2011 NFL Draft Grades: Reviewing Picks 17-20 of 2011 Draft
With picks 17-20 in the 2011 NFL draft, the New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers, New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers made some interesting selections.
At No. 17, the Patriots decided to fill their need at the offensive tackle position, selecting Colorado's Nate Solder to apparently supplant free-agent Matt Light.
At No. 18, the Chargers went for a 3-4 defensive end in the form of Illinois defensive lineman Corey Liuget.
The Giants went with the best player available at No. 19, grabbing Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara to potentially fill in at nickelback in favor of an offensive lineman.
And at No. 20, the Buccaneers addressed their ailing pass rush in hopes of making a run at a playoff spot in 2011, nabbing Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn.
Read on for my grades of each team's selection.
17. New England Patriots: Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
1 of 4
The New England Patriots came into the 2011 NFL draft looking for some help to their pass rush, concerns about their O-line in the future and hoping to find a speedy receiver to stretch defenses down the line.
With the 17th overall selection, they opted to first address their O-line, going with Colorado offensive tackle Nate Solder.
Solder was one of three finalists for the 2010 Outland Trophy, given to the top offensive lineman in the country. That will give you an idea of what kind of caliber player he is.
With tackle Matt Light entering free agency, it appears the Patriots have tipped their hand. It's likely they won't re-sign Light with the selection of Solder. And it could pay off big for the franchise.
In a deep defensive draft, picking an offensive lineman first makes sense.
Grade: B
I'm going to give the Patriots a B here. I don't have as many issues with them taking Solder over Boston College's Anthony Castonzo as some people might, and the Patriots always have a plan moving forward, so it's hard to doubt them given all the draft picks they still have coming in the draft.
I'm a little surprised they didn't go defensive end here, with Cameron Jordan and Adrian Clayborn still on the board, but obviously they felt they could find someone later.
The only problem is they don't just need a defensive end, they need a pass-rushing outside linebacker, too, and they better be pretty sure they'll find some good value in the second round and beyond to pass up on Jordan and Clayborn, and even Ohio State's Cameron Heyward or Clemson's Da'Quan Bowers.
Who knows? Maybe Bowers will fall to them. That would surely be the steal of the draft.
18. San Diego Chargers: Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois
2 of 4
The San Diego Chargers figured to address their defensive line or linebacking corps first and foremost in the 2011 NFL draft, and they did so, selecting Illinois defensive tackle Corey Liuget with the 18th overall selection.
But where general manager A.J. Smith threw everyone for a loop was not adding an elite pass-rushing prospect, but instead thinking of Liuget as a defensive end that could force double-teams and free up linebackers to go in for the sack.
The Chargers reportedly really liked Liuget and his powerful, physical presence. The fact that they got him at No. 18 has to be thought of as a steal for the franchise. He has tremendous potential and was ahead of Temple's Muhammad Wilkerson in terms of being ready now.
Grade: B
This pick makes a whole lot of sense in terms of picking the better prospect, but I'm a little skeptical that Liuget will instantly convert into a force from the end position. I think Cameron Jordan would have been the better pick here, or even Iowa's Adrian Clayborn.
But if it works out for them, this could be a wise move.
It's just a matter of if it works out for them. I think Liuget does stand the chance to be the better overall player, but if the Chargers linebackers don't get to the quarterback, people are going to criticize the Chargers for not drafting a greater potential pass-rushing threat.
Liuget projects well as a 3-4 end, but if they can't rush the passer in 2011, they still will have the same problems as before, albeit with better run defense.
19. New York Giants: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
3 of 4
With the royal wedding approaching, the New York Giants and their Prince wed in harmony on Thursday in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft.
My apologies. I will never mention the royal wedding again.
Anyway, the Giants selected Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara with the 19th overall selection, despite him not filling an immediate need for the team.
Amukamara was largely considered the second-best cornerback prospect in this year's draft behind LSU's Patrick Peterson, and although his interception numbers dropped in 2010, that doesn't mean he still can't stick to receivers like glue.
I like his technique, I like his instincts and I like where his head is.
The fact that Amukamara dropped to No. 19 is frankly shocking, given he could be a Pro Bowl corner.
Grade: B+
If you read some of my previous draft grades, you probably have realized by now that it's hard for me to fault a team for passing up an immediate need for a potential star down the line.
I give the Giants a B+ for thinking outside the box. Sure, they could have grabbed an offensive lineman, which is what most people had them doing, but why do that when you have an prospect as enticing as Amukamara on the board?
The Giants do have two solid corners in Corey Webster and Terrell Thomas, but with nickelback Aaron Ross battling injury, the team gave up a lot of big plays in 2010, and Amukamara might fit in nicely to their nickel package for now, with the chance of starting every down in due time.
I probably would have run for the hills waiting for the apocalypse if Amukamara had dropped any farther.
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20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
4 of 4
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as much as they tried to downplay it, seriously needed some help on the defensive line in the 2011 NFL draft, registering just 26 sacks in 2010, tied for second-worst in the league.
With the 20th pick in the 2011 draft, the Buccaneers weren't going to downplay their most immediate need anymore, grabbing Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn.
Since birth, Clayborn has had a nerve condition that limits movement in his right arm, and there were some concerns that it might affect him in the NFL. But the concerns were few and far between due to the fact that Clayborn still dominated with the Hawkeyes despite the condition. He is a good all-around player with a lot of potential to rack up a lot of sacks.
Clayborn also had an incident with an Iowa City cab driver in January 2009, and was charged with assault, but his leadership on the field appeared to negate character concerns.
Plus, those Iowa City cab drivers can be a handful, ya know?
Grade: B
For the most part, I like this pick for the Buccaneers. Clayborn was the safe pick despite his nerve condition and Cal's Cameron Jordan was grouped right in there with Clayborn for me, so I don't blame the Bucs for passing on him.
But I am I bit perplexed why they opted to pass up Clemson's Da'Quan Bowers, an absolute force in college. Given Bowers wasn't even selected in the first round, I'm guessing that surgery for a torn meniscus in January bothered teams a lot more than previously thought.
The Buccaneers made the safe pick here, with a potential star in Clayborn, but I don't think it was too risky to spend the 20th overall pick on a top-10, maybe even top-five talent in Bowers.
I mean, the guy had 16 sacks in 2010.
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