Grade the draft

[poptart]

For your team.
Five years later.


Oakland Raiders
2010

1. Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
2. Lamarr Houston, DT, Texas
3. Jared Veldheer, T, Hillsdale
4a. Bruce Campbell, T, Maryland
4b. Jacoby Ford, WR, Clemson
5. Walter McFadden, CB, Auburn
6. Travis Goethel, LB, Arizona State
7a. Jeremy Ware, CB, Michigan State
7b. Stevie Brown, S, Michigan


McClain, Houston, and Veldheer are in the league and are legit players.

McClain was a total failure as a Raider.
Immaturity, big off-field issues, very sluggish play.
I thought he was finished.
As a Cowboy last year, it shocked me that he actually contributed and did a decent job.
He's still a very big loser as the #8 overall player taken in '10.

Houston had a few good years in Oakland.
Was probably their best defensive player in 2013 -- not that it's saying a whole lot.
Went to Chicago in free agency last year, played like shit and got hurt badly when he celebrated a sack.



Season over.
Remains to be seen what he can make of himself.

Veldheer was dinged some in Oakland, but he was a decent LT for a couple of years.
Went to AZ last year and appears to have done alright for them.

Jacoby Ford has a very promising rookie year.
Looked like a rising star.
Completely fell of the planet and is now out of the league.

Stevie Brown had some moments -- and has a fan cult following.

The rest is trash.


I guess I'd give this a C-, and it could be lower.

[Shoalzie]

1:2 Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
1:30 Jahvid Best, RB, California
3:66 Amari Spievey, CB, Iowa
4:128 Jason Fox, OT, Miami (FL)
7:213 Willie Young, DE, NC State
7:255 Tim Toone, WR, Weber State

Not Mayhew's best...not a single player remaining on the team from the draft with Suh bolting to Miami. Suh will obviously be the player most remembered from the draft and the choice to let him walk will be scrutinized for the next several seasons. If there's been one position the Lions have done well with in the draft has been defensive linemen.

Willie Young was the best value pick. He played well in parts of 4 seasons. He cashed in after 2013 and signed with the Bears. He had 10 sacks as a rotational player. Best had his moments but injuries ultimately ended his career. Spievey showed promise. They moved him to safety but he eventually washed out.

To add insult to injury to this draft, they made a trade for Rob Sims giving up a 5th round pick to Seattle. That pick turned into Van Chancellor. Sims is at least been productive starting guard. He's starting all 16 games in every season since the Lions picked him up.

[jiminphilly]

2010
1.13 LB Brandon Graham Michigan from SF through DEN - after a slow start to his career he's flourished in the 3-4 scheme that Billy Davis runs and turned into an above average pass rusher
2.05 DB Nate Allen South Florida from WAS - He's had his moments but an overall bust at Safety given where he was drafted
3.22 DL Daniel Te'o-Nesheim Washington - bust
4.07 DB Trevard Lindley Kentucky from CLE - jury still out.
4.23 LB Keenan Clayton Oklahoma - bust
4.24 QB Mike Kafka Northwestern from GB - who?
4.27 TE Clay Harbor Missouri State from DAL - not on the team. bust
5.03 LB Ricky Sapp Clemson from TB through CLE - bust
5.28 WR Riley Cooper Florida from SD - showing signs of becoming .. an average receiver. Seems like he has the ability to be better.
6.31 RB Charles Scott Louisiana State from IND - who?
7.13 LB Jamar Chaney Mississippi State from DEN through DET - bust
7.36 DL Jeff Owens Georgia Compensatory Pick who?
7.37 DB Kurt Coleman Ohio State Compensatory Pick - decent enough to make a roster but inability to cover has made him a special teams player.


Draft grade - D

[R-Jack]

5.28 WR Riley Cooper Florida from SD - showing signs of becoming .. an average receiver. Seems like he has the ability to be better.

Tough to prosper when you hate your co-workers

[Go Coogs']

1/20 - Kareem Jackson/Cornerback/Alabama
2/58 - Ben Tate/Running back/Auburn
3/81 - Earl Mitchell/Defensive tackle/Arizona
4/102 - Darryl Sharpton/Linebacker/Miami (FL)
4/118 - Garrett Graham/Tight end/Wisconsin
5/144 - Sherrick McManis/Cornerback/Northwestern
6/187 - Shelley Smith/Offensive guard /Colorado State
6/197 - Trindon Holliday/Wide receiver/LSU
7/227 -Dorin Dickerson/Tight end/Pittsburgh

This draft was almost a complete disaster if it wasn't for the late development of one Kareem Jackson. He's now turned into a very versatile shutdown corner. He's very physical and his technique is so good it hides his lack of top end speed. He's really honed in on his craft.

Tate was good for a year and a half, but like most RBs the injury bug sidelined him way too much. Then, his entitled attitude placed him elsewhere and he's been complete shit since then.

Sharpton was an injury riddled ILB who never amounted to his athleticism. He finally was healthy in 2013, but didn't show much promise during the Texans' 2-14 season.

Graham has shown signs of success, but not enough to give as a passing or failing grade yet. I think it has more to do with the QB play than anything else, but he hasn't quite broke out yet the way the Texans thought.

McManis, Smith, and Dickerson never worked out and they are barely hanging on to their careers at this point.

Holliday had a lot of potential and he showed it by breaking out for the Broncos in a big way shortly after the Texans released him. Marciano and Kubiak are more to blame for Holliday's failures here than anything else. I think he was a good value pick for the 6th round.

Overall Grade: D+/C-

Kareem is the only pick that keeps it from being a complete D or F. He is a borderline top ten CB, so the Texans can hang their hat on that.

[BSmack]

Pittsburgh Steelers

1st Round: Maurkice Pouncey, C - Stud
2nd Round: Jason Worilds, OLB - Contributor
3rd Round: Emmanuel Sanders, WR - Stud for someone else
4th Round: Thaddeus Gibson, OLB - Slappy
5th Round: Chris Scott, G - Slappy
5th Round: Crezdon Butler, DB - Slappy
5th Round: Stevenson Sylvester, OLB - Slappy
6th Round: Jonathan Dwyer, RB - Contributor
6th Round: Antonio Brown, WR - Stud
7th Round: Dough Worthington, DT - Slappy

Five players out of 10 who contribute to your team isn't bad. Brown is an elite WR and Pouncey is a 4 time All Pro. Sanders should have been more of a star, but was not a good fit in Pittsburgh. He's a great fit in Denver. Worilds was progressing nicely until he flipped his lid and decided to be a full time Jehovah's Witness. Even Poptart thinks that's whack. Dwyer though he should be a feature back and left. Before that he was a serviceable backup.

I'll give it a B+ because they lost Worilds and Sanders too soon.

[Felix]

Denver Broncos

1a Demaryius Thomas WR-enough said, one of more dangerous deep threats in the league
1b Tim Tebow QB-probably the pick that got McDaniels fired. A terrible. horrible pick and a waste of time
2 Zane Beadles OG-continues to start on the offensive line so I guess this was a pretty decent pick
3a J.D. Walton OC-played three years then started getting traded around, washington, ny giants, and now plays for the dolphins
3b Eric Decker WR-great system receiver, but failed miserably when he didn't have Manning throwing him the ball.....how's NY treating you eric?
5 Perrish Cox CB-a talented but troubled player. Only played for Denver for one year after being busted for felonious assault. found innocent, but doesn't matter. Coaches have enough to worry about without off field trouble
6 Eric Olsen OC-has played for 7 different teams in a 4 year career....that tells me there are issues
7a Syd'Quan Thompson CB-I'd never heard of this guy and after reading his bio I understand why. Played for Denver for two years then started playing arena league football. Currently plays for the team owned by Gene Simmons
7b Jammie Kirlew DE-another guy I'd never heard of. Played two years in the NFL, then went to Canada, then played in arena football league.

the Thomas, Beadles, and Decker picks made this a pretty good draft-grade B-

[Dinsdale]

drops to C if Berry is done.

Disagree. While I'll defer to your grading of your own team's draft, I can't see where you can downgrade it for not being able to predict that your sure-fire All-Pro (I thought he was a no-brainer pick coming out of Tenn) was going to come down with a raging case of cancer.