Sportingnews Draft Grades

[Mooche]

Lions: A +

With Nick Fairley joining Ndamukong Suh, the Lions’ defensive line will give quarterbacks nightmares. Titus Young and Mikel Leshoure are both offensive playmakers.

Patriots: A+

No pass rusher, but a slew of talented players led by Nate Solder, Ras-I Dowling, Shane Vereen and Ryan Mallett. Plus they have two picks next year in both the first and second rounds.

Buccaneers: A

They got a huge gift when Da’Quan Bowers fell to them at No. 51 to join Adrian Clayborn on the defensive line. Their draft is loaded with talented players.

Bengals: A

Getting quarterback Andy Dalton in Round 2 was critical and wide receiver A. J. Green should be a star. Maybe Carson Palmer will change his mind?

Packers : A–

Batted from the last spot in the draft, yet still hit a home run. Getting Derek Sherrod and Randall Cobb adds depth to a team already stacked.

Broncos: B +

Von Miller and Rahim Moore will upgrade a defense that desperately needs it, and Orlando Franklin will help the offensive line.

Texans: B +

Love those defensive players with their first five picks. If J.J. Watt, Brooks Reed and Brandon Harris are all legit, they could finally make the playoffs.

Titans: B +

Taking Jake Locker eighth took guts, but they like him and getting a quarterback is crucial. Then the Titans followed with two quality picks - Akeem Ayers and Jurrell Casey.

Ravens: B +

Jimmy Smith should step in as a starting corner, and wide receivers Torrey Smith and Tandon Doss give Joe Flacco speed receivers.

Browns: B +

Landed a boatload of picks in a trade with the Falcons, plus two defensive linemen (Phil Taylor, Jabaal Sheard) and an intriguing wide receiver (Greg Little).

Saints: B

Cameron Jordan upgrades the pass rush and Mark Ingram joins a potent offense in which he could become the featured back.

Bills: B

Counting on Ryan Fitzpatrick as their quarterback, they went heavy on defense. Tackle Marcell Dareus could be a star.

Cardinals: B

Patrick Peterson gives them a quality corner and Ryan Williams adds backfield depth. Now they need a quarterback.

Panthers: B

Taking Cam Newton was the right move for a team needing new direction. Terrell McClain and Sione Fua will help the defensive line.

Steelers: B

They continue to pick well from the bottom of the board. Cam Hewyard, Marcus Gilbert and Curtis Brown all look NFL-ready.

Rams: B

Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/feed/2011-01/2011-nfl-draft/story/nfl-draft-grades-lions-patriots-ace-their-tests-jets-swing-and-miss#ixzz1LEik7z00

Two wide receiver prospects to help quarterback Sam Bradford, plus a pass-rushing defensive end in Robert Quinn made it a good weekend.

Bears: B-

An offensive lineman they needed (Gabe Carimi) fell to them, and defensive tackle Stephen Paea was good value in Round 2.

Colts: B-

They got two offensive linemen, Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana, to protect the franchise, Peyton Manning.

Chiefs: B-

Two third-round picks could be steals, linebacker Justin Houston and defensive end Allen Bailey. WR Jonathan Baldwin can get deep.

Giants: B-

Getting defensive tackle Marvin Austin in the second round could be huge, and they were fortunate to have cornerback Prince Amukamara fall to them.

Vikings: C+

Their draft depends on Christian Ponder developing into a starting quarterback they can win with. If he doesn’t pan out, they will regret not taking Nick Fairley or Robert Quinn.

Falcons: C+

You could argue that they gave up too much for Julio Jones. You could also argue his playmaking skill as a receiver was worth it. We’ll see.

Chargers: C+

Tackle Corey Liuget should help the defensive line, and general manager A.J. Smith’s history suggests that some of his other picks will pan out.

49ers: C+

They got a pass rusher (Aldon Smith) and smartly traded up to get quarterback (Colin Kaepernick). Problem is, he’s not ready to start right away. Maybe Blaine Gabbert would have been.

Redskins: C+

Instead of trading picks, they acquired some and the philosophy worked. Ryan Kerrigan will aid the pass rush. But they still need a quarterback.

Cowboys: C

They got offensive tackle Tyron Smith in the first round, but a pass rusher out of this draft would have been nice.

Dolphins: C-

Mike Pouncey will help the offensive line, but can Daniel Thomas take over at running back if they lose both Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown? There is also no quarterback to push Chad Henne.

Eagles: C-

Danny Watkins will help the offensive line, but they could have used a pass rusher, and some of their defensive picks may have been reaches.

Jaguars: D

Blaine Gabbert is their quarterback of the future, but in the present, they still need more help to become a playoff team.

Jets: D

Not having a second-round pick hurt them, and they took a major risk on third-rounder Kenrick Ellis, who has serious legal issues.

Raiders: D

All of their first three picks looked like reaches. Perhaps running back Taiwan Jones (fourth round), the Combine’s fastest player, will provide a few big plays.

Seahawks: D

Their decision not to pick quarterback Andy Dalton could haunt them, especially if Matt Hasselbeck leaves. Could go from first to worst in NFC West.

Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/feed/2011-01/2011-nfl-draft/story/nfl-draft-grades-lions-patriots-ace-their-tests-jets-swing-and-miss#ixzz1LEisOboz

Few notes for me:

-Damn, they are sure high on the Patriots draft..

-Spot on the Seahawks. Absolutely atrocious picks, but can't expect much from that franchise.

-I don't get all the Broncos love. I thought they missed up the second selection, and overall, they didn't make that big of a splash with their picks in my eyes. I did like the Rahim Moore pick a lot, though.

 

[kam.]

LOL.

If Blaine Gabbert turns out as good as the Jags think he does. This instantly makes the draft class a B+ and up.

Franchise QBs are coveted and can change the grade on a whole draft class.

 

[WHO-DEY-BENGALS_18]

I can live with that. I was definitely happy with the draft, hopefully the results will show.

 

[Hurricane Season]

Terrible.

Chiefs and Ravens deserve low A's at least. Redskins deserve a B. Reaching for a QB would have made this draft worse...not better.

 

[Mooche]

Terrible.

Chiefs and Ravens deserve low A's at least. Redskins deserve a B. Reaching for a QB would have made this draft worse...not better.

The Chiefs I can agree with need a higher grade in this.

I posted these because I thought they would spark some good discussion. Some interesting grades.

 

[playmaker7]

I like these grades for multiple teams

Especially the 49ers

But for real, the Lions adding Fairley was smart as fuck. That makes their DL so much scarier.

 

[elcheato]

Hopefully Greg Little turns out to be better/as good as Julio, that would be funny lol.

 

[bosoxlover12]

The Pats should get an A, not an A+. Ridley was not a good pick.

 

[Big Bid'Ness]

I take the B+

 

[Lake Louise]

No complaints here about our grade. I've seen a lot of A grades from people. We may have not addressed our needs going into the Draft, but we added depth at other positions, that was needed. Our 1st 3 picks were solid, and I don't know a lot about Doug Hogue, or Johnny Culbreath. I'm overall happy with our draft. Especially with the limit picks we had(after giving up some to move up for Leshoure)

 

[Mooche]

The Pats should get an A, not an A+. Ridley was not a good pick.

It's too high regardless. I didn't like their Draft that much.. I think it's in the B+ range, at best personally.

 

[VC15]

On paper, anything less than a B+ doesn't do us justice.

 

[bosoxlover12]

It's too high regardless. I didn't like their Draft that much.. I think it's in the B+ range, at best personally.

Devin McCourty started in the Pro Bowl last season. Dowling is almost the exact same player. DMC and Dowling is pretty similar to Fairley+Suh, in the sense that the two will be extremely dominant together.

Solder fits NE's system better than any other OT did: he's 6'8", remarkably strong, and was a former TE (meaning he has at least decent agility). It also allows Vollmer to play RT, not LT, as he was much better and more effective at RT.

Marcus Cannon, if his chemo goes well as expected, is a 1-2 round talent, and will be a solid RG.

Ryan Mallett looks to be Brady's replacement, and at 6'6" with a rocket as an arm, he will be deadly. 3 years behind Brady, and his judgment will improve to the point where he could be the Steve Young of the Patriots. Worst that happens, he was a mid 3rd rounder. Not a whole lot of stock lost.

Not to mention we finagled a NO 1st and OAK 2nd too for almost nothing.

 

[Mooche]

Devin McCourty started in the Pro Bowl last season. Dowling is almost the exact same player. DMC and Dowling is pretty similar to Fairley+Suh, in the sense that the two will be extremely dominant together.

Solder fits NE's system better than any other OT did: he's 6'8", remarkably strong, and was a former TE (meaning he has at least decent agility). It also allows Vollmer to play RT, not LT, as he was much better and more effective at RT.

Marcus Cannon, if his chemo goes well as expected, is a 1-2 round talent, and will be a solid RG.

Ryan Mallett looks to be Brady's replacement, and at 6'6" with a rocket as an arm, he will be deadly. 3 years behind Brady, and his judgment will improve to the point where he could be the Steve Young of the Patriots. Worst that happens, he was a mid 3rd rounder. Not a whole lot of stock lost.

Not to mention we finagled a NO 1st and OAK 2nd too for almost nothing.

Nate Solder wasn't the best fit for the NE system. He's a complete project. The only reason that Costanzo wasn't selected by the Patriots was that the agent was Tom Condon. The Patriots don't like Tom Condon at all.

Dowling is a china doll. He's a wicked cover corner, and I really like him as a talent, but he's gotta prove he can stay healthy. This is the guy who was hurt all the time at Virginia, and even hurt himself running his 40.

Marcus Cannon was a good pick. If all goes well, I will love that move.

Ryan Mallett wasn't much. And won't make any immediate impact to the Patriots, at all. Steve Young? Woah.. Let's make sure the kid stays out of trouble, and who knows how he is going to react going to a system where he's going to have to hold the clipboard for a few years. He may either excel and learn, or flop because of off-field stuff.

The TWO RB picks were flat out retarded. Vereen? OK. Makes sense. Nice, big back who can catch the ball, and decent value, but following it up with Ridley? That was a questionable decision. To say the least.

I don't see no A+ draft..

 

[bosoxlover12]

Solder will be better than Costanzo, book it.

Both will deal with being the blind side to an all-pro QB. Lets see who's better in the long run. Solder's athleticism really gives him some advantages

 

[Hurricane Season]

The Patriots won't even keep Mallett. They'll throw him into action during garbage time a few times a year, he'll make some pretty throws, impress some people, and the Pats will then dangle him to a QB desperate team for a higher draft pick than he's worth.

I'll bet anyone that that will end up happening.

 

[Mooche]

Solder will be better than Costanzo, book it.

Both will deal with being the blind side to an all-pro QB. Lets see who's better in the long run. Solder's athleticism really gives him some advantages

Lol, I will gladly take that. Costanzo is going to be our day one, left tackle and the franchise protecting our investment.

He was easily the most ready LT in the draft, and that means a few things. Do I think he will be the best? No, I don't think he will, out of this class. But he's ready to go, and for the Colts we don't want a project, but we want a guy who can help us be successful now.

Solder is going to have trouble as he struggles to keep on weight, and that is going to be a long term issue..

I'll let you see though.

 

[RipCity32]

Lions at the top, what what.

 

[kam.]

Devin McCourty started in the Pro Bowl last season. Dowling is almost the exact same player. DMC and Dowling is pretty similar to Fairley+Suh, in the sense that the two will be extremely dominant together.

Solder fits NE's system better than any other OT did: he's 6'8", remarkably strong, and was a former TE (meaning he has at least decent agility). It also allows Vollmer to play RT, not LT, as he was much better and more effective at RT.

Marcus Cannon, if his chemo goes well as expected, is a 1-2 round talent, and will be a solid RG.

Ryan Mallett looks to be Brady's replacement, and at 6'6" with a rocket as an arm, he will be deadly. 3 years behind Brady, and his judgment will improve to the point where he could be the Steve Young of the Patriots. Worst that happens, he was a mid 3rd rounder. Not a whole lot of stock lost.

Not to mention we finagled a NO 1st and OAK 2nd too for almost nothing.

SMH. What is up with you & 707 sucking the dick out of your draft class?

Yeah, McCourty was good last year, saying he was in the pro bowl though doesn't mean anything. Fucking David Garrard was in the probowl for christ sakes. Him and Dowling are NOTHING, I repeat, NOTHING like Fairley & Suh. Suh had a history season for a DT, while DMC just had a regular-ish type cornerback season. Fairley dominated in college last year, was completely unstoppable. Dowling was meh in college and injuries got the best of him. Nothing like it. Fairley was considered the best DT on some peoples boards. Dowling wasn't even considered for maybe top 5.

Marcus Cannon isn't a 1-2 round talent. He was a Middle 2-3 round talent. He tends to be too stiff to play tackle, and at guard he doesn't sit as low as a guard should, which when you're trying to gain leverage and get lower than the Dlineman your facing, could be problems. He didn't just fall because of the cancer shit.

Onto Ryan Mallett, He has a cannon... THATS IT. The guy is sloppy with Accuracy, dumb, character issues, is a "me" first type of player. Brady just isn't gonna flip the wand and turn this guy into a chunk of gold. The Pats didn't really want him, the Value was just too good to pass on. Thats why they leaked the info that they were going to take him, so some team would be like "shit" and trade up. He WONT, repeat, WONT be Bradys replacement since Brady will be the starter for another 4,5,6 years.

And cool, you stole another pick from old ass Alzheimer's Al Davis.
Want A Cookie?

You drafted 2 MEH RBs, Reached for a Injury prone meh CB in dowling. Took a Character problem-ed QB in Mallett. Got ole Cancer nuts in Marcus Cannon. Too many risks, I don't even really like the Pats draft. You obviously know nothing and are sucking the teet of the Pats because you're a bandwagon feggit.

 

[Elite]

The Patriots won't even keep Mallett. They'll throw him into action during garbage time a few times a year, he'll make some pretty throws, impress some people, and the Pats will then dangle him to a QB desperate team for a higher draft pick than he's worth.

I'll bet anyone that that will end up happening.

Kevin Kolb anybody?