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-

14. DT Michael Brockers B+

Somewhere Sam Bradford just retired. In all seriousness, I have no problem with the Rams trading down again. They turned the 2^nd overall pick into the 14^th overall pick, 2 1sts and 2 2nds. That’s not a bad haul. I probably would have just gone ahead and taken Claiborne because of the fact that there were generally 6 consensus blue chip prospects in this draft class, but you can’t fault a bad team with a lot of needs for trading down. At 14, an offensive player like Riley Reiff or David DeCastro would have made more sense, but defensive tackle was definitely a need and Brockers is a solid value at 14.

33. WR Brian Quick C+

Brian Quick? With Stephen Hill, Rueben Randle, Ryan Broyles, and Mohamed Sanu all still on the board? At least it was a need, but Quick never stood out to me on tape at Appalachian State. He’s athletic, but really raw and I don’t think he helps Bradford a whole lot right away. At least they got the position right.

39. CB Janoris Jenkins B+

Janoris Jenkins is the classic boom or bust pick. Normally I give those picks a C (an average between an A and an F), but the 2^nd round is a fine spot for a pick like that. Jenkins also fills a need at cornerback.

50. RB Isaiah Pead C

Pead will be a good compliment to Steven Jackson and will help take some of the load off of him right away. However, he won’t carry a load. He’s just a pass catcher/blocker, change of pass back, with return ability. I had him as a 4^th round prospect for this reason. He fills somewhat of a need for the Rams, but they’ll probably still be looking for a lead back of the future to pair with Pead next season because Jackson probably doesn’t have a lot left in the tank.

65. S Trumaine Johnson B-

Another defensive back? Well they do need a safety and Johnson can play safety and cornerback. This was a little early for him in my book and I’d like to see them focus more on protecting Sam Bradford and getting him receivers. This is a C+ if they keep him at cornerback because that’s less of a need after the Jenkins pick, but a B if he was drafted as a safety because he could end up being the long term starter there. I’ll just average those two grades out and get a B-.

96. WR Chris Givens A

I actually like Givens more than Quick. I had him higher on my board. He might just be a slot receiver at the next level, but he’s got excellent speed to burn and he’s a great route runner. He’s a very similar player to AJ Jenkins, who the 49ers got at 30 and he’ll help Bradford right away. I had a 2^nd/3^rd round grade on him so this is an excellent value.

150. G Rokevious Watkins B-

At least the Rams finally addressed their offensive line. I had a 7^th round grade on Watkins though so this is a little early. I don’t think he can emerge as a starter at the position, which is something they need. Offensive line will probably be their biggest need in 2013, probably a tackle unless both Smith and Saffold bounce back. Either of those two players can play guard.

171. K Greg Zuerlien B-

I didn’t have Zuerlien as a draftable prospect and I don’t think Josh Brown, who was cut after this pick, was that bad of a kicker.

209. OLB Aaron Brown B

I didn’t have Brown in my top 250, but this is a 7^th round pick so I can’t hate on it. At least it was a need.

252. RB Daryl Richardson B

Another back? Well they did need depth I guess, but I didn’t have Richardson in my top 250. Again, it’s just a 7^th round pick.

The Rams know they’re in a 3 year rebuilding process so it was really smart getting all of those future picks for the 2^nd overall pick. I even sort of liked that they traded down again and grabbed another 2^nd round pick given all of their needs. However, I thought there were better options than Brockers and Quick, who they took with their first 2 picks. I also thought Isaiah Pead was a reach in the 2^nd and I didn’t like that they waited until the 5^th to address the offensive line. I think the Jenkins gamble was worth it and Trumaine Johnson could emerge as a starter at safety. Their best pick was Chris Givens in the 4^th. Their picks were a mixed bag, which should be a C/C+, but they set themselves up nicely for the future getting 2 1sts from Washington so I’m giving them a B.

Grade: B

35. RLB Courtney Upshaw A

The Ravens like to trade down when they pick in the late 1^st round. It makes a lot of sense. They don’t fall in love with prospects and positions of need so they know they can get a prospect they have 1^st round grade on in the early 2^nd round. Meanwhile, they know bad teams picking in the early 2^nd will be desperate to move up and get another 1^st rounder. They could have gotten Upshaw at 29 and it would have been a good pick. This is even better. He adds a team who surprisingly only had one player with more than 5.5 sacks last year (Terrell Suggs).

60. G Kelechi Osemele A

Guard was a major need for the Ravens. Osemele is a great value in the late 2^nd round and should be their week 1 starter at guard as a replacement for Ben Grubbs.

84. RB Bernard Pierce C+

This pick I didn’t get as much. I know they wanted another back behind Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce can serve in Willis McGahee’s only role, but it’s not like Rice wasn’t capable of carrying the load by himself. He did it last year. Anthony Allen could be a decent backup and they could have spent a later pick on this position or added a veteran in free agency (Cedric Benson, Ryan Grant, Joseph Addai). For what it’s worth, Pierce fits the range.

Also, this pisses me off as a fantasy football player because it takes away from Rice’s value as Pierce will, at the very least, take away the short yardage carries. Pierce had 27 touchdowns in 11 games at Temple last year, so I guess he’ll be good in that role, but I’m still not sure he’s worth a 3^rd rounder. If he only carries the ball 100 times like Ricky Williams did last year, he wasn’t worth this pick. However, any more and he’s just stealing carries from one of the best backs in the league.

98. G Gino Gradkowski C

I didn’t have Gradkowski in my top 250, but he was a hot prospect going into the draft, going on 7 private visits. This is still a little early for him. He’ll compete with Osemele and Jah Reid at guard and could be a potential successor for Matt Birk at center.

130. S Christian Thompson A-

They needed depth at safety. Both Bernard Pollard and Ed Reed are in contract years and Reed, believe it or not, is 34 in September. Thompson fits the range. He was one of my favorite small school prospects out of South Carolina State. I had a 5^th round grade on him, but he’s a fine pick in the late 4^th in a weak safety class.

169. CB Asa Jackson C

This is a bit of a need, but I didn’t have Jackson in my top 250. This would be fine in the 6^th or 7^th round, but this is a little early.

198. WR Tommy Streeter A

Streeter is a fantastic value in the 6^th round. He could potentially be a successor for Anquan Boldin. At the worst, he can compete with 2011 4^th round pick Tandon Doss and whoever else they bring in between now and whenever Boldin is gone. That could be next offseason.

236. 3-4 DE DeAngelo Tyson A

They needed defensive line depth and Tyson fits the range here. He can play nose tackle or defensive end for them.

The Ravens turned in yet another solid draft. Courtney Upshaw and Kelechi Osemele were great values at their spots and fill needs for the Ravens. Christian Thompson could be a long term starter at safety and Streeter could be the same at wide receiver. Gradkowski was a reach and I still don’t get the Bernard Pierce pick so it wasn’t a perfect draft. However, they hit with the picks that counted (their 1^st and 2^nd rounder) and even got a later pick (4^th rounder) out of it.

If they hadn’t made that trade and hadn’t gotten that pick (which they used on Gradkowski), though two picks would have still been A’s so I’m not knocking them much for the Gradkowski pick since he was basically free. The Pierce pick was the one I had the most problem with. He fit the range, but he’ll either take carries away from Ray Rice, one of the best runners in the game, or be wasted. He’s not worth the 3^rd rounder they used on him if he just carries the ball 100 times like Ricky Williams did last year.

Grade: A-

2. QB Robert Griffin A

Just like the Colts with Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin was the obvious selection here. I also love the move to come up and get him.

71. G Josh LeRibeus C-

Guard was a need with Kory Lichtensteiger coming off a nasty knee injury, but this was a major reach by my board. I had him in the 6^th round.

102. QB Kirk Cousins C-

Robert Griffin will be thrilled the Redskins got him a quarterback to throw to… Anyway, I don’t understand this pick. Sure, kicking John Beck off the roster is always a positive, but Rex Grossman is actually capable of being a solid backup for Robert Griffin. I don’t know if Cousins is better than him, at least as a rookie. Basically, you’re talking about using a 4^th round pick on a 3^rd string quarterback in a year when you don’t have a 2^nd rounder (and no first rounders for 2 more years). And I don’t think Cousins was the unbelievable some did. I had him as a 4^th round prospect.

119. MLB Keenan Robinson B-

They needed linebacker help with London Fletcher getting up there in age, but I thought this was a minor reach. There were definitely better linebackers available.

141. G Adam Gettis C+

Another guard? They really only needed one. Tackle was a much bigger need on the offensive line for them with Trent Williams being one failed drug test away from a season long suspension and Jammal Brown continuing to struggle after hip surgery. I had Gettis as a 7^th round prospect too.

173. RB Alfred Morris C+

I hate to argue with a Mike Shanahan running back, but Morris was a reach by my board here. I also didn’t see running back as a pressing need. Roy Helu and Ryan Torain are solid and Tim Hightower is available to be resigned.

193. OT Tom Compton A

Now the Redskins get their tackle. Compton fills a major need and I had a 5^th round grade on him so he’s a very good value.

213. CB Richard Crawford B

There were only 7 or 8 players drafted I had never heard of. I hate to call it a bad pick for that reason, but if I haven’t heard of him, chances are, he’s pretty obscure. That being said, it’s the 7^th round and it does fill a need.

217. S Jordan Bernstine B

Another defensive back, I had him outside of my top 250, but at least I’ve heard of this one. He does fill a need if he makes the roster and there’s not really such thing as a bad 7^th round pick.

This grade is higher because of Robert Griffin. Unlike the Colts who made an obvious decision, the Redskins made a less obvious and more controversial decision because they had to move up to get him. Many bashed this move, but Griffin is one of the best quarterbacks I’ve ever scouted. He’ll make them legitimate playoff contenders right away because they have a solid supporting cast around him (they won 5 games with Rex Grossman last year). There’s a very good chance that one or both of the first rounders they surrendered will be in the 20s and then it won’t seem like they gave up so much.

However, aside from that, I didn’t like a ton that they did. I thought LeRibeus was a reach and the Kirk Cousins pick made no sense. They should have done what the Colts did and built around Griffin, rather than getting him a backup, though I guess they already did that in free agency. Still, there were some pretty big reaches by the Redskins and I don’t know how many future starters they got out of this draft. There may have just been 1. Of course, that one is Griffin so that’s the one that counts.

Grade: B

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-