Immediate reactions can sometimes be over reactions so after attending this year’s NFL Draft and walking out with an abundance of initial feelings, I sat down the past few weeks and sorted everything out. After total review, I came up with these rankings, gradings, feelings or whatever you want to call them. In this series of eight NFL Draft blog entries I’ll rank the teams inside their own division from first to last as to how I feel they did with their selections.   

AFC SOUTH

1) Indianapolis Colts – In a very vanilla sort of way, I really like the results of this draft for the Colts especially when you note the fact that they did not have a first round pick. They doubled up on their selections in three different areas with their first six picks and may have come away with as many first year contributors as Jacksonville and their more bold style of draft did. Linebacker Phillip Wheeler of Georgia Tech has the total package and thus a realistic chance to crack the Indy starting lineup at some point this season. At GTech during his junior and senior years, he was the focal point of every offense's blocking scheme and still recorded 177 tackles (23 for loss) plus 18.5 sacks. Wheeler was a natural in defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta’s aggressive, blitz oriented scheme which makes him a perfect fit for the Colts and head coach Dungy’s style. I think this was the Colts best draft selection when you consider the immense talent they got here at #30 of the third round and #93 overall.

Joining Wheeler on the perimeter of the second level is fifth rounder Marcus Howard who at 237 pounds figures to become a situational pass rushing OLB. Howard led the University of Georgia in sacks last season with 11 and he posted the fastest 40 time (4.42) of any OLB in this draft. Howard has all the tools to become a top flight pass rusher in time and he’s already been likened to current Colts DE Robert Mathis. Intrastate rivals Georgia Tech and Georgia provided Indy with a couple of players who can really apply pressure.

In the Colts two tight end offensive system, Kentucky’s Jacob Tamme and Virginia’s Tom Santi each have an opportunity to make a measurable impact now that former starter Ben Utecht is now a Bengal. Veteran Bryan Fletcher has a hold on the role opposite Pro Bowler Dallas Clark right now, but Tamme and Santi are both good enough to see some time immediately. The problem could be learning the Colts playbook and of course getting in sync with QB Peyton Manning but coming from a throwing program with a former NFL head coach in Rich Brooks, I give Tamme and his pass catching abilities a real shot. Santi could be used more in running situations to take advantage of his size and blocking skills. These guys were very productive college players and have the size, strength and speed to make it at this level.

The interior of the offensive line was also addressed heavily by Indianapolis in this draft and they used their first pick which came late in round two on Arizona State lineman Mike Pollak. The Colts have already planned on Pollak being the successor to starting center Jeff Saturday when the three time Pro Bowl selection decides to walk away from football. In the meantime, Indy is allowing Pollak a shot at Charlie Johnson’s right guard position and there’s a good chance he’ll earn it. Pollak’s athletic ability figures to work well with the Colts stretch running game. Steve Justice was chosen in the sixth round and the All-ACC center looks to be a part of the Colts offensive line plans. He’ll begin this season as a backup, but Justice could play his way into a starting post in the future. Ideally, Indianapolis would love for that to happen as they would have gained a pair of starters for the OL from this draft.    

Again, a very unexciting, vanilla type draft at first glance, but that’s only because of the positions Indianapolis focused on. I view this as the best draft in the AFC South.                

2) Jacksonville – The Jaguars made a lot of noise with their ultra aggressive move up the draft’s first round ladder so now Florida Gators defensive end Derrick Harvey has to prove they were correct or this organization will be heavily criticized. I have to admit that I was shocked as I heard the details of the trade, thinking that four picks in this draft (their first rounder #26, two third rounders #71 & #89 plus a fourth round #125) was way too much for Harvey. The opinions on how disruptive Harvey will be at this level vary and I myself question why this team did not just take their first rounder (#26 overall) and trade it to the Miami Dolphins for a proven Pro Bowl all around DE in Jason Taylor. To his credit, Harvey accumulated an extremely impressive 30 tackles for loss and 19½ sacks the past two seasons. It’s interesting that Jacksonville has made every vocal indication that they are playing for a championship now but they choose the NFL novice over an established Pro Bowler with at least three strong years left.

Jacksonville did back that selection right up with another explosive edge pass rusher in Auburn’s Quentin Groves and I like this selection from a value standpoint much more than that of Harvey. Every time I saw Auburn play, Groves was a defensive monster who could change the momentum of games in a flash and force offenses to over commit to him subsequently opening up play making opportunities for his teammates. He heads into Jacksonville with a bit of a maturity issue but Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio is very good at getting his players to focus on football and I feel Groves will be an instant asset to this team.

The remaining three picks are all likely to be backups but don’t count out South Florida cornerback Trae Williams. Sure Mike Jenkins got all of the draft hype, but together with Williams, they formed one of the nation’s top cornerback tandems the past couple of seasons. Williams does not have the athletic gifts of Jenkins, but I think he’s skilled enough to be a situational defensive back right away even in this talented secondary.

If the Jaguars were not so gung ho on advertising their mission of going for the title right now, then I probably would’ve rated this draft higher. As it stands, they got themselves a pair of outstanding defensive terrors who hail from college football's most dominant conference. There’s no doubt they’ve got the potential to be future standouts in the NFL but if Jacksonville wants 2008 to be their year then I think they needed to trade for Taylor rather than unload their draft for Harvey. This year's selections figure to help the team legitimately pursue the ultimate payoff but they’re probably not ready to do that this year.  

3) Tennessee – It baffles me how people are so quick to commend the Dallas Cowboys on their first round selection of Arkansas running back Felix Jones and label the Titans draft as a failure because their opening round choice was Chris Johnson. Why is everyone else in the NFL very smart to assemble these newfangled “thunder and lightning” type backfields and Tennessee not intelligent for doing the same? Yes I understand that most of the free world craved a top level wide receiver selection out of this team right off the bat, but Johnson creates more explosiveness in this offense than any of the wideouts could have. Listen, New Orleans drafted Reggie Bush at #2 with a miserable offensive line in front of him but that pairing of Deuce McAllister’s inside force with Bush’s run/catch diversity and home run ability is still thought of as one of the league’s more dangerous tandems. Marion Barber and Felix Jones is thought to be brilliant of Dallas and I think that this combination of Lendale White and Johnson is too. This pair (like Dallas’) gets to play behind one of the most powerful and physical offensive lines in the league. Johnson can utilize the excellent blocking of his mates as either a rusher or a receiver on quick hitting swing passes and screens which are high percentage throws for QB Vince Young. Personally, I feel he’ll even be used to stretch the field on vertical routes the way Bush is. I think this selection works in terms of seriously upgrading the quick strike ability of this offense which is what Tennessee needed to be in pursuit of with their first round choice.     

The Titans lost DE’s Antwan Odom (Cincinnati) and Travis LaBoy (Arizona) to free agency which leaves a fairly significant void, and Eastern Michigan defensive end Jason Jones will be asked to help fill that void. Once Pittsburgh selected Texas wide receiver one slot ahead of Tennessee, I think this was the proper direction to follow. The second round selection has down the road potential as a starter because he can defend the run and pass but he could be called into action right away if free agent acquisition Jevon Kearse’s knee injury acts up again. 50 tackles for loss and 14 QB sacks in three years at Eastern Michigan aren’t earth shattering numbers but I think Jones can contribute as a situational pass rusher here immediately because there are so many other defensive line stalwarts for offenses to contend with.   

I don’t really understand the need to select California tight end Craig Stevens in the third round since the Titans acquired ex-Falcons TE Alge Crumpler in the off season and already have Bo Scaife to serve as the #2. Tennessee’s first fourth round choice William Hayes, a defensive end out of Winston-Salem, appears to be a head scratcher as well. However, I will endorse their second fourth round selection, wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins from California. The ex-Golden Bear had a strong senior campaign and he was the go to guy for a portion of it because star wideout DeSean Jackson was injured. Hawkins pulled in 72 passes and should be a nice additional target for this offense.   

The entirety of this draft wasn’t great as indicated by the fact that I ranked it third in the AFC South division. I do like the choice of Johnson a lot and will say that if Jones can develop into a starting caliber defensive end quickly, this quickly avoids being a below average overall draft.      

4) Houston – There is not one player that this team drafted who will have any shot of helping this season so I give them the bottom spot. The future could be different as first rounder Duane Brown out of Virginia Tech is thought by many to be capable of becoming an athletic tackle in this league but the converted tight end will need at least a year of offensive line coach Alex Gibbs’ tutelage before he’s ready to play effectively. Houston traded back up into the first in order to land Brown’s services so they do have high hopes for him. Third round Eastern Kentucky cornerback Antwaun Molden and fifth round defensive tackle Frank Okam of Texas are additional long term projects taken by the Texans. While I absolutely loved watching running back Steve Slaton run for West Virginia, it became clear to me that he had trouble holding on to the football which I feel will cause him major trouble at this level where ball stripping now seems to be taught ahead of tackling technique. Slaton’s cut back style is not likely to find the gaping holes he found in Morgantown because opposing defenses will not have to account for Houston quarterback Matt Schaub running the football. Slaton’s slithery style doesn’t figure to be a huge asset behind this offensive line and his lack of inside running toughness will be glaring. He might be best suited in a situational pass catching role where Houston can get him some space on swings and screens. The top pick in the Texans draft to me was the fourth round selection of Virginia Tech outside linebacker Xavier Adibi who may come up short in some of the measureables but he comes up large as a productive football player. In the 118th spot overall, Houston may have found itself a great value.