2011 NFL Draft

The Game Room
601

As a west coast USC homer, let me tell you that I’ve been hoping for 4 years that the Chargers would draft Stanley Havili. Everything negative that you wrote about him is pretty well spot-on (as far as I know), which is why he dropped all the way to the 7th round. But I can’t think of a more perfect fit for him than the Eagles. He is in no way a traditional fullback, but when you see him catch the ball out of the backfield and blow by the nearest linebacker like he’s standing still you’re gonna have an instant flashback to the glory days of Brian Westbrook - except he’s bigger (and certainly NOT an every down player).

Who knows, maybe his skill set just won’t translate to the NFL – but this is exactly the kind of gamble that I think EVERY team should be taking in the 7th round. Forget the backup kicker, or the 8th offensive lineman who has no chance of being anything more than a practice squad guy – go get the freaky talent kid with issues.

602

This kinda underscores why I think the Eagles draft is so fantastic and flying way, way under the radar. Every pick the Eagles made is someone whom the kid’s college fans rave about. Havili is the only non-“high character” guy the Eagles drafted, and he was chosen because he’s a perfect fit. Leonard Weaver made a ton of plays in '09 and made the Pro Bowl for it. Havili has the talent to do the same, so long as he doesn’t clock his teammates. Every guy they chose, and again they took a lot of players, is a good fit and generally a high character person.

I’d grade the Eagles as a B+/A-. Mel Kiper is a fucking idiot and his grading scale seems to change with every team. He’s a complete hack.

That said, aside from the Eagles, the general consensus on who “won” and “lost” is how I feel. Liked the Bengals and Browns (amazing what getting some Eagles castoffs can do to improve your draft) drafts. Hated what the Falcons paid and what Seattle and especially Oakland did.

603

I am content with the Steelers’ draft.
DT, OL, DB, DB, DL, OL, RB.

I thought they needed to beef up the O-Line and it seems that they have. I’m not sure what kind of RB Baron Batch will be, but I have thought that since Betis retired we needed a power runner. Hopefully Batch will be the guy.

604

While I tend to agree with you on Kiper, I’m not really sold on the Eagles draft. God knows I love me some Butte Comm. College guys, and Watkins will likely be fine, but I’m not sure he’s worth a first round pick there, especially with Cam Jordan still there. Watkins is pretty raw, and I don’t think he’ll be a good NFL starter right away, it will take him some time to develop (time he won’t have with the lockout and his age) to deal with NFL caliber players. I like Jarrett, but I think he’s physically limited and won’t be a gamechanger. Marsh is another huge project (he’s been playing CB for just over a year) with questionable instincts and he won’t be ready to play in the NFL for a couple years, if ever. Casey Matthews is another limited athlete who I don’t think will be more than a backup, Dion Lewis is too slow and small for the NFL, and Vandevelde doesn’t scare anyone. Picking a kicker, even a great kicker, in the fourth is too early for me, and the rest of the crew doesn’t do much for me (although I do like the Rolle pick in the 6th a ton).

The Eagles, as always, did a good job of balancing getting players with upside and high character, solid guys. But I think their draft this year will have one solid starter and a bunch of limited backups. I’m usually a huge fan of the Eagle’s drafts, but this year, I think they overdrafted a lot of limited athletes.

605

It really just doesn’t make any sense to grade draft classes on analog scales. The whole thing about the draft is that it’s about instinct and feel, rather than rational analysis.

606

YOUR NFL CHAMPION GREEN BAY PACKERS

Draft Review

1ST Round, 32nd pick

Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State (6-5, 321)

Love it. I realize I’m higher on this guy than a lot of people, but I really like his skill set, his technique, and his intelligence. I think he can play LT in the NFL for a long time. He may not make any Pro Bowls (Jason Peters and Bryant McKinnie have inexplicably made pro bowls, so it’s not a big deal), but I think he’ll be an above average starter at LT for a long time. Once Cameron Jordan was gone, I wanted Sherrod and they got him.

2nd Round, 64th pick

Randall Cobb, WR, Kentucky (5-10, 191)

When I covered the Packers draft needs, I asked for a guy just like this, a guy who will immediately help special teams as a returner, who is versatile enough to be both a change of pace back and a slot receiver. I just didn’t know he’d be a QB and a return guy too. And while my man crush Derrick Locke, Cobb’s teammate, went undrafted (UNDRAFTED!!! ARE THEY INSANE!!!), I think Cobb will work out nicely, and was OK value at the end of the 2nd round. I’m not sure he’s fast enough to be a huge gamebreaker, but he’s still developing, and will be a good player.

3rd Round, 96th pick

Alex Green, RB, Hawaii (6-0, 225)

Not a fan. He’s a good fit as a 3rd down back, and if he gets stronger, may be a nice short yardage guy, but he was a huge reach in the 3rd round. I liked Helu, Carter, Jones, Powell, and Hunter better than Green. Also, I don’t think RB is a huge area of need that would require a reach like that. I was hoping for a DE here, maybe Allen Bailey or Drake Nevis, but, just like in the first round, they were scooped up before the Packers picked. I probably would have taken Christian Ballard or Sam Acho here instead.

4th Round, 129th pick

Traded (along with 7th rounder (204th overall) to the Denver Broncos for a 5th rounder (141st overall) and 6th rounder (186 overall).

Whew. I was coveting Davon House or Marcus Cannon with this pick, but they were able to still get House while moving into the 6th round from the 7th, so no harm no foul. I know that Cannon has recently been diagnosed with lymphoma (good luck Marcus), but he was still great value in the bottom of the 4th. I wish the Packers would’ve taken the chance on him.

4th Round, 131st pick (compensatory)

Davon House, CB, New Mexico State (6-0, 200)

I like his upside, his fit in the system, and his great value here. He’ll take a bit of refining, but you can never have too many CB’s, and he’s got the athleticism to really develop into a #1 CB. Hopefully, he’ll make a great nickel back until then.

5th Round, 141st pick

D.J. Williams, TE, Arkansas (6-2, 245)

I love our GM, Ted Thompson, but sometimes he just makes me scratch my head in frustration. I really, really wanted Ahmad Black with this pick, I would have settled for my mancrush Derrick Locke (HE’S UNDRAFTED!!! ARE THEY INSANE???) or Karl Klug to fill a need or Jason Pinkson to add O Line depth. But instead we get a guy at a position we don’t need who doesn’t have the size or strength to start in the NFL. Don’t get me wrong, I like the guy, I love his effort, character, and production; and he won the Mackey Award, but he’s undersized for the NFL and more of an H back than a TE. I hope he becomes a core special teamer, because I’m not sure he’ll cut it as a TE. But TT has proven me wrong before.

5th Round, 163rd pick

Traded to the 49ers for a 6th round (174th overall) and 7th round (231st overall) picks.

Trading down 11 spots to get another 7th rounder is fine I guess. I wanted McPhee for need or any of the other my guys still available, but I also understand TT. With no ability to sign street free agents (Sam Shields and Frank Zombo!!!), I think TT wanted to horde late round picks to make sure he got the late rounders/undrafted guys he wanted. Not a horrible idea.

6th Round, 174th pick

Traded, along with their 7th rounder, to Miami for their 6th (No. 179) and seventh-round (No. 218) picks.

They traded down 5 spots in the 6th to go up 13 spots in the 7th. Whatever.

6th Round, 179th pick

Caleb Schlauderaff, OG, Utah (6-4, 305)

Meh. He’s not good enough in pass protection to help immediately, so maybe he’ll develop into a nice backup. He does nothing for me, but I can hope he’ll turn into Josh Sitton. Doubt it though. I was pissed because there was still some talent out there, and I wanted Greg Jones, Brian Rolle, Derrick Locke, or Willie Smith much more than this guy.

6th Round, 186th pick

D.J. Smith, ILB, Appalachian State (5-11, 243)

Highly productive small school guy who, once again, does nothing for me. He’s too short, and hasn’t played against high level blockers. At this point, I was hoping the Packers would be grabbing pass rush specialists, 3-4 DE projects, special teams guys, and huge upside projects. Maybe DJ will strengthen our special teams, which would be nice.

6th Round, 197th pick

Ricky Elmore, OLB, Arizona (6-4, 255)

I really like this pick. He’s a college DE who will try (like many guys) to transition to a OLB in the pros. He’s high motor, productive guy who excels at getting to the QB, but may be a liability in coverage. But it’s the sixth round, so he’s certainly worth a shot.

Quick trivia question. Who led the PAC-10 in sacks last year? No, not Brooks Reed, who had a lowly 6 and a half, yet was drafted in the second round. That’s right. Ricky Elmore. He’s great value in the 6th.

7th Round, 218th pick

Ryan Taylor, TE, North Carolina (6-3, 254)

This pick only makes sense when you consider him as a special teams standout. With one stud, one high upside project, and 2 servicable TE’s already on the roster and one taken earlier in the draft, TE is not a position of need. But Taylor may be special on special teams, which the Packers have the luxury of finding out. Good pick for that reason alone. I’ll note that DERRICK FUCKING LOCKE was still available, as was another guy I liked Da’ Rel Scott.

7th Round, 233rd pick

Lawrence Guy, DE, Arizona State (6-4, 305)

Finally, a potential 3-4 DE. I’m not a huge fan of his because he’s not too bright, relies only on talent and not technique, came out too early, and has some medical issues (ADD). But he’s also got huge upside and, if he puts it all together mentally, he could be a very good player. A developmental project with lots of upside at a position of need in the 7th round? Yes please!!
Overall:

Ted Thompson, once again, shows he’s more interested in what they consider to be the Best Player Available than in filling needs. But, considering that the Packers won the Super Bowl, have many guys coming back from injuries, and have faith in the guys they have there already, they didn’t have too many needs. I would have liked an early round pick on 3-4 DE, but the ones I liked never fell to the Packers. The same can be said for OLB opposite Clay Matthews. But the Packers still have guys they like (Zombo, Brad Jones, Jarius Wynn, CJ Wilson) at those positions, so it’s not catastrophic.

One thing I really liked about this draft is that TT finally paid attention to special teams. Cobb helps immediately as a returner, and Williams, Smith, and especially Taylor may all be a big help on special teams. I’m still scratching my head about Green, Williams, Schlauderhaefenweisenleiderhosen, and Smith picks, but I really like the Elmore and Guy picks as late round chances. And I’m thrilled to have Sherrod.

All in all, another good draft by the Packers. Which is a big part of why they are:

NFL CHAMPIONS GREEN BAY PACKERS!!

607

And, my favorite guys who went undrafted, who the Packers should pick up once they get this stupid labor situation taken care of.

Derrick Locke, mancrush, Kentucky
Brandon Bair, 3-4 DE, Oregon
Mark Herzlich, ILB, Boston College
Willie Smith, OT, E. Carolina
David Mims, OT, Virginia Union

608

There’s a lot to tackle here, so I’ll try to take it in parts. I don’t buy the “not worth a first round pick” argument because it’s impossible to know whether other teams were targeting Watkins later on. If he’s your guy, he’s your guy, and like in fantasy football, you may have to take him when you can to ensure you get him. The idea of value here is almost absurd because it relies too much on unknowable information. We don’t, and probably can’t, know if someone else would have taken Watkins after the Eagles pick. He’s only a reach if no one else would have taken him before the Eagles second round pick. It can’t be known, but it’s a safe bet that he would have been taken, since in almost every mock he was a late first pick. Criticizing a draft pick because someone took a guy at 23 when he “should” have come off the board at 28 is pure silliness.

As for the second part on Watkins himself, I haven’t heard much supporting your sentiment there. Almost universally he was regarded as one of the safest picks heading into the draft because he was “NFL ready.” For all their bullshit, both Kiper and McShay said this, as did many other draft articles. I don’t think he’ll need any time to develop and almost everyone agrees he’ll be a day one starter.

He’s a little small, and he’s not an elite athlete, so on those points I can agree. I have a feeling you’ll be wrong about his impact on the field though. Part of the reason I love this pick is because, though Jarrett is a little one dimensional as a safety - he’s not a ballhawk who can roam deep center and pick off 8+ a season - he’s an exceptionally good tackler (I’ve heard two different commentators refer to him as they best tackler they’ve seen). He can be a force against the run and over the middle. That is precisely, exactly, what the Eagles have needed since Brian Dawkins left. Jarrett is a potential Brian Dawkins/Bob Sanders. He doesn’t need to be a ball hawk because the Eagles also have Nate Allen to do that, and he showed a lot of promise there last season before getting hurt.

He’s a project for sure, and the Eagles have had very bad luck on drafting projects in the third round. I’m not sure why he won’t be ready to play in the NFL for a couple years though. In his second season at corner he earned All-WAC second team honors. Seems like a quick study. He will be hurt by a prolonged lockout though, for sure. Moreso than anyone in this group.

He’s small and a little slow, but I don’t think either will limit him too much. He can bulk up and take on blocks better with increased strength, which was his biggest weakness. He has the instincts and smarts that make for a valuable player though, I’ll take that over the elite athlete who can’t figure it out. We’ve all seen that guy fail time and time again, and I watched him fail all last season with Ernie Sims. I’d be surprised if Matthews isn’t a full time starter by his second season.

So was Brian Westbrook. So are a number of other backs. And he’s not slow, he was in the top half in 40 times for backs.

Nonsense, this isn’t fantasy football. I’ve heard rumors that he wouldn’t have made it until the Eagles’ fifth round pick. These are the sorts of luxuries a team that takes 10 guys every single year get to have. You can take a kicker in the fourth and not suffer for it because you always have another fourth.

609

Just to add, it isn’t as if I think all of these guys are Pro Bowlers. I do think that most of them will make the team and there will be a few of these guys who end up starting in this coming season. That’s why I think this draft went so well, every guy seems to fit a need and fits the team’s design. That’s a remarkable thing to do with 11 picks.

610

Such a thing hasn’t happened since…a couple years ago, when every one of the Lions’ picks had some playing time.

Of course, coming off an 0-16 season helps.

611

I think you’ve confused two different things. There is a difference between me saying “he’s not worth it here” and you saying “you can take him when you get him”. I don’t care how many other teams want Watkins, I don’t think he’s worth a first round pick. To me, there wasn’t much difference between Watkins, Ronnie Hudson, Steve Wisnewskiingincoloradoisfun, and he was worse than Carimi, Sherrod, Cam Jordan, and others. And I think one of the easiest ways to ruin your draft is to have “your guy” and go get him no matter what. Most teams recognize that they have to have more than one “your guy”. And I didn’t see enough special about Watkins to make him “my one and only guy”.

Again, it’s not about who might have taken him, and more about is he the best player available. Watkins, to me, wasn’t.

As with all things, we will see. I’ve been wrong before. I just don’t think he’ll be a huge impact player like some of the other guys who were available.

Again, we will see. I don’t think Jarrett will get even close to 8 Pro Bowls, and there is a huge difference between tackling and covering Joe Runningback from University of Toledo and Felix Jones. As always, we will see.

I agree it is easier for the Eagles or the Pats (Gostkowski) to take a kicker in the fourth round than other teams. But I think the fact that a vast majority of kickers aren’t taken that high, and yet teams somehow survive, speaks volumes about their worth.

612

Think harder, then. Granted, it’s easier to find a good kicker who goes undrafted than a quarterback, tailback or corner… but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea to take one when you can. They clearly liked him better than any position player on the board.

613

Of course they did. That’s why they took him. If they didn’t like him the most, they’d be idiots to take him. And they likely wouldn’t have taken him there.

But that’s not the same thing as saying they are right.

Look, I completely understand that draft reviews are kinda silly. The teams take the guys they like when they like to take them. They make the choices, they deal with the consequences, and what I, you, or anyone else says doesn’t really matter all that much. Every single draft pick, from Ryan Leaf to Jamarcus Russell to Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, the team got the guy they “liked” and who they thought would be “better than any other player on the board”.

I’m merely offering my opinion that they may be wrong.

614

Fair enough, but your supporting argument just doesn’t make sense. It’s like saying you don’t need to waste draft picks on running backs because there are Priest Holmeses and Arian Fosters and Willie Parkers and LeGarrette Blounts out there.

615

And Adrian Petersons. And Maurice Jones Drew. And Darren McFadden. And Stephen Jackson. Great, productive backs who were drafted higher. The fact that there are some RB’s found in later rounds doesn’t mean you shouldn’t draft them earlier if they’re good enough.

But there are many more kickers who weren’t taken higher than the 4th round, yet find success in the NFL. Since 1994, here’s the kickers taken in the 4th round or higher: Sebastian Janikowski in the first (do you think he was worth a first round pick?), Steve Gostkowski in the 4th, Mike Nugent in the 2nd, Nate Kaeding in the 3rd, Jeff Chandler in the 4th, Travis Dorsch in the 4th, Bill Gramattica in the 4th, Martin Grammatica in the 3rd, Brett Conway in the 3rd, Steve McLaughlin in the 3rd.

Only one of them is in the top 10 of kickers last year. Hell, Chandler, Dorsch, the Grammaticas, Brett Conway, and Steve McLaughlin are all out of football (I think) already. Meanwhile, the great majority of kickers in the NFL who are successful are not taken in the top 4 rounds, sometimes not even drafted.

I really don’t think Alex Henery is going to be so much better than the undrafted kickers who could enter the NFL this year. Maybe he will, maybe in 10 years, I’ll wake up and see that he’s the best kicker in the NFL, and well worth the 4th round pick.

As always, we will see.

616

Kaeding is arguably the best kicker in the NFL, as was Martin Gramatica for a while until his freak injury. Gostkowski’s pretty good.

If you go back to 1992, you get to Jason Hanson, who has unquestionably been worth the 2nd round pick the Lions used on him and more.

617

Tied for 23rd in field goal percentage, Tied for 25th for longest field goal made, tied for 26th in 50+ yard field goals, 27th in kickoff yards per kick, and 32nd in touchback percentage.

But not so much better than the other kickers who weren’t drafted that high. The percentage of successful kickers taken in the 4th round or above, compared to those taken later or undrafted, doesn’t strike me as worth it. Of course, YMMV.

618

Despite my questionable track record, and the futility that comes with talking about the draft immediately after it happens, I figured I’d go an analysis of the teams I’m interested in. If nothing else, it will give me something to laugh about in 5 years.

I’ve done the NFL CHAMPION Green Bay Packers already, so I’ll hit the rest of the NFC North, and then any team that interests me, or anybody wants me to do.

Chicago Bears

Overall:

Can a draft be graded based on only on the first two picks? If so, the Bears had a very good draft. They got good value at positions of need in the first two rounds. But for an aging team with more than a couple more holes to fill (interior O Line, CB, and WR), I think they may have some troubles down the road because of misses in this draft. I don’t like any of the picks outside of the first two rounds, and they left a few needs unfilled. But they are bigger in free agency than drafts anyway. I was hoping guys wouldn’t fall to them, but they did.

Round 1, Pick 29

Gabe Carimi, OL, Wisconsin

A versatile, solid addition to an incredibly weak offensive line. Great value at a position of major need. You really can’t ask for more out of a late first round draft pick. I really don’t think he’ll cut it on the left side, but who knows, maybe he will.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention, once again, that the Bears are a pathetic franchise and shitheads for not following through on what they promised. I don’t care that they did it to the Ravens, who had done it the Vikings before. It’s still a shitty thing to do. But, just like Bush’s WMD’s in Iraq defense, incompetence is better than wilful lying, I guess.

Round 2, Pick 53

Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon St.

The Bears gave up their 4th Round pick to move up 9 spots and grab another good value at a position of need. Personally, I think Paea has a bit too much “workout warrior” in him, and once he hits the NFL, he won’t be able to rely on his impressive brute strength as much as in college. So the question becomes can he develop enough to add interior pass pressure, or will he be just a widebody taking up space. 49 reps is nice, but when a guard easy gets inside your stubby armed body, it’s a different game. Still, all told, a good pick. But there’s some talent there in the 4th round the Bears could have used.

Round 3, Pick 93

Chris Conte, DB, California

A big old Meh. He’s had one good season as a play deep safety, but only has 2 career interceptions and doesn’t have good recognition skills. He was a reach in the 3rd round, and I is much more a project than a starter at this point. But he’s got nice size and speed combination and a bit of versatility, so he may at least be an adequate backup. I want my FS to have more interceptions and big play ability, but he might work in the Tampa 2.

Round 5, Pick 160

Nathan Enderle, QB, Idaho

A developmental QB who kept getting better (after being pretty bad) in college. I don’t think he has the arm strength or smarts to cut it in the NFL, but if you have a clipboard that needs holding, he may be your guy. Mike Martz is the genius, so he must see something I don’t. Too bad that Taylor Yates went a few picks before, because I like him as a prospect much more than Enderle.

Round 6, Pick 195

James Thomas, LB, West Virginia

If he doesn’t have anyone blocking him and they tell him what the play is beforehand, he’ll make an excellent LB in the NFL. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen very much. He’s easily blocked and doesn’t have the best play recognition skills. But he’s fast and a good tackler, so maybe he can develop into a starter. I doubt it though.

619

Detroit Lions

Overall:

I’m not seeing all the love the Lions got from others in this draft. I thought that early in the draft they took the wrong guys at the wrong times to fill the wrong positions. And, for a team that needs desperately to build depth and defense, they were way to risky for me. With so many needs in the secondary and linebacking corp., and so many players available to fill those needs, I was unimpressed with their choices. Yet most people I’ve read said they had a great draft. I think that, in large part, that’s because people love to see teams trade up for guys. But I do like Leshoure and Hogue picks. Unfortunately, I don’t think they came close to filling the needs they had going in.

Round 1, Pick 13

Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn

Nick is a “your guy”, so of course I don’t like the pick. But even if I did like Fairley, I still think it was a dumb move. I guess I get the “Fairly and Suh will dominate!!” view, but Suh is such a good player, he’ll make even an average player next to him so much better. I see no real point in adding another first rounder there when you have so many other needs to take care of. Amukemara, Castonzo, Carimi, and even Jimmy Smith if you like head cases, were comparable talent at more important positions of need. So not only do I think Fairley will be lazy as a pro, I also think he won’t help the Lions all that much.

Round 2, Pick 44

Titus Young, WR, Boise St.

I’m not a fan of Young either, but not because I question his heart, I just don’t think he’ll be anything special in the NFL, and, once again, he’s a poor fit for the Lions and WR wasn’t a big need. Young is, to me, overrated. He’s too slight, he’s not electric in the return game, doesn’t run the best routes, hasn’t faced top competition, and doesn’t have the speed to be more than a complementary WR in the NFL. While that is all that the Lions need him to be because of Megatron, I think it was a waste to grab a guy like him there in the second round. They already have a Stefan Logan, thanks. Guys who could have really helped in the secondary, like the #1 Safety Rahim Moore or Brandon Harris were right there for the picking. Hell, take a chance on DaQuan Bowers if you like. Or build your O line. But drafting an overrated player who fills a need that you don’t really have was bad decisionmaking.

Round 2, Pick 57

Mikel Leshoure, RB, Illinois

The Lions traded their 3rd and 4th Round picks and swapped positions in the 5th and 7th to go up 18 spots to grab Mikel Leshoure. I actually liked this pick a lot. He was great value there, they didn’t give up too much (if they were closer to the Super Bowl and didn’t have so many needs on defense, I’d be a lot more comfortable with it though), and he fills a need. (A need that exists because they reached last year to draft Best, which I criticized then). If you ignore their other needs, it’s a pretty good move.

Round 3, Pick 75

Traded

Round 4, Pick 107

Traded

Round 5, Pick 157

Douglas Hogue, LB, Syracuse

The Lions were picking 17 slots later because of the trade. There were 5 DB’s taken in those 17 picks. Doug Hogue, however, was a “my guy” in the 6th round, so he was OK value here in the 5th. I think if he bulks up a bit, gets stronger, and learns how to be an NFL linebacker (he’s only been a LB for a couple years), he could be a very solid starter. He’s certainly a developmental project, but his production (including 9.5 sacks the year before last) is solid and his best football is ahead of him. I like this pick too and it fills a position of need.

Round 6, Pick 173

I think they traded this pick last year to the Seahawks for former first rounder Lawrence Jackson, who had 6 sacks in rotational play last year for the Lions. Helluva trade.

Round 7, Pick 209

Johnny Culbreath, OT, South Carolina St.

South Carolina has a State College? They have a football program? Someone plays OT for them? Culbreath might have some J’Marcus Webb in him, as a small school guy who makes it good, but he’s a developmental project. Which is fine in the 7th round.

620

Minnesota Vikings

Overall: To sum up their entire draft, I hated the how, but love the who. I really like a lot of the players they got, but I wasn’t a fan of when and where. But, as has been pointed out, you can’t always control that. If you judge a draft solely on what happens in the first round, you may not like the Vikings draft. But if you judge it as a whole, I think they did a very good job in the later rounds. And since I like Ponder and I think he’ll be a more than adequate NFL quarterback, I think they did a very good job drafting.

Round 1, Pick 12

Christian Ponder, QB, Florida St

I’ve been on record liking Ponder more than any other QB in this draft, so I’m not going to dog on the Vikings for reaching for him here. He wouldn’t have lasted until the second round, so the Vikings would have had to grab him here, or give up some serious picks to move up again and grab him later in the first. Since they have to get a lot younger as a team, those 2nd and 3rd round picks would have been too much to give up. I think Ponder, if handled well, could be a long time starter in the NFL.

Round 2, Pick 43

Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame

Another, I hate how, but love the who. I like Rudolph, I think he’ll be a good NFL TE, and a solid chain mover for Ponder. But he wasn’t amazing value and not a position of need. With a desperate need along the D Line, O Line, and at Wide Receiver, I think they would have done better grabbing as highly ranked players at those positions. Still, I like him, I’m just not blown away by him, especially with his hamstring issues.

Round 3, Pick 72

Traded last year for Randy Moss. Which is a nice reminder of how much fun it was to watch the Vikings completely fall apart last year. Good times. Good times.
Round 4, Pick 106

Christian Ballard, DL, Iowa

Great value in the fourth round. He’s got amazing athletic ability, but rarely, if ever, does it translate into production on the field. He needs some serious coaching, to stop smoking pot, and for the light to come on. But if he gets his shit together, he could be special. Definitely worth a fourth round pick, and should move into the rotation on the D Line immediately. But he does carry a risk of being a bust.

Round 5, Pick 139

Brandon Burton, DB, Utah

Another great pick. I like Burton’s upside and his smarts. I don’t think he’ll blow anyone away, but he’s the kind of solid player who I think could be a great #2 CB for years. He needs to work on his ball skills and he’s a tiny bit slower than I’d like, but all in all, he’s good value here, and will have time to develop.

Round 5, Pick 150

Traded to the Browns for picks 168 and 170 in the 6th round.

I’m usually a fan of trading down in the later rounds to get more picks. Without the ability to sign undrafted free agents and being able to take more chances works for me.

But not here. The Vikings cost themselves shots at Ahmad Black, Jason Pinkson, TJ Yates, Chris Carter, and Doug Hogue, who I thought would all be great additions in the fifth round (especially Black). Sometimes it’s OK to grab a guy you like.

Round 6, Pick 3 (168)

Demarcus Love, OL, Arkansas

Another great pick. Love played in two different systems, a power running game and the spread, and he did well in both. He’s got the versatility to play almost anywhere on the line, but is probably best as a guard. Worst case scenario, he’s a solid backup with versatility, but he may have the skill to start in the NFL. Great value.

Round 6, Pick 170

Mistral Raymond, DB, South Florida

Not a fan of this pick. I don’t think Raymond has the speed, size, or skills to survive as a safety in the NFL. He’ll have to make his living on special teams.
Round 6, Pick 172

Brandon Fusco, OL, Slippery Rock

How do you not love a guy who played at Slippery Rock? It’s a Rock. And it’s Slippery. Fusco is one of “my guys”, and is well worth taking a chance on in the sixth round. He’s purely developmental and needs some training and time in the weight room, but is all in all a good player.

Round 6, Pick 200 (Compensatory)

Ross Homan, LB, Ohio St.

Another great value pick. Homan was the quarterback of the Buckeyes defense and has the instincts and intelligence to be around the ball a lot. Unfortunately, he may not have the size and speed to be a starter in the NFL. Still, he’s productive at a big school and will make a good backup if nothing else.

Round 7, Pick 215

D’Aundre Reed, DL, Arizona

Does nothing for me. He’s not stout enough against the run, nor productive enough at getting to the QB, nor experienced enough to move to linebacker. He’s a tweener with no real position. He couldn’t even be a full time starter at Arizona, but rather a rotational guy at best. Still, he’s athletic, so maybe they can do something with him.

Round 7, Pick 236 (Compensatory)

Stephen Burton, WR, West Texas A&M

It took the Vikings way too long to find some help at WR, an area of potentially big need. And Burton won’t be much help. He’s got the size and speed some coaches love, but he’s got poor hands, poor concentration, and poor route running. A developmental project that I don’t think will develop. Still, worth a shot I guess.