Winners and Losers of the NFL Draft

So now the draft is over; there probably won't be another football post for a while. Unless a two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback gets accused of rape for a second time or something of that nature. You mean that happened already? Good, let's move on.

Winners
Rams: You would expect the holders of the first overall pick to have a successful draft. But the Rams got four potential cornerstones of the franchise in Sam Bradford, stud tackle Rodger Saffold, cornerback Jerome Murphy, and wideout Mardy Gilyard. This draft definitely will push St. Louis to a 4 or 5 win season, a great improvement from last season’s debacle.

Patriots: To be honest, when do they NOT win in the draft? The Pats addressed practically all of their needs this weekend, picking up a first round CB in Devin McCourty, two tough linebackers from Florida (Jermaine Cunningham and Brandon Spikes), two tight ends (Ron Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, my favorite TE this year), and the draft’s best punter. (Zoltan Mesko of Michigan!) Just the Pats doing work in April as usual.

Panthers: With John Fox perhaps in his last year as head coach, Carolina did work this weekend. They may have committed the robbery of the draft getting Jimmy Clausen at pick number 48, which supplies a stable replacement at QB as well. Also drafted by the Panthers were wide receivers Brandon LaFell (who excelled playing in the tough SEC) and Appalachian State hero Armanti Edwards. I’m still upset over that whole Michigan debacle… Anyway, Carolina also drafted Eric Norwood (OLB) and Greg Hardy (DE) in the sixth round; BOTH of these guys have been ranked in the top 60 of many people’s drafts boards but slipped for whatever reason. So it was a good draft for my team.

Texans: CB Kareem Jackson will immediately help out in replacing Dunta Robinson. Running back Ben Tate and tight ends Tony Moeaki and Dorin Dickinson (a seventh-round steal) are new faces on offense to supplement the immortal Andre Johnson. Earl Mitchell is a great choice for defensive tackle, and Trindon Holliday was a rather beastly return man for LSU standing at 5’6’’. Solid draft for Houston.

Cowboys: No one really likes the Cowboys, but you have to admit they had a hell of a draft this year. Dez Bryant was arguably the best wideout in this year’s class and will definitely make a splash in place of the ever-awful Roy Williams. LB Sean Lee of Penn State will fill in holes in the middle for Dallas, which desparately needed punch after being dominated by the Vikings last year in the playoffs. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah is an amazing pick, coming from Division II college Indiana of Pennsylvania; at 6 feet tall and 210 pounds, he is an impressive DB prospect who will make an immediate impact in the secondary. Sixth-round pick Sam Young had a stellar college career at Notre Dame and will provide depth along the offensive line.



Losers
Jets: The law of averages came into play here; despite their particularly successful offseason, the Jets fell short this weekend. They only had 4 picks this draft and used their first-round pick to take defensive back Kyle Wilson of Boise State. Why? Linebackers like Sergio Kindle and Jerry Hughes were still available, and the Jets desperately need to replace mega-bust Vernon Gholston. Although second-rounder Vladimir Ducasse was a good fit, I was a bit surprised with Joe McKnight, an extreme underachiever at USC, being picked up in the 4th round. The Jets’ fourth pick was a fullback named John Conner, though. The name may compensate for his skill, but not really.

Browns: Granted, the Browns have nowhere to go but up, but I expected more out of their draft. Drafting Joe Haden (the “best” of a weak crop of cornerbacks) was a bit of a reach at pick #7; I don’t know why they passed up on Jimmy Clausen, but they really could’ve had a chance at a better impact player that high in the draft. Other than Colt McCoy, the players Cleveland picked were slightly above average at the collegiate level; to expect them to succeed in the NFL will take a lot of praying… and player development.

Jaguars: Probably the worst draft in the league this year. I don’t get it. Jacksonville needs a new franchise face; Maurice Jones Drew can’t carry the team on his tiny-but-extremely-jacked shoulders. So naturally, the Jags draft Tyson Alualu, a DT with a SECOND-ROUND grade, at the 10th overall pick. Following that? Another DT named D’Anthony, and guys from Central Arkansas, Murray State, Southern Illinois, and James Madison. When the Jacksonville Jaguars get relocated within 3 years, you’ll know who called it. Disgusting draft. EW.

Giants: Maybe I just don’t like either of the New York teams. But after Jason Pierre-Paul, the G-Men passed up on guys like Taylor Mays and Terrance Cody to draft Chad Jones and Linval Joseph. Additionally, barely anything was done to address the lack of depth on the aging offensive line (a fifth rounder is simply not enough).

Vikings: Granted, they didn’t have a first-round pick, but Minnesota didn’t do much to improve their team. Their first pick, CB Chris Cook, is the typical victim of a weak position class; he may have 7 interceptions next year and make me look bad, but the Vikings still need more depth in the secondary. Other than Toby Gerhart (who I do like, but won’t get more than 100 touches this year), there isn’t much to speak of here. In addition, Minnesota failed to pick up a quarterback despite the ambiguous future of Brett Favre.