Miami Dolphins
Notable Selections: 1 (1) - OT Jake Long, Michigan; 2 (31) - Phillip Merling, Clemson; 2 (57) - QB Chad Henne, Michigan; 3 (66) - DE Kendall Langford, Hampton

Overall Grade: A-

Miami drafted a lot of players based on the scheme they will be looking to run next season, players that should fit the scheme nicely such as Phillip Merling and Kendall Langford. The move to pick Merling over a quarterback was great, he sould be a steal at that spot. It’s especially good that they still found a way to get the quarterback they wanted in the second round. Langford in the third fits the mold of a 3-4 defensive end.

Buffalo Bills
Notable Selections: 1 (11) - CB Leodis McKelvin, Troy; 2 (41) - WR James Hardy, Indiana; 3 (72) - Chris Ellis, Virginia Tech

Overall Grade: B+

Buffalo found a way to address a need at cornerback, and holding out until the second round to get the wide receiver they want. James Hardy will be a tremendous red zone threat for Trent Edwards, and should really open up the offense along side of Lee Evans. They got a good pass rushing talent in Chris Ellis in the third round

Read the rest of this entry »

Baltimore Ravens
Notable Selections: 1 (18) - QB Joe Flacco, Delaware; 2 (55) - RB Ray Rice, Rutgers; 3 (71) - LB Tavares Gooden, Miami; 3 (86) - S Tom Zbikowski, Notre Dame; 3 (99) - OL Oniel Cousins, UTEP

Overall Grade: A+

They didn’t get Matt Ryan. That doesn’t matter because the cost to get him would’ve been far too much. Instead, the Ravens did the right thing by trading down to get their franchise quarterback. Flacco has really grown on me since the Ravens picked him up with their first round pick. He’s a good fit for their team, and will contribute by the end of his rookie season. Adding Ray Rice in the second makes a lot of sense, because he should have gone earlier, potentially early second round. Also considering that Willis McGahee has had nearly 900 carries his past three seasons, the Ravens might want to look out for the amount of time he’s carrying the football. Zbikowski is a tough kid that will make an impact on special teams, and Oniel Cousins is a versatile lineman who should provide depth to both guard and center spots.

Cincinnati Bengals
Notable Selections: 1 (9) - LB Keith Rivers, USC; 2 (46) - Jerome Simpson, Coast Carolina; 3 (77) - DT Pat Sims, Auburn; 3 (97) - WR Andre Caldwell, Florida; 4 (112) - OT Anthony Collins, Kansas

Overall Grade: A-

Love what the Bengals did on draft day. Keith Rivers will be the defensive player of the year this season, mark that down. He deserves being in the top ten, and the Patriots will certainly regret passing on him. Jerome Simpson is a risky pick, but they picked up a proven collegiate wide receiver in Andre Caldwell. Pat Sims was a steal in the third, as was Anthony Collins in the forth. All of their picks addressed needs, and they got terrific value with most of them (Rivers, Sims, Caldwell, Collins). Great draft by the Bengals overall.

Pittsburgh Steelers
Notable Selections: 1 (23) - RB Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois; 2 (53) - WR Limas Sweed, Texas; 3 (88) - DE/OLB Bruce Davis, UCLA; 4 (130) - OT Tony Hills, Texas

Overall Grade: B+

Cleveland Browns
Notable Selections: 4 (104) - ILB Beau Bell, UNLV; 4 (111) - TE Martin Rucker, Missouri; 6 (190) - DT Ahtyba Rubin, Iowa State

Overall Grade: B-

For a team that had limited picks going into the draft, the Browns certainly made out well. The two selections that I like the most are Beau Bell and Ahtyba Rubin. Both fit their scheme well, and are actually two of the top ranked players at their position before the draft, in my mind. I can’t give them any higher of this because of the lack of elite talent, and because of what they gave up to get these picks.

Jacksonville Jaguars
Notable Selections: 1 (8) - DE Derrick Harvey, Florida; 2 (52) - DE/OLB Quentin Groves, Auburn; 5 (155) - LB Thomas Williams, USC; 5 (159) - CB Trae Williams, USF

Overall Grade: A-

The team gave up a lot to move up to grab Derrick Harvey, but look at the drop off between the Harvey and the next defensive end on the board. To be honest, the next best defensive end on the board might have been Quentin Groves, depending on how you feel about Calais Campbell or Phillip Merling. To me, if you’re going to walk away from this draft with two primer pass rushers, then you’re going to be a good grade in my book. The Giants showed teams have effective a pass rush could be, and the Jags are looking to do the same thing by stock piling ends.

Houston Texans
Notable Selections: 1 (26) - OT Duane Brown, Virginia Tech; 3 (79) - CB Antwaun Molden, Eastern Kentucky; 3 (89) - RB Steve Slaton, West Virginia; 4 (118) - OLB Xavier Adibi, Virginia Tech; 5 (151) - DT Frank Okam, Texas

Overall Grade: B+

It took them a while, but the Texans finally found an offensive tackle, and one that fits their system very nice. Duane Brown might have been a reach for where the Texans picked him, but there’s no way they could have got an offensive tackle of equal value in the third with the way they were coming off the board. Aside from the pick of Duane Brown, what I really love about the Texans draft was their middle round selections. Steve Slaton, Xavier Adibi, and Frank Okam are all guys that I had rated highly. Slaton fits their scheme perfectly, Okam could become an impressive run-stuffing defensive tackle, and Adibi is an athletic linebacker that could at the very least make contributions on special teams.

Indianapolis Colts
Notable Selections: 2 (59) - C Mike Pollak, Arizona State; 3 (93) - ILB Philip Wheeler, Georgia Tech; 6 (202) - RB Mike Hart, Michigan

Overall Grade: C+

Considering the picks the Colts had, or lack thereof, they did a solid job with the draft they put together.
Mike Pollak is arguably the best center in the draft, he should upgrade the interior of the Colts offensive line. Philip Wheeler should make a smooth transition to playing in the next level, at the very least making his presence felt on special teams. Mike Hart is mentioned above just because he could very well be a sleeper on this draft class. He’s a leader on and off the field, who leaves Michigan with a plethora of records in his name.

Tennessee Titans
Notable Selections: 1 (24) - RB Chris Johnson, East Carolina; 2 (54) - DE/DT Jason Jones, Eastern Michigan; 3 (85) - TE Craig Stevens, California

Overall Grade: D+

This grade is nothing against the kind of players I feel Chris Johnson or Jason Jones will work out to be. I had them both rated highly coming into the draft, and they should make an impact for the Titans last season. However, in 2006, the Titans used in 3rd pick in the draft to take their franchise quarterback. And the best excuse they could come up with for some wide receivers are Roydell Williams and Justin McCareins? Unless the Titans are prepared to give Vince some wide receivers, it might be safe to say he will be the next decade’s Donovan McNabb; someone who will go through their prime with their team giving him little help at wide receiver. The Titans had every wide receiver in the draft class to pick from, including Young’s college teammate Limas Sweed. Even after they went for Johnson, the Titans could’ve at least made an attempt to trade into the early second round to get Sweed or another wide receiver. I’ll remind everybody that Sweed went at the 53rd spot, where the Titans picked at 54.

I’m going to be rolling out some draft grades over the course of the next week or two. I’ll kick it off with the AFC West, moving through the AFC and then on to the NFC. I’m not trying to make any friends with these grades, I’m just grading how I feel the team did compared against what I think the team should have done.

Kansas City Chiefs
Notable Selections: 1 (5) - DT Glenn Dorsey, LSU; 1 (15) - OL Brendan Albert, Virginia; 2 (35) - CB Brandon Flowers, Virginia Tech; 3 (73) - RB Jamaal Charles, Texas; 3 (76) - TE Brad Cottam, Tennessee; 3 (82) - S DaJuan Morgan, North Carolina St.

Overall Grade: A+

What an unbelievable draft. This is what every fan has to envision their team doing in the draft. The Chiefs made shrewd decisions in drafting Glenn Dorsey, and then trading up for Brendan Albert. Brandon Flowers was a terrific value for where the Chiefs got him, he could’ve been a late first-round pick. The idea of drafting Jamaal Charles is enticing because it creates a “thunder-lightning” combination with Larry Johnson. Brad Cottam is a gamble, but nonetheless is a great pick for the third round. DaJuan Morgan is somebody that could be starter at the next level at some point in the near future, and at the very least he should make contributions on special teams. Read the rest of this entry »

7:55 P.M. - We’re going to conclude our live blog for the first day with Philadelphia finally getting their wide receiver/kick returner. Enjoy the rest of the draft.

7:42 P.M. - Philly on the clock for the third time today. Expecting either Carl Nicks, Anthony Collins, or DeSean Jackson here…

7:39 P.M. - Chad Henne just ripped apart the Rams organization in an interview with ESPN, saying that the Rams were going to trade up ahead of the Dolphins and take Henne with the 29th pick. Henne and Brohm have to be coming off the board soon, they’re way too talented to be on the board for this long.

7:37 P.M. - Cincinnati has a lot of different directions where they could go with this pick; WR, RB, OT, DT, or even DE.

7:31 P.M. - Matt Forte over Ray Rice? Doesn’t make much sense unless the Bears were scared off by how many times Rice carried the ball in his past years.

7:28 P.M. - Bears should go either Brohm or Henne here. Wouldn’t be surprising to then see Calais Campbell go to the Lions, and somebody like Pat Sims or Marcus Harrison to the Bengals.

7:25 P.M. - Philly deals their second pick to the Vikings.

7:17 P.M - The Bills look brilliant passing up a wide receiver in the first round, and now drafting James Hardy in the second round. He’s going to be that big target that Trent Edwards will look to in the red zone. Solid draft by the Bills so far going with Leodis McKelvin and James Hardy. Denver on the clock.

7:07 P.M. - San Francisco goes out and gets Chilo Rachal to upgrade the line. Solid pick by them after going with Kentwan Balmer in the first. They’re definitely upgrading their team building from the inside-out, which is the way you have to win in today’s game.

6:56 P.M. - Curtis Lofton to the Falcons. If I’m a Falcons fan, I would have preferred another Sooner in Reggie Smith.

6:52 P.M. - Jordy Nelson, arguably the most productive wide receiver in this class, will become a nice new target for new quarterback Aaron Rogers.

6:47 P.M. - The Chiefs got a fantastic pick in Brandon Flowers here. I’m loving the Chiefs draft so far. They are really setting themselves up well for the future.

6:45 P.M. - Donnie Avery becomes the first wide receiver off the board. What!?! Donnie Avery!?! Lets get serious here. Malcolm Kelly, Devin Thomas, Limas Sweed, DeSean Jackson, and Donnie Avery is better than all of them? This might not be the best wide receiver class , but you can’t try to say Avery is the best one on the board.

6:43 P.M. - Took a bit of a break from the live blogging but I’m back to discover that the Jets have moved up for Dustin Keller, and the Cowboys have traded up for Mike Jenkins. Dolphins also got a good value in Phillip Merling Read the rest of this entry »

1. Miami Dolphins — Jake Long, Michigan (OT)
Already signed. In my opinion, Tony Sparano wanted to show he has a voice in what this team does and it is not Parcells that calls all the shots. Long should play a major role in bringing the Dolphins out of football mediocrity. They seem to have an offensive line to move forward with.

2. St. Louis Rams — Chris Long, Virginia (DE)
The Rams have the easiest job in the draft. They simply just take whichever Long the Dolphins elect to pass on. They could use an upgrade at either position, so it shouldn’t be a problem for them taking either one. Selecting Chris Long would allow the Rams to put together their defensive line for the future, with himself and Adam Carriker at defensive tackle.

3. Atlanta Falcons — Glenn Dorsey, Louisiana State (DT)
The Falcons desperately need a franchise quarterback, and by putting Glenn Dorsey here it doesn’t necessarily mean that I feel Joey Harrington is the future in Atlanta. However, coach Mike Smith is a defensive guy and probably would prefer to rebuild from the defensive side of the ball first. Adding Glenn Dorsey to a line already with John Abraham and Jamaal Anderson would allow them to put a tremendous amount of pressure on the backfield. There are other quarterbacks in this draft class, and with multiple picks in the second round the Falcons have the opportunity to trade back into the end of the first round to secure picking a quarterback that will fall this year (happens all the time) in Brian Brohm.

4. Oakland Raiders — Vernon Gholston, Ohio State (DE/OLB)
Vernon Gholston flew up the draft boards after his incredible combine performance. The Raiders already have a lot of money put into the defensive line with Tommy Kelly’s $50 million contract but that shouldn’t stop them from taking a defensive end as good as Gholston, who is also versatile enough to play outside linebacker. The Raiders will look to replace rising pass rusher Chris Clemons with Gholston at the number four spot.

5. Kansas City Chiefs — Matt Ryan, Boston College (QB)
By trading Jared Allen, the Chiefs appear to be entering a rebuilding phase. Brodie Croyle didn’t get it done last season with weapons such Dwayne Bowe, Larry Johnson, and Tony Gonzalez. Matt Ryan has established himself as the top quarterback in this draft class. Additionally, the Chiefs sent a fleet of coaches to view Matt Ryan practice at his pro-day. The team could address other needs with the picks they got from the Vikings in the Jared Allen trade. This pick just makes sense all around.

6. New York Jets — Darren McFadden, Arkansas (RB)
The Jets were simply not good at any phase of the game last year. Both their offense and defense had major holes. They have addressed their offensive line and defense tackle problems through free agency and trades. Although they signed Calvin Pace to a big contract, the Jets would still love to take a physical specimen like Gholston. With Gholston off the board the Jets add the most explosive player in the draft to the NFL’s most nonexplosive offense. They seem to be following the Vikings strategy of signing a top offensive guard and then drafting the best running back. They even signed the Vikings former fullback in Tony Richardson. With the selection of Darren McFadden, the Jets hope that their 2008 rush offense looks a lot like the Vikings 2007 rush offense.

7. New England Patriots — Brendan Albert, Virginia (OT/OG)
The Patriots offensive line struggled in the Super Bowl last season to contain the Giants defensive line. Ultimately, this is what prevented the team from finishing a historic 19-0. Brendan Albert is not going to carry a big price tag with him being the seventh pick. He won’t demand nearly as much money as Sedrick Ellis or Leodis McKelvin. Also, the Patriots should try to eventually move Matt Light to the guard position. He is much more suited for that position, and drafting Albert would be the first step in making that transition.

8. Baltimore Ravens — Leodis McKelvin, Troy (CB)
Matt Ryan would be the preferred pick here for the Ravens, but unfortunately for them he is off the board at this point. They will now look to upgrade their defense, specifically their aging cornerback corps. Chris McAllister and Samari Rolle are both on the wrong side of 30, and their is little depth behind the two.

9. Cincinnati Bengals — Sedrick Ellis, USC (DT)
Sedrick Ellis falling to the Bengals here would be a dream come true for Bengals fans. It’s obvious the team needs a defensive tackle after their deal for Shaun Rogers fell through. They can’t possibly go into the season trying to tell their fans that they’re satisfied with the group of defensive tackles they have. The only person that the Bengals would like to have more at this spot would be a big pass rusher such as Vernon Gholston. Keith Rivers might be possible here, but Ellis is a much better value.

10. New Orleans Saints — Keith Rivers, USC (OLB)
The Saints letdown season could be blamed entirely on the defense. They have already improved with the acquisitions of Dan Morgan, Jonathan Vilma, Randall Gay, and Bobby McCray. The new linebackers however are both inside backers, and the Saints would jump at the chance to round out their linebacker corps with the outside backer from USC. Not only does Rivers fill a big hole for the Saints, he is also the best available defensive player.

11. Buffalo Bills — Devin Thomas, Michigan State (WR)
Devin Thomas is the one wide receiver in the first round range that didn’t go into the pre-draft workouts and leave with question marks. DeSean Jackson’s speed is continuously questioned, as is Limas Sweed and Malcolm Kelly’s health. This kid is the real deal. He only had one good year, sure, but I remind you that year was with a first-year head coach in Mark Dantonio that figured out how to use him. Originally this was considered to be a reach, but Devin Thomas has really done some work to improve upon his draft stock.

12. Denver Broncos — Ryan Clady, Boise State (OT)
After Matt Lepsis unexpectedly announced his retirement, it opened up a big whole at left tackle for the Broncos. Clady is the best available offensive tackle at this spot, and he really is a good value for the Broncos here with the twelfth pick. Drafting a running back is a possibility, but the Broncos know who to draft when it comes in terms of running backs, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be in the first round.

13. Carolina Panthers — Derrick Harvey, Florida (DE)
Julius Peppers did not live up to expectations in 2007, and the Panthers really could use another defensive end after the retirement of Mike Rucker. Not much else to say here other than Harvey, with his athleticism, should flourish on the other side of Peppers.

14. Chicago Bears — Jeff Otah, Pittsburgh (OT)
Offensive tackle is a high area of need right now. It is very possible for four tackles to come off the board within the first 15 picks. The Bears were terrible on offense. Nobody needs Ron Jaworski to tell them that. Although Rex Grossman is an all around terrible quarterback, the Bears for some reason think that he is the answer at quarterback. Cedric Benson has not lived up to the expectations of being a top 5 pick but the Bears have so much money invested in him that they will be forced to give him another chance before drafting another running back. This leaves tackle as the position to be upgraded and Chicago takes the last of the top tier tackles.

15. Detroit Lions — Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois (RB)
Detroit needs to consider investing in a back for the future and now might be the time to do it in a strong running back class, particularly toward the top. Mendenhall is a fantastic back who would be an upgrade over what the team has. The Lions state of their running back position with Brian Calhoun, a guy I liked coming out of Wisconsin, only having 54 total rushing yards in his career, and Tatum Bell, who missed 11 games last year. The Lions addressed the cornerback spot by adding a number of guys this off-season, and it still seems a bit high to reach for Kentwan Balmer. Read the rest of this entry »