With the 2013 NFL Draft now in the books, it's now time for the yearly tradition of analyzing every pick each team has made. While it's impossible to truly grade a draft until each player has had a couple of seasons under his belt, it's still interesting to evaluate the class that each team put together.
We'll start by looking that the AFC South, where everyone else is looking to catch up with the Houston Texans. Houston entered the weekend looking for the last couple of pieces to push them into the Super Bowl. Did the find what they were looking for?
Houston Texans
Pick Player
1.27 DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson
2.25 D.J. Swearinger, FS, South Carolina
3.27 Brennan Williams, OT, North Carolina
3.33 Sam Montgomery, DE, Louisiana State
4.27 Trevardo Williams, OLB, Connecticut
6.8 David Quessenberry, OT, San Jose State
6.27 Alan Bonner, WR, Jacksonville State
6.33 Ryan Griffin, TE, Connecticut
Analysis: The Texans started their 2013 draft off right, making perhaps the best pick of the first round. DeAndre Hopkins wasn't the most talented player in the draft, but there may not have been a player that was a better fit for the team he landed with. Hopkins gives finally gives Houston a viable second option that they've lacked for so long.
DJ Swearinger isn't likely to win a starting spot, but he'll still see significant playing time as the Texans will use him as the third safety in their nickle packages. Swearinger has a good bit of refining left to do in his game, and he'll need to learn to reign in his reckless play. He'll have a great tutor in Ed Reed.
After the selection Swearinger, however, the Texans' draft took a bit of an odd turn. Houston has a big void at linebacker and elected to address that in part by drafting LSU's 4-3 defensive end Sam Montgomery. Asking Mongomery is strange at best and he'd probably be better suited staying on the line. OT Brennan Williams may not start early in 2013 but should be challenging Derek Newton for the starting RT spot by 2014. David Quessenberry was an even better value all the way in the 6th round.
Overall this draft could pay dividends in the long run, but for a team looking to make the Super Bowl this season it lacks immediate impact outside of Hopkins, giving them a C+.
Indianapolis Colts
Pick Player
1.24 Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State
3.24 Hugh Thornton, OG, Illinois
4.24 Khaled Holmes, C, Southern Cal
5.6 Montori Hughes, DT, Tennessee-Martin
6.24 John Boyett, SS, Oregon
7.24 Kerwynn Williams, RB, Utah State
7.48 Justice Cunningham, TE, South Carolina
Analysis: As the 2012 NFL executive of the year, it's tough to question GM Ryan Grigson too much. However, it's also tough to get behind the draft class that Indianapolis put together over the weekend. Bjoern Werner should have never fallen to the 24th pick, so he was a great value, but is he really someone who is going to succeed in a 3-4?
The Colts had to wait until the third round for their next selection and passed on skill position players to instead select OG Hugh Thornton. It wasn't a popular selection with fans, but as Indianapolis continues to try and find players to accommodate a power running scheme the move does make some sense.
The Colts again added an interior lineman instead of filling a hole elsewhere in the fourth round, taking center/guard Khaled Holmes. It's hard to make an argument for taking two interior linemen with so many other needs, especially when neither Thornton nor Holmes are guys who you'd expect to immediately be starters.
Trading up for risky defensive tackle Montori Hughes is a questionable move as well, and ultimately the Colts failed to make any noteworthy improvements to their roster. Too many needs were left unaddressed, netting them a grade of C-.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Pick Player
1.2 Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M
2.1 Jonathan Cyprien, SS, Florida International
3.2 Dwayne Gratz, CB, Connecticut
4.4 Ace Sanders, WR, South Carolina
5.2 Denard Robinson, WR/RB, Michigan
6.1 Josh Evans, FS, Florida
7.2 Jeremy Harris, CB, New Mexico State
7.4 Demetrius McCray, CB, Appalachian State
Jacksonville may have a surplus of left tackles at this point, but there's not much debating that Luke Joeckel was the best available player when Jacksonville made their selection, and it's difficult to knock their grade for being unable to trade down from the number two spot. Jonathan Cyprien was the best safety in this draft and to grab him in the second round is simply outstanding value. Dwayne Gratz makes the third starter Jacksonville found in their first three selections.
Those first three rounds went very well for Jacksonville, but things weren't quite as solid afterward. Its hard to get behind the selection of Ace Sanders when a more talented (but a different style of player) Quinton Patton was still on the board. Denard Robinson's role remains to be determined. As a slot wide reciever or special teams player, he'd fill the same role that Sanders would. If they plan on using him as a running back, why not look at a proven back like Zac Stacy instead?
The Jags wrapped up their draft with three straight value picks in the secondary. Josh Evans could eventually end up playing alongside Cyprien, and both Jeremy Harris and Demetrius McCray could grow into nice contributors.
In spite of a couple of questionable decisions in the middle of the draft, Jacksonville's rookie GM Dave Caldwell got things off to a solid start. It's just the first step in rebuilding a roster severely lacking in talent, but you have to like the direction their going. The signing of QB Matt Scott as an UDFA only improves this class that gets a B+.
Tennessee Titans
Pick Player
1.10 Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama
2.2 Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee
3.8 Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB, Connecticut
3.35 Zavier Gooden, OLB, Missouri
4.10 Brian Schwenke, C, California
5.9 Lavar Edwards, DE, Louisiana State
6.34 Kahlid Wooten, CB, Nevada
7.42 Daimion Stafford, FS, Nebraska
Analysis: Tennessee faces off against JJ Watt at least twice a year, and while they signed Andy Levitre to play left guard, they still needed a right guard to deal with Houston's defensive tackle. Chance Warmack will be called upon to do just that, and should be a huge boost to the Titans' running game.
Sending a third round pick in 2014 to San Francisco to move up six spots in the second round is a high price, but the potential that Justin Hunter brings might be worth it. Still, it's likely that the Titans could have stayed at their original position in the second round and still landed the gifted receiver with questionable hands.
Blidi Wreh-Wilson could very well win a starting spot in training camp, as could Brian Schwenke. Getting that sort of value in the third and fourth round is fantastic, and the Titans got a likely contributor out of Lavar Edwards in the fifth round as well.
Aside from the trade up to secure Hunter, the only real headscratching move was selecting Zavier Gooden at the end of the third round. He's an athletic player that has some huge upside, but with Zach Brown already in the lineup he's likely to only provide depth at this point.
Tennessee reached on value a couple of times, including losing a pick in next year's draft that looks to be loaded. In spite of that, they filled almost every need and leave the draft a much better team than they were on Thursday morning. That earns them a B+.
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