Grading the Draft

**RavenFanatic2k6** · 04-30-2007, 01:30 PM

Browns draft looks good now but what happens if that pick they gave Dallas is another top 5 pick next year? I can't imagine Browns fans being happy with that. That 'steal' they got in Quinn actually ends up being a top 5 pick, not so much a steal anymore.

**ExiledRaven** · 04-30-2007, 01:42 PM

exactly, especially if Dallas can then make a play for McFadden, which would only be natural with a top 5 selection and another 1st....

Jones is the kind of guy that would do it.

**KingReed20** · 04-30-2007, 02:01 PM

We had a really solid draft our O-line went from a weakness to a strength and now we are going to be killer on special teams w/ figures and sams consistently giving us a short field. We definitly accomplished what we needed to get done this weekend

**UKRavenStockers** · 04-30-2007, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by ExiledRaven

exactly, especially if Dallas can then make a play for McFadden, which would only be natural with a top 5 selection and another 1st....

Jones is the kind of guy that would do it.

Plus Jerry Jones is one of Arkansas' biggest boosters, this acquisition was definitely in mind to go and get McFadden next year.

**ExiledRaven** · 04-30-2007, 02:14 PM

I didn't know that. If that's true, then I definitely think Jones is selling the farm to get McFadden.

**Gwaihir** · 04-30-2007, 03:02 PM

I loved the draft and give it an A-!

We got the best Interior Lineman, best Return Man, and best Fullback! I'm sure they have Marshal Yanda penciled in at Right Tackle in a pinch and definitely after Ogden retires when he adds a little weight and strength. The two Linebackers, Barnes & Burgess are proto-typical Raven LB's and I expect both to stick and become Studs in the future, along with being solid Special Teamers right now! Even though I wasn't that high on Troy Smith, I can't argue with getting him at the end of the fifth and was actually I little excited when I saw his name.

I didn't mind all the picks we gave up for Yanda since we don't have that many openings on the Team, anyway! We still got 7 picks in six rounds! Not too bad.

I kinda wanted Chris Houston with the first pick, but if Ozzie says he's happy with our stable of CB's, I'll take his word for it! Besides, we can always snag a CB next year as it seems there are always quality Corners in the First Round. I really can't argue with Grubbs, he sounds like a total Stud, and should solidify our Interior Line for years to come!

And of course if you want to factor in :

3rd & 7th = Willis McGahee
4th = Steve McNair

Then I would give it an A+!!

**highwater** · 04-30-2007, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by Mista T

Here are some outsiders' views:

CBS/Prisco: C
Yahoo: B
SI/Dr. Z: B-
Fox/Czarnecki: C-

I read what the guy from Fox.com wrote, and it was very lame. He said Grubbs was a good pick because we "lost Edwin Mulitalo." Actually, as I recall, the Ravens released him, so it wasn't like we "lost" him. He also claims that we didn't have the ammunition that Cleveland had to trade for Quinn, but according to ESPN, Ozzie simply didn't want to give up next year's first round pick, which is what Savage did. He also mentions that Troy Smith was our last pick -- no, he wasn't! All of these guys are entitled to their premature opinions about the quality of the draft, but this dope can't even get his facts straight.

We'll obviously have to wait to see how these picks work out, but I'm very satisfied with this draft. The OL needed to be addressed, and it was. I agree with Raveninwoodlawn about the Figurs pick, which sounds like a reach to me too, but we'll see. Overall, I think it was a pretty solid draft.

**festivus** · 04-30-2007, 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by highwater

I read what the guy from Fox.com wrote, and it was very lame. He said Grubbs was a good pick because we "lost Edwin Mulitalo." Actually, as I recall, the Ravens released him, so it wasn't like we "lost" him. He also claims that we didn't have the ammunition that Cleveland had to trade for Quinn, but according to ESPN, Ozzie simply didn't want to give up next year's first round pick, which is what Savage did. He also mentions that Troy Smith was our last pick -- no, he wasn't! All of these guys are entitled to their premature opinions about the quality of the draft, but this dope can't even get his facts straight.

We'll obviously have to wait to see how these picks work out, but I'm very satisfied with this draft. The OL needed to be addressed, and it was. I agree with Raveninwoodlawn about the Figurs pick, which sounds like a reach to me too, but we'll see. Overall, I think it was a pretty solid draft.

Good points, all. While I appreciate the work of these 'experts' leading up to the draft, providing research and talking points beyond what we fans can do. . . Grading drafts is their judgment of the performance of the FO's around the league, which I can do with their information as well as they can.

As I recall we did not light up the scoreboard with last year's grades at the time, but now that we've seen the '06 free agent class in action, the FO is obviously vindicated.

:2c:

**GreenWave52** · 04-30-2007, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by festivus

Good points, all. While I appreciate the work of these 'experts' leading up to the draft, providing research and talking points beyond what we fans can do. . . Grading drafts is their judgment of the performance of the FO's around the league, which I can do with their information as well as they can.

As I recall we did not light up the scoreboard with last year's grades at the time, but now that we've seen the '06 free agent class in action, the FO is obviously vindicated.

:2c:

I don't know about that. I feel like we got a lot of A minuses from the talking heads last year. The lack of sizzle in this draft combined with the fact that our 2 3rd rounders were not hyped at all hurts our grade. I think this was a solid B draft and one that could pay huge future dividends.

According to Rick Gosselin, Figurs was the 66th best player so he may not be the reach we think he is. Gosselin also had Yanda at 93.

**psuasskicker** · 04-30-2007, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by UKRavenStockers

What do you consider a respected scouting outlet? Online 'draftniks'? And why do you consider these guys a good outlet for every players values. They get key guys wrong every year and Troy Smith is an example of this. Brandon Siler, Earl Everett, Ben Patrick. First two talked about as day one picks for most of the time on these sites, seen as shock sliders when Siler was always going to slide and came out too early.

Now Smith is a Raven I certainly hope he does pan out and that Neuheisel can fix his mechanics which need a lot of work on them, there's plenty of things he does wrong.

EDIT - If what I've put in bold were true then he'd have gone in round 2, it's not, so he didn't.

I consider Kiper as fairly well respected in the industry, and Kiper had him on his big 25 board prior to the Florida game.

You have yet to:
A) Prove me wrong by showing me anyone in the industry that said Smith was a day two prospect before the Florida game.
B) Apologize for calling me and at least one other person an idiot after not being able to prove us wrong.

Just sayin'...

- C -

**ravenwoman** · 04-30-2007, 10:29 PM

I noticed on ESPN how everyone said the Browns had the best draft. Well, how hard can that be when you are picking 3rd in almost every round? There is a big difference between picking in the top 5 or the bottom 5. The difference is more glaring when you are picking 35th and the other team at 61. Trades notwithstanding, every team that picks in the top 5 should have a great draft.

The rounds that separate the men from the boys are the third through the sixth round. That's when you see which teams really did their homework in evaluating players. This is where the Ravens really shine above other teams.

Furthermore, lets see how the players play. Then I will grade the draft. I am still excited, because I like to see how many players in the later rounds make the team.

**UKRavenStockers** · 05-01-2007, 04:32 AM

Originally Posted by psuasskicker

I consider Kiper as fairly well respected in the industry, and Kiper had him on his big 25 board prior to the Florida game.

You have yet to:
A) Prove me wrong by showing me anyone in the industry that said Smith was a day two prospect before the Florida game.
B) Apologize for calling me and at least one other person an idiot after not being able to prove us wrong.

Just sayin'...

- C -

I implied that what you perceive as the 'industry' does not give a good representation of players values and I certainly don't consider Kiper as a good measure of every players' value. Kiper has his niche and his niche is that he knows something about pretty much every draft prospect on both days of the draft and the UDFAs. His value boards and his mocks are not his strong suit.

I don't know whether anyone in the industry had him as a day two prospect before the Florida game, people kinda tend to update their boards and so you lose their previous work. But I'm sorry it is just a fact that round one was at no point ever a true representation of Troy Smith's actual draft value. Teams set the value of players not the online draftniks, online draftniks have shock fallers, those who actually talk to scouts know who the fallers are likely to be and don't have 'shock fallers'. Smith was not a shock at all and was never a round one prospect and borderline day one before the Florida game. He was higher because he won the Heisman Trophy and had a shot at leading his team to a National Title, not because he was a great pro prospect, he never was.

As for calling you an idiot, it may have come off as backhandedly calling some people here idiots but I was actually referring to the vast swathes of online draftniks who think that having their own sites means they have a clue about what's going on, I apologise if people took it as me calling them idiots. I don't have a great clue of what's going on myself but I have friends who work with current and former NFL scouts so have at least some grasp of the glaring errors of some of these draftniks, Troy Smith was an example of these guys getting something horribly wrong right from the start.