USA Today: Ranking the decision makers: Who is best at the NFL draft?

[Tribal Warfare]

Ranking the decision makers: Who is best at the NFL draft?


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By Nate Davis, USA TODAY
So which franchise really stands the best chance to reap the most from its rookies now that the 2010 NFL draft has concluded? USA TODAY ranked the 20 league personnel executives who have been on the job for at least three years with their current team (the exception being Scott Pioli) to try and get a better idea as to who scores touchdowns in April, who settles for field goals and who coughs it up.

REPORT CARD: Grading the 2010 NFL draft class

1A. Bill Belichick, head coach/el jefe supremo, New England Patriots— Little point in arguing after he transformed a franchise that seemed to be in decline into a three-time Super Bowl champion virtually overnight. Clearly Belichick learned a lot after the five putrid drafts the Cleveland Browns produced during his tenure there in the 1990s. New England has become known for its deft ability to amass quality picks and find excellent players later in the process who won't come with the price tag of a top-10 pick. Belichick has made seven second-round picks over the last two drafts and picked up an extra Round 2 pick next year after extracting it from the Carolina Panthers for a low third-round pick last Saturday. Key contributors such as receiver Deion Branch, defensive end Jarvis Green, tackle Matt Light and cornerback Asante Samuel all came at pick 48 or later. But Belichick knows how to find first-round stars, too, including 2008 defensive rookie of the year Jerod Mayo and Pro Bowlers Logan Mankins, Richard Seymour and Vince Wilfork.

• Best pick: Tom Brady— The Patriots admit they got lucky finding him in the sixth round in 2000, but at least they were smarter than the 30 other teams that also passed on him multiple times. Probably the best value pick in the history of the NFL.

• Worst pick: Chad Jackson— The 36th pick of the 2006 draft only caught 13 passes for New England.

1B. Scott Pioli, GM, Kansas City Chiefs— He and Belichick are essentially inextricable when it comes to New England's ascendancy. It's too early to assess Pioli's tenure in K.C., though last weekend's haul looks to be among the best of the spring. But the Patriots' success on the personnel side is just as much a credit to Pioli's eye for talent as Belichick's. And the litany of players they plucked from college aside, Pioli and Belichick were masters of using picks as currency for established stars with depressed value (Corey Dillon, Randy Moss) and gems other teams didn't appreciate (Wes Welker). After a recent spotty draft record, the Chiefs were in desperate need of a draft craftsman like Pioli.

• Best pick: Matt Cassel— He barely played at USC, but Pioli took a flier on him in the seventh round of the 2005 draft anyway. Cassel proved in 2008 he can play at a Pro Bowl level, something Pioli is banking he will do for the Chiefs.

• Worst pick: Laurence Maroney— The 2006 first-rounder has never rushed for as many as 900 yards and probably never will for the Patriots, who have opted not to make him a featured back.

[Amnorix]

Originally Posted by H5N1

unfortunately, average would've been an improvement last year. dude, you apparently didn't watch cassel much last year. horrific. oh, he flashed a few times last year; but not enough to make me any more than slightly optimistic (thanks to weis). and our defense is a ways away (unless ty-jack comes through, we find a nose tackle somewhere, dj steps up, and berry is all world. best case scenario is maybe 10th ranked defense). we'll be lucky if cassel can step up to slightly above average and the defense can step up.

I didn't watch him much, but I'd probably give him a pass regardless. We all know that team didn't have much talent, and what talent it had was mostly young and tryign to figure out what it was doing in a new scheme with new teammates under a new coach.

I've seen Brady break down and play pretty mediocre late in games when he was pressing because it was obvious it was all on him. The Ravens playoff game was a pretty good example of that. When the QB knows he MUST succeed because no one else can/will then he can end up looking mediocre.

Give him this season then see.

[Amnorix]

Originally Posted by H5N1

I can't recall where I read it, but an article from a while back (from an undisclosed gm) stated that pocket presence can be 'learned'--that it's a feel that you get the more experience you have.

sitting as long as he did (college plus through two years ago) is a long time to sit--if weis can work with him on accuracy and he obtains some pocket presence via just getting more reps in, we may have better than average on our hands. but I'm not holding my breath.

mmmm....I dunno about pocket presence being learned. Brady has a 6th sense that not many QBs I've ever seen had. Marino-esque. Certainly Bledsoe never had it despite being a starter his entire life. Tony Eason had pocket presence too -- he could accurately divine when he was within two seconds of being sacked so he could tuck the ball and fall down. It's a gift I tell ya...

[Ebolapox]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

mmmm....I dunno about pocket presence being learned. Brady has a 6th sense that not many QBs I've ever seen had. Marino-esque. Certainly Bledsoe never had it despite being a starter his entire life. Tony Eason had pocket presence too -- he could accurately divine when he was within two seconds of being sacked so he could tuck the ball and fall down. It's a gift I tell ya...

I'll see if I can find the article--it threw me for a few moments. you're correct, some guys seem to have it, some don't.