NFC East draft grades

By Lou DiPietro | Tuesday, April 28, 2009 | ( 1 )

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With the 2009 NFL Draft in the books, RealFootball365.com will spend this week analyzing the draft hauls of all 32 NFL teams and grading them on their weekend moves, one division at a time.
Part 1 - AFC East

Next up in RealFootball365.com's draft evaluation is the NFC East, which got one of the few 'A' grades and one of the few 'D' grades. Quite the swing.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

DAY 1: They only had one pick, and got the guy they wanted. The Redskins coveted Texas DE Brian Orakpo for months, and when he somehow fell to No. 13, they wasted no time in getting their pick in. Orakpo, a tough hybrid with a nonstop motor, will slot right in on the weak side and give the Skins a great complement for Albert Haynesworth.

DAY 2: Had they stopped after Orakpo, the Skins earn an easy 'A.' However, they had five picks on Day 2 to deal with. Third-rounder Kevin Barnes missed most of his senior season with a broken shoulder, but the Maryland product could compete for time as a nickel corner. After that, well, it ain’t much. A pair of OK outside linebackers came in the fifth and sixth rounds, while their seventh-rounders were Idaho FB Eddie Williams -- who isn’t big enough to be an H-Back or TE but doesn’t block well enough to be a true FB -- and a project receiver in Nevada’s Marko Mitchell. Barring a severe rash of injuries, none of the four have much hope outside of special teams.

THE SKINNY: Well, getting Orakpo will be a huge boost, and Barnes could contribute. Otherwise, it was really a forgettable draft. Perhaps their biggest draft bust, however, was trading their second-rounder last year for Jason Taylor. Only 29 tackles and 3.5 sacks? Orakpo could have that by midseason; yet, if Taylor was any good, they wouldn’t even have needed Orakpo. GRADE: C-minus

DALLAS COWBOYS

DAY 1: As Tony Reali would say, SQUADOOSH! Their first-round pick went to Detroit in the Roy Williams deal last year, and moments before going off the clock, Dallas traded its second-rounder to Buffalo for a three and a four.

DAY 2: The Day 1 trade left the Cowboys with 12 picks on Sunday, and many of them are a little suspect. For one, there’s fourth-rounder Stephen McGee. Sure, he was a good QB at Texas A&M and is a local kid, but on a roster with Tony Romo and Jon Kitna, was he really necessary? Another is fifth-rounder David Buehler from USC. Sure, he’s 6-2, 227 pounds and out-benched many of the top defensive prospects in the draft. So what’s the problem? He’s a KICKER. Yes, they drafted a kicker, even though they have a 24-year-old who’s kicked at a nearly 87 percent clip so far. Unless Nick Folk had a leg amputated in the offseason or they think Buehler can actually learn how to play a regular position like safety, that pick ends up being absolutely worthless.

That’s not to say the Cowboys didn’t get some good players, too. Fourth-rounder Victor Butler is a speed rusher who will be a great fit in the 3-4, safeties Michael Hamlin (fifth round) and Stephen Hodge (sixth round) are solid run- stoppers who can also make plays and seventh-round CB Mike Mickens out of Cincinnati is a ball hawk who reads the QB very well.

THE SKINNY: It’s very tough to earn a good grade when you don’t have a pick until No. 69. It’s even harder when you select players at positions you don’t even need. And to top it off, their biggest weakness, wide receiver, wasn’t addressed until their final pick, where they selected Oklahoma’s Manuel Johnson -- who doesn’t have the size, speed or strength to be much more than a spot contributor. GRADE: D

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

DAY 1: The Eagles’ first-day draft haul might be the biggest theft in Philadelphia since that Brinks truck broke open in 1981. Seriously, look it up. Trading up to get Jeremy Maclin was something no one could foresee, as Maclin was projected as a top 10 pick. He’ll be a huge weapon for Donovan McNabb, and his acquisition is made even better by the fact they literally gave up nothing to get him -- as in they simply swapped spots with Cleveland. The Eagles added to that steal with second-rounder LeSean McCoy from Pitt, another potential first-round hopeful who can best be described as Brian Westbrook lite.

DAY 2: With Maclin and McCoy in tow, the Eagles did on Day 2 what they usually do every year -- start trading down and stockpiling picks. They got a five from the Giants to move down six spots in the third, then swapped that three for a five, a seven and a 2010 pick from Seattle. They then traded two of their now-quintet of fifth-rounders to New England for Ellis Hobbs -- meaning they basically gave up nothing more than a third-round option to get him.

In addition to that move, the Eagles actually got some great value picks on Sunday, especially with their fifth-rounders. TE Cornelius Ingram may have missed his senior season at Florida thanks to a knee injury, but he’s like a faster version of LJ Smith. Virginia Tech CB Victor “Macho” Harris, who came later in the fifth, is an excellent Cover 2 corner, and with him and Hobbs now aboard, the disgruntled Sheldon Brown can either be moved inside to safety or swapped for something more useful. The Eagles' final fifth-rounder, Oregon OT Fenuki Tupou, needs a little development but could quickly supplant Winston Justice as the third tackle.

THE SKINNY: Two great Day 1 picks give them a high grade. The move to get Hobbs, and the pre-draft trade for Jason Peters, filled huge needs, making this a no-brainer. Ingram and Harris are icing on the cake, even if the rest of their picks never see the field. GRADE: A-plus

NEW YORK GIANTS

DAY 1: If the Eagles got it exactly right, the Giants were close. Their biggest need was wide receiver, and they got a good one in North Carolina’s Hakeem Nicks. He’s fast, big and has great hands -- exactly what they needed after losing Plaxico Burress -- but has some consistency issues. Their second-rounders, however, were great picks. Virginia OLB/DE Clint Sintim had first-round potential, but they got him at No. 45. Sintim fits well in the Giants' scheme, as he’s a speed rusher who can join the rotation of Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka to continually pressure the quarterback. Their other second-rounder, Connecticut OT William Beatty, can learn from one of the best lines in the league. Plus, RT Kareem McKenzie isn’t getting any younger, so if Beatty can quickly supplant LT David Diehl, he can be moved to RT and make the line even better.

DAY 2: Excellent selections here as well. They moved up to grab Cal Poly WR Ramses Barden, another rangy receiver who gives Eli Manning a big target in the red zone. Fellow third-rounder Travis Beckum is a better receiver than any of the TE on the roster and is a great blocker, too. At 6 feet, 225 pounds, fourth-round RB Andre Brown has Derrick Ward’s size and sub-4.5 speed, while sixth-rounder DeAndre Wright is a physical safety who had 10 INTs at New Mexico. All great value picks at spots the Giants needed to address.

THE SKINNY: A pretty good draft, but Nicks may be a bit of a reach at No. 29 oddly enough, and they didn’t really address their poor linebacker situation. I guess Sintim’s emergence could allow them to move Kiwanuka back to OLB to replace Danny Clark, but they’re a better team with both in the end rotation. And drafting Rhett Bomar when they have suspect linebackers, thin safety depth and a 43-year-old punter -- don’t laugh, two went in the same round as Bomar -- is a little strange. GRADE: B

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	About Lou DiPietro Lou DiPietro is an accomplished freelance writer who is fascinated with all things sports. In addition to his duties at RealFootball365.com, Lou contributes to TheBleacherReport.com and Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine, and has been featured on "The Sports Buffet with Matt West" on 1080-AM ESPN...
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