Jmsmith1's Team Grades

[jmsmith1]

Detroit – I love Aaron Curry pick. With the Julian Peterson trade and a young Ernie Sims, the Lions now have as formidable a linebacking corps as any team in the NFC. Great selection. Then to turn and get one of the best blocking tackles in the draft in Michael Oher, the Lions hit two homeruns. While I disagreed with the selection of Darius Butler off the top, they did get a good talent at CB, which they desperately need when their only playmaker, Leigh Bodden, was cut. Michael Johnson was a steal in round three, as he is likely round 1 material and talent. If he can become the player that many think he is, this might be the pick of the draft. Kraig Urbik can come in and take over at RG for Mulitalo who I don’t expect to be resigned. With a younger, healthier O line, Detroit should be able to keep their QB on his feet. The only concern now is who is the QB? I don’t think Detroit should take a QB in the first round, but a Josh Freeman or even a later pick like a Pat White might not be a bad choice. But with a solid O line, who knows what you have in Culpepper and I think the QB crop next year is much better. Who’s to say they don’t get Jay Cutler as well? If you get Cutler, this becomes the best Detroit draft in a LONG time and get an A+. But if you stick with Culpepper, you’ve gotta hope that he does well or you’ll be in the Tebow/McCoy/Bradford sweepstakes. Overall Grade = A

St. Louis – The release of long time OT Orlando Pace made the round one selection of an OT a no brainer. I personally like Jason Smith better, but Monroe is equally talented and really is splitting hairs. He can step in and take over at LT while providing them with much needed salary cap space. I was very critical of the Brian Cushing choice. My concern is that over the glowing cloud of steroid abuse that seems to plague his name. If he’s clean, this is a round 1 talent in the second round and a steal. But I feel more that they could’ve grabbed a better prospect without the questions, because I honestly feel Cushing is the next Brian Bosworth. I love the Ramses Barden selection. He will immediately become a solid target for Bulger and is a great red zone threat. And the Mike Mickens pick I think will pay off as he will team with Tye Hill to help a pretty crude secondary. Mickens I think will flourish as a #2 CB where he was sometimes inconsistent at #1 at Cincinnatti. Other than the Cushing selection, solid draft. Overall Grade = B

Kansas City – The Chiefs have a new GM, a new coach, and a new QB. Now its time to make it all work. So why not get arguably the best player in the draft. I still think you need a top OT, but Crabtree is warming on me here. You have a top flight RB in Larry Johnson, a future HOF TE in Gonzalez, and now a great receiving corps in Bowe and Crabtree. I didn’t really argue with Shonn Greene at your third rounder because I think he’s a solid back and could compliment Johnson. After some thought, I feel he was taken too early and didn’t really fit a position of need. With needs along the D line (since the trade of Jared Allen), RB was not a need and I think could cost the Chiefs some wins this year. I know you addressed DE in round 4, but I think that you reached for a kid that has more potential than proven ability. I hope I’m wrong, but I think you could’ve made a better round 3 selection and still gotten a good RB in round 4. Without making any major FA moves on the defensive side other than the addition of Vrabel to play alongside Derrick Johnson, I think Pioli loses a couple grades here. There are still needs at RT, G, and NT. Overall Grade = C

 

[jmsmith1]

Seattle – I love the Jason Smith pick, and I think it will be one that will solidify that line for the next 10 years. The addition of Houshmandzadeh will definitely aid the offense. I like the selection of Louis Delmas at safety and I think the selection of Eric Wood was a great get. Both are blue collar workers that will come in and should be impact players very early in their careers. I know the RB selection is one that I like because I think Andre Brown is a steal in the fourth round. You still have a glaring hole at OLB with the loss of Peterson, and DD Lewis isn’t exactly the bandaid you’d have in mind. But having said that, with a OLB, you hit for the cycle, with Smith being a grand slam homerun. This is hovering just above a B- because of the glaring need at OLB. Overall Grade = B

 

[jmsmith1]

Cleveland – I really think that the first pick was a stretch in getting Beanie Wells. After some time, and seeing his pro day, I think he pushed himself back into the top 10. Jamal Lewis is long in the tooth and I can say now this was a better selection that I initially cared for. I still think that there were better players, but its hard to disagree with the local kid that is going to make tons of jersey sales for the franchise. Larry English is a great get in round two and is a perfect fit for what Mangini is trying to do. Im still surprised you didn’t grab Tyson Jackson, but hard to ignore the talent that English has. I love the DJ Moore selection in round two. I think he’s gonna be a solid pro and is a great value in early round two. With no third rounder I felt it was important to address the safety position with the loss of Sean Jones, so I made the Chip Vaughn selection. I think he’s exactly the type of player that Mangini is looking for and can make a difference in stopping the run. He’s got some concern with overall pass coverage, but is an undeniable talent and great worker. With the only other need being WR, I think Cleveland did rather well but would have to address WR immediately to keep this B from slipping. Overall Grade = B

 

[jmsmith1]

Cincy – I love the BJ Raji pick. Sure they have needs at DE, and LB, but I think they got a perennial Pro Bowler with Raji to anchor the Lewis defense. I like the William Beatty pick as he continues to impress and slowly rise up draft boards. I think he is the last of the top tier OT left on the board. Not sure how well he’ll translate to the pro level given his competition, but I think he was still a good selection. Johnathan Luigs is a solid pick at C and should be able to start for most teams immediately. He anchored a team that consistently ran the ball with two first rounders and will likely do so again. As I said before, I understand that you wanted Jeremiah Johnson, since he fit your scheme so well, and we’re only going on four rounds here, but he really is a 5-6 round talent and I still think you’d have been better off taking a DE here. Eric Barton and David Bowens were signed as LBs in FA so I think you should be okay there, but DE is still a necessity and still have quality ends available. That hurts your grade from a solid B+ to a lower B. Overall Grade = B


MORE GRADES COMING AS FOURTH ROUND CONTINUES

 

[Da Bomb]

great posts jmsmith! have a million vbucks for your hard work, and consider it a down payment toward the $2.5 mil total you'll see in your bank account once all of these reports are finished up.

 

[jmsmith1]

Jacksonville – Jacksonville signed Tra Thomas at OT and Brad Meester at OC to help their line. Your first round pick of Maulauga makes sense because Mike Peterson left for Atlanta. Jared Cook was a terrible selection given the needs at CB, DT, depth at OT, and a #1 WR. Xavier Fulton could be a good fit for Jacksonville since the signing of Thomas may give Fulton time to develop, but you could have gotten a much better prospect in round 2 like Phil Loadholt. You did address the WR position with Massoquoi, but he is hardly a #1 reciever and still leaves the offense in limbo. And worse off, there is a need at DT and CB, since you lost Drayton Florence to free agency, and they havent been addressed and Scott Starks is hardly the answer at CB. This draft really set Jacksonville back and with all the moves made by the division foes, the Jags really are gonna rebuild the following year. Mauluaga is the only pick that really made sense. Overall Grade = D

 

[Sgt John]

since you lost Drayton Florence to free agency

Is that really a loss? :runaround:

 

[bobbeaux]

Cincy – As I said before, I understand that you wanted Jeremiah Johnson, since he fit your scheme so well, and we’re only going on four rounds here, but he really is a 5-6 round talent and I still think you’d have been better off taking a DE here. Overall Grade = B

i'm not going to debate your ranking, but i am really seeing a lot of mixed reviews on the rb's . . . i've seen some ranked in rnds 3-4 on some boards and all the way down to 5-6 on others . . . also, i've seen 2-3 rounders ranked as 4-5 on others . . . and all of these combined have been the top 5-15 rb's . . . is it possible some will fall and some will rise based off of a teams specific need?

 

[Sgt John]

Yes it will Bobbs. Absolutely it does. As Ive said before, sometimes a player rises not based on talent, but on a teams need. If its the 4th round, and all the good backs are gone, and you dont want to risk losing the RB you had targeted who is on your board as a 5th rounder, but might be gone in 40 picks, take the back. Its not like the money is that big of an issue money wise.

 

[Miller]

Great job JMS!!!

 

[jmsmith1]

Green Bay - Taking Orakpo with the first rounder I thought was a good fit. Then to get Tyson Jackson in round two is a steal. I loved that selection. Green Bay gets two solid defenders to come in and immediately make an impact on a rotation that will definitely get pressure on the QB. James Casey is a solid athlete that can have a variety of roles and will gladly fill them to help the team. Scott McKillop, while I think he was a reach here, is undoubtedly a talented LB and you cant argue with his production. He should help on the weakside to eat up blocks for AJ Hawk. I absolutely love the David Bruton pick as I think he will be a late second round pick and is exactly what the Packers need in the secondary. The only reason this isnt an A draft is that you have a need at OT and didnt address it. Its one of the more pressing needs for the Packers and thus costs you a little in the grade. Overall Grade = B+

In light of recent comments, I'll upgrade this to a B+, but my opinion is that this would be an A+ draft and with OT being such a top need, it cant be overlooked.

 

[dukdown]

The way the draft fell, the Packers could address OT with their 2nd round pick, but would not pass up on Tyson Jackson if he fell to there. They added 4 excellent athletes to their defense, and one versatile playmaking piece to an already explosive offense. If this draft isn't an A, I really don't know what is.

 

[Miller]

The way the draft fell, the Packers could address OT with their 2nd round pick, but would not pass up on Tyson Jackson if he fell to there. They added 4 excellent athletes to their defense, and one versatile playmaking piece to an already explosive offense. If this draft isn't an A, I really don't know what is.

Have to agree. Drafting for need is all well and good, but betting impact players for your football team simply trumps this IMO. And you got PLAYERS! Very nice A draft in my book.

 

[dukdown]

lol, guess I was supposed to make an NFL ready LT appeaer out of thin air for the Packers to get that A grade. If the draft does keep going, will look at adding OL depth in the 5th and 6th rounds though. Basically the same areas of the draft where the Packers took their current Tackles of the future 5th rounders Tony Moll and Breno Giacomini. There's no doubt though that Chad Clifton is getting up in age, and that Mark Tauschers knee is a big question mark.

 

[jmsmith1]

guess I was supposed to make an NFL ready LT appeaer out of thin air for the Packers to get that A grade

Nope, just draft a need that you have. Mark Tauscher is a free agent so you do have a hole at offensive tackle. And to say that there was none available in round two is not accurate. I agree Tyson Jackson was a steal, but you could've gotten a solid OT in round three over McKillop who would have been their in round four.

Again, these are my grades and Im sure a B+ isnt bad. In MY OPINION, offensive tackle is a glaring need. We arent considering moves you might make in free agency or trades or whatever. This is a mock draft that only gets affected if your team signs a free agent in real life. So that would mean, in my humble assessment, you should base your draft strategy on those needs that are most important unless your team already has signed a free agent in real life. And since Green Bay hasnt signed an OT in free agency, I'd still consider that a need. Thus an A draft got bumped down.

 

[jmsmith1]

Buffalo - The Bills did a nice job of addressing draft needs. The Everette Brown selection is a nice hybrid pick that allows for some fluidity with Chris Kelsay at the other end. He actually fills the DE and OLB need in one pick with his athletic ability. Duke Robinson can come in and man the need at guard, so another need is filled here. Robinson is a good run blocking guard that can help with Lynch and Thomas in the backfield. Opening up the running game opens up the passing game for your new TOy. The Beckum selection, while I disagreed with him overall here, is definitely an athletic upgrade that the Bills havent seen in a while. Now with Lee Evans, Roscoe Parrish, TO, and Beckum, the Bills have given Edwards some nice weapons to open up the offense. Jason Watkins is an athletic OT prospect that is athletic but raw. He could develop nicely into a long term answer at RT, and if he gets stronger and more consistent into LT. Very nice draft. Overall Grade = A

San Francisco - The first overall selection of Sanchez is one that I understand, and you need a pure QB. I dont know if more pressing needs should've been filled, but Shaun Hill isnt the answer at QB and the local prospect will sell some jerseys and tickets. Phil Loadholt is a solid OT prospect and fills an immediate need along the O line. Macho Harris is a nice CB/S prospect. I dont know if he is fast enough to be a FS, but his athleticism and work ethic are top notch. He should be able to help out the secondary. I really like the Zach Follett pick. Many experts put him down a little bit, but he is a true blue collar player and one that will thrive under Singletary. This collectively was a nice draft, but the one need I dont see truly filled was at WR. San Francisco needs a playmaker at WR and that is the only peice missing from what would've been an A draft. While the Niners did sign a WR in the FA market, you'd have to draft one in the next round to make this an A grade. Overall Grade = B+

 

[jmsmith1]

Miami - Your two CB selections of Alphonso Smith and Asher Allen give the Dolphins some nice young secondary talent. I love the Joaquin Iglesias pick and I think he'll be a nice fit in Miami. So two of your top four needs were addressed. I really like the Tyrone McKenzie pick. The kid is an animal, lives in South Florida, and can play inside or outside. What he lacks in size he makes up for with speed and athleticism. The only need I see that wasnt addressed was NT. Vonnie Holliday is gone to free agency and while I can see Patrick Chung as a solid asset to the secondary, NT is not a position that you can completely ignore. Overall this was a solid draft. Overall Grade = B+

 

[dukdown]

jm, I will give you a million vbucks if the Niners select a WR in the first 4 rounds.

 

[jmsmith1]

I can appreciate that maybe they wont select one in the first four rounds, but they doesnt mean they shouldnt. Their top 2 receivers from last year were Isaac Bruce and Bryant Johnson. BJ has moved onto Detroit and Isaac Bruce is 36 years old. Unless they go out and get an Anquan Boldin, I dont see how you can say they have any serious WR talent with the top 4 recievers after that being Frank Gore, your RB, Vernon Davis, your TE, and Josh Morgan alongside Arnaz Battle. No 1,000 yard reciever. Seems like a need to me.

 

[Da Bomb]

jeez people, youre going a little tough on the guy. when you give out letter grades on a bell curve, the whole point is that only a couple people get A's. a B+ is a good score. anything above a C or C+ means a pretty good draft.