It's time for another round of Winners and Losers when grading the various rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft. This time we take a look at those teams which hurt themselves in round two comparable to the others at first glance, including one AFC West rival who blew two consecutive picks.
1. Dallas Cowboys - The Cowboys chose high in Round Two at No. 40 overall (No. 8 in the round) and walked away with a strong special teams player who fills a need in North Carolina outside linebacker Bruce Carter. That's considered a strong acquisition in rounds four-plus, not at this stage. You're still talking about fringe first-rounders here, and that's what you have with Carter. He's coming off of major season-ending knee surgery and once became semi-famous for his questionable McDonald's diet. He struggles against the run, although it's his stellar athleticism the Cowboys are banking -- the kind of quality that's lost after major knee issues.
2. Arizona Cardinals - There's no denying Ryan Williams' overwhelming talent at the running back position. Some believe he could be a better pro than Mark Ingram, and the Virginia Tech product warrants a pick this high. Just not by the Cardinals. For a team that's already invested in Beanie Wells and has several holes across the roster, including quarterback, for the team to stand still and take a high-upside project just doesn't make sense. Some teams take the best player on their draft board, but this is an extreme case.
3. Denver Broncos - The Broncos had two picks in a row after the 49ers traded up for quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and the Broncos whiffed on both choices. Safety Rahim Moore from UCLA is the best in a weak draft class, but he struggles to defend the run in a division where the powerhouse attacks of the Chiefs and Raiders wreak havoc. Miami's (FL) Orlando Franklin is a nice versatile prospect at guard and center, but Denver already chose three of those in the last draft (Eric Olson, Zane Beadles, J.D. Walton). With so many more defensive needs along the front seven, the choices could have been better utilized.
4. St. Louis Rams - Tight end Lance Kendricks got open quite a bit at Wisconsin due to the run-heavy offense that opened up some lanes over the top. Kendricks is a decent get in another round or two, but the Rams have greater needs. Perhaps Kendricks will help a la Rob Gronkowski with the Patriots, but the Rams aren't talented enough to free up Kendricks and enjoy a tight end who cannot block at the next level. Poor draft so far for the Rams.
5. Philadelphia Eagles - A four starter at Temple, Jaiquawn Jarrett is a hard hitting safety who helps the Eagles depth in the secondary after some injury issues (Nate Allen went out with a season-ending rupture of his patella tendon). Thus, Jarrett's not a bad choice, but a poorly placed one when he likely would have slipped to the third. Some project Jarrett's lack of size and speed will hurt him at the NFL level. Philly has a nice roster with few holes, but better talents were available overall than Jarrett.
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