As you all know by now, I enjoy going back and re-grading the grades that Mel Kiper has given teams after each NFL Draft. It's a pastime I enjoy and I have regraded every draft grade column Mel has posted from 2001-2006. I have already re-graded Dr. Z's 2007 draft grades back when I didn't know this would be a thing I would do for Mel Kiper, but screw it, I'll do the 2007 draft grades for Mel too. I enjoy this stuff too much. So I found Mel's draft grades on this message board where a person posted ESPN Insider columns like this on the board. I'm sure the punishment for this is 3-5 years in jail, but he risked it anyway.
Mel is famous for not really taking risks with the grades he gives. He gave out B's and C's for this draft. No really, the only grades he handed out were some variation of a "B" or a "C." There is no draft grade that is an "A" or a "D." There are certainly no "F's." Zero NFL teams did very well or very poorly in the draft. This is what Mel seems to believe. Why the fuck would you even have draft grades if you are just going to say every team did slightly below average to slightly above average? It's a wasted effort, but Mel doesn't care. The best part is he wrote nothing that would come back to haunt him. That's all that matters, being right in retrospect by not outright bashing a player or team. What a farce.
Arizona Cardinals: GRADE: B-
Once Joe Thomas was gone, the Cardinals had to make a decision whether to take Adrian Peterson or Levi Brown.
Should I eat pizza or dog shit? Pizza has few nutrients in it and I already had pizza this week, so maybe I'll go with the dog shit because it has to have nutrients and I haven't had dog shit lately.
Peterson would have been a luxury pick, which they couldn't afford to do, and Brown fills a hole.
Because when you have J.J. Arrington and Edgerrin James, there's no need for a running back. The Cardinals did just sign James, but still, an offense with Kurt Warner, Adrian Peterson, Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, and Steve Breaston. That's a pretty good offense.
There were quite a few teams that didn't think there was a lot that
separated Brown from Thomas. Brown has a nasty streak and can play
either tackle position.
But he can he play either tackle as well as Adrian Peterson can play running back? Brown was decent, but man, passing up Peterson...
Tight end Ben Patrick is a potential steal in the seventh round. He
needs to work on his concentration and catching the ball, but Patrick
could have gone in the third round and no one would have argued.
Other than getting distracted while he's on the field and not being able to catch the ball, Ben Patrick would make an excellent tight end.
This is just the beginning of a lot of "B's" and "C's." What an embarrassment.
Atlanta Falcons: GRADE: B
Defensive end Jamaal Anderson was really the only option with Joe Thomas and Levi Brown gone.
(Bengoodfella coughs) Darrelle Revis, Patrick Willis, Marshawn Lynch.
I really liked what Atlanta did Sunday.
Okay, great. So when is a "B" grade, which is a grade that signifies the Falcons did "above average" mean that Mel Kiper really likes the draft? What is an "A" grade reserved for? Does there have to be another "really" thrown in there?
Baltimore Ravens: GRADE: B
Mel says literally nothing negative about the Ravens draft. Nothing negative. He loves it all. Every pick, yet the draft gets a "B."
Ben Grubbs:
Ben Grubbs is a great pick and pure guard.
Yamon Figurs:
Yamon Figurs has speed to burn and will be the returner the Ravens need
with B.J. Sams coming off an injury and being a free agent after 2007.
Marshall Yanda:
Marshal Yanda possibly also could start at guard or right tackle.
Antwan Barnes:
Antwan Barnes is a typical hybrid combination between a defensive end and outside linebacker.
Le'Ron McClain:
Le'Ron McClain was the best pure fullback in the draft. Not only does
he fill a need, but he could start since the Ravens lost Ovie Mughelli
in free agency.
Troy Brown:
This was a good organization for Troy Smith to go to as a developmental
quarterback. He also could push Kyle Boller, who will be a free agent
after 2007.
Prescott Burgess:
Prescott Burgess had a nice career at Michigan, and getting him in the
sixth round is a nice move because Burgess should have a solid NFL
career.
So how in the ever-living hell is this a "B" draft and not an "A" draft? Mel likes EVERY SINGLE PICK the Ravens made. What a joke. Why even have grades? Why even evaluate a team's draft if he is just handing out "B's" and "C's"?
Buffalo Bills: GRADE: B
Down the road, Trent Edwards could give J.P. Losman some competition.
To be fair, there are a lot of college quarterbacks who could have given J.P. Losman some competition.
And if Edwards develops in two or three years, the Bills could trade him, similar to what Atlanta did with Matt Schaub.
Ah yes, 2007 when there was a possibility the Bills had such an embarrassment of riches at the quarterback position that they could trade their backup quarterback.
Hey look, a "B" grade. Oh, look another "B" grade coming up! There are five outright "B" grades in a row, not counting the "B-" he gave the Cardinals. Such creativity from Mel.
Carolina Panthers: GRADE: B
I'm not enamored with linebacker Jon Beason, but he has the ability to be a team leader because he has a great attitude.
I love Jon Beason, but someone should create a Jon Beason Doll that signs a new contract and then immediately gets injured when you pull his string.
The Panthers did a good job in the second round, getting WR Dwayne
Jarrett and center Ryan Kalil. I thought Georgia defensive end Charles
Johnson was a steal in the third round.
I'm shuddering at the thought of Dwayne Jarrett. He was so horrible. Mel was correct about Charles Johnson though.
Dante Rosario is a backup tight end;
As are most tight ends drafted in the 5th round. Great analysis, Mel.
"This guy drafted in the 5th round, try to stay with me here, but I think he may end up being a backup. That's how I project him and feel free to argue with me if you would like. I would give your ability to make an argument a 'B' grade."
Chicago Bears: GRADE: B
The Bears didn't expect Greg Olsen to be available that late in the
first round; he'll give Rex Grossman a solid pass-catching tight end.
Or he will be underused during his Bears career. You know, either way.
Defensive end Dan Bazuin is perfect for the Bears' scheme.
As a 2nd round pick, Bazuin never played a regular season snap for the Bears.
Corey Graham will fight for a roster spot at cornerback and on special teams.
Or he will still be in the NFL in 2015 and have played in 125 games while having returned one kick on special teams during his career so far.
Cincinnati Bengals: GRADE: C+
WHAT? A "C+" grade? You don't say?
Mel likes every pick the Bengals made, except for Jeff Rowe, because:
Jeff Rowe was a system quarterback at Nevada, and I didn't like this
pick because there were better quarterbacks still on the board;
This is a good call by Mel, because Matt Moore, Tyler Thigpen, and Troy Smith were still out there. Still, it's a 5th round pick that Mel didn't like and also he knocked the Bengals' grade down because he didn't think they helped themselves enough on defense. This despite the fact Mel had nothing negative to say about the players the Bengals chose instead of focusing on defense.
Picking Michigan CB Leon Hall without having to trade up to get him
turned out to be very good value for the Bengals. Running back Kenny
Irons could have been a first-round pick but couldn't stay healthy his
senior season at Auburn. Safety Marvin White was not a bad fourth-round
pick;
The Bengals didn't have a 3rd round pick because they chose Ahmad Brooks in the 2006 supplemental draft. They used three of their first four picks on defense, but that wasn't enough for Mel. They got a "C+," or otherwise as it's known, they did just slightly worse than the Ravens did when Mel loved every pick the Ravens made.
Cleveland Browns: GRADE: B+
The Browns were going to use the third overall pick on Wisconsin tackle
Joe Thomas or Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn. At the end of the day, the
Browns came away with both players.
Again, pizza or dog shit for dinner?
The Browns did, however, give up a lot of picks in this draft.
The Browns wanted Joe Thomas and Brady Quinn at #3. They traded picks to get Brady Quinn at #22 and Mel didn't like this strategy. Of course he didn't. Mel also didn't like how many picks the Browns gave up, but thought they did better than the Ravens in the draft. So there's that.
Dallas Cowboys: GRADE: B
I really liked the pick of tackle Doug Free in the fourth round because he has a lot of talent.
I'm not all negative. This was a good call by Mel.
Dallas took place-kicker Nick Folk when Mason Crosby was still on the board;
They are both kickers and it was the 6th round. Let's take it easy with this type of criticism.
Courtney Brown has the necessary skills to be a developmental cornerback.
So Brown has the necessary skills like arms/legs/hands/a head, he played college football in college AND played college football at the position at which he was drafted by the Cowboys, so he may one day become a cornerback who can be developed into a backup or starter? Thanks Mel, that's really, really enlightening to know.
Denver Broncos: GRADE: B-
The Broncos tried to strengthen the
defensive line, starting with Jarvis Moss in the first round. In the
Broncos' system, he has a chance to get 10-12 sacks next season.
Or 6 sacks for his entire career. That too.
Offensive tackle Ryan Harris had a
first-round grade in August, but his stock dropped and Denver grabbed
him in the third round.
What does this sentence even mean? It's interesting Harris had a first round grade in August, and yes, we know Ryan Harris was drafted in the third round. Is there a conclusion to be drawn based on these two bits of information? Mel is getting so lazy with his grades he's just going to allow his readers to guess his conclusions rather than spend the precious time he has actually writing one more sentence for the Broncos' draft grades.
Detroit Lions: GRADE: C
Drew Stanton will be measured against Brady Quinn because the Lions could have taken the Notre Dame QB.
Dog shit or meat that isn't quite spoiled yet, but getting there quickly? Which one for lunch?
A.J. Davis could be a good nickel or dime cornerback;
Davis could be or could not be a good nickel or dime cornerback. Maybe or maybe not. Stop asking Mel tough questions and just let him finish giving every team a "B" or "C" grade.
Manuel Ramirez was a nice fourth-round pick who will be a starting guard in the NFL;
Mel was correct about this.
Johnny Baldwin was a good small-school linebacker at Alabama A&M who will be a good backup and special-teams player.
Mel was not correct about this. But hey, it's a draft where Mel didn't like one of the Lions 2nd round picks, thought another 2nd round pick had low upside, and stated the other 2nd round pick was too raw. Sounds like a "C" draft according to the dartboard that Mel has which determines his draft grades. By the way, this dartboard only has "B" and "C" on it and Mel determines if a "+" or "-" will be added by the color of the dart he throws.
Green Bay Packers: GRADE: C+
Defensive tackle Justin Harrell didn't fill need, but the Packers chose the best available player over need.
This was a tough pick for the Packers. Harrell had injuries, was overweight and only ended up with 28 tackles and 0 sacks over his career with Green Bay. The list of players taken within 30 picks of Harrell is depressing for Packers fans. It's probably easier to sleep knowing they have Aaron Rodgers and a Super Bowl ring since 2007.
James Jones was a decent third-round pick, a good wide receiver with natural receiving skills;
Great analysis here. The Packers drafted a wide receiver, who just happens to have natural receiving skills. I'm starting to wonder why a team would draft a wide receiver who doesn't have natural receiving skills by the time he reaches the NFL, but that's probably a question better not asked.
WR David Clowney has a lot of speed, and inside linebackers Korey Hall and Desmond Bishop should make it in the NFL as backups.
Bishop ended up being a starter in the NFL. You know Mel is starting to get bored when he just describes a guy as "having a lot of speed" and then noting that 6th round picks should be backups in the NFL. I would say he's mailing it in, but the variety of draft grades already shows that.
Houston Texans: GRADE: C-
A "C-" is an "F" based on Mel Kiper's grading curve.
The Texans took defensive tackle Travis Johnson in 2005, and he hasn't played up to his potential. They took DT Amobi Okoye
It seems the Texans wanted a pair of defensive tackles who didn't play to their potential.
when they should have been looking at a cornerback such as Leon Hall or Darrelle Revis.
Yeah, probably.
Wide receiver Jacoby Jones played at Lane College,
This is all Mel has to say about Jacoby Jones. Why even mention him if you are only going to mention what college Jones went to? This is hilarious to me. What is the reader supposed to ascertain from reciting Jones' college?
This turned out to be a typical Houston draft. The Texans didn't help
David Carr when he was their QB, and they didn't do much to help Schaub. Cornerback Fred Bennett was a good pick in the fourth round, and I
really like linebacker Zach Diles. He had two productive years at Kansas
State and might have flown under some teams' radar. Getting Diles in
the seventh round was a good move.
Diles was productive for a 7th round pick. It seems like Mel hated the Texans draft, but he just couldn't bring himself to actually grade the Texans on his feelings about their draft. And why would Mel give a draft grade based on how he felt the Texans did in the draft in acquiring talented players who fit the team's needs? That's not the purpose of draft grades apparently.
Indianapolis Colts: GRADE: B-
The Texans should take a page from the Colts. They win the Super Bowl
and what do they do in the first round? Give Peyton Manning another
weapon on offense by taking WR Anthony Gonzalez. This was a great pick,
replacing Brandon Stokley in the Colts' arsenal.
Gonzalez really didn't do much to replace Brandon Stokley and was out of the NFL by 2012. If you ask me, while Mel likes the strategy of the Colts, I think they should have spent more time drafting for defense than giving Manning more weapons on offense. Manning has the ability to make decent receivers look greater than they are. He can't help the defense like that. That's just my opinion.
Tony Ugoh could be the heir apparent to Tarik Glenn at left tackle,
He was not.
and I really like wide receiver Roy Hall, Gonzalez's teammate at Ohio State.
He caught one pass in his NFL career.
fifth-round pick Michael Coe has the chance to be a good developmental cornerback.
One day, MAYBE, Michael Coe could develop into a cornerback. He has a chance.
Jacksonville Jaguars: GRADE: C
The Jaguars needed a playmaking safety. They not only got Florida's Reggie Nelson
Eh, can't win them all.
Not only do I like punter Adam Podlesh's strong leg, but he runs a 4.45
40 time, which will force defenses to always be thinking about a fake
punt.
I have never heard this type of evaluation about a punter. Credit to Mel for at least being creative about it. There could be a chance that Podlesh runs a fake punt, so that's important to know I guess.
Uche Nwaneri as a guard or center made sense in the fifth round.
Nwaneri (who turned out to be a good player) made sense as a guard or center, mostly because he played these positions in college. Mel likes to write, "Player X made sense in Y round" and then lists the player's position at some point in the sentence. Yes, it does make sense to draft a guy who played guard and/or center in college as a guard or center in the NFL. It does sound counter intuitive, but sense has been made. Probably more sense than liking a punter who was drafted because he's fast.
"Ah, fuck it, here's a 'C' grade. You know what? Here's another one."
Kansas City Chiefs: GRADE: C
Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe is a good player, and he filled a need for the Chiefs.
The Chiefs first round pick is a good player AND he filled a need? Why did the Chiefs do that?
Justin Medlock is a good place-kicker, but I would have taken Mason Crosby.
Yes, we know. Mel Kiper would have taken Mason Crosby #1 overall because it filled a need and Crosby can run fast in case there are any fake kicks the Raiders were looking to run. Actually, Crosby would have probably been a better #1 overall pick than JaMarcus Russell, but that's beside the point.
Mel liked most of the Chiefs picks and he gave them a "C." I have to wonder how they could have gotten a higher grade from Mel.
Miami Dolphins: GRADE: C
Passing on Brady Quinn was ridiculous.
It turns out drafting him in the first round was equally as ridiculous.
The Dolphins were fortunate that QB John Beck was still available in the
second round and they were able to salvage their quarterback situation.
Yep, consider the situation now salvaged. Wait, Mel wrote "salvaged"? I thought he meant the QB situation was "savaged." Nevermind.
Drew Mormino made sense as a backup center; Kelvin Smith has a chance to be a starting linebacker someday;
Ah yes, boring filler analysis. Mel's great at this type of thing.
and Brandon Fields has a strong leg but is inconsistent.
BUT HOW FAST DOES HE RUN IN CASE THE DOLPHINS WANT HIM TO RUN A FAKE PUNT?
Brandon Fields has made a Pro Bowl and is still the Dolphins kicker by the way.
Minnesota Vikings: GRADE: B+
Vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman had an outstanding weekend.
But not outstanding enough to earn an "A" grade of course. That would be ridiculous to say the Vikings had an outstanding draft and then actually grade them based on this opinion.
Brian Robison is a pass-rushing defensive end and a very good Day 2 selection.
This was true. Robison has 43.5 sacks in his career.
and Tyler Thigpen is more of a developmental, third-string quarterback.
What? You mean in the 7th round the Vikings didn't draft a capable backup or a sure-fire starter?
Outstanding job by Rick Spielman! Here's a grade that states you did above average, which in Mel's world is pretty much the same thing as doing outstanding.
New England Patriots: GRADE: B
Of the six picks the Pats had in the sixth and seventh rounds, they'll
be fortunate if two of them pan out. The reason for giving the Patriots a
B grade is they utilized the draft process by getting Randy Moss for a
fourth-round pick as well as acquiring the 49ers' first-round pick in
2008.
That's true, but I find it interesting that Mel grades the 2007 draft based on players the Patriots didn't select and them having the chance to select another player (a player who Mel had no idea whether he liked at this point or not) in the next year's draft. He grades this draft based on another draft basically. Just interesting. Brandon Meriweather was the only player the Patriots drafted who was on the team after the 2008 season.
New Orleans Saints: GRADE: B-
New Orleans went with Robert Meachem, the best available player on the board.
Other than Joe Staley, Ben Grubbs, Greg Olsen, Eric Weddle, and LaMar Woodley of course.
Antonio Pittman will give New Orleans more depth at running back;
Which basically means Mel thinks a fourth round pick who plays running back will make the 53-man roster. Thanks for the contribution, Mel.
Jermon Bushrod is a quality prospect at left tackle; and David Jones from Wingate was a good sleeper pick.
Bushrod was a good pick and Jones was a huge sleeper because he didn't even make the Saints roster during the 2007 season.
New York Giants: GRADE: C-
I would have gone differently with the Giants' draft.
Every single pick the Giants made was still on the roster until after at least the 2009 season. I'd be interested to know how the Giants could do better than that, in terms of depth of their draft, while having 8 picks.
Cornerback Aaron Ross has very good ball skills but not great catchup
speed. I was surprised they didn't take left tackle Joe Staley because
they need someone who can protect Eli Manning's blind side. The Giants
took offensive tackle Adam Koets in the sixth round and even passed on
left tackle Jermon Bushrod. If they had taken Staley, they could have
drafted Eric Wright from UNLV instead of WR Steve Smith. I would rather
have had Staley and Wright,
Yeah, maybe. It's not like the Giants made a huge mistake or anything drafting the way they did.
but Smith is a good receiver and will be someone who holds onto the ball.
That's always a nice quality for a receiver to have. Also, the Giants got Ahmad Bradshaw in the 7th round of this draft and Mel doesn't mention him at all. Definitely not a "C-" draft and this is why Mel doesn't like to take chances with his grades. There's a chance he could be wrong.
New York Jets: GRADE: B
it was quality over quantity for the Jets, who drafted only four
players. They traded up to get their first two picks, CB Darrelle Revis
and linebacker David Harris. I had Harris going in the first half of the
first round, so this is a great pickup for the Jets.
And they were two good picks. Not good enough for an "A" grade of course.
Jacob Bender has a chance to be a nice developmental prospect at tackle.
He has a chance to one day become a tackle. See? I told you Mel likes to write shit like this that may not mean too much.
Oakland Raiders: GRADE C+
JaMarcus Russell was a no-brainer because he has the chance to be a franchise quarterback.
"No-brainer" is how I would describe JaMarcus Russell too.
The Raiders have been trying for years to draft a tight end, and they took Zach Miller in the second round.
I'm confused by this. Who was stopping the Raiders from drafting a tight end? The team was handing in draft cards with a tight end's name on it and the NFL was changing the pick to another position that wasn't tight end? Was this all Todd Christensen's doing? Let's blame JaMarcus Russell for this too.
safety Eric Frampton was a solid fifth-round pick out of Washington
State; and Orenthal O'Neal is a good lead blocker for a fullback.
O'Neal is a good lead blocker for a fullback? That's nice to know considering a fullback's main role on the field is to be the lead blocker. I don't think Mel even knew where he was going with this sentence.
The Raiders did everything right except for one pick Mel didn't like, got a guy who had a chance to be a franchise quarterback and only got a "C" grade.
Philadelphia Eagles: GRADE: C-
It's the Mel Kiper version of an "F".
First, they made a trade with the Cowboys, who used the pick on
defensive end Anthony Spencer. Then, the Eagles used the 36th overall
pick (their first pick in the draft) on Houston QB Kevin Kolb when QBs
Drew Stanton, John Beck and Trent Edwards were all still on the board.
Yeah, that was probably a smart move in retrospect.
C.J. Gaddis, I thought, would have been a priority free agent instead of
a fifth-rounder; Brent Celek is an average tight end prospect;
Gaddis probably should have been a priority free agent, while Brent Celek is still being average on the Eagles roster and has 344 catches, 4300 plus yards, and 27 touchdowns on his NFL career so far.
Pittsburgh Steelers: GRADE: B
For the 3-4 defense, Lawrence Timmons was a good pick in the first round
and using their second-round choice on LaMarr Woodley will give the
Steelers some versatility in that Woodley could play as a defensive end
in four-man fronts. I'm not sure how effective he can be as an outside
linebacker in a 3-4 scheme,
57 sacks, 9 forced fumbles, and 5 interceptions. He seems like he's been pretty effective as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.
I liked the fourth-round pick on Daniel Sepulveda, a left-footed punter with a big leg;
BUT HOW FAST CAN HE RUN? FAKE PUNTS HAPPEN, YOU KNOW!
Another boring "B" grade...
St. Louis Rams: GRADE: C+
I really like the pick of Brian Leonard in the second round because he
gives St. Louis options on offense. He can spell Steven Jackson at
running back, play fullback when necessary, and also be used as a move
tight end or H-back.
Unfortunately, Leonard seemed to do more of that type of thing with the Bengals than the Rams.
Former wide receiver Jonathan Wade is still raw as a cornerback but was a
decent third-round pick; center Dustin Fry is an overachiever; and
Cliff Ryan should be able to contribute along the defensive line.
That's it. If the "C+" grade didn't tip you off, then the lack of interest shown by Mel in evaluating these picks is a tip off that he was bored at this point in this draft grades. Mel just hands out "C's" and "B+" from here on out. Which really isn't straying too far from the grades he handed over this entire column.
San Diego Chargers: GRADE: C
Wide receiver Craig Davis was a slight reach in the first round, but he does fill a major need.
The need to draft a guy nicknamed "Buster" who ends up being a little bit of a bust?
Tight end Scott Chandler is a good pass catcher but a marginal blocker, and WR Legedu Naanee has long-range potential.
I guess there's not much to say about Naanee other than "He may be pretty good one day."
San Francisco 49ers: GRADE: B+
The 49ers got Patrick Willis, Joe Staley, Ray McDonald (for better or worse), Dashon Goldson, and Tarell Brown in this draft. It sounds like an "A" draft to me now.
After the 49ers took a tackling machine in linebacker Patrick Willis
with the 11th pick, I liked seeing them move back into the first round
(trading for New England's second first-round pick) and get Joe Staley,
one of the best offensive tackles in the draft. QB Alex Smith needs
someone who's going to protect his blind side, and Staley could do that
for years to come.
And he did. He also protected Colin Kaepernick's blind side.
Dashon Goldson is more of a backup cornerback;
Or a starting safety. Either way.
Seattle Seahawks: GRADE: C
Mansfield Wrotto (4th round) went a little high for a player I think will be a backup;
A 4th round pick is too high for a player who will be a backup? Mel thinks NFL teams are expected to still find starters in the 4th round? I don't see how that's a reasonable expectation.
wide receiver Jordan Kent, son of Oregon basketball coach Ernie Kent, also has some ability.
It's always nice that the Seahawks drafted a wide receiver with some ability. Mel's ability to give a fuck is growing weak right now.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: GRADE: C
This was a bad luck draft. Gaines Adams never really produced for the Buccaneers and never got a chance to redeem himself with the Bears before he passed away. The Bucs 2nd round pick, Arron Sears had to retire due to a neurological condition.
Tanard Jackson is an aggressive cornerback who could move inside to safety;
And he did.
linebacker Adam Hayward is a marginal prospect;
He's still in the NFL.
and offensive tackle Chris Denman is underrated and an overachiever and I like his chances of making the team.
He did not. He was placed on injured reserve, then released prior to the 2008 season.
Tennessee Titans: GRADE: C-
Vince Young needed help at wide receiver, and the Titans had Robert
Meachem staring right at them. Michael Griffin is a nice safety, but he
was a luxury pick and the Titans couldn't afford to take a safety when
they needed help at other positions.
What's the deal with Mel Kiper and luxury picks? The Titans needed to take the best football player that was available to them and not try to shoehorn a need into a player who plays that position, especially in the first round. Maybe later in the draft they should draft for need, but drafting for need and not finding the most talented player is a good way to miss on a first round pick. Michael Griffin is a two-time Pro Bowler, has made an All-Pro team and has had a nice career with the Titans.
The Titans also needed a running back, but Chris Henry wasn't productive
in the Pac-10, so I'm not sold on taking him in the second round. Wide
receivers Paul Williams, Chris Davis and Joel Filani are good but not
great.
These statements all ended up being accurate. Though I have to question why Mel was so worked up over the Titans passing on getting Vince Young weapons at wide receiver when they drafted three receivers and a running back. They didn't draft the right wide receivers and running back of course, but at least they tried.
Tennessee could have done a better job of helping the offense around Young.
What's funny is Mel is so worried about the Titans offense he didn't talk about four players (Leroy Harris, Antonio Johnson, Jacob Ford, and Mike Otto) who were drafted by the Titans and had productive NFL careers. Instead, Mel gave the Titans a Kiper "F."
Washington Redskins: GRADE: C-
Washington had only one pick in the first four rounds and made the most
of it, getting LaRon Landry. (You could argue Landry was the best
defensive player in the draft). Drafting Landry will allow Sean Taylor
to play center field and roam the middle of the field. Landry will be in
the box, and that will negate his weakness, which is judging the deep
ball.
Poor Sean Taylor. He was going to be considered such a great player by the time his career was over.
linebacker HB Blades was a decent sixth-round pick although a bit
undersized; and QB Jordan Palmer never really emerged as a potential
starter.
How does Mel know that Jordan Palmer never really emerged as a potential starter? It's true, but was Mel sent from the future to evaluate football players and tear down our very fabric of society by having the world laser-focused on the NFL draft so that the machines from the future can come and attack Earth while everyone is watching the draft? If so, he revealed himself here by using the future tense when discussing Jordan Palmer.
The least Mel could do if he really is from the future is be more risky with his draft grades (since he knows the outcome already) and not simply give every team some variation of a "B" or a "C." It's pointless to just say every NFL team did slightly above average or slightly below average when his only job at ESPN is to evaluate these players. He's supposed to have strong opinions based on watching tape over the year, not give out half-ass grades in order to avoid being seen as incorrect. I'm not asking for hot takes, just grades that seem to reflect his true attitude towards a team's draft.
