NFL Draft 2011: Who Were the Winners and Losers?
Fans at the 2011 NFL Draft were not at all quiet about their desire to see football this coming fall, and I applaud each and every one of them. For three days, football fans, players and owners alike were able to pretend that the lockout was not looming and could enjoy one of the NFL's greatest traditions. Whether or not I agree with the three day system is irrelevant, I've been hearing about the lockout every single day for the past two months, and it was incredible to finally watch the NFL without hearing that God-awful word.
Like every year, some teams made some excellent decisions and steals, while others...well, did not. I present to you, the 2011 winners and losers.
WINNER: Baltimore Ravens
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The Ravens came in with minimal needs: some offensive line help, maybe defensive and a couple receivers. Boy, did they fill the needs and then some.
They managed to come away with Jimmy Smith out of Colorado, a guy who may have been the best corner in the draft. For him to fall all the way to 27 was incredible. In addition, Jah Reid falling in their laps in the third round gives the Ravens another tackle to play with Michael Oher, giving Ray Rice and Joe Flacco an impressive OT duo. They also got two quality receivers in Torrey Smith and Tandon Doss. With Derrick Mason not getting any younger and T.J. Houshmandzadeh not seeming to be the receiver he once was, these two quality wideouts can add speed and agility to Flacco's receiving core.
WINNER: Cincinnati Bengals
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Does the fact that I call the Bengals a winner mean that they are going to be a surprise playoff team again? No way.
Look at their picks, though: A top-notch receiver coming in the way of A.J. Green, a quality quarterback in Andy Dalton and they got help at just about every position they needed. Besides those two obvious picks, they filled in needs at the linebacker position with the powerful Dontay Moch and got offensive line armor by drafting the 300 pound Clint Boling.
It's a new beginning for the oft-disappointing Bengals.
WINNER: New York Giants
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They got very lucky when they drafted Prince Amukamara—how he remained on the board until the 19th pick is beyond me, given his quickness and ability to cover any receiver in football. The G-men continued to bulk up the defensive side of the ball the giant (no pun intended) Marvin Austin, who will give Tony Romo fits all year, as well as Jacquian Williams from South Florida. Williams was a steal as it comes to the sixth round pick he was, but that seemed to be the theme of the Giants' draft. James Brewer was a solid pick on the o-line, as Eli Manning has really never had great protection, even in the Super Bowl season.
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LOSER: Washington Redskins
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I'm not sure how the Redskins' minds thought that their picks were good, but very few of them were. I agree that they needed receivers, but three of them??? No, that was strike one. Strike two was not drafting a quarterback. Was last year's disaster not enough to prove something to the 'Skins? Apparently not. Strike three on the "Loser List" basically included the entire list of players: Ryan Kerrigan is a good DE, but does not fit into a 3-4 scheme, Jarvis Jenkins was NOT second round talent, and drafting a couple of sub-par running backs were wasted picks.
Buckle up, Redskins fans. You're in for a long year.
LOSER: Minnesota Vikings
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Neither of their first two picks made sense. Christian Ponder, while he has potential, has very iffy NFL talent. His pocket presence is decent but decision-making is terrible. Even if they wanted Ponder, they could have waited until round two.
Speaking of round two...Kyle Rudolph? A tight end? Did Visante Shiancoe dissapear or what?
Overall, the Vikings had a bunch of picks that, in the end, made no sense at all. They filled some needs, but not with guys they could have had. For instance, they could have had Nick Fairley, but now they have to play him.
LOSER: Seattle Seahawks
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They filled in a lot of offensive line and defensive needs, which I applaud them for. The reason they wind up in the LOSER area is because they got no help in terms of a running back or a quarterback. Marshawn Lynch's run was great against the Saints, no doubt.
That's over now, and let's get back to reality. He has a skill set that he has been unable to use. As for the quarterback position, Matt Hasselbeck is kind of old. Most people thought he would retire, but he hasn't, and the last few years, he has been riddled with injuries. Do they really think that Charlie Whitehurst is the answer? Good luck.
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.jpg?w=480 "Browns Football")
