GREAT BLUE NORTH DRAFT REPORT
NEWS AND INFORMATION ON THE NFL DRAFT
GREAT BLUE NORTH DRAFT REPORT
NEWS AND INFORMATION ON THE NFL DRAFT
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Top 10 offensive rookies
Top 10 defensive rookies
Best picks by round
Team-by-team Draft Grades (Ed note: As it can take up to 2-3 years for a
draft
class to fully
develop, these are obviously still very preliminary grades, and very
little
should be made of them at this point. Also note that reported stats are
those through 8 games although some teams have played 9.) INDIANAPOLIS:
The fact that the Colts are one of the NFL's two
remaining unbeaten teams is in no small thanks to a very productive
rookie class. With long-time star WR Marvin Harrison now out of
football, WR Austin Collie, the Colts' 4th round pick this year, has
stepped into the void and caught 32 passes, the most of any rookie
receiver to date this fall, including 4 for scores;. Meanwhile, RB
Donald Brown, the Colts' top pick this past April, has provided a nice
change of pace option to Joseph Addai with 350 yards from scrimmage
despite missing the past two games with a shoulder injury. The Colts'
secondary has also received a huge boost from rookie corners Jerraud
Powers, a third rounder, and undrafted free agent Jacob Lacey who have
combined on 75 tackles and 11 pass breakups with both also recording a
pick. And P Pat McAfee, a mid-7th round selection this past April, has
been more than adequate punting this fall as he has averaged almost 44
yards a kick and put 11 of 29 kicks inside the opponents' 20, while
allowing only 6.4 yards per return. Mid-season grade: A
MINNESOTA:
WR Percy
Harvin, the Vikings #1 pick this year, has been just about as
advertised so far this fall. Indeed, Harvin has provided the Minnesota
offense with an
explosive threat catching 28 passes including 3 for scores; Harvin has
also already returned two KOs for TDs while averaging over 30 yards per
return. Meanwhile, second round OT Phil Loadholt has quietly emerged as
a shut-down RT protecting QB Brett Favre's blind-side. At the same
time, CB
Asher Allen (3rd), LB Jasper Brinkley (5th) and safety Jamarca Sanford
(7th) has each provided some useful minutes combing for 21 tackles
including a sack and forced fumble by Allen. Mid-season grade: A JACKSONVILLE:
No team has been more dependent on its 2009 rookie class
than the Jaguars who start as many as 4 first-year players on a regular
base. Indeed, both of OTs Eugene Monroe and Eben Britten, the team's
first and second round picks respectively this past April, have been
fixtures on the Jaguars' offensive front, although both have
experienced some growing pains as they learn the nuances of the
position. On the other side of the line, DT Terrence Knighton, the
Jags' 3rd rounder, has emerged as a solid NT who has done a nice job
clogging up the middle of the defensive line while contribting 22
tackles of his own including a half sack. The Jaguars' best rookie so
far this sason, though, has been CB Derek Cox, an unheralded 3rd round
pick from William & Mary, who has 40 tackles along with 2 picks and
6 pass breakups. Meanwhile, 4th round WR Mike Thomas has been something
of a jack-of-all-trades as he's caught 19 passes, rushed for 70 yards
on end arounds, while averaging 24.6 yards on KOs and 9.9 on punts as
the team's primary rturn man. At the same time, WR Jarrett Dillard and
RB Rashad Jennings, the Jags' 5th and 7th round picks respectively,
have contributed some big plays, although neither has played all that
much to date. Mid-season
grade: A BUFFALO: FS Jairus
Byrd has been one of the best defensive rookies in the league so far
this fall; indeed, Byrd, taken 42nd overall this past spring, has been
one of the best rookies period as he shares the NFL lead with 7
interceptions. The Bills have also started a pair of rookies - late
first rounder Eric Wood and second rounder Andy Levitre - at both OG
slots this fall. The good news is that the duo have been far from the
weakest link on the offensive front; the bad news, though, is that the
Bills' offensive front is among the worst in the NFL. On the other
hand, the Bills have gotten almost nothing from LB Aaron Maybin, the
team's first rounder this year who held out during training camp, and
has but 6 tackles and no sacks through the first half of the year.
Meanwhile, TE Shawn Nelson (4th) and LB Nic Harris (5th) have played
some minutes. Mid-season
grade: A- DETROIT: If their
2009 draft class is any indication, there just might be a smidgen of
light at the end of the proverbial tunnel for Detroit which is 1-23
over the course of the past season and a half. Indeed, a number of
rookies have been among the Lions' best players this fall including FS
Louis Delmas and OLB DeAndre Levy, the team's second and third round
picks this year who rank 2nd and 3rd on the team in tackles with 47 and
35 respectively. In fact, Delmas, who also has a sack, an
interception and 6 pass breakups, has also been among the best rookies
in the league this fall. Meanwhile, TE Brandon Pettigrew, the second of
two Lions' first round picks this year, is among the top rookie
receivers with 21 catches, while WR Derrick Williams (3rd) andRB Aaron
Brown (6th) have both played some minutes. The Lions' future, though,
is very much tied to the development of QB Matt Stafford, the first
player drafted this year, who has had his moments, but still looks the
part of a rookie QB trying to catch up to the speed of the game, all
the while battling a knee injury. For the year, Stafford has thrown for
1,300 yards and 5 scores despite missing two full games, but has
completed just 54% of his pass attempts this fall, while throwing 12
picks. Mid-season
grade: A- HOUSTON: The Texans revival over the first
half of the season is thanks in no small part to a strong rookie class.
OLB Brian Cushing, the 15th player taken this past April for example,
has been one of the top first-year defensive players in the league with
a rookie high 66 tackles incluing 1.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.
Cushing has also been just as good in coverage with a pair of picks and
5 other pass break-ups. CB Glover Quin, a 4th round pick this
year, has also been steady enough in nickel situations posting 32
tackles, although the Texans would still like to see him make more
plays when the ball is in the air. Meanwhile, second round DE
Connor Barwin and 6th round CB Brice McCain have also seen time in
situational schemes with Barwin notching a sack. TEs James Casey and
Anthony Hill, 4th and 5th round picks tespectively, though, remain
buried on the Texans' depth chart with but two receptions between
them. Mid-season
grade: A- PHILADELPHIA: The Eagles went into the 2009 draft looking for some more weapons for QB Donovan McNabb and the offense and found a couple of answers in WR Jeremy Maclin and RB Shady McCoy in the first and second rounds. Maclin has emerged as a solid complimentary receiver to DeSean Jackson hauling in 25 passes including 3 for TDs, although the Eagles are probably hoping there will be more explosive plays down the road. Meanwhile, McCoy leads all rookie backs with over 500 yards from scrimmage including 350 on the ground and another 160 through the air on 20 receptions. DB Macho Harris, a physical 5th rounder, though, is the only other Philadelphia rookie to play much this fall, though; and Harris, who got off to a quick start this fall, has tailed off somewhat in recent weeks reaching the half way mark of the season with 18 tackles and a pass break-up. Mid-season grade: B+ SAN DIEGO: Looking to increase the push upfront for the running game, the Chargers installed 325-pound OG Louis Vasquez, a second round pick this past, in the starting lineup literally the day he arrived in camp and the former Texas Tech road grader has quietly emerged as one of the best first-year offensive linemen in the league to date. On the other side of the ball, safety Kevin Ellison, a 6th round pick, didn't play the first month of the schedule, but has started since and really exceeded expectations posting 23 tackels and a couple of pass breakups in just four games. Meanwhile, surprise first rounder OLB Larry English, the 16th player selected this past April, doesn't get many snaps with veteran rush LBs Shawn Merriman and Shaun Phillips both on a roll, but when given a chance English has responded with a couple of sacks along with 13 overall tackles. Mid-season grade: B+
WASHINGTON: No one was quite sure whether DE Brian Orakpo, whom the Redskins selected with the 13th pick at the 2009 draft, would be able to translate his collegiate pass rush skills to the pros, however, the former Texas All-American has been able to answer that question in spades as he has posted 5.5 sacks, the most of any first-year player in the league to date, after a bit of a slow start. For good measure, Orakpo has also done a decent job against the run racking up 26 total tackles. However, Orakpo is the only Redskins' rookie to play much so far this season, although WR Marko Mitchell and DE Jeremy Jarmon could see more minutes over the second half of the campaign. Mitchell, a 7th rounder this past April, for example, was inactive the first seven games of the year, but may be given every chance to do what 2008 second round WRs Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas have so far failed miserably to do and that's catch some passes, while Jarmon, whom the Redskins' forfeited their 3rd round pick this coming April to acquire in this summer's supplemental draft, has 7 tackles and a forced fumble in limited minutes this fall. Mid-season grade: B NEW YORK JETS: QB Mark Sanchez, the 5th player taken overall this past April, got off to a hot start, but has cooled off since and has played - well like a rookie. Sanchez has completed only 53% of his passes and has more picks (10) than TD passes (8), but has shown the intangibles to get much better. Meanwhile, RB Shonn Greene has only had 34 carries to date, but has generally made the most of them averaging 5.6 yards per rush and scoring three times. That's been it, though, for the Jets who had only three picks at the 2009 draft. Mid-season grade: B SEATTLE: LB Aaron Curry, the 4th player taken this past April, has been impressive at times, making explosive plays, but he’s also shown some growing pains. For the year, Curry has 44 tackles including two sacks and two forced fumbles, as well as 3 pass breakups, but he's also been caught out of position on occasion. No question, though, that the physical talent and motor are there. At the same time, C/G Max Unger, the Seahawks' #2 pick this year, has found a home at RG and isn't the weakest link on an offensive line that has been in a state of flux all season long. Meanwhile, 3rd round WR Deon Butler (4 receptions), along with DE Nick Reed (7 tackles, one sack) and TE Cam Morrah (1 recetion), a pair of seventh rounders, have provided Seattle with some useful depth. Mid-season grade: B- TAMPA BAY: While Detroit and the New York Jets started rookie QBs Matt Stafford and Mark Sanchez literally from the day they arrived in town, the Buccaneers took a more cautious approach with Josh Foreman, the third QB chosen in this year's opening round, and let him sit and hopeully learn through most of the first half of the season. Down 0-7, though, and pretty much out of other options, Tampa Bay turned the ball over to Foreman in the 8th week of the schedule and he responded by leading the Bucs to their first win of the year throwing three TD passes against only one pick, although Foreman did complete less than 50% of his pass attempts in the game. In that win, Foreman hooked up with rookie WR Sammie Stroughter, a 7th round pick this past April, for the winning TD with just over four minutes to play. In fact, it appears that Stroughter was something of a steal as he has fit in nicely as the Bucs' 3rd receiver with 21 receptions, plus he's made some plays in the kicking game including returning a KO for a TD. Meanwhile, DT Roy Miller, the Bucs' 3rd round pick this year, has been the only other Bucs' rookie to play much this fall, but he also looks like he could be a good one posting 21 tackles including a couple of sacks as part of the team's DT rotation. Mid-season grade: B- ST. LOUIS: The Rams have to be thrilled with
the quick development of MLB James Laurinaitis, who slipped into the
second round, but has played like a first rounder, as he leads the team
in tackles, while showing nice range and instincts in coverage.
The Rams were also pleasantly surprised by the play of third-round CB
Bradley Fletcher, who had started to really come on, but will miss the
rest of the year with an injury. On the other hand, the Rams have
been slow to
benefit from having the #2 pick overall in the draft. OT Jason
Smith, the second player taken overall this year, for example, has yet
to start, although a minor knee injury hasn't helped his development.
For the record, DE Chris Long, last year's #2 pick, has a measly sack
to date this fall. Mid-season
grade: B- CHICAGO: The
Bears
probably weren't expecting to much from their 2009 draft after trading
their top two picks to Denver as part of the deal to acquire QB Jay
Cutler, but still got a couple of potential steals in WR Johnnie Knox
and SS Al Afalava, the team's 5th and 6th round picks respectively.
Knox, from DII Abilene Christian, has emerged as a quality 3rd receiver
and an even better KO returner. Knox has 28 receptions so far this
season, including 3 for scores, while averaging over 28 yards on KO
returners, including one return for a TD. Meanwhile, Afalava, an
unheralded
prospect from Oregon State who wasn't invited to last February's
combine, has started every game this fall and contributed 31 tackles, a
sack and 7 pass breakups. On the other hand, 3rd rounders DT Jarron
Gilbert and WR Jauquin Iglesias and 4th round CB D.J. Moore have been
activated all of one game between them through the first half of the
season. Mid-season grade: B- MIAMI: There has
clearly been something of a learning curve, but the Dolphins' have to
be reasonably with the progress of their 2009 draft class. Certainly it
appears that Miami is set at CB for the forseeable future as both
Vontae Davis and Sean Smith, the team's first and second round picks
respectively, have entrenched themsleves as starters. Davis, for
example, has been drawing the opponents' #1 receiver, and while he has
given up some big plays, most notably to the Patriots' Pro Bowl WR
Randy Moss, also has a couple of picks, along with 6 pass breakups,
while the physical Smith has 8 PBs. Meanwhile, 5th round safety Chris
Clemons has been inactive much of the year, but did get one start in
which he had 5 tackles. The Dolphins also finally introduced QB Pat
White, the team's other second round pick this past April, in the
wildcat formation last weekend against New England and the former West
Virginia star responded y running for 45 yards on 6 carries. And while
the Dolphins' veteran receiver corps continues to struggle, 4th round
WR Brian Hartline has earned increasing snaps, although he still only
has 11 receptions to date. Mid-season grade: B-.
PITTSBURGH: The
defending Super Bowl champs haven't needed much help from their 2009
rookie class, but found themselves a real keeper in WR Mike Wallace, a
third round pick who has emerged as a legitimate big-play threat to
compliment incumbent starters Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes. For the
year, Wallace has 25 receptions for a rookie leading 437 yards and
three scores. On the other hand, DT Ziggy Hood, the Steelers' #1 pick
this year, has just one tackle to date, while third round CB Keenan
Lewis has only been activated one game. Indeed, other than Wallace,
Pittsburgh's most productive rookie has been CB Joe Burnett, a 5th
rounder who has 8 tackles this fall. Mid-season grade: B- CLEVELAND: Maybe the kindest thing that can be said about the Browns' rookie class is that its not the worst thing about just maybe the NFL's worst team this fall. C Alex Mack, whom Cleveland acquired with the 21st pick overall last April after a convoluted series of trades, has started from day one, although he remains something of a work in progress. Meanwhile, WR Mo Massaquoi, a second-round selection, leads the team with 19 receptions while averaging a respectable 17.3 yards per grab, although most of his production came in just two games. The Browns have also gotten some decent minutes out of LB Kaluka Maiava, a 4th rounder who has 20 tackles and a couple of forced fumbles so far this season. On the other hand, WR Brian Robiskie, who was taken ahead of Massaquoi in this year's second round and was thought to be the most NFL-ready receiver prospect in the 2009 draft, has just one catch as he has been very slow to adept to the speed of the pro game, while LB David Veikune, the Browns' third second round selection this year, still has yet to record a tackle. Mid-season grade: B- NEW YORK GIANTS: First
round WR Hakeem Nicks has emerged as a big-play threat for the Giants
with three receptions over 50 yards to date; he also scored TDs in four
straight games and averaged over 18 yards per catch through the first
half of the season. Meanwhile, OT Will Beatty was solid enough when
called on to fill in at RT on a couple of occasions. The Giants,
though, have yet to get much from LB Clint Simtim, their other
second-round pick this year, or third round receivers Ramses Barden or
Travis Beckum. Indeed other than Nicks, a case can be made that the
Giants most productive rookie through the first half of the season was
undrafted free agent CB Bruce Johnnson who returned an interception for
a TD and forced a fumble on a sack while filling in for a depleted
secondary. Mid-season
grade: B- SAN FRANCISCO: It took
a while, but the 49ers finally got WR Michael Crabtree, the 10th player
selected at the 2009 draft, signed and into uniform, but it appears the
wait may ultimately be worth it. Crabtree, who held out through the
first month of the season, had 14 receptions in the three games he did
play and looks to be the real deal. On the other hand, there hasn't
been much else to be excited about in the rest of the 49ers' draft
class. 3rd round RB Glen Coffee did rush for almost 200 yards, but
averaged barely 2.6 yards per carry, while LB Scott McKillop, a 5th
round pick, has played well on special teams posting 12 tackles. Mid-season grade: B- ARIZONA: RB
Beanie
Wells has provided the Cardinals run game with a bit of a speed/power
upgrade, rushing for over 300 yards while splitting carries with Tim
Hightower over the first half of the season. Still, the Cardinals are
probably expecting more than a 4.4 yards per carry average and 1 TD
from their #1 pick at the 2009 draft, who has also put the ball on the
ground at times. Wells, though, is the only Cardinals' rookie close to
starting these days. Indeed, the Cardinals' most productive first-year
player other than Wells, has been undrafted free agent RB LaRod
Stephens-Howling who has been solid enough as the team'sprimary KO
return man, while posting a team-high 10 special teams tackles.
Meanwhile, DE Will Davis (6th), who also has 10 tackles this year
including a sack, along with FS Rashad Johnson (3rd) and CB Greg Toler
(4th) have played some minutes. Mid-season grade: C+ GREEN BAY: So
far,
none of the Packers' 2009 rookie class has been a regular starter, but
that is about to change as T/G T.J, Lang, a 4th rounder this year, is
expected to move into Green Bay's first unit, most likely at LG, in
hopes of stemming some
of the bleeding from one of the NFL's most porous offensive lines. Lang
did fill in at LT earlier in the year, where his future appears to be,
and help up reasonably well,
although he is still adjusting to the speed of the pro game. Meanwhile,
DT B.J. Raji, the 9th player taken this year, looks to be somewhar
miscast at NT and has struggled to make an impact posting just 11
tackles and no sacks to date as a backup. On the other hand, Clay
Matthews, Green Bay's second #1 pick this past April, looks like a
perfect fit as a 3-4 OLB and has really started to come on of late
rackng up 22 tackles through the first half of the season including 3
sacks and a forced fumble; Matthews has also been somewhat better than
expected in coverage where he has 4 pass breakups. At the same time, DE
Jairus Wynn and safety Brandon Underwood, a pair of 6th rounders, and
7th round LB Brad Jones provide depth and have contributed on coverage
units. Mid-season
grade: C+ TENNESSEE: Its
been
baby steps for the Titans' rookie class, most of whom have played,
although none is a regular starter. WR Kenny Britt, Tennessee's #1 pick
this year, for example, was as hot as any rookie in the league through
the first quarter of the schedule, but has just 3 catches in the past 4
games. Meanwhile, TE Jared Cook, a late third rounder, has just 6
catches. On the other side of the ball, CBs Ryan Mouton and Jason
McCourty, the Titans' 3rd and 6th round picks respectively, have
combined for 30 tackles, but neither has made a play when the ball was
in the air. Same for LB Gerald McRath, a 4th rounder who has 12 tackles
to date, but no impact plays. The biggest disappointment for the
Titans, though, has probably been DT Sen'derrick Marks, the team's
second rounder who has been activated for only three games and
has but one tackle. Mid-season grade: C+
CAROLINA: After
trading their first round pick in 2010 to get him with a second round
pick this past April, Carolina was probably hoping more from DE
Everette Brown than 8 tackles and a sack, although the former FSU star
has gotten increased playing time in passing situtaions. In fact, none
of the Panthers' picks from the 2009 draft are currently starting,
although like Brown, both fellow second round DB Sherrod Martin, who
has a couple of picks, and CB Captain Munnerlynn, a 7th rounder with 23
tackles to date this year, have played a lot in passing situtions.
Meawhile, RB Mike Goodsen, a fourth rounder who also comes to Carolina
via the trade with San Francisco that produced Brown, has been the
Panthers' primary KO return man, but there has been little to get
excited about in his his 21.2 yards a return average. Mid-season grade: C DALLAS: The
Cowboys
went for quantity over quality at the 2009 when they ended up with a
total of 12 picks after a series of draft-day moves. It didn't help
though that three of the original dozen were released prior to the
season while another three - OT Robert Brewster (3rd), LB Brandon
Williams (4th) and LB Stephen Hodge (6th) - will spend the year on
injured reserve. Meanwhile, of the Cowboys remaining picks, only OLB
Victor Butler has played much to date contributing three sacks as a
situational pass rusher. Meanwhile, 5th round PK David Buehler does a
nice job handling KOs, however, that's been about it for the Cowboys'
current rookie class. Mid-season grade: C- KANSAS
CITY: It doesn't take
a rocket scientist to figure out why the Chiefs have continued to
struggle despite a myriad of top picks in recent years. They simply
haven't gotten impact players with those picks. This year, for example,
the Chiefs used the third pick overall to take DE Tyson Jackson who has
12 tackles and no sacks to date. In fact, one doesn't need any fingers
at all to count the number of sacks produced so far this fall by
defensive linemen Jackson and DT Glenn Dorsey, the 5th player taken in
2008. Not that both haven't played hard; indeed, both actually do a
decent job occupying opposing offensive linemen, but that type of
blue-collar player can be found in later later rounds, whereas its
harder to find impact players with speed later on draft day. And
what's scary for the Chiefs is that other than Jackson, the team's only
other draftee to be even remotely productive to date is PK Ryan Succop,
this year's 'Mr. Irrelevant' who has hit on 11 of 14 FG attempts this
fall with a long of 53. In fact, a case can be made that the Chiefs'
most productive rookie to date has been undrafted free agent LB Jovan
Belcher who has 19 tackles. Mid-season grade: D+ OAKLAND: The
Raiders drafted speed and then some more speed at the 2009 draft, but
for the most part their rookie class has struggled to get out of first
gear so far this year. Oakland does list Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis
Murphy, the
team's 1st and 4th round picks, as the starters at WR, but Heyward-Bey,
arguably the fastest player in the 2009 draft, has caught only 5 passes
to date for a measly 74 yards. For the record, that's nine fewer
catches than Michael Crabtree, the guy the Raiders passed on to get
Heyawrd-Bey, has across the bay in just three games with the 49ers .
For his part, Murphy has been somewhat
better, hauling in 16 receptions, but only 5 of those came in the past
4 games. Meanwhile, FS Mike Mitchell (2nd) and DE Matt Shaughnessy
(3rd) have gotten some snaps in the Raiders' situational units with
Shaughnessy posting 10 tackles and a sack, while Mitchell has 7
tackles. Mid-season
grade: D+ NEW ORLEANS: The
Saints only had four picks at the 2009 draft and two of those -
4th rounders FS Chip Vaughn and LB Stanley Arnoux - went on injured
reserve
prior to the season, so the team wasn't expecting all that much from
its 2009
rookie class. Indeed, lost in the Saints' 8-0 start is the fact that
they
haven't even gotten much at all from their first-year players. In fact,
the only Saints' rookie to have much
of an impact this year has been P Thomas Morstaad, a 5th rounder who
has brought some stability to the kicking game as he has averaged 43.6
yards per punt; Morstead, though, hasn't been all that accurate and
needs to get impove his hang time. On the other hand, the Saints
had hoped that DB Malcolm Jenkins, the 14th player picked this year,
would
have an immediate impact on the secondary, however, the former
Ohio State star remains buried on the depth chart and has only 8
tackles to date, although he does have a couple of forced fumbles. Mid-season grade: D If you have comments or suggestions, e-mail the Editor, Great Blue North Draft Report. The GBN can also be reached by phone at (613) 692-1088; by fax at (613) 951-0387;or regular mail at 44 Northview Road, Unit 8, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2E 7E4. Great Blue North Draft Report Privacy Policy. The GREAT BLUE NORTH DRAFT REPORT is a division of SQUITERLAND ENTERPRISES, Ottawa, Ontario,Canada |
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