AFC Draft Grades
By: Robert Davis

Click here for NFC draft grades

Baltimore Ravens

Best Pick: Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon. 1st Rd(12).
Players as big and athletic as him should not be on the board at 12. He will be a force early on.

Worst Pick: Chris Chester, C, Oklahoma. 2nd Rd(56)
It's not a terrible pick, but there were better players available.

Second Day Steal: Demetrius Williams, WR, Oregon. 4th Rd(111)
In a weak WR year, there is no explanation for Williams falling to Day Two. He could provide an early impact for the Ravens.

Overall: C+. Haloti Ngata is a great pick, and will give Ray Lewis some protection in front of him. Demtrius Williams in the fourth round could be in the WR rotation very early.

Buffalo Bills

Best Pick: Ashton Youboty, CB, Ohio St. 3rd Rd(70)
Ohio St. has an excellent DB tradition, and Youboty is as talented as corners taken in the early second round.

Worst Pick: Donte Whitner, S, Ohio St. 1st Rd(8)
Whitner is a fine talent, but not at #8 overall.

Second Day Steal: Ko Simpson, S, South Carolina. 4th rd(105)
Simpson has a lot of upside but slid due to the safety depth in the draft. He has the talent to start in a year or two.

Overall: B-. The Bills ended up with very good players throughout the draft. What kept their grade from being a bit higher is that they made a pretty big reach for Donte Whitner at 8. Very good player, just not that high. John McCargo is a solid player, but was more of a second rounder and they moved back up into the first round to nab him. Landing Whitner, McCargo, and Youboty on Day One is still a very good draft for the Bills.

Cincinatti Bengals

Best Pick: Johnathan Joseph, CB, South Carolina. 1st Rd(24)
Very good value pick, and a player that should continue to make the Bengals a team to fear.

Worst Pick: Frostee Rucker, DE, USC. 3rd Rd(91)
Too small to play DE, not quick enough to play in space. Taken two rounds too early.

Second Day Steal: Reggie McNeal, QB/WR, Texas AM. 6th Rd(193)
McNeal has a lot of versatility, and is afforded the luxury of developing, whether its at QB or WR.

Overall: C+. The Bengals needed to add some talent to the defense, and they landed one of the best corners in the draft in Jonathan Joseph. Frostee Rucker was a reach, but could be a good situational pass rusher.

Cleveland Browns

Best Pick: D'Qwell Jackson, ILB, Maryland. 2nd Rd(34)
A leader who should provide an immediate impact in Crennell's defense.

Worst Pick: Travis Wilson, WR, Oklahoma. 3rd(78)
There were quite a few receivers still available that are better prospects than Wilson. The pick was a full round too early.

Second Day Steal: Babatunde Oshinowo, DT, Stanford, 6th Rd(181)
Baba fell because he is not a playmaker, but he could be a very solid nose tackle.

Overall: B. The Browns wanted to upgrade their defense, and they definitely did. Kamerion Wimbley should upgrade the pass rush, and D'Qwell Jackson could develop into an impact linebacker as well. On Day Two, LB Leon Williams and NT Baba Oshinowo could surprise.

Denver Broncos

Best Pick: Trading 2nd Rd(37) for Packers All Pro Javon Walker.
The Broncos land a legitimate go to option for a 2nd round pick.

Worst Pick: Jay Cutler, QB, Vanderbilt. 1st Rd(11)
The Broncos are a Super Bowl contender now, and they grab a player that will not see the field. And they moved up for him to boot.

Second Day Steal: Greg Eslinger, C, Minnesota. 6th Rd(198)
Eslinger is a perfect fit for the Broncos blocking scheme. He could be a major steal for the Broncos.

Overall: C. For a team that has Super Bowl aspirations right now, trading up for their future QB was not the best move. Landing Javon Walker, and the selection of Tony Scheffler should help the offense.

Houston Texans

Best Pick: Eric Winston, OT, Miami. 3rd Rd(66)
The second best tackle in the draft falls to the 3rd round and is a major steal for the tackle starved Texans.

Worst Pick: Mario Williams, DE, North Carolina St. 1st Rd(1)
It is hard to say a player of Williams' talent is a teams worst pick, but when you pass on a talent like Reggie Bush, it is a mistake.

Second Day Steal: Wali Lundy, RB, Virginia. 6th Rd(170)

Overall: B+. Passing on Reggie Bush could be a monumental mistake. For his entire career, Mario Williams is going to be compared to Reggie Bush, and the impact he has. Outside of that mistake, the Texans landed some very good players. Eric Winston in the third round was pure robbery, and Charles Spencer could develop into a quality guard.

Indianapolis Colts

Best Pick: Tim Jennings, CB, Georgia. 2nd Rd(62)
Aside from size, Jennings is an outstanding corner. He could flourish under Dungy.

Worst Pick: Joseph Addai, RB, LSU. 1st Rd(30)
The Colts sat back as Maroney and Williams came off the board, then reached for Addai to fill their hole at RB.

Second Day Steal: Antoine Bethea, S, Howard. 6th Rd(207)
Bethea has a great deal of talent, but is a long term project. He is the only player the Colts selected on Day Two with any type of projectability.

Overall: D+. Losing Edge James hurt in more ways than one. Aside from losing a player of his caliber, it forced them to reach for a running back in Round One. Jennings was a solid pick, but his upside is limited because of his size, Freddie Keiaho was a big reach in the third round.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Best Pick: Marcedes Lewis, TE, UCLA. 1st Rd(28)
Many underrated his talent because he was not a workout warrior, but he is an excellent tight end.

Worst Pick: None
You really can't give them a negative for any of their picks. They went for value and added solid players in each round.

Second Day Steal: Dee Webb, CB, Florida. 7th Rd(236) --The Jags did an excellent job shooting for the stars on Day Two. Three boom or bust picks, but the risk is low. Webb has the talent to develop over time. He fell because of character concerns are lack of development.

Overall: B. The Jags did a good job adding some depth and stability to their offense. Lewis is a great receiver, and will give them a great target over the middle and in the red zone opposite Matt Jones. Drew should provide insurance and relief for Fred Taylor, and Clint Ingram was a solild third round pick at linebacker.

Kansas City Chiefs

Best Pick: Bernard Pollard, S, Purdue. 2nd Rd(54)
Pollard is a big hitting safety who will intimidate people over the middle.

Worst Pick: Tamba Hali, DE, Penn St. 1st Rd(20)
20 was too high for Hali. He lacks the athleticism and speed to be a true pass rush force, and they passed on an end like Manny Lawson in the process.

Second Day Steal: Jeff Webb, WR, San Diego St. 6th Rd(190)
Webb has the talent and production as good as anyone taken from the third round on.

Overall: C-. The Chiefs went for Hali who is steady, but probably will not be a difference maker. Pollard is a solid pick, but probably a bit high in the second.

Miami Dolphins

Best Pick: Jason Allen, DB, Tennessee. 1st Rd(16)
Allen has Top 10 talent, but sat out most of the year with a hip injury. He appears to be healthy, so landing him at 16 is excellent value and he will provide an immediate impact.

Worst Pick: None.
The Dolphins only had two first day picks after trading their 2nd rounder for Culpepper, and both players fill immediate needs, and were excellent value.

Second Day Steal: Rodrique Wright, DT, Texas. 7th Rd(226)
Wright has the talent of a first rounder, but does not seem interested half the time. He was too inconsistent to go earlier. If someone can light a fire under him, he could be a big time steal.

Overall: B. As long as he is healthy, Allen is a great pick. Landing Derek Hagan in the third was a solid pickup. Their second rounder was traded for Daunte Culpepper which finally gives them a big time QB.

New England Patriots

Best Pick: Chad Jackson, WR, Florida. 2nd Rd(36)
Many felt Jackson was the top WR in the draft, and a Top 20 pick. The Pats considered him at 21, and ended up with him 15 picks later. One of the better value picks in the entire draft.

Worst Pick: David Thomas, TE, Texas. 3rd Rd(86)
Thomas is a solid receiver, but is one dimensional, and the Patriots already have two recent Round 1 tight ends on the roster.

Second Day Steal: Ryan O'Callaghan, OL, California. 5th Rd(136)
O'Callaghan could have gone in the third round. He has the talent to play guard or tackle.

Overall: B. The Patriots surprised some by going strictly offense on Day One. Maroney and Jackson are the future at RB and WR and were excellent value picks. The Pats considered Jackson at 21, and moved up in the second to make sure they landed him. Taking two receiving tight ends in the third and fourth was a bit puzzling.

New York Jets

Best Pick: D'Brickashaw Ferguson, OT, Virginia. 1st Rd(4)
Ferguson is a legitimate franchise tackle, and would be worthy of #1 in most years.

Worst Pick: Kellen Clemens, QB, Oregon. 2nd Rd(49)
The inconsistent Clemens had his season end early with a broken leg, and was taken two rounds too soon.

Second Day Steal: Brad Smith, QB/WR/RB, Missouri. 4th Rd(103)
Smith has the natural athletic ability to play any of these positions. He probably is best suited at WR, and if patient, the Jets could have a solid weapon.

Overall: C+. The Jets first two picks were excellent, and should go a long way in stabilizing the OL. After that, their entire draft was full of question marks. Kellen Clemens and Anthony Schlegel were big reaches in the second and third round respectively.

Oakland Raiders

Best Pick: Thomas Howard, OLB, UTEP. 2nd Rd(38)
Howard has the talent to be one of the better playmaking linebackers out of this draft.

Worst Pick: Paul McQuistan, OL, Weber St. 3rd Rd(69)
As a high third rounder, he was taken too early. He's a nice developmental player on Day Two, but not a 3rd rounder.

Second Day Steal: Darnell Bing, S, USC. 4th Rd(101)
Bing is one of the best safeties in the draft, and should have landed in the second round. Could be one of the bigger steals in the draft.

Overall: B. The Raiders did a good job shoring up their defense. Michael Huff should be an immediate impact player at corner or safety, and Thomas Howard has big time upside. Darnell Bing in the fourth may move to linebacker, but could really be a steal at that point.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Best Pick: Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio St. 1st Rd(25)
The Steelers got the best WR in the draft, and an upgrade from the departed Antwaan Randle El.

Worst Pick: None.
The Steelers filled the holes they needed to with very good value in each round.

Second Day Steal: Omar Jacobs, QB, Bowling Green. 5th Rd(164)
Jacobs has all the talent to develop. Pitt is a great situation, because he won't be pressured to develop too fast.

Overall: B+. The Steelers used two players to replace Antwaan Randle El. After trading up in the first for Santonio Holmes, they replaced Randle El's return ability in the third round with Willie Reid. S Anthony Smith in the second could start right away at FS.

San Diego Chargers

Best Pick: Marcus McNeill, OT, Auburn. 2nd Rd(50)
The Bolts needed youth on the OL, and landed a first round talent in the middle of the second.

Worst Pick: Antonio Cromartie, CB, Florida St. 1st Rd(19)
Cromartie is all athlete, and is a big time risk. To take a Top 20 pick on a player with one career start at a position that requires intelligence is too risky.

Second Day Steal: Tim Dobbins, ILB, Iowa St. 5th Rd(151)
Dobbins has the talent to perform in nickel situations, and could provide excellent value this late in the draft.

Overall: C. Antonio Cromartie is a big risk in the first. He hasn't played in a year, and has only started one game, but he has amazing potential. McNeill was a great pickup in the second round.

Tennessee Titans

Best Pick: LenDale White, RB, USC. 2nd Rd(45)
Top 20 talent at 45 is fantastic value.

Worst Pick: Vince Young, QB, Texas. 1st Rd(3)
The Titans had the chance to land the top QB in the draft and the ideal fit for their offense, and they take a player with high bust potential that does not fit the offense.

Second Day Steal: Terna Nande, OLB, Miami(OH). 5th Rd(137)
Nande has all the talent to be an impact weakside LB. Jesse Mahelona was also a nice second day selection.

Overall: D+. The Titans landed the two best players from the Rose Bowl, but that may not be a good thing. Vince Young is a big risk, and is at least a two year project. He also does not appear to fit the offense very well. Passing on Matt Leinart, who was the ideal fit for the Chow offense since he mastered it in college, could come back to bite them in the rear. LenDale White was a great pickup in the second round, but the Titans already have two solid running backs on the roster.