NFL Draft Coverage Part II: BK

The second installation of our draft coverage comes from BK. He'll be taking a look at the NFC WEST and AFC South. Some great stuff, do read up and leave comments!

- Seattle Seahawks = A (9.5/10)

o Pete Carroll worked the draft like a saavy vet. The Seahawks nabbed two first round impact players poised to start in Russel Okung and Earl Thomas (I like to refer to him as E.T.), as well as high value players later in the draft. Patience played a key as well. There was no rush as they let the draft play out and took the players they were comfortable with at their picks (i.e. Golden Tate @ pick 60). Watch out for Jameson Konz as well. He’s a late round sleeper out of Kent State with supreme athleticism and will make himself known once giving a position to grow into. Throw in the few trades that they made to pick up veteran RBs LenDale White and Leon Washington, and the Seattle Seahawks are easily in the discussion for having the best draft this year.

- Arizona Cardinals = A- (9/10)

o The Cardinals took players that make sense. They drafted highly talented players at their priority needs. Resisting the tempation to trade up in the first round, the Cards still managed to get their highly rated nose tackle in Dan Williams. In the second they pick up a freak of a linebacker in Daryl Washington, who lacks size but makes up for it with raw athleticism. The rest of the draft they went sleeper. Picking up Andre Roberts, a highly productive WR out of Citadel, and an undersized pass rusher in O’Brien Schofield (converted DE to LB) out of Wisconsin. Don’t be surprised if their 5th round selection John Skelton, out of Fordham, is in the talks to start at QB in a few years, because this kid has the prototypical size and arm strength that everyone looks for in an NFL QB.

- San Francisco 49ers = B (8/10)

o The 49ers had a great first round selecting highly regarded OT Anthony Davis and OG Mike Iupati. These kids are big and tough, just what you would expect to see on a team coached by Mike Singletary. The second round yielded another probable starter for them in S Taylor Mays, but the question is whether or not this was actually a value pick or if Mays fell to the middle of the second round for a reason. Third round selection Navorro Bowman, LB from Penn State, could make an immediate impact on special teams and will more than likely take over for Takeo Spikes a few years down the road. The rest of their draft provided them with depth at some thinning positions.

- St. Louis Rams = C+ (7/10)

o They made a smart decision in drafting Sam Bradford No. 1 overall. The rest of this draft, however, seems to be extremely developmental. Round 2 selection Rodger Saffold, OT out of Indiana, has great size and great upside, but may not start this season especially because last year’s first round pick Jason Smith is projected to start at RT. That’s something you don’t usually see out of the first pick in the second round. They did a good job of getting a CB with good ball skills in Jerome Murphy, who could help improve their measely total of 8 interceptions last season, but isn’t looked at as having great route recognition. Mardy Giliard is a complimentary receiver, and certainly isn’t going to be a great help this year to Sam Bradford. This is a draft that definitely needs to be reevaluated a few years down the road.



AFC South –

- Houston Texans = B+ (8.5/10)

o Their first round selection was great. Kareem Jackson is a great cover corner replacement for Dunta Robinson, and should make a smooth transition into the NFL coming out of a pro-style defense at Alabama. Ben Tate, RB out of Auburn, was a great value pick in the second ground. He has a good combination of size and speed, and is also an effective receiver out of the backfield. Fourth Round selection Darryl Sharpton is a tough, high motor type LB who will be a quality special teamer and provide effective depth if needed. The late round quality is surprising as well. Selecting Trindon Holliday in the Sixth Round gives the Texans a blazing fast return specialist and lucking into receiving TE Dorin Dickerson in the Seventh Round provides the Texans with a great mismatch weapon either off the line at TE or lined up in the slot.

- Tennessee Titans = B- (7.5/10)

o The losses of Kyle Vanden Bosch and Jevon Kearse to Free Agency this off season made DE a clear priority need for Tennessee. Luckily, Derrick Morgan fell to them and will start right away. He has a great balance of pass rush and run stopping skills, and could be an all-pro in the near future. The Second Round pick of Damian Williams makes sense as Tennessee really doesn’t have a guaranteed productive receiver behind emerging Kenny Britt. Third Round selection Rennie Curran is a throwback, old school LB who makes up for his lack of size and speed with great instincts and an extremely high motor. This guy will not be kept off the ball if it is anywhere near his side of the field. The rest of the draft provided Tennesee a chance to try and help sure up their 31st ranked pass defense with three picks in the secondary, including Rhodes Scholar saftey Myron Rolle, and provide depth at questionable positions such as QB and DT.

- Indianapolis Colts = C (6.5/10)

o The Colts found their future all-pro pass rusher at DE in Jerry Hughes. The first round selection has great quickness and is in the same mold as current Colts DE Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. The Colts decided to reach for picks in the second and third rounds. In the second they picked ILB Pat Angerer, when no one had him on their radar in the second and most likely would have been available at pick 94 in the third when they selected CB Kevin Thomas. That being said, Angerer is the same style of player as current ILB Gary Brackett, but with more size. Kevin Thomas will fill the Colts need for a bigger corner, but due to their lack of depth may see the field a bit too soon. He is a talented prospect, but has never managed to stay on the field for long with injuries plaguing his entire college career. The rest of the draft consisted of the Colts selecting players for depth on a team without much need for other impact players at this point.

- Jacksonville Jaguars = D (5/10)

o The Jaguars just fell flat in this draft. Their first two players do have a high potential, but reaching a great distance for players early in the draft hardly ever works out as well as some GMs hope. Number 10 overall pick Tyson Alualu looks to start now as the Jaguars have released veteran DT John Henderson, and they are nowhere near the same player (Henderson at 6’7” 335lbs and Tyson Alualu at 6’3” 295lbs). Alualu has good strength and uses his hands well to shed blockers, but could have used another year to develop into a starter at the DT position. Third round pick D’Anthony Smith is a high potential DT as well, but more on the pass rush side of the spectrum. Jacksonville only had four more picks in the rest of the draft and they were all in the Fifth Round or later. Not one of those picks looks to make the active roster, with the exception of their last pick Scotty McGee who could see some work as a return specialist.

Let us know what you think!