NFCE Draft Evaluations (1994-1998)

Introduction

On the 24/3/99, Chief (Rdlewis) posted a message on the Webskins mailing list saying:

> The Sporting News just hit the newstand with a terrific publication called
> DRAFT GUIDE, which has a lot of neat information about this year's draft. In a
> related article, they rank the drafts of NFL teams over the last 5 years. The
> Skins ranked 25th of 30 teams with only Carolina, Philly, Cincy, Da Bears, and
> San Diego ranked lower. (Interestingly Bobby Beathard ranked dead last with
> the SD).  25 out of 30 isn't exactly setting the world on fire. Just in case
> you are wondering, the Minn Vikings rank # 1. NFC East foes rank # 7 Arizona,
> # 15 NY Giants, #21 Dallas, #25 Washington, and # 27 Philly.

At the time when I read this, I could not agree with it. I mean, Dallas having a superior draft record to the Skins in the five years after Jimmy Johnson left?! No way. For that matter, the Cards being ranked #7 throughout the league for the last 5 years worth of drafts (as opposed to say, the last two)? I dont think so. I simply found it difficult to believe that the Skins would be rated the 5th worst in drafting over the last five years. I started to reply to this email message, but when I began to do a little research I found that the things I wanted to say were a little too lengthy (and perhaps departing from the scope of the original message), so I have put together this web page to illustrate my findings. This page looks at draft classes of NFC East teams in the last five years (1994-98) and rates them accordingly.

I welcome all comments about this opinion (regardless of whether you agree or not - or even if you want to report inaccuracies). If you want to comment, send me an e-mail or (if you are a Redskins fan and haven't already) join the Webskins mailing list and post your comments there. Please note the time at which this article was written - perspectives on draft picks definitely evolve over time; its incredibly difficult to make a good judgement on a player when he has only been with a team for one year (sometimes even two, depending on the opportunities for playing time that player has received). In a similar vein, some players may have changed teams between the time of writing and the time you are reading this.

References

Where did I get the information from to put this page together? A couple of excellent sites:

Criteria

A good question might be: What are useful criteria to judge a draft by? Criteria that may be considered in determining whether a team has drafted well includes:

In the tables below, where there is a UFA/RFA/EFA tag in brackets next to a team indicates that the player played for that team in 1998, but is not currently under contract with that team. A dash (-) indicates that a player is no longer in the NFL.

I have decided not to rank the teams, as I do not intend to write about teams outside the NFCE - and ranking just the NFCE teams does not seem like a worthwhile exercise. However, I have issued gradings for each draft class found at the end of this page (which you may or may not agree with), and I will let you draw your own conclusions. If you don't like too much of reading you might want to skip to there.

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ARIZONA

1994

Comments: Miller is a good LB, but has taken quite a long time to develop - he is considered an excellent run-stopper, but when it comes to pass rushing, people still talk about "potential". He is still working on his pass coverage skills, which are not great. Levy was an ugly bust for the Cardinals at RB, but has had some very modest success using his speed on returns with the 49ers. Rich Braham and Perry Carter were cut after their rookie seasons. Terry Irving has had a fairly unremarkable career, playing in relief roles in 98. The Panthers opted for Anthony Redmon over Greg Skrepenak for a starting job with the Panthers (Skrepenak was subsequently cut).

1995

Comments: Frank Sanders has been a very solid WR on a team which, until the arrival of Jake Plummer, had a very weak offense. Stoney Case is a career backup. Lance Scott saw very little playing time with Cardinals, and has done a fairly average job starting in the place of Brian Williams (if Williams manages to return from an eye injury that almost ended his career, Scott will be lucky to get an offer to return to the Giants). Tito Paul is an average CB who now plays for Denver. Chad Eaton never saw action with the Cardinals, but has ended up being a solid DT for the New England Patriots, with an outstanding year in 1998.

1996

Comments: Simeon Rice looked very impressive in his rookie year, picking up 12.5 sacks. The following year he struggled in a sophmore slump, but in 1998 Rice looked like he had almost regained his rookie form. Leeland McElroy flopped as the teams second round pick at RB, not having quite enough size to give the Cards a decent running game. McElroy now plays in Denver in relief roles at RB and returner. McWilliams is a decent TE with potential for improvement. Aaron Graham is a reasonable C (starting). James Dexter showed a lot of improvement playing RT for the Cards in 1998, and is another starter on their O-Line. McGee is depth on the roster. Hayes has some versatility, able to play both TE and FB. Most of his contributions so far have been on special teams.

1997

Comments: Tommy Knight struggled in his rookie year, and was injured in 1998 - seemingly a reach as an early first rounder, but has potential for improvement. Jake Plummer is the franchise's new symbol of hope as starting QB, and was an absolute steal when he fell to the second round. Ty Howard has seen some action so far in relief roles, but has not yet proven to be starting calibre. Dishman is the teams starting LG and an excellent run blocker. Carpenter and Brown are depth on the roster, not having seen action yet. Carpenter spent 1998 on IR. After being moved to RLB, McCombs has been a stop-gap player for the Cardinals, and the position is still unsettled - still a work in progress. Mark Smith has been a pleasant surprise at DT, having a decent rookie year, and an even more impressive year in 98 despite the absence of Eric Swann.

1998

Comments: Andre Wadsworth, who was arguably the most attractive player in the 98 draft after Peyton Manning, didn't quite emerge as the pass rushing force the Cardinals expected him to be on the opposite side of Simeon Rice, but did create a reasonable amount of pressure. Chavous looks like a good addition in the Carinals secondary, with potential for improvement. The Cardinals are excited by the potential of Anthony Clement, and are considering using him to replace Lomas Brown, however Clement spent the year on IR, so the Cardinals are unsure if they want to try such a bold move. Pittman, Hardy, Walz, and Cousins would all have to work hard to be anything more than depth or special teams players in 1999 - all third string reserves. Tillman might have had a shot at competing for starting FS if Kwammie Lassiter hadnt re-signed with the Cardinals.

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DALLAS

1994

Comments: Since his rookie year Allen has played brilliantly at both Guard and Tackle, and is one of the league's best linemen. Hegamin is a reasonable guard, starting at LG for the Eagles. Willie Jackson had some success in his first year in Jacksonville (95) with a 53 catch season, but his production dropped as he was phased out of the starting lineup, and has been used very sparingly in Cincinatti.

1995

Comments: Early in his career, Sherman Williams looked like the heir apparent for Emmitt Smith. However, as Dallas's O-Line grew old and Emmitt was struggling with health problems, it became quite clear that Williams was not the answer, leading the team to sign Chris Warren as backup RB. Charlie Williams serves as depth and in special teams, but has not impressed anyone so far as a defensive back. Eric Bjornson has worked hard to help the Cowboys at TE since Novacek's retirement and has done a good job, but the team drafted LaFleur to replace him as starter.

1996

Comments: After being taken with the 37th pick in the draft, Kavika Pittman had a less than impressive start to his career, but started to look decent, starting at RDE for the Cowboys in 98. He still has alot of work to do before he lives up to his draft-billing as the Cowboys top pick in the 96 draft. Randall Godfrey has done a terrific job for the Cowboys at LB, and will probably be moved into the middle after Fred Strickland being released. Clay Shiver has never quite turned into the C they had hoped for, and may possibly be re-signed as depth, but Dallas coaches believe Shiver lacks size, and has been perceived as a weakness when he has started on the Cowboys O-Line. Stepfret Williams was just another young WR the Cowboys could not develop. In a secondary that clearly needs additional talent, the Cowboys have decided they will not bother tendering an offer to Wendell Davis.

1997

Comments: Some Cowboys fans are already calling David LaFleur a bust, which probably is a little too hasty. LaFleur has had some small injury problems, but Dallas coaches are fascinated by what they see in LaFleur - a big TE (280lbs, 6-7) who can block as well as catch the ball. At this point in his career, he probably hasnt had quite the impact that those around him have expected when they took him in the first round of the 97 draft, but he has shown progress as he has adjusted to the NFL. Dexter Coakley is a small LB (converted S) who seems to be a reasonable run stopper. Scifres hasnt really impressed anyone, bouncing from Dallas to Miami, and now is in Cincinatti. Wheaton will compete in camp with George Teague for starting FS, and at times has looked like he has potential to be a starter. Antonio Anderson did a reasonable job backing up Leon Lett, and should be an interesting player to watch in Cleveland. Macey Brooks has missed out on a number of opportunities due to injuries, but despite his natural size and speed it seems he has not managed to put things together, and seems to be another failed attempt at developing a young WR. Currently, he is a Chicago EFA. Sualua may get a shot at the starting FB job if Darryl Johnston leaves this offseason, but thus far has served as depth. Stoutmire has proved to be a valuable addition at defensive back, and is another contender for competing for a starting position during camp.

1998

Comments: Another pick who is prematurely being touted as a bust, Greg Ellis was taken in the 1st round as the 8th pick in the 98 draft in the hopes of helping Dallas's total lack of pass rush in 97. Ellis started off very slowly, but was beginning to look reasonable towards the end of the season. He needs to put in more effort to live up to his first round billing and allieve beliefs that he is a reach. Flozell Adams was a solid contributor in relief of G Everett McIver who was injured early in 98. Flozell may possibly get the opportunity to move to T in the near future. Michael Myers was a steal in the fourth round, who has proved to be a versatile playmaker at both DT (his natural position) and DE. Hambrick saw limited action in 98, but may get an opportunity to compete for the starting SLB spot if Randall Godfrey moves inside. Ross and Reese are third string depth. Fleming was on Arizona's roster for 98, and was considered third string depth on one of the weaker O-Lines of the NFL. Monroe filled in as third string depth for Atlanta in 98.

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WASHINGTON

1994

Comments: Heath Shuler began his career on the wrong foot and never quite recovered. The fact that he seems injury prone combined with his lack of ability to grasp a playbook underscore his status as a high first round bust. Tre Johnson has shown excellent talent and attitude when healthy, but seems to miss five games a season and needs to work on being more consistent - overall a very good linemen, and possibly a future probowler if he can erase doubts about his health. Joe Patton has proved himself to be a very solid and versatile contributor, showing skill at playing both G and T. Dexter Nottage had one reasonable year at DE in 96 when Sean Gilbert was playing DT for the Redskins, but the Skins drafted Kenard Lang to replace him at DE and has since seen very little action with the Chiefs and is struggling to maintain his roster spot with the Packers. Gus Frerotte overachieved in 95 and 96, beating Shuler out of the starting QB role, and was widely considered one of the biggest steals in the 94 draft. Frerotte struggled in 97 and lost his starting to job to Trent Green in the 98 season. Frerotte will back up Charlie Batch in Detroit for the 99 season.

1995

Comments: Michael Westbrook continues to frustrate Redskin fans with his paradoxical nature. On one hand, it is obvious that he has the talent to be one of the best receivers in the league - he has excellent size, speed, strength and hands. On the other hand, he has struggled with questionable attitude and heart, as well as injuries. He is well known for stretching defenses and having 8 catch games. Unfortunately, he is just as well known for incidents such as an assault on teammate Stephen Davis or firing his helmet down on the ground which incurred a 15 yard penalty - possibly costing the Redskins a victory in a tied 1997 contest with the Giants. Redskins fans never know which Westbrook will show up for any given game. Cory Raymer started off with the Redskins as a fast learner, but his future as a starter was in doubt when he was involved in a car accident with some fellow teammates. In 98, Raymer regained the starting C job, and ended the year as probably the most consistent lineman on a line full of inconsistent performances. Darryl Pounds has proven himself an excellent defender in nickel situations, and has made some valuable special teams contributions. Jamie Asher was steal for the Redskins, having developed as a solid outlet receiver capable of making clutch catches as well as being a decent blocker. He may not return to the Skins in 99, as he looked like he had lost the starting job to Stephen Alexander shortly before he had a season ending injury in 98. Rich Owens has shown limited success in rushing the passer, but has proven a liability as a run defender. Owens was on the verge of losing the starting RDE job to Kelvin Kinney just as Owens tore his ACL in training camp. Owens is now in Miami as a pass rushing specialist, with the intention of acting in relief roles to spell Jason Taylor. Scott Turner was a good special teams contributor who the Redskins believed had limited abilities as a CB, and was released in the 98 offseason. He continues as a special teams player and nickel back for San Diego.

1996

Comments: The decision to draft Andre Johnson was one made in haste, and arguably the worst draft decision Casserly has ever made. Johnson proved not to have the right frame to build lower body strength, and the Redskins became aware of their mistake as soon as they got Johnson into camp. Johnson bounced to Miami and then bounced to Detroit - now a UFA. Stephen Davis was a decent pick in the fourth round of the draft. He needs to work on accelerating through the hole, but proved his versatility when he took over at FB for the injuried Larry Bowie. Leomont Evans has developed into a playmaker at S, and will start at FS for the Redskins in 99. Kelvin Kinney spent 96 on IR, and looked impressive in relief roles in 97. In 98 he struggled in his starting role, showing inconsistency in both run defense and pass rush. He needs to work on technique and put on a few more pounds if he is to progress beyond a reserve DE.

1997

Comments: Kenard Lang was drafted to be the starting LDE, and showed flashes of great play in his rookie season before being sidelines with a serious ear infection. He had a shaky start in 98, but started to prove himself as a solid end by the end of the season. Greg Jones backed up Ken Harvey in 97 and showed alot of playmaking potential. Jones once again filled in for Harvey in 98, but problems with a herniated disc limited his effectiveness. The Redskins plan to start him at SLB in 99. Derek Smith has been a solid contributor for 97 and 98, and may be moved inside from WLB if Marvcus Patton does not re-sign. Albert Connell has seen action in the last two years at third receiver, and at times with his great speed has made some great catches. Connell has the physical tools, but needs to work on concentration when catching the ball. Jamel Williams is an excellent hitter and run-stopper, whose performance thus far has been marred by occasional bad decisions playing S in relief roles. Williams has been an excellent special teams contributor. Twan Russell has backed up Derek Smith at WLB, but has struggled with injury problems. Brad Badger has been a surprise and an excellent contributor on the O-Line - a solid and agile RG, but experiencing some difficulties when switched to T in an experiment at the beginning of the 98 season. Badger regained form when switched back to G in the second half of the season.

1998

Comments: Stephen Alexander proved himself an excellent playmaker his rookie season - a speedy tight end making some very good catches. He needs to concentrate on ball control, but the fact that he was able to unseat Jamie Asher in his rookie season speaks volumes. Skip Hicks showed some good success in scoring TDs when the Skins were in the red zone, and unless the Skins draft Ricky Williams or Edgarrin James, seems poised to be the starter for 99. Shawn Barber has been a good contributor in both nickel situations and special teams. He seems to have a real knack for knowing where the ball is, and may be promoted to starter if Derrick Smith moves inside. Both Fischer and Ponds suffered from injuries during their rookie seasons, but coaches believe both have enough talent to be valuable backups at their respective positions.

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NEW YORK

1994

Comments: Thomas Lewis and Thomas Randolph were early round busts, never having the impact the Giants had hoped when they were drafted. Fortunately for the Giants, while he took a few years to develop, Jason Sehorn emerged as probowler in the secondary, but unfortunately tore his ACL in the 98 preseason. Gary Downs is currently serving as a backup FB for Atlanta, but has mainly served on special teams. Like Sehorn, Bratzke took a couple of years to develop, but for the last three years has played as a complete DE, being effective against both the run and the pass.

1995

Comments: Wheatley is another first round bust for the Giants, failing to have emerged as a dominant back. He has only totalled 1280 yards in his first four years in the league, and was traded to Miami after the conclusion of the 98 season. Its questionable whether second round pick Scott Gragg has enough quickness to play RT, who has managed to turn in an average job as starter on the Giants O-Line. Rod Young has had limited effectiveness in relief roles playing S for the Giants. Zatechka is third string depth for an O-Line that had serious problems in 98. Ben Talley has not shown much in four years. Jamal Duff has struggled with consistency at DE but has been reasonable as a backup. Charles Way was a steal as a sixth round pick doing an excellent job as starting FB for the Giants.

1996

Comments: The jury is still out on whether Cedric Jones is a bust, but he seems to have been a reach being selected as the fifth overall pick in the 96 draft. Jones will get an opportunity to prove himself (and his naysayers wrong) as the probable replacement for Bratzke as starter at RDE. Amani Toomer has had several opportunities to prove himself, but has not yet lived up to hopes that he would emerge as a starting at WR. He will get a further chance to compete for a starting position after the departure of former starter Chris Calloway. Roman Oben has quietly done a reasonable job as the Giants starting LT. Danny Kannell never quite settled in as the Giants starting QB struggling under Jim Fassel, and will rejoin his former coach as a backup in Atlanta. Both Doug Colman and Scott Galyon have made valuable contributions as special teams players, and both serve as depth for the LB unit. Galyon is currently recovering from a serious leg injury. Conrad Hamilton did a reasonable job filling in for Jason Sehorn, but will probably return as a nickel back.

1997

Comments: Ike Hilliard missed his rookie year with a serious neck injury, but in 98 emerged as a talented and dependable WR from a very young and still undeveloped unit. After making an impact in his rookie year, Tiki Barber had a disappointing 98 season, and failed to legitimately challenge Gary Brown for the starting RB position. Ryan Phillips will get an opporunity to compete for backup DE role in training camp, where the Giants are now a little thin after the departure of Chad Bratzke. Brad Maynard solidified himself with his 98 performance as the Giants punter. Pete Monty has seen some action with the Giants on special teams. Sam Garnes has done a good job establishing himself as the Giants starting SS. Mike Cherry is a 3rd string qb being developed by Fassel.

1998

Comments: Shaun Williams had a difficult start to his career when Jason Sehorn tore his ACL in 98. The Giants attempted to shift Williams out of position to play corner in the preseason, but the experiment failed miserably. Williams served as mainly a special teams player for 98 and made a reasonable contribution there. The Giants had high hopes that drafting Joe Jurevicius and Brian Alford in the second and third rounds would bolster their WR unit. Both of these guys have good speed and size, but did little in their rookie seasons to challenge the incumbents. Jurevicius will compete with Amani Toomer for a starting WR role in 99, but will more likely serve as third receiver. Toby Myles is serving as a backup to Roman Oben at LT. Todd Pollack is yet to see action

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PHILADELPHIA

1994

Comments: Charlie Garner is a fast playmaker at RB, but he has proven over time to be injury prone, which has limited his effectiveness. Because of his injuries, the Eagles have opted to go with Duce Staley at starter. Joe Panos has been the most consistent offensive lineman the Eagles have drafted in five years, departing in the 98 offseason to be a starting G in Buffalo. Although Mitch Berger has taken a few years to get into form, he had a very good season in 98 for the Vikes as their punter.

1995

Comments: Mike Mamula was taken as the 7th pick overall in the 1995 draft. While he is fast, he is quite small for a DE, and has only had partial success as a pass rusher - not the impact the Eagles had hoped for. Their second round pick, Bobby Taylor, is a very large, physical cornerback. He was considered a prima donna in college, but has looked very good in the NFL. Taylor has suffered injuries, but is a solid starter. Barrett Brooks has failed to impress Eagles coaches, and the Eagles will not bother tendering him an offer this offseason. Greg Jefferson has started on the Eagles defensive line for the last two seasons, and has looked decent against the run. Chris T. Jones looked reasonable early in his career, but has had difficulties returning to form after injuries, and is now on the Raiders roster.

1996

Comments: Jermane Mayberry was the Eagles first round pick in 1996, and was drafted in the hope of filling in a hole on their porous O-Line. So far, Mayberry has been less than impressive, and is backing up George Hegamin at LG. Jason Dunn has given the Eagles a decent starter at TE, who has skills in both blocking at catching the ball. Brian Dawkins is another solid pick who is the Eagles starting FS. Bobby Hoying is one of the Eagles failed attempts at developing a young QB, and was under alot of pressure in a poor 98 season showing. Hoying will probably not return in 99 as an Eagle. Ray Farmer looked like a reasonable run stopper in his rookie season, but since has been inconsistent. He has since departed to Carolina, but the Eagles do not consider him a big loss. Whit Marshall has failed to impress anybody during his 3 years in the league. Steve White is a reasonable backup DE in Tampa Bay. Tony Johnson is an average TE, and is third string depth in New Orleans.

1997

Comments: So far, Jon Harris has been a disappointment, and is backing up Greg Jefferson at LDE. James Darling has shown flashes of good play, but has not managed to secure a starting role, backing up Mike Caldwell. Duce Staley has talent, but has probably won the starting job through default. Staley has looked impressive so far, and rushed for over 1000 yards in the 98 season. Damien Robinson is mainly a special teams player, and needs to show improvement to see plays with Tampa's secondary. Ndukwe Kalu is a pass rushing specialist, and currently a backup DE in Washington, occasionally showing flashes of good play. Luther Broughton is another average TE backing up Wesley Walls in Carolina. Edward Jasper has failed to challenge in a backup role at DT. The Eagles did not bother tendering him an offer, and he has since signed with Atlanta. Koy Detmer showed promise starting five games at the end of 98, and seems to be the favourite for being retained out of the three quarterbacks from Rhodes' reign in Philly.

1998

Comments: Tra Thomas did a fine job in his rookie season, starting at left tackle. He looks to be the most promising of the Eagles five last first round picks. Jeremiah Trotter is the Eagles backup MLB, but has not yet seen much action. Allen Rossum shows potential at CB, seeing action in backup and nickel roles in 98. Brandon Whiting had a promising rookie season starting 5 games. Both Clarence Love and Ike Reese have seen little action.

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Gradings

Note that the gradings here range between A+ for a draft I can find little or no fault in, to C- which is just simply a draft full of bad choices.

Arizona

Dallas

Washington

New York

Philadelphia

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