Best First-Round Pick: Adrian Peterson. Durability concerns clouded Peterson’s draft stock leading up to this past weekend’s mega event, but those concerns are hogwash.
Yes, Peterson may need to have surgery to heal a collarbone injury that he apparently re-aggravated in the Fiesta Bowl. Nevertheless, he should still be ready to go by the start of training camp. Given Peterson’s erect running style, he may be more susceptible to absorbing hard hits at the next level. But he is a tough runner who will play through pain.
When he is on the field, Peterson is a dynamic threat out of the backfield. The Vikings lack explosiveness on offense, so adding Peterson was a must. Not to mention the fact that he was one of the top three players from the draft class, along with JaMarcus Russell and Calvin Johnson.
Worst First-Round Pick: Justin Harrell. I like the player; I just don’t like his value at pick No.16. Green Bay was likely scrambling after Buffalo snatched tailback Marshawn Lynch off the board four spots ahead. It seems like the Packers panicked and reached to fill a need.
Harrell is a better player than he was originally projected to be following the college football season. His senior campaign at Tennessee was cut short due to a torn bicep. The former Volunteer was able to raise his stock by having an impressive Pro Day performance. However, he could also end up being overvalued given the dearth of top-notch defensive tackles.
The Winners
San Francisco – Between Day One and Day Two, no team added more value to their roster. Analysts will view the success of first rounders Patrick Willis and Joe Staley as the determining factor for how good or bad the ‘9ers draft class ends up being. Willis is a blue-chip player; Staley is a question mark – he will need to prove that he doesn’t lack the bulk or the technique to stick on the left side. But aside from those two, the 49ers made some sound selections.
Picking up Jason Hill was a great move. Hill is a polished route-runner who could turn into a productive No.2 wideout at the next level. While his Husker teammate Adam Carriker had pre-draft buzz, Jay Moore was just as productive and just as versatile. He should fit in nicely as a 3-4 defensive end. Corner Tarell Brown is also an interesting second day pick. He didn’t run well in the 40, clocking in at a 4.5 time. And he is undersized. But he is a fluid athlete with sticky coverage skills. He’s a guy who plays faster on the field.
Oh and by the way, San Francisco also traded one of its fourth-round choices to Seattle for receiver Darrell Jackson.
Miami – Yes, I’m one of the few who actually liked what the Dolphins did on Saturday. All four of the Dolphins’ picks have the chance to be role players or starters.
The bottom line is Miami liked John Beck more than they liked Brady Quinn. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they believe that Beck is a better player than Quinn; just that for the amount of money that were going to invest in Quinn at No.9, they opted to spend less money on the same position, on a player who likely had a similar grade, if not a better one.
Beck is going to be a good one. He’s intelligent, accurate, goes through his progressions quickly and generally makes the right reads.
Ted Ginn Jr. has a ton of question marks. He is frail, lacks polish as a route-runner and doesn’t have an intermediate game. Right now, he’s a one-dimensional receiver; a guy who may have trouble escaping press coverage at the line-of-scrimmage.
That said, Ginn is explosive and he’ll have Chris Chambers on the other side to clear out the middle so he can work downfield. And clearly, the fact that Ginn will help Miami’s return game is another plus. His foot injury has been blown out of proportion. He’ll end up being completely healthy once training camp starts.
The Dolphins also added the second-highest rated center in the draft in Samson Satele. He will help improve pass protection. Lorenzo Booker is a classic scat back who can catch passes and make defenders miss in the open field.
Carolina – No team had a better Day One. The Panthers drafted four players who all had first-round talent. Now, that doesn’t mean that the prospects should have gone in the first-round, just that they have that type of ability, but slipped for various reasons.
Carolina’s best pick was its second-round addition. Center Ryan Kalil may be undersized and lack the bulk to tangle with mammoth defensive tackles in the NFL, but he is quick, smart and a precise technician. He has the mobility to move to the second level and block linebackers. It would be a surprise of Kalil isn’t a starter in the Panthers’ opener against St. Louis.
The Panthers were able to move down 11 spots to grab Jon Beason, the guy they wanted all along, which was a clever move. Like Kalil, Beason is also an undersized player, but he plays bigger than his stature. He is a sure tackler who can chase from sideline-to-sideline.
I’m not a big fan of former USC wideout Dwayne Jarrett. I think he can be a nice possession receiver in the NFL, but not much more. He’s certainly not the best receiver from the class, a point he made sure to make in every interview he had leading up to the draft. Still, playing behind Keyshawn Johnson and Steve Smith is a nice spot to be in. He should replace Johnson (another former Trojan) in a year or two.
Charles Johnson is a physical defensive end from Georgia who could supplant Mike Rucker on the right side. He is big, physical and has a motor.
Quick Hits About the Baltimore Ravens’ Picks
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Scouts believe that Marshall Yanda will wind up at guard in the NFL, but I believe he can play on the outside. Yanda primarily lined up on the left side for Iowa but he doesn’t have the size or feet to be a blindside blocker. However, on the strong side, he has the tenacity, technique and mobility to hold up. He has the long arms and wingspan needed to keep defenders from getting inside of his shoulder pads. Yanda also has the frame to add some bulk. He will need to do that if he transitions to tackle. The Ravens will initially test him out as the backup right tackle and see if he acclimates himself to the position.
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Antwan Barnes is a classic Ravens’ pick on Day Two. There is no doubt that the scouts applauded this pick, as he is probably a player they quietly kept track of for quite some time. Barnes is not only a small-school product, like other Baltimore backers Edgerton Hartwell (Western Illinois), Bart Scott (Southern Illinois) and Roderick Green (Central Missouri), but he is also an athletic pass-rusher who seems to be a natural fit in the Ravens’ hybrid defensive scheme. At 6-1, 240 pounds, Barnes is a physical specimen who put together an eye-popping performance at the scouting combine, clocking in at a 4.4 time in the 40.
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Not only may Ben Grubbs grab a starting job at some point during the season, but expect fullback La’Ron McClain to push incumbent Justin Green for playing time. It would be quite impressive if two of the rookies from this class end up as starters during the 2007 season.
