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NFL Draft Winners and Losers

Another year, another NFL Draft behind us. It was fun while it lasted - and now all we can do is wait until training camps open around the league to get our football fix come this summer. So in the meantime, let's get to it: the biggest winners and losers from the 2009 NFL Draft!

Winner, Winner - Chicken Dinner! ~ Romeo (Tin Cup)

1) Philadelphia Eagles

Thoroughly impressed with this draft, as a team that got all the way to the NFC Championship game adds some important pieces to the puzzle. In the 1st, the Eagles traded up two spots to snag Jeremy Maclin (WR - Missouri), an explosive down the field threat who could be lined up on the other side of DeSean Jackson for a long time. This team had been lacking big play threats since T.O.'s departure, but now finds itself with two talented WR's who will make a lot of plays in Philly this year. Shady McCoy (RB - Pittsburgh) in the 2nd provides another insurance policy for the oft-ailing Brian Westbrook, and could make an immediate impact on 3rd downs and take some of the load off B.W. A major value pick came in the 5th round in the form of Cornelius Ingram (TE - Florida). Call me a homer or whatever you want, but C.I. was a game changer before his injury at UF. He has a type of athleticism that most TE's simply don't possess, and his ability to stretch the field while being covered by a linebacker is something that could be quite valuable next season for the Eagles. If his health holds up, this is going to be a huge steal for Philly.

2) Minnesota Vikings

Although they only had 5 picks in the draft, the Vikings certainly made the most of them, starting at #22 with the lightning quick and controversial Percy Harvin (WR - Florida). Percy's off-the-field issues and positive marijuana test at the combine have been well documented, but make no mistake that there are very few athletes in the country with Percy's athletic skills. This is a top-5 talent that fell down the board because of non-football issues. It should come as no shock to people that football players like to blaze the occassional blunt, the only problem is being stupid enough to get caught at the combine doing it. Again, in my homer-able opinion, Percy will prove the haters wrong and thrive on the turf in Minnesota, making an inside/outside duo of him and Adrian Peterson a scary proposition. But Harvin wasn't the only smart pick the Vikings made over the weekend. I'm not sure what to think of Phil Loadholt (OT - Oklahoma), but it appears the Vikings have a huge need at RT and he should be able to fill that void nicely. Minnesota also found great value in the 3rd and 5th rounds, where they took a pair of star SEC defenders - Asher Allen (CB - Georgia) and Jasper Brinkley (LB - South Carolina). Fans of the SEC know these two well, as Brinkley was a tackle machine for the Cocks and Allen, a solid corner/return man for UGA. I really like where this team is headed for next year, and it's very possible that the two teams listed so far as the biggest winners could have a playoff rematch next year - this time in the NFC Championship game.

Congratulations, You Are All Gigantic Losers ~ (Michael Scott)

1) Oakland Raiders

It's really easy to pile on the Raiders - almost a little too easy. But trust me, it is deserved. We're all familiar with Al Davis' fascination with speed - speed - and more speed. The problem is speed alone can't win you football games. We've seen it in the past from the Raiders, with first round bust Fabian Washington (a 40-yard wonder) and track-star turned football player Stanford Routt. We've seen them take the so-far unimpressive yet speedy safety out of Texas, Michael Huff. And now, we get another 40-yard wonder, Darius Heyward-Bey (WR - Maryland) (DHB). I've watched a lot of ACC football over the past couple of years, and I can tell you without the question that DHB is not a 1st-round talent. Getting shut down by FSU's Tony Carter should be grounds for immediate expulsion from the draft board, yet I digress. I would have drafted a year's supply of GHB instead of DHB, at least we know that stuff works (kidding, kind of). Other picks include Matt Shaugnessy (DE - Wisconsin) who was selected in the 3rd round, with most teams having a 6th-7th round grade on him. Al wasn't happy with the direction of the Oakland Tribune and thought was indeed taking Dan Shaugnessy, Boston Globe columnist to become the team's new beat writer. Poor Al will be awfully disappointed by a farm boy defensive end.

2) Carolina Panthers

Already without a 1st round pick after trading it last year to the Eagles for the right to take Jeff Otah, the Panthers again surrendered a 1st round pick for next year to take Everette "I Play When I Want" Brown (DE - FSU). While Brown was a good value in the middle of the 2nd round where he was picked, I would have under no circumstances given a 1st rounder next year. Think about this: the Panthers play in what is probably now the toughest division in football. The Falcons are only getting stronger, same for the Saints. This team could easily be the worst team in the NFC South next year, and a loss of Julius Peppers could seal that. The Panthers will regret giving up that 1st rounder when this pick inside the top 15, maybe even the top 10. No other pick really impresses me either, including a product of a college football powerhouse, Tony Fiammetta (FB - Syracuse), and the oft-troubled Duke Robertson (OG - Oklahoma).

Big Eisy - 4.27.09