Go ahead.
Just try to surf the internet or turn on the television without getting swamped by mock drafts, NFL rumors and Mel Kiper Jr.
It’s NFL draft week, which means the rest of the world must stop for the most important part of the football year.
At least that’s what the talking heads would have you believe. But a comprehensive study that The Herald does each April suggests otherwise.
According to the Herald’s annual Draft Rating Index (DRI), which charts the results of the past five NFL drafts, this weekend’s festivities might not carry quite the importance as expected.
Case in point: the worst drafting team in the league the past five years, according to the DRI, has been the Denver Broncos. Yet through several trades and some shrewd moves in free agency, the Broncos have continued to be successful.
On the flip side, the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans have gotten the most out of their draft picks, yet struggle to win games.
The obvious reason for this is that teams like Arizona and Tennessee are forced to push their rookies into the starting lineup earlier than winning teams. Teams like Denver and the Seattle Seahawks – the hometown team is tied for 28th in this year’s DRI study – force most of their rookies to sit behind established veterans.
But there are plenty of teams that have seen successful drafts produce immediate results. The San Diego Chargers, for example, currently start 10 players from their past five drafts – and none of them is named LaDainian Tomlinson (a 2000 first-round pick).
San Diego had two Pro Bowl offensive linemen last season: draft picks Nick Hardwick and Marcus McNeill. The Chargers also boasted a home-grown defense made up of recent picks Shawne Merriman, both defensive tackles, and three-fourths of their secondary.
Then there are the New York Jets, who always seem to rank high in the annual study and are fourth again this year. Last season, that draft success translated to a playoff berth.
The Cardinals were the biggest surprise in this year’s study, mainly because of their lack of on-field success. But Arizona has quietly built a solid offense through the draft, while recent picks Karlos Dansby, Darnell Dockett, Antrel Rolle and Gerald Hayes have seen plenty of playing time on a revamped defense.
By contrast, Denver has seen 14 of its 41 draft picks since 2002 flame out while another, 2005 first-round choice Darrent Williams, was killed by gunfire in the offseason.
Denver has just 16 of its last 41 draft picks still on the roster, and only five of its 22 current starters from the past five drafts.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have found the most starters from recent drafts, with a league-high 13 in their lineup. Super Bowl participants Chicago (11) and Indianapolis (10) were not far behind.
The Broncos have just three current starters from the past five drafts: quarterback Jay Cutler, cornerback Dominique Foxworth and linebacker D.J. Williams.
The Seahawks’ starting lineup includes seven: guard Rob Sims from the 2006 draft, center Chris Spencer and linebackers Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill from 2005, tackle Sean Locklear from 2004, cornerback Marcus Trufant from 2003, and defensive tackle Rocky Bernard from 2002.
For more on the DRI, including how your favorite team was built, log on to .
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