17. CB Dre Kirkpatrick B

I liked Kirkpatrick a little better at 21 for the Bengals (26^th on my board) and I’m not sure any team from 18-20 would have taken him and if they had, that’s not too bad because this was a very, very deep cornerback class. This isn’t a terrible pick, however, because it at least fills a need.

27. G Kevin Zeitler C-

I really don’t like this pick. There’s nothing wrong with Zeitler, a borderline 1^st/2^nd round prospect in my book. He also fills a major need. However, why didn’t they just take DeCastro at 21? Was the difference between DeCastro (one of the top interior line prospects of the decade) and Zeitler (there’s a Zeitler pretty much every year) worth a late 3^rd round pick? The Bengals picked a bad time to make their first day trade since 2004. If they hadn’t passed on DeCastro, this would have been a B.

53. DT Devon Still A

They love rotation on the defensive line and Still is an excellent value in the middle of the 2^nd round. Defensive tackle wasn’t a major need, but they could definitely use something like Still.

83. WR Mohamed Sanu A

I had a mid 2^nd round grade on Sanu and actually compared him to TJ Houshmanzadeh. He fits perfectly as a starter opposite AJ Green, a deep threat. He’ll play off of Green the way Houshmanzadeh played off of Ochocinco when they were in their prime. Andy Dalton has to be thrilled. Also, congrats to Sanu on actually getting drafted by the Bengals one day after he was prank called and told the Bengals took him at 27.

93. DT Brandon Thompson B

Another defensive tackle? Brandon Thompson is an incredible value in the late 3^rd round, but Thompson could have a tough time seeing the field behind Domata Peko, Geno Atkins, Pat Sims, and Devon Still.

116. TE Orson Charles B+

They don’t have a capable tight end behind Jermaine Gresham so while this isn’t their biggest need, I get this pick. Charles is a good value at this point too.

156. CB Shaun Prater B-

I guess they could use another cornerback and Prater is a solid value, they’ll have to clear a veteran for him to make the roster (Nate Clements, Terence Newman, Pacman Jones, Jason Allen). They have a ton of cornerbacks under partially or fully guaranteed contracts in 2012.

166. WR Marvin Jones A

Another wide receiver? Well they lost two in free agency (Andre Caldwell, Jerome Simpson) and Jones is a fantastic value here in the 5^th round.

167. S George Iloka A

Iloka fell and rightfully so because he’s pretty stiff, but he’s the type of safety the Bengals like. He’s an excellent fit for Mike Zimmer’s scheme and a great value here. He could end up as a starter for them in 2012 as they have absolutely nothing at safety opposite Reggie Nelson. Iloka could definitely beat Taylor Mays out in camp.

191. RB Dan Herron A

Both Bernard Scott and BenJarvus Green-Ellis averaged less than 4 yards per carry last season so they needed another running back. I don’t know if Herron is that back (this should have been address earlier), but this is a good pick in the 6^th round.

The Bengals had a really good draft. Dre Kirkpatrick was a reach at 17, but not a major one and at least he filled a need. Devon Still and Mohamed Sanu were phenomenal values in the 2^nd and 3^rd rounds, especially the Sanu pick. He fits perfectly opposite AJ Green. George Iloka could be a starter for them as a 5^th round pick and Dan Herron made a lot of sense in the 7^th round.

I had a few issues. I think instead of adding another cornerback or a tight end, they should have addressed the running back position a little earlier. The Kevin Zeitler selection was the worst, especially since they gave up David DeCastro to do so. I know they got a late 3^rd round pick by trading down, but they used that pick on Brandon Thompson, who will probably be the 5^th DT on their depth chart. He was a great value, but unnecessary. I would have much, much rather had DeCastro than Zeitler and Thompson if I were the Bengals.

If they had taken DeCastro at 21, this would be an A. In fact, if they had done that, it would have made the Kirkpatrick pick a little better because Kirkpatrick and DeCastro would have been a good haul out of the first. In fact, if they had taken DeCastro at 17 and gotten Kirkpatrick at 21 (my major issue with him was that he was a 9 spot reach by my board), those might have both been A’s. I also factor the Carson Palmer trade into this grade. They basically got a free first round pick for someone they weren’t using. They have set themselves up very, very nicely for the future, but I can’t give them an A because of the Zeitler/Thompson over DeCastro decision along with the other minor knocks I mentioned earlier.

Grade: A-

12. DT Fletcher Cox A

Fletcher Cox would have been a minor reach had they traded up to somewhere like 7 to grab him, but at 12, he makes a lot of sense. He was 13^th on my board and fills a primary need.

46. OLB Mychal Kendricks B-

How much rope did it take to tie up Andy Reid so this pick could be made? He never takes linebackers early. They definitely needed one, however, but I had a 3^rd round grade on Kendricks. Zach Brown is a more natural outside linebacker and a much better value at this point.

59. DE Vinny Curry C-

I don’t see this as the phenomenal value that many see this pick as. I had a mid 2^nd round grade on Curry, so while the late 2^nd round is a good value for him, I didn’t see the need for another defensive lineman. They had 50 sacks last year. Trent Cole and Jason Babin combined for 29 and Brandon Graham might finally be healthy in 2012. Cox can also play end. Where does Curry fit?

88. QB Nick Foles C

They needed a quarterback behind an aging and injury prone Vick, but Nick Foles didn’t make a lot of sense over Kirk Cousins. Foles is a mess of a prospect and probably won’t ever be a capable starter in this league. I had a 5^th round grade on him.

123. CB Brandon Boykin A

What an excellent value! If Boykin were a few inches taller, I might have had a borderline 1^st round grade on him. Instead I had him as a high 3^rd rounder so he’s an excellent value in the 4^th round and fits very well with the Eagles. They traded Asante Samuel, not just because of his salary, but because they had 3 outside cornerbacks and no one who could play on the slot. Boykin will play there, where his size won’t matter as much and he’s one of the best pure cover cornerbacks in this draft class so he should excel there. That will move Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to the outside, where he should bounce back from a career worst season. Remember, this guy once made the Pro Bowl. The Eagles could have one of the best secondaries in the league last season.

153. OT Dennis Kelly C

I had Kelly outside of my top 250. That would be fine in the 6^th or 7^th round, but this is the 5^th round. They did need another tackle behind Demetress Bell, but I don’t think Kelly offers much help there. King Dunlap probably remains the superior option in case of another annual Bell injury.

194. WR Marvin McNutt A

The Eagles were considering signing Plaxico Burress in free agency to add size to their receiving corps. Now they don’t have to sign the washed up Burress. McNutt fills that role well and is an excellent value in the 6^th round. I had a 3^rd round grade on him.

200. G Brandon Washington A

Another excellent value in the 6^th round. Washington doesn’t fill a need whatsoever, but who cares when the value is this good. You can always use more offensive line help.

229. RB Bryce Brown A

I didn’t have Brown in my top 250, but I get this pick. Brown is a former top recruit who was kicked off of two major college football programs. He’s the type of boom or bust pick it’s absolutely fine to take in the 7^th round. Dion Lewis looks entrenched as the #2 back behind LeSean McCoy, but Brown can compete to be the 3^rd string with undrafted free agent Chris Polk among others.

The Eagles’ #1 priority of this offseason had to be fixing their linebacking corps. I don’t know how much Mychal Kendricks helps, but he could be a decent starter on the outside and remember, they did trade a 4^th rounder from this draft for DeMeco Ryans so that factors into this grade as well. They also had to sort out their secondary and they did that by trading away Asante Samuel, albeit for pennies on the dollar, which factors into this grade, moving DRC to the outside, and getting an exceptional value on Brandon Boykin in the 4^th round. He should make an impact right away on the slot. Overall, I think they’ll have a very good secondary next season.

Their first round pick was Fletcher Cox. He was a fine value and filled a need at defensive tackle with Cullen Jenkins and Mike Patterson. Vinny Curry in the late 2^nd didn’t make as much sense. There’s already a logjam at defensive end. Curry might not see the field very much in 2012 if Brandon Graham is healthy. Nick Foles and Dennis Kelly were also reaches, but they made up for those with excellent value picks in the late rounds. This was a solid draft.

Grade: B

10. CB Stephon Gilmore B-

This is a little high for Gilmore. I had him 20^th on my board. He’s certainly a phenomenal athlete, but he had some inconsistent play at times and he gambles a little too much on routes. Cornerback was definitely a need for the Bills with Drayton Florence and Terence McGee getting up there in age and Leodis McKelvin being on the roster bubble in his contract year, but there were better players available who would have also filled need (Riley Reiff, Michael Floyd, Kendall Wright, Jonathan Martin, and Zach Brown just to name a few from my board).

41. OT Cordy Glenn A-

I had Glenn 24^th on my board so he certainly is a great value here, but I had him 24^th on my board because of his versatility. The Bills don’t really need anything other than a left tackle up front and if I were grading Glenn just on his ability to stay at left tackle, he’d probably be rated much lower. I don’t see him at that position long term, but it’s not like any of the remaining available tackles had much of a better shot. It’s too bad Jonathan Martin went the pick before. Maybe Glenn can be coached up into a solid left tackle.

69. WR TJ Graham C

I liked TJ Graham as a return man with upside as a kick returner…in the 5^th or maybe late 4^th round…for a team that actually needed a kick returner. The Bills don’t and they don’t even plan on using him as a kick returner. Buddy Nix said he views Graham as an outside receiver, which is drastically different than the return man/developmental slot receiver he is. This looks like a misevaluation of talent. There were better receivers out there, ones more suited to play outside. They did address a position of need however.

105. OLB Nigel Bradham A

They needed outside linebacker depth at the very least. In fact, if Kuechly hadn’t gone one pick earlier to Carolina, he might have been a Bill. Bradham is a good value in the 4^th round.

124. CB Ron Brooks D

Did the Bills really need another cornerback? How many are they planning on carrying? Even if McKelvin is cut, Brooks is going to have a hard time making the roster and if he does it’ll be as a 5^th cornerback, at least right away. Maybe they’ll cut one of the veterans, but that could result in a cap penalty since they resigned both just last offseason. That would be fine if this were the 7^th round, but it’s the 4^th. Speaking of the 7^th round, that’s the grade I had on Brooks, though he didn’t have a ton of LSU tape for me to watch since he was a career backup.

144. OT Zebrie Sanders A

Another tackle? Well depth couldn’t hurt and Sanders is a solid value. By the way, Buddy Nix is true to his words. He said wide receiver, cornerback, left tackle, and outside linebacker were primary needs of his team and that he would probably pick in two tackles. 5/5 there.

147. MLB Tank Carder A

The Bills could use another depth linebacker and Carder is a strong value who could have an immediate impact on special teams.

178. C Mark Asper C

I didn’t have Asper in my top 250 so this is a little early for him and guard/center wasn’t really a need of theirs. Besides, Asper will be making a position change and I don’t see him as a natural fit at center.

251. K John Potter C

Normally I don’t hate on 7^th round picks, but not only was Potter not ranked in my top 250, the Bills drafted him as a kickoff specialist. I hate when teams carry more than one kicker like this.

This was overall not a great draft for the Bills. They reached for need in the first round and they took a player in the 2^nd who isn’t a natural fit for the only position he can possibly play for them, though I didn’t hate that one. They grossly misevaluated the receiver they drafted in the 3^rd round, which was a reach and their 4^th round cornerback didn’t fill a need or provide good value. They had some solid picks after round 3 (Carder, Bradham, Sanders), but they also got Cs on their last 2 picks for different reasons. I didn’t completely hate their draft, but it gets a C+

Grade: C+

55. C Peter Konz A

The Falcons didn’t have a 1^st round pick thanks to the Julio Jones trade (which I still argue was a good move), but they still managed to get a 1^st round caliber player at a position of major need. Unbelievable.

91. OT Lamar Holmes C

I had Holmes in the 5^th round so this is a bit early for him. I don’t know if he address their left tackle needs. He’s more of a right tackle, which they definitely don’t need. They’ll certainly give him every chance to be the blindside protector next season, but I don’t see him ending up as a long term starter they. There could still be looking for a new left tackle next season (and maybe moving Holmes inside to guard?). At least they’ll have a first round pick then.

157. FB Bradie Ewing B

They did need a fullback and Ewing was my top fullback, but I had a 6^th round grade on him and I don’t know that I totally agree with them using the 3^rd pick of the draft on a fullback.

164. DE Johnathan Massaquoi A

They definitely needed a young defensive end and Massaquoi had a 4^th round grade on my book. If they had taken him in the 5^th and gotten Ewing in the 6^th, those probably would have both been A’s.

192. S Charles Mitchell B-

I had Mitchell outside of my top 250, but it’s late so I guess it’s fine. Tight end and linebacker were bigger needs, but whatever.

249. DT Travian Robertson A-

The Falcons take a defensive tackle every year. Robertson fits the range here, but after the Aubrayo Franklin signing, Robertson will have a tough time making the roster.

The Falcons didn’t have a first round pick because of the Julio Jones trade, but I liked that trade so that’s fine. I’ll factor that into the grade. They still ended up with a 1^st round caliber prospect at a position of major need. Lamar Holmes was a reach, but this was a thin left tackle class so I understand it a little. They’ll probably have to draft a left tackle early next year. Their late round selections were fine as they added a starting fullback (and my top rated fullback), a great value on a rotational end, and two guys who will be on the roster bubble in the late rounds. It wasn’t perfect, but overall, given the Konz pick and the Jones trade (essentially A’s on their top two picks), this was a good draft. They’re set up well for the future.

Grade: A-

36. DT Derek Wolfe B-

This explains why the Broncos traded down twice. Wolfe is a solid football player and definitely fills a need, but I had Kendall Reyes and Devon Still ranked higher than him, among others. This was a reach.

57. QB Brock Osweiler C

I’m completely torn on this.

On one hand, I love Brock Osweiler. I had a borderline 1^st/2^nd round grade on him and had him graded higher than Ryan Tannehill. He’s a little raw and inexperienced, but he’ll get the chance to sit behind a Hall of Famer in Denver and he won’t have to contribute right away. He’ll have the opportunity to learn from not one, but two Hall of Famers, Peyton Manning and John Elway and he’s got a very good chance to be their quarterback of the future and that’s so valuable.

On the other hand, what about their quarterback of right now? The opportunity to have a Peyton Manning does not come around very often. They need to build around him because their team, as it currently stands, is not quite Super Bowl caliber. This pick could have been much better spent on a receiver, a running back, an offensive lineman, hell even a piece for their defense would have been more helpful. Manning cannot be happy about this.

It’s also worth noting that Donovan McNabb and Brett Favre each suffered arguably the worst seasons of their career the year immediately after their team’s drafted Kevin Kolb and Aaron Rodgers respectively. McNabb went 8-8 (one of two seasons he missed the playoffs from 2000-2009) and Favre went a career worst 4-12. I’m just going to average an A and an F for this grade.

67. RB Ronnie Hillman C

They needed a running back, but Ronnie Hillman is undersized and struggled against tough competition at San Diego State (3 carries for 8 yards against Boise State, 20 carries for 55 yards against TCU, 24 carries for 55 yards against Louisiana-Lafayette). I had a 5^th round grade on him. This is way too early.

101. CB Omar Bolden A

I like this fit for the Broncos. Bolden was a 2^nd round prospect before an ACL tear that he hasn’t fully recovered from, but the Broncos don’t really need him right away with Champ Bailey and Tracy Porter. However, Porter was only signed to a one year deal and Bailey will be 35 next offseason so they need a long term starter. That could be Bolden. Unlike the Osweiler pick, this was only a 4^th round pick so I’m not going to knock them for building for the future instead of for now because 4^th rounders rarely contribute as rookies anyway.

108. C Phillip Blake A

The Broncos missed out of Jeff Saturday, but Phillip Blake could be an immediate upgrade over JD Walton, who ProFootballFocus graded as the worst starting center in the league last year. He’s a great value at this point in the draft.

137. DE Malik Jackson A-

I guess they could use another defensive lineman. This is the right range for Jackson, a versatile defensive end/defensive tackle. He could provide a nickel rusher at defensive tackle (they didn’t get any pass rush from the inside of their interior line) right away if they chose to use him in that role, that’s it’s not entirely clear that will be his role.

188. OLB Danny Trevathan B

This was a little early for Trevathan, but it’s late. This wasn’t a huge need or anything, but whatever.

The Broncos got Peyton Manning this offseason, but that far from solves everything. They may have gone 8-8 last season, but their -81 point differential suggests they should have gone 5-11 or 6-10. Regardless of whether or not you believe Tebow was the reason behind this, they won a ton of close games last year. That might not happen this year. They needed help at wide receiver, running back, the offensive line, as well as defensive tackle and some youth in the secondary.

They got their defensive tackle with their first pick, but there were better ones available. At least they traded down for him twice and didn’t take him at 25. I’ve already gone into detail on the Osweiler pick so I won’t repeat myself. That pick could help them a lot in the future, but it could really hurt them this season. It’s not good for team chemistry and it doesn’t help Peyton Manning. Ronnie Hillman in the 3^rd round could help Manning at little, but that was way too early for him.

Omar Bolden also helps them build for the future with their 4^th round pick, but that’s fine since it was the 4^th round. They made some decent late round selections, including Phillip Blake, who could end up their starting center over JD Walton at some point this season, but I don’t know how much they helped their team for this season, which should have been the goal of this draft given Manning’s age. They didn’t get him a receiver at all, they only got him one offensive lineman, and the running back they got him was a major reach.

Grade: C+