In this day social media is all the rage and many people are using one of the more powerful platforms, Twitter, to either promote their business, brand, personality or to just simply interact with the Twitter community out there. I use Twitter to interact with those who follow me and to also have a way of connecting with former and current NFL players. I’m going to feature 20 NFL Players You Should Follow on Twitter. If you don’t have an account you should go to Twitter and get one today.

Make sure you follow me on Twitter by clicking here:

Now here is my list of 20 NFL Players You Should Follow on Twitter.

1. Reggie Bush

Very excited about bringing my kids camp back to my alma mater Helix High School today & tomorrow! See you soon guys!

— Reggie Bush (@ReggieBush) June 15, 2013

Position: Running Back 

Team: Detroit Lions 

Why Follow: The most popular current players on Twitter with over 2.5 million followers. Bush often makes funny post as well as his community activities.

2. Tim Tebow

Happy Father’s Day! Dad, thank you for being a great, Godly example & role model for our family. Love you so much Dad!

— Tim Tebow (@TimTebow) June 16, 2013

 Position: Quarter Back

Team: New England Patriots

Why Follow: How can you not be sucked into the media circus that follows this guy?

3. Mike Vick

What’s going on world

— Mike Vick (@MikeVick) June 15, 2013

Position: Quarter Back

Team: Philadelphia Eagles

Why Follow: Vick is one of those players that retweets and responds to his followers and those who send him tweets.

4. Vernon Davis 

We are anxious to change our circumstances but unwilling to change ourselves. Lets get better. http://t.co/pNHGZ1i0RF

— Vernon Davis (@VernonDavis85) June 16, 2013

Position: Tight End

Team: San Francisco 49ers

Why Follow: Davis often make inspirational tweets while usually doing a #FF (follow friday) from his followers.

5. Drew Brees

On my Father’s Day hike with Brit. Hope everybody has a great day! pic.twitter.com/b0jIAYlM2o

— Drew Brees (@drewbrees) June 16, 2013

Position: Quarter Back

Team: New Orleans Saints

Why Follow: Brees is very active and shares many of his activities within the New Orleans community and much of his family activity.

6. Larry Fitzgearld

So excited for my #missusa day tomorrow on @nbc!!

— Larry Fitzgerald (@LarryFitzgerald) June 16, 2013

 Position: Wide Receiver

Team: Arizona Cardinals

Why Follow: Fitzgerald is one of the more socially active players on Twitter, plus he has a great sense of style and fashion.

7. Aaron Rodgers

This playoff hockey is a great watch. #amazingbeards #

— Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) June 13, 2013

Position: Quarter Back

Team: Green Bay Packers

Why Follow: Rodgers often make funny tweets referring to things going on in the world of sports.

8. Robert Griffin III

“Should” is the key though…We don’t always get what we deserve or what we have earned

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) June 15, 2013

Position: Quarter Back

Team: Washington Redskins

Why Follow: RGIII is without a doubt one of the hottest young players in the NFL. He makes tweets that will make you think.

9. Antonio Brown

What comes easy won’t last. What lasts won’t come easy. #cueupu

— Antonio Brown (@AntonioBrown84) June 16, 2013

Position: Wide Receiver 

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

Why Follow: Brown is very active on Twitter with something to say about everything. He will tweet back often.

10. Adrian Peterson

Hahahahaha pic.twitter.com/FrtVrW7IT6

— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) June 5, 2013

 Position: Running Back

Team: Minnesota Vikings

Why Follow: Simply put he’s one of the best backs in football. Check out where I have him ranked in my Top 10 Running Backs of 2013.

11. Troy Polamalu

If you’re going to be in Southern California next weekend, here is how we can go see White House Down together. http://t.co/5q27sDgkyE

— Troy Polamalu (@tpolamalu) June 15, 2013

Position: Safety

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

Why Follow: Troy is active and shares a lot of pictures plus he has contest that only his followers can win.

12. Darnell Dockett

I think we should have a “PURGE” day!!! 12hrs!! No authority!! What y’all think?

— DARNELL DOCKETT (@ddockett) June 14, 2013

Position: Defensive Tackle

Team: Arizona Cardinals

Why Follow: Without a doubt my #1 NFL player to follow on Twitter. He says stuff that lets you know he’s being honest and real. Dockett also gets his followers into what he is saying. He shows he values his followers more than any other player on Twitter.

13. Rob Gronkowski

Want to join the Gronktourage on Twitter? Ask me your questions by tagging @Gillette and I could answer Saturday at my @ProCamps.

— Rob Gronkowski (@RobGronkowski) May 31, 2013

Position: Tight End

Team: New England Patriots

Why Follow: Gronk, with his rockstar ways and personality is a must follow. Though he isn’t as active as many of the others on the list, you never know what is coming from him.

14. Maurice Jones-Drew

Competition breeds greatness!!!

— Maurice Jones-Drew (@Jones_Drew32) May 25, 2013

 Position: Running Back

Team: Jacksonville Jaguars

Why Follow: Jones-Drew makes tweets that will make you laugh, think and question a few things. Plus, he interacts with you when you tweet him. He is my #2 must follow NFL player.

15. Ndamukong Suh

He did his best to get past me! RT @Alex_Washington: #CampSuh Coach @NdamukongSuh pic.twitter.com/WHgyUDG51a

— Ndamukong Suh (@NdamukongSuh) June 9, 2013

Position: Defensive Tackle

Team: Detroit Lions

Why Follow: Suh, despite how the media makes him seem is one of the good guys on Twitter. He shares many pictures and video.

16. Dez Bryant

Come meet me at the Shops at Willow Bend at 6pm see u there!

— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) June 15, 2013

Position: Wide Receiver

Team: Dallas Cowboys

Why Follow: Bryant is active and shares a lot of his day to day activities in his tweets. If his season goes well I can see his tweets going way up.

17. Greg Jennings

Happy Father’s Day to the Dads out there. Especially my guy Greg Jennings Sr. Love you pops!

— Greg Jennings (@GregJennings) June 16, 2013

Position: Wide Receiver

Team: Minnesota Vikings

Why Follow: Jennings is one of the more down to earth and respectable players on social media. He’s a pleasure to follow!

18. Mike Wallace

I really beat this man @IgotgameWALLACE 26 out of the last 30 times we played 2k

— Mike Wallace (@Wallace17_daKid) June 6, 2013

 Position: Wide Receiver

Team: Miami Dolphins

Why Follow: Wallace is one of the few players who has shared he played online video games with his followers. How cool is that.

19. Russell Wilson

Hilarious Cartoon from Richmond paper back home! http://t.co/cBt8PDPnDJ

— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) June 17, 2013

Position: Quarter Back

Team: Seattle Seahawks

Why Follow: Wilson is another one of the young guns you must follow, He is active and make a lot of funny posts.

20. Muhammad Wilkerson

Time to eat I’m thinking muscle maker grill will do the job

— Muhammad Wilkerson (@mowilkerson) June 14, 2013

Position: Defensive Tackle

Team: New York Jets

Why Follow: He is one of my favorite NFL players to follow on Twitter. Wilkerson is one of those players who you have to respect just from the way he carries himself on Twitter. Plus, I’m trying to get an interview with him.

Top 10 Running Backs of 2013 is a list of the current backs who make a difference in each game to their teams and the defenses they face. The NFL has changed from a predominantly running league to a passing league and in different football circles you will hear that a teams running back is not that important anymore. Well, these running backs and their teams would beg to differ.

This list is based upon the players overall production, his percentage of his teams offense,  his role in the passing game as a receiver and his impact on his teams offense and overall success when he plays or doesn’t play.

10. Matt Forte - 248 carries, 1,094 yards rushing, 5 rushing TD’s, 44 receptions, 340 yards and 1 TD. You can make the argument that Forte deserves to be higher, and I’ll be glad to hear it.

9. Ray Rice - 257 carries, 1,143 rushing yards, 9 rushing TD’s, 61 receptions, 478 yards and 1 TD. I would have him higher on this list if I didn’t believe Bernard Pierce was about to take a good bite out of his workload.

8. Frank Gore - 258 carries, 1,214 yards, 8 rushing TD’s, 28 receptions, 234 yards and 1 TD. How can you not love Gore? He just goes about doing his job and getting it done well, a jack of all trades.

7. Alfred Morris - 335 carries, 1,613 rushing yards, 13 rushing TD’s, 11 receptions for 77 yards. Morris was a sixth-round pick who ran for 1,600 yards as a rookie and aided RGIII in stabilizing the Redskins backfield.

6. Jamaal Charles - 285 carries, 1,509 rushing yards, 5 rushing TD’s, 35 receptions, 236 receiving yards, 1 TD. Despite the Chiefs being really bad Charles’ return from knee surgery was outstanding and I see him as one of the more exciting backs in today’s game today.

5. Doug Martin - 319 carries, 1,454 rushing yards, 11 TD’s, 49 receptions, 472 receiving yards, 1 TD. Martin is coming off one of the best rookie seasons ever and looking to build on it. I’ve been Tweeting with Martin trying to see if he likes one of the nicknames I came up with for him because he hates the current one people use.

4. LeSean McCoy - 200 carries, 840 rushing yards, 2 rushing TD’s, 54 receptions, 373 receiving yards, 3 TD’s. McCoy might be the league’s most frightening back from a gameplan standpoint because he does so many things well. Despite missing several games last year and being in a heavily pass happy Andy Reid (former coach) offense, you can not deny his impact on the team and their offensive production.

3. Arian Foster - 351 carries, 1,424 receiving yards, 15 TD’s, 20 receptions, 217 receiving yards, 2 TD’s. Foster has gone from an undrafted free agent to powering the Houston Texans for the past three seasons and I look for this trend to continue.

2. Marshawn Lynch - 315 carries, 1,590 rushing yards, 11 TD’s, 23 receptions, 196 receiving yards, 1 TD. Beast Mode! Lynch is only now getting the recognition he deserves because he was a very productive player in Buffalo as well.

1. Adrian Peterson - 348 carries, 2,097 rushing yards, 12 TD’s, 40 receptions, 217 receiving yards, 1 TD. Do I even need to say anything after the season he had coming off of the knee injury and surgery? Peterson is coming off what some would call the greatest season by a running back in NFL history. If he stays healthy, every rushing record can be in trouble of having his name on them.

You can build a franchise around any of these guys. Hell, they could all be Hall of Fame selections before their time is done. Did I leave anyone off of this list?

Lets hear what you think of the list and give me your Top 10 Running Backs of 2013.

This is the last installment of my NFL Draft Grades for the entire league. I hope you have enjoyed the information and grades I have provided, if not I want to hear what you have to say. In this edition I’m grading the drafts of the Saints, who had a disappointing season last year coming off the whole Bounty-Gate case, they are looking to bounce back. The Falcons, who many feel like they let an opportunity to go to the franchises second Super Bowl just slip away. The Panthers, who seem to be in an ever rebuilding mold and the Buccaneers who act like Jekyll and Hyde.

New Orleans Saints:

The Saints got their key components for Rob Ryan’s new 3-4 defense in an all around safety with good blitzing skills in Texas Kenny Vaccaro and an ideal nose tackle in Georgia’s John Jenkins. But this is the Saints, so I have to look at what they did for the offensive side of the ball as well. They should feel good about getting their hands on a very athletic Terron Armstead from Arkansas Pine Bluff, who should turn into a solid tackle for the team and Drew Brees. Given the Saints ability to draft small school linemen with success like Jahri Evans and Jermon Bushrod, I can see the same happening here. Oklahoma wide receiver Kenny Stills has the skills to thrive with Brees. The Saints have a project on their hands in Tarleton State’s linebacker Rufus Johnson who will be a practice squad guy but may pay dividends in Ryan’s defense next season.   Grade B

Atlanta Falcons:

The Falcons went into this draft looking for more pass defense and wasted no time replacing Brent Grimes and Dunta Robinson at cornerback with Washington’s Desmond Trufant and Southeastern Louisiana’s Robert Alford with their first two picks. They also added Clemson’s Malliciah Goodman and TCU’s Stansly Maponga. These players are younger than those they replace but they will also need to produce better than those before them. Tony Gonzalez comes back for another season and they drafted who they hope to be his replacement in Stanford’s Levine Toilolo, who will benefit from learning for at least one year from arguably one of the best. The Falcons took two safeties in Central Florida’s Kemal Ishmael and Notre Dame’s Zeke Motta, one of these guys could very well be starting before season’s end. Their last pick was Sean Renfree, a QB from Duke, I have no clue why this pick was made.   Grade B

Carolina Panthers:

The Panthers wasted no time in taking care of their greatest need, defensive line, in drafting Utah’s Star Lotulelei and Purdue’s Kawann Short as a pair of impact players inside to help free up last years first round pick Luke Kuechly. With only three other picks they didn’t get that much-needed other wide receiver to help take the pressure off of Steve Smith. They finished up with a project player in Edmund Kugbila from Valdosta State, A.J. Kline a linebacker from Iowa, and electric running back Kenjon Barner out of Oregon, who will be in a crowded backfield.    Grade C

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

The Buccaneers didn’t have many pressing needs left and took Mississippi State’s Johnathan Banks in the second round to give them depth and a future starter a corner back. Besides their second round pick and acquiring Revis in a trade their draft was a bit boring, even to me a fan of the team, with the picks of North Carolina’s quarterback Mike Glennon and Miami (FL) running back Mike James to be backups. The Buccaneers also threw in a mix of defensive linemen in Akeem Spence from Illinois, Steven Means, from Buffalo, and the one who may turn out to be a stud if he ever lives up to the potential, William Gholston out of Michigan State.   Grade C

Let me hear what you have to say about these grades and if you would grade them differently.

Check out my other draft grades:

• NFC North Draft Grades
• NFC West Draft Grades
• NFC East Draft Grades
• AFC South Draft Grades
• AFC North Draft Grades
• AFC West Draft Grades
• AFC East Draft Grades

The NFC North may be one of the more closely contested divisions this season and each teams draft can have an impact on the outcome. The Packers will look to continue their dominance in the division with the hope that their draft filled a few holes they had. The Vikings were left with a few more holes than they had last season but they are looking to return to playoff land. The Bears, who have a new coach coming off a 10-6 season remain in the mix and are looking to return to the top of the division. The Lions, who have so much potential and promise need to make big strides to compete for the division crown and hope to do so with the additions from free agency and the draft. So let’s take a look at each teams draft, whether good or bad and see how I graded each team.

Green Bay Packers:

Ted Thompson has a reputation of building the Packers through the draft by drafting well. Again he did not disappoint. This drafts haul doubled up on running backs with Alabama’s Eddie Lacy and UCLA’s Johnathan Franklin. The Packers have had a mess of bodies trying to file the void in the backfield with all the injuries but now they have two pair of powerful fresh legs that should set them up for a much stronger running game. They also nailed the first round with UCLA defensive end Datone Jones who is a versatile player who is ready to be a productive pass rusher in the Packers 3-4 . They drafted two offensive tackles in Colorado’s David Bakhtiari and Cornell’s J.C Tretter who will end up playing at some point and helping the O-line protect Aaron Rodgers. Micah Hyde, defensive back out of Iowa should fit well into the teams scheme and he will have the pleasure of learning from past Packer picks who have done well early. They took Josh Boyd, defensive tackle out of Mississippi State who is a wide body and will aid and help their D-line with another big body beside B.J. Raji. Their 6th and 7th round picks include Nate Palmer, LB, Illinois State, Charles Johnson, WR, Grand Valley State, Kevin Dorsey, WR, Maryland, Sam Barrington, LB, South Florida. These guys will compete for a spot on the practice squad.   Grade A- 

Minnesota Vikings:

They had 3 first round picks which were later in the first round and they took Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, who was the top rated D-lineman who fell in the draft, Florida State cornerback Xavier Rhodes and Tennessee wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. All of these guys were considered at one point Top 15 picks. Floyd fits their system, 4-3, as a run stopper to the tee, and likewise, Rhodes size and zone coverage ability works just as well on the back-end for the Vikings. After not having any threat in the passing game they now can pair Patterson with Greg Jennings. They added linebackers Gerald Hodges and Michael Mauti out of Penn State, these guys should learn from the current linebackers and see some playing time. They also drafted two guards to add depth to an ever improving offensive line in Jeff Baca out of UCLA and Travis Bond from North Carolina. Everett Dawkins a defensive tackle out of Florida State is a bit of a mystery and they also drafted punter Jeff Locke out of UCLA who it appears will be their punter seeing they released Chris Kluwe.   Grade A-

Detroit Lions:

They were not in a position to get an elite left tackle, but Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz hit on other important areas. BYU’s Ezekiel Ansah has freakish potential and later they got a more polished complementary player in South Carolina’s Devin Taylor. Their D-line now has no excuses. They didn’t forget their O-line in taking Kentucky guard Larry Warford who should start and help boost their running game with the free agent addition of Reggie Bush. Mississippi State cornerback Darius Slay has the speed and size to be good in coverage now and he should be able to start right away. The Lions made some intriguing picks in wide receiver Corey Fuller from Virginia Tech, running back Theo Riddick from Notre Dame, and tight end Michael Williams out of Alabama. I can see these three players all playing a role for the lions and having an impact even though it may be a small one. They also took Brandon Hepburn, LB from Florida A&M who may be a project or practice body. Oh yeah almost forgot, punter Sam Martin from Appalachian State.   Grade B 

Chicago Bears:

The Bears did go after needed offensive line help, but ended up with a couple of project players, including their first rounder, Oregon’s Kyle Long. Long, might need to start out inside as he is still growing into the tackle position. Their fifth rounder, Louisiana Tech’s Jordan Mills, is closer to being able to help them at the position right now. Their second round pick, Florida’s Jon Bostic has good tackling ability and upfield instincts and should be a good replacement for the now retired Brian Urlacher. Linebacker Khaseem Greene from Rutgers has the range and coverage ability to fight for the spot left open by the departure of Nick Roach on the strong side. The Bears finished with two picks that will become depth-pick in Cornelius Washington, DE, Georgia and Marquees Wilson, WR, Washington State. Neither of these players will have an impact nor should see much playing time barring injuries.   Grade C

These are my grades of the teams in the NFC North, now let me hear what you have to say about these teams or your teams draft.

Also check out my other draft grade articles:

• NFC South Draft Grades
• NFC West Draft Grades
• NFC East Draft Grades
• AFC South Draft Grades
• AFC North Draft Grades
• AFC West Draft Grades
• AFC East Draft Grades

Welcome to the wild, wild west and these are my NFC West Draft Grades. You had the 49ers who were loaded with picks and only a few holes to fill on their roster. You have the Seahawks who seem to have had some drafting magic taking place since Pete Carroll has been in town. The Rams who had promising moments and the added advantage of those extra picks they got from the Redskins. Then there is the Cardinals who have a new coach and looking to get things back on track. Lets jump right into what each team did in the draft and how they graded.

San Francisco 49ers :

This is simply a case of the rich getting richer. They didn’t waste their 11 picks. They highlighted their draft by replacing safety Dashon Goldson with LSU’s Eric Reed and tight end Delanie Walker with Rice’s Vance McDonald. They also stockpiled speed pass rushers Tank Carradine of Florida State, Corey Lemonier of Auburn. With the volume of picks at their disposal they also added another receiver to help Colin Kaepernick, in Louisiana Tech’s Quinton Patton and picked up and ideal player, if healthy, in South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore who could be Gore’s replacement down the line. All of their other picks, Quinton Dial, DT, Alabama,  Nick Moody, LB, Florida State,  B.J. Daniels, QB, South Florida,  Carter Bykowski, T, Iowa State, and  Marcus Cooper, CB, Rutgers, just adds depth to the team and also allows the 49ers the time to develop these players because their isn’t a need for them to start now barring a serious injury bug hits them.   Grade A

Arizona Cardinals:

Their most talked about pick was LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, who is a wild card on and off the field. They should get more attention for their other picks who are certain to have an impact on this team. with their first pick in the draft the Cardinals took North Carolina guard Jonathan Cooper who I’m sure will start from day 1 and will fill a major need in blocking help, but as I did with the Titans I’ll do with the Cardinals. There is now way in HELL you use a top 15 pick in the draft to take a guard, you use those picks on players who either score TD’s, sack the QB or a Tackle. Ok back to the grading. LSU linebacker Kevin Minter brings a good tackler to their defense along with Texas linebacker Alex Okafor which gives them more of a pass rush in their 3-4 scheme. Stanford running back Stepfan Taylor can be the co feature with Rashard Mendenhall and Ryan Williams trying to shake off injuries. Texas A&M Ryan Swope could provide another weapon for Carson Palmer. Earl Watford, guard, from James Madison could also see some serious playing time this year. D.C. Jefferson, a tight end from Rutgers may be a practice body. Their most interesting pick to me is the electric running back, Andre Ellington out of Clemson and what role he will play in their offense and special teams.   Grade B+

St Louis Rams:

The Rams under Jeff Fisher are becoming more exciting than any Titans team he ever had. They added exciting receiving options to help Sam Bradford overcome the loss of Danny Amendola by taking the West Virginia duo of Tavon Austin and Stedman Baily, who were made to take advantage of the indoor turf in St. Louis. The Rams also got a great cover linebacker in Alec Ogletree out of Georgia, and the hard hitting safety from USC, T.J. MaDonald. Fisher likes these kind of players! They also turn around and get a couple later round gems in Alabama’s center, Barrett Jones and Vanderbilt running back Zac Stacy, who may replace departed Steven Jackson. Brandon Mcgee out of Miami (FL) was up and down in college but he may be their slot DB of the future. Here is another example of all the players drafted possibly making the roster.   Grade: B+

Seattle Seahawks:

The Seahawks also ended up with 11 picks like the 49ers started with, yet they did not have a first round pick. They addressed their major issues in free agency and drafted for depth and took a couple project players as well as a boom-or-bust player as well. They took two running backs in Texas A&M’s Christine Michael and LSU’s Spencer Ware, weather or not either of these guys will play much of a factor seeing Marshawn Lynch is going strong remains to be determined but they may be insurance. They added Chris Harper from Kansas State who may develop into a good possession receiver. They also addressed a spot where they were a little soft, which you saw when the played the Redskins, by adding defensive line depth by taking Penn State’s Jordan Hill and Alabama’s Jesse Williams, who I believe will turn out as the Seahawks steal of the draft. Tharold Simon, CB, Louisiana State, Luke Wilson, TE, Rice, Ryan Seymour, OG, Vanderbilt, Ty Powell, DE, Harding, Jared Smith, DT, New Hampshire, Michael Bowie, OT, NE Oklahoma, are all players they have time to develop because they will add depth.   Grade C+

The NFC West is possibly the best division in the NFL and from the looks of their past drafts and this current one you can see why many consider the NFC West tops. Now let me hear what you think about these teams draft and what grade you would give them.

Check out my other draft grades:

• NFC South Draft Grades
• NFC North Draft Grades
• NFC East Draft Grades
• AFC South Draft Grades
• AFC North Draft Grades
• AFC West Draft Grades
• AFC East Draft Grades

Grades for the NFC East football draft, the most hyped division in the NFL. This division always get some mentioned of a Superbowl contender, be it the Giants, now the Redskins and some how always those guy from the lone star state, the Cowboys. What I do know is that each of these teams fell short the past few seasons, with the exception of the Giants 2 championship runs, of looking anything like a Superbowl team due in part to some missing pieces. Well, let me dive into if those missing pieces have been addressed. Here are my draft grades.

Philadelphia Eagles:

Considering this is not college and Chip Kelly can not recruit players to play for him any longer like he did at Oregon, he did an excellent job in the football draft. Kelly used his background and knowledge from college (Pac 12) to the Eagles advantage. Oklahoma tackle Lane Johnson and Stanford tight end Zach Ertz are ideal choices for what Kelly wants to do, and he used a fourth round pick to bring in USC’s Matt Barkley into the QB competition. On the other side of the ball the Eagles are switching to a 3-4 scheme, which is all the rage of the league right now, and they got important pieces to that puzzle in taking LSU’s nose tackle Bennie Logan, Utah’s edge rusher Joe Kruger and Oregon State’s Jordan Poyer at corner back who could start from day 1. Earl Wolf, safety from North Carolina State is a hard-hitting player but his coverage skills out in space may leave him open to getting burned by tight ends, he will compete for playing time this season. Oklahoma’s defensive tackle David King was a bit of a head scratcher to me. This is a guy that has all the measurables but lacked the production at the college, if he pans out to just being a productive player then Kelly will look like a genius. I thought the Eagles stayed true to their board and lined up  Best Player Available (BPA) and value with needs very well.   Grade: A

New York Giants:

Here is a team with one of the better GM’s in the business right now with Jerry Reese at the helm. The Giants tend to draft for the future as opposed to immediate need and they ended up with three strong, athletic linemen who can man an immediate impact. Syracuse  Justin Pugh who they took in the first round, is too smooth and good not to win a starting job at guard this season. On the defense they always seem to love taking linemen and they did it again with Ohio State’s Johnathan Hankins, who will fill a void as a run stuffer and pass rushing end to help replace the departure of Umenyiora, in Texas A&M’s Damontre Moore. Keep an eye on Richmond’s Cooper Taylor who could play safety or even bulk up to linebacker. Ryan Nassib out of Syracuse was an interesting pick seeing Eli is only 32, maybe this will give Nassib time to learn, a-la Aaron Rogers. Eric Herman, lineman out of Ohio University may add depth to the line and Michael Cox running back from UMass may be nothing more than a practice squad player with the giants having young talented players at that position taken in the previous years draft.  Grade: B 

Dallas Cowboys:

Let’s see….. they didn’t get either an offensive tackle or a defensive lineman, and didn’t get in on the run of top safeties. Jerry Jones is all I will say about that. Wisconsin center Travis Frederick could have been had after the first round, and although San Diego State tight end Gavin Escobar and Baylor wide receiver Terrance Williams have bright futures, it was a case of the Cowboys adding to what they already have. William & Mary cornerback B.W. Webb might end up helping and playing more than any of the picks in this draft. Georgia Southern safety J.J. Wilcox may compete for playing time as well but being from a small school will he be up to the task of competing at this level? The Cowboys 2 most intriguing picks in the football draft in my opinion were running back Joseph Randle from Oklahoma State, who is another Felix Jones, and linebacker DeVonte Holloman from South Carolina, who plays at a  loaded position for the Cowboys. It will be interesting to see how these 2 guys work out.  Grade: C-

Washington Redskins:

Redskin fans, you had to know this was coming after the blockbuster deal to get RGIII last year, a weak class with no first round pick. North Carolina State’s David Amerson is a huge risk in round 2, Florida tight end Jordan Reed had a BIG lack of production for a round 3 pick. It may all hang on Fresno State’s Phillip Thomas becoming their starting safety to make this draft not look like a F+. Chris Thompson and Jawan Jamison, who are both running backs from Florida State and Rutgers may have a hard time finding a place with the production of Alfred Morris last season and the other backs returning from injuries.  Brandon Jenkins a linebacker from Florida State and safety Bacarri Rambo from Georgia seem like nothing more than depth at these positions as they are not upgrades on what the Redskins currently have at those positions. Because I like RGIII, I hope they can begin to bring in some talent to surround him with.  Grade: D

These are my grades, how would you grade them? Oh yeah fans, please put your heart aside and grade your teams football draft honestly.

Check out my other draft grades:

• NFC South Draft Grades
• NFC North Draft Grades
• NFC West Draft Grades
• AFC South Draft Grades
• AFC North Draft Grades
• AFC West Draft Grades
• AFC East Draft Grades

The AFC South was a bit of a surprise last season with the rise of the Colts from a 2-14 season the year before. The Texans were the leader of this division looking to take the next step. The Titans disappointed the most out of these 4 teams and their looking to bounce back this season. The Jaguars were the bottom dwellers but are looking to improve on their status with young talent acquired during their most recent drafts.

Lets take a look at each teams draft and how they helped themselves or doomed their future. Here are my draft grades on the AFC South.

Jacksonville Jaguars:

Not only does this team have a new logo and new uni’s but they have a new owner, coach and GM. New GM David Caldwell aced his first test. The Jags had the luxury to make Texas A&M athletic tackle Luke Joeckel their first round pick. They shored up their secondary with a much needed cleanup safety, Jonathan Cyprien from Florida International, and all around cover corner Dwayne Grantz of Connecticut who will start right away. Their offense and special teams were short on playmakers and that was addressed by taking South Carolina’s Ace Sanders and Michigan’s Denard Robinson back to back. The Jags finished their draft by getting depth for their soon to be young secondary by taking Josh Evans, safety out of Florida, Jeremy Harris, corner back out of New Mexico State, and Demetrius McCray, corner back out of Appalachian St. I see the Jags draft as 1 of the few where everyone drafted has a great chance of making the roster. GM Caldwell also was smart not to reach for a quarterback when the value was never quite there, and got an intriguing undrafted free agent in Arizona’s Matt Scott.  Grade: A

Houston Texans:

The Texans started with a bang to complement two future Hall of Famers, a wide receiver opposite Andre Johnson, in Clemson’s DeAndre Hopkins, and a hard hitting strong safety to support Ed Reed, in South Carolina’s D.J. Swearinger. They also got a chance to solidify the right tackle position by taking North Carolina’s Brennan Williams, opposite Pro Bowler Duane Brown. Connor Barwin is gone so they had to restock their pass rush to assist J.J. Watt, and Wade Phillips coaching should boost what LSU’s Sam Montgomery and Connecticut’s Trevardo Williams can do as 3-4 outside linebackers. The Texans rounded out their draft with David Quessenberry, offensive tackle, out of San Jose St., Alan Bonner, wide reciever, out of Jacksonville St., Chris Jones, defensive tackle, out of Bowling Green, and Ryan Griffin, tight end, out of Connecticut, these players may add a bit of depth and practice squad bodies.  Grade: B+

Indianapolis Colts:

Ryan Grigson took care of the offensive skill players on 2012, starting with Andrew Luck. This draft was all about the nuts and bolts, led by giving Head Coach Chuck Pagano a top edge pass rusher in Florida State’s Bjoern Werner and a promising nose tackle in Tennessee Martin’s Montori Hughes, who is a great fit for the 3-4. They also made some solid but not sexy picks in guard, Hugh Thornton of Illinois and USC center Khaled Holmes who should provide much needed protection for Luck, for years to come. Indy’s 2013 draft rounds out with safety John Boyett, out of Oregon, running back Kerwynn Williams, out of Utah State, and “Mr. Irrelevant,” TE Justice Cunningham, from South Carolina, who may actually have a chance at playing some point during the season seeing they are a little thin at this position.  Grade: B

Tennessee Titans:

Some may see what the Titans did with their first round pick as a good thing but I don’t. You don’t use a HIGH first round draft pick on a guard, like the Titans did. The Titans kept to upgrading their interior offensive line by adding Alabama guard Chance Warmack and California center Brian Schwenke to join free agent addition Andy Levitre. Taking wide receiver Justin Hunter from Tennessee Vols is a boom-or-bust proposition but could pay big dividends. They also took Connecticut cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Missouri linebacker Zaviar Gooden who both need a bit more polish to be impact players. Lavar Edwards out of LSU, Khalid Wooten out of Nevada, and Daimion Stafford out of Nebraska, all had unimpressive careers in college and will fight hard for a spot on the roster or practice squad.  Grade: C-

These are my grades and how I see each teams picks. Only time will tell how wrong or right I am, but now I want to hear your feedback.

Check out my other draft grades:

• NFC South Draft Grades
• NFC North Draft Grades
• NFC West Draft Grades
• NFC East Draft Grades
• AFC North Draft Grades
• AFC West Draft Grades
• AFC East Draft Grades

The AFC North is in my opinion the best conference in the AFC with the emergence of the Cincinnati Bengals. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens always seem to be Super Bowl contenders with the Cleveland Browns making strides last year in their ever-growing development since rejoining the league.

With the passing of the draft I believe all of these teams helped themselves, but each to a different degree. So here is what I think of the AFC North Draft.

Pittsburgh Steelers:

It’s as if they had a checklist for their four biggest needs, and knew the right players to fill in all of them. The Steelers normally do well each draft. Georgia edge rushing outside linebacker Jarvis Jones? Check! Michigan State power running back Le’Veon Bell? Check! Oregon State speedy wide receiver Markus Wheaton? Check! Syracuse high energy safety Shamarko Thomas? Check! With 9 picks in all they could also load up on depth later, including Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones to develop behind Ben Roethlisberger. I believe Jones will play at some point this season, as Ben and injuries have caused Ben to miss games the past few seasons. The Steelers added serious depth in players that fit their mold in, CB Terry Hawthorne, WR Justin Brown, LB Vince Williams, and DT Nicholas Williams, who may become a starter with the possible departure of Casey Hampton.  Grade: A+

Cincinnati Bengals:

I think the jungle is becoming the “In Place” again. The Bengals have buried their bungling ways and have done it with their offense. Check out Notre Dame match-up nightmare creating Tight End Tyler Eifert and North Carolina speedy Running Back Giovani Bernard. Andy Dalton and A.J. Green got it going in 2011, and Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones were good follow ups in 2012. Eifert and Bernard are great options for Dalton to further break out of his A.J. Green dependency. They also made their defensive strength stronger, as SMU’s 6’8″ end Margus Hunt fits right in with their pass rush. Georgia’s Shawn Williams fills a score spot for the Bengals, Free Safety. Sean Porter and Tanner Hawkinson will add depth at O line and linebacker. Rex Burkhead and Cobi Hamilton may have a hard time finding a place on the roster as well as Reid Fragel, T.J. Johnson but they may surprisingly add depth or become good practice squad players.  Grade: A-

Baltimore Ravens:

So much for getting their defense raided in the offseason. They reloaded and recovered well in the draft. Florida safety Matt Elam, Kansas State inside linebacker Arthur Brown and Ohio State outside linebacker John Simon are the right type of players to be respective replacements for free agent departures Ed Reed, Dannell Ellerbe and Paul Krugger. The Ravens know their schemes, and thanks to the best General Manager in the business, Ozzie Newsome, always seems to know the ideal personnel. Brandon Williams adds another BIG body to the Ravens up front, they seem to keep a few. Kyle Jusczyk, Ricky Wagner, Kapron Lewis-Moore, Ryan Jensen, Aaron Mellette, Marc Anthony, may all be depth picks with 1 or 2 getting some playing time soon with others being development players.  Grade B+

Cleveland Browns:

For a young team with multiple issues it’s strange they worked their way down to just 5 picks. LSU first round pick Barkevious Mingo is a high risk, high reward edge pass rusher for their 3-4 defense. They needed a corner and took 1 in San Diego State’s Leon McFadden, even though I believe he is better suited for the slot. The Browns also drafted Jamoris Slaughter, safety from Notre Dame, who may see playing time. Armonty Bryant and Garrett Gilkey were reaches. With limited picks they did well, but hey, there is always next year.  Grade: C

These are my grade of the AFC North. Now let me hear how you feel about these teams draft, and if one of these teams are your favorite team then scale back on the emotional reply.

Check out my other draft grades:

• NFC South Draft Grades
• NFC North Draft Grades
• NFC West Draft Grades
• NFC East Draft Grades
• AFC South Draft Grades
• AFC West Draft Grades
• AFC East Draft Grades

Next up, the AFC West Division and their grades. I must say that this draft was one of the more exciting drafts in recent years due to the fact that we did not know who was going to be drafted until it was announced. I liked it that way. The players may not have been sexy picks like last year but a stir was created because a couple AFC west teams did things many had not expected, a-la, the Chiefs, Raiders and Chargers. The Broncos pretty much stayed the course as many analysis expected.

So here are my grades on the 4 teams of the AFC West.

San Diego Chargers:

The Chargers did not waste any time addressing their desperation need for an offensive tackle by picking, possibly reaching for, Alabama’s D.J. Fluker with their first pick, but their next two picks, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o and California wide receiver Keenan Allen, appear like they may be great fits with what they will want to do during the Mike McCoy era. Playing in a 3-4 defense next to big playmaker Dnald Butler, there will be less pressure on Te’o, so they shouldn’t see a repeat performance of the BCS game out of him. Te’o will be able to focus on his instinctual skill set to be a upfield tackler. Some of what Allen will do may remind offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt of his Carnals wideouts. The Chargers may have reached, because of need, in drafting Cal cornerback Steve Williams, who has some questions marks, but they made a wise choice in Tourek Williams out of Florida International, who at 6’3″ 260lbs is solely a pass rusher, another need, but he applied constant pressure against all the teams he face in college. Brad Sorenson is nothing more than a camp body, at best he may make the practice squad.

Grade B

Kansas City Chiefs:

In my opinion they could not have missed by taking either tackle (Fisher, Joeckel) and they took Central Michigan tackle Eric Fisher first overall. Fisher is the first Mid American Conference (MAC) player to be picked first overall in the conferences history. Outside of the first pick Andy Reid and John Dorsey disappointed the fans of KC and reached badly with every other pick except for maybe Travis Kelce, tightend out of Cincinnati. Their reaches were overrated Arkansas running back Knile Davis a wasted 3rd round pick, Nico Johnson, linebacker from Alabama who disappears, Sander Commings, safety from Georgia, may see some playing time. I see Eric Kush, offensive center, California, PA, Braden Wilson, fullback, Kansas State and Mike Catapano defensive end out of Princeton as nothing more than camp bodies and practice squad players at best. Out of the 8 picks the Chiefs had in this draft I see 4 possibly being cut.

Grade C- 

Denver Broncos:

The Broncos came out the gate with a nice splash by taking North Carolina defensive tackle Sylvester Williams, but the rest of their draft was dull and full of reaches minus Wisconsin’s Montee Ball who is a good runner but may not have been worthy of a second round pick considering the backs they have already. I believe he will fit well in the scheme the Broncos are currently running but will he see the field enough being behind Willis Mcgahee and Knowshon Moreno. The Broncos then reached on Kayvon Webster, cornerback, from South Florida, Quanterus Smith, defensive end, from Western Kentucky, Tavarres King, wide receiver, from Georgia and Vinston Painter, tackle, from Virginia Tech. They may have found a replacement for Peyton Manning when he retires in Zac Dysert, quarterback, Miami (OH) who played well at times last season, only time will tell.

Grade C-

Oakland Raiders:

My beloved Raiders, what can I say……… Well, I’ll be as honest and unabashed about them as I am about any other team. That’s what you can come to expect from me, I show no favoritism.

Here is another classic reason why I say mock drafts smell like the brown stuff in a babies diapers, every mock draft had the Raiders taking Star Lotulelei or Shariff FLoyd. Well, so much for the defensive line help they needed seeing they dumped Reggie Kelly and Richard Seymour not to mention they lost Desmond Bryant in free agency. The blow of not taking Lotulelei or Floyd after they traded down was eased a bit by them addressing other needs with the picks in two talented cover guys, D.J Hayden, cornerback, Houston and Connecticut linebacker Sio Moore. Then, in classic Raider fashion they took a chance on some boom-or-bust players in Florida State’s tackle Menelik Watson, who is raw and one time highly rated quarterback Tyler Wilson out of Arkansas. Their remaining picks did not do anything special in college and I don’t expect much from them but they all have a decent chance of getting a roster spot considering all the holes the Raiders have. Those player are Nick Kasa, tight end, Colorado, Latavius Murry, running back, Central Florida, Mychal Rivers, tight end, Tennessee, Stacy Mcgee, defensive tackle, Oklahoma, Brice Butler, wide receiver, San Diego State and David Bass, defensive end from Missouri Western.

Grade C-

Tell me what you think about these teams drafts, where do you rank them?

Check out my other draft grades:

• NFC South Draft Grades
• NFC North Draft Grades
• NFC West Draft Grades
• NFC East Draft Grades
• AFC South Draft Grades
• AFC North Draft Grades
• AFC East Draft Grades

Now that the draft is over, the fans have voiced their opinion about their teams picks, the General Managers will either look like they are genius or mad men who did not have the smarts of a rock, the coaches will seem like guru’s, sorry that’s me, and have to work with the players they have and the owner will either be popping bottles or looking to clean house and start over with a new front office.

All the mock drafts smell like a babies diaper lined with that brown stuff that just attacks your nose. So, now I’m grading each teams draft in the AFC East, so here we go.

Miami Dolphins:

The Dolphins upgraded their pass defense in a major way. Moving up for Oregon defensive end Dion Jordan got them a daunting edge rusher to play opposite Cameron Wake. Speedy Boise State, second round pick, Jamar Taylor can make big plays on the ball. Tennessee, third round pick, Dallas Thomas can compete to start on the offensive line. Michigan State tight end Dion Sims and Florida running back Mike Gillislee are good complementary skill players. Will Davis, Jelani Jenkins, Don Jones will add depth to the Dolphins defense and special teams along with Caleb Sturgis.

Grade: B+

New England Patriots:

Not having a first round pick always hurts, even the Patriots. The Patriots still had decent value in their picks between 52-102. They needed to hit on wide receivers to better stretch the field for Tom Brady and Marshall’s speedy Aaron Dobson and TCU’s physical Josh Boyce did the trick. After taking Chandler Jones last year, Belcihick got another talented sack artist in Southern Mississippi Jamie Collins. Belichick has a thing for Rutgers players, but the Scarlet Knights secondary combination of Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon were serious reaches. Michael Buchanan and Steve Beauharnais may add some depth to a sometimes soft defense.

Grade C

Buffalo Bills:

The Bills were going back to the drawing board with their passing game. The centerpiece is Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel, but coach Doug Marrone and his staff have their work cut out for them to turn him into a polished, athletic passer. They will also try to get Manuel on the same page with the receivers they took in the draft for him, USC possession receiver Robert Woods and Texas speedster Marquise Goodwin. The best pick they made who will more than likely start from day 1 is Oregon inside linebacker Kiko Alonso. Offensively, there is a lot of potential but a lot of unknowns. Duke Williams, Jonathon Meeks and Dustin Hopkins will provide a punch on special teams with Williams and Meeks possibly becoming starters later. Chris Gragg is almost an unknown.

Grade C 

New York Jets:

The Jets entire draft will ride on just how good West Virginia’s Geno Smith will be as their starting quarterback and there is reason to believe the pairing will be real bumpy. They Jets swapped out Darrelle Revis for Alabama’s Dee Milliner at cornerback, and used the 13th pick they got from the Revis trade to take Missouri’s Sheldon Richardson, a tackle better suited for the 4-3, not Rex Ryan’s 3-4. It was a shaky start for John Idzik’s first draft and he will be judged by how well Brian Winters, Oday Aboushi, William Campbell, Tommy Bohanon and the trade for New Orleans Saints Chris Ivory pans out.

Grade D

How would you grade these teams and their draft picks?

Check out my other draft grades:

• NFC South Draft Grades
• NFC North Draft Grades
• NFC West Draft Grades
• NFC East Draft Grades
• AFC South Draft Grades
• AFC North Draft Grades
• AFC West Draft Grades