Is Andy Reid a Good Drafter?

Saturday, January 24, 2009 ·

More times than not, Andy Reid has been labeled a poor drafter by our fan base. Usually the picks of Freddie Mitchell, Jerome McDougle, and Kevin Kolb seem the highlight the debate. So, with the draft only three months away and the offseason quickly approaching, I’ve decided briefly analyze the picks he has made in his ten-year tenure.

How did I grade? I graded on value, team need, and who else was available. Some of the overall grades may seem harsh, but a lot of it have to point out that Andy Reid has really been either hit or miss. However, 13 of the 22 starters have been drafted by Andy Reid.

With regard to the overall grading of the draft, I did as if you were looking at an education grading system. Example, A = 4.0, B = 3.0, etc

Overall, Andy Reid scored a C, but with a realistic grade of a B-B+. See why below as I have outlined every pick he has made and graded each accordingly.

1999


Round 1 (2) – Donovan McNabb – QB - McNabb has become the greatest quarterback ever for the Eagles franchise. He has led the Eagles to 5 NFC championship games and 1 Super Bowl. He has made 112 career starts for the Eagles throwing for nearly 30,000 yards and 194 touchdowns. Grade – A+

Round 2 (4) – Barry Gardner - LB - Played with the Eagles until the 2003 season. He started 18 games in his 4 seasons here, but never really amounted to the career of the player selected immediately after him in Mike Peterson. Grade – D

Round 3 (3) – Doug Brzezinski - OG – He started all 16 games his rookie year, but lost his job to John Welbourn another 1999 draft pick. Grade – C

Round 4 (2) – John Welbourn -OG – Welbourn started 56 games in 5 seasons with the Eagles. He was traded prior to the 2004 season in favor of Artis Hicks. Grade – B

Round 4 (33) – Damon Moore – S - Moore started 32 games for the Eagles at SS in 2000 and 2001. He was let go after the 2001 season in favor of Blaine Bishop – Grade C

Round 4 (35) – Na Brown – WR
– 34 career receptions and 2 career touchdowns. He started the run of bad receivers drafted by Andy Reid. Grade - D

Round 6 (3) – Cecil Martin – FB – For a 6th round pick, Martin made a good impact on the Eagles for a few years. He started 39 games at full back for the Eagles. In 2000, he caught 31 passes out of the backfield for the Eagles. He was let go for Jon Ritchie. Grade – B

Round 6 (32) – Troy Smith – WR – Troy Smith made one career catch for the Eagles. A few picks later, Donald Driver was selected and he has 577 career receptions for Green Bay. Grade – F

Round 7 (2) – Jed Weaver – TE – Didn’t last long with the Eagles, but had some success in Miami and San Francisco. Not a terrible pick though it didn’t work out. Grade – C

Round 7 (45) Pernell Davis – DT – Only made it through 2 games with the Eagles. Can’t really grade 7th round picks. Grade – D

Overall Grade – 10 picks, C. Realistic Grade – A – Drafted franchise QB.

2000


Round 1 (6) – Corey Simon – DT – When healthy and fit, Corey Simon was a great defensive tackle. He had 32 career sacks with the Eagles, including 9.5 his rookie season. He also made the pro bowl in 2003. Grade – A

Round 2 (5) – Todd Pinkston – WR – To be fair to Andy Reid, the WR class was absolutely poor in this draft. Pinkston is known for his alligator arms, but he had height and speed. Pinkston was never going to be a number one, but he was alright as complimentary receiver. In 2004, he averaged 18.8 yards per catch opposite of Terrell Owens. That Super Bowl was the last game he ever played with the Eagles. Grade – B-

Round 2 (30) – Bobbie Williams – OT – Bobbie Williams was drafted as an offensive tackle, but he’s played guard his entire career. The Eagles were already set at guard with Welbourn and Mayberry and tackle with Thomas and Runyan, so it was hard for Williams to break the starting lineup. He did wind up starting 61 games for the Bengals – Grade - B

Round 4 (5) - Gari Scott - WR – Like I said before, the WR class was bad. Real bad and Gari Scott going in the 4th round only makes it look worse. Grade – D

Round 6 (5) - Thomas Hamner - RB – The first running back selected by Andy Reid never made the team or played a down in the NFL. Grade – F

Round 6 (12) – John Frank – DE – Another player who never played for the Eagles AND he was taking before Adalius Thomas. Grade – F

Round 6 (26) – John Romero – C – Another player to be cut. Grade – F

Overall Grade – 7 picks, D+. Realistic Grade – C

2001

Round 1 (25) – Freddie Mitchell – WR – Sure, he made the 4th and 26th catch, but he never amounted to his potential. Not even close. He was more talk than anything. Draft pick looks even worse with guys like Reggie Wayne, Chad Johnson, and Chris Chambers still on the board. He gets a D- just because of the catch. Grade – D-

Round 2 (24) – Quinton Caver – LB – Talk about a bust. Caver never amounted to anything with the Eagles. He recorded 7 career tackles with the team. Shaun Rodgers was available and would have been great along side Corey Simon. Grade – F

Round 3 (1) – Derrick Burgess – DE – Burgess had 6 sacks his rookie season, but he often had trouble staying healthy. The Eagles let him go to Oakland when Burgess demanded a big contract, but with good health came three great seasons. It’s a shame he didn’t pan out here, but he was a good pick. Grade – B+

Round 4 (26) – Correll Buckhalter – RB
– Buckhalter would have been a higher pick if it hadn’t been for some off the field issues, but Buckhalter has been a nice player when healthy for the Eagles. He’s always had a great burst through the holes. He has 2155 yards rushing and 930 yards receiving in Eagles’ green. He did miss the 2002, 2005, and 2005 seasons, but he has shown he can be successful given the opportunities. Grade – B+

Round 5 (16) – Tony Stewart – TE – Stewart didn’t last long with the Eagles, but he wasn’t exactly a poor draft pick. He was never really starter material after a nice career with Penn State, but he still sees time in the NFL. Last, he was playing for the Raiders. Grade – C-

Round 5 (24) – AJ Feeley – QB – Drafting a decent back-up this late in the draft was a great move. AJ Feeley had some great games for the Eagles, including keeping the Eagles as division champions during the 2002 season when McNabb hurt his ankle. He is 4-3 in his career as a starter for the Eagles. Grade – B+

Overall Grade – C+, Realistic Grade – B because of Reid’s later round picks that season. His first two were horrendous.

2002
Round 1 (26) – Lito Sheppard – CB
– Sure, he’s had injury issues, but when healthy, Lito has been a very good corner back. He has 18 career interceptions, 2 pro bowl awards, and 1 first-team all-pro award. When healthy, he’s been a very good corner for the Eagles. Grade – A

Round 2 (26) – Michael Lewis – S – When he played for Eagles green, he was very good until his last season here. Sure, he didn’t become a life-time combo with Brian Dawkins, but he did very well in the 58 games he started for the Eagles. He had 9 career interceptions for the Eagles and even had 93 tackles in 2005. He made the Pro Bowl in 2004. Grade – B+

Round 2 (27) – Sheldon Brown – CB – Brown is probably the most underrated player on the Eagles defense. In the past, the talk was always about Dawkins and Sheppard, until this year when Asante Samuel came into the mix; however, Sheldon Brown has always been a hard-hitting model of consistency. Sure, he's been beat on a few long routes, but so are all corner backs. Since 2004, he has started every game for the Eagles. Grade – A+
Round 3 (26) – Brian Westbrook – RB – Do I really need to type anything? Grade – A+

Round 4 (26) – Scott Peters – C – Never played with the Eagles. Grade – D

Round 5 (27) – Freddie Millons – WR – Andy Reid’s 6th receiver in 4 drafts and he never made the roster. Grade – D

Round 6 (27) – Tyreo Harrison – LB
– Nothing more than a special teamer. Grade – C-

Round 7 (26) – Raheem Brock – DE – He didn’t make the Eagles, but he has made 81 career starts at defensive end and tackle for the Colts. Didn’t make our roster, but he turned out to be a nice player. Grade – B

Overall Grade – B. Realistic Grade – A+

2003

Round 1 (15) – Jerome McDougle- DE – Hurt, shot, terrible were all a number of reasons why he never made an impact on the Eagles…and we traded up for him. Troy Palamalu was drafted immediately after, but the Eagles seemed content with Lewis and Dawkins, so don’t fault them for that. Wow, Larry Johnson would have been a nice compliment to Brian Westbrook. Grade – F

Round 2 (29) – L.J. Smith – TE - From 2004-2006, Smith had some very good years with the Eagles, so you really cannot call it a bad draft pick. The blame here moves to the player. Grade – B

Round 3 (31) – Billy McMullen – WR – For the fifth straight draft, Andy Reid took a WR. For the fifth straight draft, that WR is no longer on the Eagles roster in 2008. McMullen averaged 14.8 yards per catch in 2005 before being traded for Hank Baskett. Grade – D

Round 4 (34) – Jamaal Green – DE – Another DE from Miami in the same draft. Just as awful. He was often injured and often terrible. Yeah, only Robert Mathis was still available. Grade – F

Round 6 (12) – Jeremy Bridges – OT – Didn’t play a down for us, but he has started 35 career games with Arizona and Carolina. Not bad for a late round pick even if he didn’t make our team. Grade – B

Round 7 (29) – Norman LeJeune – CB – Played 5 games for the Miami Dolphins. Kevin Walter would have been a nice risk. Grade – D

Overall Grade – D- Realistic Grade – D. LJ Smith is the only player who made an impact for the team.

2004


Round 1 (16) – Shawn Andrews – OG – Andews has made 2 pro bowls and 1 all-pro team. Probably would have made another Pro-Bowl team if it were not for depressing and a bad back this season. When healthy, he is labeled as one of the best guards in all of football. The whole world thought we were trading up for Steven Jackson, but we took Andrews instead. The move is a toss, but I can’t disagree with the pick. Grade – A+

Round 3 (26) – Matt Ware –CB - The Eagles were looking for a nickel corner, but that man was not ware. His most infamous play with the Eagles is returning a blocked field goal for a touch down against the Chargers in 2005. Grade – C-

Round 4 (33) – J.R. Reed – S - J.R. Reed looked like he was going to become a nice back-up safety and quality kick returner for the Eagles before suffering a freak leg laceration. He was never the same player since. Grade – B-

Round 4 (35) – Trey Darilek – OG – No real roster spot for him with the Eagles and he was let go in 2005. Grade - D

Round 5 (30) – Thomas Tapeh – FB – He was injured in 2004 and missed all of the 2005 season. He was expected to be the Eagles fullback and short-yardage back, but he was never good at either. He did crack the lineup though, so we’ll give him an average grade. Grade – C

Round 6 (20) – Andy Hall – QB – Andy Hall had a nice season and he was worth the risk for a third quarterback. He didn’t make the team. Grade – C

Round 6 (27) – Dexter Wynn – CB – Dexter Wynn was a nice punt-returner, but he never offered much else to warrant Andy Reid keeping him on the roster. Grade – D+

Round 7 (26) – Adrien Clarke – OG – Clarke started 4 games for the Eagles in 2008 and 14 games for the Jets in 2007. Not exactly great, but not bad for a 7th round pick. Grade – C

Round 7 (41) – Bruce Perry – RB – He made the practice-squad in 2004 and saw some time in 2005 when Westbrook and company were all injured. He was a local product and did enough for a 7th rounder. Grade – C

Round 7 (42) – Dominic Furio – C – Never made the team. Grade – D

Overall Grade – C, Realistic Grade – B for trading up for Andrews

2005


Round 1 (31) – Mike Patterson – DT – Patterson is one of the most under-sized and underrated defensive tackles in football. He was rated as one of the best defensive players in the rookie class. He’s become very good at stopping the run. Grade – A

Round 2 (3) – Reggie Brown – WR – We got this pick because we traded AJ Feeley. Brown showed potential off possibly being a #1 WR, but he drops too many passes. He does have the most receptions for any receiver passed the third round. Can’t fault Andy. Grade – B+

Round 2 (30) – Matt McCoy – LB – When the Eagles drafted McCoy, they felt the Eagles got a steal, but he turned out to not be very good at all. He couldn’t cover, tackle, or stay on the field. Grade – C-

Round 3 (13) – Ryan Moats – RB – I absolutely hate this pick because Ryan Moats offered nothing different than Buckhalter Westbrook. Yes, the same problem that plagued us in 2008 was the lack of a big back, so they went and drafted the little 5’8” kid. Marion Barber and Brandon Jacobs went back to back in round 4. Grade – F, one of the worst picks ever by Andy Reid up to this point? Not saying Moats was a bad player, but he was not even close to what they needed regardless of Westbrook’s contract issues and Buckhalter’s health issues.

Round 4 (1) – Sean Considine – S – Considine looked like he had potential, but he really never panned out. He was either injured, bad, or both, but he’s still on the team in probably his best role as a depth player and special-teamer. It’s a 4th round pick and he’s still on the roster. Grade – C+

Round 4 (25) - Todd Herremans – OT – Herremans now plays guard, but it goes to show how well Andy can draft the o-line position. I wonder why. Grade – B+

Round 5 (10) - Trent Cole – DE – Cole has 34.5 career sacks in four seasons with the Eagles. He averages nearly a sack per career start. Talk about a steal. Grade – A+

Round 5 (36) - Scott Young – OG – Not much room for Young, but he wasn’t awful for a 5th round pick. Grade – C

Round 6 (37) - Calvin Armstrong – OT – He never made the team. Grade – D

Round 7 (31) - Kenyonta Marshall – DT – He made the team and played in one game. Grade – C

Round 7 (36) - David Bergeron – LB – Never made the team. Grade D

Overall Grade – C+ Realistic Grade – B+. 3 players from this draft currently start for the Eagles. 5 of them have started at times.

2006

Round 1 (14) – Broderick Bunkley – DT – Contract issues caused him to not offer much in 2006, but he has become a player and a nice tandem with Mike Patterson in the middle of the d-line. Grade – B+

Round 2 (7) – Winston Justice – OT
– The Eagles traded up for this pick and at the time, it was regarded as a steal. Of course, we know things didn’t exactly turn out that way yet, but it wasn’t a terrible pick. Many people regarded him as first-round talent. – Grade - C+

Round 3 (7) – Chris Gocong –DE- Gocong led all of division 1-AA in sacks with 20.5. Because he was too under-sized to played DE in the pros, they moved him to linebacker and he has played well for what you can expect for such an adjustment. He has started 28 games for the Eagles – Grade B

Round 4 (2) – Max Jean-Gilles – OG – Jean-Gilles was regarded as another great offensive line steal for Andy Read. Jean-Gilles filled in for injured Shawn Andrews this year and did well for getting injured himself. He was a great pick in this slot. Grade – B+

Round 4 (12) – Jason Avant – WR – Avant took a little while to come along, but he is becoming a sure-handed slot receiver with a good ability to go over the middle. Avant was crucial at times for Donovan McNabb and made some big 3rd down receptions this season. He was never drafted to be a star and should be a bigger part of the offense next year in the slot. Grade – B

Round 5 (14) Jeremy Bloom – WR – The moguls medalist never panned out in an NFL uniform. Not sure if he was really worth the pick. Sounds more like an undrafted free-agent type. Grade – D

Round 5 (35) Omar Gaither – LB – Before losing his job this season, Gaither played very well and was a big reason why the Eagles made the playoffs in 2006 after being inserted into the starting lineup. He’s also a quality special teamer. Grade – B

Round 6 (35) – Lajuan Ramsey – DT – Ramsey was a victim to a position the Eagles had depth at. For a few years, he filled in and did decent in his opportunities. Grade – C

Overall Grade – B- Realistic Grade – B+ 2 current starters came from this draft and 3 good back-ups.

2007

Round 2 (4) - Kevin Kolb – QB – Ugh, what? They traded out of the first round to the Dallas Cowboys for this? They drafted Kevin Kolb who was slotted as a 4th round pick with their first pick in the entire draft? Really? I don’t fault them for drafting a quarterback because of McNabb’s health issues, but really, Kevin Kolb…in the second round? Grade – F

Round 2 (25) - Victor Abiamiri – DE – Not a real bad pick, but I didn’t see it as that much of a need. Abiamiri is not a bad player, but he has been plagued with some bad injuries. Grade – C+

Round 3 (23) - Stewart Bradley – LB – Talk about a steal. He slipped because he was injured his senior year, but he’s turning into a stud middle linebacker. He was a key part of the Eagles defense this year. Grade – A

Round 3 (27) - Tony Hunt – RB – Eh, I liked the pick, but that is because I am a biased Penn State fan. I really thought Hunt would offer something in the NFL, but he didn’t. Whether it was because he was always deactivated or playing out of position, it just wasn’t there. Oh look, Trent Edwards was drafted right after Hunt. Did we need to draft Kolb that high, ugh. Grade – D+

Round 5 (22) – C.J. Gaddis – S – Wow, I hated this pick when it happened. Gaddis wasn’t a great player in college, so I am not sure about what they saw to project him to the NFL. Yep, didn’t make the team. Grade – F

Round 5 (25) – Brent Celek – TE – Definitely not bad for a back-up TE and he’s done well when he gets his chances. For some reason, the Eagles still played him behind LJ Smith. Not sure why. He does need to improve his blocking. Grade – B

Round 6 (27) - Rashad Barksdale – CB – He was drafted as a project, but they didn’t keep him on the roster to watch him grow. Probably should have been an undrafted FA. Grade – D

Round 7 (26) – Nate Ilaoa – RB – Can’t fault them here. They thought Ilaoa might be able to offer some power running and they drafted him to challenge Hunt. He didn’t do well and it looks like Ahmed Bradshaw may have been the better choice. Grade – D

Overall Grade – D+. Realistic Grade – C+ only because of Stewart and Celek

2008
Round 2 (16) – Trevor Laws – DT – For the second-straight year, the Eagles traded out of the first round. This time, they used their second round picks a little more wisely. Trevor Laws is a motor DT and played well in his role as a back-up. Grade – B

Round 2 (18) – DeSean Jackson – WR – Finally, a quality WR. A play-maker. Speed. DeSean Jackson is one of the best early round picks for Andy Reid since selecting Shawn Andrews in 2004. Grade – A+

Round 3 (18) – Bryan Smith – DE – Many experts feel that Smith may develop into a good role player, but he spent most of the season on the inactive list. Grade – C+

Round 4 (10) – Mike McGlynn – OT – McGlynn was injured this season and they placed him on injured reserve. He wasn’t going to play, so they’re better off waiting for him next season to make a push for a roster spot. Grade – C

Round 4 (18) – Quintin Demps – S – Demps was able to make an impact this season as a dime corner back and a kick-off returner. Demps averaged 25 yards per kick return this year and he should only improve. He was a great value pick. Grade – B+

Round 4 (32) – Jake Ikegwuonu – CB – Some feel that Ikegquonu could have been an earlier pick if it weren’t for an injury that sidelined him the entire 2008 season. It was a great risk pick on a player who could help them a lot next season and in the future. Grade – C+

Round 6 (18) – Mike Gibson – OT – Mike Gibson suffered a shoulder injury and was placed on the IR before the season started. He’ll challenge for a roster spot next year. Grade – C-

Round 6 (34) – Joe Mays – LB – A lot of people feel that Mays may make a nice contribution at some point in his career. Grade – C+

Round 6 (37) – Andy Studebaker – LB – Like Mays, some feel Studebaker may do well whether it be on special teams or in a back-up role. Grade – C-

Round 7 (23) – King Dunlap – OT – Dunlap is a big man and he might be able to offer something in the future. He was signed to the practice squad and will challenge for a spot next year. Grade – C-

Overall grade – C+, Realistic Grade – B

Andy Reid has made 84 picks. I gave him an overall grade (averaging of picks) of a C, but a realistic grade of a B-B+.

4 QB - Avg Overall - C+ : A+ McNabb, B+ Feeley
7 RB - Avg Overall - D+ : A+ Westbrook, B+ Buckhalter
11 WR - Avg Overall - C- : A+ Jackson, B+ Brown
4 TE – Avg Overall – C+ : B Smith, B Celek
8 OT – Avg Overall – C+: B+ Herremans, B Bridges
3 C – Avg Overall – D-
7 G – Avg Overall – C+ : A+ Andrews, B+ Jean-Gilles
2 FB – Avg Overall – C+ : B Martin
9 DE – Avg Overall – C: A+ Trent Cole, B+ Burgess
7 DT – Avg Overall – B-: A Simon, A Patterson
9 LB – Avg Overall – C: A Bradley, B Gaither
7 CB – Avg Overall – C+: A+ Brown, A Sheppard
6 S – Avg Overall – C+: B+ Lewis, B+ Demps

And lastly, round by round:
Round 1 – 8 picks, 3.125, B-B+, weighed down by McDougle and Mitchell
Round 2 – 14 picks, 2.535, C+
Round 3 – 10 picks, 2.3, C-C+
Round 4 – 15 picks, 2.183, C-C+
Round 5- 10 picks, 2.175, C-C+
Round 6 – 15 picks, 1.281, D-D+
Round 7 – 11 picks, 1.613, D+-C-

So, in conclusion, it really isn't so bad afterall.

2 Comments:

Anonymous said...
January 24, 2009 at 3:46 PM  

King Dunlap was never signed to the practice squad!!! He was placed on the Injured Reserved List on August 30, 2008. The practice squad wasn't named until Sept. 1, 2008.

Justin Evans said...
January 24, 2009 at 4:18 PM  

you are absolutely correct. I confused him with Dunbar for some reason.

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