NFC West Draft Recap

Arizona didn’t really fill a lot of needs with their first pick but they did get some high end talent. If they truly believe Kolb is their future then this draft makes more sense but many analyst don’t think Kolb is a championship level quarterback. Grabbing Floyd early gives them a nice compliment to Fitzgerald. Later on in the draft the Cards took 3 offensive lineman. I think their second round pick, Jamell Fleming, was their best selection as he fills a big need and gives them a decent corner that will lock down most of the NFC west receivers. Draft Grade: C+

San Francisco reached for A.J. Jenkins late in the first round. I thought they had the worst selection in the first round as they passed up Stephen Hill and Courtney Upshaw who were high on my board. The 49ers made a few solid selections late including Trenton Robinson, a safety from Michigan State, in the 6th round. The 49ers also added LeMichael James the Oregon running back who could be the starter when Gore retires. Draft Grade: C-

Seattle made an interesting pick with Bruce Irvin in the first round. He is an athlete playing football with a checkered past. Maybe management got nervous but this is already being labeled as one of the worst picks of all time. Later in the draft they filled a few needs and picked up a QB with a bright future in Russell Wilson out of Wisconsin. Draft Grade: C+

The St. Louis Rams got robbed of Justin Blackmon and proceeded to trade down. With all of their trades the Rams acquired 5 picks in the top 65. They took Janoris Jenkins who has a ton of upside but questionable off the field character issues. They grabbed a quick receiver in Brian Quick and a back up runner with Isiah Pead. The Rams added depth to their roster with this draft. Draft Grade: B

NFC South Draft Recap

The Atlanta Falcons did not have a first round pick and only had two selections in the top 150. They did take a risk with Lamar Holmes 91st overall but they hit the nail on the head with the 55th pick selecting Peter Konz from Wisconsin. I loved Konz and I was shocked he lasted this long. Draft Grade: B-

Carolina took Luke Kuechly 9th overall. I thought he was the best linebacker in the draft by far. The Panthers strengthened their offensive and defensive lines selecting Silatolu at guard and Frank Alexander at defensive end. They also took Joe Adams a speedster out of Arkansas to eventually replace All Pro receiver Steve Smith. Draft Grade: B

New Orleans lost a high pick with their owner’s listening problems and therefore only had one pick in the top 120 and it was the 89th overall (Akiem Hicks NT from Canada). Basically this draft was a waste of time for the Saints who would have been better off spending time working on Drew Brees’ new contract. Draft Grade: D

Tampa Bay took Mark Barron and Doug Martin in the first round. Both picks make a lot of sense and offer solid value although you can make the case that they reached a few spots higher for each player. This isn’t always a bad thing as management wanted to ensure they got their guys. Lavonte David, the outside linebacker from Nebraska, was a great pick 58th overall. David should come in and make an impact right away. The Bucs arguably picked up 4 starters this draft and that doesn’t include Doug Martin who could end up playing more than LaGarrette Blount come training camp. Draft Grade: B+

NFC North Draft Recap

Chicago got my favorite player in this year’s draft with Alshon Jeffery in the second round. Their first round selection of outside rusher Shea McClellin is great in my mind because he’ll learn from the best and with his raw talent offers major upside. Jeffery is the next Brandon Marshall and now gets to play across from him. They picked up defensive secondary late. Draft Grade: B+

Detroit drafted Riley Reiff in the first round, 23rd overall. Reiff was arguably a top ten talent and now Stafford should find Megatron and Ryan Broyles (54th overall) with more time down field. They nailed most of their picks throughout the draft. Draft Grade: B+

Green Bay clearly went defense early and why not? They ranked 32nd overall last year in passing yards allowed because they couldn’t rush the QB. Drafting Nick Perry DE/OLB (28th overall), Jerel Worthy DE/DT (51st overall),and Mike Daniels DE/DT (132nd overall) with their early picks. The Packers did a nice job filling needs as they look to contend once again for a title in 2013. Draft Grade: B

Minnesota had one of the best drafts this year not only because of who they picked but how they scammed the Browns into trading up for a player they weren’t interested in. Minnesota had no interest in Trent Richardson but still got the Browns to offer a few mid round picks to move up one spot. The Vikings took Matt Kalil to protect Christian Ponder’s backside and later in the first round selected Harrison Smith a safety from Notre Dame. They snagged Josh Robinson, a corner, 66th overall and Jarius Wright, a receiver, 118th overall. The Vikings did a great job top to bottom in this year’s draft. Draft Grade: A-

NFC East Draft Recap

Dallas made a huge trade moving up and getting Morris Claiborne the corner from LSU. Claiborne was only worth a second round pick and he is arguably the best defensive player in the draft. He also fills a big time need as the Cowboys have to face elite receivers all year in Victor Cruz and Deshaun Jackson. Later in the draft the ‘Boys took more defensive players including Tyrone Crawford 81st overall, a DE/DT from Boise State, who should come in right away and produce. The Cowboys filled a lot of needs and got their flashy first overall pick which is something that Jerry Jones had to have. Draft Grade: B+

The New York Giants reached for David Wilson but after that they picked up some key players moving forward including Rueben Randle (WR 63rd overall) and Jayron Hosley (CB 94th overall). The Giants added line depth on both sides of the ball late and had a solid overall draft. Draft Grade: B

Philadelphia loaded up on interior defenders which should allow that secondary to play with a little more ease in 2013. Fletcher Cox, 12th overall, is a monster talent who was considered to be a top 8 player. Cox will clog up the middle along with inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks from California, 46th overall, and off season trade acquisition DeMeco Ryans. The Eagles also took Vinny Curry from Marshall 59th overall adding another outside rusher to the roster. The biggest question mark of their draft has to be reaching for Nick Foles (QB from Arizona 88th overall). Draft Grade: B

Washington got Robert Griffin III with the 2nd overall pick and the comparisons to Cam Newton are more than adequate. The Redskins also added another QB with the 102nd overall pick, Kirk Cousins from Michigan State which threw a lot of people for a loop. The Skins gave RG3 some protection up front as they picked up guard Josh LeRibeus with the 71st overall selection. The Redskins draft revolved around RG3. Draft Grade: B+

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Alex Wiesner