So, I tried to watch the draft. I got through most of the first round sitting inside an ESPN Zone in Denver. Don't worry, Foxsports, this is not an advertisement for your competitors. The service was horrid, the booths were small, and we were told we couldn't watch the draft in the main room because most of the tables had been "pre-reserved" through 6pm... and they remained empty from 9:30am until I left at 4:00pm. It was not pleasant.

But I sat there and assured myself that it would be an exciting draft, and my friends and I drooled over our mock drafts, special admiration shown to the depth and care I showed in demarking each trade, each special value... even pulling in draft picks from next year. I foresaw Michael Turner, Lance Briggs, Trent Green and Randy Moss finding new homes as part of package deals to move up and down. I foresaw Atlanta and Denver bundling picks to move up dramatically. I foresaw 5 of the top 10 teams moving down the board. I told myself there was no way... no way that Detroit would draft Calvin Johnson or that Cleveland would draft Brady Quinn. But I was so very, very wrong.

But I have had time to think about it... and review. I went through the draft and graded... an A+ would be getting all the best guys for your position of need and paying them a 3rd round selection salary (no one gets and A+) and an F is drafting 7 punters, and trading up to get the 7th (no one gets an F). Here is how I think each team did, and why:

Arizona: A

They finished off rebooting their offensive line with Brown, and got what I considered to be 3 first round guys... I even thought Branch would go in the top 15 for sure. The only thing that kept them from an A+ is that I find it hard to believe they couldn't trade down to 7 or 8, get some other pick and still be able to draft Brown. But that's me.

Atlanta: B-

How many picks did they have? Oh, right. 11. I don't know. It's not that they didn't have some great pick ups, but really, they only needed 3. I thought they would be the ones to win the Calvin Johnson bid for sure. I like Jamaal Anderson and Chris Houston a lot, but if they pulled down C.J., and nearly any DE and CB would have been fine.

Baltimore: A-

I love their draft. Sure, not a lot of instant starters, but good guys who will compete and make this team even scarier. I love Willis McGahee's new situation. Everyone wants to talk about what the Pats are doing, but I'm on the look out for Baltimore too this year.

Buffalo: C+

Do I like Marshawn Lynch here? Yes. I think he'll probably start and do pretty well, and I'll admit he has a good shot behind a much improved O-line. In fact, as far as fantasy stats go, I think he'll be the most valuable rookie this year. Do I think Buffalo came anywhere near addressing all their other gaps? No way. Posluszny was a nice second round pick up, but still... gaps everywhere, especially on D. And seriously, how many RBs do you need?

Carolina: B

The fact that they got top guys in many needed positions by trading down and being smart is only slightly marred by the fact that most of them may not see much playing time this year. But watch for Charles Johnson in the future. If he uses Julius Peppers as a guide and a mentor, the guy might be horribly destructive for many years to come.

Chicago: C+

I don't think they had a bad draft, just not a great one... and as a quick question... do they have DTs hiding somewhere I don't know about? They'll likely lose 2 (Ian Scott is still up for grabs) to free agency and Tank Johnson could be seeing the wrath of the NFL player conduct rules soon. Makes me wonder how much harder Urlacher will have to work, especially if Briggs sits most of the season.

Cincinnati: A-

Leon Hall - Steal. Kenny Irons - Steal. Marvin White - Steal. The other 4 guys, also likely to be steals. For playing it pretty straight... they saw many a blessing come their way.

Cleveland: A-

Thank you Cleveland for bringing some excitement to this draft. Did you pay too much for Quinn? That depends. Win enough football games, and the Pats see a value decline. And thank you for drafting a 5'5" kick returner. That's just cute. Go Browns.

Dallas: B+

Anthony Spencer could be an early front-runner for defensive rookie of the year, so that's good. As for the trades... they confuse me. But whatever.

Denver: B

Denver is my team. I'm not sure if I want to grade them yet. I know they really wanted Jarvis Moss, and I know teams were being stingy in the first round because we gave up quite a bit to move up to Jacksonville's spot. I think the Giants must have wanted Moss badly as well, because the trade nearly reeked of desperation. If Moss and Marcus Thomas stay clean and live up to potential, it was a very shrewd draft. If they don't, it was a series of complete blunders. I don't know which it is yet, but I'm hoping for the best.

Detroit: A-

How do you judge a team that pulled top players they may or may not need? Sure, they've got good guys... let's just see if any of them are capable of turning that franchise around a bit. Oh, and Detroit fans, pray for Kevin Jones' return. Trust me here.

Green Bay: B

You know, if it wasn't for Miami pulling Ginn Jr., Green Bay's grab for Harrell would have destroyed most draft boards. Though they had some wonderful pick ups, I worry that the team may not have done enough once again to keep Favre on his feet.

Houston: A

Their best draft move was probably the acquisition of Schuab, but Amobi Okoye may be a close second. They say most coaches are given a 3 year shot in an organization, and I really hope that is the case for Kubiak. I think the team has taken the slow, steady route to improvement, and it will show this year, and more so next year, if the Texans can be patient. Oh, and fantasy kids, I would really consider sending a very late round pick toward Jacoby Jones.

Indianapolis: A-

You know those people who know exactly what food they have in the kitchen, and when they go to the store, they have a list of exactly what food they need to replace what was taken, and that's all they buy? The Colts seem to be that kind. Effective draft, and coming off a Super Bowl win, you can't blame them for consistency... it's just a shame I can't knock off points for being boring.
Jacksonville: A

Good pick ups, addressed areas of need, and made good moves. Got a hell of a deal from the Broncos since they got their guy (Reggie Nelson) anyway. I don't give A+ (because there is no such thing as a perfect draft), but this is pretty close.

Kansas City: B-

Again, not bad pick ups. But anyone who thinks they have a chance of being successful with the unaddressed hits they have taken on the O-line and the possibility of Larry Johnson being a pain in the ass, they've got another thing coming.

Miami: D

Every year, there is at least one team that leaves me wondering who was drinking what when they made their picks. For a team everyone was convinced was a Super Bowl contender before the start of the season last year, they have gone a long way to ensuring that they may not see a play-off for years. Seriously, forget Ginn Jr. for a second. Who drafts 2 centers?

Minnesota: C

Again, a draft that didn't add up a whole bunch for me, but at least they got some quality guys. Peterson and Taylor should make a great RB combo, and I like Sidney Rice... but... I don't know. Just not the smartest draft they could have possibly had.

New England: A

There is no doubt, the strong keep getting stronger. The gain of Randy Moss was huge, giving them a true #1 threat, and one starts to wonder if Belichick is just making one last big stab for a Super Bowl before retiring. I worry about team chemistry after so many pick ups, but you can't deny the talent is in New England, and they actually improved that with their draft.

New Orleans: A-

I love the guys they picked. While everyone is looking at the powerful AFC, the Saints are my pick for the Bowl next year. I think Robert Meachum was a great pick, and with his size, ability to fight for the ball and speed, he reminds me a lot of Larry Fitzgerald. He may not see much action this year, but in years to come, he should be huge.

New York Giants: B

I like their picks, and they took both need and best available into consideration with each. Their lack of aggressiveness, however, leaves something to be desired in a team that seemed to be flailing for answers last year. That, and I really wanted Carolina to draft Steve Smith. That would have been AWESOME.

New York Jets: B

I think they sacrificed a lot for what they got, but it doesn't mean it's a bad draft. In fact, this is a team that is on the rise again. They addressed major issues of need, and they improved on what they were able to become last year. For a team that continues to develop from within, they got just the guys they wanted, and they are a team worth watching again this year.

Oakland: A-ish

Another team with 11 selections, Oakland pulled in an amazing amount of talent. Don't expect an instant pay off though, o ye of the black hole. I think the key will be keeping the unit together for as long as possible, and maybe then Oakland will be a contender again... I just don't know if Al Davis is the type to watch talent develop. I also believe they did well for themselves by parting with Randy Moss' bloated contract.

Philadelphia: A-

Phili made some nice pick ups, though Kolb might be questionable at the spot acquired. I think Phili is the other team in the NFC to watch this year, and their draft only encouraged that position.

San Diego: B+

I hate to admit this, since they are my home team's division rivals, but San Diego was, in my opinion, the most talented NFL team last year, and they left many people questioning why, oh why, they didn't win a Super Bowl last year. While they drafted players to fill the questionable positions on that team, I'm not sure they got the best guys to seal the deal. Still, I don't look forward to my Broncs playing them twice, perhaps 3 times this year.

Seattle: C+

I'm going to go short on this one. Not a bad draft. Who's playing tight end? Oh, Marcus Pollard. Yeah. Great. And you traded away Darrell Jackson for what? Never mind. Just, never underestimate the power of QB/WR chemistry. I'm just saying.

San Francisco: A

I love the additions of Willis and Staley. Another stellar draft, which includes the addition of Jackson. If Ashley Lelie was guaranteed to be one of the starters, I would have stuck a fork in San Fran, but now, with a good set of pick ups and Darrell, Vernon Davis being healthy, and some nice free agents, they may have turned a corner.

St. Louis: B-

I'm sorry... Carriker? That's who you pull? No way. Not when Harrell and Branch are available and your defensive middle would have let JaMarcus Russell's granny through. Sure, they are better after the draft, but there were way too many miscues here.

Tampa Bay:  B +

I like the addition of Gaines Adams and I think Quincy Black might be a very good surprise. The knock on their draft is that they have many "project" players, and those don't always work out in Tampa.

Tennessee: B

They started strong, but after the third round picked up some questionable guys. They also failed to address the need at corner until the 6th round, and I am unsure about Williams improving their recievers.

Washington: B-ish

For the weird draft picks they had, they did pretty well. LaRon is going to be an instant starter, and their second day picks have potential. H.B. Blades in the sixth was a shock, and Jordan Palmer (yes, Carson's brother) could shock everyone, since Gibbs is so likely to pull the trigger at random. But, they still have a huge issue with their D-line, and with Washington, rookies don't tend to stay long, so whether any of them make a difference is anyone's guess.

And that's my opinion on the draft. Sure, the draft itself wasn't all I thought it was cracked up to be, but it is an interesting set. It makes me even more anxious to get this next season on the way... and yes, I know your team did better than I thought. Whatever. I would love to see Ted Ginn Jr. pan out... it's part of what makes football exciting... but, here's the thing. I really doubt it.

Oh! And one last thing, before I forget. Please, please, NFL officials... why 15 minutes plus commercial? Who needs that much time? We've all done our homework, we all know who we want... seriously, there is no reason for 15 minute selections. You're killing your own ratings, bub.