Grading the draft

Sporting News, The, April 29, 2002 by Dan Pompei

The 2002 draft will be remember for its trade--six in the first round
and 18 overall. Many teams helped themselves by making smart deals. A
few hurt themselves by trading they shouldn't have. By Monday, some
teams undoubtedly were wishing they simply could trade places with
teams that clearly had superior drafts.

Team            Rk.   Upside

Buffalo           1   The Bills took big, tough players who are ready
Bills                 to contribute. They are a much better team today
                      than they were before the draft.

San Diego         2   An physical team got more physical with the
Chargers              additions of CB Quentin Jammer, G Toniu Fonoti
                      and LB Ben Leber.

New Orleans       3   On most boards, Donte Stallworth was the
Saints                top-rated receiver, LeCharles Bentley was the
                      top-rated center and Charles Grant was the
                      second-rated defensive end.

Houston           4   They picked a cornerstone in David Carr, then
Texans                surrounded him with complementary talent--WR
                      Jabar Gaffney, OLs Chester Pitts and Fred
                      Weary and RB Jonathan Wells.

Cleveland         5   The Browns took highly productive players in
Browns                RB William Green, OLs Melvin Fowler and Joaquin
                      Gonzalez and LBs Kevin Bentley, Ben Taylor and
                      Andra Davis.

San Francisco     6   The 49ers might get more players out of this
49ers                 draft than any team, from first-round CB Mike
                      Rumph to three seventh-round picks.

                  7   The defensive front received an instant upgrade
Patriots              with DT Wendell Bryant, LB Levar Fisher and DE
                      Dennis Johnson.

Dallas            8   With S Roy William, G Andre Gurode, WR Antonio
Cowboys               Bryant and CB Derek Ross, the Cowboys took four
                      players with first-round ability--or close to
                      that.

Oakland           9   Getting CB Phillip Buchanon with the 17th
Raiders               overall pick was the steal of the draft. The
                      Raiders did a nice job of moving up to get him.

Indianapolis     10   The Colts added four who will upgrade their
Colts                 defense: DE Dwight Freeney, DT Larry Tripplett,
                      CB Joseph Jefferson and LB Dave Thornton.

Tennessee        11   The Titans got great value by taking Albert
Titans                Haynesworth, considered the best or second-best
                      defensive tackle by many, with the 15th pick.

Washington       12   First-round QB Patrick Ramsey has ability, and if
Redskins              anyone can bring it out, it's Redskins coach
                      Steve Sourrier.

Philadelphia     13   The Eagles should have the league's deepest
Eagles                secondary after spending their top three picks on
                      CBs Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown and S
                      Michael Lewis.

Baltimore        14   The Ravens needed lots of players at lots of
Ravens                positions, and they selected at least six who
                      should be contributiing before long.

Denver           15   WR Ashley Lelie and RB Clinton Portis, the team's
Broncos               first- and second-round picks, are dynamic players
                      who should give the Brooms' offense an added
                      dimension.

Detroit          16   The Lions believe QB Joey Harrington is a better
Lions                 prospect than David Carr, so they couldn't pass
                      him by for a cornerback.

Carolina         17   DE Julius Peppers probably has more potential
Panthers              than any player in the draft. His athleticism
                      should make everyone else on the Panthers
                      defense better

Jacksonville     18   Choosing the more productive valuable John
Jaguars               Henderson over Tennessee teammate and fellow DT
                      Albert Haynesworth was a smart move.

Kansas City      19   DT Ryan Sims is everything a first-round pick is
Chiefs                supposed to be. He's as safe of a pick as was
                      available, and he also has the potential for
                      greatness.

Pittsburgh       20   The Stealers' first two picks, OL. Kendall
Steelers              Simmons and WR Antwaan Randle El, will give them
                      versatility and options.

New York         21   The Jets will have an improved defense with the
Jets                  additions of DE Bryan Thomas and S Jon McGraw,
                      even though neither fills a glaring need.

New England      22   TE Daniel Graham is a can't-miss pick because
Patriots              he doesn't have many holes. Nice fourth round
                      with the selection of QB Rohan Davey and DE
                      Jarvis Green.

Chicago          23   The Bears filled their major need at offensive
Bears                 tackle. They had two great value picks in DE
                      Alex Brown and RB Adrian Peterson.

Tampa Bay        24   They gave offensive-minded coach Jon Gruden some
Buccaneers            new toys to play with, including WR Marquise
                      Walker and RB Travis Stephens, a replacement
                      for Warrick Dunn.

Miami            25   The Dolphins addressed two major needs, taking C
Dolphins              Seth McKinney and TE Randy McMichael. Both have
                      the ability to play right away.

Minnesota        26   Bryant McKinnie is potentially a great left
Vikings               tackle who is a perfect fit for the Vikings'
                      offense, and he fills a crying need.

St. Louis        27   First-round LB Robert Thomas was considered a
Rams                  lower pick by most teams, but he's a perfect
                      fit for the Rams' defense.

New York         28   The Giants added some speed and big-play
Giants                potential to their offense with TE Jeremy
                      Shockey and WR Tim Carter.

                 29   RB T.J. Duckett and LB Will Overstreet can
Falcons               play, and the Falcons made two nice late picks
                      in QB Kurt Kittner and WR Kahlil Hill.

Cincinnati       30   * S Lamont
Bengals               Thompson, TE Matt Schobel and K Travis Dorsch
                      are solid prospects who should develop into
                      reliable starters.

Green Bay        31   WR Javon Walker is an ideal combination of
Packers               height and speed. The Packers were able to
                      address all of their significant needs.

Seattle          32   First-round TE Jerramy Stevens is a gifted
Seahawks              player who would have been rated much higher
                      if not for character concerns.

Team            Downside

Buffalo         You can second-guess the Bills for Taking Mike Williams
Bills           instead of Bryant McKinnie, who is more of a natural
                left tackle.

San Diego       There is some risk associated with WR Reche Caldwell,
Chargers        which explains why he was available in the second
                round.

New Orleans     Stallworth, Grant and Bentley might not step into the
Saints          starting lineup quickly--or at least be very productive
                quickly.

Houston         Is Joey Harrington a better prospect than Carr? Many
Texans          scouts think so because of Carr's semi-sidearm
                delivery. The Texans are trying to alter Carr's
                throwing motion.

Cleveland       Green has some character issues and, as a result, many
Browns          teams had ranked T.J. Duckett ahead of him.

San Francisco   They could have used an offensive tackle picked higher
49ers           than the seventh round, and they took a gamble on
                injured DT Josh Shaw in the fifth round.

                They passed on two very talented players in the first
Patriots        round: CB Phillip Buchanon and DT Albert
                Haynesworth.

Dallas          Bryant and Ross have major character issues, which
Cowboys         explains why Bryant was available in the second round
                and Ross slipped to the third.

Oakland         They reached in the second round to fill a need when
Raiders         they took enigmatic OT Largston Walker, and the
                defensive line needed more attention.

Indianapolis    One personnel man last week said the earliest he could
Colts           envision Freeney being selected was with the 17th pick.

Tennessee       S Tank Williams has talent and size, but he did not
Titans          play like a second-round pick at Stanford.

Washington      The Redskins didn't get the difference-maker for
Redskins        Spurrier's offense they were hoping for, though
                third-round WR Cliff Russell has potential.

Philadelphia    The Eagles could have used a high pick on a player
Eagles          such as G Andre Gurode, who could have helped the
                offense right away.

Baltimore       They couldn't draft DT Sam Adams, LB Jamie Sharper,
Ravens          S Rod Woodson, CB Duane Starks, TE Shannon Sharpe,
                WR Qadry Ismail and the others they had to let go.

Denver          Lelie, a former walk-on and one-year wonder at Hawaii,
Broncos         is a raw talent who might not be ready to contribute
                immediately.

Detroit         Second-rounder Kalimba Edwards is a boom-or-bust
Lions           player who might not be heavy enough to be an
                every-down defensive end.

Carolina        DeShaun Foster's running skills are a good as any
Panthers        back's in the draft, but foster has not learned how
                to hang on to the football. Can he learn?

Jacksonville    The Jaguars tools a couple of fliers in the third and
Jaguars         fourth rounds with LB Akin Ayodele and QB David
                Garrard.

Kansas City     In order to move up for Sims, the Chiefs had to
Chiefs          surrender a third-round pick, so this might have been
                a too-man draft.

Pittsburgh      They could live to regret passing on G Tonlu Fonoti to
Steelers        take Simmons. Fonoti would have been an ideal fit in
                the Steelers' offense.

New York        The Jets failed to help themselves at the position
Jets            where they needed the most help: cornerback.

New England     The Pats had to surrender a third-round pick to move up
Patriots        for Graham. They chose WR Deion Branch in the second
                round, which was too high.

Chicago         There probably aren't any future Hall of Famers in this
Bears           group, and the Bears reached for OT Marc Colombo in
                the first round.

Tampa Bay       There isn't anyone in the Bucs' draft class who is
Buccaneers      going to come in and set the league on fire.

Miami           They had no picks in the first and second rounds.
Dolphins

Minnesota       They lost the player they wanted in the first round
Vikings         when the Chiefs traded ahead of them and chose DT Ryan
                Sims.

St. Louis       The Rams reached consistently throughout the draft.
Rams            They continued to load up on defense after using three
                first-round picks on defense last year.

New York        OT Jeff Hatch was a reach in the third round, and
Giants          Carter did not have second-round production of Auburn.

                The Falcons failed to adequately address their most
Falcons         pressing need: the receiver position.

Cincinnati      The Bengals didn't get good value with their first
Bengals         pick. They had offers to trade down but didn't, even
                though Jones would have been available later.

Green Bay       The Packers gave up their second-round pick to move up
Packers         for Walker, who had a lot of drops and not enough
                catches in college.

Seattle         The Seahawks probably reached on each of their first
Seahawks        five picks. Stevens had nearly as many arrests as
                receptions in his final college season.

Team            Bottom line

Buffalo         Pick by pick, this was as strong of a draft as
Bills           any team had. The Bills should get at least
                four solid starters. GRADE: A 

San Diego       The Chargers picked the best cornerback,
Chargers        the best guard and a wide receiver who carried
                a borderline first-round grade. GRADE: A

New Orleans     The Saints added an awful lot of talent and
Saints          took advantage of their extra first-round pick.
                GRADE: A

Houston         The Texans used their picks well. They chose
Texans          a lot of players who should be starters or
                contributors for many years. GRADE: A

Cleveland       The Browns chose a lot of pure football players,
Browns          and they are going to make them a
                better team. GRADE: A

San Francisco   The 49ers filled an acute need at cornerback
49ers           in the first round and took advantage of eight
                second-day picks. GRADE: A

                They got true value with almost every pick,
Patriots        especially with Johnson, QB Josh McCown,
                and RB Josh Scobey. GRADE: A

Dallas          Some teams are hesitant to take safeties
Cowboys         high, but if Williams plays as he did in
                college, the pick is well spent GRADE: A-

Oakland         Buchanon, LB Napoleon Harris and TE Doug
Raiders         Jolley should make impacts, and DE Kenyon
                Coleman was a value in the fifth. GRADE: A-

Indianapolis    Freeney wasn't a good value with the 11th
Colts           pick, but he fits the scheme and delivers a
                premium skill. GRADE B 

Tennessee       With their first six picks devoted o defense,
Titans          the Titans upgraded the area of their team
                that most needed it. GRADE B -

Washington      Dan Snyder used good judgment, trading
Redskins        down for more picks instead of doing something
                flashy but shortsighted. GRADE: B 

Philadelphia    The Eagles plan for tomorrow as well as any
Eagles          team in the league, and this draft class
                provided more evidence. GRADE: B 

Baltimore       Things haven't been breaking the Ravens'
Ravens          way, but they made the most of their picks
                GRADE: B

Denver          As they usually do, the Broncos did a nice
Broncos         job of selecting players who fit their
                schemes. GRADE: B

Detroit         You never know about first-round
Lions           quarterbacks, but the Lions well hit on some
                of their other picks. GRADE: B

Carolina        They took players with significant potential,
Panthers        including QB Randy Fasani. But there is a
                risk factor with many of them. GRADE: B

Jacksonville    By selecting Henderson and OT Mike
Jaguars         Pearson, the Jaguars filled two of the holes
                created by their offseason purge. GRADE: B

Kansas City     The Chiefs did a nice job of upgrading the
Chiefs          their defensive line, picking two of the six
                highest-ranked tackles. GRADE: B

Pittsburgh      This was a typical Steelers draft, using
Steelers        same formulas that have netted them
                hundreds of solid players. GRADE: B

New York        The Jets continued their makeover to fit
Jets            Herman Edwards' style and drafted some
                good players in the process. GRADE: B

New England     The Patriots picked players who have the
Patriots        capabilities to be productive cogs in their
                schemes. GRADE: B

Chicago         This was a safe draft for the Bears. They
Bears           know what to expect from most of their
                picks, including Colombo. GRADE: B

Tampa Bay       The Bucs' draft also includes Gruden, who
Buccaneers      cost the team its picks in the first two
                rounds. GRADE: B

Miami           The Dolphins' draft also includes RB Ricky
Dolphins        Williams and LB Morion Greenwood, for
                whom they traded picks. GRADE: B

Minnesota       The offensive line is better, but they needed
Vikings         to do more on defense. They reached for
                second-round LB Raonall Smith. GRADE: B-

St. Louis       This organization marches to its own
Rams            drummer on draft day, and it's difficult to
                argue with the results. GRADE: C 

New York        They didn't do much for a shaky offensive
Giants          line, but Shockey should make a difference
                in the passing game. GRADE: C 

                Unless it figures out a way to maximise both
Falcons         Duckett and Warrick Dunn, this team could
                regret passing WR Ashley Lelie. GRADE: C 

Cincinnati      They failed to make the most of their first pick,
Bengals         passing on better prospects such as Jeremy
                Shockey and Philip [Text unreadable in original
                source.]

Green Bay       They probably could have stayed put and
Packers         drafted Walker, then added another solid
                player in Round 2. GRADE: C

Seattle         They normally reliable Seahawks staff must
Seahawks        have graded this draft differently from a lot
                of other teams. GRADE: C-

* [Unreadable in original source.]