2010 NFL Draft Thread: April 22nd - 24th

The Game Room
641

After a cursory glance at the scores I’m going to concede the Colts as an example of a stud QB beating a very good defense. They started off with two great defensive performances but then shit the bed. I guess the narrative had a couple weeks to build such that it got stuck in my memory.

However, I stand by the idea of mostly ignoring the regular season while evaluating the playoffs. If not, you have to credit Rapelisberger for the 2005 Superbowl win based on his stellar regular season despite him doing everything possible to lose that game.

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Yes, because obviously I’m not capable of having a rational conversation. Hey pot, you’re black.

EDIT: No response on 2007?

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NFC EAST

DALLAS COWBOYS

Round 1, Pick 24 (24) Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
Round 2, Pick 23 (55) Sean Lee, LB, Penn State
Round 4, Pick 28 (126) Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, S, Indiana (PA)
Round 6, Pick 10 (179) Sam Young, T, Notre Dame
Round 6, Pick 27 (196) Jamar Wall, Texas Tech
Round 7, Pick 27 (234) Sean Lissemore, DE, William & Mary

UDFA

Delbert Alvarado PK South Florida
Will Barker OT Virginia
Barry Church S Toledo
Phil Costa C Maryland
Rashaun Greer WR Colorado State
Chris Gronkowski FB Arizona
Terrell Hudgins WR Elon
Lonyae Miller RB Fresno State
Matt Nichols QB Eastern Washington
Chet Teofilo OG California

It’s high risk/high reward for the Cowboys. Do they get Dez Bryant, the 1500 yard, 19 tds playmaker or Dez Bryant, the lying piece of shit egomaniac who hasn’t played football for a year and couldn’t even be bothered to prepare for his pro day? Do they get Sean Lee of 2007, or post knee surgery Sean Lee who was noticeably slower and less dynamic? Is Akwasi Owusu-Ansah the next Deion Sanders return stud/great DB, or another small school athlete who can’t cut it? At least with Young, Wall, and Lissemore, the risk is low, but then again, so are the rewards because I don’t think any of them will make it in the NFL. Lissemore has some upside though. Keep half an eye out of Lonyae Miller. He played behind Ryan Matthews, so he never got the chance to shine, but he could be good.

I’m a fan of taking the occasional risk in the draft, after all, playmakers can make all the difference. But taking that many risks so early in the draft can hurt the team, especially a team with some glaring holes that weren’t addressed. Still, if Bryant can produce, Lee can stay healthy and shed blocks, and the others develop, it could be a huge score. I don’t like the balance of risk/stability, but Dallas could be a better team for it. C.

NEW YORK GIANTS

Round 1, Pick 15 (15) Jean Pierre Paul, DE, South Florida
Round 2, Pick 14 (46) Linval Joseph, DT, East Carolina
Round 3, Pick 13 (76) Chad Jones, S, LSU
Round 4, Pick 17 (115) Phillip Dillard, ILB Nebraska
Round 5, Pick 16 (147) Mitch Petrus, OG, Arkansas
Round 6, Pick 15 (184) Adrian Tracy, OLB, ,William & Mary
Round 7, Pick 14 (227) Matt Dodge, P, East Carolina

UDFA

Duke Calhoun WR Memphis
Nate Collins DL Virginia
Jim Cordle OL Ohio State
Victor Cruz WR Massachusetts
Ayanga Okpokowuruk DE Duke
Chris Poole OL Holy Cross
Dominic Randolph QB Holy Cross
Leon Wright CB Duke

I like the Matt Dodge pick. That’s it. The rest of them were bad. Pierre Paul is Vernon Gholston without the productivity, Linval Joseph is fine, but inconsistent and there were better players available, Chad Jones is poor in coverage, Dillard is too slow, Petrus is dumber than a box of hammers, and Tracy will need a couple years to change to a LB, if ever. But Matt Dodge is good. And I like Nate Collins to develop. If the Giants needed a team to do bench presses, or load the ships on the docks, they should be fine. But to play professional football… Not so much. JPP will be a bust, Joseph may (MAY) be an adequate DT, but I don’t think the others will ever start. D.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Round 1, Pick 13, (13) Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan
Round 2, Pick 5 (37) Nate Allen, S, South Florida
Round 3, Pick 23 (86) Daniel Te’o-Nesheim, DE, Washington
Round 4, Pick 7 (105) Trevard Lindley, CB, Kentucky
Round 4, Pick 23 (121) Keenan Clayton, LB, Oklahoma
Round 4, Pick 24 (122) Mike Kafka, QB, Northwestern
Round 4, Pick 27 (125) Clay Harbor, TE, Missouri State
Round 5, Pick 3 (134) Ricky Sapp, DE/OLB, Clemson
Round 5, Pick 28 (159) Riley Cooper, WR, Florida
Round 6, Pick 31 (200) Charles Scott, RB, LSU
Round 7, Pick 13 (220) Jamar Chaney, LB, Mississippi State
Round 7, Pick 36 (243) Jeff Owens, DT, Georgia
Round 7, Pick 37 (244) Kurt Coleman, S, Ohio State

UDFA

Charles Alexander DT LSU
Blue Cooper WR Tenn-Chattanooga
Joey Elliott QB Purdue
Keith Flemming RB West Texas A&M
Kevin Jurovich WR San Jose State
David Pender CB Purdue
Pat Simonds WR Colgate
Chris Zardas FB Massachusetts

Damn, that’s a lot of picks. And a lot of reaches. And a lot of players who don’t fit the prototype for the systems they run. And a lot of better players not selected. And a lot of talent. And a lot of potential. And a lot of Offensive Linemen. Oh, Wait. There aren’t any offensive linemen. 13 picks and they couldn’t find one guy to fill one of their most important needs? Not great.

Here’s my take on almost every pick they made: 1) It was a reach; 2) there were better players available; 3) I don’t think it’s a good fit for what Philly does, yet: 4)I like who they picked. For example: I love Brandon Graham, coveted him as a pass rushing OLB project for the Packers, but he’s not the prototypical DE for Philly. I love Nate Allen, but it was a reach, Kindle, Mays, Clausen and others are better, but in his case, I think he’ll do fine as a ball hawking FS. Te’o- Neshiem, Lindley, and Kafka should have all been selected later, but I still like them and think they may develop well into NFL starters. Plus they got David Pender as a UDFA, which is a nice pickup. The Eagles definitely improved their defense, which is important, but left some gaps unfilled and some of the players are square pegs that will have to fit into round holes. How well they end up doing that is going to be a big part of how well this draft is viewed. All told, though, I like the guys they got, I think they got at least 4 starters short term and enough projects that a couple others may make it. And that’s what really matters. But it is mind boggling that they didn’t add depth for their O Line. That may be the downfall of this draft. B-.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Round 1, Pick 4 (4) Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
Round 4, Pick 4 (103) Perry Riley, LB, LSU
Round 6, Pick 5 (174) Dennis Morris, TE, Louisiana Tech
Round 7, Pick 12 (219) Terrence Austin, WR, UCLA
Round 7, Pick 22 (229) Erik Cook, C, New Mexico
Round 7, Pick 24 (231) Selvish Capers, OT, West Virginia

UDFA

Daryll Clark QB Penn State
Maurice Greer RB Troy
Klint Kubiak (Tryout) S Colorado State
Jaevery McFadden (Tryout) LB Wisconsin
Bo McNally (Tryout) S Stanford
Logan Paulsen TE UCLA
Anderson Russell FS Ohio State
Marques Slocum DT Eastern Arizona
Derrick Townsel (Tryout) WR Murray State
Keiland Williams RB LSU

As much as it pains me, the Redskins get the award for steal of the draft. Getting Selvish Capers in the 7th round was a winner. Even if he never develops, the risk is so low, and the reward (a starting OT) is so high, that it was more than worth it. People will talk about the Redskins taking the less proven Williams over Okung for years, and I think the Redskins made the wrong call. But Williams should still work out OK. After that (and excluding Capers), it was an unexciting draft. Riley may be an adequate ILB, Austin may be an adequate KR/PR, and Cook may be an adequate center/guard. But they all have low ceilings, if they have a ceiling at all. Only the Capers pick and Williams’ upside saves it from being a complete wash. A big fat, MEH. C-

644

This is both a straw man and a copout. I did not say you were incapable of having rational conversation, but I did say that your method of analyzing the data in question is dogmatic - you would reach the same conclusion with any result. You would find a way to make it work to support what you wanted it to.

Why does it need a response? Clearly the stronger defensive team stopped the all time leading offense, which is one data point in your favor. Single NFL games, especially when it’s a close matchup, can come down to any number of single plays that can go either way, and so you can’t come to any generalized conclusions (even as basic as saying who had the better team) based on them.

If David Tyree drops the ball and the Giants lose, does that prove that offense wins championships? Of course not. I’m also not saying that 2006 proves that offense wins championships - my only claim in this regard is that anyone who looks at that (Colts vs Bears) game and concludes that it proves that defense wins championships clearly has a very flawed analytical process on the issue.

645

I think its also fair to point out that the year the Colts beat the Bears in the Superbowl that pretty much the entire NFC was crappy.

646

“During his time at tackle, Bulaga recorded 181 knockdowns with 27 touchdown-resulting blocks and 11 blocks downfield … During that time, he was penalized five times and allowed just 3.5 quarterback sacks and no pressures on 712 pass attempts .” While Bulaga did have a bad game against Brandon Graham, he was also still not up to snuff after his thyroid condition. While I think there are still questions about whether he can make it as a LT in the NFL, he is still “very good”. And his floor is high enough that I don’t think he’ll ever do worse than a starter at RT.

Their current DE’s have issues. Jolly has a drug case pending, Jenkins and Jolly are free agents next year, Harrell has been a huge bust. Raji should be fine, but he’s also getting reps at NT. This pick was more for the future than this year. And I do think Neal is fine fit as a 3-4 DE, he’s good against the run, strong at the point of attack, and is quick enough to require a couple blockers to stop him. I like the guy, I think he was overdrafted and there were better players out there, though.

647

The Eagles almost always draft need over BPA. They probably weren’t considering Clausen or Kindle with that early second round pick, and it’s unfair to classify Allen as a reach because there were “better” players available that the Eagles couldn’t use. Te’o was a reach, Kafka probably a reach as well. Allen wasn’t.

After having some time to let my emotion settle, I’ve come to really love this draft. The Eagles get it. They draft what they need. They move back constantly and accumulate a lot of ammunition to make moves. They move up when they have to, and because they move down so much, they don’t give up anything to move up. And they take players who, for the most part, overachieved in college and made the very most of their talents and obviously work hard. They target guys who have proven to have played at an elite level over “tremendous upside potential” flame outs that can’t actually play the game. Even if only one or two of those guys make it, the Eagles gave up nothing to get all of those picks. They even turned their late second round pick into five players and a pick in 2011! That alone earns the team a B grade.

They filled every gap on their defense. I’m not thrilled with every pick, but I’m thrilled with the draft as a whole. Couldn’t be happier. I can’t imagine following the draft as a fan of a team who doesn’t do anything. The Eagles have put on a clinic over the last few years and I’m glad more teams aren’t paying attention.

If nothing else, this is virtually the exact same team that went 11-5 last season. This team still has only one player on either offense or defense above age 29. They didn’t need to hit a home run with this draft. They needed a bunch of depth with potential to eventually start, and they did exactly what they needed. Love it. (And the OL depth isn’t nearly as much a problem as it may seem, though it is now the teams most pressing concern)

648

Would it be too obvious to note that in the Super Bowl the Colts defense “played well” against an inept offense that juggled Rex Grossman and a rookie Kyle Orton at QB, had bland predictable Ron Turner calling plays and the undynamic duo of Thomas Jones and Ced Benson toting the rock. While Peyton faced off against a elite defense loaded with Pro Bowlers that pretty much gave everyone fits. So is it really fair to say that Peyton laid down and the Colts D saved him?

649

If Bulaga is the starting LT for the Packers, Peppers and Allen are going to have field days in 4 games each year. It’ll make the Ogunleye-Barbre game into a fond memory for Packers fans.

650

I’m a huge fan of the Cowboys draft. Dez Bryant could end up being a head case, but I don’t think there’s any doubt that the odds are very good that he’ll be a excellent player. At some point he might become a primadonna or have a few blow ups with the staff or QB, but in between he’ll catch a shit load of TD passes and win a bunch of games. T.O. is a nightmare but he was a hell of a fucking player in San Fran and Philly. Even if Dez becomes a problem child, he’ll probably be a hell of a pick 24th overall. Had he finished last season without the suspension he’s probably a top 5 pick. I hate Sean Lee, he’s a worse version of Paul Posluszny. Though in fairness I think his bust potential is low. AO-A is a hell of a get and a ideal risk-reward gamble in the 4th. I like Young too in the 6th

651

Not so fast.

652

As we’ve said about DeAngelo Williams, Jay Cutler, Matt Forte or any of the dozens of other players we’ve disagreed about … we shall see.

653

The thing with Dez isn’t his talent, and it isn’t just his “prima donna-ness”, it’s his commitment and work ethic. For as a massive a douchebag TO is, he keeps himself in shape, he works hard, he shows up for practice, he watches film, etc. The knock on Dez is that he doesn’t. He’s got all the talent in the world, which is enough to get you through college football. But in the NFL, he’ll need to work hard to become an elite receiver. And he has a history of being late to practice, not being prepared for games. All the teams love his talent, but when he showed up unprepared for his pro day and then quit on some of the drills, it spoke volumes about the person he is and how hard he’ll work in the NFL. If it ends up he wakes up, he can be an elite receiver. But if he doesn’t, he’ll be another 1st WR flameout. Who knows which way he’ll go.

654

I think Dez’s rookie year will be a Mike Williams/Carlos Rogers level flameout. His attitude so far has shown that. Whether or not that will humble him enough to recover from it will be the thing to watch. Unfortunatly, his main mentor in Dallas will be Roy Williams. For his sake, I hope he learns a few things from Miles Austin.

655

Agreed. I’ve already conceded the Colts defense idea due to the pounding they took against the Pats in the Conference Championship.

Peyton sucked in those playoffs; he had one of his better days against the Bears. Here are Peyton’s split ratings for 2006:

101.0 in the regular season
70.55 in the playoffs (including Superbowl)
81.80 in the Superbowl

This is why it’s disingenuous at best to point to 2006 as an example of an elite passer bringing home a Lombardi trophy. Peyton simply was not an elite passer during those playoffs. I likened him to Eli earlier, but he wasn’t nearly as good as Eli. For comparison, here’s Eli’s split ratings for 2007:

73.9 in the regular season
95.71 in the playoffs (including Superbowl)
87.25 in the Superbowl

Eli clearly stepped up, while Peyton seemed to crumble under the pressure. At least compared to their regular seasons. Those disparities are huge. The difference is magnified by the fact that Peyton got to play in a dome throughout* the 2006 playoffs while Eli was outside for all* of his, including one of the coldest games ever played.

This is also why it annoys me how quick people are to discount Eli as overrated and a nonfactor in the Superbowl run. He was a flat-out stud.

*Not counting Superbowls (Conference playoffs only)

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NFC SOUTH

ATLANTA FALCONS

Round 1, Pick 19 (19) Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri
Round 3, Pick 19 (83) Corey Peters, DT, Kentucky
Round 3, Pick 34 (98) Mike Johnson, OG, Alabama
Round 4, Pick 19 (117) Joe Hawley, C, UNLV
Round 5, Pick 4 (135) Dominique Franks, CB, Oklahoma
Round 5, Pick 34 (165) Kerry Meier, WR, Kansas
Round 6, Pick 2 (171) Shann Schillinger, FS, Montana

UDFA

Leroy Banks TE Southern Mississippi
Tim Buckley QB Alcorn State
Rafael Bush DB South Carolina State
Gabriel Derricks CB San Diego
Justin Drescher LS Colorado
Weston Johnson LB Wyoming
Garrett Lindholm PK Tarleton State
Dimitri Nance RB Arizona State
Michael Palmer TE Clemson
Colin Peek TE Alabama
Ryan Wolfe WR UNLV
Bear Woods LB Troy

First things first. I cannot believe I hadn’t discovered the name “Bear Woods” in my All Name Draft? Is his middle name “Shitinthe”?

Weatherspoon, Peters, Hawley, and Johnson are guys I just don’t like. Peters should be fine stopping the run, but he’s got poor technique and doesn’t bring any interior pressure. Hawley and Johnson are guys who are spot starters/backups at best, I just don’t think they have the athleticism and drive to become valuable starters in the NFL. And Weatherspoon has a ton of production, I’m just not sold that Big 12 LB production translates all that well to the NFL. I really liked the Franks pick, he was amazing value in the 5th round. Risky pick, but he should help immediately on special teams and could develop into a good nickel CB. The other two guys are nothing but filler. What drags this draft down is that Atlanta didn’t deal with it’s biggest need, bringing pass rush pressure. They didn’t draft a DE, their DT isn’t good at it, and their getting older there. They inexplicably let Everson Griffen, Corey Wooten, Ricky Sapp, Greg Hardy, George Selvie, Austen Lane and others pass them by. They also didn’t select Tony Gonzalez’s replacement, and this was a deep, talented TE pool. I think, with the exception of Dominique Franks, they made some pretty bad decisions, and even he is a high risk. D+

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Round 2, Pick 16 (48) Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
Round 3, Pick 14 (78) Brandon LaFell, WR, LSU
Round 3, Pick 25 (89) Armanti Edwards, QB/WR, Appalacian State
Round 4, Pick 26 (124) Eric Norwood, OLB, South Carolina
Round 6, Pick 6 (175) Greg Hardy, DE, Mississippi
Round 6, Pick 29 (198) David Gettis, WR, Baylor
Round 6, Pick 33 (202) Jordan Pugh, FS, Texas A & M
Round 6, Pick 34 (204) Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnatti
Round 7, Pick 16 (223) R.J. Sanford, CB, Utah
Round 7, Pick 42 (249) Robert McClain, CB, Connecticut

UDFA

Andrew George TE BYU
Kurtis Gregory OG Missouri
Blake Hauden P Minnesota
Ray Hisatake OL Hawaii
Rashawn Jackson FB Virginia
Andre Neblett DT Temple
Matt O’Hanlon S Nebraska
Mark Ortmann OT Michigan
Aaron Pettrey PK Ohio State
Oliver Young WR South Carolina State

While the Falcons made a great pick in the middle of a horrid draft, the Panthers made an incredibly stupid move in the middle of a great draft. Giving up next year’s second rounder to reach a couple rounds for Armanti Edwards was, to me, just plain stupid. But outside of that, and not shoring up their run defense, I loved what the Panthers did in this draft. I think Clausen was incredible value and will become a good NFL quarterback. I think Norwood will immediately help at LB in third down situations and develop into a good LB, great value in the 4th round. LaFell has potential to be a solid receiver, and is pretty far along in his development that he may be able to help this year. A good get in the third. And I loved getting Hardy (if he ever gets healthy and can return to form, he could be special) and Tony Pike (a solid project) in the 6th round, incredible value. They really needed to grab a couple of run stopping DT’s (I do like Neblett though). All told, I think the Panthers made one stupid mistake, didn’t fill a need, but got a lot of good, potentially great players, and a couple potential steals of the draft. Very impressive. B+
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Round 1, Pick 32 (32) Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State
Round 2, Pick 32 (64) Charles Brown, OT, LSU
Round 3, Pick 31 (95) Jimmy Graham, TE, Miami
Round 4, Pick 25 (123) Al Woods, DT, LSU
Round 5, Pick 27 (158) Matt Tennant, C, Boston College
Round 7, Pick 32 (239) Sean Canfield, QB, Oregon State

UDFA

Jason Beauchamp LB UNLV
Brandon Carter OG Texas Tech
Harry Coleman S LSU
Junior Galette DE Stillman College
Clint Gresham LS TCU
Ryan Hamilton S Vanderbilt
Chris Ivory RB Tiffin
Daryl Jones (Tryout) WR New Mexico
AJ McKenna QB Albany State
Chris Mitchell (Tryout) WR LSU
Rob Okeafor (Tryout) OT Florida A&M
Rafael Priest CB TCU
Roderick Rollins (Tryout) CB Boston College
Jay Ross DT East Carolina
Razzie Smith (Tryout) CB Boston College
Ekom Udofia DT Stanford
Sirjo Welch (Tryout) S Kentucky State
Marcell Young CB Jackson State

Their first round pick boggled my mind. Patrick Robinson wasn’t the BPA, CB wasn’t a drastic position of need (DE was), and they let a lot of talent go. In the second round, though, they made up for it. Charles Brown at OT may be a position of need (what is going on with Jammal Brown?), and he was too good of value to pass up there. Then they screwed up again and grabbed a project TE with a career 17 catches in college football, little to no blocking skills, and about 5 higher rated TE’s on the board. Then they did something great again and moved up to grab good value at a position of need in Al Woods, who has the talent and body to be a force, but needs to be coached up and motivated. They struck gold again in the next round, again willing to move into the 5th round (giving up a 4th rounder next year) to get a great player at great value in Matt Tennant (I actually think he’ll be be a better center than Maurkrice Pouncey). Fantastic move. They then spent their 7th round pick on a project QB who they can see if he can develop on the practice squad. They still have some holes to deal with on defense (DE and OLB and maybe FS) that should have been taken care of in the draft though. Some great moves, though. B-.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Round 1, Pick 3 (3) Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
Round 2, Pick 3 (35) Brian Price, DT, UCLA
Round 2, Pick 7 (39) Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois
Round 3, Pick 3 (67) Myron Lewis, FS/CB, Vanderbilt
Round 4, Pick 3 (101) Mike Williams, WR, Syracuse
Round 6, Pick 3 (172) Brent Bowden, P, Virginia Tech
Round 7, Pick 3 (210) Cody Grimm, SS, Virginia Tech
Round 7, Pick 10 (217) Dekota Watson, OLB, Florida State
Round 7, Pick 46 (253) Erik Lorig, DE, Stanford

UDFA

Jamar Bryant WR East Carolina
Torrey Davis DT Jacksonville State
Buddy Farnham (Tryout) WR Brown
Brandon Gillbeaux DE Delaware
Derek Hardman OT Eastern Kentucky
Abdul Kuyateh OG Louisville
Hunter Lawrence PK Texas
Jeron Mastrud TE Kansas State
Rico McCoy LB Tennessee
Preston Parker WR North Alabama
Ryan Reeves LB Wayne State
Sergio Render OG Virginia Tech
Jevan Snead QB Mississippi
Jared Zwilling C Purdue

First, I can’t be the only one who got choked up watching McCoy’s reaction during the draft? Seems like a great kid.

The results of the Bucs draft are interesting. They identified their biggest needs (DT and WR), and then drafted two guys to fill them. I think McCoy is the real deal and will immediately help them out, but Price is overrated, overweight, and overdrafted (but even then he may be an improvement over what they had there). I think Benn is the real deal (although his lack of production is disturbing), but Mike Williams has high talent flameout written all over him. I love Myron Lewis and his versatility will really help the Bucs secondary. I also think they got great value in Dekota Watson in the 7th round. They also had one of the best UDFA classes, with McCoy, Lawrence, and Render all possible to make the roster. And Snead showed flashes, but needs to grow up before he’ll even become a project. They still need a pass rusher to help (Lorig is a long term project), but all in all I think they got some special playmakers, even more potential, and filled some major holes. Great job. B.

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It’s a little surprising what good, well spoken kids McCoy and Suh seem to be. DT isn’t a position well known for producing good interviews and frankly in a poll it might take the top spot for dumbest position in the league. Alabama and Nebraska also have a pretty long history of churning out meatheads. I think these two kids come across more down to earth and pleasant than St. Tebow.

That said, McCoy seems a little bit too happy with this whole process. It’s almost as if he’s reached the finish line at this point. It’ll be interesting to watch his development and see if he manages to stay hungry. Right now I’m leaning against that.

658

Damn.

659

In other news, the 49ers beat writer I only recently (about a year) started to follow quit this weekend. He says he’ll be back, but won’t say where or how. Matt Maiocco is a great reporter who never reported rumors as facts, and never put his own opinion out as anything more than that. He broke stories and provided insight. I hope he does well in his next venture.

660

NFC WEST

ARIZONA CARDINALS

Round 1, Pick 26 (26) Dan Willams, NT, Tennessee
Round 2, Pick 15 (47) Daryl Washington, LB, TCU
Round 3, Pick 24 (88) Andre Roberts, WR, The Citadel
Round 4, Pick 32 (130) O’Brein Schofield, OLB, Wisconsin
Round 5, Pick 24 (155) John Skelton, QB, Fordham
Round 6, Pick 32 (201) Jorrick Calvin, CB, Troy
Round 7, Pick 26 (233) Jim Dray, TE, Stanford

UDFA

Marshay Green CB Mississippi
Max Hall QB BYU
A.J. Jefferson CB Fresno State
Casey Knips OT South Dakota State
Max Komar WR Idaho
David Moosman OG Michigan
Alphonso Smith RB Kentucky
Juamorris Stewart WR Southern
Devin Tyler OT Temple
Stephen Williams WR Toledo

Very nice draft. The Cardinals identified their needs, and drafted to solve them. They’ve been unable to draft a NT who isn’t just a fat ass, and they may have solved that in the first round. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of Williams (I don’t think he’s special), but he’s a space eater and will free up the linebackers. Speaking of linebackers, they moved up in the second round (paying a heavy price) to grab Daryl Washington. I’m also not a huge fan of Washingtons’ (I think he’s too slight and can’t get off blocks), but he’s athletic and versatile. After filling those needs, the Cardinals grabbed two of “my guys”, Andre Roberts and O’Brein Schofield. Roberts should be a good player in the NFL, he runs good routes, has velcro hands, and moves the chains. I’m not sure he’s got the athleticism to be a #1, but he’ll be a solid contributor. He also returns punts, which helps let the Cards move Breaston to the #2 WR. Schofield is an injury risk, he blew out his knee at the Senior Bowl and may not see the field for a couple years. I was really hoping he’d fall to the Pack, but the Cards grabbed him early. He’s a DE in college, but should be a great pass rushing OLB in the pros. He’ll have to learn the position though, and we’re not sure he’ll ever recover from his injury. As I’ve stated elsewhere, I think Skelton won’t make it in the NFL (think Ingle Martin); I actually think Max Hall on the UDFA list has a better chance of being a backup than Skelton. The Cardinals filled their biggest needs, took some chances with high upside, got a couple of “my guys”, and solidified their team. I don’t think they drafted anyone really special who doesn’t have a risk though. B.

ST. LOUIS RAMS

Round 1, Pick 1 (1) Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Round 2, Pick 1 (33) Rodger Saffold, OT, Indiana
Round 3, Pick 1 (65) Jerome Murphy, CB, South Florida
Round 4, Pick 1 (99) Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati
Round 5, Pick 1 (132) Michael Hoomanawanui, TE, Illinois
Round 5, Pick 18 (149) Hall Davis, DE, La. Layfayette
Round 6, Pick 1 (170) Fendi Onubun, TE, Houston
Round 6, Pick 20 (189) Eugene Sims, DE, West Texas A&M
Round 7, Pick 4 (211) Marquis Johnson, CB, Alabama
Round 7, Pick 19 (226) George Selvie, DE, South Florida
Round 7, Pick 47 (254) Josh Hull, ILB, Penn State

UDFA

Adrian Davis DE Arkansas
Freddie Holmes LB Northern Oklahoma
Jermelle Cudjo DT Central Oklahoma
Freddie Harris LB Central Oklahoma
Alex Henderson RB Northern Arizona
Cardia Jackson LB Louisiana-Monroe
Jeromy Jones S Idaho
Simoni Lawrence LB Minnesota
Thad Lewis QB Duke
Jamie McCoy TE Texas A&M
Brandon McRae WR Mississippi State
Rod Owens WR Florida State
E.J. Reid (Tryout) DT Utah State
Casey Richter (Tryout) OL Mcneese State
Darian Stewart S South Carolina
Kennedy Tinsley FB North Carolina
Keith Toston RB Oklahoma State
DeMaundray Woolridge RB Idaho

You know how a team gets to be as bad as the Rams? Bad drafting and the inability to identify and develop young talent. Part of the problem with the Rams is that they not only don’t draft well early, they don’t draft well in the mid to late rounds, where you really build the roster. This draft, I think, isn’t all that different.

Bradford was a must pick. After the last two drafts trying to build the DE and OT positions, they needed to grab a franchise QB. Bradford has all the tools you want… and an injury. Personally, I think he’s a very big risk, but a risk they had to take. I really thought they would be shopping their Round 2 pick, but Saffold is a “my guy” and even though they drafted Jason Smith last year, you can’t have too many good OT’s on your team. I like Jerome Murphy, and he seems to be a good fit for Spag’s defense. Not a bad start. Gilyard confuses me. I don’t think he’ll be able to be highly productive in the NFL as he was in college, but he’s not likely to flameout either and helps on special teams, so a fair pick where they got him. After that, I think the Rams theory turned to “let’s reach for a lot of athletes and hope one of them turns out good”, which is not the way to build depth on their roster. Hoo… is an injury risk, blocking TE and an incredible reach (it was incredibly stupid to pass on Sapp, Lewis, Cox, etc.). Davis, Onubun, Sims, and Johnson have not produced in college and are all major projects, and none will likely be on an NFL team in 3 years, but the Rams can hope. Selvie is an enigma, a player who has gotten worse every year he’s played. Whether that’s on him, or because teams were set to shut him down and now he’ll return to his 2007 form is a question that is worth asking in the 7th round. Good pick. None of their UDFA does anything for me (then again, most of their later picks should be UDFAs). All in all, I really liked their first three rounds, but after that they blew chances at getting good starters/depth in favor for chasing the longshots. I don’t think that’s how you build a team from the ground up. Still, if those longshots pay off … B-.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Round 1, Pick 11 (11) Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
Round 1, Pick 17 (17) Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho
Round 2, Pick 17 (49) Taylor Mays, S, USC
Round 3, Pick 27 (91) Navorro Bowman, OLB, Penn State
Round 6, Pick 4 (173) Anthony Dixon, RB, Mississippi State
Round 6, Pick 13(182) Nate Byham, TE, Pittsburgh
Round 6, Pick 37 (206) Kyle Williams, WR, Arizona State
Round 7, Pick 17 (224) Phillip Adams, CB, South Carolina State

UDFA

Mike Balogun LB Oklahoma
Tramaine Brock S Belhaven
Jarrett Brown QB West Virginia
Shay Hodge WR Mississippi
Keaton Kristick OLB Oregon State
Scott Long WR Louisville
Chris Maragos S Wisconsin
Jared Perry WR Missouri
Patrick Stoudamire CB Western Illinois
Leroy Vann KR Florida A&M

I really liked how the Niners drafted, I’m just not sure I like WHO they drafted. They weren’t afraid to move up 2 spots to get a guy they wanted, they took a couple BPA, they got great value, they filled needs (except a major one), they got some guys with upside later, and they even got a draft pick for next year while trading down. A very well run draft.

But. I just have questions about the WHO they drafted. First, I loved the Mays, Bowman, and Dixon picks, I think they will all be NFL starters with the chance to be special, and great value. But I have issues with Davis and Iupati. I think Davis was a reach at 11, he’s got great upside, but he’s no sure thing. Iupati will be a great help in the smashmouth running game, but I question if he’ll be able to handle an NFL pass rush. If they pan out though, this was a great draft. Byham was a bad reach, he wasn’t even the best TE at his college, and they didn’t address their gaping hole at CB, where they need youth and depth. Quick quiz: Who was the SEC’s leading receiver this year? Shay Hodge. If this kid ever works really hard to go with his talent, he’ll be a steal as an UDFA. All told, the 49ers ran the draft well, got guys they liked, and got great value. Can’t ask for much more. If I like Davis and Iupati in pass support, they’d get an A. B+.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Round 1, Pick 6 (6) Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Round 1, Pick 14 (14) Earl Thomas, S/CB, Texas
Round 2, Pick 28 (60) Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame
Round 4, Pick 13 (111) Walter Thurmond, CB, Oregon
Round 4, Pick 29 (127) E.J. Wilson, DE,. North Carolina
Round 5, Pick 2 (133) Kam Chancellor, S, Va. Tech
Round 6, Pick 16 (185) Anthony McCoy, TE, USC
Round 7, Pick 29 (236) Dexter Davis, OLB, Arizona State
Round 7, Pick 38 (245) Jameson Konz, TE, Kent State

UDFA

James Brindley FS Utah State
Marcus Brown CB Arkansas State
Kyle Burkhart OT Southern Mississippi
Jeff Byer OG USC
Reggie Carter OLB UCLA
Patrick Devenny TE Colorado
Kevin Dixon ILB Troy
Dan Doering (Tryout) OL Iowa
DeMarcus Granger DT Oklahoma
Quintin Hancock WR Tennessee
Will Harris FS USC
Victor James (Tryout) WR James
Adrian Martinez C Colorado State
Joe Pawelek ILB Baylor
Jacob Phillips OT Belhaven
Josh Pinkard DB USC
Rob Rose DT Ohio State

Damn nice draft. Okung and Thomas are two guys who can start from Day One and could turn into special players, and they were both great value at a position of need. Tate was pure value pick, and a good one at that, he could be a starter for awhile. Thurmond was a need pick, and his whole issue is an injury. He’s a second round talent, but is still uncertain how well he’ll recover. Wilson was another need, but he’s more like a 6th round talent, so it was a huge reach. Chancellor and McCoy are both good values again, but both have issues (Kam hasn’t found a position and McCoy likes pot). If they work out, they’ll be amazing steals. Davis is a solid player, but nothing special, and Konz is a project. None of the UDFA excite me. The Seahawks did a fantastic job using the draft to also add players like LenWhale White and Leon Washington. Both have question marks, but are much better than the question marks that would come with people in the draft. The Seahawks had a lot of rebuilding to do, and this draft is a damn good beginning. A.