*Consider Denver's 2010 draft class. After the first year, in which Demaryius Thomas barely played and Josh McDaniels was fired, his final draft looked suspect. But after Tim Tebow and Thomas played key roles in leading the Broncos to the playoffs and upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers in the opening round, McDaniels and General Manager Brian Xander's selections looked stellar. Now, having foolishly given up on Tebow and brought in a precision passer not likely to mesh well with Thomas' skill set, the Broncos' 2010 draft looks like a mistake once again.
Good
Patriots: The New England Patriots and Head Coach Bill Belichick have established themselves as simultaneously one of the best and worst drafting teams in the NFL. The Patriots routinely trade down out of the 1st round to accumulate more "value" picks in rounds 2-4. This strategy has been decidedly hit or miss through the years. But this year, the Patriots made waves in the 1st round of the draft by trading up, twice! In doing so, they addressed their deficiencies on defense. It's questionable whether Chandler Jones is the impact athlete a team hopes to get with the 21st overall pick, but his toughness and versatility will fit in well in New England. Dont'a Hightower is the impact athlete the Patriots need. He lacks a position as he played all over the defense at Alabama, but that versatility and flexibility will be an asset to Belichick.
Bengals: The Bengals always seemed to be drafting, and when they weren't drafting they always seemed to be next to draft. They made the most of their opportunities acquiring players who can contribute right away - Dre Kirkpatrick, Devon Still, Mohammed Sanu - as well as much needed depth, especially at the skill positions, as they build around Andy Dalton.
Colts: In the absence of Peyton Manning, the Colts need to build their entire offense. That was clearly their mindset heading into the draft as eight of the ten selections they made were offensive. In addition to using the first pick on Manning's replacement, Andrew Luck, the Colts selected two of the best TEs in the draft, a speedy WR who will also help in the return game, and added depth at the skill positions and offensive line.
Chargers: Just as the Colts approached the draft with the intention of addressing their offensive needs, the Chargers used their picks to address defense. Even without Vincent Jackson, Philip Rivers will move the ball and score points, especially if Ryan Mathews continues to develop. But unless San Diego added depth and talent to its defense, it had little hope of competing for an AFC West title. With its first three picks, the Chargers secured three likely starters. They then used their remaining picks to add depth at need areas on offense. Overall, a smart and well-executed draft strategy.
Rams: The Rams didn't draft particularly well or poor, but they did two things to earn a good distinction. First, the selection of former Florida CB Janoris Jenkins in the 2nd round is risky, especially given Head Coach Jeff Fisher's complicated history with Adam Jones, but if Jenkins has righted himself he could be the steal of the draft. Second, the Rams did a poor job of using the draft to build around Sam Bradford, and that's a good thing. Bradford has some skill, but not enough and just doesn't have the "it" factor needed to be a successful quarterback at the NFL level. Not investing picks in putting talent around him for the sake of putting talent around him was a wise course of action for the organization given that they'll likely be thinking QB with their high 1st round choice next year.
Colts: In the absence of Peyton Manning, the Colts need to build their entire offense. That was clearly their mindset heading into the draft as eight of the ten selections they made were offensive. In addition to using the first pick on Manning's replacement, Andrew Luck, the Colts selected two of the best TEs in the draft, a speedy WR who will also help in the return game, and added depth at the skill positions and offensive line.
Chargers: Just as the Colts approached the draft with the intention of addressing their offensive needs, the Chargers used their picks to address defense. Even without Vincent Jackson, Philip Rivers will move the ball and score points, especially if Ryan Mathews continues to develop. But unless San Diego added depth and talent to its defense, it had little hope of competing for an AFC West title. With its first three picks, the Chargers secured three likely starters. They then used their remaining picks to add depth at need areas on offense. Overall, a smart and well-executed draft strategy.
Rams: The Rams didn't draft particularly well or poor, but they did two things to earn a good distinction. First, the selection of former Florida CB Janoris Jenkins in the 2nd round is risky, especially given Head Coach Jeff Fisher's complicated history with Adam Jones, but if Jenkins has righted himself he could be the steal of the draft. Second, the Rams did a poor job of using the draft to build around Sam Bradford, and that's a good thing. Bradford has some skill, but not enough and just doesn't have the "it" factor needed to be a successful quarterback at the NFL level. Not investing picks in putting talent around him for the sake of putting talent around him was a wise course of action for the organization given that they'll likely be thinking QB with their high 1st round choice next year.
Bad
Patriots: New England is going to get a lot of play in this post. While the Patriots did well in the 1st round, their 2nd round pick earns the team a bad. This is not an indictment of Tavon Wilson, FS out of Illinois. But the Patriots lack quality depth, and they could have converted the pick into additional picks and still taken Wilson in rounds 4, 5 or 6, or even as an undrafted free-agent.
Redskins: The Redskins payed a huge price to move up to the second pick in the draft and acquire Robert Griffin III. Discussion of the wisdom of that move can and should wait for a later date. Presently, the remainder of the Redskins' draft left much to be desired. They failed to add potential impact players (at least as they're viewed now) and used their third pick, a 4th rounder, on a second QB, Kirk Cousins. Puzzling.
Bears: The Bears land on this list for the selection of WR Ashlon Jeffrey in the 2nd round. After trading a 3rd round pick to the Dolphins** for Brandon Marshall, WR was not a high need area for the Bears, and if it was they would have done better to select a WR without character questions to pair with the enigmatic Marshall. Both have incredible talent but there are viable concerns related to each's motivation and ethic. Tempting fate in sports, particularly the NFL, is often disastrous.
**The Dolphins could easily be on this list as well. While QB was a need for them and I like Tannehill's upside, the 1st round was too high for him to be selected. The rest of the Dolphins' draft failed to impress as well, but I resist officially putting them on this list until a fair evaluation of Tannehill can be made.
Broncos: The Broncos mortgaged their future, Tim Tebow, to win now with whatever is left of Peyton Manning's neck, then proceeded to trade out of the 1st round, costing themselves the chance to select one of a number of impact defensive players still available, and selected a solid DT with little upside in round 2. Denver also selected a QB in the 2nd round, Brock Osweiler. Drafting a QB was smart, but in round 2? And Osweiler? They added needed depth with later picks, but the Broncos and John Elway did not have the same quality draft this year as they did last.
**The Dolphins could easily be on this list as well. While QB was a need for them and I like Tannehill's upside, the 1st round was too high for him to be selected. The rest of the Dolphins' draft failed to impress as well, but I resist officially putting them on this list until a fair evaluation of Tannehill can be made.
Broncos: The Broncos mortgaged their future, Tim Tebow, to win now with whatever is left of Peyton Manning's neck, then proceeded to trade out of the 1st round, costing themselves the chance to select one of a number of impact defensive players still available, and selected a solid DT with little upside in round 2. Denver also selected a QB in the 2nd round, Brock Osweiler. Drafting a QB was smart, but in round 2? And Osweiler? They added needed depth with later picks, but the Broncos and John Elway did not have the same quality draft this year as they did last.
Ugly
Patriots: New England's identity problems were on full display in the 2012 NFL Draft. After #winning in the 1st round, and losing in the second, they rebounded with solid pick in the 3rd, DE Jake Bequette from Arkansas. But things would unravel at the end of the draft as the Patriots looked like the Bengals circa 2002, selecting a CB facing a serious felony charge and gimmick special teams players when the team needed more depth on defense and the offensive line.
Jaguars: Clemson DE Andre Branch was a good pick in the 2nd round, but the positives stop their for Jacksonville. The organization appears to be a mess right now. They traded up to select WR Justin Blackmon in round 1. Let's look beyond the fact that there's not a QB on the team's roster who can be relied on to get Blackmon the ball, there's been a lot of talk leading up to the draft that the Oklahoma State receiver is overrated. To me, he's rated - he is a strong, athletic receiver with good hands, is a good route-runner, and plays bigger and faster than he actually is. But that should make him a mid-to-late 1st rounder, not the 5th pick in the draft.
Jacksonville is bringing in a new head coach after Jack Del Rio was let go. The change makes sense, but it doesn't make sense for the organization to keep the front office in tact. This team is poorly constructed, and decisions such as taking a punter in round 3 when there is a dearth of talent on the roster is a prime example why.
Jaguars: Clemson DE Andre Branch was a good pick in the 2nd round, but the positives stop their for Jacksonville. The organization appears to be a mess right now. They traded up to select WR Justin Blackmon in round 1. Let's look beyond the fact that there's not a QB on the team's roster who can be relied on to get Blackmon the ball, there's been a lot of talk leading up to the draft that the Oklahoma State receiver is overrated. To me, he's rated - he is a strong, athletic receiver with good hands, is a good route-runner, and plays bigger and faster than he actually is. But that should make him a mid-to-late 1st rounder, not the 5th pick in the draft.
Jacksonville is bringing in a new head coach after Jack Del Rio was let go. The change makes sense, but it doesn't make sense for the organization to keep the front office in tact. This team is poorly constructed, and decisions such as taking a punter in round 3 when there is a dearth of talent on the roster is a prime example why.
Seahawks: I like and want to root for Pete Carrol in the NFL. His success in his first season and the Seahawks' surprising upset of the defending Super Bowl Champion Saints were a great story. But Carrol's personnel moves have been questionable at best. Bruce Irvin fits an area of need for Seattle, but there were better picks to be made at 15. Drafting Russell Wilson in the 3rd round after signing Matt Flynn via free agency is baffling, and the rest of the draft produced a low degree of upside for Seattle. They look almost as lost as the Jaguars in the whole process.
Saints: The Saints entered the draft lacking picks, having traded their 1st rounder to New England the year prior and been stripped of their 2nd round pick by the NFL as part of the organization's discipline in the bounty scandal. Thus, it was imperative that they grab a solid defense contributor with their first selection in the 3rd round, especially given the looming suspension of players on their defensive unit. Instead, the Saints drafted project defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, who flamed out in the NCAA before transferring to Canada and dominating lesser competition. New Orleans rebounded with Nick Toon in the 4th round - a solid WR who could work well with Drew Brees when/if his contract situation works itself out - but the rest of their draft underwhelmed. The team is seemingly going in the wrong direction - not the direction they need to go if they want their star QB to sign a contract that would allow him to retire as a Saint.
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