Steve Silverman

As hard as Brady Quinn’s fall was to watch on Saturday, the draft was even more painful to Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith. Despite a brilliant career at Ohio State, he slipped all the way to the fifth round where he was rescued by the Ravens and head coach Brian Billick.

Smith will have a season or so to get comfortable as Steve McNair’s backup, but don’t think for a second that the former Buckeye quarterback will be happy to serve as anyone’s second- or third-team quarterback. Smith may have been the most important second-day selection, but the Raiders also made a big move by taking Louisville running back Michael Bush with the first pick on Sunday. Bush is still recovering from a broken leg but should be a stud when he recovers fully.

In addition, the Raiders dealt receiver Randy Moss to the Patriots for a fourth-round draft pick.

And so it was Oakland, the Browns and the Giants who dominated this year’s draft. The Browns and Raiders made major climbs up the mountain while the Giants may have reversed a downward spiral thanks to the sage drafting of new general manager Jerry Reese.

AFC East
Buffalo Bills
They set the tone with their initial selections of Marshawn Lynch and Paul Posluszny. Lynch could be a versatile back who can excel as a runner or a receiver while Posluszny is a throwback football player who loves the game and can be a tackling machine. On the second day, the Bills made a very interesting pick with the selection of Boise State fullback Derek Schouman in the sixth round. He wowed the scouts with his impressive workouts and has running and receiving skills. If he can improve as a blocker, he could help the offense quite a bit. Running back Dwayne Wright of Fresno State is one of those late-round picks who can add something. While he lacks great stopwatch speed — 4.68 in the 40 — he can run and catch. But can he stay healthy after a significant knee injury.
Grade: B

Miami Dolphins

Special report Round-by-round recap, analysis, more

The Dolphins needed a quarterback of the future and they could have had Brady Quinn, but they decided to let this future star go in place of Brigham Young’s John Beck. They may regret that choice more than the Texans did a year ago after allowing Reggie Bush to slip through their grasp and selecting Mario Williams. Sixth-round pick Drew Mormino may be the best of those that came on the second day. The Central Michigan center is versatile enough to play guard and looks to be a fine run blocker who has a nasty attitude. Not athletic, but very hungry and enjoys knocking defensive linemen and linebackers over.
Grade: D+

New England Patriots
Including the trade for Randy Moss, the Patriots appear to be the favorites to win the Super Bowl in the 2007-08 season. Clearly they have taken a chance by trading for Moss and drafting Brandon Meriweather, but the Pats deserve credit for their bold thinking. Bill Belichick believes the leadership of the team will keep these two newcomers in line. USC inside linebacker Oscar Lua lacks the measurables in speed and size and that’s a lot to overcome. However, he should make the team as a special teamer and also has a nose for the ball which will make him a valuable role player. That’s good value for a sixth-round pick.
Grade: A- (including trade for Moss)

New York Jets
The Jets’ best pick may have been Michigan linebacker David Harris in the second round. He is a hard-working honest player who can punish ball carriers when he gets a chance to line them up in his sights. Of the Jets’ two second-day picks, head coach Eric Mangini may find that seventh-round wide receiver Chansi Stuckey of Clemson is a playmaker. While he is on the small side and his 4.56 40 time is not impressive, he has excellent quickness and simply knows how to get open. Avoiding injuries may be an issue for him.
Grade: C-

AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Second-round pick Yamon Figurs of Kansas State was one of the fastest players in the draft and figures (ugh) to give the Ravens a lift in the return game. General manager Ozzie Newsome may have given Brian Billick the steal of the draft when he selected Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Troy Smith in the fifth round. Smith may be barely 6-0 on his tip toes and hurt himself badly with his performance against Florida in the national championship season and an unimpressive pro day showing, but the fact remains that Smith had about three bad games in his entire college football career and is a winner. Smith will sit and learn from Steve McNair and will go on to shock the league with his skills. He can make all the throws and has great leadership skills.
Grade: B+

Cincinnati Bengals

2007 NFL draft coverage Draft HQ: Round-by-round recap, analysis, more Picks by: Player  |  Team  |  Position  |  College Opinion: Raiders, Browns, Giants deliver No Raider doubts on Russell  |  Quinn’s freefall Opinion: Teams passed on players with ‘issues’ Lots of drama  |  Ravens take Heisman winner Lions take another WR  |  Miami fans unhappy Vote: Who will be best pro?  |  Trade rundown   Sound off on NFL message boards  |  MORE

The Bengals clearly had an eye toward improving their secondary with the selections of Michigan’s Leon Hall, TCU’s Marvin White and Notre Dame’s Nedu Ndukwe. Hall is the best cover corner in the draft while White led off the Bengals’ second-day selections. White is a big hitter with excellent athletic ability. He slipped to the fourth round because several scouts felt he lacked “football intelligence.” That may be a bit severe, because our sources say that is not an issue. Jeff Rowe has the ability to be a competent backup to Carson Palmer. Rowe has the kind of size and ability to move around the pocket that scouts like, but he needs to work on speeding up his release.
Grade: B

Cleveland Browns
The Browns dominated the first day of the draft with the selections of Joe Thomas and Brady Quinn. In our opinion, they took the best offensive tackle and the best quarterback in the draft. Third-round pick Eric Wright of UNLV has great talent, but several off-the-field incidents make him a questionable character. Defensive end Chase Pittman, a seventh-round selection from LSU, is not an impact player but he does not make mistakes. He can be solid as a run defender and occasionally shows a burst to the quarterback even if he does not have an array of moves.
Grade: A-

Pittsburgh Steelers
In addition to making a statement by selecting physical players like Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley in the first two rounds, the Steelers took a competent tight end in Minnesota’s Matt Spaeth in the third. Punter Daniel Sepulveda was the Steelers’ first pick in Day Two and he has a booming leg and averaged 46.5 yards per punt for Baylor last year. Guard Cameron Stephenson of Rutgers was taken in the fifth round and appears to be a project worth developing. He has size, aggressiveness and good quickness, but he needs a lot of technical help. Cornerback William Gay of Louisville was also selected in the fifth round as well and is a sharp player who has overcome his lack of long speed with a great understanding of the position and an aggressive attitude.
Grade: B

MORE FROM NFL

NFL Section Front

Steelers must to stick to their strengths Steelers' turf might not be so fearsome anymore Chargers vs. Steelers: Which team has the edge? Warner, Delhomme had same NFL Europe path Novacek's picks: Ravens will pull off lone upset Playoff-tested Flacco eager to face next challenge Matchups: Compare starters, vote on who has the edge Curran: Despite N.Y. buzz, Giants no sure thing Super Bowl hero Tyree bides his time Madden's Divisional Round previews NFL Section Front   Add NFL headlines to your news reader: