Dallas Cowboys: A
The Cowboys had the luxury of two first round draft picks and made a good move with both of them. They first landed Pro Bowl linebacker DeMarcus Ware, who has 33.5 sacks in his first three seasons. Then the team drafted a solid defensive end starter in Marcus Spears; the first-rounders have greatly helped the Dallas defense remain potent. Kevin Burnett, a second round linebacker, has played a backup role, and he hasn’t become the player the team had hoped he would.
Running back Marion Barber was acquired in the fourth. Barber will be the starter in the backfield this season, and he has already shown that he is a force. With limited carries in each of his three seasons, he still has managed over 2,000 rushing yards, nearly 600 receiving yards, and 33 total touchdowns. Dallas’ other fourth round pick, Chris Canty, is also a starter at defensive end, opposite Spears. Justin Beriault, a sixth round pick, is out of the NFL, while another sixth round player, Rob Petitti, has done little in his career and is currently a reserve elsewhere. However, in the seventh, the team drafted Jay Ratliff, who has become the starting nose tackle.
New York Giants: A-
The Giants had just four picks to make in the 2005 Draft, but three of those picks contributed to the team’s Super Bowl run last season. Second-rounder Corey Webster made some plays when he had to, including an interception in the wild-card round of the playoffs against Tampa Bay. Webster is a backup at the moment, but he still sees enough time to be a contributor. Linebacker Justin Tuck was selected in the third, and Tuck has become a quality defensive end. He registered 10 sacks last regular season and had two in the Super Bowl.
Fourth-rounder Brandon Jacobs has become New York’s number one running back, and although he missed significant time due to injury last season, he was still able to rush for over 1,000 yards and six total touchdowns. Eric Moore, a defensive lineman, was the final pick for the team in the sixth round. Moore played in parts of just seven games with St. Louis last season.
Philadelphia Eagles: B-
Late in the round one, the Eagles went defense with Mike Patterson. Patterson has played very well at his tackle position, making 66 tackles and four sacks during the 2007 season. Reggie Brown and Matt McCoy were taken in the second; Brown, a receiver, has been inconsistent in his first three seasons, but his 61 receptions last season were his best to date. McCoy is a reserve in Tampa Bay and has done nothing of note. Third-rounder Ryan Moats has under 400 career rushing yards, seeing limited time. That trend will likely continue. In the fourth, the Eagles were able to select Sean Considine, who has become a starting safety, and Todd Herremans, a solid starter at the guard position on the offensive line.
The Eagles has two picks in the fifth round as well. With the first, they selected Trent Cole, a defensive end. Cole has earned a starting role on defense, and already has 25.5 career sacks. The other fifth-rounder was offensive guard Scott Young, a player who has shown little promise. Sixth round choice Calvin Armstrong, another offensive lineman, also showed little promise and is no longer in the league. Keyonta Marshall and David Bergeron, Philadelphia’s two seventh-rounders, are also both no longer in the NFL.
Washington Redskins: D+
Carlos Rogers was the team’s opening pick at ninth overall to begin their draft. While Rogers has become a good starting cornerback, he will also have to overcome a serious knee injury that will likely cause him to miss time to open the 2008 season. Washington acquired another first round pick to select Jason Campbell. Campbell is the Redskins starting quarterback, but like Rogers, he missed time because of a knee injury late last season. He finished last season with a 77.6 passer rating and the team hopes he can improve upon his near even touchdown to interception ratio.
Fourth-rounder Manuel White is out of the NFL, while fifth round pick Robert McCune is a deep reserve in Baltimore for the time being. Washington’s sixth round choice Jared Newberry isn’t currently with a team, and seventh-rounder Nehemiah Broughton has yet to see NFL action.
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