NFC West draft grades

By Lou DiPietro  |   Sunday, May 03, 2009  |  Comments( 0 )

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With the 2009 NFL Draft in the books, RealFootball365.com spent last 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
Part 2: NFC East
Part 3: AFC North
Part 4: NFC North
Part 5: AFC South
Part 6: NFC South
Part 7: AFC West

The final stop in RealFootball365's division-by-division look at the 2009 NFL draft is the NFC West, which sports the defending conference champion Arizona Cardinals.

ST. LOUIS RAMS
DAY 1: What more can you say about Jason Smith that hasn’t been said? He was one of the premier left tackles coming into this draft, and will replace Orlando Pace as the anchor on the offensive line. Some think Eugene Monroe will be better, but it's impossible to say right now. As for their second-rounder, Ohio State LB James Laurinaitis, he also could start right away and push Will Witherspoon outside. Laurinaitis is a physical, instinctive thumper who makes up for his average athleticism by hammering people, a trait Steve Spagnuolo loves.

DAY 2: A couple good picks and a couple question marks. Third-round CB Bradley Fletcher has the size to play safety, but he will probably be more of a nickel/dime corner in sub-packages. Fourth-round DT Dorell Scott is a strong, 312-pound tackle who runs a sub-5.0 40 and can get into the backfield, so he should see time in the rotation.

The rest? Well, WR Brooks Foster is a big target, but he might not be much help outside of special teams, and RB Chris Ogbonnoya was part of Texas’ forgotten backfield. He’ll provide depth behind Steven Jackson, but what the Rams will get out of him might be limited. Their other pick was West Texas A&M QB Keith Null, an accurate, live-armed signal-caller with good speed who can be developed and will probably be the third-stringer.

THE SKINNY: Depending on how you feel about the Smith/Monroe conundrum, draft Saturday was either a great day or an excellent day. Sunday, meanwhile, gave the Rams a couple good defensive depth players and some special teams help, so not terrible. GRADE: B-minus


SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
DAY 1: T.J. Houshmandzadeh satisfied Seattle's receiver needs, and it bolstered its defense by selecting Wake Forest’s Aaron Curry at No. 4. Some feel he was the best overall player in the draft, and he will give Seattle a fantastic trio of hard-hitting, pass-rushing linebackers. With their second-rounder, the Seahawks got a steal in Oregon’s Max Unger, who can play any position on the offensive line and will challenge for a starting spot at guard right away. The Hawks also made a potentially savvy move by trading away their other second-rounder, getting Denver’s 2010 first-rounder in return; if Denver underachieves again, that could be a top 10 or 15 pick.

DAY 2: The Seahawks traded a five, a seven and a 2010 pick to Philly to get Penn State WR Deon Butler in the third; he’s a speedster who needs to develop, and there were better receivers available if they wanted to move up that far. Sixth-rounder Mike Teel, however, could be a steal; the former Rutgers QB is a smart signal-caller with a cannon, and he can produce if given time to develop. For those who think the Hawks should’ve taken Mark Sanchez, the selection of Teel potentially answers that “need” base.

In the seventh round, the Seahawks got a trio of interesting players. Rutgers SS Courtney Greene is a smart, rangy safety who can return kicks. Oregon DE Nick Reed was the Pac-10 defensive player of the year but is too small to be a down 4-3 end; he may move to ILB or perhaps even a fullback/H-back hybrid. Their final pick, Cal TE Cameron Morrah, needs to learn how to block but was worth a developmental flier toward the end of the draft.

THE SKINNY: I don’t know why some pundits think Sanchez should’ve been selected at No. 4; Curry was possibly the best player available period and their biggest need wasn’t QB. Unger will be solid, Greene and Reed could be impact backups and Butler could be a special teams nightmare. GRADE: B


SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
DAY 1: Michael Crabtree is a great player, and the 49ers must have been thrilled he slipped to No. 10. That said, his foot injury is a concern; his alleged attitude problem is a major concern given coach Mike Singletary’s demeanor; and the fact they aren’t even sure who their quarterback is compounds everything. Crabtree’s nice, but they could have used line help or even a linebacker there. If he’s really the next Jerry Rice, then all that will be moot in a few years; I, as well as many others, don’t see it. Weird pick, although the 49ers did trade their second-rounder and a fourth to Carolina for its 2010 first-rounder, so who knows.

DAY 2: Alabama RB Glen Coffee is a bruiser who has good hands, but running back wasn’t really that high of a need, either. The 49ers finally got a linebacker in the fifth, former Pitt Panther Scott McKillop. The book on him is that he’s not a great athlete, but he's very instinctual and gets the job done. Well, so do the other average linebackers they have. Their other fifth-rounder, Ball State QB Nate Davis, was once highly rated, but some scouts doubt he’ll be able to helm a conventional pro offense because of his height and sluggishness; the fact that he’ll allegedly at least compete for the No. 1 job speaks volumes about what the 49ers have there now.

Sixth-round TE Bear Pascoe is an excellent blocker who can excel on special teams, and the Niners took a pair of former LSU Tigers -- FS Curtis Taylor and DT Ricky-Jean Francois -- in the seventh. Taylor was injured much of 2008, but he has great size and was productive when on the field, so he could be a value pick. Jean-Francois was the defensive MVP of the 2008 BCS title game, but he only made nine starts at LSU and is more known for promising to take out Tim Tebow last season. Hopefully, his pro career works out better than that promise did; he didn’t even play in that game, and LSU lost by 30.

THE SKINNY: Not really sure what the 49ers were thinking originally; Crabtree falling to them may have messed up their whole draft board, but if he can avoid being a diva out by the Bay, he can be a great one. The rest of their haul is decent but nothing that will contribute much right away. GRADE: C-minus


ARIZONA CARDINALS
DAY 1: If it wasn’t already obvious that Edgerrin James’ time in Phoenix was up, the selection of Chris “Beanie” Wells confirmed it (James was released last week). Wells is a power runner between the tackles who will complement Tim Hightower and add an explosive dimension to the Cards’ offense -- if he stays healthy. Their second-rounder, Connecticut DE Cody Brown, is a good pass rusher who can excel at OLB when the Cards run a 3-4 set. Excellent value for both picks.

DAY 2: The Cards' first Sunday pick, Alabama S Rashad Johnson, is a very instinctual player who knows the game. He can possibly play nickel corner if needed, and his versatility and smarts will help him see the field quickly. Their next choice of CB Greg Toler was interesting to say the least; he played semi-pro ball and excelled at St. Paul’s College (10 points if you can name its location or division), but is relatively untested. The Cards, however, hope they strike gold like they did with small-college wonder Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie last year.

The rest of their draft picks all bring excellent value as well. LSU OT Herman Johnson is a monster (6-foot-7, 365 pounds) whom Russ Grimm will love to develop. Likewise, Cincinnati OG Trevor Canfield is a physical, nasty bruiser who can learn a lot from Grimm. Illinois DE Will Davis slipped as a senior after posting 9.5 sacks in 2007, but he worked out well and can develop. Their other pick, Pitt RB LaRod Stephens-Howling, is a Darren Sproles type who can help in the return game and contribute as a change-of-pace back behind Hightower and Wells.

THE SKINNY: After years of being the sexy pick, a Super Bowl appearance followed by a good draft has Arizona firmly headed in the right direction. Three of the team's top four picks could be starters in two years, and the rest can be very productive. 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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