89. DT Akiem Hicks C

Defensive tackle was a need for the Saints and Hicks is a solid prospect, but he’s a bit of a reach and they really needed a pass rusher at defensive tackle. Sedrick Ellis and Brodrick Bunkley are already very good run stuffers. Hicks is not the pass rushing, penetrating defensive tackle they needed.

122. WR Nick Toon A

Toon is a great value in the 4^th round as part of a strong and deep wide receiver class. Devery Henderson will be a full time starter in 2012 for the first time in his career with Robert Meachem gone. If he struggles, Toon could step in so they can keep the injury prone Lance Moore in the slot. Worst case, he’s a solid depth 4^th receiver and he’s a very good value at this point.

162. S Corey White C-

White was outside of my top 250, which would be fine if this were the 6^th or 7^th round, or this was a position they actually needed.

179. G Andrew Tiler C+

Copy and paste what I put above only this is 17 picks later so it’s not as bad. I guess White and Tiler will provide depth if they make the roster, but that’s no sure thing.

234. OT Marcel Jones A-

They needed some depth at offensive tackle I guess. This is the right range for Jones.

The Saints didn’t have picks in the first two rounds for differing reasons. They traded their 1^st round pick last year along with a 2^nd for Mark Ingram, which hasn’t panned out yet, but the jury is still out. They lost their 2^nd round pick in BountyGate and I’m going to deduct for that. With only 5 picks, they had to make them count and I don’t think they did that.

The Nick Toon selection was a great one, but that’s about where it ends. Hicks, White, and Tiler are all going to be depth players at best and Hicks, their 3^rd rounder, is a similar player to players they already have under contract. The Jones pick was fine, but they may have only ended up with one quality player (Toon) out of the entire draft. This was, all in all, a poor draft, when you factor in everything, BountyGate included.

Grade: C

15. DE Bruce Irvin F

Bruce Irvin was the first defensive end off the board in 2012. I’m not basing this grade on “they could have gotten him in the 2^nd round” because we don’t know that for sure. I’m basing this grade on what I see on tape of Irvin. He’s a great athlete with natural pass rush ability, but he’s a one trick pony who probably can’t comfortably add any weight and if an offensive lineman is able to get his hands on him, it’s normally over for him.

He really reminds me of Aaron Maybin. The Bills tried to get Maybin to add some weight and play every down, but he couldn’t do it so they cut him 2 years after using the 11^th overall pick on him. Now he’s found a niche as a situational player in New York playing in the 230s. The Seahawks are probably going to start Irvin out in that role, but you don’t take players like that in the first, especially not with his history of off the field issues. As recently as March, he was arrested so it looks like he might not have fully shed his troubled past.

47. MLB Bobby Wagner B

The Seahawks really needed a middle linebacker. I had a 3^rd round grade on Wagner so this is a bit of a reach, but this certainly a lot better than their first round pick.

74. QB Russell Wilson B

Matt Flynn is unproven an Tarvaris Jackson is pretty mediocre and could be cut to save money so Wilson makes some sense, but I think this is a bit early. Wilson has a pretty average arm on a typical dropback, though he has a great arm on the run. He’s mobile, but undersized and he has every tangible possible. I had a 4^th round grade.

106. RB Robert Turbin A-

They just gave Marshawn Lynch a big deal, but he has a history of injury problems and his running style could lead to those continuing in the future. Robert Turbin is a solid value in this range and gives them a needed #2 back.

114. DT Jaye Howard C+

They could use another defensive tackle I guess, but the offensive line was a bigger need considering all the injuries they had upfront last year. This is a round or two too early for Howard too.

154. OLB Korey Toomer C

I had Toomer outside of my top 250, which is fine in the 7^th round, but this is the 5^th. At least it fills a need.

172. CB Jeremy Lane C+

Similar to what I said above, only this is 18 picks later so it’s a C+, not a C.

181. S Winston Guy B

Guy doesn’t really have a position because he’s a bit of a tweener linebacker/safety, but I said the same thing about Kam Chancellor a few years ago (oops) and Guy can contribute on special teams. I don’t see any need for another safety as they have two of the best young safeties in the league, but it’s the 6^th round.

225. DT JR Sweezy B+

Another defensive tackle? At least this one is a better value and it’s only a 7^th rounder.

232. DT Greg Scruggs C

A 3^rd defensive tackle? I didn’t have Scruggs in my top 250 and they really didn’t need another player at this position. Defensive linemen typically don’t play special teams either. This is as bad of a grade as I can give in the 7^th round.

Bruce Irvin is not a 1^st round prospect. He’s Aaron Maybin. I’ve already explained that. Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson were better picks, but still minor reaches. Even their mid and late round picks didn’t make any sense. The only pick that got an A of any form was Robert Turbin as a backup to Marshawn Lynch. They didn’t address their offensive line at all, despite all the injuries they had last season and I would have liked to have seen a receiver at some point. They might have only gotten one starter out of this draft, Bobby Wagner in the 2^nd round.

Grade: D

24. G David DeCastro A

Wow. This might have been the best pick of the 1^st round. DeCastro was 12^th on my board and deserved to be the highest guard drafted since Chris Naoele in 1997. And guard was a huge need for the Steelers. Once again, the rich get richer.

56. OT Mike Adams A-

I had a 3^rd round grade on Mike Adams because of all of the off the field stuff: 2 suspensions, 1 arrest, 1 failed drug test, as well as documented concerns about his work ethic (solidified by a disappointing Combine) and his passion. He also was a general disappointment at Ohio State after being the #2 offensive tackle recruit between Tyron Smith and Matt Kalil (two top 10 picks). However, he has amazing upside. He might even have more upside than Matt Kalil and if anyone can get it out of him, it’s the Steelers (not they might not be able to). He also fills a need so I do like this pick.

86. MLB Sean Spence B+

I really liked Sean Spence. Other than his size, he was a complete prospect and one of the underrated players of this draft class. However, his size could hurt him in a 3-4. He was a better fit for a 4-3, but he does fill a need and the Steelers have had success with smaller linebackers in the past (Lawrence Timmons).

109. NT Alameda Ta’amu A

I’ve mocked Ta’amu to the Steelers in the late 2^nd before and I was really surprised when he got out of the first 3 rounds. I had a 3^rd round grade on him before I knew about his injury, but he should be fine for the season. He’s still a great value in the 4^th round.

159. RB Chris Rainey B+

The Steelers needed another back behind Isaac Redman, who they are preparing to go forward with as the lead back in 2012 (anything they get from Rashard Mendenhall they are considering a bonus). Rainey is a great compliment for Redman, but this is a little early for him.

231. WR Toney Clemons A-

They needed a receiver with Hines Ward gone, especially a taller one like Clemons (6-2). They have enough shorter receivers (Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, Antonio Brown, Jerricho Cotchery). I just had Clemons outside of my top 250, but they had 4 7^th round picks and that doesn’t matter much in the 7^th.

240. TE David Paulson A

I actually mocked David Paulson to the Steelers in the 6^th. They needed another tight end in the mix even after signing Leonard Pope and Paulson is a good value here.

246. CB Terrence Frederick A

The Steelers always add a cornerback through the draft at some point and they had room on the roster after losing William Gay. Frederick is a good value in the 7^th and a good fit for their scheme.

248. G Kelvin Beachum B

I had Beachum outside of my top 250, but I guess they did need another offensive lineman.

Every year I always say during the draft that the “rich get richer.” Teams picking in the end of the first round always tend to draft much better (and grade out much better in my grades) than teams in the beginning of the first round. There’s a reason why some teams stay good for so long and the Steelers are one of those teams. They had yet another excellent draft this year.

David DeCastro might have been the best interior line prospect of the decade and Mike Adams is worth the risk in the end of the 2^nd round for a team like the Steelers, who desperately need a bookend tackle opposite Marcus Gilbert and who I give a good chance of getting the most out of him. Spence isn’t an ideal fit in a 3-4 in the 3^rd round, but the Steelers have done fine with smaller linebackers before though. Alameda Ta’amu looks like their nose tackle of the future in the 4^th round. All of their late round selections were also very good. From start to finish, this was an excellent draft.

Grade: A

26. RLB Whitney Mercilus A

I actually had Whitney Mercilus as my 6^th rated prospect. I think he’s the best pass rusher in this draft class. He’s got a great motor and worked himself up the draft chart to have 22.5 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, and 9 forced fumbles last season. He’s a refined pass rusher and a great athlete. He could have an Aldon Smith type impact right away. He’s a one year wonder, but that’s not his fault. Every chance he had to play, he dominated and if he had returned to school and had another strong year, he could have been a top 5-10 pick next year.

I didn’t have rush linebacker as a big need for the Texans even after losing Mario Williams because they managed 44 sacks last year even with Williams missing 11 games. However, they could always use another pass rusher to go with Brooks Reed and Connor Barwin and Mercilus was the biggest steal of the first round according to my board. The Texans could have a scary pass rush for years to come.

68. WR DeVier Posey C

Heh? I had a 5^th round grade on Posey and thought he might not even get drafted. In fact, I don’t think I had him in my final mock draft at all because he didn’t have a single private workout with a team and I didn’t think anyone would take a chance on this guy sight unseen. He’s a good player, but he’s still really raw and he had a terrible Senior Bowl. Then, of course, there was the Ohio State scandal, which kept him out of action for most of this season. This was a reach, but at least it filled a need. There were much better receivers available.

76. G Brandon Brooks A-

The Texans needed a guard, but this is a bit early for Brooks and I don’t know how well he fits their scheme. He’s much bigger than the offensive linemen they normally have, but he had a great 40 time and moved pretty well on tape for someone his size. They could fit him into their scheme and he could be a starting guard for them long term.

99. C Ben Jones B

They just resigned Chris Myers, but Jones can provide depth at guard as well, and competition for Brooks, just a 3^rd rounder, and Wade Smith, who was Houston’s worst offensive lineman last season.

121. WR Keshawn Martin C-

Another receiver, another reach. I didn’t have Martin in my top 250 at all. That might be fine if it was the 6^th or 7^th round. This is the 4^th and they did have other needs.

126. 3-4 DE Jared Crick A

Crick is an excellent value here. I had a 3^rd round grade on him and he could have gone in the 2^nd had he stayed healthy this year. He’ll provide needed depth on the defensive line, though I’m not sure what they’re planning on doing at nose tackle.

161. K Randy Bullock B-

They needed a kicker, but this is too early for Bullock. You can always get a kicker in the 7^th round. There’s not much difference between them. He was a draftable kicker on my board, however.

195. OT Nick Mondek B-

They needed a right tackle, but I don’t know if Mondek counts. He was on my top 250 board. In fact, this was the first I had heard of him, one of only 10 or so such prospects. In the 6^th round so it’s not too bad.

There was a lot of good and a lot of bad for the Texans in this draft. They got an amazing steal in Whitney Mercilus at 26 and, while he doesn’t fill a huge need, he’ll help add to an already good pass rush. However, DeVier Posey and Keshawn Martin were reaches at receiver, a position they really needed to hit on. They had Rueben Randle in the late 2^nd. Why did they trade down? Jared Crick was a great value and Ben Jones provides depth at 3 positions. Brandon Brooks could be a long term starter for them as well. However, Randy Bullock was drafted a couple rounds two early and Nick Mondek came out of nowhere.

They didn’t fill a need at nose tackle and they should have addressed the right tackle position earlier. The receivers they got were not very good and I’m surprised they didn’t grab another tight end given how much they rely on them. Garrett Graham was a 4^th round pick in 2010 who is set to play a lot of snaps in 2012. Maybe he’ll be good, but I don’t know why they didn’t take at least one developmental one to start as a #3 tight end and work his way up the depth chart.

Grade: B-

28. RLB Nick Perry A

Rush linebacker was arguably the Packers’ biggest need after they managed just 29 sacks last year. Nick Perry is a great value at this point as part of a strong pass rushing class and will immediately help take the pressure off of Clay Matthews, who had no help last year.

51. 3-4 DE Jerel Worthy A

Another defensive player for the 2^nd worst yardage defense of all time. Defensive end was a major need for them, especially with Mike Neal getting suspended and possibly being cut. Worthy is an excellent fit at this point. Great job by them moving up to get him.

62. CB Casey Hayward A

I thought Casey Hayward was one of the more underrated players of this draft class. It seems like the Packers thought so too as not a lot of people had him in the 2^nd round. I guess great minds think alike. They moved up again to get him, a fine move considering all the late round picks they had to start out with. They also didn’t give up a lot at all to move all the way up here (a 5^th round pick, which they got back later for a 6th and 2 7ths). It sounds like Charles Woodson is moving to safety, but even if he doesn’t, it’s not like he’s young so Hayward is going to play and probably fast. He’ll probably be in the mix at corner as a rookie with Tramon Williams and Sam Shields.

132. 3-4 DE Mike Daniels C-

I hate to criticize Ted Thompson, but this pick doesn’t make a lot of sense. Daniels was a 7^th round prospect in my book and doesn’t fit a 3-4 at all. He’s too small to play nose tackle and too short to play end. He could be a situational player at tackle I guess, but this pick could have been better spent.

133. S Jeron McMillian C

Another pick I didn’t get. Safety was a need, but I had McMillian outside of my top 250.

163. MLB Terrell Manning A

Another underrated player for the Packers. I had a 3^rd round grade on Manning. He’s a better fit in a 4-3, but he provides depth in a 3-4 at middle linebacker and he was too good to pass on. He could also play special teams immediately.

241. OT Andrew Datko A

This could also be a great steal. Datko was a 2^nd round prospect before he got hurt so he was definitely worth the risk down here for a Packers team that needs offensive tackle depth after cutting Chad Clifton.

243. QB BJ Coleman A

Coleman is a mess of a prospect, but he’s got great upside. He’s worth a shot for the Packers here in the 7^th round as a developmental 3^rd quarterback. Hopefully they’re fine with Graham Harrell as their #2.

This was a fantastic draft for the Packers. They got 3 of my top 40 prospects, all at positions of needs. They ripped the Patriots off in a trade up for Hayward, an underrated prospect. They traded up to get Worthy, a smart move because he was a slipping prospect and might not have slipped all the way down to their original spot.

Daniels and McMillian weren’t great picks in the 4^th and 5^th round, but they made up for that by getting Terrell Manning and Andrew Datko, very good values. BJ Coleman was also a nice pick. It’s no surprise the Packers are annual contenders. They should continue that next year after rebuilding their defense through the draft with 3 solid starters who can play immediately and for the future. Manning and Datko could end up as starters down the line someday, depending on what happens.

Grade: A

20. WR Kendall Wright A-

Kendall Wright was 16^th on my board and fills a need at wide receiver as Nate Washington is not a #1 receiver and Kenny Britt is unreliable. Without Britt, they struggled for consistency at the wide receiver position. This pick should be an A, but I don’t see how they passed on David DeCastro. He was arguably the top prospect of the decade at their position of biggest need. In fact, guard/center might be the only position where they need a new starter. I don’t get it.

52. OLB Zach Brown A

This is a great steal. I had a first round grade on Zach Brown, who is an underrated talent with elite athleticism. He also fills a big need at linebacker as Will Witherspoon is getting older. Brown could start year 1. The Titans have the makings of a talented linebacking corps for years to come with Zach Brown, Colin McCarthy, and Akeem Ayers.

82. DT Mike Martin A

This was a deep defensive tackle class so it makes a lot of sense that they could get a good value on one in the 3^rd round. Martin had a 2^nd round grade in my book and he will form a good rotation with young defensive tackles Jurell Casey and Karl Klug.

115. CB Coty Sensabaugh A

I said something similar with under Martin’s pick, but this was a deep cornerback class so it makes sense that they could get a good value at cornerback in the 4^th round. Alterraun Verner and Jason McCourty should fare well as starters without Cortland Finnegan and Sensabaugh could contribute as a nickelback right away as a rookie.

145. TE Taylor Thompson B

Tight end wasn’t a need, but they filled major needs in the first 4 rounds. Thompson is a nice developmental tight end and they need another tight end behind Jared Cook. When are they going to address the offensive line though?

190. S Markelle Martin A

Safety depth was definitely needed. Michael Griffin is still not signed long term and Jordan Babineaux is pretty marginal. I had a 4^th round grade on Martin so this is a great value.

211. DE Scott Solomon B+

They needed a rotational defensive end as Kamerion Wimbley has never been a full time 4-3 end and Derrick Morgan is a year away from bust status. I don’t know if Solomon counts (I didn’t have him in the my top 250), but he’s fine in the 7^th round and the Titans weren’t going to fill all of their needs.

This was another really solid draft for the Titans (their draft last year was really, really good: Akeem Ayers, Colin McCarthy, Karl Klug, Jurrell Casey and that’s before Jake Locker, who has upside). Kendall Wright, Zach Brown, Mike Martin, and Coty Sensabaugh could all contribute as rookies at positions of need and Markelle Martin was a great value in the 6^th. The only reason this isn’t an A is because they didn’t address their biggest need, the interior of their offensive line. If they had taken DeCastro at 20, this might have been the best draft of any team.

Grade: A-

9. OLB Luke Kuechly A

I had Kuechly as my 7^th rated prospect so I think the value for the Panthers at 9. Linebackers rarely deserve to go in the top 10, but Kuechly does. This likely spells the end of Thomas Davis’ tenure in Carolina as a starter, but Davis’ has had 3 ACL tears so that’s probably for the best.

40. G Amini Silatolu B

Silatolu fills a need at guard, but I had lower than this, though I’ll admit there wasn’t a ton of Midwestern State tape floating out there for me to study.

103. DE Frank Alexander A

Frank Alexander is one of the hidden gems of this pass rushing class. He slid down boards because of a heart condition that was misdiagnosed, but before that I had a 2^nd round grade on him so this is a steal for a team that needed a situational player to pair with Greg Hardy.

104. WR Joe Adams A

Steve Smith won’t be around forever and Adams is a good value in the 4^th round. I had a 3^rd round grade on him. Immediately, he’s an upgrade as a punt returner over Armanti Edwards, who averaged 5.5 yards per return last season. Long term, I like his chances to emerge as a starting caliber receiver.

143. CB Josh Norman A

Cornerback was actually the Panthers biggest need coming into the draft, but I won’t knock them for not addressing it until the 5^th round because of how good their picks have been so far. Besides, this was a really strong cornerback class so it’s predictable that you could get a good value on a cornerback in the mid rounds. That’s exactly what Josh Norman is. He might not start for them, but he provides depth at a position where it was desperately needed.

207. P Brad Nortman A-

I didn’t have Nortman as a draftable punter, but he certainly fills a need so this isn’t a bad pick. There isn’t really a ton of difference between highly rated punters and other punters. At least they didn’t use a 3^rd round pick on one right?

216. S DJ Campbell B+

Safety depth was needed, I didn’t have Campbell in my top 250, but whatever, it’s the 7^th round. Can’t really hate.

The Panthers drafted really well. With their 9^th overall pick, they drafted the 7^th best player on my board and the 2^nd best available defensive player on my board (I was really high on Whitney Mercilus). Kuechly is one of the, if not the best and most complete linebacker prospects of the decade and he fills a need for them. They also added solid cogs to their defense with Frank Alexander and Josh Norman, two great value picks, despite not having a 3^rd round pick.

It’s also worth noting that they only didn’t have a 3^rd round pick because they traded it for Greg Olsen, a deal that looks pretty good now as Olsen was one of Cam Newton’s favorite targets last season. Joe Adams was also a good value to add another young receiver to the mix, as well as a deadly punt returner, and their late round selections were good too. The minus on the A is for the Silatolu pick. I had him rated in the 3^rd/4^th round range, but again, I didn’t see a ton of tape on him and he did fill a need. If they had taken someone like Peter Konz there instead, this would have been an A draft.

Grade: A-

4. OT Matt Kalil A

I mocked Matt Kalil to the Vikings in my final mock draft because I thought their interest in Morris Claiborne was just a smokescreen to try to get someone to move up. I didn’t think any team would actually be stupid enough to take Claiborne over Kalil in their situation. Looks like I was right. The Vikings made the smart move as it would be incredibly stupid not to give your first round quarterback a fair shot to prove himself and give yourself a fair shot to evaluate him.

The Vikings aren’t going to be very good this year no matter what, but they need to be able to come out of the season knowing whether Ponder is the guy going forward or not because I have a feeling they’ll be in a situation where a top quarterback prospect is available to them next season. They simply couldn’t evaluate him under the circumstances he played in last season. Props to the Vikings for taking the right guy and also props for getting the Browns to trade up for a guy they didn’t need to trade up for.

29. S Harrison Smith A

Another reason why Morris Claiborne didn’t make any sense to the Vikings: the Vikings run a cover 2. The whole point of a cover 2 is to you don’t need elite cornerbacks to run it. Cornerbacks almost always have safety help over the top. Too bad the Vikings’ safeties were absolute shit last season. This safety class falls off a cliff after the top 2 guys so it was very smart of the Vikings to move up and insure they could get Smith, especially since it didn’t cost them any more than what they got from Cleveland to move down from 3 to 4.

66. CB Josh Robinson A

Another reason why Morris Claiborne didn’t make any sense to the Vikings: this was an incredibly deep cornerback class. Robinson was a 2^nd round prospect in my book so he’s a solid value at the top of the 3^rd.

118. WR Jarius Wright B

In order to help them evaluate Christian Ponder, they needed receiver help. However, Wright was a slight reach by my board and I don’t think he’s an outside receiver at the next level. They already have a slot guy in Percy Harvin.

128. TE Rhett Ellison C+

Ellison is a great football player, but they already have a fullback and they spent a 2^nd round pick on a tight end last year and another 25 million on another one this year so I don’t see where Ellison fits. At the very least, he’s going to be a good special teamer, but the Vikings had bigger needs than that in the 4^th round.

134. WR Greg Childs A

Childs is more of an outside receiver than his former (and current) teammate Greg Childs. He’s also a better value.

139. CB Robert Blanton B

The Vikings sure do love golden domers: Smith, Blanton, Kyle Rudolph, John Carlson. They did need another defensive back and Blanton can play both safety and cornerback, but this is a little early for him.

175. K Blair Walsh B+

I had Blair Walsh as a draftable kicker and Ryan Longwell is getting up there in age, but he’s also under contract for 3 more years and he was solid last year. I don’t believe in carrying two kickers, so I don’t quite know what they’re doing here.

210. MLB Audie Cole A-

Cole is a great value in the 7^th, but he doesn’t cover well. That’s a problem because the Vikings already have a bunch of linebackers who can’t cover and they run a cover 2 scheme that relies on linebackers being able to cover. It’s just a 7^th rounder though and he’s a great value at a position of need.

219. DE Trevor Guyton A

Guyton can play inside or outside depending on where they put Christian Ballard and they needed a defensive lineman like that. I had a 5^th round grade on Guyton so he’s a great value in the 7^th.

I already went into detail why I love the Matt Kalil pick. Same with the Harrison Smith pick and the Josh Robinson pick. I’m not loving the Blair Walsh pick and I don’t think Audie Cole and Jarius Wright were the best fits for their situations at those respective positions, but this was a very strong draft which should make the Vikings a better team in the long term. At least they’ll be able to evaluate Ponder adequately this year and if he doesn’t succeed, they’ll probably have a high pick to replace him and that high pick will have a good left tackle protecting his blindside. They also filled some major holes on defense, especially in the secondary. I think they got at least 3 starters out of this draft.

Grade: A 

21. DE Chandler Jones B-

Defensive end was a need of theirs, but I had a 2^nd round grade on Chandler Jones. He’s very raw, especially as a pass rusher. He can come in as play the run right now, but he’s a project as a pass rusher. He’s got the upside though and I trust the Patriots to get it out of him, but I don’t like that they traded up for him, especially with so few picks in this draft. There were plenty of pass rushers available at 27 and even if Jones was not there, that’s fine because he would have been a reach even there.

25. OLB Dont’a Hightower B+

Focusing on the front 7 more, Hightower is a great player. My only 2 concerns with him were his history of injuries and his lack of a true position in a 4-3. The Patriots will probably run a 4-3 in 2012 (especially since Jones is more of a 4-3 end than a 3-4 rush linebacker), but they like versatile guys like Hightower. He can play middle linebacker, outside linebacker, and defensive end for them. He fits the range and can be an immediate contributor for the Patriots.

48. S Tavon Wilson F

Safety was definitely a need, but Tavon Wilson is the first player drafted that wasn’t on my top 250. And it wasn’t for lack of watching him. I even spotlighted him in an Illinois game against Michigan. He’s a big stiff at cornerback and a little undersized at safety. He’s a tweener, but I like him more at safety than anywhere. Still don’t like him much. The Patriots should have traded down and tried to get him, especially with so few picks.

90. DE Jake Bequette A

Another defensive end? Well it was certainly a need even after drafting Jones and Hightower. Bequette was one of my underrated prospects and he fits the range here.

197. S Nate Ebner C

One of only a few I had never heard of that had been drafted, Ebner had 31 tackles in 3 years at Ohio State as primarily a special teamer. He’s supposedly a great special teamer and he has great measurables, but special teams aren’t hard to find. There had to be better picks than this.

224. CB Alfonzo Dennard A

Assuming he doesn’t go to jail, Dennard is a great pick here. Even if he does go to jail, it’s worth the risk. I had a 2^nd round grade on Dennard before his arrest and even mocked him in the 2^nd to the Patriots because he’s such a good scheme fit. He’s a bit of a bonehead for getting arrested so close to draft day and you have to question his love of the game after putting himself in that position. He’s definitely worth it in the 7^th round. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he were a starter at cornerback, a position of need, for them at some point.

235. WR Jeremy Ebert A

Another player I actually had never heard of, but I don’t know how I don’t. Ebert had 2 good years of production for Northwestern in the Big 10 and ran in the 4.3s at his Pro Day. I don’t know why he wasn’t in my top 250 and why I had never heard of him. I’m baffled this guy slipped past me. This is my bad and definitely a good pick by the Patriots in the 7^th round, needing some youth at receiver.

The Patriots clearly made defense a focus of their draft and rightfully so after giving up the 3^rd most yards of any team ever last year. I didn’t really like the Chandler Jones pick, but he can still be a contributor, as can Jake Bequette and Dont’a Hightower. Tavon Wilson was a major reach in the 2^nd round, but they got a good value with Alfonzo Dennard in the 7^th.

Nate Ebner is head scratching, but it’s the late rounds. I didn’t love this draft, but I think they made the defense a lot better for the future and if not for the Wilson reach, this would probably be a B+. Replace Wilson with someone like Brandon Taylor after a move down and this is a A- probably. Stay at 27 and take Harrison Smith and grab a defensive end like Vinny Curry in the 2nd, this is probably an A draft.

Grade: B-

95. G Tony Bergstrom C+

The Raiders needed a guard. In fact, it might have been their most pressing need because Cooper Carlisle is 35 in August and was only resigned to 1 year, veteran minimum deal. However, I had Bergstrom much lower than this on my board.

129. OLB Miles Burris C

The Raiders lost Kamerion Wimbley this offseason so they need a tweener defensive end/outside linebacker type, but Burris was much lower than this on my board.

158. DE Jack Crawford B

I guess they could use another pass rusher, but they had other needs and this is a tad early for Crawford.

168. WR Juron Criner A

This is a great steal. Wide receiver wasn’t a need at all, but Criner is a good receiver who could provide value immediately as a 4^th receiver. He could end up being a starter someday. I had a 3^rd round grade on him.

189. DT Christo Bulukidi C+

Interestly, Bulukidi was the first player off the board that I had never heard of. It took until the 6^th round. This was a pretty big reach, given that, but they could use another defensive tackle.

230. OLB Nathan Stupar B+

Another outside linebacker? I guess it was a bit of a need. I had Stupar outside of my top 250 though, but it’s the 7^th round so it’s fine.

I have to factor the Carson Palmer trade, the Terrelle Pryor pick, and the Jason Campbell trade into this grade. The Campbell trade was actually fine, but despite essentially using 3 picks on quarterbacks in this draft, they still don’t have a long term answer at quarterback. Carson Palmer is 33 in December and had more interceptions than touchdowns last season after leading the league in interceptions in 2010. He’s owed 28 million in 2013 and 2014 and the regime that brought him in is gone. If the Raiders are picking early in 2013 (definitely a possibility given all they lost defensively), they could definitely take another quarterback.

Given that they didn’t have a lot of picks after all of those deals, they really add to nail their selections and I don’t think they did that. Their first 2 picks were major reaches by my board and the only selection they made that I really liked was the Juron Criner pick. Even some of their late round selections were reaches, including the first player off the board I had never heard of. In fact, they only got 2 players out of this draft that I had higher than a 7^th round grade on. Given all of their trades and the Pryor pick, when you put this all together, this was one of the worst drafts this year. They have a lot of rebuilding to do after the previous regime mortgaged their future to go 8-8 twice.

Grade: C-