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AFC South - Draft Report Card Colts: B+ Round 1 (27) Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut Addai is already showing some durability issues, and Brown is a great RB. Even with Mike Hart and Chad Simpson on the roster, the want to get more of a full-time RB on their squad was evident. Round 2 (56) Fili Moala, DT, USC The Colts traded up to take Moala, and doing so was understandable. The Colts need more size on their D-Line to stop the run, so Moala should help out. Round 3 (92) Jerraud Powers, CB, Auburn Having played in the SEC, Powers faced some very good WRs. While a tad undersized, he's a gifted kid that could challenge for some time early on. He was a solid selection. Round 4 (127) Austin Collie, WR, BYU The Colts cut Marvin Harrison, so adding another WR somewhere in this draft was to be expected. Despite Collie's insane production, he slipped on the draft boards because his 40-time was a little slow. He has great hands, runs tight routes and is a stand up kid. This was a real nice selection. Round 4 (136) Terrance Taylor, DT, Michigan Taylor told reporters he thought he'd selected in Round 2 or 3. Round 4 isn't too shabby of a selction. He's a sturdy fire hydrant-framed guy to help the Colts undersized D-Line. Round 6 (201) Curtis Painter, QB, Purdue After an inconsistent season, Painters stock took a tumble. Coming into the year however, many had him as a Top 5 QB. He could be a decent back-up under Manning's tutelage. Round 7 (222) Pat McAfee, P, West Virginia McAfee was one of the best "legs" in the country. No issues here. Round 7 (236) Jaimie Thomas, OT, Maryland Thomas is a good value here. Many had him projected to be a Round 5 guy. The Colts grade out pretty well here. They not only filled needs, but did so with quality guys that have a lot of potential. Brown will be used right away, and the newly added DTs will see time as well. Collie has a chance to be a legit target for them, while Powers can be a nickel/dime cover guy out of the gate if needed. Jaguars: B- Round 1 (8) Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia Tra Thomas is not a long term solution, so they grab the guy who was the best OT on my board. This was a great pick. Round 2 (39) Eben Britton, OT, Arizona Britton has Round-1 talent but slipped a tad. At any event, he was a steal here and the Jaguars get one heck of a player. Round 3 (72) Terrance Knighton, DT, Temple Knighton has potential, but I think the Jaguars reached with him to fill a need. They must really miss Marcus Stroud. Round 3 (73) Derek Cox, CB, William & Mary Cox has potential, but I think the Jaguars reached again to fill a need. Cox could have been had in Round 4. Round 4 (107) Mike Thomas, WR, Arizona WR was a need, so they went with the lightning quick Thomas here. He should make one heck of a slot WR for them. Round 5 (144) Jarett Dillard, WR, Rice They add more depth at a position of need. Dillard is a reliable target with an amazing vertical leap. Round 6 (180) Zach Miller, TE, Nebraska-Omaha While undersized, Miller is a great athlete that will push for playing time. Lewis doesn't always look like he should be a starter, so he should watch his back. This may have been a Round 6 steal. Round 7 (250) Rashad Jennings, RB, Liberty Maybe I missed something, but how on earth did Jennings fall to Round 7? With Fred Taylor now in New England, this team wanted another RB to share the load with Jones-Drew. Jennings is capable of doing so. Round 7 (253) Tiquan Underwood, WR, Rutgers Here's another shifty WR that has a legit shot of making the squad. If it weren't for the "reaches" with Knighton and Cox, the Jaguars would have most likely gotten an "A-" grade from me. For the most, they greatly improved their needs. I think another Safety and QB would have made sense as well, but they only had so many picks to work with. If anything, their O-Line will be a whole lot better in just 1-2 years. Texans: B- Round 1 (15) Brian Cushing, OLB, USC The Texans needed help at OLB, and Cushing was the best available at the position. I think he'll bring a lot of intensity and solid play to the LB corps. Round 2 (46) Connor Barwin, DE, Cincinnati Barwin really had some good workout numbers. Let's see if his play can match up to the lofty expectations set on him. Round 3 (77) Antoine Caldwell, OG, Alabama Caldwell is a solid selection because he can play at Center or Guard. He looked good in All-star practices and handled some big boys rather well. Round 4 (112) Glover Quin, CB, New Mexico Quin had some nice production in college, but this was a reach as far as I'm concerned. There were many other CBs available who are simply better. Round 4 (122) Anthony Hill, TE, North Carolina State Hill has some nice potential, but I just don't see him cutting it without some serious growing pains. Round 5 (152) James Casey, TE, Rice Casey is a steal here, as the guy has great hands and is an absolute gym rat. While he's already 25 years old, his level of maturity is a plus vs. a minus. Round 6 (188) Brice McCain, CB, Utah McCain is so fast that's it's hard to blame anyone for using a throw away pick on him. Round 7 (223) Troy Nolan, SS, Arizona State A decent pick on a kid tha'st inconsistent, but shines when on. For the most part, I like the talent that the Texans drafted, but I just can't overlook the fact that they didn't snatch up a single DT. While this wasn't a deep draft for DTs, there were a couple available that they shouldn't have passed on. They also called out the CB spot as being one of priority, yet they didn't address it with solid talent. Titans: B+ Round 1 (30) Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers So much for the Titans trading for Boldin. While Britt is somewhat inconsistent, his potential is up there with anyone's. Round 2 (62) Sen'Derrick Marks, DT, Auburn Marks played all season with a high ankle sprain, and it did show at times. However, this kid is a beast when 100% healthy. Round 3 (89) Jared Cook, TE, South Carolina Most had Cook down as a 2nd Round value. He's a vertical threat that was coached by Spurrier. Enough said. Round 4 (94) Ryan Mouton, CB, Hawaii I like this pick. Mouton has tons of talent and speed to match. Had he played for a big time program, you're potentially looking at a 2nd Rounder. Round 4 (130) Gerald McRath, OLB, Southern Miss McRath is a tackling machine that played inside but projects best as an OLB. He should be a strong add to the existing LB corps. Round 4 (135) Troy Kropog, OT, Tulane Go back and watch the game tape of Tulane vs. Alabama. From the talent shown in that game alone, this pick is justified. Round 5 (173) Javon Ringer, RB, Michigan State I'm still baffled that a talented RB like Ringer could be had in Round 5. RB underclassmen better think twice before declaring early. Round 6 (203) Jason McCourty, CB, Rutgers Gifted, yet inconsistent. Round 6 (206) Dominique Edison, WR, Stephen F Austin Edison has the talent to find a spot on some team's roster, even if it isn't on this one. Round 7 (239) Ryan Durand, OG, Syracuse Decent depth pick... Round 7 (242) Nick Schommer, FS North Dakota State I highly doubt he makes the squad. The Titans had a solid draft from top to bottom. I was amazed at how many talented guys fell right in their laps. Of their 11 picks, I could see 7 of them finding a permanent home and contributing before long. Britt and Marks are both talented, but we'll have to watch how consistent their play is. |