Buffalo Bills
The Bills were bad last year, which usually means a changing of the guard at quarterback is in order. However, incumbent starter Ryan Fitzpatrick had a pretty solid 2010 with an 82 passer rating. And with no surefire quarterback prospects in this draft, I think staying with Fitzpatrick for at least one more year is the best strategy.
The Bills were dead last stopping the run, so adding the beast Marcel Dareus was a great move with their first pick. Alabama’s Dareus excelled in the rough and tumble SEC, is a great athlete for his size, and appears to be the strongest player on the field at all times. At 6’3”, 320 pounds, Dareus is the ideal anchor against the run, and with the Bills playing both 3-4 and 4-3, Dareus provides tremendous versatility. When you watch a game, Dareus is one of the few players that jumps off the screen.
In the second round the Bills made a slightly curious pick, though they got a quality player. Aaron Williams (DB, Texas) can play corner or safety and is a talented, physical player. It’s just that the Bills’ secondary is probably the strength of their team; they ranked 3rd in the league defending the pass in 2010. Still, the defense was Buffalo’s problem last year, and after getting Dareus, I can’t punish them too much for adding another quality player to that side of the ball.
The pick I really like came in the third round, the linebacker Kelvin Sheppard out of LSU. With stopping the run such an issue, the Bills added two guys in Dareus and Sheppard that should help turn things around fast. Sheppard is big at 250 pounds and has good speed and overall athleticism, able to get back and cover tight ends. He was a leader on his college team.
Management must be expecting to lose some of their secondary, because in the fourth round Buffalo again addressed the area, netting Da’Norris Searcy (SS, North Carolina). The 223-pound Searcy has the size to be an impact player against the run and enough speed and agility to be solid in coverage. He had an incredible 27 bench press reps at the combine.
In the late fourth round the Bills did something that probably should have been addressed earlier; they picked an offensive lineman. Chris Hairston from Clemson is a huge man at 6’6” and 325 pounds with great strength and solid athleticism, but he was never a true standout in college.
The Bills may have gotten a solid halfback in the fifth, taking a good, natural runner in UNC’s Johnny White.
In the sixth and seventh rounds the Bills continued to stockpile defensive players.
I always like when a team heads into a draft with a theme like Buffalo clearly did. They went defense early and often, getting physical players from big-time programs. Dareus should be a star, Williams should help right away, and Sheppard could start from Day 1 as well. Searcy is a talented player that might take some time learning the league, but he could develop into a thumper at strong safety. Hairston was a high-upside pick who hasn’t shown that he’s an NFL starter just yet. White complements an already talented backfield. The only thing I would say is that the offense needed some major help but didn’t get it in this draft. I understand though; teams can only do so much with their picks, and Buffalo completely revamped their defense in this draft.
Grade: B+
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins had major needs entering this draft, and I’m not sure they addressed enough of them. They simply didn’t have the number of picks to restock completely, but they did a solid job of adding good players at positions of need.
I like Miami’s first pick, Mike Pouncey (OL, Florida). He’s an excellent athlete who can play center or guard, and the Dolphins desperately need more talent in the middle of their offensive line.
In the second round Miami got Kansas State runner Daniel Thomas, who fits the theme of this draft: physicality. Thomas is a bruising 230 pounds, and with Ronnie Brown constantly injured, was a good pick.
In fourth rounder Edmund Gates, Miami might have drafted the next Ted Ginn, or they may have gotten a steal. Out of Abilene Christian, the thing that pops is his speed: a 4.31 40-yard dash. Perhaps he can provide the deep threat opposite the massive and imposing possession receiver Brandon Marshall. If he can, then Chad Henne could improve dramatically. Henne has a great downfield arm, and has needed a player that to lift the lid off of the defense and to open things up underneath. Gates has good ball skills and strength, but he is raw in running routes.
In the sixth round the Dolphins picked up Charles Clay (TE/FB, Tulsa) who is a versatile player and a decent athlete who could fill multiple positions.
The first two picks should work out in tandem. Pouncey can play right away and bring physicality to the Dolphin run game. Thomas may be running strong behind Pouncey for the next 5-7 years; he’s a talented back that can wear down defenses. Then adding the speedster Gates should help the Dolphins be a more dangerous vertical passing team. Additionally, all of the first three selections should help Henne. If he can’t succeed with a talented new center, another good running back, and a certified deep threat, then he’s not the guy.
Grade: B-
New England Patriots
It just isn’t fair. They go 14-2 and then have a seemingly endless supply of draft picks the following year. Without many needs, the Patriots could essentially pick whoever they wanted whenever they wanted.
The Patriots spent their first round selection on Nate Solder, once considered the best offensive tackle in his class, but a guy that had slid a little right before the draft. Still, New England gets a tremendous pass protector with a huge frame and potential to be a truly elite offensive lineman. He is the heir apparent to Matt Light on the left side.
New England addressed another big need with the top pick in the second round, adding the physical cornerback from Virginia, Ras-I Dowling. Dowling is big and fast; the 6’1”, 200-pound corner runs a 4.40 40-yard dash. Plus, he’s a smart player who started for a long time in college and should be solid immediately in the Patriot secondary.
Late second round pick Shane Vareen (RB, California) was a taken a little high for my taste, but he is a versatile player that bolsters a position of some need. Though Danny Woodhead is a fine player, I’m not sure he’s the yearly answer as a feature back. Vareen is a compact and strong runner who can catch the ball out of the backfield and has nice open field moves. He should get some carries right off the bat and help improve a so-so Patriots running game.
I don’t really understand the Pats’ next pick in the third round, another running back in LSU’s Stevan Ridley. I believe adding Vareen was a more than adequate move to jolt the running game, but with so many picks to play with, perhaps the Patriots just took a guy they liked. The 225 pounder with an attacking running style can add another element to the New England offense and gives them perhaps the deepest stable of running backs in the NFL (Woodhead, BenJarvis Green-Ellis, Vareen, and now Ridley).
With the very next selection the Patriots did something some loved and others hated: Ryan Mallet. And I loved it. If he doesn’t work out, so what? He’s a third round pick on a championship-level team; it won’t really be a big deal if he can’t be Brady’s successor. And if he does work out, then the Patriots are geniuses yet again. Mallett has the best arm of any quarterback drafted this year. The knock on him is his work ethic and attitude toward the game. Sitting behind Brady for two or three years ought to help Mallett dial in and maximize his physical gifts. And if Mallett doesn’t turn out to be the Patriots’ guy, he could be juicy trade bait, like we’re currently seeing with Kevin Kolb.
The fifth round saw the Patriots add mammoth TCU guard Marcus Cannon, who fits well with the physical theme New England seemed to be going for in this draft. Cannon was, to some, a second round talent. At 6’5” and 360 pounds, Cannon is unbelievably big, but he also shows surprising athleticism playing tackle in college. If he can learn to play guard, he could be dominant, and that’s not something you can say about most fifth round picks.
The thing to keep in mind with this draft is that New England had a huge rookie class last year and is still developing those players. They have so many young bodies that needs really disappear, and taking the most talented prospects becomes the smart strategy. Solder will be a star if he stays healthy and gets stronger, Dowling has all the physical gifts to be a good corner, and the combo of Vareen/Ridley totally reshapes the running back situation. Mallett was a flyer, a luxury pick with a huge ceiling and not much of a cost coming in the third round. Cannon was a steal in the fifth.
Overall I love how the Patriots drafted for talent. Their draft class has as much potential as any teams’. The only thing I thought they missed was adding more depth to the defensive line. They maybe could have looked at taking a dynamic wideout as well, but I’m nitpicking at this point.
Grade: A-
New York Jets
Even with limited picks, the Jets still addressed major needs. The front line of the Jets’ 3-4 was unspectacular last year, especially after Kris Jenkins went down with yet another injury. Jenkins is probably done as an elite player. The linebacking corps and secondary are very strong for New York, and the offense is stocked with young talent, so finding impact players on the defensive line was the top priority in this draft.
The Jets hit big in the first round with Temple defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson. At 6’4” and 315 pounds, Wilkerson has the size and strength to play any position on the defensive line, but he will likely spend most of his time at defensive end. Very athletic for his size, Wilkerson has the ability to take on two blockers and could be a dominant run defender. Physically, he’s ready to compete with NFL offensive linemen.
In the third round the Jets took a chance on a small school player in Kenrick Elllis, a defensive tackle from Hampton. The enormous 6’5”, 350-pound Ellis plays with a violent demeanor and fires off the snap. He has the prototype height to block quarterbacks’ line of vision and the prototype girth to take on multiple blockers. Plus, he’s scary quick for a man of his size. With all the talent to excel, Ellis simply has to prove he can transition from a small school to the bright lights of New York and the NFL.
In the fourth round the Jets added another player to their running back rotation, Louisville’s Bilal Powell. He’s not huge, but at 210 pounds and with a physical running style, he can be a punishing back in stretches. After underwhelming his first three collegiate years, Powell ran for over 1,400 yards last year.
I like the pick of Jeremy Kerley (WR, TCU) in the fifth round. He’s a smart player that played in a pass-oriented offense in college. I think mentally will be ready to contribute right away. He seems to be a perfect fit in the slot.
Taking a chance on Greg McElroy in the seventh was a smart move. Mentally he’s as sharp as quarterbacks come, and while his physical skills aren’t mind-blowing, McElroy can hold his own. To me he projects as an ideal #2 who will add a tremendous presence to the locker room and will be like another coach on the roster. That’s pretty good value for the seventh round.
Taking defensive linemen with their top two picks was the best thing the Jets could have done; it was by far their biggest need. Wilkerson should be a solid player immediately and could be very good down the road. Ellis has huge potential and talent-wise was a steal in the third round, but he has a lot to prove at the next level. Powell and Kerley were both productive college players that aren’t physically overwhelming but should be contributors. The Jets can’t be sold that LaDanian Tomlinson has much left in the tank, and wideouts Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards are free agents. With that in mind, Powell and Kerley were smart picks. Finally, I can’t help but love getting such a solid individual in McElroy in the seventh round.
Grade: B
--from Adam
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