QB - Obviously, Tom Brady. While it is definitely within reach to set the new TD passing record, it’s not a guarantee. If he gets pulled with one or two games to go in the season, that may hinder his chances significantly, but since they get to play Philly, Miami, and the Jets down the stretch, keep an eye out.

RB - As much as I’d like to buck the trend and NOT say Adrian Peterson, he has 1242 total yards and 9 total TDs, which puts him in first and tied for first amongst RBs in the NFL. He also has almost 300 more yards rushing than his next closest competitor, Willie Parker. Being a rookie, he may not have the stamina to keep playing like this all year, but if they keep him fresh with 10-12 carries per game to Chester Taylor, I see no reason why he can’t hit 1800+ yards. I think 2000 might be a stretch, though.

WR - Randy Moss appears to be the easy choice here. Averaging over 100 ypg and with 12 TDs in 9 games, he’s on pace for some very impressive numbers. A case can be made for TJ Houshmandzadeh, Braylon Edwards, and even Wes Welker, whose value exceeds the admirable numbers he has put up so far (651/7).

TE - Through the first few games, Antonio Gates was the easy choice. With the recent resurgence of Ladainian Tomlinson, Gates’ value has diminished. Enter Jason Witten. Of the top 3 scoring TEs, Witten is on the team that has the most overall weapons and the best record. Having watched a few of Dallas’s games this year, Witten is a huge reason for Tony Romo’s success. Rather than checking down to his backs for 1-3 yards, he can check down to Witten for 8-12 yards. If Braylon Edwards wasn’t having such a great season, Kellen Winslow would probably be the number one choice here, but alas, that’s not happened so far.

DEF - The defense I’d want from week to week would be the Pittsburgh Steelers. They’ve had a few hiccups this season, but they have allowed a league low 92 points. The talking heads can go on about yardage allowed and all that mess, but you don’t lose a game because you gave up 250 yards on the ground, you lose a game when that 250 ends up allowing more points than your offense scored that day. Tennessee, somehow gets honorable mention mostly due to their surprise factor.

HC - Wade Phillips. The one Head Coach who is avoiding controversy this year is Phillips. He has taken a good Dallas team and made them into a great one just by tweaking a few things and a much more light-hearted coaching philosophy. Even without Terry Glenn for pretty much the entire season, the offense hasn’t skipped a beat and the defense plays respectably enough every week.

Surprise Team - It’s tough to decide between two teams vying for this award. The Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions. Their forumlas are similar in that there is potency in the offense, but GB has also stepped up on the Defensive side of the ball. This is why I’m going to go with GB. Detroit looks like a playoff team, but their schedule so far has been much easier, with their real tests coming in the second half of the season.

Surprise Player - There was speculation as to how well Randy Moss would play based on his past two seasons in Oakland. Many thought he had lost a step in terms of speed and desire. While he has proven them wrong, that’s not who I’m going with. Braylon Edwards has come from virtually nowhere to be one of the top producing WRs in the NFL. Some of the writers on this board knew he had the potential, but the rest of us who follow the NFL want results right now, or you will be written off. Edwards is the perfect example of a WR coming out and playing up to his ability in his third year. I’m not sure if the maturation of Edwards has helped Derek Anderson or vice versa, but they’re both playing incredibly well.

Letdown Team - San Francisco 49ers. They were the team everyone had picked to make a wild card run this year, and begin their dynasty as a playoff contender for the next few. Something terrible has happened to that offense and they are at the bottom of the league. Injuries can be accounted for most of it, but the WRs they have given Alex Smith to throw to are just poor. Vernon Davis, Frank Gore, and Alex Smith have all missed time due to injury, and unless they all get healthy, get a good (not old) WR, and add more depth to the offensive line, they might have taken more of a step back than forward this year.

Letdown Player - We can’t include players that have succumbed to season ending injury, because it’s a long season and you never know what MIGHT have been. So, of the active players, the biggest letdown this year goes to Marc Bulger. He did play with broken ribs, yes. But his passer rating currently stands at 64.3, which is 31st in the NFL, behind the likes of Cleo Lemon and Kyle Boller. In six games he has thrown only three TDs while being intercepted eight times. While he regularly is close to the top of the league in yardage and three straight years of a rating over 92, Bulger has only completed one full season, and that was 2006. So, it appears that the term “injury prone” is finally going to get stuck to him, and unless he can do something about it, STL might have to look at taking a QB with the number 1,2, or 3 pick this coming year, depending on how badly the other teams at the bottom do from here on out.

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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