Final NFL Draft Recap

Now that all of my grades are done, I wanted to do a final recap of the draft. I decided to rank all 32 drafts now that they have grades from worst to best and give a few final parting words about the draft.

Here are my draft grades and recaps by division if you missed them.
AFC East
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
NFC East
NFC North
NFC South
NFC West

For the following draft rankings we are starting with the worst draft 32, and going forward towards #1.

32. Indianapolis Colts

31. Seattle Seahawks

30. Dallas Cowboys

29. Miami Dolphins

28. New England Patriots

27. Denver Broncos

26. Arizona Cardinals

25. San Francisco 49ers

24. Detroit Lions

23. Kansas City Chiefs

22. Tennessee Titans

21. New Orleans Saints

20. Cleveland Browns

19. Oakland Raiders

18. Green Bay Packers

17. Philadelphia Eagles

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

15. Cincinnati Bengals

14. Buffalo Bills

13. Chicago Bears

12. San Diego Chargers

11. New York Jets

10. Minnesota Vikings

09. Washington Redskins

08. New York Giants

07. Atlanta Falcons

06. Jacksonville Jaguars

05. Pittsburgh Steelers

04. Carolina Panthers

03. St. Louis Rams

02. Houston Texans

01. Baltimore Ravens

Here comes FSU brag time....

In the NCAA 85 scholarship era FSU ('95-Present) has had 117 players drafted, trailing only Ohio State with 118 players drafted. It is likely that FSU will claim that top spot next year.

Since 2000 FSU has had 84 players drafted.

Since 2000 FSU has had 19 1st round picks (2nd most).

The last two seasons FSU has had 18 players drafted setting a new school record. 

Under Jimbo Fisher FSU has had 25 players selected (4 seasons).

FSU has 40 1st round picks in school history.

The Noles also had 7 players selected in the first 150 picks this year which was the most of any college.

Finally in the 85 scholarship era FSU has had 68 defensive players selected in the NFL Draft. That is the most of any school.

Hope you enjoyed my draft recaps and congratulations to the National Champion Florida State Seminoles!

-Noland

AFC North Draft Grades

Here is the second installment of my draft grades. Today we look at the AFC North...

Baltimore Ravens

1(17) CJ Mosley (LB, Alabama)

2(48) Timmy Jernigan (DT, Florida State)

3(79) Terrance Brooks (FS, Florida State)

3(99) Crockett Gilmore  (TE, Colorado State)

4(134) Brent Urban (DE, Virginia)

4(138) Lorenzo Taliaferro (RB,  Coastal Carolina)

5(175) John Urschel (OG, Penn State)

6(194) Keith Wenning (QB, Ball State)

7(218) Michael Campanaro (WR, Wake Forest)

Best Pick: Timmy Jernigan

Timmy Jernigan was a top 10 pick in just about every mock draft prior to the National Championship. So what happened? Jernigan came off the field dehydrated  at the end of the game in crucial moments. Now, Jernigan was outstanding all game long, but the time when he missed had to play a factor. He was #6 on Scouts.Inc’s board until the National Championship and then dropped drastically. He tested ok, but Aaron Donald blew him away in testing off the field as well and passed him on all those draft boards. Add a failed drug test in at the combine and Jernigan fell to round 2. Now, the failed drug test was a diluted sample and not the typical failure (a dilution Jernigan’s agent said was from overhydrating). This is possible, but it’s always hard to believe guys nowadays so I will let you be the judge. Even with all of that, I had Jernigan rated as the 5^th best player in this draft. On the field, Jernigan is as good as anyone and a drug test combined with one series don’t change that for me. The Ravens got amazing value here.

Summary: The Ravens had one of the three best drafts. For me, three are head and shoulders above the rest. Baltimore is the first of these revealed so far. I’d lean towards this draft being the best of all. The Ravens picked up three starters on defense to add to an already solid unit. Three guys that will have a major impact for this team were added here. Safety was a huge need for them and they got a great fit in Terrance Brooks. Add in one of the best 7^th round picks in Michael Campanaro along with several other strong picks and they had a fantastic draft.

Grade: A

Undrafted Free Agents

 Xavius Boyd (LB, Western Kentucky)

Levi Brown (DT, Temple)

Jeremy Brown (WR, Tenn-Martin)

Jace Davis (WR, Northern Colorado)

Parker Graham (OT, Oklahoma State)

Derrick Hopkins (DT, Virginia Tech)

James Hurst (OT, North Carolina)

Tramain Jacobs (DB, Texas A & M)

Richie Leone (P, Houston)

Jamie Meder (DT, Ashland)

Dexter Moody (DB, Albany State)

Deji Olatoye (DB, North Carolina A & T)

Zachary Orr (LB, North Texas)

AJ Pataiali'i (DT, Utah State)

Avery Patterson (DB, Oregon)

Sammy Seamster (DB, Middle Tennessee State)

Brett Van Sloten (OT, Iowa)

Before breaking his leg in the bowl game, Hurst was predicted by many to be a 1st rounder. He is one of the most decorated offensive lineman in NCAA and I was shocked he wasn't drafted. His signing along with Derrick Hopkins help to make this a great group of undrafted free agents. They will have a ton of competition to make the Ravens roster because it is such a strong group, they have the veterans and they had a great draft. However, I am sure that's a problem the Ravens love to have.

Cincinnati Bengals

1(24) Darqueze Dennard (CB, Michigan State)

2(55) Jeremy Hill (RB, LSU)

3(88) Will Clarke (DE, West Virginia)

4(111) Russell Bodine (OG, North Carolina)

5(164) AJ McCarron (QB, Alabama)

6(212) Marquis Flowers (LB, Arizona)

7(239) James Wright (WR, LSU)

7(252) Lavelle Westbrooks (DB, Georgia Southern)

Best Pick: Russell Bodine

Bodine is a really solid blocker who is very strong. I was pretty shocked that he was available in round 4. This is a guy that will be starting for the Bengals by the end of this season at either center or guard. It was a huge coup to get this guy in round 4. He was quite good for the Tar Heels last season.

Summary: I am not a fan of AJ McCarron and personally wouldn’t have picked him, but if you are going to pick him, Round 5 is not a bad spot for that. James Wright is probably the only LSU fan in the draft I wasn’t a huge fan of either. However, other than those two, this team did quite nice. Solid draft picks at every position. Good value throughout the draft especially with Russell Bodine and 7^th round pick Lavelle Westbrooks. Unfortunately, for Jeremy Hill this probably is not the best locker room for him with his off the field issues. The Bengals have had success with players with checkered past, but not the locker room I’d want to go into if I was him.

Grade: B

Undrafted Free Agents

Jimmy Bennett (OT, UCONN)

James Davidson (DL, UTEP)

Curtis Feight (OL, West Virginia)

Dan France (OL, Michigan State)

Ryan Hewitt (FB, Stanford)

Trey Hopkins (OG, Texas)

Isiah Lewis (S, Michigan State)

Colin Lockett (WR, San Diego State)

Alex Neutz (WR, Buffalo)

Nikita Whitlock (DL, Wake Forest)

James Wilder Jr. (RB, Florida State)

It is absolutely crazy to me that Texas did not have a player drafted for the first time in my lifetime. One of the reasons is that a guy like Hopkins gets drafted most years, but this draft was so very deep. He is a good signing for Cincy. James Wilder is a high upside signing as he was one of the top RBs in HS. Coming into FSU he was the next great RB, but he was outshined by Freeman his entire tenure with the Noles. It was a poor decision for Wilder to go pro, but he can be quite successful. Wilder showed flashes of brillance at FSU, but he was never the absolute dominant force that most of us were expecting. I'd love for him to be that guy in the pros and realize his potential, but he may never reach his high ceiling. Nikita Whitlock makes this team.

Cleveland Browns

1(8) Justin Gilbert (CB, Oklahoma State)

1(22) Johnny Manziel (QB, Texas A & M)

2(35) Joel Bitonio (OT, Nevada)

3(71) Christian Kirksey (LB,  Iowa)

3(94) Terrance West (RB, Towson)

4(127) Pierre Desir (CB, Lindenwood)

Best Pick: Justin Gilbert

Several people did not like this pick. I love this pick. You trade down and pick up a 1^st rounder for next year on a team that needs a push if they want to contend. In addition to this you get the top player on your board who happens to be the best corner in the draft. Drafting Gilbert gives the Browns the best corner tandem in the league. Even as a Gator Hater, I recognize that Joe Haden is the best there is and he just shuts everyone down. Now, teams will have a harder time staying away from Haden because Gilbert is fantastic in coverage. It just got a lot harder to pass against the Browns and it wasn’t exactly easy before. This will be a lesson to teams, pick the best player available!

Summary: The Browns did very well in my opinion other than the Manziel pick. I have never been a Johnny Football fan and his money sign walking across the stage surely did not change that pick. I would have continued to build my team outside of the QB and give Hoyer a shot at this thing. Johnny needs an O-line and some WR to succeed and Cleveland doesn’t have the best guys there. Few guys go from college to pros and have less weapons in addition to worse protection, but that’s what just happened to Johnny Manziel with the impending Gordon suspension. Getting a weapon and putting the a QB next year in a better position would have been my move, but I see why the Browns did this. Kelvin Benjamin would have been my choice followed by a trade up for Hundley from UCLA next year. Who knows though maybe it will work out. The rest of the picks were quite good though and every pick could end up starting which stopped the Manziel pick from derailing the draft. I would have liked to see more picks though since it was the deepest draft of my lifetime.

Grade: C+

Undrafted Free Agents

Ray Agnew (FB, Southern Illinois)

Greg Blair (LB, Cincinnati)

Carlo Calabrese (LB, Notre Dame)

Isiah Crowell (RB, Alabama State)

Anthony Dima (OL, UMASS)

Jason Hendricks (S, Pittsburgh)

Blake Jackson (WR, Oklahoma State)

Chandler Jones (WR, San Jose State)

Jonathan Krause (WR, Vanderbilt)

Corey Robinson (QB, Troy)

Connor Shaw (QB, South Carolina)

Kenny Shaw (WR, Florida State)

Willie Snead (WR, Ball State)

Kenny Shaw was my favorite Seminole since he went over the middle against Oklahoma a few years back and put his body on the line for the Noles. He was a fearless receiver and a strong punt returner. The guy had really good hands and you could always count on #81 to deliver. With the lack of quality receivers in Cleveland this was a must to sign Shaw.

The other Shaw, Connor, was a great signing as well. Shaw was the one QB who beat Missouri in the regular season. You know those Missouri defenders Kony Ealy and Michael Sam everyone has been obsessing over? Connor Shaw came in injured against their team and led a 14 point comeback, but nobody talked about whether he would be drafted. No disrespect to Missouri, or to the other QBs in this draft, but I'd rather have Shaw than a few guys picked before him.

Pittsburgh Steelers

1(15) Ryan Shazier (LB, Ohio State)

2(46) Stephon Tuitt (DT, Notre Dame)

3(97) Dri Archer (RB, Kent State)

4(118) Martavis Bryant  (WR, Clemson)

5(157) Shaquille Richardson (DB, Arizona)

5(173) Wesley Johnson (C, Vanderbilt)

6(192) Jordan Zumwalt (LB, UCLA)

6(215) Dan McCullers (DT, Tennessee)

7(230) Rob Blanchflower (TE, Massachusetts)

Best Pick: Stephon Tuitt

The Steelers struck gold with their second round selection of Stephon Tuitt. For me, Tuitt was a 1^st round talent and most analysts agreed. To get him In the middle of the second round had to be exciting for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Expect Tuitt to be a fixture on the Steelers defense for years to come. Other teams will not be happy that they passed on such a talent.

Summary: The Steelers didn’t reach for anything and did quite well in the draft. I absolutely love what the Steelers did in round 2-5 and was impressed with the quality they picked up throughout. If I was a fan of the Steelers I would have loved their draft. To me, these guys were just off the top 3 teams. They had the 4^th or 5^th best draft and picked up several quality players.

Grade: A-

Undrafted Free Agents

Devon Carrington (S, Stanford)

Chris Elkins (OG, Youngstown State)

Ethan Hemer (DE, Wisconsin)

Kaycee Ike (OT, UAB)

Howard Jones (LB, Shephard)

Brendon Kay (QB, Cincinnati)

Josh Mauro (DE, Stanford)

Roy Philon (DT, Louisville)

Will Simmons (OG, Eastern Carolina)

Eric Waters (TE, Missouri)

Eric Waters is one of those super athletic tight ends. He could not only make the team, but contribute a great deal if he gets better with his hands. The guy has the tools, but his hands are not reliable. The Missouri tight end is certainly one to watch. Roy Philon is another one to watch. I could see Philon making the team as he certainly has the talent to do so. Brendon Kay is very unlikely to stick. Some of the other guys like Devon Carrington have a lot better chance. Solid group the Steelers signed.

-Noland

NFL Season Predictions

The NFL season is here. Sit back and enjoy my predictions for this year. I will go division by division and bold the playoff teams. I will also give records of where I think the team will finish.

NFC East
New York Giants (11-5)
Philadelphia Eagles (9-7)
Washington Redskins (6-10)
Dallas Cowboys (4-12)

NFC North
Green Bay Packers (14-2)
Chicago Bears (10-6)
Minnesota Vikings (7-9)
Detroit Lions (6-10)

NFC South
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-6)
Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
Carolina Panthers (5-11)
New Orleans Saints (5-11)

NFC West
San Francisco 49ers (11-5)
St. Louis Rams (10-6)
Seattle Seahawks (7-9)
Arizona Cardinals (1-15)

AFC East
New England Patriots (12-4)
Buffalo Bills (10-6)
New York Jets (3-13)
Miami Dolphins (1-15)

AFC North
Cincinnati Bengals (11-5)
Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8)
Cleveland Browns (4-12)

AFC South
Houston Texans (13-3)
Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)
Indianapolis Colts (4-12)
Tennessee Titans (3-13)

AFC West
Denver Broncos (11-5)
San Diego Chargers (10-6)
Oakland Raiders (7-9)
Kansas City Chiefs (5-11)

MVP: Andre Johnson

Coach of the Year: Greg Schiano

NFL Playoffs Round 1
Broncos over Ravens
Bengals over Bills
Falcons over Giants
Rams over Bucs

Round 2
Broncos over Pats
Texans over Bengals
Falcons over 49ers
Packers over Rams

NFC Championship
Falcons over Packers

AFC Championship
Texans over Broncos

Super Bowl
Texans over Falcons

-Noland

Rice's New Deal and Other Ravens News

There has been a lot going on for the Baltimore Ravens lately. As you know I love Baltimore teams, and eventhough the Ravens are not my favorite team, I do root for them. I like a lot of players on the Ravens and Anquan Boldin and Ray Rice are two of my favorites. Some would also consider the Ravens a Super Bowl favorite this season.

New look, new season, same Ravens. So what are some of the expectations for this group?

Well, the 1st and most important expectation was to resign Ray Rice. They did that very well. Ray Rice agreed to a 5 yr/35 million dollar deal a couple of days ago. Many would argue that Ray Rice is the best back in football, so it was imperative that he get resigned. All Ravens players and fans love Ray Rice. He is a fearless runningback and one of the last of a dying breed of dominant rushers. Great deal for Baltimore.

Rice is a beast. You can follow him on Twitter @RayRice27. He also has a website RayRice27.com where you can get your Ray Rice news.

The expectations for Joe Flacco are pretty high. Everyone seems to be having high praise for Flacco. Ron Jaworski listed Flacco as the 9th best QB on his QB Countdown. He was placed ahead of Matt Ryan. I think Flacco was kind of low though honestly. Cutler and Roethlisberger were ahead of Flacco to which I say no way. Then Rivers was ahead as well which I disagree with. I think Flacco should be the #6 QB in the league and he has potential to move up. Especially if Peyton Manning cannot recover. Phil Simms seems to think even higher of Flacco than Jaws.
"Even then, he might not get the credit that he deserves. I don’t think he’s good, I think he’s awesome. I know I’m right. I don’t need your stamp of approval.” - Phil Simms

Joe Theismann has incredibly high expectations, picking the Ravens to play in the Super Bowl.

The real question now is how long Terrell Suggs is out? The linebacker thinks he can play this season, but after tearing his ACL in April, how likely is it? A Ravens Super Bowl run is far less likely with an injured Terrell Suggs. All Ravens fans are hoping desperately for a speedy recovery.

-Noland

Wide Receiver Calls It Quits

This is yesterday's news and if you follow me on Twitter you already know, but Derrick Mason has called it quits. Derrick Mason is the classy receiver for the Baltimore Ravens. He is more famous for his time with Tennessee where he was Steve McNair's go to guy. Mason spent 8 years in Tennessee before spending 6 in Baltimore. He actually holds a few Ravens team records, including career catches and yards. Actually, Mason ranks 2nd on the team list in career TD catches.

Derrick Mason split time between the Jets and Texans last year, but he thought of himself as a Raven the whole time. In fact Mason said this about his retirement, "the decision wasn't hard to retire, and the decision where to retire was just as easy. My heart was here. It never left. My body left, but my heart stayed right in this room."

Mason will probably best be known as McNair's top receiver in both Tennessee and Baltimore. McNair was briefly with Mason for the Ravens. Derrick Mason briefly retired in 2009 following the McNair murder suicide because it so deeply effected him. He had this to say about his former teammate, "I can't leave without thanking Steve. Him and I, more or less, grew up together in the game of football my first eight years and one here. Because of him, my numbers are what they are. Because he looked for me, he trusted me, he counted on me. I hope I never failed him. He will always be No. 1 with me."

"My run is over. It was a good one," he said. "I'm happy."   

"It was fun," he said. "I want to be remembered as a guy who went out there and did his job the way he knew how - hard and fast.".   

Derrick Mason did his job very well and he was a great teammate. He helped make watching Ravens games fun. The NFL needs more guys like Mason, not less.

-Noland

Undrafted Free Agents and Where They Signed

Every year undrafted free agents end up making a huge impact. Here is where some of the more notable ones signed. For a full list, go here.

Baltimore Ravens
QB John Brantley (UF)- This was a really worthless move by the Ravens. Brantley is terrible. I know it is an undrafted free agent, but the dude stinks. No shot he makes it.

Buffalo Bills
P Shaun Powell (FSU) - Powell was amazing as a punter for the Noles. The Bills have a solid punter already in Brian Moorman, but perhaps Powell can beat him out. Maybe Powell goes elsewhere after training camp.

Cincinatti Bengals
LB Vontaze Burfict (ASU) - Was in many first rounds of mock drafts not to long ago and went undrafted. I think he was way overrated and a tool, but maybe worth a shot?
OL Landon Walker (Clem) - Solid pickup who might actually make the team

Cleveland Browns
WR Bert Reed (FSU) - Reed underwhelmed at FSU and is known as a partier, but I wish him well. Unfortunately for him, he signed with the Browns.

Detroit Lions
QB Kellen Moore (BSU) - Moore is a winner, but I don't think he has the tools to succeed as a professional. He seems like a great guy though, so I'd love to be proven wrong

Houston Texans
QB Case Keenum (Houston) - Was a record setter at Houston, but would seem to be a system quarterback.

Jacksonville Jaguars
WR Jarrett Boykin (VT) - This is a solid pickup. Boykin could make the team for a team with a weak receiving core.

Pittsburgh Steelers
P Drew Butler (UGA) - I expect Butler to replace the Steelers current punter. To think, Jacksonville could have had them without using a pick.

Washington Redskins
CB Chase Minniefield (UVA) - My prediction is that this will end up being the best undrafted FA signing.
C Grant Garner (OK ST) - Possibility of making the team, solid blocker.

-Noland

Brandon Stokley Signs With The Denver Broncos

Famous for one of the most famous catches in Broncos history, Brandon Stokley has signed with his old team. Stokley also reunites with Peyton Manning whom he won a Super Bowl with in Indy. Stokley received the record breaking pass in the 2004 season when Manning passed Marino for most touchdowns in a season. He caught 68 passes for 1007 in that historic 2004 season. Stokley is also known for his time in Baltimore where he helped that team win a Super Bowl as well. He caught 3 touchdown passes in Super Bowl XXXV which could easily be defined as the biggest moment of his career. Does Stokley have anything left though? We are about to find out.

-Noland

Jaguars Sign Lee Evans

As many of you know I like the Baltimore Ravens. So I was not happy with Lee Evans this season. He especially frustrated me in that New England game, costing the Ravens a chance to go to the Super Bowl. I can't imagine that anyone would want him as he is finished, but good luck in Jacksonville man. I'm sure you might catch 5 passes with them.

- Noland