Andy's Round 1 Analysis

[Andy]

A lot happened in the first round, as it was filled with many trades and surprises.

The round started with Jadeveon Clowney going 1^st overall, and it’s safe to say that no one was surprised by that. There were teams interested in trading up, but at the end of the day, the Texans stuck with their guns and added Clowney to a stacked defense led by JJ Watt.

The St Louis Rams then went with Greg Robinson, a big athletic offensive tackle. It was the safe pick, but in my opinion, they should have gone with Sammy Watkins and get a true playmaker. Either way, it looks like Robinson will start a right tackle and is definitely a good pick.

The first surprise of the night came with the Jaguars’ pick. The Jaguars came out of nowhere and selected Florida’s own Blake Bortles. The highly touted quarterback was the #2 QB on my board (13^th best player overall) and although the Jaguars needed a quarterback badly, they reached for Bortles. Bortles could be good down the line, but with little supporting help, it will be hard to see Bortles having a positive rookie season.

The next surprise came when the Buffalo Bills traded up to get Sammy Watkins. The Bills saw Watkins fall out of the top 3 and jumped on the opportunity. They gave up a lot for Watkins, giving away next year’s first round pick, but if Watkins ends up like AJ Green, it will be worth it. Watkins is a star and will give EJ Manuel a great option to throw to.

The Raiders then made the right pick in Khalil Mack. Mack is a great pass rusher who helps a need on the Raiders. He could end up being one of the best young pass rushers in the league and could help the front 7 of the Raiders.

The Falcons then went with Jake Matthews. They went with the right position, as their offensive line was terrible, but personally, I had Taylor Lewan ranked higher and he would have been the better choice, but you just can’t go wrong with Jake Matthews, who should be a great left tackle for 10 years.

The 7^th pick went to Tampa Bay, and although Johnny Manziel was in play, they went with the right pick and went with big-bodied receiver Mike Evans. Evans is a great receiver who should be the perfect #2 for the Bucs. He gives Josh McCown a big weapon, and he’s used to that after last season with the Bears.

The 8^th pick went to the Cleveland Browns after trading up one spot (from the Bills’ old pick). Many thought that Manziel was the pick, but they surprised many and went with Justin Gilbert, who is the best cornerback in the draft. Gilbert helps out a need on that team and completes what should be a great secondary. That team is looking scary on defense, and as we’ll see later, well built on offense.

The 9^th pick went to the Minnesota Vikings, and again, many thought they would go with Aaron Donald, but they went with Anthony Barr. Barr is a hit or miss prospect. He was the 11^th best player on my big board, so this is good value, and he will replace Jared Allen. It almost seems like they came into the draft with Barr on their mind.

Rounding out the top 10 were the Detroit Lions, and they ended up going with Eric Ebron, which gives them another big target. That’s one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL.

Then, Taylor Lewan and Odell Beckham went to the Titans and Giants, respectively. Both these picks don’t get good grades from me. Lewan is a great left tackle and the best player on the board, but the Titans don’t need an offensive tackle. It’s clearly a longterm pick, but nevertheless, you have the 11^th pick in the draft and many needs, go for something else. As for the Giants, Beckham was my 25^th best player and I thought that Brandin Cooks would have been a better choice here or going with an interior defensive lineman like Aaron Donald. There were better choices out there for both teams.

After the Giants were the Rams, and they bolstered their defensive line by adding Aaron Donald. Aaron Donald was the best player on the board, and he enters a defensive line filled with great first round picks. He makes that defense even more dangerous.

At 14 were the Chicago Bears, who made a slight reach with Kyle Fuller. Getting a cornerback wasn’t the problem, but I don’t see that “Wow” factor with Fuller, but with the right development, he could be very good.

The Steelers then went ahead and surprised some with the selection of Ryan Shazier. The Steelers have some good pass rushers and picked Jarvis Jones last season. With Shazier they get a good pass rusher with great athleticism and he should help out that defense.

Then the Cowboys came on the clock, and Johnny Manziel was still on the board. The tension was in the air, and when Roger Goodell came to the microphone, the whole football world was listening. “With the 16^th pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys select… Zack Martin, offensive tackle” and there was a collective sign of relief. The Cowboys made the right move and helped out their offensive line, by adding the perfect player for their right tackle spot. That’s a great offensive line.

At 17, the Ravens were on the board, and they picked the first linebacker in the first round since Ray Lewis in 1996. CJ Mosley was my 12^th best player on my board, and the 2^nd best at the time. That picks helps a big need and gives them a presence at linebacker.

At 18, the New York Jets made a smart play in Calvin Pryor, who was good value at that pick. Pryor is a good all around safety who could become a great safety in the NFL. He should help that defense that has a lot of problems beyond their defensive line.

Another big surprise came at 19 when the Dolphins picked Ja’Wuan James, a player I had given an early 3^rd round grade. James was a very good right tackle at Tennessee, but I was very surprised to see him go at 19. He should compete for the starting job and win, but who knows if he’ll be good as a rookie.

The New Orleans Saints then made a big trade, moving up to 20 (and the Cards moving down to 27). They then took my favorite prospect in the draft in Brandin Cooks, and more importantly found a great target for Drew Brees. He’s a sleeper for offensive rookie of the year.

At 21, the Packers went with Ha Ha Clinton Dix, which was quite funny… I had to do that. All joking aside, this pick was no laughing matter. Ok, now I’m done. Clinton Dix is a top end safety who provides great help to the backend of the Packers’ secondary, which lacks quality safeties.

Then, the craziness happened at pick 22. The Cleveland Browns came out of nowhere to get the 22^nd overall pick, and everyone knew who they were taking. It was Johnny Football time, and when that pick was announced, the fans went crazy. Manziel was a part of the Dawg Pound. The Browns had found their quarterback, and is the key to their success. A good year from him and watch out for the Browns. A bad one, and it’s the bottom of the league for the Browns… again. All in all, this was the right pick for the Browns.

Then picks 23 and 24 came up, the Chiefs took Dee Ford and the Bengals took Darqueze Dennard. Both picks solidied two pretty good position groups and will only help their defenses. Their impacts won’t be immediate, but they’ll be good longterm.

At 25, the Chargers then took Jason Verrett, who provides help at a postion of need. Verrett has all the talent and instincts of the top cornerbacks in the NFL, however he lacks the size. Nevertheless, this is a great pick for the Chargers.

At 26, the Eagles surprised everyone by taking Marcus Smith. I gave Smith an early 3^rd round grade, and although he demonstrates great pass rushing ability, I’m not sold on him, and he shouldn’t have been picked in the 1^st round. Nevertheless, they address their need at outside linebacker.

The Cardinals then went at 27, and most people expected them to take one of the top two quarterbacks on the board (Bridgewater and Carr). However, they went with Deone Bucannon, who I gave a late 2^nd round grade. He hits hard and can play “center-field”. It’s actually a pretty good pick for the Cardinals and it fills a need, but this is a slight reach in terms of value.

The Panthers then went addressed their biggest need at wide receiver and got Kelvin Benjamin, a big bodied receiver with a high ceiling. With the weak receiving core on the Panther, he could and should come in and play from the beginning and provide a big target for Cam Newton.

At 29, the Patriots then took Dominique Easley, an explosive, quick defensive tackle from Florida who fits in very well in New England right next to Vince Wilfork. If healthy, Easley is a good player, but I thought the Patriots should ‘ve picked Timmy Jernigan, who is very good value at 29.

At 30, the 49ers took a safety for the 2^nd year in the row. They took Jimmie Ward who could end up being the best safety in this draft. He reminds me of Earl Thomas and can play like him. With Bethea and Reid at safety, it seems like he could be a good candidate to play as a nickel his first couple of seasons and occasionally at safety. They’ll move him around.

At 31, the Broncos made a great value pick in Bradley Roby, my 19^th best player on my board, and the 2^nd best at the time. Roby helps a slight need at cornerback, and will be the long-term solution to anchor that secondary.

Finally, to end the first round, the Seahawks traded back and gave their pick to the Vikings. The Vikings were linked to a quarterback earlier in the round and didn’t pick one. However, with this pick, they went with Teddy Bridgewater, which in my opinion is outstanding value at 32 (10^th best player in the draft in my opinion). Bridgewater will come in, contend for the starting job and probably win that battle. He’s very talented and could be the long-term franchise starter they’ve always wanted.

The 1^st round started and ended with a bang, and in the middle was a lot of surprises. There are plenty of talented players in the 2^nd round and you should expect to see a lot of trades in the upper portion of the 2^nd round. The Texans have the first pick, and expect them to take a familiar last name.

The team who gained the most was the Cleveland Browns, who got Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel on top of receiving a 1^st round pick in 2015. Knowing the Bills, that could be a top 5 pick.

The team that gained the least was the Tennessee Titans, who although got a great player in Taylor Lewan, will have to keep him on the bench for at least this season. Other players in the 1st round should have an impact on their respective teams.

Best Value Pick: Aaron Donald – Defensive Tackle – 13^th Overall: St Louis Rams

Worst Value Pick: Ja’Wuan James – Offensive Tackle – 19^th Overall: Miami Dolphins

Most Surprising Pick: Marcus Smith – Defensive End / Outside Linebacker – 26^th Overall: Philadelphia Eagles & Blake Bortles – Quarterback – 3^rd Overall: Jacksonville Jaguars

Winning Team: Cleveland Browns

Losing Team: Tennessee Titans

Best Players Available (Next 10):

23. Kony Ealy – DE – Missouri

24. Ra’shede Hageman – DT – Minnesota

26. Timmy Jernigan – DT – Florida State

27. Louis Nix III – DT – Notre Dame

29. Derek Carr – QB – Fresno State

30. Kyle Van Noy – OLB – BYU

32. Jace Amaro – TE – Texas Tech

33. Stephon Tuitt – DT – Notre Dame

35. Marqise Lee – WR – USC

[Can'tStandYa]

Take dee ford out of your available list.

[Andy]

Take dee ford out of your available list.

 

Yeah woops.

[MTC]

Yeah woops.

I fixed it Andy.

[Andy]

I fixed it Andy.

 

Thank you!