Draft Picks:
R1 Marcell Dareus, DT Alabama
R2 Aaron Williams, DB Texas
R3 Kelvin Sheppard, LB LSU
R4 Da’Norris Searcy, DB UNC
R4 Chris Hairston, OL Clemson
R5 Johnny White, RB UNC
R6 Chris White, LB Mississippi St.
R7 Justin Rodgers, DB Richmond
R7 Michael Jasper, NT Bethel (TN)
Getting Dareus at the third overall pick might be the steal of this draft, which is saying a lot considering he was still the THIRD overall pick. He is probably the best player in this entire draft and can be moved all over the Bills defensive line that has been looking for quality play for years. Aaron Williams probably had a first round grade and only fell because of the amount of quarterbacks taken early. He can play CB and safety for the Bills, which is good because they need help at both positions. Kelvin Sheppard is another solid draft pick and could end up starting for the Bills right away. Searcy adds a physical presence to the Bills’ safety group and should play well on special teams. The rest of their picks are to add depth and help out on special teams.
This draft would be in the A range except for the fact that they still have not addressed the worst offensive line in the NFL. I did not have a problem with them not taking a quarterback, especially since this was a weak year at the position and I believe Ryan Fitzpatrick is a better player than he gets credit for. However, if they want Fitzpatrick to be able to progress in their offense, they need to do a much better job at protecting him. Drafting one developmental right tackle is not going to solve any of their problems, especially for 2011, which could be Fitzpatrick’s last opportunity to prove that he is a franchise quarterback. They won’t get much help in free agency, whenever it starts, and I don’t see any of the tackles on their team making significant progression. The Bills defense will make strides in 2011, but they will still be picking in the top 5 of next years draft.
Dolphins: C+
Draft Picks:
R1 Mike Pouncey, OL Florida
R2 Daniel Thomas, RB Kansas St.
R4 Edmond Gates, WR Abilene Christian
R6 Charles Clay, TE Tulsa
R7 Frank Kearse, DT Alabama A&M
R7 Jimmy Wilson, DB Montana
They reached in the first round for Pouncey, who is not as good of a prospect as his brother was coming out of college. They reached for Thomas because of their obvious need at running back and his ability to run the wildcat offense. Gates was great value in the forth round. He might not make much of an impact as a rookie since he is a very raw player, but he could develop into a great number two receiver with top end speed. Clay is a fullback/tight end and is a moving piece to add to their offense in order to confuse defenses. Kearse adds some youth to an aging defensive line, if he can make the team.
The Dolphins did themselves a huge disservice by trying to replace their head coach, Tony Sparano, as well as publicly criticize their starting quarterback, Chad Henne. Now the two biggest faces of their franchise will be looking over their shoulder all season wondering when they are going to get pulled out of their respective roles. Being tentative in the NFL will make you lose a lot of games. They almost had to draft a quarterback in order to make Henne compete for his job, but they let their rivals, the Patriots, draft the quarterback they coveted (Ryan Mallett). Their pass defense really struggled last year and they did not draft anyone to help out that side of the ball. I see them taking a step backwards this season.
Jets: A-
Draft Picks:
R1 Muhammad Wilkerson, DT Temple
R3 Kendrick Ellis, NT Hampton
R4 Bilial Powell, RB Louisville
R5 Jeremy Kerley, WR TCU
R7 Greg McElroy, QB Alabama
R7 Scotty McKnight, WR Colorado
This is the most picks the Jets have had in a long time and they really filled a lot of needs, despite not addressing the rush outside linebacker position. They did not trade up for the players they wanted; yet they were lucky enough that they seemed to fall to them. Wilkerson is a perfect fit for Rex Ryan’s defense and fills a huge need for them. Shaun Ellis is the only decent defensive end they had last year and he is a free agent. Wilkerson is a force against the run and the pass, and will be an immediate upgrade with the potential to be a dominant force. Kendrick Ellis is raw, but has a ton of upside and the size to play nose tackle in the 3-4 (he is 6’5 345 lbs). With the loss of Kris Jenkins, nose tackle was a huge need. Sione Pouha filled in nicely at nose tackle last year, but he’s not an effective pass rusher. Pouha can start next year as Ellis works his way into the lineup. Powell will be a good insurance policy incase LT or Shonn Greene get injured this season, since it looks like Joe McKnight was a wasted pick last year. Kerley gives the Jets some leverage with their free agent receivers, especially with Brad Smith since Kerley is a good kickoff and punt returner. McElroy was a steal in the 7th round and he should at least turn into a great backup quarterback in the NFL. Scotty McKnight is Mark Sanchez’s childhood friend and Sanchez has been throwing passes to him his entire life, so they should immediately have chemistry together.
The biggest need the Jets had might have been at the rush OLB position, but they failed to address this in the draft. However, this was a weak linebacker draft and the Jets filled just about every other need. Calvin Pace is still a good OLB and they will have to figure out who will play on the other side of him this season since they cut Jason Taylor and Bryan Thomas is a free agent. There are not too many free agents that could fill this need for the Jets so it could be an area of weakness all year for the Jets.
Patriots: B
R1 Nate Solder, OT Colorado
R2 Ras-I Dowling, CB Virginia
R2 Shane Vereen, RB Cal
R3 Stevan Ridley, RB LSU
R3 Ryan Mallet, QB Arkansas
R5 Marcus Cannon, OL TCU
R5 Lee Smith, TE Marshall
R6 Markell Carter, LB Central Arkansas
R7 Malcom Williams, DB TCU
The Patriots did a great job of gathering up more picks for next year’s draft (they now have two first round and two second round pick in 2012), but they failed to address some of their bigger needs. I know they won 14 games last season, but they are probably going to lose three starters on the offensive line (Steven Neal retired and Matt Light and Login Mankins look like they are not coming back in free agency). Nate Solder will help out their line immediately, but they did not find anyone to fill in at both guard spots. Also, they will not win more than 10 games if they don’t find a receiver that stretches the field for them. They also passed up on drafting Mark Ingram and then drafted two other running backs that do not do a single thing better than Ingram does. They reached a bit for Dowling when there were probably better corners on the board. Mallett could turn into a great player, but he has to mature a lot and prove he will not be the next Jamarcus Russell. Cannon has been diagnosed with cancer and it could be a long road until he plays football at a high level again. Smith is a blocking tight end that will help the Pats’ run game. Carter and Williams will help out their coverage units that have needed an upgrade.
Coming into this draft, the Patriots needed to add some youth to their aging defensive line, find an elite pass rusher, find a receiver with game breaking speed, and add at least two offensive lineman to help better protect Tom Brady. Besides landing Solder, they did none of that. They added a lot of pieces to that offense, but it looks like a draft for a team that wants to run the ball 40 times a game. Since they just made Brady the highest paid player in the NFL, I highly doubt that is going to happen. In a passing league, they did very little to protect their quarterback or to try to get after other teams’ quarterbacks. Belichick has been as good as anyone in the draft, but I just don’t see how this draft class helps them get over the hump in the playoffs this year. The clock is ticking on Brady’s career and they need to stop drafting for the future before it is too late.
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