The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Winners and Losers of The NFL Draft, Day One

• Branden Albert. OG.
• A great college guard, but the question remains whether the Chiefs either keep him there or move him to tackle. Whatever they do, chances are this player will play at a very high level. Very athletic and has quick feet. Should help aid that offensive line that once was known as the best in the league.

• Brandon Flowers. CB.
• This kid may not have the best 40-yard dash or best size, but the intangibles are almost flawless on him. The only true problem he needs to avoid is not trying to make spectacular plays on each down. All he needs to do is play his own position and he'll be fine.

#3. Dallas Cowboys.

•  Felix Jones. RB.
• The 2nd of the two RBs at Arkansas. I don't think he is a player who could be successful in a one-RB system, but with Marion Barber he'll play just as well as if he was still in Arkansas. He is a very good open field type of running back who is hard to tackle once he gets past the line.

• Mike Jenkins. CB.
• Very versatile player who can play at both corner and also safety. Whether Pacman Jones can play or not shall determine the role he is assigned in this organization.

• Martellus Bennett. TE.
• Personally, I see this pick as one of the "hit or miss" type of players. Many are hoping that this guy can end up like Antonio Gates, who has very similar attributes and previous experiences (played college basketball for two seasons). If this pick ends up being successful, the tandem of Jason Witten and Bennett will be more than what any can handle along with a strong WR core.

#4. Pittsburgh Steelers.

• Rashard Mendenhall. RB.
• Strong, big, and surprisingly fast for his size. Mendenhall perfectly fits the Pittsburgh mentality. Great steal in the draft.

• Limas Sweed. WR.
• Good speed and hands. Most likely will never become a highly feared down-the-field threat, but he most certainly would be a great possession wide receiver, somewhat similar to TJ Houshmanzadeh from the Cincinnati Bengals.

#5. New England Patriots.

• Jerod Mayo. LB.
• The definition of what type of versatile player that the Patriots strive for. As Vrabel and company grooms Mayo, this guy could possibly be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come.

• Terrence Wheatley. CB.
• Very similar to Brandon Flowers, but with higher speed capabilities. Could be a very good shut down corner in the league if he can stay healthy.
  

That rounds out my top Day One Selections in the NFL Draft. Now onto the disappointments.

#1. Cleveland Browns.

• Unfortunately for one of my favorites, this draft is simply an abomination. They have absolutely no picks until the 4th, and yet they still only will get 4 picks overall, all coming on the 2nd day of the draft. Most likely, there will be no instant or possibly ever impact players they can get at that point available. At least they got what they needed to solidify their offense as one of the best during the off-season with Donte Stallworth.
  

#2. San Diego Chargers.

• Antoine Cason. CB.
• It's one thing to take need over value of a pick, but seriously. Antoine Cason definitely wasn't 1st. round material. Inconsistency and other problems have plagued his college career.  Not having any other picks until the 5th round also is a huge setback towards this year's draft stock.

• Gosder Cherilus. OT.
• Even though this guy is still is good player, he frankly isn't worthy of a top 17 pick overall in the NFL draft. There were multiple better linemen available that Detroit could have chosen that would have made more sense. Still, he is a very good pass-blocker.

• Jordan Dizon. LB.
• Not very big, and the biggest thing I've heard about this player is that he "plays above his expectations". Don't get me wrong, it's good that players can overachieve, but in the NFL, that only takes you so far.

#4. Chicago Bears.

•  Chris Williams. OT.
• Good player, but wasn't the best on the board at the time of the pick. Still, he is a very good pass-blocker.

• Matt Forte. RB.
• This is when the Bears killed their draft. I understand that Cedric Benson hasn't been that great, but not picking a QB or another RB over Forte is completely ludicrous. After all of the drama with Orton and friends struggling, this was the chance they had to put that all away and get a new face into the system.

#5. Minnesota Vikings.

• Tyrell Johnson. S.
• Unfortunately for the Vikings, their draft was destined for mediocrity with only one pick in the top 4 rounds. This pick was simply used for a need, and respectively so. Most likely the Vikings will get the least talent out of this draft, but at least they are making the best they can out of it instead of wasting the picks (cough, Bears, cough).

There you have it folks.

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