The interesting thing about the 2001 draft was that as NFL rookies, the second-rounders
probably had as much success as the first-rounders.
At quarterback, Drew Brees was more impressive in his one start than Michael Vick was
when he played. At running back, you can go back and forth between Chargers first-round
pick LaDainian Tomlinson and Bears second-round pick Anthony Thomas. While the
Ravens’ top pick, Todd Heap, convinced the brass he was ready to start in 2002, the
tight end who showed star potential was the Falcons’ Alge Crumpler. Although 2001 was
supposed to be a great year for wide receivers — and six went in the first round
— the only rookie who really stood out was Dolphins second-round pick Chris Chambers.
The offensive line was one area where the top picks were far more impressive overall.
Seven of the first 13 first-round picks were defensive linemen, yet the most impressive
rookie was Lions second-round pick Shaun Rogers. At linebacker, the gems were Steelers
second-round pick Kendrell Bell and Rams second-round selection Tommy Polley. At
cornerback, Bills first-round pick Nate Clements would rate above the Redskins’ Fred
Smoot, but both were impressive. And at safety, Rams first-round pick Adam Archuleta gets
the nod over Colts second-round pick Idrees Bashir.
What follows is a brief rundown of the 2001 first-round picks after one year. Grades
are based on how they did in 2001, not on long-range potential.
Note: In the first two rounds, the seniors generally did much better than the
underclassmen who came out.
| 1 |
Atlanta Falcons |
Grade: C |
|
QB Michael Vick*** / Virginia Tech |
|
Athletically, Vick is a faster, stronger, more explosive
version of Steve Young with a John Elway-type arm, but he came into the NFL as a
third-year sophomore and clearly was not ready from a learning-curve standpoint. Right
now, he is a thrower, not a pitcher, and despite his great running speed and quick
release, he gets sacked a lot because he has a hard time reading the field and finding his
open receivers. He also is a fumbler because he holds the ball out and exposed instead of
tucked in. Vick must realize he is a professional now, and that means less video games and
more football tapes for his after-hours viewing. |
| 2 |
Arizona Cardinals |
Grade: B |
|
OG Leonard Davis* / Texas |
|
Showed rare size and power and made the crushing,
highlight-film blocks, but overall, play was inconsistent. Can be a great one and may move
to tackle in the future, but he must improve his down-in and down-out focus and
consistency. |
| 3 |
Cleveland Browns |
Grade: B |
|
DT Gerard Warren** / Florida |
|
Had some problems on and off the field but showed dominating
ability in December. |
| 4 |
Cincinnati Bengals |
Grade: B |
|
DE Justin Smith** / Missouri |
|
His holdout kept him from starting early in the year, but he
was the Bengals’ best pass rusher from the get-go and their best rookie defensive
lineman since Mike Reid. |
| 5 |
San Diego Chargers |
Grade: A |
|
RB LaDainian Tomlinson* / Texas Christian |
|
Had a superb rookie year and carried the offense at times,
despite running behind a very average line and being a marked man once Doug Flutie’s
play started to slip. |
| 6 |
New England Patriots |
Grade: B+ |
|
DT-NT Richard Seymour* / Georgia |
|
Slowed by injuries early but over the second half of the year
was very impressive and very disruptive, despite not getting that many sacks or tackles.
Often would create opportunities for teammates. |
| 7 |
San Francisco 49ers |
Grade: B- |
|
DE Andre Carter* / California |
|
Year-long starter who really started to come on late in the
year. |
| 8 |
Chicago Bears |
Grade: D |
|
WR David Terrell** / Michigan |
|
Does not know how to be a pro and must learn to realize his
great potential. Has the size and ability to become a star if he works on his routes and
improves his attention to detail and concentration. |
| 9 |
Seattle Seahawks |
Grade: D |
|
WR Koren Robinson*** / North Carolina State |
|
See Terrell, with the only difference being that he was even
more immature and unprofessional. But Robinson may have an even higher upside. |
| 10 |
Green Bay Packers |
Grade: D- |
|
DE Jamal Reynolds* / Florida State |
|
Showed flashes of speed-rush ability in late-season cameos.
Still has a long way to go and must get stronger and develop his skills. |
| 11 |
Carolina Panthers |
Grade: C+ |
|
LB Dan Morgan* / Miami (Fla.) |
|
Was set back by injuries but closed the year well. |
| 12 |
St. Louis Rams |
Grade: C- |
|
DT Damione Lewis* / Miami (Fla.) |
|
Foot problems slowed him and then got worse, putting him on
the shelf. Was very disruptive as a third tackle early in the year. |
| 13 |
Jacksonville Jaguars |
Grade: D |
|
DT Marcus Stroud* / Georgia |
|
Really struggled. Was not ready for prime time but showed
some good qualities late in year. Must learn to play with his pads down. |
| 14 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Grade: C- |
|
OT Kenyatta Walker* / Florida |
|
The Buccaneers asked him to go from the right side to the
left, the toughest position on the line, and as one might expect, he really struggled. But
he did have a great game vs. the Rams and Grant Wistrom. |
| 15 |
Washington Redskins |
Grade: C |
|
WR Rod Gardner* / Clemson |
|
Known for his hands, not his speed, in college but showed
better speed and less reliable hands than advertised. |
| 16 |
New York Jets |
Grade: Incomplete |
|
WR Santana Moss* / Miami (Fla.) |
|
Injured for almost the entire season and was not effective
when he returned. |
| 17 |
Seattle Seahawks |
Grade: A- |
|
OG Steve Hutchinson* / Michigan |
|
Hutchinson, not Davis, was the best rookie guard, but
Hutchinson was not the highlight-film, pancake blocker Davis was. |
| 18 |
Detroit Lions |
Grade: B |
|
OT Jeff Backus* / Michigan |
|
Generally held his own at left tackle, which is quite an
accomplishment for a rookie. |
| 19 |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
Grade: B+ |
|
NT Casey Hampton* / Texas |
|
Was not a pass rusher but clogged the middle and freed up the
linebackers. Was just what the Steelers expected him to be. |
| 20 |
St. Louis Rams |
Grade: B |
|
S Adam Archuleta* / Arizona State |
|
Made a very tough move from linebacker to safety and by
year’s end was a solid starter. |
| 21 |
Buffal Bills |
Grade: B+ |
|
CB Nate Clements** / Ohio State |
|
Kept getting better and better. May eventually be a shut-down
corner. |
| 22 |
New York Giants |
Grade: B- |
|
CB Will Allen* / Syracuse |
|
Started but had his ups and downs. Overall, did well for a
rookie. |
| 23 |
New Orleans Saints |
Grade: Incomplete |
|
RB Deuce McAllister* / Mississippi |
|
We will find out what he is all about this year with Ricky
Williams gone. |
| 24 |
Denver Broncos |
Grade: F |
|
CB Willie Middlebrooks** / Minnesota |
|
Had about as much impact as the Packers’ Reynolds before
injuries put him on the shelf. Was obviously not ready and a liability when he was on the
field. |
| 25 |
Philadelphia Eagles |
Grade: C |
|
WR Freddie Mitchell** / UCLA |
|
Struggled to learn the West Coast offense but by year’s
end was the team’s third receiver. |
| 26 |
Miami Dolphins |
Grade: D+ |
|
CB Jamar Fletcher** / Wisconsin |
|
Terry Cousin beat him out for the third CB slot. |
| 27 |
Minnesota Vikings |
Grade: C |
|
RB Michael Bennett** / Wisconsin |
|
Was not ready for most of the year but started to look like a
first-round pick in December when he finally realized he could not run up his
blockers’ backs and had to show some patience. |
| 28 |
Oakland Raiders |
Grade: D |
|
S Derrick Gibson* / Florida State |
|
The Raiders were desperate for two safeties, and Gibson was
their fourth-best as a rookie. |
| 29 |
St. Louis Rams |
Grade: C- |
|
DT Ryan Pickett** / Ohio State |
|
Came out a year too early and was not ready but by
year’s end was doing some good things. |
| 30 |
Indianapolis Colts |
Grade: D+ |
|
WR Reggie Wayne* / Miami (Fla.) |
|
Had early-season injuries and never recovered from a learning
standpoint. |
| 31 |
Baltimore Ravens |
Grade: C |
|
TE Todd Heap** / Arizona State |
|
Showed enough to convince the Ravens they could let Shannon
Sharpe go. |
These second-round picks would have received these grades if they were first-rounders,
meaning they would have pushed more than half the actual picks out of the first round if
you just went on rookie showings.
