1 |
QB |
Matthew Stafford |
Georgia |
Jr. |
The Lions paid Stafford $41 million in guaranteed money, but don't think they rolled over in negotiations. He was actually asking for $35 million, but they wouldn't budge. Grade: D |
2 |
OT |
Jason Smith |
Baylor |
Jr. |
At one point Smith was projected to go as high as number one. With his stunning free fall, he has vowed revenge on all the teams who passed up on him - as if the Lions need any more headaches. Grade: F |
3 |
DE |
Tyson Jackson |
LSU |
Sr. |
A lot of people said this was a reach, but Jackson could end up being the best player in the draft if several other top players suffer career ending injuries. Grade: F |
4 |
LB |
Aaron Curry |
Wake Forest |
Sr. |
Aaron Curry is a great player but has a horrible motor. He’s the first of his kind in the NFL. Grade: F minus |
5 |
QB |
Mark Sanchez |
USC |
Jr. |
Pete Carroll must feel pretty stupid. He said Sanchez wasn’t even ready for the NFL, and the kid turned out to be the greatest quarterback in the history of the league. Grade: A plus plus |
6 |
T |
Andre Smith |
Alabama |
Sr. |
Smith is a premier left tackle who can protect Palmer’s blindside as he tries to come back from surgery. If Palmer ends up getting hurt again, they could cut Smith and try to recoup his signing bonus. Grade: F |
7 |
WR |
Darrius Heyward-Bey |
Maryland |
Sr. |
This surprise selection was actually intended as a smokescreen until the Raiders realized you had to keep whatever players you selected. Grade: F |
8 |
T |
Eugene Monroe |
Virginia |
Sr. |
Monroe is a great left tackle that could anchor the offensive line for years to come. You know what he's not, though? Mark Sanchez. Anybody who's not Mark Sanchez sucks. Grade: F |
9 |
DT |
BJ Raji |
Boston College |
Sr. |
Leading up to the draft, B.J. Raji was accused of being a raging pothead with a sub-standard work ethic. He doesn't have a chip on his shoulder, though, because it's all basically true. Grade: F plus |
10 |
WR |
Michael Crabtree |
Texas Tech |
Sr. |
Crabtree says he’s a big fan of fashion. Dude, that’s something you admit after you retire from football and nobody cares if you’re gay. Grade: F minus |
11 |
DE |
Aaron Maybin |
Penn State |
So. |
The Bills really wanted Chris Long here but he was taken in the 2008 draft. Grade: F |
12 |
RB |
Knowshon Moreno |
Georgia |
Sr. |
Everybody’s criticizing the choice of Moreno here. Perhaps the Broncos should have drafted someone the experts were higher on, like Vince Young or Reggie Bush. Grade: D |
13 |
DE |
Brian Orakpo |
Texas |
Sr. |
The Skins had a highly touted pass rusher fall into their lap in Brian Orakpo. Given how much they hate Jason Campbell, don’t be surprised if they try to convert him into a quarterback. Grade: F |
14 |
CB |
Malcolm Jenkins |
Ohio State |
Sr. |
Jenkins was one of the top cornerbacks available and the Saints desperately needed help in the secondary. On the other hand, you can never really predict how a player is going to perform on the pro level and its presumptuous for them to think they can. Grade: F minus |
15 |
OLB |
Brian Cushing |
USC |
Sr. |
The Texans have been drafting defenders in the first round for a while now, but this is the first time they’ve drafted a white guy. Not that race means anything, but I just bought season tickets to the Houston Texans. Grade: C plus |
16 |
OLB |
Larry English |
Northern Illinois |
Sr. |
Keep in mind that most draft picks turn out to be busts or special teams players. That’s an actual quote from Larry English in his post-draft interview. Grade: F |
17 |
QB |
Josh Freeman |
Kansas St |
Sr. |
They just signed Byron Leftwich to a multi-year deal so this pick can only mean one thing: they’re going to carry more than one quarterback on their roster. Grade: F |
18 |
DE |
Robert Ayers |
Tennessee |
Sr. |
Robert Ayers is exactly the kind of player the Broncos should be building around – with a different coach. Grade: F |
19 |
WR |
Jeremy Maclin |
Missouri |
Sr. |
The Eagles were obviously not deterred by reports that Maclin enjoys making lampshades out of human skin. Everyone has their quirks, I guess. Grade: B |
20 |
TE |
Brandon Pettigrew |
Oklahoma St |
Sr. |
Coming into the draft, the Lions had three main needs: 1) quarterback, 2) secondary, 3) everything. As a tight end, Pettigrew falls firmly into the third category. Grade: D |
21 |
C |
Alex Mack |
California |
Sr. |
This guy is a steal, or would be, if this was the third round of the supplemental draft. Grade: F |
22 |
WR |
Percy Harvin |
FSU |
Jr. |
Harvin has some character issues, but so what? Almost everybody in the NFL has character issues, otherwise they’d be doing something productive with their lives. Grade: F |
23 |
OT |
Michael Oher |
Miss |
Sr. |
For some reason left tackles are really in demand this year, even though the position requires nothing more than some upper body strength and a voracious appetite for pastries. Grade: F |
24 |
DT |
Peria Jerry |
Miss |
Sr. |
Jerry is a tough, passionate warrior who will immediately upgrade the Falcons front seven. But he’s not Mark Sanchez, so fuck him. Grade: F minus minus |
25 |
CB |
Vontae Davis |
Illinois |
Sr. |
The selection of Davis by the Dolphins can only mean one thing: all the good players are gone now. Grade: F |
26 |
OLB |
Clay Matthews |
USC |
Sr. |
This is an interesting pick, especially since he was already taken at number 15 by the Texans. Grade: F |
27 |
RB |
Donald Brown |
Conn |
Sr. |
This is the kind of move that's considered brilliant when the Colts make it and a head-scratcher when soneone like the Raiders makes it. Grade: B plus |
28 |
C |
Eric Wood |
Louisville |
Sr. |
The Bills needed someone to protect Trent Edwards but all the good left tackles were taken. So they took a center, who can help protect the quarterback by not snapping the ball to him. Grade: F |
29 |
WR |
Hakeem Nicks |
North Carolina |
Sr. |
This kid could be the next Lawrence Taylor if we were living in a parallel universe in which Lawrence Taylor was a wide receiver who isn’t going to amount to anything. Grade: F |
30 |
WR |
Kenny Britt |
Rutgers |
Sr. |
Britt is a wide receiver with some personality problems. At this point, if a wide receiver doesn’t have personality problems you should probably assume he’s a tight end. Grade: F |
31 |
RB |
Chris Wells |
Ohio State |
Sr. |
Tim Hightower came out of nowhere last year to become the featured back for about five minutes and then revert back to mediocrity. The Cards will need a little more than that from the running back position, which is exactly what Chris Wells will provide: a little more than that. Grade: F |
32 |
DT |
Evander Hood |
Missouri
|
Sr. |
This guy has tremendous upside potential and a great motor. Those kinds of things don’t show up on a stat sheet because they’re totally meaningless. Grade: F minus |
copyright 2009 the brushback.com 2009 Mock Draft