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Draft Winners and Losers |
May 16, 2007, 5:03 PM
by Shaun DePasquale
While only time will tell who the winners and losers were from the 2007 Draft, there is always room to nit-pick and speculate, and with that in mind, my top 5 winners and losers from the 2007 Draft.
1. Tennessee Titans
If top pick safety Michael Griffin had come from any other college other than Texas, he might not be a Titan right now. Earlier in the draft season, I jokingly predicted to a friend that Griffin would be the team's first round pick, since the team seems to be aiming of late to become the Tennessee "Longhorns" and surround their much-hyped QB Vince Young with as many former teammates as possible. Lo and behold, the team reached on a position that didn't really warrant a 1st round selection, especially with hometown talent Robert Meachem on the board at wide receiver, who could give Young an explosive, young, deep threat in the passing game. The Titans' draft didn't really go on to make much more sense from there. In the 2nd round, the team reached on a raw, inexperienced RB to pair with LenDale White---Arizona's Chris Henry. The Titans showed some confidence in their 3-WR package from the 2005 draft, but also recognized that help at the position was necessary by selecting Fresno State WR Paul Williams in the 3rd round, Florida State's small, speedy Chris Davis in the 4th round, and Joel Filani of Texas Tech in the 6th round. Williams has the most potential of the 3, with a big 6'1” 205 pound frame, but is not ready to make an impact yet. Davis and Filani are most likely long-shots to be difference makers. The Titans did manage some solid picks, but not nearly enough to salvage a decent grade. They added North Carolina State offensive lineman Leroy Harris with their other 4th round selection, and in the 7th round got a good value in Purdue offensive tackle Mike Otto. The Titans do have a knack for finding and developing later-round offensive linemen. Additionally, Florida cornerback Ryan Smith (6th round), Mississippi State defensive tackle Antonio Johnson (5th round), and speedy Central Arkansas defensive end Jacob Ford (6th round) have a reasonable shot of making the team and earning significant playing time down the road. But overall, given the reaches and not addressing key areas like WR and CB early, this draft was just a mess for first-time G.M. Mike Reinfeldt.
2. Miami Dolphins
Coming in a close second is the Miami Dolphins. And not so much for Ted Ginn Jr. than the totality of the draft overall. Like the Titans, they undoubtedly added some solid players with some of their 10 picks. But for the most part, Cam Cameron's first draft is full of gambles and uncertainty. Ted Ginn Jr. was a surprise pick at #9 overall, but the team grabbed the guy they wanted all along, one pick before the Houston Texans had planned to take him. Though Ginn will miss a substantial amount of the offseason recovering from a foot injury sustained during the National Championship game, he could make make an immediate impact both in the deep passing game and as an explosive return threat. But in the 2nd round, the team gambled on B.Y.U. quarterback John Beck to be the QB-of-the-future. Problem is, Beck will soon be 26 years old, never was spectacular in college, only coming on as a senior, and has the aura of being a "system" B.Y.U. QB, which hasn't produced a star since Steve Young. The Dolphins struck gold with their next two picks, landing mammoth Hawaii guard/center Samson Satele in the 2nd round, who should be a day 1 starter, and in the 3rd round selecting speedy Lorenzo Booker of Florida State to be the change-of-pace back to Ronnie Brown. Both were rock-solid choices. In the 4th round the team took huge Utah DT Paul Soliai to eventually become the NT in the team's 3-4 sets. But the next pick, albeit in the 6th round, was just awful. Hawaii FB Reagan Mauia checks in at a whopping 6'0 and 272 pounds. Mauia is a convert from the offensive line, so he's raw and will be a project. Mauia could reasonably be groomed into a guard at his size, but if he slims down and cuts some fat off his frame, he could also end up at FB. Mauia was more of a free agent grade. Guys they could have had instead? Florida linebacker Brandon Siler, who has potential inside in their 3-4 defense, or Delaware tight end Ben Patrick would have made great picks. The team took some solid, depth and special teams players the rest of the way, including intriguing players like Central Michigan guard/center Drew Mormino in the 6th round and Syracuse linebacker Kelvin Smith in the 7th, a sleeper at the position who will take time to develop but has great instincts.
3. Houston Texans
Houston earns a poor grade for ignoring big needs and adding a bunch of raw, risky picks to their roster. After just missing out on Ohio State WR/KR Ted Ginn Jr, Louisville defensive tackle Amobi Okoye can be justified at the 10 slot. Pairing him up with last year's gem defensive end Mario Williams certainly helps the pass rush, as Okoye is a great interior pass-rusher and gets excellent push up front. But from there, there was absolutely no one taken who is assured of helping the team long-term. Without a pick in the 2nd round (traded to Atlanta for new franchise-QB Matt Schaub) the team did not pick until the 3rd round, where they could have helped aging-FA RB Ahman Green with a falling talent like Antonio Pittman of Ohio State. Instead, the team gambled on big Lane College wide receiver Jacoby Jones, who will be a big longshot to contribute anytime soon to the offense. The team could have also instead taken Cal's Daymeion Hughes at cornerback, but instead settled for Fred Bennett from South Carolina in the 4th round, who has bad ball skills and gives up too many big plays. He will probably never be more than a nickel corner. The rest of the Texans draft consisted of depth players who may never contribute much to the team. Safety Brandon Harrison of Stanford and Virginia Tech offensive tackle Brandon Frye in the 5th round, Texas offensive guard Kasey Studdard in the 6th, and Kansas State linebacker Zach Diles in the 7th round. This is a team that needed to address WR, CB, S and RB in a big way, and failed to do so.
4. Green Bay Packers
Wow, where was G.M. Ted Thompson's mind this entire weekend? It couldn't have been on Green Bay's needs too much. With the 16th overall pick, the team reached on Tennessee defensive tackle Justin Harrell, who is recovering from a torn biceps injury. But at the same position Harrell is expected to play, the team just re-signed promising Cullen Jenkins. One pick later, Florida defensive end Jarvis Moss was taken by the Denver Broncos. Even Moss could have helped the defensive front more by adding a pass-rushing presence across from Pro Bowler Aaron Kampman. Fans’ expectations of Harrell will be high after being over-drafted by Thompson. But the big mistake was in not adding a top-flight WR to help out young Greg Jennings, when both LSU's Dwayne Bowe and Tennessee's Robert Meachem were available. In the 2nd round the team added raw Nebraska running back Brandon Jackson, whom they expect to come in and make a difference right away in a committee approach with Vernand Morency and Noah Herron. In the 3rd, San Jose State's James Jones, and 5th, Virginia Tech's David Clowney, the team finally added WR help, although neither are likely to provide much help in the short-term. The team's best picks were made late. 6th rounders Korey Hall (Boise State converted LB) at fullback and kicker Mason Crosby (Colorado) could end up starting, and 7th round running back DeShawn Wynn of the National Champion Florida Gators could end up surprising and stealing some thunder from the aforementioned Jackson. If 7th round tight end Clark Harris of Rutgers develops as a receiver, the team could have a 7th round steal, and a replacement for underachieving Bubba Franks. But the bottom line from this draft was a big reach in the first round (it's arguable Harrell was even the best defensive tackle still on the board at the time), and not addressing key needs early at WR, CB, and DE.
5. Philadephia Eagles
A team who usually drafts well, the Philadelphia Eagles appeared to lose their edge for one year, though they too added a few helpful players along the way. But the choice of Houston quarterback Kevin Kolb at 36 overall in the 2nd round was not a smart one, regardless of how much Kolb may have intrigued them. For starters, there's Donovan McNabb. How much longer does the team plan to employ him? If it's for more than 2 years, which it should be, then Kolb doesn't make much sense here. The Packers have probably second-guessed their decision a few years ago to take Cal QB Aaron Rodgers in the first round, after watching Brady Quinn fall to their pick at 16 overall this year. Rodgers should endure his third straight season of little-to-no playing time behind Favre this year. Well, same applies here for Philadephia. Why settle for a wallflower one year when a supermodel could come along looking for a date later on down the road? The pick of Notre Dame defensive end Victor Abiamiri didn't fill a big need either, though down the line he could replace Jevon Kearse. In the 3rd round, the team did much better in adding Nebraska LB Stewart Bradley, who could earn a starting spot as early as 2008, and by finally getting their big power-back to pair with RB Brian Westbrook--Penn State's slow, bruising Tony Hunt. The second day was full of longshots, but Clemson safety C.J. Gaddis (5th round) could help out at either safety or cornerback, and Cincinnati TE Brent Celek (5th round) could be a longshot to replace L.J. Smith at some point. The team could have done much better in addressing their weaknesses at WR and in the secondary though. The fact that they did not add a WR at any point in the draft is a ringing endorsement of Hank Baskett, whom the team obviously feels is a viable starting WR across from the equally-iffy Reggie Brown. Both receivers showed flashes last year, but too often disappeared in games. USC wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett was available to the team at 36, and McNabb sure would have appreciated the help at receiver, over a replacement at QB.
1. Cleveland Browns
Very simple, they walked away from this draft with Wisconsin stud offensive tackle Joe Thomas at the 3rd overall pick, and amazingly landed franchise-QB Brady Quinn of Notre Dame as well. Both were consensus top-10 talents at positions of key needs, and all it cost the team to move up from the 2nd round back into the 1st to grab Quinn at the 22nd pick was next year's 1st round pick. Sure, the general thought is that the pick will be a top 10 pick. Maybe it will be. They probably would have used that pick on a quarterback anyway. Best of all, they get Quinn at a #22 rookie salary, which would be a bargain if Quinn lives up to the hype. It's hard to do much better than that from this draft, and you could argue no team did. The Browns went on to mortgage later picks to move back into the 2nd round and select talented, but troubled UNLV cornerback Eric Wright. You can second-guess the move, but the team did address yet another big, big need. Those 3 picks were the bulk of the draft, as the team did not pick again until the 5th round, but with big DE's Melila Purcell of Hawaii (6th round) and Chase Pittman of L.S.U. (7th round), the team possibly may have uncovered a couple of late-round gems, as well.
2. Carolina Panthers
This class is all about value and potential. Their first three picks after the 1st round all could have easily been 1st round selections as well. It starts with the 1st round pick, Miami (FL) linebacker Jon Beason, who the Panthers targeted all along, but were able to trade down with the Jets from #14 all the way down to #25 to gain picks and still grab their guy. Beason can play outside but will likely take over at some point for fellow Miami alum Dan Morgan in the middle. In the 2nd round, the Panthers may have found the steal of the draft in USC wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett, who slid all the way into the 2nd round after questions surrounding his (lack of) speed at the position. Jarrett was a playmaker in college whom guys like Matt Leinart and John David Booty always looked to for a big play. If he can carry that success and production over into the pros, he will have been a steal. Carolina considers him a starter-in-waiting, and already has cut ties with Keyshawn Johnson, knocking down one barrier in Jarrett's way. Carolina also added the top center in the draft in the 2nd round, another USC player, Ryan Kalil. Kalil will be an opening day starter, pushing Justin Hartwig inside to guard. Kalil is a stalwart inside with great power and a strong base, and could develop into a Pro Bowl center. The value kept coming for Carolina in the 3rd round in the form of Georgia underclassman defensive end Charles Johnson. Johnson had a better year as a junior last year as his more bally-hooed fellow defensive end Quentin Moses did as a senior. But Moses was the higher drafted of the two. Johnson has alot of potential though, and is penciled in as the successor to Mike Rucker across from Julius Peppers. The Panthers made a nice pick in the 4th round with Miami of Ohio WR/KR Ryne Robinson, who can help both as a receiver, and returner. Along with Jarrett, the two players solidify the WR position for the foreseeable future. The team polished their draft off with two picks who may surprise---Penn State linebacker Tim Shaw in the 5th round, and Baylor cornerback C.J. Wilson in the 7th round, who impressed at the East/West Shrine game with excellent size at 6'1”, 195 pounds, and whom could slide over to safety and help out at a big need area that seemed to go largely over-looked in the draft.
3. Minnesota Vikings
Though they should have done better with their QB pick than Coastal Carolina's Tyler Thigpen in the 7th round, this was a phenomenal draft for Brad Childress and G.M. Rick Spielman. Adrian Peterson is a franchise-back who will not be pressed into hard duty with Chester Taylor already on the roster. With a big need at WR, the team added South Carolina phenom Sidney Rice in the 2nd round (who could have returned to school and possibly been a top 10 pick in 2008) and got a steal in East Carolina's Aundrae Allison in the 5th round. The good picks were not just limited to RB and WR though. In the 3rd round the team addressed CB by taking Fresno State's Marcus McCauley, who could end up starting sooner rather than later, and may have also uncovered starters in the 4th round with Texas DE Brian Robison, and in the 6th round in Oklahoma LB Rufus Alexander, who at one time was considered a likely 1st round pick. The draft was not perfect, and needs at QB and TE were largely ignored, but in terms of bang for their buck, the Vikings grabbed a plethora of potential impact rookies in this class.
4. San Francisco 49ers
Scott McCloughan and Mike Nolan loaded up on defensive players for the 3-4, and came away with a jaw-dropping haul. When you consider they also landed Seahawks wide receiver Darrell Jackson for a 4th round pick, their draft is made even better. The pick of Ole Miss middle linebacker Patrick Willis broke the hearts of many teams picking after them. Willis was hands down the top linebacker in the draft after running a 4.3 40 yard dash at his Pro Day workout. The team went on to trade a 2008 1st round pick to New England to move back into the 1st round and stop the slide of Central Michigan offensive tackle Joe Staley, who should come in immediately and replace bust Kwame Harris at RT, eventually taking over for Jonas Jennings at LT. Gotta keep the franchise QB upright. The team didn't pick again until the 3rd round, but chose twice in the round and hit on two big names--Washington State WR Jason Hill, and Florida DE Ray McDonald. Hill will give Alex Smith another deep threat to look for down the field, and McDonald gives the team a probable starter at defensive end in the 3-4. Nebraska DE Jay Moore was next in the 4th round, and the team plans to try to use him at stand-up linebacker in the 3-4. Two more 4th round picks (Washington safety Dashon Goldson & Florida DT Joe Cohen) and a 5th round pick (troubled Texas CB Tarell Brown) produced more defensive players for Nolan. Goldson could challenge Mark Roman at free safety at some point, while Cohen could become the team's NT. If Brown can keep his nose clean, he had 1st round-ability at cornerback. The 7th round produced a nice depth player at RB--Kansas State's Thomas Clayton, who could give the team the luxury of moving athletic Michael Robinson to WR. On top of adding CB Nate Clements and SS Michael Lewis in free agency, it is safe to say that the 49ers are now putting the pieces together, and should be a team to watch out for.
5. New York Giants
Any fan of good old-fashioned drafting of solid, need-filling players must love what Jerry Reese was able to do in his first draft as the team's G.M. Recognizing that CB was his top need, and knowing that the position was running dry in a hurry, Reese re-buffed trade offers from the Browns and stood pat to take Thorpe-Award winner Aaron Ross of Texas. Ross could win a starting job as a rookie over either Sam Madison or Corey Webster. He was a fine pick for the team, filling a big need that lacked alot of in-house options. In the 2nd round the team grabbed a great value in USC wide receiver Steve Smith, who the team hopes will be a solid downfield weapon for Eli Manning. Given Plaxico Burress' inconsistency and Amani Toomer's age, it was a fine pick. In the 3rd round the team grabbed the under-tackle they desperately needed in Penn State's Jay Alford, who could boot Fred Robbins from the starting line-up as a rookie. Not a flashy pick, but a good one that filled a need. In the 4th round the team grabbed productive Ivy League linebacker Zac DeOssie, whose father Steve is a former Giants linebacker. He will strengthen the depth at LB and could eventually challenge for a spot in the starting line-up. Western Oregon tight end Kevin Boss was taken in the 5th round to do what Visanthe Shiancoe proved he could not--back-up Jeremy Shockey properly. Boss is a big (6'7” 252) target who could be a great back-up to the Pro Bowler. The remaining picks were all of great potential, and all 3 could make the final roster. Sixth round OT Adam Koets of Oregon State was a productive tackle in the Pac-10 and will get a long look at the position. Big, athletic Arizona safety Michael Johnson was a potential steal in the 7th round, and the final 7th round pick, Marshall RB Ahmad Bradshaw, could be the change-of-pace RB behind Brandon Jacobs that the team sought. Overall, a very solid draft with alot of potentially good players, with few busts in view. They may be able to keep the playoff hopes alive this season if some of these picks contribute early.
Losers
1. Tennessee Titans
If top pick safety Michael Griffin had come from any other college other than Texas, he might not be a Titan right now. Earlier in the draft season, I jokingly predicted to a friend that Griffin would be the team's first round pick, since the team seems to be aiming of late to become the Tennessee "Longhorns" and surround their much-hyped QB Vince Young with as many former teammates as possible. Lo and behold, the team reached on a position that didn't really warrant a 1st round selection, especially with hometown talent Robert Meachem on the board at wide receiver, who could give Young an explosive, young, deep threat in the passing game. The Titans' draft didn't really go on to make much more sense from there. In the 2nd round, the team reached on a raw, inexperienced RB to pair with LenDale White---Arizona's Chris Henry. The Titans showed some confidence in their 3-WR package from the 2005 draft, but also recognized that help at the position was necessary by selecting Fresno State WR Paul Williams in the 3rd round, Florida State's small, speedy Chris Davis in the 4th round, and Joel Filani of Texas Tech in the 6th round. Williams has the most potential of the 3, with a big 6'1” 205 pound frame, but is not ready to make an impact yet. Davis and Filani are most likely long-shots to be difference makers. The Titans did manage some solid picks, but not nearly enough to salvage a decent grade. They added North Carolina State offensive lineman Leroy Harris with their other 4th round selection, and in the 7th round got a good value in Purdue offensive tackle Mike Otto. The Titans do have a knack for finding and developing later-round offensive linemen. Additionally, Florida cornerback Ryan Smith (6th round), Mississippi State defensive tackle Antonio Johnson (5th round), and speedy Central Arkansas defensive end Jacob Ford (6th round) have a reasonable shot of making the team and earning significant playing time down the road. But overall, given the reaches and not addressing key areas like WR and CB early, this draft was just a mess for first-time G.M. Mike Reinfeldt.
2. Miami Dolphins
Coming in a close second is the Miami Dolphins. And not so much for Ted Ginn Jr. than the totality of the draft overall. Like the Titans, they undoubtedly added some solid players with some of their 10 picks. But for the most part, Cam Cameron's first draft is full of gambles and uncertainty. Ted Ginn Jr. was a surprise pick at #9 overall, but the team grabbed the guy they wanted all along, one pick before the Houston Texans had planned to take him. Though Ginn will miss a substantial amount of the offseason recovering from a foot injury sustained during the National Championship game, he could make make an immediate impact both in the deep passing game and as an explosive return threat. But in the 2nd round, the team gambled on B.Y.U. quarterback John Beck to be the QB-of-the-future. Problem is, Beck will soon be 26 years old, never was spectacular in college, only coming on as a senior, and has the aura of being a "system" B.Y.U. QB, which hasn't produced a star since Steve Young. The Dolphins struck gold with their next two picks, landing mammoth Hawaii guard/center Samson Satele in the 2nd round, who should be a day 1 starter, and in the 3rd round selecting speedy Lorenzo Booker of Florida State to be the change-of-pace back to Ronnie Brown. Both were rock-solid choices. In the 4th round the team took huge Utah DT Paul Soliai to eventually become the NT in the team's 3-4 sets. But the next pick, albeit in the 6th round, was just awful. Hawaii FB Reagan Mauia checks in at a whopping 6'0 and 272 pounds. Mauia is a convert from the offensive line, so he's raw and will be a project. Mauia could reasonably be groomed into a guard at his size, but if he slims down and cuts some fat off his frame, he could also end up at FB. Mauia was more of a free agent grade. Guys they could have had instead? Florida linebacker Brandon Siler, who has potential inside in their 3-4 defense, or Delaware tight end Ben Patrick would have made great picks. The team took some solid, depth and special teams players the rest of the way, including intriguing players like Central Michigan guard/center Drew Mormino in the 6th round and Syracuse linebacker Kelvin Smith in the 7th, a sleeper at the position who will take time to develop but has great instincts.
3. Houston Texans
Houston earns a poor grade for ignoring big needs and adding a bunch of raw, risky picks to their roster. After just missing out on Ohio State WR/KR Ted Ginn Jr, Louisville defensive tackle Amobi Okoye can be justified at the 10 slot. Pairing him up with last year's gem defensive end Mario Williams certainly helps the pass rush, as Okoye is a great interior pass-rusher and gets excellent push up front. But from there, there was absolutely no one taken who is assured of helping the team long-term. Without a pick in the 2nd round (traded to Atlanta for new franchise-QB Matt Schaub) the team did not pick until the 3rd round, where they could have helped aging-FA RB Ahman Green with a falling talent like Antonio Pittman of Ohio State. Instead, the team gambled on big Lane College wide receiver Jacoby Jones, who will be a big longshot to contribute anytime soon to the offense. The team could have also instead taken Cal's Daymeion Hughes at cornerback, but instead settled for Fred Bennett from South Carolina in the 4th round, who has bad ball skills and gives up too many big plays. He will probably never be more than a nickel corner. The rest of the Texans draft consisted of depth players who may never contribute much to the team. Safety Brandon Harrison of Stanford and Virginia Tech offensive tackle Brandon Frye in the 5th round, Texas offensive guard Kasey Studdard in the 6th, and Kansas State linebacker Zach Diles in the 7th round. This is a team that needed to address WR, CB, S and RB in a big way, and failed to do so.
4. Green Bay Packers
Wow, where was G.M. Ted Thompson's mind this entire weekend? It couldn't have been on Green Bay's needs too much. With the 16th overall pick, the team reached on Tennessee defensive tackle Justin Harrell, who is recovering from a torn biceps injury. But at the same position Harrell is expected to play, the team just re-signed promising Cullen Jenkins. One pick later, Florida defensive end Jarvis Moss was taken by the Denver Broncos. Even Moss could have helped the defensive front more by adding a pass-rushing presence across from Pro Bowler Aaron Kampman. Fans’ expectations of Harrell will be high after being over-drafted by Thompson. But the big mistake was in not adding a top-flight WR to help out young Greg Jennings, when both LSU's Dwayne Bowe and Tennessee's Robert Meachem were available. In the 2nd round the team added raw Nebraska running back Brandon Jackson, whom they expect to come in and make a difference right away in a committee approach with Vernand Morency and Noah Herron. In the 3rd, San Jose State's James Jones, and 5th, Virginia Tech's David Clowney, the team finally added WR help, although neither are likely to provide much help in the short-term. The team's best picks were made late. 6th rounders Korey Hall (Boise State converted LB) at fullback and kicker Mason Crosby (Colorado) could end up starting, and 7th round running back DeShawn Wynn of the National Champion Florida Gators could end up surprising and stealing some thunder from the aforementioned Jackson. If 7th round tight end Clark Harris of Rutgers develops as a receiver, the team could have a 7th round steal, and a replacement for underachieving Bubba Franks. But the bottom line from this draft was a big reach in the first round (it's arguable Harrell was even the best defensive tackle still on the board at the time), and not addressing key needs early at WR, CB, and DE.
5. Philadephia Eagles
A team who usually drafts well, the Philadelphia Eagles appeared to lose their edge for one year, though they too added a few helpful players along the way. But the choice of Houston quarterback Kevin Kolb at 36 overall in the 2nd round was not a smart one, regardless of how much Kolb may have intrigued them. For starters, there's Donovan McNabb. How much longer does the team plan to employ him? If it's for more than 2 years, which it should be, then Kolb doesn't make much sense here. The Packers have probably second-guessed their decision a few years ago to take Cal QB Aaron Rodgers in the first round, after watching Brady Quinn fall to their pick at 16 overall this year. Rodgers should endure his third straight season of little-to-no playing time behind Favre this year. Well, same applies here for Philadephia. Why settle for a wallflower one year when a supermodel could come along looking for a date later on down the road? The pick of Notre Dame defensive end Victor Abiamiri didn't fill a big need either, though down the line he could replace Jevon Kearse. In the 3rd round, the team did much better in adding Nebraska LB Stewart Bradley, who could earn a starting spot as early as 2008, and by finally getting their big power-back to pair with RB Brian Westbrook--Penn State's slow, bruising Tony Hunt. The second day was full of longshots, but Clemson safety C.J. Gaddis (5th round) could help out at either safety or cornerback, and Cincinnati TE Brent Celek (5th round) could be a longshot to replace L.J. Smith at some point. The team could have done much better in addressing their weaknesses at WR and in the secondary though. The fact that they did not add a WR at any point in the draft is a ringing endorsement of Hank Baskett, whom the team obviously feels is a viable starting WR across from the equally-iffy Reggie Brown. Both receivers showed flashes last year, but too often disappeared in games. USC wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett was available to the team at 36, and McNabb sure would have appreciated the help at receiver, over a replacement at QB.
Winners:
1. Cleveland Browns
Very simple, they walked away from this draft with Wisconsin stud offensive tackle Joe Thomas at the 3rd overall pick, and amazingly landed franchise-QB Brady Quinn of Notre Dame as well. Both were consensus top-10 talents at positions of key needs, and all it cost the team to move up from the 2nd round back into the 1st to grab Quinn at the 22nd pick was next year's 1st round pick. Sure, the general thought is that the pick will be a top 10 pick. Maybe it will be. They probably would have used that pick on a quarterback anyway. Best of all, they get Quinn at a #22 rookie salary, which would be a bargain if Quinn lives up to the hype. It's hard to do much better than that from this draft, and you could argue no team did. The Browns went on to mortgage later picks to move back into the 2nd round and select talented, but troubled UNLV cornerback Eric Wright. You can second-guess the move, but the team did address yet another big, big need. Those 3 picks were the bulk of the draft, as the team did not pick again until the 5th round, but with big DE's Melila Purcell of Hawaii (6th round) and Chase Pittman of L.S.U. (7th round), the team possibly may have uncovered a couple of late-round gems, as well.
2. Carolina Panthers
This class is all about value and potential. Their first three picks after the 1st round all could have easily been 1st round selections as well. It starts with the 1st round pick, Miami (FL) linebacker Jon Beason, who the Panthers targeted all along, but were able to trade down with the Jets from #14 all the way down to #25 to gain picks and still grab their guy. Beason can play outside but will likely take over at some point for fellow Miami alum Dan Morgan in the middle. In the 2nd round, the Panthers may have found the steal of the draft in USC wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett, who slid all the way into the 2nd round after questions surrounding his (lack of) speed at the position. Jarrett was a playmaker in college whom guys like Matt Leinart and John David Booty always looked to for a big play. If he can carry that success and production over into the pros, he will have been a steal. Carolina considers him a starter-in-waiting, and already has cut ties with Keyshawn Johnson, knocking down one barrier in Jarrett's way. Carolina also added the top center in the draft in the 2nd round, another USC player, Ryan Kalil. Kalil will be an opening day starter, pushing Justin Hartwig inside to guard. Kalil is a stalwart inside with great power and a strong base, and could develop into a Pro Bowl center. The value kept coming for Carolina in the 3rd round in the form of Georgia underclassman defensive end Charles Johnson. Johnson had a better year as a junior last year as his more bally-hooed fellow defensive end Quentin Moses did as a senior. But Moses was the higher drafted of the two. Johnson has alot of potential though, and is penciled in as the successor to Mike Rucker across from Julius Peppers. The Panthers made a nice pick in the 4th round with Miami of Ohio WR/KR Ryne Robinson, who can help both as a receiver, and returner. Along with Jarrett, the two players solidify the WR position for the foreseeable future. The team polished their draft off with two picks who may surprise---Penn State linebacker Tim Shaw in the 5th round, and Baylor cornerback C.J. Wilson in the 7th round, who impressed at the East/West Shrine game with excellent size at 6'1”, 195 pounds, and whom could slide over to safety and help out at a big need area that seemed to go largely over-looked in the draft.
3. Minnesota Vikings
Though they should have done better with their QB pick than Coastal Carolina's Tyler Thigpen in the 7th round, this was a phenomenal draft for Brad Childress and G.M. Rick Spielman. Adrian Peterson is a franchise-back who will not be pressed into hard duty with Chester Taylor already on the roster. With a big need at WR, the team added South Carolina phenom Sidney Rice in the 2nd round (who could have returned to school and possibly been a top 10 pick in 2008) and got a steal in East Carolina's Aundrae Allison in the 5th round. The good picks were not just limited to RB and WR though. In the 3rd round the team addressed CB by taking Fresno State's Marcus McCauley, who could end up starting sooner rather than later, and may have also uncovered starters in the 4th round with Texas DE Brian Robison, and in the 6th round in Oklahoma LB Rufus Alexander, who at one time was considered a likely 1st round pick. The draft was not perfect, and needs at QB and TE were largely ignored, but in terms of bang for their buck, the Vikings grabbed a plethora of potential impact rookies in this class.
4. San Francisco 49ers
Scott McCloughan and Mike Nolan loaded up on defensive players for the 3-4, and came away with a jaw-dropping haul. When you consider they also landed Seahawks wide receiver Darrell Jackson for a 4th round pick, their draft is made even better. The pick of Ole Miss middle linebacker Patrick Willis broke the hearts of many teams picking after them. Willis was hands down the top linebacker in the draft after running a 4.3 40 yard dash at his Pro Day workout. The team went on to trade a 2008 1st round pick to New England to move back into the 1st round and stop the slide of Central Michigan offensive tackle Joe Staley, who should come in immediately and replace bust Kwame Harris at RT, eventually taking over for Jonas Jennings at LT. Gotta keep the franchise QB upright. The team didn't pick again until the 3rd round, but chose twice in the round and hit on two big names--Washington State WR Jason Hill, and Florida DE Ray McDonald. Hill will give Alex Smith another deep threat to look for down the field, and McDonald gives the team a probable starter at defensive end in the 3-4. Nebraska DE Jay Moore was next in the 4th round, and the team plans to try to use him at stand-up linebacker in the 3-4. Two more 4th round picks (Washington safety Dashon Goldson & Florida DT Joe Cohen) and a 5th round pick (troubled Texas CB Tarell Brown) produced more defensive players for Nolan. Goldson could challenge Mark Roman at free safety at some point, while Cohen could become the team's NT. If Brown can keep his nose clean, he had 1st round-ability at cornerback. The 7th round produced a nice depth player at RB--Kansas State's Thomas Clayton, who could give the team the luxury of moving athletic Michael Robinson to WR. On top of adding CB Nate Clements and SS Michael Lewis in free agency, it is safe to say that the 49ers are now putting the pieces together, and should be a team to watch out for.
5. New York Giants
Any fan of good old-fashioned drafting of solid, need-filling players must love what Jerry Reese was able to do in his first draft as the team's G.M. Recognizing that CB was his top need, and knowing that the position was running dry in a hurry, Reese re-buffed trade offers from the Browns and stood pat to take Thorpe-Award winner Aaron Ross of Texas. Ross could win a starting job as a rookie over either Sam Madison or Corey Webster. He was a fine pick for the team, filling a big need that lacked alot of in-house options. In the 2nd round the team grabbed a great value in USC wide receiver Steve Smith, who the team hopes will be a solid downfield weapon for Eli Manning. Given Plaxico Burress' inconsistency and Amani Toomer's age, it was a fine pick. In the 3rd round the team grabbed the under-tackle they desperately needed in Penn State's Jay Alford, who could boot Fred Robbins from the starting line-up as a rookie. Not a flashy pick, but a good one that filled a need. In the 4th round the team grabbed productive Ivy League linebacker Zac DeOssie, whose father Steve is a former Giants linebacker. He will strengthen the depth at LB and could eventually challenge for a spot in the starting line-up. Western Oregon tight end Kevin Boss was taken in the 5th round to do what Visanthe Shiancoe proved he could not--back-up Jeremy Shockey properly. Boss is a big (6'7” 252) target who could be a great back-up to the Pro Bowler. The remaining picks were all of great potential, and all 3 could make the final roster. Sixth round OT Adam Koets of Oregon State was a productive tackle in the Pac-10 and will get a long look at the position. Big, athletic Arizona safety Michael Johnson was a potential steal in the 7th round, and the final 7th round pick, Marshall RB Ahmad Bradshaw, could be the change-of-pace RB behind Brandon Jacobs that the team sought. Overall, a very solid draft with alot of potentially good players, with few busts in view. They may be able to keep the playoff hopes alive this season if some of these picks contribute early.
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