All The Draft Grades You'll Ever Need

There are two annual April traditions in the NFL. There's the draft, which took place at Radio City Music Hall on Saturday and Sunday, and then there's the draft grades which popped up across publications and websites nationwide on Monday. We've taken 12 of these grades (see below for the participants in these computer rankings) and averaged them out to see what the consensus opinion is of the job done by the 32 NFL Franchises. We've also pulled out the general opinions on the best picks and the worst for each team as well as any anomalies in the grading.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys - Consensus grade: C+/B-

Best Pick: Everyone liked Anthony Spencer, the defensive end from Purdue that Jerry Jones traded back into the first round to get after dealing the original pick to Cleveland in the Brady Quinn deal.

Worst Pick: James Marten, the third round offensive tackle from BC, was called plodding and many believed he was a reach at that point in the draft.

Other: Local writer Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News was no homer when it came to the grading. His D was the lowest score among those used in calculating the average.

New York Giants - Consensus grade: C+/B-

Best Pick: No pick got more good on ya's than Zak DeOssie in the fourth round. The linebacker/long-snapper got kudos from almost every writer for his guile, special teams play and hustle.

Worst Pick: Jay Alford of Penn State, selected in the third round, didn't fill the obvious need for an offensive lineman and doesn't project as having a lot of value for a first day pick.

Other: My old report cards would have a grade and then comments from my teacher, occasionally those comments wouldn't jive with the letter assigned. That's the Giants fate. No one was too enthused about Jerry Reese's first draft as the man in charge despite middling marks.

Philadelphia Eagles - Consensus grade: C

Best Pick: Tony Hunt is a big back with the potential to spell Brian Westbrook when there's a need for some tough yardage between the tackles.

Worst Pick: Andy Reid may have dipped into his kids' stash before selecting Kevin Kolb of Houston in the second round. Trading out of the first round was fine but taking a quarterback didn't fill any of the glaring holes on the team and Kolb was ranked below several available signal callers.

Other: Their C was well earned. The Eagles received a wide range of votes from D all the way up to two A's, excellent proof that the day after may not be the best time to evaluate a draft.

Washington Redskins - Consensus grade: C-

Best Pick: Daniel Snyder resisted the temptation to trade up, smart considering the 'Skins only had four picks to begin with, and Washington scored big with LaRon Landry, a heady safety who should start from day one. 

Worst Pick: Jordan Palmer has a good pedigree - he's Carson's younger brother - but little else. Training camp fodder can be found in the free agent pool.

Other: A lot of poor grades for the Redskins, at least some of which had to do with mortgaging part of this draft for T.J. Duckett last year.

NFC Central

Chicago Bears - Consensus grade: C+

Best Pick: Greg Olsen was the best tight end in the draft on everyone's board so grabbing him at the end of the first round was a no-brainer, best available player kind of pick. When you've got the Sex Cannon under center you might as well have some weapons so he can throw the ball deep.

Worst Pick: Both Dan Bauzin and Garrett Wolfe, the second and third rounders respectively, have their backers but each of them were also called reaches who will struggle to adapt to the speed of the NFL game. Both are specialists without skills that justified their draft position.

Other: The Bears scored well at the top and bottom of the draft and had grades that reflected well on the job done by Jerry Angelo but Dr. Z, in particular, dragged down the average with a harsh D on the report card.

Detroit Lions - Consensus grade: B

Best Pick: Calvin Johnson. Say what you want about Matt Millen's hard-on for college wide receivers, god knows you won't be the first, but the Lions left Radio City with the best overall player on the table. That's nothing to sneeze at.

Worst Pick: Second rounder Ikaika Alama-Francis has tremendous upside and good bloodlines - his father played in the league - but he's new to football and has high flameout potential. That makes for an iffy pick when you're as downtrodden as the Lions have been in the Millen era.

Other: If Johnson isn't great then everyone is eating their words in a couple of years but even if he is the lasting legacy will be Francis, Drew Stanton and Gerald Alexander. Those players need to become starters for the Lions to keep this grade when the draft is reevaluated in a couple of years.

Green Bay Packers - Consensus grade: C

Best Pick: It's hard to find much unanimity when looking at the evaluations but more often than not you'll find a complimentary word about second-round running back Brandon Jackson. The former Cornhusker has a reasonable chance to replace his fellow Nebraskan Ahman Green in the Green Bay backfield.

Worst Pick: Justin Harrell is definitely a talented young man but with his injury history, just three games this season, it's hard to imagine the Pack needed to make him the 16th overall pick. They should've traded down or gone for an offensive weapon to justify Brett Favre's postponed retirement.

Other: The Packers were credited for adding depth on both sides of the ball but there doesn't seem to be any potential gamechangers among the 11-player haul.

Minnesota Vikings - Consensus grade: B

Best Pick: It was a draft full of boom-or-bust players for the Vikings and none is bigger than the ultra-talented but injury-prone Adrian Peterson. If his body stands up to the pounding the Vikings got a top-two talent at the seventh pick and a job well done. His performance has never been the issue and his speed will be an immediate difference for the moribund offense.

Worst Pick: There wasn't an obvious stinker in the group. Oddly enough the player who will have the most to say about this draft class will likely be Tavaris Jackson who the Vikes believe can be their quarterback. If he can play, the character issues of Sidney Rice and Aundrae Allison should fall by the wayside as they make big plays in the passing game. If he can't they aren't likely to recoup the value of their draft spots.

Other: The Vikings got strong reviews from most observers, although Ira Quinn of AOL wondered if they did enough to help the defense while stocking up on skill position risks.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons - Consensus grade: B+

Best Pick: The Falcons were a smash hit this weekend and Chris Houston, the corner from Arkansas, was a big reason why. He was a first-rounder in many a mock draft and played well against several receivers who went in the first two rounds while in college. He could start from the first day of training camp, as could each of the Falcons first three picks.

Worst Pick: Laurent Robinson isn't a bad wideout but is a bad fit for the Falcons. He's athletic with great speed but they need more precision for their offense to improve in the future. There were surer bets in the third round.

Other: Their average grade was hurt by a pair of C+'s and each pointed to first overall pick Jamaal Anderson as the reason for a low mark.

Carolina Panthers - Consensus grade: B+

Best Pick: Ryan Kalil was the best center of the draft and the Panthers grabbed him at the back end of the second round.

Worst Pick: Trading down in the first round was a smart move that helped the overall crop but Jon Beason doesn't have the potential for stardom that you like to see in a first-round pick. 

Other: The Panthers got slapped on the wrist for passing on Beason's college teammate Greg Olsen in the first round but they got a lot of helpful players and should enter next season as a playoff contender.

New Orleans Saints - Consensus grade: B-

Best Pick: Andy Alleman of Akron is pleasing to enthusiasts of both alliteration and offensive line play. Guards aren't the sexiest players on the field but a team with Deuce McCallister and Reggie Bush needs to clear paths on a regular basis. Alleman should help do that.

Worst Pick: Antonio Pittman isn't a bad running back, in fact he did a very nice job for Jim Tressel in his college days. But with the pair of running backs they already had in house New Orleans could have gone in a different, more helpful in the short term direction in the fourth round.

Other: The general opinion is that the Saints could have done more to help their team.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Consensus grade: B

Best Pick: Gaines Adams drew comparisons to Dwight Freeney and Simeon Rice in post-draft evaluations.

Worst Pick: Safety Sabby Piscitelli has a strange name and may be a bad fit for a Tampa defense that prides itself on speed. He can hit and support the run but was a reach in the second round for a team that needed help elsewhere on the field.

Other: This draft could come back to haunt Mel Kiper. He gave the Bucs a stiff C while most other grades were in the B+/A- range.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals - Consensus grade: B

Best Pick: Levi Brown should protect Matt Leinart's blind side well into the next decade. New coach Ken Whisenhunt and new OL guru Russ Grimm come from Bill Cowher's school and Brown is a hard-nosed player who will help make a brighter future in the desert.

Worst Pick:  The Cards really have to hope that others didn't know something that they didn't about Alan Branch. He dropped from the top-ten to the second round because of questions about his character. Hopefully it will inspire him.

Other: A very solid if unspectacular job by the new Cardinal regime.

St. Louis Rams - Consensus grade: B-

Best Pick: You can look high and low across the wide world and you'll never hear a discouraging word about Brian Leonard. The versatile Scarlet Knight running back will carry and catch the ball and clear holes for Steven Jackson. 

Worst Pick: They needed a cornerback badly and waited until the third round to take the inconsistent Jonathan Wade. He's got the athletic skills but hasn't shown the coverage abilities that have been missing in the Rams secondary.

Other: Leonard and first rounder Adam Carriker are well regarded players but neither one addressed major needs for St. Louis.

San Francisco 49ers - Consensus grade: A-

Best Pick: Patrick Willis has been hailed as the next great middle linebacker in the NFL. With Alex Smith and Frank Gore showing improvement last season, the Niners needed to shore up the defensive shortcomings. Willis will do that with ease.

Worst Pick: The Niners traded back into the first round to get Joe Staley to help their other rough spot, offensive tackle. The converted tight end is a good athlete but will take some time to develop and wouldn't be the first player who never came around. The cost of a first-round pick next year could burn them.

Other: The Niners got the highest average grade of any NFC club.

Seattle Seahawks - Consensus grade: C-

Best Pick: Um, does Deion Branch - acquired with this year's first-round choice - count? If he doesn't there isn't really a guy that was well-liked across the board. Massive DT Brandon Mebane should be a helpful rotation player though.

Worst Pick: Cornerback Josh Wilson was a reach in the second round by most accounts. So were most of the other Seahawk selections, for that matter, but Wilson was the first one taken so he gets the raspberry.

Other: Only the Fanhouse pegged this draft above mediocre and, even then, it was just a B-.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills - Consensus grade: B

Best Pick: Paul Posluszny was considered to be a lock for the first-round and the scrappy Penn State grad should find a lot of supporters among the lunchpailers in Buffalo. He'll replace London Fletcher in the middle of the defense.

Worst Pick: Trent Edwards could develop into a NFL starter at quarterback but the Bills need to make up their mind if J.P. Losman is their guy for the long haul. They had bigger needs than backup quarterback.

Other: Just about everyone liked the Marshawn Lynch pick at #12 overall but just about everyone also raised a red flag about his attitude. If he pans out they won't miss Willis McGahee.

Miami Dolphins - Consensus grade: C

Best Pick: They made their smartest choice in the fourth round when they took the space-eater Paul Soliai from Utah to fill the middle of the defensive line.

Worst Pick: The reviews of the Ted Ginn pick make him the NFL Draft equivalent of Showgirls.

Other: The Sporting News handed out the highest grades of any evaluator, nothing below a C, and they gave the Dolphins an A+.

New England Patriots - Consensus grade: B-

Best Pick: There really wasn't a college player that garnered much across-the-board love and only two of the nine players picked were in the first four rounds. Most people did like what the Pats did, however, because they turned their picks into Randy Moss and Wes Welker, each of whom fills a big need better than any rookie would have.

Worst Pick: Brandon Meriweather fills a need for a safety but his role as one of the main antagonists of the Miami-FIU brawl this season raises another red flag about the types of people the Patriots are bringing into town. He and Moss will need to drink the Belichick elixir or this draft won't be a long-term success for New England.

Other: The grade is based on only 11 of the grades because Dr. Z gave the Pats an incomplete because of the Moss trade.

New York Jets - Consensus grade: B-

Best Pick: Nothing but raves for inside linebacker David Harris - Great fit for the system, terrific character and an immediate starter in a front seven that needed help.

Worst Pick: Chansi Stuckey, the seventh round wideout from Clemson, is undersized at 5'10" and was injured for big chunks of his college career. He was productive when he played and could help on special teams but with only four picks someone's gotta wear the horns.

Other: The Jets earned kudos for the players they took but also raised some eyebrows for the trades that cost them a variety of players.

AFC Central

Baltimore Ravens - Consensus grade: B-

Best Pick: They needed a guard because Edwin Mulitalo left the team and got the best one on the board in Ben Grubbs. He'll be an immediate starter on the Raven offensive line.

Worst Pick: There were no huge whiffs for the Ravens but third-round pick Yamon Figurs figures to be little more than a special teamer. He's got the speed to replace B.J. Sams in the return game, though, so the pick could bear fruit.

Other: Everyone likes the pick of Heisman winner Troy Smith in the fifth round and this is certainly a situation that could work out for him but he's too speculative a player to take best pick honors.

Cincinnati Bengals - Consensus grade: C+

Best Pick: Leon Hall was considered the best cornerback in the draft by many observers and he's never been convicted of a felony so the Bengals win twice in that regard.

Worst Pick: The Bengals concentrated on taking good citizens in this year's draft but as Leo Durocher said, "nice guys finish last." Jeff Rowe, a fourth-rounder from Nevada, wasn't the best quarterback available and is long-shot to win even the backup job.

Other: A very bland draft for the usually spicy Bengals. Useful players, solid people but no eye-openers anywhere.

Cleveland Browns - Consensus grade: A-

Best Pick: Everyone knows about Joe Thomas and Brady Quinn in the first round but the graders also were very high on Eric Wright, the corner from round two. Considered a character risk, Wright has first-round talent and adding him gives the Browns long-term answers with each of their first three picks. That's a job very well done by Phil Savage.

Worst Pick: Whoever the Cowboys take in the top 10 of next year's lottery.

Other: The Browns find themselves in the odd position of being on top of the NFL. It's April, obviously, and there are still many a mountain to climb but they got two A+'s and no grade below a B for a spot atop the honor roll.

Pittsburgh Steelers - Consensus grade: B

Best Pick: LaMarr Woodley won many honors as the top linebacker in Division-I with Michigan last season and he should slide right into the pass-rushing role vacated by Joey Porter. New coach Mike Tomlin may tinker with the defense but no matter if it's 4-3 or 3-4, Woodley will be coming from the corner.

Worst Pick: There's nothing wrong with taking a punter in the fourth round and Daniel Sepulveda of Baylor certainly has a strong leg. But did the Steelers need him so badly that they had to trade up in the round to get him?

Other: The Steelers got almost exclusively B grades from their haul of solid, productive players who do their jobs well but without much pizazz.

AFC South

Houston Texans - Consensus grade: C

Best Pick: Amobi Okoye is talented enough right now that he'd be a good pick at #10 overall. Throw in the fact that he's just 19 and scratching the surface of his potential and he gets bumped up to being a great pick.

Worst Pick: There's nothing wrong with taking players from small schools. There is something wrong with reaching for them when there are more accomplished players on the board. Jacoby Jones of Lane College will teach the Texans that lesson.

Other: Okoye is highly regarded but the rest of this draft gets something close to a F if you read between the lines.

Indianapolis Colts - Consensus grade: B

Best Pick: The Colts had a huge hole at corner with Nick Harper and Jason David headed out of town but they did a nice job of filling it with third rounder Daymeion Hughes. He's solid if a bit slow and a good fit for Tony Dungy's Cover-2.

Worst Pick: There's nothing wrong with Anthony Gonzalez, per se, but with a well stocked cupboard of weapons for Peyton Manning already the Colts really should have gone for a defensive player in the first round.

Other: The Colts are in good shape, obviously, and mostly got a pass for ignoring the needs of a still-questionable defensive frontline in the first two rounds.

Jacksonville Jaguars - Consensus grade: B-

Best Pick: The Jags wanted to get a starting safety in the first round and even after trading down got the second best player at that position in Reggie Nelson. The Florida product had a lot to do with the Gator national championship and should thrive in the same state as a pro.

Worst Pick: The Jaguars needed to upgrade their skill position players on offense and the wide receiver Mike Walker doesn't really do that. It's not his fault that Jacksonville went defensive with the first two picks but he's not a difference maker.

Other: The Jags added to an already solid defense but did themselves a disservice by not addressing their offensive needs.

Tennessee Titans - Consensus grade: C

Best Pick: The reports on the Titans are all over the map but there seems to be a lot of agreement that Joel Filani, a sixth-round product of Texas Tech, was something of a steal. He's not the fastest or the biggest receiver but he produced like crazy for the Red Raiders and Vince Young should enjoy his hands.

Worst Pick: The Titans gambled on the deletirious character of LenDale White last year and failed. They rolled the dice again this time around on Chris Henry of Arizona in the second round and he's an even bigger risk than White. At least White produced in college.

Other: It was widely felt that the Titans flopped a year after grabbing Young but curmudgeonly Paul Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News gave them an A, high for him and for a team that didn't get better than a C elsewhere.

AFC West

Denver Broncos - Consensus grade: C+

Best Pick: Marcus Thomas was a big risk because of off-field problems while at Florida but he can play the game and the Broncos are a good enough team to gamble on high-risk, high-reward properties like Thomas.

Worst Pick: Thomas' teammate Jarvis Moss was also highly productive in college and also had some troubles off the field. Taking Thomas in the fourth round is a justifiable risk, trading up to take Moss in the first round isn't.

Other: Denver's grades varied as wildly as any team in the league. They got a D- and a D all the way up to an A-, proof that Mike Shanahan beats to his own drum.

Kansas City Chiefs - Consensus grade: C+

Best Pick: They got some good value in the fifth round with Kolby Smith of Louisville. He's a good enough back to spell Larry Johnson and keep him from being run into the ground across another season and should contribute on third down and special teams as well.

Worst Pick: Dwayne Bowe has splendid physical gifts but was ranked below a couple of other receivers when the Chiefs grabbed him in the first round. They may have planned on taking Quinn before Cleveland traded up but Bowe will need to really establish himself to make good on his lofty position.

Other: Not much support for the job done by Herman Edwards and company on draft day among the graders but they had a lot of holes to fill for a team picking so late.

Oakland Raiders - Consensus grade: B+

Best Pick: Everybody's falling all over themselves to laud the Raiders for picking Michael Bush with the first pick of the fourth round. A broken leg is what kept him out of the first round, a full return to health could make him an all-time draft steal.

Worst Pick: They took offensive tackle Mario Henderson in the third round but he may not have enough technique to go with his athletic ability. He's a gamble among some very solid picking by the Raiders, though, and not an awful pick.

Other: The best Raider draft day in ages.

San Diego Chargers - Consensus grade: C+

Best Pick: The Chargers may have gotten a real steal by grabbing Brandon Siler in the seventh round. A starter on the national champion Florida defense, Siler dropped below less-talented linebackers because of concerns about stiffness and character. Those can't outweigh his production, however, and he was the highest value pick on the Charger board.

Worst Pick: They reached for the speedy receiver Craig Davis in the first round. There were several corners with talent available when the Chargers picked and they didn't need Davis nearly as much as they needed help in the secondary.

Other: The Chargers made major gambles during both days of the draft and if each one hits they will be sitting pretty. They rarely do, however.

The graders: Mel Kiper of ESPN, Pete Prisco of CBS, Yahoo! Sports, USA Today, Sporting News, John Czarnecki of Fox Sports, Ira Miller of AOL, Dr. Z of SI.com, NBC Sports, TSN, Rick Gosselin of Dallas Morning News and AOL Fanhouse.

Comments

[Lupe]

I give an A+ to anyone who picks up Darrell Burston as OLB. Unranked in the draft due to an injury, he is a solid player big on heart and low on hype. He was FSU's locker room dynamo that inspired Lawrence Timmons and Buster Davis.