AFC East Draft Review

The Buffalo Bills: If the eleventh overall pick of the 2009 draft (Aaron Maybin) can have a similar impact to the eleventh overall pick of the 2002 draft (Dwight Freeney), the Bills will have had a stellar selection process in the last year of the first decade of the 21st century. But Maybin is three inches taller and 19 pounds lighter than the pass-rush specialist who was regarded as a potential liability in the running game. So stay tuned. Failure to address the gaping hole at left tackle could be even more problematic, a circumstance with which the aforementioned Freeney might have a field day in Week Seventeen. The selection of center Eric Wood with the pick from the Jason Peters trade blocked the Colts and the Steelers from getting him. But, again, Wood isn’t a left tackle. As noted during the Saturday Live Blog, the selection of guard Andy Levitre in round two could put him in line for an endorsement of Viagro. The Miami Dolphins: For the fifth time in five years, a second-round pick was devoted to the quarterback position. This time, the Fins might have something special in Pat White, who’ll run the Wildcat offense -- and who could at some point become the captain of the base offense. Otherwise, the Dolphins focused on areas of need: defensive back (Vontae Davis and Sean Smith) and receiver (Patrick Turner and Brian Hartline). A solid showing, which could become spectacular if White becomes the new prototype of NFL quarterbacks. The New England Patriots: Coach Bill Belichick didn’t think much of the top of this draft, so he traded down. In the end, he compiled a dozen guys who could become contributors down the line. The most intriguing pick is North Carolina receiver Brandon Tate, who when healthy could be the short-term answer in the three-receiver formation and the long-term successor to Randy Moss. If Tate can avoid the siren song of the “Blue Moon.” The New York Jets: The Jets needed a quarterback. And so they got the best one they could from the 2009 draft class, given that the Lions opted to squat on Matt Stafford. But how did Mark Sanchez become such a hot commodity while playing in no football games since January 1? The Matt Ryan/Joe Flacco phenomenon pushed the Jets -- desperate to generate interest in the team and desperate to address the weakest position on the field and desperate to save the career of Mike Tannenbaum -- to move for Sanchez. They actually got a good deal, giving up only a second-round pick and three assorted slappies. But the question is whether Sanchez becomes Joe Namath or Browning Nagle or something in between. If he doesn’t play closer to Namath sooner than later, the move will be regarded as a failure. Unless in the interims all the PSLs for the new stadium are sold. The other big-name pick was Iowa running back Shonn Greene, who could be teamed with Leon Washington if/when Thomas Jones is traded to the Browns and former Jets coach Eric Mangini.