Monday, June 6, 2011

Post draft analysis: AFC East.

BUFFALO BILLS

BOOM! : Marcell Dareus.  DL.
It is really hard to not love Dareus. Early on in the draft process I saw so many Mock Drafts that had Fairley going higher than Dareus and this just puzzled me. No knock on Fairley but Dareus has done in more than just one year. I think most Alabama fans would tell you that in 09 when both Dareus an Mt. Cody played next to each other, it was Dareus that made Cody better and not the other way around. Marcell is not just a big body to fill inside but he has so much strength to get off blocks that he will most likely always draw double teams. I love the pick and I love that the Bills did not go QB or WR which they could have used. Dareus will be a day 1 starter and should help the rest of Buffalo's DL better.


 BUST : Aaron Williams, DB.
My reason for Williams being a bust pick are oddly enough not because of his talent. This bust goes to the Bills Organization because they did NOT draft Andy Dalton. Dalton had fallen to them and they need a franchise QB. I am no where near being sold on Fitzpatrick as a long term solution at QB. So unless they plan on losing every game this season and guarantee themselves a chance at Andrew Luck, the Bills will regret this pick. Williams is a decent talent but he is more upside than proven and that is a gamble. Williams will most likely play nickle or slot CB this season and he may be a very good starter in years to come, but when Dalton is picking defenses apart in two years from now they are going to be kicking themselves.


NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS.

   
BOOM!:  Shane Vereen RB
The Pats show once again why they are the standard of excellence in the NFL. They ALWAYS get so much talent every draft. Vereen will be a stud in Tom Brady's offense. He is not a complete burner but his balance is incredible. He has great vision and best of all, he has excellent receiving skills. He will be another tremendous pick for the PATS and will be an explosive checkdown for Brady. I see him working himself into the rotation of backs from day 1 and separating himself by midseason.

BUST: Nate Solder OL

I actually like this pick IF Solder lives up to "potential". He is huge at 6'8 and has great reach, but he was too inconstant for me to say he is a sure fire replacement for Matt Light. He has the tools, he has the intelligence, but if watch the tape on him, he lacks that "grit" that I would want in a premier LT in the NFL. I don't know if he is nasty enough to play RT so that concerns me. Again if potential were reality, then Jamarcus Russel would still be in Oakland. I have a hunch that since he is with the PATS he will be just fine, but it may have been a reach at 17. Prediction: He will rotate in the O-line and may even start out playing RG, but will eventually be the LT of the future for the PATS, IF he lives up to his "potential" (I hate that word!!!!)

NEW YORK JETS:

BOOM! Muhammad Wilkerson DL.
It is hard not to get excited about Wilkerson, even if you are a moron Jets fan that Boo's any pick other than a skill position at the draft. Wilkerson is BIG, STRONG, and QUICK. What else can you want out of a DT. I had him projected right behind Dareus as a top DL coming into this years draft. With Jenkins hobbling and getting older, Wilkerson is in a great position to get in early and often and could actually be an upgrade from Jenkins.He will command double, if not triple teams and very well could end up being the best interior DL in this entire draft. Prediction: Day 1 starter. Immediate impact player.


BUST: Bilal Powell RB

I had to go to the 4th rounder to pick as my bust. He is another one year wonder that could or could not be successful in the enigma that playing Running Back in the NFL. Not very big. Not very strong and not very fast. Well, that about sums up what I think about Powell. He had some impressive plays for Louisville this year but it still is hard to evaluate a player with only one year of tape. My bet is he will make the team because he was a 4th rounder, but after that he will play special teams at beat this year. Especially if LT comes back and plays well.


MIAMI DOLPHINS:

BOOM: Daniel Thomas.
Love this pick. Especially with the thought of Ronnie Brown not being a Dolphin next season. Thomas has great quickness and good size. He just has a knack for making big plays and making LB's miss.If he can translate everything I have seen on him to the NFL game, he will be a starter. He has the advantage of not having to learn as much of a playbook as other positions so he could very well be starting early and often: Prediction: A starter for the Dolphins by week 8.

BUST: Mike Pouncey.

 This is another hard pick for me to label as a bust. However, is he the product of what he did or how much success his brother had as a rookier for Shittsburg? I definitely think Pouncey has great talent but what concerns me is how he will be able to handle the rotation of 3-4 and 4-3 looks he will get early and often. A center has to be just as intelligent as a QB when it comes to line calls and alot of times the QB is listening to his calls first then making his own adjustments off of that.My burning question is "is he riding his brother's success into the NFL?". My guess is    if he did not have a brother that was so successful, he may have dropped into the 2nd or 4rd round. Time will tell, but my prediction is he will not start year one unless it is at RG. He will get his chance at center but he may turn out to be a liability at Center.

3 comments:

  1. Mike Pouncy bust? Are you serious?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great post. Being a huge PAts fan, it is nice to see someone recognize
    how good vereen will be

    ReplyDelete
  3. Daniel Thomas will suck from day 1..Book it.

    ReplyDelete