Draft Grades: AFC
by Chris Brophy
30/4/2008
 
Kansas City Chiefs: A+
 
After trading Jared Allen, the Chiefs had plenty of picks to play with and got great value. Glenn Dorsey was the top player on a lot of teams' boards but to get him at #5 is fantastic value for KC. Then, as the round progressed, they must have being delighted to see Branden Albert get past the likes of the Patriots, Panthers and Bears. Deciding to wait no longer, they got ahead of the Cardinals to make Albert's wait no more and he should be an instant starter, though at what position is anyone's guess. If he ends up at LT and produces, it could be one of the best value 1st round picks ever, if he starts at guard and does well, it's still pretty darn good and their OL need was desperate after a glut of retirements and players moving on in recent years. The defense then got help in the shape of Virginia Tech cornerback Brandon Flowers who has a chance to start straight away. Back to offense and Larry Johnson got someone to share the load in 3rd round pick Jamaal Charles of Texas. After letting Jason Dunn go, the Chiefs needed a 2nd TE and that came with another 3rd round pick, Brad Cottam of Tennessee. So far, three starters and two players who should see plenty of playing time is good going. Lower down, I like Barry Richardson (OT, Clemson) who has the skill set to develop into a starter and they got a return man in the shape of Kevin Robinson of Utah State. Field position is something their offense needed help with.
 
Overall, plenty of picks and plenty of value, the Chiefs have a big rebuild going on and this draft is going to be a major part of it. No addition at QB must have made Brodie Croyle's day. Great job Chiefs!
 
Buffalo Bills: A
 
The Bills were right to pass on WR as many mocks had them reaching for one early, and given none went in the first round, getting the best corner on the board in Troy's Leodis McKelvin was the absolute right move. The knock on him is he can't catch - isn't that why he's a cornerback? They addressed WR in round 2 with the big body of James Hardy to go across from the speed of Lee Evans. Chris Ellis came next as help for the DL, he has the size you'd like and shows flashes of talent but is inconsistent and hot headed. Akron's Reggie Corner just has an apt name. Derek Fine could be an interesting player to watch, he is more a H-Back type and could be a good compliment to the steady Robert Royal. In the later rounds, Xavier Omon (RB, Northern Missouri St) had great output in college and could be a fine to back-up Marshawn Lynch.
 
The Bills really hit their needs with this draft, getting some weapons for Trent Edwards and the cornerback they have needed since Nate Clements left.
 
Denver Broncos: A
 
Ryan Clady is a great fit in round one and the Chris Kuper move to left tackle should be a short lived one. They also added a nice prospect for the OL in round 4 with Kory Lichtensteiger (OL, Bowling Green) who can play guard or center and with veterans Tom Nalen and Ben Hamilton clocking up the mileage, he could be a starter a year or so down the line. The offense also got help in the shape of Eddie Royal (WR, Virginia Tech) who is a smallish type but has good strength for his size and he should make an impact on returns at the very least.
 
Defensively, another VT player came in the shape of Carlton Powell who is a little small for a modern DT but has started and played well for a high quality program. The Broncos needed help in the middle of the defense and Powell might be a bargain. Jack Williams (CB, Kent St) has speed to burn and just generally great althetic skills. If the Broncos can translate them into playing skills, they might have a real winner here. Josh Barrett in round 7 (S, Arizona St) is another lower round pick I like by this team. Real good draft all round for me.
 
Pittsburgh Steelers: A-
 
'Fast' Willie Parker maybe a good back but as part of a duo, he's going to look much better and with the addition of Rashard Mendenhall (Illinois) that's what the Steelers now have. Mendenhall was not over-worked in college and the same should apply in the pros. Adding to their offensive armoury was the selection of Limas Sweed in round 2. Sweed is big and physical, perfect for AFC North football and great value. Bruce Davis is a typical Steeler type pick. A DE at UCLA, he'll go to OLB and has the speed to get to the QB. A reach in round 4 for OT Tony Hills of Texas. My Longhorn spy (Diner writer Paul Hopkins) tells me he was surprised he was even drafted because he was forever injured. Dennis Dixon is a pick I'm going to watch with interest. I'd love to see him do a bit of Kordell Stewart "slashing".
 
Apart from the big chance taken on Hills and a lack of a CB, this is a very good draft by a team that traditionally always gets the help it needs on draft day.
 
Jacksonville Jaguars: B+
 
It's pretty clear the Jags believe the way past the Colts is to beat Peyton Manning to a pulp with their top two choices going on DL/pass rush help. I might be in the minority but I liked the trade for Derrick Harvey (Florida). He was the last of the really hot DL prospects left and probably goes to the Bengals at #9 and in the process of trading up, the Jags managed to hold on to their 2nd round pick. Harvey should play straight away, he's a complete play who can get to the QB and plays the run well. Quentin Groves (LB/DE, Auburn) is a bit of a tweener but I see him starting off as a specialist pass rusher with his hand on the dirt. Another pick for the defense came with USC linebacker Thomas Williams but at this point he looks more like a depth/special teams player.
 
The Jags upgraded their pass rush and DL but failed to get any help inside to go next to John Henderson, but trading up probably cost them the chance to do that.
 
Indianapolis Colts: B
 
No top pick for the colts, it was traded to the Niners last year. They went for overkill at center, worried about Jeff Saturday being a free agent in '09 I guess so they'll hope one of Mike Pollack (Arizona St) or Steve Justice (Wake Forest) can show enough to be considered as the future. They got help at linebacker with two very good value picks in my opinion, Phillip Wheeler (Georgia Tech) can blitz effectively and Marcus Howard (Georgia) has the wheels to be useful in coverage. Mike Hart (RB, Michigan) could find a spot backing up Joseph Addai. He doesn't have great physical skills but just produced on the football field.
 
Plenty of value picks by the Colts but no help for the DL which needs depth.
 
Miami Dolphins: B
 
Jake Long was signed, sealed and delivered well before the draft. Hopefully, he slots in at LT and they forget about that as a need for 12 years. It also allows Vernon Carey to switch to the right, offering a pair of bookends for the long term. Is it just me or did I spend the rest of the top ten watching Long get abused by all the defensive line players being taken? Next came Phillip Merling, who dropped out of round 1 because of injury concerns. He looks a good fit for the 3-4. Adding Chad Henne at QB means John Beck isn't really considered the future and by also trading Lorenzo Booker away the Dolphins new FO was obviously not a fan of last year's draft. Lower down saw some more OL projects who might be able to start in a year or two.
 
Not a bad start to the Dolphins rebuild but where was the help in the secondary and at WR and whilst Long should be ok, I'm not sure he's great value as the #1 overall.
 
Baltimore Ravens: C+
 
Once Matt Ryan was off the board it was clear the Ravens would want to trade down. They managed that but I felt they didn't make the Jags pay enough (some think they made them pay too much) to move up 18 spots into the top ten considering the DL rush that happened early on. Then to spend some of what they got trading back up to #18 for a very risky pick in Joe Flacco is something I wouldn't have expected from the usually clever FO of the Ravens. I felt they should have stuck at #26 and got the cornerback they needed, maybe making sure Dallas doesn't pip them to Mike Jenkins by getting back up just a few spots. RB Ray Rice is a nice complement to Willis McGahee and I like some of their lower round picks, especially their 3rd round trio of Tarvares Gooden (LB, Miami), Tom Zbikowski (S, Notre Dame) and Oniel Cousins (OL, UTEP). They did at least address corner with a trade with the Raiders for former first round pick Fabien Washington who might be able to start for them.
 
That 3rd round trio and the Washington trade save this draft which had a rough start in my opinion.
 
San Diego Chargers: C+
 
Antoine Cason (CB, Arizona) comes in and should slide right into the roster spot vacated by Drayton Florence. He rose up draft boards with some great workouts and should be able to help straight away. Jacob Hester (LSU) and Marcus Thomas (Texas El-Paso) were added in the offensive backfield to battle for the role left by Michael Turner as back-up to LT. Hester is more of a jack-of-all-trades type of player who can run from either fullback or tailback and might be effective in one back sets. Thomas is not a burner but he has good vision, finding the crease well.
 
With their 2nd round pick already gone to Miami for WR Chris Chambers this was always a draft about finding depth for the Chargers although I'd have liked to have seen some additions at safety and along the DL for depth.
 
Cincinnati Bengals: C
 
As far as hitting needs goes, the Bengals came out of this drafting managing to do that but there is still an aura of disappointment surrounding them because they clearly wanted Sedrick Ellis at #9 and were steadfast in believing he would drop to them. To move up two spots to get the player you crave is not the hardest thing to do and given the price the Saints paid in the end to move up from one spot behind, it would have being worth it. The Bengals missed the boat and if missing Ellis wasn't bad enough, their likely back-up plan of Derrick Harvey then got traded up for the pick before them! However, the players they took do, as mentioned before, fit needs. Their linebacking corps was killed by injuries last year and Keith Rivers should start from day one. Rivers promises to be a steady rather than special but he's a good leader too and someone the Bengals will be proud to have on their team. WR Jerome Simpson going before Limas Sweed was a surprise and I do think Simpson is a bit of a reach here. Pat Sims (Auburn) should be able to help at DT but he wears down and appears to be only a rotation player. They added another receiver in Florida's Andre Caldwell but he's from the school where receivers drafted rarely make it! Lower down, I like Matt Sherry (TE, Villanova) but he isn't going to make an impact soon bar injuries.
 
Overall, not a terrible draft, needs were met but if the top two picks had been Ellis and Sweed (and it was very possible) I'd be loving rather than respecting this draft.
 
Houston Texans: C-
 
Trading back at #18 may have looked reasonably smart at first but I believe the Texans got stung big time by the OT rush that followed and both the Panthers and Falcons traded back into the first round to get OTs. That left the Texans reaching for need and taking Duane Brown who I like as a prospect but shouldn't have gone this high. To be fair, given the rush on OT's, he may not have lasted much past the middle of the 2nd round and Alex Gibbs (Texans OL Coach) loves him apparently. At least, that's the spin. Antwaun Molden (CB, Eastern Kentucky) appears to be another reach for need. Physically he has it, but has to make a massive leap compared with what he is used to. Offense help came in Steve Slaton (RB, West Virginia) but he looks more a change of pace back than a starter down the road. The Texans best pick came with linebacker Xavier Adabi (Virginia Tech) who may be able to contributor immediately. If Dominique Barber (S, Minnesota) plays as hard and as tough as his brother (Cowboys RB Marion Barber) the Texans will be alright.
 
Overall, needs were hit, but too many reaches makes this a risky draft.
 
New York Jets: C-
 
I still think they really wanted McFadden but once he had gone Vernon Gholston was always going to be the pick. Teamed up with Calvin Pace, the Jets 3-4 scheme now has the rush off the edge it has lacked in recent times. Next came a trade up to get Dustin Keller (TE, Purdue) who gives whoever they play at QB a safety valve type target. I wonder if they thought about WR at that spot given no one was off the board? Dwight Lowery (CB, San Jose St) should help on teams right away and after an injury plagued 2007, might be ready to bounce back but the level is higher now.
 
WR help finally came in the shape of Marcus Henry (Kansas) but he looks a long way from being ready and may need a couple of years seasoning. Gholston will be counted on to give immediate results and Keller should help the passing game but lower down I don't think the Jets did anything too great and holes like RB and depth at LB got missed.
 
Cleveland Browns: D+
 
The Browns already spent all their high picks on trades. Brady Quinn last year and help for the DL in Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams. I still believe Quinn is going to be a really good QB but until he is playing, it's still an unknown. Rogers is talented but inconsistent and cost them Leigh Bodden, a talented corner too. Williams should help but him and Rogers come from 4-3 systems. It's a case of a lot of risks by the Browns and their draft class is just really filling depth. Beau Bell (LB, UNLV) came first in the 4th round and he maybe able to work his way into the LB corps over time. Martin Rucker, a TE from Rutgers (and Mike Rucker's brother) looks a real nice pick but how much time is he going to get behind Kellen Winslow Jnr?
 
I think the Browns have taken some massive risks. They are yet to see payback off Quinn (although I think it happens soon) and Rogers and Williams are more proven, but more expensive than draft picks. They need to produce big time early. Too risky for my liking and they didn't get the help at CB and RB they needed from this draft either.
 
New England Patriots: D
 
A draft of reaches for the Pats. Trading down and getting extra picks from #7 to #10 was nice but no mock had LB Jerod Mayo as high as #10. It's a two edged surprise as the Pats usually like their vets at LB. They got another LB in round 3 in Shawn Crable (Michigan) who looks like a fit for the scheme but has a lot of development in front of him. The secondary got help in Colorado CB Terrence Wheatley but he again looks a reach. More puzzling was QB Kevin O'Connell... just don't get that pick at all. 4th round CB Johnathan Wilhite (Auburn) looks a good fit for the Patriots with all the defensive holding and PI that he gets called for.v Overall, they got younger on the defensive side of the ball which they needed and they got a 2nd round pick in 2009 but lots of reaches and I don't think they get a lot of immediate help via this draft. Where was the help at safety and depth for the OL? Have the Pats lost their mojo?
 
Oakland Raiders: D
 
Only one first day pick and the raiders went for style over substance. Glenn Dorsey would have helped more in my opinion but McFadden can be explosive although Mike Mayock was rightly all over his problem of not being able to break tackles. Their other top picks had been previously traded so after giving up a 2nd rounder as part of the DeAngelo Hall trade they recouped a 4th rounder from the Ravens for former 1st round pick Fabien Washington. Looking at their lower picks, Arman Shields (WR, Richmond) is so Al Davis - speed! He's coming off almost a full season missed with a knee injury though. Tyron Branch (CB, Connecticut) adds depth to the defensive backfield.
 
This is pretty much a one man draft though, if Dorsey helps the Chiefs climb back up the ladder faster than McFadden though, the Raiders may regret it for 10 years.
 
Tennessee Titans: D
 
Chris Johnson in the first round is a pick I don't like or understand at all. I can see him being a player who does a bit of everything but with every receiver still on the board and Vince Young crying out for targets, it was not a reach to take a WR a few picks before they started flying off the board. The Titans paid for that in round 2 as the rush left the cupboard bare so they didn't reach and went for DL in Eastern Michigan's Jason Jones. Jones is a bit of a tweener and will help the run defense but might not offer much as a pass rusher. A TE in the 3rd round, Craig Stevens of Cal is another pick I can't get my head around. They added Alge Crumpler and have Bo Scaife already. The best selection is that of WR Lavelle Hawkins in round 4, also from Cal. He's a player who looks better in pads then out but I'll take that every time thank you very much. William Hayes (DL, Winston-Salem State) is a massive reach who looks more like a 3-4 OLB. I'm guessing they are looking at him as a specialist pass rusher.
 
Needs were addressed but some awful reaches and a runner they don't need in my opinion along with missing out on any WR they liked makes this a rough draft for a team that usually does much better.
 
AFC Overview
 
Whilst the NFC had more consistent drafts, then AFC was a bit all over the place. Obviously, some will disagree with some of the drafts I don't like and the real proof of the pudding comes a few years down the line, but it seemed to me the AFC teams took a lot of chances.