Draft Grades

[GrnBay007]

There will be all kinds of Draft Grades coming out in the next day or two...maybe we can keep them all together in one thread to compare.

And yeah, yeah, I know you guys say you can't grade a draft for a couple years....but it's still fun to see what they say.

I'm sure most of you won't like this one......

draft grades for NFC teams
by John Czarnecki

Chicago

The Bears may have been tempted to replace departed receiver Bernard Berrian in the first round, but instead may have found their slot receiver in Vanderbilt's Earl Bennett in the third round. Bennett is the first SEC receiver to have 75 receptions for three straight seasons. Top pick Chris Williams has the ability and feet to be a starting left tackle — he allowed only two sacks over a two-year period and almost 1,600 plays. The Bears allowed 43 sacks last season. Williams dominated most drills at the Senior Bowl. Arkansas DT Marcus Harrison was a need, and he played last season on a tender knee that had surgery in the spring. Harrison has first-round talent, but seventh-round character. LSU safety Craig Steltz will remind older Bears fans of Gary Fencik with his tremendous run support. Tulane RB Matt Forte was a need, considering the injury history of Cedric Benson.
Grade: A

Detroit

Matt Millen seems to be getting a handle on this draft business. After wasting picks on wide receivers in years past, Millen needed a right tackle and got one in Boston College's Gosder Cherilus. Of course, Millen will be questioned for trading with Kansas City and giving them Branden Albert. With the loss of Boss Bailey, the Lions had a need for an outside linebacker, and Jordan Dizon averaged 13 tackles a game at Colorado. Millen loves his instincts and nose for the ball. Central Florida RB Kevin Smith was very productive in college and could move right into the lineup with always injured Kevin Jones no longer on the team.
Grade: B

Green Bay

Well, the Packers definitely believe that Brett Favre is retired, and they sent him a message just in case he was reconsidering his situation when they picked Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm with the 58th overall pick in a trade with the Browns. Brohm slid this season even though he started the year as a potential top 10 quarterback. The Packers went for value, much like Ted Thompson did when he grabbed a sliding Aaron Rodgers a few years back. The Packers spend their first choice on Kansas State WR Jordy Nelson, who caught 122 passes last season. Nelson has track speed, but the Packers already have a lot of youth at this position. Young defenders Jeremy Thompson, an end from Wake Forest, and Patrick Lee, a cornerback from Auburn, are very athletic guys who figure to stick and compete on a very young defense.
Grade: C+

Minnesota

The Vikings didn't have much firepower after trading many of their top picks for Kansas City pass rusher Jared Allen and giving him the richest defensive contract in the NFL. Top pick Tyrell Johnson of Arkansas State is a very physical cornerback who could even play free safety. With Tarvaris Jackson as quarterback, the Vikes grabbed John David Booty, who started 20 games for USC, in the fifth round. Booty figures to know the system and is an accurate passer. Florida State DT Letroy Guion is a run stuffer with little pass-rush skill. With center Matt Birk moaning about his contract, Notre Dame center John Sullivan provided some insurance in Round 6.
Grade: C

For the rest of the NFL teams:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8079936/Handing-out-draft-grades-for-NFC-teams

[HarveyWallbangers]

That's the lowest grade for us that I've seen. Can you post the ones that liked our draft please?

[GrnBay007]

By Larry Weisman, USA TODAY

GRADE: B

• Minnesota Vikings: Count DE Jaren Allen as their No. 1 pick (and two No. 3s). He had 15½ sacks last year to lead the NFL and he brings a missing element to this defense, which ranked first in the NFL against the run. So even minus an influx of young talent, they used choices well. QB John David Booty in the fifth round is a great value play for a team with issues at the position. Also like S Tyrell Johnson.

GRADE: B
• Chicago Bears: Helped their offense with first three picks but no QB, alas. OT Chris Williams solidifies a weak position and should start immediately. Bit of a stretch in second round for RB Matt Forte but the Bears cannot go solo with Cedric Benson. WR Earl Bennett has decent size. Love SS Craig Steltz for what he'll bring to Chicago's standout special teams.

GRADE: B-
• Green Bay Packers: Skipped out of the first round in deal with New York Jets. Grabbed WR Jordy Nelson in second round and this could be a steal though a bit mystifying since the Packers aren't short of talent at this position. The kid can fly, runs 4.5 40-yard dash. Filled needs later with CB Patrick Lee and TE Jemichael Finley. Stole DE Jeremy Thompson in fourth round. QB Brian Brohm could have gone higher.

GRADE: C-
• Detroit Lions: Need position at RT seems to have dictated choice of Gosder Cherilus, who should have gone lower. Bit of a reach but he plays with the sort of ferocity this team can use, especially after allowing 117 sacks over last two seasons and losing Damien Woody as free agent. LB Jordon Dizon is undersized but fits the Tampa-2 scheme and will play hard for them. RB Kevin Smith probably not the answer in a troublesome spot.

Rest of the NFL:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2008-04-27-draft-grades_N.htm

[the_idle_threat]

I like how both of these commentators make positive remarks about Jordy's speed, while he is described elsewhere as average in that department, and was even described by McGinn in his pre-draft rankings as well below average. People can't quite get a handle on his speed.

I get the impression he's fast enough. Jennings' and Jones' speed was described as average and below average, respectively, when they came out, and they are fast enough. IIRC, Jennnings was clocked at 4.45, and Jones at 4.55. Jordy's right in the middle.

[The Leaper]

I like how both of these commentators make positive remarks about Jordy's speed, while he is described elsewhere as average in that department, and was even described by McGinn in his pre-draft rankings as well below average. People can't quite get a handle on his speed.

How can you watch him blow past Talib...one of the most athletically gifted CBs in this draft...on a play where both guys are neck and neck when the QB releases the ball and think he is well below average in speed?

[Rastak]

Here's Kipers:


NFC North
Chicago Bears: GRADE: B
Chris Williams is the left tackle the Bears need from a pass-protection standpoint, and he'll start as a rookie. Matt Forte is a hard-nosed running back. He's not flashy, but he's elusive. I like what the Bears did on Day 2, starting with Vanderbilt WR Earl Bennett, who reminds me of Hines Ward. Arkansas DT Marcus Harrison lasted until the third round because of some off-field concerns, and Nebraska's Zack Bowman is a big corner who was once projected as a first-round pick, before he suffered injuries to both knees. LSU safety Craig Steltz -- who reminds me of former Bear Doug Plank -- will be a solid special teams player and could push for a starting job. With his height, Arkansas WR Marcus Monk could be a red zone threat and he qualifies as a very good seventh-round pick. He looked like a second-rounder after his junior year, and ran a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash, which is excellent for a 6-foot-4, 220-pound receiver. Tight end Kellen Davis has tremendous athletic ability but he needs to be more consistent.


Detroit Lions: GRADE: C+
Gosder Cherilus is a right tackle who is an effective run-blocker, which is why the Lions drafted him in the first round. But third-round pick Kevin Smith is the key player in the Lions' draft class. Smith proved at Central Florida he could carry the load, and in my opinion, he'll be the Lions' starting running back in Week 1. Jordon Dizon is undersized for a middle linebacker, but he has a chance to be productive in Detroit's scheme, because he has the ability to cover the deep middle. Fullback Jerome Felton is more effective as a runner than a blocker, but he's a good value pick in the fifth round. Army safety Caleb Campbell went in the seventh round and is big at 229 pounds. Campbell could be an OLB if he puts on 10 to 15 pounds. Cliff Avril could be a decent pass-rusher, although he had only six sacks in 2007. DT Andre Fluellen flashed big-time ability early in his career at Florida State but never lived up to it.


Green Bay Packers: GRADE: B-
The Packers took a QB on both days of the draft: Brian Brohm in the second round and Matt Flynn in the seventh. Brohm is cerebral and accurate, but can he stay healthy? Flynn is big, has good arm strength and can run for a first down if he has to. Flynn has intangibles, something you must have to lead a team to a national title. Second-round pick Jordy Nelson is a great athlete, and will be a faster version of former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark. Patrick Lee is a very good cover corner and a solid second-round pick. Tight end Jermichael Finley has a ton of talent, he just has to make strides in terms of catching the ball and blocking. Defensive end Jeremy Thompson has a similar attitude and motor to current Packer Aaron Kampman.


Minnesota Vikings: GRADE: B
They had only one pick in the first four rounds. I had safety Tyrell Johnson going in the first round, so to get him in Round 2 (43rd overall) is a great pick because Johnson has big-time skills. In the fifth round the Vikings took John David Booty, an accurate quarterback who is great at throwing on the move and sees the field extremely well. Letroy Guion is more of a developmental defensive tackle, and center John Sullivan was average in 2007, but at times looked very good in his career. Factor in the addition of DE Jared Allen, and this was a good draft for the Vikings.

[RashanGary]

Scout Lenny McGill (the guy who was the primary scout in the region) had a comment on it. I'll try to paraphrase as best I can, but if you want to hear it yourself go to packers.com


Anyway, he said Nelson had "average" speed. He said there are very few 4.3 or 4.4 guys and that 4.5 is good enough. He went on to say that his short area burst and very good size combined with average speed make him a very capable weapon. When you're a big guy and are very hard to cover on short routes, CB's have to start selling out to stop you. The size and sudden route running set up the deep stuff with Nelson. IT's the opposite with Jennings. I think they're a good pair.

[Tarlam!]

Factor in the addition of DE Jared Allen, and this was a good draft for the Vikings.

Factor in the addition of Ryan Grant and I say we get an A-.

[The Leaper]

Factor in the addition of Ryan Grant and I say we get an A-.

If you factor that in, and you should, we get a damned A+.

[red]

i really don't think the bears had that great of a draft

[The Leaper]

i really don't think the bears had that great of a draft

I agree with you. I thought after day one that the Bears perhaps had one of the worst drafts to that point. They did improve it a little on day two...but it was still a relatively mediocre draft for the Bears IMO.

[red]

so, nfl reports that a paper was reporting that chris williams had a serious neck injury and that because of that some teams were taking him off their boards

he did slip, and the bears scarfed him up, he quickly laughed and said there is no problem with his neck

the source of the original story?

the chicago sun times

is this not the biggest pussiest bullshit move you've heard of?

those fucks down there have no class what-so-ever, they'll stoop to any level to try and win

[oregonpackfan]

I find it difficult to apply a grade to any team's draft until at least 3 years after that draft has been completed.

We all have seen many examples of where "can't miss" first round picks flop in the NFL while at the same time some 7th rounders turn out to be all-Pros.

For that reason, I suggest any sportswriter or blogger hold off grading the effectiveness of a team's draft until 3 years after the draft.

[run pMc]

the_idle_threat wrote:
I like how both of these commentators make positive remarks about Jordy's speed, while he is described elsewhere as average in that department, and was even described by McGinn in his pre-draft rankings as well below average. People can't quite get a handle on his speed.

I don't think a 4.5 is slow. I also think some players can't run fast in pads. It looks like this guy can. I thought it was interesting how Talib gave up on the play once Nelson got past him and caught the ball. Either he knew he couldn't catch him or he just didn't care.
I wouldn't put too much into one play...it's the 122 catches that jump out to me. This guy was averaging 10 catches a game, so I'd think he saw some bracket coverage. He knows how to get open...I'd rather have a guy who can do that and catch the ball than a Troy Williamson.

Also agree with JH about how a bigger WR that is dangerous in the short/intermediate stuff can help to setup the deep routes.

Counting Ryan Grant into this draft should bump the grade up higher.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Kind of funny. Writers aren't too quick to give the Packers a low grade on the draft now. You see a lot of comments like this now: "but it’s hard to rip him for a methodology that has worked in the bigger picture". This was from Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports.

Green Bay Packers
Picks: WR Jordy Nelson, QB Brian Brohm, DB Pat Lee, TE Jermichael Finley, DL Jeremy Thompson, OL Josh Sitton, OL Breno Giacomini, QB Matt Flynn, WR Brett Swain
Positives: Nelson, Brohm, Lee, Flynn
Negatives: No tackles drafted until the fourth and fifth round.
Bottom line: B. GM Ted Thompson was active as usual and produced a robust class size of nine picks. He once again used his first pick on a position that didn’t seem to be a huge need (wideout), but it’s hard to rip him for a methodology that has worked in the bigger picture. Getting Brohm so late in the second round is a coup. He’ll create competition with Aaron Rodgers, and if they both develop well, the Packers have some capital at the position for future trades. Flynn likely won’t make the team but is good value late. Overall, it was a good class for depth.