Draft Rankings
The most popular subject on this blog appears to be the recent NFL Draft, so I suppose I should ride that wave before it crashes into the shore.
Before I rate the top and bottom drafts, I should spell out my criteria. First off, I think the problem with most draft rankings is that they credit teams for things that were largely out of there control. The Saints topped a lot of draft rankings because Reggie Bush happened to fall into their lap. Picking Bush at #2 did not require any skill or manuvering. Any second grader could have done what the Saints did in the first round. There is also a tendancy to give high grades to teams that had higher picks generally. So, while I will give some weight to the overall talent that the team acquired, I will give more weight to what I think were smart moves that lesser GM's or owners may not have been able to pull off.
Having said that, here's my rankings:
1) Philadelphia Eagles: Bunkley is going to be a solid addition to an already scary Eagles front line. Winston Justice was an absolute steal in the second round, probably the best value pick in this draft. The Eagles were probably contemplating taking Justice in the first round, but they couldn't resist Bunkley, who they likely didn't expect to be available. Max-Jean Giles is also a future starter at OG, who they managed to steal in the 4th round. Jeremy Bloom in the 5th round is an intriguing pick, and will at least be an effective punt returner, which is more than can be said for most 5th round picks. Reaching for undersized I-AA defensive lineman Chris Gocong was the only blemish on what was otherwise an outstanding draft.
2) Denver Broncos: Time will tell on Cutler, but the Broncos should be commended for coming out of the draft not only with one of the top 3 QB prospects, but also an established threat at WR in Javon Walker. Dumervil will fit in very well with the Broncos D, which emphasizes speed and quickness.
3) Houston Texans: First off, I have to give the Texans credit for trusting their scouts over their fans by passing on the overhype twins, Reggie and Vince, to take a solid DE who is going to help this team win games more than both of those two put together. Normally, I am not a fan of drafting for "need" -- how much help can you really expect out of rookies? -- but with the Texans, they need to make something happen. Mario Williams will make something happen. He is already very good, and will only get better. With time, he has a chance to be the best pass rusher in the NFL. DeMeco Ryans should also have an immediate impact, and Charles Spencer and Eric Winston might help David Carr sleep a little easier on nights before his games. Wali Lundy could turn out to be a solid NFL back as well. Some say the Texans should have traded their pick...I'm sure they tried, but as time goes on, I think the fans in Houston will grow more and more happy with what they got in this draft.
4) New England Patriots: The Patriots added talent to their skill positions with Maroney and Jackson, both of whom will be big contributors to the Patriots for the next decade or so. The Patriots also impressed me in the late rounds, adding an underrated OG Ryan O'Callahan and the heir apparent to Vinatieri, Stephen Gostkowski, who was probably the best kicker in the draft. It's amazing to me how much NFL teams overlook the value of a good kicker...that is, until they are on the 35 yard line, down by 2 with 3 seconds left on the clock.
5) Arizona Cardinals: Leinart was a great pick, but a fairly obvious one at the 10th pick for a team that currently calls Kurt Warner their starter. More impressive to me was the second round grab of Taitusi Latui, who will bring up the level of Arizona's currently suspect offensive line, and Leonard Pope, the massive TE from Georgia who will catch a lot of passes under the radar screen as defensive coordinators are worried about Boldin, Fitzgerald, and James. Seventh rounder Todd Watkins should also make the team and be a great addition for 4 WR sets.
There's my top 5...that will have to do for now. Maybe later I'll post my 5 worst drafts. Watch out, Al Davis.
Before I rate the top and bottom drafts, I should spell out my criteria. First off, I think the problem with most draft rankings is that they credit teams for things that were largely out of there control. The Saints topped a lot of draft rankings because Reggie Bush happened to fall into their lap. Picking Bush at #2 did not require any skill or manuvering. Any second grader could have done what the Saints did in the first round. There is also a tendancy to give high grades to teams that had higher picks generally. So, while I will give some weight to the overall talent that the team acquired, I will give more weight to what I think were smart moves that lesser GM's or owners may not have been able to pull off.
Having said that, here's my rankings:
1) Philadelphia Eagles: Bunkley is going to be a solid addition to an already scary Eagles front line. Winston Justice was an absolute steal in the second round, probably the best value pick in this draft. The Eagles were probably contemplating taking Justice in the first round, but they couldn't resist Bunkley, who they likely didn't expect to be available. Max-Jean Giles is also a future starter at OG, who they managed to steal in the 4th round. Jeremy Bloom in the 5th round is an intriguing pick, and will at least be an effective punt returner, which is more than can be said for most 5th round picks. Reaching for undersized I-AA defensive lineman Chris Gocong was the only blemish on what was otherwise an outstanding draft.
2) Denver Broncos: Time will tell on Cutler, but the Broncos should be commended for coming out of the draft not only with one of the top 3 QB prospects, but also an established threat at WR in Javon Walker. Dumervil will fit in very well with the Broncos D, which emphasizes speed and quickness.
3) Houston Texans: First off, I have to give the Texans credit for trusting their scouts over their fans by passing on the overhype twins, Reggie and Vince, to take a solid DE who is going to help this team win games more than both of those two put together. Normally, I am not a fan of drafting for "need" -- how much help can you really expect out of rookies? -- but with the Texans, they need to make something happen. Mario Williams will make something happen. He is already very good, and will only get better. With time, he has a chance to be the best pass rusher in the NFL. DeMeco Ryans should also have an immediate impact, and Charles Spencer and Eric Winston might help David Carr sleep a little easier on nights before his games. Wali Lundy could turn out to be a solid NFL back as well. Some say the Texans should have traded their pick...I'm sure they tried, but as time goes on, I think the fans in Houston will grow more and more happy with what they got in this draft.
4) New England Patriots: The Patriots added talent to their skill positions with Maroney and Jackson, both of whom will be big contributors to the Patriots for the next decade or so. The Patriots also impressed me in the late rounds, adding an underrated OG Ryan O'Callahan and the heir apparent to Vinatieri, Stephen Gostkowski, who was probably the best kicker in the draft. It's amazing to me how much NFL teams overlook the value of a good kicker...that is, until they are on the 35 yard line, down by 2 with 3 seconds left on the clock.
5) Arizona Cardinals: Leinart was a great pick, but a fairly obvious one at the 10th pick for a team that currently calls Kurt Warner their starter. More impressive to me was the second round grab of Taitusi Latui, who will bring up the level of Arizona's currently suspect offensive line, and Leonard Pope, the massive TE from Georgia who will catch a lot of passes under the radar screen as defensive coordinators are worried about Boldin, Fitzgerald, and James. Seventh rounder Todd Watkins should also make the team and be a great addition for 4 WR sets.
There's my top 5...that will have to do for now. Maybe later I'll post my 5 worst drafts. Watch out, Al Davis.
posted by AdmiralLando at 9:50 PM
1 Comments:
I have heard the same thing about Mario Williams "taking plays off," but that's a common knock on people as talented as him. He'd be crazy not to put in the effort necessary to get it done at the next level. Football has obviously always come easy for Mario Williams...with the challenges of the NFL will come a stronger effort, I'm sure.
The ESPN revolution and the Bonds saga are subjects for another blog. Each are coming soon.
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