By Tom Layberger | National Desk As is typical during the NFL draft, many teams stay the course and go with the safe pick, some cause excitement by swinging for the fences and others leave fans and pundits scratching their heads. All three scenarios marked Thursday night’s first round. Of course, time will tell as to how the first...
By Tom Layberger | National Desk
Deb Detwiler, a Kansas City Chiefs season ticket holder for 22 years, reacts while watching a broadcast of the Chiefs selecting Eric Fisher first overall in the NFL draft during the team's draft party, Thursday, April 25, 2013. (AP Photo/The Kansas City Star, David Eulitt) As is typical during the NFL draft, many teams stay the course and go with the safe pick, some cause excitement by swinging for the fences and others leave fans and pundits scratching their heads. All three scenarios marked Thursday night’s first round.
Of course, time will tell as to how the first 32 players selected will pan out. For now, here's a look at how each team that drafted in the round fared:
Arizona Cardinals
Jonathan Cooper, G, No. 7
The Cardinals would
have loved to have grabbed one the top three tackles. With that option
not available, they would have been better served addressing something other
than the offensive line, such as the secondary. However, quarterback Carson Palmer
needs someone to improve the team's pass protection, and the Cardinals' pedestrian running game
also needs a boost. Cooper, an
athletic guard who earned All-American honors last season at North
Carolina, should help on both counts.
Grade: B+
Atlanta Falcons
Desmond Trufant, CB, No. 22
The Falcons wanted to
improve the pass defense and they traded up with the Rams to select a
hardened corner who saw plenty of prolific aerial attacks while at
Washington. Trufant, who has solid blood lines with brothers Marcus and
Isaiah having already made it to the NFL, impressed at the Senior Bowl and combine.
Grade: A
Baltimore Ravens
Matt Elam, S, No. 32
Safety
was a position of need for the Super Bowl champs after the departure of Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed, and this is a solid pick.
Elam is only 5-foot-9, but he is very aggressive and has an occasional
nasty streak that will make him a good fit for the Ravens’ defense.
Grade: B+
Buffalo Bills
E.J. Manuel, QB, No. 16
It
is a struggle to make sense of this pick after Buffalo traded down from No.
8. If coach Doug Marrone really wanted a QB, why not Geno Smith or his former
signal caller at Syracuse, Ryan Nassib? Manuel is a great athlete with a
big and strong body, but he too often looked far removed from being an
NFL-ready quarterback at Florida State.
Grade: D
Carolina Panthers
Star Lotulelei, DT, No. 14
Defensive tackle
was a pressing need, and Carolina did a good job of addressing that
concern. Lotulelei is versatile enough that he can play multiple
positions on the interior, but he should be a disruptive force inside regardless of where he lines up. A
heart condition that surfaced at the combine raised some red flags, but Lotulelei received full
clearance and quickly returned to being near the top of most draft
boards.
Grade: A
Chicago Bears
Kyle Long, G, No. 20
It is
no surprise that the Bears went for a guard because of their need in that
area. Long is not the most experienced player at that position with only
a few college starts, but is versatile enough that he could play elsewhere on the
line. As with the Giants’ selection of Justin Pugh at No. 19, the Bears have
to be questioned about passing on more pressing needs.
Grade: C
Cincinnati Bengals
Tyler Eifert, TE, No. 21
Cincy
got a real pass catcher here. At 6-foot-5, Eifert has ideal size, a great
pair of hands and he can stretch the field. Though not a wide receiver,
he could still make for a strong paring with A.J. Green. Sure, there may
have been a more pressing need elsewhere (safety?), but this a very
good pick.
Grade: A
Cleveland Browns
Barkevious Mingo, DE/LB, No. 6
There was some
thought that the Browns might grab quarterback Geno Smith at this spot or maybe
address a need in the secondary. But there was no question that the Browns also
wanted a pass-rusher to team with Paul Kruger, and Joe Banner & Co.
opted to go that route in selecting Mingo. It is hard to ignore his tall
and lean build (6-4, 240) to go with his speed on the end.
Grade: B+
Dallas Cowboys
Travis Frederick, C, No. 31
The
Cowboys traded down ... to grab Frederick? By moving back from No. 18 to No. 31 in a trade with the 49ers, the Pokes picked up some extra picks but ended up selecting a player that likely would have still been available late in the
second or early in the third round. Frederick is a typical Wisconsin lineman in
that he is homegrown and very powerful. But late in the first round?
Grade: C
Denver Broncos
Sylvester Williams, DT, No. 28
With
Elvis Dumervil having departed, the defensive line became a position of
need. Williams may not be at the elite level of some of the other tackles that
were selected earlier in the round, but he is quick and can wreak plenty of havoc on an opposing offensive line.
Grade: B+
Detroit Lions
Ezekiel Ansah, DE, No. 5
Matthew Stafford and the Lions
were in desperate need of an offensive tackle, but with Eric Fisher, Luke Joeckel
and Lane Johnson all off the board, Ansah was the sensible pick. Detroit also
needs major help with its pass rush, and the brass feels that Ansah's
meteoric rise from Ghana to BYU to the NFL is no fluke. His lack of
experience makes him a project, though, at the game’s highest level.
Grade: B+
Green Bay Packers
Datone Jones, DE, No. 26
A
versatile performer at UCLA, Jones moved all around the line and as
such offers the Packers plenty of flexibility. Green Bay certainly has
other needs on defense, but this was a good start. Jones will fit the
Pack’s 3-4 scheme and offers a lot upside.
Grade: B+
Houston Texans
DeAndre Hopkins, WR, No. 27
Hopkins' stock kept
rising last season until he firmly put himself on the first-round radar
with a huge junior season at Clemson. A very aggressive receiver who
does not shy away from going after the ball, he could quickly develop
into a dangerous complement to Andre Johnson.
Grade: A
Indianapolis Colts
Bjoern Werner, DE, No. 24
The
feeling is that the 6-3, 266-pound Werner lacks the size to be an
impact player at defensive end. Depending on the scheme, though, he could find
himself playing some at linebacker. Even if the Colts are not yet certain
where he'll play, Werner’s athleticism
and play-making skills should prove valuable.
Grade: B
Jacksonville Jaguars
Luke Joeckel, OT, No. 2
The Texas A&M
product was the best player on the board and, among many needs,
offensive tackle was right at the top for the Jags. No matter who winds
up as the starting quarterback in Jacksonville, he can be assured that
his blindside will be well protected. Joeckel protected both a pocket
passer (Ryan Tannehill) and a scrambler (Johnny Manziel) in College
Station.
Grade: A
Kansas City Chiefs
Eric Fisher, OT, No. 1
This pick did about as much damage with mock drafts as Florida Gulf Coast University did with NCAA brackets. This was not a total shock, though, as the thinking was Fisher or Luke Joeckel would go No. 1 overall. The irony is that a major part of Andy Reid’s undoing in Philly was his inability to get things straightened out with the offensive line. The line was a mess in K.C. as well, and this was a perfect draft for Reid to address that deficiency right away.
Grade: A
Miami Dolphins
Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, No. 3
Makes
you wonder what the Dolphins saw in Jordan to warrant trading up nine spots to get him. True, he is an explosive player with great speed. However, why pick
him at No. 3 when Lane Johnson was still available? After all, Miami has a
more pressing need for an elite left tackle. The trade with Oakland and the
ensuing selection caught just about everyone by surprise with the draft little
more than 30 minutes old.
Grade: B-
Minnesota Vikings
Sharrif Floyd, DT, No. 23
Xavier Rhodes, CB, No. 25
Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, No. 29
Floyd, the
third or fourth pick on many draft boards, fell all the way to No. 23.
Advantage: Vikings. GM Rick Spielman probably could not believe his good
fortune when Floyd fell into his lap. The defensive tackle from Florida brings an unpolished but exceptional skill set to
Minnesota, where he will learn from veteran Kevin Williams ... The 6-foot-1 Rhodes will bring a lot of physicality to the Vikings' secondary and, depending on what
draft board you looked at, Rhodes was the second-best corner in
the draft ... The Vikings had a need at receiver with Percy Harvin gone, and
they were able to take Patterson out of Tennessee after dealing four
picks to the Patriots to move back into the first round. They gave up a lot for a talented but somewhat raw receiver. That brought the overall grade
down a bit.
Grade: B+
New Orleans Saints
Kenny Vaccaro, S, No. 15
New
Orleans has numerous holes on defense and perhaps a pass rusher would
have been the desired route to go. That said, Vaccaro brings a lot to
the table as a versatile safety. The bottom line is that the defense badly
needed to improve against the pass and Vaccaro will help.
Grade: B+
New York Giants
Justin Pugh, T, No. 19
Though it was hard
for the Giants faithful at Radio City to get excited about this pick, Pugh is a player who could find a
spot on the offensive line for many years to come. Arm length is a
concern, which is why he may find himself at guard, and the Giants likely could have addressed needs on the defensive side of the ball with this pick and still picked up Pugh
later.
Grade: B-
New York JetsDee Milliner, CB, No. 9
Sheldon Richardson, DT, No. 13
With
Derrelle Revis gone to Tampa Bay, there was an immediate need for the
Jets in the secondary. They did a nice job addressing that concern
with the selection of Milliner, who showed at Alabama that he is tough, can tackle and has the ability to make life uncomfortable for opposing
receivers. Selecting Richardson four picks later, however, left Jets
fans puzzled, especially with needs on the offensive line and at
linebacker. A receiver would have been good, too.
Grade: B-
D.J. Hayden, CB, No. 12
After a life-threatening
injury suffered during practice in November cut his season short,
there was concern that it would take several months for Hayden to
recover. Not only did he make a quick and remarkable recovery, but he
ascended the draft board with his effort at the combine. He could wind
up being the best corner in the draft, but for that to happen he needs
to do a better job tackling.
Grade: B
Philadelphia Eagles
Lane Johnson, No. 4
With Dion Jordan gone to
the Dolphins at No. 3, Chip Kelly’s decision became rather easy given
the Eagles’ aging offensive line. The freakishly athletic Johnson was not rated far
behind Fisher and Joeckel and figures to be a great fit in Kelly’s
fast-paced offense — perhaps at more than one position.
Grade: A
Pittsburgh Steelers
Jarvis Jones, LB, No. 17
With
James Harrison gone to AFC North rival Cincinnati, finding a replacement became a necessity and the Steelers feel that Jones can
fill the void. However, his stock was dropping because of a subpar pro
day, concerns over his pass-rushing ability and his health (Jones was diagnosed with
spinal stenosis a few years back). Opinions varied widely on Jones.
Grade: B
San Diego Chargers
D.J. Fluker, T, No. 11
Make
no mistake, Fluker is not a dominant left tackle like those selected
ahead of him. Rather, he is a right tackle that should be very effective
in the running game and a more conventional passing game. In other
words, San Diego went with the next best option in grabbing the top
right tackle, and Fluker should be a good fit in new coach Mike McCoy’s
offense.
Grade: B
San Francisco 49ers
Eric Reid, S, No. 18
With
13 picks at the start of the draft, the 49ers were in a position to wheel and deal — and they
made their first trade with Dallas to move up 13 spots to nab the safety out of LSU.
It is a good pick for the 49ers, who were in need of help at safety. Reid is strong against the run and big hitter. The only thing keeping San
Francisco from getting an “A” is that the 49ers likely did not need to move
up so high to get Reid.
Grade: B+
St. Louis Rams
Tavon Austin, WR, No. 8
Alec Ogletree, LB, No. 30
The Rams needed a receiver and they got the most exciting and creative one in the draft. Austin is only 5-foot-8, but the wide-open offensive game plans these days do not require the big receivers that have been so sought after in the past. Besides, good luck to all the would-be tacklers who will try to catch up to the speedy and versatile Austin on Sundays this fall. He is a game-changer on offense and special teams. ... Ogletree picked a bad time for a DUI: mere days prior to the combine. The Rams hope he can use better judgement when it comes to tracking down ball carriers.
Grade: A
Tennessee Titans
Chance Warmack, G, No. 10
It was no secret that the Titans wanted another guard to go with free-agent signee Andy Levitre on the offensive line. Mission accomplished with the selection of Warmack, who was the top guard in the draft after helping to pave the way for another awesome Crimson Tide running game last season. This was the perfect pick for coach Mike Munchak as Wormack could be around for a long time.
Grade: A