Draftaganza! - NFC South

This is the seventh in a series of eight posts from Adam analyzing the 2010 NFL Draft and what it means for each franchise.

This is a division characterized by a dichotomy between haves and have-nots.  The Falcons and Saints have as much talent as any teams in football, at least offensively.  The Buccaneers and Panthers are both rebuilding, but the Panthers might be in an even tougher spot because they are still under the impression that they can compete, whereas the reality is that they will soon have to rip this team apart and start from scratch.  The Bucs have already acknowledged that this is the case and have begun a full-fledged rebuilding effort.  Who knows how the Saints will respond to the role of defending champs?   I don't buy that they have been partying too much.  What I do buy is that it is incredibly difficult to stay on top in this league year after year.  The Saints' offense should be potent once again with Drew Brees leading a diverse and explosive cast of characters, and receiving great protection up front.  However, I think the Saints got by last year with a bit of a gimmicky defense led by a very good coordinator in Gregg Williams.  I love the Falcons' offense with Matt Ryan—a top 3-5 quarterback in this league for the next ten years, Michael Turner as a true feature back, Roddy White as a Pro Bowl wide out, and Tony Gonzalez, who is old but still as productive as any tight end in the game.  The Falcons added the best cornerback on the free agent market in Dunta Robinson to a defense that really needed some help.  I think just due to the difficulty of replicating success in this league I give the Falcons the edge to take this division.  I also like Michael Turner to have a bit of a bounce back year and for Matt Ryan to reach a truly elite level.

 Atlanta Falcons

1.19 Weatherspoon, Sean, LB, Missouri

3.19 Peters, Corey, DT, Kentucky

3.34 Johnson, Mike, OG, Alabama

4.19 Hawley, Joe, OG, UNLV

5.4 Franks, Dominique, CB, Oklahoma

5.34 Meier, Kerry, WR, Kansas

6.2 Schillinger, Shann, S, Montana

 

To me, the Falcons added two very good defensive players this offseason: Dunta Robinson via free agency and Sean Weatherspoon via the draft.  Any time you bring in two guys that will start immediately and have Pro Bowl potential, you have made you team and your unit, in this case defense, exponentially better.  I think Matt Ryan in his third year settles in and firmly takes command of the offense and the array of weapons (Turner, Jerious Norwood, White, Gonzalez) that surround him.  Combine this with a defense that is young and improving by adding serious talent, and I think we have our division favorite.  What this team needs—looking at last season—is simply for the offense to gel and the defense to add talent.  I think both of these elements will come together this year for the Falcons and with health, this team should be hosting a playoff game.  Mike Johnson is just a very solid offensive guard, and I always like SEC linemen because playing in the SEC is like playing in the minor leagues in baseball.  It is a higher level of competition than any other conference in the NCAA and really prepares guys for the NFL level of physicality.  Corey Peters is very talented defensive tackle who contributed immediately as a freshman in college, although his production since then was sporadic.  If he pans out and Peria Jerry can develop, the Falcons should have a nice tackle tandem to anchor their defensive front.

Carolina Panthers

2.16 Clausen, Jimmy, QB, Notre Dame
3.14 LaFell, Brandon, WR, LSU
3.25 Edwards, Armanti, QB, Appalacian St.
4.26 Norwood, Eric, LB, South Carolina
6.6 Hardy, Greg, DE, Mississippi
6.29 Gettis, David, WR, Baylor
6.33 Pugh, Jordan, DB, Texas A&M
6.35 Pike, Tony, QB, Cincinnati
7.16 Stanford, R.J., DB, Utah
7.42 McClain, Robert, DB, Connecticut

This is a team in decline even if they don't know it, or worse, refuse to admit it.  However, I give them huge ups for getting one of the best players in the draft, Jimmy Clausen, in the mid-second round.  Not only was Clausen one of the best players in the draft, but he is a quarterback, a position of inherently great value.  There are plenty of Clausen detractors out there, but I like the guy.  First, he played in the definition of a "pro style" offense as he was coached by a former great NFL offensive coordinator in Charlie Weis.  Second, he was supposed to be great coming out of high school and he did not disappoint.  It took him a few years, but last year he was tremendous.  Any time a guy gets hyped a ton and lives up to it, I tend to believe, first, that he can handle pressure, and second, where there's smoke there's fire, meaning if he was thought to be great and he played great, then he probably is great.  Sure, last year at Notre Dame he did not win a ton of games, but the offense scored a ton of points, and it's not the quarterback's job to stop the opposing team's offense.  He did his job, put points on the board, and he did it very well.  Here's another thing to consider: Notre Dame was trailing in nearly every game they played last year leading to a high pass attempt total, and yet his touchdown-to-interception ratio was 29-4, just FOUR interceptions all year in a typically pass-heavy, comeback mode offense.  In addition, he has a big time arm.  So let's review: Clausen played in and is well-versed in an NFL system, had a great pedigree coming to the Irisht, matched his pedigree with terrific production, and has all the physical tools needed to succeed.  His one drawback seems to be that people think he's cocky.  For me, that is an asset at the most pressure-packed position in sports.  He has everything you could ask for; he is smart, talented, productive, and acclimated to the NFL system.  He was a steal in the second round and would have been a steal anywhere outside of the first five picks.  Brandon LaFell will be a nice, productive receiver, but never a star.  He is solidly built, has good hands and good balance, but he will not be a guy that defenses lose sleep over.  Armanti Edwards is a flyer pick who will try to find another position in the NFL.  My guess is you won't know his name in three years.  Eric Norwood could start for this team at linebacker this year.  Tony Pike is a good value and could serve as trade bait down the road.  Clausen makes this draft, but his value may not be seen instantly because this is a team on the way down.  I do think Clausen will start at least some games this year, if not all of them, and will be aided by a very good running back tandem in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.  Steve Smith is still a Pro Bowler, but is declining, and the defense lost its most talented player in Julius Peppers.

New Orleans Saints

1.32 Robinson, Patrick, CB, Florida State
2.32 Brown, Charles, OT, Southern Cal
3.31 Graham, Jimmy, TE, Miami
4.25 Woods, Al, DT, LSU
5.27 Tennant, Matt, C, Boston College
7.32 Canfield, Sean, QB, Oregon State
 

New Orleans did not put together a particularly awe-inspiring draft.  Patrick Robinson is a nice athlete but he is one of those wild guesses at an especially difficult to project position like corner.  Charles Brown should be a good fit because his strength is pass protection, and he is mobile and athletic.  Yet, he slid down draft boards steadily throughout the draft process.  The rest of the picks seem like throwaways or flyer picks.  This is a team that did not need a huge boost because they are the defending champs, but realize, that for every champ every year the stars align and to repeat takes serious additions and improvements.  I don't think the Saints made them.  Brees will be great again and the offense will score, but I think the defense will slide and they simply won't be quite as lucky this year.  I see this team going 10-6 and scaring the daylights out of whoever they meet in the playoffs, but ultimately unable to repeat last year's results.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1.3 McCoy, Gerald, DT, Oklahoma
2.3 Price, Brian, DT, UCLA
2.7 Benn, Arrelious, WR, Illinois
3.3 Lewis, Myron, CB, Vanderbilt
4.3 Williams, Mike, WR, Syracuse
6.3 Bowden, Brent, P, Virginia Tech
7.3 Grimm, Cody, LB, Virginia Tech
7.10 Watson, Dekoda, LB, Florida State
7.46 Lorig, Erik, DE, Stanford

Scouts love McCoy, and I am not a defensive tackle exert, but I will say that McCoy has much bigger bust potential than Ndamukong Suh.  McCoy is vastly talented but he is a guy that relies so much on quickness and athleticism; those things can leave quickly with one serious knee injury easy to come by on the defensive line.  He is reasonably strong, but not elite for his position.  For a defensive tackle he has a very good nose for the ball and fits well in the Tampa system, but I am not sure that he will be an outright star.  Brian Price could have been a top-25 pick so the Bucs get good value with him, and I always like when teams spend multiple picks on one unit (in this case the defensive line) because it almost always ensures you will get at least one guy that pans out and can improve your team, if not two.  The best case for the Bucs is that both these guys reach their potential and they have an absolutely tenacious middle of their defense.  Arrelious Benn had enough talent to go in the top fifteen picks, but was hampered by playing on a bad college team with a bad passer, namely Juice Williams.  The Bucs may not be ready to maximize Benn's talent right away, but overall I like Josh Freeman and think that he will develop into an effective passer.  Mike Williams from Syracuse is another guy with first-round potential, and if he can keep his head straight, he could form a very nice, young duo with Benn to complement Kellen Winslow.  Myron Lewis is another good value at a place of need for the Bucs, although pretty much every position is a place of need for this team.  I like the talent they added in the draft, but we may not see it manifested on the field for a while.  This team is raw but has some nice, young talent and just needs a few more good drafts and steady management to get back into contention.

Draftaganza! - NFC North

This is the sixth in a series of eight posts from Adam analyzing the 2010 NFL Draft and what it means for each franchise.

Brett Favre had his all-time best statistical season last year and it still was not enough for the Vikings to win it all.  Another year older with another year of hits and another offseason surgery, can Favre even come close to matching last year's production?  Nope.  The Vikes will be good again, but not dominant like they were last year.  Chester Taylor is gone, the offensive line is getting old, and the defensive secondary is still searching for consistency.  The Packers are the favorite because Aaron Rodgers is a full-fledged superstar and is my pick for MVP coming into this year.  Last year's Achilles' heel, pass protection, vastly improved over the course of the season and was addressed this offseason as well.  The defense is good but not great and there are concerns in the secondary.  I love the Lions' plan and future, but they have not arrived yet.  The Bears made some big splashes but still do not have enough weapons for Jay Cutler or have the ability to protect him, which makes them especially vulnerable with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's pass-happy offense.

 

Chicago Bears

3.11 Wright, Major, FS, Florida

4.11 Wootton, Corey, DE, Northwestern

5.10 Moore, Joshua, DB, Kansas St.

6.12 LeFevour, Dan, QB, Central Michigan

7.11 Webb, J'Marcus, OT, West Texas A&M

Once again the Bear hardly have a draft, but considering the signings of Julius Peppers and Chester Taylor, this offseason does not look like a total waste.  Still, Peppers and Taylor are on both on the wrong side of thirty and will cost major money.  Additionally, the Bears still have a lot of holes on defense, offensive line, and at the receiver position.  This team has enough talent to tread water this year and maybe for the next couple of years, but ultimately this is not near a championship-caliber team, and they will have to start the painful process of rebuilding sooner or later.

 

Detroit Lions

1.02 Suh, Ndamukong, DT, Nebraska

1.30 Best, Jahvid, RB, California

3.02 Spievey, Amari, CB, Iowa

4.30 Fox, Jason, OT, Miami

7.06 Young, Willie, DE, North Carolina St.

7.48 Toone, Tim, WR, Weber St.

I think this will always be viewed as a good draft for the Lions because they are getting an all-time great player in Suh.  I don't think the other defensive tackle at the top of this year's draft, Gerald McCoy, is near his level.  Suh and free agent acquisitions Kyle Vanden Bosch and Corey Williams give the Lions a good defensive line, which they haven't had in years.  I don't understand trading away your best defensive player, Ernie Sims, for a tight end when you already have Brandon Pettigrew, a former first-round pick who played well a year ago as a rookie.  Still, it gives the Lions a plethora of young weapons.  I think Matthew Stafford is going to be very good while Kevin Smith is decent and should nicely complement Jahvid Best.  Calvin Johnson is a superstar athlete but needs to stay healthy and focus on doing all the little things.  The offensive line is still shaky and the defensive back seven is questionable outside of Louis Delmas.  This is a team one more good draft and a year of proression away from playoff contention.

 

Green Bay Packers

1.23 Bulaga, Bryan, OT, Iowa

2.24 Neal, Mike, DT, Purdue

3.07 Burnett, Morgan, SS, Georgia Tech

5.23 Quarless, Andrew, TE, Penn St.

5.38 Newhouse, Marshall, OT, TCU

6.24 Starks, James, RB, Buffalo

7.23 Wilson, C.J., DE, East Carolina

The Packers are a team that ended their run last year looking to be one or two significant players away from being a Super Bowl contender.  The question is, did Green Bay do enough this offseason to push themselves to that elite level of competition?  I say, not quite.  I think this team needed one more explosive player on offense and badly needed to address the cornerback position.  They also needed a pass rusher.  Yet, offensive line was given top priority, reasonable considering the investment the Packers have in future MVP Aaron Rodgers.  They did well to get Bulaga where they did.  He should come in and start from day one, already one of the Packers' top-3 linemen.  He can play guard while Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton take their farewell tours.  If those tackles can hold up, this can be a solid offensive line.  I think they could have drafted a guard in the first three rounds, but they decided to go elsewhere.  I like adding depth to the defensive line and Mike Neal may become a very solid player for the Pack, but it just didn't seem like the most pressing need with Cullen Jenkins, Johnny Jolly, Ryan Pickett, and BJ Raji already forming a very stout rotation.  Still, they make that an even bigger strength and make the defense as a whole better for it.  Morgan Burnett was the best secondary player available when Green Bay traded up to pick him and he may play at both corner and safety.  If he can be a starting-level player, the Packers may have found that second impact player, in addition to Bulaga, that they need to get over the top.  I like that they spend a fifth-round pick on another tackle to be groomed to replace either Tauscher or Clifton.  James Starks was a guy Mel Kiper Jr. liked and could turn out to be a gem.  With Aaron Rodgers, Ryan Grant, Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and Jermichael Finley all legitimate Pro Bowl-level players, the question is if the offensive line can set the table for these stars.  The defense should be good, although that corner spot has to be a question with 34-year-old Al Harris coming off an ACL injury.

 

Minnesota Vikings

2.02 Cook, Chris, CB, Virginia

2.19 Gerhart, Toby, RB, Stanford

4.02 Griffen, Everson, DE, Southern Cal

5.30 Degeare, Chris, OT, Wake Forest

5.36 Triplett, Nate, LB, Minnesota

6.30 Webb, Joe, QB, UAB

7.07 Shuler, Mickey, TE, Penn St.

7.30 D'Imperio, Ryan, LB, Rutgers

Chris Cook alone is not enough to repair a mediocre secondary.  The front seven is what makes this defense tick.  EJ Henderson is aging and has health troubles, although Chad Greenway is an excellent young backer.  Fat Pat Williams turns 38 this year but is still very good and his linemate Kevin Williams may be the best defensive tackle in the game.  Favre is most likely back, but his best statistical season ever wasn't enough for this team last year, and at 41 there is no way he can duplicate those numbers.  I doubt he finishes the season if he plays.  Adrian Peterson is a force but has taken so much punishment.  Gerhart may be a nice player but won't be a game changer.  Everson Griffen is a nice value but not at a need position.  That offensive line is getting older and worse by the year, and that could spell trouble for Favre.  I think the Vikings will compete for the division but ultimately finish behind the Packers.

Finally Wrapping Up Finals

With the NBA season in our rear view mirror and free agency the order of the day, I wanted to just quickly wrap up the finals and bring closure to another great season.

We finally got a seven game series—the first time since the Spurs beat the Pistons in 2005 and only the fourth time in twenty-six years—yet this Lakers-Celtics series really had no great or epic game.  Up until Game Seven each contest was essentially one-sided.  Even Game Seven was sloppy, feeling more like it simply ended with LA ahead rather than the Lakers truly snatching victory.

Both teams were playing through pain as well.  Andrew Bynum was banged up for the entire postseason, and Kendrick Perkins was famously unable to play Game Seven.  Kobe Bryant was hobbled throughout the year (finger, knee, ankle) and Kevin Garnett seemed to really only get healthy toward the end of the season.  I think what we saw in that Game Seven were the effects of three, long NBA seasons in a row for both the Lakers and Celtics.  The Celtics ran out of gas in the end, and the Lakers were darn near on empty, but just found a way to put the ball in a few times, and let their home crowd carry them to the championship.

The legacy of these finals will likely be that they signified Kobe's fifth and Phil Jackson's eleventh championship.  Kobe's bad seventh game will likely be lost in the mix of the overwhelming accomplishment of winning back-to-back titles and five overall.  For instance, most people don't recall Jordan shooting just 12-for-38 in Games Five and Six of the 1996 Finals as the Bulls closed out the SuperSonics.

These finals may also be marked as the end of the Celtics' mini dynasty.  It's fascinating what one game and four total points can mean to the history of the NBA.  If the Lakers lose, Kobe wins only four times in seven Finals appearances, twice bested by bitter rival Boston, and Phil Jackson cannot solve Doc Rivers.  If the Celtics had won, they would have a real dynasty winning two of the last three titles, Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce become unquestioned first ballot hall of famers, and Doc Rivers becomes the smartest man in hoops.

Perhaps these finals are an indication that the NBA season is a bit too long, or that at least the playoffs shouldn't have seven games in the first round.  It's almost impossible after all the basketball it requires to reach the Finals to be totally healthy and primed once you get there.  Basketball is perceived as a game of beauty and artful grace, yet it seems toughness, grit, and sheer will are the true components of today's champions.

These Finals also showed what it is going to take in today's NBA to reach the mountaintop.  A collection of good scorers will not be enough.  Winning the NBA is about the number of ways you can find to win, and the versatility/resourcefulness a team employs.  The Lakers could lean on their defense (best field goal percentage defense in the league).  The Lakers could also of course lean on Kobe to take over a game offensively, the inside trio of Bynum, Lamar Odom, and Pau Gasol, the occasional hot shooting of Ron Artest, and a consistent advantage on the boards.  Stars are what the NBA markets, but they are not necessarily what bring home titles (looking at you LeBron).

These finals may have taught us that stars win in the regular season, and teams win in the playoffs.  Boston and LA had plenty of talent, sure, but they were undeniably the best teams in the league.

These finals did not provide us with the stunning Jordan moment, or the Magic Johnson smile, or the Isaiah Thomas bum ankle performance (although Kobe's twenty-three straight points was pretty impressive).  What we did get was unquestionably the two best teams in basketball, who knew all each other's tricks, matching wills in a battle of endurance over skill.  It may not have been artistic, but it was competition in its most honest form.

--from Adam

(All images from nba.com)

Draftaganza! - NFC East

This is the fifth in a series of eight posts from Adam analyzing the 2010 NFL Draft and what it means for each franchise.
 

A division not for the faint of heart, never short on talent or mutual hatred, and always entertaining.   It should be no different this year.  The big questions are how much the McNabb trade shifts the balance of power, and who truly (or if there even) is a clear favorite in this division.

Dallas Cowboys

1.24 Bryant, Dez, WR, Oklahoma St.

2.23 Lee, Sean, LB, Penn St.

4.28 Owusu-Ansah, Akwasi, CB, Indiana

6.10 Woung, Sam, OT, Notre Dame

7.27 Lissemore, Sean, DT, William & Mary

Full disclosure, I really only know who Dez Bryant is out of their whole draft class.  But I know what this guy can do and I know how close the Cowboys were last year to being a Super Bowl-level team.  I think Dez Bryant is one of those guys that can come in and play at a very high level right away.  He is big, strong, fast, runs good routes, and has huge confidence.  I think he immediately takes Roy Williams' spot in the starting lineup and forms one of the league's best receiving duos with Miles Austin.  Tony Romo, Felix Jones, Marion Barber, Jason Witten, Martellus Bennett, Austin and Bryant, are you kidding me?  There is no more talented offense in football, but if they want a title, Romo has to make this whole circus go and has to take his game to a new level.  Defensively, I like their front seven.  DeMarcus Ware is a nightmare and Jay Ratliff is an elite defensive tackle as well.  Terrence Newman and Michael Jenkins form a great cornerback tandem.  This team has a chance to win it all if their stars are consistent.

 

New York Giants
 

1.15 Pierre-Paul, Jason, DE, South Florida

2.14 Joseph, Linval, DT, East Carolina

3.12 Jones, Chad, FS, LSU

4.17 Dillard, Phillip, LB, Nebraska

5.16 Petrus, Mitch, OG, Arkansas

6.15 Tracy, Adrian, DE, William & Mary

7.14 Dodge, Matt, P, East Carolina

I like Pierre-Paul.  He is a project and may never be anything more than a pure pass rusher, but if he can be a 10-12 sack per year guy, then his will have been a pick well spent.  At the start of last year people said the Giants were going to have the best front seven of all time, yet in this year's draft their first two picks are on the defensive line.  I like that though, continue to strengthen and replenish the identity of your team.  Their first four picks were defenders; the Giants realize they have to field dominant defense and let the offense be solid and steady.  Overall, I liked the moves they made in the draft, but I think this team is looking up at the Cowboys and maybe the Eagles.

 

Philadelphia Eagles

1.13 Graham, Brandon, DE, Michigan

2.05 Allen, Nate, FS, South Florida

3.22 Te'o-Nesheim, Daniel, DE, Washington

4.07 Lindley, Treyard, CB, Kentucky

4.23 Clayton Keenan, LB, Oklahoma

4.24 Kafa, Mike, QB, Northwestern

4.27 Harbor, Clay, TE, Missouri St.

5.03 Sapp, Ricky, DE, Clemson

5.28 Cooper, Riley, WR, Florida

6.31 Scott, Charles, RB, LSU

7.13 Chaney, Jamar, LB, Mississippi St.

7.36 Owens, Jeff, DT, Georgia

7.37 Coleman, Kurt, SS, Ohio St.

The Eagles are the less successful, NFC version of the Patriots—perennially competitive and a playoff team with a good coach and a draft strategy built around stockpiling picks.  Brandon Graham will be a very nice fit for the Eagles' frenetic pass rushing style and could have a very nice rookie year.   Nate Allen will join Quentin Mikell and Asante Samuel to form a very nice secondary.  Then in the third round they add another player to their front seven and bolster their linebacking corps and secondary with two fourth-round picks.  That makes five picks in the top four rounds spent on defense by an organization that is great at judging talent.   This should really help rebuild the defense, which also added Pro Bowl linebacker Ernie Sims.  On offense every analyst thinks the sky is falling because the Eagles dealt a winning veteran, but Donovan McNabb was aging and his trade value was diminishing.  Plus, you don't play the game to get close; you play to win titles, and with that it was time to reconfigure this team.  Kevin Kolb, LeSean McCoy, Brent Celek, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin represent a great young offensive core.  I really see the Eagles as a team that has just come off ten very successful years and may just have seamlessly transitioned into another decade of winning.  I think Kolb will be a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback within the next two years considering his weapons and his coaching staff.  I like the Eagles to challenge the Cowboys for the division, but they might be a bit young.

 

Washington Redskins

1.04 Williams, Trent, OT, Oklahoma

4.05 Riley, Perry, LB, LSU

6.05 Morris, Dennis, TE, Louisiana Tech

7.12 Austin, Terrence, WR, UCLA

7.22 Cook, Erik, C, New Mexico

7.24 Capers, Selvish, OT, West Virginia

I might well be the last man on Earth that thought Jason Campbell was a good quarterback given the situation he was put in.  He never had a go-to target (Chris Cooley does not count), he ran a different offensive system nearly every year, and he was managed by a younger version of Al Davis in Daniel Snyder.  Yet last year Campbell's passer rating was a good 86.4, and he tossed 20 touchdowns with just 15 picks while throwing for 3,600 yards.  His career rating is an 82.3, which means that for his career, Campbell is above Troy Aikman (81.6), Boomer Esiason (81.1), Warren Moon (80.9), Dan Fouts (80.2) and John Elway (79.9) just to name a few.  You can argue that QB rating is a questionable stat or that today's league features a passer friendly game, but Cambell is still 32^nd all time in QB rating.   McNabb's career rating, by comparison, is just four points higher than Campbell's.  Why am I on this Campbell crusade?  To make a point.  The Redskins gave up a high second-round pick for a 33-year-old quarterback—Campbell is 28—who has never won a Super Bowl, is on the downside of his career, and has not been much more productive than the guy they shipped out to Oakland.  Those that think the Redskins have finally made a good move in free agency may again be banging their head against a wall two months into the season especially considering that they have four running backs eligible for AARP benefits.  Trent Williams will be a good player if he has the right mindset, but that line is still weak with a lot of holes, and Williams is just a rookie.  The offense has a dearth of true weapons and their quarterback will be better, but without protection McNabb could look a lot like Jason Campbell.  Of course the Redskins did not have any second or third-round picks in this draft, which is not unusual for them, but they have not given McNabb nearly enough to work with.

Draftaganza! - AFC West

This is the fourth in a series of eight posts from Adam analyzing the 2010 NFL Draft and what it means for each franchise.

 

The usual rallying cry rings out once again, "This is the Chargers' division to lose."  The Raiders and Chiefs will be better but not ready to challenge at any elite level.   The Broncos probably took a step back losing Brandon Marshall and drafting Tim Tebow.  The question is now whether or not the Chargers have done enough to put them over the hump and into the Super Bowl.

Denver Broncos

1.22 Thomas, Demaryius, WR, Georgia Tech

1.25 Tebow, Tim, QB, Florida

2.13 Beadles, Zane, OT, Utah

3.16 Walton, J.D., C, Baylor

3.23 Decker, Eric, WR, Minnesota

5.06 Cox, Perrish, CB, Oklahoma St.

6.14 Olsen, Eric, C, Notre Dame

7.18 Thompson, Syd'quan, CB, California

7.25 Kirlew, Jammie, DE, Indiana

This was a very high profile draft, yet as Broncos fans will find out, for all the wrong reasons.  They could have landed Dez Bryant, who I think will be great, and Jimmy Clausen, a future star in this league.  Instead they get Demaryius Thomas who is raw and may turn into a special player but just as likely will be just another athlete that can't put the whole package together.  And then they trade up to grab Tebow who will never be a quarterback in this league.  Take Alex Smith's (another Urban Meyer coached quarterback) struggles adjusting to an NFL offense and add a bad release, sporadic accuracy, and a tendency to rely on running rather than passing, and you have Tim Tebow.   Smith struggled mightily despite having a great arm, a natural passing motion, and being regarded as the most accurate passer in his draft.  Tebow has an awful throwing motion, is not a natural passer, and benefitted from having unbelievable talent around him at Florida.  I like the pick of Zane Beadles who will be a solid lineman at whatever position he plays, adding depth to one of the best offensive lines in football.  Eric Decker is a strong wideout that runs good routes and has great hands.  Perrish Cox was intitially projected to go in the first two rounds and they get him in the fifth so a good value there.  The back end of this draft is much better than the top end, but ultimately this draft will be defined by the failure of Tim Tebow.

Kansas City Chiefs

1.05 Berry, Eric, SS, Tennessee

2.04 McCluster, Dexter, RB, Mississippi

2.18 Arenas, Javier, CB, Alabama

3.04 Asamoah, Jon, OG, Illinois

3.29 Moeaki, Tony, TE, Iowa

5.05 Lewis, Kendrick, FS, Mississippi

5.11 Sheffield, Cameron, DE, Troy

Love this draft.  Berry should be a Pro Bowler early in his career.  Dexter McCluster is a do-everything back that can impact a game in so many ways and manufacture points for an offense.  Javier Arenas is a good cover man and an excellent returner.  McCluster and Arenas, both good returnmen, will help a poor offense by shortening the field and perhaps scoring some touchdowns on their own.  This is the former stomping grounds of dynamite Dante Hall.  Moeaki is a very nice, well-rounded tight end.  This team still has a long way to go, but if former top-five draft picks Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson can put any sort of return on their investment, they could form a nice young core with Berry.

Oakland Raiders

1.08 McClain, Rolando, LB, Alabama

2.12 Houston, Lamarr, DT, Texas

3.05 Veldheer, Jared, OT, Hillsdale

4.08 Campbell, Bruce, OT, Maryland

4.10 Ford, Jacoby, WR, Clemson

5.07 McFadden, Walter, DB, Auburn

6.21 Goethel, Travis, LB, Arizona St.

7.08 Ware, Jeremy, DB, Michigan St.

7.44 Brown, Stevie, DB, Michigan
 

I think given the annual expectation of what Al Davis will do come draft day, you have to like this draft.  McClain is an immediate impact defender; add Lamarr Houston and this is a growing front seven anchored by the wily vet Richard Seymour.  Nnamdi Asomugha taking away half of the field doesn't hurt matters either.  Offensively, Jason Campbell is an enormous upgrade at QB and he has always been given too hard a time in Washington.  In Oakland, if he is fully given the chance, he could thrive.  He comes to a fresh setting where he will be the elder statesman of the offense, and the pressure will be less because playing for a rebuilding Oakland team does not have nearly the expectations as playing for the Washington Redskins in the not-for-the-faint-of-heart NFC East.  Zach Miller is a nice tight end and Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden, and Michael Bush form a very talented running back trio.  Derrius Heyward-Bey can burn and if he can learn the position, could be dangerous.  They add two linemen with big potential in the third and fourth rounds to help protect Campbell.  Jacoby Ford was the fastest player in the draft, like Heyward-Bey a year ago, but who knows how good of a player he actually is, again like Heyward-Bey.  With some luck, this team could win between seven and nine games in a weak division.

 

San Diego Chargers

1.12 Mathews, Ryan, RB, Fresno St.

3.15 Butler, Donald, LB, Washington

4.12 Stuckey, Darrell, FS, Kansas

5.15 Thomas, Cam, DT, North Carolina

5.37 Crompton, Jonathan, QB, Tennessee

7.28 Epps, Dedrick, TE, Miami
 

This is a team that has been one layer away for three years now.  The problem is that the defense is getting worse.  Jamal Williams is gone to division rival Denver, Antonio Cromartie is gone, and Shawne Merriman has not been the same player over the last couple of years.  Still, on offense, look out.  Ryan Mathews may have gone a little high, but was a projected top-20 pick, and any running back worthy of going that high can play.  He has the skillset to justify his draft status, and when you pair him with Darren Sproles you can have a lethal backfield.  Philip Rivers is a top-5 quarterback in this league, Antonio Gates is a great tight end, and Vincent Jackson is an emerging star at wideout if he plays.  This team should roll over this division again, but I'm not sure they have the defense to finish the job in the postseason.