NFC Draft Grades

[mmillman]

per Kiper

NFC East

[URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=dal"][URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=dal"]Dallas Cowboys[/URL][/URL]: GRADE: B+
Felix Jones will join Marion Barber in the Cowboys' backfield and will also return kicks. Cornerback Mike Jenkins has really good ball skills and should be a major contributor this season in the secondary. Tight end Martellus Bennett has talent and should be able to help out in the passing game. Running back Tashard Choice had a knee injury in 2007; otherwise he would have gone a little higher in the draft. He can run between tackles, but isn't going to run away from anyone in space. I projected Boise State cornerback Orlando Scandrick to go late in the second round, and I was surprised to see him last until the fifth round. However, the Cowboys didn't draft a wide receiver, which I thought was one of their top three need areas.

[URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=nyg"][URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=nyg"]New York Giants[/URL][/URL]: GRADE: C+
I understand taking safety Kenny Phillips with the last pick in the first round. He had a great sophomore season in 2006. Terrell Thomas could be a No. 2 cornerback, but I thought that pick was just OK. Wide receiver Mario Manningham is worth a role of the dice in the third round because he has talent, but his stock dropped in the months leading up to the draft, with some teams viewing him as a late-round pick. Jonathan Goff was a good find in the fifth round, and the same can be said about Andre' Woodson in Round 6. Defensive end Robert Henderson is just a marginal prospect.

[URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=phi"][URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=phi"]Philadelphia Eagles[/URL][/URL]: GRADE: C+
Trevor Laws had a very good 2007, and was arguably Notre Dame's best player. I like where the Eagles got DeSean Jackson because he's an exciting player (when healthy) who will help out in the return game. Bryan Smith is a combination DE/OLB, and Michael McGlynn had a nice season at right tackle opposite Jeff Otah. Cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu is a pick for the future; after declaring for the draft, he suffered a knee injury in January and isn't expected to play in 2008. Andrew Studebaker out of Wheaton has the potential to be a situational pass-rusher.
[+] Enlarge

AP Photo/Rob Carr
In Washington, Colt Brennan will get a chance to develop and transition from college to the NFL.

[URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=was"][URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=was"]Washington Commanders[/URL][/URL]: GRADE: B+
They traded out of the first round and still were able to get three offensive weapons in the second round: wide receivers Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly and tight end Fred Davis. Chad Rinehart is a versatile offensive lineman who can play guard or tackle. In the sixth round, Georgia Tech's Durant Brooks was the first -- and only -- punter drafted. He has a strong leg and should compete for the starting job (30 of his 65 punts were 50 yards or longer). Hawaii QB Colt Brennan went in the sixth round. He isn't very big, but he has some ability. What hurt Brennan was his performance in the Sugar Bowl and the Senior Bowl practices, and the system he played in, which allowed him to put up big numbers. Safety Christopher Horton will be a good backup and special teams player. The only thing the Commanders didn't get was a pass-rushing defensive end.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Kiper is a joke... I don't respect his opinion honestly.

 

[mmillman]

Many think Kiper is a joke, but I like hearing about the value in Scandrick and Choice.

 

[Valor]

Washington Times:

NFL Draft Winners and Losers

WINNERS

1. Kansas City: The Chiefs had six of the first 84 picks and seem to be committed to rebuilding. They drafted the best-rated player (defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey) and an immediate offensive line starter (Branden Albert) in the first round. Later, they added cornerback Brandon Flowers and running back Jamaal Charles.

2. Miami: Bill Parcells' first draft with the Dolphins netted several potential starters. They signed offensive tackle Jake Long on Tuesday and scooped up defensive end Phillip Merling, who had dropped out of the first round because of hernia surgery. Parcells then picked Michigan quarterback Chad Henne.

3. Dallas: Jerry Jones gained an additional first-round pick by trading his team's 2007 pick to Cleveland. The Cowboys use their picks to address depth at running back (Felix Jones), cornerback (Mike Jenkins), tight end (Martellus Bennett) and running back again on Day 2 (Tashard Choice).

LOSERS

1. Jacksonville: It's one thing to draft for need in the first round; it's another to trade three picks to move up 18 spots ... and draft for need. That's what the Jaguars did Saturday, moving up to draft Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey. Its second-round pick — Auburn defensive end Quentin Groves — is only 259 pounds.

2. Cincinnati: The Bengals were unwilling/unable to acquire picks in a trade for wide receiver Chad Johnson. Linebacker Keith Rivers was a solid choice in the first round because he's ready to start, but in the second round the Bengals passed on Limas Sweed and Malcolm Kelly to take Coastal Carolina wide receiver Jerome Simpson.

3. Chicago: In the first round, the Bears opted for offensive tackle Chris Williams instead of the higher-rated Branden Albert or Jeff Otah. They also could have chosen running back Rashard Mendenhall. At some point it would have made sense to take a quarterback since Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton don't excite anybody.