NY Jets (ESPN grade: A-)
My grade (D)
The Jets traded up to get Mark Sanchez and a RB, Shonn Greene. While the Jets didn't have to give up a lot to get him, this guy is a product of the combine. No one was high on Mark Sanchez until after the combine. I don't know anything about Shonn Greene, but the Jets already have Thomas Jones and Lamont Jordan. This grade is pretty much solely pulled down to a D because I doubt Sanchez will pan out and they are going to have to pay him regardless.
49ers (ESPN grade: B+)
My grade (Luckiest team in the draft)
Michael Crabtree fell to #10 and not because Al Davis is crazy and picked Heyward-Bey, because reports were that he would have picked Maclin over Crabtree anyway. Crabtree fell because other higher up teams went elsewhere. They also picked up Glen Coffee, a RB to take pressure off of Frank Gore.
Ravens (B)
My grade (B-)
Didn't draft a WR? But Ozzie Newsome has a pretty good track record and they did pick up one of the top tackles in the draft. Maybe they make a play for Plax if he doesn't go to prison..... But this is definitely a concern, Derrick Mason should not be your go to receiver at this point in his career.
Bengals (B)
My grade (B)
The Bengals did a good job of addressing their obvious needs, although I'm not sure why you take Andre Smith when there are other tackles with less questions about maturity. But if he can keep Carson upright everybody on ESPN can get back to jocking the great QB on a team with too many issues.
Seahawks (B)
My grade (A)
I give the Seahwaks an A based on relativity, because they didn't lose their damn minds just because they had a high draft pick. Aaron Curry is willing to take a discounted deal even though he is a top 5 pick. All reports say there isn't much of a chance of him being a bust. I am giving the Hawks credit for not drafting Sanchez as many people suggested and taking one of the best two players in the draft.
Bucs(B)
My grade (B+)
I am giving the Bucs an A because they got the QB they wanted without giving up a lot and they won't have to pay him $40M guaranteed (Stafford) or $30M (Sanchez). Yes he is a "project" but drafting a QB is less than 50/50 so they at least didn't tie up a lot of money in Josh Freeman.
Lions (B-)
My grade (D)
I give them a D because they could have picked Aaron Curry or a left tackle. Both picks are much safer and less expensive than a QB who will probably fail, if not on his own, due to the lack of talent in Detroit to help him. If I were a Lions fan I would have liked to see them trade down a few spots to pick up Curry and then trade up with their second first round pick (compliments of Jerry Jones) to get one of the 3 top tackles in the draft. But they still could have drafted Michael Oher who went to the Ravens 2 picks after the Lions picked a TE from Oklahoma State.....
Cowboys (D)
My grade (F)
The Cowboys might as well have traded all their picks for 2010 draft picks. No impact players. So to review the Cowboys trade a 1st and 3rd to get Roy Williams and then cut TO, then trade back in this years draft.... Jimmy Johnson is laughing his ass off right now.
Raiders (D)
My grade (F)
Al Davis gets this for drafting a late first round or high second round WR at #7. Now he has to pay Heyward-Bey like a #7 pick. He missed the opportunity to trade down to the bottom 3rd of the first round and probably have another second round pick this year and still get his guy.
well stated....i concur on most grades...i would not be so hard on the jets and lions because they still drafted based on their needs with the QBs...they took the best QBs available...payout, being a bust, one person being nfl ready vs the other is sometimes relative to your current competition and current state of the team....
ReplyDeletelions (with safety orvlosky) and jets (with bret frave retiring) definitely needed a QB and they took the best guys available...my thing with QBs from such programs alot times is that i am not sure how good certain guys are without their system and surrounding talent...to me georgia's offense was driven mainly by moreno, green, and massouqui while usc obviously has a heap of talent...thus honestly i think sanchez and stafford ceiling is a little better than say ken dorsey when he was surrounded by a team that could win the euro league at miami...
but i will give the lions and jets points for at least drafting to their needs even though the jets could have used a WR....cotchery and coles are ok (w/ sanchez thrwoing to them...who knows), but i would bet clemens throwing to cotchery, crabtree and coles would pan out better....maybe the anti humble one is completely right
oh no words for the raiders...actually i can think of one guy who was a speedster that is a HOFer---TIM BROWN....so hopefully this guy is tim brown in the making...we know HOF WRs (Carter, Rice, Stallworth, Largent, Bilitnekoff, Swann, Irving, Reed, Harrison) have a B+ or higher in everything (speed, route running, hands except TO, leaping ability, catching in traffic, nose/eye/sensing the ball, etc.) so why not take the guys with that potential...whatever
ReplyDeleteWell I always hate these draft grades because no one really knows how well teams did for a few years. The Texans got killed for taking Mario Williams over Reggie Bush, but looking back, I think they made the right choice. Mario has HOF potential.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Trey. The Lions and the Jets will be judged on how well Stafford and Sanchez do. Big risk, big reward picks. We'll see. I think Sanchez actually has a better shot early on becuase the Jets have built an O line (for Favre) and they have a running game in place, so he should get the protection he needs.
I don't know what the Raiders are thinking. Frankly Al needs to step back and let someone with a pulse run the organization (maybe Madden if he wants it). Al is out of touch.
Regarding the Cowboys... Roy Williams' play next season will determine their grade. They gave up a lot for Roy (maybe too much), so he needs to step up. Hopefully a few of the 12 players drafted will be productive. I have no issues with their draft itself. Not much you can do but accumulate bodies that late in the draft. I also think that cutting TO was the right move.