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GETTING it right. To me, that’s always the most important part. I could have put out a Draft Report on Sunday, but I wanted to make sure that I got it right. So I took my time, and I went over each of our picks.

Repeatedly.

Often times, people base Draft grades on whether or not an NFL team picked “good” college players, instead of if those players can contribute anything unique to the team that drafted them. After all, addressing weakness really is the point, right?

So let’s talk about our weaknesses. We headed into the Draft needing a TE who can help with blocking for the run; an OT for the future; depth or maybe a potential starter at OLB; a reserve SS, and a KR/PR.

That’s what we needed. So what did we get?

1^st round/ Nothing. We didn’t have a pick in that round.

2^nd round/ TE Dallas Goedert – I don’t get this pick. Yes, he can catch, but his lack of effort at blocking is going to get someone killed. This is why I try to use game video, not highlights. Look at him down in and down out, and you’ll see what I mean about his blocking.

Grade: C

3^rd round/ Nothing. Yet again, no picks.

4^th round/ CB Avonte Maddox – Remember what I said about game video vs highlights? Well I can’t find any game video of Maddox, just highlights. Many of which look more like the offense making a mistake, and less like him making a play. Word is that he’s a candidate to be a Nickle CB, but he looks a little grabby for the inside.

Grade: D

4^th round/ DE Josh Sweat – There’s talk that this guy can drop into coverage, but given how well he sets an edge (from either DE spot), we may want to keep this guy with his hand on the ground. He plays bigger than 250, and even seems to hold up well inside the 5, with his back to the end zone. This is a great value pick, as you can see by how he competes and produces vs top competition. He lacks a quick first step, but turned loose in the Wide 9, this guy might be a nightmare.

Grade: A

5^th round/ Odd numbered round. So yet again we didn’t draft a football player out of college.

6^th round/ RT Matt Pryor – We took a RT in the 6^th round and he looks like a 6^th round RT. There was no video of him specifically, so I’m using a game film for his team’s RB (Kyle Hicks.) Pryor’s work ethic and athletic prowess (such that it is) are on display. You’ll decide if you’re excited by what you see. I however, was not. Grade: D

7^th round/ OT Jordan Mailata – Has never played a down of football of any kind (Pop Warner to college). Yet he somehow managed to get into the draft pool, and get picked ahead of actual football players. Unlike other sources, I’m not going to try to hype him by showing video of him playing Rugby, since it’s a totally different sport with him doing something totally different than he’d do as an OT.  Besides, we already have an Australian rules football player that we’ve not successfully converted to TE. A second experiment of this nature, seems like the waste of a pick. BUT! Maybe he’ll prove me wrong and become a perennial All-pro. Grade: F

Largely, I don’t like this year’s Draft much, but that’s okay. For several reasons, it was sort of a hard Draft for me to get excited over. We didn’t really have any glaring needs to address, so our team didn’t go looking for a player to rally around, or who one who could rescue us.

For Philadelphia, this year’s Draft was a re-stocking event. It was canned goods and peanut butter. Ketchup, sugar, and dry pasta. Coffee-mate and a carton of Kools. I love you, Mom.