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They say it takes four years to truly evaluate a draft class, but that doesn't mean you can't get a first impression. Here's mine of the NFC's 2009 draft classes. (Click here for AFC evaluation.)

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

2009 draft class
Best pick: DE Brandon Williams, Texas Tech (fourth round, No. 120 overall)
Worst pick: OLB Jason Williams, Western Illinois (third round, No. 69)
Bottom line: When looking at Dallas' 2009 draft you have to consider WR Roy Williams, whom the Cowboys traded first-, third- and sixth-rounders to acquire during the 2008 season. His production is not great, but he is their primary receiver. In addition, the Cowboys traded out of the first day and failed to find any players who will make an impact in the future. Stephen McGee is a developmental quarterback who could turn into a good No. 2. Victor Butler is a nice situational pass-rusher, DeAngelo Smith can be a No. 3 or No. 4 corner, Michael Hamlin projects as an in-the-box safety, Jason Williams is a much better athlete than football player and Robert Brewster is big, but lacks toughness so we don't envision him as anything more than a backup in the NFL.

New York Giants

2009 draft class
Best pick: WR Hakeem Nicks, North Carolina (first round, No. 29 overall)
Worst pick: OT William Beatty, Connecticut (second round, No. 60 overall)
Bottom line: Considering that the Giants were, for the most part, drafting near the bottom of each round, they cleaned house a little bit. They got a potential No. 2 WR in Hakeem Nicks, upgraded their pass rush with OLB Clint Sintim, and TE Travis Beckum and RB Andre Brown could develop into midround steals in time. New York took Beatty about where we projected him, but he is a finesse player who has not played to his potential, and who just doesn't seem to have the same crafty, hardworking attitude the Giants value up front.

Philadelphia Eagles

2009 draft class
Best pick: RB LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh (second round, No. 53 overall)
Worst pick: OT Fenuki Tupou, Oregon (fifth round, No. 159 overall)
Bottom line: On paper, the Eagles appear to have one of best classes of 2009. Granted, Jeremy Maclin has a lot of developing to do as a route-runner, but his RAC skills project perfectly in Philadelphia's West Coast offense and should be able to at least help as a No. 3 wideout and return man this year. McCoy is the best pass-catching back in this draft and should pay dividends by initially taking the load off Brian Westbrook. Long term, McCoy should develop into the full-time starter two or three years down the road. TE Cornelius Ingram was a steal in the fifth round as was WR Brandon Gibson in the sixth.

Washington Redskins

2009 draft class
Best pick: DE Brian Orakpo, Texas (first round, No. 13 overall)
Worst pick: OLB Cody Glenn, Nebraska (fifth round, No. 158 overall)
Bottom line: It looked for a while as though the Redskins would land QB Mark Sanchez, but after failing to do so, they are now left doing damage control with returning starting QB Jason Campbell. The good news is Washington's first two picks -- its only two in the first four rounds -- should both become good starters. Orakpo fits better as a 4-3 defensive end and should help immediately upgrade the Redskins' feeble pass rush. CB Kevin Barnes is an underrated corner who, when healthy, shows the potential to develop into a good starter.

To find out which teams did well and which teams made some questionable decisions, become an insider today to read Todd McShay's breakdown of the rest of the NFC's draft classes.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals

2009 draft class
Best pick: RB Chris Wells, Ohio State (first round, No. 31 overall)
Worst pick: OLB Cody Brown, Connecticut (second round, No. 63 overall)
Bottom line: There's something to be said for the Cardinals drafting at the bottom of the round, and they handled the uncharted territory like veterans. Arizona cashed in on Beanie Wells, who fell to them at No. 31, which minimizes his durability risk because he doesn't cost as much to sign. Brown is a bit of a reach, but he fits as a rush LB and could potentially help upgrade the Cardinals' pass rush, or at least add some depth. The best value pick was S Rashad Johnson, who the Cards snagged in the third round. Johnson is an instinctive ball hawk, and it won't surprise me if he starts in a nickel role in Week 1.

San Francisco 49ers

2009 draft class
Best pick: WR Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech (first round, No. 10 overall)
Worst pick: ILB Scott McKillop, Pittsburgh (fifth round, No. 146 overall)
Bottom line: While San Francisco would have liked to address needs on the offensive or defensive fronts with its first pick, it's impossible to fault the 49ers for taking in Crabtree, one of the top three players in this year's draft who fell to them at No. 10. Making it an even better decision is any concerns about Crabtree's character or how he interviewed leading up to the draft should be erased with Mike Singletary at coach. While the QB situation in San Francisco is less than ideal, Crabtree will allow the 49ers to see if they have the right QB in-house as he should only bring out the best in the existing signal-callers. As for Day 2, RB Glen Coffee is a good change-of-pace runner and McKillop is limited but solid versus the run and should contribute on special teams. Finally, there's nothing wrong with taking a chance on developing QB Nate Davis in Round 5.

Seattle Seahawks

2009 draft class
Best pick: LB Aaron Curry, Wake Forest (first round, No. 4 overall)
Worst pick: QB Mike Teel, Rutgers (sixth round, No. 178 overall)
Bottom line: I liked Seattle's approach to its first three picks in which it simply took the best available players. Curry should immediately become the face of the defense as his versatility, toughness and leadership skills should provide an overall upgrade for this unit. Unger is a starting NFL lineman, the only thing that remains to be seen is whether it's at center, guard or tackle. While undersized, WR Deon Butler is a natural playmaker with great speed, quickness and hand-eye coordination. There are other QBs we would have taken in the sixth round other than Teel, but we're nitpicking to call this the worst pick.

St. Louis Rams

2009 draft class
Best pick: OT Jason Smith, Baylor (first round, No. 2 overall)
Worst pick: CB Bradley Fletcher, Iowa (third round, No. 66 overall)
Bottom line: The Rams made the right call drafting an OT as a replacement for Orlando Pace at LT. I also thought cashing in on James Laurinaitis at No. 35 was a good move. He should provide leadership and upgrade the range of the Rams' LB corps. After that, things fell off for St. Louis. Fletcher was the biggest reach. While he's a big, physical corner, he lacks ideal range and is not an overly instinctive playmaker, so I'm not sure he'll ever be more than another sub-package DB on a roster filled with plenty of them already.

NFC North

Chicago Bears

2009 draft class
Best pick: CB D.J. Moore, Vanderbilt (fourth round, No. 119)
Worst pick: WR Juaquin Iglesias, Oklahoma (third round, No. 99 overall)
Bottom line: The Bears' biggest need was finding weapons for new QB Jay Cutler, and they failed to accomplish that goal. Iglesias is, at best, a possession receiver and Johnny Knox will probably max out as a receiver in sub packages who would contribute on special teams. On the positive side, the Bears hit homers on DT Jarron Gilbert and Moore.

Detroit Lions

2009 draft class
Best pick: TE Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma State (first round, No. 20 overall)
Worst pick: OLB DeAndre Levy, Wisconsin (third round, No. 76 overall)
Bottom line: We've made it perfectly clear that we would have built up the supporting cast and taken an offensive lineman instead of putting the weight on Matthew Stafford, who is very talented but will need some time to get ready. On top of having great hands, Brandon Pettigrew is one of the top three blocking tight ends in this year's class and was a good value pick. WR Derrick Williams was worth the third-round pick. He will be a No. 3 receiver right away and is going to produce at kick returner. However, the Lions weren't able to find an offensive tackle, and we'll be surprised if Levy emerges as more than a situational cover guy and special teams player.

Green Bay Packers

2009 draft class
Best pick: DT B.J. Raji, Boston College (first round, No. 9 overall)
Worst pick: FB Quinn Johnson, LSU (fifth round, No. 145 overall)
Bottom line: It's hard to pinpoint a weakness in this draft. Raji is a perfect fit at NT as the Packers transition to a 3-4 defense, and OLB Clay Matthews gives them a player with experience in a hybrid 3-4/4-3 scheme. OT T.J. Lang is one of the most underrated offensive linemen in this year's class and could emerge as yet another midround O-line starter for Green Bay. The Packers also took some chances in the later rounds on risk/reward players like G Jamon Meredith and CB Brandon Underwood.

Minnesota Vikings

2009 draft class
Best pick: WR Percy Harvin, Florida (first round, No. 22 overall)
Worst pick: OT Phil Loadholt, Oklahoma (second round, No. 54 overall)
Bottom line: I really like the Vikings' approach during the draft. It's obvious Minnesota targeted Harvin after head coach Brad Childress met with him leading up to the draft. Childress has the offensive mind to utilize Harvin properly and it helps that Childress gave Harvin his stamp of approval. While there are questions about Loadholt's ability to protect the perimeter, he is a massive RT prospect who is capable of pushing for a starting job. I also think Minnesota got good values in CB Asher Allen in the third round and ILB Jasper Brinkley in the fourth.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons

2009 draft class
Best pick: DE Lawrence Sidbury, Richmond (fourth round, No. 125 overall)
Worst pick: S William Moore, Missouri (second round, No. 55 overall)
Bottom line: Peria Jerry is a solid pick in the first round. He plays at less than 300 pounds, but is tough versus the run. He is clearly the second-best DT in this class behind B.J. Raji and fills a priority need. Atlanta then turned its focus toward the secondary with three of its next four going to DBs. CB Chris Owens (third) and CB William Middleton (fifth) are solid developmental projects, but Moore has too much bust potential for my liking. It's easy to fall in love with the size/speed combo, but I really question his instincts as a player. With Jerry and Sidbury, who is a pass-rush specialist, the Falcons improved their pass rush and that should take some pressure off their secondary moving forward.

Carolina Panthers

2009 draft class
Best pick: DE Everette Brown, FSU (second round, No. 43 overall)
Worst pick: DT Corvey Irvin, Georgia (third round, No. 93 overall)
Bottom line: Considering how little it had to work with, Carolina did a strong job. It got a first-round talent in Brown at No. 43. He should be effective but slipped because of his less-than-ideal height and top-end speed. Still, he's quick enough off the edge to make an impact as a situational rusher as a rookie. While it might have seemed like a reach to some, CB Sherrod Martin's stock was soaring leading up to the draft and it won't surprise me if by midseason he's a starter. I thought there were better options available in the third round other than Irvin, but the Panthers made up for it with the additions of RB Mike Goodson in the fourth round and talented but inconsistent OG Duke Robinson in the fifth.

New Orleans Saints

2009 draft class
Best pick: DB Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State (first round, No. 14 overall)
Worst pick: ILB Stanley Arnoux, Wake Forest (fourth round, No. 118 overall)
Bottom line: The Saints were wise to avoid the temptation to take a running back in the first round, and Jenkins is a ball hawk who will get a shot to play CB but is more likely to emerge as a difference-maker at FS. Chip Vaughn can be a hard-hitting safety but New Orleans has to hope he plays with the effort he showed in 2007 rather than last season. Arnoux is a reach in the fourth round because we felt there were other LBs on the board who could have improved the defense more.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2009 draft class
Best pick: DT Roy Miller, Texas (third round, No. 81 overall)
Worst pick: QB Josh Freeman, Kansas State (first round, No. 17 overall)
Bottom line: This will be a good situation for Freeman, who has tremendous upside and will be given the opportunity to learn from the sidelines behind Byron Leftwich. Still, the Bucs purged their roster in the offseason and have a multitude of needs, and instead of addressing one in the mid-first round, they traded up two spots to reach even more for a QB with high bust potential. Time will tell, but I'm not sure the risk is worth the potential reward for this rebuilding franchise. I really like Miller in the third, however, and defensive coordinator Jim Bates is trying to get bigger and stronger. It's not the old Tampa 2 and both Miller and DE Kyle Moore project better for what Bates is looking for in his new defense.

Todd McShay is the director of college scouting for Scouts Inc. He has been evaluating NFL prospects since 1998.