Our last act in covering the 2010 NFL Draft will be to hand out draft grades. A lot of folks say that it's stupid to grade drafts now. Let me tell you something - that sentiment is stupid. We live in a world of now! I want to know how these teams did the day after and so did you. Of course, we won't know the true impact of these picks for a few years, but we can at least guess (that's what we're supposed to do, right?). So, our Draft Grades will break down like this:
A - great job with most of your picks, multiple impact players that addressed areas of need
B - got good value in picks with either the best player available or players that can see the field early and often, made the most of your picks
C - some hits and some misses, leave you saying eh
D - made an ok pick here and there, but reached and/or didn't fill any needs
F - massive reaches, bad deals, missed opportunities, bad fits - your dog could have picked better
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
1st Round Pick - Dez Bryant (WR-Oklahoma State)
Notable Pick - Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (4th, CB-Indiana...PA)
-The Cowboys made one of the flashiest moves of the draft by trading up for Dez Bryant. He instantly adds more glitz, glamour, and controversy to the Cowboys... like they were lacking in those areas. Sean Lee can also fit in on the inside of the 3-4. The Cowboys didn't have that many picks, but they seemed to make the most of them.
GRADE: B
NY Giants
1st Round Pick - Jason Pierre-Paul (DE-South Florida)
Notable Pick - Chad Jones (3rd, S-LSU)
-The G-Men needed a MLB in the worst way. They got one... in the 4th Round. Ehh. They also picked boom or bust prospect Jason Pierre-Paul. But, the Back 7 is where the Giants needed help, not on the edge where Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyora, and Mathias Kiwanuka reside. Others may consider New York's draft stellar, but I don't see it. Even if JPP blossoms, there are still many questions for this defense.
GRADE: C
Philadelphia Eagles
1st Round Pick - Brandon Graham (OLB/DE-Michigan)
Notable Pick - Nate Allen (2nd, S-South Florida)
-Philly had a whopping 13 picks! While it's insane to expect most of them to develop into anything special, there might be a few gems in this class. When the Eagles traded up in R1 we thought it was for a safety - it ended up being DE/OLB Brandon Graham. But, the Eagles got that S in R2 with Nate Allen. The later rounds are littered with role players that can find a place in this squad - Trevard Lindley, Mike Kafka, Riley Cooper, and Charles Scott.
GRADE: A-
Washington Redskins
1st Round Pick - Trent Williams (T-Oklahoma)
Notable Pick - Perry Riley (4th, LB-LSU)
-In just these draft picks, the Redskins didn't have too much to work with. We'll give them props for the first guy in recent memory to have his nickname included in the draft announcement with Trent "Silverback" Williams. If you include Donovan McNabb with these guys, then the grade goes way up. He should thank the Skins brass for making the safe pick and providing him with at least one competent lineman.
GRADE: B
NFC North
Chicago Bears
1st Pick (#75) - Major Wright (S-Florida)
Notable Pick - Dan LeFevour (6th, QB-Central Michigan)
-For once, the Bears maximized their mid-round draft picks by taking players at need positions and selecting players who weren't developmental projects. In fact, some of their picks reminded me of the best Bears draft picks of the last 15 years. Major Wright has already gotten many comparisons to former S Mike Brown and Corey Wootton is finally an inspired selection at DE, along the lines of Alex Brown. Their latter-round picks also aren't throwaways with CMU QB Dan LeFevour, a great value in the 6th round who can learn under Mike Martz and T J'Marcus Webb picked in the 7th round knocked out OL Coach Mike Tice's tooth in a private workout! Adding draft picks who can contribute immediately with free agent signings, the Bears maximized what little value they had in this year's draft.
Grade: B+
Detroit Lions
1st Round Pick - Ndamukong Suh (DT-Nebraska) & Javhid Best (RB-Cal)
Notable Pick - Mr. Irrelevant Tim Toone (7th, WR-Weber State)
-The Lions might have only got 2 or 3 impact players from this year's draft, but they'll have a huge impact nonetheless. None more so of course than the most dominant college defender in the last 5 years - Ndamukong Suh. Suh instantly improves Detroit, and so does Cal dynamo Javhid Best. Best won't be asked to carry the load, which will suit him just fine. The rest of the Lions draft isn't much to write home about, but their first 2 picks certainly are.
GRADE: B
Green Bay Packers
1st Round Pick - Bryan Bulaga (T-Iowa)
Notable Pick - Morgan Burnett (3rd, S-GT)
-Everybody slobbering over Bryan Bulaga being a "natural" Packer is forgetting one thing - he fell for a reason. Yes, he presents good value, but this isn't someone that dropped because of character concerns, but on-field issues. Their 2nd Rounder Mike Neal was a big reach, and Morgan Burnett was a nice pick in R3. Watch out for Mel Kiper fav James Starks from Buffalo as a surprise revelation.
GRADE: C+
Minnesota Vikings
1st Pick (#34) - Chris Cook (CB-Virginia)
Notable Pick - Toby Gerhart (2nd, RB-Stanford)
-The Vikings blew a chance to get an apprentice for Brett Favre, and they traded out of R1 and lost out on the corners with 1st round grades. They ended up getting poor value with Chris Cook and then made a puzzling pick w/ Toby Gerhart. Gerhart offers no complement to Adrian Peterson except being bigger and being a poorer pass catcher. Everson Griffen was a value pick, but again, hard to see him on the field much behind Jared Allen and Ray Edwards.
GRADE: D
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons
1st Round Pick - Sean Weatherspoon (LB-Missouri)
Notable Pick - Mike Johnson (3rd, G-Alabama)
-I like the Falcons picks. I'm not raving about them, but I like them. Weatherspoon is the best OLB in the draft, 2nd rounder Corey Peters helps the DL rotation, and Mike Johnson can be the Falcons' answer for Jahri Evans and should be a solid starter in the league. Two late round Big XII picks - Kerry Meier and Dominique Franks could also bloom.
GRADE: B
Carolina Panthers
1st Pick (#48) - Jimmy Clausen (QB-Notre Dame)
Notable Pick - Greg Hardy (6th, DE-Ole Miss)
-Making the most of your picks is exactly what Carolina did with Jimmy Clausen falling into their laps at #48. They pay a 1st Round talent who is a pro-ready QB 2nd Round money. Sure, his character might ensure he does no more in the league than Brady Quinn, but at #48 it's still a great or lucky pick. Panther fans should also be juiced about SECers Brandon Lafell, Eric Norwood, and Greg Hardy. However, this draft is brought down a letter grade by a wasted pick on trying to catch lightning in a bottle with App St QB/WR Armanti Edwards and the redundant pick of Cincy QB Tony Pike.
GRADE: B-
New Orleans Saints
1st Round Pick - Patrick Robinson (CB-Florida State)
Notable Pick - Al Woods (4th, DT-LSU)
-For many years I've seen the Saints pick the best player available, and they did it again this year. However, the 2010 draft might have been one trip to the well too many. The Saints are already 4 deep at CB and T, and yet that's where they went in Rounds 1 & 2 with Patrick Robinson and Charles Brown. TE Jimmy Graham and C Matt Tennant are also players picked with an eye towards the future. The track record for the Super Bowl Champs is that these players will end up being big time players like other BPAs (Will Smith, Deuce McAllister, Robert Meachem) - but there will be minimal impact this season except from LSU DT Al Woods. The feeling of Saints fans is very wait and see with this draft. Oh well, I'll just pop in my Super Bowl Highlight Tape and get over it.
GRADE: C+
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1st Round Pick - Gerald McCoy (DT-Oklahmoa)
Notable Pick - Arrelious Benn (2nd, WR-Illinois)
-Tampa Bay had one of the Top 5 Drafts in the league. Championships are built from the inside out, and the Bucs have replaced their poo poo platter in the middle of the defense with two bonafide studs in McCoy and Brian Price. They also drafted Arrelious Benn, who could very well end up being the next Anquan Boldin as a big, physical receiver drafted in the 2nd round. Remember, Benn was a potential high first-round pick until nagging injuries and terrible QB play spoiled his last season at Illinois.
GRADE: A-
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
1st Round Pick - Dan Williams (DT-Tennessee)
Notable Pick - O'Brien Schofield (4th, OLB/DE-Wisconsin)
-Arizona was one of the teams that got lucky with Dan Williams, regarded as the best DT in this class, falling to them near the end of R1. However, the wise picks didn't stop there: TCU LB Daryl Washington, Citadel WR Andre Roberts, and Wisconsin OLB O'Brien Schofield are all solid selections. Overall, a nice showing from the Cards... although Matt Leinart is still no sure thing at QB these days. Let the John Skelton Era begin!!
GRADE: B
St. Louis Rams
1st Round Pick - Sam Bradford (QB-Oklahoma)
Notable Pick - Mardy Gilyard (4th, WR-Cincinnati)
-The Rams held their pick at every spot in this draft. They filled needs at QB, T, and WR on offense. But... you're left with this feeling that the Rams could have done more in trading down from their perch on either Day 2 or 3 to pick up extra picks. In holding serve, the Rams did enough to walk away feeling good... but they could have made some more moves.
GRADE: B-
San Francisco 49ers
1st Round Pick - Anthony Davis (T-Rutgers) & Mike Iupati (G-Idaho)
Notable Pick - Taylor Mays (2nd, S-USC)
-SF did what they needed to do - bolster their offensive line with two steady 1st Rounders. But, the noisemaker in this class is Taylor Mays, already taking verbal shots at his old head coach and new division rival. A couple others to keep an eye on are massive Miss St. RB Anthony Dixon and PSU LB Navarro Bowman. SF continues the strong drafting done by NFC West teams.
GRADE: A-
Seattle Seahawks
1st Round Pick - Russell Okung (T-Oklahoma State) & Earl Thomas (S-Texas)
Notable Pick - Golden Tate (2nd, WR-Notre Dame)
-But, with all of these strong classes, Seattle is without a doubt the best. The Seahawks are a near-unanimous choice as the best draft in 2010. With the additions of Leon Washington and LenDale White in the backfield, this is an easy A. Thomas, Okung, and Tate could end up being the elite players at their position from these rookies. The only question left... will this draft class be enough to overcome the anointing of Charlie Whitehurst as franchise QB?
GRADE: A
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