Quarterbacks

Mark Sanchez, New York Jets – Sanchez sparkled in his debut leading the Jets to a 24-7 upset of the Texans.  Completed 18 of 31 passes for 272 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.  Owns an 84.3 QB rating after week one.

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions – Stafford was a disaster in his first regular season game as a pro as the Lions took one on the chin to the Saints 45-27.  Completed just 16 of 37 passes for 202 yards and threw three interceptions against one of the more mediocre secondaries in the league.

Running Backs

LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles – The Eagles second round draft pick is the league’s top rookie rusher after week one.  Ran for 46 yards on 9 carries and caught one pass for one yard.

Donald Brown, Indianapolis Colts – Indy’s top pick had a solid debut in the Colts’ season opening win against the Jaguars.  Ran for 33 yards on 11 carries and caught a pair of passes for 16 yards.

Chris “Beanie” Wells, Arizona Cardinals – Beanie is still stuck behind Tim Hightower on the depth chart but turned in a solid performance running for 29 yards on 7 carries.

Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos – The top back taken in the draft had a rather disappointing showing in Broncos’ 12-7 win in Cincinnati.  Ran for just 19 yards on 8 carries backing up Correll Buckhalter.

Aaron Brown, Detroit Lions – Brown picked up nine yards on one carry in limited action during the Lions lose to the Saints.

James Davis, Cleveland Browns – There are big expectations for Davis who disappointed in his debut during Cleveland’s 34-20 loss to the Vikings.  Ran for just 5 yards on four carries and caught 3 passes for a paltry 4 yards.

Wide Receivers

Louis Murphy, Oakland Raiders – Murphy was the week’s top rookie pass catcher hauling in four passes for 87 yards and a touchdown in Oakland’s loss to San Diego on Monday Night.

Kenny Britt, Tennessee Titans – Played a key role in Tennessee’s passing game catching 4 passes for 85 yards against the Steelers.

Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings – Harvin made an immediate impact in his debut for the Vikings scoring a touchdown and picking up 58 yards of total offense in helping the Vikings down the Browns.

Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers – A bit of a surprise for the Steelers catching 3 passes for 35 yards including the pass that set up the winning field goal against the Titans.

Johnny Knox, Chicago Bears – Knox was a bit of a one-hit wonder for the Bears catching two passes for 81 yards including a 68-yarder from Jay Cutler.

Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants – Caught two passes for 18 yards before leaving the game with an apparent ankle injury.

Tight Ends

Shawn Nelson, Buffalo Bills – Nelson caught only two passes for 13 yards but he did score the Bills first touchdown of the season.

Defensive Players

James Laurinaitis, St. Louis Rams – The rookie linebacker had a stellar debut ringing up 14 tackles and a fumble recovery in the Rams loss to the Seahawks.

Brian Cushing, Houston Texans – Cushing had 8 tackles starting at outside linebacker in the Texans’ loss to the Jets.

Rey Maualuga, Cincinnati Bengals – Cushing’s college mate recorded 8 tackles as well in the Bengals loss to Denver.

Louis Delmas, Detroit Lions – The rookie free safety had a strong debut in the Lions loss to the Saints recording six tackles and taking a fumble back for a touchdown.

Derek Cox, Jacksonville Jaguars – The rookie corner was the lone rookie to record an interception in week one.  He also knocked a pair of passes away, recovered a fumble, and recorded three tackles in a strong debut in the Jags loss to the Colts.

McNabb’s performance is not what presents the biggest issue for the Eagles at the position Kevin Kolb does.  What to do with Kolb who was once seen as the future of the franchise when he was drafted in the second round of the 2007 draft after a season which saw McNabb suffer another season ending injury 10 games in only to have Jeff Garcia lead them on an improbable run to the playoffs by guiding the team to wins in five of its last six games.  Reid’s decision to nab Kolb sent the rumor mill churning with everyone speculating that McNabb would be released and the team was going to go with Garcia for another year or two until Kolb was ready to take over.  McNabb persevered and Garcia was let go so he could pursue a deal where he would get the chance to start.

The Eagles are coming to a point where they need to decide what Kolb’s future is going to be with the team.  His contract expires in 2010 and with only 34 pass attempts and a 21.8 QB rating in his short career he really has not had a chance to show what he can do.  His lone opportunity to show he was ready to take the team over when McNabb goes down ended in disaster when he completed just 10 of 23 passes and threw two interceptions in a blow out loss to the Baltimore Ravens.  Just going by what he showed the world in the Ravens game he is nowhere close to being ready to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.

So what is a team to do?  Pro Football Weekly is specualting in its latest The Way We Hear It column that while the Eagles still like Kolb he very well could become trade bait next spring if McNabb gets the extension he is rumored to be lobbying for.  This supposition sounds very plausible.  As long as Reid is the coach and the Eagles remain legitimate Super Bowl contenders I have a hard time seeing him switching jockeys this late in the game.  Why cut ties with the only quarterback to lead you to the Super Bowl?  Why go with an unproven quarterback who has yet to show he can produce at the NFL level? 

If I had to place money on it I would bet that Kolb will be dealt for a couple of draft picks next spring, as we all know how much Reid loves to stockpile draft picks, and they will look at drafting someone in the first couple of rounds either in 2010 or 2011.  Kolb is making noise about wanting to get a chance to play somewhere and is likely not going to sign any kind of a long term deal with Philadelphia as long as McNabb is still around.  The Eagles would be fools to simply let him walk away if there is some real trade value out there for him. 

Whatever the case may be there are two things I know for sure.  One is that Kolb will get the lion’s share of snaps in the exhibition season and will most assuredly see plenty of action with the first team in an effort to showcase his abilities.  Second is that we can be rest assured that he will throw more than 34 passes next season.  One can expect to see plenty of him in blow out games.

The offseason actually began with the Eagles making a not so popular move by letting long time face of the franchise Brian Dawkins sign with the Denver Broncos.  It was tough to see him leave but the Eagles were probably wise not to try and match the deal the Broncos were offering.

On the surface it does seem like a bad move to let a guy who has been the heart and sould of the defense just walk away.  But if there is one thing I have come to learn in my years of following Reid’s Eagles it is that he always seems to have a plan B in place a year or two prior to having to let go of a veteran leader such as Dawkins.  The team really likes Quintin Mikell even going so far as to have the coaching staff declare him their defensive MVP last season.

This leads to the second major change made when the team signed free agent safety Sean Jones away from the Cleveland Browns.  Jones is expected to compete with Quintin Demps for the starting job at strong safety but ultimately Jones’ style of play and physicality should earn him the nod over Demps.  Dawkins was showing signs that he had lost a step last season and the combination of Mikell and Jones is potentially more productive Dawkins and Mikell were lost season.

With the issues in the secondary figured out the Eagles’ next big move was to fix an ailing offensive line.  One key reason the Eagles struggled to run the ball between the tackles last season was due to the tackles’ inability to seal off the corner and hold their blocks.  With Jon Runyan’s career in question after undergoing microfracture knee surgery and Tra Thomas’ play declining towards the end of the season the team decided it needed to get younger and better at the tackle positions.

The first move to upgrade the line was to sign incumbant guard Shawn Andrews’ brother, Stacy, away from the Bengals.  Stacy was the Bengals’ starting right tackle but speculation abounds that Reid is looking at Shawn to slide over to right tackle with Stacy manning the guard spot on the right side of the line.

With Stacy Andrews nailed down the team then turned its focus to left tackle.  Early reports had Todd Herremans sliding out from his left guard spot to protect Donovan McNabb’s backside.  Herremans has emerged as one of the top young gurads in the since assuming a starting role a couple of seasons ago. However, it remains to be seen whether he has the footwork to be able to play tackle in the NFL.  After coming so close to a Super Bowl appearance last season the team decided not to pin its hopes on a guy who has little to no experience playing tackle in the NFL.

This revelation of sorts led to the team dealing away the 28th pick of the draft, the second of the team’s two first round picks, to the Buffalo Bills for Pro Bowl tackle Jason Peters.  Peters had an up-and-down season a year ago but is highly regarded as the best young left tackle in the game.  The Eagles promptly signed him to a six year extension upon acquiring him from the Bills in hopes that he will man the quarterback’s backside for years to come.

This leads up to the draft which saw the Eagles add several key players to an already pretty potent offense.  The team’s first pick, Jeremy Maclin, came as a shock to everybody, including Maclin himself.  The consensus amongst just about everyone in the know was that Maclin was a sure-fire top ten pick but the Raiders pick of Darius Heyward-Bey through a monkey wrench into those prognostications.  With Maclin sitting there at 19 the Eagles pulled the trigger on a deal to move up two spots from 21 to grab him.  He was just too good of a talent to pass up at that spot.

In the second round the Eagles picked up the backup running back and eventual successor to Brain Westbrook they so sorely needed in LeSean McCoy.  McCoy has the skillset that Reid loves in a back and he should be able to comfortably add some weight to be able to stand up better to NFL defenses.  McCoy will give the Eagles the option to move Westbrook around even more in the offense than the team currently does.

The Eagles rounded out the offensvie overhaul in the fifth round when they picked up Florida tight end Cornelius Ingram.  Ingram, once considered the potential top TE talent in this year’s class, slid to the fifth round due to questions surrounding his knee injury and whether he would be able to play at the next level or not.  Reid took a flyer on him in the fifth and so far the early reviews are that he is eventually going to be an upgrade over last year’s starter L. J. Smith.

Overall the Eagles had a very strong spring upgrading the talent along the offensive line and adding some needed quality depth at the skill positions giving Donovan McNabb even more weapons at his disposal.  Things are definitely moving in the right direction for the Eagles and if things break their way this could very well be the season that long suffering Eagles fans get to celebrate a Super Bowl victory.

Arizona Cardinals: The addition of Chris “Beanie” Wells allowed the Cards to cut ties with Edgerrin James who was becoming a malcontent and wanted to be released.  Not sure about Cody Brown though who seems more suited to be an edge rusher in a 3-4 defense.  Picking up LSU offensive lineman Herman Johnson at the end of the fifth was a good value pick as some draft sites had him as a solid third round prospect.  An overall solid draft even if they failed to address their need at linebacker.

Atlanta Falcons: Concentrated on beefing up the defense going with defensive players with their first five picks.  Grabbed run-stuffer Peria Jerry with their first pick and safetyWilliam Moore with their second pick.  The Falcons came into this draft needing to beef up the defensive line and secondary and came away with two corners, a safety, and two defensive tackles.  Defensive end Lawrence Sidbury could end up being a steal in the fourth round.  His stock was going up on many draft sites leading into the draft.

Baltimore Ravens:Traded up with the Patriots to grab offensive tackle Michael Oher to protect Joe Flacco’s backside second round pick Paul Kruger gives them an extra pass rusher to throw in the mix.  Linebacker Jason Phillips was a good value pick at the top of the fifth round.  The Ravens are still looking to add a younger WR to the mix though.

Buffalo Bills: There are mixed feelings on what the Bills did.  They grabbed a pass rusher with the 11th pick in Aaron Maybin as many thought they would but opted for Eric Wood as opposed to grabbing a true tackle like Eben Britton or William Beatty with the 28th pick.  Got the tight end they needed by grabbing Shawn Nelson in the fourth round.  They lose bonus points for doing nothing to address the gaping hole left by the trade of left tackle Jason Peters to Philadelphia.

Carolina Panthers: Given they did not have a first round pick the Panthers did about as well as could be expected.  They got a pass rusher to pair with Julius Peppers in Everette Brown with the 43rd pick.  Brown was expected to go much higher than this.  Second round pick Sherrod Martin will provide some much needed size and physicality in the secondary while fourth round selection Mike Goodson should provide some versatility in the offense and bolster the return game.  Offensive lineman Duke Robinson could end up being a steal for the Panthers falling all the way to the fifth round after being rated as a solid third round prospect.  Solid draft but failed to address needs at wide receiver and quarterback.

Chicago Bears: The Bears draft is essentially Jay Cutler.  They did well with the picks they did have getting good value at 68 with Jarron Gilbert whom many considered a borderline first round prospect and getting defensive back D. J. Moore and linebacker Marcus Freeman, once considered first round talents, in the later rounds.  The Bears addressed needs at WR but failed to come away with a front line guy and got a handful of twos and threes in Juaquin Iglesias, Johnny Knox, and Derek Kinder.  They may have been better off rolling the dice on Derrick Williams or Brandon Tate.

Cincinnati Bengals: This will be either a boom or bust draft for the Bengals.  As expected they grabbed hulking offensive tackle Andre Smith with their top pick.  Smith is potentially a Pro Bowl tackle if he keeps his head on straight.  They smartly grabbed linebacker Rey Maualuga, who slid out of the first round, with the 38th pick.  If Keith Rivers is fully recovered from his inury linebacker potentially becomes a strength of the defense.  Defensive end Michael Johnson is another boom or bust pick.  He was orignially considered a top five pick at the beginning of the college football season but some now question whether he is too soft and has enough motivation to be a top player in the NFL.  Chase Coffman is another guy who would have gone higher had he not gotten hurt and been able to work out for scouts.  Five years from now we will either be talking about how awesome the Bengals did with this draft or writing it off as another colossal failure.

Cleveland Browns: The Browns eventually traded all the way down from 5 to 21 stockpiling additional picks along the way.  They spent the 21st pick on Cal center Alex Mack who should help stabilize the offensive line.  Second round picks Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi provide some much needed depth at WR with Donte Stallworth’s season now in liimbo due to legal issues and Braylon Edwards potentially on his way out the door via trade.  Sixth round pick Coye Francies is a potential sleeper pick as he was expected to go much higher.  The Browns did a lot to fill some holes on offense but did little to address their dismal pass rush and run defense until the end of the second round.  They may have been better served grabbing Maualuga instead of Robiskie.  Unless they are intent on moving Edwards I do not see the wisdom of grabbing two receivers so high when there are glaring holes on defense that need to be addressed.

Dallas Cowboys: No clue what the Cowboys are thinking with this draft.  They traded out of the 51st spot when there were guys like William Moore, Phil Loadholt, William Beatty, and Sean Smith still on the board who could have helped fill needs at offensive tackle and safety.  They reached tremendously on top pick Jason Williams who was rated as a sixth or seventh round pick and the 24th best prospect at his position.  Reached on offensive lineman Robert Brewster in the third round as well who was considered a  fifth round prospect.  They addressed most of their needs but they failed to get good value or quality prospects to fill those needs.  At best a mediocre class with mostly journeyman backup talent.

Denver Broncos: Denver did some very interesting and questionable things with this draft.  First off with so many glaring holes on defense they went and spent their top pick on running back Knowshon Moreno after an off season which saw them sign J. J. Arrington, Correll Buckhalter, and Lamont Jordan giving them 10 total running backs on their roster.  Just seems like grabbing someone like Brian Orakpo or Brian Cushing would have filled a much bigger need.  Second pick Robert Ayers provides some much needed talent in the defensive front seven.  I am not sure of the wisdom of trading next year’s first round pick to trade up in the second round to grab defensive back Alphonso Smith though. Smith is a nice prospect but you don’t give up a future number one pick on a guy who is not likely going to be a lock down corner.  They added some depth to the secondary and picked up a guy who should help with the run defense but they failed to make a move for an elite pass rusher when they had the opportunity to do so.

Detroit Lions: The Lions did what everyone expected and took quarterback Matthew Stafford with the top pick.  From a need standpoint it was the right pick but I am not convinced Stafford has the mental chops to be a top flight quarterback in the NFL.  The Lions did need a tight end and Brandon Pettigrew was rated the top at the position but with Michael Oher still on the board at 20 the Lions missed out on getting a left tackle to protect Stafford’s back side. A defensive player would have been a better pick as well given the Lions had a historically bad defense last season.  Louis Delmas will be a good addition to the secondary and Derrick Williams should emerge as a good complimentary receiver to Calvin Johnson.  They probably reached a bit on linebacker DeAndre Levy in the third round.  Spending the 20th pick on a guy who does fill a primary need is a bit of a concern when they need an upgrade at left tackle and the defense was abysmal.

Green Bay Packers: The Packers had a strong draft addressing many needs.  First round picks defensive tackle B. J. Raji and linebacker Clay Matthews provide an instant upgrade to a front seven that allowed over 130 rushing yards per game last season.  Got tremendous value grabbing T. J. Lang and Jamon Meredith in the fourth and fifth rounds respectively, both of whom were rated as 3rd round prospects.

Houston Texans: Did a solid job of upgrading the front seven grabbing Brian Cushing at 15 and workout warrior Connor Barwin in the second round.  Cushing gives them someone to pair with DeMeceo Ryans at linebacker while Barwin potentially gives them a dominant pass rusher to pair with Mario Williams, however, Barwin may need to add some weight to succeed in the NFL.  Third round selection Antoine Caldwell gives some depth to the offensive line.  Fourth round pick Anthony Hill was once regarded as the top tight end prospect in his class and could be a big time player at the position if he is over his injuries.  I am not sure I get taking tight end James Casey in the fifth round after taking Hill in the fifth.

Indianapolis Colts: Taking running back Donald Brown with their top pick was a curious move given Joseph Addai is only 25 and Ron Brace and Evander Hood, who fill bigger needs at defensive tackle, were still available.  Took defensive tackle Fili Moala in the second round who should help to sure up the run defense.  They reached on defensive back Jeraud Powers in the third round especially when the more highly regarded Donald Washington, D. J. Moore, and Coye Francies were all still on the board.

Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags had an interesting draft and raised a few eyebrows passing on Michael Crabtree and opting for offensive tackle Eugene Monroe.  The consensus was that Crabtree would be a Jaguar if he were still there at number 8.  With their second pick the Jags went with another offensive tackle taking Eben Britton to potentially man the right side of the line.  The upside of the first two picks is the Jags should have bookend tackles for several years to come.  They made a couple of odd picks in the third round when they reached for a pair of players who most saw as, at best, 6th or 7th round prospects in defensive tackle Terrance Knighton and cornerback Derek Cox. They finished strong getting good value picks in receiver Mike Thomas and running back Rashad Jennings.

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs opted for taking the player who fit best into a 3-4 defense rather than the best defensive player by taking defensive end Tyson Jackson over Aaron Curry.  They probably reached on Jackson whom many considered a top 15 prospect and not the 3rd best prospect in the draft.  Second round pick Alex Magee will likely move to end in the Chiefs 3-4 scheme.  Fourth round pick Donald Washington should compete for a starting spot in the secondary.

Miami Dolphins: Bill Parcells beefed up the Dolphins secondary taking cornerback Vontae Davis in the first round and Sean Smith in the second round.  Second round pick Pat White is likely to be featured prominently in the Dolphins wildcat offensive formations.  Many see third round selection Patrick Turner as a reach.

Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings drafted Percy Harvin with the hopes that he will provide more punch to the passing game.  Harvin is arguably the most explosive player in this year’s draft the only downside to him is he was often injured at Florida and there are some character questions surrounding him.  Second round pick Phil Loadholt should compete for the starting job at right tackle.  Third rounder Asher Allen should contribute as a nickelback and fifth round pick Jasper Brinkley is a potential sleeper pick at linebacker.

New England Patriots: The Pats came into this draft needing to get younger on defense and they accomplished just that.  Top selection Patrick Chung is likely to step in for Rodney Harrison, who is not expected to be back, at strong safety.  Fellow second round selection Ron Brace provides the Pats with a competent back up to nose tackle Vince Woolfork.  Second round pick Darius Butler is likely to step into the spot created when Ellis Hobbs was dealt to the Eagles on draft day for a pair of fifth round picks.  Third round selection Brandon Tate is a potential steal for the Pats.  Tate is an extremely versatile player and once he recovers from his knee injury should give the Pats an explosive offensive weapon for years to come.

New Orleans Saints: There was a lot of buzz leading up to the draft about the Saints targeting Chris Wells with their top pick, but, they ultimately went with cornerback Malcolm Jenkins.  The Saints have needed to upgrade the secondary for a couple of years now and has been the defense’s Achilles heel.  Jenkins should help provide some stability in the defensive backfield.  Fourth round selection Chip Vaughn should compete for a starting safety spot.  Reached on Stanly Arnoux, whom many saw as an undrafted free agent, in the fourth round.

New York Giants: The Giants had a strong draft filling many of their needs and adding quality depth.  First round selection Hakeem Nicks will be expected to fill the spot created when Plaxico Burress shot himself subsequently earning him a release from the team.  Second round pick Clint Sintim should compete for starting spot at outside linebacker and provide Antonio Pierce with some much needed help.  Got good value taking William Beatty, whom many had as a fringe first round prospect, at the end of the second round.  They reached on Ramses Barden, whose stock plummeted after posting pedestrian 40 times at his pre-draft workouts, in the third round.  Fourth round pick Andre Brown is a potential steal for the Giants.  Had he not been injured most of his career in college he would have come off the board in the first two rounds.  He has the skills to be a quality back in the NFL it will just be a matter of staying healthy enough to do so.

New York Jets: The Jets’ draft begins and ends with Mark Sanchez. Sanchez is expected to come in and compete for the starting job right away and will probably be given every chance possible to lose the job.  The only other pick of significance came in the name of Shonn Greene at the top of the third round.  Greene will back Thomas Jones up this season with the expectation that he compete for the starting job within the next two or three years.

Oakland Raiders: The Pickle is hard pressed to find anyone who thought the Raiders had a strong draft.  It started with the Raiders passing on Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin in favor of Darrius Heyward-Bey. Given Heyward-Bey was the fastest guy at the combine it comes as no real surprise that he ended up an Oakland Raider despite the fact that Crabtree and Maclin were overwhelmingly considered the top two receivers in the draft.  Not to be outdone by the Heyward-Bey pick the Raiders then proceeded to pick little known safety Mike Mitchell, who very few even saw being drafted, in the second round.  The Raiders came away with far too many developmental players for a team that has failed to win more than 5 games since its last Super Bowl appearance after the 2002 season.

Philadelphia Eagles: On paper the Eagles had as good a draft as any.  They moved a couple of slots in the first round to grab Jeremy Maclin who surprised many by slipping out of the top 10.  He was not even on the Eagles’ radar coming into the draft as they just assumed they would not have a shot at landing him without dealing up into the top 10 of the draft.  So, they decided he was too good to pass up at 19 and grabbed him.  The second round saw them landing a legit backup to Brian Westbrook in LeSean McCoy. The offense struggled mightily when Westbrook was unable to play at full speed and McCoy should give them a bit of a buffer if he misses significant time again this year.  However, McCoy will have to cure his fumbling issues and add an extra 10 to 15 pounds if he wants to be a Pro Bowl back.  They got a potential steal in the fifth round landing tight end Cornelius Ingram whom many saw as a potential first round pick before blowing out his knee last summer.  If Ingram ever fully recovers from his knee injury he potentially gives the Eagles a Shannon Sharpe or Tony Gonzalez type of tight end who teams have to account for in their defensive game plans.  Throw in the the deal that sent the 28th pick to Buffalo for Jason Peters and the two fifth round picks sent to New England for cornerback Ellis Hobbs and the Eagles re-shaped the offense, got a cornerstone left tackle, and grabbed potential starting cornerback.

Pittsburgh Steelers: I am not terribly enamored with the Steelers draft.  They needed to upgrade the offensive line and with William Beatty and Eben Britton still on the board at the end of the first round they opted for defensive lineman Evander Hood who will likely move to end in the Steelers’ defense as he lacks the bulk necessary to play nose tackle.  They did grab an offensive lineman in third round when they selected Kraig Urbik. Fellow third round selection Mike Wallace is a burner who will fill recently departed Nate Washington’s spot as the #3 receiver.

San Diego Chargers: The Chargers raised a few eyebrows by taking pass rushing specialist Larry English at 16.  English was considered to be a fringe first round prospect and will serve as an insurance policy in the event Shawne Merriman is not at 100% by opening weekend.  The Chargers’ defense struggled mightily without a top notch pass rusher to wreak havoc off the edge.  They reached on offensive lineman Louis Vasquez and defensive tackle Vaughn Martin in the third and fourth round respectively.  Both could easily have been gotten well later if not as undrafted free agents.  They got good value on guard Tyronne Green.

San Francisco 49ers: Despite coach Mike Singletary’s decree that he intends on only throwing when he has to next season the Niners took receiver Michael Crabtree at ten.  The thought is likely that Crabtree was way too good to pass up at the ten spot.  Third round selection Glenn Coffee should compete to be Frank Gore’s backup next season.  Seventh round selection Ricky Jean-Francois could end up being the setal of the draft if he can put all of the issues he went through in college in the rear view mirror.  He has all the talent in the world to be a big time player in the NFL as long as his head is on straight.  The biggest knock on this draft for the Niners is it does not address any of the offensive line issues they had last season.

Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks landed the top defensive talent available in the draft in linebacker Aaron Curry. The defense was dismal last season and the addition of Curry should help soften the blow of losing Julian Peterson.  Second round selection Max Unger should compete for a starting job between the tackles and could eventually move to tackle when Sean Locklear and/or Walter Jones are out of the picture.  Third round pick Deon Butler gives them a burner who can stretch the field, although, it could be a year or two until he is ready to be an every down player.

St. Louis Rams: The Rams grabbed Orlando Pace’s successor tapping Jason Smith with the second pick of the draft.  Smith is considered the top offensive line prospect in this year’s class.  With their second pick the Rams picked up James Laurinaitis to man the linebacking corps.  Laurinaitis will provide the Rams’ defense with some leadership and and edge that it has been lacking.  Third round pick Bradley Fletcher should compete for a starting job in the secondary while fourth round selection Dorell Scott will help sure up the run defense in the middle of the line.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs ended up being the team to roll the dice on quarterback Josh Freeman.  Freeman is a bit of an enigma right now.  Many experts see him as a developmental quarterback not worthy of a first round pick while others see him as a guy with all the tools to be an elite QB.  The biggest question is to whether he has the mental chops to succeed.  Third round pick Roy Miller and fourth rounder Kyle Moore help add some much needed depth and youth to a defensive line that wore down towards the end of the season.

Tennessee Titans: The Titans surprised a few folks by landing receiver Kenny Britt.  The Titans struggled throwing the ball at times last season without an explosive receiver to go to.  If the Titans still believe Vince Young is the future of the franchise then they need to surround him with guys like Britt if they want him to succeed.  Second pick Sen’Derrick Marks will be expected to step in and fill the huge void left by Albert Haynesworth when he departed for Washington.

Washington Redskins: Aside from landing the pass rusher they sorely needed in Brian Orakpo at the top of the draft it was a rather unimpressive haul for the ‘Skins.  Despite already having DeAngelo Hall, Carlos Rogers, and Fred Smoot on the roster they went and spent their second pick on defensive back Kevin Barnes. They did nothing to address the fact that Jon Jansen’s career may be over and Cris Samuels is starting to show his age bit at tackle.