2007 NFL
Draft Recaps By Team
- Every teams draft picks are covered.
NFC West
Arizona
Cardinals Draft Recap :
Levi
Brown will be a great player. The move
up to get defensive tackle Alan Branch
at the top of the second round was a
shrewd gamble he dominates when properly
motivated. The interior of that
defensive line is talent-rich but is
going to need plenty of motivation.
The Cardinals made pretty good use of
their five picks...more
St. Louis
Rams Draft Recap :
Adam
Carriker wasn't the flashiest of this
year's defensive ends but probably is
the safest bet to become a solid
starter. Running back Brian
Leonard is a quality pick in the second
round because of his versatility as a
blocker, runner and receiver and he
should provide them a good inside
runner, but, adding depth at cornerback
seemed like a better move. Cornerback
Jonathan Wade in the third finally
addressed that need, but he's a risky
player who could take a while to
develop....more
San
Francisco 49ers Draft Recap :
Nine
picks and Darrell Jackson make for a
very good draft haul. Nabbing Jackson
was a major score, giving the 49ers a
player with the ability to be a No. 1
wideout. Piling that on top of
linebacker Patrick Willis and offensive
tackle Joe Staley, and the 49ers added
talent fast. Willis could be the next
great middle linebacker in the NFL. And
Staley has the athleticism to be a top
tackle if he's developed properly.
He's a good player, but was he worth the
picks?...more
Seattle
Seahawks Draft Recap :
No
first rounder and no great playmaker or
difference maker I just don't think
Deion Branch is a first round player
even if you count him in this draft.
Branch's lukewarm production last season
and hefty contract don't make him a big
plus at this point. Second-round
cornerback Josh Wilson adds speed to the
secondary and could contend for a nickel
role next season, but a lot of teams had
him pegged in the third round. Defensive
tackle Brandon Mebane filled a need in
the third round, but he struggled quite
a bit against good blockers at the
Senior Bowl and slid down some draft
boards. I'm just not sure how many
starters, or even major contributors
Seattle pulled with this draft class....more
AFC West
Denver Broncos Draft Recap :
They
gave up a third-round pick to move up
four spots to take Florida defensive end
Jarvis Moss. Moss had a lot of
detractors because he's a little stiff
for an end. Still, he has the quickness
to be a factor in the pass rush right
away. Marcus Thomas is an outstanding
risk to take in the fourth round. He had
a problem with marijuana in college, but
several defensive line coaches around
the NFL said he was the second-best
defensive-tackle talent in this draft
behind Amobi Okoye. Overall,
they needed help on their defensive line
and they added three good players,
counting end Tim Crowder but you are not
going to succeed long in the NFL with
drafts like this. You just need more
than three players per draft class....more
Kansas City Chiefs Draft Recap :
The Chiefs have done one thing since Herm Edwards came over. That is to select
real football players. You don't draw them up much better than Bowe
when it comes to size-speed guys at wide
receiver. In any year that didn't
include Calvin Johnson, Bowe might have
been the talk of the receiver group.
Second-round pick Turk McBride will be a
surprise player on the next level, maybe
even a Pro Bowl player and Tank
Tyler is amazingly strong (he did 42 reps at
the combine on the 225-pound bench
press) and was one of the best values of
the draft. Many had him in the first
round or at the most mid second round. Kolby Smith is a good backup to
Larry Johnson and should allow the
Chiefs to reduce Johnson's NFL-record
workload (416 carries) of last season.
Even though we hate kickers before round
6 its hard to argue with the Justin
Medlock pick as no player on the board
was going to make more of an impact at
that point. Both the 6th and 7th round
picks are projects, but that's what the
those rounds are for....more
Oakland
Raiders Draft Recap :
Quarterback JaMarcus Russell is a
wonderful physical talent, far and away
the most gifted passer the league has
seen in years.
Running back Michael Bush, the first
player taken on the second day, will be
a star. As for the rest of the
draft, the Raiders got a lot of players
who have star potential, such as
defensive end Quentin Moses, who had a
first-round grade on him going into last
season before dropping down the board.
Mario Henderson is a terrific left
tackle prospect. Getting Zach
Miller was nice, especially since the
Raiders were able to trade down and
still get him. I hate to say this but
this is a very nice draft class. It will
take a year or three, but the Raiders
will be back with a vengeance very soon.
They are getting loaded up....more
San
Diego Chargers Draft Recap : Craig
Davis is a serious burner who gives the
Chargers an immediate deep threat. The
Chargers took a lot of criticism for
giving up so much to move up and grab
Eric Weddle, but he has first round
talent and he instantly fills a huge
hole for the Chargers he figures to
start right away, which is pretty
significant when you're going to a
title-contending team.
Third-round pick Anthony Waters, a
linebacker from Clemson, could be a huge
steal. He missed almost all of 2006 with
a torn ACL, but he's expected to be
healthy when camp opens...more
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons
Draft Recap: Atlanta addressed a lot of needs, and might have gotten
three immediate starters in defensive end Jamaal Anderson, offensive tackle
Justin Blalock and cornerback Chris Houston. The fast and feisty Houston might
end up being the steal of this class, and he should pair well with DeAngelo
Hall....more
Carolina
Panthers Draft Recap: The Panthers always seem to draft well and this
year is no exception.
As usual, the Panthers picked good
football players. Lots of good
value in the first four picks, in
linebacker Jon Beason, wideout Dwayne
Jarrett, center Ryan Kalil and defensive
end Charles Johnson. Beason and Kalil
should push for starting time
immediately and Johnson will get a lot
of third down play. Since the Panthers already
released Keyshawn they obviously are
going to give Jarrett every opportunity
to be a starter as well...more
New Orleans
Saints Draft Recap: Just what the Saints need more offense.
The Saints traded up to get Pittman
which makes no sense. Reggie and Deuce
aren't enough? A really strange draft in
many ways, Meachem is a great player,
but they really failed to address their
primary team needs which were cornerback
and defensive tackle. Even had they
wanted to go offense, Greg Olsen would
have made a lot more sense. It should be
interesting. Maybe they are going to
play Reggie at tight end some? There is
however only one ball available at a time....more
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Draft Recap : Defensive
end Gaines Adams is one of the most
explosive playmakers out there and
should be the prospect Tampa Bay can
build around. This was an excellent
draft as many as four of their picks
could be starters on day one...more
AFC South
Houston
Texans Draft Recap:
When you grade the Texans you have to look at more than just this day. You have
to factor in that the Texans essentially
got quarterback Matt Schaub in this
draft and then got the top defensive
tackle with the No. 10 overall pick, and
got some athletes and developmental players to go along with Schaub and Okoye. That's a nice draft...more
Indianapolis Colts Draft Recap :
What can you say. When you are picking last, you aren't going to get one of
the top ten players. However the Colts had arguably a great draft. Offensive
tackle Tony Ugoh was considered a possible
first-round talent, Anthony Gonzalez has
the ability to take over for Stokely
easily enough, even third rounder
Daymeion Hughes was in some first rounds
before the combine and his slow time.
Really this draft fills the holes they
wanted to fill very nicely. Nothing
fancy, no huge impact players, but they
really just needed to replace the role
players they lost, and they did that...more
Jacksonville Jaguars Draft Recap :
Reggie Nelson is a great athlete and might end up being the
best safety in this class with his ability to cover and his room for growth.
Linebacker Justin Durant was the best small-college defensive player in the
land. They did really well late grabbing up Chad Nkang who is a small school
tweener, but he is a playmaker, and a really good football player, a steal in
the 7th...more
Tennessee Titans Draft Recap : Michael
Griffin is a terrific strong safety,
which the Titans need, but taking strong
safeties in the first round is not
always a great value choice. Robert
Meachem would have been a better choice given the Titans current needs.
Third-round pick Paul Williams has big-time speed, but its a tough transition to
the NFL for receivers beyond the very top tier...more
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Draft Recap :
They need a weapon in the middle of the
field, so taking tight end Greg Olsen with the first pick was a good move, but
almost none of the rest of the picks make any sense. No offensive linemen on the
first day? Garrett Wolfe, a tiny back who is a return man, not exactly a team
need. I could go on, but what's the point? That kind of seems like the Bears
draft room. None of these players are horrible, but the recurring theme is they
are all somewhat undersized at best and weak at worst after Olsen...more
Detroit Lions
Draft Recap :
Matt
Millen was trading like a madman
throughout the day, but not for the
second pick. Millen bit the bullet and
did the ballsy thing taking WR Calvin
Johnson, a player who graded out higher
than anyone has in the last 10 years. A
great pick, but you always have to
question the Lions record with top
receivers. A great move doing all the
trading to end up with three future
starters in the 2nd round. Four
picks in the first 61 selections overall. Millen
also unloaded QB Josh McCown and WR Mike
Williams during the draft for the same
thing the Raiders got for Moss, a 4th
rounder. Amazing...more
Green Bay
Packers Draft Recap :
11 picks
is nice, but you have to do something with those 11 picks to make them
worthwhile. Every pick here can be considered somewhat of a reach. When you do
that you are probably going to find some gems, but not necessarily. With this
number of picks as Detroit showed you can be a lot more productive by trading up
and not reaching so much. They did a lot better on day two than on day one which
is one good sign, those players are supposed to be reaches....more
Minnesota
Vikings Draft Recap :
Adrian
Peterson is great, but who will throw the football? Peterson will replace
Chester Taylor as the primary ball
carrier and adding the rangy Rice along
with the two speedsters to a group of wideouts that has had trouble getting
out of its own way was a good move as
well. They drafted good players, but
they didn't get a quarterback, which is
why the grade isn't any higher. Tarvaris
Jackson might be a star though so you
never know how that will work out....more
AFC North
Baltimore
Ravens Draft Recap:
This is
always a team that drafts well. The Ravens tried unsuccessfully to get ahold of
Quinn, but who could match that ridiculous Cleveland offer. Troy Smith is a nice
gamble at a great value in the fifth round and they got the top rated Guard in
the draft. Not very exciting, but as usual very solid draft picking up pieces
where needed and getting great value across the board....more
Cincinnati Bengals Draft Recap:
Not a bad
draft at all, although it doesn't have many sure fire starters after Hall. Hall
fits the Bengals' scheme and, in a nice change of pace for them, is a
high-character person. Kenny Irons will be able to step in as the third down
back and Marvin White can see some playing time at safety. The rest are strictly
developmental prospects....more
Cleveland
Browns Draft Recap:
Going back
into the first round to get Brady Quinn was a bold move. The Browns had the best
draft of anyone as they got a franchise left tackle and a franchise quarterback.
And if Wright can stay out of trouble they got a franchise corner as well. This
may go down as one of the best drafts in NFL history. There are three players in
this draft that 5 years from now can be the top three players at their positions
in the NFL. Not too shabby...more
Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Recap:
The key to
this draft is whether Timmons adequately replaces Joey Porter. They really didnt
do much other than fill some positions and then there was the boneheaded move of
trading up in the fourth round to take a punter. No one trades up for a punter.
They got some steals in later rounds....more
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
Draft Recap:
Dallas had
on the traders hat this year. Dallas slid back four spots in the first round,
from 22 to 26, and gave up a third- and fifth-round pick for Cleveland's
first-rounder next year which was a tremendous value. In the players they did
take, there are some hits and misses. Really dragging the grade down is the two
7th round cornerbacks, they are both decent players, but not NFL ready and that
was an area that really needed to be addressed. They did get a steal in Doug
Free and the developmental players they got are very good. Plus the moves into
next years draft should be a big plus. Most of the players are special teams
contributors which will help most make the roster, but really this draft was
light on impact players. Would be a C if not for the first rounder next year...more
New York Giants
Draft Recap:
The Giants
really needed help at linebacker, they waited too long to address it, too late
for help this year at least. Zak DeOssie will take several years to
develop into starting material if even
then. Aaron Ross and Steve Smith will be
decent players, maybe even
superstars. They got a real steal in the
5th in Kevin Boss who can be a superstar tight end in the right system. Overall
not too bad of a draft as they met a lot of needs although they needed a lot more help
on offensive line as well and there is
none here, along with the linebacker
issues...more
Philadelphia
Eagles Draft Recap:
One of the
Eagles most pressing needs is at the wideout position. It's hard to
believe the Eagles didn't take a single
wide receiver in this draft or take a
stab at Seattle's Darrell Jackson or
Oakland's Randy Moss – both of which
moved for only fourth-rounders. Then
they took Kevin Kolb, who was a third
round developmental quarterback at the
most with the 36th pick? Really the only
value pick they got was Tony Hunt in the
third round. Every other draft pick has
multiple questions surrounding them and
were drafted higher than rated on most
boards. The boards can be wrong, but on
every pick? Plus they got really stupid
and broke a cardinal rule of the draft
by trading out of the first round with
their arch rival so that Dallas could
draft Anthony Spencer who they should
have taken. Spencer will be hounding
McNabb for years thanks to that
brilliant move. The only reason this
grade is not an F is due to Hunt...more
Washington
Redskins Draft Recap:
The real
fun in being a Skins fan is that come draft time you don't have to get too high,
or low as you just know how screwed up it's going to be from not
only the standpoint of this draft, but
what you have given away in years past
and will be giving away in future years.
The Skins did pretty well in the players
they selected this year getting some values in the later rounds. But the grade
overall is dragged down from lack of quantity...more
AFC East
Buffalo Bills Draft
Recap:
The Bills
really did some nice work in the draft, almost every player they picked up was
projected to go higher, and they filled several needs as well. Buffalo addressed
the most pressing holes (RB,
LB) and appeared to get good value with
their three middle round picks really
the only negative you could come up with
is that Buffalo still needed a
cornerback and it can be argued that
Dwayne Wrights spot in the fourth would
have been better used on a corner. That
is nitpicking though....more
Miami Dolphins
Draft Recap: A complete fiasco. Possibly
the most non sensible draft and trades
and really overall management of this
time of year we have ever seen. If the
Dolphins wanted a punt returner who
can't catch, they could
have had Dante Hall and Trent
Green for a third
rounder and not be
sitting in anywhere near this situation.
Now they have a quarterback and a
returner that are gimps...more
New England
Patriots Draft Recap:
New
England made some interesting moves here, it appears that they are loading up
for another run, a very good draft, but New England is a team that has always
been enamored with high character players, so taking Meriweather and
trading for Randy Moss in the same draft
is somewhat out of character for them.
That said, talent-wise no one did any
better. They came up with a
much-needed safety in Brandon
Meriweather. They also came up with an
extra first-round pick next year in a
trade from San Francisco. They also got
a good possession receiver in Wes Welker
for a second and seventh rounder.
Finally, they got Randy Moss for a
fourth-round pick. No wonder they are so
good year after year...more
New York Jets Draft
Recap:
The Jets
went for quality over quantity in this draft, their grade is less a reflection
of the players they got than an indictment of how much they gave up to get them.
Revis and Harris will most likely be immediate starters and Bender and Stuckey
are both very decent prospects. Bender could even develop into a pro bowl tackle
eventually...more
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