Pick by Pick Analysis and Grades-Round 1

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7

I know the Draft is already a few days old, so I am a little late with these grades, but I wanted to be able to step back for a few days, do a little additional research, and get the initial reaction emotion out of my system before I provided my analysis.

That being said, here is Round One...

Round 1/Pick 1: STL-Sam Bradford-QB-OU: The only pick the Rams could have made. They have been floundering for years, with bad FA signings, draft busts, poor coaching, poor play, and severe money losses. The team needed some semblance of hope, and are lucky they got a potential franchise signal caller.
GRADE: A

1/2: DET-Ndamukong Suh-DT-Nebraksa: The best defensive tackle prospect to come along in probably a dozen years. Suh is a rare player who is able to be a game-changer from the defensive tackle spot, a luxury only a few teams in the last decade have had. The Lions could have used an O-lineman to protect Matthew Stafford's blindside, but they choose once-a-decade talent over need here.
GRADE: A-

1/3: TB-Gerald McCoy-DT-OU: Possibly the second best defensive tackle prospect, behind Suh, in the last decade, McCoy uses a rare blend of quickness and technique to harass the opposing offense. McCoy is a little smaller/weaker than Suh, and therefore is less effective against the run, but is more effective rushing the passer. In addition to being a great prospect, McCoy is an ideal fit for the Bucs defense as a 3 technique.
GRADE: A

1/4: WAS-Trent Williams-OT-OU: Not a huge fan of this pick. Williams is a very athletic player, but he struggled for most of the year as a LT. If he fails there, he will excel as a RT, but you simply don't spend a top 5 pick on a RT because of positional value. He will be more effective than Russell Okung in the Redskins running game, but Donovan McNabb will need to be extra aware of the blindside rush with Williams on the left side.
GRADE: C+

1/5: KC-Eric Berry-S/CB-TENN: Best safety prospect since at least the late Sean Taylor, Berry is able to do it all. He is excellent in run support, can blitz, and is absolutely amazing in coverage. Able to lock up a TE or slot receiver in Man-to-Man, and force the QB to look to the other side of the field while playing zone. Regardless, the 5th pick is a bit high for a safety.
GRADE: B

1/6: SEA-Russell Okung-OT-OKST: My number 1 Left Tackle in the draft. Eliminates opposing DEs in pass protection, hardly even letting them sniff the QB. Not a dominant run blocker, but is more than good enough in that department.
GRADE: A+

1/7: CLE-Joe Haden-CB-Florida: His terrible combine dropped his stock, but when word came out that it was due to a stiff back, every one gave him a pass. Has the potential to be an absolute lockdown corner at the next level who can shut down an entire half of the field. Also is willing and able in run support.
GRADE: B+

1/8: OAK-Rolando McClain-ILB-ALA: Surprising pick, as Al Davis deviated from his love of measurables and 40 times for an actual solid football player. If the Raiders switch to a 3-4, McClain will be an All-Pro, if not, he will still be effective, just not nearly as good. Even though he may be great, Oakland's grade for this pick gets docked a few notches due to the relative lack of value inside linebackers have in the draft. (No ILB prospect had been picked in the top 10 since Brian Urlacher).
GRADE: B-

1/9: BUF-CJ Spiller-RB-CLEM: CJ Spiller could be an 2000 all-purpose yard back in a year or two, but when you have as many holes to fill as the Bills do, you can't afford the luxury of taking a back who will split carries for you early on. They could/should have gone in any number of different directions (O-line, QB, NT, Rush LB, trade down for more picks, etc), but chose a luxury.
GRADE: C+

1/10: JAX-Tyson Alualu-DT-CAL: Baffling pick to say the least. I had at least 3 other non Nose Tackle DTs on my board ahead of Alualu. The Jags could have trade down 20 to 30 picks and still been basically assured of getting him. Even if Alualu turns out to be a Hall of Famer, this will still be a bad pick, as they could have gotten him so much later, and gotten additional picks out of it.
GRADE: F

1/11: SF-Anthony Davis-OT/OG-Rutgers: They probably didn't have to trade up to get him, and I'm not convinced Davis will ever be in good enough shape to ever man the left side effectively, and possibly not even the right. His home could eventually be at either of the guard spots. However, if coach Singletary is able to get Davis' head on straight, the 49ers may have a dominant tackle for the next 10 to 12 years.
GRADE: C-

1/12: SD-Ryan Matthews-RB-Fresno St: Matthews was one of the best backs in the nation last year, statistically, but I'm not convinced he's a true NFL #1 back. He doesn't hit the hole as hard as you would like, and doesn't always pick the right one when he finally decides which one he wants to go to. I'm not sure why the Chargers jumped up this far to get him either, as the only team I could see picking Matthews before their original pick would be the Texans (20th). GRADE: D-

1/13: PHI-Brandon Graham-DE-MICH: I love Graham's motor, but I don't think he will be very successful in the NFL. He lacks height, has very short arms, and isn't as explosive as everyone makes him out to be. Graham probably wouldn't have made it past Atlanta had the Eagles not traded up, but they could have just grabbed Jerry Hughes instead, who I feel is a much stronger pass rushing prospect, without moving up.
GRADE: C

1/14: SEA-Earl Thomas-S/CB-TEXAS: Another outstanding pick by Seattle. They're atrocious secondary gets a serious upgrade with the ball-hawking Earl Thomas. Thomas is a great all-around safety who is able to change the game on any play.
GRADE: A

1/15: NYG-Jason Pierre-Paul-DE-USF: I'll admit it, I HATE JPP as a first round pick. He is an all-upside pick that has an extremely high chance of busting. He only played D1 football for one season, and was only mildly productive that season, registering only 6.5 sacks. JPP wasn't even the most feared DE on his own team last season, as George Selvie, a 7th round pick by the Rams, was the one getting most of the double teams. Is he a freak athlete? Of course, but how many freakish athletes with limited football skills have busted? Plenty. And the list is about to grow a player longer.
GRADE: D

1/16: TEN-Derrick Morgan-DE-GT: This is the pick the Giants should have made. The number 1 DE prospect this year, Derrick Morgan has prototypical size (6'4" 275) and speed (4.70) for the position, and was the most game-planned against DE in college football last year. Despite the constant attention and double teams, he still managed to record 12 sacks.
GRADE: A+

1/17: SF-Mike Iupati-OG-Idaho: Some viewed this pick as overkill on one area for the 49ers, but they needed some serious help on the line. Iupati should be able to step in right away at either of the guard spots and form an intimidating line with Joe Stalely at LT and Anthony Davis (if he pans out) at RT. Frank Gore had to be thrilled when Iupati's name was called, as he'll get some huge holes to run through now.
GRADE: B+

1/18: PIT-Maurkice Pouncey-OG/C-Florida: Pouncey will step in right away at one of the guard spots, and will help greatly in both pass-protection and run blocking, before eventually moving over to center.
GRADE: B

1/19: ATL-Sean Weatherspoon-LB-Mizzou: A very versatile linebacker who can play inside and outside and is effective against both the run and the pass. Weatherspoon should be able to step in right away, and could get upwards of 100 tackles this season.
GRADE: A-

1/20: HOU-Kareem Jackson-CB-ALA: Not a fan of this selection. Kareem Jackson isn't even my favorite corner prospect from his own school (Javier Arenas). While he does have a good skillset, I don't think Jackson will ever be more than a #2 corner, and will probably be a nickel corner for most of his career.
GRADE: C-

1/21: CIN-Jermaine Gresham-TE-OU: The Bengals have hardly ever used their TE in the passing game, but that probably has more to do with personnel than it does scheme. Gresham isn't an elite blocker, so he may be replaced on running downs, but there is no denying this young man's talent as a pass catcher. If he manages to stay healthy, which has been a concern throughout his career, he can be a top 2 TE in the NFL.
GRADE: A-

1/22: DEN-Demaryius Thomas-WR-GT: A physically imposing player at WR (6'3" 226), Demaryius could potentially be a #1 target in the NFL. He lacks skill as a route runner, but once the ball is in his hands, he is tough to bring down. Very raw, and lacks experience in a pro style system (came from GT's triple option offense).
GRADE: B-

1/23: GB-Bryan Buluga-OT-Iowa: Fell mightily on draft day, as many predicted he would be snatched up at #5 by the Chiefs. Buluga is a very skilled player that has above average ability as both a run and pass blocker.
GRADE: A+

1/24: DAL-Dez Bryant-WR-OKST: Steal of the first round. Bryant has the talent be a top 5 WR in the NFL in a few years, as he has great hands, run after the catch ability, and a very good work ethic. He has some "character concerns", but I think they are greatly overblown. The Cowboys just got the player they thought they were getting when they traded a 1st and 3rd to Detroit for Roy Williams.
GRADE: A+

1/25: DEN-Tim Tebow-QB-Florida: The steal of the first round is quickly followed up by the reach of the first round. Nothing about Tebow translates to the NFL as a QB. He has a strong-ish arm on tape, but if he ever successfully fixes his throwing motion, he'll lose a lot of that strength and be below average in that category (usually a wind-up delivery is used to compensate for a lack of arm strength, as it gives your arm more momentum. Good for pitchers, bad for QBs). His accuracy is HORRIFIC, yes I know he completed better than 65% of his passes at Florida, but 90% of his throws were less than 10 yards down the field with no defenders within 5 yards of him. In the Senior Bowl, when defenders were actually closing in on him, he through some of the worst passes I have ever seen in my life, including a pass that bounced twice on its way to a receiver only 15 yards down the field. His mechanics are incredibly screwed up. Yes, I've seen the thousands of ESPN segments on his renewed throwing motion at his Pro Day, but it is easy to throw with near perfect form when you have no defenders on you and get to focus on a single target all day. Tebow will have to undue the muscle memory of 20+ years of terrible mechanics on his way to not throwing like an idiot anymore, which simply can't happen. When a 300 pounder is breathing down his neck, Tebow will revert to his old ways and windup. I seriously could go on all day about why Tebow will fail as a pro QB, but I'll stop here for now. He will make a terrific H-Back though in 5 years.
GRADE: F-

1/26: ARI-Dan Williams-NT-TENN: Aside from the playoffs, Arizona's defense was actually pretty solid last year, but one of the key ingredients they were missing was a dominant NT. They solve that need here by selecting a player that could have gone as high as #9 in the draft in Dan Williams.
GRADE: A

1/27: NE-Devin McCourty-CB-Rutgers: A solid pick, although I would have preferred Kyle Wilson here. I don't think McCourty will ever be a shutdown corner, but you won't be screwed if he is your #1 corner.
GRADE: B

1/28: MIA-Jared Odrick-DE-Penn State: A very talented player who fits the 3-4 end position perfectly. Odrick could become one of the best 5 techniques in the league in a year or two.
GRADE:A-

1/29: NYJ-Kyle Wilson-CB-Boise State: At first I was a little perplexed by this pick, but it makes a lot more sense now. With Kyle Wilson, Darrell Revis, Antonio Cromartie, and UDFA Donovan Warren-who I thought could have been a 2nd round pick-and some solid safeties, the Jets will be able to blitz whoever, whenever and not worry about getting burnt with their stable of exceptional DBs.

1/30: DET-Jahvid Best-RB-CAL: My second favorite runningback in the class behind CJ Spiller. I don't think the Lions really needed to trade up to get him though. Regardless, Detroit needed another back since Kevin Smith hasn't quite lived up to the hype, and had a nasty ACL injury last season. Jahvid Best has the ability to take it to the house on any given down, and should be a huge asset in both the running and passing games.

1/31: IND-Jerry Hughes-DE-TCU: Bill Polian does it again, selecting another phenomenal player at the tail end of the first round. Hughes should be the next great pass rusher for the Colts, and eventually could be a double digit sack player in the league. The only reason this pick isn't an A or A+ is because I felt the Colts should have addressed their LT spot here instead.
GRADE: B+

1/32: NO-Patrick Robinson-CB-FSU: A very gifted corner, Robinson has the ability to shut anyone down at any time. The only problem with him is consistency. If he can avoid the mental lapses that occasionally plagued him in college, the Saints will have a steal here. That being said, if he doesn't fix his problems, he could also be a pretty big bust.
GRADE: B-

I will be back with my Round 2 analysis tomorrow