It’s generally known that it isn’t fair
to judge a draft class for at least three seasons, so examining the
2007 haul seems appropriate now. The first round was one of the less
impressive ones in recent years, with the most notable disappointment
being first overall pick JaMarcus Russell, now completely out of
football. Here is a graded analysis of that particular Draft:
*-Denotes Pro Bowl selection
No. Player Team Pos. School
1 JaMarcus Russell Oakland Raiders QB LSU
Analysis: Russell’s biggest fan may now
be Ryan Leaf, because the former Raiders’ signal-caller may now be
considered the biggest bust in league history. Russell, the 2006-07
Sugar Bowl MVP, was a gifted physical athlete, but his mental game
never cut it in the NFL. The once-celebrated LSU star ended up
starting just 31 games in three seasons in Oakland, and his numbers
were awful across the board. Most porous was his final campaign in
2009, when he completed a paltry 48.8 percent of his passes for just
1,287 yards with just three TD passes and 11 interceptions. His 50.0
rating was enough to usher him out of town, where he promptly got
into legal trouble for possessing codeine syrup without a
prescription. He also recently was reported to be in danger of having
his Oakland mansion foreclosed on for failing to make his mortgage
payments. He has still yet to catch on with any other professional
football teams in any capacity. Grade: F
2 Calvin Johnson* Detroit
Lions WR Georgia Tech
Analysis: Another Matt Millen pick at
receiver likely had long-suffering Lions fans cringing on Draft Day,
but for a change this one worked out well. Johnson, known as
“Megatron”, is a physical specimen who has more than lived up to
his billing despite significant quarterback instability during his
time in the Motor City. He has compiled 270 catches for 4,191 yards
and 33 touchdowns, although his 2010 season may best be remembered
for the one touchdown that was taken away from him on opening day.
The only thing that keeps this from a complete A – and admittedly
we’re nitpicking here – is the fact that he has had minor
durability issues, only playing in all 16 games once in four years
(2008). Grade: A-
3 Joe Thomas* Cleveland
Browns OT Wisconsin
Analysis: A rare stud in the Browns’
recent decade of draft blunders, Thomas has been a model of
consistency since day one. He has played in all 64 games and has been
named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons, even though
the Browns continue to shuffle quarterbacks and struggle offensively.
However, 2007 was an exception, as Thomas played every offensive snap
and Cleveland put up 402 points in nearly reaching the postseason.
Perhaps even more impressively, Thomas helped Derek Anderson – yes,
Derek Anderson – reach the Pro Bowl. Grade: A
4 Gaines Adams Tampa Bay
Bucs DE Clemson
Analysis: Giving Adams any kind of
negative grade is difficult given his untimely death. The young
defensive end showed promise in his first two years with the
Buccaneers, starting all 16 games in 2008 and tallying 6.5 sacks with
a pair of interceptions and a touchdown. But his production
drastically dipped in 2009 and after he fell out of favor with
newcomer head coach Raheem Morris, Adams was shipped to Chicago. He
ended that season with just one sack, but the Bears had hopes he
would ultimately find his college form. Unfortunately, Adams passed
away very early in 2010 from cardiac arrest due to an enlarged heart.
He was remembered fondly by his former teammates and coaches as a
good teammate and humble person, and football fans will be left
wondering what could have been. Adams was just 26 at the time of his
death. Grade: D+
5 Levi Brown Arizona
Cardinals OT Penn State
Analysis: Brown, named a Pro Bowl
alternate in 2009, has started all 32 games the past two seasons for
Arizona and was a big part of an offense that became potent under a
rejuvenated Kurt Warner. Arizona has struggled running the ball
during Brown’s tenure with him on the right side, and the offense
took a major step back last year, but Brown has been able to be
productive and, more importantly, stay on the field. Grade: B+
6 LaRon Landry Washington
Redskins S LSU
Analysis: The downtrodden Redskins
can’t blame their recent struggles on their defense. Landry, though
he missed seven games last season, has been a force in the secondary
since he arrived in DC. He started 47 of 48 possible games his first
three seasons and for his career has tallied four interceptions, five
forced fumbles, 31 passes defensed, four sacks, and has averaged 84
tackles a year. His grade is a little lower because he has been
susceptible to giving up big plays in the passing game, but he has
proven himself to be a durable, hard-hitting safety. Grade: B
7 Adrian Peterson* Minnesota
Vikings RB Oklahoma
Analysis: The Vikings desperately
needed a quarterback when they arrived in this spot in 2007, but
opted to go with the oft-injured yet immensely talented Peterson. Not
only did they make the right move, but Peterson paid immediate
dividends in taking a Tarvaris Jackson-led team to the cusp of the
playoffs with 1,341 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns while garnering
Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. In just four years, he has
amassed four Pro Bowl berths (not to mention the game’s MVP award in
his rookie campaign), 5,782 yards, 52 touchdowns, and has missed just
three games. Grade: A
8 Jamaal Anderson Atlanta
Falcons DE Arkansas
Analysis: One would assume Atlanta fans
would be happy to hear the name Jamaal Anderson around town again,
but it quickly became evident this underachieving defensive end was
nowhere near as popular as his former running back namesake.
Amazingly Anderson is still on the Falcons’ roster, and even more
jaw-dropping is that he played in all 16 games a year ago, starting
three. However, 4.5 sacks in four seasons despite playing in 60 games
is not getting it done. In 2007 and 2009 he combined for one
half-sack, and has forced just two fumbles in four seasons. The grade
is not an F because Anderson is still with the team. Grade: D
9 Ted Ginn Jr. Miami Dolphins WR Ohio
St.
Analysis: Ginn never quite made the cut
as a wide receiver, though he did provide some excitement as a kick
returner in his three seasons with the Dolphins. Miami traded him to
San Francisco prior to the 2010 season after he was durable enough to
appear in all 48 games in his first three years (35 starts), catching
128 passes for 1,664 yards and 5 TDs with the Fins. However, he never
provided the consistent deep threat at receiver and seemed to fall
out of favor with the coaching staff, making his expendable. The jury
is still out whether he can be a go-to receiver with the 49ers. Grade: C
10 Amobi Okoye Houston
Texans DT Louisville
Analysis: To saw Okoye was a raw talent
when Houston selected him is an understatement. At 19, he was the
youngest player ever drafted in the first round. Despite four
unspectacular seasons in Houston, he remains with the club having
tallied 11 sacks while missing just two games. He is surrounded by a
stalwart defensive end in Mario Williams and another solid end in
Antonio Smith, but hasn’t fortified the interior rush the way the
team had hoped. He had 5.5 sacks his rookie year, but just as many in
the last three combined. He did start all 16 games a year ago, so the
team obviously feels he still has good value even if he hasn’t quite
lived up to his potential. Grade: C+
11 Patrick Willis* San Francisco
49ers LB Ole Miss
Analysis: The 49ers have had their fair
share of draft misses lately, but Willis isn’t one of them. In fact,
he has established himself as the best inside linebacker in the game
in just four seasons in the Bay Area. A four-time Pro Bowl selection,
Willis has averaged nearly 150 tackles per season while racking up
eight forced fumbles, 28 passes defensed, and four interceptions with
a pair of TDs. Willis is as fast and instinctive as any player in the
game and is always around the ball. He has helped keep the 49ers
competitive despite an anemic offense and constant coaching turmoil,
a testament to his leadership in addition to his unbelievable skill
set. Grade: A
12 Marshawn Lynch* Buffalo
Bills RB California
Analysis: The enigmatic Lynch showed
his potential plenty in Buffalo, earning a Pro Bowl berth in 2008.
But his constant off-the-field issues eventually got him ushered out
of town and all the way to Seattle, where he captivated the nation
with his unbelievable game-clinching 67-yard touchdown run in the
team’s improbable playoff win against New Orleans this past January.
In three-plus seasons with the Bills, Lynch missed just seven games
but lost his starting job to Fred Jackson the past two years. He
racked up over 1,000 yards in his first two campaigns in Western New
York before a dismal 2009 campaign, and his fate was essentially
sealed when the team selected C.J. Spiller in the first round of the
2010 Draft. However, Lynch always ran hard for consistently bad Bills
teams, and had he stayed out of trouble likely would still be the
number one back in Buffalo. Grade: B-
13 Adam Carriker St. Louis
Rams DT Nebraska
Analysis: Like Lynch, Carriker probably
had too much of an unfair burden in being asked to make an impact on
a chronically bad team. In two seasons with the Rams, who went a
combined 5-27 during that span, Carriker started 25 games yet notched
just two sacks before missing all of 2009 due to injury. St. Louis
eventually gave up on him and shipped him to Washington, where he
fared marginally better in 2010 with 1.5 sacks in starting all 16
games. Grade: D
14 Darrelle Revis* New York
Jets CB Pittsburgh
Analysis: You know a team has made a
good pick in a cornerback when he earns the nickname “Revis
Island”. The former Pitt star has emerged as perhaps the league’s
only true shutdown corner, and has been a model of consistency in
playing in and starting 61 of the team’s 64 games in his four
seasons. During that span, he has garnered three Pro Bowl selections
while tallying 14 interceptions and defensing 74 passes. He was held
without a pick in 2010 due in part to missing three games with
injury, a lengthy training camp holdout over a contract dispute, and
the fact that teams have far too much respect for him to consistently
throw in his direction. Grade: A
15 Lawrence Timmons Pittsburgh
Steelers LB FSU
Analysis: Timmons has begun to emerge
as a legitimate star after two moderately productive seasons to begin
his Pittsburgh tenure. He has started 28 games the past two seasons
while notching 10 sacks, two interceptions, and six forced fumbles as
the Steelers defense has remained among the league’s elite in leading
the club to two AFC championships the past three years. Timmons
doesn’t quite get the pub some of his fellow defensive mates do,
which bodes well for him and poorly for opposing offensive
coordinators. A prototypical Steelers hard-nosed outside linebacker
with great pass rushing abilities, Timmons figures to continue to
thrive in Pittsburgh’s star-studded defense. Grade: B+
16 Justin Harrell Green Bay
Packers DT Tennessee
Analysis: Hard to give an F to a player
who is still with the team, but Harrell has been so non-existent he
might as well not be there at all. Injuries have limited him to just
14 games and two starts in four seasons, and he has not recorded a
single sack or forced fumble when he has seen the field. He saw
limited action in the 2010 opener then was gone again as B.J. Raji
emerged as a star on the defensive line for the Super Bowl champs.
It’s hard to imagine Harrell ever getting a chance to succeed in a
Packers uniform at this point. Grade: F
17 Jarvis Moss Denver
Broncos DE Florida
Analysis: Moss is yet another
oft-injured, underachieving player from this year’s draft. In
three-and-a-half unproductive seasons with the Broncos, he played
just 34 games while registering a paltry 3.5 sacks. Oakland scooped
him up, but he was no better there with just one sack in five games.
He still has a chance to redeem himself there, but to date he’s been
nothing short of a bust. Grade: F
18 Leon Hall Cincinnati
Bengals CB Michigan
Analysis: Hall has been one of the more
unheralded corners in the league on a team that hasn’t won much since
he’s been there. He has played in every game and started all but six
in his four years in Cincinnati, and his numbers have been very
solid: 18 interceptions, five forced fumbles, and 71 passes defensed.
Even more to his credit is the fact that Cincinnati has continued to
struggle with its pass rush, leaving Hall more vulnerable to giving
up big plays. He hasn’t come up with as many as some fans would like,
but his solid and consistent production should be dually noted. Grade: B+
19 Michael Griffin* Tennessee
Titans S Texas
Analysis: Like Hall, Griffin has yet to
miss a game in the NFL, and almost eerily similar in that he has
started all but seven of those games. Griffin has been the one
constant on a young and ever-changing Tennessee defense, providing
big plays and big hits year-in and year-out. He has averaged 79
tackles per season, collected 15 interceptions (one TD), and forced
six fumbles from his safety position. Even more impressive, he has
created a feared presence for receivers coming across the middle.
Save for his occasional tendency to gamble for the big hit or big
play and miss a tackle, the two-time Pro Bowler has been nothing
short of outstanding. Grade: A-
20 Aaron Ross New York
Giants CB Texas
Analysis: Ross’ career got off to a hot
start, when he sealed a Giants win over the cross-town rival Jets
with a pick-six in just his fifth game. His first two seasons saw him
play in 30 games (24 starts) with six interceptions and 17 passes
defensed, but he has gone downhill since. Ross missed ¾ of the 2009
season due to injury and started just one of the 15 games he played
in last year. In that span he has failed to record an interception.
He has world-class speed, but his days in the Big Apple could be
numbered if he can’t stay healthy. Grade: C
21 Reggie Nelson Jacksonville
Jaguars S Florida
Analysis: Missing games wasn’t an issue
for Nelson, rather it was his missing big plays and even tackles that
led to his departure from Jacksonville. Now with Cincinnati, Nelson
is trying to reinvent himself. He played in all 16 games in 2010 with
six starts after a sub par three-year career in Jacksonville in which
his play declined in a major way after his rookie year. In 2007
Nelson recorded five picks, but just two the next two years combined.
He seemed to fall out of favor with Jack Del Rio and also seemed to
be caught out of position too frequently. Though his 2007 season
showed his promise, he has yet to recapture that magic. Grade: C-
22 Brady Quinn Cleveland Browns QB Notre Dame
Analysis: Maybe it should have been a
telling sign when Quinn slipped from possibly the top pick all the
way to 22. He never lived up to his billing in Cleveland, even though
most quarterbacks have seen their careers die there. He rode the
bench virtually all of 2007 before earning three starts in 2008, but
that was cut short due to injury. He started nine games in 2009
before the injury bug bit again, but by then it was evident he wasn’t
the player the Browns envisioned. His 66.8 rating in three years
wasn’t helped by his lack of a big-play wide receiver, and management
decided it wasn’t in their best interest to keep him in their future
plans. Quinn is currently the third-string quarterback in Denver
behind Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow, which probably tells you everything
you need to know about his career to this point. Grade: D
23 Dwayne Bowe* Kansas City
Chiefs WR LSU
Analysis: Give Bowe a lot of credit,
because his career was headed down the prototypical bust path until
his unbelievable 2010 campaign. He had a terrific 2008 season despite
the Chiefs going 2-14, but was suspended for violated the league’s
substance abuse policy to start 2009 and was not only unproductive
but also unfit. Facing a critical offseason, Bowe got himself back
into game shape and mended any broken fences with head coach Todd
Haley to put up colossal numbers. He set a franchise record with 15
touchdown catches, with an astonishing 14 through 12 games, to go
along with 72 catches for 1,162 yards. He appears ready to be the
team’s go-to receiver for years to come, but falls short of an A
because of his down 2009 year and off-the-field issues. Grade: B+
24 Brandon
Meriweather* New England Patriots S Miami
Analysis: Meriweather has played in all
64 games and cracked the starting lineup in his second season, but at
times has been a bit of an enigma. He has been in the news recently
for his alleged involvement in a Florida shooting, and drew negative
publicity for a viciously dirty hit on Todd Heap in October. On the
positive side for the Patriots, his numbers have been solid if not
spectacular, as he has tallied 12 interceptions and five forced
fumbles while defensing 27 passes. Whether or not he will be
disciplined for his off-field actions remains to be seen, but to date
he has been a steady force in New England’s secondary and earned Pro
Bowl selections in 2009 and 2010. Grade: B
25 Jon Beason* Carolina
Panthers LB Miami
Analysis: Beason has done it all in his
time with Carolina. A three-time Pro Bowl selection, he doesn’t gain
the notoriety of Patrick Willis or Ray Lewis, but he can hold his own
with anyone at the position. Beason has averaged 135 tackles while
starting every game over four seasons, while notching eight
interceptions, three forced fumbles, 29 passes defensed, and four
sacks. He is a playmaker who is always around the ball and has been a
mainstay through what has turned into a couple of lean years in
Charlotte. With great instincts and awareness, he will continue to be
a building block for Ron Rivera’s defense for years to come. Grade: A
26 Anthony Spencer Dallas
Cowboys LB Purdue
Analysis: Spencer has emerged as one of
the most underrated ends in the league. The versatile outside
linebacker/defensive end had an off year in 2008, but he has averaged
50 tackles in his four years while adding 15.5 sacks, six forced
fumbles, nine passes defensed, and an interception. He gets neglected
sometimes because of the dominance on the defensive line of DeMarcus
Ware and Jay Ratliff, which he has taken advantage of. He hasn’t
quite emerged into a dominant force but rather a consistent and
steady one, starting all 32 games the past two seasons. Grade: B+
27 Robert Meachem New Orleans
Saints WR Tennessee
Analysis: The paradox, if you will, of
the Saints receiving corps is that a first-round pick in Meachem has
been outshined by seventh-rounder Marques Colston and undrafted Lance
Moore. Yet Meachem has held his own after he sat out his rookie year
with a knee injury, catching 101 passes for 1,649 yards and 17
touchdowns in his Saints career. He has shown a knack for the big
play and has played in all but two games since the start of 2008, yet
has only started 17 of those games. Though he isn’t Drew Brees’ top
target, he has at least proven to be a dependable one with playmaking
ability. Saints fans will always remember his efforts against the
Washington Redskins during the team’s 2009 Super Bowl season, when he
not only stripped Washington defensive back Kareem Moore and took it
in for a touchdown but then caught the game-tying 53-yard touchdown
with less than two minutes remaining to force overtime in a game the
Saints ultimately won to remain undefeated. Grade: B
28 Joe Staley San Francisco
49ers OT Central Michigan
Analysis: The Patriots did their usual
business of manipulating another team into trading up (San Francisco
gave up their first-rounder in 2008, which ended up being 7th
overall), although Staley has proved his worth for the most part. He
has missed last seven games in 2009 and 2010 but started the first 32
of his career. The 49ers offense has been porous at times, even
though the team has had a revolving door at quarterback. Frank Gore’s
numbers have also been somewhat pedestrian, but given the state of
the 49ers offense Staley’s presence has been more of a plus than a
minus. Grade: C+
29 Ben Grubbs Baltimore
Ravens OG Auburn
Analysis: Grubbs has played in all 64
games, starting 60, as the Ravens offense has emerged into a much
more respectable one with Joe Flacco at quarterback. Grubbs has been
disciplined and effective, though he failed to start all 16 games for
the first time in his career last season. Grade: B+
30 Craig “Buster” Davis San Diego
Chargers WR LSU
Analysis: It’s amazing that Davis is
still on the team, although “Buster” is appropriate, because bust
is exactly what he’s been. Rarely seeing the field due to injury and
ineffectiveness, he actually set career highs in 2010 with 21 catches
for 259 yards and a touchdown, but only playing 12 games with one
start the past three years isn’t making the cut. On a team still in
need of a big-play wide receiver, Davis hasn’t lived up to his
billing, and likely won’t be back in San Diego next season. Grade: D-
31 Greg Olsen Chicago
Bears TE Miami
Analysis: Olsen managed to be a big
factor in the Mike Martz offense last year as the Bears reached the
NFC Championship Game after it appeared he’d be on his way out. He
has missed just two games in his career, and while his production
dipped last year from 2009, he seems to have developed a rapport with
Jay Cutler. Olsen’s career numbers read 194 catches for 1,981 yards
and 20 touchdowns, though his blocking hasn’t exactly set the world
on fire as Chicago continues to search for a consistent run game.
Olsen is big and athletic and most importantly has stayed healthy,
and his numbers should continue to be solid if not spectacular. Grade: B
32 Anthony Gonzalez Indianapolis
Colts WR Ohio State
Analysis: Gonzalez was supposed to fill
the void left in the slot by Brandon Stokley, but in addition to not
fitting the bill of slot receiver, Gonzalez has also found it
difficult to stay on the field. He has ended the past two years on
injured reserve, a span in which he has seen the field just three
times with five catches for 67 yards. He showed some promise in
2007-08, combining for 94 catches for 1,240 yards and seven scores,
but with the emergence of Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon, Gonzalez’s
days in Indianapolis could be numbered. Grade: D-
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