Immediately, draft picks are expected to make the team if you're a fourth or fifth rounder, to contribute if you're a second or third round pick, to be great if you're picked in the first round. This year's rookie class will be held to the same standard.
POST-DRAFT OVERVIEW – THE TOP 10:
1) JaMarcus Russell, QB, Oakland Raiders. The Raiders simply had no other choice. They had one of the league's highest ranked defenses last year but the worst ranked offense while going 2-14.
This year's draft brings what any stable, successful franchise needs: a franchise quarterback. Russell is a physically imposing leader from a big-name school with a big-time arm.
Paired with 4th round pick, running back Michael Bush, Raider fans can only dream this backfield duo can become the next Peyton and Edgerrin or Troy and Emmitt.
2) Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions. The No. 2 pick has produced legendary talents the past couple of years. Johnson follows Reggie Bush and is expected, like Bush, to have an immediate and explosive impact on his team and an offense that so desperately need one.
Detroit has a well-publicized history of taking wide receivers high in the draft, but Johnson is bigger and better than any of them. As long he stays healthy and the Lions have a QB that can throw to him, he should be a top-5 receiver in the near future.
3) Joe Thomas, OT, Cleveland Browns. Drafting offensive linemen doesn't really excite anyone except the lineman and his family. Thomas and his family were so excited about his top-5 draft status that they didn't show up and went fishing instead.
The Browns better hope he shows up on the field to protect Brady Quinn. Pardon me for nitpicking, but if I'm about to hand someone $30 million, is it too much to ask for them to be there in person to accept it, shake my hand and put on the team cap?
4) Gaines Adams, DE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers are known for having an aggressive and relentless defense, but age has begun to take its toll on the unit. Stars like linebacker Derrick Brooks, defensive end Simeon Rice and cornerback Ronde Barber are aging. Adams will add a speedy pass rush to a defense known for its quickness.
5) Levi Brown, OT, Arizona Cardinals. I misstated earlier when I said only offensive linemen and their families are excited by their selection. Quarterbacks, and in this case Matt Leinart, love big, hard-nosed offensive linemen and is surely giddy over the Card's first pick.
The Cards are all set on offense now, with a franchise tackle to protect their prized quarterback from devastating blindside blows, one of the factors that contributed to Leinart's hard-knock first season.
6) LaRon Landry, FS, Washington Redskins. Maybe the Redskins feel like they need another cornerback to use when they play Terrell Owens and the Dallas Cowboys or Plaxico Burress and the New York Giants. Otherwise, they could have certainly used this pick to fill another gaping hole on the team.
They have a dismal offense, starting with ineffectiveness at QB, and could use a stronger pass rush or dominant linebacker. The Skins would have been better served to trade down for additional late first round or early second round picks to bolster their entire defensive unit.
7) Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota now has one of the most formidable running back tandems in the league with the quick and powerful Peterson to go along with the bruising abuse of Chester Taylor. Although he has been injury prone, Peterson will not have to bear the whole burden as he did in college.
8) Jamaal Anderson, DE, Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons didn't have anyone on their defense with more than six sacks last year, so it makes sense to draft a young pass rusher. The Falcons hope he can create havoc in opponents' backfields and cause turnovers. It's a bit of a surprise that a team with offensive struggles and Bobby Petrino, hailed as an offensive genius, as its new head coach would draft a defensive player in the first round.
9)Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Miami Dolphins. This pick was the shocker of the entire draft. Miami has not had a franchise QB since the retirement of Hall of Famer Dan Marino, and all the chips had fallen their way.
The other QB-starved teams had passed on Brady Quinn, and he was available for the Dolphins. They opted for the speedy receiver and return specialist in Ginn.
10) Amobi Okoye, DT, Houston Texans. Last year they drafted Mario Williams to rush from the outside, and now they have focused attention on the interior of their defensive line. The unit gave up an average of 115 rushing yards per game last season, and was one of the worst in the league.
For that reason, the Texans needed to get more quality players and should have traded down to get more picks from the steady flow of defensive players that went in the first round. Then again, this is the same team that passed on hometown hero Vince Young last year.
SLEEPERS :
Dwayne Jarrett, WR, Carolina Panthers. The former USC star was drafted in the second round and could be a steal for the Panthers as he is the ideal No. 2 receiver to accompany superstar Steve Smith. The two could form a receiving duo rivaled only by Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne of the Indianapolis Colts.
Lorenzo Booker, RB, Miami Dolphins. A third round draft pick, Booker was the highest rated player coming out of his Ventura, California high school. He began his college career by announcing his decision to attend Florida State on ESPN and ended it having seemingly disappeared. Booker still has excellent speed, great hands, nifty moves and can be a game breaker if he gets into open space.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Early prediction for the NFL's Rookie of the Year: Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings.
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