2004 NFL Draft Grades and Re-Grades AFC Re-Grades

This page is dedicated to my 2004 NFL Draft Grades and Re-Grades for the AFC. The latter is basically going back four years and re-grading how every team fared in the 2004 NFL Draft. The new analysis is in red, while all the old stuff has been preserved.

Here are my 2004 NFL Draft Grades and Re-Grades: NFC.

Grade given on 5/1/04: C-
Grade given on 6/6/08: D
Good Moves: Buffalo fans hope that WR Lee Evans can replace Peerless Price. QB J.P. Losman will start by 2005, barring an MVP type season from Drew Bledsoe.

Bad Moves: Losman is the second first round pick in the last two years that will not play in his initial season (Willis McGahee). Other than the two first round selections, the Bills did not impress.

June 6, 2008 Update: Lee Evans. That’s all the Bills got out of this draft. It should be exciting to see how Evans (No. 13 overall) plays if Buffalo can develop either James Hardy or Steve Johnson across from him.

Of course, it’s not a good thing to say that a team got only one player out of the draft, especially when it had two first-round picks. The other was used on J.P. Losman (No. 22 overall). We all know how that turned out. Excluding his girly-man voice, the Adam Sandler-look-alike has offered nothing as an NFL quarterback.

Tim Anderson (3rd round) had six tackles in nine games with the Falcons last year. He’ll once again be relegated to second-string duties in 2008 … Tim Euhus (4th round), Dylan McFarland (7th round) and Jonathan Smith (7th round) are all unemployed.

Potential 2004 Starters: WR Lee Evans, QB J.P. Losman.

Grade given on 5/1/04: B
Grade given on 6/6/08: C
Good Moves: The best value pick this weekend was the Dolphins’ fourth round selection of CB Will Poole. Another great pick was seventh rounder OT Tony Pape.

Bad Moves: G/OT Vernon Carey will be a decent player, but Miami didn’t need to trade up to acquire him. Also, there were a few questionable Sunday additions.

June 6, 2008 Update: I was a bit down on Miami’s 2004 class because they traded up for Vernon Carey. I was right in saying that Carey would become a decent player, but I didn’t think they needed to move up for him. Unfortunately, the Dolphins have other problems to worry about right now, like, I don’t know, trying to win two or more games in 2008.

I thought Will Poole was a great value pick, and he was, as most publications pegged him as a second-round prospect. Well, we now know why he slipped into the fourth round. Poole is barely holding on to a job with the miserable Chiefs.

Mixed reviews about Miami’s late-round selections. Rex Hadnot isn’t a great offensive lineman, but he sees a lot of action in Cleveland. Not bad for a sixth-rounder … Derrick Pope (7th round) is a solid special-teamer and reserve. He’s now with Minnesota … Tony Bua (5th round) is out of the league, while Tony Pape (7th round) is a camp body in San Diego.

Potential 2004 Starters: G/OT Vernon Carey, CB Will Poole.

Grade given on 5/1/04: B-
Grade given on 6/6/08: C
Good Moves: Two new defensive linemen: DT Vince Wilfork and DE Marquise Hill, ensure that the Patriots will have a solid front four for years to come. TE Ben Watson could start in place of bust Daniel Graham. New England also made two outstanding late round selections: RB Cedric Cobbs in the fourth round, and WR P.K. Sam in the fifth.

Bad Moves: New England failed to acquire a quality cornerback or interior linemen, their two most prominent positions of need.

June 6, 2008 Update: Why does it seem like the Patriots always have a pair of first-round picks? That was the case in 2004, and New England turned one of them into Vince Wilfork (No. 21 overall), one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the NFL. The other was used on Ben Watson (No. 32 overall), the epitome of inconsistency. Watson can be brilliant at times, but he often disappears. For example, he had just three receptions for 20 yards in the playoffs last year.

The Patriots suffered a loss worse than the defeat in the Super Bowl last summer when second-round defensive end Marquise Hill died in a boating accident. He was a decent depth player who was definitely missed.

Dexter Reid (4th round) was arrested with drug possessions and gun charges. He could be thrown in jail for a few years … Christian Morton (7th round) is a camp body in Denver … Everyone else New England drafted – Guss Scott (3rd round), Dexter Reid (4th round), Cedric Cobbs (4th round) and P.K. Sams (5th round) – are all unemployed.

Potential 2004 Starters: TE Ben Watson.

Grade given on 5/1/04: B+
Grade given on 6/6/08: B+
Good Moves: The Jets drafted two players who will immediately make a positive contribution to their defense: MLB Jonathan Vilma and CB Derrick Strait. Two more were added to assist Chad Pennington: WR Jerricho Cotchery and OT Adrian Jones. S Rashad Washington was a great seventh round pick.

Bad Moves: New York didn’t address their need at the defensive end position. There were many questionable second day picks.

June 6, 2008 Update: Sometimes you have to blame a coaching staff for a draft pick not succeeding. That’s what happened with Jonathan Vilma (No. 12 overall), who was having a great career in New York before Eric Mangini decided to install the 3-4. Vilma is a 4-3 middle linebacker, so he’ll thrive in New Orleans.

At least the Jets are using Jerricho Cotchery correctly. A fourth-round steal, Cotchery had 82 receptions and 1,130 yards in 2007. It should be interesting to see what sort of numbers Cotchery can put up once Mangini gets his quarterbacking situation straightened out.

Believe it or not, the Jets drafted Derrick Ward in the seventh round – the same guy who looked so promising at running back for the Giants before breaking his leg. Ward averaged 4.8 yards per carry and caught 26 passes in eight games in 2007.

Adrian Jones (4th round) is starting for the Chiefs, which should tell you how much of a joke Kansas City’s offensive line is. I’m shocked Jones is still in the league … Another mediocre Jets pick, Erik Coleman (5th round) will be starting at free safety in Atlanta. Make sure you start any solid receivers going against the Falcons in your fantasy league this year … Stanley McClover (7th round) is a backup defensive end in Carolina. Nothing special, though not bad for where the Jets drafted him.

Even worse than Jones and Coleman is Derrick Strait (3rd round), who is out of the league … Marko Cavka (6th round), Trevor Johnson (7th round) and Rashad Washington (7th round) are also unemployed.

Potential 2004 Starters: MLB Jonathan Vilma, CB Derrick Strait, OT Adrian Jones.

Grade given on 5/1/04: A+
Grade given on 6/6/08: F
Good Moves: As a second round pick, Dwan Edwards could start right away. Baltimore also picked up a few talented wide receivers, such as Devard Darling, Clarence Moore and veteran Kevin Johnson via a trade. OLB Roderick Green will provide depth at the linebacker position, while QB Josh Harris could replace Kyle Boller if he doesn’t pan out to what Brian Billuck projects him to become. Finally, OT Brian Rimpf is an excellent seventh round acquisition.

Bad Moves: None. Even though they didn’t have a first-round pick, Baltimore ended up with one of the best drafts this weekend.

June 6, 2008 Update: Talk about misreading a draft. The Ravens couldn’t have gotten an A+ in this draft if they cheated by looking at another team’s draft board or videotaping someone else’s workouts.

Dwan Edwards (2nd round) is a solid rotation guy on Baltimore’s defensive line, but it’s safe to say the team was looking for something more lucrative from its top pick … The Ravens’ second pick wasn’t any better. Devard Darling, taken a third round, notched season highs of 18 receptions and 326 yards last year. He just signed with the Chiefs.

It only got worse on Day 2. Roderick Green (5th round) is buried on San Francisco’s depth chart … Meanwhile, Josh Harris (6th round), Clarence Moore (6th round), Derek Abney (7th round) and Brian Rimpf (7th round) are all out of the league.

Potential 2004 Starters: DT Dwan Edwards, WR Kevin Johnson.

Grade given on 5/1/04: D
Grade given on 6/6/08: C-
Good Moves: Late round selections, such as DT Matthias Askew, OT Stacey Andrews and CB Greg Brooks could start by next year.

Bad Moves: All other picks were reaches. Cincinnati fans should be used to this kind of draft.

June 6, 2008 Update: Despite the fact that the Bengals had Rudi Johnson as a promising, young running back, they felt the need to draft Chris Perry with the 26th overall pick. How’s that working out? Johnson isn’t exactly the next Hall of Famer, but Perry has 73 career carries for 337 yards.

Cincinnati had four other selections on Day 1. Madieu Williams (2nd round) is the best of the bunch, as he looked very promising early in his career, but has been hampered by injuries. He has missed 15 games in 2005 and 2007 … Landon Johnson (3rd round) had a few mediocre seasons with Cincinnati. He signed with Carolina, where he will back up Jon Beason … Keiwan Ratliff is buried on Indianapolis’ depth chart. Not a good use of a second-round pick … Meanwhile, Caleb Miller (3rd round) is out of the league.

The Bengals had three selections in the fourth round, where they took Robert Geathers, Stacy Andrews and Matthias Askew. Geathers is one year removed from 10 sacks. He struggled in 2008, notching just four sacks. Is it a coincidence that he signed a $33 million deal nine months prior to the 2007 campaign? A lethargic Bengal? No way! … Cincinnati used its franchise tag on Stacy Andrews this spring. Andrews, who shows a lot of promise, will start at right tackle this season … The Askew choice wasn’t as lucrative; he’s a deep reserve in Washington.

Nothing late in the draft. Maurice Mann (5th round) and Casey Bramlet (7th round) are deep reserves in Washington and San Diego, respectively … Greg Brooks (7th round) is unemployed.

Potential 2004 Starters: None.

Grade given on 5/1/04: C+
Grade given on 6/6/08: B
Good Moves: TE Kellen Winslow Jr. could be the top player chosen this April. S Sean Jones is a late second round pick who will make an impact in 2004, while QB Luke McCown will prove that he was worth being taken in the fourth round down the road.

Bad Moves: Nothing special in the last three rounds. The Browns failed to address their offensive tackle desires, as well as their pathetic record setting run defense.

June 6, 2008 Update: Kellen Winslow (No. 6 overall) may be a headache with his comments and injuries, but I’ll take him. Winslow registered 82 receptions and 1,106 yards in 2007, and was a major reason why the Browns would have made the playoffs if Tony Dungy played his starters against the Titans in the final game of the year (though the Browns had the last laugh because Dungy’s decision led to Indianapolis’ early exit).

Cleveland had one other first-day selection and used it on strong safety Sean Jones (2nd round). Jones starts, but definitely isn’t one of the better safeties in the league. He’s adequate but could stand to be upgraded.

Luke McCown (4th round) is battling for the No. 2 quarterback slot in Tampa Bay. McCown played well in relief of Jeff Garcia last season, but I wouldn’t be comfortable with him as my team’s starter … Amon Gordon (5th round) started at defensive tackle for the Broncos in 2007, but was eventually benched and cut. He’ll be a backup in Baltimore if he makes the team … Kirk Chambers (6th round) is a backup offensive tackle in Buffalo … Adimchinobi Echemandu (7th round) has 28 career carries. He won’t get many opportunities in a crowded Oakland backfield.

Potential 2004 Starters: TE Kellen Winslow Jr., S Sean Jones.

Grade given on 5/1/04: A
Grade given on 6/6/08: C+
Good Moves: Drafting Ben Roethlisberger finally ends the revolving door of quarterbacks, installed since the Terry Bradshaw era. Ricardo Colclough will be the best corner on this roster by September. OT Max Starks and DE Nathan Adibi were also decent selections.

Bad Moves: Other than a few questionable second day acquisitions, there is nothing wrong with Pittsburgh’s draft.

June 6, 2008 Update: Ben Roethlisberger… Hmm… I wonder how that’s working out for Pittsburgh. I still don’t know how he fell to No. 11, but I don’t hear any Steelers fans complaining.

As we learned with Pittsburgh’s 2005 NFL Draft class, each of their succeeding picks got worse. That pattern was present in 2004 as well. Second-rounder Ricardo Colclough is awful. He’ll be Carolina’s fifth corner in 2008, assuming he even makes the team … Max Starks (3rd round) is the Steelers’ second-highest paid player behind Roethlisberger despite the fact that he doesn’t start. Nor should he. Starks is a solid backup, but that’s it … Eric Taylor (7th round) is a camp body in Tennessee.

Believe it or not, none of Pittsburgh’s other picks – Nathaniel Adibi (5th round), Bo Lacy (6th round), Matt Kranchick (6th round) and Drew Caylor (6th round) – are still in the league.

Potential 2004 Starters: QB Ben Roethlisberger, CB Ricardo Colclough, OT Max Starks.

Grade given on 5/1/04: B
Grade given on 6/6/08: C-
Good Moves: Adding CB Duanta Robinson to the roster will enable Marcus Coleman to move to safety. DE Jason Babin will be a mainstay on Houston’s defensive line for years, but Charley Casserly mortgaged three draft picks just to acquire him. CB Vontez Duff was a decent sixth round selection.

Bad Moves: Other than Duff, no Day 2 selection was anything special. A wide receiver should have been added during the earlier rounds of the draft.

June 6, 2008 Update: No surprise that Charley Casserly screwed up another draft, though I should have known that he would at the time. Casserly traded three picks to move back up into the first round for Jason Babin (No. 27 overall). How’s that working out for the Texans? Babin is a third-string defensive lineman in Seattle. He won’t be in the league much longer.

I was right in saying that no Day 2 selection was anything special, though the aforementioned Vontez Duff (6th round) is out of the NFL … Glenn Earl (4th round) is a mediocre safety when healthy. Unfortunately for Houston, Earl missed six games in 2005 and all of 2007 … Jammal Lord (6th round), Raheem Orr (7th round), Sloan Thomas (7th round) and B.J. Symons (7th round) all joined Duff in unemployment.

Two selections saved the Texans from the infamous Z-. Dunta Robinson (No. 10 overall) is an exceptional cornerback, though he tore his ACL in 2007 … Charlie Anderson (6th round) could be starting for the Dolphins this year, but only because that team is complete joke. Anderson is a reliable backup linebacker otherwise.

Potential 2004 Starters: CB Duanta Robinson, DE Jason Babin.

Grade given on 5/1/04: F
Grade given on 6/6/08: A-
Good Moves: S Bob Sanders and OLB Kendyll Pope show some promise.

Bad Moves: All of their picks were drafted entirely too early, with the exception of third rounder TE Ben Hartsock, who will be the third tight end on the roster. Indianapolis did not improve their brutal defense.

June 6, 2008 Update: Bob Sanders shows some promise? Some? Whoops. Try the best strong safety in the NFL. Not bad for a second-round pick.

As you can tell, I once again regret doubting The Bill Polian. That said, only one of his third-rounders succeeded. Ben Hartsock turned out to be a solid blocking tight end, while Gilbert Gardner is nothing more than a special-teamer.

Everyone knows Jason David (4th round) as a complete failure who often got burnt with the Saints, but he was actually a decent corner in Tony Dungy’s Tampa-2 … Jake Scott (5th round) signed with the Titans after starting for the Colts … Von Hutchins (6th round) never did much in Indianapolis, but he’ll be starting for the Falcons this year. Not that it means much; Atlanta has one of the worst secondaries in the NFL … Jim Sorgi (6th round) has been the backup behind Peyton Manning the past few years.

Only two of The Bill Polian’s selections are out of the league. That would be Kendyll Pope (4th round) and David Kimball (7th round).

Potential 2004 Starters: S Bob Sanders, OLB Kendyll Pope.

Grade given on 5/1/04: C+
Grade given on 6/6/08: B-
Good Moves: Although he was a bit of a reach at No. 9, WR Reggie Williams will be an effective weapon for Byron Leftwich for years to come. OLBs Daryl Smith and Jorge Cordova will improve an already potent Jaguar defense. DE Bobby McCray was an incredible seventh round pick.

Bad Moves: Jacksonville didn’t address the defense end position until that seventh round selection. They should have done so with one of their second round picks. Instead of RB Greg Jones, a defensive end like Antwan Odom or Marquise Hill could have been acquired.

June 6, 2008 Update: Reggie Williams (No. 9 overall) is an effective weapon for Byron Leftwich. Not so much. Despite never having more than 629 receiving yards, Williams is still slated to start. Poor David Garrard.

Making up for the Williams pick, the Jaguars hit the jackpot with Daryl Smith in the second round. The average fan doesn’t know about this guy, but he’s one of the better weakside linebackers in the NFL … Jacksonville’s other second-rounder, Greg Jones, is the team’s starting fullback. He just signed a 5-year, $17.4 million contract.

The Jaguars nailed a pair of second-day selections. Kicker Josh Scobee (5th round) hit 38-of-45 field goal attempts the past two years … Bobby McCray (7th round) had 10 sacks in 2006 and just signed a 5-year, $20 million deal with the Saints.

The middle of the draft wasn’t as kind to Jacksonville. Jorge Cordova (3rd round) and Anthony Maddox (4th round) are second-stringers in Tennessee and Houston, respectively … Ernest Wilford (4th round) showed promise early in his career but never amounted to anything. The Dolphins naturally think he can be a starter … Chris Thompson (5th round) and Sean Bubin (5th round) are out of the league.

Potential 2004 Starters: WR Reggie Williams, OLB Daryl Smith, K Josh Scobee.

Grade given on 5/1/04: B+
Grade given on 6/6/08: C
Good Moves: Concerns about a dying defensive line have dissipated. DEs Travis LaBoy, Antwan Odom and Bo Schobel, as well as DT Randy Starks were all added to ensure that the Titans’ defense would continue to be one of the best in the NFL. Offensive additions like TE Ben Troupe, G Jacob Bell and FB Sean McHugh will all assist Tennessee in a tough AFC South division.

Bad Moves: A few picks didn’t make sense like CBs Rich Gardner and Michael Waddell, as well as the rest of their second day selections.

June 6, 2008 Update: It’s a bit surprising to see some mediocrity from a Tennessee draft class; usually they find numerous ways to screw up. They didn’t do so bad in 2004, though you couldn’t really tell by its top pick, Ben Troupe. Troupe, chosen in the second round, had 55 receptions and 530 yards in 2005, but has managed just 18 catches and 197 yards since.

The Titans spent their other second-rounders on defensive ends. Travis LaBoy has never accumulated more than seven sacks, yet signed a $22 million deal with Arizona. Meanwhile, Antwan Odom, who had just four sacks going into 2007, registered eight last year. The Bengals gave him a $30 million contract. Notice that both franchises often have problems making the playoffs. It’s not that LaBoy and Odom are bad; they were just severely overvalued this offseason; most players wouldn’t have problems accumulating a good amount of sacks playing next to Albert Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosch.

Randy Starks also signed a moderately sized deal with another team this spring. Starks is a sub-par defensive tackle with off-the-field issues. So, I’m not surprised to see Miami (another troubled franchise) sign him to a 5-year, $20 million contract.

Tennessee’s best selections came in the later rounds. Jacob Bell (5th round) emerged as one of the better guards in the NFL. He’ll be playing for the Rams in 2008 … Eguene Amano may replace Bell at left guard. If not, he’s still a reliable backup. Not bad for a seventh-rounder.

It wouldn’t be a Titans draft if there weren’t numerous busts. Bo Schobel (4th round) is a camp body in Arizona … Michael Waddell (4th round) signed with the Raiders this offseason, but hasn’t played since 2005 … Troy Fleming (6th round) is a special-teamer in Carolina. He may not make the team … Sean McHugh (7th round) is Detroit’s third tight end … Rich Gardner (3rd round), Rob Reynolds (5th round) and Jared Clauss (7th round) are out of football.

Potential 2004 Starters: TE Ben Troupe, DE Travis LaBoy, DE Antwan Odom, DT Randy Starks.

Grade given on 5/1/04: B-
Grade given on 6/6/08: C-
Good Moves: Denver had one of the best Saturdays in the league. OLB D.J. Williams and CB Jeremy LeSueur will both improve a defense that couldn’t stop Peyton Manning in last year’s playoffs.

Bad Moves: Sunday was a different story. None of their picks will pan out. Also, Darius Watts was a reach for a second-round pick.

June 6, 2008 Update: The Broncos were coming off the first of the two beatdowns the Colts gave them in the playoffs this decade. That’s why they spent three of their first five picks on players for their back seven. Only one panned out, and that would be D.J. Williams (No. 17 overall). Williams, one of the better weakside linebackers in the NFL, was forced to man the middle in 2007. That didn’t work out too well, so he’ll be going back to his natural position … Jeremy LeSueur (3rd round) and Jeff Shoate (5th round), two of the corners Denver added in 2004, are both out of the NFL.

Tatum Bell (2nd round) had two decent seasons with the Broncos (921 yards in 2005; 1,025 yards in 2006), but managed just 182 yards in five games with Detroit in 2007. Bell needs to prove that he’s not another Denver runner who can’t be productive outside of Mike Shanahan’s system.

The Broncos had another second-rounder, and they used it on receiver Darius Watts, who hasn’t played a down since 2005 … Like Watts, LeSueur and Shoate, Triandos Luke (6th round), Josh Sewell (6th round), Matt Mauck (7th round), Brandon Miree (7th round) and Bradlee Van Pelt (7th round) are all out of football. That’s eight of the 10 players Denver drafted. Ouch.

Potential 2004 Starters: OLB D.J. Williams, CB Jeremy LeSueur.

Grade given on 5/1/04: F
Grade given on 6/6/08: C
Good Moves: DT Junior Siavii will be a decent player, but he was a definite reach as an early second round pick. OLB Keyaron Fox will be a starter down the road.

Bad Moves: Every other selection seemed like they were being made by a 5-year-old. The Chiefs neither addressed their defense, nor added a receiver who can catch the football.

June 6, 2008 Update: I guess a 5-year-old can make a decent pick once in a while. Scratch that. Decent is too weak an adjective. I’m referring to the fourth-rounder Kansas City used on Jared Allen. That’s without a doubt, the steal of this class. That selection alone boosts the team’s grade up to at least a C.

But because the Chiefs are the Chiefs, they took a barrage of busts. Let’s start with Junior Siavii (2nd round), who is nothing more than a camp body in Dallas … How about Kris Wilson, Philadelphia’s third-string tight end? … What about Keyaron Fox (3rd round), a backup in Pittsburgh? … Don’t forget Samie Parker and his 298 receiving yards in 15 games last season … And last but not least, the guys who aren’t in the league anymore. That would be Jeris McIntyre (6th round) and Kevin Sampson (7th round).

Potential 2004 Starters: DT Junior Siavii.

Grade given on 5/1/04: A
Grade given on 6/6/08: Z-
Good Moves: I’m shocked that Al Davis drafted an offensive lineman with the 2nd pick overall. Nevertheless, it’s a good move on his part. So was C Jake Grove in the second round. S Stuart Schweigert will assist a woeful defense next season, while the two receivers taken (Carlos Francis and Johnnie Morant) show a lot of promise.

Bad Moves: The defensive end position wasn’t addressed until the sixth round.

June 6, 2008 Update: “Robert Gallery is a can’t-miss prospect!” “Robert Gallery is the safest pick in the draft!” “Robert Gallers are going to be a power offensive linemans who will knock haters out of the ballpark and on their behinds!” All the experts were saying these things (the last one being from our favorite analyst) before the 2004 NFL Draft.

It just goes to show how difficult it is to predict how well prospects will transition to the NFL. Gallery (No. 2 overall) is one of the biggest busts this decade … Jake Grove was considered another safe selection in the second round. He’s also been horrendous.

Well, at least Al Davis nailed the rest of his draft. Or not. Stuart Schweigert (3rd round) was probably the best player Oakland drafted four years ago, and he was benched last season in favor of Hiram Eugene … Cody Spencer (6th round) is a camp body for the Jets … Courtney Anderson (7th round) is a backup tight end in Buffalo … The rest of the Raiders’ choices – Carlos Francis (4th round), Johnnie Morant (5th round), Shawn Johnson (6th round) and Andre Sommersell (7th round) – are out of football.

Potential 2004 Starters: OT Robert Gallery, C Jake Grove, S Stuart Schweigert.

Grade given on 5/1/04: A
Grade given on 6/6/08: A+
Good Moves: San Diego acquired the quarterback they desired (Philip Rivers) and still managed to pick up a first round pick next year. Other exceptional players selected include: DT Igor Olshansky, K Nate Kaeding, DEs Shaun Phillips and David Ball, RB Michael Turner and OTs Shane Olivea and Carlos Joseph.

Bad Moves: The Chargers made a few questionable draft picks. They should have addressed the wide receiver position.

June 6, 2008 Update: The Chargers wanted Eli Manning. Eli Manning’s daddy didn’t want his little boy to play with the Chargers because they were meanies. The Chargers drafted Eli but traded him to the Giants for a king’s ransom. Along with the exceptional players they obtained in this draft, they were also able to land Shawne Merriman a year later.

San Diego traded for Philip Rivers, who was drafted fourth overall by the Giants. Though he often behaves like a 5-year-old, Rivers is one of the more talented quarterbacks in the NFL.

Igor Olshansky (2nd round) is an underrated 3-4 defensive lineman. He, Jamal Williams and Luis Castillo open things up for San Diego’s linebackers. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that my dad always exclaims, “Hey! I know his parents!” whenever he hears Olshansky’s name mentioned on TV during Chargers games … Nate Kaeding (3rd round) missed a crucial kick in the 2005 playoffs, but he’s 32-of-42 from beyond 40 yards in his career, and never had a season where he hit worse than 80 percent of his field goals … Nick Hardwick (3rd round) is one of the better centers in the NFL.

Despite all the positive things I said about San Diego’s draft thus far, the best pick in this class was the fourth-rounder the team used on Shaun Phillips. Phillips has 21 sacks the past two years playing across from Merriman … But Phillips wasn’t the Chargers’ lone excellent second-day selection; they took Michael Turner in the fifth round. Turner played extremely well in the playoffs when LaDainian Tomlinson was injured. The Falcons consequently paid him $34.5 million over six years this offseason … Ryon Bingham (7th round) is a solid reserve on San Diego’s three-man line … Shane Olivea (7th round) is currently unemployed, though that may change soon. Olivea was a solid starter at right tackle early in his career before getting slowed down by injuries.

Believe it or not, but some of the Chargers’ picks flopped. Dave Ball (5th round) and Ryan Krause (6th round) are both camp bodies, while Carlos Joseph (7th round) is out of the league.

Potential 2004 Starters: QB Philip Rivers, DT Igor Olshansky, K Nate Kaeding, DE Shaun Phillips.

Here are my 2004 NFL Draft Grades and Re-Grades: NFC.

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