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NFL Mock Draft 2009 Draft of 2009 Lacks Star Power NFL Draft 2009: Getting Started Super Bowl Well Worth Tuning In For
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Prospects On Center Stage NBA Preview 2008/09: Final Call
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NFL Draft Grades By Ron Jumper The draft is such an interesting sporting “event” to break down. Everyone has a completely different opinion and none of them really matter much in the grand scheme of things. Three years from now, when we know how good this draft turned out, it won’t be an interesting topic to discuss because there is a new draft to break down and this one will be long forgotten. You occasionally get a mention of Mario Williams and how passing on Bush wasn’t so crazy after all, but not much deeper than that most of the time. Depending how things turn out in Oakland, we could be discussing the Darrius Heyward-Bay selection for some time. As for how I thought the teams drafted, here goes nothing. Arizona Cardinals: Grade: B- The Cardinals needed a running back and they took one, I just don’t think the one they got is going to be very good. Oddly, 7th rounder Larod Stephens-Howling is a speed back and compliments Tim Hightower better than Wells does. Safety Rashad Johnson and guard Herman Johnson were solid picks. Atlanta Falcons: Grade: A- This team is set on offense with playmakers after they added TE Tony Gonzalez. They used this draft to address the defense, devoting 7 of 8 picks to that side of the ball. DT Peria Jerry will be solid and S William Moore is a big time athlete. Don’t sleep on DE Lawrence Sidbury out of Richmond either. Baltimore Ravens: Grade: B- The Ravens got a nice player in LT Michael Oher. I also think Paul Kruger will fill a need in their defense. After that, they didn’t go get any playmakers for Flacco and took some riskier picks later in the draft. Buffalo Bills: Grade: B+ I really like what they did for the most part. If they had taken Orakpo instead of Maybin and taken a LT at some point, then this grade would be an A. Keep your eye on TE Shawn Nelson out of Southern Miss, this guy is a playmaker. Carolina Panthers: Grade: C+ The Panthers didn’t have a great draft overall. I like Everette Brown, but giving up a future first round pick seems to take away from getting him in round 2. I’m not seeing much from their draft that will make them better next season. Chicago Bears: Grade: B- Oddly, I like the Bears late round picks better than the earlier ones. CB D.J. Moore was a steal that late and the same can be said for OLB Marcus Freeman. We’ll see if any of the three receivers they drafted can make an impact. Cincinnati Bengals: Grade: A+ Love their draft, as I feel they added 6 starters: LT Andre Smith, MLB Rey Maualuga, DE Michael Johnson, TE Chase Coffman, C Jonathon Luigs, and P Kevin Huber. Coaching at the senior bowl really made a difference for the Bengals staff, as 4 of their draft picks played in that game. Cleveland Browns: Grade: C I liked that they traded back to get additional picks, however the guys they picked didn’t make much sense. Why not just keep trading back if you want C Alex Mack or WR Brian Robiskie that bad? Dallas Cowboys: Grade: D+ I don’t see anyone that they drafted that I think will make an impact this season. That is saying something when you consider they had 12 picks. Denver Broncos: Grade: B Denver certainly added 3 nice pieces in RB Knowshon Moreno, DE Robert Ayers, and CB Alphonso Smith. After that, they reached on S Darcel McBath and TE Richard Quinn in round 2. I would have liked to have seen them take a QB earlier and draft additional defensive lineman. Detroit Lions: Grade: C- The Lions would have gotten a much better grade had they addressed their offensive line or taken a cornerback. At pick 20, Michael Oher was right there and they took TE Brandon Pettigrew. Since they took Stafford, you have to protect him up front. They also have a glaring hole at corner, which went unaddressed. They added some talent, but didn’t address any needs. Green Bay Packers: Grade: B+ The Packers got two studs in B.J. Raji and Clay Mathews. They didn’t do anything sexy but, top to bottom, this one of the more solid drafts. OT Jamon Meredith could end up being a steal down the road. Houston Texans: Grade: B The Texans continue to build that defense, as they took OLB Brian Cushing and DE Connor Barwin. At some point though, all these draft picks on defense need to start showing results. The Texans only ranked 22nd in total defense last season. Indianapolis Colts: Grade: B The Colts didn’t do anything flashy, but they added depth in two important areas: running back and defensive tackle. Donald Brown won’t be a superstar, but he fits their system well. Fili Moala and Terrance Taylor should add some depth inside. Jacksonville Jaguars: Grade: A The Jaguars had the best draft no one is talking about. They went out and got 2 really good offensive lineman in Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton, plus 3 wide receivers in Mike Thomas, Jarret Dillard, and Tiquan Underwood. RB Rashad Jennings of Liberty is the sleeper here. Kansas City Chiefs: Grade: C- The Chiefs reached at almost every pick in this draft. Tyson Jackson should be solid, but when Aaron Curry and Michael Crabtree are on the board I don’t know if I could have passed them up. After such a great draft from the Chiefs last year, I was expecting more. Miami Dolphins: Grade: B+ They got two really good cornerbacks in this draft with Vontae Davis and Sean Smith. This class, you could tell, was all about adding weapons on the perimeter. They drafted 3 wide receivers and 3 defensive backs. They built the lines with last year’s draft so it makes sense. Minnesota Vikings: Grade: B The Vikings draft was solid but not spectacular. I love that 4 of the 5 picks were from the SEC. Percy Harvin gives them another weapon and Jasper Brinkley is an underrated linebacker that could end up being a solid player. Phil Loadholt provides depth on the offensive line. New England Patriots: Grade: A The Patriots not only stockpiled picks for this draft, but for next year’s draft as well by getting both the Jaguars and the Titans second round picks. With four picks in round 2 and two picks in round 3, they added a nice mix of players that should make an impact next season. New Orleans Saints: Grade: C+ If the Saints move Malcolm Jenkins to Free Safety, then he might be a big time player just yet. New Orleans only had 4 picks, so they didn’t really have much of a draft. With what picks they had, they at least tried to address their defense. New York Giants: Grade: B+ The Giants did a solid job of drafting weapons to make them more explosive on offense. Hakeem Nicks is a very good all around wide receiver and Ramses Barden has loads of upside. Don’t forget TE Travis Beckum either. New York Jets: Grade: B- The Jets never have any draft picks. They have only had 13 picks in the last 3 years. Due to this, they lack depth in a few key areas. Mark Sanchez may be good in time, but trading away valuable draft picks can be a slippery slope. Oakland Raiders: Grade: F They made one of the craziest picks in history when they took Darrius Heyward-Bey, but then they followed it up with an even bigger reach in Ohio safety Michael Mitchell. This may go down as one of the worst drafts in NFL history. The only pick that makes any sense is Louis Murphy. Philadelphia Eagles: Grade: A The Eagles already added OT Jason Peters, so the addition of Jeremy Maclin, Lesean McCoy, and Cornelius Ingram give this offense the chance to be explosive. The Eagles, as of right now, are looking more and more like the best team in the NFC right now. Pittsburgh Steelers: Grade: B- I’m not a big fan of their draft, but I trust that they know what they are doing. They didn’t do anything flashy, as they drafted a few blue-collar guys. DT Ziggy Hood is solid, not spectacular. Wisconsin guard Kraig Urbik isn’t going to grab headlines, but he will get the job done. The sleeper of this group may be CB Joe Burnett of UCF. San Diego Chargers: Grade: C+ They didn’t really get better or address needs with this draft. They took a couple of projects and reached a couple of times. Larry English is talented, but linebacker was not a concern. I do like Gartrell Johnson out of Colorado State to be a solid back. Drafting Demetrius Byrd in round 7 was a nice story, as Byrd has been in the hospital after wrecking his car. San Francisco 49ers: Grade: B Getting Michael Crabtree at 10 may turn out to be a big time steal. Glen Coffee is a solid back that can run between the tackles and Scott McKillop will provide depth at ILB. Could have gotten more, but nothing to complain about. Grabbing S Curtis Taylor and DT Ricky Jean-Francois late could pay off. Seattle Seahawks: Grade: B- They were fortunate to land Curry, who is going to be really good. Then Max Unger is a very good center. After that, I don’t like any other pick they made. It will be interesting to see what Seattle does this season, as they were a good team not long ago. St. Louis Rams: Grade: B The Rams are drafting too safe. They aren’t going after any playmakers or difference makers. Chris Long from last season combined with Jason Smith and James Laurinaitis this season are solid, but not the kind of special players that win championships. They lack an elite wide receiver, an elite pass rusher, and an elite cover corner. You can argue Marc Bulger is a Pro Bowl quarterback and that Steven Jackson is a Pro Bowl running back, I would beg to differ. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Grade: B- The Bucs finally took a top quarterback prospect, as they have needed one for years. He should get to learn under Byron Leftwich and develop. DT Roy Miller seems like a great fit and Kyle Moore will provide depth at DE. Tennessee Titans: Grade: B+ Regardless of how these guys turn out, I think they drafted the right positions. WR Kenny Britt is a big receiver that can make plays down the field, Sen’Derrick Marks will attempt to replace Albert Haynesworth, and Jared Cook is another weapon in the passing game. ILB Gerald McRath is a solid player to keep an eye on. Washington Redskins: Grade: C+ After Brian Orakpo, I didn’t like anyone they drafted until round 7 when they took Nevada WR Marko Mitchell. They didn’t need a corner but took one anyway. They took two linebackers, but they could have gotten much better value earlier in the draft since the position was very deep and they obviously made it a priority to upgrade. Top Drafts: Cincinnati Bengals A+ New England Patriots A Philadelphia Eagles A Jacksonville Jaguars A Atlanta Falcons A- April 28, 2009 |
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Be Careful What You Wish For
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Jumpology: My Bracket Jumpology: Scouting The Heavyweights Jumpology: Reviewing The Bracket
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