2009 NFL Draft Grades: Winners and Losers in the NFC

Team by team draft analysis by yours truly—you should have to pay for this, Mike Mayock does. Here are your NFC draft grades.

NFC East
Dallas Cowboys-Grade: D

• It's hard to knock them for this draft because of what they gave up in the trade for Roy Williams last year...then again it is pretty easy to knock them for what they gave up in the trade for Roy Williams last year. I guarantee that will come back and bite Jerrah Jones in the ass.
• I don't really know much about anybody that they drafted, and from what I have read neither does anybody else. It seems like all of their picks kind of sucked. I agree.

New York Giants-Grade: B-

• I don't think Hakeem Nicks is going to be relevant in the NFL. He played spectacular in his last couple college games and that really shot him up draft boards and made him decide to come out. He has some personality and weight issues and I just don't think this is the guy you want to bring in to replace Burress.
• There late round picks really boosted their grade. William Beatty will be a solid OT. Ramses Barden has a ton of potential and fits the mold of Plaxico Burress perfectly—minus the hand gun and bullet wound. The Giants have a good TE with Boss, but Travis Beckum has high upside that can't be passed up for a third round pick.
• I even like the pick of Rhett Bomar. He is a prototypical quarterback who would have been taken in the first round this year had he not been taking $1,000 hand shakes at Oklahoma. But seriously, what big time college quarterback isn't getting money under the table?

Philadelphia Eagles-Grade: A-

• I am not as thrilled as all the other analysts are with the pick of Jeremy Maclin in the first round. I fell in love with Brandon Pettigrew and when the Eagles traded up I thought for sure that was who we were targeting. Not so fast my friends, Maclin comes off the board at the 19 spot. I don't really care for Maclin all that much--I think he was more of a product of the system and may not really be that great of a receiver—especially because DeSean Jackson is the same type of player. Philly would have gotten an A++ if they would have taken Pettigrew.
• I love the LeSean McCoy pick. He can come in and make an immediate impact and still has time to learn from one of the best, Brian Westbrook, for the next couple years before becoming the featured back.
  
• The next three picks were brilliant. I called the Cornelius Ingram pick before the draft, he can come in as a fifth round pick and possibly start if he has fully recovered from his injury. I think we got great value with the Victor "Macho" Harris pick—And I get to do my Macho Man Randy Savage impression every time he takes the field, Oh Yeeeah! And the Eagles got a solid OT in Fenuki Tupou. The Eagles have already addressed their needs on the O-line through free agency, but Tupou will add always needed depth.
• Then you factor in that we got Jason Peters, the biggest off season pick up this year, and Ellis Hobbs and you have an extremely successful draft. Championship.

Washington Redskins-Grade: B

• If Brian Orakbo didn't fall into their laps then I think their draft was one of the worst. But Orakbo did fall into their laps and now I have to deal with the combo of Orakbo and Haynesworth for the next four years...because Haynesworth will be done after that, if not before.
• Kevin Barnes has some potential to be a really good Cornerback. You love to get an athletic CB who is 6'0" tall. But he has never really had to play man coverage so we will have to see how he adjusts.
• There were plenty of good prospects left out there on day two and I didn't think the 'Skins found many of them. There offense was terrible last year and they didn't do anything to improve it. How did they not draft an offensive lineman?

NFC North
Chicago Bears-Grade: A-

• Factoring in what they had to give up to get Jay Cutler, I think the Bears had one of the best drafts.
• Jarron Gilbert could seriously come out of this draft as the best Defensive End. He underachieved at SJSU, but the potential and physical tools are there. He is a steal in the third round.
• Henry Melton is a 6'3", 260 lb. Defensive End who ran a 4.65 40 yard dash. So, yeah, he can rush the passer. He came in as a highly touted RB but switched to the defensive side of the ball just two years ago. His ceiling is through the roof—or something.
• I love the D. J. Moore pick as well. He is a smart kid—duh, he went to Vanderbilt—that makes the big plays. He slid to the fourth round because he doesn't have great straight line speed, but he has the skills to make up for that. The Bears got another steal.
• They also picked up the fastest player in the draft, Johnny Knox—ville—who will add a vertical threat to the Bears offense immediately. He isn't a good route runner and probably never will be, but he is a blazer.

Detroit Lions-Grade: C

• Matthew Stafford is going to be a bust. You can put it on the boooard, yes. Ask any Georgia fan what they think of Stafford and I bet they will tell you the same thing.
• Mel Kiper says Brandon Pettigrew was a reach at No. 21...then why the did he have him as a Top 10 player? I think Pettigrew is going to be a stud in all aspects of the game. But, the Lions really needed to get a left tackle and this would have been the perfect spot to do so, especially with Michael Oher on the board.
• Did the Lions forget that they had the worst defense in the league last year? It took them until their fourth pick to address that GIGANTIC need. And then they only end up getting two OLB's and one DT. I get that they are switching to a 3-4 so OLB's are needed, but that defense only has one play maker, Ernie Sims...and he is a LB.

Green Bay Packers-Grade: B+

• I really liked what the Packers did with their first two picks. I have become a big fan of B. J. Raji and I really have no idea why, but he is a perfect fit for their new defensive scheme. Clay Matthews is a monster who worked his way up from being a walk-on to being a first round pick from USC...he can play.
• T. J. Lang is a brute who is a good fit at right tackle. He lacks the athleticism to take on a good rush defensive end but he is a strong run blocker. Jamon Meredith might have been the most versatile OL in the draft, the Packers can certainly find a spot for him to contribute early.

Minnesota Vikings-Grade: C+

• The Minnesota Loveboat has a new captain and his name is Percy Harvin. I hate this guy already. You can't ignore his skills, but he still appears to be completely clueless about how people perceive him as a total ass. I don't think Brad Childress has it in him to keep him under control.
• Phil Loadholt is huge and just became the new lead blocker for Adrian Peterson on the right side. He can't pass protect very well, but the Vikings don't really have anybody who can throw the ball anyways.
• The Vikings addressed all of their most glaring needs heading into the draft, I just don't like the Harvin pick. But Childress's balls are getting close to the ban saw so he had to make a move that would impact his offense immediately.

NFC South
Atlanta Falcons-Grade: B+

• Coming into the draft the Falcons were looking to address their Offensive Line, Defensive Line, and Secondary. They addressed each of them very well.
• Peria Jerry is a good pick, but I wouldn't have taken him any higher than No. 24. He is a little small to play DT, especially in a conference that likes to pound it out on the ground. But he is a guy that can shoot the gap and disrupt plays in the backfield.
• I like all of their DB picks. I especially like William Moore because he is Top 15 talent. He dealt with injuries this year and that led to a decline in his play, but last year he would have been a first round pick. He will get healthy and be an anchor for the Falcons secondary for a long time. I like both of the cornerback picks too. Both guys like to get up in the WR's face and challenge at the line of scrimmage, a key to their two deep system.
• Garrett Reynolds is a project, but he will be well worth the effort at 6'8", 305 lbs. He can be groomed into a mauling right tackle and strengthen the Falcons run game even more.

Carolina Panthers-Grade: C

• The Panthers got a first round prospect in the second round when they got Everette Brown. Unfortunately they had to give up their first round pick next year to the Niners to do so. It seemed like nobody wanted to touch this guy for some reason.
  
• Troy keeps cranking out top defenders and I don't think Sherrod Martin will be any different. He has the size and skills you would like in a Cornerback and the toughness and hitting ability of a Safety. Good pick late in the second round.
• After that, nothing. None of their day two picks stand out. How did they not go after a WR? Steve Smith can't do it all.
  
• Jake Delhomme is terrible, but there weren't enough QB's to go around this year so I can understand waiting until next year to pick one up.

New Orleans Saints-Grade: D+

• The Saints secondary is terrible and it has been for years. Malcolm Jenkins will come in right away and start at whatever position he is best at. I think he will eventually end up at Safety, but the Saints need him at corner right now.
• They got nothing but backups after that.
• They seriously traded up to get a punter. Not even Al Davis does that.
  

Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Grade: C-

• They didn't have to move up to get Josh Freeman. He would have been there at No. 19. He probably would have been there in the second round. He is the ultimate boom or bust QB. Tampa hasn't had much luck with there QB picks lately. There biggest mistake, letting go off Bruce Gradkowski a couple years ago.
• Who do they have to play Linebacker? Is Geno Hayes really the answer to that question? They really needed to address that need in the draft.
• None of their other picks were anything more than average.

NFC West
Arizona Cardinals-Grade: B+

• They got Chris Wells for a bargain. Nobody thought he would still be on the board at No. 31. The Cardinals desperately needed a RB and they made the right decision to stay and wait for Beanie to drop right in their lap.
• I really like Rashad Johnson, I was hoping that the Eagles would get him at some point on day two. He is undersized, but he has worked his way up from being a walk-on to an All American at Alabama. He has done it through spending time studying film, something you love to hear about a prospect.
• Everyone expected them to go after an OLB, but they got two athletic Defensive Ends, Cody Brown and Will Davis, that can move outside.

San Fransisco 49ers-Grade: A-

• Jackpot! The Raiders gave the Niners a Swedish massage on Saturday by being stupid enough to take Heyward-Bey at No. 7 instead of Crabtree. Crabtree might be the best player in the draft, but his injury scared of other teams in the top 10—and he is a dick.
• Glen Coffee is an underrated back and should see playing time in his first year.
• I totally forgot Nate Davis was even in the draft. How the hell did he go from projected first rounder to a fifth round pick. 
• Taylor and Jean-Francois are two of the best picks in the seventh round.
  

Seattle Seahawks-Grade: B-

• Aaron Curry is going to be a very good player in the NFL, but the Seahawks were probably the last team that needed a LB. Leroy Hill and Lofa Tatupu are two of the best young LB's in the league, why get another one? I think they would have been better off taking a reach with Malcolm Jenkins at that spot, or even Mark Sanchez.
  
• Max Unger is a great pick up because he was rated higher than the #49 pick and he can play any position on the offensive line.
• I think Deon Butler was also a good value pick up. The Seahawks don't really need help at the WR position right away so Butler can take some time to develop into a solid number 2 or 3.
• Didn't like anything after that. The Curry pick still throws me off.

St. Louis Rams-Grade: C+

• Jason Smith was the right pick at No. 2. I think he still needs some time to develop as a complete blocker, but he will have to learn on the job. He is athletic enough to make the adjustments needed.
• The Rams definitely needed to address the LB position, but they picked the wrong one. Rey Maualuga was still on the board when they pickedJames Laurinaitis. Maualuga can make the big plays that the Rams need. Laurinaitis will be average, if not solid, but he won't be a game changer.
• They drafted Keith Null from West TAMU—some made up college. You know who coached there? This guy. Enough said.

I'M OUT

ASALAMALAKUM, ONE LOVE