Jets couldn’t ask for more with great draft
Saints, Niners also picked well, while Bears, Bills, Bucs simply blow it
Ezra Shaw / Getty ImagesBy selecting Virginia tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, the New York Jets started a great day in the NFL draft, writes NBCSports.com's Ron Borges.
C+
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts felt they had to get a back to replace Edgerrin James on the first round, which they did with LSU's Joseph Addai. He may prove to be productive, but many teams felt he was a second-round value and the fourth-best back available. Georgia defensive back Tim Jennings later in round 2 seemed like a reach.
Indianapolis needs secondary help but there were better defensive backs still on the board and they ignored them. They get slightly above average grade only because they filled their primary need first.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals did a good job of helping their secondary by grabbing South Carolina cornerback Johnathan Joseph at No. 24 overall, which was a little later than he'd been projected. They seemed to reach a bit for LSU tackle Andrew Whitworth in round 2 because he was projected to be a third round value. Still, if Joseph improves their suspect secondary and Whitworth aids their team depth, the Bengals will move close to becoming an elite team.
Detroit Lions
At least they didn't take a wide receiver on the first round again.
In fact, new coach Rod Marinelli desperately wanted Florida State linebacker Ernie Sims and they got him at ninth overall. They think he's the next Derrick Brooks. The second-round choice of Nebraska defensive back Daniel Bullocks seemed like an unnecessary reach.
C
Dallas Cowboys
Dallas got predicted value with both picks, taking Ohio State linebacker Bobby Carpenter with the 18th overall pick, which was just about where he was rated, and then got the same kind of value in round 2 when they drafted Notre Dame tight end Anthony Fasano. Carpenter makes a young and improving defense a little stronger, but one has to wonder why they didn't go after a tackle in the second round to help improve suspect offensive line that caused quarterback Drew Bledsoe to feel some pain last year.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs made some odd choices. They wanted at least two defensive players out of their first three picks and got Big Ten sack leader Tamba Hali of Penn State at 20 overall and Purdue defensive back Bernard Pollard in round 2. But a higher-rated pass rusher like Manny Lawson was still available and they passed on him. Why? Hali ran a sub-standard 4.86 40 and was weaker than expected at the combine.
Miami Dolphins
They got a safety with a questionable hip in Tennessee cornerback Jason Allen with the 16th pick. If that hip falls out of the socket again, as some team doctors predict it will, you don't have to say anything else about this draft. Miami didn't have a second-round selection and grabbed Arizona State receiver Derek Hagan in round 3. Allen is a big risk, but has nice upside if he stays healthy. That's a big risk with a chance to bolster other areas with safer selections.
D
Buffalo Bills
If you show up you at least get a passing grade but that's the best you can say for the Bills.
They overreached by taking Ohio State safety Donte Whitner at No. 8 overall, when they could have traded down and still gotten him. Then traded for another first-round pick to select North Carolina State defensive tackle John McCargo with the 26th pick. That would have been fine — 30 picks later. Marv Levy looked like what he was Saturday — a guy running his first draft at the age of 80.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs did something very difficult to do.
They got a second-round value in the first round and a third-round value in the second round. Strange. Oklahoma tackle Davin Joseph was selected No. 23 overall. Most other teams saw him as a second-round choice. Then they grabbed Boston College tackle Jeremy Trueblood in the second round and NOBODY projected him to go that high. They did address major needs with those picks, but why waste them? Ohio State center Nick Mangold, rated as a far superior player, was still available in the first round.
D-
Chicago Bears
They showed up late for class, trading out of the first round when they chose not to pick at No. 26. General manager Jerry Angelo didn't like his first-round options, but went with Abilene Christian defensive back Danieal Manning in Round 2 about 10 picks ahead of where he was slated. If we didn't know better we'd think Angelo was still trying to submarine the coach he didn't want, Dick Jauron, rather than trying to help the one he hired, Lovie Smith.
Incomplete
Washington Redskins
They seem to get this every year because they never have a first-round pick or, if they do, they don't have anything else. This time the only pick they made Saturday was Miami linebacker Roger McIntosh in the second round. Now they don't pick until the fifth round. That's about as incomplete as a draft can be.
Ron Borges writes regularly for NBCSports.com and covers the NFL and boxing for the Boston Globe.
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