Round 1, Pick 1 (1) Matthew Stafford QB 6'2" 225 Georgia
Pick Analysis:The Lions land their franchise quarterback with the selection of Stafford. Though there was some debate about whether the former Bulldog would be their guy, the team wrapped up negotiations on a six-year, $78 million contract, with $41.7 million in guarantees. As a classic pocket passer with excellent arm strength, he gives the team a legitimate quarterback to build an offense around.

Round 1, Pick 20 (20) (From Cowboys) Brandon Pettigrew TE 6'5" 263 Oklahoma State
Pick Analysis:The Lions bypass bigger defensive needs to pick up the best tight end prospect in the draft. Pettigrew is an outstanding pass catcher with even better skills as a blocker. Though he lacks the speed to stretch the middle of the field, he's a big-time weapon capable of serving as a solid complement to Calvin Johnson in the passing game.

Round 2, Pick 1 (33) Louis Delmas CB 6'0" 202 Western Michigan
Pick Analysis:The Lions pick up a hard-hitting safety with the first pick in the second round. Delmas has a knack for sniffing out ball carriers, and he's a productive tackler near the line of scrimmage. With the Lions attempting to become a more tough and physical team, Delmas fits in well as the enforcer in the secondary.

Round 3, Pick 12 (76) (From Saints through Jets) DeAndre Levy OLB 6'2" 236 Wisconsin
Pick Analysis:The former Badger is an athletic linebacker with good straight-line speed and toughness. He's an above-average blitzer off the edge and flashes the ability to stack lead blockers in the hole. He gives the Lions a developmental linebacker with good special teams potential.

Round 3, Pick 18 (82) (From Cowboys) Derrick Williams WR 6'0" 194 Penn State
Pick Analysis:The Lions pick up a quality two-way contributor in Williams. The former Nittany Lion has outstanding return skills and is a potential third or fourth receiver in the Lions' lineup.

Round 4, Pick 15 (115) (From Redskins through Jets) Sammie Lee Hill DT 6'4" 329 Stillman
Pick Analysis:At the Senior Bowl, Hill left everyone talking. He's big, strong and fast. When you take a player from a small school like Stillman, there's a learning curve. Hill needed a destination where he could develop, and that's a strong suit of new Lions coach Jim Schwartz. This is a Cortland Finnegan-type pick -- a player Schwartz helped to develop at Tennessee.

Round 6, Pick 19 (192) (From Cowboys) Aaron Brown RB 6'1" 196 TCU
Pick Analysis:Brown came in as a freshman at TCU and played extremely well, but never lived up to the hype after that. The thought is that he might be able to become a wide receiver. He's a speed guy with return skills in the kicking game. He could become a backup to Kevin Smith in Detroit.

Round 7, Pick 19 (228) (From Jets) Lydon Murtha OT 6'7" 306 Nebraska
Pick Analysis:Murtha is the kind of player who you put on your team and keep him on the roster to develop. He's got good size and comes from a good offensive line system in Nebraska. He has the potential to become a contributor for the rebuilding Lions.

Round 7, Pick 26 (235) (From Falcons through Broncos) Zack Follett OLB 6'2" 236 California
Pick Analysis:Follett may lack coverage skills, but he's a highly competitive player and loves football. He has tremendous work ethic and passion. He's going to play with great intensity and could be a good special teams player for the Lions. He was highly productive in college but did have injury concerns on his shoulder.

Round 7, Pick 46 (255) (Compensatory selection) Dan Gronkowski TE 6'6" 255 Maryland
Pick Analysis:Gronkowski is a big, strong guy who ran pretty well at the combine. He comes out of a good program in Maryland and is a good blocking tight end. He's the second tight end taken by the Lions after Brandon Pettigrew (Round 1, No. 20 overall).

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Round 3, Pick 4 (68) (From Seahawks) Jarron Gilbert DE 6'5" 288 San Jose State
Pick Analysis:The Bears look to beef up their interior with the selection of Gilbert. A bit of an underachiever, Gilbert has the size and athleticism to develop into a quality interior rusher. With Rod Marinelli as the team's defensive line coach, the Bears may hit on the "boom or bust" prospect.

Round 3, Pick 35 (99) (Compensatory selection) Juaquin Iglesias WR 6'1" 210 Oklahoma
Pick Analysis:Iglesias is a two-fold talent. First, he's an excellent kick returner. Secondly, he's a very good second or third wide receiver. He's fearless over the middle and is comfortable catching bad balls. One of the great things about Iglesias is that if you're a member of his team and you need a haircut, his dad's a barber.

Round 4, Pick 5 (105) (From Seahawks) Henry Melton DE 6'3" 260 Texas
Pick Analysis:He's an athlete with speed. He had an unbelievable pro day, running a 4.65 in the 40-yard dash. He came into Texas as a highly regarded running back before eventually transitioning to defensive end two years ago. He's got a great first move in the pass rush and really good explosion.

Round 4, Pick 19 (119) D.J. Moore CB 5'9" 192 Vanderbilt
Pick Analysis:Moore is an undersized corner who lacked exceptional straight-line speed at the combine and at his pro day, which probably caused his slide to the fourth round. He was once pegged as a potential first-rounder, and he has great ball skills and jumping ability. He provides great value to the Bears in the fourth round and can add depth behind Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher.

Round 5, Pick 4 (140) (From Seahawks through Broncos) Johnny Knox WR 6'0" 185 Abilene Christian
Pick Analysis:This blazer gives the Bears another deep threat in the passing game. Although Knox isn't a polished route-runner, his speed will allow the team to stretch the field with the deep ball.

Round 5, Pick 18 (154) Marcus Freeman LB 6'0" 239 Ohio State
Pick Analysis:The former Buckeye is an intriguing prospect with the athleticism to develop into a starter as a pro. Though he underachieved at times as a college player, Freeman lands in a defensive system that ideally suits his skills.

Round 6, Pick 17 (190) Al Afalava FS 5'11" 213 Oregon State
Pick Analysis:Afalava had a great workout and was a three-year starter in college. He is a terror on special teams and will help Chicago's special teams become even better than it already is. He gives the Bears needed depth in the secondary.

Round 7, Pick 37 (246) (Compensatory selection) Lance Louis OG 6'2" 303 San Diego State
Pick Analysis:Louis is extremely fast and was kind of discovered at his pro day due to his measurables. He ran 4.76 and 4.80 in the 40-yard dash and had 30 reps on the bench press. He'll give the Bears offensive line -- which has lost some depth -- a few reps in practice and a developmental project.

Round 7, Pick 42 (251) (Compensatory selection) Derek Kinder WR 6'0" 202 Pittsburgh
Pick Analysis:Kinder capitalized on all of the attention at Pitt's pro day by putting forth a great workout. His athleticism will give him a chance to stick in Chicago, which already drafted two other receivers.

If we include Cutler in the grade of this draft (which we should) we will NOT be including him in next years draft.

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Round 1, Pick 22 (22) Percy Harvin WR 5'11" 192 Florida
Pick Analysis:The Vikings ignore the potential character risks and select the immensely talented Harvin with their first-round pick. The do-it-all playmaker makes life easier for quarterbacks Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson with his ability to score from anywhere on the field. With Adrian Peterson and Bernard Berrian receiving the bulk of opponents' attention, Harvin could emerge a surprise star in his rookie season.

Round 2, Pick 22 (54) Phil Loadholt OL 6'8" 332 Oklahoma
Pick Analysis:The Vikings pick a behemoth tackle prospect to insert into the lineup on the right side. Loadholt excels at blowing defenders off the ball and will thrive in the Vikings' power-based scheme. Though he has some trouble with quick rushers off the edge, his ability to dominate the line of scrimmage is what drove the Vikings to make the pick.

Round 3, Pick 22 (86) Asher Allen CB 5'10" 194 Georgia
Pick Analysis:The former Bulldog is an aggressive corner with good ball skills and awareness. Although he lacks elite speed, he won't be exposed in the Vikings' two-deep scheme. He will contribute as a nickel corner in his rookie season.

Round 5, Pick 14 (150) (From Redskins) Jasper Brinkley ILB 6'2" 252 South Carolina
Pick Analysis:The Vikings add a hard hitter to their lineup with the selection of Brinkley. The former Gamecock punishes ball carriers and will add a bit of toughness to the Vikings defense. He also fills a need for Minnesota at linebacker.

Round 7, Pick 22 (231) Jamarca Sanford FS 5'10" 214 Mississippi
Pick Analysis:Sanford has shortcomings in speed and size, but with teams carrying so many defensive backs nowadays, Sanford has a chance to find a spot on the Vikings' depth chart as a safety.

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Packers

BJ Raji
Clay Matthews
TJ Lang
Quinn Johnson
Jamon Meredith
Darius Wynn
Brandon Underwood
Brad Jones

Packer draft was horrible. C minus at best.

Our first third round pick, Gilbert has some serious potential. He led the nation in TFL.

Our Safety situation is a mess so JA decided to spend his first two out of three on DLINE to help out said S position. A stronger pass rush will undoubtedly cover or hide flaws in the deep secondary. With Lovie's old pal rejuvinizing the DLine and Lovie himself coaching the secondary and call the Defensive plays, it should be interesting.

Both of the WR's we drafted (not counting the 7th rounder) returned kicks in college. This signals the end of Hester returning kicks possibly. Is Hester, Olsen/Clark and Forte enough to lead us to the promised land? We'll see.

Bears grade: B

I'm usually pretty bearish (no pun intended) on ranking drafts, but I'm strangely satisfied with the Bears' draft this year. Not having a day one pick was a downer, but I feel the Bears got great value on their picks, and with the exception of safety, were still able to address most of their needs.

The Bears brought Marinelli on because he's supposed to be a genius at developing D-linemen, and you'd be hard-pressed to find any linemen drafted with more potential than Jarron Gilbert and Henry Melton. If he earns his paycheck, both should turn into dynamic playmakers.

This was a deep receiver class, and I believe there's greater bust potential with this year's upper-echelon guys (i.e., Crabtree and Harvin) than with some of the mid-tier guys (like Robeskie and Iglesias). Iglesias isn't going to scare anyone, but he's exactly the kind of guy we need to work the middle of the field while Hester runs the post.

D.J. Moore may be the steal of the draft. Nearly every publication I read had him as the second or third best corner and going in the first round. To get him in the fourth was insane. He had a poor combine, but I'll take three seasons as an elite college starter over one bad day. At worst, he'll be a savvy (another Vandy guy), ball-hawking nickelback for us.

I also liked the Freeman and Knox picks. Hell, I would have been smiling at this draft even w/o Jay Cutler being factored in, but with him added I can't see how this draft isn't at least a B+ or A-. Obviously, time will tell.

To be honest, I thought all the NFC North teams had productive drafts. A few quick thoughts on the other teams:

Vikings: I think they had a solid draft, but Harvin could be their undoing. I know they needed a second receiver, but this draft was deep at the position. Why gamble on a guy with high bust potential in the first round, especially when he offers basically the same skill set as Berrian?

Lions: QB is a crap-shoot, but the Lions didn't really have much of a choice. I also liked the Pettigrew pick. That said, I was elated the Lions spent most of their impact picks on the offensive side of the ball. (I'm sure Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler are licking thier chops!)

Packers: Just like the Bears, they drafted for need but still seemed to get pretty good value. They definitely made the right choice in passing on Crabtree for Raji.

Should be an exciting 2009 season!

B-N-D

quote:

Originally posted by Boris:

Packer draft was horrible. C minus at best.

Boris, how can you say that was a horrible draft?

We got the #1 DT.

We got arguably the #1 OLB.

If just one of the two OT's we drafted turns into a solid starter, it's a great draft.

We got the #1 or #2 fullback, depending on how you grade Fiametta vs. Johnson.

Honestly, I thought it was a very good draft. Aside from my initial concerns that we overpaid to move up to draft Matthews, I think now that it was a wise move. We now have a solid and deep linebacking corps, and a potentially dominating D-Line.

The one piece of the puzzle I think is missing was another TE prospect to push the guys we already have. I'm not satisifed with what I saw from the tight ends last year. I think the team could and should have improved there.

I think he forgot the sarcasm thingy.

you mean the bait icon? LOL

quote:

Boris, how can you say that was a horrible draft?

It sounds like you didn't read my trip to RCMH on Day 1. I know it's long.

OK...will do...just to be fair...

Ok...from your review, it sounds like we are in agreement...

I think the Packers did a better job than the other teams of hitting their needs (Dline, OLB, and OT).

Being able to select two potential starters in round one should help bolster the lineup, and also give the Packers some scheme flexibility on defense. Both Raji and Matthews can play in 4-3 or 3-4 fronts.

The Oline picks of Lang and Meredith both seemed like value picks, and the selection of FB Quinn Johnson could pay some dividends in the ground game. Grade A-


The Bears draft was okay given they had no first, and then traded out of round two. Gilbert, Iglesias, Moore, and Freeman might all be able to make an impact with the Bears. When you factor in that the Bears aquired Cutler for that 1st round pick they did pretty well. He obviously will make more of an impact for them than anyone they could have selected there. Grade B

Lions .. so many needs coming in, but they got some help. They got the supposed top qb, top safety, and top TE. They didn't get enough help for the Dline though, although Hill might be able to contribute. I think they had a solid draft overall. Grade B

Vikings .. Harvin is a dangerous player in many ways .. If they can keep him in line they will have a player. Loadholt seems like a Viking Olinemen, and should fit in well. Allen is a pretty solid corner who has come ball skills. Only 5 picks though. Grade C

quote:

Vikings .. Harvin is a dangerous player in many ways .. If they can keep him in line they will have a player. Loadholt seems like a Viking Olinemen, and should fit in well. Allen is a pretty solid corner who has come ball skills. Only 5 picks though. Grade C

Disagree... sort of. I completely agree that Harvin's off-field antics are a major cause for concern. I wouldn't have drafted him that high and it's fitting that the Vikings did. The part I disagree with is that if you can keep him in line, he's a player. The draft gurus seem to be in agreement. I understand the kid is an incredible athlete, but the NFL is a different level. Reggie Bush was supposed to light the NFL up as well. He was compared to Sayers. Not so much. A good player for sure, but Bush will never be what they thought he'd be.

A very high percentage of top WR picks flame out. Harvin will most likely struggle getting off the line of scrimmage with an NFL CB jamming his ass all day. He'll run free over the middle one time and get knocked into next week by an NFL LB. The NFL has a way of equalizing freak athletes. Harvin is no exception. Sure, he's got a shot to be good... but it's anything but a given.

Most Florida WR's come into the NFL and completely suck.

We'll see if Harvin is the exception rather than the rule.

78 players off the board? my ass.

Not interested in Favre? MY ASS!

With the brain trust of CKA, aka Bellichick's Daddy, and Bevell running the show, how could anything possibly go wrong? That's a HOF coaching staff right there. Aside from Harvin being an uber-turd, and the as-usual full-of-s**t Vikings drafting him on the heels of their 'character counts' announcement , Harvin is fast and incredibly athletic but also small and hurt a lot. He was one of those guys at Floriduh who would miss games with things like 'strained hammy's' and such. He may be a great player in the NFL, but with crap coaching, crap QB's and a less than impressive track record for toughness and mental stability, he's 50/50 just like everyone else.

At least he has a nice smile.

quote:

Originally posted by Boris:
Most Florida WR's come into the NFL and completely suck.

Yeap there is a very long list of Florida WR's that pretty much never lived up to all the hype coming into drafts. Their QB's also.

Harvin could become the next Devin Hester or the next RJ Soward. Personally, I think he's likely the bust of the 1st round. I don't think he's a hard worker and he's not tough. Not a great combination for a guy that also has character concerns

I also don't see all the hype about the Bears or Lions draft. DJ Moore was a nice pick, but Gilbert is the classic boom or bust player. As for Detroit, I would argue they had one of the worst drafts of any team. Stafford will get killed ala David Carr, and they should have drafted one of the USC backers instead of a TE. DeAndre Levy is dogcrap- ask any Badgers fan

I like what the Bears did with the few picks they had. Gilbert, Moore, Iglesias and Freeman all have a good chance of being very nice players and Melton is intriguing.

If, and it's a big if, the Lions do not play Stafford this season I also think they had a very solid draft. It would have been nice had they been able to get a Left Tackle to move Backus to LG but seem to have gotten good prospects who can fill a lot of holes.

The Vikings took a wad of question marks. I like Asher Allen, but he might be the only one without major character concerns. They drafted talent without consideration for attitude after the big brouhaha about how much character mattered. It'll be interesting.