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2008 NFL Draft Grades - AFC West
by Gregory Cox
Director
of College
Football and NFL Analysis
5/2/08
DENVER
#12 OT Ryan Clady (Boise State):
For some unknown reason I
changed my mock from him to Albert in the final version. Clady
considers
himself the best tackle in the game and for someone you want to start
on the
left side that’s a good attitude to have. He fills the hole left by the
retirement of Lepsis, and is already used to being a Bronco.
#42 WR Eddie Royal (Virginia Tech): Along with Avery, Nelson
and Simpson he was one of the receiver reaches that had analysts
scratching
their head. I thought they might take DeSean Jackson (California)
at #12. When he was staring back at them here it was ridiculous not to
take
him. Their only rationale by passing on him and Kelly (Oklahoma)
was their potential attitude. Sweed (Texas)
was an injury risk and I’m certain their starting quarterback Cutler
wanted the
reach to be Bennett (Vanderbilt). Still, he’s a good return man and
they rated
him as the best at beating bump and run coverage in this draft.
#108 C Kory Lichtensteiger (Bowling Green):
As weak as this center class was I shouldn’t
be surprised to see a different order off the board from 2-5 than I
expected. I
think this was a reach considering they had a series of picks left in
the top
150 and most projected him around 170 on average. However, he’s
versatile with
the ability to play guard or long snap as well. He also fits into their
system
which trumps the “R” word.
#119 CB Jack Williams (Kent State):
The tragic death of another
Williams (Darrent) coupled with the age of starters Bly and Bailey has
somewhat
offset heavy drafting at cornerback. Given their top 4 players at the
position
I might have taken a chance at a little more upside, but he’s an okay
add here.
#139 RB Ryan Torain (Arizona State):
The Broncos are notorious
for collecting running backs in the later rounds and making them into
1,000
yard rushers. I think they could have waited a little longer on him,
but this
is quite a steal potentially. If he hadn’t been injured I expect he was
a
fourth round pick. He won’t have a tough time taking over their lead
role.
#148 DT Carlton
Powell (Virginia Tech): They didn’t rest on trading for Robertson to
address
their awful run defense and unbelievably avoided taking a Florida Gator
as
well. He’s going to be planted in the middle of their line fairly early
on.
#183 ILB/OLB Spencer Larsen (Arizona): He will give them
whatever is asked of him, whether it is playing on special teams,
trying out
fullback where he played in high school or adding depth at linebacker
where
they picked up two players late in free agency. He might wind up being
their
long sought after middle linebacker.
#220 SS Josh Barrett (Arizona
State):
Another Sun Devil and their
third pick from the state of Arizona.
He is an absolute steal at this point. Many were talking about him in
the
second round before Johnson (Arkansas)
stole all the late attention. He is extremely fast with the size to
potentially
move up to outside linebacker by gaining a little weight. I love him
right
where he is.
#227 FB Peyton Hillis (Arkansas):
He was expected to go around the fifth and is a good value here to say
the
least. For the Razorbacks he was all over the field and will be a
valuable
addition to this offense at a bargain basement price.
MY DRAFT: #12 (OG/OT) #42 (SS/FS) #108 (RB) #119 (TE) #139
(OG) #148 (WR) #183 (K) #220 (ILB) #227 (DT)
Their draft went relatively as I anticipated it would. The
strong safety might have come late, but it’s a second round talent.
They
grabbed a middle round running back and late round linebacker as I
expected.
The wide receiver came a lot earlier and the defensive tackle a little
earlier
than I anticipated. There was no guard, but they did take a center in
that
range. Instead of going after a top kicker or a tight end they added a
cornerback and fullback.
PLAYER HITS: 0
POSITION HITS: 6/9
NEAR MISSES: 1 (C instead of OG)
HOW DID THEY DO? They had a lot of picks like the rival
Chiefs, but none of them from 43-107 when KC picked up 4 players.
Therefore
they had to be selective and reaching early for Royal wasn’t a good way
to do
that. They couldn’t get him at #108, but could have traded down first
given
what was on the board at receiver including DeSean Jackson. They
bolstered
their backfield which hasn’t been up to their standards with two guys
in the
“shadows” who will play like studs. Aside from stealing a couple guys
including
Barrett though it’s not all that exciting of a haul.
UNDRAFTED ADDITIONS: OT Mitch Erickson (South Dakota State)
OT Tyler Polumbus (Colorado) RB Anthony Alridge (Houston) P Brett Kern
(Toledo)
WR Lorne Sam (UTEP) OLB Wesley Woodyard (Kentucky)
Analysis: This was a very nice haul. It starts with a pair
of tackles including Polumbus who could have been a late round pick.
Alridge is
an offensive weapon who might have been taken in the sixth. Woodyard is
a speedy
tackling machine who should have gone around the fourth. It isn’t a
deep group,
but this is like having three more draft picks for free.
OVERALL DRAFT: 82/100
INCLUDING UDFA: 86/100
KANSAS
CITY
#5 DT Glenn Dorsey (LSU): I have to be honest I was leery of
plugging in an early defensive tackle for them after their recent
failings at
the position in the draft. As long as he stays healthy (which is a big
question) he should stabilize their run defense.
#15 OG/OT Branden Albert (Virginia): As his stock started
rising the question became how high would he go? Some thought they
might take
him at #5 making him a great pickup here after moving up from one of
the picks
acquired in the Allen trade. Not even halfway through the first round
they are
already better on both lines.
#35 CB Brandon Flowers (Virginia Tech): I remember when
Arrowhead was a nightmare for opposing offenses and this is a player
who can
help get him back to those days. He is physical and will be in their
lineup
pretty soon.
#73 RB Jamaal Charles (Texas):
Yet another pick I really like. He adds breakaway speed to their
backfield and
can help wear down a defense since they shouldn’t be running LJ more
than 300
times a season.
#76 TE Brad Cottam (Tennessee):
This selection was the first to confuse some analysts, but I am on
board with
it. “Gonzo” isn’t going to lead their team in receiving from the
position
forever. This gives them a player who forces a mismatch every time he
is in the
lineup because he is 6’7”. He didn’t put up numbers for the Volunteers,
but did
impress the scouts.
#82 SS/FS DaJuan Morgan (N.C.
State):
Okay, now this just isn’t
fair. He was really a second round prospect and if you count Charles
they now
have added five prospects many had in their top 60. To boot he can play
either
safety spot.
#105 WR Will Franklin (Missouri):
This is the first pick where people aren’t really jealous of them, but
again
it’s a good move. He is a fast local favorite and actually was
projected
slightly higher by a few people. I like him as a complementary player
to last
year’s rookie stud Bowe quite a bit.
#140 CB Brandon Carr (Grand Valley
State):
Okay, so they’re not perfect but maybe they just got tired of stealing.
He was
a seventh round prospect and I’d have taken Bowman (Nebraska) or
Scandrick
(Boise State) in this spot and watched a few analysts go out of their
mind
talking about this being the best draft in years. Carr does have size
and speed
so this one could turn out well.
#170 OT Barry Richardson (Clemson): Well we’re back to stealing
again because he was probably a fourth rounder. He’s a massive presence
who
just needs a little polishing.
#182 WR Kevin Robinson (Utah State):
Their return game has been
in trouble since Hall left. They needed to address it and obviously
liked him.
#210 DE/OLB Brian Johnston (Gardner-Webb): He was getting
hyped up as a potential fourth or fifth round draft pick so now this is
getting
ridiculous how trading for three picks has parlayed into a talent laden
draft.
We might look back on this as the reason they finally got back to the
Super
Bowl after a generation had passed. I was concerned about them not
addressing
the pass rush sooner, but this was enough value to qualify.
#239 TE Mike Merritt (Central Florida):
They fizzled out on their final pick, but considering how late it is
that’s
okay. He is a blocker and special teams addition. Honestly, if they had
selected offensive tackle Schwartz (Oregon)
I might have given this draft a 100.
MY DRAFT: #5 (DE/OLB) #17 (OT) #35 (WR) #66 (DT) #73 (C) #82
(OT/OG) #105 (CB) #136 (QB) #140 (OLB) #182 (RB) #187 (TE) #210 (FB)
#239 (WR)
They said they wanted more picks than they came in with (13)
but actually finished with one less. They didn’t take a center,
quarterback,
outside linebacker or fullback as I expected and did land an additional
tight
end and cornerback instead. All in all I was pretty accurate though,
even
giving the Chiefs two receivers and a versatile offensive lineman.
PLAYER HITS: 0
POSITION HITS: 9/13
NEAR MISSES: 0
HOW DID THEY DO? This is kind of a dumb question. They stole
the show. I have to wonder if the Vikings might prefer to have had
Albert
(assuming he wasn’t taken #15 or #16) Charles and Morgan instead of
Jared Allen
right about now. Those are all players they need in some form, even
Charles who
could have backed up “All Day”. The biggest error by the team was
passing over
a quarterback. I really can’t understand not using one of their third
round
picks coupled with later ammunition to get back into the race for Brohm
(Louisville).
They are casting their lot with Croyle because I don’t think there is a
better
quarterback available in next year’s draft. Maybe they have their eyes
on Missouri’s
own Chase Daniel?
UNDRAFTED ADDITIONS: QB Ricky Santos (New Hampshire) DT
Derek Lokey (Texas) WR Luke Swan (Wisconsin) OLB Steve Octavien
(Nebraska) FB
Mike Cox (Georgia Tech) DE Johnny Dingle (West Virginia) WR Sean Bailey
(Georgia) OLB/SS SirDarean Adams (Michigan State) WR Brandon Breazell
(UCLA) RB
Kalvin McRae (Ohio) FS Ron Girault (Rutgers) K Connor Barth (North
Carolina) WR
Jabari Arthur (Akron) DT James McClinton (Arkansas) SS Greg Hay
(Toledo) ILB
Weston Dacus (Arkansas) OLB James Terry (Youngstown State)
Analysis: Even after the draft they hauled in a lot of
talent, grabbing eight players I believe could have gone in the late
rounds.
The defensive line gets the top names with McClinton a seventh round
prospect,
Dingle a potential fifth rounder and Lokey considered worthy of the
sixth round
plus another addition. Santos
isn’t
their quarterback of the, well, anything but at least they grabbed one
who was
nearly drafted. McRae and Cox give them options in the backfield who
might have
been taken in the 252 and Cox was one of the highest rated fullbacks.
Among
their four receivers brought in Arthur might have gone in the final
frame.
Finally, Octavien got some attention at linebacker.
OVERALL DRAFT: 97/100
INCLUDING UDFA: 95/100
OAKLAND
#4 RB Darren McFadden (Arkansas):
Up until I guess the final week I was in denial they would go through
it before
putting this selection into my last draft. Truly he is not only
different than
any back on their roster he is quite a bit better. Fargas was overpaid
and
really is only a glorified third down back. Bush is a powerful guy who
might give
“Run DMc” a surprise if he expects to walk into the starting lineup,
but he
can’t run to the Black Hole every time he touches the ball. Rhodes
was quickly dispatched and Jordan
will follow him out the door. Bush and McFadden will be their backfield
by late
2009.
#100 CB/FS Tyvon Branch (Connecticut):
When Carr left in free agency they had a hole in their return game.
Hall makes
too much money to be returning punts. They traded Washington
which makes it possible for Branch to work his way into a role in the
nickel if
he can pass Routt on what is now the best and deepest set of
cornerbacks in the
league. Obviously Branch is fast because if you can’t run like Flash
then Al
Davis won’t draft you.
#125 WR Arman Shields (Richmond):
He’ll run the turns on their 4x100 entrant into the Beijing Games. He
has good
size and it is impossible for Al to come out of any draft without a
cornerback
and receiver, preferably more than one of each. This actually isn’t
much of a
reach and they spent the pick acquired for trading away Washington.
#169 DE Trevor Scott (Buffalo):
They lost their pass rush specialist role when Clemons bolted after his
one
year deal, but this is a potential replacement. He is more than just
fast and
should fit nicely into a great defense assuming they can get decent
play out of
their tackles.
#226 WR Chaz Schilens (San Diego
State):
Who? Oh, he’s fast and they
needed an anchor for the really team. Good pick! They want him to be
good
enough not to have to pay Drew Carter in 2009.
MY DRAFT: #4 (RB) #104 (DT) #169 (OLB) #213 (DE) #226 (WR)
I hit the McFadden pick, the spot for one of the receivers
and that their fourth pick would be a defensive end. They couldn’t help
picking
multiple receivers and just had to grab another cornerback instead of a
defensive tackle because their pass defense was #8 and run defense #31
last
year.
PLAYER HITS: 1
POSITION HITS: 3/5
NEAR MISSES: 0/5
HOW DID THEY DO? This whole draft comes down to McFadden
being able to have the impact Peterson had on the Vikings last year. If
he does
then it’s a great draft because Russell will be able to work
play-action and
develop into a quality quarterback. If he doesn’t then they’ve wound up
with
speedy backups and another first round bust. There were more bankable
players
available in the spots they had available and in fairness this draft
also
produced their starting corner (Hall) and probably their starting right
tackle
(Henderson) with the second
and
third rounder they traded away.
UNDRAFTED ADDITIONS: OLB Shane Simmons (Western Washington)
C Adam Spieker (Missouri) RB Louis Rankin (Washington) OG Brandon Rodd
(Arizona
State) FB Matt Hahn (Penn State) OLB Malik Jackson (Louisville) CB
Darrick
Brown (McNeese State) DE/OLB Greyson Gunheim (Washington) DE Derrick
Gray
(Texas Southern) TE Darrell Strong (Pittsburgh) QB Brian White
(Portland State)
Analysis: It is probably tough to attract rookies who have
free will, but this isn’t a bad group. Spieker is the best addition and
was a
sixth round prospect. Grove has regressed to the point where Newberry
beat him
out and they signed Wade to basically replace Newberry. He has a good
chance to
make the team. Jackson
will compete
for a spot at linebacker where they really need a third starter to pair
with
Howard and Morrison although he won’t be it. Strong could have gone in
the late
sixth round and gives them a younger blocking tight end. They took two
more
shots at pass rushers and Gunheim is the better one.
OVERALL DRAFT: 74/100
INCLUDING UDFA: 71/100
SAN
DIEGO
#27 CB Antoine Cason (Arizona):
Considering this was their only high pick coming into the draft they
went with
a very safe player. I honestly think they expected a right tackle
prospect to
fall into their lap in this spot, but a record eight (if you include
Albert)
went off the board in front of them. He was one of the best options
available
to them.
#69 FB Jacob Hester (LSU): Some people had him rated as a
third rounder, but on average he was ranked in the fourth. I honestly
can’t see
why they would jump up this high to take him. Was a backup to LT
important
enough to throw out their second round pick next year to a team they
are
competing with in New England? I know he’s a
tough kid
and can do some damage when given the chance, but I’d have taken my
chances
with several backs in the sixth or seventh round to fill the need.
#166 RB Marcus Thomas (UTEP): Now I am really confused.
Didn’t they just give up the farm for LT’s backup? When you’re reaching
in the
fifth round and a half dozen better backs are available I have to
question the
pick. What about USC’s Washington?
#192 CB DeJuan Tribble (Boston
College):
Uh, okay. I guess they
only have two positions to address in this draft and one of them isn’t
the
gaping hole at right tackle. At least Tribble was once a fourth round
prospect
before his lack of speed dropped him.
#234 OT Corey Clark (Texas A&M): This is their answer at
right tackle, a player who might end up at guard? I know the Chargers
have a
great team, but they are going to look back at some of these decisions
and
ponder what they let slip by.
MY DRAFT: #27 (OT) #160 (DE/ILB) #166 (FS) #192 (RB) #234
(WR)
I missed the spot on the offensive tackle by just over 200
spots, but did get the running back fairly close. They took a
cornerback
instead of a free safety although with Cason’s less than top shelf
speed he
could wind up there eventually. They didn’t take a linebacker or
receiver and
instead went to fullback and another cornerback.
PLAYER HITS: 0
POSITION HITS: 2/5
NEAR MISSES: 1/5 (CB instead of FS)
HOW DID THEY DO? Honestly I don’t like this draft at all. I
know they were messed over by the crazy run of offensive tackles, but
I’d have
been trading back for a bag of peanuts from that #27 spot until I found
someone
to start on the right side. Then it wouldn’t have been necessary to
throw away
next year’s second round pick on Hester who they could have gotten in
the
fourth. For me this was the worst draft by a wide margin.
UNDRAFTED ADDITIONS: OT Tyler Luellen (Missouri) FB Mike
Tolbert (Coastal Carolina) DT Keith Shologan (Central Florida) WR Gary
Banks
(Troy) Te Wade Betschart (Wyoming) OG Andrew Crummey (Maryland) DE/OLB
Erik
Bakhtiari (San Diego) OG Brandyn Dombrowski (San Diego State) FS/SS
Brian
Bonner (TCU) WR Billy Pittman (Texas) CB Stanley Franks (Idaho) WR Greg
Bracey
(Missouri) WR Brandon Jackson (North Texas) DT Lamar Divens (Tennessee
State)
Analysis: This sort of makes up for their lack of interest
on the offensive line in the draft. Crummey was expected to go in the
late
sixth round among their three additions. They didn’t draft a receiver
as I
thought they would, but did bring in four players headlined by Pittman.
Other
than that this is a pretty boring list. Their draft has been excused by
those
asking why they should draft players who won’t make the team, but
that’s not
the point. You acquire talent and then figure out what to do with it.
OVERALL DRAFT: 64/100
INCLUDING UDFA: 61/100
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