10 Teams Which Improved Themselves in the NFL Draft

A draft really can't be measured until two or three years down the road, so providing a grade the day after is pointless because it's really based on only what we saw from players in college.

In 2002, the Lions received a high grade for taking Joey Harrington; that didn't work out so well. On the other side of the coin, the Giants were given a C in Jerry Reese's first draft in 2007; that turned out a little better than most experts predicted.

So here are 10 teams which improved themselves in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Philadelphia Eagles.

When you mix in the trades (LT Jason Peters, CB Ellis Hobbs) and the draft picks (WR Maclin, RB McCoy, etc), you've got to feel very good about the Eagles after these moves. Their offense is going to be much more dangerous and their defense, while there are still holes left to be filled -S Dawkins departure, should still be pretty good.

New England Patriots

The Patriots were the wheeler and dealers of this draft and grabbed a lot of quality (NT Brace, S Chung, etc) in the second and third rounds.

On top of that, they were able to solidify next year's draft position by securing three second round picks in 2010. While the Pats don't have a lot of holes, they are getting older; this infusion of youth should provide the foundation for the beginning of the next decade.

Chicago Bears

Regardless of what they did, landing Jay Cutler for this year's No. 18 pick made the draft a winner. Cutler is heads and shoulders above the two prospects taken in this draft and only now entering his prime. They also grabbed a few other areas of need (DE Jarron Gilbert) and picked up a receiver (WR Joaquin Iglesias) for Cutler to throw to.

New York Giants

The Giants needed a few more guys on the outside and were able to land 6'2" Nicks in round one and 6'6" Barden in round three.

The latter will take some time to develop but the Giants love his upside—especially in the red zone. Other than that, it was solid all around and they picked up depth and the RB, OT, TE and LB position in round's two through four.

New York Jets

The Jets made the boldest move by trading up to pick No. 5 for Mark Sanchez. GM Tannebaum is in love with QBs and before Saturday, the Jets were without one.

Sanchez already finds himself in a better situation than Stafford because the Jets possess a strong defense and running game, two crucial components when bringing along a young QB.

In round three, they moved up to grab RB Shonn Greene. With RB Thomas Jones running his mouth of late for a new contract, perhaps the Jets plan to move the vet and go with Greene and Washington.

If there was a downside to this draft for the Jets it's the fact that they were left with only three picks. Champions are built through the draft so if they miss on the QB, this will put them way back.

Green Bay Packers

Landing B.J. Raji was a stroke of good fortune for a team that was consistently beaten off the line in 2008. Raji will fill a huge hole in the middle and allow those LBers (Barnett, Hawk and Mathews) to attack.

Speaking of Mathews, the Packers traded back into the first round to select him and this guy's motor never stops. And oh yeah, he's got pretty good bloodlines.

The rest of the draft was solid - something we've come to expect from GM Ted Thompson - and Green Bay could be ready to take a big step forward in the NFC Central in 2009.

San Francisco 49ers

Thanks to an unconscious Al Davis, and he must've been for taking Heyward-Bey at pick No. 7, WR Michael Crabtree fell to the 10th pick where the Niners wasted little time in scooping him up.

They then dealt their second and fourth for Carolina's No. 1 in 2010, and used their third and 5th on a RB and QB. While they didn't address a glaring need on the defensive line, they did add depth and quality to the offensive side of the football and provided they get decent QB play, should be interesting to watch on offense in 2009.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins loaded up at the defensive back position (see the receivers in AFC East other than the Jets to know why) and drafted WVU QB Pat White in round two. The Fins rejuvenated the Wild Cat formation in 2008 and you can bet they had this in mind when they grabbed the versatile White here.

Later on they addressed the receiver position and if there's one thing we know about Parcells, it's that he knows how to draft. He found good value throughout and the Dolphins have become a respectable franchise once again in only two short years.

Indianapolis Colts

The top choice of RB Donald Brown was surprising but they did need a complementary back to Addai who can't seem to stay healthy. And Brown is a good player. Second round pick DT Fili Moala was a great pick for a major area of need, the interior line.

The Colts had a difficult time stopping the run in 2008 and Moala is a good start towards getting that corrected. Throughout the rest of the draft, they continued to build up that defense and addressed a few other areas on offense, receiver and offensive lineman. And once again, Polian did a nice job in the draft.

Atlanta Falcons

Grabbing Tony Gonzalez for a second rounder was the missing piece to the skill positions on offense, and DT Peria Jerry was just what the doctor ordered in round one. The Falcons were weak along the interior of the line and this move will shore it up.

Later on they grabbed a young safety who should make the transition from Lawyer Milloy and easy one.

Others who did well include the Bengals, Texans, and Ravens.