MorKnolle
All Pro
I thought I'd go through the first day of the draft and comment on each teams' job so far, so here goes:
Arizona Cardinals
10) Matt Leinart, QB - Easy pick for them, with their roster I think he will easily have the best first 5 years among all the QBs in this draft.
41) Taitusi Lutui, OG - They really needed OLine help and teamed with Leonard Davis will give them some nice size along their line to open running lanes for Edge.
72) Leonard Pope, TE - Great pickup for them, good value here and he adds another nice receiving option.
Grade: B+, got a big-time QB later than expected, got a starter on OLine that they desperately needed, and a nice pass-catching TE.
Atlanta Falcons
37) Jimmy Williams, CB/S - Great pickup, I'm surprised he slid that far, not sure what happened behind the scenes but they needed secondary help and he's a great pick here.
79) Jerious Norwood, RB - Good pickup for them, they haven't been real happy with Duckett and could use another RB.
Grade: B-, mainly because they got Jimmy Williams so late in the draft and Norwood was somewhat of a need.
Baltimore Ravens
12) Haloti Ngata, DT - Good pick, they need someone up front that can occupy blockers to free up Ray Lewis, and Ngata is definitely suited for that.
56) Chris Chester, C - Nice option for their OLine, I would have loved for him to come here but he's a good pickup for them.
87) David Pittman, CB - I don't personally know much about him, although I know he was rated pretty highly by several people, can't really comment on him.
Grade: C, pretty good draft so far but nothing special.
Buffalo Bills
8) Donte Whitner, S - Huge surprise, probably the biggest of the 1st round. He fills a need but this seems really high for him.
26) John McCargo, DT - Similar to Whitner, he is a good player but probably not worth this high of a pick, and they traded up to get him.
70) Ashton Youboty, CB - Good pick, they needed more secondary help and he's a pretty good value here.
Grade: C-, they got some pretty good players at position of need but really reached on their first two picks, and traded up to get one of them.
Carolina Panthers
27) DeAngelo Williams, RB - Great pick, RB was a big need and getting DeAngelo this late was a huge steal, he is my current prediction for offensive rookie of the year.
58) Richard Marshall, CB - Pretty good player and a need and got him pretty late.
88) James Anderson, LB - Decent player, higher than I thought he'd go.
89) Rashad Butler, OT - Surprising, I did not like him much from what I saw of him.
Grade: B, DeAngelo and Marshall are great picks at the position they got them, Anderson and Butler drag the rating down a bit, could have had a solid A- with better picks in the 3rd.
Chicago Bears
42) Danieal Manning, S - Sleeper pick, a lot higher than I thought he'd go and they took him over some players I thought would be better picks.
57) Devin Hester, WR/CB - Another sleeper, a lot higher than I thought he'd go.
73) Dusty Dvoracek, DT - Solid player, some off-field concerns but he's a pretty athletic DT with a high motor on the field.
Grade: C-, IMO they reached on Manning and Hester, I wasn't surprised to see them move out of the 1st but didn't think they'd target Manning there, Dvoracek is a solid pick there.
Cincinnati Bengals
24) Johnathan Joseph, CB - Solid CB, probably my favorite in the draft. Good pick for them.
55) Andrew Whitworth, OT - Big surprise, many people thought he had a year of learning before he will be ready to contribute.
91) Frostee Rucker, DE - I thought this was pretty high for him, not real fond of this pick for them.
Grade: C, Joseph is the only reason their grade is this high, Whitworth and Rucker weren't great picks IMO.
Cleveland Browns
13) Kamerion Wimbley, LB - Solid pick for their 3-4 defense, was a little surprised they didn't go with Ngata but Wimbley is nice for them.
34) D'Qwell Jackson, LB - Solid ILB for their 3-4 defense.
78) Travis Wilson, WR - Pretty good WR for this position in the draft.
Grade: B, Crennel has added two solid LBs to join Andra Davis and Willie McGinest, and Wilson is a pretty solid WR.
Dallas Cowboys
18) Bobby Carpenter, LB - Solid LB for them, good pick
53) Anthony Fasano, TE - Good TE but a puzzling choice with Witten on their team.
92) Jason Hatcher, DE - Interesting prospect, had good workouts, not sure how good he'll be.
Grade: C, Carpenter is a nice pick, Fasano is good but not sure why they got him with Witten, and not sure on Hatcher.
Denver Broncos
11) Jay Cutler, QB - This was another huge surprise, not sure what this means for the future of Jake Plummer
61) Tony Scheffler, TE - Solid TE, pretty good pickup.
Grade: C+, nothing special here, Cutler is puzzling, sent the #37 to Green Bay for Javon Walker so they got their solid WR.
Detroit Lions
9) Ernie Sims, LB - Perfect type of LB for their defense, didn't expect him to go this high but a solid pick.
40) Daniel Bullocks, S - Nice pick here, they needed DB help and with Huff gone in the 1st they get the next best S in the draft.
74) Brian Calhoun, RB - Solid RB, with Kevin Jones and Shawn Bryson not sure who will stay.
Grade: B-, got two good players at positions of need that fit their system and Calhoun is another solid player.
Green Bay Packers
5) A.J. Hawk, LB - Great pick for them, needed LB help and Hawk will definitely help.
47) Daryn Colledge, OT - Pretty solid pick for them, will help their OLine and should be able to start immediately.
52) Greg Jennings, WR - Good pick, they traded Walker for one of Denver's 2nds and Jennings is a solid WR.
67) Abdul Hodge, LB - Another solid LB that will boost their defense.
75) Jason Spitz, C - Decent OLine prospect, I'm not real fond of him but I was evaluating OLinemen on how they fit our team.
Grade: B+, two very good LBs, a solid WR, a good OLineman and a decent OLineman, filling holes with very solid players.
Houston Texans
1) Mario Williams, DE - Best player in this draft for this team, not a question in my mind on that.
33) DeMeco Ryans, LB - I wasn't real fond of this pick at first but I'm warming up to it. He's a very good LB although I would have preferred Roger McIntosh, or would have preferred Jimmy Williams or Daniel Bullocks.
65) Charles Spencer, G/T - Good pick, he's real big right now yet pretty athletic, and after he drops some weight he should fit nicely. Good pickup that I thought would be gone in the 2nd.
66) Eric Winston, OT - I wanted to get him at #33 even though I knew they wouldn't, I was ecstatic when he fell to us and we picked him up.
Grade: B+, one of my favorite drafts so far, I didn't think Spencer or Winston would fall and was a little nervous for 30 seconds after picking Spencer rather than Winston. I'm not sure who's going to be our MLB but Ryans is a solid LB, Williams is my top choice in this draft, and Winston and Spencer should be great for our OLine and were good values in the 3rd, easily the best draft of any of the AFC South teams, about time we can say this.
Indianapolis Colts
30) Joseph Addai, RB - No surprises here.
62) Tim Jennings, CB - Loved to see the Colts pick him, an absolute surprise for him to go 1st day, much less in the 2nd round.
94) Freddie Keiaho, LB - Not sure on him, don't think he's worth this high of a pick.
Grade: C-, Addai will help but Jennings and Keiaho are big time reaches, I'm glad to see us have a better draft than the Colts for once.
Jacksonville Jaguars
28) Marcedes Lewis, TE - Higher than I expected but somewhat of a need.
60) Maurice Drew, RB - Same as Lewis, a lot higher than I expected but addresses a need.
80) Clint Ingram, LB - Decent pick, not bad but not great.
Grade: C, not bad but nothing special.
Kansas City Chiefs
20) Tamba Hali, DE - Had him going here in earlier mocks, then had them taking DBs in my more recent ones, solid pick if they can keep him motivated.
54) Bernard Pollard, S - Way higher than I expected him to go, can't say I consider this a solid pick.
85) Brodie Croyle, QB - Solid pick here, they need to develop Trent Green's future replacement and Croyle is a decent pick.
Miami Dolphins
16) Jason Allen, CB/S - I picked this one, Allen is a solid CB/S combo for their depleted secondary, and Saban likes SEC guys.
82) Derek Hagan, WR - I'm not a real big fan of Hagan as I see some Cory Bradford in him, but he's a solid WR prospect.
Grade: C+, fairly solid and addressing needs but nothing special.
Arizona Cardinals
10) Matt Leinart, QB - Easy pick for them, with their roster I think he will easily have the best first 5 years among all the QBs in this draft.
41) Taitusi Lutui, OG - They really needed OLine help and teamed with Leonard Davis will give them some nice size along their line to open running lanes for Edge.
72) Leonard Pope, TE - Great pickup for them, good value here and he adds another nice receiving option.
Grade: B+, got a big-time QB later than expected, got a starter on OLine that they desperately needed, and a nice pass-catching TE.
Atlanta Falcons
37) Jimmy Williams, CB/S - Great pickup, I'm surprised he slid that far, not sure what happened behind the scenes but they needed secondary help and he's a great pick here.
79) Jerious Norwood, RB - Good pickup for them, they haven't been real happy with Duckett and could use another RB.
Grade: B-, mainly because they got Jimmy Williams so late in the draft and Norwood was somewhat of a need.
Baltimore Ravens
12) Haloti Ngata, DT - Good pick, they need someone up front that can occupy blockers to free up Ray Lewis, and Ngata is definitely suited for that.
56) Chris Chester, C - Nice option for their OLine, I would have loved for him to come here but he's a good pickup for them.
87) David Pittman, CB - I don't personally know much about him, although I know he was rated pretty highly by several people, can't really comment on him.
Grade: C, pretty good draft so far but nothing special.
Buffalo Bills
8) Donte Whitner, S - Huge surprise, probably the biggest of the 1st round. He fills a need but this seems really high for him.
26) John McCargo, DT - Similar to Whitner, he is a good player but probably not worth this high of a pick, and they traded up to get him.
70) Ashton Youboty, CB - Good pick, they needed more secondary help and he's a pretty good value here.
Grade: C-, they got some pretty good players at position of need but really reached on their first two picks, and traded up to get one of them.
Carolina Panthers
27) DeAngelo Williams, RB - Great pick, RB was a big need and getting DeAngelo this late was a huge steal, he is my current prediction for offensive rookie of the year.
58) Richard Marshall, CB - Pretty good player and a need and got him pretty late.
88) James Anderson, LB - Decent player, higher than I thought he'd go.
89) Rashad Butler, OT - Surprising, I did not like him much from what I saw of him.
Grade: B, DeAngelo and Marshall are great picks at the position they got them, Anderson and Butler drag the rating down a bit, could have had a solid A- with better picks in the 3rd.
Chicago Bears
42) Danieal Manning, S - Sleeper pick, a lot higher than I thought he'd go and they took him over some players I thought would be better picks.
57) Devin Hester, WR/CB - Another sleeper, a lot higher than I thought he'd go.
73) Dusty Dvoracek, DT - Solid player, some off-field concerns but he's a pretty athletic DT with a high motor on the field.
Grade: C-, IMO they reached on Manning and Hester, I wasn't surprised to see them move out of the 1st but didn't think they'd target Manning there, Dvoracek is a solid pick there.
Cincinnati Bengals
24) Johnathan Joseph, CB - Solid CB, probably my favorite in the draft. Good pick for them.
55) Andrew Whitworth, OT - Big surprise, many people thought he had a year of learning before he will be ready to contribute.
91) Frostee Rucker, DE - I thought this was pretty high for him, not real fond of this pick for them.
Grade: C, Joseph is the only reason their grade is this high, Whitworth and Rucker weren't great picks IMO.
Cleveland Browns
13) Kamerion Wimbley, LB - Solid pick for their 3-4 defense, was a little surprised they didn't go with Ngata but Wimbley is nice for them.
34) D'Qwell Jackson, LB - Solid ILB for their 3-4 defense.
78) Travis Wilson, WR - Pretty good WR for this position in the draft.
Grade: B, Crennel has added two solid LBs to join Andra Davis and Willie McGinest, and Wilson is a pretty solid WR.
Dallas Cowboys
18) Bobby Carpenter, LB - Solid LB for them, good pick
53) Anthony Fasano, TE - Good TE but a puzzling choice with Witten on their team.
92) Jason Hatcher, DE - Interesting prospect, had good workouts, not sure how good he'll be.
Grade: C, Carpenter is a nice pick, Fasano is good but not sure why they got him with Witten, and not sure on Hatcher.
Denver Broncos
11) Jay Cutler, QB - This was another huge surprise, not sure what this means for the future of Jake Plummer
61) Tony Scheffler, TE - Solid TE, pretty good pickup.
Grade: C+, nothing special here, Cutler is puzzling, sent the #37 to Green Bay for Javon Walker so they got their solid WR.
Detroit Lions
9) Ernie Sims, LB - Perfect type of LB for their defense, didn't expect him to go this high but a solid pick.
40) Daniel Bullocks, S - Nice pick here, they needed DB help and with Huff gone in the 1st they get the next best S in the draft.
74) Brian Calhoun, RB - Solid RB, with Kevin Jones and Shawn Bryson not sure who will stay.
Grade: B-, got two good players at positions of need that fit their system and Calhoun is another solid player.
Green Bay Packers
5) A.J. Hawk, LB - Great pick for them, needed LB help and Hawk will definitely help.
47) Daryn Colledge, OT - Pretty solid pick for them, will help their OLine and should be able to start immediately.
52) Greg Jennings, WR - Good pick, they traded Walker for one of Denver's 2nds and Jennings is a solid WR.
67) Abdul Hodge, LB - Another solid LB that will boost their defense.
75) Jason Spitz, C - Decent OLine prospect, I'm not real fond of him but I was evaluating OLinemen on how they fit our team.
Grade: B+, two very good LBs, a solid WR, a good OLineman and a decent OLineman, filling holes with very solid players.
Houston Texans
1) Mario Williams, DE - Best player in this draft for this team, not a question in my mind on that.
33) DeMeco Ryans, LB - I wasn't real fond of this pick at first but I'm warming up to it. He's a very good LB although I would have preferred Roger McIntosh, or would have preferred Jimmy Williams or Daniel Bullocks.
65) Charles Spencer, G/T - Good pick, he's real big right now yet pretty athletic, and after he drops some weight he should fit nicely. Good pickup that I thought would be gone in the 2nd.
66) Eric Winston, OT - I wanted to get him at #33 even though I knew they wouldn't, I was ecstatic when he fell to us and we picked him up.
Grade: B+, one of my favorite drafts so far, I didn't think Spencer or Winston would fall and was a little nervous for 30 seconds after picking Spencer rather than Winston. I'm not sure who's going to be our MLB but Ryans is a solid LB, Williams is my top choice in this draft, and Winston and Spencer should be great for our OLine and were good values in the 3rd, easily the best draft of any of the AFC South teams, about time we can say this.
Indianapolis Colts
30) Joseph Addai, RB - No surprises here.
62) Tim Jennings, CB - Loved to see the Colts pick him, an absolute surprise for him to go 1st day, much less in the 2nd round.
94) Freddie Keiaho, LB - Not sure on him, don't think he's worth this high of a pick.
Grade: C-, Addai will help but Jennings and Keiaho are big time reaches, I'm glad to see us have a better draft than the Colts for once.
Jacksonville Jaguars
28) Marcedes Lewis, TE - Higher than I expected but somewhat of a need.
60) Maurice Drew, RB - Same as Lewis, a lot higher than I expected but addresses a need.
80) Clint Ingram, LB - Decent pick, not bad but not great.
Grade: C, not bad but nothing special.
Kansas City Chiefs
20) Tamba Hali, DE - Had him going here in earlier mocks, then had them taking DBs in my more recent ones, solid pick if they can keep him motivated.
54) Bernard Pollard, S - Way higher than I expected him to go, can't say I consider this a solid pick.
85) Brodie Croyle, QB - Solid pick here, they need to develop Trent Green's future replacement and Croyle is a decent pick.
Miami Dolphins
16) Jason Allen, CB/S - I picked this one, Allen is a solid CB/S combo for their depleted secondary, and Saban likes SEC guys.
82) Derek Hagan, WR - I'm not a real big fan of Hagan as I see some Cory Bradford in him, but he's a solid WR prospect.
Grade: C+, fairly solid and addressing needs but nothing special.