Grade Your Teams 2009 Draft Picks

[whokevjones]

I know its still very early and there's no way of knowing how big of an impact the rookies will eventually have but I am still interested in how some of the draft prosoects i liked are panning out. I'll start with the my boys the Lions, who have won more games than the former AFC Champs.

1a. Matt Stafford (QB) B+:Despite playing on a terrible team Stafford has played great. Its obvious he will be our starter for a long time

1b. Brandon Pettigrew (TE) C-: He is not playing bad and has made some plays but looks like a rookie and dropping a lot of catchable balls at the worst times.

2a. Louis Delmas (S) C+: A hard hitting safety who hasn't hit hard yet. Its tough to judge delmas because our secoundary is so bad Delmas has NO ONE else to help him make plays.

3a.DeAndre Levy (LB) B+: Levy has been the surprise pick of our draft. He has looked great in the time he hasn't gotten to play. He is showing he can play all the LB positions and will be our full time starter next year.

3b. Derrick Williams (WR/KR) D: He looked good at WR in preseason, hasn't done anything at WR in regular season. He looked terrible in preseason at KR and just got move into the starting role (by default).

4. Sammie Lee Hill (DT) C+: He is still very raw but will be a good player in the league. He is currently our starter and will continue to improve.

6. Aaron Brown (RB) D+: Myy boii. He hasn't done anything in the regular season when given a chance. Has potential but very unproven.

[drowe]

Packers

1a-BJ Raji-(DT)C-/Inc-injured his ankle in preseason..it's been nagging him all year. kept him out of weeks 1 and 2. been mostly a non-factor in the 1.5 games he was in. generally rotates with Pickett at NT. hasn't moved around the line as expected.

1b-Clay Matthews(OLB)-A--he's came on strong the last 2 games. earning the starting OLB job opposite of Kampman. he's looking like everything AJ Hawk was supposed to be. always around the ball. plays smart. great pass rusher.

4-TJ Lang(T)-B+-He's exceeded expectations. he was the only tackle able to contain Jared Allen against the Vikings. and, performed very well against the Lions at LT when Clifton went down. he seems to have ended the packer's musical chairs approach to the o-line. at worst, he's an adequate backup for Clifton. at best, he's our LT of the future.

5a-Quinn Johnson (FB)-INC-Still waiting to make an impact. barely made the team, and hasn't been active much. With Korey Hall out, he'll probably see some time, but John Kuhn has played too well to lose playing time to an unproven rookie.

5b-Jamon Meredith (T)-F-failed to make the team. earns a failing grade.

6-Jarius Wynn (DE)-INC-showed promise in pre-season. hasn't played much and wasn't expected to. with some grooming, could be a solid backup option on the d-line.

7-Brad Jones (LB)-INC-ooks like a solid special teams option. he's done what's asked of him.

[NIN1984]

1. Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
Bey has two catches for 36 yards and he's the # 7 overall pick. F

2. Mike Mitchell, S, Ohio University
Is a special teams player right now. NA

3. Matt Shaughnessy, DE Wisconsin
He has only played a little bit. NA

4a. Louis Murphy, WR, Florida
Plays with a lot of passion, you can tell he wants to be a good. Murphy even likes to block. C+

4b. Slade Norris, LB, Oregon State
Is on the practice squad. F

6a. Stryker Sulak, DE, Missouri
Cut before TC. F

6b. Brandon Myers, TE, Iowa
Looked good in preseason but hasn't t played this season. NA

[Bengals78]

1. Andre Smith (T): C - Yet to hit the field, but is practicing now so he could be a rising star soon.

2. Rey Maualuga (LB): A+ - Pretty much been our defensive standout outside of Odom. He show all the potential to be a leader for years.

3. Michael Johnson (DE): B - Seen some action and shows a lot of potential and will most likely be in A LOT more with Odom out now.

3b. Chase Coffman (TE): D - Yet to see the field. I expect this to change soon.

4. Jonathon Luigs (C): C - He is a work in progress stuck behind Kyle Cook who has played really solid.

5. Kevin Huber (P): A - He has played really well for us showing great skill and ability.

6. Morgan Trent (CB): C - In limited play he has actually appeared to be a very solid player in his limited roles.

6b. Bernard Scott (RB): B - Hasnt seen much time in the regular season but shows great burst when he does. Will be interesting to see if Bratkowski can use him more.

All of our 7th rounders are PS guys or elsewhere.

[HawkeyeFan]

Rams
1) Jason Smith: B
- He's been good while in, he hasn't given up any sacks, and has been physical and a mauler in the run game.

2) James Laurinatis: A+
- Quickly becoming one of the best young LBs in football.

3) Bradley Fletcher: B
- Been good when in, phyiscal in run support and a blanket in pass D.

4) Dorrell Scott: S
- Hasn't been active yet, but this week he should be. He looked great in preseason and Training Camp.

5) Brooks Foster: S
- Solid in training camp and preseason, out for the season.

6) Keith Null, QB: S
- Hasn't been active but looked great in preseason and training camp.

7) Chris Ogbonnaya, F
- Didn't make the team.

[falloutboy14]

1) Donald Brown(RB) B : Solid so far. If nothing else, he helped us realize the O-line is crap and it's not totally on the RBs. But he's getting it done as a receiver/blocker.

2) Fili Moala(DT) INC : Will be active for the first time this week.

3) Jerraud Powers(CB) B+ : Seems wise/experienced beyond his years. Started week 1 due to injuries and is making a case to be a full-time starter.

4A) Austin Collie(WR) B+ : A little old for a rookie, but has shown he can be a viable weapon for Peyton. He & Pierre Garcon have made the injury to Gonzalez unnoticeable.

4B) Terrance Tyler(DT) F : No longer with the team.

6) Curtis Painter(QB) D : Obviously hasn't gotten on the field yet, but appears that 4-6 years from now could help the team in the post-Manning era.

7A) Pat McAfee(P) B+ - Has been nothing but a stud so far. Long punts are looooooooong and I believe one that rolled out of bounds at the 1.

7B) Jaimie Thomas(OT) F - Not on the roster, don't know if he's on PS.

[tjsunstein]

Originally Posted by HawkeyeFan

2) James Laurinatis: A+
- Quickly becoming one of the best young LBs in football.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/200910...rams#tab:watch

Look at him go.

[wicket]

Saints
1st Malcolm Jenkins
Special teams stud and seems the field occasionally in the nickel and dime. Forced two fumbles on special teams already and looks good when he is on the field. Might transition to safety next season due to porter and greer playing like absolute studs. Grade: c+
4th Chip Vaughn
Is on IR, wont play this season.
Grade: no grade
4th Stanley Arnoux
See Chip
5th Thomas Morstead
Suprised the staff in training camp where they figured out that he could also do kickoffs better than anybody on the team (for realz they didnt know the guy could do that). His punting is middle of the pack and improving and his kickoffs are as good.
Grade: B

[Sveen]

1. Malcolm Jenkins (CB): C
Mostly a special teamer so far, but has gotten some plays on defense.

4a. Chip Vaughn (S): N/A
Placed on injured reserve for the entire season.

4b. Stanley Arnoux (LB): N/A
Placed on injured reserve for the entire season.

5. Thomas Morstead (P): B
Doing great on both punting and kickoffs.

[Canadian_draft_fan]

Redskins:
Brian Orakpo OLB (B) - is a beast of a pass rusher but is exposed as a SLB covering TE's. Not his fault the Redskins coaches are idiots.
Kevin Barnes CB (D) - made the 53 man roster but hasn't been active for a game yet. Why they are playing Byron "footsie" Westbrook over him is another indictment of our coachng staff.
Cody Glenn OLB (F) - cut in TC. Is on the Colts, I believe.
Robert Henson ILB (D) - made the 53 man roster but hasn't been active for a game yet.
Eddie Williams TE/FB (D) - is on our practice squad.
Marko Mitchell WR (C-) - made the 53 man roster and has been activated for a game or 2 but nothing significant. Fans are clamouring for him to play on offense given the non-contribution of Kelly/Thomas/Davis.

[awfullyquiet]

Can we grade another teams draft?

Because i can smell the doughnuts in here.

[terribletowel39]

Steelers:

1st - Evander 'Ziggy' Hood: He looked good in pre-season but hasn't had much playing time as rookies rarely fully understand Lebeau's scheme. C

3rd - Kraig Urbik: Didn't really impress much in pre-season and training camp. Got outplayed by a few lesser drafted linemen. D

3rd - Mike Wallace: Potential baller. Has played really well and is already the 3rd WR on the depth chart. Has speed like I haven't seen on the football field. B+

3rd - Kennan Lewis: Impressed coaches and plays special teams well. Always around the ball on special teams. C

5th - Joe Burnett - Been a disappointment so far. Hasn't done anything really. C

5th - Frank 'The Tank' Summer: Also another disappointment so far. Was brought in to be our short and goalline situation back. Was outplayed by someone 30 lbs less than him. D

6th - Ra'shon Harris: Didn't make the team....but has since been brought back because of Aaron Smith's injury. D

7th - A.Q. Shipley: Played his hear out but didn't make the cut. D

7th - David Johnson: Is on the team and contributes. I would say for a 7th rounder that is pretty good. I give him a C.

[Da-Phins]

Vontae Davis (CB) C+ - Has made some plays out there but has given up some long completions.

Sean Smith (CB) B - Missed a couple of tackles but other wise as looked good for the most part. Leads the team in knocked down passes and shouldve had a couple if picks if he didnt drop the ball.

Pat White (QB) D - Picked up a key 1st down against the Jets other then that, nothing. Wouldve gotten an F if it wasnt for that 1st down.

Patrick Turner (WR) F - Been inactive all season and coaches are concerned he doesnt have the passion and fire for the game. Only made the team based on his draft statues.

Brian Hartline (WR) C+ - Knows all 3 WR positions so clearly is a smart player. Getting alot of snaps based on that. Also caught a TD pass couple of weeks ago.

John Nalbone (TE) D - Been inactive and still very raw.

Chris Clemons (S) D - Inactive all season and coaches say he needs to work on the mental part of the game.

Andrew Gardner (LT) D - Inactive all season and still raw.

JD Folsom (LB) F - Didnt make the team.

[D-Unit]

Originally Posted by Da-Phins

Vontae Davis (CB) C+ - Has made some plays out there but has given up some long completions.

Sean Smith (CB) B - Missed a couple of tackles but other wise as looked good for the most part. Leads the team in knocked down passes and shouldve had a couple if picks if he didnt drop the ball.

Pat White (QB) D - Picked up a key 1st down against the Jets other then that, nothing. Wouldve gotten an F if it wasnt for that 1st down.

Patrick Turner (WR) F - Been inactive all season and coaches are concerned he doesnt have the passion and fire for the game. Only made the team based on his draft statues.

Brian Hartline (WR) C+ - Knows all 3 WR positions so clearly is a smart player. Getting alot of snaps based on that. Also caught a TD pass couple of weeks ago.

John Nalbone (TE) D - Been inactive and still very raw.

Chris Clemons (S) D - Inactive all season and coaches say he needs to work on the mental part of the game.

Andrew Gardner (LT) D - Inactive all season and still raw.

JD Folsom (LB) F - Didnt make the team.

Sounds like a down year for Bill Parcells...

[Da-Phins]

Originally Posted by D-Unit

Sounds like a down year for Bill Parcells...

Looks that way so far. He did have a good 08 draft though.

[MidwayMonster31]

I'm counting Jay Cutler as part of our draft
1- Jay Cutler. Made some mistakes early, but is always giving us a chance to win. A-
2- Traded down
3- Jarron Gilbert. Ask me next year. INC.
3- Juaquin Iglesias. Haven't heard a word about him since the preseason. INC.
4- DJ Moore. Buried in a crowded depth chart of DBs. INC.
4- Henry Melton. On IR for an ankle injury, and will use this year to learn the position. INC.
5- Johnny Knox. Has emerged as one of the best return men and is on his way to becoming a great wide receiver. A-
5- Marcus Freeman. Got cut in the preseason and is now with Buffalo. F
6- Al Afalava. Stepped in at safety when Manning was hurt and is showing good skills. A
7- Lance Louis. Still on the roster, got charged with misdemeanor assault, but I don't what that's about. D
7- Derek Kinder. Didn't make the roster. F

Not a whole lot you could do with those picks, but a few of them can develop into good contributors.

[LizardState]

Dallas Cowboys:

Only Michael Hamlin is worth a damn.

TAMU QB Stephen McGee is an epic fail. Brewster, Butler & Williams are lost in the LB mix that includes Bobby Carpenter who can't tackle anybody & blows assignments yet he plays, what does that say for these backups?

Note: USA Today's Preseason mag rated their draft an A ... are they looking at the same Cowboys draft in the same yr. I am? That's what happens when draft classes are rated before the season starts. And that's what happens when Jerry Jones trades back from his highest rd. for more picks, + quantity, - quality.

That Dallas draft disappoints to the point of nausea, so I'll do

SF 49ers:

1st rd, Pick #8, Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech : Jury is still out b/c they didnt sign him until Wk. 6, he will see his 1st action this wk. vs. Houston.

3rd rd, Glen Coffee, RB, Alabama : As a hardcore Bama fan I'm very familiar with Coffee. He brings a speedburst to their offense that's been lacking in the Gore backup RB, had a Rookie of the Yr. type preseason but made rookie mistakes on clock mgmt. & blocking in the regular season spelling/subbing for injured Gore. Only 21, has enormous upside, 95% sure to be a keeper.

3rd rd, Scott McKillop, LB, Pittsburgh: Almost missed the final roster, but has starred on special teams & getting turnovers.

5th rd, Nate Davis, QB, Ball St. : Overcame learning disability & got a roster spot, not spectacular in preseason but adequate, standard sit-a-yr-&-learn backup QB with good size (6-3, 228) & a big arm.

6th rd, Bear Pascoe, TE, Fresno St. : N. Calif. local player with huge fan following couldn't adjust to the speed of the pro game, released on last cut.

7th rd, Curtis Taylor, S, LSU: IDK if he made the roster.

7th rd, Ricky Jean-Francois, DL, LSU: Spot player in preseason, 3rd string backup, Not very smart or disciplined, missed plane to back to SFO in bye wk, Singletary said to "Run his legs off" in practice this wk to adjust him.

[Halsey]

Does anyone else look at the Dolphins Draft and think Parcells must have taken the weekend off after selecting Smith. The White and Turner picks didn't make sense at the time and make even less sense now. I know they run the wildcat, but they had bigger needs than White in the 2nd. Turner could have been had later in the Draft.

I wasn't thrilled with the Falcon's Draft. That's not a popular opinion in Atlanta because it seems everything Dimitroff touches turns to gold right now, but I saw things I didn't like well before Jerry tore his ACL and Moore struggled with injuries. Here's me stating my opinion back in May:

"I must admit that I am not thrilled by this Draft. Obviously I will change my mind if the rookies play well, but I don't have the magic of hindsight right now. I just don't really like the 2009 Draft at this point.
I am not a big fan of the Peria Jerry pick. He's older than most prospects, has serious durablility questions, and was just not my favorite prospect on the board.
I also don't get why Dimitroff felt the 2 CB's were worth those picks when everyone else felt they were major reaches.
and I wanted the Falcons to pick an OT earlier."
http://draftcountdown.com/forum/show...78#post1666378

I kinda hate to say it, but the questions about Jerry's durability were justified. 1 of the 2 CB's was released in the preseason and the other has yet to make an impact. The Falcons were in need of more immediate impact because they are ready to make a run this year. They're getting little impact from the 2009 Draft right now. Think how good they'd be if they were getting more impact.

[BufFan71]

Buffalo:


Aaron Maybin: D-- he hasnt gotten much playing time, these past few weeks the amount of reps hes gotten have decreased...apparent liability against the run... we are ranked 32 against the run.. what do we have to lose?


Eric Wood--B-- has played pretty well in every game except New Orleans where he was absolutey abused..

Jairus Byrd--B-- 3ints in 2 stars... looks promising


Andy Levitre--C--- starting a LG, has struggled a bit so far

Shawn Nelson- C--- he got hurt early in the season, but has 6 catches for 60yds and 1 td. very promising... ive been surprised how good his blocking is

Nic Harris --F-- he got beat by an undrafted FA LB. Was even demoted off of special teams due to constant penalties. with a depleted LB core.. still doesnt touch the field

Cory Harris--F-- practice squad

Ellis Lankaster--D-- hasnt been active yet, but looked great in preseason

[wonderbredd24]

C Alex Mack A
He's been a starter from game one, has played pretty well, and improves by the game. No reason he won't be one of the top centers in a short time.

WR Brian Robiskie C-
He just started getting on the field and although in limited time, he has looked promising, he has hardly been the most NFL ready receiver he was supposed to be.

WR Mohammed Massaquoi B
Massaquoi has exceeded expectations so far. He runs pretty good routes and gets open. He's made some plays, but he has had an issue with drops as he is a body catcher. Should only get better.

DE/OLB/ILB David Veikune Incomplete
This has been a redshirt year for Veikune, because Veikune went from being a defensive lineman to learning both the inside and outside linebacker positions and has only contributed on special teams thus far.

LB Kaluka Maiava C
He has predominately been a special teamer and he's good at that, but with the season ending shoulder injury to D'Qwell Jackson, he should get opportunities as a starter.

CB Don Carey F
He looked promising in training camp, but he had a season ending shoulder injury and the FO tried to sneak him through to Injured Reserve and the Jags picked him up, so he's on their Injured Reserve list.

RB James Davis Incomplete
Looked very promising in preseason and had some moments in the regular season, but a shoulder injury ended his season.

CB Coye Francies Incomplete
Had a good training camp, but has not seen much of the field in the regular season.

[killxswitch]

Colts:

Round 1 - RB Donald Brown - B

Has been solid running behind Joseph Addai. Has made some plays and will eventually probably be the starter. He's improved his pass catching and blocking. The OL hasn't really let him shine yet.

Round 2 - DT Fili Moala - F

He's been a healthy scratch behind two undrafted free agents, a pickup from the Titans practice squad, and a guy the Packers cut mid-season last year. Since Ed Johnson was cut he will now get a chance to play, he'd better be ready. He was getting outplayed by Adrian Grady (another undrafted free agent) in preseason.

Round 3 - CB Jerraud Powers - A

Despite what the other Colts fan said he is now the starter regardless of who is healthy. He is the teams #2 CB, and has made some excellent plays in coverage so far this season. Also very physical in run support and makes great tackles. A real surprise and I'm thrilled with him.

Round 4 - WR Austin Collie - B+

Not a starter but a regular contributor who has had a near 100 yard, 2 TD game already. Runs great routes in the slot and should be a very good WR on this team for years.

Round 4 - DT Terrance Taylor - F

Cut. Huge disappointment.

Round 6 - QB Curtis Painter - N/A

He improved every game in pre-season but hasn't played a down in regular season and is the teams' 3rd QB.

Round 7 - P/K Pat McAfee - B+

Pretty solid punter with great kickoffs. He took the pressure off Vinatieri and will do the same for Stover. His punts were fantastic early on but haven't sustained that level.

Round 7 - OG Jaimie Thomas - F

Cut. I think he might be on the practice squad.

[Brown Leader]

2nd op. Browns

1.C Alex Mack C+
He starts. Not an impact player yet. Tries hard and is athletic but finds the ground a lot. Not what I expect out of a 1st rd center.

2.WR Brian Robiskie F
Unbelievably couldn't see the field with stalwarts Furrey, Massa and Cribbs ahead of him. Of course there is upside but so far-fail.

2.WR Mohammed Massaquoi B
Momass showing why he was a draft riser. Is a threat but catches like Braylon. Not ready to be a #1.

2.DE/OLB/ILB David Veikune F
Groomed at ILB and situational rush OLB-saw time in pre-season as the 2nd string ILB, and is now behind stalwart Maiava. Like the scouting report said, looks too slow and stiff to play LB. Upside? Jets throw in OLB Trusnik started ahead of him-nuff said.

4.ILB Kaluka Maiava D
Decent ST player. Now gets to start for injured DQ. Shouldn't be starting and not surprisingly is making mistakes, particularly in coverage. Is learning I guess.

6.CB Don Carey N/A
N/a because he has a shot when healthy, but not for the Browns.

6.CB Coye Francies N/A
Had a good training yet has been inactive for the worst secondary outside of Tenn.-go figure.

6.RB James Davis C
Playing about as well as expected until CB Winfield said welcome to the NFL. Further hurt the shoulder messing around (organized horseplay?) and done for the year. Needs to use the time to get a lot stronger-those CB's are dangerous.

[BufFan71]

this is all that needs to be said



2nd round
Jairus Byrd: A+++++
5ints in 3 starts

[JFLO]

Percy Harin - B
---He needs to stay healthy in order for me to give him a higher grade. Hopefully, his lingering variety of injuries won't last long because he has shown that he needs to be accounted for when fully healthy.

Phil Loadholt - C+
---I don't think he has really struggled but at the same time I really haven't seen him shine. He has a solid future ahead of him so I'm not worried about his development right now.

Asher Allen - Incomplete
---Allen hasn't seen the field much, if at all this season. However, that will probably change if Antoine Winfield is truly out for 2-4 weeks.

Jasper Brinkley - C
--- I give him a C because he is playing well for the role that he has on the team.

Jamarcus Sanford - D
--- Personally, I'm not high on Sanford so far. I realize that he was a 7th round choice, but he has been beaten a couple times so far and from the games that I've seen, he really hasn't played well in any aspect of the game.

[awfullyquiet]

Rd 3. Jarron Gilbert - DE/DT - SJ State. Red Shirted. INC.
Rd 3. Juaquin Iglesias - WR - OU. Hasn't stepped on the Field. INC.
Rd 4. Henry Melton - DE - Texas - Hasn't stepped on the Field. INC.
Rd 4. D.J. Moore - CB - Vandy - See above
Rd 5. Johnny Knox - WR - Abilene-Christian - Better than Good. Son. Better than Good. - B+
Rd 5. Marcus Freeman - LB - Ohio State - Buffalo? I knew I didn't see him... but I missed that somewhere.
Rd 6. Al Afalava - S - Oregon State - Starting S, quality hitter, doesn't look too lost, is not bad in coverage, and not bad in the run. Not a young Mike Brown, but hey, he's not a glass joe. - C+
Rd 7. Lance Louis - Some TE/T prospect - SD State - In Court... Automatic F for screwing up.
Rd 7. Derek Kinder - WR - Released by the Bears. F.