Grading this year’s draft is a little tricky because due to labor uncertainty, we have no idea what will happen in free agency. A draft pick may start right away for a departing free agent or unexpectedly sit behind a future free agent acquisition not yet on the roster. The point is you can’t entirely judge what a team did in this year’s draft until you see the whole offseason picture, which free agency is an integral part of. So for now, let’s look at the quality of players each team selected and do some guess work as to how each team met their needs.
Arizona Cardinals
Most people are going to crush them for passing on Blaine Gabbert. Not me. If you don’t think that a guy is going to be a franchise player as a quarterback, you don’t pay him fifth overall money. The Cardinals must not have loved any of the passers available, and you’d have to assume they will make a move for Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb, Kyle Orton, or another veteran signal caller. If Arizona does find a solid quarterback, they will have a nice team to surround him with due to a very good draft this year.
Picking Patrick Peterson was the best thing they could have done. He was the best player in this draft, and they got him with the fifth pick. Combined with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Peterson instantly gives Arizona an elite corner duo. Keep in mind this is also a defense that already boasts Pro Bowlers in safety Adrian Wilson and Darnell Dockett as well as rising star Calais Campbell.
In the second round the Cards nabbed what I consider to be an immense talent in Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams. He is an electric open field runner with great vision, elusiveness, and natural ability. He can form a terrific backfield trio with Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower.
In the third round the Cardinals added the freakishly athletic receiving tight end Robert Housler from Florida Atlantic. A perfect middle of the field, red zone, and deep target to draw coverage away from Larry Fitzgerald, Housler is 6’5” and ran a 4.5 40 yard dash at the combine.
Quan Sturdivant (North Carolina) and Sam Acho (Texas) are a pair of linebackers that I believe can start in this league and will improve the Cardinals’ defense instantly.
If you read the tea leaves, it’s clear this draft set the table for a veteran quarterback to come in and guide the ship. Whoever's brought in will have Williams and Wells to hand the ball to, Fitzgerald and Housler to throw to, and a much improved defense on the other side. The only thing, and this is rather glaring, is that Arizona did nothing to help their below average offensive line. I love the talent they acquired, and I think they got a number of steals, but they didn’t draft a single offensive lineman.
Grade: B+
San Francisco 49ers
Say what you want about taking Missouri pass rusher Aldon Smith seventh overall, but I like the pick. Adding an outside pass rush was the 49ers’ biggest defensive need, and with Von Miller off the board, San Fran got the best available man. It might have been a slight reach, but Smith is a very talented player that was valued as a top-15 talent who meets a pressing need.
In the second round the Niners made another good move by drafting the hugely gifted Colin Kaepernick from Nevada. Certainly Kaepernick is a project, but there were no slam dunk passers in this draft, and by taking the Nevada quarterback in the second round, the 49ers will avoid paying him exorbitant money. Behind Cam Newton, Kaepernick was the most athletic quarterback in the draft. Also, Kaepernick has the arm strength to make any throw, is considered very smart/coachable, and will be in the hands of quarterback guru Jim Harbaugh. He won’t play immediately, but he has the talent to be a very good starter down the road.
The Niners kill two birds with one stone in the third round by drafting the speedy corner from South Carolina, Chris Culliver. He ran a 4.36 at the combine, has good coverage skills, and can return kicks. He should compete for the nickel back spot.
Perhaps an heir apparent to Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter in the fourth round was a tremendous value. Injuries and fumble issues prohibited the very talented Hunter from going as high as the second round. If he gets 5-10 touches a game, he could make an impact right away.
Ronald Johnson, the wideout from USC, was a good value in the sixth round as a potential slot receiver and kick returner. The Niners also drafted two offensive linemen, two defensive backs, and a defensive lineman in the later rounds to add depth, competition, and perhaps find an every down player.
The Niners reached a bit in the first round, and while Kaepernick can be a good quarterback, he won’t help right away. Culliver may have been a reach in the third, but Hunter was a steal in the fourth. The Niners stockpiled players and added depth to the undermanned secondary in the later rounds.
Grade: B-
Seattle Seahawks
The Alabama offensive lineman, James Carpenter, their first round pick, could have been had in the late second or early third rounds. John Moffitt is a guard I really like from Wisconsin, but Seattle could have gotten him later too.
Mississippi State’s KJ Wright, linebacker, was a solid pick in the fourth round. He’s very athletic and fits with the rangy duo of Lofa Tatupu and Aaron Curry. The only thing is, linebacker is already a relative strength on Seattle, and the defensive front was really what needed attention. Seattle proceeded to draft three defensive backs before adding their lone defensive lineman in the seventh round.
After having such a great draft last year, I guess Seattle was due for a stinker, and that’s precisely what they got. This was a team that needed help at the skill positions and also along the defensive line. They got none of that. They reached big time with their first selection and invested their top two picks in guys that may both play guard.
Grade: D+
St. Louis Rams
In the first round the Rams continued to add talent to an up-and-coming young defense. Robert Quinn, a defensive end from North Carolina, is an immense talent who comes with plenty of question marks after sitting out all of last year with a suspension. If he lives up to his ability, the Rams got a steal to bookend the improving former #2 overall selection, Chris Long.
Sam Bradford was tremendous as a rookie despite his top targets—Mark Clayton and Donnie Avery—missing most of the season. Even with those guys coming back, Bradford needs more help. This draft brought it in spades.
The middle of the second round may have been a little high to take Wisconsin receiving tight end Lance Kendricks, but he is a tremendous option in the middle of the field that has more than enough speed to outrun safeties and stretch defenses.
Austin Pettis in the third round adds another big target to Bradford’s arsenal. At 6’3” and over 200 pounds, Pettis can be the possession receiver that complements the smaller and quicker combo of Avery and Clayton.
For good measure, the Rams selected yet another receiver with their next pick, taking Greg Salas from Hawaii. Salas too is a big wideout at 6’2”, 206 pounds that comes from a pass-happy system in Hawaii.
You might think this is too much attention to one area of need, but the Rams’ offensive line is a good unit, and Stephen Jackson is a star running back, so receivers really were the only thing holding this offense back from being special.
In the late rounds the Rams drafted three defensive backs, the best of which may be Jermale Hines, a physical safety from Ohio State. They also added a mostly unknown prospect, Jabara Williams to the linebacking corps, who will hope to make the team as a special teams player.
Robert Quinn has lots of red flags, but if he works out, he is an impact player added to an improving defense that was solid but unspectacular last year. The Rams probably should have used one of the three picks they spent on receivers to add another playmaking defender. Kendricks was probably a reach, though I think he will be a good starter in the NFL. Pettis and Salas should make the team, but I don’t know if either will be special. Still, Sam Bradford is the franchise, and management has now surrounded him with solid protection, a great running back, and a bevy of diverse, young pass catchers.
Grade: C+
--from Adam
--from Adam
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