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If you don't want to read this whole article (and I wouldn't blame you) or if you just skip to see the order, please just take this one sentence away from today's unPower Rankings:
Good teams find talent, they don't just let the talent come to them.
When the 2014 draft order is set, for many teams it will simply be a matter of picking the perfect bride out of a group of many. It's not that there is anything wrong with the bride, but "Jacksonville is set to pick first, they're taking Teddy Bridgewater" is basically just an arranged marriage.
Picking Russell Wilson in the third round is finding true love.
Just remember, that is what good teams do. That's what the Packers did with Aaron Rodgers, that's what the Patriots did with Tom Brady. Sure, sometimes you find yourself lucking out with the belle of the ball, like Peyton Manning, but you just so rarely see a team win a Super Bowl with the top overall pick. It's a matter of filling out the entire roster. Not that raw, draft day talent doesn't matter.
This week I took a look at all 32 rosters and looked at the breakdown of every player that's been on each team this season and how they were acquired or where they were drafted. That comes out to more than 53 players per team because you've got things like the practice squad, the injured reserve, players that were signed during the year because you released players or put them on IR. Still, you'll find out some interesting things.
Like that a little more than 30-percent of the players on rosters this year were undrafted free agents.
Or that the best team in the NFL has just four players on the roster that they drafted in the first round.
Here's a look at how much "draft day talent" each team has, with their number of first round picks that they took on their own, plus the total number of former first round picks they have on their roster, plus the number of UDFAs. In this weeks unPower Rankings:
1. Jaguars (3-9) Last week: 1
Homegrown first round picks: 5
Total first round picks: 6
Undrafted free agents: 18
Only the Raiders, Bears and Eagles have fewer total former first round picks than the Jaguars. The Raiders, Redskins, Dolphins, Bears, Eagles and Seahawks have fewer homegrown first round picks.
Let that be a good opener to give you perspective on what it means to have former first round picks:
Almost always underwhelming or bad unless you're the Seahawks!
Why is Jacksonville still ahead of Houston? The offense is still the worst in the league by far, though the Jets are creeping in the conversation. The defense is still really, really bad. They've beaten three bad teams. Hell, they might still win the next three games because those (HOU, BUF, TEN) are bad teams too and they just beat HOU and TEN.
If Justin Blackmon is still around next year, the Jaguars will add their third top five pick to the roster in the next draft (with Blackmon, Luke Joeckel returning) but they'll likely say goodbye to former 10th overall pick Blaine Gabbert.
The success rate early in the draft for Jacksonville hasn't been very good, with Tyson Alualu being their best highly-picked get on the current roster. But they need to hit on a quarterback, not a defensive tackle.
Up next: Houston, Thursday
2. Texans (2-10) Last week: 2
Homegrown first round picks: 7
Total first round picks: 8
Undrafted free agents: 19
Does Houston have a surprising lack of top-end draft talent? Andre Johnson is the only player on the roster that was drafted in the top 10. That's because they missed badly on David Carr, Dunta Robinson, Amobi Okoye, and lost Mario Williams to free agency.
J.J. Watt was taken just outside the top 10 though and is clearly one of the best players in the NFL, Brian Cushing was taken 15th overall. It's just a matter of doing better in the later rounds and being more consistent. In this year's rookie class, they've got DeAndre Hopkins, a little bit of play from D.J. Swearinger, and then a whole lot of nothing.
Up next: Jacksonville, Thursday
3. Vikings (3-8-1) Last week: 3
Homegrown first round picks: 9
Total first round picks: 10 (Josh Freeman)
Undrafted free agents: 10
Minnesota is a weird team because they look totally stacked because, well... they should be.
Three top 10 picks (Matt Kalil, Adrian Peterson, Kevin Williams) plus nine homegrown first round picks (second-most in the NFL) plus some talented players they took outside of the first round like Kyle Rudolph, Brian Robison, and of course solid additions like Jared Allen.
They have used as many former first round picks this season as they have undrafted free agents, which is just... bananas.
I mean, look at all the elliptical pauses I've felt compelled to use!
And yet it's all going to add up to another top five pick next season. Why? Because shitty quarterback play -- like, incredibly-shitty -- is almost impossible to overcome.
Up next: at Baltimore
4. Falcons (3-9) Last week: 4
Homegrown first round picks: 7
Total first round picks: 9
Undrafted free agents: 16
Of their seven first round picks, three of them have played five games or less (Julio Jones, Sam Baker, Sean Weatherspoon) and Roddy White has only barely played when he's been active. That leaves a lot still left to be dealt with by guys like Matt Ryan, Tony Gonzalez, and what just happens to be a very old roster; 12 players are over 30.
Up next: at Green Bay
5. Redskins (3-9) Last week: 5
Homegrown first round picks: 4
Total first round picks: 10
Undrafted free agents: 15
They have two players drafted in the top four (Robert Griffin, Trent Williams) plus Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan. That's the good news. The bad news is that most often when you pick up a former first round pick in free agency, he was let go by his former team for a reason. Relying on players like DeAngelo Hall, Brandon Meriweather, Josh Wilson is why the Redskins have such a terrible pass defense.
The worse news is that they won't have a first round pick in the draft next year unless they trade up.
Up next: vs Kansas City
6. Raiders (4-8) Last week: 6
Homegrown first round picks: 4
Total first round picks: 5
Undrafted free agents: 21
Oakland is another team with only four homegrown first round picks and that's actually sort of false advertising, since technically they drafted Charles Woodson. He spent his best years in Green Bay and is now back for a twilight run, but that's it. So actually they have three homegrown picks and one of those is a kicker.
The other two are Darren McFadden and rookie DJ Hayden.
Overall, the Raiders have just one other player that's a former first round pick and that's corner Mike Jenkins, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys.
What's so amazing about this situation is that the Raiders have been the worst team in the NFL since 2003 and yet this is what they are left with. GM Reggie McKenzie seems to be doing a better job recently but it's not really possible to do worse.
Up next: at NYJ
7. Bills (4-8) Last week: 7
Homegrown first round picks: 6
Total first round picks: 9
Undrafted free agents: 22
Eventually I will have to get around to which team has drafted the most first round picks for other teams, but I feel like it will be Buffalo. However, maybe things finally are turning.
They've invested heavily in defense, specifically the secondary with Stephon Gilmore, Leodis McKelvin, Aaron Williams and Jairus Byrd, and the Bills are seventh in defensive DVOA and fourth against the pass. They drafted a quarterback in the first round last year, they may need to get him a receiver in the next one.
Up next: at Tampa Bay
8. Packers (5-6-1) Last week: 8
Homegrown first round picks: 8
Total first round picks: 9
Undrafted free agents: 26
There is maybe no more interesting team than the Green Bay Packers and I know that Davis Hsu has tracked their situation quite a bit. The Packers have only three players on the entire roster this season that were drafted by a team other than the Packers: Seneca Wallace, Chris Harper and Ryan Pickett.
Yep, two of them were by Seattle.
They draft players and then they hold onto them like crazy or they draft their replacement. Nobody has as many homegrown players as Green Bay and it's not even a race.
Eight first rounders, six second rounders, three third rounders, eight fourth rounders, four fifth rounders, four sixth rounders and six seventh rounders. That's a good way to keep your roster stocked at a low price, but is it a good way to keep your roster stacked?
Because all it took was for one of those players to get hurt for it all to fall apart.
It's not like Green Bay hasn't dealt with numerous injuries this year, but I think it's fairly obvious that in the NFC North, the Packers could easily have a two-game lead with Aaron Rodgers instead of now being almost all the way out of it.
Up next: vs Atlanta
9. Buccaneers (3-9) Last week: 9
Homegrown first round picks: 5
Total first round picks: 7
Undrafted free agents: 31
It's important to note that Tampa Bay has put 12 players on injured reserve and rostered 31 former undrafted free agents. Among non-IR'd players are Dashon Goldson and Carl Nicks, but both of them have missed time, not to mention transitioning from maybe the worst quarterback in the league to a rookie that's done well, but isn't great.
It all adds up to a team that's potentially going to be a lot better next season, though if the Falcons also get better, the NFC South is going to leave someone as "the Rams" and it'll be hard to determine right now which team that will be.
Up next: vs Buffalo
10. Titans (5-7) Last week: 10
Homegrown first round picks: 7
Total first round picks: 9
Undrafted free agents: 12
The highest-drafted player on the Titans is Jake Locker (eighth overall) and the second-highest drafted is rookie guard Chance Womack. It's kind of a wonder that Tennessee is 5-7, because they seem to lack current 2013 talent but then again, they haven't beaten anyone all that noteworthy.
This is the AFC now.
Up next: at Denver
11. Browns (4-8) Last week: 11
Homegrown first round picks: 6
Total first round picks: 8
Undrafted free agents: 24
Cleveland is another one of these consistently-poor teams of the 2000s, but are they building? Joe Haden, Joe Thomas, Bark Mingo, Phil Taylor and Alex Mack will all be around for awhile, seemingly. Now you've got Josh Gordon, who looks like the best supplemental pick ever.
Like the Vikings, you just can't win with awful play at quarterback. With decent play from Brian Hoyer, they were 3-0. With anyone else, 1-8. That's a monumental gap that should be closed up next year.
Up next: at New England
12. Jets (5-7) Last week: 12
Homegrown first round picks: 8
Total first round picks: 13
Undrafted free agents: 22
If it seems like the "New York teams" go after more draft day, "big name" talent than other teams, it's because... they do.
Doesn't mean that it will always work. We're talking about guys like Kellen Winslow, Ed Reed, Antonio Cromartie, Santonio Holmes. Calvin Pace has been the best get of that bunch. Of the Jets own first round picks that are promptly booed every year?
The highest is veteran tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, the second-highest is Mark Sanchez. Then you've got rookies Dee Milliner and Sheldon Richardson. But look at a team like the Seahawks (which is always fun to do) and notice how much of your talent comes from after the first round.
Six of 11 starters on defense are former first round picks. Four on the offensive side of the ball. Their best get after the first round right now might be Jeremy Kerley (fifth round) but it's not enough to fill out an entire roster. They are good on defense thanks to some good first round picks, but they are terrible on offense because of... well.. all of the picks.
Up next: vs Oakland
13. Rams (5-7) Last week: 13
Homegrown first round picks: 6
Total first round picks: 9
Undrafted free agents: 22
St. Louis is another team that should obviously be full of top 10 picks but it has not quite worked out for them that way. They did trade away the number two pick last year, but the amazing part is that they could still get a number one overall pick back for it.
Sam Bradford, Chris Long, Tavon Austin, Robert Quinn, Michael Brockers and Alec Ogletree. A very young core of first round picks but here's another issue for some teams that are bad for awhile: How many can they retain?
It's a hell of a lot better than the terrible job they did after their last Super Bowl appearance in 2001 that got them in this situation. What will they do with the next two first round picks?
Up next: at Arizona
14. Dolphins (6-6) Last week: 14
Homegrown first round picks: 4
Total first round picks: 7
Undrafted free agents: 19
Only four first round picks of their own, including rookie Dion Jordan and second-year QB Ryan Tannehill. Jeff Ireland can point to the fact that 29 of the players on the roster were his own draft picks and that Miami is in position to make the playoffs.
Others would point out that even at 6-6, the AFC sucks and the Dolphins haven't improved much in his six seasons as general manager.
Up next: at Pittsburgh
15. Giants (5-7) Last week: 15
Homegrown first round picks: 7
Total first round picks: 12 (Eli technically a pick of San Diego)
Undrafted free agents: 13
Retained eight first round picks of their own (including Eli) and added four former first rounders from other teams. The inconsistency of a lot of those players, like Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks, Jason Pierre-Paul and Prince Amukamara (for health reasons, maybe) pretty well defines perhaps the most inconsistent team in the NFL.
Up next: at San Diego (Hey look, Eli vs Rivers. Good timing!)
16. Steelers (5-7) Last week: 16
Homegrown first round picks: 10
Total first round picks: 12
Undrafted free agents: 17
If you do as well as Pittsburgh has done for most of the last nine years, you tend to hold on to your draft picks. But four of those guys are over 30, one of those guys is actually Plaxico Burress. The two other first round picks are Levi Brown and Felix Jones...
The Steelers may not be far off from competing again, but they'll need to need to do it with a fresh deck.
Up next: vs Miami
17. Chargers (5-7) Last week: 17
Homegrown first round picks: 5
Total first round picks: 8 (Rivers technically drafted by Giants)
Undrafted free agents: 17
I think that you could argue that all these years later following the trade, neither the Chargers or Giants would be any better or any worse for wear if they had not made the Philip Rivers (Shawne Merriman, Nate Kaeding) for Eli Manning deal. It's just a thing that happened and New York won two titles.
Would they really not have won them with Rivers instead?
San Diego has made some good picks after the first round (Eric Weddle, 2nd, Keenan Allen, 3rd) but not done well enough in the first (Ryan Mathews) and that's partly why they're 5-7.
Up next: vs NYG
18. Ravens (6-6) Last week: 18
Homegrown first round picks: 6
Total first round picks: 8
Undrafted free agents: 16
We've seen a couple of their best first round picks leave after winning the Super Bowl. Now Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata are getting slightly "up there" in age too.
Thanks to Joe Flacco's contract, they won't be able to afford missing on too many draft picks in the upcoming few years. Rookie safety Matt Elam has been quiet this season. Which doesn't necessarily mean he's been bad, only that I have no idea because he has no interceptions and I don't hear a lot of people talk about him in the way I do with Eric Reid or Jonathan Cyprien.
Up next: vs Minnesota
19. Bears (6-6) Last week: 19
Homegrown first round picks: 2
Total first round picks: 5
Undrafted free agents: 11
Two. Probably the most unbelievable number I came across.
How is it possible that a franchise can only have two players on the entire roster that they drafted on their own in the first round? Both of whom are their two most recent: Rookie guard Kyle Long and second-year defensive end Shea McClellin.
Gabe Carimi was a bust, traded to the Bucs, and Chicago didn't have first (or for that matter, second) round picks in 2010 and 2009.
Are they worse off due to their lack of top-end "draft day" talent? Adding in Julius Peppers helps, but I don't think you can argue against the fact that the Bears have struggled to get over the hump for each of the last seven years. Trading picks for Brandon Marshall, getting this much production out of Alshon Jeffery, Matt Forte, getting lucky with Josh McCown. Might still be playoffs in the future.
Up next: vs Dallas, Monday
20. Lions (7-5) Last week: 20
Homegrown first round picks: 7
Total first round picks: 8
Undrafted free agents: 16
Now, Detroit is an interesting case because they have stockpiled four top-five picks of their own doing and they aren't busts: Matthew Stafford (somewhat underwhelming), Calvin Johnson (somewhat overwhelming), Ndamukong Suh and Ezekiel Ansah. They also added former number two pick Reggie Bush and have a number of other first round picks outside of the top 10.
Ansah now has seven sacks, Suh is still one of the top three defensive tackles in the NFL, and the Lions actually had the number two run defense in the NFL by DVOA as of last week.
Detroit hasn't allowed more than 62 rushing yards in any of their last six games.
It just seems like they're missing a player on offense and that Stafford is exciting at times, but has a significant turnover problem. The Lions are 29th in the NFL in turnovers.
Up next: at Philadelphia
21. Cowboys (7-5) Last week: 21
Homegrown first round picks: 6
Total first round picks: 7
Undrafted free agents: 23
The Lions turned it over four times against Dallas and won, so what does that tell you about the Cowboys?
Actually, the only former first round pick on Dallas that wasn't drafted by them is former Detroit linebacker Ernie Sims. They're still waiting to find out to see how good some of their own recent picks are. Tyron Smith seems like a good left tackle, Travis Frederick a solid center, but Morris Claiborne is still part of the reason that the Cowboys have one of the worst defenses in the league.
Up next: at Chicago
22. Eagles (7-5) Last week: 22
Homegrown first round picks: 4
Total first round picks: 5
Undrafted free agents: 14
Philadelphia could really put the "wild card" in wild card this season. They've won four in a row and six of their last eight and both of their losses were heavily populated by Matt Barkley, who happened to be the guy picked one year and 10 picks after Nick Foles.
It's funny how Chip Kelly has been successful with "the other guys" guy but not his own. (Some sort of weird Bellotti comparison to be made there? I don't know enough about college football to really talk good shit.)
Rookie Lane Johnson is the only player on the team picked in the top 10 of any draft by any team, besides Michael Vick of course.
Up next: vs Detroit
23. Colts (8-4) Last week: 23
Homegrown first round picks: 5
Total first round picks: 10
Undrafted free agents: 16
What happens when you have ONE terrible year in the last 15 seasons? Andrew Luck is the only player on this team that was drafted by the Colts in the top 21 picks. All that means is that he either has to be as good as Peyton Manning, or that Executive of the Year Ryan Grigson better hit on free agency and the later rounds.
Eh.
His follow-up first rounder, Bjoern Werner, hasn't played much at all this year. Maybe that's on Chuck Pagano, but still, we don't know how good Werner will become.
He traded for former top-three pick Trent Richardson and that means there won't be a first rounder for Indy next season.
Other former first rounders being relied upon are Vontae Davis, Gosder Cherilus, Darrius Heyward-Bey and LaRon Landry. It shows that the Colts have more of an affinity for draft-day talent than most teams but will it pay off?
Did you know: Matt Hasselbeck is the oldest quarterback in the NFL. If that doesn't make you feel old, next up on that list are Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
Up next: at Cincinnati
24. Bengals (8-4) Last week: 24
Homegrown first round picks: 7
Total first round picks: 10
Undrafted free agents: 16
Some are saying that second-year UDFA Vontaze Burfict is already the DPOY. The Bengals defense is certainly stout and Burfict is the center of the unit, but the team clearly favors draft-day talent in the secondary. They spent picks on Leon Hall and Dre Kirkpatrick but also went into free agency and signed former top picks Terrance Newman, Reggie Nelson and Adam Jones.
They haven't done so well on their own late in the draft; Only two players on the entire team were drafted by the Bengals after the fifth round.
Up next: vs Indianapolis
25. Chiefs (9-3) Last week: 25
Homegrown first round picks: 8
Total first round picks: 11
Undrafted free agents: 15
"Man what a "Surprise!" team!"
Not so much of a surprise when you recognize that the Chiefs have eight of their own first round picks on the team plus three more from other teams.
One of those is only A.J Jenkins, but they've also got former top pick Alex Smith and former number 10 pick Dunta Robinson. On their own there's Eric Fisher, Derrick Johnson, Dontari Poe, Tamba Hali, Branden Albert, Dwayne Bowe, Tyson Jackson and Eric Berry. They've also hit big later in the draft on Justin Houston and Jamaal Charles.
Plenty of talent on this team... unfortunately most of it is on defense. Just not a good enough defense to stop any of the division winners on the road when the playoffs come around.
Up next: at Washington
26. Cardinals (7-5) Last week: 26
Homegrown first round picks: 5
Total first round picks: 9
Undrafted free agents: 19
Another team that's been pitiful for most of my life, how much do they have to show for it? Well, Jon Cooper has missed the whole year so who knows yet about that.
Larry Fitzgerald has been wonderful, but quiet lately.
Patrick Peterson has just been wonderful. (Look, I can use wonderful as much as I want. Yes, even on a football blog.)
But they take it to the next level on defense with great picks like Daryl Washington, Calais Campbell, Darnell Dockett and Tyrann Mathieu. That's why they're still a pretty good overall team.
Up next: vs St. Louis
27. 49ers (8-4) Last week: 27
Homegrown first round picks: 8
Total first round picks: 13
Undrafted free agents: 20
San Francisco is a team that's "built like" Seattle but they did not "build like" Seattle.
They have twice as many in-house first rounders and more than twice as many total first rounders. They've hit on a couple of their late rounders, like Navorro Bowman, getting starters out of Ray McDonald, Tarell Brown, Bruce Miller, but this is a team built on first-day draft talent.
How many more years can they go like that? Honestly, for as long as they can do well in free agency (and they can) and keep a solid core of players (I'm sure) the budding rivalry will continue. It probably will be like this for awhile.
Up next: vs Seattle
28 Broncos (10-2) Last week: 28
Homegrown first round picks: 6
Total first round picks: 11
Undrafted free agents: 16
They have the best free agent signing in the NFL and it's not even close. They also did pretty damn well with Von Miller, their only homegrown top 10 pick on the team.
Up next: vs Tennessee
29. Saints (9-3) Last week: 29
Homegrown first round picks: 7
Total first round picks: 11
Undrafted free agents: 26
For me to slide New Orleans up and switch places with Denver, that would concede that I think the Chiefs are really good or that the Seahawks aren't really great. I don't feel especially compelled to do that. I think in a game between the Broncos and the Saints, the home team wins.
Also, New Orleans has the second-best free agent signing in the NFL. Maybe the best, depending on what year we are starting from. They also don't have a single player that they drafted in the top 13.
Up next: vs Carolina
30. Patriots (9-3) Last week: 30
Homegrown first round picks: 7
Total first round picks: 9
Undrafted free agents: 24
Well, New England has been "The Model" during the draft for a lot of teams over the past decade and 29 of the players on the roster are their own picks. Another 25 were undrafted free agents. That leaves a handful of other players but the only real starter is Aqib Talib.
Nineteen of those homegrown picks were in the first three rounds, pounding home the idea of trading back and back for more and more picks, a model that John Schneider and Pete Carroll have followed.
Still don't get one thing about this twisted: All seven of those first round picks are starters on the team (when healthy, unlike Jerod Mayo, Vince Wilfork) and that's not even close to true for any other round. They might trade back but when they do, they know how to find serious talent.
Up next: vs Cleveland
31. Panthers (9-3) Last week: 31
Homegrown first round picks: 7
Total first round picks: 9
Undrafted free agents: 21
Cam Newton won't get a lot of credit for their success, especially not compared to most quarterbacks taken first overall, but make no mistake; If he was JaMarcus Russell, the Panthers would be picking in the top ten again next year.
He's just one of six players that Carolina took in the top 15 but they also found Greg Hardy in the sixth and Captain Munnerlyn in the seventh.
Up next: at New Orleans
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500 miles
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500 more
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32. Seahawks (11-1) Last week: 32
Homegrown first round picks: 4
Total first round picks: 6
Undrafted free agents: 22
What do the Seahawks NOT have in common with the other nine teams in the bottom ten? They are the only team in the bottom ten of these unPower Rankings to have fewer than 10 former first round picks. That's pretty incredible, yet they are the best team in the league. Why?
They found three starters (Bobby Wagner, Max Unger, Golden Tate) in the second round.
Two starters (Russell Wilson, Brandon Mebane) in the third round.
Three starters (Red Bryant, KJ Wright, Walter Thurmond currently) in the fourth round.
Two starters (Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor) in the fifth round, plus rookie Luke Willson.
They've also found Jeremy Lane, Byron Maxwell in the sixth plus JR Sweezy, Malcolm Smith and Michael Bowie in the seventh. Undrafted free agents include Tony McDaniel, Chris Maragos, Jermaine Kearse, Derrick Coleman, Chris Clemons (by trade), Brandon Browner, Doug Baldwin and Alvin Bailey.
They signed players like Michael Bennett (UDFA), Cliff Avril (third), Sidney Rice (second), Zach Miller (second) and traded for Percy Harvin (first), Clinton McDonald (seventh) and Marshawn Lynch (first.)
It's quite a fun way to build a roster and I didn't even note that it might all be for naught if not having hit so good on your first draft with Russell Okung and Earl Thomas instead of Mark Sanchez and some other crappy player. That one misstep, and Carroll could have been headed back to USC this weekend. (No, that'll never happen.)
Nobody in the NFL as of today has been as successful after the top 20 picks of the draft as Seattle has been over the last four years. That's good.
They're gonna need that when they're picking 32nd every year.
Up next: at San Francisco
If you have any questions about every roster and every player in the NFL, ask away!