THE DRAFT: WHO DID WELL, WHO DIDN'T & A VERY SAD NOTE
Three days of NFL Draft, team needs, were the needs fulfilled, who was a reach, who went undrafted? It's a helluva lot to digest in less than 24-hours for an old geezer like me. I took copious notes since day one iof the college football season & I referred to many of them over the past few days. I reviewed each team's needs vs. players available when they selected vs. who they actually chose. Here's what I came up with.
Good:
Kansas City
This could be upgraded based on the performance & behavior of Jonathan Baldwin & Justin Houston. They were red flagged long ago, can a leopard change it's spots? C/G Rodney Hudson, QB Ricky Stanzi & NT Jerrell Powe were good values when they were chosen & I expect Baldwin, Hudson & Powe to start very quickly.
Houston
The Texans have Wade Phillips running their defense now & he needed a combination of pass rush potential & cover potential. He got both it appears. DE J.J. Watt & OLB Brooks Reed both possess the non-stop motor you want in a pass rusher. Brandon Harris should be a big upgrade at corner, Rashad Carmichael should add depth at the position. Shiloh Keo is a smaller version of Bernard Pollard, so I didn't understand that pick. Both are top-notch vs. the run but surrender too many throws over the top.
Better:
The entire AFC North did extremely well. I couldn't pick a definitive winner, each team filled most of their needs early on & they drafted players capable of making major impacts on the team's performance & record. Quickly:
Pittsburgh - They're set at DE for the next 10 years with Ziggy Hood & Cameron Heyward, selected with their 1st pick. Got a very good tackle, 2 corners & OLB Chris Carter, who could be one of the steals of this draft.
Baltimore - Took a risk with Colorado CB Jimmy Smith. If Ray Lewis & Ed Reed can keep him in line, they may have gotten the best cornerback in this draft. Adding another CB, Texas' Chykie Brown was good for depth. Two pass receivers, Maryland's Torrey Smith & Indiana's Tandon Doss, could be huge for Joe Flacco's offense. Smith is a burner & an excellent kick returner while Doss has superior hands & can move the chains on 3rd down. Tackle Jah Reid will need a season to learn & get stronger, but he could pair with Michael Oher for a long time.
Cincinnati - They got the best receiver in this draft, A.J. Green & got a possible starting quarterback in Andy Dalton. Cincy added the fastest pass rusher in the draft, Dontay Moch & got a steal in O-lineman Clint Boling who's played both guard & tackle.
Cleveland - The Browns have too many needs to cure in one draft, so they traded out of the 6th spot & I think they made a score. Atlanta felt they couldn't live without WR Julio Jones & the Browns made 'em pay, a first, second & fourth in this draft plus a first & fourth in the 2012 draft. Cleveland made the picks count, after trading back up to #21 with Kansas City, the Browns selected Phil Taylor, run stopping DT then came right back with Pitt DE Jabaal Sheard, a pass rushing specialist. They needed targets for Colt McCoy so they drafted WR Greg Little, a potential game breaker, & USC TE Jordan Cameron. They're already well on the way to having a good draft next season with two #1's plus an additional 4th rounder.
Detroit
Gotta give some love to the Motor City Kitty's. Jim Schwartz is building a team that opponents will actually fear instead of welcome. When Nick Fairly fell to Detroit, this became a major moment in the rebuilding of this franchise. The Lions now have Kyle Vanden Bosch at DE, Ndamakong Suh & Nick Fairly at DT. This line could be reminiscent of the old L.A. Rams' "Fearsome Foursome." This was the perfect place for Fairly to go, playing between two non-stop-never-take-a-off Pro Bowl players. They won't let him relax as he often did at Auburn. He adds another dimension to opponents blocking gameplans. Boise WR Titus Young is a perfect compliment to Calvin Johnson & Nate Burleson, I expect Young to play in the slot & return kickoffs. His speed helps every other offensive skill position player. Illinois RB Mikel LeShoure is a big boost to the Lions' run game & their speed back Jahvid Best. For only having 5 total picks, the Lions really did well.
Best:
Green Bay - Yeah, the rich get richer. The Super Bowl champs did have a couple of holes to fill & a couple of places where added depth was needed. The Pack had 17 players go on I.R. last season & they still won it all. First pick OT Derek Sherrod is just like Bryan Bulaga was last year, tough, durable & versatile. Randall Cobb will become a nightmare for opposing teams & Alex Green adds depth at RB, a position decimated by injury last year. I also thought Arkansas TE D.J. Williams & Arizona OLB Ricky Elmore were excellent value picks who could be good spot players early this season. Yes, the rich do indeed get richer.
Disappointing:
San Diego - Corey Liuget is more of a 4-3 guy not a 5-technique, 3-4 player. I really like Liuget in the right scheme, I just have my doubts if this is the right situation for him. It was one of their 2nd round picks that floored me, Michigan linebacker Jonas Mouton. IMO, Mouton was more like a 4th, 5th round prospect, at 6' 2" 226, he's too small to play every down in a 3-4. I didn't understand that pick at all. USC CB Shareece Wright, UConn RB Jordan Todman & Michigan OG Steve Schilling were good value picks for depth but at the top of the draft, this was a disappointment.
New Orleans - Needs included pass rushing DE, outside linebacker, running back depth & safety. Needs filled, one & at a huge price. The Saints traded New England their 2nd round pick as well as their first in 2012 for the Pats' #28 pick in round one. They selected Mark Ingram with that pick. I love Ingram, but was it worth all that? Is he that much better than Ryan Williams or Mikel LeShoure? He might be, but I thought it was overkill & sets them back for next year's draft. I also loved DE Cameron Jordan, but he's a run defender, better suited for a 3-4 scheme, not a 4-3 like the Saints run. No safety at all & when they finally got around to OLB, they took a Martez Wilson, a guy better suited to playing inside IMO. New Orleans got some great prospects, but I question how they will translate to the things the Saints do.
Seattle - Didn't hate the players the Seahawks drafted, just thought many of them were one round reaches. WR Kris Durham was a 3-round reach IMO. They didn't draft a QB either but I'll discuss that further in a minute.
Washington - Mike Shanahan did an admirable job trading down to acquire extra picks, something the Redskins have never been known for, but it worked, to some extent. They are officially "Nebraska East" taking Huskers in three consecutive rounds. I like many of the players Washington selected, but here again, no quarterback. Rex Grossman & John Beck are the only ones on the roster after Shanahan made it clear Donovan McNabb won't be back. That's why they made this list.
Even worse:
New York Jets - Their number one need was finding an outside pass rusher, they failed. Rex Ryan did acquire Muhammed Wilkerson, hoping he can be another Haloti Ngata(Ravens 3-4 DE). Their 2nd pick nose tackle Kenrick Ellis, is a major risk. He has a trial coming up for beating the tar out of a kid on the Hampton campus. With the charges he's been arraigned on, he could be facing prison time. Truth be told, Ellis retaliated against the guy after he took the first shot, but after the fight was decided, Ellis continued pummeling his victim, breaking his nose, jaw & another bone around his eye. This wasn't Ellis' 1st brush with trouble either, originally signed by South Carolina, he was dismissed from Steve Spurrier's program for failing a 3rd drug test. He was also suspended at Hampton for two games. Big, big risk, but honestly, it could be a big reward if he's stays out of trouble.
Miami - Can't fault the Dolphins for 1st round pick C/G Mike Pouncey, he'd be a starter for just about any team in the league. I was lukewarm on RB Daniel Thomas & even cooler on WR Edmund Gates, thought both were drafted a round early. Once again, here's another team needing a quarterback who didn't take one.
Oakland - Too many 1-round reaches for the Raiders but that's what they do. They look at 40-yard dash times, find the fastest guys & then pick them 1-3 rounds higher than they should be selected. I thought C Wisniewski was about right but DeMarcus VanDyke form Miami in the 3rd round was ridiculous. Yes he was the fastest cornerback, but he didn't even start for the Hurricanes. Fellow 3rd round selection LSU OT Joseph Barksdale was a 2-round reach. Small school speedster Taiwan Jones was the fastest running back, the Raider took him a round early & at 193 pounds, how much abuse can this kid take at this level?
The Riskiest:
Atlanta - The Falcons need an outside pass rusher in the worst way. John Abraham is their only true threat & he's near the end of his career. They need interior offensive line help as free agency could deal a real blow to the line that protects Matt Ryan. Tony Gonzalez is either done or will play only one more year, who's behind him? Thomas Dimitroff, Falcons GM, traded the farm to Cleveland for the opportunity to draft Julio Jones, the WR from Alabama. God knows I love Jones, loved it if he were a Chief & not a Falcon, but at what price? So many pressing needs for a playoff team & almost none of them were addressed. I liked RB Jacquizz Rodgers as a change of pace back, taken in the 5th round. Punter Matt Bosher was a good selection in round 6. I even liked guard Andrew Jackson as a 7th round pick. This is one of the most cerebral players in this entire draft. But no pass rusher, no tight end & no interior O-linemen other than the 7th round pick of Jackson. The Falcons don't have a first round pick next season either, it now resides in Cleveland, along with their 4th round pick as well. If the injury bug bites the Falcons, they could fall quickly from defending division champs.
Incomplete:
The teams that took quarterbacks, Carolina, Tennessee, Minnesota, Jacksonville, San Francisco & Cincinnati all took that gamble GM's hate the most, they selected a quarterback with a premium pick. What this draft meant to each team is directly tied to the success or failure of the quarterback they drafted. I'm giving New England a pass on their selection of Ryan Mallett in the third round. The Pats aren't in dire straits for a QB, last time I looked they have a pretty good one. Drafting Mallett is a risk the Pats can afford & I applaud them for their bold selection. Mallett has the best throwing arm & touch in this draft.
I didn't get it:
After complimenting Belichick I'm going to criticize him because when Bill Belichick has but a few needs, one being an outside linebacker who can get after the passer, & he has like a zillion premium draft picks, how do they not get one? This might have been their number one need & they whiffed with 6 premium picks. They also needed a speed receiver to back off some of the coverage Wes Welker & the tandem tight ends face week after week. The Jets really exposed that weakness in the playoffs. No speed receiver drafted either. Taking two running backs with premium picks after passing on Mark Ingram was questionable as well.
Who needs quarterbacks?
Seattle, Washington, Miami, Arizona & Denver would be my leading candidates for fresh QB help. Philadelphia might trade Kevin Kolb, Donovan McNabb will most likely be traded or released & someone might like to try retread Marc Bulger. Then there's always Vince Young. That's four veteran signal callers & at least five teams wanting a fresh start at quarterback. When the new CBA is finally signed, free agency & trades will be permitted again. We could see a real dogfight for these quarterbacks without a team. Any chance one of these teams really don't want a QB now so they can get to the top of the 2012 draft board & select Andrew Luck?
Truly sad:
After listening to the various talking heads on The NFL Network & ESPN go on & on about "character issues" & "off-field issues" it was truly sad when Mark Herzlich wasn't drafted. The linebacker from Boston College was considered by everybody a top-10 pick after his junior year. Then tragedy struck, Herzlich was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma, a very rare cancer that attacks the bone structure of the lower extremities. He had an 8" section of his femur removed & replaced with a titanium rod. He underwent chemotherapy, lost all his hair, was unable to workout for almost 6 months & missed the entire 2009 football season. After an 18-month fight, he was cancer-free & Herzlich returned to his beloved Boston College Eagles. He wasn't the same player, his speed had been diminished, he had trouble breaking down in space to make a tackle, he could no longer close on the quarterback for a sack. What Herzlich could do was lead his defense, call the signals, make plays with his superior instincts & recognition. Would it be enough to be drafted in the late rounds? Would someone give this former top prospect a chance? Sadly, no one gave him the honor of being drafted. They gave drug users, drunk drivers & guys who made a lot of really terrible decisions in their lives second/third/fourth chances, but not Herzlich. Truly sad. When asked about not being drafted Herzlich said "I want to thank all the people who've supported me thru this ordeal, I wouldn't have made it back without their encouragement & prayer, I will truly appreciate it for the rest of my life." Truly sad.
Tomorrow I'll recap the Chiefs' draft, I think I can do that now as I've cooled off & got some real rest. I have a bit of a new slant of Scott Pioli's work over the last three days.
Good:
Kansas City
This could be upgraded based on the performance & behavior of Jonathan Baldwin & Justin Houston. They were red flagged long ago, can a leopard change it's spots? C/G Rodney Hudson, QB Ricky Stanzi & NT Jerrell Powe were good values when they were chosen & I expect Baldwin, Hudson & Powe to start very quickly.
Houston
The Texans have Wade Phillips running their defense now & he needed a combination of pass rush potential & cover potential. He got both it appears. DE J.J. Watt & OLB Brooks Reed both possess the non-stop motor you want in a pass rusher. Brandon Harris should be a big upgrade at corner, Rashad Carmichael should add depth at the position. Shiloh Keo is a smaller version of Bernard Pollard, so I didn't understand that pick. Both are top-notch vs. the run but surrender too many throws over the top.
Better:
The entire AFC North did extremely well. I couldn't pick a definitive winner, each team filled most of their needs early on & they drafted players capable of making major impacts on the team's performance & record. Quickly:
Pittsburgh - They're set at DE for the next 10 years with Ziggy Hood & Cameron Heyward, selected with their 1st pick. Got a very good tackle, 2 corners & OLB Chris Carter, who could be one of the steals of this draft.
Baltimore - Took a risk with Colorado CB Jimmy Smith. If Ray Lewis & Ed Reed can keep him in line, they may have gotten the best cornerback in this draft. Adding another CB, Texas' Chykie Brown was good for depth. Two pass receivers, Maryland's Torrey Smith & Indiana's Tandon Doss, could be huge for Joe Flacco's offense. Smith is a burner & an excellent kick returner while Doss has superior hands & can move the chains on 3rd down. Tackle Jah Reid will need a season to learn & get stronger, but he could pair with Michael Oher for a long time.
Cincinnati - They got the best receiver in this draft, A.J. Green & got a possible starting quarterback in Andy Dalton. Cincy added the fastest pass rusher in the draft, Dontay Moch & got a steal in O-lineman Clint Boling who's played both guard & tackle.
Cleveland - The Browns have too many needs to cure in one draft, so they traded out of the 6th spot & I think they made a score. Atlanta felt they couldn't live without WR Julio Jones & the Browns made 'em pay, a first, second & fourth in this draft plus a first & fourth in the 2012 draft. Cleveland made the picks count, after trading back up to #21 with Kansas City, the Browns selected Phil Taylor, run stopping DT then came right back with Pitt DE Jabaal Sheard, a pass rushing specialist. They needed targets for Colt McCoy so they drafted WR Greg Little, a potential game breaker, & USC TE Jordan Cameron. They're already well on the way to having a good draft next season with two #1's plus an additional 4th rounder.
Detroit
Gotta give some love to the Motor City Kitty's. Jim Schwartz is building a team that opponents will actually fear instead of welcome. When Nick Fairly fell to Detroit, this became a major moment in the rebuilding of this franchise. The Lions now have Kyle Vanden Bosch at DE, Ndamakong Suh & Nick Fairly at DT. This line could be reminiscent of the old L.A. Rams' "Fearsome Foursome." This was the perfect place for Fairly to go, playing between two non-stop-never-take-a-off Pro Bowl players. They won't let him relax as he often did at Auburn. He adds another dimension to opponents blocking gameplans. Boise WR Titus Young is a perfect compliment to Calvin Johnson & Nate Burleson, I expect Young to play in the slot & return kickoffs. His speed helps every other offensive skill position player. Illinois RB Mikel LeShoure is a big boost to the Lions' run game & their speed back Jahvid Best. For only having 5 total picks, the Lions really did well.
Best:
Green Bay - Yeah, the rich get richer. The Super Bowl champs did have a couple of holes to fill & a couple of places where added depth was needed. The Pack had 17 players go on I.R. last season & they still won it all. First pick OT Derek Sherrod is just like Bryan Bulaga was last year, tough, durable & versatile. Randall Cobb will become a nightmare for opposing teams & Alex Green adds depth at RB, a position decimated by injury last year. I also thought Arkansas TE D.J. Williams & Arizona OLB Ricky Elmore were excellent value picks who could be good spot players early this season. Yes, the rich do indeed get richer.
Disappointing:
San Diego - Corey Liuget is more of a 4-3 guy not a 5-technique, 3-4 player. I really like Liuget in the right scheme, I just have my doubts if this is the right situation for him. It was one of their 2nd round picks that floored me, Michigan linebacker Jonas Mouton. IMO, Mouton was more like a 4th, 5th round prospect, at 6' 2" 226, he's too small to play every down in a 3-4. I didn't understand that pick at all. USC CB Shareece Wright, UConn RB Jordan Todman & Michigan OG Steve Schilling were good value picks for depth but at the top of the draft, this was a disappointment.
New Orleans - Needs included pass rushing DE, outside linebacker, running back depth & safety. Needs filled, one & at a huge price. The Saints traded New England their 2nd round pick as well as their first in 2012 for the Pats' #28 pick in round one. They selected Mark Ingram with that pick. I love Ingram, but was it worth all that? Is he that much better than Ryan Williams or Mikel LeShoure? He might be, but I thought it was overkill & sets them back for next year's draft. I also loved DE Cameron Jordan, but he's a run defender, better suited for a 3-4 scheme, not a 4-3 like the Saints run. No safety at all & when they finally got around to OLB, they took a Martez Wilson, a guy better suited to playing inside IMO. New Orleans got some great prospects, but I question how they will translate to the things the Saints do.
Seattle - Didn't hate the players the Seahawks drafted, just thought many of them were one round reaches. WR Kris Durham was a 3-round reach IMO. They didn't draft a QB either but I'll discuss that further in a minute.
Washington - Mike Shanahan did an admirable job trading down to acquire extra picks, something the Redskins have never been known for, but it worked, to some extent. They are officially "Nebraska East" taking Huskers in three consecutive rounds. I like many of the players Washington selected, but here again, no quarterback. Rex Grossman & John Beck are the only ones on the roster after Shanahan made it clear Donovan McNabb won't be back. That's why they made this list.
Even worse:
New York Jets - Their number one need was finding an outside pass rusher, they failed. Rex Ryan did acquire Muhammed Wilkerson, hoping he can be another Haloti Ngata(Ravens 3-4 DE). Their 2nd pick nose tackle Kenrick Ellis, is a major risk. He has a trial coming up for beating the tar out of a kid on the Hampton campus. With the charges he's been arraigned on, he could be facing prison time. Truth be told, Ellis retaliated against the guy after he took the first shot, but after the fight was decided, Ellis continued pummeling his victim, breaking his nose, jaw & another bone around his eye. This wasn't Ellis' 1st brush with trouble either, originally signed by South Carolina, he was dismissed from Steve Spurrier's program for failing a 3rd drug test. He was also suspended at Hampton for two games. Big, big risk, but honestly, it could be a big reward if he's stays out of trouble.
Miami - Can't fault the Dolphins for 1st round pick C/G Mike Pouncey, he'd be a starter for just about any team in the league. I was lukewarm on RB Daniel Thomas & even cooler on WR Edmund Gates, thought both were drafted a round early. Once again, here's another team needing a quarterback who didn't take one.
Oakland - Too many 1-round reaches for the Raiders but that's what they do. They look at 40-yard dash times, find the fastest guys & then pick them 1-3 rounds higher than they should be selected. I thought C Wisniewski was about right but DeMarcus VanDyke form Miami in the 3rd round was ridiculous. Yes he was the fastest cornerback, but he didn't even start for the Hurricanes. Fellow 3rd round selection LSU OT Joseph Barksdale was a 2-round reach. Small school speedster Taiwan Jones was the fastest running back, the Raider took him a round early & at 193 pounds, how much abuse can this kid take at this level?
The Riskiest:
Atlanta - The Falcons need an outside pass rusher in the worst way. John Abraham is their only true threat & he's near the end of his career. They need interior offensive line help as free agency could deal a real blow to the line that protects Matt Ryan. Tony Gonzalez is either done or will play only one more year, who's behind him? Thomas Dimitroff, Falcons GM, traded the farm to Cleveland for the opportunity to draft Julio Jones, the WR from Alabama. God knows I love Jones, loved it if he were a Chief & not a Falcon, but at what price? So many pressing needs for a playoff team & almost none of them were addressed. I liked RB Jacquizz Rodgers as a change of pace back, taken in the 5th round. Punter Matt Bosher was a good selection in round 6. I even liked guard Andrew Jackson as a 7th round pick. This is one of the most cerebral players in this entire draft. But no pass rusher, no tight end & no interior O-linemen other than the 7th round pick of Jackson. The Falcons don't have a first round pick next season either, it now resides in Cleveland, along with their 4th round pick as well. If the injury bug bites the Falcons, they could fall quickly from defending division champs.
Incomplete:
The teams that took quarterbacks, Carolina, Tennessee, Minnesota, Jacksonville, San Francisco & Cincinnati all took that gamble GM's hate the most, they selected a quarterback with a premium pick. What this draft meant to each team is directly tied to the success or failure of the quarterback they drafted. I'm giving New England a pass on their selection of Ryan Mallett in the third round. The Pats aren't in dire straits for a QB, last time I looked they have a pretty good one. Drafting Mallett is a risk the Pats can afford & I applaud them for their bold selection. Mallett has the best throwing arm & touch in this draft.
I didn't get it:
After complimenting Belichick I'm going to criticize him because when Bill Belichick has but a few needs, one being an outside linebacker who can get after the passer, & he has like a zillion premium draft picks, how do they not get one? This might have been their number one need & they whiffed with 6 premium picks. They also needed a speed receiver to back off some of the coverage Wes Welker & the tandem tight ends face week after week. The Jets really exposed that weakness in the playoffs. No speed receiver drafted either. Taking two running backs with premium picks after passing on Mark Ingram was questionable as well.
Who needs quarterbacks?
Seattle, Washington, Miami, Arizona & Denver would be my leading candidates for fresh QB help. Philadelphia might trade Kevin Kolb, Donovan McNabb will most likely be traded or released & someone might like to try retread Marc Bulger. Then there's always Vince Young. That's four veteran signal callers & at least five teams wanting a fresh start at quarterback. When the new CBA is finally signed, free agency & trades will be permitted again. We could see a real dogfight for these quarterbacks without a team. Any chance one of these teams really don't want a QB now so they can get to the top of the 2012 draft board & select Andrew Luck?
Truly sad:
After listening to the various talking heads on The NFL Network & ESPN go on & on about "character issues" & "off-field issues" it was truly sad when Mark Herzlich wasn't drafted. The linebacker from Boston College was considered by everybody a top-10 pick after his junior year. Then tragedy struck, Herzlich was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma, a very rare cancer that attacks the bone structure of the lower extremities. He had an 8" section of his femur removed & replaced with a titanium rod. He underwent chemotherapy, lost all his hair, was unable to workout for almost 6 months & missed the entire 2009 football season. After an 18-month fight, he was cancer-free & Herzlich returned to his beloved Boston College Eagles. He wasn't the same player, his speed had been diminished, he had trouble breaking down in space to make a tackle, he could no longer close on the quarterback for a sack. What Herzlich could do was lead his defense, call the signals, make plays with his superior instincts & recognition. Would it be enough to be drafted in the late rounds? Would someone give this former top prospect a chance? Sadly, no one gave him the honor of being drafted. They gave drug users, drunk drivers & guys who made a lot of really terrible decisions in their lives second/third/fourth chances, but not Herzlich. Truly sad. When asked about not being drafted Herzlich said "I want to thank all the people who've supported me thru this ordeal, I wouldn't have made it back without their encouragement & prayer, I will truly appreciate it for the rest of my life." Truly sad.
Tomorrow I'll recap the Chiefs' draft, I think I can do that now as I've cooled off & got some real rest. I have a bit of a new slant of Scott Pioli's work over the last three days.
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