Grading the Draft

[hail2skins]

Ok, it's over and he's your opportunity to grade the draft. The poll is public so be honest.

[LadyNRedskinsfan]

I said D and that should be a D- I may not be in the majority, but I liked the Orakpo selection. The Kevin Barnes pick in the 3rd was a head scratcher but at least he should be able to contribute soon. The rest of the draft was like a really bad dream.....

[BSMKF]

I gave a B grade based on the fact we landed a stud DE at 13.

[VegasSkinsFan]

I gave it a C....only because i am drinking the koolaid about the lbs. I also like the 2 udfa's so far.

[chris]

I think orakpo was a steal but I'm not much on the cb in the third I guess time will tell...I like the linebackers picks but not much on the te pick...its way to early to really grade a draft so I hope they are all studs...hail skins...
gave it a B

[ChiefPowhatan17]

Loved the Orakpo pick. Not very happy about day 2. We got some Linebackers which is good, but no one I 've really heard of.

We could have had Marcus Freeman with our #150, but we traded it.

[NCskinsfanatic]

If I'm being honest and grading the whole draft I say D. Orakpo has all the measureables and was an excellent value at pick 13, although I would have traded down or taken Oher.

I still have doubts about our ability to use him properly...first of all he's a DE, not an OLB imo. He will need to refine his technique and develop his pass rush skills while learning to play the run. Being fast and strong alone isnt good enouhgh anymore. If he cant play the run to Blache's liking he'll fair no better than Jason Taylor did.

Barnes has talent and size, while thin, hopefully he can add some muscle to his frame and bulk up just a bit. He is a much better prospect at CB than Tryon imo and should push Smoot for time. I think there were other directions(like OL) that we could have explored at 80 but again it was a good value pick.

From here down whether you base it on need or BPA the draft was a nightmare imo, filled with nothing more than UFA's and special teams players at best. I didnt expect to find starters on day two but anyone that doesnt think we could have done better based on BPA and/or our needs is really, really optimistic and has a lot more faith in the front office than I do.

[BSMKF]

I gave it a C....only because i am drinking the koolaid about the lbs. I also like the 2 udfa's so far.

da Skins SNL parady has me drinkin the Cody Glenn koolaid


LOL

[Keino]

I said D and that should be a D- I may not be in the majority, but I liked the Orakpo selection. The Kevin Barnes pick in the 3rd was a head scratcher but at least he should be able to contribute soon. The rest of the draft was like a really bad dream.....

Yep.

[Biggie]

I would have said D, but I'm in a bad mood over drafting camp fodder in the fifth round.

So F, even though I like Orakpo.

[native skin]

I said D and that should be a D- I may not be in the majority, but I liked the Orakpo selection. The Kevin Barnes pick in the 3rd was a head scratcher but at least he should be able to contribute soon. The rest of the draft was like a really bad dream.....

I agree with the D-. I'd like to see how Orakpo works outs before I pass judgment, at least they addressed a need. The rest of the draft was incredibly surreal. The only one that was not too much of a shock was the CB. We know Rogers is a crybaby, wants a big payday but can't catch a cold. I guess this confirms they are looking at options. But for the life of me, I can't understand why they would not try and pick up 3 OL with their remaining picks, even if they turn out to be crap. How can everyone I know know whats best for this team but Snyderrato?!

[FunBunch5]

I like the first two pics, but I am a bit confused at why the FO completely ignored the OL.

[CarMike]

I said D and that should be a D- I may not be in the majority, but I liked the Orakpo selection. The Kevin Barnes pick in the 3rd was a head scratcher but at least he should be able to contribute soon. The rest of the draft was like a really bad dream.....

my thoughts as well. Orakpo saved this draft from being a F for me. I wasn't thrilled with Orakpo but atleast he is a DE.

[BurgundyNGold]

I flat out graded this an F. It has to be the worst Redskins draft in recent memory. The only player that has any right to expect to see any significant time with us is Orakpo -- and that will be in *spite* of our system, but *because* of it.

1) Orakpo -- Tweener, one trick pony DE with superior speed but that does not fit our DL scheme.

Grade: C (because Orakpo just might be quick enough to only need one trick)

3) Kevin Barnes -- Has all the measurables but also has injury issues. Also, primarily a zone corner with no evidence to show that he can fit in Blache's man press scheme. Another disconnect between the FO and the HC. Unnecessary pick who will, at best, be the 4th corner on this team. Meanwhile, we have no starting WLB or RT and are weak at OG and C.

Grade: C-

5) Cody Glenn -- Less than 1 full year playing LB. Has injury problems. Has legal and character issues. Should have received an UDFA invite if available. If not, oh well. Meanwhile, Jamon Meridith (OT, South Carolina) and Duke Robinson (OG, Oklahoma) went less than 10 picks after this clown.

Grade F- (I wish Z- was a real grade)

6) Robert Henson -- Undersized WLB, which we don't need, who isn't even listed on ESPN's scouting board for OLB. He undoubtedly would have been available later or as an UDFA. Jared Newberry anyone? They might as well have drafted Jim Henson. In his current state, no less.

Grade: F

7) Eddie Williams -- TE who projects (and I use that term loosely) to H-Back or FB in the NFL. In the WCO there is no H-Back and this guy is not strong enough to play fullback. Oh, and he has no experience blocking. Not to mention we have a pro bowl FB and Lorenzo Neal is available as a FA. Finally, this clown wasn't even close to the best FB on the board and would have been available as an UDFA too.

Grade: F

7) Marko Mitchell -- I actually like this selection. The guy is a physical specimen with good plays on film. 6'-4" WR who runs a 4.49 40 and has a 32" vertical. I have no problem with taking a flier on physical freaks in the 7th. That's what the 7th round is for.

Grade: B+

[ace4ever]

I gave a C, only because Orakpo has the potential to be a very good player. Barnes was a pick that should have been used for OL, LB or even a RB. He could become an okay player, but who knows?
The other picks were pointless, at best. Seriously, we could have found better value or players who did not have an injury history that was recent.

[Lavar703]

This draft was very poor, Vinnie has proved time and time again he has no clue what hes doing. Orakpo was a great pick at 13 in my opinion and I think Barnes could potentially take over for Rogers if he leaves after this season. Passing on Meridith, Freeman, Brinkley, Robinson and countless others who graded way higher than the undrafted free agents we actually picked is quite embarrassing. With the exception of Orakpo and Barnes, I cant think of a worse draft this team has had. D-

[Biggie]

On Redskins.com, the majority of people are giving the draft a B. Are they serious?

[native skin]

On Redskins.com, the majority of people are giving the draft a B. Are they serious?

Snyder has deep pockets.

[CarMike]

On Redskins.com, the majority of people are giving the draft a B. Are they serious?

They're only counting the A's and B's. The only people that have voted are Snyder and Ceretto.

[native skin]

They're only counting the A's and B's. The only people that have voted are Snyder and Ceretto.

LOL

[Shawnb555]

I gave a B. We finally get a top line DE which we have all whined and pined for the last ten years so I really cant take down what they did after that as a negative. Would it have been nice to see a Oline prospect come in? yes but I really have no issues with any of the selections. I really like Marko even though he is just another legion of awesome member. Eddie Williams looks like a rough and tough kid and Cody Glenn looks like he might be a sleeper who is only just learning his role in the sport.

[lorimike]

Other than Orapko and Barnes we drafted players who would have probably been there as un-drafted free agents. With Duke Robinson available we drafted training camp fodder in Cody Glenn. WTF!

[akhhorus]

F-. They did nothing fundamental to help the team short or long term. If Orakpo doesn't pan out, then this will be one of the worst drafts in NFL history.

[colkurtz]

D+

Orakpo will start at DE and was an excellent pickup who could have gone higher. IF Blache uses this DL properly we went from having one of the worst pass rushes to the best in one off-season.

Unfortuantely, I just just don't get any of the other choices. We desperately need some new blood in the OL - if Snyderrato had just picked OL projects with the rest of the picks perhaps one could be a starter or backup. Instead we got several players who would have probably been UDFA; or in positions of luxury.

We've made no improvements for the OL, which last season completely broke down by mid-season. Also, all the rumors on QB trades showed JC that he won't be here next season. So we'll be drafting a QB next year and the OL; with a new coach. Bizarre.

[WinnpegSkinsFan]

D

Orakpo (B) - fits a need but questions about his motor, injuries and if Blanche will use him correctly drops this grade
Barnes (C) - not a bad value at this spot but we needed to fill bigger needs, IMO
Glen/Henson (D-) - LB is a position of need but drafting UDFA level talent with these picks makes them a waste. I doubt either make the team.
E. Williams (F) - absolutely no need for a TE, especially an injured one.
M. Mitchell (C) - I'm not too bad with this pick considering Kelly's injury issues.

Overall - passing on Oline help for UDFA level talent is inexcusable. Any gains from Orakpo & Barnes were wiped out by mid level blunders.

[3644Skins]

Easy F. I was thinking D- but Orakpo has injury concerns, he's a bit stiff in the hips and I truly wonder how many good pash rushing moves he can actually use. Most time I just see him running by an OT. Speed is great to have but eventually you have to develop other moves.

Barnes doesn't excite me, he's thin and the one big hit on youtube doesn't mean jack to me. I guess Barnes is Rogers replacement???? No way they pay Hall and Rogers big money.

The rest of the draft was useless...Glenn, Henson, Williams and Mitchell won't even make the team. So you get 2 players out of 6. Vinny sealed the F for me during his press conf' when he claimed Mitchell ran a 4.3. Everything I read said he ran a 4.49/4.5. Ignoring the o-line was just stupid, passing on Duke Robinson tears me up. Jamon Meredith, even Lydon Murtha late in the seventh roung...Oh wait, during Vinny's press conf he said the way Mike Williams looked during his tryout helped steer them away from drafting a lineman.

Worse Skins draft I've ever witnessed.

[shally]

worst draft in recent memory.. only Orakpo saves it from being a flat out F

we might get a lot more out of our UDFA's at this point

[OCSKINSFAN]

This draft was very poor, Vinnie has proved time and time again he has no clue what hes doing. Orakpo was a great pick at 13 in my opinion and I think Barnes could potentially take over for Rogers if he leaves after this season. Passing on Meridith, Freeman, Brinkley, Robinson and countless others who graded way higher than the undrafted free agents we actually picked is quite embarrassing. With the exception of Orakpo and Barnes, I cant think of a worse draft this team has had. D-

Exactly my grade and view. Well said.

[OCSKINSFAN]

They're only counting the A's and B's. The only people that have voted are Snyder and Ceretto.

The lowest rating option is D - no F option. That said, the vote has to be fixed. I can't believe that many Redskins' fans are brain dead. Maybe it's setup to work in reverse, i.e., selecting a D results in a B vote.

[silverspring]

Just seeing this madness for the first time now. I am glad i missed it what waste.

I am happy we didn't do some stupid move to get sanchez and how very exciting that we drafted a DE. But as I have said many times in the past few weeks i expect orakpo to be a bust and to be hurt constantly. I can't believe we didn't get oher. The big question is will he be a linebacker or de and if he is a defensive end it seems to me he is too small to play lde.

The rest of the draft is a joke. A cb with questionable talent? 2 linebackers that have very questionable talent. Not one offensive lineman. And to round it all out a TE. ARE YOU KIDDING ME, a TE?

Looking at this draft i just wish we had traded down. The amount of talent and the value in the bottom of the first and in the second was absolutely amazing.

[BurgundyNGold]

Just seeing this madness for the first time now. I am glad i missed it what waste.

I am happy we didn't do some stupid move to get sanchez and how very exciting that we drafted a DE. But as I have said many times in the past few weeks i expect orakpo to be a bust and to be hurt constantly. I can't believe we didn't get oher. The big question is will he be a linebacker or de and if he is a defensive end it seems to me he is too small to play lde.

The rest of the draft is a joke. A cb with questionable talent? 2 linebackers that have very questionable talent. Not one offensive lineman. And to round it all out a TE. ARE YOU KIDDING ME, a TE?

Looking at this draft i just wish we had traded down. The amount of talent and the value in the bottom of the first and in the second was absolutely amazing.
This is why I was arguing that we would be better served just to trade all of our draft picks for proven NFL players. At least then, we wouldn't blow them on players that will never be anything in the NFL.

[bigmann1977]

grading a draft this early is kinda like marrying a stripper the first nite you meet her. usually you can't get too up (no pun intended) or down on the first nite. let's ride this one out and see what happens. i gave it a 'c' because....well it's just too early to tell.

[redskin_rich]

I can't rate the draft until September whatever, when the final roster is set but as of now, I would be surprised if more than 2 picks make the team. I only expect our 1st pick to see any real playing time.

I understand that it is rare to even hit on 50% of your picks and I can accept that but to neglect the biggest area of need completely..?

It just reaffirms two of my beliefs about our management:
1. We have no set plan or direction.
2. Between Danny and Vinny, we have the most spineless, clueless, dishonest and embarrassing set of worthless idiots, EVER.

[silverspring]

This is why I was arguing that we would be better served just to trade all of our draft picks for proven NFL players. At least then, we wouldn't blow them on players that will never be anything in the NFL.

That would have been a lot more successful but i can't really support that strategy. Frankly I think if this draft didn't happen at all we would have been in better shape, now all we have is the tease of false hope.

I have been reading the draft day thread, how utterly frustrating. I hope you guys at least got drunk and had fun at redskins park

Maybe they should move Carter back to lb which i believe he played at san fran and let orakpo start at RDE. I know everything is different with haynesworth, but still didn't we learn an expensive lesson that putting a tweener rde at lde doesn't work?

I know it was a junk pick but i am flabbergasted trying to understand why on earth they would get a TE when davis is fighting for reps and frankly yoder is a more than serviceable second te. How on earth is this player ever going to get on the field?

[Rogers_Redskins]

I gave it a D, I think the front office thinks we can win without a good OL.

[hail2skins]

grading a draft this early is kinda like marrying a stripper the first nite you meet her. usually you can't get too up (no pun intended) or down on the first nite. let's ride this one out and see what happens. i gave it a 'c' because....well it's just too early to tell.It depends on what you're grading. We know the grading isn't based on performance because they have played in the NFL. That is a given. Instead, you grade base on team needs (positions) vs what they actually picked.

[WLGuru]

I give it a solid B for the following reasons:

1. It would be - at best - a C given the lack of 2nd and 4th round picks, but getting Orakpo to fall to us was an amazing stroke of luck.
2. Our biggest needs were DL, LB and OL, and we got three players there.
3. OL was a need, but it takes time to develop there (if you aren't a first rounder) and we have several guys developing on the line. Also getting Dockery and the new project guy are good moves and make that area less of a need.
4. Fifth and sixth round linebackers are risky for a need position, but they both fit in with classic sleeper profiles - position moves and injuries. Position moves can fly under the rader, and injuries move guys down a few rounds from where their talen would normally place them. Sometimes injured guys work out (e.g. Adrian Peterson) and sometimes they don't, but it was worth a try.
5. In a bad draft year we resisted any urge to trade next years' picks for picks in this draft. That took discipline.

Overall I am glad Springs, Washington and Taylor are gone, and ecstatic that Haynesworth and Hall were acquired in the past year. We are getting more solid all around and sets up next year's draft for RB and OL. Of course, everything depends on Campbell's development. But I don't see why everyone is so down on Snyder and Vinny.

[InsomniaKiller]

Ignoring the o-line altogether is pretty silly, but I have no problem with the two picks who are realistically expected to contribute. I like Orakpo quite a bit.

Very average draft, not enough picks to cover all our bases. However, lookat who we picked and taking the lack of picks out of the equation, I give it a C overall.

Having our 2nd rounder would've been huge.

[WLGuru]

Here's something to consider when rating a draft:

Of our likely starting 22 players next year, here's where they were drafted - by their original team:

1st Round: Landry, Rogers, Carter, Haynesworth, Orakpo, Hall, Moss, Samuels, and Campbell
2nd Round: Griffin, McIntosh, R. Thomas, Jansen, Portis, Betts and D. Thomas/Randel El
3rd Round: Fincher, Dockery, Rabach, Cooley
6th Round: Doughty
Free Agents: Fletcher

You can substitute Sellers (UFA) for Betts if you like, so both our Free Agents were pro-bowlers. You can also substitute Moore or Horton for Doughty and it doesn't change much round-wise. Overall, our team is pretty solidly built with 1st, 2nd and 3rd rounders. Of that group, Jansen is the only guy long in the tooth (i.e. over the hill), and we just picked up Williams (1st rounder), who we know is a project due to his weight, but it does make our team very evenly built with high draft picks. (If Sean was still here it would be even better.)

[redskin_rich]

I can't rate the draft until September whatever

I have changed my mind. I give this draft a solid F. We are as bad or worse than we were beforehand.

6-10, at best for this team in '09. Mark it down, quote it, whatever. I think 4-12 is more realistic.

[Meatsnack]

Provisional "F'. If Orakpo turns out to be made of sterner stuff than is typical of UT players, he can lift it to a "D".

[Irish Redskin]

Hi y'all. Long time reader, first time poster.

I followed the Redskins back when Gibbs was first in charge. We were the envy of everyone, and the Patriots were an inept team.

Oh how times have changed.

Due to various reasons including lack of tv coverage, I stopped following the sport until two seasons ago. I can't believe the transformation from a classy, admired organisation to one that is now ridiculed.

Now for the draft...

Orakpo is a good pick, but the rest are just mind boggling.

Barnes may turn out to be a decent player, but it's glaringly obvious that we need help on the O Line.

A Definite D for me.

[RedSkinBrit]

D
pleased with Orapko and then day 2 went like a led zeppelin.Can,t believe we ignored the OL ,the most needy dept.:smash:

[Gravy]

Hi y'all. Long time reader, first time poster.

I followed the Redskins back when Gibbs was first in charge. We were the envy of everyone, and the Patriots were an inept team.

Oh how times have changed.

Due to various reasons including lack of tv coverage, I stopped following the sport until two seasons ago. I can't believe the transformation from a classy, admired organisation to one that is now ridiculed.

Now for the draft...

Orakpo is a good pick, but the rest are just mind boggling.

Barnes may turn out to be a decent player, but it's glaringly obvious that we need help on the O Line.

A Definite D for me.

Top O the Day to ya and ...:welcome:

[dogfight6]

D. As I watched players in the 2nd and 4th that could have helped us and knowing Taylor is laughing at home, the Redskins ignored the O-line and drafted cannon fodder in rounds 5, 6 and 7. On top of that they made the starting Qb. feel like he's not needed. Yeah a heck of a weekend.

[The Iceman]

Hi y'all. Long time reader, first time poster.

I followed the Redskins back when Gibbs was first in charge. We were the envy of everyone, and the Patriots were an inept team.

Oh how times have changed.

Due to various reasons including lack of tv coverage, I stopped following the sport until two seasons ago. I can't believe the transformation from a classy, admired organisation to one that is now ridiculed.

Now for the draft...

Orakpo is a good pick, but the rest are just mind boggling.

Barnes may turn out to be a decent player, but it's glaringly obvious that we need help on the O Line.

A Definite D for me.

Well, hey, welcome to HR. Allow me to be the first to strongly dissagree with you here.

We have no idea who is a good pick and who is not. What we do know is that every one of these guys, save the FB if he's not healthy, has a chance to make this team this year.

Barnes, believe it or not IS a need. Everyone is always upset that we bring in FA's and never groom our own picks. Well, that's what this is. He may actually be our 2nd starter next year the way things look right now. We are looking ahead a big in that area and that is more than welcomed IMO.

As for not addressing the OL. I think the thought there is that we don't need to. We have young players on our roster to develop. Geisinger, Rinehart, Clark, and Heyer. Not to mention that there is a remote possibility that M. Williams pans out at some point. <---For the record, I'm not sold on that.

The linebackers are neccessary and there is a chance that Glenn could develop into a starter. I actually think he will see the field this year more than most think at Will.

The WR Mitchell could be a Colston type of pick. Needs to bulk up slightly, but then again, Randy Moss was rail thin coming out of Marshall.

Grade. B.

[Redskinmayhem]

I gave a C, only because Orakpo has the potential to be a very good player. Barnes was a pick that should have been used for OL, LB or even a RB. He could become an okay player, but who knows?
The other picks were pointless, at best. Seriously, we could have found better value or players who did not have an injury history that was recent.

agreed.

[chrisbcbu]

I gave it a C. We started soo good! Orakpo was an A+ selection. Barnes was a B- selection and the rest went down hill.

[Irish Redskin]

Are we already looking to next years draft where there may be better Offensive players available?

It seems to me they have set up Zorn and Campbell for a big fall.

[GeneralDisorder]

I voted A.

Gotta back the underdog, innit...

[Hrabanmaur]

I give the draft a C, despite the persistent negativity around these boards lately.

Orakpo has the potential to be a very solid player, and I'm pleased as pickles that we finally drafted a D-lineman high. For those complaining that Orakpo will not be used properly by Blache, I have to concede you may have a point. On the other hand, I'm not convinced that the breakdown between Taylor and Blache last year was all about stopping the run. Taylor was all finesse and no heart last season, which is the exact opposite of the cockroaches Blache professes to love. Besides, Oarkpo will sign a five year contract at least; I just don't see Blache sticking around here for the next five years.

Barnes looks to me like a true football player. Both Barnes and Orakpo have high intelligence and strong athleticism - so no complaints from me there. They should develop quickly and contribute this year.

The later round picks are difficult to get excited about. We don't have a good history over the last several years of drafting good LBers late (Blades being the exception). Yes, both players have potential, but neither stands out as a quality player and both will likely need some serious time to adjust to the NFL game. The fullback pick makes some sense as a potential replacement for Sellers to be stashed on our practice squad, and I like the WR pick because we still need depth there until somebody steps up and starts producing alongside Moss.

What concerns me about this draft is that so many of these players have a considerable injury history or character issues. Orakpo, Barnes, and Williams all have been banged up at positions where they will continue to see abuse. While Henson and Glenn both have character concerns (and Henson has academic concerns as well). I could understand taking a risk on some of these players, but to have everyone in the draft tainted seems foolhardy. Did we not learn anything from Malcolm Kelly who just recently underwent yet another knee surgery?

The failure to address the Offensive line is also a problem. Don't buy the koolaid that Cerrato and Zorn are selling about our developmental players. Maybe Rhinehart will develop, but our practice squad got pillaged last season with other teams taking our best developmental players. We cannot continue to hope that a group of undrafted free agents will become adequate starters - it's completely unrealistic. What really concerns me is the difficulty we will face in 2010 if JC leaves and we bring in a rookie QB. We likely won't have the draft picks or the ammunition to get him a young lineman. Meanwhile, the oldest O-line in the NFC East will just get one year older and more banged up. We need to pray that JC works out this year because we will be in a heap of trouble in 2010 if he does not.

[Ibleedburgundy]

I said "D." I liked the Orakpo pick. Maybe I'm just relieved we didn't get Sanchez. Whatever.

Absolutely hate the CB pick. Ugh. When was the last time a team with a crappy O-line won a championship because their 4th CB was totally awesome?

IMO, the worst picks of this draft were our second and fifth round picks. I actually wish they would have announced it. "with the 45th overall pick the Washington Redskins select Jason Taylor, who BTW, has already been released."

[LATrueRedskin]

I said D and that should be a D- I may not be in the majority, but I liked the Orakpo selection. The Kevin Barnes pick in the 3rd was a head scratcher but at least he should be able to contribute soon. The rest of the draft was like a really bad dream.....

I said D as well and these are my reasons why.

[Irish Redskin]

Well, hey, welcome to HR. Allow me to be the first to strongly dissagree with you here.

We have no idea who is a good pick and who is not. What we do know is that every one of these guys, save the FB if he's not healthy, has a chance to make this team this year.

Barnes, believe it or not IS a need. Everyone is always upset that we bring in FA's and never groom our own picks. Well, that's what this is. He may actually be our 2nd starter next year the way things look right now. We are looking ahead a big in that area and that is more than welcomed IMO.

As for not addressing the OL. I think the thought there is that we don't need to. We have young players on our roster to develop. Geisinger, Rinehart, Clark, and Heyer. Not to mention that there is a remote possibility that M. Williams pans out at some point. <---For the record, I'm not sold on that.

The linebackers are neccessary and there is a chance that Glenn could develop into a starter. I actually think he will see the field this year more than most think at Will.

The WR Mitchell could be a Colston type of pick. Needs to bulk up slightly, but then again, Randy Moss was rail thin coming out of Marshall.

Grade. B.

Cheers for the welcome.

I think Barnes will be a good player for us - it's just that we have more pressing needs in the team.

Glenn looks like an interesting prospect, but with half decent OL on the board we should have snapped them up, imo.

We may start the season well, but as injuries kick in we will struggle.

If I was Zorn, I wouldn't be happy with the draft.

[Ibleedburgundy]

As for not addressing the OL. I think the thought there is that we don't need to. We have young players on our roster to develop. Geisinger, Rinehart, Clark, and Heyer. Not to mention that there is a remote possibility that M. Williams pans out at some point. <---For the record, I'm not sold on that.


Just out of curiosity, did you see what happened to Geisinger when he saw the field last year?

[NamVet4]

D-(minus)
The only thing that saves it from an F is the slim chance that Orakpo works out in the Redskins system, before he becomes a Pro Bowl player with someone else due to Coach Blache not using him properly. The rest of the picks did absolutely nothing to address the glaring needs.

Had the FO traded down, put the Defense needs in secondary position and tried to upgrade the Offense, I believe the worst grade would have been a C(based on who they picked)

[CNYSkinFan]

I gave it a C. I give the Orakpo pick an A. Flat out need and a big time player. Barnes A C. A talented player but not a position of neeed.

everyone else gets and F....but after all it is the old 2nd day fo the draft. I have written about our ineptitude here ad nauseum. I really believe after round 3, Vinny decides to go golfing and haas a talking parrot make the decisions

[firehawk157]

I gave the draft a C. I really liked the Orakpo pick which kept it from failing. What elevated it from D category to C is that we didn’t trade any of our picks. First off, we didn’t get Sanchez which would have really cost us. Secondly, we resisted the temptation to trade up to get a prospect using next year’s picks. In a strong draft year, you can condone that. However, this is a very weak draft and to trade next year’s picks to obtain a mediocre player would have been dumb. I do wish we’d have traded some of this year’s picks to get those tackles that fell (Britton, Beatty, Loadholt).

1st round) DE Brian Orakpo – A lot of people think he fits naturally at the RE position, which is true. But his ability to play the LE can’t be discounted. He has the strength, if he can gain leverage, to play the run fairly well (31 reps on the bench) but the kicker is he also has the speed (4.7) to make fools of a lot of RTs, who are typically slower and have a hard time blocking speed rushers. He’s also coming into a good situation with the best DT in the game keeping him from getting doubled and a great leader in London Fletcher that should help keep him motivated.

Grade: A

3rd Round) Kevin Barnes -- Has all the measurables but also has injury issues. I wanted some OL help here, and we don’t seem to have an issue at CB. However, he should press Smoot for time and might as well give talent to the only position coach who can make anything of it.

Grade: B-

5th round) LB Cody Glenn -- Less than 1 year playing LB. Has serious character issues and a lot of draft sites have him going undrafted. There were legit OL prospects on the board at the time and to use this on a guy who will be lucky to make the team is absurd.

Grade: F

6th round) LB Robert Henson – Why draft camp fodder? You sign them as UDFAs.

Grade: F

7th round) TE Eddie Williams – More camp fodder. This pick puzzles me.

Grade: F

7th round) WR Mitchell Marko – I can’t see him being anything but a 5th receiver but he’s worth a 7th to see if he can develop into anything 2-3 years down the line. He reminds me of Anthony Mix though and we’ll need a real WR coach to teach him to run routes if we want anything to come from this selection.

Grade: C-

[firehawk157]

Just out of curiosity, did you see what happened to Geisinger when he saw the field last year?
Put any center against Terrell Suggs on the edge and what will happen? Dumb coaching error, not a talent issue. Might as well used Santana Moss at tackle.

[BurgundyNGold]

That would have been a lot more successful but i can't really support that strategy. Frankly I think if this draft didn't happen at all we would have been in better shape, now all we have is the tease of false hope.

I have been reading the draft day thread, how utterly frustrating. I hope you guys at least got drunk and had fun at redskins park

Maybe they should move Carter back to lb which i believe he played at san fran and let orakpo start at RDE. I know everything is different with haynesworth, but still didn't we learn an expensive lesson that putting a tweener rde at lde doesn't work?

I know it was a junk pick but i am flabbergasted trying to understand why on earth they would get a TE when davis is fighting for reps and frankly yoder is a more than serviceable second te. How on earth is this player ever going to get on the field?
As a rule, I am 100% opposed to trading draft picks away for players. I believe wholeheartedly two things: 1) You win championships from the trenches out, and 2) You build through the draft.

That is why is pains me so to advocate trading away our picks for proven players. This FO treats the draft like a joke and the laugh is on us.

[akhhorus]

Redskins.com is looking for honest feedback lol:

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2723/185/120/1369239588/n1369239588_30376928_4587469.jpg

No F lol

It wouldn't let me vote D, I switched to C and it mysteriously went through.

[CNYSkinFan]

Redskins.com is looking for honest feedback lol:

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2723/185/120/1369239588/n1369239588_30376928_4587469.jpg

No F lol

It wouldn't let me vote D, I switched to C and it mysteriously went through.
Redskins unfiltered indeed

[NCskinsfanatic]

Redskins.com is looking for honest feedback lol:

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2723/185/120/1369239588/n1369239588_30376928_4587469.jpg

No F lol

It wouldn't let me vote D, I switched to C and it mysteriously went through.

Everyone not a realist(meaning a fan hear at hr) seems to rate us froma C toa B. I cant figure how they think it was that good. Saw c+ on Yahoo, B on hogs Haven, B on redskins Insider, etc. It was a D draft and thats if Orakpo and Barnes pan out imo. I like the UDFA signings better than our second day draft lol.

[BurgundyNGold]

I gave the draft a C. I really liked the Orakpo pick which kept it from failing. What elevated it from D category to C is that we didn’t trade any of our picks. First off, we didn’t get Sanchez which would have really cost us. Secondly, we resisted the temptation to trade up to get a prospect using next year’s picks. In a strong draft year, you can condone that. However, this is a very weak draft and to trade next year’s picks to obtain a mediocre player would have been dumb. I do wish we’d have traded some of this year’s picks to get those tackles that fell (Britton, Beatty, Loadholt).

1st round) DE Brian Orakpo – A lot of people think he fits naturally at the RE position, which is true. But his ability to play the LE can’t be discounted. He has the strength, if he can gain leverage, to play the run fairly well (31 reps on the bench) but the kicker is he also has the speed (4.7) to make fools of a lot of RTs, who are typically slower and have a hard time blocking speed rushers. He’s also coming into a good situation with the best DT in the game keeping him from getting doubled and a great leader in London Fletcher that should help keep him motivated.

Grade: A

3rd Round) Kevin Barnes -- Has all the measurables but also has injury issues. I wanted some OL help here, and we don’t seem to have an issue at CB. However, he should press Smoot for time and might as well give talent to the only position coach who can make anything of it.

Grade: B-

5th round) LB Cody Glenn -- Less than 1 year playing LB. Has serious character issues and a lot of draft sites have him going undrafted. There were legit OL prospects on the board at the time and to use this on a guy who will be lucky to make the team is absurd.

Grade: F

6th round) LB Robert Henson – Why draft camp fodder? You sign them as UDFAs.

Grade: F

7th round) TE Eddie Williams – More camp fodder. This pick puzzles me.

Grade: F

7th round) WR Mitchell Marko – I can’t see him being anything but a 5th receiver but he’s worth a 7th to see if he can develop into anything 2-3 years down the line. He reminds me of Anthony Mix though and we’ll need a real WR coach to teach him to run routes if we want anything to come from this selection.

Grade: C-
We vary a bit on the grades for Orakpo, Barnes and Marko, otherwise we have the exact same analysis.

[firehawk157]

We vary a bit on the grades for Orakpo, Barnes and Marko, otherwise we have the exact same analysis.
Well, there was no doubt that Glenn, Henson and Williams were baffling picks. If we signed them as UDFAs, they wouldn't even really be mentioned except in some group thread about all the UDFAs. They are definitely camp fodder, I have a very hard time envisioning them on even the PS. I really liked the Orakpo pick and I understood the Barnes pick. I would have liked the Marko pick if we had a WR coach worth his salt.

[colkurtz]

The Redskins.com seems fixed.

The hard truth on the draft is that second day picks rarely work out. Guys like Horton [7th last yr] are rare.

Still, it is easy to see what Snyderrato is doing. Take your fourth ranked defense and make it even better with one of NFL's best players for over $100 mill. Then draft quickly for an actual DE who had slipped a little in the board! I never though Vinny would draft for a DE. Then use most of your junk choices toward the defense. So in the macro the FO has used almost all it's resources ofr the best part of the team.

What do you do on the 28th ranked offense? Nothing except to make your QB know he's not wanted. Make absolutely no changes or upgrades except to pressure the QB and last yrs WR to improve a lot......I think the WR from last year will get better, as will Campbell. The defense will get them the ball and points more. This offense will climb but it's not enough to be elite. JC and Zorn will be let go; they'll bring in an offensive and experienced coach in 2010.

[NamVet4]

I
5th round) LB Cody Glenn -- Less than 1 year playing LB. Has serious character issues and a lot of draft sites have him going undrafted. There were legit OL prospects on the board at the time and to use this on a guy who will be lucky to make the team is absurd.

Grade: F



Again, this raises the question of: "What is the Plan for the Redskins?"
Even in the fifth round there had to be some help available for the Offensive line... Why not take the best available OL prospect at that point????

[NamVet4]

. . .they'll bring in an offensive and experienced coach in 2010.

Don't bet the house on it!
(No coach worth a darn will even consider coming here with the current FO regime in place)

[warpaint]

i gave our draft a F. i like our selection at 13 but that choice was a no brainer,my wife could have made that selection , no second round choice that was given away for nothing, none of the remaining picks probably will be of any help in the coming season, my only thought is that the receiver we took in the last round might just beat out one of our second round picks from last year and he just might get some playing time, read in the paper today kelly just had another operation on the knee.

[dj_stouty]

I gave it a D.

B+ for Orakpo at #13
F for trading away the picks on players that didn't pan out
C- for Barnes
F for the rest
F for not drafting Robinson/Meredith when the opportunity presented itself at least twice on day 2.

[Skins7ny]

I give this draft a C-.

DE ORAKPO-I love this pick. Eventually, he will be a RDE. He is strong enough to play LDE, but he definitely is too small to play that position in Blache's base defense. I am skeptical about his transition to LB.
CB BARNES-I didn't like this pick, but it wasn't terrible, it could work out. Barnes is fast, but supposedly he wastes steps, which means he is not going to play to his 4.5 clocking. His selection is a real indictment of the Tryon pick last year.
OLBs GLENN & HENSON-The next three guys were all undrafted free agent types who should not make the team, but might due to the Vinny Cerrato Draft Amnesty Program. He has a terrible record drafting LBs in the lower rounds, and Glenn and Henson will probably add to his legacy.
FB WILLIAMS- Unlike many of my fellow posters, I don't have a problem with them drafting a FB (he is not a TE). Sellers is getting up there in years and is frankly overrated. But Williams is not the guy I would have drafted. He has knee issues (!) and is not that big and is not a blocker, although he has great intangibles and should help on ST. He is not a young Mike Sellers, but has some skills for the WCO.
WR MITCHELL -I don't have a problem with picking a WR here, although he is not the WR I would have chosen. Unless you all want to see another year of James Thrash as our #5 WR. Mitchell has talent and potential, and was very productive in college. Maybe he will actually be able to (eventually) get some playing time as a wideout. I am hoping he shows enough to earn the 5th spot and push Thrash towards his eventual entrepenuer/coaching/assistant trainer future.
F-. They did nothing fundamental to help the team short or long term. If Orakpo doesn't pan out, then this will be one of the worst drafts in NFL history.
I think Orakpo will pan out, once we put him at RDE. Otherwise, I agree with your assessment.
grading a draft this early is kinda like marrying a stripper the first nite you meet her. usually you can't get too up (no pun intended) or down on the first nite. let's ride this one out and see what happens. i gave it a 'c' because....well it's just too early to tell.
As opposed to the second night? Have you been hanging out with Greg Blache?
Are we already looking to next years draft where there may be better Offensive players available?

It seems to me they have set up Zorn and Campbell for a big fall.
The reasons that Snyder announced that he will not trade next year's #1 draft pick:
(1) He already knew at that point that he was not getting Sanchez
(2) He is saving next-year's first-rounder to get one of the 3 marquis QBs who are coming out (Bradford, McCoy, Tebow).
Cheers for the welcome.
I think Barnes will be a good player for us - it's just that we have more pressing needs in the team.

Glenn looks like an interesting prospect, but with half decent OL on the board we should have snapped them up, imo.

We may start the season well, but as injuries kick in we will struggle.

If I was Zorn, I wouldn't be happy with the draft.
If I was Zorn, I would list my house for sale now. By January, when he gets fired, he might get an offer on it. Unless he already has a deal in place to sell it to Shanahan.
Just out of curiosity, did you see what happened to Geisinger when he saw the field last year?
Geisinger is an unrestricted free agent who we are not going to re-sign. He also got injured in that game, and I think he is still recovering.
He sweats through practice with us all year, then we hang him out to dryby playing him out of position at OT against one of the league's best pass rushers and he gets hurt and then we abandon him. If anybody wants to complain that football players make too much money, remind him of Geisinger's fate. These guys deserve the money they get. I gave it a C. I give the Orakpo pick an A. Flat out need and a big time player. Barnes A C. A talented player but not a position of neeed.

everyone else gets and F....but after all it is the old 2nd day fo the draft. I have written about our ineptitude here ad nauseum. I really believe after round 3, Vinny decides to go golfing and haas a talking parrot make the decisions
A talking parrot would be an improvement.
Snyderrato always point to their success in round 1, but the picks they have made there have been no-brainers. Except for picking Rogers at 9 and Campbell at 25. Rogers was the right choice over the other 2 CBs that they could have chosen (Pac Man and Artrell Rolle), but obviously Merriman or Ware would have been a better pick.

[Skins7ny]

I should add that I am happy that we signed C Edwin Williams (Maryland)
and am pleasantly shocked that we did not trade any more of our 2010 draft choices. I would be happier if we showed any evidence that we know what to do with our mid-round picks, but I am still glad we kept them.

Like I said earlier, I think the reason we did not trade any more of our 2010 draft picks is because we are saving them to move up in round next year to get our targeted QB to replace Campbell. If Danny does not trade picks this summer for a veteran, that will confirm for me that this is his plan.

[colkurtz]

Don't bet the house on it!
(No coach worth a darn will even consider coming here with the current FO regime in place)

Full 2010 draft picks; full discretion on personnel choices; mega-salary; ability to pick whatever coaches he wants; probably a Top 5 defense.

If Danny gives all those up he'll get someone good or very good. Otherwise he'll get no one except a coach who never done anything or an old has-been who has been in a radio booth for at least 5 yrs.

[BurgundyNGold]

Well, there was no doubt that Glenn, Henson and Williams were baffling picks. If we signed them as UDFAs, they wouldn't even really be mentioned except in some group thread about all the UDFAs. They are definitely camp fodder, I have a very hard time envisioning them on even the PS. I really liked the Orakpo pick and I understood the Barnes pick. I would have liked the Marko pick if we had a WR coach worth his salt.
The Orakpo pick is a good pick by virtue of the fact that either he or Oher would have been impossible to screw up. I understand the Barnes pick since Rogers is in his contract year, but I consider it negligence to pass up OL and OLB help that was sitting there. As for Glenn, that guy cost us Meredith or Robinson and for what? A guy with 1 year of playing, injury concerns and a criminal record who wasn't rated to be drafted at all? Then to follow that up with 2 players who were also projected to be UDFA? Awful.

I think the main difference between our overall grades were perspective. You graded the Redskins up from a D to a C because they didn't trade next year's picks. To me, that's like giving someone an award for doing what they're *supposed* to do, lol.

I, on the other hand, was so disappointed in yet another Day 2 debacle that I graded them down from a D to an F for continuing to be so negligent year after year.

[Skins7ny]

I gave it a D.

B+ for Orakpo at #13
F for trading away the picks on players that didn't pan out
C- for Barnes
F for the rest
F for not drafting Robinson/Meredith when the opportunity presented itself at least twice on day 2.

I thought that we could have drafted Robinson and plugged him in at RG in 2010 after one more year of Randy Thomas. That would have been great, and he was sitting there in round 5! I will be following his career to see how he does (much like how I was disappointed 4 years ago when we passed on Jason Brown, and last year when we passed on CB Jack Williams and wound up drafting Tryon the next round).

[MONK_in_HOF]

I give this draft a D-.

The only reason this isn't an F for me is b/c we finally drafted a DE on the 1st day. Would have preferred Oher, especially if a trade down was possible, but can't complain.

For every other pick???? I really don't understand why every year the Skins draft players who are tabbed to be UDFA's. This seems to start in the 5th rd.

I do think Barnes may turn into a solid 3rd CB, but that is too much of a luxury pick given our needs and the players who were available at that point.

Gripes about this specific draft.
-Drafting zero OL
-Trading down in the 5th to draft Henson (edit: Glenn not Henson) when they could have just stayed at 150 and taken Brinkley.
-That extra pick from trading down netted....Another TE/FB??? Really??
-Thought they should have taken Meredith or Robinson or any OL instead of banking on UDFA's from MD
-I like some of our UDFA's better than our picks from 5th on.

[Skins7ny]

Put any center against Terrell Suggs on the edge and what will happen? Dumb coaching error, not a talent issue. Might as well used Santana Moss at tackle.
What choice did the coaches have? This was a failure of personnel, not coaching. Snyderrato did not give the coaches any better options on the roster. Kind of like when they had to move Cory Raymer to OG in the playoff game v. Seattle a few years back. We don't value quality depth, we only value the sexy, big-name front line players. We haven't developed any quality OL depth during the entire Snyder era.

Right now, we are counting on a 410-lb OT who hasn't played football in 4 years to provide us depth. We didn't draft any young OL talent-why should we? After all, Williams was the #4 pick in the entire draft?

[BurgundyNGold]

What choice did the coaches have? This was a failure of personnel, not coaching. Snyderrato did not give the coaches any better options on the roster. Kind of like when they had to move Cory Raymer to OG in the playoff game v. Seattle a few years back. We don't value quality depth, we only value the sexy, big-name front line players. We haven't developed any quality OL depth during the entire Snyder era.

Right now, we are counting on a 410-lb OT who hasn't played football in 4 years to provide us depth. We didn't draft any young OL talent-why should we? After all, Williams was the #4 pick in the entire draft?
I have to agree with you. I suppose the FO believes that Jansen can squeeze one more good year out of his body or that Heyer will eventually be a solid RT. I can't think of any other (good) explanation for passing on Meredith or Robinson for Glenn in the 5th.

[BSMKF]

^ true skins don't have much depth at O-Line but neither does 90% of the league.

I mean just look at the Eagles last they are known for a great O-Line they lost Andrews BOOM the O-Line went to crap.

Same thing with Indy they lost Saturday BOOM there O-Line went to crap.

Personally I just don't think there are a lot of quality O-Line out there.

[Skins7ny]

Full 2010 draft picks; full discretion on personnel choices; mega-salary; ability to pick whatever coaches he wants; probably a Top 5 defense.

If Danny gives all those up he'll get someone good or very good. Otherwise he'll get no one except a coach who never done anything or an old has-been who has been in a radio booth for at least 5 yrs.

(1) We don't have full 2010 draft picks. Our 6th-rounder goes to the Dolphins for the Ghost of Jason Taylor.
(2) full discretion on personnel choices will be the deal killer for Snyder hiring any established coach.
The one exception might be Shanahan, who has a previous relationship with Cerrato from their days together in San Francisco, and who might be acceptable to Vinny and Danny because he is probably the only established HC who will be willing to work with Vinny. Everyone else will insist that Vinny be fired post-haste a la Marty Schottenheimer.

That may be one of the reasons why we are hearing Shanahan's name with one year left to go in the Zorn regime instead of the names of Cowher, Holmgren, Gruden, etc.

[dj_stouty]

Hey...does anyone know the specifics behind the trade with the Vikings? What did we get in return?

Regardless, the value we got in return is certainly not more than drafting Meredith or Robinson with that pick. This trade was the #&!^$* moment for me in the draft.

[MONK_in_HOF]

Hey...does anyone know the specifics behind the trade with the Vikings? What did we get in return?

Regardless, the value we got in return is certainly not more than drafting Meredith or Robinson with that pick. This trade was the #&!^$* moment for me in the draft.

We got the 7th round pick, 221, that we originally traded to the Vikings for Erasmus James.

[bergiemoore]

I gave it a B largely for the Orakpo and Barnes picks. I wish they had waited a couple of minutes to entertain offers from other teams before selecting Orakpo, but, ultimately, I think addressing a position of need with the #13 pick was very positive. Barnes could see playing towards the end of the season, and could provide the team with a long term plan should Rogers not re-sign.

I don't know enough about the 2nd day picks to make any meaningful judgment, and I'll defer to those that do. Rounds 5-7 are where I would expect teams to draft on BPA, and not need. From my perspective, the TE/H-Back/Fullback pick is a little confusing.

The remaining questions surrounding the OLine are worrisome, but this team went into the draft with numerous holes and only 2 picks in the first 4 rounds. I didn't expect them to be able to address all their areas of need. In my opinion, expecting more than one immediate starter out of the draft is poor planning, anyway.

[Emmanouel8]

Grade D

Orakpo was a good move everything else was a mess IMO.

I thought we should have focused all of our resources along the lines and establish something for 1-2 years down the road. I felt DE Sidbury (Richmond) or DE Kyle Moore (USC) in the 3rd would have been better choices even though it was a round early. Both guys are high character individuals that would have been nice to have and added depth and gave provide us better odds at generating a pass rush.

Our 2nd and 4th round usage factored in to this grade. The 2nd rounder for Jason Taylor was out right egregious. If I could use more expletives to describe that deal I would. Horrible. The 4th rounder woulod have been nice considering there were some really good players there too. Both of "my guys" were drafted in the 4th.

Our 3rd round choice was surprising. Sadly some good guards were taken off the board just a few picks ahead of us, so I kinda understood not going O line but a CB?! I like the player I just don't see the position as a 3rd round worthy area.

The WR in the last round I'm ok with he's tall and fast according to the reports. I've never seen him play.

Between those picks I felt like what are they thinking? IMO it's a numbers game too and our O line needs a major upgrade at some point or we will be where we were last season if not worse.

I don't see how much different our offense will be against defenses like the Giants, Steelers, Pats, Eagles, and Ravens. Better pray for a lot of turnovers because our 3rd down conversions will probably be on the lower end of the league again.

[BurgundyNGold]

I gave it a B largely for the Orakpo and Barnes picks. I wish they had waited a couple of minutes to entertain offers from other teams before selecting Orakpo, but, ultimately, I think addressing a position of need with the #13 pick was very positive. Barnes could see playing towards the end of the season, and could provide the team with a long term plan should Rogers not re-sign.

I don't know enough about the 2nd day picks to make any meaningful judgment, and I'll defer to those that do. Rounds 5-7 are where I would expect teams to draft on BPA, and not need. From my perspective, the TE/H-Back/Fullback pick is a little confusing.

The remaining questions surrounding the OLine are worrisome, but this team went into the draft with numerous holes and only 2 picks in the first 4 rounds. I didn't expect them to be able to address all their areas of need. In my opinion, expecting more than one immediate starter out of the draft is poor planning, anyway.
I don't have too big a problem with either the Orakpo or Barnes pick. Barnes more than Orakpo, if anything. But can you honestly give the draft effort a B when the Orakpo pick was a pretty simple one to make and Barnes was probably a stretch outside of a need position? Especially when the whole of Day 2 was such a fiasco? I get the feeling that the Orakpo pick is really weighting your grade. Is that a fair assessment?

[warpaint]

I gave it a B largely for the Orakpo and Barnes picks. I wish they had waited a couple of minutes to entertain offers from other teams before selecting Orakpo, but, ultimately, I think addressing a position of need with the #13 pick was very positive. Barnes could see playing towards the end of the season, and could provide the team with a long term plan should Rogers not re-sign.

I don't know enough about the 2nd day picks to make any meaningful judgment, and I'll defer to those that do. Rounds 5-7 are where I would expect teams to draft on BPA, and not need. From my perspective, the TE/H-Back/Fullback pick is a little confusing.

The remaining questions surrounding the OLine are worrisome, but this team went into the draft with numerous holes and only 2 picks in the first 4 rounds. I didn't expect them to be able to address all their areas of need. In my opinion, expecting more than one immediate starter out of the draft is poor planning, anyway.

did you ever give any thought to what we would have done if we had waited the full 10 minutes to see if we could trade down ? i hate to think who we would have selected with a couple of lower picks, have to think about what we did last year with trading down.

[BSMKF]

Doc Walker & Kevin Sheehan seem to love the draft they made some good points to about why we didnt draft offense.

[gibbsisgod]

I gave it a D.

Does Vinny think by drafting BPA is going to really help our team? What about BPA at a need of concern?

These players might be good, but do they fit in our stlye of football?

At least we didn't draft a WR with the first pick.

[silverspring]

I listened to vinny's redskins.com press conferences and it is interesting because he really seems to be honest and explain what they tried to do. It is disappointing. He made it clear they tried to trade up for sanchez, which just shows that this whole sanchez thing wasn't a smokescreen. This of course makes them look like idiots in my mind because if they really wanted sanchez they shouldn't have shown their cards and driven up his value.

He also reveals that they then proceeded to try and trade up for orakpo. This demonstrates to me that they were ready to throw picks away, which again disappoints me when we have so few picks, so many needs, and so many good prospects are still on the board. I honestly think they do a decent amount of planning for the draft, but it seems like they too easily get fixated on the pretty toy and don't stick to their board.

After pick #12 it was obvious that we would have scored big time if we traded down. The fact that we didn't even entertain offers was foolish.

Orakpo worries me because i think he has the potential to be an injury magnet. However we did draft a DE in the first round and frankly almost all of the DEs had some boom/bust question marks. I do think Orakpo will be a high character guy. He seems to have impeccable work ethic, you simply can't become a workout warrior like he is without a lot of dedication and discipline. So that is a positive. My biggest concern is where are they going to put him. He obviously is a great fit as a RDE. I think if we put him on LDE he will be stonewalled and going against the bigger guys will lead to injury. I don't think he can play linebacker, he was never asked to play the run or more importantly cover a te in college.

Barnes might turn into a good #3 cornerback but he was a major reach and as many have pointed out there were good oline prospects on the board.

One of the other things I don't understand is why we pick so many guys with knee injuries especially considering our past bad luck with this.

[BurgundyNGold]

Doc Walker & Kevin Sheehan seem to love the draft they made some good points to about why we didnt draft offense.
I love Doc Walker personally, but he has been leaking credibility like a sieve for a few years now.

[BurgundyNGold]

I gave it a D.

Does Vinny think by drafting BPA is going to really help our team? What about BPA at a need of concern?

These players might be good, but do they fit in our stlye of football?

At least we didn't draft a WR with the first pick.
I actually would have graded the draft better than a D if they actually *did* draft for BPA. None of the Day 2 picks were BPA and few, if any, were even for need, lol.

[BurgundyNGold]

I listened to vinny's redskins.com press conferences and it is interesting because he really seems to be honest and explain what they tried to do. It is disappointing. He made it clear they tried to trade up for sanchez, which just shows that this whole sanchez thing wasn't a smokescreen. This of course makes them look like idiots in my mind because if they really wanted sanchez they shouldn't have shown their cards and driven up his value.

He also reveals that they then proceeded to try and trade up for orakpo. This demonstrates to me that they were ready to throw picks away, which again disappoints me when we have so few picks, so many needs, and so many good prospects are still on the board. I honestly think they do a decent amount of planning for the draft, but it seems like they too easily get fixated on the pretty toy and don't stick to their board.

After pick #12 it was obvious that we would have scored big time if we traded down. The fact that we didn't even entertain offers was foolish.

Orakpo worries me because i think he has the potential to be an injury magnet. However we did draft a DE in the first round and frankly almost all of the DEs had some boom/bust question marks. I do think Orakpo will be a high character guy. He seems to have impeccable work ethic, you simply can't become a workout warrior like he is without a lot of dedication and discipline. So that is a positive. My biggest concern is where are they going to put him. He obviously is a great fit as a RDE. I think if we put him on LDE he will be stonewalled and going against the bigger guys will lead to injury. I don't think he can play linebacker, he was never asked to play the run or more importantly cover a te in college.

Barnes might turn into a good #3 cornerback but he was a major reach and as many have pointed out there were good oline prospects on the board.

One of the other things I don't understand is why we pick so many guys with knee injuries especially considering our past bad luck with this.
That's what I find so disappointing, as well. Any single bad decision would be excusable. Yet, here we are once again witnessing a string of bad decisions all made in earnest. That makes it that much more disappointing, IMO.

[fent]

Here's something to consider when rating a draft:

Of our likely starting 22 players next year, here's where they were drafted - by their original team:

1st Round: Landry, Rogers, Carter, Haynesworth, Orakpo, Hall, Moss, Samuels, Jantsen, and Campbell.

Jansen was a 2nd rounder.

[CNYSkinFan]

I actually would have graded the draft better than a D if they actually *did* draft for BPA. None of the Day 2 picks were BPA and few, if any, were even for need, lol.
so what your saying is they got it half right :)?

[VegasSkinsFan]

Jansen was a 2nd rounder.

Maybe he meant Mike Williams :)

[bergiemoore]

I don't have too big a problem with either the Orakpo or Barnes pick. Barnes more than Orakpo, if anything. But can you honestly give the draft effort a B when the Orakpo pick was a pretty simple one to make and Barnes was probably a stretch outside of a need position? Especially when the whole of Day 2 was such a fiasco? I get the feeling that the Orakpo pick is really weighting your grade. Is that a fair assessment?

Orakpo certainly does color my perspective of the overall draft. Given his placement and likely cap burden, he should probably be weighted much more heavily than rounds 5-7, combined. True, it was a simple decision to make, but I have to give credit to the FO when they get these easy decisions right.

I think that Barnes looks like a very good prospect at a position that lacks depth. (Smoot's on the down slope of his career, Tryon is an undersized unknown entity, and Rogers is in the final year of his contract.)

In reference to the "fiasco" of Day 2, I will have to defer to you and others that have stronger opinions about the character, athletic ability and intelligence of those players taken, as well as their fit within the Skins organization.

I am an avid NFL fan, but I know very little about college ball. Other than highlights on ESPN, and guys like Mel Kiper, Ahk et al., I know very little about the players out there.

The exercise of grading a draft the day after based on picks in the 5th-7th rounds is way outside of my area of expertise or even casual knowledge.

My grade of B was in reference only to those picks that are likely to impact the team within the next year, or so.

The FO, as a managing entity, gets an F from me for mismanaging their player acquisition model to the point where they typically only have 1 or 2 picks of any real value in the draft to begin with.

[gibbsisgod]

I actually would have graded the draft better than a D if they actually *did* draft for BPA. None of the Day 2 picks were BPA and few, if any, were even for need, lol.

I don't think he looked at need. Vinny is such a http://skeptico.blogs.com/.a/6a00d83451df0c69e20105364bdb50970c-800wi

[flave1969]

I think this draft was a disaster really.

Lets start with the fact, lest we have forgotten we once again had no 2nd Round nor 4th Round pick. That in itself makes every pick made one that must count.

Now having been a vocal exponent of drafting a Defensive Lineman for the past Lord knows how many years, I would be a hypocrite if I said I was not pleased with this pick. I will set aside the arguments of whether Orakpo will work in our scheme, if he is good enough his talent will shine through regardless of scheme. That is the point of your first round picks. I believe Blache is gone soon and Orakpo will be ours for at least 4 years.

That said the fact that we could have potentially traded down makes me wish we had. We could have had Michael Oher up to the 22nd pick and whilst i have doubts on him, he would have addressed our biggest need at Tackle.

The rest of the draft leaves me in despair. I will take on board the advice of our Terps Alumni who say Barnes has a real chance to contribute, but sheesh was there really not a better OL or LB in the later Rounds than the guys we picked up. Everyone has mentioned Marcus Freeman, but what about Xavier Fulton, Garrett Reynolds, Jamon Meredith, Duke Robinson and Herman Johnson were all available and have more pedigree the Cody Glenn.

Same in the Later rounds, there were players with more credibility than the ones we took.

My Grade is F for effed up.

[Taylor21TheUndertaker]

Hearing Bill Polian on the Radio this afternoon softened the pain a bit. Saying "there were virtually no LBs in this year's draft and the O-line group was extremely thin sans the top 4, and talking to college people next years draft class should be far superior." I got respect for Polian so it makes me feel better for sure, other than they shouldve dealt the 3rd for a next year pick like NE.

[firehawk157]

Hearing Bill Polian on the Radio this afternoon softened the pain a bit. Saying "there were virtually no LBs in this year's draft and the O-line group was extremely thin sans the top 4, and talking to college people next years draft class should be far superior." I got respect for Polian so it makes me feel better for sure, other than they shouldve dealt the 3rd for a next year pick like NE.
This draft was thin overall. There wasn't a really strong position that was flush with talent.

[Shawnb555]

As a rule, I am 100% opposed to trading draft picks away for players. I believe wholeheartedly two things: 1) You win championships from the trenches out, and 2) You build through the draft.

That is why is pains me so to advocate trading away our picks for proven players. This FO treats the draft like a joke and the laugh is on us.

We won three super bowls trading picks for players i don't recall anyone bitching about those moves

[Hr fan]

F-------
Injury prone, every one of them
Tweener with no position on the team unless he suddenly becomes a SAM; why not keep Jason Taylor, he is a tweener and a disaster at strongside DE also
NO OL AT ALL - clearly did not watch film of last 8 games or listen to Bugel's assessment of starters AND b/us
LB in 5th with higher potential as a grade D RB
? as last "comp" pick because NFL assessed "they just don't get it" with no listed position or background
mortally offend QB with a 40 yr old b/u; hope you Brennan lovers are right

to sum it up: not 1 with starting potential and maybe 1 with b/u potential (FB)

When the NFL suggests that you just follow the ESPN draft prognostication and player evaluations you know that Snyderatto are beyond repair. I know panic is of no value, but there is no other option now.

[Biggie]

We won three super bowls trading picks for players i don't recall anyone bitching about those moves
That was twenty years ago. There was no salary cap then either.

[BurgundyNGold]

That was twenty years ago. There was no salary cap then either.
The draft was also 12 rounds. We also usually traded our picks to move down and pick up more picks. Oh, and we had a GM making those picks.

[Charlz]

I like the first two pics, but I am a bit confused at why the FO completely ignored the OL.


I gave the draft a D. I liked the BO pick, but am dismayed b/c they seemed to ignore major needs at OL, FB, DL. VC claimed that there were no BAP on OL when they selected the LBs but I disagree.

[dj_stouty]

I'll bet Larry Michaels gives it an A+ today on Redskins Nation.

[BSMKF]

I'll bet Larry Michaels gives it an A+ today on Redskins Nation.

Doc Walker & Kevin Sheehan seem to love the Skins draft also.

[Monk4HOF]

Orakpo - (A) - he was a total steal at #13. I am glad that they didn't take the time to listen for trade opportunities and be tempted to lose the chance to draft a top 5 talent at a position that has been a chronic weak area for years.

Barnes - (A-) - not a position of immediate need, but a high value selection and a player that has a chance to become a starter down the road.

Glen - (B) - to switch positions and become an immediate starter in the Big 12 means that this guy has some serious natural instincts to play WLB. He will need some development, but I think this is a good pick in terms of upside. Will fit in nicely on teams, and he was an academic all american, so he should adjust well to the NFL.

Henson - (F) - we have a backup MLB who is too small to start but plays well on teams... and we drafted a backup MLB who is too small to start but plays well on teams.

Williams - (B-) - I was hoping for a backup fullback in this draft, so this was a good pick in terms of need. It appears he has the receiving skill set needed for the WCO, but his blocking will need work.

Mitchell - (C) - seems like a guy that doesn't have the instincts to take true advantage of his considerable physical skills. We have seen this before... Mix, McCants, etc. Would rather have found a WR who can return punts.

Overall - (B) - the chances of finding a starting OT without a second round pick were slim at best. I can't complain about the Orakpo pick when he fills a huge need and was the best player at his position in the draft. Barnes will be a nice suprise and the special teams have been re-inforced after some key losses.

[DannySnyder]

I just dont get it. We picked up 12 FA today.

2 offensive linemen. Thats it for O line What am I not getting. We picked up 2 more tightends and 2 more receivers as well. Why?

Someone please tell me I just dont see the big picture

[Skins57]

we finally drafted a pass rusher and with the addition of AH we may finally get to the QB. We still need to address the oline but we went after LBers and they were a need

[redcayman]

I know I tend to look at things through Burgundy glasses but I gave the draft a B. I think the first 2 picks were very good. The rest of the draft was a complete waste.

[lorimike]

I like the Orapko pick. I think he'll be a great player. Barnes was a guy who probably would have lasted until the 5th round. I like the Marko Mitchell pick but the rest are guys that I doubt were on anyone's board as draftable players.

[VegasSkinsFan]

Yesterday i found myself saying "who??" quit a bit yesterday.

[CNYSkinFan]

I just dont get it. We picked up 12 FA today.

2 offensive linemen. Thats it for O line What am I not getting. We picked up 2 more tightends and 2 more receivers as well. Why?

Someone please tell me I just dont see the big picture
I think you are ironically named lol

[ClubSandwichGuy]

I just dont get it. We picked up 12 FA today.

2 offensive linemen. Thats it for O line What am I not getting. We picked up 2 more tightends and 2 more receivers as well. Why?

Someone please tell me I just dont see the big picture
Sometimes you just don't pick because of position. Perhaps we picked up TEs and WRs because we saw something in them, and we didn't see much in the Offensive Linemen out there.

[lorimike]

I saw Penn State's Gerald Cadogon was undrafted. I wish we would have signed him. He would have been a better 6th round pick than the linebacker from TCU

[OCSKINSFAN]

NFL.com Final Draft grades today - Redskins get a "C" which ranked 30 out of 32. Nice job Vinny.

[chrisbcbu]

I gave the draft a D. I liked the BO pick, but am dismayed b/c they seemed to ignore major needs at OL, FB, DL. VC claimed that there were no BAP on OL when they selected the LBs but I disagree.

They addressed FB with that HB/TE pick. And the DL was address with the 1st pick in Orakpo.

OL should have been addressed but this is merely me wearing my fan glasses as i have no clue if the Skins like their current depth on OL. Which it seems they do. (baffles me) Lets hope they are right.

[VegasSkinsFan]

After a few days of digesting the draft and putting it in focus next to the other signings ( FA ,UDFA, Tryout guys ) I like the other signings better than the draft....but if we can hit on Orakpo,Barnes and one of the LB's I will be ok with things. I was impressed with the looks of Samuals/Williams and JJ....who knows...maybe get another year of solid play. By the end of August i may be singing another tune though....so i am building my repetoire.

[Patrick]

Ask me a year from now but even then it will probably be a C/C+. The fact that it was another year of being an incompete draft pisses me off.