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The NFC is probably the toughest division with all teams capable of making it into the playoffs and winning the big one and all did well in this year’s draft.

Philadelphia Eagles 2008 Draft Picks

The Eagles had 10 draft picks this year and maybe 4 or 5 have a good chance at improving the team. I like Trevor Laws no matter what the professional analyst say. He showed that heart and drive that you just can’t count out. The Eagles finally drafted a talented receiver in DeSean Jackson who is short but runs a 4.349 and could become a Steve Smith type player. Offensive guard Michael McGlynn should fit well and add quality protection and Safety Quintin Demps could work well dropping back with the Eagle’s upgrade in corners.

Washington Redskins 2008 Draft Picks

The Redskins were looking for offensive power and with the failed trade for Chad Johnson, they drafted wide receivers. I am still amazed how the Redskins managed to draft both Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly, two big receivers with great speed and hands. This definitely gives them two great receivers to join Moss. I am not sure why they drafted Fred Davis so early when they have Chris Cooley. Other quality tight ends would still have been available.

Dallas Cowboys 2008 Draft Picks

The Cowboys definitely did a good job at filling some voids. I love the Felix Jones pick. He is an upgrade to Julius Jones in every way and a one-two combo with Marion Barber is scary. Picking up corner Mike Jenkins from South Florida, who had one of the better secondaries in college football, was a perfect move. This solidifies and adds depth to the position in case Pacman Jones is not re-instated or just lost his talent. This will free up the safeties as well. Martellus Bennett is a good pick but I would have drafted a wide-out here. Bennett is a similar mold like Jason Witten with size and speed. I didn’t like the next couple of choices and the fact that no receiver was taken. Taking another runningback in Tashard Choice over a receiver leaves voids to be filled.

New York Giants 2008 Draft Picks

The returning champs already have young talent on the squad and continued adding more in the draft. They filled the loss of Gibril Wilson by adding Miami safety Kenny Phillips who has good speed and can be as good a tackler as Wilson. The Giants also drafted Terrell Thomas, who given a few years, can be a quality corner. These USC players usually have a smaller learning curve and he should be able to improve mentally as he already has good size and speed. The Giants also improved with ILB Jonathan Goff from Vanderbilt and OLB Bryan Kehl from BYU. I think Goff has better range and skills and will be a good addition to the defense. The Giants also managed to draft Mario Manningham and Andre Woodson. Manningham is going to be a good receiver in the league and getting him this late is a steal. The Cowboys should have drafted him. Woodson has good talent and potential at the quarterback position. Woodson has lots of talent and potential at the quarterback position and is a quality backup for Eli.

The AFC West is full of bitter rivalries and even if a team does not have a chance to make the playoffs, just beating their rivals is just as good.

Kansas City Chiefs 2008 Draft Picks

The Chiefs still have issues at quarterback and lost prolific defensive end Jared Allen. They filled the void superbly by drafting defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey who should help the D-line. The Chiefs also drafted guard Branden Albert from Virginia to give extra protection to who ever is under center. I like corner Brandon Flowers who is underrated and is more of a game time player. I have seen plenty of Texas games and Jamaal Charles can be very explosive at times but he is not consistent. If he ever can get consistent, he will be very good in the league but still makes a great 2nd option. Tight end Brad Cottam is not the best talent but has good raw material. He is a 6′7, 270 pound beast who ran a 4.629 time and if he can develop his game, can be a great tight end.

Oakland Raiders 2008 Draft Picks

I don’t think the Raiders filled their needs with the draft but did manage to get the best runningback in Darren McFadden from Arkansas. McFadden will definitely provide them a talented back and if Justin Fargas can gain 1,000 yards, McFadden should be able to do even better. I thought the Raiders should have drafted a defensive end and wide receiver and Trevor Scott from Buffalo and Arman Shields are not major improvements. Tyvon Branch adds more depth to an already outstanding secondary.

Denver Broncos 2008 Draft Picks

The Broncos main concern was getting a offensive tackle who could block in the running scheme as well as provide protection for Jay Cutler. Left tackle Ryan Clady from Boise State is a great fit and should be there for a long time. Eddie Royal is a decent receiver and gives the Broncos a speedy guy who will also do special teams returning punts. The Broncos also drafted a center, a runningback, and some more defensive players. It is good to note never to doubt Mike Shanahan’s choices for runningback.

San Diego Chargers 2008 Draft Picks

The Chargers do not need much but could fill the void left by Michael Turner and add an offensive tackle. Corner Antoine Cason is an excellent pickup who can actually become a starter with Quentin Jammer. They also drafted Jacob Hester who has talent but does not seem to fit the position. It will be interesting to see how they use him. The offensive tackle the Chargers drafted was Corey Clark from Texas A&M in the 7th round so quality is not really there.

The AFC South is a division lead by the Indianapolis Colts with the Jacksonville Jaguars close behind while the other two are stockpiling talent to catch up.

Tennessee Titans 2008 Draft Picks

The Titans had one of the worst drafts compared to the rest of the league. They needed big play making receivers to give Vince Young a target and add another dimension to their offense which mainly depends on the run. You would think that their first pick would be a receiver but instead they opted to draft runningback Chris Johnson from East Carolina. The guy had an amazing 40-time of 4.24 but is only 197 pounds. From my views they are looking to have a power speed combo with Lendale White and Johnson with Johnson being the third down pass option. I think they should have drafted a receiver. The team took defensive end Jason Jones from Eastern Michigan who has good size and athletic talent to pass rush and hold his own against the run. The rest of the drafts are not mentionable to me including the third round tight end. You have got to be kidding me Titans.

Houston Texans 2008 Draft Picks

The Texans main goal in the draft was to pick up an offensive lineman to sturdy up the line that gave up 43 sacks in 2007. The best they could get with the 26 pick was tackle Duane Brown from Virginia Tech. His highlight videos show some talent as a pass blocker. The Texans also drafted cornerback Antwaun Molden from Eastern Michigan who I was able to see play in the Texas all-star game where he did okay against tougher competition. He had a great combine 40 time of 4.389 but I think the Texans could have drafted him in the later rounds. His speed is his best aspect and if he can improve on his coverage skills he will be a good player in a few years. The Texans also took a gamble on Steve Slaton with their 3rd round pick. I like Slaton’s athletic upside. He is not an every down back but the Texans have too many of those already. He will make a nice compliment.

Jacksonville Jaguars 2008 Draft Picks

With the loss of Marcus Stroud and the lack of a pass rush last season, the Jaguars traded up twice to pick up two defensive ends. The team picked defensive end Derrick Harvey from Florida who has good size and decent speed to pass rush but also hold his ground against the run. The team also traded draft picks to get defensive end Quentin Groves from Auburn. Weighing only 259 pounds, he is not going to be a run down end but with his combine time of 4.57, he makes a great pass down rusher who can come off the corner. I don’t like the teams 3rd round pick of USC linebacker Thomas Williams because he is too slow and is a product of the system but I do like the drafting of South Florida cornerback Trae Williams who makes a good cover corner for three receiver slots.

Indianapolis Colts 2008 Draft Picks

The Indianapolis Colts drafted first to protect their best asset in Peyton Manning. The team selected center Mike Pollak from Arizona State to study under Jeff Saturday before he eventually retires. They also needed a run stopping middle linebacker as well and drafted Philip Wheeler from Georgia Tech but I think they should have went with Beau Bell from UNLV who I consider more well rounded. The Colts continued drafting receiving tight ends by taking Jacob Tamme who should have been drafted before John Carlson in my opinion. He is 6′3, runs a 4.58, and has great hands which makes him a fit for the Indianapolis offense. The other draft pick I like is OLB Marcus Howard who will be used at defensive end as a quick pass rusher. He has great speed and if he can produce a variety of pass rushing techniques will match Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis.

The AFC North is one of those divisions where any of these teams can take the title, two teams are known for their defensive and the other two for shootouts.

Cincinnati Bengals 2008 Draft Picks

After a disappointing year, the Bengals needed to fill some positions, mainly defensive tackle and another receiver. The didn’t do well and were hoping to draft Sedrick Ellis who slipped to New Orleans and Derrick Harvey who the Jaguars stole. They ended up with Pat Sims from Auburn. The upside is that they ended up with one of the best outside linebackers available in Keith Rivers from USC. He will definitely make an impact like a Patrick Willis from San Francisco. I am confused as why the Bengals took Jerome Simpson so early. Even a Marques Colston was drafted in the later rounds and more talented receivers like Limas Sweed and Desean Jackson were available. He has good size but he better run great routes and have major impact to be drafted this early. I do give the Bengals for getting Andre Caldwell, who will fit in as a slot receiver catching balls underneath, and taking a chance on 6′5 receiver Mario Urrutia who is a little slow but could become a sleeper.

Cleveland Browns 2008 Draft Picks

Coming off a great finish to the 2007 season and still stocked with young talent the Browns needed to fill the linebacker position and add another playmaker to the secondary but only with the 4th through 7th round picks. The team was able to draft inside linebacker Beau Bell from Las Vegas who is one of those players that never quits on a play and a great tackler. It is interesting why teams like the Browns do not take a gamble on some of the possible sleepers like Ali Highsmith or Vince Hall but do draft unknown defensive end Alex Hall from ST. Augustine’s, which is a school I never heard of.

Baltimore Ravens 2008 Draft Picks

The Ravens concern for the last couple of years has been offense and the quarterback position is the team’s weakest point with an aging McNair guiding the ship with no clear replacement. Thus, the Ravens first pick would have to be a quarterback and they drafted Joe Flacco from Delaware. I have not seen any of his games, just a few highlights but it is hard to compare him to a Matt Ryan in that he hasn’t faced tougher competition. It is a small jump from Div I-AA to say the Big East but it is a steeper climb to the NFL especially for the quarterback position on a team that truly struggles on offense. I do root for small school players and hope Flacco will be a Tony Romo with better reading skills. The team also added talent to the runningback position by adding Ray Rice who can develop into a very great player. He has the speed and shiftiness to go all the way. The Ravens also drafted good on defensive by adding inside linebacker Tavares Gooden who has athletic talent and can run side-line to side-line and safety Tom Zbikowski, who I think is an oustanding player. Gooden and Zbikowski are both no quit players with talent and their mental game should be improved by the Ravens talented staff. The Ravens did quite well in the 2008 draft but I would have liked them to draft another playmaking receiver as well.

Pittsburgh Steelers 2008 Draft Picks

The first four draft picks by the Steelers were outstanding in my view. They got quality players on both offense and defense. The Steelers took Illinois runningback Rashard Mendenhall with their first pick and he will be a great compliment to Willie Parker for a nice one-two combo. The Steelers also managed to get Limas Sweed, the 6′3 receiver from Texas with good speed and hands. They also drafted outside linebacker Bruce Davis who is 6′2 and can move for his size. If Davis can pick up more natural instinct he will be another good linebacker in the Steeler system. The Steelers also needed young talent for the offensive line from losing Pro Bowler Alan Faneca and offensive tackle Tony Hills is a 6′5, 309 pound guy that should help fill in the spot.

The AFC East is really unbalanced with the Patriots dominating and the other teams looking to improve and the NFL draft is one of the best ways to stock on young talent.

Buffalo Bills 2008 Draft Picks

The Bills need a lot of help on both offense and defense. They need a go to receiver, a playmaker on the defensive line, a good cover corner, and the list goes on and on. They didn’t pick Leodis McKelvin, a cornerback from Troy, with their first pick. He showed good speed with a 4.38 at the combines but is known for being weak against the run. Give the guy a few years and he should be able to develop into a good cover corner. The only other pick I like is Chris Ellis, a defensive end from Virginia Tech, who is relentless at pass rushing and could be similar to Robert Mathis. The Bills 2nd pick James Hardy, a wide receiver from Indiana, is athletic with great size and could be what the Bills need. In comparison, the Bills are still the weakest team in this division.

New York Jets 2008 Draft Picks

The New York Jets made some good upgrades with free agency but their 2008 draft was not very good. Vernon Gholston, a defensive end from Ohio State, is probably the biggest impact draft the team will have. The guy is 6′3, 266 pounds, and he runs a freaking 4.67. That is scary and he should definitely improve the defense. Dustin Keller is a good tight end with size and speed but to be drafted so early was a waste of the pick where the team could have picked him up in maybe the 3rd or fourth round. Erik Ainge is a waste of a pick for a quarterback and will not improve the team’s quarterback question present or future. The only other I could consider good would be Nate Garner, a OT from Arkansas, who is a great run blocker and right now that is all the Jets really have.

Miami Dolphins 2008 Draft Picks

The Dolphins had a very good first day in the 2008 draft. The Dolphins used the number 1 pick overall to fill one of their greatest needs by drafting OT Jake Long from Michigan. Not too many offensive lineman are picked number 1 overall but when they are you know they are good and Jake Long should have a ‘long’ career. The team’s second pick, defensive end Phillip Merling from Clemson, is a good pick up. He showed some talent in college games jamming up the line and pass rushing as well. Finally the Dolphins picked up Chad Henne who dropped to the late 2nd round. I think Henne has the talent and if he can focus on the game, will be really good in a year or two. The Dolphins currently have Josh Beck as the future and Henne could supplant him.

New England Patriots 2008 Draft Picks

The Patriots needed to get a corner, a receiver, and tighten up the older linebackers with some young talent.They filled up one spot with the number 10 pick overall in very talented OLB Jerod Mayo from Tennessee. I love to watch this guy hit. Watching a few SEC games shows you this guy has NFL talent with good speed, vision, and tackling. He will give the Patriot’s older defense some life. The team also invested two draft picks for cornerbacks to hopefully soften the blow from losing Asante Samuel. Both Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite have similar height, speed, and durability issues but Wheatley could involve if he can stay healthy. I think they should have vested the last two picks in Ali Highsmith or Erin Henderson instead of Bo Ruud.

The Raiders have dished out the money to have a great cornerback  tandem by signing DeAngelo Hall to a 7 year, $70 million deal. Man the team is dishing out a lot of money on free agency and has obtained both offensive and defensive names including Gibril Wilson and Jevon Walker.

The DeAngelo and Nnamdi Asomugha  team-up gives the Raiders two great cover corners that can also play the run really well which they will definitely need because of the lack of upfront pressure.  The only concern is Hall’s attitude and willingness to play, especially if the team is losing and especially for a young, fresh coach in Lane Kiffin.

I like what the Raiders improvements in the off-season by taking a risk on wide receiver Jevon Walker and adding Gibril Wilson at free safety. Walker came off a season where he started strong but due to an injury, never got back to where he started. Wilson has been getting better and was part of the New York Giants defensive that won the 2007 Super Bowl.

With the loss of Jerry Porter, the Raiders had to pick up or draft a talented receiver. Signing Walker to a six-year, $55 million contract is the solution and should give JaMarcus Russell a good target. The price was a bit steep seeing how Bernard Berrian and Randy Moss both signed for less. If he can stay healthy and happy, Walker is really a good receiver that can put up numbers like a Plexico Burress. His addition will also allow Ronald Curry, who has really been improving, to upgrade his numbers as well. The Raiders also added wide receiver Drew Carter but don’t expect much from him.

The Raiders signed Wilson to a 6 year, $39 million dollar deal. Wilson is a good upgrade to the secondary and is a sure tackler which will help the team. Last season he played 13 games and totaled 70 tackles and 4 interceptions. His only full season was in 2005 where he totaled 114 tackles with an astounding 92 solo ones. Wilson was a little injury prone in his first 4 years but should be able to play the full season. With the Raiders close to a deal for pro bowl corner DeAngelo Hall, signing him would give the team one of the best secondaries with Wilson and Hall paired with Oakland’s other cover corner Nnamdi Asomugha.

The Raiders but the other two major concerns, the offensive line and the defensive line definitely need to be fixed as well with the loss of Warren Sapp. They signed DL Tommy Kelly to a huge deal that from first look, is way too much and looks like the team got nervous and is throwing money around. They also signed busts defensive tackle William Joseph and tackle Kwame Harris to deals. This is more like a patchwork job and the team needs to find gems in the free agent market or they will still be last in the AFC West.

The San Francisco 49ers tried to find solutions to their terribly passing game which ranked 32nd in the league for the 2007 season. The only notable receiver the team had was Arnaz Battle who had 50 receptions for 600 yards and 5 touchdowns. They started by adding Mike Martz as offensive coordinator which should open up the teams passing attack. They also added wide receivers Isaac Bruce and Bryant Johnson to bolster the terrible receiving corps but released Darrel Jackson.
Isaac Bruce is too old to be very effective these days but he still runs precise routes and knows the Martz style. If the team can find a suitable quarterback, I like Shaun Hill’s potential over Alex Smith, Bruce can still be an efficient 3rd receiver and mentor. Bryant Johnson probably has the most upside and showed some flashes of talent when able to start in Arizona. He lived in the shadows of the two super stars there and has a chance to be a number 1 here if he can learn the Mike Martz offensive.

Battle’s numbers would probably improve with the addition of these two receivers and only one quarterback throwing to him in the season. What was interesting is the 49ers releasing Darrell Jackson, even after a bad season for the receiver. The 49ers had three different quarterbacks and you can’t really blame a lack of production on Jackson. He would be a nice fit to the current receiving corp under the Martz pass attack and could possibly have improved his numbers greatly.

Although they didn’t get the best available wide receivers available in free agency, the team tried to make some moves to improve the passing offensive which fans should see as a positive but don’t expect the team to go far in 2008 either.d

I know Alge Crumpler is one of the better tight ends in the game but it is hard to think that a Titans’ offensive that has no big name receivers going after a tight end before trying to sign one of the better wide receivers available. With a miserable passing offensive that ranked 27 in the league and with two average receivers in Justin Gage and Roydell Williams, the Titans look like they are going to depend on the running game again.

The team also just re-signed wide receiver Justin McCareins who they traded to the Jets in 2004 after a good season but his numbers have just disappeared into a black hole and should not be much help to the team. It would have been great to see them go after one of the big names available. Well, there is still some good potential receivers in the draft for Titan fans.

The Atlanta Falcons have signed Michael Turner to a 6 year contract worth approximately $34.5 million. Turner, who has been LaDainian Tomlinson backup for the past couple of years, becomes a free agent and with some flashes of greatness in many games, has become the top available runningback in the current free agent market. Turner has that small, compact frame at 5′10 and 237 pounds.

I do not know what the Falcons are thinking here. First there was the thought that they might pickup Darren McFadden who would be a great investment looking at his combine numbers. That thought is gone with this signing. Next, Turner has not played a whole season as starter and is not guaranteed to be an improvement. Also, they have a talented runningback that was never given the chance to start in Jerious Norwood, who looked impressive with his speed. Finally the Falcons have bigger holes to plug than the runningback position. They will most likely draft a quarterback but how about some defense or more anchor on that offensive line.