AFC West
Broncos
Draft Haul:
1 (28) Sylvester Williams, dt, North Carolina
2 (58) Montee Ball, rb, Wisconsin
3 (90) Kayvon Webster, db, South Florida
5 (146) Quanteras Smith, de, Western Kentucky
5 (161) Tavarres King, wr, Georgia
6 (173) Vinston Painter, ot, Virginia Tech
7 (234) Zac Dysert, qb, Miami (Ohio)
The Broncos got the best player on the board in the first round in Sylvester Williams and fortunately for them they got a DT, a position of need. Montee Ball is the best zone runner in the draft, he’s going to find immediate success at Mile High. Kayvon Webster is a reach in round 3 but Quanteras Smith is a steal in round 5. Dysert in the 7th round is also a steal.
Grade: B+
Chargers
Draft Haul:
1 (11) D.J. Fluker, ot, Alabama
2 (38) Manti Te’o, lb, Notre Dame
3 (76) Keenan Allen, wr, California
5 (145) Steve Williams, db, California
6 (179) Tourek Williams, lb, FIU
7 (221) Brad Sorenson, qb, Utah State
Chargers got much better with their first three picks, getting a 2 time repeat national champion in Fluker who also happened to be the 4th best OT in the draft. Manti Te’o has first round talent and Keenan Allen will help replace Vincent Jackson that Rivers desperately missed last year. Allen had no business in round 3. Nothing notable in the final 3 picks.
Grade: B+
Chiefs
Draft Haul:
1 (1) Eric Fisher, ot, Central Michigan
3 (63) Travis Kelce, te, Cincinnati
3 (96)* Knile Davis, rb, Arkansas
4 (99) Nico Johnson, lb, Alabama
5 (134) Sanders Commings, db, Georgia
6 (170) Eric Kush, c, California (Pa.)
6 (204)* Braden Wilson, rb, Kansas State
7 (207) Mike Catapano, lb, Princeton
Eric Fisher was a safe pick at #1, though I would have rather seen Joeckel here. Chiefs filled need for the rest of the draft but I don’t think they got the best talent. Nico Johnson is an exception to that rule. Knile Davis was reached at after his monster workout in Indy.
Grade: C+, D+ for a team with the #1 overall pick
Raiders
Draft Haul:
1 (12) D.J. Hayden, db, Houston
2 (42) Menelik Watson, ot, Florida State
3 (66) Sio Moore, lb, UConn
4 (112) Tyler Wilson, qb, Arkansas
5 (172) Nick Kasa, te, Colorado
5 (181) Latavius Murray, rb, UCF
6 (184) Mychal Rivera, te, Tennessee
6 (205)* Stacy McGee, dt, Oklahoma
7 (209) Brice Butler, wr, San Diego State
7 (233) David Bass, dt, Missouri Western
Raiders started the draft off great, trading down from 3 to 12, but they took DJ Hayden. Al Davis would be proud. Hayden has blazing speed but is far from polished. The Raiders had a chance to take Star Lotulelei or Sharrif Floyd, DTs a much bigger position of need and with much more talent. Instead they waited until the 6th round to fill their biggest position of need. Watson, Moore, Wilson and Kasa are all solid picks that saved this draft. Nothing notable after that though.
Grade: B-
NFC West
Cardinals
Draft Haul:
1 (7) Jonathan Cooper, g, North Carolina
2 (45) Kevin Minter, lb, LSU
3 (69) Tyrann Mathieu, db, LSU
4 (103) Alex Okafor, lb, Texas
4 (116) Earl Watford, g, James Madison
5 (140) Stepfan Taylor, rb, Stanford
6 (174) Ryan Swope, wr, Texas A&M
6 (187) Andre Ellington, rb, Clemson
7 (219) D.C. Jefferson, te, Rutgers
Calling it now, Ellington is going to be a huge steal in round 6. Taylor is a perfect compliment in round 5, a bigger back. Swope has Wes Welker potential. The top 4 picks are all pretty safe picks with the exception of Mathieu who was one of the most electrifying players in all of college football in 2011.
Grade: A
49ers
Draft Haul:
1 (18) Eric Reid, db, LSU
2 (40) Cornellius Carradine, de, Florida State
2 (55) Vance McDonald, te, Rice
3 (88) Corey Lemonier, de, Auburn
4 (128) Quinton Patton, wr, Louisiana Tech
4 (131)* Marcus Lattimore, rb, South Carolina
5 (157) Quinton Dial, dt, Alabama
6 (180) Nick Moody, lb, Florida State
7 (237) B.J. Daniels, qb, South Florida
7 (246)* Carter Bykowski, ot, Iowa State
7 (252)* Marcus Cooper, db, Rutgers
49ers traded up to get Reid, the most pro- ready safety in the draft. Tank Carradine should bounce back nicely after being injured the whole year. Vance McDonald will be expected to fill the role vacated by Delanie Walker, but he was a reach. Patton, Lemonier and Lattimore all have high upsides. BJ Daniels is an interesting proposition as a dual threat quarterback of a similar ilk as Kaepernick.
Grade: A-
Rams
Draft Haul:
1 (8) Tavon Austin, wr, West Virginia
1 (30) Alec Ogletree, lb, Georgia
3 (71) T.J. McDonald, db, Southern Cal
3 (92) Stedman Bailey, wr, West Virginia
4 (113) Barrett Jones, c, Alabama
5 (149) Brandon McGee, db, Miami
5 (160) Zac Stacy, rb, Vanderbilt
Rams traded up to get their guy Austin at #8, then got a great compliment to him in his fellow Mountaineer Stedman Bailey. Barrett Jones will help take the pressure off Sam Bradford greatly, great pick. I’m not high on TJ McDonald, but he was the best Safety on the board and a position of need. Ogletree is a Manti Te’o talent without a fake girlfriend.
Grade: A-
Seahawks
Draft Haul:
2 (62) Christine Michael, rb, Texas A&M
3 (87) Jordan Hill, dt, Penn State
4 (123) Chris Harper, wr, Kansas State
5 (137) Jesse Williams, dt, Alabama
5 (138) Tharold Simon, db, LSU
5 (158) Luke Willson, te, Rice
6 (194) Spencer Ware, rb, LSU
7 (220) Ryan Seymour, g, Vanderbilt
7 (231) Ty Powell, lb, Harding
7 (241)* Jared Smith, g, New Hampshire
7 (242)* Michael Bowie, ot, Northeastern State (Okla.)
This draft confused me. Why draft Christine Michael, and Spencer Ware later when they have similar running styles? And Seattle has Marshawn Lynch. Jordan Hill was never a star in Happy Valley. Chris Harper was a reach. It seems as though Seattle simply missed opportunities in this draft to take both positions of need and talented players.
Grade: D
Beneath The Helmet 