2007 AFC Draft Grades

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Baltimore Ravens
Best Pick: Ben Grubbs, G, Auburn 1(29)
Grubbs was rising as the draft approached, and was good value in the first.

Worst Pick: Yamon Figurs, WR, Kansas St 3(74)
He will add explosiveness to the team, but he has a real slight build and went too high.

Second Day Steal: Troy Smith, QB, Ohio St. 5(174)
Smith rapidly fell down boards after his poor performance against Florida. He is a solid QB though, and has the talent to develop behind Steve McNair.

Overall: C. Decent draft for the Ravens, as they really upgraded their interior line with the selections of Grubbs and Marshal Yanda in the 3rd. Figurs was a reach in the third, and they added some talent on the second day for down the road.

Buffalo Bills
Best Pick: Paul Posluszny, LB, Penn St. 2(34)
Grabbing a talent like Posluszny in the second round is a major steal.

Worst Pick: You really can’t criticize any of their picks. Lynch was a very good pick in the first, and everyone else provided excellent value at their draft spot.

Second Day Steal: John Wendling, S, Wyoming 6(184)
Some had Wendling as high as the late second. While that was too early for him, landing him in the sixth could be a steal. He is big and has all the talent to develop in the NFL.

Overall: B+. The Bills had an excellent first day. Lynch was good value and fills an immediate need at RB. Posluszny and Troy Edwards were fantastic value. On Day Two, Dwayne Wright and Wendling could develop into contributors for the team.

Cincinnati Bengals
Best Pick: Leon Hall, CB, Michigan 1(18)
Very good player fills an immediate need, and was very good value.

Worst Pick: Kenny Irons, RB, Auburn 2(49)
It’s not that he is a bad player, he is a very solid one. The Bengals had bigger needs, and this may spell the end of Chris Perry in Cincy, or give them a back they can’t use.

Second Day Steal: Jeff Rowe, QB, Nevada 5(151)
He has the talent to develop down the road, and was a solid pick in the 5th.

Overall: C-. Landing Hall in the first was nice. Irons is a solid player but felt they could have done better at a higher need position. Rowe and Marvin White were solid second day picks.

Cleveland Browns
Best Pick: Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame 1.(22)
Quinn is a legitimate Top 5 talent, and the Browns got him at 22. The steal of the first round, and perhaps the entire draft. CB Eric Wright in the second was also a fantastic pick.

Worst Pick: I’m not going to criticize a team for second day selections when they had a great first day, so there are none to knock here.

Second Day Steal: Syndric Steptoe, WR, Arizona. 7(234)
Steptoe has some return ability, and could provide depth as a receiver.

Overall: B+. The Browns had a phenomenal Day One of the draft. They got their franchise LT, and a massive steal at QB. Eric Wright in the second round is arguably the top corner in the draft on talent alone, and was another great pick.

Denver Broncos
Best Pick: Ryan Harris, OT, Notre Dame 3(70)
Harris is a perfect fit for the Broncos line, and was good value in the third round.

Worst Pick: Jarvis Moss, DE, Florida 1(17)
Trading up for Moss wasn’t a good move. Decent pick at 21, but moving up to 17 to get him was going too far.

Second Day Steal: Marcus Thomas, DT, Florida 4(121)
Thomas is the pick by default, as he was the Broncos only Day Two pick. However, he is a first round talent that could really surprise if he keeps his head on straight.

Overall: B. The Broncos did a great job upgrading their defensive line. They added two solid ends in the first two rounds, and Thomas could be a steal in the fourth. Harris was a good pick in the third round to help out on the offensive line.

Houston Texans
Best Pick: Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville 1(10)
Okoye is a good player now, and has even more upside as he hasn’t even entered his 20's yet.

Worst Pick: Jacoby Jones, WR, Lane 3(73)
This pick is sort of by default, as he was their only other Day One pick after trading for Matt Schaub. Jones had upside but may not make an immediate impact.

Second Day Steal: Fred Bennett, CB, South Carolina 4(123)
Bennett has talent comparable to that of guys taken on Day One.

Overall: C. Landing Okoye was a nice pick, as Houston is putting together quite the defensive line. Other than Okoye though, there are no guys to really count on right away for an impact. Their second rounder was traded for Matt Schaub limiting the guys they could bring in this weekend.

Indianapolis Colts
Best Pick: Daymeion Hughes, CB, Cal 3(95)
Hughes has the best ball skills of any corner in the draft, but he fell solely because of average 40 times in workouts. Kid is a legitimate player and may start as a rookie.

Worst Pick: Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Ohio St. 1(32)
This pick is wrong on many counts. The Colts had pressing needs elsewhere, and Gonzalez is simply not a first round pick. On top of it, they took him ahead of more talented receivers like Dwayne Jarrett, Steve Smith, and Sidney Rice.

Second Day Steal: Michael Coe, DB, Alabama St. 5(173)
Many were talking about Coe landing at some point on Day One. He has potential at corner or safety down the line.

Overall: B-. The Colts quickly rebounded from the Gonzalez pick by taking Tony Ugoh in the second round. They gave up their first rounder next year for him, but Ugoh is a nice pick in the second. Hughes is a great pick in the third, and Pitcock was a solid find at the end of Day One.

Jacksonville Jaguars
Best Pick: Justin Durant, LB, Hampton 2(48)
Durant will bring immediate speed and aggressiveness to the linebacking unit.

Worst Pick: Mike Walker, WR, Central Florida 3(79)
Not a terrible pick, but when your first two selections are very good, somebody has to get the label.

Second Day Steal: Josh Gattis, S, Wake Forest 5(150)
Gattis is a guy that plays with a lot of aggressiveness and has shown a nose for the football.

Overall: B. Reggie Nelson in the first, and Justin Durant in the second are very good picks. On Day Two, there are a couple players of note. Brian Smith, Gattis, and Derek Landri could all surprise at the next level.

Kansas City Chiefs
Best Pick: Tank Tyler, DT, North Carolina St. 3(82)
He is a risk because of character issues, but in the third round, he is excellent value.

Worst Pick: Turk McBride, DL, Tennessee 2(54)
Yet another team that did a good job on Day One, so it’s tough to find fault with what they did. In this case, I feel McBride was taken just a little too early.

Second Day Steal: Kolby Smith, RB, Louisville 5(148)
Smith is a guy who can give Larry Johnson a breather, or line up in the backfield with him and play a little fullback.

Overall: B-. Dwayne Bowe gives them a legitimate WR to go with Gonzalez at tight end, and they landed two solid players to help out on the defensive line.

Miami Dolphins
Best Pick: Samson Satele, OL, 2(60)
For a team needing line help, waiting until the second round wasn’t smart, but Satele is a talented interior guy who could play guard or center.

Worst Pick: Ted Ginn, WR, Ohio St. 1(9)
How you can pass on Brady Quinn, who would have been a steal at nine, is beyond me. Reaching for a slot guy to replace Wes Welker was a bit of a reach, and a risk.

Second Day Steal: Paul Soliai, DT, Utah 4(108)
Soliai fills a big need and could be a big time run stopper in the NFL.

Overall: C-. Ginn was a reach, and I feel John Beck quickly became overrated as the draft approached, but landing a receiver, a QB, an offensive lineman, and a DT in your first four picks addressed needs well.

New England Patriots
Best Pick: Brandon Meriweather, S, Miami 1(24).
As the Patriots only Day One pick, there is no other choice. Meriweather is a fine talent though, and is an excellent pick by the Pats.

Worst Pick: Trading pick #28 to the 49ers for their #1 next year, and a 4th this year.
The Pats made a questionable trade with the 9ers. Landing a first next year is nice, but they moved out of #28 for the exact same package the 49ers moved out of pick #42 for. They should have gotten more. The positive side of this trade, is that the #4 pick acquired for SF was traded to Oakland for Randy Moss.

Second Day Steal: Kareem Brown, DL, Miami 4(127)
Brown is a player that could have gone in the second round if he were a little more consistent. Talent is not the issue, he just needs to play with more urgency on the field.

Overall: C-. This is a tough grade to give because so much of it is based on trades. They traded their first rounder for a first next year, and a fourth this year. They also traded out of the third round, for a third next year. That left them lacking in the early pick department this year, hurting their grade. However, landing Randy Moss for a 4th rounder is a steal.

New York Jets
Best Pick: David Harris, LB, Michigan 2(47)
Harris was rising of late, but the Jets still got him in the middle of the second. He should provide an immediate impact between the tackles for the Jets. Worst Pick: None. Harris and Darrelle Revis were two excellent picks.

Second Day Steal: Chansi Stuckey, WR, Clemson 7(235)
Exciting receiver needs some work but could be a steal this late.

Overall: C+. Darrelle Revis and David Harris were great picks, but other than that there wasn’t much for the Jets.

Oakland Raiders
Best Pick: JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU 1(1).
You should make the best pick when you pick first. The Raiders made the smart decision grabbing the quarterback at #1.

Worst Pick: Mario Henderson, OT, Florida St. 3(91)
Not only did they trade their third rounder next year for him, but Henderson was a reach. He did fill a need though.

Second Day Steal: Michael Bush, RB, Louisville 4(100)
Bush is a first round talent if not for the injury. He should recover completely, making him one of biggest steals of the draft.

Overall: B+. The only thing keeping this from an A was not drafting an offensive lineman earlier. They made five selections on Day One, and four of them were very good picks, and the other at least filled a need. Mike Bush on Day Two was another great pick.

Pittsburgh Steelers
Best Pick: LaMarr Woodley, DE/OLB, Michigan 2(46)
Woodley is a great football player. He has the versatility to help them in both the 3-4 and 4-3 this season.

Worst Pick: None. Lawrence Timmons and Woodley were great picks, and Matt Spaeth is a nice receiving threat that was good value in the third.

Second Day Steal: Ryan McBean, DT, Oklahoma St. 4(132)
McBean has a lot of potential, and fits very well as a 3-4 end.

Overall: B. The Steelers did a good job adding a lot of talent to their linebacking core. Timmons is a playmaker that flies around, and Woodley can get to the passer. McBean could be a nice pickup on Day Two.

San Diego Chargers
Best Pick: Eric Weddle, S, Utah 2(37)
Weddle was underrated by many, but clearly not the Chargers. He is a versatile defender that knows how to make plays on the football.

Worst Pick: Craig Davis, WR, LSU 1(30).
Simply the worst pick of the first round. Not worth a first round pick, and there were better receivers available.

Second Day Steal: Brandon Siler, LB, Florida 7(240)
Perhaps the biggest drop of any player in the draft, Siler could be a steal in the seventh. He may not provide much in coverage, but he will stop the run between the tackles.

Overall: C-. The Chargers started out poorly with Davis, but really made up for it with Weddle and Anthony Waters. Brandon Siler fell quite a bit, but that could be the Chargers gain in the long run.

Tennessee Titans
Best Pick: Michael Griffin, S, Texas 1(19)
Griffin is a leader and a playmaker in the secondary.

Worst Pick: Chris Henry, RB, Arizona 2(50)
Henry has the talent to be taken this high, but for not producing at all in college, this is way too high. Nice pick on Day Two, not Round Two.

Second Day Steal: Ryan Smith, CB, Florida 6(206).
A little small, but he is tough and has the ball skills to earn a roster spot.

Overall: C-. Reaching for Chris Henry hurts, and not choosing a corner until the sixth round raises some questions. Paul Williams is potentially a nice receiver for Vince Young, but the team needed someone to help out more immediately from the receiver position.