Draft
Bulletin


HomeOff. RankingsDef. RankingsMock DraftForumLinksAbout UsNon-FootballBlog

 

Draft Grades

    Arizona Cardinals Grade  
  A-  
   
               
       1.  Dan Williams  NT  Tennessee    
       2.  Daryl Washington  ILB  TCU    
       3.  Andre Roberts  WR  Citadel    
       4.  O'Brien Schofield  OLB  Wisconsin    
       5.  John Skelton  QB  Fordham    
       6.  Jorrick Calvin  CB  Troy    
       7.  Jim Dray  TE  Stanford    
               
    The Cardinals hit it big with their first two selections.  I honestly don't believe they could have filled their needs any better.  Williams gives them the NT they have been missing.  Washington can fill in at Dansby's spot.  Roberts gives them a punt returner so that Steve Breaston can focus on offense.  He can also provide depth in the slot.  Schofield could be the steal of the draft if he returns to form from his knee injury.  Calvin gives them depth at CB and potentially gives them another option at returner.  Dray is a solid blocking TE who is athletic enough to contribute in the short to intermediate range.  I am not totally sold on Skelton but he has potential; however, they traded way too much to get in position to draft him.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
               
  Atlanta Falcons Grade  
  B  
   
               
       1.  Sean Weatherspoon  OLB  Missouri    
       3.  Corey Peters  DT  Kentucky    
       3.  Mike Johnson  G  Alabama    
       4.  Joe Hawley  C  UNLV    
       5.  Dominique Franks  CB  Oklahoma    
       5.  Kerry Meier  WR  Kansas    
       6.  Shann Schillinger  S  Montana    
               
    The Weatherspoon pick was great, he fits a need and he is a good fit for this team.  The Johnson and Franks picks were really good value and both fill needs.  It proved to be a good move to trade up for Franks, they didn't give up much and a bunch of CBs went before their original pick.  I thought the Peters and Hawley picks were reaches.  Peters has potential but there were better DTs and other players available.  They might have been able to get him a couple rounds later.  I didn't have Hawley as the 3rd best C but he has potential.  I was also surprised by the Meier pick in the 5th but he has potential to be a good possession receiver.  I liked the last pick of Schillinger, he is underrated and can help with special teams while he develops.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
               
    Baltimore Ravens Grade  
  A  
   
               
       2.  Sergio Kindle  OLB  Texas    
       2.  Terrence Cody  NT  Alabama    
       3.  Ed Dickson  TE  Oregon    
       4.  Dennis Pitta  TE  BYU    
       5.  David Reed  WR  Utah    
       5.  Arthur Jones  DL  Syracuse    
       6.  Ramon Harewood  T  Morehouse    
               
    The Ravens do an unbelievable job getting value.  Every single pick was good value.  Kindle gives them a pass rush off the corner.  Cody gives them a big NT and Jones can help on the nose or at DE.  They got TE from two really good prospects in Dickson and Pitta.  Reed gives them more WR depth.  Harewood is a developmental sleeper who could be a RT or G.  They did a good job trading down and still getting Kindle in addition to Dickson and Pitta.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
               
    Buffalo Bills Grade  
  C-  
   
               
       1.  C.J. Spiller  RB  Clemson    
       2.  Torell Troup  NT  Central Florida    
       3.  Alex Carrington  DE  Arkansas St    
       4.  Marcus Easley  WR  Connecticut    
       5.  Ed Wang  T  Virginia Tech    
       6.  Arthur Moats  OLB  James Madison    
       6.  Danny Batten  OLB  South Dakota St    
       7.  Levi Brown  QB  Troy    
       7.  Kyle Calloway  T  Iowa    
               
    I love Spiller and he wasn't a reach at that spot but it doesn't do a lot of good to stockpile RBs if you don't have anyone to get them the ball or block for them.  I didn't like the Troup pick especially with Linval Joseph and Terrence Cody still available.  You could make the arguement that Troup is a safer pick but they could have gotten him a round later; especially considering Jimmy Clausen, Sergio Kindle and Charles Brown were all still available.  Carrington and Easley were decent picks and value.  I absolutely dislike the Wang pick.  He is overrated and this was early for him.  I thought the Calloway pick was better value but I don't think they solved their T problems with either.  I am not convinced that they fixed their QB problems with Brown either but he was decent value in that spot.  I thought that they did do an excellent job in the 6th round with Moats and Batten.  Both players have potential to develop into starters down the road and they both can help on special teams.    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
               
    Carolina Panthers Grade  
  B-  
   
               
       2.  Jimmy Clausen  QB  Notre Dame    
       3.  Brandon LaFell  WR  LSU    
       3.  Armanti Edwards  WR  Appalachian St  
       4.  Eric Norwood  OLB  South Carolina    
       6.  Greg Hardy  DE  Mississippi    
       6.  David Gettis  WR  Baylor    
       6.  Jordan Pugh  S  Texas A&M    
       6.  Tony Pike  QB  Cincinnati    
       7.  R.J. Stanford  CB  Utah    
       7.  Robert McClain  CB  Connecticut    
               
    The Panthers didn't have a lot of high picks but got solid value throughout the draft.  They were fortunate to have Clausen fall in their lap.  Not sure if I like the Pike pick from a chemistry standpoint but it was really good value.  They were busy on day three with Norwood, Hardy, Gettis, Pugh, Stanford and McClain.  All of them have ability and they were all good value.  They needed to get WRs and got real good value with LaFell in round 3.  He could develop into a starter.  I like Edwards as a player but they gave up a 2nd round pick next year to get into the bottom of the 3rd round to pick him when they could have stayed pat and gotten him with their pick near the top of round 4.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
               
    Chicago Bears Grade  
  B+  
   
               
       3.  Major Wright  S  Florida    
       4.  Corey Wootton  DE  Northwestern    
       5.  Joshua Moore  CB  Kansas St    
       6.  Dan LeFevour  QB  Central Michigan    
       7.  J'Marcus Webb  T  West Texas A&M    
               
    The Bears didn't have a lot of picks due to the Jay Cutler trade which I won't factor into the grade.  They did a good job with what they had.  The first three picks; Wright, Wootton and Moore were all good value and fill needs.  They are all solids picks who can contribute right away.  LeFevour in the 6th round was a really good pick.  They could use a developmental QB and he really should have went earlier.  Webb is a solid developmental type who fills an area of need.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
               
    Cincinnati Bengals Grade  
  B  
   
               
       1.  Jermaine Gresham  TE  Oklahoma    
       2.  Carlos Dunlap  DE  Florida    
       3.  Jordan Shipley  WR  Texas    
       3.  Brandon Ghee  CB  Wake Forest    
       4.  Geno Atkins  DT  Georgia    
       4.  Roddrick Muckelroy  OLB  Texas    
       5.  Otis Hudson  T  Eastern Illinois    
       6.  Dezmon Briscoe  WR  Kansas    
       7.  Reggie Stephens  G  Iowa St    
               
    The Bengals finally got the TE they have been looking for in Gresham.  They got Carson Palmer some more weapons in the form of Shipley and Briscoe who were both tremendous value.  Dunlap is an underachiever, Ghee and Atkins were not as consistent as they should be but to get them in the bottom half of their respective rounds was pretty good value.  They also got good value in Muckelroy and Stephens.  They really reached for Hudson who I felt was a 7th rounder at best.  In fact I thought Stephens was a better prospect than Hudson.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
               
    Cleveland Browns Grade  
  A-  
   
               
       1.  Joe Haden  CB  Florida    
       2.  T.J. Ward  S  Oregon    
       2.  Montario Hardesty  RB  Tennessee    
       3.  Colt McCoy  QB  Texas    
       3.  Shawn Lauvao  G  Arizona St    
       5.  Larry Asante  S  Nebraska    
       6.  Carlton Mitchell  WR  South Florida    
       6.  Clifton Geathers  DE  South Carolina    
               
    Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.  That is how I feel about this draft but maybe they knew exactly what they were doing.  I really like Ward a lot but even I felt that they reached on him.  I would have expected McCoy and Ward to have swapped spots but regardless they ended up with both of them.  For the record, getting McCoy late in the 3rd is a steal.  Haden gives them another strong CB so that they can turn a weakness into a strength.  I thought it was a really good move to trade up to get the last quality RB and they didn't have to overpay to do it.  I thought Hardesty was better than the guy that went before him and he has a chance to be special.  Lauvao, Asante, Mitchell and Geathers were all good values.  Mitchell in particular has really good athletic ability.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
               
    Dallas Cowboys Grade  
  A  
   
               
       1.  Dez Bryant  WR  Oklahoma St    
       2.  Sean Lee  ILB  Penn St    
       4.  Akwasi Owusu-Ansah  S  Indiana (PA)  
       6.  Sam Young  T  Notre Dame    
       6.  Jamar Wall  CB  Texas Tech    
       7.  Sean Lissemore  DT  William & Mary    
               
    The Cowboys did a really good job of being aggressive.  They traded in front of the Ravens to get Bryant and then traded in front of the Patriots to get Lee.  In both cases the player most likely wouldn't have made it to them and they didn't give up too much in either case.  Besides that they are both really good players.  They then traded down in the 4th round and got good value on their trade.  They picked up Owusu-Ansah who could also get a look at CB but they need a playmaking FS and he could be a nice fit.  Young, Wall and the underrated Lissemore were all good values and help fill need areas.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
               
    Denver Broncos Grade  
  C  
   
               
       1.  Demaryius Thomas  WR  Georgia Tech  
       1.  Tim Tebow  QB  Florida    
       2.  Zane Beadles  T  Utah    
       3.  J.D. Walton  C  Baylor    
       3.  Eric Decker  WR  Minnesota    
       5.  Perrish Cox  CB  Oklahoma St    
       6.  Eric Olsen  C  Notre Dame    
       7.  Syd'quan Thompson  CB  California    
       7.  Jammie Kirlew  DE  Indiana    
               
    The Broncos traded all over the draft.  They got the better end of the deal in the Eagles trade but in most of the other trades they made, they got the short end of the stick.  I don't think that Tebow can make it as a QB and therefore believe that he was a reach in the 1st round.  I also thought that they reached for Beadles in round 2.  They helped solve their WR issues with Thomas and Decker.  I thought Decker was a steal.  I also think that Cox might be a steal in the 5th round.  Walton and Olsen were good values but they are both Cs and that is their best position.  There were 6 Cs taken in the draft and the Broncos took two of them.  Thompson and Kirlew were not bad picks in the 7th but trading a 5th round pick in next year's draft for the right to draft them might bite them in the butt.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
               
    Detroit Lions Grade  
  A  
   
               
       1.  Ndamukong Suh  DT  Nebraska    
       1.  Jahvid Best  RB  California    
       3.  Amari Spievey  CB  Iowa    
       4.  Jason Fox  T  Miami (Fla)    
       7.  Willie Young  DE  North Carolina St    
       7.  Tim Toone  WR  Weber St    
               
    They got the best player in the draft and then were aggressive, trading up to get Best.  It was a good move and helps out a need area.  When healthy he is the 2nd best RB in this class.  Even though they were trading up, they got more value out of the trade.  They then got underrated CB Spievey who will challenge for a starting spot right away.  OL is still a concern but they got good value in Fox in round 4.  They also got good value in round 7 with Young and Toone.  Young might help as a passrusher and Toone might help and a slot receiver and returner.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
               
    Green Bay Packers Grade  
  B  
   
               
       1.  Bryan Bulaga  T  Iowa    
       2.  Mike Neal  DL  Purdue    
       3.  Morgan Burnett  S  Georgia Tech    
       5.  Andrew Quarless  TE  Penn St    
       5.  Marshall Newhouse  G  TCU    
       6.  James Starks  RB  Buffalo    
       7.  C.J. Wilson  DE  East Carolina    
               
    The Packers were fortunate to have Bulaga fall in their laps.  He is a steal at that point and can play either side and possibly G if need be.  They did a good job trading up to get Burnett.  He was good value there and they actually came away with more value in the trade.  I thought they reached on Neal.  My assumption is that they will try to play him at NT.  I thought that it was a round or two early for him.  Quarless, Newhouse, Starks and Wilson were all good values.  If Quarless dedicates himself, he could be special and Starks could surprise.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
               
    Houston Texans Grade  
  B  
   
               
       1.  Kareem Jackson  CB  Alabama    
       2.  Ben Tate  RB  Auburn    
       3.  Earl Mitchell  DT  Arizona    
       4.  Darryl Sharpton  OLB  Miami (Fla)    
       4.  Garrett Graham  TE  Wisconsin    
       5.  Sherrick McManis  CB  Northwestern    
       6.  Shelley Smith  G  Colorado St    
       6.  Trindon Holliday  WR  LSU    
       7.  Dorin Dickerson  TE  Pittsburgh