2008 Bills Draft- grade me now.

[Orton's Arm]

I'll go pick-by-pick:

 

McKelvin - C-. 22 starts in 3 years in not what you're looking for when you draft a CB this high. And he's shown flashes, but hasn't played consistently well either as a starter or a nickel back. Was awesome as a return man 1 year, then horrible last year. Can still turn it around and improve this grade, but right now, it's closer to a D than a C. Remember, he was the first CB drafted that year, and #11 overall. If that guy doesn't become a solid starter for you, he's a bust.

 

Hardy - F. Not much to say here.

 

Chris Ellis - F. Everyone who was riding on the Alex Carrington bandwagon before we drafted Dareus needs to remember that people were equally confident about Ellis after an almost equally non-productive rookie season. Doesn't mean Carrington will bust, too, but sometimes people let their optimism run a little wild.

 

Corner - B-. Has been a pretty solid contributor, but entering year 4, he's not a starter and looks like he never will be. Good, not great, pick.

 

Fine - F. 2 years, 18 games played, 11 starts, 19 catches, 1 TD, now out of football. Was panned by the experts as a major reach at the time, and they were right. The Bills claimed that they loved him because (unlike most of the TEs in that draft) he could both block and catch. Turns out he couldn't do either. Small, slow, and old (25 years old as a rookie) is not a good recipe in the NFL.

 

Bowen - D. Never did anything, but it's not the Bills' fault that he got hurt, and maybe he might have made the team if he didn't get hurt.

 

Omon - F. Even in preseason, the guy looked terrible.

 

Bell - B. Toughest grade for me. He's been our starter at LT for the last 2 years, but mostly just by default. He certainly hasn't been a *good* starter at the position, and he hasn't been able to stay healthy, either. Still, he belongs in the NFL (I think), at least as a backup, and given how raw he was when drafted, he's still got time to become a good starter for a number of years. If a 7th-rounder is still on the team 3 years later, that's automatically a good pick, the question is just how good.

 

Johnson - A+. This is one of the extremely rare 7th-rounders that 1.) I had heard of before the draft, 2.) I specifically thought would/could be successful for us, and 3.) actually was successful for us. So glad he finally got the opportunity this year.

 

Cox - D. Didn't make the team, but has stuck in the NFL as a deep backup, so doesn't get an F.

I agree with these grades. The Bills came away with one true starter (Stevie Johnson), two marginal starters (Bell and McKelvin), and a decent depth player (Corner). Disappointments in rounds 1 - 3 were partially offset by success later in the draft.

 

The Bills need to start finding success early in the draft, so that late round success stories like Stevie Johnson add to what was achieved earlier in the draft. With a draft like 2008's, it's a case of trying to use late round success stories to balance out early round failures.

 

Was this year's draft a case of finding multiple solid starters in rounds 1 - 3? Knowing what we know today, I think that Dareus was about as good a pick as the Bills could have made. I'm less familiar with our picks in rounds 2 and 3, but I hope they turn into solid starters. If they do, the 2011 draft will be recorded as vastly different from the 2008 draft!

[LGB]

D- sounds about right and the Bills have not been able to benefit from their many years of sub-500 play that has put them closer to the top in draft choices.

 

Of course, they have not been helped with total flameout high draft choices (like Maybin and McCargo) and have been treading water in the AFC East (if not starting to sink going from 7-9 to 6-10 to 4-12 last year). Like their run defense, there is only one direction to go and that is up!

[Cash]

I agree with these grades. The Bills came away with one true starter (Stevie Johnson), two marginal starters (Bell and McKelvin), and a decent depth player (Corner). Disappointments in rounds 1 - 3 were partially offset by success later in the draft.

 

The Bills need to start finding success early in the draft, so that late round success stories like Stevie Johnson add to what was achieved earlier in the draft. With a draft like 2008's, it's a case of trying to use late round success stories to balance out early round failures.

 

Was this year's draft a case of finding multiple solid starters in rounds 1 - 3? Knowing what we know today, I think that Dareus was about as good a pick as the Bills could have made. I'm less familiar with our picks in rounds 2 and 3, but I hope they turn into solid starters. If they do, the 2011 draft will be recorded as vastly different from the 2008 draft!

 

I sure hope so! One interesting thing is that picks 1-3 could all pan out very well without any of those guys ever making the Pro Bowl. Dareus could theoretically become a Richard Seymour type who makes the Pro Bowl every year, but a more likely (and still very successful) scenario is that he doesn't generate numbers for himself, but wreaks havoc on the offense in ways that help out everyone else. 3-4 ends rarely make the Pro Bowl.

 

For Williams to be a success at #34, he's got to eventually become a solid starter for us at corner. He doesn't necessarily need to get a ton of picks, just provide steady coverage. But the only ways to make the Pro Bowl as a corner are to get a ton of picks, or have a reputation as a "lockdown" corner (e.g., Revis, Asomugha, Bailey).

 

And as for Sheppard, I'm hoping and kind of expecting that he'll be a solid starter for us long-term as well. Remember that 3-4 ILB is not a premium position -- they rarely go high these days, and starters are frequently found late in the draft. So when we take one at the top of the 3rd, and he was something like the 2nd or 3rd ILB drafted, it's fair to expect him to be a starter. But he doesn't need to be a Ray Lewis or Patrick Willis, and those are the only MLB/ILBs that make the Pro Bowl.

[Aloha22]

If Mckelvin can be a starting corner the draft is decent but if not its a bad draft if you get late round finds plus hit on your first rounder. But if you miss on all picks rounds 1-3 it van't be a good draft.

McKelvin has the ability. Once the run D finally improves this year, so too will the secondary.

[Orton's Arm]

I sure hope so! One interesting thing is that picks 1-3 could all pan out very well without any of those guys ever making the Pro Bowl. Dareus could theoretically become a Richard Seymour type who makes the Pro Bowl every year, but a more likely (and still very successful) scenario is that he doesn't generate numbers for himself, but wreaks havoc on the offense in ways that help out everyone else. 3-4 ends rarely make the Pro Bowl.

 

For Williams to be a success at #34, he's got to eventually become a solid starter for us at corner. He doesn't necessarily need to get a ton of picks, just provide steady coverage. But the only ways to make the Pro Bowl as a corner are to get a ton of picks, or have a reputation as a "lockdown" corner (e.g., Revis, Asomugha, Bailey).

 

And as for Sheppard, I'm hoping and kind of expecting that he'll be a solid starter for us long-term as well. Remember that 3-4 ILB is not a premium position -- they rarely go high these days, and starters are frequently found late in the draft. So when we take one at the top of the 3rd, and he was something like the 2nd or 3rd ILB drafted, it's fair to expect him to be a starter. But he doesn't need to be a Ray Lewis or Patrick Willis, and those are the only MLB/ILBs that make the Pro Bowl.

I agree that odds are against any of this year's picks getting a lot of Pro Bowl invites. And that's okay, as long as Dareus plays at a Pro Bowl level. As for Williams, if he plays as well as Jabari Greer played, and if he remains in Buffalo for the entirety of his useful career, he'll have been a good pick. He doesn't have to play at a Pro Bowl level, but he does need to be a solid starter, as Greer was. I too hope and somewhat expect to see Sheppard to become a long-term solid starter at ILB. If he does, it was a good pick.

 

If all three of those things happen, this will have been a very solid draft. If those three things happen and if it turns out we got some late round steals (such as Hairston and Jasper), this will have been a great draft! That said, it's probably a mistake to get too excited about this draft before any of the picks have played a down of football in the NFL.

[MikeSpeed]

You guys are way more generous than I am.

 

My grading scale... (Does not use minus grades)

A+ Hall of fame ability

A Constant Pro bowler

B+ Pro bowl consideration (Alternate)

B Valuable Starter

C+ Starter (But shoud be looked at as stop gap only)

C Back-up

D+ 3rd Stringer at best

D Special teamer (will never start)

F Just plain sucks!

 

McKelvin - C (I don't feel he would start on most teams)

Hardy - F (nuff said)

Chris Ellis - D (Did play some ST)

Corner - C (Is a back-up)

Fine - F

Bowen - F

Omon - F

Bell - C+ (We need an upgrade)

Johnson - B+ (I wouldn't have been surprised if he would have gotten a PB bid)

Cox - F

 

Average - D+

Edited May 3, 2011 by MikeSpeed

[papazoid]

Round Pick Player Position School Grade/ Note

1 11 (11) Leodis McKelvin CB Troy University C; 4 Int, 2FF 1FR; IR2009

2 10 (41) James Hardy WR Indiana F; GW catch vs. jags- Balt camp

3 9 (72) Chris Ellis DE Virginia Tech F; 13 tkl, 1sack; cut2010- Pit

4 15 (114) Reggie Corner DB Akron B+; 18pdef, 1 int, 114 tkl, slot cb

4* 33 (132) Derek Fine TE Kansas F; IR 4ever, cut- Texans

5 12 (147) Alvin Bowen OLB Iowa State F; IR knee injury, cut- Jags

6 13 (179) Xavier Omon RB NW Missouri St F; 49ers camp

7 12 (219) Demetrius Bell T NW State (La) B+; starting LT, improving

7 17 (224) Steve Johnson WR Kentucky A+; 12TDs, 1082 yds 2010

7* 44 (251) Kennard Cox DB Pittsburgh D; Sea SPteams

* - Compensatory pick

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2008/draft/teams/bills.html#ixzz1L9T2hybN

 

Overall grade C-. Missing on the 2nd & 3rd rounders is terrible, just like playoff chances since they were acquired. These players need to be core contributors, they have been jettisoned. Finding a starting(on this team) LT and the breakout season for Stevie huge for 7th round finds. McKelvin is still inexperienced or he is just lacking brainpower, as he hasnt figured out how turn athletic potential into playmaking ability. Corner is a good find in the 4th round. I think hes our best slot corner. Overall 3 starters on a 4-12 team is a weak draft. Injuries essentially derailed this classs potential.

 

do over:

 

Round pick player

#1 - 12 - Ryan Clady OT (den) Pro Bowler

#2 - 49 - Desean Jackson WR (phi) Pro Bowler

#3 - 73 - Jamaal Charles RB (kc) Pro Bowler

Edited May 3, 2011 by papazoid