NFL Draft in review

I did team-by-team grades at the NHL trading deadline, it's time to do the same for the NFL Draft. Warning: I'm going to make some projections on first-round busts based on the odds from the ESPN.com article I mentioned on Saturday.

Arizona Cardinals: B
Taking Levi Brown fifth overall is a pick that will come back to haunt this already draft-bust-riddled franchise. Alan Branch is a great pickup atop the second round, but doesn't help their weak defensive end spots. The lack of help on the offensive line will hurt an already lame offense.

Atlanta Falcons: A
Any time you can add eleven players in a draft, you're already off to a pretty good start.
Potential of three starters for the Falcons, including Chris Houston. Georgia, start drooling, because Houston and DeAngelo Hall will be a great combo. Jamaal Anderson and Justin Blalock could easily step into starting roles this season as well.

Baltimore Ravens: A-
Ravens started off with the not-so-sexy first round pick of a guard (Ben Grubbs), but it fills a gap on this team. Troy Smith in the late fifth round is an excellent pick. They can take a chance on him without risking much of anything. Then again, we'll see how Smith, a Cleveland native, feels about playing for Art Modell's team. Advice for you Troy: retire now before your Cleveland legacy is tarnished further.

Buffalo Bills: B+
Huge gamble to start off, with the Marshawn Lynch pick. If he can stay out of trouble and doesn't pull a Willis McGahee and spend more time complaining than playing, the Bills should get at least a few good years out of him. Paul Posluszny and Trent Edwards are huge pickups for the spots in which they got them. PP was projected to be a first rounder, while some had Edwards as the third QB to be taken.

Carolina Panthers: B+
To me, the Panthers' draft really hinges on Dwayne Jarrett. He was projected to be a first rounder, but questionable route-running ability caused him to drop. The good news is that route-running can be taught, and he doesn't have to step in and start right away. Charles Johnson and Jon Beason only will help strengthen an already strong defense.

Chicago Bears: C-
Good first round pick of Greg Olsen, but nothing after that. While this is a team already primed for stardom next year, you have to question the avoidance of a QB and offensive linemen. The QB has been addressed a bit by taking a chance on signing the undrafted Chris Leak.

Cincinnati Bengals: B
Decent draft here, the Bengals had to focus most on picking up some character players given all their off-field troubles. The good news is that the team already has orange uniforms so the transition to orange jumpsuits is relatively easy. In all seriousness though, Leon Hall is a great pickup in terms of being a good player and being of good character, despite being from Michigan. With Chris Perry's inability to stay healthy, Kenny Irons is a great addition as well.

Cleveland Browns: B+
I already covered the first round coup pulled off by the Browns on Saturday. The trade was great and as long as Brady Quinn meets expectations, Phil Savage will be living off the legacy of this trade for quite a while. Unfortunately, he could live off it like Indians' GM Mark Shapiro lives off the 2002 Bartolo Colon trade. Eric Wright, while a character risk, is a great prospect at the corner. I do wish the Browns hadn't traded up to get him though, as this caused them to miss out on a lot of running backs. At worst, Browns could have nabbed both a running back and a decent corner in the third or fourth round (Michael Bush would have been a good grab in the third).

Dallas Cowboys: B-
Excellent trade to start things off, grabbing a likely mid-to-high first next year in exchange for a third, a fourth, and sliding back 4 spots in this year's first. In sliding back, the Cowboys still got the player they wanted in Anthony Spencer. The rest of the draft, outside of kicker Nick Folk, was weak.

Denver Broncos: A-
Having had every former Cleveland Brown ever to play in the NFL on their team, I fully expected to Broncos to draft Dante Lavelli. I was quite disappointed though when they chose instead to strengthen their woefully lame defensive line. Good stuff overall, stocking the team with Jarvis Moss, Tim Crowder, and Marcus Thomas. But, I still have to give them the minus on the end. I want to see Gluefingers back in the NFL!

Detroit Lions: A-
I guess Matt Millen is hoping the fourth time is the charm. Calvin Johnson is the big can't-miss prospect (and he won't miss), and getting a good QB to go with him in Drew Stanton is a great start to building for the future. Strengthen that o-line (something they forgot to do this year), and the Lions could be contenders within a year or two.

Green Bay Packers: D
The lack of offensive tools added will hurt the Pack for a while. The Vikings, Lions, and Bears all added something to their offenses, while Green Bay didn't add anything spectacular on offense. Brett Favre's arm will only get you so far, especially this late in his career. Justin Harrell's injury history should have caused him to drop from the first round. Look for the Packers to pick first overall next year.

Houston Texans: C
Matt Schaub was a good pickup in what was essentially a draft trade, but I'm not counting him here. Outside of the Amobi Okoye pick, this was a largely unremarkable draft for the Texans. Late pick Brandon Frye is the only other decent pick here. The Texans need someone to protect Schaub, and they didn't get it.

Indianapolis Colts: A-
There's not much you can do after you win a Super Bowl and haven't lost a whole lot from that team. Fortunately, the Colts patched what few holes they had, adding a quality third receiver in Anthony Gonzalez. Tony Ugoh, projected by some to go first round, will help add some depth on the o-line. No one really stunning, but overall a quality draft.

Jacksonville Jaguars: B-
Calling the Jags' "offensively challenged" is the understatement and euphemism of the century. Unstable at QB, lacking in WR's, they Jags' ignored this and went with the safe pick in the first round with safety Reggie Nelson. Safeties are busts only 11% of the time, so this is a decent pick, but doesn't fill those holes on offense. I wonder if they may have wanted Ted Ginn, but when he was gone, decided they were best off trading down. They added defense, but they ignored the offensive holes, and that will cost them.

Kansas City Chiefs: B+
Dwayne Bowe! With the picks of the second-best WR and good backup RB in the first three rounds, it seems to indicate that Trent Green is going nowhere. As long as the Chiefs' defense can hold up (Tank Tyler, while a character risk, is stronger than my triple-espressos), they'll be right back in the playoffs again.

Miami Dolphins: F
Why Ted Ginn? I understand all the foaming at the mouth after the Bears showed how important special teams are, but ninth overall? John Beck is a decent pickup in the second round, but still, why pass on Brady Quinn when you can get him?

Minnesota Vikings: B
High-risk, high-reward to start things off with the pick of Adrian Peterson. The Vikes' run game has been questionable since Robert Smith retired seven years ago. And once again, one must wonder about Brady Quinn. The Vikings have no QB! Brad Johnson is decent, but he's on his last legs by now. But overall, decent draft.

New England Patriots: A+
Adding Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and a great safety in Brandon Meriweather? Holy hell, put them as a lock for AFC Champs right now. And before anyone calls me a Boston homer, let it be known that while I love the Red Sox, I despise the Patriots.

New Orleans Saints: B+
Robert Meacham will be an immediate impact as a WR, but on a team that already has Marques Colston and Devery Henderson, a TE like Greg Olson would have made more sense. Antonio Pittman is a good pickup, and likely spells the end for Deuce McAllister. Well done by the Saints overall.

New York Giants: C
While the picks of Aaron Ross and Steve Smith are good, why no linebackers? Zak DeOssie was the only LB taken, and he has a better chance of developing into a long-snapper rather than a starting linebacker. Maybe it's just the name: Zak's dad Steve DeOssie was a former Giants' linebacker and long-snapper in the late 80's.

New York Jets: B
Good picks, but they needed more. Darrelle Revis will step in and start immediately in a depleted Jets' secondary. Additionally, David Harris will be a starter in the linebacking corps soon as well. But still, the Jets' draft feels a little empty.

Oakland Raiders: B
I still think that with the 53% bust rate for QB's, between Quinn and JaMarcus Russell, Russell will be the bust. The loss of an elite receiver in Randy Moss is the last thing a young quarterback needs. Mike Williams will have a chance to redeem himself in the silver and black after a trade from Detroit, but I wouldn't put much money on it happening. Michael Bush is an excellent pick in the fourth round as long as he can stay healthy. All of the Raiders' 11 picks will be roster-worthy for 2007, but will the big names Russell and Bush reach expectations? Or will Russell's lack of receivers and Bush's health problems interfere?

Philadelphia Eagles: F-
Well that's a great way to show you have faith in Donovan McNabb: draft a quarterback with your first pick! Kevin Kolb is a good quarterback and all, but is it really the Eagles biggest need? They avoided wide receivers, drafted slow defensive linemen, and didn't make a good pick until they got Tony Hunt in the fourth round. But, Hunt is from Penn State, and we all know about the luck had by their backs in the NFL (Curtis Enis? Blair Thomas? Ki-Jana Carter?).

Pittsburgh Steelers: A-
Nothing splashy, nothing shocking, nothing sexy, but an overall good draft for the Steelers, filling their biggest needs. Two linebackers in Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley, at least one of whom will take Joey Porter's place.

St. Louis Rams: B-
Rams needed help at the corners, and didn't get it until the third round. Jonathan Wade, however, will take a while to develop into a starter, or even a reasonable nickel DB. First round pick Adam Carreker should help out the Rams' run defense, and Brian Leonard is the best fullback prospect to hit the NFL since Mike Alstott. Good picks, but the biggest hole is still there.

San Diego Chargers: B
Another tool in the passing attack gets added to the shed with Craig Davis. Last-rounder Brandon Siler is another high-risk high-reward player, but due to character rather than injuries. As a late rounder though, the risk is far less. Brandon Weddle should start right away in the secondary, but did the Chargers pay too much to get him? I think so.

San Francisco 49'ers: A
Finally, the Niners got themselves a true #1 WR in trading for Darrell Jackson. Joe Staley, given the right circumstances, will develop nicely hich should result in some big seasons soon for Alex Smith. Patrick Willis will be the next big thing as an inside linebacker.

Seattle Seahawks: C-
Note that I'm not counting Deion Branch, despite the fact he came to Seattle for their number one pick. Overall, Seattle really missed the boat. The loss of Darrell Jackson will hurt, and the fact they gained almost nothing on the offensive side of the ball is a problem. Granted, most of their holes were on defense, but even the players they selected there will strictly be depth guys, not starters.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B+
Bucs fans won't spend too much time crying about missing out on Calvin Johnson once they see Gaines Adams lining up with Simeon Rice. Additionally Arron Sears should be a good starter on the offensive line-- something this team needs with a host of young quarterbacks on the roster.

Tennessee Titans: D
While a safety in the first is usually as safe a pick as you can make, Michael Griffin was slotted as an early second rounder on many boards. Plenty of good safeties are available later. Chris Henry is a good pickup, as LenDale White has been far short of impressive. But Paul Williams is just a repeat of the Titans' past mistakes: picking a speedster that probably won't turn into anything more than that: a pure speed guy.

Washington Redskins: C
Not much you can do with just one pick in the first five rounds, but the 'Skins made the most of it. LaRon Landry is, to me, the only sure-thing of the four LSU first-rounders (Landry, Craig Davis, Dwayne Bowe, and JaMarcus Russell). Landry and Sean Taylor at the safeties? Oh my. The rest of the draft was unremarkable, but really, what can you do with only one first-day pick?