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What the experts said about the Cardinals' draft
Many people say you can’t really grade a draft until three or four years down the road after the guys have had a chance to play. But based on the picks themselves and the potential for the club, some experts recapped what the Cardinals gained this past weekend at the 2007 NFL Draft. And the marks are very favorable.
Here’s what some of the leading experts had to say about Arizona’s draft.
USA Today - Tom Weir
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Four Stars out of Four -- (one of four teams with four stars)
“Levi Brown plugs a gaping hole for a team that ranked 30th in rushing. DT Alan Branch, widely projected as a first-rounder, might have been a steal with the 33rd pick. LB Buster Davis should also bolster the Cardinals’ middle-of-the-road run defense.”
“Levi Brown plugs a gaping hole for a team that ranked 30th in rushing. DT Alan Branch, widely projected as a first-rounder, might have been a steal with the 33rd pick. LB Buster Davis should also bolster the Cardinals’ middle-of-the-road run defense.”
FOX Sports.com -- Peter Schrager
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Five Best Drafts: Arizona (3rd Overall)
“Levi Brown was the man they wanted, and they got him at No. 5. He'll be protecting Matt Leinart for the next decade in the desert … (Alan) Branch, a projected top-10 pick following the college season, will be playing with a major chip on his shoulder come September. Buster Davis, their third-round pick, was an absolute beast at Florida State … Steve Breaston and Ben Patrick? They both can flat-out play. Breaston may end up being the best kick return man in this draft, while Patrick had more than 60 receptions from the tight end position last season. He and Leonard Pope will be a nice 1-2 at the tight end spot over the next few seasons.”
“Levi Brown was the man they wanted, and they got him at No. 5. He'll be protecting Matt Leinart for the next decade in the desert … (Alan) Branch, a projected top-10 pick following the college season, will be playing with a major chip on his shoulder come September. Buster Davis, their third-round pick, was an absolute beast at Florida State … Steve Breaston and Ben Patrick? They both can flat-out play. Breaston may end up being the best kick return man in this draft, while Patrick had more than 60 receptions from the tight end position last season. He and Leonard Pope will be a nice 1-2 at the tight end spot over the next few seasons.”
FOX Sports.com -- John Czarnecki
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Grade: B+
“Offensive line coach Russ Grimm loves that (Levi) Brown has a mean streak and is known to play nasty on the field. The Cards made a trade to get Michigan's Alan Branch at the top of second round and he should start at nose tackle in the 4-3 scheme … many mock drafts had him among the top 15 selections. James "Buster" Davis is only 5-foot-9, but a stout 239-pounds. He's built to be a middle linebacker. Fifth-rounder Steve Breaston was a very productive kick returner at Michigan, scoring five touchdowns on returns in his career … We all know how much Devin Hester meant to the Bears as a return man last season.”
“Offensive line coach Russ Grimm loves that (Levi) Brown has a mean streak and is known to play nasty on the field. The Cards made a trade to get Michigan's Alan Branch at the top of second round and he should start at nose tackle in the 4-3 scheme … many mock drafts had him among the top 15 selections. James "Buster" Davis is only 5-foot-9, but a stout 239-pounds. He's built to be a middle linebacker. Fifth-rounder Steve Breaston was a very productive kick returner at Michigan, scoring five touchdowns on returns in his career … We all know how much Devin Hester meant to the Bears as a return man last season.”
FOX Sports.com -- Mike Tanier
Best and worst of the NFL Draft: round-by-round analysis
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Best and worst of the NFL Draft: round-by-round analysis
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Second Round
Ready To Play:
Alan Branch: “Alan Branch will make an instant impact as an Arizona Cardinal … he was dominant at Michigan and should be in the Cardinals' starting lineup Week 1.”
Ready To Play:
Alan Branch: “Alan Branch will make an instant impact as an Arizona Cardinal … he was dominant at Michigan and should be in the Cardinals' starting lineup Week 1.”
Third Round
Best Picks
Buster Davis: “He's a London Fletcher type with a chip on his shoulder and a great feel for the game.”
Best Picks
Buster Davis: “He's a London Fletcher type with a chip on his shoulder and a great feel for the game.”
Seventh Round
Best Picks:
Ben Patrick: “He's a good run blocker with NFL speed. The Cardinals have a receiving prospect at tight end in Leonard Pope … but Patrick should emerge as an all-purpose starter in Ken Whisenhunt's scheme.”
Best Picks:
Ben Patrick: “He's a good run blocker with NFL speed. The Cardinals have a receiving prospect at tight end in Leonard Pope … but Patrick should emerge as an all-purpose starter in Ken Whisenhunt's scheme.”
ESPN.com -- John Clayton
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The Winners:
Cardinals assistant head coach Russ Grimm: “Grimm is one of the best offensive line teachers in the NFL and he usually doesn't go into the personnel office asking for high draft picks. But Grimm believed Levi Brown of Penn State was a better fit for his offensive line than Joe Thomas. With the fifth pick, Grimm got his tackle … The Cardinals also came out ahead in getting defensive tackle Alan Branch in the second round.”
Cardinals assistant head coach Russ Grimm: “Grimm is one of the best offensive line teachers in the NFL and he usually doesn't go into the personnel office asking for high draft picks. But Grimm believed Levi Brown of Penn State was a better fit for his offensive line than Joe Thomas. With the fifth pick, Grimm got his tackle … The Cardinals also came out ahead in getting defensive tackle Alan Branch in the second round.”
ESPN.com -- Scouts Inc.
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“Some front offices saw (Levi) Brown as an equal if not better talent than Joe Thomas heading into this weekend … He is bigger and more physical than Thomas. His ability to open up holes and wear down opponents over the course of a game should please both RB Edgerrin James and new head coach Ken Whisenhunt, who is expected to run early and often.”
“The saying it all starts up front is a football cliché that rings true more times than not, and Arizona is having an excellent draft if you take that into account. In the first round, the Cardinals got OT Levi Brown and traded up to get DT Alan Branch … an outstanding value here. He has the size, power and quickness to control the middle of the line of scrimmage and keep blockers off the linebackers.”
ESPN.com -- Mel Kiper
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GRADE: B- (No A’s given)
“Once Joe Thomas was gone, the Cardinals had to make a decision whether to take Adrian Peterson or Levi Brown. Peterson would have been a luxury pick, which they couldn't afford to do, and Brown fills a hole … There were quite a few teams that didn't think there was a lot that separated Brown from Thomas. Brown has a nasty streak and can play either tackle position. For the second straight year, Arizona took an underachieving defensive tackle from Michigan. Alan Branch … will either be a boom or a bust. Linebacker Buster Davis was a decent third-round pick, and Steve Breaston was a really nice choice in the fifth round because of his return skills and should pay dividends in the return game. Tight end Ben Patrick is a potential steal in the seventh round … Patrick could have gone in the third round and no one would have argued.”
“Once Joe Thomas was gone, the Cardinals had to make a decision whether to take Adrian Peterson or Levi Brown. Peterson would have been a luxury pick, which they couldn't afford to do, and Brown fills a hole … There were quite a few teams that didn't think there was a lot that separated Brown from Thomas. Brown has a nasty streak and can play either tackle position. For the second straight year, Arizona took an underachieving defensive tackle from Michigan. Alan Branch … will either be a boom or a bust. Linebacker Buster Davis was a decent third-round pick, and Steve Breaston was a really nice choice in the fifth round because of his return skills and should pay dividends in the return game. Tight end Ben Patrick is a potential steal in the seventh round … Patrick could have gone in the third round and no one would have argued.”
SI.com -- Dr. Z (Paul Zimmerman)
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GRADE: B+
“It all hinges on second-round choice Alan Branch, a DT with rare talent that sometimes comes out of the kitchen medium rare. If he can play up to ... you know how the rest goes. No such rejoinder about No. 1 pick, OT Levi Brown, who might finally be the tough, mauling type of O-lineman the Cards have searched for all these years. Undersized, explosive Buster Davis will be a fine NFL middle backer, and fifth-rounder, WR Steve Breaston, could be a steal as a returner. And way down in the mines, where the sun never shines, we find TE Ben Patrick standing next to the marker that says Round No. 7. Hey, what's he doing down here? He was rated top three at the position.”
“It all hinges on second-round choice Alan Branch, a DT with rare talent that sometimes comes out of the kitchen medium rare. If he can play up to ... you know how the rest goes. No such rejoinder about No. 1 pick, OT Levi Brown, who might finally be the tough, mauling type of O-lineman the Cards have searched for all these years. Undersized, explosive Buster Davis will be a fine NFL middle backer, and fifth-rounder, WR Steve Breaston, could be a steal as a returner. And way down in the mines, where the sun never shines, we find TE Ben Patrick standing next to the marker that says Round No. 7. Hey, what's he doing down here? He was rated top three at the position.”
Sportingnews.com -- War Room Scouts
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GRADE: B+
“OT Levi Brown and DT Alan Branch should start as rookies. ILB Buster Davis and TE Ben Patrick should start eventually. The Cardinals made good use of their five picks.”
“OT Levi Brown and DT Alan Branch should start as rookies. ILB Buster Davis and TE Ben Patrick should start eventually. The Cardinals made good use of their five picks.”
Houston Chronicle -- John McClain
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Grade: B
“They may have gotten three starters right off the bat. Levi Brown will protect left-handed QB Matt Leinart's blind side. Alan Branch was the first player taken in the second round. If he pans out, he'll be a big-time addition. Short MLB Buster Davis has a big heart and could start as a rookie.”
“They may have gotten three starters right off the bat. Levi Brown will protect left-handed QB Matt Leinart's blind side. Alan Branch was the first player taken in the second round. If he pans out, he'll be a big-time addition. Short MLB Buster Davis has a big heart and could start as a rookie.”
Dallas Morning News -- Rick Gosselin
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Draft gems:
Fifth Round -- Steve Breaston, WR, Arizona: Breaston leaves Michigan as the school’s fifth all-time leading receiver with 156 catches. But his value to the Cardinals will be as a kick returner. He scored five career touchdowns on kicks and is the Big Ten record holder in punt return yardage.
Fifth Round -- Steve Breaston, WR, Arizona: Breaston leaves Michigan as the school’s fifth all-time leading receiver with 156 catches. But his value to the Cardinals will be as a kick returner. He scored five career touchdowns on kicks and is the Big Ten record holder in punt return yardage.
