Re-Grade the NFC East 2008 Draft

D-Unit · 05-02-2012, 06:13 PM

Time has passed for us to more accurately grade the 2008 Draft. How would you grade it today?

Dallas Cowboys
1 22 Felix Jones RB Arkansas
1 25 Mike Jenkins CB South Florida
2 61 Martellus Bennett TE Texas A&M
4 122 Tashard Choice RB Georgia Tech
5 143 Orlando Scandrick CB Boise State
6 167 Erik Walden LB Middle Tennessee State

NY Giants
1 31 Kenny Phillips FS Miami (Fla.)
2 63 Terrell Thomas CB USC
3 95 Mario Manningham WR Michigan
4 123 Bryan Kehl OLB Brigham Young
5 165 Jonathan Goff LB Vanderbilt
6 198 Andre Woodson QB Kentucky
6 199 Robert Henderson DE Southern Mississippi

Philadelphia Eagles
2 47 Trevor Laws DT Notre Dame
2 49 DeSean Jackson WR California
3 80 Bryan Smith DE McNeese State
4 109 Mike McGlynn G Pittsburgh
4 117 Quintin Demps FS Texas-El Paso
4 131 Jack Ikegwuonu CB Wisconsin
6 184 Mike Gibson G California
6 200 Joe Mays LB North Dakota State
6 203 Andy Studebaker LB Wheaton
7 230 King Dunlap T Auburn

Washington Redskins
2 34 Devin Thomas WR Michigan State
2 48 Fred Davis TE USC
2 51 Malcolm Kelly WR Oklahoma
3 96 Chad Rinehart T Northern Iowa
4 124 Justin Tryon CB Arizona State
6 168 Durant Brooks P Georgia Tech
6 180 Kareem Moore DB Nicholls State
6 186 Colt Brennan QB Hawaii
7 242 Rob Jackson DE Kansas State
7 249 Chris Horton SS UCLA

Giantsfan1080 · 05-02-2012, 08:18 PM

I went with the Giants. No other team got 3 starters out of their draft that played at a high level. The Eagles got the best player in Jackson but he's turned into a 1 trick pony the last 2 years and even then the rest of the draft is pretty bad.

DiG · 05-03-2012, 08:25 AM

Definitely one of the Skins worst draft classes. Only Fred Davis is worth a damn. Moore and Jackson could earn another roster spot but wouldnt be surprised if they didnt...I voted Giants too although none of these classes were too great.

D-Unit · 05-03-2012, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giantsfan1080

I went with the Giants. No other team got 3 starters out of their draft that played at a high level. The Eagles got the best player in Jackson but he's turned into a 1 trick pony the last 2 years and even then the rest of the draft is pretty bad.

Yeah, I gotta agree. Giants did the best. If I were to grade them, it'd go something like this.

Giants: B+
Cowboys: B
Eagles: C
Redskins: D+

Giantsfan1080 · 05-03-2012, 12:51 PM

Actual grading for me would be:

Giants B+
Eagles C+
Cowboys C
Redskins D

eaglesalltheway · 05-03-2012, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giantsfan1080

I went with the Giants. No other team got 3 starters out of their draft that played at a high level. The Eagles got the best player in Jackson but he's turned into a 1 trick pony the last 2 years and even then the rest of the draft is pretty bad.

The results for the Eagles aren't all that good, but the draft class itself has a few starters and key contributors (just for other teams, lol). Of course there is Jackson, Laws was a decent contributor in the rotation, though never lived up to his billing. McGlynn was a starter until the scheme change... Smith, Demps, and Ike did almost nothing (honestly I completely forgot about Smith). Gibson got some PT due to injuries and never did atrocious (he's also back as depth). Joe Mays was traded to Denver, and started for them, I believe, and Studebaker was a key contributor for the Chiefs (I liked him a lot, knew someone would snatch him up when the Eagles stupidly placed him on the practice squad and didn't IR him), and even started for them, I think. For the Eagles, the draft was not all that great, but there are 7 guys (that I know of) still on NFL rosters, and 5 of them are making some sort of impact for the team they are on.

The Cowboys hit, at least partially, on all but Walden (I'm sure a few disappointed Cowboys fans would say Bennett was a waste). Jones and Jenkins all play significant roles for them, and Choice should be getting opportunities somewhere now, I always liked him. Scandrick was penciled in as a starter until Mo was drafted, but will still have a significant role on the team. Very good draft for the Cowboys.

I wouldn't say the Giants got three starter out of that class, they really only got two in Phillips and Thomas. Manningham was a key contributor and helped you get a Superbowl (which probably negates what I'm about to say), but he was your 3rd WR at best in his career, and one no Gaints fan ever really trusted. He is a significant role player, but never a starter, who is now no longer with the team. Kehl and Goff were key contributors throughout, but Goff is gone (is Kehl still there?) Very solid at the top, big time difference makers, but a lot of this class isn't with the team anymore, much like the Eagles' draft.

And the Redskins draft here is Fred Davis. That is it. I'll give Colt Brennen an obligatory mention, but that is it. This was a terrible draft..

Grading them... as for what each draft has done for the team and will continue to do for the team, I'd give the Cowboys an A-, Giants an A-, Eagles a B-, and Skins a D.

Giantsfan1080 · 05-03-2012, 01:12 PM

I'm a tough grader. I also graded based on what the players did for the team that drafted them. If an above player went on to do better for another team I didn't factor that into the grade for the NFC East team.

As for Mario the 3rd WR on your team is pretty much a starter at this point. He saw just as many snaps as the other WR's on our team throughout the time he was here. Last year he would have "started" on most team because it's not fair to judge him to Nicks and Cruz.

eaglesalltheway · 05-03-2012, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giantsfan1080

I'm a tough grader. I also graded based on what the players did for the team that drafted them. If an above player went on to do better for another team I didn't factor that into the grade for the NFC East team.

As for Mario the 3rd WR on your team is pretty much a starter at this point. He saw just as many snaps as the other WR's on our team throughout the time he was here. Last year he would have "started" on most team because it's not fair to judge him to Nicks and Cruz.

Yeah I graded it differently than you, the Eagles, Giants, and Cowboys drafts were loaded with players who are still in the NFL and making plays. I don't really have an exact science to it, but I combined the actual talent drafted with the impact that the players made on the team they are drafted with as a big part of it (if not, I'd say the Eagles draft would be about a B+ on talent drafted alone, and the Giants would be a flat A). My thing about Manningham is he did have an impact, however, he usually didn't have the impact of a starting WR (consistently), now his Superbowl performance pretty much negates that, in my book, but he's no longer with the team. I don't really disagree with you on it, we just see it a little bit different, and come to our conclusions different ways.

D-Unit · 05-03-2012, 01:39 PM

I think some credit should go to the team even if the players have moved on. ie. Manningham leaving the Giants doesn't mean their draft grade should not include him. I think it also goes to show the ability of the scouts and decision makers in that they identified the talent in the first place. ie. Erik Walden may have gotten cut due to a numbers game, but he certainly ended up being one of the more successful players picked in the 7th round. Just happened to be on another team.

BaLLiN · 05-03-2012, 02:20 PM

Crap, I didn't read the title well enough, My vote goes for the giants. I thought this was the 2012 draft class

LonghornsLegend · 09-06-2012, 03:18 PM

I remember at one point we thought this class was way better then what it really was lol. At least Jenkins made a pro bowl and was a very good starter at times. Felix or Mendy was gonna suck whatever way we went, and I don't think we had Charles or Rice too high on our board.

Choice at least gave us a great December as a rookie, for a mid rounder that's not terrible I guess. Scandrick is still here as a solid slot guy. As for Walden, I just hate cutting 5th or 6th round picks that soon. Sure, sometimes udfa show up better then a 6th rounder in the off-season, but you need 2 be making sure those guys have a good chance to stick if you want to draft them. He'd have been great depth behind Ware.

I would have liked for at least ONE of these guys to have been in our longterm plans, though the Jenkins pick was kind of a wash since he's ready for a new deal, so money needed to go to him or Carr. Since both are young, whatever.