AFC South
Houston Texans
This franchise may have made the wrong choice a year ago when they decided to pass on Reggie Bush, but head coach Gary Kubiak was amazed when 19-year-old Amobi Okoye was available with the 10^th pick. His presence will make Mario Williams, last year’s No. 1 overall choice, that much better. Third-round pick Jacoby Jones of Lane College should turn out to be one of the real sleepers of this draft. He has size, speed and fine moves and knows how to accelerate away from defensive backs. He could turn out to be a home run hitter similar to Chicago’s Bernard Berrian. He also has excellent skills in the return game.
Grade: B+

Indianapolis Colts
Observers have to respect Bill Polian’s ability to find personnel and put together a great team, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be questioned. The Colts have struggled defensively for years and they have suffered major losses in the offseason as linebacker Cato June, safety Mike Doss and cornerback Nick Harper have all departed. As a result, Polian does the unfathomable in selecting wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez and offensive tackle Tony Ugoh with his first two picks. Gonzalez should fit into the slot receiver’s role and excel at it while Ugoh appears adequate. Meanwhile, who is going to play defense?
Grade: C

Jacksonville Jaguars
As ordinary a first day as any team has had in recent memory. Safety Reggie Nelson is solid in pass coverage and can stay with fast receivers, but he will be a liability against the run because he lacks size and strength. Outside linebacker Justin Durant has plenty of athleticism, but he has to make a huge jump from Hampton College to the NFL. That’s an iffy proposition at best. Third-round WR Mike Walker from Central Florida has been very productive, but has below-average router running skills and does not appear to be a significant threat.
Grade: D

Tennessee Titans
What were the Titans thinking when they took safety Michael Griffin of Texas? New GM Mike Reinfeldt may say that he was one of the top athletes available, but the Titans have so many other needs that the pick appears to be superfluous. Where else could Reinfeldt have gone? Try the cornerback slot. Griffin’s college teammate Aaron Ross went to the Giants with the next pick and he would have been a great fit for the Titans. Running back Chris Henry has the flash to be the answer to the team’s woes in the running game, but is he dependable?
Grade: C-

AFC West
Denver Broncos
Mike Shanahan is quite comfortable with the direction of his offense, but he knows the team needs to get more from its defensive line. The selection of Florida defensive end Jarvis Moss was not a surprise. Moss should be able to make an immediate contribution as a pass rusher and appears to have the tools to develop into an every-down player. The Broncos backed that pick up with Colorado defensive end Tim Crowder who will not let himself get outworked. Crowder may not become a star, but he should be a solid player.
Grade: B+

Kansas City Chiefs
Here’s a team that may have picked the best available athlete at its position of greatest need. The cupboard is nearly empty when it comes to wide receivers in Kansas City and LSU’s Dwayne Bowe has size, speed and is very dependable. The bigger the game the better he plays. The Chiefs threw the dice with their second- and third-round picks. Defensive tackles Turk McBride and Tank Tyler are risky picks. McBride may not be strong enough to get the job done consistently while Tyler has off-the-field issues.
Grade: D+

Oakland Raiders
Al Davis made great use of the first pick in the draft by taking the amazingly gifted JaMarcus Russell. If he gets decent protection and gets a chance to play without getting abused, Russell has a great chance to become one of the league’s dominant players. Tight end Zach Miller gives the Raiders another downfield option. Not only can he make the big play, he can also come down with the circus catch of the poorly thrown ball.
Grade: A-

San Diego Chargers
The Chargers need all kinds of help at the wide receiver position and they may have gotten it with the selection of Davis. He is physically strong and very athletic and will make the difficult catch. However, his concentration level is just ordinary and he doesn’t recognize zone defensive alignments. The Chargers paid through the nose to get safety Eric Weddle. He’s simply not worth it. While he is smart and has great leadership skills, he is just an average player who irritates his teammates with his arrogance.
Grade: D

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