Teams 21-25

Yesterday, we look at the bottom seven teams, including my big surprise (the Patriots).  Today we will look at the next set of 5.  These teams, did not have awful drafts, but they did not do enough to improve their franchise this past weekend.  Again, it is almost impossible to assign grades based solely on opinion, but that is what I am challenging myself to do.  So let's keep going.


#25 - St Louis Rams     DPA:2.30   NFL.com Avg:72.34   NFL.com Rank:7
     Highest Rated Picks: Rd 2 Pk 7 - Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

     Lowest Rated Picks: Rd 2 Pk 18 - Isaiah Pead, RB Cincinnati

     The Rams to me were just like the Pats on draft day.  They made some picks I really liked, and they made some picks I really didn't.  And, also like the Pats, I have them rated considerably lower than everyone else in the English speaking world.  I love the risk they took on Janoris Jenkins.  I know he has many thinking about Pacman Jones with all of the trouble he has been in, but he is the most talented corner in this draft, and was taken a full round later than Pacman was in his draft.  I also love the Trumaine Johnson selection too.  As far as weapons for Sammy Bradford goes, adding both Quick and Givens was awesome work.
     But as impressed as I was with those 4 picks, I was equally unimpressed by the picks of Brockers in the first and Pead in the second.  Brockers is a boom-bust type player, and the Rams need him to pan out.  Pead is overrated, and was picked way too high in my book.  Lamar Miller would have been a much better pick at that point in the draft.  He would have been a superior compliment to Jackson, as compared to Pead.


#24 - Dallas Cowboys     DPA:2.37   NFL.com Avg:64.94   NFL.com Rank:27
     Highest Rated Picks: Rd 1 Pk 6 - Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

     Lowest Rated Picks: Rd 4 Pk 40 - Matt Johnson, SS, Eastern Washington

     After making a great big splash in the first, trading up to grab the top rated corner on most boards, the Cowboys had themselves a lackluster weekend.  I like the moxy to trade up to get the guy who was atop their board.  I love the genuine excitement shown by both Jerry Jones and Morris Claiborne about their union.  But after that, the Cowboys stayed pretty average.  The Danny Coale pick has some potential and Tyrone Crawford will make the team, but there was no other standout selections that would make the rest of the NFC East stand up and take notice.


#23 - Washington Redskins     DPA:2.37   NFL.com Avg:66.97   NFL.com Rank:23
     Highest Rated Picks: Rd 1 Pk 2 - Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
                                     Rd 6 Pk 23 - Tom Compton, OT, South Dakota

     Lowest Rated Picks: Rd 3 Pk 8 - Josh LeRibeus, OG, SMU

     The Skins made their biggest move prior to the draft even starting, trading up to 2 to land RG3.  I love what this kid brings to the table and Washington will too.  I think that was an awesome move.  In the 6th round they landed Tom Compton, a 4th round caliber OT.  He will be an immediate asset for the Skins too. What held Washington back from a higher DPA was the awful selection of Josh LeRibeus in the third.  I though he was a 6th round talent at best.  Seeing him go that high really made me wonder what the Skins were thinking.

#22 - Atlanta Falcons     DPA:2.38   NFL.com Avg:61.53   NFL.com Rank:30
     Highest Rated Picks: Rd 2 Pk 23 - Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

     Lowest Rated Picks: Rd 3 Pk 28 - Lamar Holmes, OT, Southern Miss
                                     Rd 5 Pk 22 - Bradie Ewing, FB, Wisconsin

     Last year the Falcons sacrificed a lot, including key picks in this year's draft to trade up for Julio Jones.  That left the waiting until late in the second to make their first selection, but it sure was a good one.  Every year, there are players who I have with first round grades who slide into the second, and Peter Konz was one of those guys.  I love o-linemen from Wisconsin, and Konz was rated higher than his teammate Kevin Zeitler who did hear his name called on Thursday night.  For the Falcons to fill a serious need with this kind of talent where they were at was a steal.
     Unfortunately for them, that is where the party ended.  Their next two picks, one in the third, and one in the 5th, netted them two players who I though were huge reaches.  Lamar Holmes had a 6th round grade in my book, and I expected Ewing to go in the 7th, if he were going to get drafted at all.  The team also failed to address finding the heir to Tony Gonzalez at TE, and that could prove costly too.


#21 - New York Jets     DPA:2.38   NFL.com Avg:66.34   NFL.com Rank:26
     Highest Rated Picks: Rd 7 Pk 35 - Antonio Allen, S, South Carolina

     Lowest Rated Picks: Rd 3 Pk 14 - Demario Davis, LB, Arkansas State

     If there is one thing you can say about the Jets, it is that they sure are consistant in the way they evaluate players.  The Tannenbaum/Ryan regime likes making splashy moves, acquiring guys with name recognition and upside over guys who are locker room assets and quality football players. With both pass rushing and o-line needs, the Jets spent their first round pick on Quinton Coples.  His talent is indisputable.  His effort is anything but.  This was yet another swing for the fences type pick, and could result in a home run, or a strikeout.  Stephen Hill, Demario Davis, and Josh Bush all fit that same type of mold too.  Davis was on top of that, also a reach in the third.  The pick I really did like was Antonio Allen.  He also has some upside, but in the 7th round, that is exactly what you should be drafting for.

Bottom 7

Now that the 2012 Draft is in the books, let take stock of how each of the teams did, putting themselves in better position for the future through this weekend's acquisitions.  It is impossible to tell who really did well, and who really struggled until after we can see what type of finished product these kids become, but based on what me know today, or more accurately, what we think we know today, lets take a look.

I have ranked every selection from this weekend's draft with a grade.  These grades are based on what I project the player's skill at, as compared to the position they were drafted in, taking into account both my perception of team need, and alternatives available when the team picked.  The letter grades for each selection were then converted to a numerical equivalent with an "A" earning 4 points, down to an "F" earning 0 points. Pluses to a letter grade added an extra .3 to the points.  Minuses subtracted an extra .3 from the points.  Each of these scores were averaged together to calculate a team's DPA (Draft Point Average).

In addition, this year I will also share where a team ranked according to NFL.com's player selection rankings.  Prior to the draft, the crew at NFL.com assigned each player a total ranking, which ranges from 0, through 100.  The higher the ranking, the better the player (in their eyes).  I have averaged out the NFL.com player ranking for each team too, and when I review the team, I will share the overall NFL.com average, and where that ranks amongst the rest of the league.

Over the next 6 days, I am going to release my review of each team's performance this weekend, working from the lowest score up to the highest based on my calculated DPA.  So lets get to it starting with the bottom 7.

#32 - Seattle Seahawks     DPA:1.76   NFL.com Avg:61.84   NFL.com Rank:29
     Highest Rated Picks: Rd 6 Pk 11 - Guy Winston, DB, Kentucky

     Lowest Rated Picks: Rd 1 Pk 15 - Bruce Irvin, OLB/DE, West Virginia
                                     Rd 5 Pk 19 - Korey Toomer, ILB, Idaho

     Things started off poorly for the Hawks, reaching by 2-rounds to grab Irvin. I think Irvin can develop into an exceptional pass rusher at the pro level, but I think his game is too one-dimentional right now, and his behavioral issues may come back to bit Seattle.  Too much of a risk to take so early.  I know some folks were excited about the Russel Wilson selection, but I am just not sure how he will play out.  I had him as a low fourth/early fifth grade, so round 3, pick 12 is a bit of a reach too.  I do like the Winston pick in the 6th. I think the kid is a play maker, and I expect him to contribute from year one.


#31 - Chicago Bears     DPA:1.83   NFL.com Avg:62.70   NFL.com Rank:28
     Highest Rated Picks: Rd 2 Pk 13 - Alshon Jeffrey, WR, South Carolina

     Lowest Rated Picks: Rd 3 Pk 16 - Brandon Hardin, FS, Oregon State
                                     Rd 4 Pk 16 - Evan Rodriguez, FB/TE, Temple

     The Bears had some opportunities that I feel they let slip by during this draft.  I like Shea McClellin as a ball player, but I didn't love the Bears picking him in the 1st.  Sure Briggs is getting older, but the defensive front needed more attention, and the o-line needs to be completely overhauled.  Too much talent was still there at positions of need to take a luxury pick.  I really Like the Alshon Jeffrey pick.  Opposite Brandon Marshall, and Johnny Knox, the Bears have a nice receiving corps now.  Hardin and Rodriguez were throw away picks in the 3rd and 4th.  To address the secondary Chicago should have looked at a Brandon Boykin  in the third, and I am not sure Evan Rodriguez will be a long lasting player on the Bears roster either.


#30 - Oakland Raiders     DPA:2.00   NFL.com Avg:60.52   NFL.com Rank:31
     Highest Rated Picks: Rd 5 Pk 33 - Juron Criner, WR, Arizona

     Lowest Rated Picks: Rd 3 Pk 32 - Tony Bergstrom, OT, Utah

     The Raiders did not have too much to work with.  Their first pick wasn't until the end of the thrid round, and their selection of Tony Bergstrom with a guy like Bobby Massie inexplicably still available was baffling to me.  I felt considering they got started late due to adding Carson Palmer and Tyrell Prior, they needed to make the most out of each and every pick, and I think they failed to do that.  I did like the addition of Juron Criner in the 5th.  He had a late 4th round grade in my book, and I think he can be an immediate addition to a wide receiving corp that had some trouble staying healthy last year.  I like the hire of Reggie Mackenzie as the GM, but I am not yet sold on the results of this draft.



#29 - Denver Broncos     DPA:2.13   NFL.com Avg:66.37   NFL.com Rank:25
     Highest Rated Picks: Rd 4 Pk 6 - Omar Bolden, CB, Arizona State

     Lowest Rated Picks: Rd 2 Pk 4 - Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati

     I agreed with John Elway, addressing the d-line was a must, and I even liked the move to trade back out of round 1, but I really did not like the selection of Derek Wolfe.  Some have him rated higher, but I just did not see enough to make me grade him any higher than a 4th round.  With guys like Worthy, Still, and Reyes still all available, I feel this to be a very poor selection.  The rest of the picks felt like average picks, which is not a bad thing.  I am intrigued by the Osweiler pick.  A few years behind Manning could pay huge dividends.  I like Ronnie Hillman, although I think Denver reached a little for him.Phillip Blake could become a starter in the middle in year 1 or 2, Omar Bolden makes a nice heir apparent to Champ Bailey, and I think 7th round pick Danny Trevathan has a great chance of making the roster.  This draft was fairly average, with the Wolfe pick hurting it a bit.


#28 - New Orleans Saints     DPA:2.14   NFL.com Avg:56.58   NFL.com Rank:32

     Highest Rated Picks: Rd 4 Pk 27 - Nick Toon, WR, Wisconsin

     Lowest Rated Picks: Rd 5 Pk 27 - Corey White, SS, Samford

     This has been an exceptionally tough off season for the Saints.  With all that they have had going on, I almost feel like I am piling on.  But the truth is that the Saints didn't do anything exciting at all over the weekend.  I like the addition of Nick Toon, but the Saints are already deep at wide out.  None of the other picks made by the Saints during this draft were memorable in either direction.  Their top pick, Akiem Hicks has some potential, but serious consistency issues.  Not a terrible reach at the back end of the third, but not anything to get too excited about either.


#27 - New England Patriots     DPA:2.23   NFL.com Avg:73.82   NFL.com Rank:4
     Highest Rated Picks: Rd 7 Pk 17 - Alfonso Denard, CB, Nebraska

     Lowest Rated Picks: Rd 3 Pk 32 - Tavon Wilson, FS, Illinois
                                                           Nate Ebner, DB, Ohio State

     I know that I am going to get lambasted for this, but the numbers are what the numbers are.  Any high school kid can tell you, it is very difficult to have a stellar GPA when you have an F on your record.  The Pats did get an F for the Tavon Wilson selection (3-4 rounds too early) and a D for the pick of Nate Ebner, who only played special teams for the Buckeyes.  I did like their work in the first round to get both Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower, but I am slightly concerned about the lack of speed in the middle with Spikes and Hightower.  I loved the pick of Alfonso Denard in the seventh.  In my opinion that could very well be the steal of the draft.


#26 - San Francisco 49ers     DPA:2.24   NFL.com Avg:66.97   NFL.com Rank:23
     Highest Rated Picks: Rd 7 Pk 30 - Cam Johnson, DE, Virginia

     Lowest Rated Picks: Rd 1 Pk 30 - AJ Jenkins, WR, Illinois

     Since making major changes in their front office, I have typically been a fan of what the Niners have been doing to rebuild their roster.  I feel like they are a team on the cusp of greatness, but I am not sold that this year's draft is going to put them over the top.  They had some solid picks, and I love them grabbing Cam Johnson all the way at the bottom of the 7th.  On my board he was a 4th round talent, so I think they got themselves a solid guy at a great value.  Unfortunately, like the Pats, the 49ers overall grade is lower due to a F.  The pick of AJ Jenkins in the first round is worse than the Seahawks Brue Irvin selection.  The Jenkins pick feels like something that the Raiders would have done under Al Davis.  Jenkins is fast.  He is very fast.  but fast and football fast are two different things, and I am not sold on him being football fast.  His stock was rising quickly leading up to draft day, and I think San Fran got caught up in the hype.  To skip Ruben Randle, Stephen Hill, Brian Quick, Ryan Broyles, Mohamad Sanu, and other to grab Jenkins was simply head scratching to me.

2012 Round 3 Recap

As I look over what transpired in the third round, I am more surprised by the guys who are still available as the round comes to a close than I am about the guys who were taken.

Some of the finds I liked the best included Trumaine Johnson to St Louis, Mohamed Sanu to Cincinnati, TY Hilton to the Colts, Brandon Thompson to Cincinnati, and Jayron Hosley to the Giants.  Each of those teams got excellent value by landing these player in the third round.

Some of the picks that left me befuddled included the Jags picking a punter in the third, Josh Leribeus to Washington, Brandon Hardin to Chicago, Bernard Pierce to Baltimore, and Lamar Holmes to Atlanta.  Each of those guys were reaches according to my board.  I had none of those guys rated higher than 5th round grades, so to see them taken in the third is surprising to me.

But as I started with, it is the guys still on the board that surprises me the most.

• Bobbie Massie earned a 2nd round grade on my board, and for him to be available is stunning.  
• Lamar Miller was a guy who at times projected as a late first rounder, but finally settled in with a solid second round grade is still available.  
• I am surprised that former Hurricane OL, Brandon Washington has not been picked yet.  
• DEs Jared Crick and Billy Winn are both still available.  
• No one has taken LB Ronnell Lewis, who had a second round grade.  
• Cs David Molk from Michigan, Phillip Blake from Baylor, and Mike Brewster from Ohio State can all be had on the draft's third day.
• Antonio Allen, the safety from South Carolina, and Markelle Martin, the safety from OK St are both still available.
• Former Georgia Bulldog, Orson Charles has yet to hear his name called.

Clearly there are values to be had when the fourth round kicks off tomorrow.  Teams picking early really still have an opportunity to add players who can be have an impact during their rookie season.  Very exciting indeed.

2012 Round 2 Recap

Each year round 2 of the draft is my favorite round. You really get to see how teams think. There are guys who fall out of the first round who are clamored for in the second, and that is very exciting to me. Rather than review all of the picks, I am going to review the selections I really like, and those that I didn't.

Likes
Courtney Upshaw - Baltimore Ravens
   Upshaw was the top talent still on the board after the first round ended.  He is a solid linebacker, and I love how the Ravens identified him as such, and went up to go get him.  Now he will be surrounded by mentors like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata, and Terrell Suggs.  Another great pick by Ozzie Newsome.

Andre Branch - Jacksonville Jaguars
   The Jags need to get after the passer better, and after trading up for Blackmon in the first, they grab another value pick in the second.  Branch has the talent to have gone 10-12 picks higher. he can get pressure off the edge.  If he develops some consistency, this could be a great pick.

Janoris Jenkins - St Louis Rams
   Sure, this kid has some behavioral issues, but he may be the most talented corner in this draft.  If he can get his act together, and that is an if, this pick the Rams landed in the RG3 deal may be the steal of the draft. He is fast, can cover, and tackles very well.

Cordy Glenn - Buffalo Bills
   Another guy who should have gone off the board last night.  The Bills need to provide better protection up front, and Glenn's flexibility will allow them to plug him in almost any o-line position and they will get better.

Johnathan Martin - Miami Dolphins
   An absolute steal in the second round, Martin plugs in as an immediate starter on the right side of the Dolphin's line.  I had him projected to go to the Jets in the middle of the first because he has the technique and the experience you need to be successful.

Alshon Jeffery - Chicago Bears
   As regular readers know, I have been high on Jeffery for 2 years now.  I think he is simply a great football player.  The Bears needed bigger guys to work opposite their speed demons.  They added Marshall via trade, and now Jeffery in the draft.  Great work Chicago.

Zach Brown - Tennessee Titans
   Zach Brown is a rare athlete who although raw, I expect will develop into a stud in the NFL.  Tennessee needs speedy defenders, and Brown is exactly that.  With his athleticism, I expect someone to leap on him late in the first.  To land him at 52 is great.

Peter Konz - Atlanta Falcons
   All through Mock Draft season, I pegged Konz to go to the Ravens at the bottom of the first.  1 full round later, he lands on a team who really needs him.  Wisconsin linemen are gold in the NFL, and I am quite surprised that Konz was still available this late.

Lavonte David - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
   The Bucs are having a very good draft.  I had tagged this team to land David early in the second.  Then they traded back up into the first, and gave up their early two.  So for them to trade back into the back of the second and still get David is great work by Mark Dominik.  I love what David brings, and I see him as a Derrick brooks type.  Perfect for the Tampa system.  The fans will love this guy.

Ruben Randle - New York Giants
   Mario Manningham skipped town after the Giants Super Bowl win.  To add a guy like Ruben Randle to replace him is a great decision.  Randle should have gone much higher in the second, so not only do the Giants get a great player who runs great routes and is athletic, but they get value in the selection too.


Dislikes
Derek Wolfe - Denver Broncos
   I know Mel Kiper is high on this guy, but I am not.  I agreed the Broncos needed help up front but I had plenty of DTs rated higher than him who were still available including Jerel Worthy, Devon Still, Kendall Reyes, and Brandon Thompson.  I graded Wolfe as a 4th round selection.  Not a high 2.

Mitchell Schwartz - Cleveland Browns
   My biggest knock against this pick is the talent the Browns left on the board to take Schwartz.  With Cordy Glenn, Jonathan Martin, Bobbie Massie, Zebrie Sanders, and Andrew Datko all still available, I think any of those guys would have been better value.

Tavon Wilson - New England Patriots
   Do the Pats need help in the secondary.  Yes.  But Tavon Wilson had a 5th round grade on my board.  I just don't see what makes this kid special.  After Barron, and then Smith, the safeties in this class are weak.  I think a guy like CB Josh Robinson, or CB Trumaine Johnson would have been much better selections.  I simply think this is New England believing their own hype.

Isaih Pead - St Louis Rams
   The Rams need another back to spell Steven Jackson, but Pead was not the best guy for the job.  Lamar Miller, LaMichael James, Ronnie Hillman, and Robert Turbin all graded out higher than Pead on my board, so I simply don't get it.

2012 First Round Thoughts

As is always the case I come away from the first round thinking how well some teams did, and how poorly some others did. this year, I am most surprised at how much talent is still going to be there early tomorrow. Courtney Upshaw fell, and I found that surprising. Also, the lack of interest in the o-line surprised me. Guys like Cordy Glenn, Jonathan Martin, and Peter Konz will all get pick by some very luck teams tomorrow. Alshon Jeffery, Stephen Hill, and Ruben Randall will help fill out wide receiving corps tomorrow.

I am very excited to see how things will play out as teams that traded down to add assets will have a lot of options.

Thanks all for reading. I will post a recap of tomorrow, late tomorrow night or on Saturday morning.