Grading the 2006 draft By Dan Pompei - SportingNews Green Bay Packers -- A+ With linebackers A.J. Hawk and Abdul Hodge, the Packers have the beginnings of a defense that could dominate the NFC North for years. Arizona Cardinals -- A QB Matt Leinart at No. 10 was one of the best value picks because he had the pedigree to be chosen first. The Cardinals got value with each selection. Philadelphia Eagles -- A The Eagles got defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley and didn't have to move up. They get high value marks for offensive tackle Winston Justice, guard Max Jean-Gilles and wide receiver Jason Avant. Baltimore Ravens -- A- Typical Ravens draft, as they'll get multiple starters. One of the best picks of the weekend was wide receiver Demetrius Williams in the fourth round. New Orleans Saints -- A- The Saints were smart to take running back Reggie Bush even though they don't need him. Their other picks were OK, though wide receivers Mike Hass and Marques Colston have potential. Buffalo Bills -- B+ I'd like to beat up the Bills for reaching on safety Donte Whitner, but they redeemed themselves with picks such as defensive tackle John McCargo, cornerback Ashton Youboty and defensive tackle Kyle Williams. Cleveland Browns -- B+ This was a need-driven draft, and the Browns filled their holes. They got decent value throughout the draft. New York Jets -- B+ The Jets reeled in arguably the two best offensive linemen in the draft. They can be second-guessed for passing on QB Matt Leinart and overdrafting LB Anthony Schlegel. Oakland Raiders -- B+ This was a solid draft throughout, with the best value probably being safety Darnell Bing in the fourth round. St. Louis Rams -- B+ The roster is considerably more talented than it was a week ago. Defensive tackle Claude Wroten is a wonderful player, but he was a risk in the third because of character. San Francisco 49ers -- B+ Taking DE Manny Lawson in the first was high in my book, but it was in line with a lot of draft boards. Tight end Vernon Davis should be a star. Atlanta Falcons -- B Getting cornerback Jimmy Williams in the second round was a nice move. If you considered defensive end John Abraham as part of the draft, the Falcons would get a higher grade. Carolina Panthers -- B The Panthers had a decent first-day haul. Running back DeAngelo Williams and cornerback Richard Marshall should be able to contribute this year. Dallas Cowboys -- B Looks like another solid draft for the Cowboys. Taking outside linebacker Bobby Carpenter in the first round should complete the transition to the 3-4 defense. Detroit Lions -- B The Lions' recent classes have looked better on draft day than during the season, but there isn't much to dislike about whom they took. Kansas City Chiefs -- B The defensive rebuilding continues, but the offense might be starting to crumble soon. That's why the Chiefs took QB Brodie Croyle in the third round. New England Patriots -- B The Patriots nicely filled needs with their early picks, but my favorite selections were tight ends Dave Thomas and Garrett Mills in the third and fourth rounds. Pittsburgh Steelers -- B The Steelers didn't draft until 25th but still ended up with the highest-rated receiver (Santonio Holmes). All in all, it was another solid draft. San Diego Chargers -- B The Chargers are rolling the dice with cornerback Antonio Cromartie. If offensive tackle Marcus McNeill stays healthy, he should be a starter soon. QB Charlie Whitehurst was a nice value pick. Seattle Seahawks -- B I liked their second-round pick (defensive end Darryl Tapp) better than their first (cornerback Kelly Jennings), but Seattle should have four starters out of this draft within two years. Chicago Bears -- B- Return men Danieal Manning and Devin Hester should provide immediate impact. My favorite pick: Defensive end Mark Anderson in the fifth. Indianapolis Colts -- B- In time, running back Joseph Addai should be a fine replacement for Edgerrin James. The Colts might have taken cornerback Tim Jennings and inside linebacker Freddie Keiaho higher than they had to. Jacksonville Jaguars -- B- It wasn't a very flashy draft, but it should yield a few starters. The key will be whether second-round running back Maurice Drew can be an every-down back. New York Giants -- B- I'm more excited about the second-round pick, wide receiver Sinorice Moss, than the first, defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka. The Giants took some chances. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- B- The Bucs improved themselves, particularly in Rounds 2 through 5. But they reached a bit to take guard Davin Joseph in the first round. Cincinnati Bengals -- C They might have taken the best cornerback in the draft in Johnathan Joseph. The Bengals continue to gamble too much on players who are character risks. Miami Dolphins -- C Safety Jason Allen could be a star if he stays healthy. The team didn't get much after him, though enigmatic seventh-round defensive tackle Rodrique Wright has the ability of a much higher pick. Minnesota Vikings -- C Outside linebacker Chad Greenway should help, but the Vikings probably could have gotten center Ryan Cook and QB Tarvaris Jackson much later than the second round. Tennessee Titans -- C The Titans should have taken Matt Leinart, who would have fit well with their offense. They also took a big risk on running back LenDale White in the second round. Washington Redskins -- C There weren't many picks to work with, but the Redskins did OK getting outside linebacker Rocky McIntosh in the second. Safety Reed Doughty in the sixth was a nice sleeper pick. Denver Broncos -- D The trade for wide receiver Javon Walker was smart. But they paid too much to get QB Jay Cutler, especially because they need players who can help now. Houston Texans -- D The Texans really should have taken RB Reggie Bush or QB Matt Leinart with the first overall selection instead of defensive end Mario Williams. I think thats about right ,I wish we had drafted Hass and/or Colstan. NO has them both. I don't see how the Texans can be awarded a D though???
I feel the Texans grade was appropriate. They are going to catch major hell from their fans, let alone sportwriters, if Reggie Bush becames a superstar UNLESS Williams turns out to be as good as Bruce Smith and Reggie White. I thought Ferguson actually made the most sense for Houston if they traded down a few spots. Once they were intent at staying at 1, they should have taken Bush.
A guy like Ferguson would have suited many teams , I actuallt thought NO had the most need in front of us......Lucky us.
Agreed. How the hell is Washington's draft ranked higher then Houston's? In my book Houston's draft is B- material because all of the other picks were great, but the passing on Bush brings this down from an A+ to a B-
I thought that Houston and Denver had an awesome draft. There are other sites that say the Pack had a horrible draft. Just like all the mock drafts, the post draft rankings will vary extremely from web site to web site.
Agreed with Denver. They picked up a #1 WR for the next 10 years, their QB for the next 10 years, and a solid TE so why the hell do they have a D? They did need a pass rusher but unless they wanted to reach for a risky pick such as Lawson at 15 (and not get their franchise QB) it wasn't getting filled.
this guy needs to get the hell off of lineart's nuts....every damn comment is "should have taken lineart...." maybe he will be good, but come on man
Personally, I don't include Javon Walker as part of Denver's draft. True, they used picks to get him, but it's like including Pete Hunter as part of the Jets 2005 draft. But, if you just want to say DEN had a good weekend, I'll agree with you there.
If a QB doesn't get the ball out quickly into that horrible secondary. A guy like Manning or Brady is going to pick them apart effortlessly.
