DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2013 NFL Season NFL Draft (2013) Other than the Browns .... whose draft did you like?

I thought that the New orleans Saints did a really nice job with their draft.

Granted, they didn't have a ton of needs, but I thought they addressed those needs with really high quality picks.

Their 1st pick was Cameron Jordan, who some (myself included) feel will wind up being one of the top DE in this draft. He has nice size/speed/production. Really a good pick that fills a big need for them. Pairing him with Will Smith gives them legitimate pass rushers on both sides, as well as nice size.

They then traded up to grab a RB. I thought that they might take Ingram with their first pick, but couldn't argue with the pick of Jordan. They then managed to trade up to grab Ingram anyway. They needed a good RB, and they got the best. Man ... 2 holes .... 2 top players to plug those holes. Nicely done.

They then grabbed an ILB in the 3rd round who might transition nicely to a pass rushing OLB in the NFL. Another big need, another quality fill with a 3rd rounder. Guy was projected to go much higher then he was picked.

Then the took a CB who had some off field issues, but projects as a really solid #2 corner.

Then they got what might be the steal of the draft if he's healthy .... in our own Jabaal Sheard's teammate Greg Romeus. Man, if this guy is healthy, he was once rated well above Sheard. There are definitely 2 big medical concerns (back and shoulder) ..... but if he's healthy, he could easily be the steal of the draft. If he's not, then they wasted a 7th rounder.

They also took a LB who looks like a special teams guy.

Overall, the Saints did a really exceptional job of filling needs with high quality, productive players. Their top 3 picks could all see the field quickly, and that's something for a consistent playoff team. They took a big swing with a low draft pick on Romeus. If he fails, no biggie ..... but if he can come back healthy ..... big time steal. The Saints needed help at DE, RB, OLB, and CB ..... and got them all. The only "need" they didn't address was DT, and there are a ton of undrafted, quality guys at DT. They could go after a guy like Dexter Larimore (Who I hope the Browns look at as well) who would fit their defense nicely.

So .... other than the Browns, who do you think did a great job, and why?

Was telling my buddy - who is a Saints fan - today that the Saints and Browns had two of the best drafts.

Not sure who else I like but I do think the 9ers draft was garbage. I'd be very disappointed if I was a 9er fan.

I thought 4 teams were real winners on draft day. Loved the Browns draft 4 starters and 2 probably will be starters and a first round pick next year.

Bengals landed 2 of my favorite players in Moch and Green.

I thought the Bills just kept making sound decisions all the way through

Lions landed 3 of the top 35 in this years draft and Suh and Fairley is just scary.

1. Houston was out of the park getting the 2nd-best 5 tech and a top 3 rush OLB, then Harris and Carmichael to improve the corner spot and Keo at Safety. Are you kidding me? That is an amazing draft for a team switching to a 3-4 and in need of a total secondary rebuild.

2. The Giants had a great draft, letting player after player fall to them. Amukamara, Austin, Jernigan, Brewer, and Sash were all terrific values.

3. Pittsburgh. I hate to say it, but Heyward, Gilbert, Curtis Brown, Cortez Allen, and Chris Carter is quite a haul for a 3-4 team with needs on the OL and at CB.

Green Bay had a nice draft picking up Sherrod at the bottom of the first and Cobb at the end of the second. Add Devon House, DJ Williams, and Ricky Elmore. Also, Mayock really likes the RB they got from Hawai'i.

New England more than anyone else had the luxury of taking BPA, allowing them to take Mallett in the 3rd and Cannon in the 5th with their issues. they also picked up a 1 and a 2 for next year. I'm not a big Solder fan, though.

I agree that Buffalo had a pretty solid draft, largely buoyed by Darues falling to them at 3.

St. Louis also had value match need in a great way, coming away with Quinn, Kendricks, Pettis, and Salas. NFCW Champs?

I'd put Denver in here if it weren't for the Miller selection. They otherwise had some really good value picks.


Teams whose drafts I really didn't like:
Carolina
Jacksonville
San Diego
Oakland
Miami
Detroit
Cleveland

Andy Dalton Qb, TCU was picked by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Andy, Andy, Andy...

What can be said, about Andy Dalton, that hasn't already been said about Peter McNeely. Most probably don't remember so here's a quote

" I"m Peter McNeely from Boston Mass, and come Friday night I"m gonna Kick Mike Tysons' (tail) "
He lost the fight in 2 minutes or less.
I don't know who had a nice draft, I just know some players I wish were Browns aren't.

Lions and Bucs...

man.. they both got some added talent at positions they already had stars...

Suh and Fairley? I'm really jealous of this one.

McCoy and Bowes?

Lions stick out to me, as well as the Saints.

I really think that the saints, lions and texans had solid drafts.
Lions are on the rise, if their QB can stay healthy. Thats proving to be a big if though.

i really don't know why people say that the bengals and patriots had good drafts.
Lose Palmer- add Dalton.
Lose Ochocincho- add Green
I cant say that they improved.....

And the patriots know how to accumulate picks, but at some point you just need to use them. Mallet doesn't help them win now. Medical reaches on others. Passed on DE/OLB to get to the QB. Picked two running backs instead of just going with the sure thing..... I don't know, i'd be ticked if i was a patriot fan.

I am still ticked beyond all description at the vikes: I guess they figured that if you don't have a third round pick (thanks to the Moss fiasco)- might as well take a 3rd round QB in the first. Thats not really a good way to get public support for a new rtadium.

Cincy, Houston, Detroit, and Steelers...

The Lions, Bucs, and Steelers.

Random thoughts:

- Packers and Giants really had very strong value drafts for teams picking late...

- Lions got very nice value with their picks but totally forgot to protect Stafford, which could backfire...

- Bears spent their picks wisely and got 2 good players with value at 2 of their biggest need positions in Carimi and Paea, pretty good draft

- Steelers were hit and miss....good that they still can't draft OL Gilbert was a need reach and is an underachieving OT, Max Starks is his ceiling imho...otoh they got pretty good value with CB Brown late 3rd and OLB Carter late 5th

- Ozzie and the Ravens were very solid again with their top 3 picks, very high upside, with ok floor

- Bengals? Pff, they picked Dalton, who cares about Green now Jason Garrett put it best (per Mort twitter)

"I think that is Dalton's most redeeming quality, for crying out loud." - text I got from Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, reacting to a coach who asked SI's Peter King if there has ever been a successful red-headed quarterback.

- Dolphins are in win-now mode, GM is trying to save his job big time, need reaching with 1st 2 picks to get immediate production, nice value with Gates though in the 4th


- Broncos are headless, boy what a hype draft, simply terrible, terrible selections...at least they had a good 7ths lol maybe that's when the scouts were allowed to pick

- How did Spielman get another gig as GM? Same old, same old..poor Vikings

- Speaking of GMs, I think the Bucs might have found a good one in Dominik..good players, good value...great mix of risk-reward and value, nice job

Bmore
Pukesburgh
Arizona
NO
Cincy

Houston - Watt and Reed will the front-7 (particularly Reed is needed to move Cushing to WOLB). Then, lots of DBs and pretty good value in the ones they got too.

Saints - I pretty much like all their picks. I wouldn't have given up as much as they had to in order to move up for Ingram, but he will definitely make an impact for them as will alot of their picks. Just solid.

Bears - only 5 picks and late in the rounds, but they get what should be a starting OT(Carimi), DT (Paea), and S (Conte).

Bills - lucked into Dareus, Aaron Williams can be a good CB, and they still got a pretty decent value at LB with Sheppard. I don't like the bottom of their draft at all, but the top3 rounds look really good.


who had bad drafts?

Zona - Peterson was a good pick, but too much flash, not enough substance in the rest of their picks (and they better hope they can get a QB)

Atlanta - is Julio Jones really worth giving up 5 picks including their 1st next year? Is he that much better than Little, Cobb, Torrey Smith? They better hope so.

Wow, I thought that Arizona had a pretty decent draft.

They got Peterson, who is probably the best player in the draft, at a premium position.

They they got a franchise type RB in Ryan Williams.

In the 3rd, they took a super fast "catch only" TE, who runs a sub 4.5 at 255#.

In the 4th, they stole Sam Acho.

Then they took a solid ILB type in the 5th.

They didn't address DE much in this draft .... but they definitely got quality. There are a ton of DE/DT types still available .... and some that are pretty decent players. I agree that they didn't get a QB ...... but on the other hand, they also didn't reach for a QB like some teams (can you hear me Minnesota?) did.

I think they'll look to trade for a starter at QB, and they'll have a decent run this year. They're not exactly playing in the most difficult division in all of football.

Top 5 in no particular order:

Browns (said other than Browns, so I won't go there)

Chiefs - I love the Baldwin pick. Baldwin will stretch the field and Bowe will keep the role as the team's #1, catching the majority of the team's passes. McCluster will work the underneath, getting significant yards after the catch. Charles is obviously a stud, and Baldwin will give him more room to work with. Tony Moeaki is a very good young tight end as well. Rodney Hudson is a very good interior offensive lineman who will start immediately, and Justin Houston is an awesome pass rusher with sweet potential. Allen Bailey has some very good potential as a 5 tech. Jerrell Powe has good potential as a nose and will play from the get go.

Ravens - I am a huge Jimmy Smith fan, and IMO, as far as pure ability, he was the 2nd best cornerback in the draft. He definitely has character issues, but with the Ravens' leadership, I have a feeling he'll be fine. Torrey Smith is very fast with great YAC ability and he fits perfectly with Boldin. Jah Reid is one of my favorite players in the draft and I think he will become a good right tackle. Tandon Doss is another good wide receiver prospect, and Chykie Brown has potential at cornerback.

Indianapolis Colts - Anthony Castonzo was a very good value at 22 and will protect Peyton's blindside immediately. Ben Ijalana should be either a very good right tackle or a stud guard, and he will be huge in improving Indy's run game. Drake Nevis was one of the more underrated draft prospects, and is really only limited by his size. He is a great fit for the Colts' scheme, and I fully expect him to be a stud. Delone Carter was also one of my favorite players in the draft, and I have a feeling he's going to get a lot of carries this year.

New Orleans Saints - Cameron Jordan was an absolute steal at 24. He is a stud against the run and a great interior pass rusher as well. Don't be surprised if he ends up like Justin Tuck. With Jordan, Will Smith, Sedrick Ellis and Shaun Rogers, the Saints are building a sweet defensive line. While I wasn't a huge fan of the trade for Ingram, he was a steal at 28 and will make a huge impact for the Saints. He gives them the flexibility to get rid of Reggie Bush, and I fully expect him to get the majority of their carries in 2011. He makes their offense much more complete as well. Martez Wilson is very athletic with great versatility and playmaking ability. He isn't an overly safe pick, but he has huge potential and linebacker is a hole for New Orleans.

Other drafts I liked:

Houston Texans - J.J. Watt is a straight up player who dominates against the run and should be a very good pass rusher at 3-4 DE. He also gives Wade Phillips more versatility in how he can use Mario Williams. Brooks Reed was a very good value in the 2nd and is yet another pass rusher for Houston, who is quietly building an extremely talented front 7. Brandon Harris was yet another good value in the 2nd, and he fills a huge hole at cornerback.

Green Bay Packers - Derek Sherrod will probably start this year at left guard and move to left tackle in his sophomore season. Randall Cobb is a perfect fit for Green Bay's scheme, and wide receiver is a bigger need than it appears. Donald Driver is aging and James Jones is a free agent. D.J. Williams will pair up with Jeremichael Finley to form a great pass catching duo at tight end.

Arizona Cardinals - Patrick Peterson is an absolute beast. He has literally everything. Peterson, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Adrian Wilson and Kerry Rhodes form one of the NFL's best and biggest secondaries. Ryan Williams is a talented running back with very high upside who may replace the disappointing Beanie Wells. Rob Houser is an athletic pass catching tight end who helps fill a big void for Arizona. Sam Acho has very good potential as a pass rusher and projects well to 3-4 OLB. Quan Sturdivant was a steal in the 6th round and could become a very productive player.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - I'm not a huge Adrian Clayborn fan, but he should be a solid player who is good against the run and is a decent pass rusher. Da'Quan Bowers has good upside and is well worth the risk in the 2nd. If Bowers is able to stay on the field, he will likely perform like a top 10 pick. Both of them might start right away next to last year's first and second round defensive tackles, Gerald McCoy and Brian Price. Mason Foster is a very versatile and exciting linebacker with good potential who could easily start immediately. Luke Stocker was a good value in the 4th round and will fit in well with Kellen Winslow.

here's why I thought AZ had a bad draft in more detail

round1 - ok, no doubt best talent on the board. didn't outsmart themselves and go a different direction. good pick.

round2 - w/ Hightower and Wells, RB wasn't a huge need. Yes, they could use a RB, but they had absolutely huge needs at QB, OL, DL, OLB and decided to just skip all of those and pickup another RB.

round3 - again, if they want to improve their offense, they needed OL and a QB. adding a pass-catching TE is nice, but he isn't going to open up holes for the RBs and he isn't going to throw the ball to Fitzgerald. luxury pick when they had urgent needs with players on the board.

round4 - I haven't been impressed with Acho at TX. Not surprised he slipped in the draft. The Cardinals were getting no pressure from their OLB and he is their answer? If they wanted a pass-rush OLB, they should have taken one in round2 and then I wouldn't be so down on this pick.

round5 - FBs need the OL to open up the initial holes for them and the RB to follow through. another luxury pick when there were huge needs on the board.

round6 - sturdivant is a good pick. he has more talent than the typical 6th round pick and he could eventually push for starting time. Carter (DT) is more a developmental guy, for a 6th rounder that is fine.

round7 - Sampson is a guy whose struggled with injuries. If he stays healthy, he could be a good pick. Not a bad option for a 7th rounder.

So, they had some huge holes to fill coming into the draft. They got a CB (they did have an urgent need there too), but filled none of the other main ones and went with more periphery guys. Bad draft (IMO).

However, one could argue that this draft was weak in the middle for QB and OL. (and LB as well)

That being the case, and with a few premium talents available at a few positions., it made sense to take those players, no matter the "need".

Arizona was the worst ..... the absolute worst .. rushing offense in the entire NFL. a RB and TE can definitely be justified there. In fact, they NEEDED a RB here. They have 2 ..... and the Cardinals ran for 87 yards/game and 9 TDs on the season as a team. That means they don't have any real running backs. They desperately needed help here, and they got a really talented kid.

The TE makes sense if they are going to run a quick hit, running offense. That appears to be the direction that they are heading. With a FB, TE, and premium RB.

Then they added the best CB in the draft, a high quality pass rusher in Acho, (who I wish we'd gotten) and some last DL help.

The Cardinals were last in rushing and 2nd last in passing last year. They need help in both areas, but they mainly got help starting to rebuild their rushing attack. I can't argue with that. They also got a couple of high quality defenders. They were bottom 3rd in the league against the pass, so that's hard to argue either.

People look at the Cardinals as a team that "just" needs a workable passing attack to be a quality team again ..... but I'm not sure why. They are in rebuild mode ..... and need help in pass offense and defense, and run offense and defense. They were bottom third of the league in all 4 categories.

It would be hard for them to take quality players anywhere and screw up.They did take quality pplayers, and they had a solid draft. They addressed some of their many, many needs.

I agree they are in rebuild mode. That is why they needed OL, DL, OLB. You build from the middle out.

We just disagree on how to rebuild though. No worries.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/201...trick-peterson/

Lions offered three picks to go get Patrick Peterson

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on May 4, 2011, 9:56 AM EDT

Before the Lions watched defensive tackle Nick Fairley fall into their lap, they tried to make an even bigger splash on draft day.

As mentioned in one-liners, the Lions tried to move up to acquire cornerback Patrick Peterson. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has some new details on the package of picks they attempted to use to grab the cornerback ultimately taken by the Cardinals.

The Lions offered their first-, second- and fourth-round choices to the Cardinals to go get Peterson, but Arizona declined. It will be an interesting trade to look back on in a few years.

Eight picks after Peterson, the Lions took Fairley. They nabbed Boise State receiver Titus Young with their second round pick. They later packaged their fourth-round pick in a deal to move up for running back Mikel Leshoure.

Time will tell if the Cardinals made the right move in turning down the deal. In something as unpredictable as the draft, we tend to think teams have a better chance of hitting a home run if they get more swings at the plate — even after the first round.

Wow!

To my thinking.. I feel that the Lions came out better by staying put. Suh and Fairly playing side by side should worry opposing teams more than Suh and Peterson. Think the Cardinals would have been better off with the deal, but WOW... It will be something to look back on.

I wonder if the Lions would have offered an Atlanta level deal if the Cardinals would have taken it? (or if the Falcons even talked to the Cardinals?)

jc

Boylhart isn't a fan of our draft because we drafted too many players with character issues high:


Cleveland Browns

Mike Holmgren says he stepped back from this draft. Mike Holmgren said that publicly because he knows that when you select talent over character, you are asking for trouble. You can get away with that if you are a winning team and have strong leaders. You can get away with that if you have done your homework and are sure character issues are in the past. What you can’t do is have a losing record, pick players in the top three rounds that all have significant character issues and think it is not going to bite you big time in the buttocks in the future. Philip Taylor (DT Baylor) has potential dominating talent and I felt personally that he had top ten talent, but he did have some baggage coming into the draft. To my knowledge, his issues are in the past, but they do exist. Next, they select Jabaal Sheard (DE Pittsburgh) who, based on my film work on him, has on-field work ethic issues and, based on my research, also had some background concerns as well. Then, in the 3rd round, they select WR Greg Little (North Carolina) whose route running is questionable at best and hasn’t played for a year because he was suspended. Now do you understand why Mike came out with such a public statement on his draft team?! They did get some excellent talent in the bottom half of the draft. Jordan Cameron (TE/WR USC) is a big time sleeper. Owen Marecic (RB/LB Stanford) is another significant talent who will flourish in the offensive system the Browns will use and reminds me of former 49er Tom Rathman. Jason Pinkston (OT Pittsburgh) is very talented and, to my knowledge, has no ghost in the closet but he also dropped way below the TBR grade I gave him! You cannot expect to have a succesful draft if the top three players you draft have the questions about character as the ones the Browns took this year have. I can’t knock drafting Philip Taylor, but following it up with Jabaal Sheard and Greg Little was a big mistake, in my opinion.

Also, the rest of the AFC North: http://www.thehuddlereport.com/huddlenotes/?p=584

I have to say... Drew seems a bit inconsistent. He's complaining about the Browns drafting Phil Taylor, yet he writes this:

Quote:

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10 – Philip Taylor (DT Baylor) – Remember: talent trumps character every time in a draft. Until someone can tell me what character issues that Phil was involved in, I have to believe it is no worse than any other player in this draft. To my knowledge, he did not get suspended for a year by the NCAA. To my knowledge, he has not had a problem at Baylor. What I see is a dominating defensive tackle that will make your defense better the day after you draft him. Suggesting he has character issues, but not telling us what they are, is a joke to me. We know what issues Cam Newton has and we all knew what off-field issues PacMan Jones had; however, the reason(s) or details of Philip Taylor’s character issues we are not allowed to know about. My understanding is that he was dismissed from Penn St for fighting and accepted one year probation.

---

Little's character "issues" were accepting whopping 4-figure piles of money. GMAB. You can't question this guy's effort on the field.

As far as Sheard, I'm not exactly sure what he means by "on-field work ethic issues," but I'm a bit skeptical of this pick. I seem to be the only person who is, though, so I hope I'm wrong and he turns into a stud.

Little was selected in the 2nd round.. not the 3rd..

gotta hope that Phil Taylor matured when he left Penn State. all accounts say he did, but those all had a bias to make him look good. he at least kept his nose clean.

Little is a little extra-aggressive and the taunting isn't exactly a something that will fly (15yd flags are not good things). However, he plays ridiculously hard and the off-field stuff seems to be more getting caught up in a group and submitting to the almighty $. Again, have to wait and see with him.

and here's a little blurb on Sheard's background issue

Quote:

---

Jabaal Sheard, on the other hand, is a little different. No failed drug tests, but one arrest and conviction for disorderly conduct. He got involved in a fight that teammates started, and threw a man through a glass door. Very little is known about the circumstances, though the fact that they managed to get the charges down from aggravated assault to misdemeanor disorderly conduct speaks in his favor. And besides that incident, Sheard has been an exemplary person on and off the field. He was a team captain at Pitt, played through injury and is relentless on the field. Off the field he received a bravery award for helping an elderly woman escape her burning home, and is supposedly a good student. While the Bucs may not even bother with Jimmy Smith, Sheard looks like the kind of player the Bucs will be willing to dig deep on. Someone who made a mistake but is otherwise a great person and player, that's the kind of player the Bucs are going to be looking at when others won't bother.
http://www.bucsnation.com/2011/4/14/2110523/character-jimmy-smith-vs-jabaal-sheard

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Little is the only one that makes me nervous... He keeps getting the T.O. comparison, but I'm also thinking Antonio Bryant, who I use to really like..

All of them show lots of emotion on the field, and will go all out to make a play.. but TO and Bryant had problems in the locker room and off the field.

I'm hoping Cribbs wraps his arms around this guy, because he is the only "vet" we have to really teach this kid how to be a "professional" on and off the field.. I'm cool w/ showing emotion on the field too as long as it doesn't result in a flag.

I like Little

Also I LOVED the colts draft. I think it was phenomenal.