NFL Draft Report Cards

\After four days and a total of 256 picks, the NFL Draft is in the books. Through the NFL draft really is the best way to be able to build a championship team.  Sure you can add pieces through free agency, but by the draft is the best way to build the future of your team. Over the years, some players have really panned out as they were expected to, guys like Aaron Rodgers, Calvin Johnson ect. Then you also have guys who have gone in as high draft choices and turned out to be total flops. Just look at a guy like Ryan Leaf or JaMarcus Russell. So sometimes a draft pick works out and sometimes it doesn't. This years class was headed up by Jamies Winston (#1 pick to Tampa) and Marcus Mariota (#2 pick to Tennessee), both guys who are expected to have good careers. But what about the local teams? Did the Giants address their needs with the six picks they had? What about the Jets and their six picks? Well here's how the two teams did this year in the draft.

Lets start off with Big Blue. Here are the Giants picks in this years Draft:

Round 1, Pick 9 (9): Ereck Flowers, Miami OG
Round 2, Pick 1 (33) (from Titans): Landon Collins, Alabama SS
Round 3, Pick 10 (74): Owamagbe Odighizuwa, UCLA DE
Round 5, Pick 8 (144): Mykkele Thompson, Texas S
Round 6, Pick 10 (186): Geremy Davis, Connecticut WR
Round 7, Pick 9 (226): Bobby Hart, Florida State OG

Some of the big needs the Giants had going into this season, which were defense and offensive line help, were addressed. With their first pick, which was 9th overall, they grabbed Ereck Flowers, the offensive guard from Miami. Flowers is a powerful run blocker whose pass protection leaves a lot to be desired. That's something that has been a bit of an issue for the Giants the last few seasons. The Run games needs holes to open up and Flowers could help with that. But the fact that they haven't been able to keep Eli on his feet the last two seasons isn't good, and one of the biggest knocks on Flowers game is he isn't great at being able to protect the Quarterback. Then the Giants gave up a little bit much, three future draft picks to the Titans to take the 33rd pick in the 2nd round and they grab Alabama safety Landon Collins. This wasn't a bad pick, as Collins is a work in progress in coverage, but he'll be an enforcer against the run early. Besides adding him into the mix will help out with a depleted secondary, which was a defensive issue that the Giants had a season ago. Plus with the fact that Antrel Rolle took off for Chicago, this was a pretty decent pick, given what the Giants have. And getting UCLA pass-rusher Owamagbe Odighizuwa in the third round was a bit of a steal. "Double O" rushes the passer with bad intentions and a lot of power. This does address a need that the Giants have because over the past few seasons, Big Blue hasn't had anywhere near the feared pass rush they once did. So getting Double O will be a big help.

Overall the Giants draft was average at best. The first two picks seem to be possible works in progress, something that could hurt the Giants over the long term. Yes they did address the holes that they have right now, but with some of the knocks against Flowers and Collins, it makes you wonder a little bit about what the Giants are doing.

Grade: C

As far as Gang Green is concerned, they had a better draft than the Giants did. Here's who the Jets selected in this years Draft:

Round 1, Pick 6 (6): Leonard Williams, USC DE
Round 2, Pick 5 (37): Devin Smith, Ohio State WR
Round 3, Pick 18 (82) (from Texans): Lorenzo Mauldin, Louisville OLB
Round 4, Pick 4 (103) (from Jaguars): Bryce Petty, Baylor QB
Round 5, Pick 16 (152) (from Texans): Jarvis Harrison, Texas A&M OG
Round 7, Pick 6 (223): Deon Brown, Northwestern State (LA) NT

Were there holes on offense that the Jets needed to address? Hell yeah. Did they address them during the draft? Not right away. With the first pick the Jets took Leonard Williams, the defensive end from USC. This now marks the 7th year win a row that the Jets took a defensive player with their first overall pick in the draft. The last time the Jets took an offensive player with their first pick, they took Mark Sanchez with the 5th pick in 2009. The Jets did make a very smart move by picking Williams at six. He's the best defensive player, and possibly the best overall player, that was sitting there at the draft when the Jets had their pick. So why not take a chance and grab him up. It gives the Jets plenty of options on the defensive line, which makes the Jets even more lethal on defense then they were before. From an offensive perspective, the Jets made a few nice pickups. Picking up Wide receiver Devin Smith was a nice little selection. Smith is going to, in all likelyhood see limited action this year, but his game-breaking potential deep will help draw attention away from Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker and Jeremy Kerley. It will help open up options in the pass game. Then you add in the Jets selecting Jarvis Harrison, the Texas A&M guard in the 5th round. It helps add depth to what is an aging offensive line for the Jets. Facts are the Jets line is getting older and outside of Nick Mangold and D'Brickashaw Ferguson still leaves something to be desired. So adding Harrison gives the Jets more options on the line.

What is going to be a true interesting option for the Jets is selecting Baylor QB Bryce Petty. Gang Green grabbed Petty in the 4th round. He's probably the best QB that was left in the draft after Winston and Mariota. Petty won't be a viable NFL starter for some time, if ever, but he still could swipe the QB-of-the-future status from Geno Smith. Ryan Fitzpatrick's presence also buys New York time to bring Petty along. On the whole, this was a good draft for the Jets. It gives them depth and options for what they want to do with the defense. In case they make a trade or lose a starter on the line to free agency, they have options. They also added an offensive weapon by pickup up Running Back Zac Stacy from the Rams in a trade. All in all, the Draft was a good one for the Jets

Grade: A-

So that's how both teams did in the Draft over the weekend.