This weekend, we welcomed a new crop of NFL players and would-be fantasy heroes to the fraternity. The Raiders started the festivities with the selection of JaMarcus Russell, and the wait began for Brady Quinn.

 

No doubt, fans of every team had good and bad thoughts about their team's selections. Minnesota celebrated with the addition of Adrian Peterson. Dwayne Jarrett went to the Panthers. And we saw another wideout traded with Darrell Jackson's arrival in San Francisco.

Let's run down the NFC draft results. We'll flesh these out in more detail as fantasy football 2007 approaches.

 

NFC Draft Results:

 

 

Atlanta Falcons:

The Falcons addressed the loss of Patrick Kerney and John Abraham's injury with the selection of Jamaal Anderson. Anderson could be a solid later pick in IDP leagues, as he's got the ability to get to the QB.

 

Third-round selection Laurent Robinson from Illinois State is a great athlete and a deep ball target for Michael Vick. There is a logjam at wide receiver with veterans Brian Finneran and Joe Horn alongside recent draft choices, but everyone's looking for a Marques Colston this year.

 

Carolina Panthers:

First-round selection Jon Beason from The U has the ability to make plays. While considered undersized by some (6-foot), all Beason is a tackling machine. He'll fit in well in John Fox's defense.

 

Dwayne Jarrett has been dogged by comparison to Mike Williams (I still would like he hear someone acknowledge the fact that Williams was jobbed by the system during his 18-month absence from the field), so he dropped into the Panthers' hands in the second round. He'll make for a great complement for Steve Smith. At 6-foot-4, he's a red zone threat at a minimum (one touchdown per five receptions at USC).

 

New Orleans Saints:

The Saints waved goodbye to Joe Horn this offseason and added polished Tennessee receiver Robert Meachem in the second round. He'll be an immediate contributor opposite Marques Colston.

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

The Buccaneers shored up their D-line with Gaines Adams. With Calvin Johnson being drafted by the defiant Matt Millen, there was no question that Adams was going to be drafted by Tampa Bay. This 6-foot-4 monster has a chance to be a huge contributor out of the gate for IDP leagues.

 

And while he won't show up on the stats pages, the selection of Arron Sears from Tennessee in the second round boosts the stock of all Tampa Bay skill players. I was surprised that Jon Gruden and company didn't continue to stock the offensive line, but this is a start. Carnell Williams had to breathe at least a small sigh of relief at the selection.

 

Arizona Cardinals:

Arizona did well to address their offensive and defensive lines with their first two selections. Levi Brown will be an immediate starter, a 6-foot-5 monster who'll offer protection for Matt Leinart. On the other side, Alan Branch offers a huge run-stuffing option and should make this unit better immediately.

 

San Francisco 49ers:

What a weekend! The 49ers added Darrell Jackson from a division rival AND vastly improved their defense with three of their first five selections. Patrick Willis is a linebacker from Mississippi who was on the brain of many GMs in the middle of the first round, and San Francisco beat them to the punch. He's a tackling machine and will immediately improve this defense.

 

Ray McDonald from Florida could help the interior D-line if his knee is healthy, and Jay Moore is a force off of the end.

 

Seattle Seahawks:

The Seahawks traded Jackson for a fourth-round pick and used their third straight selection on a defensive lineman. Seattle spent their first five selections on defensive players. Josh Wilson will be interesting at corner. He's fast, but will be over-matched against bigger receivers at 5-foot-9. Brandon Mebane from California in the third round could create matchup problems on the interior and open things up for Patrick Kerney.

 

St. Louis Rams:

Adam Carriker offers help to a defensive line that struggled terribly in 2006. He can play at end or on the interior, and at 6-foot-5 has the ability to become a playmaker in the sack column once he gets his NFL legs.

 

Brian Leonard will be a fullback for Steven Jackson. He slimmed down for his workouts and showed solid cutting ability, but it's tough to envision the Rutgers star as a full-time tailback. I would expect to see him more in pass protection.

 

Tank Tyler had some questions about his character and a somewhat disappointing senior year, but the former NC State standout has the ability to be a run-stuffing force in the middle if he comes to play. Tyler's development will be a key component of St. Louis rising again in the West.

 

Dallas Cowboys:

The Cowboys big move of the weekend was clearly the deal that netted Brady Quinn for the Browns. Jerry Jones is hoping for another season of struggles in Cleveland to produce a top-tier pick in 2008. As for this year, the addition of Anthony Spencer gives Dallas another speed rusher and a possible IDP contributor.

 

New York Giants:

The Giants did a great job of addressing their concerns in the secondary with Texas corner Aaron Ross. He'll be an instant contributor, as will late-round selection Michael Johnson, a safety from Arizona. Fantasy owners will need to watch USC receiver Steve Smith. He's a great route runner and speed option who'll make plays for Eli Manning.

 

Philadelphia Eagles:

Like many others, I'm still wondering why Kevin Kolb was selected by the Eagles in the early rounds. He's a solid talent, but the Eagles already have multiple quarterbacks under contract. Of all of the picks, one that needs to be on the radar for owners is running back Tony Hunt. With continued injury issues for Buckhalter and a desire to manage Brian Westbrook's workload, Hunt could see time as a rookie.

 

Washington Redskins:

The Redskins tried to make deals to secure Calvin Johnson or disgruntled Chicago linebacker Lance Briggs, and failed on both accounts. They secured the rights to a tremendous talent in LaRon Landry, who'll pile up tackles without question. He'll be of good value to IDP leagues immediately, as Landry will make up for any coverage mistakes with great athleticism.

 

It was interesting to see Jordan Palmer (Carson's brother) selected with their fifth and final pick of the draft. Palmer was a top-notch playmaker at UTEP and could be interesting to watch in camp.

 

Chicago Bears:

Greg Olsen offers a sizable receiving option for Rex Grossman. I enjoyed that Chicago had made the call long before they were even on the clock in the first round. The Bears used five of their picks on the defensive side of the ball, adding linebacker Michael Okwo from Stanford as the Lance Briggs drama plays out. He could be interesting in the Bears' system.

 

Kevin Payne of Louisiana-Monroe offers a hard-hitting option and depth in the secondary as Mike Brown recovers from injury.

 

The most intriguing pick for Chicago is running back Garrett Wolfe from Northern Illinois. Wolfe offers the coveted power and speed combo and could crack some playing time with the departure of Thomas Jones.

 

Detroit Lions:

Detroit drafted in the top 10 for the sixth time in seven years, and once again called the name of a wide receiver. Forget past transgressions and problems (Charles Rogers and Mike Williams), Calvin Johnson is an immediate impact fantasy player alongside Roy Williams.

The Lions did well to secure Drew Stanton in the second round. Stanton has shown flashes of stardom in his career at Michigan State, and for awhile this past season, was rated near the top quarterbacks. He throws well on the run and has good arm strength. The Jekyll-Hyde state of Michigan State football (just look at the schedules for the past couple years - incredible highs and back-breaking lows) caused his stock to fall, but he's got a shot at being a solid contributor down the road.

 

The remainder of the draft was dedicated to shoring up the defense. Detroit spent six of its final seven draft choices on defense, including Ikaika Alama-Francis, a defensive lineman who could immediately improve this unit by plugging the middle. Alama-Franciso won't pile up stats for fantasy owners, but his performance could help Ernie Sims and company maximize their potential.

 

Green Bay Packers:

It appeared that the Packers were going to make a deal in some direction - a wide receiver, a running back, Randy Moss. Instead, they selected Justin Harrell to shore up the middle of the defensive line. Harrell has played with a torn biceps, so he's a tough guy ready to perform at the next level.

 

Brandon Jackson is a solid player, but is not expected to be a feature back in the near future. He reads defenders well and knows how to use his blockers. The big question for Jackson is that he's already had two shoulder surgeries.

 

San Jose State receiver James Jones can create separation and make catches in a crowd. Green Bay has had issues with injuries at the wideout position and with a decent camp, Jones could find playing time. He'll battle fellow draft pick David Clowney for reps.

 

Minnesota Vikings:

The Vikings received a gift when Adrian Peterson fell into their lap with the seventh pick. If he's fully healthy entering the season, Peterson and Chester Taylor will become a potent combination. Peterson has the speed and power to make big plays and could be positively frightening on the Metrodome carpet.

 

Sidney Rice from South Carolina will be interesting to watch. He's very raw, but at 6-foot-3, he's got tremendous upside and could make an early impact in red zone situations.

 

Cornerback Marcus McCauley will be a solid IDP option at cornerback. McCauley has the quickness to make up for any rookie mistakes and will be able to lock up taller receivers.