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The Pitch

The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch

The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch

Inside Pitch: Winners and Losers of the NFL Draft

As always, the NFL draft was filled with the assumed, the abrupt and the amazing. After sorting through all 255 picks, it has become was clear which teams came out on top and which teams lagged behind.

WINNERS:

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Seattle Seahawks: In the span of just three days, the Seahawks went from pretender to contender by nabbing the best offensive tackle in the draft in Russell Okung, a player who is a very durable and patient pass protector. Just eight picks later, the ‘Hawks were on the clock again, this time taking Texas’ Earl Thomas who anticipates and reads plays better than almost anyone in the draft, and is sure to have an immediate impact in Seattle. After these two stellar picks, the Seahawks added help to a lackluster receiving core, taking top notch wide reciever Golden Tate, and a steal in the sixth round in tight end Anthony McCoy, who played under head coach Pete Carroll last year at USC.

Detroit Lions: As expected, the Detroit Lions took a defensive leader in defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, a player who can restore the roar to a depleted Lions defense. Later in the first round, the Lions grabbed one of the most NFL-ready players in the entire draft, running back Jahvid Best, who will be an excellent complement to veteran Kevin Smith. Soon after, they also filled gaps at the Offensive Line in offensive tackle Jason Fox, a 300-pound quality tackle.

Cleveland Browns: The Browns are nowhere near being able to compete for a Super Bowl, but they added key players that will help them in the near future. First, they picked a shutdown corner in Joe Haden, a player with exceptional cover skills. Bypassing quarterback Jimmy Clausen in the second was a questionable decision, but with the selection of free safety T.J. Ward, (who is sure to help Cleveland’s secondary), and running back Montario Hardesty, and then having the opportunity to select quarterback Colt McCoy, the Browns were able to enhance their defense and grab a possible franchise quarterback.

LOSERS:

Denver Broncos: The Denver Broncos needed to replenish an old and worn-out defense, but they got distracted in this year’s draft. First, they passed on stellar receiver Dez Bryant, most likely because of Bryant’s off-field issues. Twelve years ago, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones passed on Randy Moss for the same reason. How’d that turn out, Jerry? Just three picks later, the Broncos again had an opportunity to take a defensive player, but instead took quarterback Tim Tebow. Don’t get me wrong, I strongly believe Tebow has what it takes to be successful in the NFL, but the Broncos would have been better off waiting for Jimmy Clausen. They didn’t end up taking a defensive player until the fifth round, leaving them with too many holes for the future.

Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars didn’t have a lot of picks and they squandered what they had. They took defensive tackle Tyson Alualu with the tenth pick: a great pass rusher, but he shouldn’t have gone before Derrick Morgan or Jason Pierre-Paul. The Jags’ also picked four straight players on the D-Line, ignoring their problems in the secondary. And finally, this struggling franchise that needs to sell more tickets would have done well to pick up a flashy player like Earl Thomas, but they didn’t.

Washington Redskins: The ‘Skins also needed help on the defensive line and in the secondary, but this draft was one to forget. The Redskins were big winners this offseason, bringing in two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Shanahan and veteran quarterback Donavan McNabb. Sure, the ‘Skins got a great tackle in Trent Williams. But their choice to take a tight end and then a wide receiver was a waste. Of the six picks the Redskins had, only one was a defensive player, something that’s sure to come back to haunt them in the future.

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