The first round of mini-camps are over and there is a lot of news relevant to fantasy football and the 07 draft.

• Zach Miller impressed the Raiders staff in the first mini camp under Lane Kiffin and has a real good chance to start. Miller will be a sneaky pick in fantasy leagues if you can grab him at the end of the draft. He should be a threat in the red zone for the Raiders.
• The Panthers appear ready to go forward with Nate Salley as a starter at safety. We thought the Panthers would address the position on Day One of the draft, but they did not. Salley will have to step up his game if the Panthers want to be a playoff team.
• We also thought the Bengals would add a strong side linebacker in the draft. However Cincinnati is going forward with Rashad Jenty as the strong side starter. New addition Ed Hartwell and new starter Ahmad Brooks will give the Bengals an entirely new LB corps that will be responsible for improving a defense that ranked 30th in yards allowed last season.
• 2nd round draft pick Brandon Jackson got the bulk of the carries at RB for the Packers at their recent rookie camp. Jackson will be competing with Vernand Morency for the starting job. The winner could be a fantasy sleeper available in Round 3 or 4 because of an improving Packers offensive line that uses the zone blocking scheme made popular in Denver.
• The Titans will be trying first round pick Michael Griffin at cornerback. The move is surprising - the Titans could have selected Griffin’s All American teammate, Aaron Ross, a natural corner at pick #19.
• We were not big fans of Tyler Palko’s chances for NFL success, but the former Pitt Panther is rightfully ecstatic about going to New Orleans. Sean Payton is one of the top offensive minds in the league and helped turn Tony Romo from an undrafted free agent to an NFL Starter.
• One of the most surprising things to come out of the mini-camps was the news that the Lions are completely altering Drew Stanton’s mechanics. Mike Martz and the Lions staff were impressed with Stanton’s athleticism but felt he needed to change his throwing motion. Stanton will likely not see the field in 2007, but could be the Lions starter in 2008.

Editor’s Note: War Room Report scout Matt Maccoy contributes his draft grades. Unlike other sites which give virtually every team the same grade, the War Room Report is not afraid to take a stand. Teams are ranked from 1-32.

Grade: A

1) Minnesota Vikings

• Positives: They drafted better per selection than any other team in the 2007 Draft and addressed their primary needs while doing so. Drafting RB Adrian Peterson in Round 1 was a great “value” pick and following that up with Sidney Rice in Round 2 will add an additional dynamic to the Minnesota offense. They then addressed their defense with a CB, Marcus McCauley and a DE, Brian Robinson at the most critical positions on their defense. Acquiring OLB Rufus Alexander in Round 6 was also a “steal”.
• Negatives: Negatives are few and far between with the Vikings. There is an element of volatility with their picks since Peterson has suffered several injuries in the past and their next three selections are classified as “raw” prospects, but the upside is undeniable.

2) Carolina Panthers

• Positives: Value picks everywhere down the Panthers draft class. They were savvy enough to trade down with the New York Jets 11 selections and still get the player they targeted all along LB Jon Beason. They then selected a WRR favorite in WR Dwayne Jarrett and also drafted one of the better C prospects in some time when they selected Ryan Kalil. They also selected DE Charles Johnson in Round 3 where it was excellent value, even though it wasn’t an area of need per say.
• Negatives: There were two areas of need in particular for the Carolina Panthers and that was at TE and S, and they addressed neither position. They did draft Dante Rosario in Round 5, but many view him as more of an H-back prospect, so it will be interesting if the Panthers utilize him. There are also rumors circulating that they have been shopping DT Kris Jenkins, and if they deal him at this point they will be thin at DT since they didn’t address that position with a draft pick.

3) Atlanta Falcons

• Positives: A team who all along the WRR thought would have an excellent draft did so indeed. They lost Patrick Kearney in the off-season so they addressed that position and selected DE Jamaal Anderson with the 8^th overall selection. They also had two second round picks since they traded backup QB Matt Schaub to the Houston Texans. They selected possibly the strongest player in the 2007 Draft in OT/OG Justin Blalock and then came back with an excellent pick in ultra-talented CB prospect Chris Houston. Selecting Laurent Robinson in Round 3 to bolster their wide receiving core as well as selecting OLB prospect Stephen Nicholas early on Day 2 were also excellent moves.
• Negatives: It was thought that new Head Coach Bobby Petrino was going to implement a new power running approach, but he did very little to show evidence to support this notion in the 2007 Draft. They did not select a power back ala Tony Hunt or Michael Bush, and only drafted one offensive line prospect. The move from a zone blocking scheme to a power game could be a slow process in Atlanta.

4) Detroit Lions

• Positives: The Lions resisted the urge to trade out of the 2^nd overall pick and stood pat and selected clearly the best prospect in the 2007 NFL Draft in WR Calvin Johnson. Johnson will become an immediate threat in the NFL. They selected QB Drew Stanton in Round 2, who is a solid QB prospect and did select their pass-rushing need with DE Ikaika Alama-Francis. Selecting CB AJ Davis and OG Manny Ramirez in Round 4 will also bolster this roster.
• Negatives: They traded up for S Gerald Alexander, and that may have given up a bit too much to make that move. Alexander is a solid prospect, but not one I would recommend trading up for. TE is still a position that is weak on this team, and was not addressed in the 2007 NFL Draft.

Grade: B+

5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Positives: A really solid draft class, just may not be spectacular. They addressed several needs beginning with DE Gaines Adams, who will add another pass rusher to a defense that has needed one desperately. They got a solid value pick with OG Arron Sears and selected SS Sabby Piscattelli who will fill an immediate need on this team. The Buccaneers succeed in selecting players who fit their scheme better than any other franchise. OLB Quincy Black, who was selected in Round 3, and CB Tanard Jackson, who was selected in Round 4, are great fits in this defense.
• Negatives: After the Tanard Jackson selection in Round 4, there is little else to get thrilled about if you’re a Buccaneers fan. This is a team who had many needs, and it would have been nice to see them draft some higher tier prospects as the draft proceeded in the late rounds. They really could have used another playmaker on offense, and did not get one in the 2007 NFL Draft.

6) Dallas Cowboys

• Positives: The Cowboys were very crafty in their maneuvering during the early portions of the 2007 NFL Draft. They traded out initially and acquire a possibly top 10 selection in the 2008 Draft from the Cleveland Browns, and then moved back in to the draft to select a player they had targeted from the beginning DE/OLB prospect Anthony Spencer. Teaming Spencer with DeMarcus Ware could be a great move by the Cowboys. They also addressed their depth along the offensive line by selecting OT prospects James Marten and Doug Free. Cowboy fans will have to wait until the 2008 NFL Draft to reap the rewards of their investment in the trade with the Browns, but it could be a significant reward.
• Negatives: Drafting Isaiah Stanback in round 4 may have raised some eyebrows. It is unsure at this point whether they are going to utilize him as QB in the future or transition him from QB to WR like they did with Patrick Crayton. The Cowboys didn’t necessarily have too many areas of need, but selecting a kicker followed by a fullback leaves something to be desired with their Day 2 selections.

7) San Fransisco 49ers

• Positives: The 49ers had a lot of momentum following a good off-season of free agent pick-ups and continued that into the 2007 NFL Draft. Selecting the best linebacker in this class Patrick Willis with the 11^th overall selection was an excellent move. They also helped solidify that offensive line when they selected OT Joe Staley late in Round 1. They addressed a position of desperate need WR when they selected Jason Hill in Round 3 and traded a 4^th round selection for Darrell Jackson, formerly of Seattle. Ray McDonald also represented great value at that selection for a 3-4 Defensive End.
• Negatives: The 49ers were another team that was jockeying for position during the 1^st Round of the 2007 NFL Draft. They traded away their 2008 1^st Round pick, but then later on was involved in a transaction with the Indianapolis Colts to garner their 1^st round selection next year. The difference in the two selections could be substantial however, since the Colts are one of the better teams in the league and the 49ers, who are making strides for sure, still have room to develop and could still have a pick in the early teens next season. They didn’t address their NT position, which was expected, and took a risk with the selection of CB Tarell Brown in Round 6 which could result in a solid player or nothing.

Grade: B

8 ) Cleveland Browns

• Positives: What the Cleveland Browns did in the 2007 NFL Draft was excellent, but the moves they made need to be treated with cautious optimism. They selected clearly the best OT in the draft Joe Thomas with the 3^rd overall selection and then in one of the more dramatic moves in 2007 NFL Draft traded up into the latter portion of Round 1, 22^nd pick overall to select hometown favorite QB Brady Quinn. Having Quinn and Thomas would have been a dream situation for Browns fans, so having completed these moves along with the move for CB Eric Wright, who is an ideal fit for the Browns, gives the Browns a solid ‘B’ grade.
• Negatives: The move for Brady will be one that we will be talking about for some time due to the impact it has on the Cleveland franchise, as well as the fact that they traded their 1^st round selection in 2008 to make this big splash, a pick that is very reasonably thought to be considered a potential top 10 selection, if not top 5. After their top 3 selections, the Browns did very little to improve this team in 2007.

9) New England Patriots

• Positives: When considering the New England Patriots draft, you have to also include possibly the biggest transaction of the weekend, when the Patriots sent a 4^th round selection to the Oakland Raiders for WR Randy Moss. The Patriots were viewed by many as the front-runner to hoist the Lombardi Trophy next season prior to this move, now they are a dominant favorite. They selected S Brandon Meriweather in Round 1 of the draft, who should give them the depth in the secondary that they needed, and an eventual replacement for Rodney Harrison. The Patriots also received the 49ers 1^st round selection so next season, so for the second off-season in a row, it is presumed that they will enter the NFL Draft with two 1^st round picks.
• Negatives: Having only one selection on Day One of the 2007 NFL Draft will give the class of the Patriots draft picks a lackluster look. There are several intriguing prospects, Kareem Brown, Corey Hilliard, and Oscar Lua, but it is conceivable that the Patriots don’t get anything out of the 2^nd day picks they made in the 2007 NFL Draft.

10) Arizona Cardinals

• Positives: The Cardinals came away with top prospects at the biggest area of needs for them. They selected OT Levi Brown with the 5^th overall selection to finally fill a need they have had for some time. According to several reports the Cardinals brass’ preferred Levi Brown over fellow OT prospect Joe Thomas. The Cardinals are also in a transition from a base 4-3 defense to 3-4 scheme and they moved up to the first selection in round 2 in order to nap the perfect prospect to fill their NT position Alan Branch. They also came back with a good “value” selection at ILB with Buster Davis in Round 3 and they got one of the steals in the 2007 NFL Draft when they selected TE prospect from the University of Delaware, Ben Patrick in Round 7.
• Negatives: The Cardinals only had 5 selections in the 2007 NFL Draft, so they still have several holes to fill, primarily on the defensive side of the ball. Steve Breaston will primarily be a kick returner for them, and that selection could have been better well spent on a prospect who could have a chance at playing on an every down basis.

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