AFC Draft Grades

Click here for 2011 NFC Draft Grades

Baltimore Ravens B
The Ravens are one of the best drafting teams, year in, year out. This year is no different. They landed CB Jimmy Smith at 26, who has the talent to rival Patrick Peterson as the most gifted athlete at the corner spot. WR Torrey Smith fills another need with value, and his speed will be a welcomed addition to the offense. In the 4th round, they added another talented wideout in Tandon Doss. Upgrading the secondary was a need, and Smith could be an immediate starter for them. The two wideouts bring much needed youth and athleticism, and will make Joe Flacco very happy.

Buffalo Bills B
Marcell Dareus fell into their laps with the 3rd overall pick. Many felt he was the top player in the draft, and his presence is sorely needed along the defensive front. In the second round, they added another talented defender, Texas DB Aaron Williams. Again looking to boost their run defense, they went for ILB Kelvin Sheppard in the 3rd round. His instincts and toughness could get him on the field very early. While the Bills again waited until the later rounds to address the offensive line, they did a very good job adding defensive talent, and could have three starters from this draft early on.

Cincinnati Bengals A
The Bengals stayed put throughout the draft and had some very talented players fall into their laps. AJ Green was a great pick at #4 overall. In the 2nd, Andy Dalton managed to slide to them, despite other teams reaching for QB’s earlier. He’s great insurance for Carson Palmer and his trade demands. Dontay Moch in the 3rd may not have a defined position in a 4-3 defense, but his speed off the edge will make him a force in passing situations. In the 4th, the Bengals landed versatile offensive lineman Clint Boling, whom many had going in the second round. Things definitely played out well for the Bengals this weekend, and they were able to address needs with value at each of their first four selections.

Cleveland Browns B+
The Browns had their socks blown off with a trade offer from Atlanta, and jumped on it. They picked up a 1st and a 4th in 2012 in addition to a 1,2, and 4 in this draft. After moving down, they ended up moving back up to select DT Phil Taylor at 21. That may have been a bit high, but he was the best true nose tackle in the draft. His presence alone impacts the running game. In the second round, they added a pass rushing threat off the edge in Jabaal Sheard. With their pick from the Falcons, the Browns got Colt McCoy a big target of their own, in UNC’s Greg Little. TE Jordan Cameron is still developing as a football player, but he has big time potential and could soon become a favorite of Colt McCoy. Even though the FB position isn’t used as much as it used to be, the Browns got a good one in Owen Marecic in the 5th. His toughness and blocking ability will no doubt help Peyton Hillis next season. The Browns gambled on a couple players but that could pay off down the road. They immediately upgraded the front seven and added another 1st rounder next year. It was a very successful weekend for Cleveland.

Denver Broncos B
Most had the Broncos taking Marcell Dareus in the days leading up to the draft, but they ended up selecting LB Von Miller. Miller is a big time talent, but may have been a better fit in a 3-4 alignment. In the second round, the Broncos got the draft’s top safety in Rahim Moore, and versatile OL Orlando Franklin. On day three, the Broncos selected two of the drafts most impressive athletes at the TE position: Portland State’s Julius Thomas and Nevada’s Virgil Green. The Broncos added some much needed talent to the defensive side of the ball, and at least one of those day three tight ends could emerge as a steal.

Houston Texans B+
The Texans entered the draft with the goal of adding pieces to handle the switch to a 3-4 defense, along with upgrading the talent in the secondary. Mission accomplished. With their first two selections, they landed a 5 technique in JJ Watt and a pass rushing OLB in Brooks Reed. Both players bring toughness and tenacity to a defense in dire need of it. They then traded up and selected CB Brandon Harris in the second round, who was a steal at that point. He could start from day one. On day three, they selected two more DB’s in S Shiloh Keo and CB Rashard Carmichael. The offense has always carried the team, but the Texans went a long way towards turning their defense around with this draft.

Indianapolis Colts B
Upgrading the offensive and defensive lines were the main priorities for the Colts on draft weekend. Their first three picks did exactly that. Their first two picks went to the offensive line, with 1st rounder Anthony Castonzo and 2nd rounder Ben Ijalana giving the team two tackles to help keep Peyton healthy for the rest of his career. Drake Nevis in the third may be a tad undersized, but his ability to get up the field and disrupt the action is special and he will be a nice player to have in the rotation very early in his career.

Jacksonville Jaguars B-
You have to give the Jags credit: They saw an opportunity to move up and get their top QB, and they took advantage of it. They moved up from 16 to 10 and selected Blaine Gabbert. It’s an excellent situation for Gabbert because he won’t have the pressure of starting from day one with David Garrard already aboard. By moving up for Gabbert though, they left themselves without the picks to address the pass rush or wideout position early. With their 3rd and 4th round picks the Jags went the small school route, with OL Will Rackley and WR Cecil Shorts. The Jags got their QB, and that carries a lot of weight. But the inability to address other need does hurt their chance to compete next year.

Kansas City Chiefs B+
Adding another receiving weapon for Matt Cassel was definitely a priority, and the Chiefs wasted no time in filling that hole. They grabbed WR Jonathan Baldwin in the 1st round, and his size and athleticism should make him a great weapon in the red zone. In the 2nd, they upgraded their interior offensive line with OG/C Rodney Hudson. The Chiefs then took the gamble on DE/OLB Justin Houston in the third. Houston slid for character concerns, but has 1st round pass rush ability. This risk could pay off huge. They followed that up with another talented front seven performer in DE Allen Bailey. Day three was productive as well, landing talented CB prospect Jalil Brown and a developmental QB in Ricky Stanzi. The Chiefs added a ton of athletic talent to their team, although two of their first three picks have some questions about their attitude and dedication to the team.

Miami Dolphins C
The Phins went the safe route in the 1st round, selecting OL Mike Pouncey. He fills an immediate need but this may have been a bit early. He benefitted from the success his twin brother Maurkice had last year with Pittsburgh. The Phins traded up to land RB Daniel Thomas in the second. The only other pick of note was 4th round WR Edmond Gates, who has explosive speed and playmaking ability. They filled a couple needs but may have ignored arguably their largest: the QB position.

New England Patriots C+
Most knew the Patriots would wheel and deal quite a bit, but most expected the actual selections would be on the defensive side of the ball. The Pats did move around, adding a 1st and 2nd in 2012, but their draft was geared towards the offensive side of the ball. With questions on the offensive line, the Pats opted for Ot Nate Solder at 17. As talented as any OL in the draft, Solder will need some work before he can make an impact in the NFL. With the first pick in the 2nd round, they selected CB Ras-I Dowling. That may have been a tad early considering his durability concerns, but Dowling has all the tools to be a shutdown corner in the NFL. With their next two selections, the Pats chose RB’s Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley. Both may have been slight reaches in the 2nd and 3rd respectively. With their second 3rd rounder, the Patriots ended the massive slide of Ryan Mallett. That gamble could have huge dividends. In the 5th round, the Patriots took OL Marcus Cannon. Cannon was a potential 2nd rounder until he was diagnosed with cancer after the combine. There is little risk in the fifth round, but the payoff could be huge. The Pats had a chance to build a truly dominant front seven in this draft, and surprisingly passed on pretty much all opportunity to address the positions. Not address the pass rush specifically could hurt the Pats next season.

New York Jets C+
It came as no surprise to see the Jets go defense with their first two picks. They selected two players with immense potential in a three man front. 5 technique Muhammad Wilkerson has as much natural talent as any defensive lineman in this draft, he just needs some refinement. In the third round, they chose NT Kenrick Ellis who is a true anchor on a defensive line. He is immovable off the line of scrimmage, but has some short area quickness that you usually don’t find in a 340lber. 5th round WR Jeremy Kerley has some potential as a slot receiver, but there isn’t much else to get excited about from a Jets perspective on draft weekend.

Oakland Raiders C-
The Raiders did not have a 1st round pick after trading it for Richard Seymour two years ago. In the 2nd round, they selected OL Stefen Wisniewski. His toughness and attitude is going to make him a Raider fan favorite, and should be an immediate starter. In the 3rd round, Al Davis went back to his usual self and selected raw speed in CB Demarcus Van Dyke. Outside of his exceptional speed, Van Dyke does not bring much present ability to the football field. The 3rd round was a bit high to gamble on his speed. RB Taiwan Jones is another player that has the type of speed Davis loves. Jones is an actual playmaker on the field though. He could make an impact on special teams right away while he bulks up and adjust to the speed of the game, but he has legit potential in the backfield. The Raiders landed a good one in Wisniewski, but the rest of their draft leaves a lot to be desired. They drafted a lot of speed but a little light on quality football players.

Pittsburgh Steelers B
The AFC Champs went into the draft needing some help on the offensive line and at the corner spot, and came away with those holes filled. In the 1st round, they opted for DE Cameron Heyward. He is the ideal 5 technique and was too good to pass up at that point. In the 2nd round, they added Marcus Gilbert, a 330lb tackle to help keep Ben Roethlisberger on the field. In the 3rd and 4th round, the Steelers opted for two athletic corners: Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen. 5th round LB Chris Carter could be a big time steal. He has good speed and athleticism, and the Steelers have a way of finding college ends and turning them into productive pro linebackers. The Steelers addressed some needs, along with adding more youth to their front four. Just another day at the office for one of the leagues most successful teams.

San Diego Chargers D
There were a lot of directions the Chargers could have went to make their draft weekend successful. It started off well with the selection of Corey Liuget. He can get up the field to disrupt the action but also stop the run. The next two picks didn’t go so well however. When your two second selections are known mostly for their special teams contributions, that could raise a red flag. DB Marcus Gilchrist provides depth at CB and S, but may not project well at either spot. The biggest head scratcher was the selection of Jonas Mouton with their second 2nd rounder. Most had him projected in the 5th to 6th round range, but the Bolts took the plunge at 61. They did land CB Shareece Wright in the third, and he could be one of the drafts bigger surprises. Jordan Todman could be a steal in the 5th round. He has the size, speed, and big play ability to be taken in the second. The Chargers had the chance to fill some immediate holes with quality players, but did quite a bit of reaching in the second round. Those players should be in the rotation immediately, but may not make much of an impact on the defense any time soon.

Tennessee Titans B
Many thought Jake Locker was a top ten pick entering his senior year, but as the year went on and the post season hit, many wondered if he would fall to the second round. Well, the answer is no. The Titans nabbed him with the 8th overall pick. It seems like a reach initially, but reports are the Vikings wanted him at 12, so the Titans had to pull the trigger to get their man. He has all the tools and intangibles to be a special QB at the pro level. 2nd round LB Akeem Ayers slid a bit because of a less than stellar combine performance, but he is a playmaker on the field and excellent value in the second. The Titans continued their trend of selecting Pac 10 performers with DT Jurrell Casey in the 3rd round. Casey is short, but is tough to block and will battle until the whistle blows. 4th round LB Colin McCarthy could provide depth at inside and outside linebacker. This was a good weekend for the Titans. They landed a very talented signal caller and may have added two defensive starters with their first three picks.