Cigaro's Draft Review

[Cigaro]

Alright, I've got time on my hands, so I'm going to do my own version of drank rankings. I'm not here to offend anyone with a low ranking if I give it, just my honest opinion. I'll do one division at a time;

Baltimore Ravens

* 26. Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest
* 57. Darry Beckwith, LB, LSU
* 88. Louis Murphy, WR, Florida
* 119. Derek Pegues, CB,FS,KR, Miss State
* 154. No Pick
* 185. No Pick
* 217. No Pick

The Baltimore Ravens were an auto-pick team, so I'll keep this review short and sweet. Alphonso Smith is a great cornerback prospect, and definitely fits a need. After losing Ray Lewis, Bart Scott, and Terrell Suggs, linebacker was probably their biggest need, but I'm not sure Beckwith was the right guy. Beckwith is a decent linebacker prospect, but he's better suited for the 4-3 than the 3-4. Louis Murphy is an overrated prospect, and it's too early for him in my opinion. Pegues is the exact opposite, and is underrrated if not forgotten by most. Pegues has excellent game speed, and could fit in in a number of places.

Grade: D. Alphonso Smith and Pegues were nice picks, but Beckwith and Murphy are questionable, and they obviously had three picks skipped.

Cleveland Browns

* 5. Rey Maualuga, LB, Southern California
* 36. DJ Moore, CB, Vanderbilt
* 100. James Davis, RB, Clemson
* 191. Edwin Williams, C, Maryland


Rey Maualuga may have been a reach, but he's a great player. Gives them another inside playmaker who can change the game at any moment. Moore isn't one of the most well known corners in the draft, a result of playing at Vanderbilt, but he's a great talent. He's got great strength and athleticism and could fit into any kind of scheme. James Davis is another under rated player, and is arguably the best senior back. He's a physical runner and possesses deceiving athleticism. Edwin Williams was an All-ACC player last season, and while he's not a great prospect, he's far from bad.

Grade: A-. A lot of people knock the Maualuga selection for being too early, but few teams were willing to trade up, and even with few picks they had, the Browns brought in a collection of good prospects.

Pittsburgh Steelers

* 64. Andy Levitre, G, Oregon State
* 96. No Pick
* 128. No Pick
* 160. No Pick
* 192. No Pick
* 209. No Pick
* 224. No Pick

Andy Levitre is a good prospect, and he definitely fits a need, but while few agree with me on this, I do think there were better options at the position available

Grade: F. Based soley on the fact they used one pick out of the seven they had.

[Cigaro]

Chicago Bears

* 18. Eben Britton, OT, Arizona
* 49. Paul Kruger, DE, Utah
* 146. Tyronne Green, OT, Auburn
* 178. Kevin Ellison, S, USC
* 212. Lydon Murtha, OT, Nebraska

The Bears need a right tackle to complement Chris Williams, who was their first round pick last year, and Britton is a good prospect to fill that role. Britton's concerns about foot speed and pass protection are relatively neutralized at the right tackle spot, and should be at least a reliable tackle for years to come. The Bears' Cover Two lives off the pash rush, and last year it was non-existant. Paul Kruger is a decent end prospect, and should help out. The Bears drafted Tyronne Green as a tackle, but his true position is guard, and if he's moved there, he's a great value pick. Ellison was an underrated college player, but his horrific 40 means he'll probably have to move to outside linebacker in the pros. Lydon Murtha was the most athletic tackle at the Combine, but that's about it, as many describe him with the saying 'looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane'.

Grade: B. Britton, Kruger, and Green are good prospects, but Ellison and Murtha are questionable pro prospects.


Detroit Lions

* 1. Matthew Stafford, QB, UGA
* 24. Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss
* 33. Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
* 65. Herman Johnson, G, LSU
* 82. Dannell Ellerbee, LB, UGA
* 129. DeAngelo Smith, CB, Cincinnati
* 179. Myron Pryor, DT, Kentucky

It's been obvious since the start of the mock offseason who would be the number one pick, but it's far from obvious whether that's the right pick. Stafford has a tremendous upside, but also many questions, which is something a dead franchise should probably avoid. Peria Jerry fits the defensive scheme perfectly and is a great talent. The Lions have Calvin Johnson, but no legitimate weapons across from him, something Percy Harvin could help solve, although Harvin still has to dispel the Florida receiver tag. Herman Johnson is a big mauler who's undeservably seen his stock decline, and should be a starter for quite a few years. Dannell Ellerbe is an OK prospect, but he lost out on a lot of playing time his senior year. DeAngelo Smith was part of tremendous defensive backfield for Cincinnati, and is a good value for the pick. Myron Pryor is a forgotten and underrated player, and could prove to be a steal.

Grade: B+. Was a very good draft filling a lot of needs, but Stafford is too questionable to earn an A ranking.

Green Bay Packers

* 9. Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
* 51. Jared Cook, TE, South Carolina
* 60. Brian Robiskie, WR, OSU
* 83. Jevon Ringer, RB, MSU
* 131. Mark Parson, CB, Ohio
* 137. Xavier Fulton, OT, Illinois
* 148. Terrance Knighton, NT, Temple
* 169. Lee Robinson, OLB/DE, Alcorn State
* 174. Jordan Norwood, WR, PSU
* 195. Andy Kemp, G, Wisconsin
* 201. Phillip Hunt, DE, Houston

List the rest of the NFC North minus Jared Allen, the Packers lacked any sense of a pass rush. Brian Orakpo immediately fixes that problem. He was an underachiever his first three years on the field in Austin, but was always a hard worker, especially in the weight room, and became the monster everyone knew he could be his senior year. Orakpo is both extremely athletic and strong, and could've went much earlier, as high as three to the Chiefs. Jared Cook is another physical marvel, posting an insane vertical jump and 40 yard dash. Isn't a great blocker, but is a matchup nightmare and adds another weapon for Aaron Rodgers. Brian Robiskie is an underrated prospect, and while the Packers don't really need another receiver, Robiskie isn't a bad pick. Javon Ringer is small and not too athletic, but he's a tough runner and should figure into the rotation early. Mark Parson shut down the aforementioned Robiskie when the Wildcats traveled to Columbus. Xavier Fulton is an interesting prospect, and Packers really need offensive line help. Terrance Knighton and Lee Robinson are two small school prospects(yes, I know Temple is D-IA), but they fit the Packers' 3-4 system perfectly. Jordan Norwood is one of three Penn State receivers in the draft this year, and is probably third best. He had limited production isn't overly athletic or big, and has limited upside. Andy Kemp is a dominating run blocker, but not very athletic. He could still see time at the guard spot, however. Phillip Hunt is an extremely underrated prospect. Hunt got to the quarterback fourteen times last year, giving him thirty career sacks. Is a complete steal in the seventh.

Grade: A-. The Packers got great players in the draft, with the only real knock is that they didn't go after an offensive lineman earlier.

Minnesota Vikings

* 22. William Beatty, OT, UCONN
* 54. Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State
* 86. Jairus Byrd, CB, Oregon
* 118. Alex Magee, DT, Purdue
* 150. Marko Mitchell, WR, Nevada
* 204. Spencer Adkins, LB, Miami
* 214. Stryker Sulak, DE, Missouri

William Beatty is a good tackle prospect, but that's mostly because of his athleticism and pass protection skills, not strength or run blocking prowess. He's certainly better than Ryan Cook, but he's got limited upside on the right side. The Vikings may need to shuffle lineman to get full use of Beatty's abilities. The Vikings need a quarterback, but they certainly didn't get one in Josh Freeman. Freeman has a strong arm and perfect size for the position, but he's a horrible excuse of a decision maker. At least Tavaris Jackson brought great athleticism to the table. Jairus Byrd, however, brings a little hope to Minneapolis. He's an underrated corner who could see a decent amount of time his rookie year. Alex Magee is a questionable prospect, but also has a decent amount of upside. Magee wasn't overly productive in college, but he impressed during the Senior Bowl and could develop into a decent tackle. Marko Mitchell isn't a heavily talked about prospect, but he's fairly athletic for his size, and put up great numbers the past two years. Spencer Adkins is a fairly athletic prospect, but wasn't productive in college. Stryler Sulak is an interesting prospect who really came out his senior year, recording 10.5 sacks. For the value, is a decent pick.

Grade: C-. Beatty is a good tackle, but isn't a right tackle, and Freeman sucks. Byrd, Magee, Mitchell, and Sulak are good and interesting prospects for the pick.

[Cigaro]

Denver Broncos

* 12. Chris Wells, RB, OSU
* 48. Evander Hood, DT, Missouri
* 79. Marcus Freeman, LB, OSU
* 110. Corneilus Ingram, TE, UF
* 132. Rickey Jean-Francis, DT, LSU
* 141. Mohammed Massaquoi, WR, UGA
* 172. Mike Goodson, HB, Texas A&M
* 208. Kennan Lewis, CB, Oregon State


The Broncos were famous for their ability to take an average running back and make him look great, but with Shanahan gone, don't expect it anymore. For some unknown reason, most are dropping Chris Wells down their draft board, a lot of them moving him behind Knowshon Moreno. The most common reason is his durability, but he had never missed a game before this season. Wells is an extremely powerful back who has great game speed, and should be a Pro Bowl runner for years to come. Evander Hood is a good undertackle, but even with the signing of Gabe Watson, the Broncos probably should've gone for a bigger and stronger tackle. Marcus Freeman played in the shadow of James Laurinaitis, but he's a good prospect in his own right. Cornelius Ingram missed the entire season with an injured knee. Ingram is extremely athletic and could be a good situational tight end. Ricky Jean-Francois dominated the 2007 SEC and National Championship games, making a lot of people rate him as a top prospect. His 2008 season was a bust in comparison, however, dropping his stock immensely. If Jean-Francois can return to his 2007 form, he could be a lesser Justin Tuck. Mohamed Massaquoi underperformed up until his senior season, where the arrival of A.J. Green diverted attention and led to Massaquoi being named to many All-SEC teams. Massaquoi still has to improve his catching ability. Mike Goodson is an underrated back who's extremely fast. With Wells the likely workhorse, Goodson could be a nice complement. He's also a threat out of the backfield. Keenan Lewis is a little known, but decent prospect. His stock is currently hovering around the 4th round, so getting him in the seventh is a great value pick.

Grade: B. Wells is a great pick, and while Hood isn't the type of tackle the Broncos really need, he's good in his own right. The other picks have a decent amount of upside, but also a few questions.

Kansas City Chiefs

* 3. Eugene Monroe, OT, Virgina
* 34. Lesean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh
* 67. Fili Moala, DT, USC
* 69. Eric Wood, C/G, Louisville
* 105. David Veikune, DE, Hawaii
* 113. Zach Follett, LB, CAL
* 162. Courtney Greene, S, Rutgers

Brandon Albert played well at left tackle last season, but apparently not well enough, so the Chiefs went after his former teammate Eugene Monroe. Monroe gives the Chiefs many options for how their line could be set up, and could return the line to one of the best in the league. With Larry Johnson gone, running back was certainly a need, and they got a good one in LeSean McCoy. McCoy is a shifty runner who could be a legitimate threat to take it to the house on any play. Fili Moala started the season overrated, but ended the season underrated. He's got great strength and athleticism, and could take over the nose tackle spot, and move Glenn Dorsey back to his natural undertackle position. Eric Wood is a good center in a great draft and adds another good, young prospect to the line. David Veikune is a decent pass rushing prospect. Zach Follett is a good steal at this pick, although he's probably better suited for a 3-4 defense. Courtney Greene is a decent safety prospect who started the season as a 2nd round player.

Grade: A. An extremely underrated draft. Monroe, McCoy, Wood, and Moala should all develop into starters.

Oakland Raiders

* 7. Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
* 40. Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State
* 71. Ramses Barden, WR, Cal Poly
* 104. Jonathan Luigs, C, Arkasas
* 168. Kaluka Maiava, LB, USC
* 199. Otis Wiley, S, Michigan State


Wide receiver would've been the sexy pick, but drafting Jason Smith is absolutely the right pick. Smith is now being talked about as the top tackle drafted, and potential number one if the Lions deem Stafford too risky. Smith is extremely athletic and has deceiving strength, and should be a great blindside protector for years. Aaron Maybin is very questionable, as even though stock wise he was a good value, he's thin and he didn't time well at the Combine, and really only had one good year at Penn State. Ramses Barden is probably the top small school prospect, and gives Jamarcus Russell a big weapon to throw to. Jonathan Luigs won the Rimington Trophy as a junior, but when the Razorbacks suffered a down season, Luigs stock dropped as well. Luigs is extremely underrated and could become a starter for the Raiders. Kaluka Maiava is another extremely underrated prospect. Maiava was stuck behind first rounders Keith Rivers, Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, and Clay Matthews, so he didn't have much of an opportunity to prove himself. Three of those first rounders played on last year's squad, but that didn't stop Maiava from racking up 62 tackles and being named the 2009 Rose Bowl Defensive MVP. Otis Wiley is a decent prospect who could develop into a good backup safety.

Grade: B-. Overall great draft, but Maybin drops it down.

San Diego Chargers

* 16. Donald Brown, RB, UConn
* 78. Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati
* 109. Cedric Dockery, OG, Texas
* 140. No Pick
* 176. No Pick
* 207. No Pick

The Chargers lost Darren Sproles, and with Ladainian Tomlinson aging, running back was a definite need. Donald Brown is an underrated prospect, who actually compares very well with Tomlinson himself. No one is saying he'll be as good, but they're similar style players, and Brown should be a great runner for years to come. Mike Mickens is a great value at the pick, and could be at least a decent nickleback. Cedric Dockery is an underrated guard prospect who at least provides depth.

Grade: C. The Chargers were on their way to a good draft, but they obviously didn't use all their picks.