The much anticipated 2009 NFL Draft has come and gone and it was a draft with some surprise, some unpredictability, some good moves and some bad moves. While some said that the talent in this draft was sub par others felt that there was some good depth at many positions and teams loaded up on some players that are sure to become household names at some point in the very near future.
The following is a quick look at each team in the AFC East and the grades that I gave them for the prospects that they drafted in the 2009 NFL Draft.
New England Patriots-The Patriots did a lot of trading around the draft to get additional picks both this year and next and came up with some players that are really going to help them out in the near and long term. Drafting players like Patrick Chung and Darius Butler will pay dividends. Trading Ellis Hobbs was a little bit questionable but this team now has the talent to fill that void and get back into the playoffs. Grade: A+
Miami Dolphins-The Dolphins drafted smart and got some good players to help them improve overall. Drafting such players as Vontae Davis and Pat White will surely make this team better in terms of team speed. White will give them some flexibility and fire power on offense. Cornerback Sean Smith is a real find as is Ohio State wide receiver Brian Hartline. Overall it’s a good draft for them.
Grade: A-
New York Jets-Trading to get Mark Sanchez was a big and bold move for the Jets but a necessary one as they were a team in desperate need of a quarterback. Now we will have to see if Sanchez can be the starter that the Jets hope that he can be but if he does pan out, then this will have been a good draft for them. However, with just three picks overall, this draft won’t help them much in the future. Not to be forgotten, drafting Shonn Greene does help their running game out a lot so this draft is not a loss for them by any means. Grade: C+
Buffalo Bills-Aaron Maybin might have went a little bit higher than he should have but if he can help improve the Bill’s pass rush, I think that he will really help their defense out. Taking center Eric Wood was a little bit of odd but some of their later selections (to include Jarius Byrd, Andy Levitre and Nic Harris) should be productive at some point in their careers. Grade: B-
NEXT UP: The AFC South
By Bryan Dietzler
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