Drafts of Other NFC West Teams--What's your grade?

aawolf

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As scary as it is, IMO, the teams that did the best in this draft all came from the NFC West.

Arizona Cardinals

7. Jonathan Cooper, guard, North Carolina.
45. Kevin Minter, inside linebacker, LSU.
69. Tyrann Mathieu, free safety, LSU.
103. Alex Okafor, outside linebacker, Texas.
116. Earl Watford, guard/center, James Madison.
140. Stepfan Taylor, running back, Stanford.
174. Ryan Swope, receiver, Texas A&M.
187. Andre Ellington, running back, Clemson.
219. D.C. Jefferson, tight end, Rutgers.

My Draft Grade: B+--The Cards made several picks that may add instant help and were some favorites of .net including Cooper (who may help accross the O-line), Ryan Swope (probably a second rounder if concussions don't end his carreer early), Alex Okafor (can be added to the mix of an already impressive pass rush), and, of course, Honey Badger (possibly the steal of the draft, as long as he returns to form and is not arrested and expelled before the season). They upgraded the QB position, IMO, with the addition of Carson Palmer. They would have gotten an "A" from me if they drafted more o-line help and a higher-quality RB, both of which they sorely need to help their anemic offense.

San Francisco 49ers

18. Eric Reid, free safety, LSU.
40. Tank Carradine, outside linebacker, Florida State.
55. Vance McDonald, tight end, Rice.
88. Corey Lemonier, outside linebacker, Auburn.
128. Quinton Patton, receiver, Louisiana Tech.
131. Marcus Lattimore, running back, South Carolina.
157. Quinton Dial, defensive end, Alabama.
180. Nick Moody, linebacker, Florida State.
237. B.J. Daniels, quarterback, South Florida.
246. Carter Bykowski, tackle, Iowa State.
252. Marcus Cooper, cornerback, Rutgers.

My Draft Grade: A---Sorry, but the 9'ers are stacked already and all of these picks were quality for when they were taken. I took exception to the trade-up in the first round to get Reid in the first, but looking at how many picks they had and who they were able to take later on, it didn't strike me as that bad of a move when the draft was over. I suspect that all first 5 picks will see the field this year and play good minutes, and the pick of Lattimore is another candidate for steal of the draft once he comes back from injury. The rest are all talented enough to earn a roster spot.

St. Louis Rams

8. Tavon Austin, receiver, West Virginia.
30. Alec Ogletree, linebacker, Georgia.
71. T.J. McDonald, safety, USC.
92. Stedman Bailey, receiver, West Virginia.
113. Barrett Jones, center/guard, Alabama.
149. Brandon McGee, cornerback, Miami.
160. Zac Stacy, running back, Vanderbilt.

Draft Grade: A- - Geeze...how the heck did they get Austin, Ogletree, and Baily where they did in this draft? STEALS, IMO. All of these three are impact players and have pro-bowl potential and immediately upgrade the offense. They did the best they could with where they picked in this draft, but they desprately need a sure-fire running back with the departure of Stephen Jackson.. I don't think Daryl Richardson and Isaiah Pead are up to the task of filling those shoes.

Again--NFC West= scary good after this draft. I still think the Seahawks should win it this year, but a few years down the road it will be a lo harder if those teams keep drafting like this.
 
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aawolf

aawolf

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Come to think of it, its possible that all NFC West teams were reading the .net draft board and made picks based on the evaluations there.
 

Happypuppy

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I look at it on not just the players but how well they improve the team this year. The winner in my eyes are the Rams in the West.
 

TwistedHusky

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No way.

Winner is the 49ers.

The 49ers were simply not deep, that was their big weakness. They almost never rotated people out, you could see the big difference when Smith went down there was nobody to even spell him for a bit.

Now they have depth and if any of their picks end up being a performer this year then that is just gravy. Their secondary probably got better too.

For a team like us that is chasing them, considering we might have a harder schedule than they do, that is not really great news.
 

polarbill1999

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TwistedHusky":2wo2xskd said:
No way.

Winner is the 49ers.

The 49ers were simply not deep, that was their big weakness. They almost never rotated people out, you could see the big difference when Smith went down there was nobody to even spell him for a bit.

Now they have depth and if any of their picks end up being a performer this year then that is just gravy. Their secondary probably got better too.

For a team like us that is chasing them, considering we might have a harder schedule than they do, that is not really great news.


You think the 49ers secondary will be better than last year even though they are replacing an NFL all pro with an unproven rookie at SS? Maybe it ends up looking better because they helped their depth on the Dline which in turn may make the dline more productive all year and in turn again making the secondary look better but I find it very hard to believe they are going to have a "better" secondary than last year after losing Goldson.
 

FlyingGreg

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I'm not as high on the Cardinals. There most pressing need is tackle...and they drafted a guard.

Honey Badger is risky, to say the least.

Okafor is kind of a "MEH" pick for me too. I'm not high on him.

I like the Taylor and Swope picks a lot.
 

amill87

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TwistedHusky":hghc29ay said:
No way.

Winner is the 49ers.

The 49ers were simply not deep, that was their big weakness. They almost never rotated people out, you could see the big difference when Smith went down there was nobody to even spell him for a bit.

Now they have depth and if any of their picks end up being a performer this year then that is just gravy. Their secondary probably got better too.

For a team like us that is chasing them, considering we might have a harder schedule than they do, that is not really great news.

uhh the Niner's big weakness was their secondary and they lost their best player in FA. They filled the holes they had in the secondary with a rookie with arthritic shoulders and an old CB. I think they did alright with the d-line depth but they didn't do much to fix that secondary and I think it's gonna come back to bite them.

As for the rest of the division, it's pretty hard to give grades because the grading scale can't be the same for all the teams. Cards are almost in full rebuild mode. Rams are in the middle of theirs. The Hawks and Niners are looking for depth and future players. I think for what each team was trying to accomplish the order would go:

1. Rams
2. Cards
3. Seahawks
4. Niners

Rams needed flash and impact and they get my number one almost purely off Austin. He has to prove he can take the beating at the NFL level but he looks good.

Cards will probably get the most players that contribute this year simply because they need the most. I don't blame them for not going tackle at 7 and Cooper will help their terrible run game.

Harvin figures into the equation somewhat with the Hawks draft and that's why I put them ahead of the Niners. Added even more depth to an almost incredibly deep d-line. A lot of pundits viewed Micheal as the best back in the draft talent wise and we also picked up a corner who is eerily similar to Sherman, size wise.

The Niners addressed some of their thin d-line issues but overall I feel their draft was used to fill positions they lost in FA. While that happens to good teams, did they really get better? They lost their starting NT, All pro safety, and back up DE to FA. The only d-line player they added in FA was Glenn Dorsey. They added two d-lineman in the draft and a safety. They basically replaced what they lost with the draft. That might work out but it's an unknown, Isaac Sopoaga and Goldson were good players. Can the draft picks live up to their level?
 

jlwaters1

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I think all the teams did well. The big question for me is WILL the 49ers play their rookies or will they be like last year and never substitute. I think if they continue coarse as last year Seattle will surpass them this year. PC I think is ahead of the NFL Curve in developing players, simply by throwing them in and seeing what they can do. He is tremendous at carving out roles for players allowing them to accelerate the pace of their development. The 49ers have virtually no production from their rookie class a year ago, as a result I think Seattle's 2012 class is further along than where SF's is.

It should be intersting to see how many of these players make their respective teams. I like Austin and Bailey, for the Rams the question is can they stay healthy with smaller frames. They should certainly help Bradford. Mathieu @ FS is a risk-- because as far as I know he's never played safety, just a corner. Though he's got good range I think that would help out their secondary, provided he can tackle well. Just think if AZ could come away with 2 starting guards in this draft, that would be excellent.
 

Starrman44

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aawolf":cf5mbhhv said:
St. Louis Rams

8. Tavon Austin, receiver, West Virginia.
30. Alec Ogletree, linebacker, Georgia.
71. T.J. McDonald, safety, USC.
92. Stedman Bailey, receiver, West Virginia.
113. Barrett Jones, center/guard, Alabama.
149. Brandon McGee, cornerback, Miami.
160. Zac Stacy, running back, Vanderbilt.

Draft Grade: A- - Geeze...how the heck did they get Austin, Ogletree, and Baily where they did in this draft? STEALS, IMO. All of these three are impact players and have pro-bowl potential and immediately upgrade the offense.

IMO it's not really amazing that they got Austin, Ogletree and Baily in those slots. #8 is a pretty costly price for a smaller receiver like that. Usually you would want a big-time player like Calvin Johnson or A.J. Green, etc in the top 10. When Ogletree ran as poorly as he did, some were talking about him being a 2nd rounder. I was wanting the Hawks to get him until the scouting combine (at which point I also watched more tape on him). There were a bunch or receivers like Bailey available (it'll just be a matter of who succeeds). My nephew is a huge Rams fan and he hated their draft. Can't believe they didn't try harder to get a top flight running back.

These are just my opinions, so take it with a tablespoon of salt.
 

Marvin49

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polarbill1999":2umqrolm said:
TwistedHusky":2umqrolm said:
No way.

Winner is the 49ers.

The 49ers were simply not deep, that was their big weakness. They almost never rotated people out, you could see the big difference when Smith went down there was nobody to even spell him for a bit.

Now they have depth and if any of their picks end up being a performer this year then that is just gravy. Their secondary probably got better too.

For a team like us that is chasing them, considering we might have a harder schedule than they do, that is not really great news.


You think the 49ers secondary will be better than last year even though they are replacing an NFL all pro with an unproven rookie at SS? Maybe it ends up looking better because they helped their depth on the Dline which in turn may make the dline more productive all year and in turn again making the secondary look better but I find it very hard to believe they are going to have a "better" secondary than last year after losing Goldson.

The Niners issues in the secondary are WAY, WAY overblown....as is the opinions for Goldson and Whitner. The CBs (Brown, Rogers, Culliver) are solid but unspectacular. Who knows what Nnamdi adds to the mix.

The 49ers had one of the best pass defenses in the NFL last year...right up until Justin tore his tricep and Aldon tore his labrum. The issue was no depth behind those guys. Before those injuries they gave up something like 200 yards per game and a 72 rating. AFTER the injuries it balooned to 300 YPG and a rating over 100. The DBs didn't suddenly start sucking. They got exposed by a pass rush that disappeared.

The Niner CBs are just fine. They aren't Seattles by any stretch, but they aren't nearly as bad as people have made out.

I've never been a huge fan of Goldson. He wasn't bad by any stretch but he was nowhere near as good as advertised. I'd have taken Earl Thomas any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Whitner is a monster in run support but a liability in coverage. I actually do think Reid can be better than Goldson (maybe not immediately) because Goldson was never a great safety in coverage.
 

Marvin49

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Starrman44":15s90xh7 said:
aawolf":15s90xh7 said:
St. Louis Rams

8. Tavon Austin, receiver, West Virginia.
30. Alec Ogletree, linebacker, Georgia.
71. T.J. McDonald, safety, USC.
92. Stedman Bailey, receiver, West Virginia.
113. Barrett Jones, center/guard, Alabama.
149. Brandon McGee, cornerback, Miami.
160. Zac Stacy, running back, Vanderbilt.

Draft Grade: A- - Geeze...how the heck did they get Austin, Ogletree, and Baily where they did in this draft? STEALS, IMO. All of these three are impact players and have pro-bowl potential and immediately upgrade the offense.

IMO it's not really amazing that they got Austin, Ogletree and Baily in those slots. #8 is a pretty costly price for a smaller receiver like that. Usually you would want a big-time player like Calvin Johnson or A.J. Green, etc in the top 10. When Ogletree ran as poorly as he did, some were talking about him being a 2nd rounder. I was wanting the Hawks to get him until the scouting combine (at which point I also watched more tape on him). There were a bunch or receivers like Bailey available (it'll just be a matter of who succeeds). My nephew is a huge Rams fan and he hated their draft. Can't believe they didn't try harder to get a top flight running back.

These are just my opinions, so take it with a tablespoon of salt.

To be honest I'm less scared of the Rams now than I was when the season ended. The guys that killed the niners every year are no longer on the team...Amendola and Jackson. Austin may replace Amendola....but who do they have to replace Jackson?
 

Marvin49

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jlwaters1":ff814dpt said:
I think all the teams did well. The big question for me is WILL the 49ers play their rookies or will they be like last year and never substitute. I think if they continue coarse as last year Seattle will surpass them this year. PC I think is ahead of the NFL Curve in developing players, simply by throwing them in and seeing what they can do. He is tremendous at carving out roles for players allowing them to accelerate the pace of their development. The 49ers have virtually no production from their rookie class a year ago, as a result I think Seattle's 2012 class is further along than where SF's is.

It should be intersting to see how many of these players make their respective teams. I like Austin and Bailey, for the Rams the question is can they stay healthy with smaller frames. They should certainly help Bradford. Mathieu @ FS is a risk-- because as far as I know he's never played safety, just a corner. Though he's got good range I think that would help out their secondary, provided he can tackle well. Just think if AZ could come away with 2 starting guards in this draft, that would be excellent.

Last year the rookies didn't play because they didn't have to. They returned all 11 starter on D (Altho Aldon took over for Parys Haralson at OLB). Jenkins was buried behind Crab, Moss, Manningham, and Williams. James was buried behind Gore and Hunter. They traded away a number of picks (thats how they had so many this year). Looney was injured when drafted so essentially redshirted. Two of their OLB picks were hurt in camp. Its similar to what the 'Hawks did this year...they drafted for depth. Is Christine Michael gonna play right away? Most likely not, but he's there for the future and insurance if Lynch get hurt.

This year is diff for SF. They had some holes to fill. Barring the unexpected, Reid will start. McDonald will play. If he's healthy enough, Carradine will play.
 

Marvin49

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amill87":i3ss1oit said:
TwistedHusky":i3ss1oit said:
No way.

Winner is the 49ers.

The 49ers were simply not deep, that was their big weakness. They almost never rotated people out, you could see the big difference when Smith went down there was nobody to even spell him for a bit.

Now they have depth and if any of their picks end up being a performer this year then that is just gravy. Their secondary probably got better too.

For a team like us that is chasing them, considering we might have a harder schedule than they do, that is not really great news.

uhh the Niner's big weakness was their secondary and they lost their best player in FA. They filled the holes they had in the secondary with a rookie with arthritic shoulders and an old CB. I think they did alright with the d-line depth but they didn't do much to fix that secondary and I think it's gonna come back to bite them.

As for the rest of the division, it's pretty hard to give grades because the grading scale can't be the same for all the teams. Cards are almost in full rebuild mode. Rams are in the middle of theirs. The Hawks and Niners are looking for depth and future players. I think for what each team was trying to accomplish the order would go:

1. Rams
2. Cards
3. Seahawks
4. Niners

Rams needed flash and impact and they get my number one almost purely off Austin. He has to prove he can take the beating at the NFL level but he looks good.

Cards will probably get the most players that contribute this year simply because they need the most. I don't blame them for not going tackle at 7 and Cooper will help their terrible run game.

Harvin figures into the equation somewhat with the Hawks draft and that's why I put them ahead of the Niners. Added even more depth to an almost incredibly deep d-line. A lot of pundits viewed Micheal as the best back in the draft talent wise and we also picked up a corner who is eerily similar to Sherman, size wise.

The Niners addressed some of their thin d-line issues but overall I feel their draft was used to fill positions they lost in FA. While that happens to good teams, did they really get better? They lost their starting NT, All pro safety, and back up DE to FA. The only d-line player they added in FA was Glenn Dorsey. They added two d-lineman in the draft and a safety. They basically replaced what they lost with the draft. That might work out but it's an unknown, Isaac Sopoaga and Goldson were good players. Can the draft picks live up to their level?

The Niners were one of the best pass defenses in the NFL until thier 2 best players in the pass rush were injured. Then, they were among the worst. Does that tell you the issue is up front or with the secondary? Goldson may have been all-pro, but he was overrated. I'm not just saying that because he's gone either..I've always felt that way. In fact I think the same of Whitner.

The CBs are solid but unspectacular. T. Brown is actually a pretty damn good corner but never gets noticed.

The Niners biggest issue was depth on the D-Line. NE almost came back because the D-line could barely breathe at the pace the Pats were running plays. They didn't have the depth to substitute. That was by design by NE and a great strategy that almost worked. Additionally...when Justin and Aldon were hurt...the pass rush disappeared entirely. Compounding that problem was that they lost Parys Haralson (starter at OLB in 2011) and rookie OLBs Darius Fleming and Cameron Johnson in preseason (and this is why they selected Corey Lemonier).

The Niners draft was about filling holes at the top 3 picks, but they went for depth with their remaining 8 picks.

Sopoaga? According to PFF he was one of the worst DT in the NFL last season. The Niners got Dorsey for about half the price and he's better against the run. Ricky Jean-Francois? Yeah...he's the guy who was replacing Justin in those games where the pass rush dissappeared. Yes...the Niners just replaced some players with draft picks, but I'll take Dorsey and Carradine over Sopoaga and RJF any day.

Reid...tough to say. Its a similar system to what he ran at LSU and I think he's already better in coverage than Goldson. Also a smart kid. We'll just have to see. Either way tho...the return of a healthy Justin, Aldon and Parys Haralson along with the additions of Carradine and Lemonier should make a huge difference.
 

Marvin49

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Starrman44":1lxf45vl said:
aawolf":1lxf45vl said:
St. Louis Rams

8. Tavon Austin, receiver, West Virginia.
30. Alec Ogletree, linebacker, Georgia.
71. T.J. McDonald, safety, USC.
92. Stedman Bailey, receiver, West Virginia.
113. Barrett Jones, center/guard, Alabama.
149. Brandon McGee, cornerback, Miami.
160. Zac Stacy, running back, Vanderbilt.

Draft Grade: A- - Geeze...how the heck did they get Austin, Ogletree, and Baily where they did in this draft? STEALS, IMO. All of these three are impact players and have pro-bowl potential and immediately upgrade the offense.

IMO it's not really amazing that they got Austin, Ogletree and Baily in those slots. #8 is a pretty costly price for a smaller receiver like that. Usually you would want a big-time player like Calvin Johnson or A.J. Green, etc in the top 10. When Ogletree ran as poorly as he did, some were talking about him being a 2nd rounder. I was wanting the Hawks to get him until the scouting combine (at which point I also watched more tape on him). There were a bunch or receivers like Bailey available (it'll just be a matter of who succeeds). My nephew is a huge Rams fan and he hated their draft. Can't believe they didn't try harder to get a top flight running back.

These are just my opinions, so take it with a tablespoon of salt.

I don't really think there was a top flight RB to be had. They all had question marks. Lacey? Who wouldn't look good behind that line? I heard there was a medical issue with his toe as well. Michael? Character issue. Lattimore? Obviously an injury issue and they needed help there immediately.

Who could they have taken that would have been better?
 

Digsbone

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My grades for the NFCW but, honestly way to early to see how it all pans out:

Rams A (I beileve they drafted the best)
49ers B+ (Got some great picks but, needed to feel spots)
Seahawks A- (Was nice to draft depth and not so much as for need)
Cards C+ (They improved but, thats not saying alot)
 

jack_patera

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as a whole our division drafted pretty solid imo...other teams better watch out for our teams...as a whole, we gonna be a division to reckon with...nfc worst days are long gone..
 

NinerBuff

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I think the general consensus from opposing fans is that Dashon Goldson was really good. After all he was the All-Pro. But he would routinely make bonehead plays, like late hits, that extended drives for the opposition. He also went for the 'home-run' play as opposed to the fundamentally sound play. I'm glad he got paid and I'm glad he got paid elsewhere, because he doesn't deserve the huge paycheck and the major cap hit. In general, our secondary has benefited significantly from our pass rush the last few years (Carlos Rogers, Dashon Goldson, and Donte Whitner all have made pro-bowls). None of those guys have had great seasons, but they've had great opportunities behind our stellar front 7.

The addition of Reid was curious, I thought it was a big of a reach, but I really don't see much of a drop off, given that we can get Justin and Aldon Smith healthy again and begin to integrate Dorsey and Carradine (and Lemonier, watch out for him!). Reid should start from day one and be a solid contributor for the foreseeable future.

Now for grades:

49ers: A- --really good draft, probably over-drafted Reid, but excellent value for Carradine, Patton, and Lattimore
Rams: A --great draft, good value on trades, and filled needs with good players
Hawks: A- --adding Harvin into the equation, they added a playmaker, the future RB, and the future NT in Williams, as well as good depth elsewhere
Cardinal: B- --Cooper will be good, but a G can only improve your team so much. Minter and Mathieu will both be good players, but nothing special. They did get good value for Okafor and Taylor. Just not wow-ed by their draft, especially for drafting high.
 

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Marvin49":18j65utv said:
Starrman44":18j65utv said:
aawolf":18j65utv said:
St. Louis Rams

8. Tavon Austin, receiver, West Virginia.
30. Alec Ogletree, linebacker, Georgia.
71. T.J. McDonald, safety, USC.
92. Stedman Bailey, receiver, West Virginia.
113. Barrett Jones, center/guard, Alabama.
149. Brandon McGee, cornerback, Miami.
160. Zac Stacy, running back, Vanderbilt.

Draft Grade: A- - Geeze...how the heck did they get Austin, Ogletree, and Baily where they did in this draft? STEALS, IMO. All of these three are impact players and have pro-bowl potential and immediately upgrade the offense.



IMO it's not really amazing that they got Austin, Ogletree and Baily in those slots. #8 is a pretty costly price for a smaller receiver like that. Usually you would want a big-time player like Calvin Johnson or A.J. Green, etc in the top 10. When Ogletree ran as poorly as he did, some were talking about him being a 2nd rounder. I was wanting the Hawks to get him until the scouting combine (at which point I also watched more tape on him). There were a bunch or receivers like Bailey available (it'll just be a matter of who succeeds). My nephew is a huge Rams fan and he hated their draft. Can't believe they didn't try harder to get a top flight running back.

These are just my opinions, so take it with a tablespoon of salt.

To be honest I'm less scared of the Rams now than I was when the season ended. The guys that killed the niners every year are no longer on the team...Amendola and Jackson. Austin may replace Amendola....but who do they have to replace Jackson?

No one replaces SJAX.

But then there is Dahl.

He may be a slow runner, but I'm sure he can talk.
 

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