Draft Report Card: NFC West

NFC West:

Arizona Cardinals- C+
I really liked the Cards' first two picks, safety Deone Bucannon and tight end Troy Niklas. Bucannon will pair with Tyrann Mathieu to form arguably the best young safety tandem in the league, while Niklas will step in and be their best tight end from day one. After those picks, I think the Cardinals' coaching staff and front office failed to address their needs, cornerback and linebacker in particular. John Abraham is 36 years old, and Daryl Washington could be facing another suspension. And behind Patrick Peterson, Antonio Cromartie, and Jerraud Powers their are no proven cornerbacks. If one of those three goes down with an injury, this secondary could be in trouble. Tyrann Mathieu's versatility comes in hand but he's relegated to playing in the slot, which is why I think they should have drafted a cornerback.

San Francisco 49ers- A+
I questioned the decision to take Jimmie Ward in the first round, but once I heard that he can play safety and cornerback it made more and more sense. Antoine Bethea will likely hold down the strong safety spot in 2014, and Ward will contribute at cornerback and on special teams. Jim Harbaugh and his staff were very active in the draft, making many trades and stocking draft picks. I particularly likes the selections of Carlos Hyde and Chris Borland. Hyde will compete with Marcus Lattimore for carries, keeping veteran Frank Gore fresh for the postseason. And Chris Borland might be labeled as "undersized" but the man can play football and after gruesome knee injury NaVorro Bowman suffered in the playoffs last season this was a much needed addition. Borland reminds me a lot of former Dolphins and Cowboys linebacker Zach Thomas. Marcus Martin will compete for the starting job at center and should save a roster spot due to his ability to play center and both guard positions. Bruce Ellington adds much needed talent and depth at wide receiver. And due to the depth this team has, Jim Harbaugh had the luxury of drafting a very talented player who suffered an unfortunate injury in the pre-draft process, Brandon Thomas, who will likely spend his rookie season on IR. The 49ers added a lot of good players and addressed all of their needs, a tremendous job by Harbaugh and General Manager Trent Baalke.

Seattle Seahawks- B
Pete Carroll and John Schneider addressed their team's needs, but I question the value of the players they selected. They drafted wide receiver Paul Richardson in the second round over Davante Adams, Allen Robinson, Jarvis Landry, Cody Latimer, and Donte Moncrief. And then later in the second round drafted offensive tackle Justin Britt, who more than likely would have been available with their next pick in the fourth round. The fourth round they got some pretty good players, Cassius Marsh has a nonstop motor and adds to their pass-rush, while they may have gotten the most athletic linebacker in the draft when they took Kevin Pierre-Louis. I was disappointed with Seattle's draft class this year as I felt they could have gotten better players with their picks.

St. Louis Rams- A-
General Manager Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher did a phenomenal job this year. They got impact players that will contribute immediately. Greg Robinson will start somewhere on the offensive line and do a great job, especially in the run game. Aaron Donald will start next to Michael Brockers on what is now hands down the most talented defensive line in the league. Lamarcus Joyner, one of the more underrated prospects in the draft, could end up starting at free safety, and his versatility will save the team a roster spot. Tre Mason will certainly steal some carries from Zac Stacy. Fourth round pick Mo Alexander is a big, hard hitting strong safety much like their current starter T.J. McDonald, and provides insurance should McDonald go down with an injury like he did last season. And, of course, I must mention their seventh round pick Michael Sam, the first openly gay player to get drafted. He's really going to have to make a name for himself and show that he can play special teams in order to have a shot at making the team. The decision not to draft a wide receiver tells me they're banking on their current group to make a significant leap in 2014.