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After all the scouting, measuring, interviewing and analyzing of player prospects over the past few months, the 2008 NFL Draft in the books. And while it’s impossible to currently say which teams had success and which teams did not (that could take several years), here are my winners and losers based on decision-making and potential.

WINNERS

1.) Kansas City Chiefs – With 13 picks, the Chiefs had no choice but to succeed in this Draft and they did just that. Glenn Dorsey (LSU) was arguably the best DT in this Draft. Branden Albert (Virginia) was possibly the best interior O-lineman in this Draft. Brandon Flowers (Virginia Tech) is a top-notch, physical, shutdown corner who would’ve been rated even higher if he had run a faster 40-time. Jamal Charles (Texas) has that breakaway speed at RB. And WR Kevin Robinson was the best return man in the country last year with Utah State. Those were just some of the highlights.

2.) Dallas Cowboys – After the Cowboys started their Draft day with two first-rounders (Felix Jones and Mike Jenkins) I turned to fellow Draft blogger Lloyd Vance and said, “The Cowboys are loaded.” He nodded his approval. Dallas would later add TE Martellus Bennett (Texas A&M) and RB Tashard Choice (Georgia Tech). And remember, they officially signed Pacman Jones the day before the Draft. As far as I’m concerned, that counts, too.

3.) Pittsburgh Steelers – Like the Cowboys, the Steelers made some real noise with their first two picks — RB Rashard Mendenhall (Illinois) and WR Limas Sweed (Texas). Rashard couldn’t be a better fit. He runs in the Steeler style (tough, physical, between-the-tackles) and will complement speedster Willie Parker nicely. Limas will take Steeler fans back to the days of Plaxico Burress. Like Plax, Limas is a big target (6′4″ 212) with long arms and will round out a talented receiving corps that includes Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes. I also really like DE Bruce Davis (UCLA) and QB Dennis Dixon (Oregon). What will the Steelers do with D2? The possibilities are endless but this could turn out to be another Steeler throwback situation. Remember Kordell Stewart as “Slash?”

4.) Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens wanted QB Matt Ryan, but when they couldn’t swing a deal there, they went to their second option — Joe Flacco (Delaware). Joe will be the quarterback of their future unless Troy Smith has something to say about it. RB Ray Rice (Rutgers) will be an excellent complement to Willis McGahee. LB Tavares Gooden (Miami) could play-out to be a real steal deal in the third-round. And S Tom Zbikowski (Notre Dame) is a hard-nosed player who will contribute immediately on special teams.

5.) Carolina Panthers – I think it was a stretch to take RB Jonathan Stewart (Oregon) when both Felix Jones and Rashard Mendenhall were still available, but he was widely considered one of the top running backs in this class. Jonathan is a big back with good speed and should team with DeAngelo Williams for an effective one-two punch. Then, look at their next four quality picks: OT Jeff Otah (Pitt), CB Charles Godfrey (Iowa), LB Dan Conner (Penn State) and TE Gary Barnidge (Louisville). An excellent Draft for the Panthers.

LOSERS

1.) Cleveland Browns – Maybe it’s not fair to beat up on a team who didn’t have any day one picks and who only had five selections overall (beginning in the fourth-round), but the Browns didn’t do anything with those five picks as far as I’m concerned. As good as last year’s Draft was for Cleveland, this one was just as poor. TE Martin Rucker (Missouri) might be their only saving grace.

2.) Jacksonville Jaguars – It all starts with the first pick for me. The Jags gave up three choices to Baltimore for the right to take DE Derrick Harvey (Florida) — swapping first-round picks and sending the Ravens two third-rounders and a fourth-rounder. That’s insane. Jax only ended up with five picks. They’ve got some developmental possibilities (who doesn’t?) and another DE Quentin Groves (Auburn) is ok, but …

3.) New England Patriots – It’s really hard to argue with their track record, but I didn’t really like what the Patriots did. Trading out of the number seven spot, they reached for Jerod Mayo with the 10th overall. I would’ve said, “Hold the Mayo!” that early. To their credit, CB Terrence Wheatley (Colorado) is small but could be a good find in the second round.

4.) Cincinnati Bengals – It doesn’t surprise me that the Bengals are on this list. Sometimes I really wonder what this team is thinking. They should’ve traded disgruntled WR Chad Johnson for an obscene number of Draft picks and cleaned up like the Chiefs did. At any rate, I like LB Keith Rivers (USC) but they didn’t get the DT they needed and selecting WR Jerome Simpson (Coastal Carolina) ahead of DeSean Jackson really had me baffled.

5.) Green Bay Packers – I don’t understand why the Packers spent two Draft picks on quarterbacks — Brian Brohm (Louisville) and Matt Flynn (LSU). I can see taking a QB to provide some competition for the starting spot left vacant by Brett Favre and/or as a viable backup to Aaron Rodgers, but drafting a second QB seemed like a complete waste to me. Also, wide receiver wasn’t a need and the Pack took WR Jordy Nelson (Kansas State) with their first overall pick. Interesting.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

NFL Draft 2008: Winners and Losers

It was nice to see the sun shining in Indianapolis today. It certainly made getting around outside the RCA Dome and Indiana Convention Center much easier. Not that you would really need to go outside here, though. The Dome and CC are connected to much of the city with indoor walkways. I get a big kick out of this. I can walk all over the city without putting on a jacket in the middle of winter. And yes, I’m easily entertained.

The Media Work room was kind of quiet early on, but things picked up as the day progressed with defensive linemen and linebackers being shuttled in and out. One of the most anticipated players was Virginia defensive end Chris Long. Chris, of course, is the son of Pro Football Hall-of-Famer and former Oakland Raiders DE Howie Long. But he made no case for playing in Oakland nor did he make any predictions on where he might wind up being drafted:

“No matter where I was picked, any opportunity to play in the National Football League is an opportunity I would cherish. To be in that position you have to work even harder and show up with more humility and more of an open mind, because people will be looking at you. Wherever I go and whoever I go play for, I’m a football player. I enjoy playing football, I enjoy the game, I enjoy being a teammate. I won’t change. I’ll be the same guy.”

More coaches made their way to the Media Work Room. I sat in on pressers with Mike Smith (Falcons), Ken Whisenhunt (Cards), Jeff Fisher (Titans) and John Harbaugh (Ravens). Coach Smith is obviously very happy with his new position in Atlanta. Seriously, he smiled the entire time. He never stopped smiling. It was nice to see that. Coach Smith said there wasn’t much difference between a 4-12 team and a 12-4 team in the National Football League. And you know what, he’s right. In today’s NFL, a team could flip their record that drastically in one season. He also noted that the “new” Atlanta Falcons will be a more physical football team, much like the punishing defense he led in Jacksonville. Offensively, he said the Falcons would control the line of scrimmage and run the football first and foremost. The Falcons need to address their quarterback situation and Coach Smith mentioned an interest in a number of QBs at the Combine, although me didn’t mention any names.

Today was also the first day for player workouts on the RCA Dome floor. (Note: This is the last sporting event in the RCA Dome. Everything moves to nearby Lucas Oil Stadium post-Combine.) Offensive linemen and tight ends were the focal point of today’s workouts. Here are the winners’ results:

Offensive Line – Bench Press (Jake Long, Michigan, 37); Broad Jump (Cody Wallace, Texas A&M, 9′5″); Vert Jump (Cody Wallace, Texas A&M, 30.5″); 3-Cone Drill (Michael Gibson, Cal-Berkeley, 7.21); 20-yard Shuttle (Mike Pollak, Arizona State, 4.47); 40-yard Dash (Jeremy Zuttah, Rutgers, 4.99).

Tight End – Bench Press (Craig Stevens, Cal-Berkeley, 27); Broad Jump (Dustin Keller, Purdue, 10′11″); Vert Jump (Dustin Keller, Purdue, 38″); 60-yard Shuttle (Gary Barnidge, 11.29); 3-Cone Drill (Derek Fine, Kansas, 6.8); 20-yard Shuttle (Dustin Keller, Purdue, 4.14); 40-yard Dash (Dustin Keller, Purdue, 4.55).

NFL Draft Scout senior analyst Rob Rang reported that USC’s Fred Davis, widely considered the top TE in this class, struggled with these drills. Fred had been impressive early with 24 reps of 225 pounds, but dropped several passes today and elected not to run the 40-yard dash. He could be a classic case of a player struggling with the pressure of the Combine because he stood out at the Senior Bowl and won the Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end. His struggles with drops definitely caught the attention of scouts.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

NFL Scouting Combine 2008: Day Three