It’s an accepted fact in the NFL that you sink or swim on your draft. If you draft well your team will improve and you will keep your job. On the other hand, if you don’t draft well, you don’t win and you are headed for unemployment.
Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com did a study of the last five drafts and rated the success of each team’s choices. The past two Super Bowl winners, the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints came out first and second on his list.
It’s not a coincidence that they are winners of the past two Super Bowls.
“The study focused on such factors as where the teams selected; how many star players were acquired; booms and busts at the top of the draft; late-round gems; and how the players selected contributed to wins and losses.”
I do think the Packers are far ahead when it comes to drafting over the past five years. They have star players on both sides of the ball. In an amazing accomplishment, they were able to win the Super Bowl with many of their backups.
I don’t think the Saints should be second on the list for drafting in the last five years. USC defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis is the one quality defensive player they have drafted. They don’t have a good defense.
I would say the Baltimore Ravens should be second. I like the job the Atlanta Falcons have done. I think the Indianapolis Cots are rated too high.
The Eagles finished 12th on their list. Check it out and what they had to say about the Birds.
1. Green Bay Packers
2. New Orleans Saints
3. Indianapolis Colts
4. New York Jets
5. Atlanta Falcons
6. Baltimore Ravens
7. Minnesota Vikings
8. Pittsburgh Steelers
9. New England Patriots
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
11. New York Giants
“12. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Number of picks: 47
Still on team: 27
Starters: 8
Best pick: WR DeSean Jackson, 2008
Worst pick: DT Trevor Laws, 2008
Overall: The Eagles’ top rusher (LeSean McCoy) and top five pass-catcher (McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Jackson and Brent Celek) were acquired through the past five drafts, but they’ve been less-successful finding standouts on their offensive and defensive lines. Their biggest risk paid off, as Andy Reid took a chance on Jackson with the No. 49 overall pick in 2008. Obviously, they’ve gotten a lot of return on that investment. But two picks earlier they selected Laws, whose increased playing time last year only resulted in 18 tackles — 22nd on the team. To his credit, he did have four sacks.”
13. Kansas City Chiefs
14. Houston Texans
15. San Diego Chargers
16. Chicago Bears
17. Tennessee Titans
18. San Francisco 49ers
19. Detroit Lions
20. Cleveland Browns
21. Oakland Raiders
22. Denver Broncos
23. Jacksonville Jaguars
24. Carolina Panthers
25. Seattle Seahawks
26. Miami Dolphins
27. St. Louis Rams
28. Dallas Cowboys
29. Arizona Cardinals
30. Cincinnati Bengals
31. Washington Redskins
32. Buffalo Bills
i think its fair. They do not have a good D. Not at all and they have for sure drafted players that we thought could step up. There is noone on the D side of the ball that puts fear in anyone, Asam for sure will pick your pocket but thats about it. If its early in the year Cole will grab a sack here and there but noone fears us anymore.
our DT’s are ok.
our Lb’s were labled as “smart” by S.I. a few years back.
our 2ndary is always banged up.
fear is overrated. Points against and turnovers are all that I care about. Fear is SO overrated.
Drafting of D-linemen in general has been poor. Their philosophy of ‘fastballs’ at DE is not working either because the philosophy is flawed or they have just missed on all the picks. 2010 D-line picks were a disappointment and could set the team back going forward. Lets hope new D-line coach can help.
schiller,
I hate the vikings…. hate them BUT….. when Jared Allen comes off the edge, he might sack you… might blow your knees out or might strangle you with his since cut mullet. I live in MN and can tell you that NFL qb’s worry about him. They FEAR him and it messes with their game. They are restless in the pocket knowing he is around.
I agree that the most important part of a D is turnovers and FEAR playes a role. Teams dont throw to Asam’s side… they have a little fear about that. What if they had as much fear about throwing to the other side? What if they had fear for stepping up into the pocket because fat albert was there? FEAR is important in football.
Stevo, I hear you. I guess it’s semantics to me. I say you don’t throw to Asante’s side, or Asomguah’s side (wishful thinking) not because of fear, but out of being smart. SURE you make sure you have a blocker (or extra) on Jared Allen…etc… but to me, that’s not fear, that’s common sense. For example, my current office building is right next to a huge hole in the ground (massive construction project). I’m not afraid of falling into it. I’m not afraid of it. But I also don’t go walking into it. I think there’s a difference between knowing you should avoid something or protect yourself from it, and fear.
We need better Eagles players on D, or at least for them to play better. That’s for certain. But oppopnents’ avoiding or having to plan protections against our D will come from good-great play, not how scary a dude is. I could care less if some guy looks like a pansy and can hit hard or create turnovers reliably.
I’ll just be happy if the Eagles never pick another kid from Notre Dame. Sure Laws seems to be playing well now, and that’s great, I hope he continues that trend. But, and I’ll be up front here, I’m a Pitt fan and have always hated ND, their elitism and their ‘we don’t have to be in a conference but we get our own TV network’ status. I was pissed when we drafted Victor Abiamiri and Laws – I wanted to be optimisitc (they would have won me over if they played very well)…
Drew Bress is why the Saints won a Super Bowl and makes all the offensice players better. He went to NO because Culpepper choose Miami and Saints got lucky. There have done well drafting, but Brees makes the whole team go. Sharper ran the defense and he was a free agent also. I don’t have a problem if the list is draft picks and free agent for the Saints.
The last 5 years have been bad for the Eagles on the defensive side. Hopefully they use most of the picks on defense and hit of a few.
A first rounder spent on a corner will equate to 2 quality starters instead of going for Namdi.
Kolb may be traded for who Minn drafts at 12. I’m watching their pick with interest.
jp – Profootballtalk.com a few days ago posted that the NFL already released a strong statment saying that teams will be forbidden from drafting players then trading them quickly. So feel free to watch Minne’s pick, but I wouldn’t do it for those reasons….
If you put two first round draft picks and one second draft pick into one position you should be getting more than the Eagles are getting out of the defensive tackle position. Despite two first rounders and a second rounder, the best DT the Eagles have is free agent, Antonio Dixon.
Juqua Parker isn’t a Pro Bowler, but he has outplayed every defensive end the Eagles have brought in here to replace him. What does that say?
Also G, former DL Coach Rory Segrest was not the best Position Coach to help mold these young DL players into better players over the last couple of seasons either..I don’t want to pile on the guy, but what DL over the last 3 seasons has really improved their game under his direction and coaching.. same can be said about the LB issues te Eagles have had the last few seasons.. You have to have talent and players, but you have to have some good coaching and schemes too.. Eagles became way to predictable on Defense the last few seasons (JJ’s final season or 2 included)
juqua parker is an asset the 1st half of the season . but he is a typical eagle d lineman , they just seem to lose there steam as the season ends.
I heard Hugh Douglas say on WIP that the Eagles needed to change their drafting ways and draft a couple of “ani-mules.” I believe he is 100% right; the Eagles are always trying to outsmart everyone instead of getting players who will run over you like a semi. Players that beat the $&*# out of you and take no prisoners!
This is a JOKE! The eagles have been to the playoffs 9 out of the last 12 years! It’s harder to draft impact players when you are picking at the rear of the draft year after year. All the KEY players on the top 10 teams listed above were drafted in the top 10 -15 players. Look it up!
For the last 5 years, Paulman’s Rankings on Top Teams in the Draft
#1) Packers
#2) Ravens
#3) Steelers
#4) Patriots
#5) Colts
#6) Vikings
#7) Chargers
#8) Jets
#9) Giants
#10) Saints
Over the last 2 Seasons or so
#1) TB Bucs
#2) KC Chiefs
#3) Atlanta Falcons
#4) NY Jets
#5) Detroit
#6) Steelers
#7) Patriots
#8) Ravens
#9) Seahawks
#10) Oakland Raiders
Forgot to list the Packers high on the last 2 seasons as well…
When you add in the many free agent busts, the Eagles move downward.
Forget the Free-Agent busts, how about the lack of production from top picks like Laws,Abriami,Bunkley,Demps,Tony Hunt,MJG,Jack Ike,Bryan Smith who were all picked in 1,2,3 & 4 th Rounds who have done little with th Eagles