2014 NFL Draft Grades: AFC East

Ever since 2001, teams in the AFC East, for the most part, have been looking up at the New England Patriots. As long as Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are with the patriots, everyone will be trying to catch up. Buffalo made the first big trade of the draft, and are pretty much going all in this year when they traded nest year's 1st Round pick along with an additional pick to move up and get Sammy Watkins. Along with their additional picks and offseason moves, Buffalo looks to make their move to the top of the AFC East. Buffalo: B+ Best Pick: Sammy Watkins Late Round Sleeper: Cyril Richardson Watkins is the playmaker the Bills desired and they made the big move to get him. Now last years first rounder, quarterback E.J. Manuel, has the big play weapon that can light the fire under the Bills offense. But the selection of tackle Cyrus Kouandjio and late round sleeper Cyril Richardson will give Manuel the protection he needs and open up running lanes for Fred Jackson and Bryce Brown. If Seantrel henderson can play up to his potential then the Bills will have a powerful o-line for years to come. Preston Brown is a tough inside linebacker who will help plug up the middle and stop the run. Miami: B Best Pick: Jarvis Landry Late Round Sleeper: Jordan Tripp Miami needed to rebuild their offensive line and may have reached to select Ja'wuan James at #19, but he is a solid right tackle that the the Dolphins can build around. Billy Turner is a mauler of an offensive lineman but is also a small school talent who will need to work his way into the line. Landry is a sure handed receiver that could become a go-to target for Ryan Tannehill. Tripp is an FCS star who will play like a BCS playmaker on defense. New England: B- Best Pick: Jimmy Garoppolo Late Round Sleeper: Bryan Stork The Patriots picked Dominique Easley in Round 1, and if the injury plagued defensive tackle can hold up physically then this pick will be a steal. But 2 ACL injuries in college makes one wonder if hen can withstand the rigors of the NFL trenches. Garoppolo is the latest heir apparent to Tom Brady, and now he may be the one who eventually replaces the future Hall of Famer. But the Patriots put a lot of draft pick eggs in one basket by selecting Stork, Cameron Fleming, and Jon Halapio to shore up the defensive line. New York Jets: B+ Best Pick: Jace Amaro Late Round Sleeper: Jeremiah George The Jets picked hard hitting safety Calvin Pryor in Round 1, and he looks to be the defensive enforcer in the middle of the field that Rex Ryan is looking for. Amaro gives Geno Smith a big target down the middle, and he should be targeted in play action with the free agent addition of Chris Johnson. Dexter McDougle should get plenty of action at corner now that he is healthy after a shoulder injury cost him most of last season. George can be a sleeper pick as an outside edge rusher in Ryan's 3-4 defense.

TMG DraftZone 2013 NFL Draft Grades: AFC East

The New England Patriots continued their dominance of the AFC East, and as long as Bill Belichick is calling the shots and Tom Brady is calling the plays, things don't look to change any time soon. The Patriots also continued their tradition of trading down in the draft, while Buffalo, Miami and the Jets were making moves to catch up. Free agency was very good for the Dolphins, and they made the biggest splash in the draft to trade up to #3 and select Dion Jordan third overall. The Jets made their big move before the draft by trading Darrelle Revis to Tampa Bay for the 13th overall pick, and the Bills made their move by trading down from #8 to #16 with the Rams. On a side note, I'd like to pat myself on the back just a bit by being one of the first mock drafters to have Tavon Austin going eighth in the draft. Playmakers are at a premium, and Austin was a player the Bills could use. So could the Rams, and they wanted him more and made the move up to get him. Buffalo then made the shocking move of the entire draft by selecting E.J. Manuel at #16 with the pick they got from St. Louis. Many see Manuel as needing work and seasoning, but with the Bills quarterback situation, he could very well be Day 1 starter for Buffalo. So here is the TMG DraftZone grades for the AFC East, with key selections and sleeper picks for each team: Buffalo: B E.J. Manuel (QB)/Robert Woods (WR) Marquise Goodwin (WR) The Bills immediate future is tied to Manuel, who has all the physical gifts to star in the NFL, his game is going to need some time to adjust, and the future of Manuel is tied to Woods. I don't put as much stock in workouts as game film, but just watch Woods catching balls from Matt Barkley at the USC Pro Day. He caught everything. Manuel and Woods could very well be the QB/WR combo to build around. Goodwin can find his place in the league because you can coach a player to play the game, but you can't coach them to be fast. As in what one analyst called him at the Senior Bowl practice as Spaceballs fast, because Goodwin has Ludicrous Speed. Players with that kind of speed can always make an inpact. Miami: B+ Jamar Taylor (CB) Jelani Jenkins (LB) The Dolphins made the bold move to move up and get their next Jason Taylor by selecting Dion Jordan at #3 overall, and they did it by not breaking the bank and only giving Oakland the #12 and #42 picks. Miami then got the cornerback that many looked for them to take at #12 in Round 2 by picking Jamar Taylor, who was seen as a late riser to the bottom of Round 1. Dallas Thomas could be the eventual replacement to Jake Long at right tackle. Jenkins needs to add some strength and bulk up just a bit, but he is a smart player who, if Jordan is Jason Taylor, Jenkins could be Zach Thomas. New England B- Jamie Collins (LB) Logan Ryan (CB) The proudest person coming out of the draft has to be the defensive coordinator at Rutgers, as just about all of his players now play for the Patriots. Ryan could have an immediate impact depending on what kind of punishment the league gives to Alfonzo Dennard, and Jamie Collins was overlooked by many just because he played on a team that went winless in 2012 at Southern Mississippi. But the previous year, they were conference champions and Collins is a talent that Belichick can mold into a solid pro. NY Jets: C+ Sheldon Richardson (DT) Oday Aboushi (OT) The Jets filled re-occupied Revis Island with Dee Milliner, the top rated cornerback in the draft. The pick of Richardson had many scratcing their heads, with Muhammad Wilkerson and Quinton Coples already in place, but you can never have too many athletic defensive lineman who can get after the quarterback, and Richardson might be able to work his way into the starting rotation. The Jets only made their quarterback situation murkier by taking Geno Smith in Round 2, but now that Tim Tebow is out of the picture, Smith could also eventually become the starter. But the Jets did not address their need to get playmakers on offense, but Aboushi and Brian Winters can help solidify the offensive line.

Great Expectations

And with the first pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts select Ryan Tannehill, quarterback, Texas A & M.

OK, we're not going to hear that from Mr. Commish Roger Goddell, but the way teams are fawning over the Aggie signal caller you would think it might just happen. With the addition of Tannehill to the top of the draft along with Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, it is going to be a heavily scrutinized draft. The great expectations on all three will by far surpass that of 1999, when Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb and Akili Smith went 1-2-3 and harken back to the days of 1971, when Jim Plunkett, Archie Manning and Dan Pastorini were the first three names off the board.

There is a strong possibility that Miami may just trade up to #3 and get the pick currently held by Minnesota so they can take Tannehill. The Washington Redskins have already mortgaged a good bit of their future to move up to the second pick, and the Dolphins will have to do the same if they want to insure that Tannehill is their man. The question is 'Will he be worth it?' In both cases, I believe it will be.

Griffin is a rare talent, and proved it during his final year at Baylor. Physically gifted and even more so intellectually, Griffin and Luck will be competing for not only titles but the hearts and minds of football fans for years to come. Tannehill is more of a project, but Miami is the best landing point for him. His college coach is the offensive coordinator, and the new head coach runs a system that suits his talents. He has a veteran in Matt Moore already on the roster who is capable of holding the fort until it is time for Tannehill to take over.

But once again, great expectations may get in the way. It is the expectations of Dolphins fans looking for a quarterback to take over for Dan Marino. They have been waiting for 13 years. Now they have to wait 12 more days to see if their Dolphins either make the move up to #3 or have Tannehill fall to them at #8. If they are lucky, they won't have to sell the farm to get him. We shall see.

Panic in the Draft Rooms-Version 2012

The panic is starting to settle into the NFL Draft Rooms. Perhaps not quite as badly as it did last year, but is back. It's the panic to draft a quarterback.

In 2011, the early mock drafts had Jake Locker going late in Round 1, and Christian Ponder not at all in the first 32 picks. But then you started to see the signs that something was going to change. And on draft day it did. Locker went #8 to Tennessee, and Ponder four picks later to Minnesota. San Francisco then traded up early into Round 2 to select Colin Kaepernick. The need to get your franchise quarterback is a strong one, and it is starting to look like the same thing is happening again in 2012.

Washington showed just how much they wanted Robert Griffin III by trading 3 first round picks and a second to select the Heisman Trophy winner in the second slot. After that things are getting interesting. Ryan Tannehill has all the tools to be a solid starter, but he was seen as someone who needed seasoning to reach his potential. PANIC!!! Now it's not whether or not he will go in Round 1, but how high.

As I have been compiling data for my latest DSA Player Rankings, Tannehill is making a move up the charts like I've never seen. Miami is looking to be the likely landing spot, but there is a question out there that only Mike Holmgren can answer: Will the Cleveland Browns take Ryan Tannehill with the 4th Overall Pick of the 2012 NFL Draft?

Cleveland lost out on Griffin, and I have previously posted that I thought it might work out best for the Browns as they could get Tannehill at #22. He won't last that long. After not being able to get Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn in free agency, Cleveland is going into the season with Colt McCoy at quarterback in a division with three playoff teams. With two first round picks, there is a possibility that they might trade up with the pick they acquired last year from Atlanta to get Tannehill, but that cost would be just as great as the Falcons paid to the Browns.

If that is the case, Tannehill better pan out, or Cleveland will be crying PANIC!!! in the Draft Room again, looking to find their franchise quarterback.

AFC East Draft Grades: Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins come off of a 7-9 season, and their division title in 2008 seems to be a long time ago. There were issues all over the field that needed to be addressed, and the Dolphins got 2 of them right off the bat. Mike Pouncey will help solidify the offensive line, which outside of Jake Long has not performed up to snuff. Poincey can play guard and center, and it looks like Miami will have him anchoring the middle. Another area of concern was running back. Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown are free agents, and Miami got a solid power back in Daniel Thomas. Thomas is a north-south runner who should thrive going through holes opened by Long and Pouncey.

With only six picks, the defense wasn't addressed until Round 7. But the quarterback position wasn't addressed at all. It looks like the Dolphins are either going to hand the keys of the offense back to Chad Henne, of go after a veteran in free agency.

A late round sleeper looks to be Edmond Gates, a wide receiver from Abilene Christian selected in the fourth round. Gates is a burner, but transitioning to the NFL may be difficult.

Draft Grade: B-

Draft Grades: Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins went into the 2010 NFL Draft looking for help on defense. The offense got an infusion of talent with the trade for Brandon Marshall from Denver. He will be catching passes from Chad Henne, who assumed the starting job after an injury to Chad Pennington and looks to be the quarterback of the future. The running game took a hit with another injury to Ronnie Brown, but Ricky Williams has been playing with renewed vigor. But he has indicated that 2010 will be his final season, and unless Brown can show he can stay injury free the Dolphins will be looking for help in the backfield.

Miami held the 12th Overall selection, but traded down with San Diego to #28 and wound up taking Jared Odrick, a defensive lineman out of Penn State. Odrick can play tackle and end, and the Dolphins are looking for him to play end. Koa Misi looks to give Miami depth at the linebacker position. The only offensive player taken was John Jerry, a guard out of Mississippi, who will be asked to step in right away.

The sleeper pick for Miami looks to be Reshad Jones, a safety who is a big hitter but also a ball hawk, picking off 11 passes at Georgia.

Draft Grade: B