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2008 NFL Draft Grades - NFC North
by Gregory Cox
Director
of College
Football and NFL Analysis
5/2/08
CHICAGO
#14 OT Chris Williams
(Vanderbilt): Before my final revision this was my pick for them
and he is
likely to move right into the starting lineup. They needed to get help
at
tackle and didn’t mess around.
#44 RB Matt Forte
(Tulane): I wasn’t certain Forte would really go in the middle
second
round, but the Bears weren’t willing to take that chance. They end up
with a
player likely to push the soft Benson out of a job sooner than later.
He is a
better receiving back than anyone they have.
#70 WR Earl Bennett
(Vanderbilt): Absolutely great pick and a receiver who can catch
anything
thrown to him. Denver’s
starter
Cutler wanted his team to draft him at #42. I wouldn’t doubt if the
49ers might
have taken him here had they not been forced to swap selections with
the Bears
due to the tampering penalty. Another Commodore as well and I’m sure he
is glad
to be joining Williams.
#90 DT Marcus
Harrison (Arkansas): I was surprised to see them select another
problem at
defensive tackle, but the talent apparently was too much for them to
pass on.
If he can stay out of trouble and avoid more knee injuries it’s a great
pick.
#120 SS Craig Steltz
(LSU): No question they needed some help at safety and this tough
guy
brings championship experience and the ability to intercept passes. He
will be
a great fit.
#142 CB Zack Bowman (Nebraska): They
are gambling again here because
he has had some injury problems, but he has the talent to make this
look like a
great move in a few years.
#158 TE Kellen Davis (Michigan State): I
can’t say I saw this coming. They just drafted Olsen and Clark
might be 31, but I think he has something left in the tank after
catching 89
passes over the past two seasons despite playing on a terrible offense.
It is
yet another risky selection though as he was arrested for assault in
2006.
#208 DE Ervin Baldwin
(Michigan State): Doubling up a school again and I really didn’t see Baldwin
getting drafted. He is undersized, fast and did some damage behind the
line of
scrimmage.
#222 OG Chester Adams (Georgia):
They scouted the SEC quite a bit
apparently because that is where 6/12 picks played their college ball.
Only one
selection (Forte) came from outside the BCS “Big Six” conferences. Adams
is a nice addition on the offensive line which needed help.
#243 OLB Joey
LaRocque (Oregon State): Another player I wasn’t close to having drafted, but
at this
point teams are looking at special teams help. His stock would have
been better
if he had followed up his very productive sophomore season.
#247 OT Kirk Barton (Ohio State): This
is an excellent value pick and it is actually conceivable
he could break into the starting lineup in time or at least be a
valuable
backup. However, they are taking another chance because of his injury
history.
#248 WR Marcus Monk (Arkansas): The
Bears were criticized for taking
so long with these picks as the ESPN hacks waited for “Mr. Irrelevant”.
They
wound up with two really good players. Monk lost a lot of draft stock
due to
injury, but he’s healthy and I think he makes the team. After this
draft they
might find they didn’t have to sign Lloyd or Davis.
MY DRAFT: #14 (OT) #44 (RB) #70 (ILB/OLB) #90 (QB) #110 (WR)
#142 (FS) #175 (P) #222 (OG) #243 (DT) #248 (CB)
Day one went as expected with the tackle then running back.
They need to start up the ground game. On day two wide receiver,
defensive
tackle, safety and cornerback were all taken although sooner than I
predicted.
I did anticipate the late guard. They surprised me with the defensive
end,
second tackle and receiver, and by waiting so long for a linebacker
although
ultimately though they made good decisions.
PLAYER HITS: 0
POSITION HITS: 8/10
NEAR MISSES: 0/10
HOW DID THEY DO? Quite well with their body of work and out
of 12 picks I think it is possible 7 or 8 make their team. Wide
receiver was a
win for them with Bennett and Monk after making a splash with Berrian
and a
wise reacquisition of Booker. These might not be the “Killer B’s” but
while
many were wondering if Hester might lead the team in receiving now
there is
talent at the position. The running game is another win. Three
additions on the
line and a power back will get that unit started. Two quality additions
in the
secondary certainly help and two more on the defensive line. The
glaring
omission is quarterback. Now they are forced to suffer through another
season
of disgruntled fans calling for Grossman’s head. Next year’s draft is
not
shaping up to be a good one and this might be a situation where they
hope to
make a trade (Quinn?) or sign a free agent after the season. Is signing
Caleb
Hanie after the draft really their answer? Also, they took a lot of
players
with injury/character questions.
UNDRAFTED ADDITIONS: QB Nick Hill (Southern Illinois) WR
Curtis Hamilton (Western Kentucky) CB Trey Brown (UCLA) RB Chris Markey
(UCLA)
QB Caleb Hanie (Colorado State) CB Leslie Majors (Indiana) DE/OLB Joe
Clermond
(Pittsburgh) DT David Faaeteete (Oregon) DE Nick Osborn (San Diego
State) OT
Cody Balogh (Montana) K Shane Longest (Xavier) FB Russ Weil (Illinois)
WR
Ashton Gronewold (Missouri S&T)
Analysis: Other than Clermond and maybe Balogh none of these
guys were going to be drafted. It is hard to imagine Hanie or Hill
helping out
their horrible quarterback situation which wasn’t addressed in the
draft. I’m
not sure any of these players can help their team.
OVERALL DRAFT: 82/100
INCLUDING UDFA:
77/100
DETROIT
#17 OT Gosder
Cherilus (Boston College): I honestly don’t think they knew enough about Albert
or they
might have taken him instead of trading down. Cherilus was part of a
wild run
of offensive tackles, 8 of the first 26 picks if you count Albert. They
haven’t
gotten production out of 2006 pick Jonathan Scott and acquisition
George Foster
is a bust. It left them a big hole at right tackle which is where
Cherilus
naturally fits. Some believe they should have gone with Pittsburgh’s
Jeff Otah.
#45 OLB Jordan Dizon
(Colorado): They are going to use him inside
first of all. Mayo was the guy they wanted at #15, but the Patriots
scooped him
up at #10. Apparently they had no backup plan because this was a huge
reach. A
lot of people felt he was a fourth round pick although some had him
rising late
to the third. Lofton (Oklahoma)
might have been their other target, but he went #37. The lack of demand
for
linebackers in this draft makes this an even worse pick. They easily
could have
taken him at #87 or #92.
#64 RB Kevin Smith (Central Florida): This might
wind up being their best
pick. I might have gone with Mendenhall (Illinois)
in the first round, but given what they would have wound up at tackle
had they
done that this is likely a better result. Smith is the durable pounding
back
they have missed since the days of James Stewart. Jamaal Charles (Texas)
could have been viewed as a little riskier and Smith is probably a
better
complement to Bell.
#87 DT Andre Fluellen
(Florida State): They couldn’t afford not to upgrade their run defense
after
replacing Shaun Rogers with Chuck Darby. He shot up draft boards late
and this
is a sound selection for a team that doesn’t make many of them.
#92 DE/OLB Cliff
Avril (Purdue): He will be their pass rush specialist right out of
the gate
with potential to grow into more. A pure defensive end might have been
a better
selection and although the Boilermakers have a good history producing
NFL
talent at the position some believe he is a bust.
#136 WR Kenneth Moore
(Wake Forest): You knew they were going to draft a wide receiver
right? Well,
in this case it is really a punt returner. He’s another reach though.
#146 FB Jerome Felton
(Furman): Their depth chart was limited to one fullback, but I
don’t
understand this one. Mr. Millen did you know Owen Schmitt (West
Virginia) was on the board? Apparently he did
not.
#216 DT Landon Cohen
(Ohio): Again, they couldn’t afford to let
their run defense go by the wayside. Then again, this was a guy most
had being
bypassed in the draft.
#218 SS Caleb
Campbell (Army): I suppose Detroit
is better than Iraq,
but with all the guns going off he might not know the difference at
times.
Yeah, it’s a low blow. This is a great story. He’s a hard worker,
obviously,
and should be used at linebacker where they need help.
MY DRAFT: #15 (OT) #45 (DE) #76 (OLB) #87 (OLB) #111 (CB)
#144 (RB) #176 (DT) #216 (TE)
They took an offensive tackle first as I expected although
with my projection Chris Williams gone one spot before they picked they
traded
down. I expected they would take two linebackers, but it was surprising
to see
them reach for the first (Dizon) and gamble late with the other (Campbell)
given what was on the board. I expected two quality third round
additions and
the talent was there. The pass rusher was taken early although I
expected more
of a pure end. Instead of just one late defensive tackle they also took
one
earlier. Also earlier they took a running back although I did note in
my mock
that’s a pick which could have fallen anywhere starting in round 1. No
cornerback or tight end taken even though both were needs. Instead they
went
kick returning wide receiver and fullback.
PLAYER HITS: 0
POSITION HITS: 5/7
NEAR MISSES: 1/7 (WR instead of TE)
HOW DID THEY DO? Not surprisingly they were clueless about
the value of players. Other than Avril all of the players they took
rated lower
on most boards. Smith could be a savvy addition at running back. If
Avril and
Fluellen improve their front seven and Cherilus is a reliable starting
right tackle
this will be a better draft than the current grade.
UNDRAFTED ADDITIONS: FS Bobbie Williams (Bethune Cookman) LB
Tyronne Pruitt (Boston College)
QB Mark Nicolet (Hillsdale) RB Allen Ervin (Lambuth)
Analysis: Not much here although Williams could have been
drafted in the seventh round. This looks more like the crop from a
championship
team not wanting to bring in players with no shot at making their team.
OVERALL DRAFT: 71/100
INCLUDING UDFA:
64/100
GREEN BAY
#36 WR Jordy Nelson (Kansas State): It
didn’t surprise me to see them go wide receiver where I had
them taking one in day 1. At this point I’m pretty sure this was quite
a reach,
especially with a selection 20 spots lower to work with. Apparently
they
weren’t impressed with tight ends John Carlson (Notre Dame) who went 2
picks
later, or Fred Davis (USC) who went at #48. They also may regret not
stopping
the fall of DeSean Jackson (California)
who if you’re wondering joined the Golden Bears a year after Packer
quarterback
Aaron Rodgers left. Still, Nelson is very athletic and like Jackson
adds return value. Perhaps they bought into the hype that he’s the next
Wes
Welker.
#56 QB Brian Brohm
(Louisville): I can see the logic taking a guy once considered a
potential
top five pick if not #1 overall. They were going to make some value
picks in
this draft and this is a good one. Quarterback is the most important
position
on the field and they are unsure if Rodgers can be the guy to succeed
Favre’s
legend.
#60 CB Patrick Lee (Auburn): Here’s
the day one cornerback I
projected. He is actually similar to someone he might replace, Charles
Woodson.
Both are physical and around the same height/weight. He should slide
into their
nickel packages with a little polishing.
#91 TE Jermichael
Finley (Texas): Count me in the group who thought he
would fall a little bit more after his 4.82 in the 40. It could be a
good fit
because let’s face it on the frozen tundra speed is a little bit less
of a
factor. He slides into the roster spot vacated by Bubba Franks making
him a
lock to find a spot in their final 53.
#102 DE Jeremy
Thompson (Wake Forest): This is another of their picks which I’m
not overly
“wowed” by but when you look at KGB getting older it makes a lot of
sense to
keep their pass rush going. Some had him a little higher, but this
isn’t a
total steal by any means, just solid. His older brother Orrin is also
on the
roster as a reserve offensive lineman and Jeremy might have a better
future on
the Packers after this draft (see next two picks).
#135 OG Josh Sitton (Central Florida): I believe
the Packers watched tape
of running back Kevin Smith in case they took a running back (they
didn’t) and
saw who was ripping open holes for him. Most, however, had him nowhere
on their
draft board so for a fourth round pick it was a bit of a gamble.
#150 OT Breno
Giacomini (Louisville): Their age at tackle made this a must
and this is about the best player they could get at this point in the
draft.
He’s big and potentially could play on the left or right side.
#209 QB Matt Flynn
(LSU): Another quarterback? For almost the past two decades no one
could
name the backup for this team. Now they bring in a guy with a national
championship ring as their third stringer. If you look at him with his
scruffy
facial hair and demeanor I think he has a little Favre in him and of
course
spent his college days in Louisiana,
next door to Mississippi.
I would
like this pick a lot more if they had been able to leverage Brohm being
on the
board to trade down from #56. He can be a solid backup. They simply
aren’t sure
about Rodgers any way you slice it. Don’t be shocked if he is backing
up Brohm
in two years with Rodgers playing elsewhere.
#217 WR Brett Swain (San Diego State):
Again, they might have been looking at his quarterback Kevin
O’Connell and liked what they saw in the player on the other end of
those
passes. Like Finley he lacks speed, but similarly playing at Lambeau he
can get
by with moves and led his team in receiving the past two years.
MY DRAFT: #30 (CB) #56 (TE) #60 WR #91 (RB) #128 (OT) #135
(CB) #162 (DE/DT) #237 (QB)
They took a cornerback, tight end and wide receiver in their
first four picks, I had them doing it straight out of the gate and they
deviated only because Brohm fell. Their pass rusher came earlier and it
was a
matter of getting good value. The offensive tackle went slightly
earlier than I
projected and they also added a guard which doesn’t surprise me a bit
considering their depth chart uncertainty. Instead of taking a second
shot at
cornerback they grabbed another quarterback. I thought value at running
back
would be too much for them to overlook, but they decided otherwise.
PLAYER HITS: 0
POSITION HITS: 6/8
NEAR MISSES: 0/8
HOW DID THEY DO? This wasn’t a spectacular draft and
certainly didn’t meet my expectations. Questions were raised. Will
drafting
Brohm and Flynn secure their quarterback depth chart or ruin the
confidence/attitude of anointed starter Rodgers? Could they have taken
Bennett
(Texas A&M) at #60 to play tight end instead of waiting for Finley
for more
of an immediate impact? Will the small school prospects pay off? I
would have
expected Brohm #36 and Nelson #56 so the value offsets there. Sometimes
these
“blah” drafts turn out to be the best ones. Another receiver, nickel
cornerback, offensive line help, another quarterback and tight end were
the
needs and they got players who can make the team in all of those spots.
UNDRAFTED ADDITIONS: ILB Danny Lansanah (Connecticut) TE
Mike Peterson (Northwest Missouri State) RB Kregg Lumpkin (Georgia) WR
Taj
Smith (Syracuse) WR Rod Harper (Murray State) OLB Marcus Riley (Fresno
State)
RB Justin Beaver (UW-Whitewater) LB A.J. Raebel (UW-Whitewater) C
Brennan
Carvalho (Portland State) TE Joey Haynos (Maryland) FS Tierre Green
(Nebraska)
WR Jake Allen (Mississippi College) P Ken DeBauche (Wisconsin) DT Fred
Bledsoe
(Arkansas) CB Kyle Ward (LA-Lafayette) C Adam Hill (LA-Monroe) OL Ryan
Considine (Lousiana Tech)
Analysis: A lot of quanity and a little bit of quality. At
tight end Haynos and Peterson could have been drafted late. Of their
four
linebackers Lansanah and Mapp had a shot at being drafted. Three
receivers is a
little confusing after the early drafting of Nelson to go with Driver,
Jones
and Jennings. At best
they’re
competing for the final spot at receiver. Three more linemen to join
the two
they drafted isn’t surprising. They want competition. DeBauche was one
of the
top five punters in this class, but Ryan has averaged 44.5 and 44.4
yards per
punt in his two seasons. Not a flashy group, but some guys who will
make a few
players on the 53 nervous in training camp.
OVERALL DRAFT: 82/100
INCLUDING UDFA: 83/100
MINNESOTA
#43 SS/FS Tyrell
Johnson (Arkansas State): Some had the late riser going with the final pick of
the first
round. He was super productive at the lower level and with some
turnover at
safety and Darren Sharper at the end of his great career he could be
starting
for them in 2009.
#137 QB John David
Booty (USC): I don’t like this pick I love it. They were criticized
for
passing on Brohm and Henne at #43, but with limited choices due to the
Allen
trade this was a superb result. Booty had some injury issues and of
course
playing for the Trojans didn’t have as much starting experience because
their
last two quarterbacks won the Heisman. He should be their starter on
opening
day in 2009 and will be fantastic in their run-first system.
#152 DT Letroy Guion
(Florida State): This selection concerns me. I thought after the “Love
Boat”
disaster they would be seeking only high character problems, but I
guess with
their short stack of selections they couldn’t be picky. He is a
talented player
who probably goes a round higher if not for character issues and
compares
favorably to his Seminole teammate Fluellen who went #87 to the rival
Lions. I
do like that they drafted an eventual replacement for the aging Pat
Williams.
Run stuffers can play into their 30’s but he turns 36 in October.
#187 C John Sullivan
(Notre Dame): Before the Allen trade I had them taking a defensive
tackle
and center so this is not a surprise. Keeping the interior of their
offensive
line infused with talent is smart because they will live with the
running of
Peterson in the coming years. I don’t know if he can be the successor
to Birk,
who is in the final year of his deal, but he will certainly try.
#193 WR Jaymar
Johnson (Jackson State): I’m not sure they could afford to take a flier like
this on a
return man with only five picks, but he does have speed.
MY DRAFT: #47 (OT) #117 (QB) #150 (TE) #170 (WR) #193 (SS)
#209 (RB)
Again I shuffled things for them when they traded away picks
to Kansas City, ruling out
defensive tackle and center which they wound up taking. I did have the
middle
round quarterback and late round receiver although I expected more of a
true
threat at receiver. I had them taking Darius Reynaud (West
Virginia) who they signed as an undrafted free
agent.
The safety came earlier than I anticipated and there was no offensive
tackle or
backup running back. They must not be worried about the status of
McKinnie at
tackle and aren’t ready to deal with life after Taylor
to support Peterson.
PLAYER HITS: 0
POSITION HITS: 3/6
NEAR MISSES: 1/6 (C instead of OT)
HOW DID THEY DO? I guess you have to consider trading a good
chunk of their draft to fill their biggest need which was pass rushing
end. No
one in this field would have given them the impact of Allen over the
next two
seasons. If you think they aren’t ready to make a serious run consider
this.
They beat the eventual champion Giants 41-17 at the Meadowlands and
were 8-8,
the same record New York
had
prior to their run to the title. Safety was a significant issue and
they got
their highest rated player in Johnson. Quarterback was tricky because
they
didn’t want to do what Green Bay
did by drafting a day 1 player to rattle Jackson.
Instead they took a player who will knock him right out of his starting
spot in
Booty. The defensive tackle (Guion) and center (Sullivan) play into
their game
plan of running the ball and stopping the run. Other than their final
pick I really
have no complaints.
UNDRAFTED ADDITIONS: SS/FS Husain Abdullah (Washington
State) DE Martail Burnett (Utah) DT Leger Douzable (Central Florida) FS
Marcus
Griffin (Texas) OLB Erin Henderson (Maryland) WR Nate Jones (Texas)
CB/SS
Travis Key (Michigan State) C Tim Mattran (Stanford) OG Drew Radovich
(USC) WR
Darius Reynaud (West Virginia) CB Brandon Sumrall (Southern Miss) CB
Marcus
Walker (Oklahoma) QB Kyle Wright (Miami, FL) RB Albert Young (Iowa) ILB
Mike
Sherels (Minnesota) OT/OG Pedro Sosa (Rutgers) OL Brandon Joyce
(Illinois
State) FB Tom Busch (Illinois State)
Analysis: This was a serious haul of players. Two of their
three linebacker additions (Henderson and Leman) were considered
possible third
or fourth round picks. Henderson’s
brother E.J. is a linebacker on the team and Leman’s stock fell due to
surgery.
Two more brothers of NFL players were added at safety with Abdullah
(brother
plays for Denver) and Griffin
(twin plays for Tennessee)
added
at the same position as their sibling. Both could easily have been
drafted and Griffin
only dropped because he lacks speed. Three cornerbacks added
highlighted by
Walker who could have been a late round pick. Two more receivers and
Reynaud I
saw as a possible fifth round selection. Radovich and Sosa headline
their haul
of four lineman and both wouldn’t have surprised me by going in the
middle
rounds. Did I forget anyone? Oh yeah, another quarterback in Wright who
was
highly touted out of Monte Vista high school in Danville, California
which
happens to be my hometown but never panned out for the Hurricanes. If
they had
gone into the draft without picks in the first 3 rounds this would have
been a
pretty decent bounty.
OVERALL DRAFT: 84/100
INCLUDING UDFA: 92/100
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