Chicago Bears

Round 1 #14 OT Chris Williams, Vanderbilt
Round 2 #44 RB Matt Forte, Tulane
Round 3 #70 WR Earl Bennett, Vanderbilt
Round 3 #90 DT Marcus Harrison, Arkansas
Round 4 #120 S Craig Steltz, LSU
Round 5 #142 CB Zackary Bowman, Nebraska
Round 5 #158 TE Kellen Davis, Michigan State
Round 7 #208 DE Ervin Baldwin, Michigan State
Round 7 #243 LB Joey LaRocque, Oregon State
Round 7 #247 OT Kirk Barton, Ohio State
Round 7 #248 WR Marcus Monk, Arkansas

Overall Grade: C-

Fantasy Outlook: The Bears did not please their fans when they ignored their biggest need by failing to draft a quarterback. They did select Earl Bennett in the third round to attempt to replace the production lost at the receiver position with the departure of Bernard Berrian.  However, since the Bears still don’t have a reliable signal caller, Bennett does not figure to be a viable fantasy option.  Kellen Davis was a nice find in the fifth round.  Davis and Greg Olsen will be a solid tight end tandem, and they both warrant consideration in fantasy.  Chicago figured to have found two starters in Marcus Harrison and Craig Steltz on an already upper tier fantasy defense.

Detroit Lions

Round 1 #17 OT Gosder Cherilus, Boston College
Round 2 #45 LB Jordon Dizon, Colorado
Round 3 #64 RB Kevin Smith, Central Florida
Round 3 #87 DT Andre Fluellen, Florida State
Round 3 #92 LB Cliff Avril, Purdue
Round 5 #136 WR Kenneth Moore, Wake Forest
Round 5 #146 FB Jerome Felton, Furman
Round 7 #216 DE Landon Cohen, Ohio
Round 7 #218 S Caleb Campbell, Army

Overall Grade: B-

Fantasy Outlook: Kevin Smith could end up being one of the biggest steals in the 2008 NFL draft.  Smith will certainly be given every opportunity to start as Kevin Jones has left town, and Tatum Bell has never proven he can carry the load over a long period of time.  Therefore, Smith is a viable option to consider in keeper leagues. The Lions may have reached a little for Gosder Cherilus, but he will certainly provide Detroit much-needed help to their O-line. Andre Fluellen and Cliff Avril figure to be starters on a middle-of-the-road fantasy defense.

Green Bay Packers

Round 2 #36 WR Jordy Nelson, Kansas State
Round 2 #56 QB Brian Brohm, Louisville
Round 3 #91 DB Patrick Lee, Auburn
Round 4 #102 TE Jermichael Finley, Texas
Round 4 #135 DE Jeremy Thompson, Wake Forest
Round 5 #150 OT Bren Giacomini, Louisville
Round 7 #209 QB Matt Flynn, LSU
Round 7 #217 WR Brett Swain, San Diego State

Overall Grade: B+

Fantasy Outlook: Green Bay quietly had a very solid draft.  Jordy Nelson may not start right away, but he will eventually work his way onto the field.  The same could be said about Brian Brohm, who will likely begin his career holding the clipboard behind Aaron Rodgers.  Matt Flynn is more of a project, and he has career backup written all over him. Consequently, Brohm and Flynn are not even worth a look in keeper leagues at this point in their respective careers.  Jeremy Thompson and Patrick Lee could end up as starters on defense by the end of the season.

Minnesota Vikings

Round 2 #43 S Tyrell Johnson, Arkansas State
Round 5 #137 QB John David Booty, USC
Round 5 #152 DT Letroy Guion, Florida State
Round 6 #187 C John Sullivan, Notre Dame
Round 6 #193 WR Jaymar Johnson, Jackson State

Overall Grade: A

Fantasy Outlook: The draft for Minnesota began with the acquisition of defensive end Jared Allen.  Allen instantly makes the Vikings an upper tier fantasy defense. Tyrell Johnson has the speed to play corner or safety, and his versatility should have him seeing significant playing time.  John David Booty will give Tavaris Jackson a reason to do his best to continue to improve.  In other words, if Jackson regresses, then Booty could snatch his job away from him before the end of the 2008 campaign.  With that being said, Booty only warrants minimal consideration in keeper leagues.

Dallas Cowboys

Round 1 #22 RB Felix Jones, Arkansas
Round 1 #25 CB Mike Jenkins, South Florida
Round 2 #61 TE Martellus Bennett, Texas A&M
Round 4 #122 RB Tashard Choice, Georgia Tech
Round 5 #143 CB Orlando Scandrick, Boise State
Round 6 #167 LB Erik Walden, Middle Tennessee State 

Overall Grade: B+

Fantasy Outlook: Last year, the Cowboys were one of the rare teams that possessed two running backs that were taken in the first couple rounds of most fantasy drafts. Dallas still has Marion Barber, but they lost Julius Jones to free agency.  They will now ask Felix Jones to split the carries with Barber, which means that Jones warrants strong fantasy consideration as a rookie.  Dallas also selected Tashard Choice at running back, but he will likely be utilized on special teams and perhaps short yardage situations.  Martellus Bennett is a bit of a project at tight end, but he was a former basketball star, which has been a great attribute for productive NFL tight ends. In 2007, the Cowboys had injury issues to their secondary.  Therefore, they drafted Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick. The depth and athleticism that Dallas possesses makes them a strong fantasy defense.

New York Giants

Round 1 #31 S Kenny Phillips, Miami
Round 2 #63 CB Terrell Thomas, USC
Round 3 #95 WR Mario Manningham, Michigan
Round 4 #123 LB Brian Kehl, BYU
Round 5 #165 LB Jonathan Goff, Vanderbilt
Round 6 #198 QB Andre’ Woodson, Kentucky
Round 6 #199 DE Robert Henderson, Southern Miss

Overall Grade: B

Fantasy Outlook: The Giants already had a stellar fantasy defense, but they were able to get the safety they wanted by selecting Kenny Phillips in the first round. Phillips can play the run and the pass well, which should lead to him making some big plays. Speaking of big plays, Mario Manningham made them his entire college career.  Manningham may not have the greatest character, or run the best routes, but there is no doubt that he will go up and get the football in traffic. The combination of Manningham and Plaxico Burress should make Eli Manning an even more potent fantasy quarterback. The G-Men opted to draft a quarterback when they took Andre’ Woodson in the sixth round. However, Woodson will need time to develop, but he should benefit from playing behind Manning.

Philadelphia Eagles

Round 2 #47 DT Trevor Laws, Notre Dame
Round 2 #49 WR DeSean Jackson, California
Round 3 #80 LB Bryan Smith, McNeese State
Round 4 #109 OT Mike McGlynn, Pittsburgh
Round 4 #131 CB Jack Ikegwuonu, Wisconsin
Round 6 #184 OT Mike Gibson, California
Round 6 #200 LB Joe Mays, North Dakota
Round 6 #203 LB Andy Studebaker, Wheaton
Round 7 #230 OT King Dunlap, Auburn

Overall Grade: B

Fantasy Outlook: The Eagles were able to really target their needs this draft with nine selections. DeSean Jackson should be able to make an immediate impact, and he could develop into the major weapon that Donovan McNabb has not had at his disposal since the departure of Terrell Owens.  Therefore, Jackson is worth a look in fantasy, and he is an ideal pick in a keeper league.  Philadelphia also added three offensive tackles, and Mike McGlynn will likely be a starter.  The Eagles put a high emphasis on defense in this draft, and Trevor Laws, Bryan Smith, Quentin Demps, and Jack Ikegwuonu all figure to become starters on an already solid fantasy defense.

Washington Redskins

Round 2 #34 WR Devin Thomas, Michigan State
Round 2 #48 TE Fred Davis, USC
Round 2 #51 WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
Round 3 #96 OT Chad Rinehart, Northern Iowa
Round 4 #124 CB Justin Tryon, Arizona State
Round 6 #168 P Durant Brooks, Georgia Tech
Round 6 #180 DB Kareem Moore, Nicholls State
Round 7 #242 DE Rob Jackson, Kansas State
Round 7 #249 S Chris Horton, UCLA

Overall Grade: A-

Fantasy Outlook: It seemed like the Kansas City Chiefs had the best first round, and the Redskins had the best second round in the 2008 NFL draft.  In that aforementioned second round, Washington snagged three weapons on offense in Devin Thomas, Fred Davis, and Malcolm Kelly.  The entire trio warrant strong fantasy consideration in the new-look Jim Zorn offense. Justin Tryon and Kareem Moore can both contribute in the secondary and special teams, but neither figure to be more than nickel corners as rookies.  Colt Brennan is a project, and until he can prove he can make the transition into the NFL, he does not warrant any fantasy consideration.

Here is the list of some players that teams got at a bargain value:

OT Jeff Otah, Carolina Panthers (19th overall)
RB Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers (23rd overall)
WR Devin Thomas, Washington Redskins (34th overall)
WR James Hardy, Buffalo Bills (41st overall)
WR DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles (49th overall)
WR Limas Sweed, Pittsburgh Steelers (51st overall)
RB Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens (53rd overall)
QB Chad Henne, Miami Dolphins (55th overall)
OT Joe Greco, St. Louis Rams (65th overall)
CB Charles Godfrey, Carolina Panthers (67th overall)
RB Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs (73rd overall)
WR Early Doucet, Arizona Cardinals (81st overall)
WR Mario Manningham, New York Giants (95th overall)
WR Andre Caldwell, Cincinnati Bengals (97th overall)
CB Justin King, St. Louis Rams (101st overall)

1st Round 

1. Miami Dolphins-OT Jake Long, Michigan
2. St. Louis Rams-DE Chris Long, Virginia
3. Atlanta Falcons-QB Matt Ryan, Boston College  
4. Oakland Raiders-RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas            
5. Kansas City Chiefs-DT Glenn Dorsey, LSU                                                         
6. New York Jets-DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio State              
7. New England Patriots-DT Sederick Ellis, USC  
8. Baltimore Ravens-LB Keith Rivers, USC        
9. Cincinnati Bengals-DE Derrick Harvey, Florida
10. New Orleans Saints-CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Tennessee 
11. Buffalo Bills-WR Devin Thomas, Michigan State 
12. Denver Broncos-LB Jerod Mayo, Tennessee      
13. Carolina Panthers-RB Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois
14. Chicago Bears-OT Jeff Otah, Pittsburgh               
15. Detroit Lions-DE Phillip Merling, Clemson 
16. Arizona Cardinals- CB Leodis McKelvin, Troy
17. Kansas City Chiefs-OT Branden Albert, Virginia 
18. Houston Texans-OT Ryan Clady, Boise State              
19. Philadelphia Eagles-CB Mike Jenkins, South Florida     
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-DT Kentwan Balmer, North Carolina 
21. Washington Redskins-S Kenny Phillps, Miami
22. Dallas Cowboys-RB Felix Jones, Arkansas
23. Pittsburgh Steelers-WR James Hardy, Indiana
24. Tennessee Titans-CB Aqib Talib, Kansas   
25. Seattle Seahawks-TE Dustin Keller, Purdue          
26. Jacksonville Jaguars-DE Calais Campbell, Miami       
27. San Diego Chargers-OT Chris Williams, Vanderbilt       
28. Dallas Cowboys-WR Limas Sweed, Texas 
29. San Francisco 49ers-WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma       
30. Green Bay Packers-CB Reggie Smith, Oklahoma           
31. New York Giants-CB Antoine Cason, Arizona

2008 St. Louis Rams Team Needs

Defensive End: Leonard Little and James Hall are on the wrong side of 30 years old.  Little is also coming off of a toe surgery.  Therefore, the Rams are in need of a young pass rushing end.

Wide Receiver: Torry Holt is not getting any younger, and Drew Bennett doesn’t seem to be getting any healthier.  Isaac Bruce has left town, but St. Louis did sign Reche Caldwell.  Caldwell is a serviceable target, but the Rams could afford to draft a big receiver.

Center: Andy McCollum has entered into the free agency market, which means he likely won’t be back. Consequently, St. Louis needs to add depth to the position via the draft.

Quarterback: Marc Bulger and Trent Green are both injuries waiting to happen.  Look for the Rams to attempt to find their future signal caller in this draft.

Draft Candidates: DE Chris Long, Virginia, DT Glenn Dorsey, LSU, WR James Hardy, Indiana, WR D.J. Hall, Alabama, C John Sullivan, Notre Dame, C Jamey Richard, Buffalo, QB John David Booty, USC, Josh Johnson, San Diego