Unlike any other draft before, this year brought us a completely new format, allowing the league to celebrate (rightly so) the achievements of the best collegiate players in primetime. While there are definitely a few kinks that need to be worked out over the next year, things couldn’t be better for the NFL, with outstanding ratings and interest at an all time high.

This year’s draft was dominated by trades, with teams wheeling and dealing all over the board, not only to move up and get a player they coveted, but to acquire proven talent as well. There was no shortage of controversy in some of the moves, but on the flip side of that coin were several clubs that clearly improved their roster through their maneuvers, keeping things interesting and exciting from the first overall pick to Mr. Irrelevant at the very end.

It’s with all of that in mind that we delve into each team’s picks, grading out their overall performance and critiquing those that failed to upgrade positions of need.

As always, we want to hear from you, so be sure to leave your thoughts in the comment section.

Arizona Cardinals

How can anyone not like what the Cardinals accomplished this weekend with their picks? They sat tight in round one and miraculously found themselves staring at a top ten talent in defensive tackle Dan Williams, who will start immediately and provide solid run defense next to playmaker Darnell Dockett. Adding linebacker Daryl Washington in round two was an equally shrewd move, and should pay off immediately.

Wide receiver Andre Roberts will be a fantastic addition to an already stacked receiving corps, and should give quarterback Matt Leinart more than enough weapons to work with next fall. And if Leinart struggles, he’ll have a solid backup waiting in the wings with quarterback John Skelton coming in thanks to a solid selection in round five.

Grade: B+

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons came into this draft needing to improve their defense in a big way, and while they helped their cause quite a bit with the addition of linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, they left quite a few players on the board that could help them turn the corner next year. Reaching for defensive tackle Corey Peters was an okay move, but he’s not ready to contribute at the next level right now and could struggled early on if forced into significant action.

Grade: C-

Baltimore Ravens

It’s almost not fair for the rest of the league to watch the Ravens reload every year, and still be contenders for the Super Bowl in the process. This draft class is no exception, as Baltimore slyly maneuvered into position, trading down and out of round one, and netting multiple picks back in return. I absolutely love both of their selections in round two, with defensive end Sergio Kindle and mammoth defensive tackle Terrance Cody somehow sliding past multiple clubs that clearly had a need for those type of players. Grabbing tight end Dennis Pitta in the fourth is a steal as well, given his size and receiving ability, and he should take over for repeat underachiever Todd Heap.

Grade: A

Buffalo Bills

The Bills are a team that really didn’t help themselves in the areas they needed to, although they did find several solid players at other spots. The main area of concern for them had to have been along their offensive line, as they really struggled last season to block anyone at all, and yet they did little to address it in this draft. Instead they took a dynamic playmaker in running back C.J. Spiller, who may find the going a lot tougher in the NFL, especially if they can’t find a solid slate of blockers to open holes for him to run through.

Grade: C+

Carolina Panthers

This may seem like a strange spot for a team that didn’t even have a pick in round one, but the Panthers did extraordinarily well with the selections they did have. Sitting tight at the start of round two with quarterback Jimmy Clausen still on the board looked bad at first, but eventually became a smart move after Clausen continued his free fall to Carolina at #48 overall.

Clausen will have no pressure whatsoever to start right away, with Matt Moore already entrenched as the starter this season, and if he does get on the field, he’ll have arguably the league’s best running back tandem in Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams and a top ten receiver in Steve Smith to carry the load.Finding a pair of defensive ends in Eric Norwood and Greg Hardy late in the draft was pretty solid as well, and should pay dividends fairly quick this fall.

Grade: B+

Chicago Bears

For not having hardly anything to work with in this draft, the Bears did a nice job of getting several players that can help them be a better team right away. Safety Major Wright isn’t the best in terms of turning and running with receivers, but he does have the ability to tackle in the open field and make all the reads from the secondary.

I was surprised to see defensive end Corey Wootton’s name still on the board before the Bears picked, and had a feeling they’d take him if he was still available. If he can stay healthy, he’ll be a solid fit in their defensive scheme.

Grade: B

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals had a solid draft across the board, grabbing definite talents much lower than many projected, and maximizing the value of their picks in the process. The addition of tight end Jermaine Gresham will definitely help their offense in the red zone, whether it’s through his blocking up front or receiving ability. I also really like their decision to get defensive end Carlos Dunlap in spite of his negative behavior in recent months. He’s got all the skill and talent in the world and if Marvin Lewis can coach him up, he’ll be a force for years to come.

Grade: B

Cleveland Browns

The Browns are another team that focused hard on addressing major areas of concern with quality playmakers and refrained from reaching for potential over proven ability. I’m not sure who got the better end of the deal between quarterback Colt McCoy and Cleveland, as both sides are going to benefit immensely from the relationship. In McCoy, the Browns have a perfect fit for the style of offense employed by Mike Holmgren and while he won’t start right away, McCoy should be capable of coming in and running the show if need be.

Grade: B+

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys were probably the luckiest team in round one, after they were able to get Dez Bryant into the fold. His off the field issues aside, Bryant is clearly a top five talent, and to have gotten him as low as Dallas did speaks volumes about how blind some teams can be when it comes to attitude and emotions.

Grade: B+

Denver Broncos

The Broncos really set themselves up for a ton of scrutiny in this draft, after they made trade after trade to move down, only to trade back up twice in the first round to take wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and quarterback Tim Tebow. Thomas is an okay pick… not sure why they wouldn’t take Dez Bryant there, but I can live with it. As for Tebow, I really have no clue as to what Josh McDaniels is thinking, seeing as there’s little chance that Tebow will be ready to be an NFL starter at quarterback anytime soon.

Grade: C-

Detroit Lions

Last year, we raved about the Lions draft class, and those praises definitely weren’t for naught after Detroit’s rookies shined throughout much of the season. This year is shaping up to be no different in that regard, as the Lions were able to add multiple playmakers without giving up a lot of value in the process. Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is going to be a force over the next ten years at the very least, especially with two Pro Bowlers next to him in Corey Williams and Kyle Vanden Bosch.

Trading back into round one to get running back Jahvid Best was a stroke of genius by general manager Martin Mayhew and the fact that it came courtesy of their division rival in Minnesota makes it even sweeter.

Grade: A

Green Bay Packers

Packers fans have to love what their team was able to accomplish, especially in the first round, with tackle Bryan Bulaga miraculously falling to them all the way down the board at #23 overall. Bulaga is a quintessential Green Bay player; tough, hard working, blue collar kind of guy that isn’t afraid to get dirty if need be to get the job done.

As for the remainder of their draft, I really like their new safety Morgan Burnett, who comes highly rated at that spot from Georgia Tech.

Grade: B

Houston Texans

The Texans did a great job in this draft of identifying talent and getting it without giving up anything to do so. Cornerback Kareem Jackson is a tremendous talent and should translate his game fairly quickly into the NFL, making their secondary much better as a result. I absolutely love the pick of running back Ben Tate as well. Great kid, excellent talent, and should be a force in combination with Steve Slaton

Grade: B+

Indianapolis Colts

At first glance, the addition of defensive end Jerry Hughes is a bit strange, as he was projected to be a solid fit in a 3-4 style defense, as opposed to the 4-3 Cover 2 scheme employed in Indy. But all that aside, Hughes is clearly a gifted athlete that can and will disrupt opposing passers, and he couldn’t have two better teachers in that craft than Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis.

Aside from Hughes, this is a fairly ho hum draft, with a few solid prospects but nothing really exciting.

Grade: C+

Jacksonville Jaguars

I won’t spend an awful amount of time here, as I truly think the Jaguars dropped the ball in a big way with this draft class. Not only did they reach way beyond what any team should with their pick of defensive tackle Tyson Alualu at #10 overall, but they failed to add a player capable of exciting the fan base enough to drive ticket sales next season. That alone may be enough to spell the end of the Jags in northern Florida, and if not it certainly won’t help their bottom line financially speaking.

Grade: D

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs draft was surprising to say the least, given general manager Scott Pioli’s propensity to place a higher emphasis on the offensive and defensive lines, and it definitely shocked more than a few fans and pundits alike (yours truly included). Safety Eric Berry is easily the safest pick in this draft, as his high character and outstanding playmaking ability on the field will translate immediately to the next level. I absolutely love their pick of wide receiver/running back Dexter McCluster in round two. He’s a dynamic player that will transform the Chiefs offense from a lackluster group into an exciting one right away.

Getting guard Jon Asamoah in round three was an absolute steal as he was rated much higher by just about everyone with a say in this draft, and the addition of cornerback Javier Arenas will pay dividends from day on on special teams, as he’s an outstanding return man.

Grade: B

Miami Dolphins

Unlike his counterpart up north in Jacksonville, Bill Parcells knows exactly what he’s doing in the draft, and it showed once again this weekend, with Miami finding several quality players throughout the middle and late rounds. Getting defensive end Jared Odrick at #28 overall and picking up extra selections in the process is an outright steal, as many had him projected to go much higher.

Defensive end Koa Misi is a bit undersized, but makes up for it with his tenacity in tackling the ball carrier. He’ll be a solid fit in the 3-4.

Grade: B

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings really didn’t make a whole lot of sense in the way they handled their pick at the end of round one, as they traded it away within the division to Detroit, only to watch as the Lions proceeded to take running back Jahvid Best, who would have been a perfect fit for Minnesota’s offense.

Don’t get me wrong, I really like Toby Gerhart and think he’ll be great for the Vikings, but I don’t understand the strategy behind giving a rival a good player, especially when you could use that player yourself. That’s a recipe for disaster regardless of how good you are.

Grade: C-

New England Patriots

Once again, Bill Belichick has shown himself to be the master of manipulating the draft, finding multiple quality players throughout each round and still coming out ahead of the game at the end of the day. Cornerback Devin McCourty is a perfect fit for their defense, in that he’s versatile enough to move around and will be a big help in the return game as well.

Getting linebacker Brandon Spikes in round three was another coup as well, in that he plays much better than his measurables would indicate and has a fierce attitude once he steps on the field.

Grade: B+

New Orleans Saints

The Saints really don’t have a ton of needs, outside of improving their depth at a few key spots, and as such, they were able to go into the draft with the ability to take the best player available on their board, regardless of position. Adding cornerback Patrick Robinson to the mix in their secondary definitely won’t hurt, given all the injuries they’ve had there in recent years, and getting a solid blocker up front in tackle Charles Brown was a steal for where he was selected.

Grade: B

New York Giants

The Giants are a team that I think did well with the picks they had to address key areas of concern headed into the draft. They took a bit of a gamble in going with defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul instead of the more polished Derrick Morgan, but overall I think they’ll reap more benefit out of Pierre-Paul in the long run, as he clearly has the most raw talent of any pass rusher available in this class.

Their best pick though may be linebacker Philip Dillard, who has very good skills in coverage and can make all the right reads from the inside spot. Coupled with their selection of defensive tackle Linval Joseph, this class could go down as one of the best in team history when things are all said and done.

Grade: B+

New York Jets

I’m continually amazed by what the Jets have accomplished in the span of a single year, and that didn’t go away with this draft class. New York came into this weekend with very few holes to fill, and even though they could have easily reached for potential over proven talent, they didn’t and it will pay off big time for them in the future. All four of their picks will come in and contribute right away, with cornerback Kyle Wilson likely to make the biggest impact in the Jets return game.

Don’t underestimate the addition of guard Vladimir Ducasse either. He’ll be a starter now that they’ve released Alan Faneca and should play well given the talent around him. Quality over quantity is definitely the theme here.

Grade: B

Oakland Raiders

Seeing the Raiders select linebacker Rolando McClain with the #8 overall pick caused a definite double take at my TV screen on Thursday night, as I’ve grown so accustomed to watching Oakland select workout warriors over top level players each year. Whether the Raiders front office finally sent Al Davis packing for the crypt or just convinced him that McClain ran a 4.42 forty at the combine, I don’t care. It’s about time Oakland gets back to picking quality players.

Grade: B+

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are another team that clearly demonstrated their superiority in this draft, trading away picks left and right to acquire even more in other rounds, and then taking legitimate playmakers when they finally got on the clock. Defensive end Brandon Graham is going to be a dynamic pass rusher right away across from standout playmaker Trent Cole, and safety Nate Allen should slot in immediately in their secondary to prevent opposing offenses from dissecting them with precision like they did last season.

Grade: B

Pittsburgh Steelers

I really don’t get what the Steelers were trying to do in this draft, outside of their pick of offensive guard Maurkice Pouncey in round one. Taking Pouncey was a no brainer considering the level of talent he brings to the table and their offensive line should be much improved next season as a result.

That said, drafting two outside linebackers when you already have two of the best in the league makes zero sense to me, especially when wide receiver is such a huge need. To their credit, Pittsburgh did take a receiver in this draft, but I’d be surprised if Emmanuel Sanders ends up becoming an adequate replacement for Santonio Holmes next fall.

Grade: C-

San Diego Chargers

If you has asked me to grade the Chargers after round one, I’d have probably given them a D, as their trade to move up and get running back Ryan Matthews cost them a ton. But when you look at the draft as a whole, San Diego did extremely well, and it mitigated their overaggressive move in the first. The aforementioned Matthews will be a dynamic playmaker next season for the Chargers, with his ability to run and catch the ball out of the backfield, and their addition of linebacker Donald Butler could prove to be just as pivotal, given his outstanding tackling ability.

Finding defensive tackle Cam Thomas in the fifth is an absolute steal, and their pick of quarterback Jonathan Crompton in round six will prove to be smart as well, although Crompton won’t be on the field anytime soon, given Philip Rivers‘ status as an elite quarterback in this league.

Grade: B+

San Francisco 49ers

The Niners came into this draft needing upgrades at two positions more than anything else: offensive line and safety. They got both taken care of early on and did so in a big way, adding offensive tackleAnthony Davis and guard Mike Iupati in round one, and safety Taylor Mays in round two. All three players will be starters from day one and will play well for head coach Mike Singletary. Their addition of linebacker Navarro Bowman makes this draft even better, as he clearly has enough talent to be a player in this league.

Grade: B

Seattle Seahawks

When the dust settled yesterday evening, there was a clear winner in this draft, and his name is Pete Carroll. After an extended hiatus at USC that netted him two national titles and never ending stream of blue chip recruits, Carroll is back in a big way, taking home three starters with his first three picks, and somehow landing his former pupil, running back LenDale White for next to nothing from Tennessee.

Getting safety Earl Thomas at #14 overall is a steal, given that he’s almost even in talent with #5 overall pick Eric Berry, who went to Kansas City. And let’s not underestimate the addition of lightning fast running back Leon Washington from the Jets for very little in return… that move alone should pay dividends in a hurry on kickoff returns.

Grade: A

St. Louis Rams

The Rams have to be pleased with the way things played out for them in this draft, given the fact that they were able to not only add the best quarterback prospect available in Sam Bradford, but also take a top notch left tackle in Rodger Saffold in round two. Bradford may or may not end up being a solid player this year, but over time he will become the franchise quarterback in St. Louis and Rams fans will be thanking their lucky stars that they took him when they could.

Their additions of cornerback Jerome Murphy in the third and wide receiver Mardy Gilyard in the fourth are two outstanding picks as well, that should pay off in a hurry for the Rams.

Grade: A-

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs really improved their club in this draft, adding quality players in almost every round without giving up anything to return to do so. Their pick of defensive tackle Gerald McCoy at #3 overall was a no brainer, but combined with their selection of fellow defensive tackle Brian Price in round two, he should be a force from day one.

Getting wide receiver Arrelious Benn with their second pick in that round was another fantastic selection, and should provide their offense with the firepower needed to stay on the field and into the end zone next fall.

Grade: B

Tennessee Titans

The Titans had to have been ecstatic to see defensive end Derrick Morgan still on the board when they picked in round one last Thursday, as he was clearly the most NFL ready pass rusher available in this class, and should become a solid player with a little time and coaching. Getting wide receiver Damian Williams in round three is a steal, as he has the talent to be a top level receiver in the league very soon.

But my favorite pick made by Tennessee is the selection of safety Myron Rolle late in the sixth, as I really think he’ll be a star within a short period of time. At worst, the Titans have a genius calling the plays in the defensive backfield and that’s never a bad thing in my book.

Grade: B

Washington Redskins

The Redskins really didn’t have much to work with (surprise!) outside of their first round pick, and as such it’s going to come down to how quickly offensive tackle Trent Williams can learn how to play at a high level on the left side. If he translates his game smoothly and efficiently, Washington will be in good shape, but if not, they could be in trouble given their lack of depth at the position.

Grade: C

No related posts.