Jeff Risdon - Football Analysis

The Texans had far more needs than picks, which generally portends taking NFL-ready players with lower risk instead of taking chances on more unproven or marginal prospects. Houston did not buy into that wisdom, for better or worse. Read more »

You cannot argue with the deals made to get Brady Quinn and Eric Wright, as their talent is significantly better than anything on the roster. Joe Thomas was the safe choice at #3, but considering their recent history, not a bad choice. Read more »

The Packers didn?t reach for need but still filled needs with their top-two picks in Justin Harrell and Brandon Jackson. Both will start and I believe both will impress. Read more »

Saints fans might not have heard of, let alone seen play, most of their picks, but it?s a draft class that they?re going to love in a year or two. Read more »

LSU WR Dwayne Bowe was the correct pick at #23 in spite of what their angry fan base believes, but they failed to seize opportunities to improve at OL, LB and DB. Read more »

Adrian Peterson was a great decision, and holding the pick gave them better value later on. The next four picks all could start by the end of the season, though all carry a higher ?bust? risk than most teams like from those slots. Read more »

About 6:30 on Saturday I had the Bills penciled in as clear-cut winners. Then they made the rest of their picks. Marshawn Lynch (should) immediately become the starting RB, a powerful runner who can break the big one outside. Read more »

The theme here is missed opportunity. They certainly needed a CB, but Aaron Ross is more of what they already have, an inconsistent gambler who will give up a big play for every one he makes. Read more »

The champs reloaded with a pretty good draft considering they held the last pick in each round. Anthony Gonzalez is a great fit in their offense and is ready right away to fill the gaping hole at #3 WR. Read more »

The Bengals had Leon Hall, the best cover CB in the draft, unexpectedly fall to them. He fills their biggest need without having to deal picks. Hall will start right away and also offers another option in the woeful return game. Read more »

The Falcons made 11 picks and at least 7 could play signifcant roles right away. Several of their early picks (Houston, Robinson, Milner) have pretty high bust potential, but with so many picks and the quality of their later picks, Atlanta can absorb that risk. Read more »

Arizona reached for need with their 1st pick and chose guys with declining stock with their other 4 picks. If 5th overall pick Levi Brown isn't starting right away this grade drops to F. Read more »

There was a definite theme to the Broncos draft: pass rush from the DL. Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder are both athletic pass rushers off the edge who can also drop into coverage with some aptitude. Read more »

GM Matt Millen was quite active, as only the #2 overall pick originally belonged to the Lions. The Calvin Johnson pick is controversial, but there's not one talent evaluator anywhere who didn't have Johnson as the top overall talent in this draft. Read more »

Thumbs up to the Cleveland Browns for their bold first round and to Keyshawn Johnson for his excellent commentary. Meanwhile, thumbs twiddling to the Dolphins and Lions. Read more »

We are finally here at the final mock draft ahead of Saturday's big day. There are several changes from the last mock, most of which stem from Jeff Risdon's conversations with some scouts and pro personnel people, one prominent national NFL writer, and tips shamelessly stolen from insiders he trusts. Read more »

One of the things Jeff Risdon keep getting asked is who he thinks will be surprise booms and high-profile busts from the upcoming draft. Wait no longer for his answers. Read more »

Some trades of picks, free agent signings, and recent pro days by draftees have forced some changes. Once again this is a conglomeration of talks with NFL scouts, beat writers, insider tidbits, and pure speculative guesswork. Read more »

Instead of selecting a franchise quarterback from Texas, the Texans selected a defensive player that was at best the sixth overall player in the 2006 Draft. That decision was compounded with the Matt Schaub trade. Read more »

Jeff Risdon been tinkering with a few selections based upon recent free agent signings and trades, talks with some NFL talent evaluators and beat writers, and a couple of hunch guesses. Read more »