Grade The 2006 Draft…So Far
The reason I labeled this article “Grade The 2006 Draft…So Far” is for the simple reason that this draft class’ grade could swing either to the plus or minus depending on this year. Page needs to take the next step at the safety position this year, he can’t stay the same and be content. I think the drafting of DaJuan Morgan will put the pressure on Page and Pollard for that matter and either make or break them. What about Brodie? If he shows he can play quarterback at the NFL level his grade will go to an “A” in a heartbeat, if he fails however-F. Tre Stallings, can he win a starting spot this year? If so, maybe I can put a little more under his name, if not, then I’ll have to erase what little I wrote.
This marks the first Herman Edwards draft-on with the grades.
Round 1, Pick 20—Tamba Hali, DE
Pretty good so far. I think the departing of Jared (sorry to hear about the bar Jared…kinda) will help Hali out a lot. Now he will be placed on the right side of the defensive line and be able to attack the opposing quarterback’s blind side. I’m still not convinced Alfonso Boone can be even adequate holding down the vacated left end spot, but we’ll see. I’ve said it a lot and I will most likely continue to say it-this is a make or break year for Hali, if he shows he cannot be productive from this positition, then look for the Chiefs to look for his replacement come next off season.
Grade: B+
Round 2, Pick 54—Bernard Pollard, S
Bernard has been a disappointment so far by what I can tell. Being drafted in the second round and he still hasn’t been able to solidify a starter role on this team. This is a “make or get out of town” year for Pollard. He takes bad angles to the ball and so far his nickname “Bone Crusher” that he brought with him from college hasn’t been needed in the NFL. I give both his play on the field, and his dancing in the locker room a…
Grade: C
Round 3, Pick 85—Brodie Croyle, QB
Here is the tough one. What grade do you give a man that has been given the chance to start, but has been destroyed by an awful, putrid, despicable, horrid, disgusting, nauseating (ok, I bet you get my point) offensive, offensive line. I would be tempted to give him an “incomplete” but some could argue that no matter how bad his line was, if he was a good quarterback he would have been able to overcome the circumstances and prevail (or some type of bs along those lines). To those people I would say you are crazy, but instead I will be fair and give him a C. If he succeeds this year, it will go to an “A”, if he doesn’t then an “F”…how about that?
Round 5, Pick 155—Marcus Maxey, CB
Drafted, released, picked up by the Bears, released, picked up again by the Chiefs before being released again in August of 2007. Yes friends, it has been a roller coaster of _________ (fill in the blank, don’t be afraid to be creative) for Mr. Maxey.
Grade: D
Round 6, Pick 186—Tre Stallings, OG
Yes, he is still on the team, I checked.
Grade: C
Round 6, Pick 190—Jeff Webb, WR
Well, you can’t say Jeff hasn’t improved since becoming a Chief, but with the additions of Devard Darling via free agency and the drafting of two draft picks and the addition of cannon fodder at the WR position after the rookie mini camp, I would say that it is time from Webb to “crap or get off the pot” so to speak. Everyone, including Webb knows Herm won’t hesitate to put him on the bench and leave him there and let one of the other young guys play if Webb doesn’t play at a high level.
Grade: C
Round 7, Pick 228, Jarrad Page, S
Obviously Page was a pleasant surprise. No one, not even Herm I bet could look you in the eye and say “yeah, we thought he was going to be a starter from day one”. He hasn’t been the type of ball hawk I would like to see out of the free safety posistion, but he has been pretty darn good. As I mentioned earlier, Page needs to step it up a little bit this year. I think he along with Derrick Johnson will be counted on heavily this year to step it up on defense. I feel good about DJ being able to do just that, Page…I’m not convinced. We’ll have to wait and see.
Grade: B
Final Grade: 2.14 = C
Now don’t beat me up to bad over this, there are a few of these picks that can really step it up this year and this draft grade could be an A…easy. Remember, I said 3 years removed from the draft is the best time to grade them, this upcoming season will be the three years. Six of these players are still on the team, that in itself is impressive, however, I feel that is not enough to merit a higher grade…yet. I think a “C” is very fitting. What do you think?
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Marcus Maxey should be an absolute “F”
Jeff Web Should be a c+ because as a 6 round receiver he receives decent playing time.
Jarrad Page is not perfect, far from it but for a 7th round bick he should be an A. He does need to play better.
May 19th, 2008 at 10:05 amThis is a team sport and because of that I think you have to factor in how the team has performed over the last 2 years and then weight team peformance more heavily than individual performance to make a fair assessment. Other than Hali, most of these guys did not contribute significantly in their rookie season other than on special teams so I would pretty much throw out their contributions from 2006 which means you have to grade them mostly on their 2007 performance. I’d rate the 2006 special teams squad as no better than a C.
The team’s performance in 2007 was clearly an overall F. If you rank offense and defense separately, then offense gets an F and defense gets no better than a C+. Except for Colquitt, special teams in 2007 also gets an F.
The way I see it, all of these guys come into camp this year with individual grades of D or worse. Each must earn their spots by proving they still deserve to be a part of this team, that they can make this team competitive and that as a result they might ultimately raise their individual grades by the end of the 2008 season.
Call it harsh if you want, but not a single one of these guys proved on the field last year that they were indispensable. Most of these guys still have a lot of potential but potential does not win championships. Every one of them should have to compete for their jobs in training camp and should consider themselves very lucky to still be a part of this organization.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:34 amI’m pretty confused about the grading of Pollard here as compared to Page. I feel like Bernard has done a better job than a lot of people seem to give him credit for. He’s made a splash on special teams and I feel like he has been a solid safety, especially for only his second year in the league.
I hear people talk all the time about how Bernard Pollard never tackles anyone. I beg to differ. He had 90 tackles last season, and that’s coming from a safety playing in a Tampa 2 system. Linebackers and cornerbacks are the tacklers in that defense.
I like Page a lot too, if only for the fact that he’s apparently a natural Raider killer.
And yes, Marcus Maxey should be an F.
May 19th, 2008 at 12:10 pmAt this point, we really don’t know enough about Brodie to accurately grade him. To me, the grade of incomplete is the only fair grade. Webb as a 6th round pick make a small contribution is worth a C+/B- and Page, for a 7th round pick starting in the NFL, deserves at least a B+.
DD, I usually am close to you in opinion, but you lost me on this one. I think you are painting with way to broad a brush.
May 19th, 2008 at 1:27 pmto continue seanbcool’s thoughts…
May 19th, 2008 at 1:43 pmPage has played a LOT more than Pollard, who only moved in to the starting lineup in the “Ty Law falls down and I get burned” 2007 season.
Tamba - A, he would have had double-digit sacks last year if the sack leader wasnt always stealing them
Pollard - C+, as made some nice plays as a young player. Now just needs to put the package together.
Croyle - I, incomplete for now. If I am forced to give a grade it is a D. He failed to beat out Damon Huard when he was given every chance.
Maxey - F, bust.
Stallings - D, gets a D for at least lasting a few seasons.
Webb - C, for being a 6th round pick, but has yet to really do anything. I have seen Sippio at least make some crucial blocks.
Page - C+, if Pollard gets one then he does too. For being a 7th round pick he gets a better grade than I wanted to give him and lets not forget he was a 7th because people feared he would play baseball not because of talent.
May 19th, 2008 at 2:45 pmMerlin - I’m just taking the view that I think any good coach would after the team’s performance last season.
No one in the 2006 rookie class has particularly distinguished themselves as of yet and I sure would not let any of them believe for one second that they’re so good that they won’t be competing for a starting position. For one thing, that’s not fair to the new guys in camp. Secondly, these are all guys who still have a bunch to prove.
The best performer of the bunch is Hali and he had enough ups and downs last season to not merit a grade greater than C but like I said before, if the team goes 4-12, then doesn’t he and every other player on this team have to share some blame for that? And that’s my point. Hali started every game last season as I recall - if the team had won maybe 6 games last year then I might give Hali a C for his contribution.
Do I think some of these guys have the potential to be great? Absolutely. I’d say Hali, Page, Pollard, Croyle, and Webb all fall into that category. But every one of those guys has yet to prove they are more than C players on an NFL team with a better record much less having distinguished themselves here with any regularity as either “impact players” or “game changers.”
Don’t get me wrong. I expect big things from Hali, Page, and Pollard this season but I’m not about to give them grades on what I expect but rather what I’ve seen. Bottom line, I haven’t seen enough from any of them and the team’s 2007 record speaks loudly to that.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:23 pmI don’t think every player necessarily has to share blame for a 4-12 season. Yes, it’s a team sport and the Chiefs lost as a team, yadda yadda..
But I don’t hold Jared Allen and his 15.5 sacks responsible for us losing. I don’t blame Tony Gonzalez and his 1000+ receiving yards either.
I mostly blame Mike Solari, our offensive line, Herm’s “keep it close and fight it out in the end philosophy”, and A.J. Hawk for breaking LJ’s foot.
Hali, Pollard, and Page have been solid.
So no, I don’t think you can grade the 2006 draft based on last year’s record.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:47 pmId have to say pollard is a bust. I know somebody is going to comeback and say its ty laws fault that he was always getting burned. But playing over the top the way our safeties do, they are there as safeties incase one of the cbs get beat or falls down as in ty laws case.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:54 pmI know this is off the topic, but odell thurman just got released from the bengals. I know hes had some troubles in the past but we might be able to get him fairly cheap and maybe he could play a roll in our linebackin corps
May 19th, 2008 at 5:03 pmDD:
You wrote:
“Merlin - I’m just taking the view that I think any good coach would after the team’s performance last season.”
Nope, sorry, I do not agree. Your argument essentially boils down to: we suck = you all sucked.
So, if Jared Allen was still on this team, your “good coach” approach would say that he has to earn a starting spot on this team. Sorry, but I do not consider that a realistic approach or an approach used by a ‘good coach’.
So, in your view, Brian Waters has to earn a starting spot. Tony Gonzalez has to earn a starting spot. IMO, this is not an approach used by a good coach. Now, Herm is creating competition at a number of positions. This is a good thing. However, baring major surprises, there are several spots already claimed.
May 19th, 2008 at 7:13 pmMerlinnj, I think he means ‘the 2006 draft class’ has to earn their spots. Not proven veteran anchors such as Brian Waters or Tony G. Those guys are at the top of their respective positions, they don’t have to earn diddly squat. They’ll be there, and they’ll be starters, providing they’re healthy. *Knock on wood*
On another note… matt, we don’t need another linebacker, especially one with character issues, especially when he was a former high pick, and wants tons of cash thrown at him. So no-go on that one. Pollard is far from a bust.. he’s made some spectacular plays.. And he has a job to do; he couldn’t wait to see if Ty Law would be able to keep his feet during the play.. He had a specific spot on the field, or a specific man, he had to keep track of. He couldn’t do his job AND Ty Law’s job, but he was consistently asked to. Can’t blame a guy for giving it his all when he’s been given more than he can handle. To his credit he did have a decent season, despite being in the shadow of ‘big names’ on our team.
And Page isn’t just a C+ IMO, if you indeed took a ‘good coache’s’ approach, then you should realize that beating a division rival is KEY for any coach. Page has singlehandedly saved us from the Raiders twice in his young career, on awesome picks. Both were in the redzone (I believe all of his picks are? I’m too lazy to check, but I think so. That’s huge, especially for a young guy.) And both picks versus the Raider’s were in the waning seconds of the game. As a ‘good head coach’, when would you like your players to step up? That’s right, down in the nitty gritty 4th quarter, time running out, game on the line.. Page has done that. Let’s not forget the sharing of time with a Pro-Bowler in Greg Wesley, and you begin to see that Page’s season was actually alot better than expected, and again, as Seanbcool has stated; it’s their second years.. They aren’t even fully developed. Let’s give the kids a chance, but looking at it now, safety is a position we don’t have to worry about for at least a few years.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:32 pmI think you’re grading purely on players and talent so far and if so thats fine but if you are grading a draft you have to consider value considering where they were drafted and how good they’ve played compared to what is expected there. With that said
Page is an A: Because if you can find a starter in the 7th round thats pretty ridiculous, great pick and hes done more than enough considering where they got him. Now hopefully he can step it up another notch.
Webb similar story, he hasnt been spectacular but hes been ok considering where he was taken
May 19th, 2008 at 10:19 pmxxxlp - you are correct, I was limiting my assessment to the 2006 draft class. You make fair points on Page too.
I guess at least part of my perspective on this goes back to the proposition that you really can’t do an appropriate evaluation after only 2 seasons. Other than Hali, none of these guys really contributed signficantly in their rookie season so I think that leaves us with little choice but evaluate them predominately on their 2007 season. Several of these guys were first-time starters for a team that went 4-12. The previous year, when they were not starters, their team went to the playoffs. That says something to me.
On the other side of the coin, I also say you can’t call Pollard, Croyle, or really anybody else a bust after what amounts to just a single season of significant playing time. I do expect a lot out a number of these guys. I expect Hali and Pollard to both have break out seasons for instance. I have high hopes for Croyle and Webb. All of these guys have potential or else they wouldn’t be here. All were still developing last year and this coming season should speak volumes about where they are in their career and how well they start coming together as a team.
Some of the criticism they deserve and some of it they don’t but more than anything inexperience is their biggest weakness and their is a cure for that.
And yes I absolutely do believe that one of the core messages that players need to hear and believe from their coach is that if you lose, you lose as a team and when you win, you win as a team. I would sure hope that Jared Allen and Tony G never went around the lockerroom claiming personal “A” performances after a losing effort and I doubt they ever felt that way.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:05 am