The statement above could change by September, but as of right now, Cleveland has done the best job at this year’s draft event, and it is not even close. What must not be forgotten is just how meaningless this award can become by the time we reach the start of the season. Right now however, the Browns have managed to nab the no. 3 and no. 4 players on their draft board. Many sportswriters have used to tried and tested headline “Christmas came early for Cleveland”.

You could not find a fault with the way this draft unfolded for the Browns. They made the smart choice with their third selection, using it to strengthen their weak front line by naming Offensive Tackle Joe Thomas their man. According to the rumors they had a hard time deciding between Thomas and prime QB prospect Brady Quinn. At this point they probably thought they had handed Quinn to the Dolphins who were set to be picking at the 9th spot.

The biggest surprise of the draft came when the Dolphins elected to take a receiver (Ted Ginn Jr.) instead of the QB they so desperately needed. With this the Browns moved up with a trade to the 22nd spot to take Quinn and essentially get their 2008 first round draft pick a year earlier.

So the Browns were head and shoulders above the pack, but here is a rundown of the teams that did well and those that did not:

Winners:

Detroit Lions: I might be criticized for putting them here, but whilst they were unable to get a trade going for their top pick, they did do the right thing and select the draft’s best player in WR Calvin Johnson. QB Drew Stanton is the kind of prospect they need if they are serious about keeping this ultra-quick receiving tandem. DE Ikaika Alama-Francis brings raw power, and their final three picks filled holes at the secondary. A great draft by my standards.

Atlanta Falcons: Not the kind of draft that makes headlines, just a solid group of winners being picked up here. DE Jamal Anderson will get a chance to start for them, Justin Blalock and Chris Houston will both fit in easily as well. Laurent Robinson might become a huge steal if he is able to come back successfully from injury.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: They avoided the temptation of picking Brady Quinn at the 4th spot, and they selected a bunch of guys to strengthen their defense, which was clearly their Achilles heel last season. Gaines Adams is a scary pass rusher who is set to have a great career.

San Francisco 49ers: Just a great all-around draft for this team. It’s drafts like these that create winners. Patrick Willis has the makings of a pro-bowl linebacker, Joe Staley is a great lineman and Jason Hill is a productive receiver. CB Tarell Brown might be a character risk, but if he stays in line, the Niners then used a fifth round pick to get second round talent.

Buffalo Bills: This draft will not make the Bills better than New England in the AFC East, but they did fill some gaping holes. Namely at running back, where Marshawn Lynch is going to start now, and fellow draftee Dwayne Wright will be able to relieve him. I also love the Paul Posluszny pick, Trent Edwards is an intriguing prospect at the QB spot, but he definitely needs work.

Oakland Raiders: JaMarcus Russell it is then. Actually the Raiders did the right thing by selecting the immensely talented QB as the number one pick in the draft. They needed a franchise QB and they got one in Russell. RB Michael Bush could be a huge steal in the latter rounds as he was a Heisman consideration before he got injured.


Draft losers:

New England Patriots: The picks were solid and the trade for troubled star Randy Moss was a no-brainer, so why do I have them here? For the first time I feel coach Bill Belichik is way over his head. I don’t see how his style will mesh with the egos assembled here, and most importantly, they are already feeling negative effects as the press is questioning their moves. Don’t get me wrong, if all this meshes the Pats are favored to win it all next season, it just seems to be too big an if right now.

Chicago Bears: Is coach Lovie Smith really so much in love with his current offense? Seems so, since the Bears did not take a gamble on any big offensive talents, but rather opted to further strengthen one of the best defenses in the league. Granted, TE Greg Olsen and RB Garrett Wolfe are upgrades on the offensive side, but they do not fill the positions most at need.

Green Bay Packers: Brett Favre has to be pretty unhappy right now. Last season showed that the Packers are maybe a top receiver away from making the post-season. So what do they get in the draft when there are likely receiver prospects around? They select a defensive tackle of course! Oh and by the way Justin Harrell had no business being selected that high, and many teams thought Green Bay could have nabbed him with their second round pick as well. James Jones is a receiver, but it is never too good when the question that looms over your pick is whether the 78th pick overall might have been a tad too early for him.

Seattle Seahawks: They traded one of their top receivers away, had questionable picks early on, and then settled for two under the radar receivers at the end. Think Seahawks fans are having a party to celebrate this draft right about now? Guess not!