 Baltimore Ravens
Who They Took:
1.(29) OG Ben Grubbs, Auburn
3.(74) WR Yamon Figurs, Kansas St.
3.(86) OT Marshall Yanda, Iowa
4.(134) LB Antwan Barnes, Florida International
4.(137) FB Le'Ron McClain, Alabama
6.(207) LB Prescott Burgess, Michigan
Key Team Needs:
1. Offensive line 2. Linebacker 3. Running back 4. Cornerback 5. Defensive tackle
They Bottom Line:
Baltimore has a very solid team. They addressed offensive line right away with Grubbs, who should turn out to be a great player. After not picking in round two, they made a surprising pick with Yamon Figurs. Figurs is talented, but his main role may be a return man. Normally, you don't use a third round pick on a return man. I like the pick of Burgess in round seven. He may turn out to be their next Adalius Thomas type player. He is very athletic and can play LB or S if needed. For what they had and what they needed, this was an average draft.
Grade:
C+
 Cincinatti Bengals
Who They Took:
1.(18) CB Leon Hall, Michigan
2.(49) RB Kenny Irons, Auburn
4.(114) S Marvin White, TCU
5.(151) QB Jeff Rowe, Nevada
6.(187) DT Matt Toeaina, Oregon
7.(230) OG Dan Santucci, Notre Dame
7.(253) S Nedu Ndukwe, Notre Dame
Key Team Needs:
1. Cornerback 2. Tight end 3. Defensive tackle 4. Saftey 5. Guard/Center
They Bottom Line:
The Bengals got a gift when Leon Hall slipped to 18. Hall could be considered the top CB in the draft and could have gone in the top ten. THe Bengals needed defensive back help and Hall will help. I like Kenny Irons, but I don't really know if this was the best pick for the bengals in the second round. Their was still a lot of good players availible and running back isn't that high of a need. They must not have too much confidence in Chris Perry. Other then those two players, a pretty basic draft, nothing that stands out to me.
Grade:
C+
 Cleveland Browns
Who They Took:
1.(3) OT Joe Thomas, Wisconsin
1.(22) QB Brady Quinn, Notre Dame
2.(53) CB Eric Wright, UNLV
5.(140) CB Brandon McDonald, Memphis
6.(200) DE Melila Purcell, Hawaii
7.(213) DE Chase Pittman, LSU
7.(234) WR Syndric Steptoe, Arizona
Key Team Needs:
1. Cornerback 2. Offensive tackle 3. Wide receiver 4. Nose tackle 5. Quarterback
They Bottom Line:
The Browns may have had the best first day of this years draft, but their day two wasn't nearly as good. Obviously, fans have heard plenty obout Thomas, the dominating tackle from Wisconsin, and Quinn, the golden boy who slipped down to his hometown team. Eric Wright has the talent level, but his experience and off the field issues may hurt his career. After transfering away from USC after only one season from suspicion of rape, Wright only played one year at UNLV before declaring for the draft. If he keeps his record clean and plays to his potential, cleveland should have 3 players to build a great team off of. I like the pick of Chase Johnson in the seventh round. He has good size and uses his hands well. The Browns were a perfect fit for him. This years draft doesn't reflect that they will not have a 2008 first round pick, but on paper, this class looks good.
Grade:
B+
 Pittsburgh Steelers
Who They Took:
1.(15) LB Lawrence Timmons, Florida St.
2.(46) DE LaMarr Woodley, Michigan
3.(77) TE Matt Spaeth, Minnesota
4.(112) P Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor
4.(132) DE Ryan McBean, Oklahoma St.
5.(156) OG Cameron Stephenson, Rutgers
5.(170) CB William Gay, Louisville
7.(227) WR Dallas Baker, Florida
Key Team Needs:
1. Linebacker 2. Cornerback 3. Running back 4. Defensive line 5. Center/Guard
They Bottom Line:
Lawrence Timmons should turn into a great player in the pros. It shouldn't take long for him to come in, learn the system, and dominate the league. Woodley is an interesting pick in the second round. There were a lot of ends off the boards by this time. Woodley is athletic enough to play DE or OLB. He may not contribute as early as Timmons, but should put up decent numbers during his career. I like the pick of Dallas Baker in round seven. Baker has improved every year through college. He probably could have gone early day two, but his speed didn't wow anyone. He may slip into playing time and get a good number of catches as a rookie. The Steelers took care of the need at LB and DE, but didn't do too much else to improve right now.
Grade:
B-Labels: Baltimore Ravens, Brady Quinn, Cincinatti Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Draft Grades, Joe Thomas, Lawrence Timmons, Leon Hall, NFL, NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers |
