If you recall my Pre Draft post I listed several teams in two categories, Dumpster Fire Alert! and Watch These Teams and Get Smarter. As a final 2013 draft review let's see how I did with my predictions.
Dumpster Fire Alert!
Jets: Bullseye!
A hot mess of a draft. Took a corner they didn't need, the second best tackle prospect, and another QB with all sorts of question marks without adding any significant offensive talent. They'll be picking inside the top 5 next year and will have a shot at a QB prospect that's better than Geno Smith. Reminds me of the Browns taking Brandon Weeden late in the 1st round in 2012. Browns picked 6th this year and still don't have an answer at QB. Jets and Browns should have used their respective QB picks on building a better foundation for their future franchise QB. It's like putting on Armani suit for a date without having showered for the last week.
Browns: Bullseye!
Mingo is a good prospect, just not at No. 6. Sound logic, bad fit. Weeden is a liability at QB and if the Browns wanted to stay in games they need to give him more time. Guards Jonathan Cooper or Chance Warmack would have helped solidify the middle of the pocket and opened up bigger holes for Trent Richardson. They'll have a shot at Teddy Bridgewater next year, but by then they will have figured out that one of their new DEs, Kruger or Mingo, were a bad investments.
Raiders: Off the Mark!
Any worries about Al Davis reaching out from the great beyond to take the fastest player on the board can be put to rest...in peace (too soon?). It's going to take some time, but the Raiders are clearly building towards something.
Bills: Bullseye!
The first four players they took have "upside", but lacked consistent production. The same can be said of the current Bills team. Upside is overrated, especially when prospects with a ton of it go to teams that expect them to perform right away. Upside players who go to good teams where they can learn and grow without pressure have a much higher success rate than upside players that go to bad teams. Upside is expensive and the Bills cashed in their 401k to buy unstable and underperforming stock
Panthers: Bullseye!
Lotulelei required about as much skill to draft as it would take for me to deposit a Powerball jackpot check. Then the Panthers did what many lotto winners do, blow their new found fortune at every available opportunity. This might be the most incompetent front office in the NFL. Cam has an aging Steve Smith and three RBs that struggle to stay healthy in a division where every other team got better this offseason. If the Panthers finish anywhere but 4th in the NFC SOUTH Cam really is superman.
Watch These Teams and Get Smarter
Needless to say I was right about all of these teams. Here's why.
Steelers: Browns pass on the better DE prospect Jarvis Jones and he lands on a team where he won't be double teamed like he was in college. The Browns will spend two games this year wishing they could go back in time.
Packers: Patience and confidence lands them two of the three best RB prospects in this draft 1-2 rounds later than they were projected to go. 'Nuff said.
Colts: Borring draft for a team that's quietly building a foundation for complete AFC domination. They've got the 3rd best QB in the conference and after Brady and Manning retire they'll be very difficult to beat because their d-line makes your QB uncomfortable and Luck makes your D look dumb.
Ravens: Elam is a great fit and Ozzie Newsome can't believe how stupid other teams that needed an impact safety are. Ravens won't repeat in 2013, but they'll be better than the Browns.
49ers: Reid was clearly their guy and they can afford to reach a bit for him. The genius of Trent Baalke's 2013 draft will be felt in the same time his previous years' genius was realized, 1-3 years after the fact. Carradine, Lattimore, Lemonier, and Patton will all be starters by 2016 and by then we'll all go, "Ooooooh, that's right, way back in 2013 after round one Baalke and Harbaugh worked this draft like Jillian Michaels".
Dumpster Fire Alert!
Jets: Bullseye!
A hot mess of a draft. Took a corner they didn't need, the second best tackle prospect, and another QB with all sorts of question marks without adding any significant offensive talent. They'll be picking inside the top 5 next year and will have a shot at a QB prospect that's better than Geno Smith. Reminds me of the Browns taking Brandon Weeden late in the 1st round in 2012. Browns picked 6th this year and still don't have an answer at QB. Jets and Browns should have used their respective QB picks on building a better foundation for their future franchise QB. It's like putting on Armani suit for a date without having showered for the last week.
Browns: Bullseye!
Mingo is a good prospect, just not at No. 6. Sound logic, bad fit. Weeden is a liability at QB and if the Browns wanted to stay in games they need to give him more time. Guards Jonathan Cooper or Chance Warmack would have helped solidify the middle of the pocket and opened up bigger holes for Trent Richardson. They'll have a shot at Teddy Bridgewater next year, but by then they will have figured out that one of their new DEs, Kruger or Mingo, were a bad investments.
Raiders: Off the Mark!
Any worries about Al Davis reaching out from the great beyond to take the fastest player on the board can be put to rest...in peace (too soon?). It's going to take some time, but the Raiders are clearly building towards something.
Bills: Bullseye!
The first four players they took have "upside", but lacked consistent production. The same can be said of the current Bills team. Upside is overrated, especially when prospects with a ton of it go to teams that expect them to perform right away. Upside players who go to good teams where they can learn and grow without pressure have a much higher success rate than upside players that go to bad teams. Upside is expensive and the Bills cashed in their 401k to buy unstable and underperforming stock
Panthers: Bullseye!
Lotulelei required about as much skill to draft as it would take for me to deposit a Powerball jackpot check. Then the Panthers did what many lotto winners do, blow their new found fortune at every available opportunity. This might be the most incompetent front office in the NFL. Cam has an aging Steve Smith and three RBs that struggle to stay healthy in a division where every other team got better this offseason. If the Panthers finish anywhere but 4th in the NFC SOUTH Cam really is superman.
Watch These Teams and Get Smarter
Needless to say I was right about all of these teams. Here's why.
Steelers: Browns pass on the better DE prospect Jarvis Jones and he lands on a team where he won't be double teamed like he was in college. The Browns will spend two games this year wishing they could go back in time.
Packers: Patience and confidence lands them two of the three best RB prospects in this draft 1-2 rounds later than they were projected to go. 'Nuff said.
Colts: Borring draft for a team that's quietly building a foundation for complete AFC domination. They've got the 3rd best QB in the conference and after Brady and Manning retire they'll be very difficult to beat because their d-line makes your QB uncomfortable and Luck makes your D look dumb.
Ravens: Elam is a great fit and Ozzie Newsome can't believe how stupid other teams that needed an impact safety are. Ravens won't repeat in 2013, but they'll be better than the Browns.
49ers: Reid was clearly their guy and they can afford to reach a bit for him. The genius of Trent Baalke's 2013 draft will be felt in the same time his previous years' genius was realized, 1-3 years after the fact. Carradine, Lattimore, Lemonier, and Patton will all be starters by 2016 and by then we'll all go, "Ooooooh, that's right, way back in 2013 after round one Baalke and Harbaugh worked this draft like Jillian Michaels".
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