The AFC South could end up being one of the better divisions in football next season and the draft helped push a couple teams a little bit further towards the playoffs and quite possibly past Indianapolis. Here is a quick look at the draft grades that I gave to the teams in the AFC South following the 2009 NFL Draft.
Houston Texans-The Texans had a mission. Their mission was to improve their defense and add depth in some other key areas. This was almost exactly what they did. Adding USC linebacker Brian Cushing will really help them out on defense as will the addition of Cincinnati defensive end Connor Barwin. With these new additions as well having Amobi Okoye and Mario Williams, the Texans may end up having one of the better defenses in the NFL. They did get a little offensive line depth and some much needed depth in the secondary. Choosing two tight ends was a little confusing but at least they have some good depth at the position. Grade B+
Indianapolis Colts-The Colts went into this draft in need of some depth and some starting power on the defensive line and while they got some of that depth that they needed, they didn’t quite get the power that they wanted on the defensive line. Fili Moala is a nice addition as is Terrance Taylor and they should help them out but they needed much more on the line. Getting running back Donald Brown will end up being huge for this team especially since they have had issues in the running game in the past. A decent draft but they didn’t quite fill their needs here. Grade C
Jacksonville Jaguars-The Jaguars needed some big time help on the offensive line and at wide receiver and they got some help in both areas. To start out, they took offensive tackles Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton making their line instantly better. A little farther on down the line, they added wide receivers Mike Thomas ,Jarrett Dillard (who got into a car wreck right before the draft) and Tiquan Underwood but could have added a top of the line wide receiver which is still now a serious need. Filling needs on the offensive line gives them a higher grade than perhaps they should have gotten. Grade B+
Tennessee Titans-The Titans went into the draft in need of a wide receiver and got one by taking Kenny Britt with their first pick in the draft. He should be a starter right away. The acquisition of Sen’Derrick Marks should help Tennessee at least recover a little bit from the loss of Albert Haynesworth. Tight end Jared Cook was a solid pickup but they neglected getting a top end cornerback and drafted just two cornerbacks in this draft. The offensive line got some depth added and they also picked up running back Javon Ringer in an interesting move for the team. Grade B-
By Bryan Dietzler
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