Posts Tagged ‘NFL Draft Report Cards’

NFL Picks: 2011 NFL Draft Report Cards

May 2nd, 2011 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football   Comments Off on NFL Picks: 2011 NFL Draft Report Cards
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It’s report card time! Here at Bankroll Sports, we’re analyzing all 32 teams in the NFL and how they stack up from their wheelings, dealings, and draft picking over the course of the three-day extravaganza known as the NFL Draft!

Arizona Cardinals: The last day of the draft could have really treated the Cardinals well, as they picked up two linebackers in Sam Acho and Quan Sturdivant that could have been severely underrated. Patrick Peterson was a great pickup in the first round at No. 5, as he might have been the best player on the board. The only complaint is that the quarterback problems were never addressed, meaning the Redbirds have a boatload of work to do in the offseason to find their man to lead their team. Still, this was a rock solid draft. Final Grade: A-

Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta took the gamble of the draft by taking Julio Jones at No. 6 overall, trading a second rounder, a fourth rounder, and two future draft choices, including next year’s top pick to get him. He was really the only notable addition in this whole draft for the Falcons though, and we don’t love the idea of sticking all of your rookie eggs in one basket. Final Grade: B-

Baltimore Ravens: There really weren’t any tremendous needs that the Ravens had to fill in this draft, and they really stacked up their depth by continually taking the best player available. Jimmy Smith has some character issues, and perhaps hanging out with Ed Reed and Ray Lewis isn’t the best for that, but there is no doubt that he was a Top 10 talent out of Colorado. Torrey Smith might turn out to be the best receiver on the board, and Jah Reid can stay in help in the O-Line rotation right away. Even the quarterback need was address with Tyrod Taylor in Round 6, a man which reminds scouts in Baltimore of a stronger and faster Troy Smith. Final Grade: B+

Buffalo Bills: Buffalo is another team that never found its quarterback to led it into the future, and we’re really not so sure that that was that great of an idea. Aaron Williams and Marcell Dareus will absolutely be starters in the NFL this next year, and both could be huge impact players. Most of the rest of the draft was spent on defense as well, something out of the ordinary for Chan Gailey and company. Needs weren’t filled, but great athletes were put on this team for sure. Final Grade: B

Carolina Panthers: Scouts in Carolina are loving what they see out of sixth round draft choice, Zachary Williams on the offensive line, and for a team that just got its quarterbacks battered and bruised all year last year, he certainly can’t hurt. The defensive line was bulked with a pair of third rounders who could find themselves starting by the start of the season in Terrell McClain and Sione Fua. This draft is all about Cam Newton though, and the way that his game translates at the NFL level. Final Grade: B

Chicago Bears: It really seems like a lot of these picks were wasted in the back rounds by the Bears. We aren’t much for Nathan Enderle as a pro prospect, and Chris Conte is definitely a project pick moving from linebacker to safety. Still, these first two picks with Gabe Carimi and Stephen Paea were fantastic and gives Head Coach Lovie Smith two new starters to plug into the rotation. Final Grade: B

Cincinnati Bengals: It was all about getting the offense right for new OC Jay Gruden this year for the Bengals in the draft. AJ Green gives the team a man that will probably step onto the field as one of the 10 best receivers in the league, and in case Carson Palmer does retire or get traded, Andy Dalton was picked up in Round 2 to help smooth the transition. The rest of the picks weren’t all that exciting, but Clint Boling could turn into something in time on the O-Line. Final Grade: A

Cleveland Browns: What a draft for General Manager Mike Holmgren! Sure, Cleveland is still a lot of pieces to the puzzle away, but Phil Taylor and Jabaal Sheard shore up the defensive line for certain, and Greg Little and Jordan Cameron could prove to be big time assets in the passing game for Colt McCoy. Owen Marecic is a lot like Seattle’s Owen Schmitt at fullback, and everyone has to be excited about that at the Dawg Pound as well, especially in a hard nosed division. Add all of that to the fact that there are two more picks coming from the Falcons next year as well, and it’s clear that Cleveland made a killing in this draft. Final Grade: A+

Dallas Cowboys: It seems awkward to us that the Cowboys would draft three offensive linemen and no defensive linemen in this draft. Tyron Smith is immediately the team’s new right tackle,and Bruce Carter might prove to be the steal of the draft at outside linebacker, especially opposite of DeMarcus Ware, butthe rest of these picks definitely weren’t all that exciting and really didn’t seem to address that many team needs. Final Grade: B-

Denver Broncos: Denver had one of the best five drafts in the league for sure, but with back to back picks in the second round, there was no reason not to. Von Miller was the ideal fit at No. 2 for the Broncos with his speed off of the edge, and the safety position was shored up as well with the additions of Rahim Moore and Quinton Carter. Julius Thomas and Virgil Green are both huge targets at 6’5″ at tight end, and both could have an impact on this team much like Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez did last year on the Patriots. Final Grade: A

Detroit Lions: Detroit’s draft was basically done in the second round, but Head Coach Jim Schwartz won’t mind. He now has arguably the best interior defensive line in the game with Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh, and both Titus Young and Mikel LeShoure bring some more excitement to a young offense that is getting better and better every single day. This might not quite be the year for the Lions, but they’re certainly getting there. Final Grade: A+

Green Bay Packers: None of the Day 2 picks really screamed to us for the Packers, save for DJ Williams, who could turn into a great tight end at the next level after catching passes from Ryan Mallett at Arkansas for a few years. More offense was on tap in the first two days of the draft as well, as Derek Sherrod, Randall Cobb, and Alex Green were the first three selections. This defense is starting to age, and Head Coach Mike McCarthy might rue the day that he really didn’t draft anything useful on this side of the ball. Final Grade: C

Houston Texans: Houston actually spent all but two of its draft picks on defense this year, something that has to encourage the heck out of Texans fans everywhere. JJ Watt gives the team a prototypical down 3-4 end, while Brooks Reed could make a hellacious pass rusher opposite the fantastic Mario Williams. Brandon Harris should immediately step in and start as well alongside last year’s top choice at corner, Kareem Jackson. The back end of the draft was iffy, and we definitely question the pick of Taylor Yates in Round 5, but the Texans really did address a ton of their needs through the draft this year. Final Grade: B

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Indianapolis Colts: Think the offensive line starters from last year know that their days are numbered in Indy? The Colts only had five draft choices when it was all said and done, and the first two came on offensive linemen, Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana. Delone Carter was an interesting add at running back, though he is a bit undersized for the position at just 5’9″. It was all about the linemen for Indy though, and it’s hard to argue about the two that it ended up with. Final Grade: B

Jacksonville Jaguars: When you really look at it, the Jags’ draft this year really ended up being bad news for a lot of the veterans on this team, including Head Coach Jack Del Rio. Del Rio really needs a winning season and a playoff berth to save his job in the Sunshine State, and the team really needs to start to win to fill up the stadium to keep the team where it is and not in a venue like Los Angeles in the near future. Blaine Gabbert might turn out to be great one day, but we don’t know if Jacksonville can really wait for “one day” to happen. An offensive lineman in Round 3 in Williams Rackley is again, a nice pickup, but it’s not going to excite the city. Final Grade: C+

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs have a lot of potential in this draft, but Head Coach Todd Haley and company have a lot of work to do to develop it. Ricky Stanzi could make for an interesting choice one day as the team’s fifth round pick, but the far more interesting pieces to the puzzle are Justin Houston, Rodney Hudson, and Jonathan Baldwin, all of which were first round talent, and all of which will probably end up starting when push comes to shove this year. Final Grade: B

Miami Dolphins: Mike Pouncey is sure to be a starter at one of the guard spots for Miami, but the bigger question is how the rest of this draft will pan out. Daniel Thomas might have to shoulder the whole load for the Fins if Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams leave. We’re intrigued by the selection of Charles Clay, as he can run the ball and line up at tight end or even slot receiver, and the “jack of all trades” type is just what Head Coach Tony Sparano loves to work with. Final Grade: B-

Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings might have ended up with a ton of draft picks when push came to shove, but unless Christian Ponder turns out to be the second coming of Daunte Culpepper, this draft was probably a waste. The only other viable player that we see out of this drat was Kyle Rudolph, but if he doesn’t have a QB to throw him the ball, he’ll bust as well. Final Grade: F

New England Patriots: There are definitely ups and downs in this draft for New England. The biggest upside is that the team now has another first and another second round draft choice next year after trades in this draft, but the biggest downside is that the biggest needs of the team were never addressed. Two running backs and a quarterback in Rounds 2 and 3 really didn’t strike anyone in Beantown, and the only two men that really look like they can step in right away as potential full time starters are Nate Solder and Ras-I Dowling. We’re not generally ones to ask questions of Head Coach Bill Belichick and company, but this time, we really don’t know. Final Grade: C

New Orleans Saints: Greg Romeus was the perfect pickup for the Saints in the seventh round, as this was a man that really had a ton of potential before getting injured in his final season at U-Pitt. The first three picks that New Orleans had look good, as Cameron Jordan, Mark Ingram, and Martez Wilson are all potential starters. The problem that they have is that the Saints gave up their first round draft pick next year to get Ingram, and they know that Reggie Bush is on his way out the door. Final Grade: B-

New York Giants: The Giants drafted a lot of quality guys this year, and they should have a lot of potential playmakers out of this draft. Prince Amukamara was Top 10 talent, and Marvin Austin knows that he could’ve been a first rounder as well. Jerrel Jernigan was a steal at receiver in Round 3, and Greg Jones is definitely a leader at linebacker that might turn out to be a great pickup in Round 6. Final Grade: A

New York Jets: There were a lot of decent college names that came in this draft for the Jets, but the question is whether there will be an real players in the bunch. We don’t doubt that Muhammad Wilkerson and Kenrick Ellis were great finds, but names like Bilal Powell and Greg McElroy don’t excite us — at least yet. Final Grade: B-

Oakland Raiders: Give us a break, Oakland… Giving up a future second rounder to move up in the draft just wasn’t a great idea considering the fact that the Raiders are probably going to stink again next year, and there really weren’t too an fantastic draft picks with what was out there on the board. Demarcus Van Dyke and Chimdi Chekwa are just blazers at corner, but neither are going to be starters in this league to replace Nnamdi Asomugha when push comes to shove. Final Grade: D-

Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles made some interesting selections late on in the draft, including Stanley Havili, Brian Rolle, and Julian Vandervelde, and Alex Henery might have been the best place kicker in the draft as well. We’re still not thrilled with Danny Watkins in Round 1, nor was Jaiquawn Jarrett all that exciting in Round 2 either. Final Grade: C

Pittsburgh Steelers: The lines were bulked up for the Steelers, with four picks out of five being used on big boys. The rest of the picks were on DBs. It’s hard to say that the Steelers really didn’t address needs, because they clearly did. Still, there wasn’t much to work with in terms of great picks, and Pittsburgh didn’t do anything overly spectacular. Final Grade: C+

San Diego Chargers: Jordan Todman might be one of the steals of the draft in the sixth round, and he compliments a fantastic draft by the Bolts. San Diego has a new big time lineman in Corey Liugey, and Marcus Gilchrist could become a great DB as a third option. Vincent Brown might be able to line up in the place of Vincent Jackson in due time as well. Final Grade: B+

San Francisco 49ers: Names like Ronald Johnson and Bruce Miller are definitely recognizeable for the Niners, but the real picks in this draft that will be under scrutiny for years will be those of Aldon Smith and Collin Kaepernick. We’re just not so sure that trading up to get a quarterback that has only played in the Pistol offense over the last four years is that great of an idea, but we trust Head Coach Jim Harbaugh to get the job done and groom the former member of the Nevada Wolf Pack. Final Grade: B-

Seattle Seahawks: Be honest with us, Seattle fans. Are you in any way, shape, or form excited over this draft? We don’t think that James Carpenter was a great pick along the offensive line, as there had to be bigger needs on the team than that, especially after taking Russell Okung last year. Beyond that, there was really nothing all that special to speak of. A ‘D’ grade is being nice. Final Grade: D

St. Louis Rams: The Rams stockpiled some talent through this draft, and they filled some needs as well. Sam Bradford now has two new receivers to work with in Austin Pettis and Greg Salas, and Lance Kendricks could prove to be a great, athletic tight end as well. Robert Quinn is a sure starter along the defensive line, and Jermale Hines could turn into a stud out of Ohio State. Final Grade: A-

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The second two days of this draft really did make up for the Adrian Clayborn pick in Round 1 for the Bucs. Da’Quan Bowers was arguably the best second round selection in the draft, and Luke Stocker and Ahmad Black highlight a potentially lucrative second day as well. Give General Manager Mark Dominik credit for building up this team into what could be a contender again this season. Final Grade: B

Tennessee Titans: Unless we end up being proved wrong about Jake Locker, this draft really stunk for the Titans. Second and third round choices, Akeem Ayers and Jurrell Casey were solid picks, but Locker is clearly the crown jewel of the draft one way or the other. Tennessee knows that it has a lot of grooming to do, and there could be plenty of losses in the future. Final Grade: D

Washington Redskins: This was a nice effort by the Redskins in the draft, chock full of a ton of picks to work with late on. If any of these picks in the third day pan out, things will be great for Washington, which already did a nice job grabbing Ryan Kerrigan, Leonard Hankerson, and Jarvis Jenkins. Watch out for Roy Helu this year, as he could immediately step into the lineup as a starter and be a dark horse for rookie of the year. Final Grade: A-