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NFL Draft Winners and Losers
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Winners:
1.) Philadelphia Eagles – If you listen very closely in Philly, you can still hear Donovan McNabb celebrating the Eagles picks as the beleaguered quarterback finally has a weapon at receiver and another running back to boot. This was a glaring need for Philadelphia, and they addressed all their concerns coming into the weekend. Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin should pair beautifully with DeSean Jackson and the trade for left tackle Jason Peters last week rounds out a very successful draft for the Eagles.
2.) New York Giants – Jerry Reese put together an amazing draft in 2007, with most of his picks contributing in a huge way during the Giants Super Bowl run. Reese continues to impress and this year is no different for Big Blue. The obvious need was at wide receiver with the loss of Plaxico Burress, and New York addressed that issue with Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden, adding both size and speed. The pick of OT William Beatty is another need pick and linebacker Clint Sintim was a steal in the second round.
3.) Cincinnati Bengals – Here is a shocker, the Bengals actually did something right, and had what some consider the best overall selections in the draft. The Bengals got more physical with their picks adding offensive lineman Andre Smith and then went with defense selecting Rey Maualuga. Both should contribute right away and tight end Chase Coffman, center Jon Luigs, and Michael Johnson are all solid players. Of note however, is the top two picks have had off the field issues which the Bengals are more than familiar with. It’s already a zoo in Cincy so we’ll see if Smith and Maualuga can stay out of trouble.
4.) San Francisco 49ers – Michael Crabtree is a steal at the number ten spot (thank you Al Davis) and San Fran did an excellent job filling the many holes the team has and added much needed depth. Glen Coffee is a nice pick up at running back, linebacker Scott McIllop, safety Curtis Taylor and quarterback Nate Davis are all solid picks that will put the 49ers in a good position moving forward for such a young team.
5.) Seattle Seahawks – Outside linebacker Aaron Curry instantly upgrades the Seahawk defense, filling the hole left after the Julian Peterson trade. Max Unger and Deon Butler should also come in right away to help out Seattle. The Seahawks addressed each need they had coming into the draft and also had very solid late round picks.
Losers:
1.) Oakland Raiders – Shocker right? Al Davis continues to show us how dysfunctional the Raider organization is and it started with their first pick, Darrius Heyward-Bey. No disrespect to Heyward-Bey, but what on earth were the Raiders thinking taking this kid so high. Their second pick, safety Michael Mitchell was another head scratcher and then Oakland drafted another speedster at receiver with Louis Murphy. Once again, Al Davis shows why this team (aside from Detroit) is one of the worst run franchises in the league.
2.) Dallas Cowboys – Jerry Jones must be very thankful that Al Davis is still in the league to overshadow the dysfunctional front office in Big D. Already, the Cowboys went into the draft without a first round pick after getting WR Roy Williams from Detroit (how’s that worked out so far?), and then traded out of their second round spot. They did upgrade some need spots on defense, but their best pick might be seventh rounder Mike Mickens. That is a sad statement.
3.) Denver Broncos – The off-season for the Broncos has already been horrible and new head coach Josh McDaniel is already under fire before his first game. McDaniel already jettisoned QB Jay Cutler and decided to not go for a franchise signal caller to replace the strong armed Cutler. Instead, they chose a running back, Knowshon Moreno, and took pass rusher Robert Ayers a few picks later. Ayers isn’t a horrible pick, but the Broncos trades during the draft made little to no sense.
4.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Josh Freeman certainly has the intangibles to be a successful NFL quarterback, but he goes to a team with a glutton of signal callers already on the roster. Plus, they jumped up to get him and it seemed odd Tampa Bay made that choice so early. This is a player that will need a lot of work to get ready for the NFL. Must be the guy they coveted. Defensive lineman Roy Miller was a good pick.
5.) Arizona Cardinals – First, the Cards were unable to deal disgruntled wide receiver Anquan Bolding, so that in itself will be problematic. Drafting Beanie Wells is a good pick, but tell that to Edgerrin James. Plus, this is a passing team, so how Wells will fit in remains to be seen. Offensive lineman Herman Johnson was a good grab and Arizona added some good pass rushers with Cody Brown and Will Davis.
Check out other examiners takes on this year’s draft:
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