1.) Cincinnati Bengals select Carson Palmer (QB, USC) - Grade: B
Hard to fault the Bengals for picking Palmer, the consensus #1 QB coming into the draft, and he certainly began the Cincinnati rennaissance. Palmer took over in 2004, had a brilliant 2005 season right up until Kimo von Ollhoffen tore up his knee. Palmer was never really the same, but apart from an injury-filled 2008 season, teh Bengals were never bad with Palmer at QB. His Cincinnati marraige ended badly, but he definitely helped make Cincinnati relevant.
2.) Detroit Lions select Charles Rogers (WR, Michigan St.) - Grade: D
Obviously, it is one of the bigger busts in recent memory (non-QB division) and the benchmark for everything wrong about the Matt Millen era, but there were factors outside of Rogers' control. He was actually on pace for a 70/777/10 season in 2003 before he broke his clavicle in Week 5. He then broke his clavicle in Week 1 in 2004, and then got suspended for four games in 2005 and was never heard from again. It's only not an F because before the original injury, he was having a decent season for a rookie WR.
3.) Houston Texans select Andre Johnson (WR, Miami) - Grade: A+
Andre Johnson is one of the most voluminous WRs in NFL history. He has volume numbers and consistency few ever have had, including five seasons with over 90 yards-per-game, the most in NFL history. He's been more durable than people think (an injury marred 2011 season changed a lot of people's thinking of him), and hasn't really slowed down as his career went on. About as good a WR pick as you can make. And to think the Lions passed him for a one-year college wonder.
4.) New York Jets select Dwyane Robertson (DT, Kentucky) - Grade: C+
It's odd that Robertson has a five year career with the Jets to average results, left for Denver in Free Agency, and then never played again after one season in Denver. For the 4th pick in the draft, his production was not very good, but he stayed on the team, played all but three games and provided a constant presence on the interior of the Jets. The pick could have been a lot better, but in a weak middle of the Top-10, it's not as bad as it may seem.
5.) Dallas Cowboys select Terrence Newman (CB, Kansas St.) - Grade: B
Terrence Newman was never one of the five best corners in the NFL, but he's been often one of the 15 best, and been that for 11 seasons now (the first nine in Dallas). The Cowboys missed on a lot of draft picks, but this most certainly was not one of them. He never reached the potential the Cowboys would have wanted from the #5 pick, but he was a solid player who rarely missed games for 9 seasons. The Cowboys secondary has been worse off since letting him go.
6.) New Orleans Saints select Johnathan Sullivan (DT, Georgia) - Grade: F
The reason that I give so much leeway for the Robertson pick at #4 is because this happened at #6. Sullivan basically did nothing in his three seasons, picking up 1.5 sacks, and losing his spot in the starting lineup by 2005. Just a terrible pick for a team that came close to making the playoffs in 2003 and 2004 and could have used just a little more production to get there. Random note, the Patriots traded for him in 2006 for Bethel Johnson, a far more valuable player as a returner/depth deep-ball WR. So even back in the pre-2007 days, the Patriots didn't always turn around failed-players.
7.) Jacksonville Jaguars select Byron Leftwich (QB, Marshall) - Grade: C
Look, Byron Leftwich isn't a bad player, and he's still in the league 11 seasons later, including starting a game as recently as the 2012 season. Still, there were major flags on him coming out of college, namely that ridiculously long throwing motion. I don't know if the Jags thought they could undo it or not, but they did not. Leftwich was the 'starter' on a totally forgettable 12-4 team in 2005, but the Jags best season in his tenure came after he was unceremoniously cut before the season.
8.) Carolina Panthers select Jordan Gross (T, Utah) - Grade: A
Very good pick. It's no surprise that the Panthers have never really been bad at running the ball since Gross entered the league and was immediately put on the starting o-line. He started as a RT for a team that made the Super Bowl, and (surprisingly) retired as a pro-bowl LT for a team that went 12-4. To get 11 years of very high quality production from a tackle at #8 in the draft is a pretty great return.
9.) Minnesota Vikings select Kevin Williams (DT, Oklahoma St.) - Grade: A+
Any time you can draft a guy who has a strong HOF case (really, it is pretty strong) at #9 in the draft, you get an A Honestly, wherever you draft someone as good as Kevin Williams you get an A. Kevin Williams came in, joined hands with the larger Williams and created a big Wall that would almost immediately make the VIkings into the best run defense in the NFL, including a historic 2006 performance. Looking past the 60 sacks, the guy has only missed three games in the NFL career.
10.) Baltimore Ravens select Terrell Suggs (DE, Arizona St.) - Grade: A
Basically everything I wrote about Kevin Williams applies here to Terrell Suggs. Suggs is also a guy with a pretty strong HOF case, especially if he can pick up another 30 sacks or so over the next three to four years of his productive period. Suggs has also been excellent against the run, and the next in the string of the Lewis-Reed-progression. The Ravens have paired a ton of OLBs opposite Suggs and he's made them all better, from Adalius Thomas, to Jarrett Johnson to Paul Kruger. Suggs makes it all work.
11.) Seattle Seahawks select Marcus Trufant (CB, Washington St.) - Grade: B-
Marcus Trufant played 10 seasons, all for the Seahawks, and was a quality player with a low ceiling, but a low floor. He was never a Top-15 CB, never really reaching the level of Terrance Newman, but was never too far off. Trufant was surprisingly durable early in his career considering how un-durable everyone else on teh Seahawks was in their Holmgren hey-day, but he finally broke down just as the defense was building itself up.
12.) St. Louis Rams select Jimmy Kennedy (DT, Penn St.) - Grade: C
Jimmy Kennedy had a 9-year career, but only four of those came with St. Louis, a period where teh Rams fell from 12-4 in his rookie season to the worst 5-year stretch in NFL history right after he left. He was the first in a long line of bad Rams draft picks, the first bad pick that signalled the end of the Greatest Show on Turf era.
13.) New England Patriots select Ty Warren (DE, Texas A&M) - Grade: B-
It's odd that the Patriots didn't trade out of this pick, and while Ty Warren was a good player for a long time with the Patriots, it was also a pick that never reached its full potential. Warren was the forgotten man in the Pats 3-man front with Seymour and Wilfork (deservedly) overshadowing him, but Wilfork was a steady contributor. It would be great production for a 2nd round pick even, but being on of just two Top-15 picks for the Pats since 2002, it's not a great one.
14.) Chicago Bears select Michael Haynes (DE, Penn St.) - Grade: D
The 2003 draft for the Bears changed their entire outlook and helped them to having great defenses for years and years and years. And they did this despite picking an absolute bust here. Michael Haynes did essentially nothing for the Bears, picking up just 5 sacks in his three-season career. Haynes's career highlight was a pick-6 in 2004, but I bet the Bears would have traded that pick for another 30 sacks or so.
15.) Philadelphia Eagles select Jerome McDougle (DE, Miami) - Grade: D
Jerome McDougle was essentially to the Eagles what Haynes was to the Bears. He actually had just three sacks, and no pick-6 for a lasting highlight. He had just 30 tackles for his career. He was basically a nothing, a terrible pick by a team that drafted really well in this time period overall. Jim Johnson was able to scheme his way to good defenses from 2003-2008, but it could've been easier if they picked the guy coming up.
16.) Pittsburgh Steelers select Troy Polamalu (S, USC) - Grade: A+
Anytime you pick a Top-10 player All Time of his position, a 1st-Team All-Decade player, you get an A+ even if it was 1st overall. Well, the Steelers picked him 16th. Polamalu is definitely a lesser player now than he was even two years ago, but he's still a good safety. Then again, the Steelers earned an A+ for what Polamalu was from 2003-2008. Everything after that was just gravy, really good, tasty gravy.
17.) Arizona Cardinals select Bryant Johnson (WR, Penn St.) - Grade: C-
Bryant Jonson played for the Cardinals for four seasons, averaging 41/535/2 for those teams. That's not very good, but let's remember he was fighting for passes with Anquan Boldin and then Larry Fitzgerald as well. That doesn't make this a good pick, but not a terrible one. They basically got 2nd-3rd round WR value at #17 overall.
18.) Arizona Cardinals select Calvin Pace (DE, Wake Forest) - Grade: C
First off, it's funny the Cardinals had back-to-back picks, and didn't really hit either. Calvin Pace is a good player, but he became a far better player, and produced most of his value, after leaving the Cardinals and going to the Jets before 2008. Pace had really one and a half good years with Arizona, driving up his value with a good season in the first real competitive Cardinals team in a decade in 2007. This doesn't count for his value, but Pace had a career-high 10 sacks in 2013.
19.) Baltimore Ravens select Kyle Boller (QB, California) - Grade: D
The Ravens gave up their 1st rounder in 2004 (which ended up lower in the draft than 19th) and their 2nd round pick for this one. If Boller was good, that would be a great deal. Sadly, Boller was not good. There were major red flags, like only one season of even good production at Cal, and a career completion percentage under 50% in college. Those accuracy issues were never fixed. If the Ravens were able to win their Week 13 game against hte Pats in 2007 I might make this a 'B' just for that, but alas they didn't, partly because Boller threw an awful pick near field goal range with the Ravens up 20-17.
20.) Denver Broncos select George Foster (OT, Georgia) - Grade: B
Despite never really being bad, Foster had a short career ending in 2008 and never played for any other team. Foster was not a pro-bowl caliber player, and was probably carried by the Nalen's and Clady's of the world, he was a servicable starter for his whole career with Foster. His best years came early, as by the end of 2005 this was looking like a great pick, but as the Shanahan regime crashed from 2006-2008, so did Foster's career.
21.) Cleveland Browns select Jeff Faine (C, Notre Dame) - Grade: C
Jeff Faine only started three seasons for the Browns before a draft-day trade for pretty much nothing in 2006 sent him to the Saints (where he started for the Cinderella 2006 team before crashing after that). In three seasons, Faine was good, I guess, but he never made the pro bowl and never really came close.
22.) Chicago Bears select Rex Grossman (QB, Florida) - Grade: C-
After you stop laughing at the name Rex Grossman, hear me out. He was not very good, he got injured all the time from 2003-2005, only started one full season for the Bears in 2006. Still, that one season he was the QB for a team that made the Super Bowl. He was not very good in that season, but he also was up and down. He had some terrible games, but also tied for the league lead in games with a passer rating above 100. He also was very good in their OT win over the Seahawks in the Divisional Round. OK, now you can go back to laughing. Still, he definitely gave the Bears more than Boller gave the Ravens.
23.) Buffalo Bills select Willis McGahee (RB, Florida) - Grade: B
Willis McGahee gave the Bills four seasons of good play, including two 1,200 yard seasons, paying back the Bills trust in drafting someone who didn't play a down in 2003 after rehabbing his terribly torn knee that he suffered in the 2002 BCS National Championship. The Bills then got two 3rd round picks in trading him to Baltimore. McGahee's a solid RB pick in the 1st round, providing good consistent value for the life of his contract.
24.) Indianapolis Colts select Dallas Clark (TE, Iowa) - Grade: B
It seems odd to give Clark a 'B', especially when he played for my favorite team, but Clark was nowhere near as consistently good as people believe. THe first time he played 16 games was in 2009. The first time he caught more than 30 passes was in 2007. He was signed to a 2nd contract mostly on speculation that he would be good. Now, he became very good, but his immediate return was far less than people remember.
25.) New York Giants select William Joseph (DT, Miami) - Grade: C
Joseph just ended up getting pushed out by better players, but that wouldn't have happened if he was just better. 6 sacks in four seasons is not good production for a 1st round pick, neither is just 17 starts. Joseph was on loaded D-Lines, facing single blocks whenever out there and couldn't do enough.
26.) San Francisco 49ers select Kwame Harris (OT, Stanford) - Grade: C+
Kwame Harris played in a lot of games for the 49ers, starting in most of them, including all 16 games in 2005 and 2006. Of course, that doesn't mean he was good. Kwame Harris was mostly awful in those starts for bad 49ers' offenses. The 49ers never replaced him because they were just plain awful at drafting offense from 2002-2007.
27.) Kansas City Chiefs select Larry Johnson (RB, Penn St.) - Grade: B+
The Chiefs ran Larry Johnson into the ground, but that doesn't sound as bad when considering he ran well into that ground. Back to Back 1,700 yard seasons in 2005 and 2006 were about all that was good with the Chiefs in those years outside of Tony Gonzalez and Jared Allen (the Chiefs were 19-13 in those two years). Johnson was never healthy or good after his 418 carry 2006 season, but he had already given good return for the 27th pick by then.
28.) Tennessee Titans select Andre Woolfolk (CB, Oklahoma) - Grade: D
Through good drafting, the Titans built a defense that became very good from 2005-2009. Andre Woolfolk was not one of those good draft picks. He was one of the worst. He gave decent production in 2005, but little else in his other three seasons in Tennessee. Woolfolk ended up getting replaced by far better players, and hte Titans were better for it.
29.) Green Bay Packers select Nick Barnett (LB - Oregon St.) - Grade: B+
Nick Barnett never made a pro bowl, which keeps this from getting an A, but it is hard to ask for better production from the 29th pick without getting lucky. Nick Barnett was a Packer for 8 years, only twice having any injury issues, first in 2008 in the Favre-to-Rodgers transition year (6-10), and then in the Super Bowl season. Around and in between, Barnett was just really solid for years and years and years. Barnett could do everything picking up 9 picks and 16 sacks in his Packers career.
30.) San Diego Chargers select Sammy Davis (CB - Texas A&M) - Grade: C-
The Chargers drafting led them to being 'the most talented team in teh NFL' from 2006-2009. Sammy Davis wasn't one of those people. He started all 16 games on a 4-12 team in 2003. He started just 16 games the rest of his career for teams that were a lot better than 4-12. Sammy Davis was a decent depth corner, I guess, but those guys are plentiful in later rounds. Considering who was selected at the same position with the next pick, it looks really bad.
31.) Oakland Raiders select Nnamdi Asomugha (CB - Califormia) - Grade: A+
From 2006-2009, Nnamdi Asomugha was the 1st or 2nd best corner in the NFL. This from a 31st pick who was thought of as another Al Davis overdraft. Nnamdi broke out in 2006 after three good but not great seasons with 8 picks. Teams just stopped throwing at him after that, the ultimate sign of respect. The Raiders had so many bad picks from 2002-2007 it is almost laughable, but this one was great.
32.) Oakland Raiders select Tyler Brayton (DE - Colorado) - Grade: C-
He played five seasons for the Raiders, never missing a game, but it was a waste of resources as this was one of the picks the Raiders got in the Gruden trade. Brayton is most known for kicking a Seahawk in the nuts in an unwatchable MNF game in 2006 (the game is also known for Christian Slater's odd cameo in the booth). Brayton was an active player, but was just nowhere near good enough to be a good pick.
Best Picks in Later Rounds
2nd.) Chicago Bears select Charles Tillman with the 35th pick.
2nd.) New York Giants select Osi Umenyiora with the 56th pick.
Honestly, the 2nd round in 2003 was really good. Anquan Boldin (54th) was also picked here, as were Rashean Mathis (39th) and a stable of solid players, but these two stand out. Tillman might make the Hall of Fame as the best Cover-2 corner of his era, and a guy who has a sick ability to force fumbles. Osi will probably not make the Hall of Fame, but he was the real key of that Giants D-Line, and always played huge in the playoffs, especially in the 2011 title run. Two great players picked in the 2nd round.
3rd.) Chicago Bears select Lance Briggs with the 68th pick.
3rd.) Dallas Cowboys select Jason Witten with the 69th pick.
I alluded to the Bears brilliant draft when contrasting that with the bust pick of Michael Haynes. This is why. 33 picks after choosing Charles Tillman, they got Lance Briggs, a guy with a stronger HOF case, and a guy still on the team 11 years later. He was the best linebacker in football for a brief period of time. As for Witten, a rare good mid-round pick by Jerry Jones. There's not much to say about a future Hall of Famer other than saying he's a future Hall of Famer.
4th.) New England Patriots select Asante Samuel with the 120th pick.
4th.) Pittsburgh Steelers select Ike Taylor with the 125th pick.
Honestly, there were some gems in the mid rounds in 2003. Both of these corners became lightning rods at different times, as Samuel and Taylor were both hyper-critiqued despite being consistently good to really good (and in Samuel's case, great). Great picks by two defensive minds and organizations at the height of their brilliance.
5th.) Indianapolis Colts select Robert Mathis with the 138th pick.
It is hard to believe that Robert Mathis, in his 11th season, led the NFL in sacks. He now has more sacks than Dwight Freeney. Sure, he was probably getting more single teams than Freeney did back in their tandem days, but his production since Freeney left speaks for itself. Just an awesome pick by Bill Polian.
6th.) Indianapolis Colts select Cato June with the 198th pick.
Hey, what do you know? Another great Bill Polian late round pick. Cato June was an extremely productive linebacker for the Colts from 2004-2006 (he didn't really play in 2003), becoming the best linebacker on the Champion 2006 Colts. He then left for money to Tampa and was never the same, but even one season of good production for the 198th pick is good return, let alone three.
7th.) New England Patriots select Tully Banta-Cain with the 239th pick.
Honestly, there's no clear winner here. Only two players are still active: Josh Brown and Kevin Walter. I guess you can make a case for either, but I tried to avoid kickers wherever necessary, and Kevin Walter was never anything more than a depth receiver moonlighting for way too long as the Texans #2 receiver. Banta-Cain was a valuable depth edge rusher for the Patriots for a long time.
Hard to fault the Bengals for picking Palmer, the consensus #1 QB coming into the draft, and he certainly began the Cincinnati rennaissance. Palmer took over in 2004, had a brilliant 2005 season right up until Kimo von Ollhoffen tore up his knee. Palmer was never really the same, but apart from an injury-filled 2008 season, teh Bengals were never bad with Palmer at QB. His Cincinnati marraige ended badly, but he definitely helped make Cincinnati relevant.
2.) Detroit Lions select Charles Rogers (WR, Michigan St.) - Grade: D
Obviously, it is one of the bigger busts in recent memory (non-QB division) and the benchmark for everything wrong about the Matt Millen era, but there were factors outside of Rogers' control. He was actually on pace for a 70/777/10 season in 2003 before he broke his clavicle in Week 5. He then broke his clavicle in Week 1 in 2004, and then got suspended for four games in 2005 and was never heard from again. It's only not an F because before the original injury, he was having a decent season for a rookie WR.
3.) Houston Texans select Andre Johnson (WR, Miami) - Grade: A+
Andre Johnson is one of the most voluminous WRs in NFL history. He has volume numbers and consistency few ever have had, including five seasons with over 90 yards-per-game, the most in NFL history. He's been more durable than people think (an injury marred 2011 season changed a lot of people's thinking of him), and hasn't really slowed down as his career went on. About as good a WR pick as you can make. And to think the Lions passed him for a one-year college wonder.
4.) New York Jets select Dwyane Robertson (DT, Kentucky) - Grade: C+
It's odd that Robertson has a five year career with the Jets to average results, left for Denver in Free Agency, and then never played again after one season in Denver. For the 4th pick in the draft, his production was not very good, but he stayed on the team, played all but three games and provided a constant presence on the interior of the Jets. The pick could have been a lot better, but in a weak middle of the Top-10, it's not as bad as it may seem.
5.) Dallas Cowboys select Terrence Newman (CB, Kansas St.) - Grade: B
Terrence Newman was never one of the five best corners in the NFL, but he's been often one of the 15 best, and been that for 11 seasons now (the first nine in Dallas). The Cowboys missed on a lot of draft picks, but this most certainly was not one of them. He never reached the potential the Cowboys would have wanted from the #5 pick, but he was a solid player who rarely missed games for 9 seasons. The Cowboys secondary has been worse off since letting him go.
6.) New Orleans Saints select Johnathan Sullivan (DT, Georgia) - Grade: F
The reason that I give so much leeway for the Robertson pick at #4 is because this happened at #6. Sullivan basically did nothing in his three seasons, picking up 1.5 sacks, and losing his spot in the starting lineup by 2005. Just a terrible pick for a team that came close to making the playoffs in 2003 and 2004 and could have used just a little more production to get there. Random note, the Patriots traded for him in 2006 for Bethel Johnson, a far more valuable player as a returner/depth deep-ball WR. So even back in the pre-2007 days, the Patriots didn't always turn around failed-players.
7.) Jacksonville Jaguars select Byron Leftwich (QB, Marshall) - Grade: C
Look, Byron Leftwich isn't a bad player, and he's still in the league 11 seasons later, including starting a game as recently as the 2012 season. Still, there were major flags on him coming out of college, namely that ridiculously long throwing motion. I don't know if the Jags thought they could undo it or not, but they did not. Leftwich was the 'starter' on a totally forgettable 12-4 team in 2005, but the Jags best season in his tenure came after he was unceremoniously cut before the season.
8.) Carolina Panthers select Jordan Gross (T, Utah) - Grade: A
Very good pick. It's no surprise that the Panthers have never really been bad at running the ball since Gross entered the league and was immediately put on the starting o-line. He started as a RT for a team that made the Super Bowl, and (surprisingly) retired as a pro-bowl LT for a team that went 12-4. To get 11 years of very high quality production from a tackle at #8 in the draft is a pretty great return.
9.) Minnesota Vikings select Kevin Williams (DT, Oklahoma St.) - Grade: A+
Any time you can draft a guy who has a strong HOF case (really, it is pretty strong) at #9 in the draft, you get an A Honestly, wherever you draft someone as good as Kevin Williams you get an A. Kevin Williams came in, joined hands with the larger Williams and created a big Wall that would almost immediately make the VIkings into the best run defense in the NFL, including a historic 2006 performance. Looking past the 60 sacks, the guy has only missed three games in the NFL career.
10.) Baltimore Ravens select Terrell Suggs (DE, Arizona St.) - Grade: A
Basically everything I wrote about Kevin Williams applies here to Terrell Suggs. Suggs is also a guy with a pretty strong HOF case, especially if he can pick up another 30 sacks or so over the next three to four years of his productive period. Suggs has also been excellent against the run, and the next in the string of the Lewis-Reed-progression. The Ravens have paired a ton of OLBs opposite Suggs and he's made them all better, from Adalius Thomas, to Jarrett Johnson to Paul Kruger. Suggs makes it all work.
11.) Seattle Seahawks select Marcus Trufant (CB, Washington St.) - Grade: B-
Marcus Trufant played 10 seasons, all for the Seahawks, and was a quality player with a low ceiling, but a low floor. He was never a Top-15 CB, never really reaching the level of Terrance Newman, but was never too far off. Trufant was surprisingly durable early in his career considering how un-durable everyone else on teh Seahawks was in their Holmgren hey-day, but he finally broke down just as the defense was building itself up.
12.) St. Louis Rams select Jimmy Kennedy (DT, Penn St.) - Grade: C
Jimmy Kennedy had a 9-year career, but only four of those came with St. Louis, a period where teh Rams fell from 12-4 in his rookie season to the worst 5-year stretch in NFL history right after he left. He was the first in a long line of bad Rams draft picks, the first bad pick that signalled the end of the Greatest Show on Turf era.
13.) New England Patriots select Ty Warren (DE, Texas A&M) - Grade: B-
It's odd that the Patriots didn't trade out of this pick, and while Ty Warren was a good player for a long time with the Patriots, it was also a pick that never reached its full potential. Warren was the forgotten man in the Pats 3-man front with Seymour and Wilfork (deservedly) overshadowing him, but Wilfork was a steady contributor. It would be great production for a 2nd round pick even, but being on of just two Top-15 picks for the Pats since 2002, it's not a great one.
14.) Chicago Bears select Michael Haynes (DE, Penn St.) - Grade: D
The 2003 draft for the Bears changed their entire outlook and helped them to having great defenses for years and years and years. And they did this despite picking an absolute bust here. Michael Haynes did essentially nothing for the Bears, picking up just 5 sacks in his three-season career. Haynes's career highlight was a pick-6 in 2004, but I bet the Bears would have traded that pick for another 30 sacks or so.
15.) Philadelphia Eagles select Jerome McDougle (DE, Miami) - Grade: D
Jerome McDougle was essentially to the Eagles what Haynes was to the Bears. He actually had just three sacks, and no pick-6 for a lasting highlight. He had just 30 tackles for his career. He was basically a nothing, a terrible pick by a team that drafted really well in this time period overall. Jim Johnson was able to scheme his way to good defenses from 2003-2008, but it could've been easier if they picked the guy coming up.
16.) Pittsburgh Steelers select Troy Polamalu (S, USC) - Grade: A+
Anytime you pick a Top-10 player All Time of his position, a 1st-Team All-Decade player, you get an A+ even if it was 1st overall. Well, the Steelers picked him 16th. Polamalu is definitely a lesser player now than he was even two years ago, but he's still a good safety. Then again, the Steelers earned an A+ for what Polamalu was from 2003-2008. Everything after that was just gravy, really good, tasty gravy.
17.) Arizona Cardinals select Bryant Johnson (WR, Penn St.) - Grade: C-
Bryant Jonson played for the Cardinals for four seasons, averaging 41/535/2 for those teams. That's not very good, but let's remember he was fighting for passes with Anquan Boldin and then Larry Fitzgerald as well. That doesn't make this a good pick, but not a terrible one. They basically got 2nd-3rd round WR value at #17 overall.
18.) Arizona Cardinals select Calvin Pace (DE, Wake Forest) - Grade: C
First off, it's funny the Cardinals had back-to-back picks, and didn't really hit either. Calvin Pace is a good player, but he became a far better player, and produced most of his value, after leaving the Cardinals and going to the Jets before 2008. Pace had really one and a half good years with Arizona, driving up his value with a good season in the first real competitive Cardinals team in a decade in 2007. This doesn't count for his value, but Pace had a career-high 10 sacks in 2013.
19.) Baltimore Ravens select Kyle Boller (QB, California) - Grade: D
The Ravens gave up their 1st rounder in 2004 (which ended up lower in the draft than 19th) and their 2nd round pick for this one. If Boller was good, that would be a great deal. Sadly, Boller was not good. There were major red flags, like only one season of even good production at Cal, and a career completion percentage under 50% in college. Those accuracy issues were never fixed. If the Ravens were able to win their Week 13 game against hte Pats in 2007 I might make this a 'B' just for that, but alas they didn't, partly because Boller threw an awful pick near field goal range with the Ravens up 20-17.
20.) Denver Broncos select George Foster (OT, Georgia) - Grade: B
Despite never really being bad, Foster had a short career ending in 2008 and never played for any other team. Foster was not a pro-bowl caliber player, and was probably carried by the Nalen's and Clady's of the world, he was a servicable starter for his whole career with Foster. His best years came early, as by the end of 2005 this was looking like a great pick, but as the Shanahan regime crashed from 2006-2008, so did Foster's career.
21.) Cleveland Browns select Jeff Faine (C, Notre Dame) - Grade: C
Jeff Faine only started three seasons for the Browns before a draft-day trade for pretty much nothing in 2006 sent him to the Saints (where he started for the Cinderella 2006 team before crashing after that). In three seasons, Faine was good, I guess, but he never made the pro bowl and never really came close.
22.) Chicago Bears select Rex Grossman (QB, Florida) - Grade: C-
After you stop laughing at the name Rex Grossman, hear me out. He was not very good, he got injured all the time from 2003-2005, only started one full season for the Bears in 2006. Still, that one season he was the QB for a team that made the Super Bowl. He was not very good in that season, but he also was up and down. He had some terrible games, but also tied for the league lead in games with a passer rating above 100. He also was very good in their OT win over the Seahawks in the Divisional Round. OK, now you can go back to laughing. Still, he definitely gave the Bears more than Boller gave the Ravens.
23.) Buffalo Bills select Willis McGahee (RB, Florida) - Grade: B
Willis McGahee gave the Bills four seasons of good play, including two 1,200 yard seasons, paying back the Bills trust in drafting someone who didn't play a down in 2003 after rehabbing his terribly torn knee that he suffered in the 2002 BCS National Championship. The Bills then got two 3rd round picks in trading him to Baltimore. McGahee's a solid RB pick in the 1st round, providing good consistent value for the life of his contract.
24.) Indianapolis Colts select Dallas Clark (TE, Iowa) - Grade: B
It seems odd to give Clark a 'B', especially when he played for my favorite team, but Clark was nowhere near as consistently good as people believe. THe first time he played 16 games was in 2009. The first time he caught more than 30 passes was in 2007. He was signed to a 2nd contract mostly on speculation that he would be good. Now, he became very good, but his immediate return was far less than people remember.
25.) New York Giants select William Joseph (DT, Miami) - Grade: C
Joseph just ended up getting pushed out by better players, but that wouldn't have happened if he was just better. 6 sacks in four seasons is not good production for a 1st round pick, neither is just 17 starts. Joseph was on loaded D-Lines, facing single blocks whenever out there and couldn't do enough.
26.) San Francisco 49ers select Kwame Harris (OT, Stanford) - Grade: C+
Kwame Harris played in a lot of games for the 49ers, starting in most of them, including all 16 games in 2005 and 2006. Of course, that doesn't mean he was good. Kwame Harris was mostly awful in those starts for bad 49ers' offenses. The 49ers never replaced him because they were just plain awful at drafting offense from 2002-2007.
27.) Kansas City Chiefs select Larry Johnson (RB, Penn St.) - Grade: B+
The Chiefs ran Larry Johnson into the ground, but that doesn't sound as bad when considering he ran well into that ground. Back to Back 1,700 yard seasons in 2005 and 2006 were about all that was good with the Chiefs in those years outside of Tony Gonzalez and Jared Allen (the Chiefs were 19-13 in those two years). Johnson was never healthy or good after his 418 carry 2006 season, but he had already given good return for the 27th pick by then.
28.) Tennessee Titans select Andre Woolfolk (CB, Oklahoma) - Grade: D
Through good drafting, the Titans built a defense that became very good from 2005-2009. Andre Woolfolk was not one of those good draft picks. He was one of the worst. He gave decent production in 2005, but little else in his other three seasons in Tennessee. Woolfolk ended up getting replaced by far better players, and hte Titans were better for it.
29.) Green Bay Packers select Nick Barnett (LB - Oregon St.) - Grade: B+
Nick Barnett never made a pro bowl, which keeps this from getting an A, but it is hard to ask for better production from the 29th pick without getting lucky. Nick Barnett was a Packer for 8 years, only twice having any injury issues, first in 2008 in the Favre-to-Rodgers transition year (6-10), and then in the Super Bowl season. Around and in between, Barnett was just really solid for years and years and years. Barnett could do everything picking up 9 picks and 16 sacks in his Packers career.
30.) San Diego Chargers select Sammy Davis (CB - Texas A&M) - Grade: C-
The Chargers drafting led them to being 'the most talented team in teh NFL' from 2006-2009. Sammy Davis wasn't one of those people. He started all 16 games on a 4-12 team in 2003. He started just 16 games the rest of his career for teams that were a lot better than 4-12. Sammy Davis was a decent depth corner, I guess, but those guys are plentiful in later rounds. Considering who was selected at the same position with the next pick, it looks really bad.
31.) Oakland Raiders select Nnamdi Asomugha (CB - Califormia) - Grade: A+
From 2006-2009, Nnamdi Asomugha was the 1st or 2nd best corner in the NFL. This from a 31st pick who was thought of as another Al Davis overdraft. Nnamdi broke out in 2006 after three good but not great seasons with 8 picks. Teams just stopped throwing at him after that, the ultimate sign of respect. The Raiders had so many bad picks from 2002-2007 it is almost laughable, but this one was great.
32.) Oakland Raiders select Tyler Brayton (DE - Colorado) - Grade: C-
He played five seasons for the Raiders, never missing a game, but it was a waste of resources as this was one of the picks the Raiders got in the Gruden trade. Brayton is most known for kicking a Seahawk in the nuts in an unwatchable MNF game in 2006 (the game is also known for Christian Slater's odd cameo in the booth). Brayton was an active player, but was just nowhere near good enough to be a good pick.
Best Picks in Later Rounds
2nd.) Chicago Bears select Charles Tillman with the 35th pick.
2nd.) New York Giants select Osi Umenyiora with the 56th pick.
Honestly, the 2nd round in 2003 was really good. Anquan Boldin (54th) was also picked here, as were Rashean Mathis (39th) and a stable of solid players, but these two stand out. Tillman might make the Hall of Fame as the best Cover-2 corner of his era, and a guy who has a sick ability to force fumbles. Osi will probably not make the Hall of Fame, but he was the real key of that Giants D-Line, and always played huge in the playoffs, especially in the 2011 title run. Two great players picked in the 2nd round.
3rd.) Chicago Bears select Lance Briggs with the 68th pick.
3rd.) Dallas Cowboys select Jason Witten with the 69th pick.
I alluded to the Bears brilliant draft when contrasting that with the bust pick of Michael Haynes. This is why. 33 picks after choosing Charles Tillman, they got Lance Briggs, a guy with a stronger HOF case, and a guy still on the team 11 years later. He was the best linebacker in football for a brief period of time. As for Witten, a rare good mid-round pick by Jerry Jones. There's not much to say about a future Hall of Famer other than saying he's a future Hall of Famer.
4th.) New England Patriots select Asante Samuel with the 120th pick.
4th.) Pittsburgh Steelers select Ike Taylor with the 125th pick.
Honestly, there were some gems in the mid rounds in 2003. Both of these corners became lightning rods at different times, as Samuel and Taylor were both hyper-critiqued despite being consistently good to really good (and in Samuel's case, great). Great picks by two defensive minds and organizations at the height of their brilliance.
5th.) Indianapolis Colts select Robert Mathis with the 138th pick.
It is hard to believe that Robert Mathis, in his 11th season, led the NFL in sacks. He now has more sacks than Dwight Freeney. Sure, he was probably getting more single teams than Freeney did back in their tandem days, but his production since Freeney left speaks for itself. Just an awesome pick by Bill Polian.
6th.) Indianapolis Colts select Cato June with the 198th pick.
Hey, what do you know? Another great Bill Polian late round pick. Cato June was an extremely productive linebacker for the Colts from 2004-2006 (he didn't really play in 2003), becoming the best linebacker on the Champion 2006 Colts. He then left for money to Tampa and was never the same, but even one season of good production for the 198th pick is good return, let alone three.
7th.) New England Patriots select Tully Banta-Cain with the 239th pick.
Honestly, there's no clear winner here. Only two players are still active: Josh Brown and Kevin Walter. I guess you can make a case for either, but I tried to avoid kickers wherever necessary, and Kevin Walter was never anything more than a depth receiver moonlighting for way too long as the Texans #2 receiver. Banta-Cain was a valuable depth edge rusher for the Patriots for a long time.
