Draft Picks:
R1 AJ Green, WR Georgia
R2 Andy Dalton, QB TCU
R3 Dontay Moch, OLB Nevada
R4 Clint Boling, OL Georgia
R5 Robert Sands, FS West Virginia
R6 Ryan Whalen, WR Stanford
R7 Korey Lindsey, CB Southern Illinois
R7 Jay Finley, RB Baylor
The Bengals stuck with their top two picks and got exactly what they wanted. They landed the top receiver in this draft and one of the most pro ready quarterbacks in this draft. Green is an unbelievable talent and reminds me a lot of Larry Fitzgerald. He will probably have to get a little stronger in order to hold up against all the press coverage he will see in the NFL, but that will not take him long and he should immediately be a playmaker for this team. Dalton is one of the most highly regarded quarterbacks in this draft and could have gone to the Dolphins at 15. I am personally not a big fan of Dalton since he has a weak arm and does not have elite accuracy like Ponder. However, he is a very mobile quarterback and possesses impressive leadership skills, leading TCU to 42 wins in his career.
Beyond their first two picks, the Bengals found value in the other rounds as well. Moch is an impressive pass rushing OLB who Mike Zimmer can move around in his defense to cause havoc for opposing quarterbacks. Boling is a tough interior lineman that could develop into a starter and is a solid backup in case of injury. Safety was one of the Bengals biggest weaknesses last year and they suffered a ton of injuries to that position. Sands is a huge free safety (6’4, 217 lbs) with above average speed (4.5 40 yard dash). He will immediately be a part of their safety rotation and could develop into a Pro Bowl caliber safety. Not bad for a fifth round pick. Whalen could develop into a decent forth or fifth possession receiver, but it is more than likely he will not make the final cut on this roster. Lindsey and Finley are at best backups at their positions and special teams contributors.
How this draft will be graded comes down to whether or not Dalton is a franchise quarterback. They passed on Gabbert, Locker, and Ponder to take Green, but if Dalton isn’t at least on par with all of those quarterbacks, it does not matter how good of a receiver Green turns out to be. It would be best if the Bengals could get Carson Palmer to come back for another year or two in order to give Dalton some time to develop. However, this is extremely unlikely. Since there is no way Jordan Palmer beats out Dalton as the starting quarterback, it is more than likely that Dalton will have to start day one for the Bengals. The Bengals do not get an A in this draft because they failed to address one of their bigger weaknesses over the last few years: their defensive line. With one of the more talented defensive line classes in recent memory, how could they possibly not take at least one D-lineman? Also, they failed to address their need at running back until their last pick, and took a guy who probably will not even make the team.
Browns: A
Draft Picks:
R1 Phil Taylor, NT Baylor
R2 Jabaal Sheard, DE Pittsburg
R2 Greg Little, WR UNC
R4 Jordan Cameron, TE USC
R4 Owen Marecic, FB Stanford
R5 Buster Skrine, DB Tennessee-Chattanooga
R5 Jason Pinkston, OL Pittsburg
R7 Eric Hagg, DB Nebraska
This is one of the more impressive drafts of the year. The Browns came in with not a lot of picks in this year’s draft and a roster barren of talent. They are switching back to a 4-3 defense and needed all new starters for their defensive line. By trading out of the 6th pick with the Falcons, the Browns picked up the 27th pick in the first round, the Faclons’ second round pick, their forth round pick, and their first and forth round picks in 2012. That is a king’s ransom. Despite moving so far down, they still managed to get two immediate starters for their defensive line and a playmaking receiver that they desperately need. Phil Taylor has some medical and character concerns, but they checked out with most teams and he should become an extremely disruptive force on the inside of their D-line against the run and the pass. Sheard was a hard-nosed pass rusher in college and the Browns hope he can have similar production in the NFL. Little probably would have been a first round pick if he hadn’t been suspended for the entire 2010 season. Besides receiving benefits from an agent, he does not really have any character concerns and looks to have the makings of a star receiver. He is a huge receiver (6’3, 220 lbs) with impressive speed for his size and amazing hands. He looks a lot like his old teammate, Hakeem Nicks, and the Browns hope he can be the same type of player.
Cameron is another big bodied player for Colt McCoy to throw to. Despite being over 250 lbs, he has played wide receiver for most of his football career and only switched to tight end last season for the Trojans. He will immediately have an impact as a pass catcher and if he becomes a better blocker, he could turn into a Pro Bowl caliber tight end. Marecic is another extremely intriguing prospect. He played fullback and inside linebacker for Stanford. Coming from Stanford, you know the kid has to be extremely smart and he plays with some old school intensity that is rare in players these days. He will be great on special teams as a blocker and tackler and could develop into a bruising fullback to clear some holes for Peyton Hillis. Skrine has elite speed, but is extremely raw. If he is coached up properly, he could be of great value as a fifth round pick. Pinkston is a big, tough interior lineman that fits the mold of what the Browns look for in their lineman. He should be a quality back up with the potential to become their starting right tackle, which has been a problem for them for the last few years. Hagg is a big defensive back that should make the team because of his abilities on special teams and could develop into a decent safety or corner.
Personally, I strongly dislike the Browns as an organization and have never like Mike Holmgren. However, I absolutely love this draft. They passed up on taking Julio Jones to help out Colt McCoy, but they managed to pick up four extra high value picks and still landed Little, who really is not much of a downgrade from Jones. On top of this, every single player they drafted has the potential to become a starter for them, which is extremely rare. The only reason they do not get an A+ for this draft is that they could have used even more help along this D-line, despite finding two immediate starters with their first two picks. However, with one or two more year of developing all of their young players, the Browns will be competing for the playoffs for the first time in recent memory.
Ravens: A-
Draft Picks:
R1 Jimmy Smith, CB Colorado
R2 Torrey Smith, WR Maryland
R3 Jah Reid, OT Central Florida
R4 Tandon Doss, WR Indiana
R5 Chykie Brown, DB Texas
R5 Pernell McPhee, DE Mississippi St.
R6 Tyrod Taylor, QB Virginia Tech
R7 Anthony Allen, RB Georgia Tech
Like most teams’ drafts, the grade on the Raven’s draft relies heavily on the production they get out of their first two picks. If not for some character concerns, Jimmy Smith would have been a top ten pick. He is an athletic freak with natural cover instincts as a cover corner and grades out physically to Patrick Peterson, who many thought to be the best player in this draft. However, there were a lot of very serious concerns about his alcohol and drug problems that have got him in trouble with the law in the past. The Ravens tend to not take players with character concern, especially in the first round, so I have high expectations for Smith. The Ravens are desperate for help at cornerback. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed will make Smith the best player he can be. If he can stay out of trouble off the field, he could be the biggest steal of this draft and be the player the Ravens have been looking for at cornerback for years. Many teams were probably a bit weary of Torrey Smith because of the lack of success that Darrius Heyward-Bey has had in the NFL since leaving Maryland. This comparison seems to be unwarranted and the Ravens probably would have taken him in the first round if Jimmy Smith was not available for them. Torrey Smith has top end speed and solid hands. He should immediately upgrade the entire Raven’s offense by giving them the deep threat that they need to open up holes in coverage for all of the Raven’s possession receivers and tight ends, as well as takes some pressure off the run game. Smith’s coach at Maryland could not have had higher praise for Smith’s play on the football field and his moral character. There are some concerns about both Smiths, but I think they will both turn out to be great picks for the Ravens.
As usual, the Ravens found a lot of talent in the later rounds as well. Reid could start immediately at right tackle if they decide to part ways with Jared Gaither and has the potential to eventually move over to the left side. This would allow them to move Michael Oher back to right tackle where he is more comfortable. Doss is another young receiver to add to the Ravens roster that started three receivers over the age of 30 last season. He should develop into a solid possession receiver with above average speed. Brown and McPhee will serve as rotational players on the Ravens defense. Tyrod Taylor could develop into a great backup quarterback who could also run the wildcat offense in certain situations. Allen will try to make the roster and replace Willis McGahee as a big back to compliment Ray Rice in the run game.
Much like the Browns, the Ravens picked up players that all could end up with at least rotational roles and contribute immediately. Cornerback and receiver were their biggest needs and they drafted two players at each position, all of whom could immediately make an impact. They could still use some help along the defensive line and maybe another running back that could ease the workload on Ray Rice.
Steelers: B+
R1 Cam Heyward, DE Ohio St.
R2 Marcus Gilbert, OL Florida
R3 Curtis Brown, CB Texas
R4 Cortez Allen, CB Citadel
R5 Chris Carter, DE/OLB Fresno St.
R6 Keith Williams, OL Nebraska
R7 Baron Batch, RB Texas Tech
The Steelers most immediate needs are at offensive line and cornerback. However, they decided to upgrade their defensive line with their first pick instead. Brett Keisel and Aaron Smith have been great players for them, but they are both at the end of their careers. Cam Heyward and Ziggy Hood could be their defensive ends of the future. Heyward has a ton of potential and I’m sure the Steelers did not expect him to be there for them at the 31st pick. They then addressed their offensive line with Gilbert, who has unbelievable quickness for someone his size (6’6, 330 lbs). With needs at almost every offensive line position, Gilbert will start at either guard spot or right tackle as the Steelers try to develop him into a left tackle. Brown and Allen will both compete for time at cornerback immediately and were solid values in the third and forth round respectively. Carter has a lot of potential and could develop into another great pass rushing OLB for the Steelers D. Williams and Batch will try to make the roster as backups.
The Steelers have always drafted very well and this seems to be another solid draft class for them. They did not draft anyone flashy or anyone that will have a huge impact on their team this year, but they do not have very many holes, considering they went to the Super Bowl last year. If their two picks at both the offensive line and cornerback positions turn into productive players, this draft could help them win yet another Super Bowl in the very near future.
No comments:
Post a Comment