Five-year draft rankings: Teams 17-24
17. Tennessee Titans
Current roster: 24 of 50 (10 starters). The Titans have parted ways with almost every member of the 2004 draft class. Six players left via free agency this off-season despite Tennessee having ample cap room to re-sign some of them.
2008 NFL Draft
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Draft tool kit
News
Analysis
- Czar: AFC draft grades | NFC
- Marvez: Another bumper crop for N.Y.?
- Kriegel: Why bad can be good in NFL
- Marvez: Best, worst drafts since '03
- Whitlock: 10 NFL Draft truths
- Hench: We don't have to love draft
Sights and sounds
Best picks: The Titans grabbed both of their starting tackles — Michael Roos (second) and David Stewart (fourth) — within a 72-pick span in 2005.
Biggest mistake: Pacman Jones was trouble in college but the Titans ignored those warning signs and selected the cornerback with the No. 6 overall pick in 2005. Jones' subsequent arrests and off-field problems are a reminder that talent shouldn't always trump character. Tennessee traded Jones to Dallas on Thursday for a fourth-round pick.
Front office: Mike Reinfeldt became general manager last off-season after Floyd Reese reportedly lost a power struggle with head coach Jeff Fisher. This will be Reinfeldt's first Titans draft with a full year of preparation.
Comment: The Titans are hoping that new offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger can help quarterback Vince Young (2006/first) improve on his 2007 total of just nine touchdown passes.
18. Washington Redskins
Current roster: 11 of 24 (8 starters). George Allen would be proud. By opting to trade picks for veterans, the Redskins have the NFL's lowest number of selections since 2003.
Best pick: The late Sean Taylor (2004/first) had the potential to become a Hall of Fame safety before his murder last November.
Biggest mistake: Believing that wide receiver Brandon Lloyd was worth third- and fourth-round draft picks, let alone a $30 million contract. After being acquired from San Francisco, Lloyd caught only 25 passes the past two years and was subsequently traded to Chicago this off-season.
Front office: Following coach Joe Gibbs' retirement after last season, Vinny Cerato was cemented as the chief of Washington's football operations. It's believed owner Dan Snyder has influenced some previous personnel decisions that resulted in picks being traded for veterans.
Comment: With nine selections this weekend, Cerato has the ammunition needed to help rejuvenate an aged roster.
19. Houston Texans
Current roster: 18 of 40 (11 starters). Two of Houston's most promising picks — cornerback Dunta Robinson (2004/first) and left tackle Charles Spencer (2006/third) — are trying to come back from serious leg injuries.
Best pick: When healthy, Andre Johnson (2003/first) is one of the NFL's best wide receivers.
Biggest mistake: Strong safety Glenn Earl is the only player remaining on the roster of the nine drafted between rounds two and five from 2003 to 2005.
Front office: Charley Casserly couldn't sculpt this expansion franchise into a winner before his 2006 departure as general manager. But Casserly left a nice parting gift, as Houston's decision to select defensive end Mario Williams with the top overall pick in 2006 began paying off last season.
Comment: Playing in one of the NFL's toughest divisions, the impact of this year's draft class could determine whether the 2008 Texans secure the franchise's first playoff berth.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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| Bruce Allen hasn't done much good as GM in Tampa Bay, but somehow he got an extension to keep trying. (Al Messerschmidt / Getty Images) |
Current roster: 25 of 46 (10 starters). Five of the eight players from Tampa Bay's 2006 draft class are still with the team. Only New Orleans, Pittsburgh and Miami have a lower success rate.
Best pick: A toss-up between right guard Davin Joseph (first) and right tackle Jeremy Trueblood (second), who became rookie starters during the 2006 campaign.
Biggest mistake: Running back Earnest Graham, who led the Bucs in rushing last season, was a college free-agent find in 2003. But for the past five years, Tampa Bay didn't do a good enough job with their 25 picks between rounds five through seven. None of the 10 players remaining with the team are projected starters in 2008.
Front office: Tampa Bay's Super Bowl-winning roster in 2002 was spearheaded by star players the franchise drafted in the 1990s under Rich McKay. General manager Bruce Allen hasn't come close to finding picks who could make the same kind of impact since taking the reins in 2004.
Comment: Allen and coach Jon Gruden were given contract extensions this off-season. That speaks volumes about how the duo is perceived by Bucs management despite the franchise having failed to win a playoff game the past five seasons.
21. Kansas City Chiefs
Current roster: 15 of 38 (7 starters, one specialist). Chiefs executive Bill Kuharich said the team has researched more players (320) than in recent seasons because Kansas City has 13 picks in this year's draft. The Chiefs picked up three more selections — a first-rounder and two third-rounders — following Wednesday's trade of defensive end Jared Allen to Minnesota.
Best pick: It took Larry Johnson (2003/first) more than two seasons to become a full-time starter but he didn't disappoint when finally getting that chance. He rushed for 1,700-plus yards in 2005 and 2006.
Biggest mistake: Only four of 15 players selected between rounds three and five are still Chiefs. One of them is quarterback Brodie Croyle (2006/third), who has yet to prove he can be an effective starter.
Front office: General manager Carl Peterson has hit on Johnson and his three other first-round picks — linebacker Derrick Johnson (2005), defensive end Tamba Hali (2006) and wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (2007) — in the past five seasons.
Comment: A lack of talent was exposed when Kansas City lost its final nine games of 2007. The rebuilding process begins in earnest with this weekend's draft even though it cost Kansas City the services of Allen, who was a steal as a 2004 fourth-round pick.
22. Cincinnati Bengals
Current roster: 21 of 43 (11 starters). Injuries have proven costly, Linebacker David Pollack (2005/first) was forced to retire because of neck problems and running back Chris Perry has appeared in just 22 of 64 games because of various ailments. The Bengals hope Kenny Irons (2007/second) can rebound from a torn anterior cruciate ligament better than fellow running back Ki-Jana Carter (1995/No. 1 overall) did.
Must-read:
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- Perry: What CC, Harden deals mean
- Vote for your favorite Yankee moment
Must-see:
Top headlines:
- CC reply: Cubs deal for A's P Harden
- Report: Brand headed to Philly
- Report: Stewart set to leave JGR
Worth a thousand words:
Best pick: Bengals coach Marvin Lewis did a masterful job helping quarterback Carson Palmer avoid the same fate as other No. 1 overall picks who played before being ready like Tim Couch, Alex Smith and David Carr. While starting Jon Kitna in 2003, Lewis designated a practice segment solely to Palmer and had him dissect opponent video cut-ups. "The team needed to win," said Lewis, who helped Cincinnati improve from 2-14 to 8-8 in his first season in 2003. "A lot of times if you throw in a rookie quarterback — even one as talented as Carson — if you don't win, everyone is going to blame that position."
Biggest mistake: The draft class of 2005. Recently reinstated linebacker Odell Thurman (second round) missed the past two seasons because of substance-abuse problems. Wide receiver Chris Henry (2005/third) squandered his chance to rebound from an eight-game suspension by getting arrested again in March. He was subsequently released. Linebacker A.J. Nicholson (fifth) also was axed last year after being arrested on domestic violence charges.
Front office: The knocks on Cincinnati's personnel department are unjustified. The Bengals' draft production compares favorably to other teams. Bengals owner/general manager Mike Brown has taken too many chances on players with off-field baggage.
Comment: Drafting isn't Cincinnati's biggest personnel problem. An ultra-conservative approach to free agency combined with a failure to consistently re-sign young talent before free agency beckons are far bigger issues.
23. New Orleans Saints
Current roster: 18 of 35 (8 starters). Wide receiver Marques Colston (seventh) was the steal of the 2006 draft.
Best pick: Initially chosen as a right tackle, Jammal Brown (2005/first) made a seamless transition to left tackle and has already earned one Pro Bowl appearance.
Biggest mistake: Defensive tackle Jonathan Sullivan, the No. 6 overall pick in 2003, battled weight problems throughout three seasons in New Orleans. Sullivan couldn't salvage his career when traded to New England and is now out of the NFL.
Front office: Mickey Loomis has done a quality job under budget restraints from one of the NFL's most frugal owners (Tom Benson). Loomis admits he is trying to trade up from the No. 10 slot in this year's draft for what is believed to be a defensive tackle like Louisiana State's Glenn Dorsey or Southern California's Sedrick Ellis.
Comment: The Saints have to hope their last two first-round picks — wide receiver Robert Meachem (2007) and running back Reggie Bush (2006) — can rebound. Meachem didn't appear on a single play last season, while Bush wasn't the same kind of game-changing player from 2006.
24. New York Jets
Current roster: 18 of 39 (seven starters, one specialist). This number should drop soon once the New York Jets either trade or release defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson (2003/fourth).
Best pick: Middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma (2004/first) was outstanding his first two seasons but then declined because of injuries and a change in defensive scheme. Vilma was traded to New Orleans this spring for a fourth-round pick.
Biggest mistake: Only one player (wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery) remains from the 17 chosen in 2003 and 2004.
Front office: After three seasons, Terry Bradway resigned as general manager for a lesser position in the franchise. The switch to Mike Tannenbaum was relatively smooth, although he has needed to overhaul a roster filled with 4-3 defensive players to better fit coach Eric Mangini's 3-4 scheme.
Comment: New York used its first three 2006 picks on players projected to become cornerstones of the offense. Center Nick Mangold (first) has lived up to expectations; left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson (first) and quarterback Kellen Clemens (second) haven't.
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