GREAT BLUE NORTH DRAFT REPORT
NEWS AND INFORMATION ON THE NFL DRAFT
GREAT BLUE NORTH DRAFT REPORT
NEWS AND INFORMATION ON THE NFL DRAFT
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Top 10 offensive rookies
Cincinnati WR Jordan Shipley (3); Tennessee KR Marc Mariani (7); Washington KR Brandon Banks (U) Top 10 defensive rookies
Atlanta LB Sean Weatherspoon (1); Indianapolis LB Pat Angerer (2); Cleveland CB Joe Haden (1) Best picks by round
Team-by-team Draft Grades (Ed note: As it can take up to 2-3 years for a draft class to fully develop, these are obviously still very preliminary grades, and very little should be made of them at this point. Also note that reported stats are those through 8 games although some teams have played 9.) TAMPA
BAY: The Buccaneers
have been one of the NFL's big surprises of the first half of the
season as Tampa Bay has hung with Atlanta and New Orleans at the top of
the NFC South standings. And one of the big factors in the resurgence
of
the franchise has been the play of a number of first-year players; that
despite the fact that DT Brian Price, the Bucs' second round pick this
year barely played before going on IR with a pelvis injury. WR Mike
Williams, Tampa Bay's 4th round pick this year, though. looks like a
major draft-day steal. Williams leads the Bucs in receiving with 36
catches
for 560 yards and 5 TDs; in fact, Williams has outplayed the more
heralded Arrelious Benn, the team's other second round pick this year,
although Benn has big catches in each of the past couple of weeks.
Meanwhile, DT Gerald McCoy, the third player taken overall this past
April, hasn't put up big numbers - he's still looking for his pro sack
- but has done a nice job clogging up the middle of the defensive front
and has at least goten into the backfield with 4 tackles for loss. The
Bucs also have something of a steal in SS Cody Grimm, an unheralded 7th
round pick who has 42 tackles as well as 2 picks. And undrafted rookie
free agent RB LaGarrette Blount has emerged as the team's feature back
rushing for 236 yards over the past three weeks. The Bucs have also
gotten a most unexpected contribution from undrafted rookie P Robert
Malone who took over punting duties in the 5th week of the season and
has a net average of 38 yards per punt and has put almost half hs kicks
inside opponents' 20-yard line. Mid-season grade: A KANSAS CITY: It has taken some time, but the Chiefs appear to have finally turned a corner as the perennial doormats lead the AFC West through the first half of the season thanks in part to some solid contributions from their 2010 rookie class. Safety Eric Berry, the 5th player taken at this year's draft, for example, has come close to matching the hype. Berry's been caught out of position on occasion, but for the most part been's around the ball all over the field; Berry is third on the team with 45 tackles, including a couple of sacks, while picking off a couple of passes and breaking up two others; for good measure, Berry also forced a fumble. Meanwhile, WR/RB/KR Dexter McCluster and CB Javier Arenas, the Chiefs' two second round picks this year, have provided the return game with an infusion of eal speed and quickness. McCluster, in particular, has 600 yards of total offense and has a TD rushing, receiving and on a 94-yard punt return. Arenas hasn't been quite as dynamic, but has also contributed in nickle situations where he has 17 tackles and 4 pass break-ups. Same story for safety Kendrick Lewis who 11 tackles and 3 knockdowns of his own. The Chiefs' best pick thios year, though, may have been TE Tony Moeaki, a 3rd round selection who has emerged as a quality go-to receiver with 30 catches including two for scores. Meanwhile, undrafted Canadian rookie free agent LB Cory Greenwood has played well on special teams. Mid-season grade: A ST.
LOUIS: Taking
a QB with the top pick overall is always a gamble, but the Rams look
like they have hit thre jackpot with Sam Bradford, who has easily been
the rookie with the most impact in the league to date. Bradford has
thrown for almost
1,700 yards to date while completing 59% of his pass attempts including
11 for TDs while throwing 8 interceptions. More importanly, Bradford
has shown the poise of a veteran in leading the resurgent Rams to a 4-4
record and in the hunt in the NFC West. Bradford has been joined in the
Rams' starting line-up by second rounder Rodger Saffold who has had
some rough moments at times at LT, but for the most part has solidified
that key spot in St. Louis. The Rams also think they may have a real
steal in undrafted rookie WR Danario Alexander who had a 38-yard TD
reception in the first game he played, but he's out again with a knee
problem; and that's a concern because Alexander has had a slew of knee
injuries in his career. Meanwhile, 3rd round CB Jerome Murphy has
contributed 18 tackles and a pick as a situational corner. At the same
time, WR Mardy Gilyard (4th round), TEs Michael Hoomanawanui (5th) and
Fendi Onobun (6th) and 7th round DE George Selvie have all played some
minutes with Gilyard doing a nice job as the team's primary KO
returner,
while Selvie has chipped in a sack and a half as a situational pass
rusher. Mid-season
grade: A CLEVELAND:
Whether or not he
ultimately is 'the' answer at QB for the Browns, Colt McCoy has given
the team a real boost after taking over as the starter the past
three
weeks. Indeed, McCoy, a 3rd round pick this past April, did what he did
at
Texas and that's put up 'Ws' as the Browns won two of the three. And
there were no cupcakes for McCoy to feast on as his three starts came
against Pittsburgh, New Orleans and New England with the wins coming in
the latter two. McCoy likely will never have the arm strength to
consistently get the ball down field, but is a very accurate passer -
he's completed 68% of his throws to date - who moves well and can throw
on the run. For good measure, the Browns also boast one of the year's
best rookie defenders in safety T.J. Ward, a second rounder who has
racked up 67 tackles to lead all rookies - by a country mile - although
he hasn't made all that many plays with the ball in the air. Meanwhile,
CB Joe Haden, the 7th player taken this past April, has done a nice job
in nickle situations where he has 23 tackles, a pick and 4 other pass
break-ups. Those three are the only Browns' rookies, though, to play
much
at all to date. Mid-season
grade: A
DETROIT: Trust us, one of these days it is going to pay off, but for now the fact that the Lions have put together a second straight strong rookie class remains mostly a smidgen of light at the end of the proverbial football tunnel for Detroit which has been close all season, but still has found new and frustrating ways to lose. After adding QB Matt Stafford, TE Brandon Pettigrew and S Louis Delmas among others at the 2009 draft, Detroit has easily the top defensive rookie in the league, and arguably the best overall player period, in DT Ndamukong Suh, the second player picked overall this past April, has been unblockable at times and leads all NFL DTs with 6.5 sacks while posting 30 tackles; Suh also has a pick and returned a fumble for a TD. And just for good measure, the one-time soccer player is the team's back-up PK, although he missed his only attempt at a PAT. Meanwhile, RB Jahvid Best, the Lions' other first-round pick this year, has just over 700 yards from scrimmage, although he's been a better receiver than rusher to date; indeed, he's only averaged 3.2 yards per carry through the first half of the campaign. DB Amari Spievey, a 3rd rounder this year, has also worked his way into the starting line-up in recent weeks, but has yet to make many plays, while undrafted rookie free agent CB Aaron Berry has an interception in limited snaps. Mid-season grade: A- OAKLAND: Its
been something of a work in progress but the Raiders appear to have
finally gotten back on track in the AFC West with just a little help
from their 2010 draft class. MLB Rolando McClain, the 8th player taken
this past April, for example, has played just about every snap through
the first half of the campaign, in the process racking up 40 tackles
while chipping in 3 pass break-ups. Even more important perhaps is the
fact that McClain has quickly emerged as the QB of the defense and has
the confidence of the coaches to make the right calls. Meanwhile, DT
Lamarr Houston, the Raiders' second-round selection, has been solid
enough working enough working slightly out of position at RDE where he
has a couple of sacks. The most pleasant surprise of the Oakland rookie
class, though, has been the emergence of 3rd round OT Jared Veldheer as
a competent starting LT. On the other hand, WR Jacoby Ford and OT Bruce
Campbell, a pair of fourth-round picks, along with CBs Walter McFadden
(5th) and Jeremy Ware (7th) have only played sparingly. Mid-season
grade: A- SEATTLE: Its
been and up-and-down season for the Seahawks who lost their last
two games by a combined score of 71-10, but still find themselves tied
for the division lead. The Seahawks also appear to have at least a
couple of portential future stars as both their two opening round
picks, OT Russell Okung and FS Earl Thomas, the 6th and 14th players
selected in this year's opening round respectively, have come as
advertised.
Okung, for example, has played like a veteran shut-down LT through the
first half of the season, although a nasty ankle injury has kept him
sidelined in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Thomas has emerged as a
ball-hawking safety with 4 picks to date, although he's also been
burned on occasion. CB Walter Thurmond and SS Kam Chancellor, who were
taken in the 4th and 5th rounds respectively, have also played
extensive minutes. That's the good news; the bad news is that they
along with Thomas are part of a youthful Seahawks' secondary that ranks
30th overall in the NFL in passing
yardage allowed. On the other hand, WR Golden Tate, the team's second
rounder, has only 10 catches to date, while 6th round TE Anthony McCoy
has none, despite the fact the Seahawks need receivers to step up. The
fact that Tate has also been slowed by an ankle injury, though, hasn't
helped
his development. Mid-season grade: B+ PITTSBURGH: The Steelers just keep rolling along and anyone looking for a reason just needs to check out C Maurkice Pouncey whom Pittsburgh selected with the 18th pick at the 2010 draft. Center isn't usually a prime draft position and the Steelers had other needs, but the former Florida star was just too good a talent to pass on at that point. And the Steelers have been rewarded as Pouncey has played at a Pro Bowl type level since day one. Pouncey, though, is the only Steelers' rookie to play a major role, although WRs Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown, the team's 3rd and 6th round pcks respectively, have been outstanding returning KOs. Sanders has averaged over 26 yards per return, while Brown has been even better averaging over 30 yards per pop which included one he returned for a score. On the other hand, second round OLB Jason Worilds has only 8 tackles to date, although he does have a sack, while 5th round CB Crezdon Butler has yet to be activated. Note though that the Steelers have had a lot of success in the past by bringing along high picks slowly. Just to prove that they are human, though, the Steelers did lose OLB Thaddeus Gibson, the team's 4th round pick this past April, when he was claimed by San Francisco after being released to clear a roster spot. Mid-season grade: B+ PHILADELPHIA: With
a total of 13 selections, the Eagles had the most picks of any team at
the 2010 draft. And with an even dozen rookies on the roster
at the start of the campaign, the Eagles had more first-year players
than every team except St. Louis. Philadelphia has also played more
young players than any other team in the league. FS Nate Allen, the
Eagles' second round pick this year, though, is the team's only rookie
to have made a major impact to date. Allen, the 37th player taken this
past
April has 34 tackles to date including a sack, while he's
picked off three passes and knocked down three others. DE Brandon
Graham, whom the Eagles traded up to the 13th pick in the opening round
to snare, also
looked the part early in the season, but has been slowed to a virtual
stop by an ankle injury and non-football related infection that helped
limit the former Michigan star to just 7 tackles and a couple of sacks
through the first half of the season. Meanwhile, CB Jorick Calvin, a
6th round pick by Arizona whom the Eagles claimed on waivers has done a
nice job returning kicks especially with DeSean Jackson ailing. At the
same time, CB Trevard Lindley (4th), WR Riley Cooper (5th), FS Kurt
Coleman and LB Jamar Chaney (7th) have played limited situational
minutes, with Lindley chipping in a pick, while Coleman has 14 tackles.
Mid-season
grade: B+ SAN
FRANCISCO: The 49ers were one of the NFL's most disappointing
teams through the first half of the season, although it would probably
be a stretch to put too much of the blame on RT Anthony Davis and LG
Mike Iupati, the team's two opening round picks who have both started
all
season. Both have had issues in pass protection and with penalties, but
both have also been more than solid run blocking. And while starting a
couple of rookies on the offensive line will always be a gamble,
especially for a team that thought of itself as a contender entering
the season, it is also the kind of move that can pay off down the road.
Meanwhile, SS Taylor Mays and ILB Navorro Bowman, the 49ers' 2nd and
3rd round picks respectively, also start and have been phyisical enough
defending the run, but have been exposed in coverage. At the same time,
6th rounders RB Anthony Dixon and TE Nate Byham have seen only limited
action. Mid-season
grade: B CINCINNATI: The
big news for the Bengals in the off-season was the acquisition of WR
Terrell Owens to line-up opposite Chad Ochocinco, but the Cincinnai
offense has also gotten a boost with the emergence of TE Jermaine
Gresham and WR Jordan Shipley, the team's 1st and 3rd round picks
respectively at the 2010 draft, as decent complimentary receivers.
Shipley, in particular, has emerged as
a solid 3rd down slot receiver who can get upfield and has caught 28
passes for almost 400 yards and a score. Same story for Gresham who has
31 receptions including two for TDs, although he probably needs to be
a little more aggressive when the ball is in the air. The rest of the
Bengals' draft, which focused almost exclusively on the defense,
though, has been something of a washout. Indeed, second round DT Carlos
Dunlap, 3rd round CB Brandon Ghee, and DT Geno Atkins and OLB Rodderick
Muckleroy, a pair of 4th rounders, have contributed a total of just 16
tackles between them, although Muckleroy has forced a couple of
fumbles, while Atkins had a half sack. Mid-season grade: B-
ARIZONA: The Cardinals thought they had hit the proverbial draft jackpot when big NT Dan Williams, one of the hot prospects at the 2010 draft, was still on the board when they made their first round pick, the 26th overall. The Cardinals wasted little time grabbing the former Tennessee star, but are still waiting for the big return. Williams has done a decent enough job holding the point of attack as part of the Cardinals' DT rotation registering 14 tackles, but has struggled to get into the backfield and has yet to record any impact plays. Like Williams, LB Daryl Washington, the Cardinals' second rounder, isn't a nominal starter, but he's been an even more useful; indeed, the athletic Washington is among the league leaders in rookie tackles with 46 including a sack, but he has yet to show much in coverage. The Cardinals also briefly held out hope that undrafted rookie free agent QB Max Hall might be the answer at the position in the wake of the retirement of Kurt Warner and gave him several starts, but that experiment became something of a bust as Hall completed barely half his pass attempts while throwing 5 picks against just one TD throw. There was also a good news, bad news angle to the fact that WR Andre Roberts is 4th on the Cardinals in receiving yards.That's the good part; the bad is that Roberts still has less than 100 total receiving yards on 6 total receptions. The Cardinals search for some solid complimentary receivers also extended to undrafted rookie wideouts Stephen Williams and Max Komar, who had 7 and 6 receptions, respectively. Mid-season grade: B- MIAMI: The Dolphins' rookie class took a major hit when DE Jared Odrick, the team's #1 pick this year, broke his leg in the season opener and went on IR. Miami's second rounder, OLB Koa Misi, though, has been able to pick up some of the slack showing a nice burst off the edge enroute to 3.5 sacks through the first half of the season; Misi also has 21 total tackles. Miami has also been happy with the play of 3rd round OG John Jerry who has started pretty much from day, although he did miss several games with a non-football illness. On the other hand, the Dolphins' have gotten very little to date from their mid-round picks. LB A.J. Edds, the team's 4th round selection, went on IR during training camp, while 5th round DBs Nolan Carroll and Reshad Jones have a combined 3 tackles on the season. Undrafted rookie free agent WR Roberto Wallace, though, has a couple of receptions and also has made an impact on special teams. Mid-season grade: C+ DALLAS:
There
have been times in recent weeks when it appeared that WR Dez Bryant,
the
24th player taken in this year's opening round, was the only Cowboy out
there who still cared. Through the first half of the season, Bryant has
caught 38 passes including 4 for scores, while he's also averaged 14.3
yards per try returning punts, two of which he has brought back for
TDs. Bryant, though, has been the only Cowboys' rookie to make much of
an impact to date, although a lot have gotten at least a few snaps. LB
Sean Lee, the Cowboys' #2 pick this year, for example, has bided his
time on the bench behind the team's veteran ILBs, while 4th round CB
Akwasi Owusu-Ansah has been adequate running back KOs, but has only 1
tackle from scrimmage and will spend the rest of the year on IR. At the
same time, DE Sean Lissemore, a 7th round
pick this year, has a half sack, while DT Josh Brent, who was taken in
the supplemental draft with a 2011 7th rounder, has contributed some
useful minutes at NT where he has 11 tackles. The Cowboys have also
used a number of undrafted rookies including S Danny McCray who
has a
pick. Unfortunately, undrafted rookie FB Chris Gronkowski may have been
involved in the most consequential play for the Cowboys this fall when
his mis-read on a block resulted in QB Tony Romo's season-ending
injury. Mid-season
grade: C+
DENVER: The Broncos made one of the big splashes at the 2010 draft when they moved up into the latter part of the opening round in order to take former Florida QB Tim Tebow with the 25th pick overall. The results, though, have been somewhat mixed. Of course, no one expected Tebow, arguably one of the best college players of all time, but a somewhat suspect pro prospect because of his unusual passing mechanics, to take the NFL by storm. In fact, Tebow has yet to throw a pass in the NFL, but the fact that he has averaged less than 3 yards per carry when running on occasion out of a wildcat formation has to be somewhat disconcernting in Denver. At the same time, WR Demaryius Thomas, the Broncos' other first-round pick this past April, has been solid enough as a situational receiver catching 16 passes included 2 for scores; Thomas has also been solid returning KOs. The Broncos are also starting Zane Beadles and J.D. Walton, the team's second and third round picks respectively at RT and C, however, again with mixed results as they are part of an offensive front that is very much a work in progress. Meanwhile, CB Perrish Cox, a 5th round pick, has done a nice job as the team's nickel back, posting 26 tackles and a pick, while 7th round CB Syd'Quan Thompson also has a pick, although he doesn't play anywhere near as much. Mid-season grade: C+ ATLANTA: For the second straight year, Atlanta's #1 pick has had injury issues to deal with. Last year, for example, DT Peria Jerry was lost for the season with a knee injury suffered the second week of the schedule and really still isn't back to 100%. At least LB Sean Weatherspoon, whom the Falcons grabbed with the 19th pick overall this past April will be back in the lineup sooner rather than later after he missed four games with a sprained knee and ankle problem. Prior to the injury, though, Weatherspoon looked like the real deal at WLB as he averaged 8 tackles per game including a sack and pass break-up. Meanwhile, DT Corey Peters, the Falcons' 3rd rounder, has been a solid contributor to the team's DT rotation, while 5th round CB Dominique Franks has a pick but has played little otherwise. In fact, no other Falcons' rookie has played much at all other than Weatherpsoon and Peters. Mid-season grade: C+ HOUSTON: The
Texans have taken a step back this season, or at least a step sideways,
after a quick start. In the process, they haven't gotten much help from
their 2010 rookie class. CB Kareem Jackson, whom Houston took -
soemwhat surprisingly - with the 20th pick overall, has started all
year and has posted decent numbers, including 32 tackles, two picks and
5 other pass break-ups, but he's also been burned on more than one
occasion. Meanwhile, DT Earl Mitchell, Houston's 3rd round pick, has
contributed some useful minutes to the DT rotation, although he's been
slowed by an ankle injury in recent weeks; Mitchell, who has 14
tackles, but no big plays, though, is the only Houston rookie other
than Jackson to play on any kind of regular basis, although 5th round
CB Sherrick McManis does have a pick. Of course, it hasn't helped the
Texans' cause that RB Ben Tate, the team's second round pick this year,
will spend the entire year on IR after being injured in training camp. Mid-season
grade: C+
JACKSONVILLE: More than a few eyebrows were raised when the Jaguars, a struggling franchise that really needed to make a splash, selected California DE Tyson Aluala with the 9th pick at the 2010 draft. Many observers had considered Aluala to be a prospect on the rise prior to the draft, but no one had him rated anywhere near that high. Aluala, though, has been solid enough with the Jaguars so far this fall posting 23 tackles including 2.5 sacks. Meanwhile, 3rd round DE Larry Hart also has a sack, but that's been his only stat for the year. On the other hand, unheralded 6th round RB Deji Karim has emerged as the #2 back behind Maurice Drew-Jones, although he has averaged less than 4 yards per carry; Karim, though, has done better as a KO returner averaging 25 yards per pop. Mid-season grade: C+ GREEN
BAY: OT Bryan Bulaga,
the Packers' fist-round pick at the 2010 draft has proven, if nothing
else to be versatile as he has been the team's first option off the
bench at every position along the offensive line except center. And
with the front line banged up, Bulaga has seen plenty of action of
action and has done little to disappoint to date. DT Mike Neal, the
Packers' second rounder also showed some early promise coming off the
bench, but will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury,
while FS Morgan Burnett, a 3rd rounder, is done for the year with a
torn ACL. In fact, none of the Packers' 2010 rookie class is a nominal
starter, although Green Bay has received some useful situational
contributions from TE Andrew Quarless, who has 7 receptions, including
one for a score, while both DE C.J. Wilson, a 7th rounder and undrafted
rookie free agent LB Frank Zombo have played a lot of snaps with Wilson
posting 16 tackles and Zombo chipping in a couple of sacks. Mid-season
grade: C+ CHICAGO: The Bears probably weren't expecting much from their 2010 draft after trading away their top two picks, but still have to be disappointed in just how little productivity they have received. Indeed, safety Major Wright, DE Corey Wootton and CB Josh Moore, the Bears' 3rd through 5th round picks respectively, have all of one tackle between them and that was an assist by Wootton. Wright, though, missed extensive playing time with a hamstring problem, while Wootton had knee and neck issues coming out of the draft. The saving grace for the Bears' draft has been the emergence of OT J'Marcus Webb, a 7th round pick, as a more than solid RT who looks like he could anchor the unit for the next decade. Mid-season grade: C WASHINGTON: The Redskins threw OT
Trent Williams, the 4th player
taken oveall at the 2010 draft, into the fire from day one, however,
with somewhat mixed results. Williams, who has been slowed by knee and
toe injuries, has been strong enough at the point of attack, but has
struggled handling outside speed rushers and is giving up close a sack
a game and has been flagged three times for holding. Williams, though,
is the only rookie to be listed as a starter for the Redskins this
season, although undrafted rookie free agent KR Brandon Banks has given
the return game a real boost; indeed, Banks ranks 3rd in the league in
punt returns and 7th in KO returns. At the same time, RB Keiland
Williams, another undrafted rookie free agent has contributed as a 3rd
down back. Mid-season
grade: C INDIANAPOLIS: The mantra in
Indianapolis this year has been 'next man up' as the injury-riddled
Colts try
stay competitive in the tough AFC South. And that could mean added
pressure on the team's rookie class which will be asked to carry a much
bigger load over the second half of the season. That was the case early
on for second round LB Pat Angerer, who was only expected to be a
back-up and special teamer this fall, but with injuries to starters
Phillip Wheeler and Gary Brackett, Angerer found himself the team's
starting MLB. Angerer still struggles when forced to take on big
blockers at the point of attack, but when free to run to the ball, does
just that as he has recorded 30 tackles to date, most in the past three
weeks; that inlcuded a sack and a forced fumble as well as a pass
breakup. In fact, Angerer is the only Colts' rookie to have played much
to date, but one who could see a lot of action the final two months of
the season is undrafted rookie WR Blair White, who has just 9 catches
to date this season, but will be asked to help replace injured regulars
Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon and Anthony Gonzales. Same for RB Javarris
James, another undrafted rookie free agent, who could get additional
carries over the next few weeks. Don't expect to see that much of DE
Jerry
Hughes, the Colts' surprise #1 pick this past April who had just one
tackle through the first half of the season, though, unless either of
incumbent starters Dwight Freeney or
Robert Mathis are injured. Mid-season
grade: C NEW
YORK JETS: With
just 4 picks at the 2010 draft, the Jets weren't expecting a whole lot
from their rookie class; and that's about what they've gotten through
the first half of the season. CB Kyle Wilson, the Jets top pick this
year, did see extensive playing time early in the year with All-Pro CB
Darrelle Revis out of the line-up, but with Revis back has gone back to
the bench. Meanwhile, FB John Conner has done a nice job sharing the
blocking chores with veteran Tony Richardson, but has only one touch to
date. There is a similar story for RB Joe McKnight, the Jets' 4th round
pick, who has only been activated for one game so far this season. Mid-season grade: C
CAROLINA:
This
could get ugly as the 1-7 Panthers will have to go the second half of
the season with rookies - either Jimmy Clausen or Tony Pike - at QB
after starter Matt Moore was lost for the season with a torn labrum.
And unfortunately neither Clausen nor Pike has shown much reason or
optimism so far this season. Clausen, whom the Panthers took in the
second round completed just 47% of his first half pass attempts while
throwing 4 picks against just one TD. Indeed, Pike may ultimately be
the better option, although he also completed barely 50% of his throws
in limited playing time. Whoever ultimately ends up with the job,
though, will look to a couple of rookie WRs in Brandon LaFell and David
Gettis to complement star wideout Steve Smith. Gettis, a 6th round
steal, is currently second on the team with 20 receptions, including
two for scores, while LaFell is third with 17. The Panthers have also
received some useful minutes from CB Jordan Pugh and DE Greg Hardy, two
more 6th rounders who have a pick and a sack respectively. The Panthers
grade, though, also takes a hit after
the team traded away its first round pick in 2010 in order to move up
in the second round of the 2009 draft to take DE Everette Brown who has
all of 2.5 sacks - none this year - in a season and a half. Ouch! Mid-season grade: D+ BUFFALO: In
a perfect world the silver lining to the Bills miserable 0-8 start
would be the fact that at least some young players were getting some
experience. Unfortunately, it's far from a perfect world up in Buffalo.
The Bills, in fact, have played a number of rookies to date, but none
has been
particualrly productive. RB C.J. Spiller, whom the Bills took with the
9th pick overall in the hopes that the former Clemson speedster could
provide the offense with some big-play explosion, for example, is
just 4th on the team in rushing with a measly 130 yards, while he's
averaged an even more anemic 4.5 yards per reception. Meanwhile, DT
Torrell Troup, the Bills second rounder has contributed some useful
minutes up front, but has made few impact plays, while 3rd round DE
Alex
Carrington has all of one tackle to date. Indeed, the Bills most
productive rookie to date has been undrafted rookie free agent WR David
Nelson who has 15 receptions, while OT Cord Howard, another undrafted
free agent, has started 3 games at RT ahead of OT Ed Wang, a 5th round
pick. Mid-season
grade: D+
NEW YORK GIANTS: DE Jason Pierre-Paul, the 15th player selected at the 2010 draft, has quietly emerged as one of the Giants' better special teamers, but is stil looking for his first career sack, despite the fact he's gotten a lot of snaps as a situational pass rusher. At the same time, DT Linval Joseph, the Giants' #2 pick, remains buried on the team's depth chart, but showed a few flashes in training camp. In fact, the Giants' most 'productive' - and we use the term liberally - rookie has been P Matt Dodge, whose overall average has been respectable enough, but its still been an adventure just about everytime Dodge handles the ball as he's already muffed two snaps and had one kick blocked, while shanking more than his share of others. Dodge, though, has gotten more comfortable in the job as the season has progressed. Mid-season grade: D- BALTIMORE: Fortunately,
the Ravens, who would have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs
were the post-season to start today, haven't needed much help from
their 2010 rookie class because that's just about what they have
received, although injuries have played a role. In fact, both of the
team's second round picks - the Ravens traded out of this year's
opening round - have had their rookie seasons derailed by
injuries. OLB Sergio Kindle, for example, suffered a serious head
injury when he fell down a flight of stairs prior to the start of
training camp and won't play until next season at the earliest.
Meanwhile, DT Terrence Cody had a knee injury coming out of camp and
has
been stuck as a 3rd stringer since. Indeed, Cody has yet to record a
solo tackle so far this fall. At least Cody has gotten in for a few
snaps as 5th round DT Arthur Jones has yet to be even activated.
Meanwhile, the Ravens had been hoping that young TEs Ed Dickson and
Dennis Pitta, the team's 3rd and 4th round picks respectively, would
inject some athleticism to the sometimes sluggish offense, but the duo
has combined for just 5 receptions to date, while 5th round WR David
Reed has none, but has been effective covering kicks. Mid-season grade: D-
MINNESOTA: It seems not much has gone right for the Vikings so far this season and unfortunately that extends to the their 2010 rookie class. CB Chris Cook, the first of two Vikings' second round picks this past April, did impress in training, but his progress since has been slowed by two knee injuries which forced him to miss four games. Cook has seen duty as a nickle back in the remaining games and has 13 tackles, but has only one pass break-up to date; Cook, though, could see more playing time the rest of the way, though, as the rest of the secondary is pretty banged up too. Meanwhile, RB Toby Gerhart, the Vikings' other second rounder, has been the primary back-up to Adrian Peterson, but has averaged only 3.3 yards per carry when called upon, which hasn't been that often, while DE Everson Griffin, the team's 4th round pick, has but two tackles in three games. Mid-season grade: D- If you have comments or suggestions, e-mail the Editor, Great Blue North Draft Report. The GBN can also be reached by phone at (613) 692-1088; or regular mail at 320 Shadehill Crescent, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2J 0L6. Great Blue North Draft Report Privacy Policy. The GREAT BLUE NORTH DRAFT REPORT is a division of SQUITERLAND ENTERPRISES, Ottawa, Ontario,Canada |
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