Everyone says that a draft can't be evaluated until 3 years have
passed, but after going through the '05 draft i think 4 is a better
number. There are a lot of guys that are still a year away from being
busts but just aren't yet (cough cough: Alex Smith). Nevertheless, i
think we generally know who is capable of what from this draft and the
results are interesting...
1. C+ Notable Picks- QB Alex Smith (#1), OG David Bass (#33), RB Frank Gore (#65) and DB Daven Holly (#215)
-Even though Alex Smith may only have one more chance before he is
officially considered a bust, the 49ers got a few solid players from
this draft. Bass is a good RG and Frank Gore is on of the 15 best
running backs in the NFL. Additionally, Ronald Fields has been a good
depth player and Daven Holly has played admirably for the Browns.
Swinging and missing on the first pick in the draft really hurts their
grade.
2. D+ Notable picks- RB Ronnie Brown (#2), DE Matt Roth (#46) and LB Channing Crowder (#70)
-Ronnie Brown is one of the best running backs in the NFL, but he has
had some injuries that have really derailed his young career. If he
can’t come back from his injury this draft will go down as a disaster
as no one else could be considered much of on impact player. Crowder
still has potential, but the acquisition of Akin Ayodele could limit
his development.
3. B- Notable Picks- WR Braylon Edwards (#3), S Brodney Pool (#34), QB Charlie Frye (#67)
-Braylon finally looked like the player he was drafted to be and is
single handedly making this a successful draft. Pool is a good S but
could be better and Charlie Frye held down the starting position for a
year before being traded to Seattle. Can we count Derek Anderson here?
Savage did most of the scouting on him anyway!
4. F Notable Picks- RB Cedric Benson (#4), WR Mark Bradley (#39) and QB Kyle Orton (106)
-Benson has been terrible and may be cut if he doesn’t pick up his game
in 2008. Bradley was a bad pick from day 1 and Orton looks to be a
serviceable backup. There may be no players from this draft on the ’09
Bears roster.
5. C Notable Picks- RB Cadilac Williams (#5), LB Barrett Rudd (#36) and TE Alex Smith (#71)
-They were very unlucky to have Williams go down with a potentially
career ending injury but this draft isn’t a total loss. Barrett Rudd is
a very decent LB and Alex Smith has done a commendable job at TE. Dan
Buenning is a decent backup guard as well.
6. B Notable Picks- CB Pacman Jones (#6), OT Michael Roos (#41), OT David Stewart (#113), WR Roydell Williams (#136) and TE Bo Scaife (#179)
-Even though Pacman was a disaster, the rest of the draft turned out
very well. They found both starting tackles, a decent WR and a
serviceable TE. Imagine how much better this draft would have been if
Pacman did’t go crazy!!
7. F Notable Picks- WR Troy Williamson (#7), DE Erasmus James (#18)
-Troy Williamson was a terrible pick at the time and looks just as bad
now. James looked like a solid pick at the time, but really hasn’t
produced much. Aside from that the Vikings didn’t really get anything
out of this draft.
8. D Notable Picks- DB Antrel Rolle (#8), and RB J.J. Arrington (#44)
-Rolle is moving to safety this year after playing decent at corner.
The Cards expected more from him, but he is a solid CB. Arrington was
hyped as one of the best picks in the draft at the time, but he has
shown nothing in the NFL. Not much to speak of from the rest of the
draft.
9. B- Notable Picks- CB Carlos Rogers (#9) and QB Jason Campbell (#25)
-Rogers, like Rolle, has been solid if unspectacular. The real gem here
is Jason Campbell. He seemed like a reach at the time, but has really
shown some ability and looks to be the future here. Nothing much to
speak of the rest of the day, though.
10. F Notable Picks- WR Mike Williams (#10), DT Shaun Cody (#37) and QB Dan Orlovsky (#72)
-Sure Shaun Cody is ok, and sure Stanley Wilson is listed as a starter
and Dan Orlovsky is still on the roster but those guys probably don’t
make most NFL rosters. The real dud here is Mike Williams, though. This
has to be one of the worst draft picks in recent memory.
11. A++ Notable picks- DE/OLB DeMarcus Ware (#11), DE Marcus Spears (#20), RB Marion Barber (#109) and DE Chris Canty (#132)
-The Cowboys are the class of the NFC because of this draft. Ware is
arguably the best pass-rusher in the NFL. Marion Barber is a top 10 RB
and Spears and Canty are solid starters at DE. OT Rob Petitti still has
value in this league as well.
12. A+ Notable Picks- DE/OLB Shawn Merriman (#12), DT/DE Luis Castillo (#28), WR Vincent Jackson (#61) and RB Darren Sproles
-Like the Cowboys, the Chargers got a lot out of this draft. Merriman
is the best pass-rusher in the NFL, Castillo is a starting member of
one of the best 3-4 Dlines in the league and Vincent Jackson has really
started to become a viable target for Phillip Rivers. Sproles has been
a monster in the return game and is currently the backup to LT.
13. B Notable Picks- OT Jammal Brown (#13) and DB Josh Bullocks (#40)
-Jammal Brown is a very good OT and it baffled me to hear that they
were shopping him at this years draft. Anytime you get an OT this good
your draft is looking up. I had higher expectations for Bullocks, but
he’s still a serviceable starter. Nothing else to write home about,
though.
14. D Notable Picks- S/LB Thomas Davis (#14) and RB Eric Shelton (#54)
-Other than Davis, the Panthers really didn’t get anything from this
draft. I had huge hopes for Shelton, but he really has been nothing but
a disappointment. Davis is pretty good and I love his versatility.
15. B- Notable Picks- LB Derrick Johnson (#15), P Dustin Colquitt (#99) and OT Will Svetek (#187)
-Derrick Johnson was far and away my favorite player from this draft.
He’s a very good LB, but a lot of people expected him to be an all-pro.
I still think he can be one of the best LB’s in the game and he may
benefit more than anyone from the addition of Glen Dorsey. Colquitt is
a great punter and Will Svetek has been a valuable asset.
16. D- Notable Picks- DT Travis Johnson (#16), RB Vernand Morency (#73), and WR/KR Jerome Mathis (#144)
-Travis Johnson has been a disappointment and may also be a year from
officially being declared a bust. Morency had a few good games, as did
Mathis but neither are with the club anymore. Mathis is one of the
better returners in the league, but has some serious character issues.
One underachieving starter does not make for a good draft.
17. D Notable Picks- DE/LB David Pollack (#17), LB Odell Thurman (#48), WR Chris Henry (#83) and C Eric Ghaiciuc (#119)
-This is a really tough draft to grade because they picked very good
players, but none of them have worked out as hoped. Pollack had a
career ending injury, Thurman hasn’t played in two years, and Henry was
finally released after a ton of run ins. Ghaiciuc is at least listed at
the starter at C. This really had the potential to be one of the best
drafts in recent memory but it really went wrong didn’t it? Also this
draft, more than any other, has had some of the freakiest injuries and
arrests. I mean Chris Henry, Pacman, Jerome Mathis, Kevin Everret,
David Pollack, Cadillac and Darrent Williams… and Maurice Clarett but
was he ever really an NFL player?
18. B- Notable Picks- OT Alex Barron (#19), DB Ronald Bartell (#50), DB
Oshiomogho Atogwe (#66), OG Richie Incognito (#81) and QB Ryan
Fitzpatrick (#250)
-Barron, Atogwe and Incognito are all starters, but Alex Barron could
be better, Incognito has missed a lot of time due to injury and
Atogwe…. Well hes actually been quite good. Fitzpatrick is a solid
backup and was a relative steal that late.
19. C+ Notable Picks- WR Matt Jones (#21), and OT Khalif Barnes (#52)
-They got an absolute steal in Khalif Barnes, hence the high grade.
Generally, though, this was a poor draft. Matt Jones had the potential
to be a lot better and they really didn’t find much talent in the later
rounds. Starks and Sensabaugh are still on the roster. Without Barnes
this was an F draft.
20D Notable Picks- WR Mark Clayton (#22), LB Dan Cody (#53), OT Adam Terry (#64), QB Derek Anderson (#213)
-It’s tough to grade these guys as well because they found a really
good player, but they didn’t know it. Clayton and Cody haven’t really
panned out, but Terry looks to be the starting RT this season. Anderson
turned out to be the real deal, pitty they let him get away! I don’t
think I am docking them much for letting Anderson slip through their
fingers. Adam Terry is the only player who is giving them any return.
21. D+ Notable Picks- CB Fabian Washington (#23), CB Stanford Routt (#38), QB Andrew Walter (#69), and LB Kirk Morrison (#78)
-Washington and Routt were ok, but they don’t fit in with the Raiders
plans anymore. Morrison, though, looks to be the real deal and did a
very good job at MLB last season.
22. B Notable Picks- QB Aaron Rogers (#24), DB Nick Collins (#51), LB Brady Poppinga (#125), and OG Junius Coston (#143)
-This is a solid draft for the Packers regardless of what Aaron Rogers
does, but a full evaluation really hinges on his success. Collins has
his safety position locked down, and Poppinga/Coston have been very
solid as well. Rogers removed this is about a B draft.
23. A- Notable picks- C Chris Spencer (#26), LB Lofa Tatupu (#45), and LB LeRoy Hill (#98)
-Spencer is a very good center, Tatupu is a perennial pro-bowler and
LeRoy Hill is a solid OLB. They didn’t get much from the later rounds
of this draft, but they were so good at the beginning it didn’t really
matter much.
24. B Notable Picks- WR Roddy White (#27), DT Jonathan Babineaux (#59), and LB Michael Boley (#160)
-Roddy White is coming off a very good year where he had over 1200
yards receiving. Boley is also coming off a very good season and seems
to have the position settled. Babineaux is an ok starter. I think White
could be a very good receiver, but stability at the QB position would
really help.
25. IB Notable Picks- CB Marlin Jackson (#29), CB Kelvin Hayden (#60) andDB Matt Giordano (#135)
-Jackson and Hayden make for a very young and talented CB duo. While
they don’t get a ton on INT’s, they do play very well inside the
system. I would say these guys are good starters, but it is certainly a
position that could be upgraded. Giordana is a good backup safety.
26. C- Notable Picks- TE Heath Miller (#30) and OG Chris Kemoeatu (#204)
-Miller is a very good TE that gets lost in the shuffle of flashier
guys at the position. Kemoeatu will be starting this year, but that
doesn’t necessarily speak to his talent. There’s no arguing that Miller
was a very good pick, but there isn’t much beyond that.
27. A Notable Picks- DT Mike Paterson (#31), WR Reggie Brown (#35), OG Todd Herremans (#126), and DE Trent Cole (#146)
-The Eagles really got a lot out of this draft. Patterson and Cole
anchor one of the better dlines in the game while Reggie Brown and
Herremans have become staples on the offensive side of the ball. Trent
Cole is definitely one of the best finds in this draft.
28. B Notable Picks- OG Logan Mankins (#32), CB Ellis Hobbs (#84), OT Nick Kaczur (#100) and QB Matt Cassel
-Mankins is a probowler and Kaczur is a good starter on a very good
offensive line. Hobbs has found him self as the #1 CB coming into this
season. The Cassel experiment seems to have ended as the Pats reached
to get O’Connell in this years draft.
29. B+ Notable Picks- DB Corey Webster (#43), DE Justin Tuck and RB Brandon Jacobs (#110)
-Webster never really lived up to his potential, but Tuck and Jacobs
were two of the biggest reasons the Giants won the super bowl this
year. Not bad considering they only had 4 picks in this draft. There
seems to be a trend here of teams with smaller draft classes having a
better percentage of successes than those with bigger draft classes.
30. F Notable Picks- WR Roscoe Parrish (#55) and TE Kevin Everett (#86)
-Roscoe Parish doesn’t do a lot and Kevin Everett never would have been
known had he not had that horrific injury and amazing recovery (sad but
true). Generally, the Bills whiffed here.
31. D Notable Picks- CB Darrent Williams (#56), CB Domonique Foxworth (#97), and RB Maurice Clarett (#101)
-Williams was a very talented player until he was tragically murdered
before the ’07 season. Foxworth has been a pretty good back-up CB but
Maurice Clarett may be the most remembered pick from this Broncos
draft. Had Williams continued with his development this would have been
a decent draft, but still nothing special. Is Maurice in jail right now?
32. A+ Notable Picks- PK Mike Nugent (#47), DB Justin Miller (#57) and S Kerry Rhodes (#123)
-I’ll be honest; at the time I thought the Jets had a laughable draft,
but boy was I wrong! Nugent could be a little better, but they got two
of the better steals from this draft in Miller and Rhodes. Who could
have seen that Rhodes would develop into one of the best safeties in
the game? Certainly not me and certainly not anyone in the 122 picks
before.
C+
D+
B-
F
C
B
F
D
B-
F
A++
A+
B
D
B-
D-
D
B-
C+
D
D+
B
A-
B
B
C-
A
B
B+
F
D
A+