I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ draft (www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/nfc-south-post-draft-analysis/tampa-bay-buccaneers ).

Many fans were somewhat surprised when Tampa Bay selected Brian Price in the 2^nd round.  The Bucs had already selected Gerald McCoy in the 1^st round and had numerous other needs.  I applauded the decision because Tampa Bay’s defense will not turn around until their front four becomes disruptive again.

Brian Price was a mid-1^st round talent in PFDN’s evaluation.  His 1^st step is as good as any defensive tackle in the draft.  Quickness is very important to success on the football field.  Price has plenty of it and should pair with McCoy to form a difficult duo to block for years to come.

I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 New Orleans Saints’ draft (www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/nfc-south-post-draft-analysis/new-orleans-saints ).

The Saints strategically selected a cornerback with their 1^st round pick.  They could have gone the route of linebacker or defensive tackle, but opted for Patrick Robinson.  The former Seminole has a chance of being a good man coverage corner.  The added bonus to selecting Robinson is that it enables last year’s 1^st round pick (#14 overall), Malcolm Jenkins, to move to free safety.   Jenkins tackles well and has the size, strength and speed for the safety position.

The Saints need Jenkins to become a playmaker in their secondary.  He may not possess the speed or change of direction skills to be an exceptional cornerback.  However, the former Ohio State standout has the tools to be a terrific free safety.  New Orleans needs an heir apparent to Darren Sharper (soon to be 35) and Jenkins can take his place.  Jenkins may not have Sharper’s knack for making interceptions (few safeties do), but he will be more physical and a better tackler.  The Saints did not win a championship on the strength of their offense alone.  The defense stepped up last season.  New Orleans will need some of their young defenders to develop to challenge for future championships.

I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 Carolina Panthers’ draft (www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/nfc-south-post-draft-analysis/north-carolina-panthers ).

Carolina made a poor decision when they resigned Jake Delhomme prior to the 2009 season.  Delhomme proved that his propensity to turn the ball over was not just an aberration.  The Panthers released the 35-year old Delhomme after last season.  The problem was the team only had the unproven, Matt Moore, at quarterback.  Moore played well in the 5 games that he started last year.  However, it made no sense for Carolina to hitch their wagon to such an inexperienced player who did not have a stellar collegiate career.

The 2010 NFL Draft was not deep at the quarterback position.  There were only two quarterbacks (Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen) in the draft that most teams evaluated to have a decent chance of developing into legitimate starting quarterbacks in the NFL.  Carolina figured that with their first selection being the 48^th pick overall that they had no chance at either quarterback.  Clausen dropped right to Carolina largely due to questions about his leadership skills.

Sometimes during the draft process teams focus too much on the potential weaknesses a player may have.  Prospects can be nitpicked to death.  The result is teams can overlook what a player can do well.  Clausen has a lot of ability and no one accused him of being lazy.  He finds himself in a positive situation in Carolina.  The Panthers have a quality offensive line and a top running game.  Clausen does not have to start right away.  He is only a mid-2^nd round draft choice and does not have the pressure of being a top 10 pick who is supposed to be a savior.  It will be interesting to see how well he develops in the coming years.

I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 Atlanta Falcons’ draft (www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/nfc-south-post-draft-analysis/atlanta-falcons ).

Falcons’ GM, Thomas Dimitroff, has done a fine job of turning the team into a playoff contender.  The Atlanta GM likes to draft high character players with a solid work ethic.  This is a sound approach, but sometimes you have to also take a calculated gamble on a player.  Atlanta passed on a talented pass rusher (Everson Griffen) who likes to party for a safer player (G Mike Johnson) at the bottom of the 3^rd round.  They also avoided the more explosive cornerback, Perrish Cox, for a corner (Dominique Franks) with less personal baggage in the 5th.

The vast majority of prospects in the draft are 21 or 22 years old.  These are young men and a lot of them need time to mature.  There are numerous new responsibilities for NFL rookies and some will take a couple of seasons to adjust (and some never will).  Atlanta may find that to go from playoff contender to Super Bowl contender that they have to roll the dice occasionally on a talented player with some baggage.

I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers’ draft (www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/afc-north-post-analysis/pittsburgh-steelers ).

Pittsburgh went into the draft with a need for additional wide receivers.  They clearly targeted a wideout in the 3^rd round.  Their best options were Emmanuel Sanders, Jordan Shipley, Eric Decker and Andre Roberts.  The Steelers chose Sanders and time will tell if he was the best choice.

Pittsburgh having to decide which receiver to take is what makes the draft so interesting.  If Sanders develops into a highly productive player then he will contribute to victories.   If Sanders turns out to be a bust then Pittsburgh will have a weakness in their lineup.  These draft-day decisions have a major impact on a team’s record.  Pittsburgh in the 1972 NFL Draft had to decide between a pair of running backs in the 1^st round that they liked (Franco Harris or Robert Newhouse).  The Steelers chose Harris and the rest is history.  I doubt that the team would have won 4 Super Bowl championships (or had an Immaculate Reception) in the 1970’s had Newhouse been the selection.

I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 Cleveland Browns’ draft (www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/afc-north-post-analysis/cleveland browns ).

I was pretty critical of the decisions that the Browns made in the draft.  The Browns came away with six critical players (Joe Haden, T.J. Ward, Montario Hardesty, Colt McCoy, Shawn Lauvao and Clifton Geathers).  They could have had the following players: Brandon Graham, Jimmy Clausen, Golden Tate, Eric Decker, Dennis Pitta and Jonathan Dwyer.  The most critical decision was the one to pass on Jimmy Clausen and hitch their wagon to Colt McCoy.

Time will tell if the Browns chose wisely.

I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 Cincinnati Bengals’ draft(www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/afc-north-post-analysis/cincinnatti-bengals).  The Bengals’ tight end position was among the least productive in the NFL last season.  That will change with the selection of Jermaine Gresham.

The Carlos Dunlap selection in the 2^nd round certainly grabbed my attention.  It was good to see that a number of players (Bruce Campbell, Carlos Dunlap and Jacoby Ford among others) whose athletic ability surpassed their actual game production were not chosen in the 1^st round.   Cincinnati took a calculated gamble with Dunlap.

The Bengals now have two (Michael Johnson and Carlos Dunlap) very athletic and long-limbed defensive ends who have a lot to learn and prove.  The Bengals’ pass rush could be significantly improved if they start to translate their athletic tools into production on the field.  The article analyzes in detail every selection made by the Bengals.  I always include analysis on which key player a team passed up with every pick.   That is the best way to analyze a selection because the NFL Draft is all about choices.

I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 Baltimore Ravens draft (www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/afc-north-post-analysis/baltimore-ravens).  What impressed me most about their draft was how fundamentally sound it was.  The Ravens’ defensive philosophy is you win football games by stopping the run and forcing the opposing offense to be one-dimensional.  The defense can then concentrate on getting after the quarterback.

The pick that could have the most impact is the nose tackle from Alabama.  Terrence Cody will prove to be a bargain in the 2^nd round.  Who is going to be able to run the ball against Baltimore with Cody and Haloti Ngata in the lineup?  They are two of the biggest physical freaks playing on the defensive line in the NFL.  They both are athletic and not just enormous.  The article analyzes in detail every selection made by the Ravens.  I always include analysis on which key player a team passed up with every selection. That is the best way to analyze a selection because the NFL Draft is all about choices.

Al Davis finally decided to cut his losses with JaMarcus Russell.  The Raiders’ owner does not like to admit his mistakes, but the 2007 number one overall pick’s production was awful.  Oakland paid Russell 39 million dollars for a 52% passer with 18 touchdown passes, 23 interceptions, a bunch of fumbles and absolutely no leadership in three years of employment.  That is not much of a return on their investment.

Russell’s colossal failure highlights the importance of football character.  The former LSU standout was a lazy and unmotivated quarterback.  He relied on his god-given gifts of tremendous size and a howitzer for an arm and thought that would be enough.  The warning signs were there right from the start.  Russell was not chomping at the bit to play quarterback for the Oakland Raiders and did not sign his rookie contract until almost mid-September.  His rookie season was basically a wash because of the extended holdout.  This contrasts sharply with how Mark Sanchez was so eager to be the Jets quarterback that he ordered his agent to make sure he was in training camp on time.  Sanchez gained valuable experience during his rookie season and is on his way to being a quality starter at the game’s most important position.

Russell simply did not have the work ethic or drive to study film and speed up his decision-making process.  It became very clear in his 3^rd season that Russell had little appetite for the game (food was a different story).  The Raiders were not an ideal situation for him to go to, but Russell deserves much of the blame.  Oakland had no chance of winning when their “franchise” quarterback had such a lackadaisical approach to the game.

Every NFL team should live by a draft rule that a top 10 selection must be a self-starter.  I spoke with a former NFL scout that lives in Baton Rouge about Russell prior to the 2007 NFL Draft.  He told me that JaMarcus was one of the laziest players he had ever scouted.  It was not a secret that Russell was not exactly a ball of fire.  However, he parlayed a big Sugar Bowl performance against Notre Dame and an impressive pro day into the top pick in the draft.   The former LSU quarterback looked good against Notre Dame, but he was playing against future accountants and insurance agents!  Notre Dame did not have a defense loaded with future NFL players.  I still remember his pro day and how the buzz was he threw lasers all over the field.  Russell’s size and arm strength were never the issue.  His work ethic, dedication to the game and competitiveness should have been the focal point.

The Raiders could have saved themselves a lot of money and won more games had they focused on football character over raw athletic tools.  The team has apparently finally learned their lesson with the selection of Rolando McClain with the 8^th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.  McClain’s greatest strength is he is a student of the game and one of the smartest players in the draft.  It looks like the skies are brightening for the Raiders and a once proud franchise may be turning the corner.

I thought it was refreshing to see that the majority of the combine stars slipped in the draft.  It certainly seemed that there generally was more emphasis on what prospects did on the field and their football character rather than how fast they ran in shorts.

Bruce Campbell had perhaps the greatest combine workout for an offensive lineman in NFL Draft history.  Many speculated that the Raiders would select Campbell with the 8^th pick overall.  Oakland did select Campbell, but it was in the 4^th round (#106 overall)!  Campbell’s play in games did not justify a 1st round selection.

Taylor Mays is big, strong and fast.  His game tape also revealed that he struggles to make plays on the ball and change direction quickly.  He dropped into the 2^nd round (#49 overall to San Francisco).

Carlos Dunlap has ideal length and athleticism for an NFL defensive end.  The former Florida standout also has a questionable motor and very raw technique.  He fell into the 2^nd round (#54 overall to Cincinnati).  Brandon Graham (short arms and less than ideal height), on the other hand, was selected with the 13^th pick overall by Philadelphia.  Graham was all about production on the field and intensity.  I was really pleased to see him rewarded by being drafted high.

Jacoby Ford ran the fastest Forty time at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine.  The general consensus seemed to be that the former Clemson wideout would be a 2nd or 3rd round pick.  No team put a lot of stock in his speed and went more by his game film.  Ford does not catch the ball well in traffic and is not elusive.  He was drafted by the Raiders in the 4^th round (#108 overall).  This represents fair value for Ford and hopefully he can add some elements to his game.

Brandon Spikes ran a very slow Forty and some thought his draft stock would take a major hit.  The Patriots did not care about what Spikes ran in shorts or how he looks at the beach.  Bill Belichick wants smart and tough linebackers.  He found one in Spikes.  New England grabbed Spikes in the 2^nd round (#62 overall).

Tim Tebow and Tyson Alualu were taken higher than expected, but at least they both produced on the field and have a true passion for the game.  I will be starting to post in-depth post-draft analysis shortly.