Houston Texans: The
2006 draft will forever be remember as the draft where the
Houston Texans actually passed on Reggie Bush. Outrageous
contract demands or not, the Texans needed to find a way to make
it work. NC State defensive end Mario Williams is a nice
consolation prize though. Second round pick Alabama LB
DeMeco Ryans will be a very good starter for a long time.
The team also made a pair of strong selections in the third
round with Pittsburgh OG Charles Spencer and Miami FL OT Eric
Winston. Colorado WR David Anderson was a nice pick late. Grade: B+
Indianapolis Colts:
The Colts seemed to zero in on first round pick LSU RB Joe Addai
months ago and you have to wonder if that hurt them as LenDale
White was still on the board. Still, the Colts have done a
nice job identifying running backs who will fit their system, so
I'll give them the benefit of the doubt here. Second round
pick Georgia CB Tim Jennings was a reach, his height limits him
to being a #3 corner and you don't pick a nickelback that early.
Third round pick San Diego State LB Freddie Keiaho may surprise
some people, but he likely could have been had later. I
like the pick of Howard DB Antoine Bethea late. Grade: C-
Jacksonville Jaguars:
The Jaguars draft doesn't initially come off as a "sexy" draft,
but make no mistake, it was a good one. Some will say that
first round pick UCLA TE Marcedes Lewis was a reach, I disagree
completely. Lewis is a pure football player who'll play in
his share of Pro Bowls before he's done. Second round pick
UCLA RB Maurice Drew is another pure football player.
Despite a lack of height, Drew has a powerful lower body and I
believe he can eventually be an every down back. Third
round pick Oklahoma LB Clint Ingram was one of the more
underrated prospects in this year's draft. Fifth round
pick Illinois DE Brent Hawkins will make the move to OLB in the
pros and provide a pass rushing threat. Syracuse DE James
Wyche and Florida CB Dee Webb were exceptional value in the 7th
round. Grade: A
Tennessee Titans:
Another storyline we'll be talking about years from now was the
Titans decision to pass on Matt Leinart for Texas QB Vince
Young. The fact that Leinart's old coach, Norm Chow, is
now the Titans offensive coordinator and they still elected to
pass on Leinart says enough for now, but time will tell.
Second round pick USC RB LenDale White was a steal this late.
Fourth round pick NC State LB Stephen Tulloch was a reach, but
they made up for it with three straight strong selections in
Miami OH LB Tenra Nande, Tennessee DT Jesse Mahelona and
Wisconsin WR Jonathan Orr. Grade: B
AFC West:
Denver Broncos:
If you're a good team with an older quarterback and you have a
chance to move up to pick a highly rated QB prospect, you have
to take it because who knows when you'll get that chance again.
The Broncos did just that in moving up to select Vanderbilt QB
Jay Cutler. Second round pick Western Michigan TE Tony
Scheffler gives the team another threat in the passing game.
Fourth round pick Central Florida WR Brandon Marshall could turn
into a very good NFL player. Fellow fourth round pick
Louisville DE Elvis Dumervil adds a pass rushing element.
Late round picks North Dakota OG Chris Kuper and Minnesota C
Greg Eslinger are great fits for the Broncos offensive line
scheme. Grade: B+
Kansas City Chiefs:
First round pick Penn State DE Tamba Hali should have a nice,
long career in the NFL. Second round pick Purdue S Bernard
Pollard was a reach, as he could have been had later.
Alabama QB Brodie Croyle was good value in the third round, as
were Miami FL CB Marcus Maxey in the firth round, San Diego
State WR Jeff Webb in the sixth round and UCLA S Jarrad Page in
the seventh round. This isn't a bad draft for the Chiefs,
but it could have been a lot better as the team seemed to play
it safe throughout. Grade: C
Oakland Raiders:
I'm torn on the selection of Texas DB Michael Huff in the first
round. On one hand I believe that Huff is one of the safer
bets in this draft, on the other I don't know if a safety is
worth a top 10 pick. Second round pick UTEP LB Thomas
Howard is a typical Raider type of player, a great athlete who
lacks instincts. Weber State OT Paul McQuistan was a good
gamble in the third round. Fourth round pick USC S Darnell
Bing and sixth round pick Cornell OG Kevin Boothe may never be
stars, but they should eventually become useful players in the
NFL. Grade: C+
San Diego Chargers:
It all begins with possibly the biggest gamble of the first
round in Florida State CB Antonio Cromartie. A top 5 type
of talent, he's been hurt a lot and has only started 1 college
game. Second round pick Auburn OT Marcus McNeill may be a
homerun for the team. He was one of the players I always
felt got knocked considerably more than he should by the draft
community. Third round pick Clemson QB Charlie Whitehurst
is impossible to grade. On one play he'll look like Dan
Marino and on the next Ryan Leaf. Fifth round pick Iowa
State LB Tim Dobbins was good value. Grade: C-
AFC East
Buffalo Bills: If
you can look past the first round the Bills had a fairly solid
draft. Ashton Youboty in R3 and Ko Simpson in R4 were
steals. LSU DT Kyle Williams was a solid pick in R5.
But this draft has to be looked at as something of a failure for
the team as they reached twice in the first round. Ohio
State S Donte Whitner could have been had 7-9 picks later and
N.C. State DT John McCargo was viewed as a late day 1 / early
day 2 prospect. Grade: D+
Miami Dolphins:
When grading the Dolphins draft we have to take into
consideration that their R2 pick yielded them an established
quarterback in Daunte Culpepper. Tennessee S Jason Allen
was a gamble in the first round, a talented player, there are
concerns about his injury history. Arizona State WR Derek
Hagan could prove to be a good value pick in the third round.
R7 picks Texas DT Rodrique Wright and Auburn WR Devin Aromashodu
could prove to be absolute steals if the Dolphins can keep them
motivated. Grade: B-
New England Patriots:
The Patriots first round pick was a bit of a surprise as they
went with Minnesota RB Laurence Maroney over Memphis RB DeAngelo
Williams, time will tell if it was the right move, but right now
that seems like a mistake. Moving up in R2 for Chad
Jackson is the kind of move that smart organizations makes.
If you look at their R3 and R4 picks in a vacuum then they make
sense, but together they're a bit confusing as Texas TE David
Thomas and Tulsa TE/FB Garrett Mills are fairly similar to each
other. Memphis K Stephen Gostkowski was a major reach.
Cal OL Ryan O'Callaghan, Notre Dame OG Dan Stevenson and
Nebraska DT Le Kevin Smith proved good value late. Grade: B
New York Jets:
My initial reaction to this draft was that I liked it quite a
bit, but after thinking more about it, I realized that it
reminds me of the Carolina Panthers 2003 draft where they
selected the highest rated offensive tackle (Jordan Gross) and
center (Bruce Nelson) in the draft. Gross became a good,
not great lineman, but Nelson was a flop. Let's hope the
Jets fare better. R2 pick Oregon QB Kellen Clemens has a
bright future. R3 was a confusing one as the team reached
twice for Michigan State S Eric Smith and Ohio State LB Anthony
Schlegel. Later picks Missouri ATH Brad Smith, FSU
RB Leon Washington and Nebraska DT Titus Adams all have good
upside. Grade: A-
AFC North:
Baltimore Ravens:
R1 selection Oregon DT Haloti Ngata was an ideal fit for the
Ravens defense. Oklahoma OL Chris Chester was a gamble in
R2, as he has limited college experience. R3 pick
Northwestern State CB David Pittman could be a gem. R4
pick Oregon WR Demetrius Williams provided exceptional value as
a second day pick. Later picks Georgia Tech RB PJ Daniels,
Georgia Tech S Dawan Landry, and Wyoming CB Derrick Martin were
strong selections. Grade: B+
Cincinnati Bengals:
First round pick South Carolina CB Johnathan Jospeh is a
playmaker and a very good athlete. However, after that
selection the team seemed to select the best big school, big
name player on the board, regardless of their draft stock.
LSU OT Andrew Whitworth probably could have been had a bit later
than R2, R3 pick USC DE Frostee Rucker was a big reach. R4
pick Michigan State DT Domata Peko provided to be a horrendous
athlete in workouts and I wasn't even sure he'd be selected.
R5 pick FSU LB A.J. Nicholson ran poorly and has had a number of
off-the-field issues. Texas A&M QB Reggie McNeal was an
interesting pick in R6 and that may be the nicest thing to be
said about this draft. Grade: D
Cleveland Browns:
First round pick FSU DE Kamerion Wimbley is an ideal fit
for an outside linebacker in the team's 3-4 defense. R2
pick Maryland ILB D'Qwell Jackson is the opposite, he's a
smallish LB who doesn't really fit well into a 3-4.
Oklahoma WR Travis Wilson as a chance to be a steal in the
third. Fourth round pick Miami FL LB Leon Williams is an
athlete who lacks natural football instincts, however if placed
at OLB in this scheme all he'll have to do is rush the QB and
that should be OK. The team did very well in the later
rounds by picking up Washington State RB Jerome Harrison,
Georgia CB DeMario Minter, Colorado FB Lawrence Vickers and
Stanford DT Babatunde Oshinowo. Grade: C+
Pittsburgh Steelers:
The Steelers jumped up 7 spots to make sure they could select
Ohio State WR Santonio Holmes in R1 to replace departed free
agents. He should be a good compliment to Hines Ward.
If you can forget about his terrible speed (4.71/40) and
smallish frame (6'0" 191lbs) and just focus on production,
Syracuse S Anthony Smith is a decent pick. Fellow R3 pick
FSU WR Willie Reid was a reach, despite his speed. R4 pick
Hofstra OT Willie Colon was another reach. Fellow R4 selection
Miami FL DT Orien Harris is a good gamble as a DE in a 3-4
defense, assuming you can motivate him. R5 pick Bowling
Green QB Omar Jacobs was a steal bordering on larceny. Cal
C Marvin Philip and Virginia Tech RB Cedric Humes were good
value late and both fit the Steelers system. Grade: C-
NFC South:
Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons final draft
grade should factor in that they used their first round
selection in a trade to acquire John Abraham. Second round
pick Virginia Tech DB Jimmy Williams was long thought of as a
high first round talent and despite some recent red flags
regarding confidence and passion for the game, he presented
excellent value late in the second round. Third round pick
Mississippi State RB Jerious Norwood is one of the fastest
running backs in the draft and a potential playmaker in Atlanta.
Sixth round pick Fresno State WR Adam Jennings was fairly highly
regarded, despite the fact that he didn't start in college.
Seventh round selection Georgia QB D.J. Shockley was a good
gamble late and could eventually turn into a valuable trade
chip. Grade: C+
Carolina Panthers: The Panthers made
one of the best selections in the first round by drafting
Memphis RB DeAngelo Williams. I considered Williams to be
one of the three safest bets in the draft to turn into a star,
it's only a matter of time. No one would have been
surprised to see second round pick Fresno State CB Richard
Marshall come off the board a full round earlier. Third
round pick Virginia Tech LB James Anderson is a very good
athlete, but is undersized. Fifth round pick Virginia Tech
TE Jeff King may never be a star, but he'll play in the NFL for
a long time and you can't ask for much more in the fifth round.
Seventh round pick Auburn DE Stanley McClover could have easily
been a late day 1, early day 2 pick. Grade: A-
New Orleans Saints: Anytime you get a
player who was undoubtedly the draft's top talent with the
second pick, you made a sensational selection. I don't
understand how a team could watch Bush play, have him available
when they pick and decide "Na, we don't want that guy", it's
ludicrous and the Saints reaped the benefits. And that's
pretty much it for the good news. Second round pick
Alabama S Roman Harper probably could have been had on the
second day. Sixth round pick Oregon State WR Mike Hass
will be a solid #3/#4 receiver for a long time, but likely will
never be more than that. Seventh round pick Hofstra WR
Marques Colston is a nice late round developmental guy. Grade: B-
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: First round
selection Oklahoma OG Davin Joseph wasn't a sexy pick, but he
has the ability to turn into a first rate NFL lineman. On
the other hand, second round pick Boston College OT Jeremy
Trueblood was overrated from the start and was a reach.
Third round pick Notre Dame WR Maurice Stovall easily could have
gone a round earlier. The same can be said about fourth
round pick Penn State CB Alan Zemaitis (who's also a perfect fit
in the Bucs cover 2 defense) and sixth round pick Toledo QB
Bruce Gradkowski. Seventh round pick Clemson DE Charles
Bennett isn't strong enough to hold up at end in the NFL, or
fast enough to move to OLB.
Grade: B
NFC West:
Arizona Cardinals: First round
selection USC QB Matt Leinart is right up there with the above
mentioned DeAngelo Williams as the best picks in the first
round. Leinart will get to learn behind a proven veteran
who's willing to teach and eventually take over an offense that
features a pair of pro-bowl receivers and an all-pro running
back. He'll also have the benefit of playing with a
familiar offensive lineman in the form of USC teammate and
second round pick OG Deuce Lutui and throwing passes to third
round pick Georgia TE Leonard Pope, a player who had long been
considered a lock to go to the Bears in the first round. Fourth
round pick Michigan DT Gabe Watson is one of the more talented
DT's in the draft, but lacks motivation. The team made a
pair of good selections near the end of the draft with sixth
round pick Virginia Tech DT Jonathan Lewis and seventh round
pick BYU WR Todd Watkins. Grade: A-
Saint Louis Rams: With the league's
new-found emphasis on pass interference, speedy cornerbacks like
first round pick Clemson CB Tye Hill are at a premium.
Second round pick Colorado TE Joel Klopfenstein didn't address
any of the team's more pressing needs, but he will be able to
help in the passing game. The team gambled three times in
the third round, first selecting LSU DT Claude Wroten, a player
who's talented for sure, but has a history of drug problems.
Fellow third round pick Stanford LB Jon Alston is another
talented guy, but he's very undersized to play the position in
the NFL. The last of the third round picks USC TE
Dominique Bryd seems redundant considering the earlier selection
of Klopfenstein. Fifth round pick Virginia ATH Marques
Hagans is an interesting prospect who's not much of a risk that
late. The team made a pair of solid seventh round
selections in Northwestern LB Tim McGarigle and Minnesota OG
Mark Setterstrom. Grade: B
Seattle Seahawks: First round selection
Miami FL CB Kelly Jennings was a reach both because he went
before he should have, and because there were better cornerbacks
on the board. Second round pick Virginia Tech DE Darryl
Tapp lacks the athleticism you'd hope for, but he's a natural
playmaker. Seventh round pick Auburn WR Ben Obomano was a
solid pick, while he's relatively raw as a wide receiver, he
possesses elite speed. Grade: D
San Francisco 49ers: The one thought I
couldn't get out of my mind during this draft was that you have
to wonder how much the 49ers regret making Alex Smith the top
overall selection a year ago. First round pick Maryland TE
Vernon Davis is an athletic freak of nature and should be a Pro
Bowl level player for years to come. But it all comes down
to, would you prefer to have Alex Smith and Vernon Davis or Matt
Leinart and Ronnie Brown? Personally, I don't think it's
even close. The team went for another athletic beast with
their second first round selection North Carolina State DE Manny
Lawson. Lawson should take over Julian Peterson's outside
linebacker position. We haven't talked about underrated
prospects yet today, so lets get that out of the way.
Third round pick Wisconsin WR Brandon Williams fits that
description perfectly. He didn't get the credit he
deserved because he played in a running offense, but he's a
natural wide receiver who can also help in the return game.
Fourth round pick Penn State ATH Michael Robinson is a gamble,
the team seems to view him as a running back. The 49ers
made a pair of strong sixth round picks in Central Missouri WR
Delanie Walker and North Carolina State DB Marcus Hudson. Grade: A
NFC East:
Dallas Cowboys:
Going into the draft process I don't think many people viewed
Ohio State LB Bobby Carpenter as a top 20 pick, but make no
mistake, he's a good fit in the Cowboys 3-4 scheme. Second
round pick Notre Dame TE Anthony Fasano was a slight reach
considering who was left on the board, as well as a confusing
pick as the Cowboys already have Jason Witten on the roster.
Third round pick Grambling DE Jason Hatcher was a reach, it
seems like the team was going for another Chris Canty type of
player, but swung and missed. Fifth round pick Florida
State S Pat Watkins could be a steal. Sixth round pick
Louisville DE Montavious Stanley and seventh round pick Texas
Tech OL EJ Whitley should help the team. Grade: B-
New York Giants:
The Giants traded down from the #25 spot where they could have
selected Santonio Holmes, to the #32 spot where they selected
Boston College DE Mathias Kiwanuka, that leaves me scratching my
head a bit. Second round pick Miami FL WR Sinorice Moss
adds another weapon to the offense. The team made a pair
of solid selections in the fourth round with Northwestern DT
Barry Cofield and East Carolina OT Guy Whimper. Fifth
round pick Alabama S Charlie Peprah might not have the
sensational numbers, but he knows how to play the game and
seventh round pick Maryland CB Gerrick McPherson could prove to
be a major steal. Grade: B
Philadelphia Eagles:
Rumored to be interested in trading up to the #8 pick, the team
elected to stand pat, only to have the player they coveted fall
to them at #14 in the shape of Florida State DT Brodrick Bunkley.
The made a tremendous move to jump up 6 slots in the second
round to ensure they could selected USC OT Winston Justice.
Third round pick Cal-Poly DE Chris Gocong seemed an odd choice
as the team sees him their future strongside linebacker.
They moved up again in the fourth round to selected another
highly rated prospect who had slipped in Georgia OG Max
Jean-Gilles. Perhaps their most interesting selection was
in the fifth round when they selected former Colorado WR/RS
Jeremy Bloom. Bloom will give the team the return man
they've been missing since J.R. Reed was injured. Grade: A
Washington Redskins:
The Redskins traded up near the top of the second round so they
could select Miami FL OLB Roger "Rocky" McIntosh, this seems
like a strange player to move up for since they likely could
have stayed where they were and selected him, without having to
give anything up. The team took a shoot on a pair of
defensive tackles later on with Minnesota's Anthony Montgomery
in the 5th round and Goergia's Kedrick Golston in the 6th.
Seventh round pick Tennessee LB Kevin Simon could be a strong
selection if he can get healthy and regain some of his lost
speed. Grade: D-
NFC
North:
Chicago Bears:
Second round selection Abilene Christian S Danieal Manning was a
very strong selection as he gives the team a lot of versatility
in the secondary. Fellow second round pick Miami FL ATH
Devin Hester was perhaps the biggest gamble of the draft.
Immensely talented, Hester is extremely raw right now and won't
be able to be anything more than a return man for a couple
years. Third round pick Oklahoma DT Dusty Dvoracek was a
solid selection and should help right away in a DT rotation.
Fourth round pick Arizona State LB Jamar Williams is an
underrated prospect who has a bright future. Fifth round
pick Alabama DE Mark Anderson was a steal, plain and simple. Grade: B
Detroit Lions:
First round selection Florida State LB Ernie Sims was a bit of a
surprise pick that high, but he's a playmaker who'll add a nasty
streak to a boring defense. But with Matt Leinart still on
the board, I'm not sure it was the right pick. Second
round pick Nebraska S Daniel Bullocks should be able to step
right in and start from game one. Third round pick
Wisconsin RB Brian Calhoun may be short, but he's a tough runner
who attacks defenders. Fifth round pick Texas OT Jonathan
Scott will need some work on his technique, but offers a lot of
potential. Seventh round pick USC Fred Matua was a superb
selection, don't be surprised to see him starting before long.
Grade: B
Green Bay Packers:
First round selection Ohio State LB A.J. Hawk was a simple
choice, he's the type of player who was born to play in Lambeau
Field for the Packers on a cold Sunday afternoon. Second
round pick Boise State OT Daryn Colledge is a player with
advanced skills who should be able to step in whenever he's
asked. Fellow second round pick Western Michigan WR Greg
Jennings is a very good route runner and will help ease the loss
of Javon Walker. The team continued to pay no attention to
workouts numbers or hype in the third round, instead taking the
best football players available in Iowa ILB Abdul Hodge and
Louisville OG/OC Jason Spitz. Fourth round pick Boston
College CB/WR Will Blackmon has the skills to help at a number
of positions, in addition to being a great kid. I'll say
something right now that may shock you, I believe it may be
fifth round pick Furman QB Ingle Martin, not 2005 first round
pick Aaron Rodgers who will be Brett Favre's long-term
replacement. Grade: A
Minnesota Vikings:
First round pick Iowa LB Chad Greenway is the kind of anchor
that any good defense needs. A good, not great athlete
he's a natural leader and is always in position. Second
round pick Texas DB Cedric Griffin was a slight reach, but he
looks like a wonderful value pick when you compare him to fellow
second round picks New Mexico OC Ryan Cook and Alabama State QB
Tarvaris Jackson, both of who could likely have been had 2
rounds later. Fourth round pick Purdue DE Ray Edwards has
the chance to be a star in the league if he can put everything
together. Fifth round pick Georgia S Greg Blue should be
an excellent special teams player for a long time. Grade: F+ / D-
