Sports (washingtonpost.com)

The Hotsheet: Grading the Draft

By Mark Maske
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, April 25, 2005; Page D11

Arizona
B Dennis Green drafted a cornerback eighth overall (Antrel Rolle) with wide receivers galore and a potential franchise QB available? Will miracles never cease? Second-round RB J.J. Arrington and third-round LB Darryl Blackstock were good values.

Atlanta
B- The Falcons needed WR help, and Roddy White at 27th overall was well worth it. Second-round DT Jonathan Babineaux should help.

Baltimore
A- Getting WR Mark Clayton at No. 22 and DE Dan Cody at No. 53 were coups.

Buffalo
C- Didn't have a first-rounder, thanks to last year's trade for the pick that yielded QB J.P. Losman, and did only okay with what they had. Meantime, the Bills asked for too much in a trade for RB Travis Henry, and still have him.

Carolina
C+ S Thomas Davis was a good pick at No. 14 overall, but the team didn't seem to get much immediate help otherwise.

Chicago
A- First-round RB Cedric Benson could have the biggest immediate impact of anyone in the draft, and second-round WR Mark Bradley could be one of this draft's steals in the long run.

Cincinnati
C No. 17 might have been just a tiny bit high for DE David Pollack, but LB Odell Thurman is a good second-round value.

Cleveland
B+ WR Braylon Edwards was the right pick at No. 3. Second-round S Brodney Pool could have an impact and the Browns managed to get a decent QB prospect, Charlie Frye, in the third round.

Dallas
B First-rounders Demarcus Ware and Marcus Spears and second-rounder Kevin Burnett instantly upgrade the defense, but the Cowboys also needed help at receiver and on the offensive line.

Denver
D Trading first-round pick to Washington was a good move, but was it really necessary to use a third-round choice to get RB Maurice Clarett?

Detroit
B The Lions are being assailed by some for choosing WR Mike Williams 10th overall when they already have former first-round receivers Roy Williams and Charles Rogers. But he could be a star and was the best player available at the time, and Detroit got defensive help with first-round talent Shaun Cody in the second round.

Green Bay
A It's better to be lucky than good, and the Packers got the heir apparent to QB Brett Favre when Aaron Rodgers plummeted to them at No. 24.

Houston
C- First-round DT Travis Johnson is no sure thing, and trading second- and third-rounders to Oakland last week was a steep price for CB Phillip Buchanon.

Indianapolis
C+ The Colts did the right thing by focusing on defense, beginning with first-round CB Marlin Jackson.

Jacksonville
B+ Taking QB-turned-WR Matt Jones at No. 21 was a bold move, and the Jaguars got offensive line help with T Khalif Barnes in the second round.

Kansas City
C+ LB Derrick Johnson was the right pick at No. 15, with Thomas Davis off the board, and getting CB Patrick Surtain in a trade Friday with Miami for a second-rounder was justified, given the price that Houston paid for Buchanon. But can a team this old on offense and this bad on defense afford to use a third-round pick on a punter?

Miami
B RB Ronnie Brown is a terrific all-around talent, but the Dolphins might have been able to trade down and still get him. Second-round DE Matt Roth and third-round LB Channing Crowder could be immediate contributors.

Minnesota
C- The Vikings are drawing raves elsewhere. Not here. They passed up a better player at No. 7, Mike Williams, to take speedy WR Troy Williamson. It's football, not a track meet. If they liked Williamson so much, they could have traded down at least five spots and still gotten him. DE Erasmus James, taken 18th, is a couple years removed from a hip injury once thought to be career-threatening. The grade improved by getting T Marcus Johnson in the second round and RB Ciatrick Fason in the fourth round.

New England
B Not many had G Logan Mankins projected as a first-round pick, but everything the champs do seems to turn out right.

New Orleans
C- No. 13 was too high for T Jammal Brown, but they got one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft by using a fifth-rounder on QB Adrian McPherson.

New York Giants
C- They spent this year's draft picks last year in prying QB Eli Manning from San Diego, but DE Justin Tuck could be a third-round bargain.

New York Jets
C- Traded out of the first round to get TE Doug Jolley, and sealed the departure of playoff goat Doug Brien by selecting K Mike Nugent in the second round.

Oakland
B- Used first-rounder obtained from the Jets for Doug Jolley to get speedy CB Fabian Washington as a replacement for Phillip Buchanon, and sixth-round DT Anttaj Hawthorne once was projected as a first-rounder before his draft stock plummeted, in part because of reportedly testing positive for marijuana at the scouting combine.

Philadelphia
B- First-round DT Mike Patterson won't dominate but could help, as could second-round WR Reggie Brown. Goodbye, Freddie Mitchell.

Pittsburgh
B TE Heath Miller could be a bargain at No. 30 overall, and second-round CB Bryant McFadden has possibilities.

San Diego
A- DE Shawne Merriman was the right pick at No. 12, and first-round DT Luis Castillo is a prospective force but has baggage, after testing positive for androstenedione at the scouting combine. Second-round WR Vincent Jackson is big and fast, and fourth-round RB Darren Sproles perhaps could be a good situational player.

San Francisco
B Why all the secrecy? Everyone who was paying attention knew the 49ers wouldn't be able to trade the pick and would select QB Alex Smith. But at least they weren't too cheap to choose the quarterback they regarded as the draft's best, and they bolstered their offensive line in the early rounds.

Seattle
D C Chris Spencer in the first round? Is he that good, or is this team so strong that its primary need is a center?

St. Louis
C+ The Rams addressed their offensive line need by getting T Alex Barron in the first round, and second-round CB Ronald Bartell is big and fast but probably needs some seasoning.

Tampa Bay
B+ Each of the Buccaneers' top three choices -- first-round RB Carnell Williams, second-round LB Barrett Ruud and third-round TE Alex Smith -- could play a significant role as a rookie.

Tennessee
C- Taking Adam Jones over Antrel Rolle and Carlos Rogers as the first cornerback off the board was questionable, and the Titans also reached on a few other selections. But there certainly are opportunities for their rookies to play after their February salary-cap purge.

Washington
C- This team lost games because of its offense last season, and did nothing to upgrade the unit. The No. 1 wide receiver that it desperately needs fell into its lap when Mike Williams was available for the No. 9 pick, but the Redskins took Carlos Rogers to replace departed CB Fred Smoot. They again passed up wide receiver help at No. 25 to choose Jason Campbell, a quarterback who will be of no immediate help to the club's not-exactly-youthful offensive coaches.