Who's Draft Impressed You The Most

[Bangy 19]

With the draft almost done I think this is a good time to put this up, Who's draft impressed you the most and who's was the worst?

 

For me The Raiders draft has been damn good espically considering the fact they are normally slated in who they take. DJ Hayden is a great replacement for the DB Corps with Huff leaving to the Ravens, Hayden is a tough DB that will get in the face of any WR he faces and imo could well be a future shut down CB in the league.

 

Watson in the second is also a great pick up, he sures up a line that has been poor with pass protection. He has great athletism and with his reach and strength is good for a guy his size, the other thing I like about Watson is the fact he is smart having only played for a year at Florida State to go from nowhere to touted as a first round pick says alot about his football brain, he also has the desire to do well considering what he has done to get to where he is.

 

Tyler Wilson is a good young QB and imo could start the season as the QB, it doesn't say a lot about the QB situation in Oakland but he will learn as he goes and will be a good solid pick for them.

 

Murry is going to be an exciting back when paired up with Darren McFadden, he will take a lot of heat off Run DMC and as the potiental to be a home run hitter everytime he is in the backfield. Another plus less strain on DMC means more production.

 

They picked up Rivera as well who has great hands a bit of learning and transiton will be needed but a great TE pick up.

[OSUViking 505]

I /really/ like the Vikings draft. There are some definite concerns with the players, but I think we have the veterans and the coaching needed to develop and iron out any of those concerns. This might sound like bias, but I give the Vikings an A/A- grade for this draft.

[Omerta+ 1,206]

For me it is Arizona, and being honest the only team close is Seattle.

[CampinWithaMissingPerson 2,025]

For me it is Arizona, and being honest the only team close is Seattle.

 

Agreed.

[Phins4life 271]

I definitely liked Arizona's draft. Brought in 2 solid backs to reinforce that injury prone backfield and gave the QB an additional weapon in Swope to go along with all the other great picks. Loved almost all of them.

 

I think SF had a great draft as well, considering the only glaring need for them was a new safety. Beyond the first round they were pretty much free to do as they pleased. Quinton Patton is a great addition to an already solid receiving corps. I think the Marcus Lattimore pickup was perfect for both him and the team, and possibly one of the best pickups in the whole draft. Think about it: he's going to a SB contender and has no pressure to recover too fast from his injury thanks to an already deep backfield. He was the most NFL ready back before his injury, and since he already had the smarts, all they have to do is wait for him to have the body again. If it doesn't work out, they got him on the cheap anyway late in the draft. At best he becomes the heir apparent to a potential HoFer in Gore. What's not to like?

 

Bengals made some solid moves as well as Tampa. By bringing in Jonathan Banks, I think the Bucs have arguably the best secondary in the NFCS, and in contention for the NFC depending on how well they mesh.

 

Minny's draft was top-heavy, but that first round was impressive in my book.

[BradyFan81 404]

I'm on the Arizona train too.

 

Also like St Louis draft, Baltimore's, and New Orleans with their limited picks.

[Piggly Wiggly 960]

Houston.

 

DeAndre Hopkins, DJ Swearinger, Brennan Williams, Sam Montgomery, Trevardo Williams, David Quessenberry, etc.

 

Beast.

Edited April 28, 2013 by BenJarvus Green-Ellis

[BwareDWare94 723]

I really like the Jets' first two picks.

[CampinWithaMissingPerson 2,025]

I also liked Miami's draft a lot, although I'm scared for Dion Jordan hearing they're viewing him as a three down DE. He's not a great fit in a 4-3 in my opinion unless you play him at strongside linebacker. I feel like he's gonna struggle now that they're viewing him in that certain role. He's not developed enough to be a 4-3 DE, the best thing they can do is play him wide, angled on the OT so he can just speed into the backfield. If they line him up like a regular 4-3 DE they're asking for disappoint IMO. But other than that, I loved the rest of their draft, very well done. I love the Jamar Taylor and Will Davis picks. Dallas Thomas will help with OL. Jelani Jenkins, Dion Sims, and Mike Gillislee are solid role players for sure. I think Gillislee is an upgrade over Thomas, and Lamar Miller is going to be a beast IMO.

[butta54 371]

I like Tennessee's draft a lot through the first six picks I was losing my mind. Really thought they should have took Da'Rick Rogers too just because Britt isn't reliable and having him and Hunter together would be dynamic. Why not go for the home-grown product?

 

But for me the Steelers take the draft for me. In my perfect match-ups I put Markus Wheaton in Pittsburgh because you watch the tape and can't help but see Mike Wallace. He has better route running which is just a plus so getting him in the 3rd round is a complete steal.

 

Then you look at Shamarko Thomas who I loved on film, people like to jab at his height...well the guy can jump over 40 inches and runs like a receiver. A very compact physical guy who will be a missile on the field and can grow behind those two vets.

 

Landry Jones is a QB with a very nice floor and has no pressure to come in and play (until Ben gets hurt). He will learn and compete.

 

Terry Hawthorne is a long corner which is becoming the new craze. Steelers get one of their own who will be well-served under DB guru Mike Tomlin.

 

Vince Williams is a complete steal to me. He is the best downhill run stopping LB next to Te'o. While he probably won't play third down because of his lack of speed, but in the pass game isn't that bad. Very big hitter and def a Steeler-type player.

 

Last but not least a guy who didn't wow me but I think adds a great dimension to the run game is LeVeon Bell. He doesn't seem very fast, but somehow he is very explosive and has GREAT hands for a big back. I'm sure the Steelers will get a change of pace back, but I see Bell and Dwyer just punishing teams.

[Turry 755]

The Raiders had a meh draft.

[NY Diehard 26]

I like Tennessee's draft a lot through the first six picks I was losing my mind. Really thought they should have took Da'Rick Rogers too just because Britt isn't reliable and having him and Hunter together would be dynamic. Why not go for the home-grown product?

 

Take Da'Rick Rogers because Kenny Britt isn't reliable?

 

I forgot that Rogers was the model of reliability.

[AL_Royalty 489]

For me the most impressive and worst draft was the same team: The Kansas City Chiefs.

 

They just drafted out of left field all three days. I still can't wrap my head around how awful it was. I'm biased because of my love for the team. It makes my hate of moves that I don't approve of amplified in unquantifiable terms. Worst draft ever.

 

That brings me to the reason it's so impressive. How does the team with the no.1 pick draft so unbelievably poorly? You almost have to TRY to screw it up that bad, and since they were trying to do the opposite it's just flabbergasting, dumbfounding, and amazing that it could shake out the way it did.

[butta54 371]

Take Da'Rick Rogers because Kenny Britt isn't reliable?I forgot that Rogers was the model of reliability.

 

Point is you give a young player a chance to prove himself. Britt has had his chance. Not saying he starts but if Britt gets hurt again I say having another young talent doesn't hurt.

[CampinWithaMissingPerson 2,025]

Sports Illustrated released their grades:

 

Arizona Cardinals

 

The headliner here is CB Tyrann Mathieu, but it’s actually what Arizona did elsewhere that made this a very solid draft. G Jonathan Cooper (and later Earl Watford) will improve an awful O-line, while LB Kevin Minter was a solid add in Round 2 and DE/OLB Alex Okafor a steal in Round 4. Don’t sleep on the Stepfan Taylor-Andre Ellington duo at RB. Grade: B-plus

Atlanta Falcons

 

The Falcons absolutely had to find some help in the secondary, so they moved up for CB Desmond Trufant, then doubled down on Robert Alford. The move for Trufant did cost them a third-rounder, which left them taking a shot on DE Malliciah Goodman in Round 4. Sleeper here: QB Sean Renfree in the seventh. Grade: B

Baltimore Ravens

 

The Ravens used their first four picks on defense: S Matt Elam, LB Arthur Brown, DT Brandon Williams and DE John Simon. All could contribute, but the aggressive move for Brown was impressive. There’s value throughout here, too, with FB Kyle Juszczyk, DE Kapron Lewis-Moore and WR Aaron Mellette all intriguing picks. Grade: A-minus

Buffalo Bills

 

The best move of Buffalo’s entire weekend might turn out to be signing undrafted WR Da’Rick Rogers. That’s a low-risk gamble, one that pairs well with the selections of WR Robert Woods, LB Kiko Alonso and S Duke Williams. It’s also the opposite of using pick 16 on QB EJ Manuel. The Bills’ 2013 draft hinges on Manuel being able to shine. Grade: B-minus

Carolina Panthers

 

Carolina almost had no choice but to take DT Star Lotulelei after he fell to No. 14. From there, it was a pretty nondescript effort, save for the head-scratcher pick of G Edmund Kugbila in Round 4. Also not sure how RB Kenjon Barner fits in a crowded backfield. LB A.J. Klein could be a solid contributor. Grade: C

Chicago Bears

 

The Bears addressed a couple of needs, but did they get enough done here? OL Kyle Long, as he should as a first-rounder, will help the most. That pick of pass-rushing LB Cornelius Washington in Round 6 might be a steal, too. But why LB Jon Bostic over Arthur Brown? Grade: B-minus

Cincinnati Bengals

 

TE Tyler Eifert brings a dynamic presence to this offense and RB Gio Bernard could, too. DE Margus Hunt might need some time to learn the NFL game. Cincinnati actually did quite well in the mid- to late rounds, with LB Sean Porter and seventh-round OT Reid Fragel shaping up as very smart selections. Grade: B-plus

Cleveland Browns

 

A bit of an unusual draft for the Browns, who landed an impact defender in OLB Barkevious Mingo at No. 6 and then picked just once more (CB Leon McFadden) in the next 167 selections. Cleveland did pick up a third- and fourth-rounder in 2014. Plus, remember, the Browns traded in this year’s second-rounder to get WR Josh Gordon in the 2012 supplemental draft. That Gordon gamble paid off and the Browns will have lots of choices in 2014. Strictly in terms of the 2013 draft, though, there’s not much to go on here — slightly disappointing for a team hoping to make big strides. Grade: D-plus

Dallas Cowboys

 

The Travis Frederick selection was a reach. A major reach. Fellow C Brian Schwenke was taken 76 picks later and it’s hard to say Frederick is noticeably better. It got better from there, with TE Gavin Escobar, WR Terrance Williams and S J.J. Wilcox, for starters. The Cowboys, though, still need help at RT, possibly a backup RB, another pass rusher and some linebacker help. They didn’t address many needs in this draft. Grade: C-plus

Denver Broncos

 

It sort of goes without saying since immediate draft grades are pure guesswork, but I have no clue what will happen with this Denver class. DT Sylvester Williams ought to see plenty of run, but is RB Montee Ball going to fit in this offense? Will DE Quanterus Smith come back healthy? What’s with that third-round pick of CB Kayvon Webster? Interesting draft here, to say the least. Grade: C-plus

Detroit Lions

 

My favorite pick of Detroit’s draft: G Larry Warford in Round 3. He’s a monster and the Lions badly need a player like him up front. TE Michael Williams (Round 7) also will fit in nicely. The picks of DEs Ziggy Ansah and Devin Taylor and of CB Darius Slay could help, too, but all three have warts. Plus, a Round 5 punter? Grade: B-minus

Green Bay Packers

 

So…no one else wanted RBs Eddie Lacy or Johnathan Franklin? Well, good luck trying to stop them in Green Bay’s offense. DE Datone Jones also has a perfect look for the Packers’ front. G/T David Bakhtiari gives the Packers another option along the O-line (as does J.C. Tretter), while S Micah Hyde will be in the mix on defense. Grade: A-minus

Houston Texans

 

WR DeAndre Hopkins is just what the doctor ordered for this offense. Same goes for S D.J. Swearinger on the other side of the ball. Beyond that, we’ll see. Offensive linemen Brennan Williams and David Quessenberry and defensive ends Sam Montgomery and Trevardo Williams have potential, but they’ll have to work to crack the lineup. Grade: B

Indianapolis Colts

 

Their top pick, Bjoern Werner, has a long way to go before he can be a reliable 3-4 OLB — he was a better fit for a 4-3. And just about every pick here comes with some hesitation. G Hugh Thornton is pretty raw, DT Montori Hughes carries significant red flags and S John Boyett had issues with both knees. Hard to see it all falling into place for this group. Grade: C

Jacksonville Jaguars

 

If this draft is any indication, the new regime in Jacksonville will accomplish some great things. OT Luke Joeckel is a stud, and S John Cyprien easily could have been a Round 1 pick. Pencil in CB Dwayne Gratz as a starter, as well. Best of all, the additions of WR Ace Sanders and RB/WR/QB/KR/shoelace boycotter Denard Robinson will allow the Jaguars to be a lot more creative on offense. Grade: A

Kansas City Chiefs

 

The Chiefs could not go wrong choosing between OT Eric Fisher and Joeckel at No. 1. They might have gone wrong after that, depending on how well TE Travis Kelce walks the straight and narrow or when RB Knile Davis can contribute. CB Sanders Commings could win playing time, and I actually think seventh-round pick DE Mike Catapano will stick on this roster. Grade: B

Miami Dolphins

 

I’m very much on the Dion Jordan bandwagon, but he told me himself that he fit better on a 3-4 defense than at 4-3 end. So, either Miami needs to adjust or Jordan has to prove himself wrong to avoid the Dolphins busting out on their big Round 1 trade. Elsewhere, there might be four or five legitimate starters here, including T/G Dallas Thomas. CB Jamar Taylor was a favorite of mine at that position. Grade: B-plus

Minnesota Vikings

 

This is all about the three-man first round for Minnesota. DT Sharrif Floyd, CB Xavier Rhodes and WR Cordarrelle Patterson should all play huge roles for the next several years. Does it really matter, then, that the rest of this draft (save for maybe OLB Gerald Hodges) was pretty ho-hum? The Vikings went for broke in Round 1, and came out looking golden. Grade: A-minus

New England Patriots

 

This was a very Patriots draft — a couple of chances on fairly anonymous players, versatile defenders and a host of Rutgers guys. New England traded out of the 29th pick to add No. 52 (OLB Jamie Collins), No. 83 (CB Logan Ryan), No. 102 (WR Josh Boyce) and a seventh-round selection it later traded. Does that collection of players make up for passing on a late first-rounder? The Patriots need WR Aaron Dobson to be a weapon. Oh, and who knows on that Round 3 pick of S Duron Harmon. Grade: C-plus

New Orleans Saints

 

The Saints ought to be thrilled with S Kenny Vaccaro, their first-round selection. They were not on the clock for 60 selections after that and only made five total picks. The best of the rest might be DT John Jenkins, who’s faster than he looks. OT Terron Armstead was a value at 75, but he will not help the Saints’ issues at tackle until at least 2014. Grade: C

New York Giants

 

They took G/T Justin Pugh higher than I expected him to go, though he might pan out to be worthy of that spot. DT Johnathan Hankins and DE Damontre Moore both were typical Giants picks and should pitch in on defense. The trade up for QB Ryan Nassib was a classic Giants value pick, too — though, if Eli Manning sticks around for a few years, Nassib will either sit on the sideline or be traded. Lots of upside here. We’ll have to see how much immediate impact the Giants get. Grade: B

New York Jets

 

The first round was disappointing. DT Sheldon Richardson is kind of miscast in the Jets’ current defense, and CB Dee Milliner broke the rule that you don’t try to replace a player you just traded away by drafting someone at the same position. G Brian Winters has a nasty streak and Rex Ryan will like that. But, of course, the spotlight will shine brightest on QB Geno Smith. Is he the answer New York needs at that position? Or are there ample reasons to justify his drop into Round 2? Grade: C

Oakland Raiders

 

The Raiders, short a second-round pick heading into the draft, traded down from No. 3 to No. 12 and remedied that problem. They then took CB D.J. Hayden at 12 and OT Menelik Watson at 42. There are worries both spots — Hayden’s health and Watson’s inexperience. LB Sio Moore at 66 is my favorite pick of Oakland’s. Then there’s the swing for the fences in Round 4: QB Tyler Wilson, who may put the heat on Matt Flynn. All things beings equal, the Raiders did well for themselves. Except, where’s the D-line help? Oakland failed to address an awful unit until a couple of late Hail Marys. Grade: B-minus

Philadelphia Eagles

 

Until we know more about Chip Kelly’s plans, let’s just chalk the Matt Barkley pickup to finding a potential first-round QB at No. 98. The rest of this class figures to be more important in 2013. No one more so than OT Lane Johnson, who has the athleticism to thrive under Kelly. TE Zach Ertz could be a dangerous weapon in this offense, too. Defensively, expect DT Bennie Logan to help and CB Jordan Poyer to possibly prove the steal of the draft. Grade: B-plus

Pittsburgh Steelers

 

The Steelers hit on four needs with their first four picks: OLB (Jarvis Jones), running back (Le’Veon Bell, who fits this offense but may not have warranted pick 48), receiver (Markus Wheaton) and safety (Shamarko Thomas). And then they picked QB Landry Jones. It’s a great fit for Jones — Ben Roethlisberger’s frequently hurt and the Steelers’ aerial attack plays to Jones’ strengths. The pick was still a surprising one. Grade: B-plus

San Diego Chargers

 

In OT D.J. Fluker, LB Manti Te’o and WR Keenan Allen, the Chargers added three starters. Allen, at 76, will easily outplay that draft slot if he’s 100 percent. San Diego did not cobble together much depth — CB Steve Williams and DE Tourek Williams are fringe roster guys. This Chargers’ class will live and die on the first three rounds, with most eyes focusing on Te’o. Grade: B

San Francisco 49ers

 

This got kind of silly for a while. The 49ers traded up for S Eric Reid, who should replace Dashon Goldson. Then, they stole DE Tank Carradine at 40, TE Vance McDonald at 55 and WR Quinton Patton at 128. In between those picks, San Francisco also added quick DE/OLB Corey Lemonier and RB Marcus Lattimore, the latter of whom could be a star if his rehab from a catastrophic knee injury works out. Grade: A

Seattle Seahawks

 

Seattle used its Round 1 pick to acquire Percy Harvin, so it had to wait until pick 62 to get working. Actually, the Seahawks’ best decisions came at 137 (DT Jesse Williams) and 138 (CB Tharold Simon). The Seahawks had a roster built to roll the dice a bit in the draft, and that’s just what they did with their first three picks. Grade: B-minus

St. Louis Rams

 

The NFC West is going to be pretty, pretty good. St. Louis stacked up as the third-best team in that division heading into the draft, behind San Francisco and Seattle, and the Rams loaded up. They traded up for electrifying WR Tavon Austin, then added his former college teammate Stedman Bailey — oh, and LB Alec Ogletree — after trading down later. St. Louis also found a possible starting safety in T.J. McDonald, a proven and versatile lineman in Barrett Jones and do-everything RB Zac Stacy. Grade: A

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 

The Buccaneers sacrificed their Round 1 pick for CB Darrelle Revis, so the rest of this was icing on the cake. CB Johnthan Banks further upgraded a terrible pass-defense unit; DT Akeem Spence will add some punch inside. The real doozy: QB Mike Glennon in Round 3. Glennon is a long, long way from being an NFL starter, so what’s the game plan here? The trade for Revis gets an “A”. The draft was only so-so. Grade: C

Tennessee Titans

 

You know what? I loved this draft. G Chance Warmack might be the best player in the whole class, and Tennessee scored him at 10. The Titans kept right on rolling after that, with five more gems — WR Justin Hunter, CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson, OLB Zaviar Gooden (one of my favorite under-the-radar guys this year), C Brian Schwenke and DE Lavar Edwards. An interior defensive lineman would have been nice, but the Titans improved a bunch regardless. Grade: A-minus

Washington Redskins

 

Washington knew this year would be lean after dealing its 2013 first-rounder as part of that package to land RGIII. The fourth-round pick of ball-hawking safety Phillip Thomas moved the needle more than that of up-and-down CB David Amerson in Round 2 (even if the Redskins later took sleeper Bacarri Rambo, a very similar player to Thomas). TE Jordan Reed could be fun to watch in this offense. There’s nothing great here, but all in all, it’s decent. Grade: C-plus

 

I actually almost completely agree with all of this, which shocked me. Disagree on maybe one or two takes, but that's it. Thoughts?

[AL_Royalty 489]

Sports Illustrated released their grades:

 

 

 

I actually almost completely agree with all of this, which shocked me. Disagree on maybe one or two takes, but that's it. Thoughts?

Oh, I have some thoughts, but I'll just leave you with this question: do they really think that EVERY team in the NFL did at least a decent job maneuvering the draft, excepting the Browns? Really EVERY team put in at least a 'C' effort?

[CampinWithaMissingPerson 2,025]

Oh, I have some thoughts, but I'll just leave you with this question: do they really think that EVERY team in the NFL did at least a decent job maneuvering the draft, excepting the Browns? Really EVERY team put in at least a 'C' effort?

 

Honestly I think this year they did There really wasn't a team that was just completely terrible like there usually is.

[RazorStar 4,025]

And even the Browns weren't terrible, considering they put all their eggs into a better draft class (at the top, at least). I think the Rams are going to have a rough draft, despite how it looks on paper.

[CampinWithaMissingPerson 2,025]

And even the Browns weren't terrible, considering they put all their eggs into a better draft class (at the top, at least). I think the Rams are going to have a rough draft, despite how it looks on paper.

 

Exactly @ the Browns.

[Barracuda 629]

Wasn't disappointed with our draft. Wasn't ecstatic either. We set ourselves up nicely for next year and we got a few possible starters. Depth on the oline which we needed. Depth in the backfield.

 

Solid C at least.

[the Lions fan 19]

AZ and SF killed it, MIN and CIN close behind. Big picture wise SF wins for UFAs. But depending on how things go TB or SEA could end up having the best or worst use of their picks. All around good drafts though, you could make a strong case for at least 10 teams. Now who did the worst is the tougher question. MIA did well but you have to wonder wether they got the value in trading up to 3 and not getting the best player on the board now or arguably in the future. DAL screwed up, in a different direction than usual, which is interesting. Can't picture ol JJ masturbating to any Romo to Frederick highlights, sorry... inside joke about JJ having a deep ball fetish. CLE was staring at a draft full of what they needed, truly would have benefited most from the ol bpa approach, and walked away with less holes filled than most.

[Legatron 21]

I like what the Rams did. We filled some needs and drafted a playmaker in Tavon Austin. I'm not too high on Alec Olgetree, but I wait and see what the coaches do with him.