2012 NFL Draft Grades and Thoughts for Every AFC East Team
Incomplete.
That's what every draft grade should read, at least until 2015 or possibly even later.
Knowing what we know now, though, these are the grades that each AFC East team earned through their selections in the 2012 NFL draft by addressing needs, adding talent, finding value and most importantly, improving their team.
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Needs: DE, DT, OLB, S
Overall grade: A
Thoughts: The Patriots wheeled and dealed around the board to get the players they wanted, giving up third and fourth-round picks to move up in the first round, while adding several picks by moving down in the second and fifth rounds.
Chandler Jones, Dont'a Hightower and Jake Bequette all have a chance to contribute early. Even Alfonzo Dennard, a seventh-round pick with a second-round grade, could be a great pick down the line if he can stay out of trouble. The only questionable pick was Tavon Wilson, who had a sixth to seventh-round grade despite being selected in the second round.
The 31st-ranked defense was the main focus leading up to the draft and proved to be the focal point of the Patriots' selections as well.
Needs: WR, OT, CB, OLB
Overall grade: A
Thoughts: The Bills hit every major position of need, and three of them were hit twice. That's the way the draft is played—percentages. With two linebackers, two cornerbacks and two tackles, the Bills doubled their chances at finding a fit at three of their biggest positions of need in terms of both top-end talent and depth.
The secondary was a huge need, after the Bills got torched for 7.7 yards per attempt and a 90.4 passer rating in 2011. Stephon Gilmore gives their defense a fighting chance against Wes Welker and Santonio Holmes, two quicksters who have given the Bills headaches in the past.
Either Cordy Glenn or Zebrie Sanders could start for the Bills, but with Chris Hairston returning at left tackle, one of them will likely ride the bench. Whichever one it is will provide comfort at a position that was exposed in 2011 as a huge weakness in terms of a lack of depth.
Needs: OT, OLB, ILB, WR, S
Overall grade: B
Thoughts: Can Rex Ryan rein in Quinton Coples and get him to give 100-percent effort 100 percent of the time? Good question; guess we'll have to find out.
Behind Coples, their two next picks were slam dunks. Stephen Hill's production was low because of the option style offense run at Georgia Tech, and he'll get to put some of those skills to use in the option packages the Jets will utilize with Tim Tebow. Demario Davis has a chance to crack the starting lineup his rookie year, and even if not, he looks like a high upside replacement for the 34-year-old Bryan Thomas.
Although their later picks weren't until much, much later, the Jets used them wisely to address positions needing depth, grabbing two safeties in Josh Bush and Antonio Allen who can both play, and two Baylor Bears in running back Terrance Ganaway and guard Robert T. Griffin.
The boom-or-bust nature of the Coples pick has the fate of the Jets' draft hanging in the balance.
Needs: QB, WR, RT, DE, CB, S
Overall grade: B-
Thoughts: The Dolphins have needed a quarterback since 2000, and they put their chips in the middle of the table on Ryan Tannehill, who came with many warning signs urging against a top-10 pick.
Their next two picks, tackle Jonathan Martin and defensive end Olivier Vernon, both have a chance to come in and start at their respective positions, without much for talent standing in front of them on the depth chart. The picks of Michael Egnew and Lamar Miller, however, are both questionable because the Dolphins already have players that fill those roles—Charles Clay is your joker tight end, and Reggie Bush is your speedster in space.
Joe Philbin may not like taking wide receivers high—and he may not even need to with his offense producing top-tier pass-catchers left and right—but with the current core of wide receivers on the Dolphins roster, you'd like to see them invest more than sixth and seventh-round picks in the position. At least the two guys they took look like fits for the system.
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