Off the Clock: Reviewing the 2012 NFL Draft

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The NFL Draft has now been over for two days, so that means it is now time to step back and evaluate some of the big questions concerning who got the job done and who dropped the ball for their team’s future.
Most Surprising Pick: Kirk Cousins, Quarterback, Michigan State. It’s not the fact that Cousins was drafted in the fourth round of this year’s draft—that’s a bit farther than I expected him to fall—but the fact that he was selected by the Washington Redskins, a team that had already used its first pick on a quarterback in Baylor’s Robert Griffin III. Cousins may eventually turn out to be a decent player in the NFL, but he would have definitely been much better suited backing up a veteran (someone like Aaron Rodgers or Phillip Rivers) and learning from someone with experience instead of sitting behind a fellow rookie.

Best Trading of Picks: New England Patriots. It’s not by coincidence that the Bill Belichick-led Pats have had only one losing season in twelve seasons; New England always does everything right, including the draft. Needing desperately to rebuild a defense that was downright despicable in 2011, New England sent its #27 pick as well as a third round pick to the Bengals to acquire the #21 overall spot to select Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones and then made a trade with the Denver Broncos to get the #25 selection, with which the team selected Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower. Belichick has been known to work some magic in his time in Boston (outside of SpyGate, of course), but these acquisitions might just be his best move in a draft since he picked a quarterback from Michigan in the sixth round back in 2000.

Worst Trading of Picks: Cleveland Browns. It’s possible that the Minnesota Vikings may be up for an Oscar this year, as there is a high possibility that the team management’s rumblings that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were close to completing a trade ultimately convinced the Browns that they needed to send the Vikings its fourth, fifth, and seven round picks in order to swap first round picks and ensure that the team would be able to draft running back Trent Richardson. I believe that the Buccaneers were probably interested in selecting the former Alabama running back, but the reason that Cleveland traded up and Tampa Bay didn’t was the fact that Bucs head coach Greg Schiano and the rest of Tampa’s decision makers were not interested in mortgaging the team’s entire draft for him.

Steal of the Draft: Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma. Yes, Broyles is coming off a tough ACL tear that leaves his career up in the air, but I believe that the Detroit Lions will be rewarded for using a second round pick on the NCAA’s all-time receptions leader. As long as the injury bug doesn’t plague Broyles, I think that he could be a big piece in Detroit’s passing puzzle for 2012 and beyond.

Reach of the Draft: Bruce Irvin, DE/LB, West Virginia. Talent is not the main issue with Seattle selected Irvin with the #15 overall pick being a bad move, but rather the fact that Irvin has a bit of a checkered past (dropped out of high school, arrested in March for disorderly conduct and destruction of property). I believe that everyone deserves a second chance, but taking Irvin over talents like Quentin Coples and Melvin Ingram would have been questionable even if Irvin had a clean slate.

Coach Who May Have Saved His Job: Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles have always been competitive in the time that Reid as spent as head coach, but a disappointing 8-8 record last year with a squad that some deemed as the “Dream Team” put the coach on the hot seat. However, it looks like Reid may have found the ingredients to put out the fire via the draft, as the team picked up a quality defensive tackle (Mississippi State’s Fletcher Cox) along with a fiery linebacker (Mychal Kendricks from California) and a promising quarterback (Arizona’s Nick Foles). I fully expect Cox and Kendricks along with former Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans to play integral parts in Philadelphia winning the NFC East for the seventh time under Andy Reid’s watch, effectively saving his job for the time being.

Coach Who May Have Endangered His Job: Leslie Frazier, Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota’s decision to select offensive tackle Matt Kahlil with the 4th pick isn’t what may lead to Frazier’s downfall, but rather the fact that it implies that they believe in the future of quarterback Christian Ponder. If Ponder plays poorly again in 2012 like he did last season despite good play from a rebuilt offensive line, it shouldn’t be a shock if the Vikings fire Frazier and start all over.

Best Draft: Indianapolis Colts. Give props to Chuck Pagano and the rest of the revamped Colts organization: they didn’t slack off after selecting Andrew Luck with the first overall pick in the draft. Weighed down with the daunting task of rebuilding an entire offense, the team did an excellent job doing so, picking reliable weapons like tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen along with wide receiver T.Y. Hilton. With a total of ten picks in the draft, I honestly believe that the team couldn’t have done a better job in its first draft without Peyton Manning since the team selected him fourteen years ago.

Worst Draft: Denver Broncos. From Peyton’s former team to his current team, the Broncos had the worst draft in my eyes because it didn’t stick with the gameplan of “Win Now” that they committed to when they signed Manning to a 5-year, $96 million deal back in March. Needing to add pieces that could help the Manning-led Broncos compete in 2012, the Broncos initally avoided that by trading its first round pick to the Patriots. Things got even worse when Denver’s second second round pick came around, as the team that needed to add pieces around the quarterback position instead just added another qb to the stable, selecting Brock Osweiler from Arizona State. Denver picked up some decent players in defensive tackle Derek Wolfe from Cincinnati and Baylor center Philip Blake, but they definitely could have done a lot better.

Grading the Atlanta Falcons Picks

2nd Round – Peter Konz, C/OG, Wisconsin B+. Some may not like this pick as much as me, but selecting Konz allows for Atlanta to both use him at guard this season and ensures that the team has a replacement whenever veteran center Todd McClure calls it a career.
3rd Round – Lamar Holmes, OT, Southern Miss C-. Definitely Atlanta’s most questionable choice of the draft, every source I’ve heard discuss this pick have said that it was a huge reach for the Falcons. You can’t blame the team for trying to improve the offensive line, but it seems like they could have gotten a better value at the pick in someone else.
5th Round – Bradie Ewing, FB, Wisconsin B. Another good pick for the Dirty Birds, the acquisition of Ewing means that Ovie Mughelli’s tenure in Atlanta is probably done, which saves the team around $3 million. Saving a considerable amount of money while still having a good fullback? Check.
5th Round – Jonathan Massaquoi, DE/OLB, Troy C-. Another pick questioned by some, several analysts have openly wondered why Massaquoi, a 3-4 type linebacker, would be taken by the Falcons. My answer is simple: Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan will probably run a mix of 4-3 and 3-4 fronts, so it’s possible that we see Massaquoi utilized when the 3-4 is used.
6th Round – Charles Mitchell, S, Mississippi State B+. It’s hard to argue with the later round picks, especially when its spent on a player that just might improve the team’s weakest component in the secondary. Mitchell has big play-making ability, so I think he was definitely worth the selection.
7th Round – Travian Robertson, DT, South CarolinaB-. The Falcons have had issues with its defensive tackles (see: Peria Jerry), so taking a guy like Robertson to end the draft definitely makes sense.

Overall Team Grade: B-. I would have liked to see the team get a replacement for tight end Tony Gonzalez, who will retire after this season, but other than that I’m comfortable with the job that general manager Thomas Dimitroff’s did in this year’s draft.

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