April 28 , 2009      Home  Archives  Contact  Book      Home

  

Brushback 1st Round Draft Grades

      

  Pick        Team           Pos.                               Player                                     College              Class
 1
QB
Matthew Stafford
Georgia
Jr.

The Lions paid Stafford $41 million in guaranteed money, but don't think they rolled over in negotiations. He was actually asking for $35 million, but they wouldn't budge. Grade: D

2
OT
Jason Smith
Baylor
Jr.

At one point Smith was projected to go as high as number one. With his stunning free fall, he has vowed revenge on all the teams who passed up on him - as if the Lions need any more headaches. Grade: F

3
DE
Tyson Jackson
LSU
Sr.

A lot of people said this was a reach, but Jackson could end up being the best player in the draft if several other top players suffer career ending injuries. Grade: F

4
LB
Aaron Curry
Wake Forest
Sr.

Aaron Curry is a great player but has a horrible motor. He’s the first of his kind in the NFL. Grade: F minus

5
QB
Mark Sanchez
USC
Jr.

Pete Carroll must feel pretty stupid. He said Sanchez wasn’t even ready for the NFL, and the kid turned out to be the greatest quarterback in the history of the league. Grade: A plus plus

6
T

Andre Smith

Alabama
Sr.

Smith is a premier left tackle who can protect Palmer’s blindside as he tries to come back from surgery. If Palmer ends up getting hurt again, they could cut Smith and try to recoup his signing bonus. Grade: F

7
WR
Darrius Heyward-Bey
Maryland
Sr.

This surprise selection was actually intended as a smokescreen until the Raiders realized you had to keep whatever players you selected. Grade: F

8
T
Eugene Monroe
Virginia
Sr.

Monroe is a great left tackle that could anchor the offensive line for years to come. You know what he's not, though? Mark Sanchez. Anybody who's not Mark Sanchez sucks. Grade: F

9
DT
BJ Raji
Boston College
Sr.

Leading up to the draft, B.J. Raji was accused of being a raging pothead with a sub-standard work ethic. He doesn't have a chip on his shoulder, though, because it's all basically true. Grade: F plus

10
WR
Michael Crabtree
Texas Tech
Sr.

Crabtree says he’s a big fan of fashion. Dude, that’s something you admit after you retire from football and nobody cares if you’re gay. Grade: F minus

11
DE
Aaron Maybin
Penn State
So.

The Bills really wanted Chris Long here but he was taken in the 2008 draft. Grade: F

12
RB
Knowshon Moreno
Georgia
Sr.

Everybody’s criticizing the choice of Moreno here. Perhaps the Broncos should have drafted someone the experts were higher on, like Vince Young or Reggie Bush. Grade: D

13
DE
Brian Orakpo
Texas
Sr.

The Skins had a highly touted pass rusher fall into their lap in Brian Orakpo. Given how much they hate Jason Campbell, don’t be surprised if they try to convert him into a quarterback. Grade: F

14
CB
Malcolm Jenkins
Ohio State
Sr.

Jenkins was one of the top cornerbacks available and the Saints desperately needed help in the secondary. On the other hand, you can never really predict how a player is going to perform on the pro level and its presumptuous for them to think they can. Grade: F minus

15
OLB
Brian Cushing
USC
Sr.

The Texans have been drafting defenders in the first round for a while now, but this is the first time they’ve drafted a white guy. Not that race means anything, but I just bought season tickets to the Houston Texans. Grade: C plus

16
OLB
Larry English
Northern Illinois
Sr.

Keep in mind that most draft picks turn out to be busts or special teams players. That’s an actual quote from Larry English in his post-draft interview. Grade: F

17
QB
Josh Freeman
Kansas St
Sr.

They just signed Byron Leftwich to a multi-year deal so this pick can only mean one thing: they’re going to carry more than one quarterback on their roster. Grade: F

18
DE
Robert Ayers
Tennessee
Sr.

Robert Ayers is exactly the kind of player the Broncos should be building around – with a different coach. Grade: F

19
WR
Jeremy Maclin
Missouri
Sr.

The Eagles were obviously not deterred by reports that Maclin enjoys making lampshades out of human skin. Everyone has their quirks, I guess. Grade: B

20
TE

Brandon Pettigrew

Oklahoma St
Sr.

Coming into the draft, the Lions had three main needs: 1) quarterback, 2) secondary, 3) everything. As a tight end, Pettigrew falls firmly into the third category. Grade: D

21
C
Alex Mack
California
Sr.

This guy is a steal, or would be, if this was the third round of the supplemental draft. Grade: F

22
WR
Percy Harvin
FSU
Jr.

Harvin has some character issues, but so what? Almost everybody in the NFL has character issues, otherwise they’d be doing something productive with their lives. Grade: F

23
OT
Michael Oher
Miss
Sr.

For some reason left tackles are really in demand this year, even though the position requires nothing more than some upper body strength and a voracious appetite for pastries. Grade: F

24
DT
Peria Jerry
Miss
Sr.

Jerry is a tough, passionate warrior who will immediately upgrade the Falcons front seven. But he’s not Mark Sanchez, so fuck him. Grade: F minus minus

25
CB
Vontae Davis
Illinois
Sr.

The selection of Davis by the Dolphins can only mean one thing: all the good players are gone now. Grade: F

26
OLB
Clay Matthews
USC
Sr.

This is an interesting pick, especially since he was already taken at number 15 by the Texans. Grade: F

27
RB
Donald Brown
Conn
Sr.

This is the kind of move that's considered brilliant when the Colts make it and a head-scratcher when soneone like the Raiders makes it. Grade: B plus

28
C
Eric Wood
Louisville
Sr.

The Bills needed someone to protect Trent Edwards but all the good left tackles were taken. So they took a center, who can help protect the quarterback by not snapping the ball to him. Grade: F

29
WR
Hakeem Nicks
North Carolina
Sr.

This kid could be the next Lawrence Taylor if we were living in a parallel universe in which Lawrence Taylor was a wide receiver who isn’t going to amount to anything. Grade: F

30
WR
Kenny Britt
Rutgers
Sr.

Britt is a wide receiver with some personality problems. At this point, if a wide receiver doesn’t have personality problems you should probably assume he’s a tight end. Grade: F

31
RB
Chris Wells
Ohio State
Sr.

Tim Hightower came out of nowhere last year to become the featured back for about five minutes and then revert back to mediocrity. The Cards will need a little more than that from the running back position, which is exactly what Chris Wells will provide: a little more than that. Grade: F

32
DT

Evander Hood

Missouri
Sr.

This guy has tremendous upside potential and a great motor. Those kinds of things don’t show up on a stat sheet because they’re totally meaningless. Grade: F minus