A Look at the Big Winners and Losers in the NFL Draft

With the introduction of Plan B free agency last year, NFL teams no longer are as dependent on the draft.

The San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers have proved that. If they have enough lockers for everyone, the Dallas Cowboys hope they can, too.

Still, the draft is the only real marketplace for fresh talent. And for all the talk about the deep pockets of 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo, his organization has been able to properly scout college players each year and do something with them once they are turned over to the coaching staff.

The evidence is the middle- to low-round starters on a team shooting for its third straight Super Bowl title.

“The thing about the 49ers is that they’ve always been able to develop players,” Mel Kiper, longtime draft analyst, said Wednesday. “They’re very patient. They’ve still got the best organization in football. I haven’t had a chance to completely study their draft, but I know they’ll do well again.”

Kiper’s big winners in the draft were New England, the New York Jets and Atlanta, “because they made trades and got people to fit their needs,” he said.

His big losers were Indianapolis, Denver and Buffalo, “because the Colts gave up too much in the trade (to obtain the No. 1 choice from Atlanta and select quarterback Jeff George), the Broncos needed and didn’t get a cornerback, and the Bills didn’t draft a running back.”

NFC WEST

The San Francisco 49ers’ reign atop the NFL didn’t appear threatened by anything that happened in the draft Sunday and Monday. Nevertheless, the defending champions might do well to keep an eye on the Atlanta Falcons.

For all the talking coach Jerry Glanville does, he can produce.

Without total say-so over personnel decisions in Houston, Glanville turned the Oilers into a repeat playoff team. With more authority in Atlanta and a better nucleus to build on, he could be one more draft and a few trades from making the Falcons a force.

In grading the draft, no one emerged in a better position than the Falcons.

Competing in the rugged NFC West with the 49ers, Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints, the Falcons deserve an “A” for trading the draft’s first pick to Indianapolis for Pro Bowl offensive tackle Chris Hinton, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection; wide receiver Andre Rison, a budding young star who gave the 49ers fits last season; and the Colts’ first-round pick in 1991.

Imagine, they got all that just so the Colts could mortgage their current and immediate future by drafting Illinois junior quarterback Jeff George.

“We felt we were able to upgrade our offense,” said Kent Herock, the Falcons’ vice president in charge of personnel.

Many Colts fans, polled by the local media, thought the team paid too much. And there were some disbelievers around the league, including the 49ers.

The Falcons also used a first-round pick they acquired earlier from Washington to pick running back Steve Broussard from Washington State.

Cornerback Deion Sanders, drafted first last year, was an early addition to a rebuilding defense. Atlanta’s second-round pick this year, linebacker Darion Conner from Jackson State, is another who is termed a “certified killer” by Glanville, who already has changed the Falcons’ uniforms to black with red trim.

“I think we’ve got enough players now to shake some people up,” Herock said.

The Rams, meanwhile, deserve little more than a “C” for their choices. No longer benefiting from the the bonanza of high picks from the Eric Dickerson trade, they went for Washington center Bern Brostek.

Granted, like the 49ers, the Rams didn’t need much and seeking new blood for a good but aging offensive line made sense. But Brostek may have back problems and, frankly, was someone 49ers offensive line coach Bobb McKittrick thumbed his nose at as lacking mobility.

Rams coach John Robinson thinks he improved his secondary by choosing Notre Dame safety Pat Terrell in round two. In the fifth round, however, the Rams made their best move of the draft. They traded their pick and got cornerback Bobby Humphery, 28, a starter the past two years for the New York Jets. He could take some pressure off Los Angeles’ Pro Bowl corner Jerry Gray.

In New Orleans, coach Jim Mora refused to rate the Saints draft. OK, others can do that. A “B” sounds fair.

With 16 picks in 12 rounds, the Saints made five of their first seven choices on defense, winding up with nine defensive players overall. Heading the list was defensive end Renaldo Turnbull from West Virginia, who is touted as a player who can help the Saints’ talented linebackers put some heat on the quarterbacks.

With veteran quarterback Bobby Hebert free to shop his services to a new team, the Saints went after two young prospects at the position. Six-foot-3, 227-pound Mike Buck of Maine, who had 8,884 career passing yards, was chosen in the sixth round and Gerry Gdowski of Nebraska in the eighth.

The 49ers get a “B,” but then the champions are so deep at most positions they had the luxury of drafting for situation players. Top pick Dexter Carter, a small but tough running back out of Florida State, adds an element to the offense they’ve been after for some time -- a quick, darting runner who can catch the ball and return kicks. A highlight film shows that Carter carries everything in his left hand even when changing direction, something San Francisco coaches may want to correct.

The development of Darrell Pollard as a starting cornerback, the signing of former All-Pro Hanford Dixon from Cleveland as a Plan B free agent and the drafting of Eric Davis of Jacksonville State in the second round enabled the 49ers to trade disruptive Tim McKyer to the Miami Dolphins.

Defensive lineman Dennis Brown, a 305-pounder from Washington, was taken in the second round with Davis. He can play end but prefers nose tackle, giving the 49ers a potential replacement for Michael Carter, who is coming off foot surgery and turns 30 in October.

The 49ers had everyone from the outside believing their draft priority was a linebacker, even if they had to deal their prized backup quarterback Steve Young. None of that materialized.

“Can you get by with what you have at linebacker?” coach George Seifert was asked.

A smile broke over Seifert’s face. “We expect to do more than just get by,” said Seifert, fortunate to have at his disposal a title-spoiled owner with a bottomless wallet for trades and free agents.

“There is a certain sense of security with the veteran players and leaders that we have,” Seifert said. “The players who beat them out will have to be very good.”

NFC CENTRAL

CHICAGO: The Bears’ No. 1 objective was defensive improvement, especially in the secondary, where USC safety Mark Carrier was their first pick. Seven other choices on defense included Texas Christian tackle Fred Washington and Fresno State linebacker Ron Cox in the second round. Florida State quarterback Peter Tom Willis was a third-round selection. Grade: B.

DETROIT: Quarterback Andre Ware from Houston, weaned on the run-and-shoot offense, was the ideal first-round selection for the Lions’ scatter-gun attack and passing coach Mouse Davis. That Ware is a junior didn’t scare the Detroit brain trust, which saw Barry Sanders, who left Oklahoma State after his junior season, finish second in the league in rushing last season. Six of the next seven choices went for defense, including Pitt’s Marc Spindler, who had been projected as a first-round pick. Grade B+.

GREEN BAY: The Packers used first-round picks on linebacker Tony Bennett from Mississippi, projected as a second-rounder by some, and running back Darrell Thompson from Minnesota. All-America cornerback LeRoy Butler from Florida State, a school that produced three 49ers picks, was taken in the second round and may be a remedy for age at that spot. Grade: B+.

MINNESOTA: Ten Plan B signees gave the Vikings some leverage to look for an outside linebacker and an offensive tackle, two positions they wanted to upgrade with the draft. But with no picks in the opening two rounds because of the Herschel Walker trade with Dallas, their best choice may have been Pittsburgh cornerback Alonzo Hampton in the fourth round. Coach Jerry Burns says his team is “solid from bottom to top.” It had better be. The Vikings also have no picks in the first two rounds of the 1991 and 1992 drafts. Grade: C-.

TAMPA BAY: The Buccaneers’ draft has to be graded on a curve. Coach Ray Perkins didn’t seem to care that linebacker Keith McCants, who played for him at Alabama and was once the consensus No. 1 pick in the draft, would need arthroscopic knee surgery and can be a discipline problem. He still took him in the first round. The second-round pick, running back Reggie Cobb from Tennessee, also is a talent but is a repeat drug abuser. More running help to keep the heat off quarterback Vinny Testaverde came with the predraft acquisition of former San Diego Charger Gary Anderson, but the defensive line is still lacking. Grade for now: C+.

NFC EAST

DALLAS: The Cowboys are on a course to rebuild America’s Team in a hurry. They signed the most Plan B free agents, swapped with the 49ers to obtain running back Terrence Flagler and defensive end Danny Stubbs and then traded up to draft Florida running back Emmitt Smith in the first round. Having only five picks, however, may have left coach Jimmy Johnson short of defensive help. The No. 2 pick was defensive end Jimmy Jones from Miami, who shared playing time most of his four seasons. Grade: C+.

NEW YORK: By picking one turn earlier than the 49ers in the first round, the Giants beat San Francisco to Georgia running back Rodney Hampton, then went wild in picking five defensive linemen, including West Virginia tackle Mike Fox in the second round and Miami end Greg Mark in the third. No selections, though, were made on outside linebacking help for Lawrence Taylor and Chip Banks. Interesting thinking, too, was the choice of Pacific Lutheran quarterback David Kupp in the fifth round. Imagine how West Virginia’s Major Harris, taken in the 12th round by the Los Angeles Raiders, must have felt. Grade: C+.

PHILADELPHIA: Does anyone know what coach Buddy Ryan is up to? He drafted Georgia safety Ben Smith in the first round, proclaiming him a starter and infuriating some veterans. Then the Eagles, with Mike Quick’s knees suspect, went on a shopping spree for three receivers, including Mike Bellamy, George’s favorite target at Illinois, in the second round. A defensive back or an offensive lineman taken higher might have addressed equally pressing needs. Grade: C.

PHOENIX: Like the New York Jets, the Cardinals always have been capable of disappointing their fans in the draft, but things weren’t so bad this time. Having spent their first-round pick in the supplemental draft last year on quarterback Timm Rosenbach, the Cardinals opted for Indiana running back Anthony Thompson in the second round. That was to remedy an aging backfield. For needed depth in the defensive line, they took nose Michigan State tackle Travis Davis as their third choice. Grade: B-.

WASHINGTON: Now that trade-happy Bobby Beathard is running things in San Diego, maybe the Redskins can hang on to a first-round pick. With none this time around, they took linebacker Andre Collins from Penn State in the second round and guard Mohammed Elewonibi from Brigham Young, who flunked some physicals, in the third round. Needs in the secondary were ignored. Grade: C.

AFC WEST

DENVER: The defending conference champs, who also dipped into the 1989 supplemental draft for running back Bobby Humphrey, were hampered with no picks in the first and third rounds. Their second-round choice brought Houston’s Alton Montgomery, who will be an understudy to Dennis Smith at strong safety. The fourth-round pick, Texas A&M; linebacker Jeroy Robinson, could be a steal. Grade: B-.

KANSAS CITY: The Chiefs, looking for a game-breaking receiver, came up empty. They seem happy with their first-round choice, Percy Snow, but the stock of the Michigan State linebacker dropped with some teams. Notre Dame center-guard Tom Grunhard, a second-round pick, is a deep snapper and a replacement for Mike Webster. Ken Hackenmack, a 6-foot-9, 300-pound defensive tackle from Texas, was an intriguing fifth-round choice. Grade: B+.

LOS ANGELES: Whatever happened to the mystique of the Raiders around draft time? Their first pick, Arizona defensive end Anthony Smith, was considered a surprise choice by many. The second pick, Texas A&M; linebacker Aaron Wallace, is said to be a weak pass defender. The Raiders loaded up on middle-round choices through trades, but there doesn’t appear to be any help for the offensive line. Grade: C.

SAN DIEGO: It was a sweet draft with Beathard at the helm, headed by USC junior linebacker Junior Seau, one of the best players available. Seattle, no doubt figuring Beathard would take Cortez Kennedy, Miami’s terrific defensive tackle, leapfrogged ahead of the Chargers by trading with New England. Still, the Chargers weren’t damaged in their effort to improve their pass rush, because Seau can be a force all over the field. Grade: B+.

SEATTLE: The Seahawks traded two first-round picks with the Patriots to snatch Kennedy, then used their second-round pick on Syracuse linebacker Terry Wooden, whom the 49ers supposedly liked. Seattle had several holes to fill, including running back, with Curt Warner having signed with the Rams. The draft didn’t fill that void, but with linebacker Brian Bosworth out of commission, Kennedy promises to bring the “Nasty Boys” back to Seattle. Grade: B+.

AFC CENTRAL

CINCINNATI: The Bengals, who ranked 26th against the run last season and lost linebacker Reggie Williams to retirement, used their first and third picks on linebackers -- Baylor’s James Francis and Miami’s Bernard Clark. Both are proven run-stuffers. South Carolina running back Harold Green, who went in the second round because of a stampede for junior talent, could be a steal for coach Sam Wyche’s multiple offense. Grade: A.

CLEVELAND: The Browns’ first-round pick went to Green Bay for receiver Lawyer Tillman, so Michigan running back Leroy Hoard was their opening choice in the second round. He was the only back to rush for 100 yards against USC in successive seasons. Tennessee State defensive end Anthony Pleasant went in the third round but may have to add weight. Grade: C.

HOUSTON: The transition from the Jerry Glanville era to the Jack Pardee era begins. The first pick, linebacker Lamar Lathon, is from Pardee’s previous station, the University of Houston, so he knows what to expect on defense. Jeff Alm, a defensive tackle from Notre Dame taken in the second round, was a menace in big games, particularly at batting down passes. Grade: A-.

PITTSBURGH: Enough scouts knew that Eric Green was a standout small-college player. Nevertheless, when the Steelers made the 6-4, 275-pound tight end from Liberty their top choice, there were some gasps in the draft room. Needs at defensive back, linebacker and wide receiver weren’t tended to until later. Defensive end Ken Davidson from Louisiana State, taken in the second round, was moved from tight end and offensive tackle in school before settling in on defense. Grade: C-.

AFC EAST

BUFFALO: Drafting a psychiatrist wouldn’t have been a bad idea for the Bills, whose bickering didn’t help them late last season. The choice instead was to go for Fresno State cornerback James Williams, with 4.29 speed, in the first round and Louisville fullback Carwell Gardner, a dubious pick, in the second round. With former All-Pro Fred Smerlas exiting through Plan B to the 49ers, the Bills failed to obtain backup help for Jeff Wright at nose tackle. Grade: C-.

INDIANAPOLIS: The Colts may have given up the farm to get a bell cow. By trading proven players to Atlanta for the No. 1 pick, they hope they have a franchise player in George. Waiting for his development could be painful on impatient Colts fans. The Colts took Notre Dame fullback Anthony Johnson in the second round, but some wonder about his athletic ability. With standout lineman Chris Hinton gone, an offensive lineman should have been drafted higher than the 12th round. Grade: D.

MIAMI: Coach Don Shula’s first-round pick, Texas A&M; tackle Richmond Webb, was the best offensive lineman in the draft. Second-round pick Keith Sims, an offensive guard from Iowa State, was flown in by the 49ers for a predraft tryout. Scott Mitchell, Utah’s junior quarterback, may be a bargain fourth-round pick. Needs for the defensive line and linebacking weren’t filled, but by giving up an 11th-round choice and their No. 2 next year to San Francisco, they landed a starting cornerback in Tim McKyer. Grade: A-.

NEW ENGLAND: The rebuilding Patriots gave up the third overall pick in the draft to Seattle for the eighth and 10th choices and took linebacker Chris Singleton from Arizona and defensive end Ray Agnew from North Carolina State. If some of their defensive stars come back from injuries, the Patriots should be all right on defense. On offense, the need remains for a quarterback despite the third-round choice of Louisiana State’s Tom Hodson. Grade: B+.

NEW YORK: Compared to past disasters, this was one of the Jets’ best drafts in years under new front-office chief Dick Steinberg. Running back Blair Thomas from Penn State, the second overall pick, was a first-round plum, and wide receiver Reggie Rembert from West Virginia, taken in the second round, and cornerback Tony Stargell from Tennessee State, selected in the third, should help. Grade: B-.