Arizona Cardinals Positions of Need: OL, LB, QB, DB
1 Pick 27 Deone Bucannon SS – The cardinals biggest position of need might be safety and I expect Deone to come in and play better than their last strong safety. This secondary is a piece or two away from being a top 5 in the NFL, we will see if they play like it. Grade A
2 Pick 52 Troy Niklas TE – I do not like this pick, Troy is a successful blocker and has amazing size however his production is limited and the cardinals should have traded down if this was they’re guy. Grade C
3 Pick 84 Kareem Martin DE – I would have thought that Martin was going to go higher than Niklas and for that this was a great pick. Kareem can easily start in the NFL and we will see him often this season or next. Martin has a ton of talent and could turn out to be great. Grade A-
3 Pick 91 John Brown WR – I do not seeing this kid being much of a factor. John is too small to play on the outside and he will have to prove he it tuff enough to play in the slot. I think he is a long shot but you never know some guys his size pan out. Grade C+
4 Pick 120 Logan Thomas QB – Logan at one point was a 1st round prospect however his success went down every year. He has a great skill set and if the Cardinals can make him into what he can be this will turn out to be a great pick. Grade B+
5 Pick 160 Ed Stinson DE – Another solid pick for the Cardinals who could wind up in the rotation early on if he can keep the linebackers clean of offensive lineman. Grade B
6 Pick 196 Walt Powell WR – I like this wider receiver better than their 3rd round selection and they picked him up all the way in the 6th round so a good pick. Grade B
Overall Grade A-
St. Louis Rams Positions of Need: DB, WR, OL, QB
1 Pick 2 Greg Robinson OT – I believe that there were better players on the board but I cannot blame the Rams for selecting Robinson. There is a good chance that he will be a book end left tackle for a decade. At worst he will be great on the right side. Grade A-
1 Pick 13 Aaron Donald DT – Another great pick, Donald could be the best defensive player to come out of this draft. He reminds me of Geno Atkins, now let us see if he can live up to the hype. Grade A-
2 Pick 41 Lamarcus Joyner CB – Joyner could be a great nickel corner however I do not think that he was worth a pick this high only because he cannot become a number one or even two corner. Grade B-
3 Pick 75 Tre Mason RB – A very good pick and should see playing time early on in his career. He is a compact built back that runs well inside and outside. Grade B+
4 Pick 110 Mo Alexander SS – Hopefully for the Rams this guy is the answer to their safety issue I would prefer to see Joyner in their safety mix as well. Mo has a chance to be good. Grade B-
6 Pick 188 E.J. Gaines CB – I like this pick and he has a chance to become a pretty darn good number two corner back. He produced in the hardest conference and went up against plenty of 1st round wide receivers and played very well against them. Grade A-
6 Pick 214 Garrett Gilbert QB – Gilbert lost his job in Texas and was never heard of again. We will see if the Rams can get the most out of his potential, which he does have a lot of. Grade C+
7 Pick 226 Mitchell Van Dyk OT – Probably will not be on this team’s roster due to the lineman who are better and more seasoned than he is. He might have a chance next year. Grade C+
7 Pick 241 C.B. Bryant FS – There will be a lot of competition at Safety in this camp and Bryant is a long shot to beat out the others selected in this year’s draft. Grade C
7 Pick 249 Michael Sam DE – He produced well in college and seems to be focused on football only. There are few spots available on this defensive line and Sam will have to be on his A game to make the opening day roster.
7 Pick 250 Demetrius Rhaney C – Not sure about this pick. Grade C
Overall Grade B
San Francisco 49er’s Positions of Need: DL, LB, CB, WR
1 Pick 30 Jimmie Ward SS - Great pick should start from day one and could turn into a top five safety in the league. Grade A
2 Pick 57 Carlos Hyde RB – Gore cannot run forever and Carlos has the ability to become a starter in this league. He is big and physical and will see playing time early. Grade B
3 Pick 70 Marcus Martin C – Martin at one point was considered a 1st round prospect and he slipped for his film performance and pro day. If the 49er’s work with him for a few seasons it would not surprise me to see him become a starter. Grade B
3 Pick 77 Chris Borland ILB – Chris is a true football player with a nose for the football the only reason why he slipped so far is because he is not the fastest and he is a little short. I like the pick and he can play in the NFL. Grade B+
3 Pick 100 Brandon Thomas OT – Thomas will be out all season with an injury however before the pre-draft injury he was considered a border line first round pick. Grade B
4 Pick 106 Bruce Ellington WR – He is small and fast if Ellington can prove to be a force on special teams he will be worthy of a 4th round pick. Grade B-
4 Pick 129 Dontae Johnson CB – Finally the 49er’s address one of their biggest needs, hopefully it was not too late for their pick to make a difference on the field. Grade B-
5 Pick 150 Aaron Lynch DE – Lynch is explosive however he will be asked to play rush linebacker over a traditional defensive end. We will see if he can make the transition. Grade C+
5 Pick 170 Keith Reaser CB – The 49ers are trying to solve their cornerback need by quantity we will see if any of these players pan out. Grade C
6 Pick 180 Kenneth Acker CB - The 49ers are trying to solve their cornerback need by quantity we will see if any of these players pan out. Grade C
7 Pick 243 Kaleb Ramsey DE – Ramsey is the only defensive lineman selected by the 49ers and this position is getting long in the tooth. For the 49ers sake hopefully he will be ready to contribute in a season or two. Grade B-
7 Pick 245 Trey Millard FB – Trey was injured this season which hurt his draft stock. He is the most versatile FB in this year’s draft and once he gets healthy he should make a difference. Grade B+
Overall Grade B
Seattle Seahawks Positions of Need: DL, OL, WR
2 Pick 45 Paul Richardson WR – Richardson has plenty of speed and playmaking ability Russell Wilson cannot wait to get back to the field with how this offense is shaping up. Grade A
2 Pick 64 Justin Britt OT – A typical Carroll type lineman nothing special but nothing bad. Britt may start early on and we will see if he can live up to being taken in the 2nd round. Grade B-
4 Pick 108 Cassius Marsh DE – Marsh was overshadowed by Anthony Barr the past few seasons but he was a big reason for UCLA’s play last season. Grade B
4 Pick 123 Kevin Norwood WR – A solid Wide Receiver he is tall enough to play on the outside and he has reliable hands along with some playmaking ability. Grade B
4 Pick 132 Kevin Pierre-Louis OLB – I like this pick KPL will not have to do as much for this defense as he did in college and Carroll will focus on this kids strength and limit the time he has to be in pass coverage. Grade B
5 Pick 172 Jimmy Staten DT – Staten will have time to develop his skill set before he is asked to perform. It is up to him if he makes anything out of his opportunity. Grade C+
6 Pick 199 Garrett Scott OT – The Seahawks need some offensive tackles hopefully they found a suitable replacement for the next lineman to leave Seattle whomever that may be. Grade C+
6 Pick 208 Eric Pinkins FS – A very big safety who comes out of Pete Carroll’s old backyard. Perhaps he knew something that the rest of us did not. Grade B-
7 Pick 227 Kiero Small RB – Small is not that small 244 Ilbs running back from a college who used to produce 1st round pick backs nearly yearly. We will see if Pete can get something out of it. Grade C+
