2013 NFC West Draft Grades

San Francisco 49ers

Overall Grade: A+

The San Francisco made The Super Bowl last season, but they lost several key players in free agency. Niners general manager Trent Baalke didn’t hesitate in replacing those players. The 49ers traded with The Dallas Cowboys to move up 13 spots in the first round of The National Football League Draft to select LSU safety Eric Reid with the 18th overall pick. Baalke and Niners head coach Jim Harbaugh expect Reid to fill the void for safety Dashon Goldson who left in free agency to sign with The Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Niners got a steal in the second round by taking Florida State defensive end Cornelius Carradine and they came out smelling like a rose in third round by selecting Auburn University defensive end Corey Lemonier. Both Carradine and Lemonier will provide depth on the defensive front seven. The 49ers had the third ranked defense in The NFL last season and they are won’t be that far away from it again.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks didn’t have a first-round pick which was the result of acquiring wide receiver Percy Harvin from The Minnesota Vikings, but they added depth to their team throughout the draft. The Seahawks selected Texas A&M University running back Christine Michael in the second round as he is another bruising running back to team with Marshawn Lynch. The Seahawks got a steal in the fifth round as they selected University of Alabama defensive tackle Jesse Williams. Coming into the draft, Williams had second round talent, but Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll was more than happy to peg him in round five.

St. Louis Rams

The Rams came into the draft with several needs and they were addressed. Rams head coach Jeff Fisher moved up from the 16th pick in round one to the eighth overall slot to select West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin. Rams quarterback Sam Bradford has been in dire need of an impact receiver and he gets a home run hitter in the form of Austin. The Rams owned two picks in round one and their second selection was used on University of Georgia linebacker Alec Ogletree. I had Ogletree going to St. Louis in my mock drafts as they needed a linebacker who could cover in space as well as deliver some punishment.

The third round saw St. Louis select USC safety T.J. McDonald and West Virginia wide receiver Steadman Bailey. Bailey and Austin were a dynamic duo at West Virginia and they will make fans in St. Louis remember “The Greatest Show on Turf” that won Super Bowl 34. In the fourth round, The Rams selected University of Alabama offensive lineman Barrett Jones. Jones was a member of three national championship teams at Alabama and he played three different positions on the offensive line. Coming into the draft process. Jones was expected to be a first-round draft pick, but injuries derailed him, but he’ll land on his feet in St. Louis.

The Rams closed out their draft by selecting Vanderbilt University running back Zac Stacy who will compete with running back Daryl Richardson for carries. The Rams are not that far away from being a playoff team in The National Football Conference.

Arizona Cardinals

The first draft for new Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians was a successful one as he filled plenty of needs. The Cardinals offensive line was porous last season and The Cards addressed that in the first round by selecting University of North Carolina guard Johnathan Cooper. The Cardinals selected LSU inside linebacker Kevin Minter in the second round. Minter had first-round talent, but The Cardinals were happy to take him the second round. Minter’s college teammate cornerback Tyrann Matthieu was taken in the third round by Arizona. Matthieu garnered the nickname “The Honey Badger” in college and along with Cardinals Pro-Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson the duo should give Arizona the best special teams threat in The NFL.

In the fourth round, Arizona selected University of Texas defensive end Alex Okafor. Okafor finished his collegiate career by recording six sacks against Oregon State in The Alamo Bowl. Okafor was a 4-3 defensive end in college who will now be asked to become a 3-4 outside linebacker. In the fifth round The Cardinals drafted a punishing running back in Stepfan Taylor from Stanford University. Taylor is a bruiser as he gets stronger as the game goes on. Round six saw Arizona select Texas A&M wide receiver Ryan Swope who can move the chains and Clemson University running back Andre Ellington who will be a change of pace to Taylor and running back Rashard Mendenhall.

The Cardinals will be for real in 2013.