Draft Recap, Part 1 (AFC)

After 255 picks, 17 hours, and probably five pounds gained from all the food I ate, here is one self-proclaimed non-expert's grades of the recently-concluded draft.

AFC WEST:

Denver Broncos:
Selected: 11) Jay Cutler, QB, Vanderbilt; 61) Tony Scheffer, TE, Western Michigan; 119) Brandon Marshall, WR, UCF; 126) Elvis Dumervil, DE, Louisville; 130) Domeink Hixon, WR, Akron; 161) Chris Kuper, G, North Dakota; 198) Greg Elsinger, C, Minnesota
Opinion: Interesting move to trade up for Cutler when they still have Jake Plummer. The other moves aren’t too sexy…until you factor in that the second-round pick was sent to Green Bay for Javon Walker. If healthy, that’s a nice, big improvement. A good draft. At least they didn’t draft this year’s equivalent of Maurice Clarett…Marcus Vick.
Grade: B- (B+ if Walker is completely healthy)

Kansas City Chiefs:
Selected: 20) Tamba Hall, DE, Penn St.; 54) Bernard Pollard, S, Purdue; 85) Brodie Croyle, QB, Alabama; 154) Marcus Maxey, CB, Miami (FL); 186) Tre’ Stallings, G, Mississippi; 190) Jeff Webb, WR, San Diego St.; 228) Jarrod Page, S, UCLA
Opinion: Nice defensive picks to go along with, essentially, their other draft choice, new coach Herman Edwards. Brodie Croyle in the third round is a good developmental pick for a year or two down the road.
Grade: B

Oakland Raiders:
Selected: 7) Michael Huff, S, Texas; 38) Thomas Howard, LB, UTEP; 69) Paul McQuistan, T, Weber St.; 101) Darnell Bing, S, USC; 176) Kevin Boothe, G, Cornell; 214) Chris Morris, C, Michigan St.; 255) Kevin McMahan, WR, Maine
Opinion: Two good safeties for Oakland to shore up an awful secondary. Lots of offensive line help taken, but once again, who will they block for? At least the defense got better.
Grade: B-

San Diego Chargers:
Selected: 19) Antonio Cromartie, CB, Florida St.; 50) Marcus McNeil, T, Auburn; 81) Charlie Whitehurst, QB, Clemson; 151) Tim Dobbins, LB, Iowa State; 187) Jeromey Clary, T, Kansas State; 188) Kurt Smith, K, Virginia; 225) Chase Page, DT, North Carolina; 227) Jimmy Martin, T, Virginia Tech
Opinion: Cromartie was hurt for most of last year, so that is a risky pick. Did not get a lot of receiving help for new starting QB Phil Rivers. These picks were puzzling at best.
Grade: C-

AFC NORTH:

Baltimore Ravens:
Selected: 12) Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon; 56) Chris Chester, T, Oklahoma; 87) David Pittman, CB, Northwestern St.; 111) Demetrius Williams, WR, Oregon; 132) P. J. Daniels, RB, Georgia Tech; 146) Dawan Landry, S, Georgia Tech; 166) Quinn Sypniewski, TE, Colorado; 203) Sam Koch, P, Nebraska; 208) Derrick Martin, CB, Wyoming; 219) Ryan Lacasse, DE, Syracuse
Opinion: Ngata should shut Ray Lewis up for a few minutes. Williams could be a decent second or third receiver but is not a bust-out playmaker. None of the other picks impress me, but with this volume, some needs are filled. Not very impressive, though.
Grade: C

Cincinnati Bengals:
Selected: 24) Johnathon Joseph, CB, South Carolina; 55) Andrew Whitworth, OT, LSU; 91) Frostee Rucker, DE, USC; 123) Domata Peko, DT, Michigan St.; 157) A. J. Nicholson, LB, Florida State; 193) Reggie McNeal, QB, Texas A & M; 209) Ethan Kilmer, WR, Penn State; 231) Bennie Brazell, WR, LSU
Opinion: Immediate upgrade from Tory James at CB. Whitworth, Rucker, and Nicholson are great picks in those positions, as they should have all gone earlier. McNeal could be a good backup should Palmer have trouble returning from his injury in the playoffs.
Grade: B

Cleveland Browns:
Selected: 13) Kamerion Wimbley, DE, Florida St.; 34) D-Qwell Jackson, LB, Maryland; 78) Travis Wilson, WR, Oklahoma; 110) Leon Williams, LB, Miami (FL); 145) Jerome Harrison, RB, Washington St.; 152) DeMario Minter, CB, Georgia; 180) Lawrence Vickers, FB, Colorado; 181) Babatunde Oshinowo, DT, Stanford; 222) Justin Hamilton, S, Va. Tech
Opinion: They needed defense. They got a whole bunch of defensive playmakers. A pretty good haul.
Grade: B+.

Pittsburgh Steelers:
Selected: 25) Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio State; 83) Anthony Smith, S, Syracuse; 95) Willie Reid, WR/KR, T, Florida St.; 131) Willie Colon, T, Hofstra; 133) Orien Harris, DT, Miami (FL);
164) Omar Jacobs, QB, Bowling Green; 167) Charles Davis, TE, Purdue; 201) Marvin Philip, C, California; 240) Cedric Humes, RB, Va. Tech
Opinion: Most pressing need: a WR and KR to take Antwaan Randle-El’s place. So they make a trade and get the best WR in the draft with Holmes and Reid from Florida State. They also steal Orien Harris on Day 2. Wow.
Grade: A

AFC SOUTH:

Houston Texans:
Selected: 1) Mario Williams, DE, NC State; 33) DeMeco Ryans, LB, Alabama; 65) Charles Spencer, G, Pitttsburgh; 66) Eric Winston, T, Miami (FL); 98) Owen Daniels, TE, Wisconsin; 170) Wali Lundy, RB, Virginia; 251) David Anderson, WR, Colorado St.
Opinion: They got a lot of line help, so we don’t have to hear any more about Carr having no protection and the defense being god-awful. That being said, they passed up the most dynamic quarterback and the most dynamic running back to be available in a long time. Hope Charley Casserly enjoyed this draft. It’s probably his last.
Grade: D (only because Spencer and Winston help the OL)

Indianapolis Colts:
Selected: 30) Joseph Addai, RB, LSU; 62) Tim Jennings, CB, UGA; 94) Freddie Keiaho, LB, San Diego St.; 162) Michael Toudouze, T, TCU; 199) Charlie Johnson, T, Oklahoma St.; 207) Antoine Bethea, S, Howard; 238: T. J. Rushing, WR/KR, Stanford
Opinion: Addai is a good pick at 30. Is he as good as Edge? No. Will he do enough in this offensive system? Probably so. Colts drafting mostly for depth and did a decent job.
Grade: B

Jacksonville Jaguars:
Selected: 28) Marcedes Lewis, TE, UCLA; 60) Maurice Drew, RB, UCLA; 80) Clint Ingram, LB, Oklahoma; 160) Brent Hawkins, DE, Illinois St.; 213) James Wyche, DE, Syracuse; 236) Dee Webb, CB, Florida
Opinion: Took Marcedes Lewis when better tight ends were still on the board. Drew is an OK pick to spell Fred Taylor and his groin but better RB's were available. Not sure about the DE picks, either.
Grade: C

Tennessee Titans:
Selected: 3) Vince Young, QB, Texas; 45) LenDale White, RB, USC; 102) Calvin Lowry, S, Penn State; 116) Stephen Tulloch, LB, NC State; 137) Terna Nande, LB, Miami (OH); 169) Jesse Mahelona, DT, Tennessee; 172) Jonathon Orr, WR, Wisconsin; 215) Cortland Finnegan, WR/KR, Stanford; 245) Spencer Toone, LB, Utah; 246) Quinton Ganther, RB, Utah
Opinion: Young and White will be a major improvement over McNair and Chris Brown. A nice batch of linebackers, too. Later picks seem weak but it is still a good total haul.
Grade: B

AFC EAST (a.k.a. the WTF? division):

Buffalo Bills:
Selected: 8) Donte Whitner, S, Ohio State; 26) John McCargo, DT, NC State; 70) Ashton Youboty, CB, Ohio State; 105) Ko Simpson, S, South Carolina; 134) Kyle Williams, DT, LSU; 143) Brad Butler, OT, Virginia; 178) Keith Ellison, LB, Oregon St.; 216) Terrence Pennington, OT, New Mexico; 248) Aaron Merz, G, California
Opinion: Whitner and McCargo were not good selections for those spots. Youboty and Simpson will help significantly. Butler, Merz, and Pennington will help the beleagured offensive line a little. I am surprised they did not select a receiver, though. Both their lines will improve, but there are still a lot of needs. Apparently the draft confuses Ralph Wilson as much as the new CBA.
Grade: C-

Miami Dolphins:
Selected: 16) Jason Allen, S, Tennessee; 82) Derek Hagan, WR, Arizona St.; 114) Joe Toledo, T, Washington; 212) Frederick Evans, DT, SW Texas St.; 226) Rodrique Wright, DT, Texas; 233) Devin Aromashodu, WR, Auburn
Opinion: Also used picks to get Daunte Culpepper from the Vikings, but he is still hurt and may miss half of this year too. Allen was one of the first round picks that made me go “what?????” Also, no offensive line help at all. Ugh.
Grade: D+.

New England Patriots:
Selected: 21) Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota; 36) Chad Jackson, WR, Florida; 86) David Thomas, TE, Texas; 106) Garrett Mills, FB, Tulsa; 118) Stephen Gostkowski, K, Memphis; 136) Ryan O’Callaghan, T, California; 191) Jeremy Mincey, DE, Florida; 205) Dan Stevenson, G, Notre Dame; 206) Le Kevin Smith, DT, Nebraska; 229) Willie Andrews, WR/KR, Baylor
Opinion: Chad Jackson is a good receiver, but why are they drafting running backs and tight ends when they STILL have no secondary? Will Jackson be the new shut-down corcner? Someone explain this to me. Please.
Grade: D

New York Jets:
Selected: 4) D’Brickashaw Ferguson, T, Virginia; 29) Nick Mangold, C, Ohio State; 49) Kellen Clemons, QB, Oregon; 76) Anthony Schiegel, LB, Ohio State; 97) Eric Smith, S, Michigan State; 103) Brad Smith, QB/WR, Missouri; 117) Leon Washington, RB, Florida State; 150) Jason Posciak, TE, Wisconsin; 189) Drew Coleman, CB, TCU; 220) Titus Adams, DT, Nebraska
Opinion: Anytime the picks make me come off the couch and scream in horror, it can't be good. Look at those first three picks. Instead of who they got, they could have had Matt Leinart, LenDale White, and Winston Justice. Nope. Then, add in Brad Smith, who does not want to move from QB to WR, and Criminole RB Leon Washington, and you get the lowest grade of the draft. On the bright side, they will have the QB of their choice…next year, when they draft #1 overall. What a mess.
Grade: F.

Part two tomorrow night, with the NFC. Just re-counting the Jets' picks is getting me angry. Did you know that burning Jets' parapherneliz does not let off a green glow. Me neither...until yesterday.