Yesterday I posted my thoughts and grades for each AFC team’s draft class over this past weekend. Now it’s time for the NFC to get it’s one shining moment here at the Fanatic. Once again, feel free to use the comment section for any thoughts you might have, or even your own draft grades. We want to hear from you!

NFC East

Grade: B+

With three picks in the first two rounds, the Cowboys were expected to do big things on Saturday, and while other teams failed to capitalize on their good fortune, Dallas didn’t miss. Getting RB Felix Jones late in round one was a great move by Jerry Jones and Co. and then trading back up a few spots to #25 overall to grab standout CB Mike Jenkins solidified the team’s excellent draft class right away. I also really liked the pick of TE Martellus Bennett in round two. He should come in a garner some playing time pretty quickly in two TE sets, and could make a lot of teams pay if they double TO and starting TE Jason Witten. The Boys did reach a bit with their late round picks, but overall, this is a very nice draft haul for the reigning NFC East champs.

Grade: B+

As last year’s Super Bowl champions, the Giants didn’t really have a ton of needs, so they could focus on drafting the most talented players available instead of reaching for a position here and there. And that is exactly what they did in this draft. I really liked the pick of S Kenny Phillips in round 1, as I think he’ll quietly become a very solid pro at the free safety spot, and while I think they reached a bit in round 2 with CB Terrell Thomas, you can never have enough talented CBs on your roster, so I understand the move. I’m not a huge Mario Manningham fan, but I think the Giants did well to select him late in round 3. And getting QB Andre Woodson, who I graded out as a 3rd round prospect, late in the 6th was a gigantic steal.

Grade: B-

The Eagles did an alright job with their draft, but I think they could have done a little bit better with the amount of picks they had at their disposal. Trading back and out of round one was a solid move by Andy Reid, and like usual, the Eagles drafted a defensive tackle first, grabbing Trevor Laws in the middle of round two. I really like this pick and thing Laws will push former 1st rounder Broderick Bunkley out of the way for playing time pretty quick. Their second pick in round two, WR DeSean Jackson was a solid move, and he should give the Eagles enough ammo for QB Donovan McNabb to work some magic once again this year. After those two picks, the Eagles left me slightly perplexed with their late round selections, as I think they reached quite a bit on most of them. The one pick I did like a lot though was OG Mike McGlynn, who should come in right away and take over a spot on Philly’s O-line.

Grade: A-

The Redskins really improved their offense this past weekend, and I’m sure that there’s no one happier than Redskins’ QB Jason Campbell. Getting WR Devin Thomas in round two is big time steal and then backing up that pick by taking TE Fred Davis in the same round should make the new ‘Skins coach Jim Zorn look like a genius next year. I’m not sold on WR Malcolm KellyO but his value was enough that taking him late in round 2 makes a lot of sense. The one late round pick that the Redskins made that I really like was OG Chad Rinehart and I think he’ll come in right away and lock down a starting spot on the team’s O-line. All in all, things look real good in our nation’s capital, so the Hogs should be satisfied this season.

NFC North

Grade: A

The Bears addressed pretty much every need they had prior to the start of the draft, and didn’t have to reach for player’s of lesser talent to do so. OT Chris Williams will be a solid performer on their O-line from Day 1 and should give Rex Grossman the time he needs to make his reads and deliver the ball effectively.I really like the pick of RB Matt Forte in round two, as Cedric Benson just hasn’t cut it since the departure of Thomas Jones to the Jets last year. Getting WR Earl Bennett in round three was a steal, as he is a very good receiver that runs solid routes and catches everything thrown his way. The Bears did a nice job with the rest of their picks as well, getting DT Marcus Harrison, S Craig Steltz, CB Zach Bowman, and TE Kellen Davis in succession, and that should go a long way towards taking the Bears back to the top of a tough division in the NFC North.

Grade: C+

I thought the Lions made a smart move in trading back two spots with the Chiefs in round one, but then once again Detroit blundered their way into a major reach by taking OT Gosder Cherilus when OT Jeff Otah was still on the board. Cherilus should end up being a pretty decent player, but Otah could end up being one of the best tackles taken in this draft, so I don’t understand that pick at all. LB Jordan Dizon in the second round isn’t a bad pick, but I think they reached somewhat again there. The big saving grace for the Lions was their three third round selections though, as RB Kevin Smith, DT Andre Fluellen, and DE Cliff Avril should come in a play right away for Detroit. That being said, I think the Lions could have done much better with the amount of picks they had, so that’s why they got the grade they did.

Grade: A-

The Packers are another team with very few needs, yet they were able to upgrade their roster with a ton of talent across the board, and didn’t reach once to do it. Trading back out of round one and then taking WR Jordy Nelson was a solid move, and I really like the selection of QB Brian Brohm, as he’s a perfect fit in Mike McCarthy’s West Coast offense. Both CB Patrick Lee and TE Jermichael Finley are talented players that should push for playing time right away, and while DE Jeremy Thompson is a bit undersized, he should develop nicely behind Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, and give the Packers a solid rotational guy that can get after the QB.

Grade: B+

When you take into account the addition of Pro Bowl DE Jared Allen in return for three of the Vikings picks, Minnesota did an excellent job of maximizing their draft value this past weekend. S Tyrell Johnson should come in right away and play well for a Vikings defensive secondary that was pretty poor last year, and while QB John David Booty won’t press Tavaris Jackson right away for the starting spot, he could end up taking over if Jackson falters down the stretch like he did last year. The pick I really like was C John Sullivan as the Vikings are preparing for their starting Pro Bowl center Matt Birk to holdout this year for a contract extension. Sullivan has a long way to go, if he wants to replace Birk on the depth chart, but he’s a solid insurance policy just in case Birk can’t go at some point this season.

NFC South

Grade: B+

The Falcons had a ton of needs heading into this draft, none greater than QB, and so I think they made the right choice when they passed on DT Glenn Dorsey and took QB Matt Ryan instead. Ryan will be starter from Day 1, and should relegate Joey Harrington back to holding a clipboard where he belongs. Trading back into round one to get OT Sam Baker was fairly questionable, but considering the state of Atlanta’s O-line last year, I can understand the need for quality players at that spot. LB Curtis Lofton will be a solid performer in the interior of their linebacker corps and should allow them to keep Keith Brooking outside where he belongs. The Falcons did pretty well in round three in getting both S Thomas DeCoud and CB Chevis Jackson, but WR Harry Douglas was definitely a reach, especially with Mario Manningham still on the board. All that being said though, this was a pretty solid draft class for a team that desperately needed it.

Grade: B+

The Panthers quietly had one of the better draft classes this year, and they should be a much improved team across the board next season. They surprised a lot of people with their pick of RB Jonathan Stewart at #13 overall and then made a nice move to trade back into round one and grab a guy I think will be a standout tackle very soon in OT Jeff Otah. Both CB Charles Godfrey and LB Dan Connor should come in a play from day one, as they both have the talent to become very solid pros. Other than that, they didn’t quite do much that was newsworthy, but those four picks alone get them a solid grade here.

Grade: A

The Saints earned my top honor with their draft by addressing every need on their team and then some without reaching once to take a player of lesser talent. After the Chiefs declined to pass on taking DT Glenn Dorsey, the Saints traded up with New England to take their backup plan at defensive tackle, Sedrick Ellis, who isn’t too bad of a player himself. Ellis will immediately improve their weak defense from a season ago, and will be a leader in every sense of the word. I love the pick of CB Tracy Porter in round two, and although he’s a bit of a head case, OT Carl Nicks is a steal in the 5th round, and will garner some playing time pretty quick. I also like the selection of PK Taylor Mehlhoff who was by far the best kicker available in this draft, and should help the team with their special teams woes.

Grade: A-

There must be something in the water down in the NFC South, as the Bucs slammed home yet another outstanding draft for the division. CB Aqib Talib will become a Pro Bowler in Tampa Bay’s Cover 2 defense and will garner playing time immediately. They reached slightly by taking WR Dexter Jackson in round two, but that’s alright by me, because Jackson is a very talented player that was slotted lower because he played at a small school. OG Jeremy Zuttah is another player that should play pretty quick, and will help the Bucs maintain their solid O-line for the next few years at the very least. Landing DT Dre Moore in round 4 was a steal, and I think QB Josh Johnson will end up taking over for Jeff Garcia in a season or two when he finally hangs it up after a productive career.

NFC West

Grade: B+

The Cardinals did a nice job of addressing most of their needs without reaching very often, and that gets them a solid grade here. I like the move to pass on a RB and take one of the best CBs available in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to solidify a defensive secondary that struggled mightily last season. DE Calais Campbell is a talented player and deserved to be selected where he was, but I still have questions about whether his head is in the right place or not. Getting WR Early Doucet in round three was a steal for sure and he’ll give the Cardinals a solid third option to turn to behind All-Pro WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. And their final pick of the draft, OT Brandon Keith should give them a nice developmental prospect that will provide quality depth on their O-line.

Grade: B-

The 49ers did well early on the draft, but missed out on upgrading their team even more in the later rounds by reaching for players of lesser talent to fill specific positions on the team. DT Kentwan Balmer should provide a versatile playmaker along their defensive line and will free up their young and talented linebacker corps to roam sideline to sideline making plays all over the field. OG Chilo Rachal upgrades the team’s biggest need on the offensive line and should open up the 49ers running game once more for superstar RB Frank Gore. They got a very nice steal in CB/S Reggie Smith in round three and he should give them solid depth in the secondary which is a must in the pass happy NFC West. The main reason why they got the grade they did here is that they really failed to address their WR corps and are now going to have to rely on their veterans to carry the load when they could have easily taken some outstanding players throughout the later stages of the draft.

Grade: B

The Seahawks did some nice things to upgrade their roster in Mike Holmgren’s final year, and they should end up winning their division once again this season if they can stay healthy. Trading back a few spots with Dallas in round one and then selecting a solid DE in Lawrence Jackson was a good move and should allow them to stop relying on stunts by their linebackers to produce sacks next year. I liked the pick of TE John Carlson but I think they could have done better by taking Fred Davis there instead. DT Red Bryant is a solid pick in round 3 and should give them the solid run stuffer that they sorely needed last year. And getting FB Owen Schmitt in round five was a great pickup for Seattle as he is the kind of player every coach loves with his hard work and intensity.

Grade: B+

The Rams did well throughout much of their draft this year, but they get a slightly lower grade here because they reached somewhat with a few picks. DE Chris Long was my top prospect available and he’ll immediately improve one of the worst defensive lines in all of football a season ago. In the second round, they reached by taking WR Donnie Avery but then again, you can’t coach speed, and that is the one skill where Avery excels above everyone else. I like the pick of OT John Greco in round three and he should come in and press for playing time pretty quick on a Rams team that is in need of quality depth on their O-line. And speaking of their O-line, getting OG Roy Schuening in round six is an absolute steal, and he’ll be another guy that could garner some playing time sooner rather than later this season.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!