Cincinnati Bengals
I never thought I would see a day where I could honestly say the Bengals walked away from Draft Day with what I consider the best overall draft class. This is a team that is notorious for not spending money on their scouting department, but they’ve managed to walk away with a very talented group of players. Andre Smith made an awful lot of wrong moves before the draft and shot down a lot of draft boards due to his behavior. And while I think this may have been a bit high for him to go, I won’t argue with it either. He’s a very good overall tackle prospect and can play right away at RT and eventually move over to protect Carson Palmer’s blindside. Now only if he could sign a contract and get into camp! The fact that Rey Maualuga fell all the way to the 38th pick in the draft is completely beyond me. He is one of the better physical, traditional 4-3 MLB’s I have seen in a while and I felt he was worthy of a top 15 pick. I have no idea why so many teams passed on him, but there must have been some concern. As I said previously though, an awful lot of teams are going to pay for that decision. Maualuga should start from day one and this team desperately needs a physical inside presence to set the tone in the run game. To then turn around and be able to grab Michael Johnson in the third was bordering on insanity. Yes, I was one of the people who said Johnson was overhyped due to his athletic potential and not his production. But he was easily worth a shot in the second round at the very least, even if he was used strictly as a pass rusher at first. Johnson should be in the rotation at DE right away, and this is a team desperate for pass rushing help, so I think he will also help turn this defense around drastically. Getting one of my personal favorite TE’s over the past few years in Chase Coffman in the third was a steal as well. Yes, he has issues with staying healthy, but if he does stay healthy he is far and away the best offensive weapon at the position that the Bengals may have ever had. He will definitely contribute in the passing game right away. It didn’t stop there though as Jonathan Luigs provides good depth at center, and was a great value in the fourth. Kevin Huber was the best punter in this draft (and one of the better punters I’ve seen come out in some time), and getting him in the fifth was a coup. Morgan Trent isn’t a great corner, but he will provide depth and again was a good value. Fui Vakapuna is a big RB who will probably move to FB for the Bengals and is a solid all around athlete for the position. A player that I really liked, undertackle Clinton McDonald of Memphis, was a downright steal in the 7th. He may need some time, but I really like his pass rush ability from the interior. He’s not an every down player as he doesn’t have the bulk to hold up, but he’s a good rotational option for passing downs. All in all, this was an outstanding draft and it may be enough to help the Bengals get over the top and save Marvin Lewis’ job this year.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers draft was not exciting or ‘sexy’ at all, but it just fit the mold of what they do year-in and year-out. Their veteran scouting department knows the type of player this team looks for, and they stick to that blue print very tightly. Ziggy Hood was a very nice pick at the end of the first round, as he was one of the fastest rising prospects going in to draft day. I have to admit that I didn’t think he’d be a great fit as a 3-4 DE, but he has the ability to play it and play it well. This was a major need for the team, and instead of reaching for a center like Max Unger, they went with the value in Hood. Snagging Kraig Urbik in the third also fills a big need. He will push for playing time and is a typical Steelers offensive lineman. He’s a big body that is nasty, tough, and good in the run game. Mike Wallace was a nice sleeper WR that I think can make some noise as a pro. He’s a bit undersized, so he may have to be used out of the slot to begin with, but he has game breaking speed and good hands. He can return punts and kicks which is a huge plus for a team that needs more bodies in this area. Other than that, only one other pick caught my attention and that’s 7th round center A.Q. Shipley of Penn State. I’m very concerned about his short arms, but it’s a bit easier to mask at the center position. It’s a no risk pick in the end because he could very well be the starting center for the next ten years, or if the arm length issue is a problem, it was only a late 7th round pick so it’s not hard to swallow if he’s cut.
Baltimore Ravens
Ozzie Newsome is the GM I most respect in the league, with the Charger’s AJ Smith close behind. He knows the game inside and out, he knows this team and its identity, and he knows the value of the draft extremely well. Other than the Kyle Boller fiasco of a few years ago (which I have to admit I was all about Boller as well going in to the draft), Newsome has really not missed on many draft picks what so ever. This year is no exception, and I think part of it has to do with a bit of luck as well. If you would have asked me going in to the draft if I thought Michael Oher would have fallen to the 23rd pick in the draft, I would have laughed in your face. I’m pretty confident in stating that Oher will start on the right side immediately and will make 22 teams in the NFL very upset that they passed on him. He could play LT, and I think that may be his best spot, but Jaired Gaither is going no where soon as he’s an absolute beast that not many people even know about (who by the way was another absolute steal that Ozzie got in the supplemental draft for what I believe was a 4th or 5th round pick). It didn’t stop with Oher though as the Ravens lucked out and had Paul Kruger fall to them as well. He was a bit of a ‘tweener player who didn’t quite fit at DE or rush OLB, which is EXACTLY the kind of player the Ravens find every year in the draft and they end up developing into monsters. Look no further than Jarrett Johnson if you want to see what Paul Kruger will end up doing for this team. He’s a very similar player who they will bring along slowly and he will eventually be a force for them as a hybrid outside defender. Lardarius Webb is a very athletic corner who was really only lacking in big time experience. With the slim depth at this position, I would assume he will see a good amount of reps right away. Getting MLB Jason Phillips in the 5th was another steal. I thought Phillips would be gone in the late 3rd round more than likely as he fit very well into a 3-4 defense. He gives Baltimore the flexibility to run more 3-4 looks as he will fit with Tarvaris Gooden for the back up spot behind Ray Lewis (and he gives them the ability to continue this look once Ray retires as well). Davon Drew of East Carolina was one another TE I really liked. He’s a very good pass catcher, and is a bigger guy, but needs to work on matching his blocking skills to that size. In any case, he’s solid depth at a position where injuries have killed the Ravens in the past. Cedric Peerman was underrated by most experts due to his injury history and his history of fumbles. For a 6th round pick though, he’s worth the risk. He can return as well so I wouldn’t be surprised if he sticks on the active roster as well. Overall another masterful job by one of the draft’s best talent evaluators.
Cleveland Browns
And here is where we come back down to Earth a bit. I won’t argue too much with the Brown’s draft as I like some parts of it, I just think that they got too little in return for letting the Jets move up to draft Sanchez. Why Mangini wants more former Jets retreads I do not understand. It’s like Shannahan a few years back with taking the Brown’s castoffs in Denver. Some players just aren’t good enough, and no change of scenery will fix that. I can see wanting players familiar with your system, but it didn’t work then so it won’t work now. New blood via the draft would have been a much better way to go. I cannot argue one bit with Alex Mack in the first though. You all know by now that I love Mack, and I think he will be a Pro Bowler in a very short period of time. If they can all stay healthy, the Browns may have the best LT/LG/OC combination in all of football. Cleveland needed WR depth as well, but taking both Brian Robiskie AND Mohamed Massaquoi in the second round may have been a bit overzealous. I like both players but I think the Browns would have been better off addressing the defense instead of taking Massaquoi. Now, if Braylon Edwards leaves after this season, then my thoughts on this become a moot point because they will need all the talent they can get. David Veikune as a late second rounder was also very puzzling. He’s changing positions from DE to OLB, and I think he has the talent to do this, but there were other defenders on the board that I think would have been better fits than Veikune. He’s only going to be asked to help in the pass rush right away, so I don’t think the return on investment adds up. I really liked Kaluka Maiava out of USC, and I think he suffered from playing behind three first round LBs (yes, Maualuga went in the second, but he should have been a first). He’s versatile enough to play inside or outside in this defense and he’s going to be a great special teams player no matter what. Besides Mack, he was the best value the Browns got on draft day. The other media experts really liked Coye Francis (CB out of San Jose State), but I wasn’t impressed with what I saw. He’s tall, physical, and good on the jam but he’s too stiff to turn and run with guys. If they play him up on the line all the time then he will do just fine. If they ask him to play off zone coverage, he may struggle. At the end of the say, he’s a 6th rounder so it doesn’t matter that much. I did not like James Davis at Clemson at all, but he’s gone to the perfect team to prove himself. The RB depth on the Browns is perilously thin, so he’ll get a shot to make this team and get some touches. In fact, I’m really surprised they did not address this position earlier in the draft.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
AFC West
Oakland Raiders
I don’t know why I am even giving this team column space as Al Davis will run this team into the ground until he’s there himself. Why hire front office personnel if you are going to override them and pick guys who you like (mostly based on their 40 times). There just was not enough upside in Darrius Heyward-Bey to warrant picking him before Crabtree. He’s got great speed, and it stops there. He’s a raw route runner and he still fights off the ball a bit when catching outside his frame. Vampire Al could have traded down about eight spots and still gotten Heyward-Bey, but he didn’t and that’s why the Raiders will continue to draft in the top ten until he turns over the operations to actual football people who reside in the current date and time (and not the 1970s). Michael Mitchell was yet another example of this, and could have been the biggest head scratcher of the entire draft. Yes, I will buy that the Bears were interested, but I would also say that even though I do not trust Angelo I trust him to know that Mitchell could have been had any time from the third round on. Even if Mitchell ends up starting, he will have to play at a Pro Bowl level to justify why he was picked that high in the second when plenty of other worthy candidates were on the board. The only thing that keeps me from completely panning this draft was the selection of Louis Murphy in the 4th round. That was a very good value, and he should see the field early with the lack of WR depth on this team. I also won’t fault the Matt Shaughnessy pick either, as he can be a solid base 4-3 DE, but not as a third rounder. Poor is all I can say about this draft class until Al’s personal choices prove otherwise.
Denver Broncos
I think I’m smelling a theme within the AFC West, and it smells like draft day poo. The Broncos have done nothing but take missteps since the Josh McDaniels era began. Thanks for Cutler by the way, enjoy Neckbeard’s floating ten yard outs. I would suggest buying stock in Jack Daniels, as Orton is bound to be hitting it hard after his third consecutive three INT game come week four of the regular season. With a large stable of running backs already on the roster, a suspect defense in desperate need of an influx of talent, the Broncos made the great first round pick of…Knowshon Moreno???!!! I think Moreno is a solid RB, and should be a starting caliber player, but he’s not top 15 worthy in my book. I don’t think he will hold up physically as an every down back, so why waste a pick this high on a player such as this? Or maybe McDaniels realized Orton isn’t very good and that they need to run the ball well in order for him to be even remotely successful? Denver then went and followed up the Moreno pick with an even more head scratching move with Robert Ayers of Tennessee. Ayers was a fast riser going in to the draft, even though this was based mostly off the potential he showed in his Senior year and at the Senior Bowl and not his production in college. What makes no sense to me is that I think Ayers is a really bad fit as a 3-4 rush OLB. He’s a solid 4-3 DE who can anchor against the run and get after the QB when needed, but I think he’s too stiff to be able to drop into coverage and play the OLB position. Once again, there were an incredible amount of better players on the board when this pick came around, but the Bronco’s swung and missed once again. And just when you thought the picks couldn’t get worse, the whole Seattle trade comes out of left field and makes for an even more laughable start to day one for Denver. I will say that I really liked Alphonso Smith, and I think he’s going to be a top notch cover corner for a long time in this league. I just don’t think it was worth sacrificing next year’s number one pick for him, or at least not the pick that will more than likely be higher. If the Broncos shock everyone and finish 10-6 or better, then this is a moot point, but I would be willing to bet my mortgage that 6-10 is more than likely the outcome of the 2009/10 season. Darcel McBath is a solid safety prospect, but was a reach, and Richard Quinn was a MAJOR reach for the end of the second round! If they wanted a blocking TE, they could have gotten someone like Bear Pascoe in the 4th or 5th round. The only thing that somewhat saves the Broncos were there reasonable picks on day two. Dave Bruton was a good value and provide some depth with McBath at safety. Seth Olson fits well into the zone style running game of the Broncos, so he’s a solid value as a back up. Kenny McKinley was a bit underrated coming out of South Carolina and is not a bad pick here, but I don’t think he will be a major contributor in the passing game. Here’s what I said about Tom Brandstater, the QB they picked in round: “He’s a long shot and needs work, but I can see a team taking a 6th or 7th round flier to see if they can make him the next Matt Cassel.” I find it funny that the guy who helped mold Cassel is the person who drafted him. The best value pick the Broncos made all day was 7th round OC Blake Schlueter, who will provide depth and could potentially start some day. Overall, this is a poor draft and it will look even worse come draft day 2010 when the Seahawks are getting a chance at a top prospect while the Broncos wait for the 31st pick to go on the clock so they can prepare to make their first selection of the day. See, you get what I did there?? I’m smart like that.
Kansas City Chiefs
And the ‘what were they thinking?’ train keeps on rolling! The Chiefs biggest move of the draft was trading their second round pick for QB Matt Cassel. I’m still of the opinion that he’s got more Scott Mitchell in him than Matt Hasselbeck, but the jury is out. The one thing that is certain is he will be playing behind a very inexperienced and poor OL and will have few pass catching options outside of the no doubt to be double covered Dwayne Bowe. Picking Tyson Jackson in the first with the thought to start him right away at 3-4 DE was a no brainer, but picking him third overall was brainless. I will stand by my early analysis that Jackson was heavily overrated due to the fact that he fit so well into this type of defender. He may start, but in order to live up to his immense salary cap number, he’s going to need to be an impact player. And there are very few 3-4 DE’s that I would consider as ‘impact players’ in the NFL. What is even more puzzling was the pick up of Alex Magee in the third. With Jackson joining, this team has a glut of 3-4 style DE’s so Magee was almost a wasted pick. He has some upside, and can fit this defense, but I think he would have been better off as an undertackle in a 4-3 defense. I can understand drafting for depth, but with such a poor offensive line, the Chiefs would have been much better off going with an OL here instead. In fact, the only pick that actually made a bit of sense was Mr. Irrelevant Ryan Succop. He’s got a strong leg and may even end up winning out their starting place kicker spot. I can see the Chiefs being very bad this year, and this division should be an absolute cake walk for the Chargers. If you ask me, the Scott Pioli era has not started off well at this point.
San Diego Chargers
As you will have guessed by now if you have read my coverage, I’m a big fan of the Chargers front office. They do a very good job of scouting and they have a great feel for the type of player that fits their schemes well, even if some experts consider those picks reaches. The pick of Larry English was a huge surprise to me, but I can’t say it’s a bad pick. With Shawne Merriman out last year, you could see how much this impacted the pass rush. Shaun Phillips is a very good bookend OLB, but he needs someone on the other side of him to help pull away the double team. English is a converted down DE who excels at getting to the QB, so it provides good depth and insurance should Merriman go down once again or demand too much in free agency during the off-season. What was most surprising about the English pick was that there were two guys left on the board who I thought the Chargers would be all over (Michael Oher and Rey Maualuga). But AJ Smith threw everyone a curveball and went for the glamour position in rush OLB, which makes dollars and sense. The third and fourth round picks (respectively) of guards Louis Vasquez and Tyronne Green were excellent moves. The Chargers needed an upgrade of talent and depth at this position, and I think both have potential to start (and I like Green a bit more than Vasquez). I was thrown for a loop with the pick of 4th round DT Vaughn Martin. I had to look up information on who he was, as I have seen very little game film on Western Ontario. So with that, I can’t comment on how he is as a player, but I can say he’s an incredible athlete. He put up some amazing personal workout numbers for a very big DT. He’s athletic enough to play DE but big enough to play some NT as well. It’s a typical pick for the Chargers, who are willing to draft a talented player and let them develop into an eventual starter. Gartrell Johnson is the anti-Chargers RB. He’s a big battering ram, short yardage back, which this team did not have on its roster. LT and Sproles will be the primary backs, but don’t be surprised if Johnson gets some touches here and there to wear down defenses late in the game with his physical running style. The other pick I really like is 6th rounder Kevin Ellison. He’s a touch slow for SS, and might have been a better pick as a WLB in a 4-3, but he’s a very good football player. I read an article that said Ellison was the one player who almost every USC defender picked last year as the best player on that side of the ball. Considering the beasts that played for the Trojans last year, that’s fairly lofty praise, and I think it’s worth a shot on him even if he is a step slow. He’s going to find a way to contribute and I want those guys on my team. Overall, this is another under the radar but solid draft for the steady Chargers. As mentioned above, I think the Chargers have at least a two year window to run away with the AFC West due to the lack of talent on the other teams in the division.
I don’t know why I am even giving this team column space as Al Davis will run this team into the ground until he’s there himself. Why hire front office personnel if you are going to override them and pick guys who you like (mostly based on their 40 times). There just was not enough upside in Darrius Heyward-Bey to warrant picking him before Crabtree. He’s got great speed, and it stops there. He’s a raw route runner and he still fights off the ball a bit when catching outside his frame. Vampire Al could have traded down about eight spots and still gotten Heyward-Bey, but he didn’t and that’s why the Raiders will continue to draft in the top ten until he turns over the operations to actual football people who reside in the current date and time (and not the 1970s). Michael Mitchell was yet another example of this, and could have been the biggest head scratcher of the entire draft. Yes, I will buy that the Bears were interested, but I would also say that even though I do not trust Angelo I trust him to know that Mitchell could have been had any time from the third round on. Even if Mitchell ends up starting, he will have to play at a Pro Bowl level to justify why he was picked that high in the second when plenty of other worthy candidates were on the board. The only thing that keeps me from completely panning this draft was the selection of Louis Murphy in the 4th round. That was a very good value, and he should see the field early with the lack of WR depth on this team. I also won’t fault the Matt Shaughnessy pick either, as he can be a solid base 4-3 DE, but not as a third rounder. Poor is all I can say about this draft class until Al’s personal choices prove otherwise.
Denver Broncos
I think I’m smelling a theme within the AFC West, and it smells like draft day poo. The Broncos have done nothing but take missteps since the Josh McDaniels era began. Thanks for Cutler by the way, enjoy Neckbeard’s floating ten yard outs. I would suggest buying stock in Jack Daniels, as Orton is bound to be hitting it hard after his third consecutive three INT game come week four of the regular season. With a large stable of running backs already on the roster, a suspect defense in desperate need of an influx of talent, the Broncos made the great first round pick of…Knowshon Moreno???!!! I think Moreno is a solid RB, and should be a starting caliber player, but he’s not top 15 worthy in my book. I don’t think he will hold up physically as an every down back, so why waste a pick this high on a player such as this? Or maybe McDaniels realized Orton isn’t very good and that they need to run the ball well in order for him to be even remotely successful? Denver then went and followed up the Moreno pick with an even more head scratching move with Robert Ayers of Tennessee. Ayers was a fast riser going in to the draft, even though this was based mostly off the potential he showed in his Senior year and at the Senior Bowl and not his production in college. What makes no sense to me is that I think Ayers is a really bad fit as a 3-4 rush OLB. He’s a solid 4-3 DE who can anchor against the run and get after the QB when needed, but I think he’s too stiff to be able to drop into coverage and play the OLB position. Once again, there were an incredible amount of better players on the board when this pick came around, but the Bronco’s swung and missed once again. And just when you thought the picks couldn’t get worse, the whole Seattle trade comes out of left field and makes for an even more laughable start to day one for Denver. I will say that I really liked Alphonso Smith, and I think he’s going to be a top notch cover corner for a long time in this league. I just don’t think it was worth sacrificing next year’s number one pick for him, or at least not the pick that will more than likely be higher. If the Broncos shock everyone and finish 10-6 or better, then this is a moot point, but I would be willing to bet my mortgage that 6-10 is more than likely the outcome of the 2009/10 season. Darcel McBath is a solid safety prospect, but was a reach, and Richard Quinn was a MAJOR reach for the end of the second round! If they wanted a blocking TE, they could have gotten someone like Bear Pascoe in the 4th or 5th round. The only thing that somewhat saves the Broncos were there reasonable picks on day two. Dave Bruton was a good value and provide some depth with McBath at safety. Seth Olson fits well into the zone style running game of the Broncos, so he’s a solid value as a back up. Kenny McKinley was a bit underrated coming out of South Carolina and is not a bad pick here, but I don’t think he will be a major contributor in the passing game. Here’s what I said about Tom Brandstater, the QB they picked in round: “He’s a long shot and needs work, but I can see a team taking a 6th or 7th round flier to see if they can make him the next Matt Cassel.” I find it funny that the guy who helped mold Cassel is the person who drafted him. The best value pick the Broncos made all day was 7th round OC Blake Schlueter, who will provide depth and could potentially start some day. Overall, this is a poor draft and it will look even worse come draft day 2010 when the Seahawks are getting a chance at a top prospect while the Broncos wait for the 31st pick to go on the clock so they can prepare to make their first selection of the day. See, you get what I did there?? I’m smart like that.
Kansas City Chiefs
And the ‘what were they thinking?’ train keeps on rolling! The Chiefs biggest move of the draft was trading their second round pick for QB Matt Cassel. I’m still of the opinion that he’s got more Scott Mitchell in him than Matt Hasselbeck, but the jury is out. The one thing that is certain is he will be playing behind a very inexperienced and poor OL and will have few pass catching options outside of the no doubt to be double covered Dwayne Bowe. Picking Tyson Jackson in the first with the thought to start him right away at 3-4 DE was a no brainer, but picking him third overall was brainless. I will stand by my early analysis that Jackson was heavily overrated due to the fact that he fit so well into this type of defender. He may start, but in order to live up to his immense salary cap number, he’s going to need to be an impact player. And there are very few 3-4 DE’s that I would consider as ‘impact players’ in the NFL. What is even more puzzling was the pick up of Alex Magee in the third. With Jackson joining, this team has a glut of 3-4 style DE’s so Magee was almost a wasted pick. He has some upside, and can fit this defense, but I think he would have been better off as an undertackle in a 4-3 defense. I can understand drafting for depth, but with such a poor offensive line, the Chiefs would have been much better off going with an OL here instead. In fact, the only pick that actually made a bit of sense was Mr. Irrelevant Ryan Succop. He’s got a strong leg and may even end up winning out their starting place kicker spot. I can see the Chiefs being very bad this year, and this division should be an absolute cake walk for the Chargers. If you ask me, the Scott Pioli era has not started off well at this point.
San Diego Chargers
As you will have guessed by now if you have read my coverage, I’m a big fan of the Chargers front office. They do a very good job of scouting and they have a great feel for the type of player that fits their schemes well, even if some experts consider those picks reaches. The pick of Larry English was a huge surprise to me, but I can’t say it’s a bad pick. With Shawne Merriman out last year, you could see how much this impacted the pass rush. Shaun Phillips is a very good bookend OLB, but he needs someone on the other side of him to help pull away the double team. English is a converted down DE who excels at getting to the QB, so it provides good depth and insurance should Merriman go down once again or demand too much in free agency during the off-season. What was most surprising about the English pick was that there were two guys left on the board who I thought the Chargers would be all over (Michael Oher and Rey Maualuga). But AJ Smith threw everyone a curveball and went for the glamour position in rush OLB, which makes dollars and sense. The third and fourth round picks (respectively) of guards Louis Vasquez and Tyronne Green were excellent moves. The Chargers needed an upgrade of talent and depth at this position, and I think both have potential to start (and I like Green a bit more than Vasquez). I was thrown for a loop with the pick of 4th round DT Vaughn Martin. I had to look up information on who he was, as I have seen very little game film on Western Ontario. So with that, I can’t comment on how he is as a player, but I can say he’s an incredible athlete. He put up some amazing personal workout numbers for a very big DT. He’s athletic enough to play DE but big enough to play some NT as well. It’s a typical pick for the Chargers, who are willing to draft a talented player and let them develop into an eventual starter. Gartrell Johnson is the anti-Chargers RB. He’s a big battering ram, short yardage back, which this team did not have on its roster. LT and Sproles will be the primary backs, but don’t be surprised if Johnson gets some touches here and there to wear down defenses late in the game with his physical running style. The other pick I really like is 6th rounder Kevin Ellison. He’s a touch slow for SS, and might have been a better pick as a WLB in a 4-3, but he’s a very good football player. I read an article that said Ellison was the one player who almost every USC defender picked last year as the best player on that side of the ball. Considering the beasts that played for the Trojans last year, that’s fairly lofty praise, and I think it’s worth a shot on him even if he is a step slow. He’s going to find a way to contribute and I want those guys on my team. Overall, this is another under the radar but solid draft for the steady Chargers. As mentioned above, I think the Chargers have at least a two year window to run away with the AFC West due to the lack of talent on the other teams in the division.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are quickly becoming what I consider to be one of the more solid front offices in the league. GM Rod Graves has shown to be a shrewd decision maker who, if slightly risk averse, blends needs with available talent very well. The past two first round draft picks are perfect example of this in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Beanie Wells. Both were extremely talented players, at positions of need, who slipped due to experience and injury concerns respectively. I’m definitely skeptical of Wells being able to handle the pounding of a true feature back in the NFL, but for the 31st pick overall, he was an outstanding value. Knowing now that he has gotten banged up in the preseason and is out injured doesn’t hurt this theory, but I do think he will get healthy and will be an impact player for this team. Tim Hightower will steal some carries, but they are a good 1-2 punch of bigger backs who can wear down defenses late games. Cody Brown has very good pass rush potential, and will be afforded the time to focus on just that as a rush linebacker in their modified 3-4. He was a solid value late in the second round, and they need bodies at the position as this is probably the biggest weakness on this team (lucky for them their secondary is top notch). Perhaps the biggest steal they got was Rashad Johnson in the third round. I’m not a big fan of Johnson’s, but I thought he would go a good bit higher than the late third round. He’s not a physical tackler, but he’s smart and good in coverage. The Cardinals have one of the NFL’s best SS’s in Adrian Wilson, who is a fierce tackler and blitzer, so Johnson is the perfect compliment. I would not be surprised if he’s starting by week one. Herman Johnson sliding to the fifth wasn’t that big of a surprise to me as he’s not nearly as good of an offensive lineman as his size would indicate. He does provide depth though, and with some good coaching he could potentially develop into a starting caliber OG. Seventh rounder Trevor Canfield was also a very good addition and he should battle with Johnson for one of the back up spots at guard. Overall, this is a very good draft day haul.
San Francisco 49ers
I’m still shocked that Crabtree slipped to the 10th overall pick, but I’m also not shocked at all that he is still not signed. He’s a bit too much of a diva, but then again, what WR isn’t these days? If he ever gets signed, he’s going to have one hell of a learning curve and might not contribute right away, but he will eventually be a top flight #1 WR for this team. I was a bit surprised to see a team in need of depth and talent trade their second round pick, especially seeing as Everette Brown is who the Panthers picked with this selection, as he would have been the exact type of player this defense needed. But when you consider that the 49ers will now get a first rounder in 2010, this may end up being an even better decision with the talent pool that will be available. Glen Coffee seemed to slip through the cracks a bit, but he was a nice selection in the third round and should see time with an injury prone Frank Gore in front of him. Plus he’s got good hands catching passes out of the backfield so he will probably see some third down opportunities right away. I liked Scott McKillop a bit more than others due to the fact that he’s a perfect fit as a run stuffing strong side ILB for a 3-4. To be honest, you could put me next to Patrick Willis and he’s good enough to make me productive. I don’t know if he will start right away as he does have physical limitations like a lack of straight line speed, but he is a fighter and I expect him to be in the mix. I don’t think Nate Davis will ever be an NFL QB due to his lack of height and his documented struggles with learning an NFL caliber playbook, but he’s a solid value as a 5th round developmental prospect. The two biggest steals for San Fran were 6th round TE Bear Pascoe and 7th rounder Rocky Jean-Francois. Pascoe will see time immediately as a blocking TE behind pass catching vertical threat Vernon Davis. He’s an old school brand of TE that Singletary will no doubt like. Jean-Francois is about as risk/reward as you get. When he was actually on the field at LSU, I thought he was better at times that former top ten pick Glenn Dorsey. The problem is he was suspended for academics and off the field infractions more than he played. He’s a good fit as a 3-4 DE, and for a late 7th round pick, you can’t go wrong. If he behaves you have a great rotational player who is great at blocking field goals, and if not, you can cut him and not think twice.
St. Louis Rams
All I can say is that I am glad I am not a Rams fan. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of their struggles as this team is still not very good. Jason Smith was a no brainer and a great pick for this team. He should be the day one starter at LT and has potential to be a future Pro Bowler. It’s after this pick that things just don’t make sense to me. How the Rams passed up Rey Maualuga for James Laurinitis is beyond me. Laurinitis was more hype than substance, and I think it will show in the NFL. For him to be successful he needs to have big DT’s in front of him to occupy blockers, and this team does not have players like that on their roster. I think the Rams will not be the only team who will regret passing on Rey once the season concludes. I can’t argue too much with the third round selection of Bradley Fletcher either, as he’s the type of physical press corner that Spagnuolo prefers. With the lack of real playmakers at corner for this team, I could see Fletcher pushing for a lot of playing time right away. DT Dorell Scott wasn’t a bad 4th round pick as well and should play in a rotation, but he’s never going to be starting material in my opinion. The only other pick of note was seventh rounder RB Chris Ogbannaya of Texas, who I liked more than most other experts did. Once again though, he’s nothing more than a nice back up and special teams player.
Seattle Seahawks
I have to admit on draft day that I bought in to the hype that Seattle may potentially snag Mark Sanchez with the fourth overall pick. I’m very glad they didn’t, as they got arguable the best overall player available. Curry is a horse and will be an impact player right away. He’s just a terrific all around linebacker who will be a mainstay on this defense for years to come. Seattle also pulled what might have been the stupidest/smartest trade of the 2009 draft by tricking the Broncos in to giving up their 2010 first rounder for the rights to pick Alphonso Smith. I liked Smith, don’t get me wrong, but I think Denver is going to suck this year and the Seahawks are all the richer for this. I just couldn’t believe that Denver would be stupid enough to give up their pick and not the Bears pick, which is guaranteed to be lower. I understand you want to think you will be better, but they have to have realized that the odds were stacked against them making a big improvement this year and somehow finishing above the Bears in the overall standings. Then Angelo pulled his usual low risk move by trading down for volume on the early part of the second day. Getting Max Unger was huge as I thought he was a high second round pick at worst. He’s versatile and can play pretty much any of the five OL positions, but with Chris Spencer’s recent injury, he is poised to be the starting center right away. This was a great value for them, and in my opinion, worth giving up their third and fourth round picks to the Bears. Deon Butler was another very good selection as he will fit well on this WR needy team. He’s great out of the slot, and can return kicks as well. He’s going to see a lot of touches as a rookie, especially for a late third rounder. I don’t get the pick of Mike Teel, as he’s going to struggle to find a spot as a third QB. The late round picks Seattle made were very good value selections though, as Courtney Greene should be in the mix at their weak safety position, Nick Reed is a good effort guy who should find a way to stick with this team, and Cameron Morrah is a solid second TE option behind John Carlson. Overall, a very good draft considering the potential top 10 pick they will get next year (which for a team looking for a long term QB replacement, you couldn’t have gotten a better year for it).
The Cardinals are quickly becoming what I consider to be one of the more solid front offices in the league. GM Rod Graves has shown to be a shrewd decision maker who, if slightly risk averse, blends needs with available talent very well. The past two first round draft picks are perfect example of this in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Beanie Wells. Both were extremely talented players, at positions of need, who slipped due to experience and injury concerns respectively. I’m definitely skeptical of Wells being able to handle the pounding of a true feature back in the NFL, but for the 31st pick overall, he was an outstanding value. Knowing now that he has gotten banged up in the preseason and is out injured doesn’t hurt this theory, but I do think he will get healthy and will be an impact player for this team. Tim Hightower will steal some carries, but they are a good 1-2 punch of bigger backs who can wear down defenses late games. Cody Brown has very good pass rush potential, and will be afforded the time to focus on just that as a rush linebacker in their modified 3-4. He was a solid value late in the second round, and they need bodies at the position as this is probably the biggest weakness on this team (lucky for them their secondary is top notch). Perhaps the biggest steal they got was Rashad Johnson in the third round. I’m not a big fan of Johnson’s, but I thought he would go a good bit higher than the late third round. He’s not a physical tackler, but he’s smart and good in coverage. The Cardinals have one of the NFL’s best SS’s in Adrian Wilson, who is a fierce tackler and blitzer, so Johnson is the perfect compliment. I would not be surprised if he’s starting by week one. Herman Johnson sliding to the fifth wasn’t that big of a surprise to me as he’s not nearly as good of an offensive lineman as his size would indicate. He does provide depth though, and with some good coaching he could potentially develop into a starting caliber OG. Seventh rounder Trevor Canfield was also a very good addition and he should battle with Johnson for one of the back up spots at guard. Overall, this is a very good draft day haul.
San Francisco 49ers
I’m still shocked that Crabtree slipped to the 10th overall pick, but I’m also not shocked at all that he is still not signed. He’s a bit too much of a diva, but then again, what WR isn’t these days? If he ever gets signed, he’s going to have one hell of a learning curve and might not contribute right away, but he will eventually be a top flight #1 WR for this team. I was a bit surprised to see a team in need of depth and talent trade their second round pick, especially seeing as Everette Brown is who the Panthers picked with this selection, as he would have been the exact type of player this defense needed. But when you consider that the 49ers will now get a first rounder in 2010, this may end up being an even better decision with the talent pool that will be available. Glen Coffee seemed to slip through the cracks a bit, but he was a nice selection in the third round and should see time with an injury prone Frank Gore in front of him. Plus he’s got good hands catching passes out of the backfield so he will probably see some third down opportunities right away. I liked Scott McKillop a bit more than others due to the fact that he’s a perfect fit as a run stuffing strong side ILB for a 3-4. To be honest, you could put me next to Patrick Willis and he’s good enough to make me productive. I don’t know if he will start right away as he does have physical limitations like a lack of straight line speed, but he is a fighter and I expect him to be in the mix. I don’t think Nate Davis will ever be an NFL QB due to his lack of height and his documented struggles with learning an NFL caliber playbook, but he’s a solid value as a 5th round developmental prospect. The two biggest steals for San Fran were 6th round TE Bear Pascoe and 7th rounder Rocky Jean-Francois. Pascoe will see time immediately as a blocking TE behind pass catching vertical threat Vernon Davis. He’s an old school brand of TE that Singletary will no doubt like. Jean-Francois is about as risk/reward as you get. When he was actually on the field at LSU, I thought he was better at times that former top ten pick Glenn Dorsey. The problem is he was suspended for academics and off the field infractions more than he played. He’s a good fit as a 3-4 DE, and for a late 7th round pick, you can’t go wrong. If he behaves you have a great rotational player who is great at blocking field goals, and if not, you can cut him and not think twice.
St. Louis Rams
All I can say is that I am glad I am not a Rams fan. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of their struggles as this team is still not very good. Jason Smith was a no brainer and a great pick for this team. He should be the day one starter at LT and has potential to be a future Pro Bowler. It’s after this pick that things just don’t make sense to me. How the Rams passed up Rey Maualuga for James Laurinitis is beyond me. Laurinitis was more hype than substance, and I think it will show in the NFL. For him to be successful he needs to have big DT’s in front of him to occupy blockers, and this team does not have players like that on their roster. I think the Rams will not be the only team who will regret passing on Rey once the season concludes. I can’t argue too much with the third round selection of Bradley Fletcher either, as he’s the type of physical press corner that Spagnuolo prefers. With the lack of real playmakers at corner for this team, I could see Fletcher pushing for a lot of playing time right away. DT Dorell Scott wasn’t a bad 4th round pick as well and should play in a rotation, but he’s never going to be starting material in my opinion. The only other pick of note was seventh rounder RB Chris Ogbannaya of Texas, who I liked more than most other experts did. Once again though, he’s nothing more than a nice back up and special teams player.
Seattle Seahawks
I have to admit on draft day that I bought in to the hype that Seattle may potentially snag Mark Sanchez with the fourth overall pick. I’m very glad they didn’t, as they got arguable the best overall player available. Curry is a horse and will be an impact player right away. He’s just a terrific all around linebacker who will be a mainstay on this defense for years to come. Seattle also pulled what might have been the stupidest/smartest trade of the 2009 draft by tricking the Broncos in to giving up their 2010 first rounder for the rights to pick Alphonso Smith. I liked Smith, don’t get me wrong, but I think Denver is going to suck this year and the Seahawks are all the richer for this. I just couldn’t believe that Denver would be stupid enough to give up their pick and not the Bears pick, which is guaranteed to be lower. I understand you want to think you will be better, but they have to have realized that the odds were stacked against them making a big improvement this year and somehow finishing above the Bears in the overall standings. Then Angelo pulled his usual low risk move by trading down for volume on the early part of the second day. Getting Max Unger was huge as I thought he was a high second round pick at worst. He’s versatile and can play pretty much any of the five OL positions, but with Chris Spencer’s recent injury, he is poised to be the starting center right away. This was a great value for them, and in my opinion, worth giving up their third and fourth round picks to the Bears. Deon Butler was another very good selection as he will fit well on this WR needy team. He’s great out of the slot, and can return kicks as well. He’s going to see a lot of touches as a rookie, especially for a late third rounder. I don’t get the pick of Mike Teel, as he’s going to struggle to find a spot as a third QB. The late round picks Seattle made were very good value selections though, as Courtney Greene should be in the mix at their weak safety position, Nick Reed is a good effort guy who should find a way to stick with this team, and Cameron Morrah is a solid second TE option behind John Carlson. Overall, a very good draft considering the potential top 10 pick they will get next year (which for a team looking for a long term QB replacement, you couldn’t have gotten a better year for it).
Never fear, the Diesel Draft Analysis is here!
So I completely dropped the ball with finishing the post draft review, and I can do nothing but profusely apologize and hope you will still continue to be loyal readers. Seeing as I now have some free time, I will not only be finishing the post-draft recap but I will also do a look forward to the 2009 college football season. I mentioned it in passing last year, but I will come out and officially say that this is one of the better drafts I have seen in some time. There are more then ten players I could rattle off the top of my head who I would consider worthy of being a top ten pick in the draft, and that’s without many of the Juniors who I fully expect to leave after this year. Armed with some additional knowledge, hopefully you will all be able to enjoy the games you probably would not have watched otherwise, like Florida vs. Troy. Enough with the blabber and on to the coverage!
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