NFL draft grades?

[deaconblues]

I can't be the only one that watches the draft, what grade do you give your home team in the draft?

I'll say the Packers deserve an A-. Thompson never trades up, he must see something great in Clay Matthews. I was somewhat sad to see us pass on Crabtree, but Raji looks like a beast....

[JetFan1983]

I'm really nervous about the Jets. Sanchez was compared to Rodgers, so I like that, but I never feel good about these project players. I'm hoping for the best obviously, but I would have rather gotten a WR to play opposite Cotchery. I'm not sure why it was so necessary to trade up for a RB in the 3rd round when we have Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. I know Jones is having problems with the brass, but I don't understand why they just don't restructure his contract.

Grade wise I have no idea. The entire Jets draft was for two players. I'm nervous.

I thought Philly had an A+ draft and added a ton of pieces to their puzzle. I liked the Giants draft. The Cowboys didn't have a pick in the first two rounds because of the Roy Will trade, so I give them a big fat F. The Pats once again did an amazing job with four second round picks, all them hard working non-skill position players that will probably lay a great foundation for their future. I like what your Packers did by bolstering their defense and offensive line. They don't need any help at any of the skill positions, so if they can just create a few more turnovers and get a few more stops, they are going to be very dangerous next year.

Hmmm, that's all I got off the top of my head right now. Entertaining draft as always.

[PiKapp23]

Living in Cincinnati the NFL Draft is always a bit nerve racking. I think the Bengals ended up with a really good draft, but we'll have to see in a couple years how it pans out. Taking Andre Smith over Eugene Monroe made a lot of people nervous. Now we'll have to wait and see who the first to get arrested is...

[David in FL]

I'm not really a sophisticated enough fan to follow the draft very closely, but as a fellow die-hard Packer fan I've gotta agree.......Raji is an absolute animal and should be a lot of fun to watch!

[munky]

I'll give the Bills a C. They filled a need at DE with Aaron Maybin and plugged up a few holes on the interior OL, but what's with all the DBs? Surely they could have found a warm body to put at OT in the later rounds rather than another cornerback that's going to be a special teamer or at best a dime back.

[Snake]

I'll give the Cowboys a "?" because 1) I don't know anything about most of the guys they drafted this year and 2) you can't judge a draft class until at least a year or two later anyway. But I will give their 2008 draft a B+. Felix Jones was outstanding before he got injured. Mike Jenkins was OK but needs to step up this year. Martellus Bennett was a solid second TE. Tashard Choice played very well late in the season while filling in for Barber and Jones. Orlando Scandrick did a nice job in the nickel. Erik Walden didn't make the team.

[clubhousehero]

Living in Cincinnati the NFL Draft is always a bit nerve racking. I think the Bengals ended up with a really good draft, but we'll have to see in a couple years how it pans out. Taking Andre Smith over Eugene Monroe made a lot of people nervous. Now we'll have to wait and see who the first to get arrested is...

Even though i was born in NY and have lived here my whole life, i am a life long, die hard Bengals fan.

I would say it was a B+ to an A- draft. Smith is a great upgrade for the o-line but we will see if he is better than Monroe. Rey M. should bring some attitude to the d and i think having Rivers already on the team will help his development. Johnson should help our poor pressure and Coffman will be a nice target for C.P. Huber is also a very nice pick and i was hoping we would grab him. But...we will see...

[deaconblues]

Even though i was born in NY and have lived here my whole life, i am a life long, die hard Bengals fan.

Andre Smith looks good...but why draft another player with character issues? I'm pretty surprised Lewis still has his job, and I think it got a little more challenging by adding another unruly player to the mix. I think they would've been better off taking a safer pick and trying to turn around their reputation, but thats just me.

[XMScott]

B+ for my Jets.

They got well stole IMO Sanchez. He has the marketability the Jets were looking for. He can be the much needed face of the franchise. He comes from a pro style offense playing in big nationally televised games. Far more upside than Brett Favre who came in for almost the same reason (PSL's).

In the third the Jets hit a home run (IMO) with Shoon Greene out if Iowa. Didnt rush for less than 100 yards or fumble at all last year. A solid blocker too.

Why did the Jets need another RB? Thomas Jones is getting old (31) and declined coming to the mini camp because he wants more money. You need a solid running game, which the Jets had last year leading the AFC. And a competent o-line, which the Jets have. And a good defense. Which the Jets should have. All of that will help a rookie QB (see Ravens).

In the 6th round the Jets took Matt Slauson, OG, Nebraska. Coached by the current Jets o-line coach. With time to learn behind Fanaca he should be able to step in a few years.


Why didnt they take a WR? Well they didnt have enough picks.

Did Flacco have good receivers in Baltimore?
The Jets have better WR's than Miami has and they won the division.

[JetFan1983]

Hmmm, given that Derrick Mason is the most underrated WR in football, yea I'd say the Ravens had decent WRs last year. Mark Clayton was drafted pretty high even though he's been oft injured. They didn't have big name receivers, but they had guys who could stay healthy and just get on the field. Right now the Jets are looking at Cotchery, Brad Smith (who is pretty terrible), and David Clowney, who missed most of last year with an injury. Chansi Stuckey was decent last year, but I don't like having to rely these guys (excluding Cotch of course).

I like that you're happy about it though. I personally would've rode Thomas Jones for one more year after paying him some dough, getting a WR like Percy Harvin, and then worrying about a RB next year, as I thought this RB class was fairly weak.

Either way, GO JETS. I hope I'm wrong.

[shermanM4A1]

Lions (Stafford): Stafford is a great quarterback, but since the Lions have so many problems, it is uncertain whether a single quarterback can revive the team. Still, I think it's a good start.

Seahawks (Curry): Curry is a safe pick here. Sure, the Seahawks could have drafted Sanchez and trained him to replace Hasselbeck when Hasselbeck retires but that would be risky. The Seahawks made a great trade for Denver's first-round draft pick next year.

Jets (Sanchez): Ok, so Brett Favre finally retired (I think) and the Jets do need a new quarterback. I don't know if Sanchez will be starting next season, but if he is, then the Jets are taking a huge gamble on a new QB. But, hey, it could work out wonderfully. We'll see...

[golf_junkie27]

The Jets move was sheer brilliance. They traded three players who may not have seen the field unless someone got hurt or were in a nickel situation. The fact that Ryan gave his blessing on the trade, considering he's a defensive minded coach and two of the three were defensive players, leads me to believe their impact on the 2009 Jets was going to be minimal. So, swapping first round picks and trading a second rounder for a potential franchise QB was a no-brainer and IMHO a steal.

I liked the Giants, moves, too. While I don't envision Hakeem replacing Burress I do envision him being a more physical version of Amani Toomer who can create separation in traffic. There is no one on the roster who currently does that. The TE from Wisconsin was also a good pick. I am shocked, though, that they never traded up or traded for Boldin. Good move not getting Braylon Edwards. That guy drops so many passes even TO says he has bad hands.

[flap]

Edwards and Boldin both want 10 millon a year and that is not going to happen so if you trade for them you get the same digruntled players that they are now.We have manningham who was a stud at Michigan and this Division 2 kid who id 6'6 looks kind of interesting and Nicks catch behind the back is a thing of legend ans we do have the best running attack in the game so we should be good to go.

[JT SCRATCH]

I give the Ravens a solid B. would have loved to get a reciever but they are definatley set on protecting flacco. they traded up to get michael oher and after i heard that guy be interviewed after he was selected, i am convinced he will be a solid NFL player. What a great story he is, in going from rags to riches. very impressed by his character. paul kruger and webb should be able to both fit in during their rookie season. Ravens filled some holes and solidified their o line which is key when you have a franchise qb, coming off his rookie season. Still possibility of acquring boldin via a trade before the deadline. time will tell, but all in all, the ravens draft was solid, nothing spectacular and definatley no stars, but guys that will work hard.

[XMScott]

A lot of people in the Jets "camp" are calling Jim Leonard a pick in the draft. Former DB for the Ravens.

I heard Mike Pettine (New DC of the Jets) call Gholston a pick in this years draft in his opinion. He is high on what Ghoston could bring. And that he is working extra hard to get to where he can contribute. Pettine said he reminds him of Terrell Suggs.


Its great that the Jets found 3 players in free agency that help the team transition into the "ravens". Leonard in the back field. Bart Scott at LB. And Marques Douglas on the line.


Going to be a fun year.
And yay for Franchez!

[JetFan1983]

Yea those were all great FA signings. I watched the Penn State-USC game last night and Sanchez looks amazing in it, but the Penn State defenders were definitely out to lunch that game.

[clubhousehero]

Andre Smith looks good...but why draft another player with character issues? I'm pretty surprised Lewis still has his job, and I think it got a little more challenging by adding another unruly player to the mix. I think they would've been better off taking a safer pick and trying to turn around their reputation, but thats just me.

IMO, if they start winning, all the character questions go away. Also Andre Smiths "character questions" aren't as bad as say...Chris Henry. He has never been in trouble with the law or anything like that. He broke a team rule before their bowl game and showed up to the combine out of shape. As long as he stays in shape he should be fine.

[Bourbon and Coke]

Matthew Stafford is liable to end up a major draft day bust, but that's more because he's going to a team with no offensive line that couldn't be bothered to address the issue. He's going to spend more time on his back than Kim Kardashian. I watched Stafford here for three long years and while he is physically gifted, he lacks the mental toughness to lead a doomed franchise. He's a gunslinger, just like Favre, except he lacks the supporting cast (Detroit might have CJ and some other offensive talent, but Stafford's mobility can only buy him so much time.)

Sanchez, on the other hand, will likely be a middle-of-the-road QB whose general lack of talent will be masked by a decent supporting cast and a new coach and manager's escalated commitment. Sanchez would have been a late first-second rounder in any other draft, but the QB depth was so weak this year he was made to look like a hero.

Sanchez has no experience whatsoever. He's played less than 20 college games, and he did it without ever facing any adversity (unless, of course, we consider Washington State...) He had more weapons than the Army and he never had to handle pressure. His decisions were made for him by wide-open receivers and luxurious pockets. He has a quick release, but he hasn't shown any need to use it. Doesn't matter how fast you can get rid of the ball if you can't make reads.

Furthermore, it's not as though the Jets were already an offensive powerhouse with Brett Favre. In the same way that GB was supposed to be "fine" with Aaron Rogers, the best the Jets can expect from Sanchez is to be "fine." Simply put, he won't match the production of Brett Favre, and Favre didn't have the production to make the playoffs. The Jets' defense was their greater weakness, certainly, but their offensive production wasn't exactly stellar with a great veteran QB at the helm: sure they managed to hang 56 on Arizona and 47 on St. Louis (big accomplishments there), but they also scored only 3 on the road in Seattle and a paltry 17 on the porous Denver defense at home. If Sanchez manages to match Favre, they still don't make the playoffs. Bust.

Finally, the other factor here that everyone has forgotten: the switch from LA to New York. He may have handled the media in LA pretty well, but getting to play in LA warm and the balmy Rose Bowl for all 16 games of your career is a far cry from driving wind and snow and sub-zero temperatures in the Meadowlands. I'm not saying he can't make the switch (it turned out well for Cutler), but it's just another part of the puzzle that destroys rookies.

This was a stupid pick for the Jets. I don't give a shit about Steve Young's incessant "this is a league about QBs" bullshit. With Brian Orakpo, Andre Smith, BJ Raji, Aaron Maybin, Michael Crabtree, and Brian Cushing available at their trade-up 5 spot and Clay Matthews, Robert Ayers, Jeremy Maclin, Michael Oher, and Peria Jerry still available at their original 17, they could've gotten a much safer player that still addressed needs.

This was a desperation draft move. I don't like the Jets anyways, so I'm not upset. They're getting what they deserve for their fans constantly trying to prove they can spell.