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2007 NFL Draft – Draft Recap and Superbowl XLII Predictions
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The Detroit taking Calvin Johnson at number two, teams were set scrambling to make adjustments. And nobody lost out bigger than Brady Quinn, who tumbled to the Cleveland Browns with the twenty-second pick.
Here is a rundown of the big winners and losers of the draft. How did your favorite NFL club fare? And where should you be putting your money before Superbowl XLII kicks off?
BIG DRAFT WINNERS
Brandon Meriwether (DS), Kareem Brown (DT), Randy Moss (WR – via trade)
Meriwether is a solid pick for New England. He has the speed and power to fill a gaping need in the Patriots secondary. With their later picks, the Patriots squandered the chance to pick up DE Shawn Wynn of Florida, who would have been a great pick for Belichik.
The Patriots are the talk of the town, but mostly because they acquired Randy Moss for a fourth-round pick. If anyone can reel in Moss it has to be Uncle Bill and Tom Brady. Moss has always been much happier, and less of a problem, when his team is winning. And that is something the Patriots excel at.
The Pats also received a first round pick in 2008 from the 49ers. Bonus!
GRADE: B-
Patrick Willis (LB), Joe Staley (OT), Ray McDonald (DE, Darrell Jackson (WR via trade)
The 49ers made a great pick with Patrick Willis, who is an NFL ready linebacker and monster tackler. Trading back into the first round to pick up Joe Staley is a great move, because it offers another lineman to help protect Frank Gore and Alex Smith. Staley got lost in the shuffle of offensive linemen behind the likes of Levi Brown and Joe Thomas.
With Smith and Gore maturing in to NFL stars, the 49ers went out and shored up the defensive personnel in a big way. With the acquisition of Darrell Jackson from Seattle, they will be a team to watch in the Superbowl hunt next season.
GRADE: B+
Joe Thomas (OT), Brady Quinn (QB)
With the third overall pick, the Browns took the best offensive line, filling a desperate need. Then something miraculous happened. Brady Quinn tumbled down the board and the Browns traded back in to the first round to nab Quinn.
My favorite part? Romeo Crennel inheriting Charlie Weiss’s pet project. Quinn now has some formidable offensive weapons to work with. Braylon Edwards, Jamal Lewis and Kellen Winslow Jr. have to be thrilled with adding Quinn to the fold. And Thomas will be a great asset to protect the future of the franchise.
GRADE: B+
Marshawn Lynch (RB), Paul Posluszny (LB), Trent Edwards (QB)
The Bills were one of the few teams that went with need instead of value by taking Lynch with the twelfth pick. Lynch was slated to go much later, but the Bills have a gaping hole at running-back with Willis McGahee getting carries in Baltimore. Lynch is a versatile back that could very well surprise a number of naysayersin 2007-08.
Posluszny is going to be a great linebacker. He has great size, speed, power and instincts. It is a great fit for a team that lost London Fletcher and Takeo Spikes in the offseason.
With the team not completely sold on J.P. Losman (why would they be), Trent Edwards is the kind of quarterback that could blossom in the next couple seasons.
GRADE: B
BIG DRAFT LOSERS
Ted Ginn Jr. (WR), John Beck (QB)
Inexplicable. The Dolphins had Quinn with the ninth pick, and instead took the speedy Ginn, who remains out with an injury. Ginn is a great player, and will prosper in to a viable double-threat in the NFL. But the Dolphins needed a quarterback for their future.
Daunte Culpepper is literally on his last legs, and the rumors of Trent Green coming to Teal-town do nothing to shore up their future. Passing on Quinn was inexcusable. They must think very highly of John Beck, who is most likely three years away from starting.
GRADE: D+
Gaines Adams (DE), Tanard Jackson (DS), Sabby Piscitelli (DS), Aaron Spears (OG)
Tampa Bay was one of the worst offensive teams last year and have done little to help their cause. They took Gaines Adams with the number four pick. Adams is arguably the best defensive end in the draft, and will either compliment Simeon Rice or replace him. But he is still vulnerable to the run.
Piscitelli is a terrible pick. The guy is intense and fast in workouts, but on the field he lacks a quick first step and does not have the tools to flourish in the Tampa Cover-2 scheme. Aaron Spears will do well to bolster an offensive line that was outplayed by nearly everyone last season.
The best pick is Tanard Jackson, who is blindingly fast and a great secondary player. Gruden and Monte Kiffen will have to find out whether he will be better at safety or corner, but this guy is a playmaker.
Inexcusably, the head honchos in Tampa feel comfortable with the same underachieving offense as last year. Not a good sign for Bucs fans. They must think very highly of Maurice Stovall, who they took last year.
GRADE: C-
David Clowney (WR), Justin Harrell (DT), Brandon Jackson (RB), Deshawn Wynn (RB)
The Packers desperately needed a running-back, but were unable to trade up to get the man they wanted (Lynch). Instead they took two running backs in the later rounds that have question marks all over them. They needed someone now, not later.
Justin Harrell makes no sense to me. They obviously could not trade out of the pick. Clowney is fast as all hell, and could compliment Donald Driver, but that also remains to be seen.
For a team that has one last season with Brett Favre, they did very little to surround him with the talent needed to succeed. Talk about a team writing off the season…
GRADE: D
Michael Griffen (DS), Chris Henry (RB), Chris Davis (WR/DS)
With no receiver on the roster worthy of note, the Titans had homegrown talent Robert Meacham on the board and passed…for a safety?! Griffen is good, but the Titans are obviously pulled the trigger (pun intended) because of the Pacman situation.
Henry was a Mr. Fantastic stretch in round two. He had a great combine, but this guy was terrible in college. There are only so many Willie Parker’s out there people…
GRADE: D-
Check back over the summer as NFL offseason analysis you need to ensure your money goes the distance in the 2007-08 season! From team-by-team analysis to trade reviews, we have got all the information you need to be a big winner this NFL season!
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