Dallas Cowboys
Dallas needed to get younger and more athletic on the offensive line, and by drafting USC offensive tackle Tyron Smith, they did exactly that. Smith was the most physically talented pass protector in the draft, so getting him 9 was a fine value.
Bruce Carter (LB, North Carolina) in the second round maybe wasn’t a huge need, but he can provide a big time pass rush opposite Demarcus Ware.
Getting DeMarco Murray in the third round didn’t make a whole lot of sense, though I perceive him as a first round talent, so I can’t kill the move too much. With Marion Barber growing older and Felix Jones’ injury issues, perhaps Murray could find some carries in the crowded Cowboy backfield, Tashard Choice be damned. He also has the speed and talent to play slot receiver and return kicks. Murray might be the type of dynamic player that puts Dallas’ already talented offense over the top.
Fourth round pick David Arkin (OT/OG, Missouri State) is another good athlete to add to the aging Cowboys offensive line. He might not be ready yet, but he could develop into a nice player.
Dwayne Harris (WR, East Carolina) is another player drafted to perhaps work out of the slot and return kicks.
They got the best tackle in the draft, and it fit their largest need. Bruce Carter is a big time talent that could put the Dallas pass rush at an elite level. DeMarco Murray wasn’t a real need but adds huge talent and big value in the third round. I think Murray makes their pick of Dwayne Harris a little redundant. They could have done more to address their secondary, but they got younger and better on the offensive line, and added quality talent in Murray and Carter.
Grade: B-
New York Giants
They needed to do more to upgrade their offensive line, but in terms of improving their defense, the Giants had one of the very best drafts of any team. Prince Amukamara (CB, Nebraska) could have gone in the top-10, but New York got him at nineteenth. Amukamara should be able to start—and play well—from Day One. I think he’s an eventual Pro Bowl player.
Marvin Austin (DT, North Carolina) was another top-10 talent that the Giants this time nabbed in the second round. He can play any position on the line and will make an early impact. Austin joins Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul, Matthias Kiwanuka, Osi Umenyiora, and Chris Canty to create maybe the best defensive line in football. That front should harass any quarterback, and Amukamara should lock down receivers for years.
I also really like the Troy wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan in the third round. The prototypical slot receiver, Jernigan’s a small but cat-quick player that runs good routes and will be impossible to cover in short spaces. Jernigan completes an extremely talented receiving corps for New York.
Getting Greg Jones, the linebacker from Michigan State, was a robbery in the sixth round. Jones was a star in college, tackles well, has solid range, is smart, and will start in this league.
James Brewer (OT, Indiana) was also a great value pick in the fourth. At 6’6” and 325 pounds, he’s massive, strong, and athletic. He has all the ability to develop into a starting player; it just may take a couple years.
They got two future stars among three starters for their defense. That’s tremendous. Jerrnigan provides an explosive dimension to their slot position and for kick returns, and Brewer could be a starter on the offensive line. The only thing they could have done better is address the offensive line sooner.
Grade: A-
Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia’s offensive line was shaky last year, and protecting Mike Vick is the most essential key to Eagles’ success. So picking guard Danny Watkins (Baylor) in the first round was a great move. He’s mature at age 26, athletic for the position, strong, and smart. He can start right away next to Jason Peters and create a talented left side of the offensive line.
Secondary was a big area of need as well, and Philly spent their second and third round picks on guys—safety Jaiquawn Jarrett from Temple and corner Curtis Marsh from Utah State—that can help improve that unit immediately. Jarrett is speedy enough for coverage, is a solid tackler, and smart player. Marsh may have been a reach in the third, but at 6’1” and with 4.4 speed, he has the physical tools to succeed.
Oregon’s Casey Matthews joins the long line of Matthews’ to reach the NFL and provides a rangy, talented player for an Eagles linebacking corps in need of upgrades. Matthews never stops attacking, and while he’s not the biggest or the fastest, he makes plays all over the field.
Getting Pittsburgh running back Dion Lewis in the fifth round was a steal. He reminds me a lot of another current Eagle/former Pitt Panther, LeSean McCoy. Lewis carried a huge load at Pittsburgh and is an incredibly talented and elusive runner.
Linebacker Brian Rolle from Ohio State was a good value in the sixth round. He’s an experienced, smart player whose speed allows him to cover both tight ends and receivers.
The Eagles also added depth and developmental players by selecting two more offensive linemen in the fifth and sixth rounds.
They addressed their biggest needs drafting for the offensive line, secondary, and linebackers, which I really liked. Even if I think they reached in places, they know more about the guys they selected than I do, and the continually well drafting Eagles must feel they can help. I love Danny Watkins, they made their secondary deeper, and Dion Lewis will be a great addition to Philly’s already loaded set of skill players.
Grade: B+
Washington Redskins
I don’t know about Ryan Kerrigan (DE, Purdue) in Round One. He is a talented prospect who brings an edge rush, but if the Skins are playing a 3-4, he’s a bad fit. He’s not big enough to play end in that system and not fluid enough to play outside linebacker. Washington desperately needs a passer with Donovan McNabb assuredly headed out the door, and instead of taking Blaine Gabbert at pick 10, the Redskins traded back and selected an out of position defensive lineman. I don’t understand that move.
Clemson defensive tackle Jarvis Jenkins was a good pick in the second round. Jenkins is not a pass rush threat, but he does get off the ball quickly and will be a force against the run. Certainly Washington has improved their front seven with Kerrigan and Jenkins joining stud linebacker Brian Orakpo.
Leonard Hankerson (WR, Miami) was a really good pick. Washington has needed a number one type receiver for years now, and Hankerson has the size (6’2”, 210) and speed (4.40 40-yard dash) to fit that bill.
Roy Helu (RB, Nebraska) is seen as a reach, but I like the pick. He’s got great playing speed, and he is a one-cut-and-go-type runner. I think he will be a productive player in the NFL.
Evan Royster (RB, Penn State) was a workhorse in college and is a powerful runner. Between Helu and Royster, the Skins certainly upgraded their backfield in the wake of the waived Clinton Portis.
Niles Paul (WR, Nebraska) is a physical specimen at 6’1”, 225 pounds that runs a 4.45 40-yard dash. He has the physical tools to be a starter; he just needs to learn the position.
Washington also had six picks in the sixth and seventh rounds that they used on developmental players.
Since they didn’t draft a quarterback, Washington must think they are going to get a starter in free agency. In that view, it’s not a bad thing that the Skins moved back in the draft. They had lots of needs and accumulated lots of players. Kerrigan and Jenkins should be starters and improve the front 7. Hankerson has big time talent at wide out, a position of need. They supplemented the running back spot with solid players and added a lot of developmental talent. In all, they added at least five guys that will impact this team, and time will tell about the later round picks. My only beefs are that Kerrigan doesn’t really fit their sytem, and maybe they should have taken a quarterback, but I understand addressing other areas.
Grade: B-
--from Adam
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