By MiddleLB40
Published: April 27, 2008 PrintEmail
The first day is over and there are winners and losers. Some teams looked to sparkle and shine and yet others stretched for their players. How did your team do? Lets look at day one and let me guide you through how I feel each teams day one went.
AFC North
Steelers: A- I like what they are starting to do in Pittsburgh. They only addressed the offense the first day but got what I believe two first day steals. Rashard Mendenhall was my number two running back. He’s an excellent north/south runner with good feet and explosiveness at the point of attack. He’s got just a bit of the “Bus” in him and I feel Steelers fans will embrace him as their own once he hits the field. They also got my number one receiver, and although Sweed had an injury last season, I really think he has what it takes to be a great NFL player. He’s strong and isn’t afraid of contact. Although he didn’t time well at the combine he plays fast enough, plus he has good leaping skills to get over defenders. He’ll be a great end zone threat, one of which the Steelers have missed since Burress.
Bengals: B I like their first selection in Rivers. I know it had to hurt their hearts to see Ellis gone, but Rivers is a sound OLB and can do it all. He’s got great football smarts and is a physical presence on the field. I like Simpson, but would have liked to see them grab DL help. I felt like letting a guy like Pat Sims go was a bit of a mistake but if they wanted a receiver Simpson was a dominant Division I player.
Ravens: B+ The Ravens got a wonderful deal from Jacksonville to move off their early pick. They moved down to the 26th pick and then made a great move up to grab Flacco. I don’t know if Flacco is ready right now to step into the league, but he certainly has an NFL arm and the Ravens need some rebirth at the QB position. In the second they grabbed Rice from Rutgers, and he’s an excellent talent and was a steal at the position; the Ravens got great value in the second with him. They crowd their backfield a bit, but the two back system is becoming a must anymore nowadays. Rice will have success on the next level.
Cleveland: F I know this is unfair as they had no picks, but no picks equals an F. They have had an excellent off-season to relent the blow of a bad first day.
AFC South
Colts: C The Colts really don’t need much help, and their second round did help a need situation as Pollak can project to either center or guard in the NFL, but Pollak is still a work in progress and the Colt will have to bring him along in their system. Not a fancy pick, but it did address a need for O-line depth. I really was waiting to see if they would grab Connor. They broke my heart and did not.
Texans: D I really thought the Texans reached by picking Brown so early. He has experience at both right and left tackle but I don’t see him being much of a splash at left. He may be a serviceable right tackle but he’s still an incomplete project. I may be proven wrong here but not a fan as of yet.
Jaguars: D+ I can’t tell you the words that spewed from my mouth when Jacksonville sold the farm for Harvey. Don’t get me wrong, I like Harvey, but the depth at end is excellent and I don’t know that there would have been much of a drop in talent by the time their original pick came around. I really like Jacksonville but the picks they gave up were a stretch. Then they double dip with Groves, who again I like. He may play weak side LB for them. I just feel Jacksonville bit too hard on Harvey and again should have gone DT with the second pick. Sims would have been nice.
Titans: B-, I really would have liked to see a wide receiver in here somewhere. I like the Johnson pick as it gives them the lightning to White’s thunder. I didn’t like the Jones pick however. Jones has been sporadic in college and isn’t ready to contribute right away. He helped on special teams but I think they needed to find someone for Young to throw to.
AFC East
Jets: B I think the Jets had a pretty good day. They landed Gholston who is regarded as the best pure pass rusher in the draft and Dustin Keller, both whom I like a lot. Gholston gives them an excellent lineman and Keller is the best pass catching TE in the draft. Both are ready to go to work now and both will improve this team next year.
Patriots: B The Pats simply amaze me at times. I love the Mayo pick for them and was glad to see someone loved him as much as I did. Mayo is a field tactician with everything you look for in a MLB. He’ll fill that hole nicely and gives the team a future star at the position, something they are used to. I liked the Wheatley pick as well, maybe not the big splash player, but he’s an excellent cover guy and will add a danger at returning as well. Another sound day for the Pats as they answer 2 needs with fully capable players.
Miami: A- I became a Miami fan today and I can really see Parcell’s stamp on these players. First the Long pick was great. Long was the best tackle in the draft and I like building an offensive line. Then they get a steal in Merling. I had Merling being selected much sooner than this pick and Miami got a future gem in this kid. He’s got an excellent motor and plays with a chip on his shoulder. Plus they get Henne. I liked Henne and had him as my third over-all QB behind Brohm and Ryan. He has all the physical tools to play but may need some time to adjust to the NFL. He needs to learn the few little tricks that make you great QB, like looking off a receiver and timing.
Bills:B+ Leodis McKelvin is an excellent talent and was the best corner in the draft on my board. He has great cover skills and can come up to help against the run. He compliments the Bills secondary well. Hardy was an excellent pick as well. They got tremendous value here and he gives them an instant end zone threat. He’ll take some of the pressure off Evans and gives Edwards a safety blanket.
AFC West
Oakland: C- Oakland went into Day 1 needing to address several needs. I heard that Al Davis would not trade McFadden away once he was there even though there were several offers on the table. Sure, Dmac is explosive and adds a home run hitter to their offense but when you are as bad as Oakland, you need to spread that talent across the whole team. They could use extra picks and unless McFadden can also play Defensive Tackle and O-line then Oakland should have moved when the opportunity was there. That being said, I think McFadden is an awesome talent and will make a splash in the NFL so I couldn’t take Oakland down too far.
Chiefs: A++ Man, is the AFC west in trouble in a few years and, boy, did KC take full advantage of their picks! I whole-sale love every pick they made. Dorsey is a beast in the middle and could be the best DL prospect in a decade. Albert is versatile and can play along the line but will most likely land at Left tackle. And Flowers is a fierce hitting corner with prime instincts. Flowers is not an elite cover guy but will bloody mouths when they catch the ball. All three of these guys were terrific picks for KC and all addressed major needs.
Chargers: B San Diego did the best they could with their one pick. Cason is an NFL ready corner who gives depth at the position. I was surprised to see him at 27 and SD got a great player who can come in now.
Broncos: B+ Denver had a quiet but very good draft. Clady will be ready to start opening day and Royal, although small, is a competitive receiver who can fly. They filled needs with players who can step in right away and Clady fits the tangibles of the famous O-linemen Denver has produced in the past.
NFC North
Bears: B- I like who they got but I hate they won’t replace Grossman. I was really looking for Chicago to take the first steps on axing Grossman. Brohm, Henne, or Flacco would have been nice projects to look for a Grossman replacement but, alas, the Bears look like they are set on Grossman for another year. I liked the Williams pick. I question his love for the game as he can get lost for some plays in a game. He also tends to have brain farts but he’s got all the size and speed to be a dominant left tackle in the game and if they teach him to not take breaks when someone’s trying to smear your QB then he could be excellent. I also like the Forte pick. He’s an excellent north/south runner with great character, He’ll either replace Benson or light a fire under his rear, either way he helps the team.
Packers: C- I know I’ll get flack for this but what the heck are they thinking with Brohm. I know they need QB depth but you can find that in mid to late rounds. This puts undeniable pressure on Rodgers and for a guy who has been so patient it’s unfair. I know there is no such thing as fair but they could have grabbed a TE or some O-line help. I just don’t see this as a need right now. Their first pick Nelson was a bit of a stretch, I guess they fell in love with his speed. He’s a situation player a lot like Troy Williamson, who I warned everyone about when he was drafted. If used appropriately, he could add to the team. I do like the Lee pick though. He’s going to come into a system where he doesn’t have to start right away and gets to learn from the best. He’ll work great as a nickel guy until they need him to start.
Lions: C- Well, they didn’t waste their first pick. I like Cherilus and think he’ll be great at the pro level. I wasn’t in love with the Dizon pick though. I think it was a bit of a stretch and there were much better players at that position who were still available. The Cherilus move keeps them balanced but they take a hit with Dizon.
Vikings: C+ They didn’t have much to work with but the Allen trade will help them swallow this pill. I like Johnson but think that safety was weak this year and they could have selected a pretty good receiver at this point. I like Johnson’s versatility but I still say he was a stretch here.
NFC South
Panthers: A I like what the Panthers are doing, and with Fox on the chopping block, it’s good to see a real every down back in Carolina. I liked Mendenhall for them but Stewart is just a grain behind Mendenhall on my board. I think you can’t really go wrong with either. Carolina liked Stewart. I really like the move for Otah, I actually had him way earlier on my boards and think Carolina got a steal. They needed the O-line help and got an excellent prospect. Both of these players should help Fox keep his job in Carolina.
Buccaneers: B The Bucs had a sound draft. Nothing explosive. Talib has some questions about his character and Jackson is a smallish receiver from Division IAA. I think if Talib can put his skeletons to rest, he’ll be able to become a major player in the league and may even start next year. I was just a little surprised with the Jackson pick. I had a feeling they were going to go after DeSean Jackson, who fits that same mold, in the first round. If Gruden uses Jackson right he can add some home run abilities to the offense with WR screens, but I don’t see him adding too much to the offense right way.
Falcons: B+ Atlanta finally sheds the Vick ghost by getting the QB of their future in Ryan. He was tops on my board and went exactly where I thought he should. I thought the Baker move was just a slight stretch as Baker has some injury issues, although he was the best O-lineman on the board at the time so I can’t fault them too harshly. I really like the Lofton pick. He shores up the strong side and is a great tackler. I watched some film on this guy and he was pretty awesome. Likes to have tackles for loss.
Saints: B- Well, they got their man in Ellis and it wasn’t too expensive to move up. I like Ellis for them. He gives them much needed security in the middle of their D-line. I was confused, however, with the Porter pick. I’m not a big fan. I would have liked to see another guy here, maybe a linebacker or a trade to get Shockey. Porter will be serviceable as a nickel back but will let big runners fly through is terrible arm tackles.
NFC East
Cowboys: B+ Felix Jones and Mike Jenkins are fabulous picks for this organization. I would have liked to see a WR but I think they got who they were aiming for. I had Jenkins as my third corner and I think a lot of Cowboy fans don’t realize what a talent he is. I like the Bennett pick to replace the Fasano loss, but I don’t know if his impact will be all that relevant. The Cowboys had a great draft in the first round, and still I don’t know why they didn’t address receiver in the second.
Redskins: B I can’t argue with the Tomas and Kelley picks. They double dip but I think they can use both. I do question the Davis pick however. I wanted to see them grab some type of D-line help there. The value of their two wide receiver picks makes up for the question at Davis. Right now that’s a commodity pick and I don’t know they needed to go there before addressing other needs.
Eagles: B- The Laws pick was a stretch for me. I actually had a couple of lineman ahead of him. I do think they got great value with DeSean Jackson though. He’s an explosive player who can get down the field and has great body control when searching for the ball while in air. He’s small but is wicked fast and should give the Eagles some pop on Offense. He also adds an immediate impact on returns.
Giants: B Well, they got who I thought they would. Phillips is probably the best of all prospects at safety, which drove his value into the first round. He may need just a little time to work into the pros but he’s coveted as a prototype safety. Terrell Thomas was a good pick also. Again, nothing to write home to mom about, but these were two solid picks and they address needs.
NFC West
Rams: B- The Rams got an excellent football player in Chris Long. He’s got the genes and the will to become an elite player in the league. They can now move Carriker back inside to his natural position. Not real sure of the Avery pick. He’s fast and athletic and I think maybe his speed sold him higher than his value. He does fit a need but the jury is still out on him.
Cardinals: B+ I like both picks for Arizona. Rodgers-Cromartie is my second corner and Campbell is an excellent pass rusher. I think Campbell fell because of his numbers dropping in his senior year but a lot of that wasn’t his fault. They got really nice value while also addressing needs. Good job here.
49ers: B+ A fine day for the Niners. Balmer is an earth moving Tackle who explodes off the ball. The best nose tackle coming out this year, he’s weighty and stong and can command the middle of the line. I also like Rachal, I think he could have waited a year to come out but he’s a man possessed and plays with aggression out of the guard position. He should help Gore get that 1000 mark again.
Seahawks: C+ Seattle stretched a little on both of their picks and I believe at both spots there were better players available. They’ll get some work out of Jackson and he may develop. He will probably be a situational guy until he does. The Carlson pick is a bit confusing to me. I like him as a blocking tight end but he’s not really the pass catcher the Seahawks need in that West Coast offense. Also, they could have gotten some nice receivers at either spot that would have brought better value.
The Chiefs, Panthers, Steelers and Miami came out big winners, while Jacksonville and Houston leave me wondering. It was an exciting draft with a ton of movement. There are still a lot of players with some excellent talent left for the taking and championship teams are always made in the later rounds.
