Polian ranks the best drafting teams

[outerbanks]

Copied and pasted from espn insider. I will give it two minutes before the first Steeler fan will post a complaint about not being considered "the best"

The best

Baltimore Ravens

Best value pick: CB Lardarius Webb (2009: Round 3, Pick 88)
Cornerstone picks: CB Jimmy Smith (2011: Rd. 1, 27); OT Michael Oher (2009: Rd. 1, 23)

The Ravens' draft success certainly predates 2009. Both QB Joe Flacco and RB Ray Rice are blues from previous classes, but they've also added two more in Webb and Smith, two corners that Baltimore badly needed. Both CBs are solid in man-to-man coverage, as you have to be in the Ravens' system.

If they had a blue WR they likely would have been in the Super Bowl. Torrey Smith may be it.

The big question mark is Sergio Kindle (2010: Rd. 2, 43) who has missed time due to an off-field injury. If he can come back and produce as some believe he can, he could be another blue.


Detroit Lions

Best value pick: DB Louis Delmas (2009: Rd. 2, 33)
Cornerstone picks: QB Matthew Stafford (2009: Rd. 1, 1), DT Ndamukong Suh (2010: Rd. 1, 2)

The Lions have blues all over the place, which they should, having drafted as high as they did for several years straight. Still, you can miss high, and we've seen a great job by GM Martin Mayhew and coaches Jim Schwartz and Rod Marinelli to make picks that fit into their system.

If RB Mikel Leshoure is the real deal coming back from injury, they are ready to contend at a higher level. I'd look for another solid RB and O-line help in the 2012 draft just to be sure they have what they need.


Green Bay Packers

Best value pick: WR Randall Cobb (2011: Rd. 2, 64)
Cornerstone picks: DT B.J. Raji (2009: Rd. 1, 9), LB Clay Matthews (2009: Rd. 1, 26)

A big blue pass-rusher, plus a speedy pass-rusher, coupled with a blue QB and the two blue WRs equals a Super Bowl. It's simple math! The secondary could use an infusion of top young talent. GM Ted Thompson, head coach Mike McCarthy and defensive coordinator Dom Capers work together as well as any group in the league to draft and deploy talent.


New York Giants

Best value pick: WR Hakeem Nicks (2009: Rd. 1, 29)
Cornerstone pick: DE Jason Pierre-Paul (2010: Rd. 1, 15)

Eli Manning and a revamped receiving corps coupled with a great pass-rushing defense featuring blue-chippers up front and in the secondary garnered the Lombardi trophy. Terrific job by Jerry Reese and company to build a second Super Bowl team in four years.

Keep an eye on 2011 first-round CB Prince Amukamara. He's unproven after missing most of his rookie year to injury, but he has upside and could enter blue territory.


San Francisco 49ers

Best value pick: LB NaVorro Bowman (2010: Rd. 3, 91)
Cornerstone pick: DE Aldon Smith (2011: Rd. 1, 7)

This team is driven by its defense, which features multiple blue-chip playmakers. You can't play this defensive system without a dynamic outside linebacker who can rush the passer. Smith was the finishing touch to their defense last season.

Offensively the 49ers are propelled by the running game. A step up by WR Michael Crabtree and the addition of another playmaker at WR would help greatly.

[LarryN]

OUCH. Polian, writing for BRISTOL?

That's gonna leave a mark.

[Dub]

As a diehard Ravens fan, the Steelers are one of the top 5 drafting teams in the NFL. To say that the Lions are a great drafting team is a joke. The 2 picks the say are cornerstone picks were picked 1st and 2nd overall. You would think you can't mess that up, then again the Lions have before.

[18-87-44-29]

It's no secret of my fondness of Mr. Polian.....but I must respectfully disagree here. While NE has been our blood rival low these many yrs.....it is impossible to ignore the superb job they've always done in the draft.

And First Round Felony and Oherrated as 'cornerstones?' Sigh....I will simply over-look this misstatement from BP.

[Dub]

It's no secret of my fondness of Mr. Polian.....but I must respectfully disagree here. While NE has been our blood rival low these many yrs.....it is impossible to ignore the superb job they've always done in the draft.

I have to disagree with your statement about he NE and there draft. Over the years Billicheat has cut numerous top picks and many have underperformed greatley such as Maroney, Chad Jackson, Meriweather, McCourty, etc. I think they get by because they have the best QB of our generation.

Players like Chung, spikes, Mayo are average players. The only elite player he has drafted since 2006 is the Gronk. Others that have made a probowl that have been drafted since 2002 that have been drafted are Wilfork and Mankins. So how do you think they are superb in the draft?

If you are counting they have drafted 4 pro bowl players in 10 years (Meriweather was a pro bowler). Ravens had more players in pro bowl that were drafted by the team in previous 10 drafts last year alone (Suggs, Ngata, Rice, Grubbs, Yanda, Reed)

[RestonRaven]

I agree with Dub. The Steelers are an excellent drafting team. They have very few busts. The Ravens follow the Steelers model of robust scouting, drafting well, re-signing their own key players and not going after the flashiest free agents. It is a good model. The Steelers have been a bit more successful over the last 10 years with 3 Super Bowls and 2 titles (although the Seahawks Super Bowl was a referee gift) to the Ravens one. When I look across the consistent playoff participants from the AFC - Steelers, Ravens, Patriots, and Colts - I see teams that have gotten tremendous value with their late in round picks. The Ravens are set up nicely at key skill positions with players entering their primes with Flacco, Rice, Torrey, Jimmy & Ladarius. I have a feeling we are going to see some tremendous growth out of some second year players like Pernell McPhee who showed some serious flashes of potential in his rookie year. I hope the Ravens can continue their history of finding contributing players late in the first few rounds to solidify depth at OL, LB & WR. Peter King is certainly more wired in than I am - but if Peter Kontz or Cordy Glenn is available at 29, I would prefer to see the Ravens keep the first round pick. However if they trade it, I do trust the judgment of our front office. They have a great track record and by my estimation are batting close to .700 with their draft picks over the last 6+ years, which is damn good for an NFL front office. I may move that closer to .800 if McPhee, Kruger, and Jah Reid make significant steps forward this year.

[SteelFaninBMore]

Yeah, I don't think you can objectively say the Steelers aren't a very good drafting team. They very rarely make any noise in FA, and they signings they do make are mid-tier value guys, like Clark or Cotchery. Yet they're competitive year after year. I mean, those players are coming from somewhere.

That's not to say that the Ravens aren't every bit as good. They are.

[johnpolitics]

It's no secret of my fondness of Mr. Polian.....but I must respectfully disagree here. While NE has been our blood rival low these many yrs.....it is impossible to ignore the superb job they've always done in the draft.

And First Round Felony and Oherrated as 'cornerstones?' Sigh....I will simply over-look this misstatement from BP.

When Scott P. went to Kansas City Belichick's draft skills slipped. Giants and Ravens do it right, get the best available player.

[mehatestagliapoo-poo]

It's no secret of my fondness of Mr. Polian.....but I must respectfully disagree here. While NE has been our blood rival low these many yrs.....it is impossible to ignore the superb job they've always done in the draft.

And First Round Felony and Oherrated as 'cornerstones?' Sigh....I will simply over-look this misstatement from BP.

When look'n at this board remember to stay away from feed'n trolls.

[18-87-44-29]

When look'n at this board remember to stay away from feed'n trolls.

Thanks for your contribution. Great grammar BTW.

[ivanbalt]

It's no secret of my fondness of Mr. Polian.....but I must respectfully disagree here. While NE has been our blood rival low these many yrs.....it is impossible to ignore the superb job they've always done in the draft.

And First Round Felony and Oherrated as 'cornerstones?' Sigh....I will simply over-look this misstatement from BP.

Polian did an amazing job building a 2-14 team around Peyton Manning.

[18-87-44-29]

Polian did an amazing job building a 2-14 team around Peyton Manning.

Mr. Polian did a Youman's like job for us.....not his fault that Pey was hurt. Nor his fault that Brackett/Foster/Dallas/Joseph/Dwight/Bullitt among others missed signifigant chunks of time. Funny what injuries can do to a team's season.

[ivanbalt]

Mr. Polian did a Youman's like job for us.....not his fault that Pey was hurt. Nor his fault that Brackett/Foster/Dallas/Joseph/Dwight/Bullitt among others missed signifigant chunks of time. Funny what injuries can do to a team's season.

Half of those players are injured in some way every season. Try again.

If bad luck with injuries is the cause of 2-14, why did Polian/Caldwell get fired and a bunch of players released? Face it, your team built it's entire structure around one player and it crumbled when that one player was out.

[18-87-44-29]

Half of those players are injured in some way every season. Try again.

If bad luck with injuries is the cause of 2-14, why did Polian/Caldwell get fired and a bunch of players released? Face it, your team built it's entire structure around one player and it crumbled when that one player was out.

Clean slate.....Pey's release signaled the beginning of a new era....so Jimmy I decided to start completely anew. Sound strategy to me.

[Frank Costanza 831]

Clean slate.....Pey's release signaled the beginning of a new era....so Jimmy I decided to start completely anew. Sound strategy to me.

Yeah you're right. The Era of the worst team in the league. Some strategy The first stage of grieving is denial and it seems like you still can't get past that

[dandrews]

Anthony Costanzo
Jerry Hughes
Donald Brown
Anthony Gonzalez
Joseph Addai
Merlin Jackson

The Colts track record of first round picks is really outstanding.

[AntiMoon]

NE is the only one you can really argue is better than us. Pit is close to us, maybe equal. My only beef with Ravens is we love to draft for special teams in the 4th,5th and 6th rds and most of our successes in those rounds were guys we never thought could play every down like AD, Jarrett and others. You'll never see us draft a Tom Brady in the 6th rd because we're too busy looking for a back up WR, or back up Corner who can return kicks or a backup LB who can cover kicks.

[CajunRaven]

Clean slate.....Pey's release signaled the beginning of a new era....so Jimmy I decided to start completely anew. Sound strategy to me.

Could be a replay of the 77 - 78 Colts under Bullet Bob.

Once they started falling.........

[Jeebus]

While NE has been our blood rival low these many yrs.....it is impossible to ignore the superb job they've always done in the draft.

Wow, you demonstrate more and more ignorance every day. Are you really this stupid or just pretending?

NE has a HORRIBLE draft history! How many of their picks are still in the NFL?

Go back 10 years and tell me how many times they have hit with a pick in Rounds 1-5.

http://www.pro-football-reference.co.../nwe/draft.htm

To even suggest NE as a "top drafting team" is ludicrous.

[Underseige]

In truth the Colts have drafted rather poorly since Manning. They have nothing left but washed up former 1s and 2s. If they are not hurt they are just bad players. The Colts got old fast and this is because of a poorly run front office.