I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 Tennessee Titans’ draft (http://www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/afc-south-post-draft-analysis/tennessee-titans.html ).

They say a football team takes on the personality of their head coach.  Titans’ head coach, Jeff Fisher, is a no non-sense coach who believes that team’s win by playing tough defense and running the football.  The Titans were uncharacteristically soft on defense last season and had to raise the talent level to do something about it.

I like what Tennessee did in the draft to address their defense.  Derrick Morgan, Rennie Curran and Alterraun Verner are all talented and dedicated players who are Jeff Fisher type of defenders.  The Titans may have one of the NFL’s most improved defenses this season.  They have a nice nucleus of young defenders (DT Jason Jones, DT Sen’Derrick Marks, DE Derrick Morgan, LB Stephen Tulloch, LB Gerald McRath, LB Rennie Curran, S Michael Griffin, CB Cortland Finnegan and CB Alterraun Verner) for Coach Fisher to help mold into a stingy unit.

I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 Indianapolis Colts’ draft (http://www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/afc-south-post-draft-analysis/indianapolis-colts.html ).

Colts’ general manager, Bill Polian, is one of the best in the business at finding late round bargains in the draft.  WR Austin Collie (4^th round, 2009 NFL Draft), WR Pierre Garcon (6^th round, 2008 NFL Draft) and S Antoine Bethea (6^th round, 2006 NFL Draft) are all recent examples.

Indianapolis will increase its chances of winning another Super Bowl if the team can improve the production of its running game.  The Colts averaged a paltry 3.5 yards per carry last season.  The ineffectiveness of the ground game resulted in Indianapolis ranking 31^st in rushing attempts in 2009.  Clearly, the Colts are looking for a better surge from its offensive line to open some holes for Donald Brown and Joseph Addai.

The Colts are counting on 4^th round pick, G Jacques McClendon, and blocking tight end, Brody Eldridge, to provide some muscle.  Fans tend to forget that a better than expected rushing attack played a significant role in the Colts’ 2007 Super Bowl victory.  Peyton Manning was not exceptional during that season’s title run.  A revived Indianapolis ground game will provide more balance on offense and give the defense a breather.  Colts’ fans have to hope that McClendon and/or Eldridge are Bill Polian’s latest draft bargains.

I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 Houston Texans’ draft (http://www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/afc-south-post-draft-analysis/houston-texans.html).

I did not rate the Texans as having had a strong 2010 NFL Draft class.  This is because Houston frequently went for need over selecting the best available player.  The Texans are not one player away from going to the Super Bowl.  Many draft mistakes result from trying to fill needs instead of choosing the best available player.  Of course, identifying the best available player is not always easy.

The Texans’ decision making in the 2^nd round is a good example of favoring need over best overall talent.  Everyone knows that Houston had the 30^th ranked ground game in the NFL last season.  Houston decided that they had to have a running back to jumpstart their rushing attack in the 2^nd round.  Ben Tate was their selection over players such as, Vladimir Ducasse and Golden Tate.  I thought Ben Tate was a decent back, but one that you can find in the 4^th round.  Ducasse and Golden Tate were superior prospects, in my view.  Houston may have been better off choosing Ducasse or Golden Tate and picking up a running back later in the draft.

The strategy that goes into the draft is what makes the event so much fun.  The correct strategy is also very important in acquiring productive players that translates into victories on the field.  It will take 2-3 years before a clear conclusion can be drawn regarding the Ben Tate selection.  Tate had some hard luck and was lost for the season with an ankle injury.  He hopefully can return at 100% next year and prove that he is the answer at running back for the Texans.

I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 San Diego Chargers’ draft (http://www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/afc-west-post-draft-analysis/san-diego-chargers.html ).

Chargers’ General Manager, A.J. Smith, does a terrific job of evaluating talent, in my opinion.  Smith decided that his team was very close to going to a Super Bowl.  The strategy was to concentrate a limited number of picks on two core weaknesses( running the ball and stopping the run) over quantity of selections.  Thus, San Diego was willing to package their 1^st (#28), 2^nd (#40) and 4^th (#126) round picks, plus ILB Tim Dobbins to move up for Miami’s 1^st round draft choice (#12).  They turned this pick into running back, Ryan Mathews.

LaDainian Tomlinson is a future Hall of Famer.  However, he really showed last season that he is no longer a quality feature back.  The years of carrying the load finally caught up to him.  A running back and his offensive line have to complement each other.  The line has to open some holes and the running back’s job is to gain extra yards.  The top backs routinely break tackles, make defenders miss and outrun people.  LT in his prime did all of those things, but not last year.  The first tackler brought down Tomlinson too frequently.

Mathews provides San Diego with young legs and a burst from their feature back.  If he is as good as the Chargers think he is then he is going to balance their offense and help keep the defense fresh.  Norv Turner knows how to use a running back and Mathews has an excellent chance of making a rookie splash.

I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 Oakland Raiders’ draft (www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/afc-west-post-draft-analysis/oakland-raiders ).

Oakland made a statement when they selected Rolando McClain with the 8^th pick overall.  The former Alabama All-American has fine physical tools, but the most impressive part of his game is his preparation skills.  McClain loves to study film and diagnose plays quickly on the field.  It appears that the Raiders finally hit bottom when rocket-armed JaMarcus Russell proved to be a bust.

The Raiders stayed patient and disciplined during the draft.  They waited for the talented, but raw Bruce Campbell to fall to the 4^th round and then scooped him up.  Where a player is drafted makes all of the difference in the world.

The Raiders are still digging out from years of poor drafts that emphasized workout warriors over production and strong intangibles for the game.  Oakland seemed to have a different plan with this year’s draft.  If they can string together productive drafts in 2011 and 2012 the Silver & Black may really be back.

I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 Kansas City Chiefs’ draft (www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/afc-west-post-draft-analysis/kc-chiefs ).

The strategy of the NFL Draft has always been of interest to me.  Kansas City’s decisions in the 2^nd round of this year’s draft are a good example of this.  The Chiefs went with a couple of undersized players in the 2^nd round.  Dexter McCluster was taken with the 36^th pick overall.  He is an exciting player, but at 170 pounds is more along the lines of a situational player (3^rd down slot receiver/occasional running back) than a full-time starter.  KC passed on a player such as, Sergio Kindle, who could start at outside linebacker for them.  The Chiefs have an anemic pass rush and can use an outside linebacker who can penetrate and be disruptive.

Kansas City then selected Javier Arenas in the 2^nd round.  The former Alabama cornerback is a shade under 5 foot 9 inches tall and has questionable speed.  He is a terrific kick returner, but what about shoring up a weak run defense?  The Chiefs do not have a force at nose tackle and decided to pass on arguably college football’s most dominant nose tackle the past couple of seasons (Terrence Cody).  One of the first decisions Nick Saban made when he took over the Alabama head coaching position was to make sure he landed Cody.  He successfully recruited “Mount Cody” and the Crimson Tide’s defense had their anchor in the middle.  I think the Chiefs would have been wise to follow a similar strategy.  Time will tell if the Chiefs made the right decisions to pass on some talented defensive help in the 2^nd round.

I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 Denver Broncos’ draft (www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/afc-west-post-draft-analysis/denver-broncos ).

The selection of Tim Tebow will make or break Denver’s draft class.  I certainly have my doubts about the former Heisman Trophy winner developing into a quality NFL starting quarterback.  He is trying his best to speed up his delivery and improve his accuracy and timing.  Tebow has all of the intangibles that you look for in a quarterback.  However, what top quarterback had to work so much on the basic mechanics of throwing the football?

Many young quarterbacks have much to learn about reading NFL defenses and the nuances of playing the position at the highest level.  The raw talent of throwing the football extremely well is a given.  No one had to work with Joe Flacco’s (18^th overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft) release or passing mechanics.  His exceptional throwing ability was something that he always had.  Whether the former Gator great has the raw passing skills to play quarterback at a high level in the NFL is a major question mark.

I will be rooting for Tebow to prove me wrong.  His work ethic, determination, toughness and passion for the game are admirable.  There are so many 1^st round quarterback busts who fail because of laziness and a lack of commitment to football.  JaMarcus Russell could not be bothered with studying film and honing his skills.  Ryan Leaf was happy to cash his big signing bonus and was outraged that the Chargers expected something in return.  Cade McNown was more interested in chasing Playboy Playmates than playing football.  It is not hard to root for as fine a young man and a football junkie like Tim Tebow when there are so many gifted players who waste their talent and disrespect the game.

I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 St. Louis Rams’ draft (www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/nfc-west-post-draft-analysis/st-louis-rams ).

Some years are better than others to have the top overall pick in the NFL Draft.  The quarterback position has been the 1^st pick in the draft more than any other position.  This makes sense because it is the most important position in football.

The past 11 years a quarterback has been the top pick 8 times (73%).  Unfortunately, a top franchise quarterback is not available in every draft and teams will reach for a signal caller because of the importance of the position.  This is why so many quarterbacks taken number one overall disappointment and are not worth the selection.  Tim Couch (1999 NFL Draft), Michael Vick (2001 NFL Draft), David Carr (2002 NFL Draft), Alex Smith (2005 NFL Draft) and JaMarcus Russell (2007 NFL Draft) were all disappointments, as the top pick.  All of these players lacked either elite physical talent or the rare intangibles (work ethic, instincts for the position) to become a star.

The Rams were lucky that Sam Bradford was available in this year’s draft.  This does not mean that the former Oklahoma star is a sure thing.  Bradford has to prove that he can be durable.  However, Bradford has many qualities that lead me to believe that he has a very bright future in the NFL.  He may not have a rocket for an arm (JaMarcus Russell should put to rest the importance of having a cannon), but he can make all of the throws.  His intangibles for the position are outstanding.  You cannot teach a quarterback to have a great internal clock.  Some just seem to have a sixth sense on when to deliver the football.  You also cannot teach accuracy.  Bradford is a mature young man who has a strong work ethic.  He is going to give the Rams everything he has and I just hope that St. Louis can surround him with enough talent to not waste his ability.

I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 Seattle Seahawks’ draft (www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/nfc-west-post-draft-analysis/seattle-seahawks ).

Seattle is starting over with the head coach/GM team of Pete Carroll and John Schneider.  I thought the Seahawks did a terrific job with their 1^st and 2^nd round selections.  However, the 3^rd day (rounds 4-7) of the NFL Draft is very important.  The teams that go on to win a championship always have key starters (think Marques Colston of the Saints.  A 7^th round steal in the 2006 NFL Draft) that were drafted in the later rounds.  The Seahawks’ 4^th round pick, CB Walter Thurmond, has potential if he can stay healthy.  The rest of their later round picks do not seem to be more than decent backups.

Seattle had a productive draft, but they will need to have some late round draft choices emerge as quality starters to return to ruling the NFC West.

I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 San Francisco 49ers’ draft (www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/nfc-west-post-draft-analysis/sf-49-ers ).

I have long been an admirer of 49ers’ head coach, Mike Singletary.  He has a clear vision of how he wants his team to play.  Every year they get closer to making Singletary’s vision a reality.  The plan is to be a very physical team on both sides of the ball and win the battle of the line of scrimmage.  A timely passing attack will complement a determined running game that wears down opponents.  Some horses were needed upfront on offense and the team went out and found them in the draft.

The 49ers finished 25^th last year in rushing yards per game and that was unacceptable to the man in charge.  Anthony Davis, Mike Iupati, Anthony Dixon and Nate Byham were all drafted to increase the number of rushing attempts and yards per game in the coming seasons.

The best teams have a clear identity.  If the execution and talent level is high enough then it does not matter if opponents know what is coming.  The 49ers are heading in this direction and their 2010 draft looks to have supplied significant building blocks.