NFC West: Another solid draft could keep Cardinals in contention

NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks is handing out grades for each team following the 2009 NFL Draft. Check back daily as he breaks down each team, division by division.

After watching the draft come and go, it is time to assess how each team fared in the league's biggest event. From the acquisition of talent to the execution of various draft strategies, teams were graded on their overall ability to play the chess game that emerges on draft weekend.

Let's take a look to see how the teams from the NFC West performed during the 2009 draft:

Arizona Cardinals: B-

The Cardinals entered the offseason looking to build on the momentum of their surprising Super Bowl run, and the draft granted the team another opportunity to fortify a roster that still has a few holes. Armed with eight picks, the Cardinals hoped to fill, needs while taking the best available player at each spot.

In the first round, the Cardinals addressed their biggest offensive weakness by selecting Chris "Beanie" Wells. The former Buckeye standout is a power runner with big-play potential, and his presence in the lineup should boost the league's 31st-ranked rush offense. With defenses sure to key on Kurt Warner and the Cardinals' explosive aerial attack, Wells is in line to put up monster numbers in his rookie season.

The Cardinals added a young, dynamic edge rusher to their lineup with the selection of Cody Brown in the second round. With Chike Okeafor and Bert Berry on the downside of their careers, Brown gives the team a rotational player to groom as an eventual successor.

Rashad Johnson and Greg Toler add quality depth to the Cardinals' secondary. Both possess great ball skills, and will impact the team's sub-package as potential nickel or dime defenders. In addition, the duo will add speed to the Cardinals' special teams units.

The team's transformation to a smash-mouth unit gets a boost from the addition of Herman Johnson to the offensive line. The behemoth from LSU isn't a polished product, but gives the Cardinals a potential pile pusher on the interior. If he can keep his weight in check and continue his overall improvement as a blocker, Johnson could quietly emerge as a starter in a year or two.

The Cardinals parlayed a young, talent-laden roster into a division title last season, and boosted by another solid draft, they could find themselves in title contention again in 2009.

San Francisco 49ers: B-

Mike Singletary guided the team to a respectable 7-9 record after taking over midway through last season, but the roster had glaring holes that kept the 49ers from maximizing their potential. With a host of picks throughout the draft, San Francisco was hoping to fill its biggest needs.

While many expected the 49ers to go after Mark Sanchez as a potential franchise quarterback, the Jets' aggressive play to move into the fifth spot eliminated that possibility. With the second highest-rated quarterback off the board quicker than anticipated, the 49ers were expected to turn their attention to a wide receiver, offensive tackle or defensive end/outside linebacker at No. 10.

Few expected Jeremy Maclin or Michael Crabtree to be available with the Raiders and Jaguars in need of receivers, but the Raiders threw everyone a curveball when they selected Darrius Heyward-Bey ahead of the talented twosome.

With the player that many scouts regarded as the top talent in the draft still on the board, the 49ers made the easy decision to bolster their aerial attack with the selection of Crabtree. The franchise hasn't had a legitimate receiving threat since Terrell Owens departed after the 2003 season, so the former Red Raider becomes the team's No. 1 receiver on Day 1.

But the 49ers' draft wasn't solely about this year, as the team acquired a first-round pick in 2010 from the Panthers for a second-round selection (No. 43). With two first-round picks next year, the 49ers are in position to be power players in the future.

The team quietly picked up a solid running back, Glen Coffee, in the third round. The SEC's second-leading rusher gives the team a hard-nosed runner to back up Frank Gore. With Singletary emphasizing a renewed commitment to the running game, the 49ers needed to get another power runner to share the workload.

In the subsequent rounds, the 49ers picked up a handful of players poised to contribute as backups and special teamers. Of their remaining picks, Scott McKillop and Nate Davis are the ones to watch.

McKillop isn't regarded as a great athlete, but he is a tackling machine with a strong nose for the ball. He should shine as a backup/special teams standout as a rookie.

Davis, who entered the draft after a stellar junior season at Ball State, was a highly touted prospect, but revelations about his learning disability seemed to affect his draft status. He possesses the requisite leadership ability and physical skills to be a solid pro quarterback. As a potential third quarterback, he is a development prospect with the potential to blossom into so much more.

The 49ers' overall draft class doesn't generate sizzle on paper, but it has the potential to carry the once-proud franchise back to prominence.

Seattle Seahawks: B

The Seahawks' vice-grip on the NFC West came to an abrupt end last season as the team was ravaged by a rash of injuries at key positions. The plague revealed the lack of depth on the roster, and team management turned to the draft to fortify those areas of weakness.

With picks near the top of each round, the Seahawks had ample ammunition to retool the roster quickly, and the team took full advantage of opportunities by consistently plucking highly rated prospects in each round.

Aaron Curry, who was rated as the top defensive prospect on many boards, unexpectedly fell to the Seahawks at No. 4 after the Chiefs surprisingly passed on the Wake Forest standout a pick earlier.

While some decision-makers were reluctant to pull the trigger on a linebacker without exceptional sack totals, the Seahawks viewed Curry as a difference-maker with the potential to impact the game in a variety of ways. He slides into the role vacated by Pro Bowler Julian Peterson's departure, and gives the Seahawks three athletic young linebackers in their starting lineup (Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill are the others).

Of course, some thought that the team should take advantage of their rare high selection and nab a future franchise quarterback (Sanchez), but the chance to snag an immediate contributor was too good to pass up.

The Seahawks made a series of aggressive moves in the second round that resulted in the team netting an additional first-round pick in 2010, and a starting interior lineman in Max Unger.

The Seahawks traded out of the second round (No. 37) for the Broncos' future first-rounder, but quickly traded two mid-round picks (a third- and fourth-round selection) to the Bears for the right to pick the Oregon star. Even though the move prevented the team from adding more depth at other positions, it allowed the team to address a big need while also solidifying its future.

In assessing the rest of their class, the Seahawks loaded up on potential backups with their late-round picks, but may have stumbled upon a sleeper in Mike Teel. The Rutgers star showed a lot of grit while leading his team back from a dismal start to a respectable finish as a senior. With the adversity that surrounds the position, Teel's mental toughness and underrated physical tools may be enough to land him a job as a developmental prospect.

After failing to make the playoffs for the first time in six years, the Seahawks shed their cautious draft-day methods to land a quality draft class in 2009.

St. Louis Rams: C+

After enduring one of the worst seasons in franchise history, the Rams had targeted the draft as tantamount to their rebuilding efforts. Hoping to find several quality players with the potential to impact immediately as starters, the Rams intended to bolster their roster by picking the best available player at each respective selection. While that strategy is often expressed by decision-makers in war rooms, few adhere to the mantra on draft day.

However, in evaluating the Rams' draft class, it appears that the team followed that ethos to the letter.

The Rams' first-round pick, Jason Smith, was rated as the draft's best offensive tackle prospect due to his exceptional combination of size, strength and athleticism. The Baylor standout blew scouts away with his impressive performance at the combine, and teams were also moved by watching Smith dominate opponents on tape. With a huge void at left tackle after jettisoning Orlando Pace during the offseason, it was a no-brainer for the team to take Smith with the second overall selection.

At the top of the second round, the Rams wisely addressed their thin linebacker corps with the addition of James Laurinaitis. The instinctive tackling machine has the potential to slide into the starting lineup immediately as a rookie. While some were dismayed by the team's decision to favor Laurinaitis over Rey Maualuga at this pick, the former Buckeye is a better fit in the Rams' new scheme.

Bradley Fletcher, the team's third-round pick, flew under the radar during the pre-draft process due to questions about his speed, but the Rams view the former Hawkeye as a big, physical corner with starting potential.

Rams general manager Billy Devaney took a few gambles in later rounds on players with intriguing talent, but inconsistent college production. Fourth-round picks Dorell Scott and Brooks Foster qualify as the best examples.

Scott, who starred as a defensive tackle at Clemson, has the requisite size and strength to be an effective interior player, but doesn't rev up his motor consistently and fails to produce to his talent. If the team can get him to give the effort, Scott could emerge as their biggest draft surprise.

Foster played behind two outstanding talents at North Carolina (Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Tate), but flashed outstanding athleticism and skills when given opportunities. He will compete for time as a third receiver, and become a stalwart on special teams.

The Rams have a long road to back to respectability, but the team exhibited a sound tactical approach to its rebuilding efforts during the first draft of the Devaney era.