackson or Daymeion Hughes with their third round pick. A pretty good draft, but the Bills had the potential to make it into an A+ draft.

Carolina Panthers
25. Jon Beason, OLB, Miami (FL)
45. Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC
59. Ryan Kalil, C, USC
83. Charles Johnson, DE, Georgia

Trade: Traded their first round selection (#14) to the New York Jets for picks #25 (first round), #59 (second round) and #191 (fifth round).

Grade: A. A solid day one for Carolina. They got solid value for their first round selection. They got an additional second round selection while still getting the man they wanted in the first place (Jon Beason). They then got great value by going BPA the rest of the way.

Chicago Bears
31. Greg Olsen, TE, Miami (FL)
62. Dan Bazuin, DE, Central Michigan
93. Garrett Wolfe, RB, Northern Illinois
94. Michael Okwo, OLB, Stanford

Trade: San Diego traded their second-round selection (62nd overall), their third-round selection (93rd overall), their fifth-round selection (167th overall), and their third-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft to Chicago for their second-round selection (37th overall).

Grade: C+. What an overall dissapointing day for the Chicago Bears. They got an absolutely incredible deal from the Chargers and blew the draft picks they received in the deal. Every pick after round one was a huge reach and better prospects were passed over for late day two picks. How could they pick Dan Bazuin over Charles Johson, the very undersized Garrett Wolfe over Antonio Pittman or pick the slow and undersized Michael Okwo while Tim Shaw and Rufus Alexander are still available? The bright spot is getting Greg Olsen at pick 31.

Cincinatti Bengals
18. Leon Hall, CB, Michigan
48. Kenny Irons, RB, Auburn

Trade: None

Grade: C. The Bengals had a pretty straightforward first day. Their third round selection was a supplementary pick and there were no trades. They were more than happy to get Leon Hall but made a terrible decision by picking Kenny Irons. Irons is a great player, no doubt about that. But running back was the least of their needs. They really could have used a defensive tackle like Tank Tyler or Quinn Pitcock in the second round.

Cleveland Browns
3. Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin
22. Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
53. Eric Wright, CB, UNLV

Trades:
1) Cleveland traded their second-round selection (36th overall, traded to Philadelphia, used to select Kevin Kolb) and their first-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft to Dallas for Dallas' first-round selection (22nd overall, with which they selected Brady Quinn) in this year's draft.

2) Cleveland traded their third-round selection (67th overall, used to select James Marten), their fourth-round selection (103rd overall), and their sixth-round selection (178th overall) to Dallas for their second-round selection (53rd overall, used to select Eric Wright) and their first sixth-round selection (195th overall).

Grade: B. They made the ideal pick at #3 with Joe Thomas and ended up getting a a top 10 pick for 22nd pick money with Brady Quinn. In the process, they jumped the progress of their team forward by one year. The Browns traded way too much to get Eric Wright, who has some really serious character issues. Even if Wright does pan out, he'd have to end up being a Pro Bowl caliber cornerback to make this deal look good.

Dallas Cowboys
26. Anthony Spencer, DE/LB, Purdue
67. James Marten, OT, Boston College

Trades:
1) Cleveland traded their second-round selection (36th overall, traded to Philadelphia, used to select Kevin Kolb) and their first-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft to Dallas for Dallas' first-round selection (22nd overall, with which they selected Brady Quinn) in this year's draft.

2) Dallas traded their first second-round selection (36th overall, acquired from Cleveland in a trade, used to select Kevin Kolb), their third-round selection (89th overall), and their fifth-round selection (159th overall) to Philadelphia for their first-round selection (26th overall, used to select Anthony Spencer). NFL draft trade tracker 2007. ESPN.com (2007-04-28). Retrieved on 2007-04-28.

3) Cleveland traded their third-round selection (67th overall, used to select James Marten), their fourth-round selection (103rd overall), and their sixth-round selection (178th overall) to Dallas for their second-round selection (53rd overall, used to select Eric Wright) and their first sixth-round selection (195th overall)

Grade: C. What a depressing draft for Dallas. They wasted their first round pick by not filling in needs at wide receiver and offensive lineman and took a tweener from Purdue. They do get an offensive tackle in the third, but it's too late in the draft. They can take solace in the fact that they'll have two first rounders nexr year though.

Denver Broncos
17. Jarvis Moss, DE, Florida
56. Tim Crowder, DE, Texas
70. Ryan Harris, OT, Notre Dame

Trade: Denver traded their first-round selection (21st overall, used to select Reggie Nelson), their second third-round selection (86th overall), and their sixth-round selection (198th overall) to Jacksonville for their first-round selection (17th overall, used to select Jarvis Moss).

Grade: B+. Their trade up to 17 was done in fear of the Jaguars picking Jarvis Moss, which was a reasonable move. I think Jacksonville would have taken Reggie Nelson regardless of their position, but they wanted to be safe with it. They further shored up their weak defensive line by getting Tim Crowder and then built up some protection for Cutler by drafting Ryan Harris.

Detroit Lions
2. Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech
43. Drew Stanton, QB, Michigan State
Ikaika Alama-Francis, DE, Hawaii

Trades:
1) Buffalo traded their second-round selection (43rd overall) and their first third-round selection (74th overall) to Detroit for their second-round selection (34th overall, used to select Paul Posluszny)

2) Detroit traded their third-round selection (66th overall, used to select Usama Young) and second fifth-round selection (145th overall) to New Orleans for their second-round selection (58th overall, used to select Ikaika Alama-Francis)

Grade: A. Matt Millen must have had an epiphany before draft day because he's actually making sensible picks. Despite past receiving picks, Detroit took the best player in the draft and kept him, despite Calvin Johnson being a wide receiver. Kudos to Matt for not letting the past dictate his future. Then, they got a solid QB in the second round and filled in their need at DE. Good work.

Green Bay Packers
16. Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee
63. Brandon Jackson, RB, Nebraska
78. James Jones, WR, San Jose State
89. Aaron Rouse, S, Virginia Tech

Trade:
1) The New York Jets traded their second-round selection (63rd overall), their third-round selection (89th overall), and their second sixth-round selection (191st overall) to Green Bay for their second-round selection (47th overall, used to select David Harris) and their seventh-round selection (235th overall).

Grade: C. A pretty mediocre draft for the Packers. Justin Harrell came out of left field. It's as if they panicked when Marshawn Lynch went to Buffalo. Greg Olsen or a receiver like Dwayne Bowe would have been a better fit at #16. They made a sold trade, but didn't get as much value out of their picks as they could have. Brandon Jackson is a good back, but with Antonio Pittman and Lorenzo Booker still available, they could have done better. James Jones is a late second day pick, not a third round selection. They needed a WR, but not this player. They got a bargain pick with Aaron Rouse at pick 89.

Houston Texans
10. Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville
73. Jacoby Jones, WR, Lane

Trade: None during the draft.

Grade: B-. Matt Schaub better be a Pro Bowler or the Texans will continue to be the laughing stock of the NFL. This is the second straight first rounder used on the defensive line. But with Amobi Okoye surprisingly available at pick 10, I'm not surprised that they took him. Jacoby Jones was taken among the pile of receivers that are all very similar in stature and physical attributes. I thought they would go with an offensive lineman or running back here (no chance Ahman Green stays healthy all season), but Moulds is getting old and a slot receiver wouldn't be that bad.

Indianapolis Colts
32. Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Ohio State
44. Tony Ugoh, OT, Arkansas
95. Daymeion Hughes, CB, California
98. Quinn Pitcock, DT, Ohio State

Trade: San Francisco traded their second-round selection (42nd overall, used to select Tony Ugoh) to Indianapolis for their first fourth-round selection (126th overall) and their first-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Grade: D. Read that trade closely. Yes, the Colts traded a first round pick next year and this year's fourth round pick for pick #44 and got...Tony Ugoh? The Colts have the best O-line in the NFL. No reason to get one that early. Picking Gonzalez in the first round was another big mistake. Did the Colts forget that they lost Cato June and had the worst run defense in the NFL? The Colts finally woke up in the third round and got some solid value picks with Daymeion Hughes and Quinn Pitcock, which saves the Colts from an F.

Jacksonville Jaguars
21. Reggie Nelson, S, Florida
48. Justin Durant, OLB, Hampton
79. Mike Walker, WR, Central Florida

Trades:
1) Denver traded their first-round selection (21st overall, used to select Reggie Nelson), their second third-round selection (86th overall), and their sixth-round selection (198th overall) to Jacksonville for their first-round selection (17th overall, used to select Jarvis Moss).

2) Baltimore traded their first fourth-round selection (101st overall), their first fifth-round selection (166th overall), and their first sixth-round selection (203rd overall) to Jacksonville for their second third-round selection (86th overall, used to select Marshal Yanda)

Grade: B+. With the Jaguars committing to Byron Leftwich, they passed on Brady Quinn. They intended to pick Reggie Nelson, but got him at #21 instead of #17 and got some other picks in the process. They got some great second round picks for their second 3rd round pick. They did outstanding in the first round, but missed in the second round by reaching way too far for Justin Durant when they needed defensive line help and could have gotten Tim Crowder. Mike Walker was a strong third round selection by Jacksonville.

Kansas City Chiefs
23. Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU
54. Turk McBride, DL, Tennessee
82. DeMarcus Tyler, DT, North Carolina State

Trades: None during the draft.

Grade: C. With Will Shields and William Roaf retired, you'd think they would go offensive line some time during day one. Dwayne Bowe was the pick to make at pick #23, but they needed offensive line help and ended up helping out the wrong side of the line.

Miami Dolphins
9. Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Ohio State
40. John Beck, QB, BYU
60. Samson Satele, C, Hawaii
71. Lorenzoo Booker, RB, Ohio State

Trades: No trades during draft day.

Grade: F. You know when new head coach Cam Cameron introduces a top 10 pick as a punt returner at a draft party, you know that there's a problem. What were the Dolphins thinking?! Yes, they need a WR. But they need a QB way, way more! If you draft a WR in the top 10, he better be your #1 WR. Ginn is at best a slot receiver. He'll have a hard time getting off the line and will be virtually useless down the middle of the field. Maybe they're converting him to a CB. Or maybe they only saw the videos of Ted throwing option passes during college and thought he was a QB. Perhaps they were confident that they would get Trent Green before the offeseason. But if they thought that, then why draft John Beck. Even as a quarterback, that's a huge reach. Brady Quinn fell into their laps and they pushed him right off. It's as if Cameron realized his mistake and then scrambled around and drafted John Beck in the second round. The only good pick was getting Samson Satele. Lorenzo Booker was unnecessary when you have Ronnie Brown and have Ricky Williams reinstated. The Dolphins had the worst day one of any team in the NFL.

Minnesota Vikings
7. Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
44. Sidney Rice, WR, South Carolina
72. Marcus McCauley, CB, Fresno State

Trade: Atlanta traded their second-round selection (44th overall, used to select Sidney Rice) and one of three fourth-round selections (121st overall) to Minnesota for their second-round selection (41st overall, used to select Chris Houston)

Grade: B+. Strong draft for Minnesota. Got good value out of their trade with Atlanta as they picked Rice at #44 instead of #41 and got a day two pick in return. Picked best player available with Adrian Peterson at #7 and helped out their awful pass defense by stealing Marcus McCauley. I thought they would go with Brady Quinn and build from there, but Brad Childress has shown that he's committed to Tarvaris Jackson as his future starting QB, not Brady Quinn by picking Adrian Peterson.

New Orleans Saints
27. Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee
66. Usama Young, CB, Kent State
88. Andy Alleman, G, Akron

Trade: Detroit traded their third-round selection (66th overall, used to select Usama Young) and second fifth-round selection (145th overall) to New Orleans for their second-round selection (58th overall, used to select Ikaika Alama-Francis)

Grade: C-. With Marcus McCauley, Jonathan Wade, Daymeion Hughes, Tanard Jackson and Fred Bennett still available, why take a player worth at best a 5th round draft pick in Usama Young? Although Joe Horn was left the team, they still have sufficient replacements in Devery Henderson and Marques Colston. They really needed to boost their pass defense before getting a WR. Alleman isn't a bad pick, but the Saints really needed a linebacker or defensive tackle. Rufus Alexander and Quinn Pitcock would have been a more sensible pick.

New England Patriots
24. Brandon Merriweather, S, Miami (FL)

Trades:
1) San Francisco traded their fourth-round selection (110th overall) and their first-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft to New England for their last first-round selection (28th overall, used to select Joe Staley)

2) New England traded their third-round selection (91st overall, used to select Mario Henderson) in exchange for Oakland's first seventh-round selection in this year's draft (211th overall) and their third-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Grade: B. New England did what they could. I don't think they really wanted Merriweather due to his serious character issues, but they really had no choice but to take him unless they wanted to skip on safety for the rest of day one. They made some interesting trades though. They got a first round selection for next year and a third round pick for next year. I'm not surprised that they gave up most of their day one. They signed so many free agents earlier that most of their needs were filled. They would be taking players, overpaying them and never giving them playing time.

New York Giants
20. Aaron Ross, CB, Texas
51. Steve Smith, WR, USC
81. Jay Alford, DE, Penn State

Trade: None

Grade: C+. My beloved Giants had another weak draft. Jerry Reese's inactivity during free agency didn't impress me and this draft doesn't either. Their first round pick was pretty much impossible to screw up given all of their needs on defense. But I am disappointed with their second round selection. Yes, we need to surround Eli Manning with skill players, but we already have a young WR in Sinorice Moss as a slot guy. Steve Smith is a slow, posession receiver who will at best be a slot receiver. Brian Leonard's versatility would have been incredible for the Giants offense, but he was sadly skipped on. At some point during day one, they should have gone with an offensive tackle or outside linebacker but did neither and got (another) DE in the third round.

New York Jets
14. Darelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh
47. David Harris, ILB, Michigan

Trades:
1) The New York Jets traded their first-round selection (25th overall, used to select Jon Beason), the first of their second-round selections (59th overall, used to select Ryan Kalil) and their fifth-round selection (164th overall) to Carolina for their first-round selection (14th overall, used to select Darrelle Revis) and their fifth-round selection (191st overall).

2) The New York Jets traded their second-round selection (63rd overall), their third-round selection (89th overall), and their second sixth-round selection (191st overall) to Green Bay for their second-round selection (47th overall, used to select David Harris) and their seventh-round selection (235th overall).

Grade: C. A very disappointing day for Jets fans. The first trade is definitely a pretty solid one and they did good with that. But I have to wonder what they were thinking with their second trade. The Jets had four day one picks and now they have only two and due to their trades, they do not have another pick until the sixth round. Revis was obviously a great pick for the Jets, but they already have Jonathan Vilma at ILB. Why get David Harris? Maybe they plan on moving Vilma to OLB, but that's not still a great move.

Oakland Raiders
1. JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU
38. Zach Miller, TE, Arizona State
65. Quentin Moses, DE, Georgia
91. Mario Henderson, OT, Florida State
99. Johnnie Lee Higgins, WR, UTEP

Trades:
1) Arizona traded their second-round selection (38th overall) and their fourth-round selection (105th overall) to Oakland for their second-round selection (33rd overall).

2) WR Mike Williams was traded along with QB Josh McCown to the Oakland Raiders during the first day of the 2007 NFL Draft in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick.

Grade: B. I don't quite know what to make of the Raiders draft day. Al Davis didn't throw any curveballs and went with the right pick by picking JaMarcus Russell first overall. Zach Miller is a somewhat surprising pick. They needed a receiver or offensive lineman pretty badly. Zach Miller proved to have some pretty weak hands at the combine and ran a bad 40 time. The Raiders allowed the most sacks last season and just drafted a franchise QB. Why skip on a offensive lineman like Aaron Sears? Moses really disappointed with a poor senior year and an awful combine, but was still picked by an already strong Raiders defense. Then, they got a very raw and inexperienced Mario Henderson. They did get a steal by picking up Mike Williams and Josh McCown for a mere fourth round pick. Who knows what exactly the future holds for Oakland? They have no place to go but up from last season.

Philadelphia Eagles
36. Kevin Kolb, QB, Houston
57. Victor Abiamiri, DE, Notre Dame
87. Stewart Bradley, OLB, Nebraska
90. Tony Hunt, RB, Penn State

Trades: Dallas traded their first second-round selection (36th overall, acquired from Cleveland in a trade, used to select Kevin Kolb), their third-round selection (89th overall), and their fifth-round selection (159th overall) to Philadelphia for their first-round selection (26th overall, used to select Anthony Spencer)

Grade: D. Kevin Kolb? What the hell is wrong with the Eagles? They have McNabb with Kelly Holcomb and A.J. Feeley behind him. Are they seriously going to use their first pick in this draft as a third-string quarterback? The only thing that saves them from an F is that they drafted well otherwise. They got two solid defensive players and can tack on Tony Hunt to their committee of running backs.

Pittsburgh Steelers
15. Lawrence Timmons, OLB, Florida State
46. LaMarr Woodley, DE, Michigan
77. Matt Spaeth, TE, Minnesota

Trades: None.

Grade: B+. Nice draft by Pittsburgh. Their first and second round picks were excellent. Goes to show how well new head coach Mike Tomlin knows the 3-4 defense. Timmons and Woodley are perfect fits for that unit. Going TE with Spaeth was a bit of a mistake, especially considering that they already have Heath Miller. Also, I believe Ben Patrick, Scott Chandler and maybe even Michael Allan were better than Spaeth. Getting a cornerback would have been a better selection for Pittsburgh.

San Diego Chargers
30. Craig Davis, WR, LSU
37. Eric Weddle, S, Utah
96. Anthony Waters, ILB, Clemson

Trade: Chicago later traded this selection to San Diego for their second-round selection (62nd overall), their third-round selection (93rd overall), their fifth-round selection (167th overall), and their third-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Grade: C. Yikes! A couple of big mistakes here. They made a long reach by picking Craig Davis in the first round. He was a third round pick at best this year. Passing up on Anthony Gonzalez, Steve Smith, Dwayne Jarrett and Sidney Rice for Davis is just ridiculous. Then they trade two day one picks, a fifth rounder and next year's third round pick (way too much) to move up in the second round and pick Eric Weddle. He's a good safety, but he is nowhere near the amount that San Diego traded to get him.

San Francisco 49ers
11. Patrik Willis, ILB, Ole Miss
28. Joe Staley, OT, Central Michigan
76. Jason Hill, WR, Washington State
97. Ray McDonald, DE, Florida

Trade:

1) San Francisco traded their fourth-round selection (110th overall) and their first-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft to New England for their last first-round selection (28th overall, used to select Joe Staley)

2) San Francisco traded their second-round selection (42nd overall, used to select Tony Ugoh) to Indianapolis for their first fourth-round selection (126th overall) and their first-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Grade: A+. San Francisco was very busy during this draft. They traded their first round pick of next year and a fourth round selection to New England for their first rounder this year. They then compensated that by gaining a first round pick for next season by trading with the Indianapolis Colts. Throughout all this, the 49ers got a second first round pick for this year and probably moved down to the end of the first round next year rather than being somewhere in the middle. In the process, they fulfilled every major need during day one with solid players. The 49ers may have had the best day ones of any NFL team this season. Hats off to their front office.

Seattle Seahawks
55. Josh Wilson, CB, Maryland
85. Brandon Mebane, DT, California

Trades: None during draft day

Grade: B-. The Seahawks didn't have a first round pick this year, so they had to be sure to get some good value out of the second and third round picks. They did a pretty good job of it. Their picks aren't anything to get excited about, but they got a couple of solid rookies on day one to bolster their defense.

St. Louis Rams
13. Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska
52. Brian Leonard, FB, Rutgers
84. Jonathan Wade, CB, Tennessee

Trade: None during draft day

Grade: B+. Sold draft by the Rams. They made the perfect first round selection. I was surprised when they picked Brian Leonard though. Leonard is a very versatile back which allows for a lot of offensive creativity. But the Rams offense doesn't rely much on a fullback and he won't supplant Steven Jackson as a starting running back any time soon.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson
35. Aaron Sears, OT, Tennessee
64. Sabby Piscitelli, S, Oregon
68. Quincy Black, OLB, New Mexico

Grade: B. Despite not getting Calvin Johnson, the Buccaneers had a pretty good draft. Adams was the next best thing to Johnson and they shored up their weak offensive line and improved the rest of their defense in the process. Piscitelli is a total stud and was a great pick by Tampa. Only thing that prevents them from getting an A is that they did not get a wide receiver on day one and that should have been the primary objective of Tampa Bay. Galloway is getting old and Michael Clayton didn't have a good second season.

Tennessee Titans
19. Michael Griffin, S, Texas
50. Chris Henry, RB, Arizona
80. Paul Williams, WR, Fresno State

Trades: None

Grade: C. A pretty mediocre draft for Tennessee. They really needed a top wide receiver in this draft, especially with Drew Bennett gone. Vince Young needed to be surrounded with offensive talent and they picked Michael Griffin instead of a wide receiver like Dwayne Bowe or Robert Meachem. Then, they pick the unproductive Chris Henry. He didn't start at all in Arizona and had a low yards per carry, with it actually dropping below 3 in his early seasons. He's a great athlete, but he's very raw, needs a strong offensive line to be moderately productive and was not worth a second round pick.

Washington Redskins
6. LaRon Landry, S, LSU

Trades: None during draft

Grade: D. There was no way that Snyder could screw this pick up and he did so anyway. The reason that the Redskins had the worst pass defense in the NFL is not because they had a bad secondary. It was because they had no defensive line pressure and gave QBs way too much time to make decisions. They already had Sean Taylor. There's no need for another safety. Amobi Okoye could serve as that young, pass rushing threat and should have gone with this year. Maybe Snyder will trade every pick he has next year for another batch of coordinators. Only reason the Redskins didn't get an F is because they chose a defensive player.

Bluff Daddy · #**1139** 04-29-2007, 08:29 AM

will someone explain to me the point of grading drafts?

SuperUberBob · #**1140** 04-29-2007, 08:33 AM

The tldr cliff notes for my last post (teams sorted by rating):

A+/A/A-
San Francisco 49ers (A+)
Atlanta Falcons (A)
Carolina Panthers (A)
Detroit Lions (A)

B+/B/B-
Arizona Cardinals (B+)
Baltimore Ravens (B+)
Denver Broncos (B+)
Jacksonville Jaguars (B+)
Minnesota Vikings (B+)
Pittsburgh Steelers (B+)
St. Louis Rams (B+)
Buffalo Bills (B)
Cleveland Browns (B)
New England Patriots (B)
Oakland Raiders (B)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (B)
Houston Texans (B-)
Seattle Seahawks (B-)

C+/C/C-
Chicago Bears (C+)
New York Giants (C+)
Cincinatti Bengals (C)
Dallas Cowboys (C)
Green Bay Packers (C)
Kansas City Chiefs (C)
New York Jets (C)
San Diego Chargers (C)
Tennessee Titans (C)
New Orleans Saints (C-)

D
Indianapolis Colts
Washington Redskins

F
Philadelphia Eagles

View Poll Results: Do you hate poker?
Yep. But I play it anyway.	78	56.12%
NO WTFbwafBbQ you sux	61	43.88%
Voters: 139. You may not vote on this poll