Let’s
get ready for a running tally, and grades, of the first round of the NFL draft.
1)
Carolina Panthers from
Chicago – Bryce Young, QB, Alabama – Grade: A
Best
QB in the draft, despite size (both height and weight) concerns, he sees the
field and anticipates well, and missed just one game out of precaution in his
final season.
2)
Houston Texans – CJ
Stroud, QB, Ohio State – Grade: A
Some
talk that this might be Levis, and also talk that ownership may have stepped in
and forced the Stroud pick, either way, I think they got to the right pick in
the end. Stroud needs to utilize his athleticism a bit more but he throws the
ball well, and has protypical size.
Trade:
Houston (F-) gets 3 & 102, Arizona (A+) gets 12 , 33, ’24 1st,
and ’24 3rd
Woo
buddy the Texans gave up a fuck ton to get this pick… roughly 40% more than the
pick is worth.
3)
Houston Texans from Arizona
– Will Anderson, Edge, Alabama – Grade: A
Well
Houston got bold and made themselves better, Anderson had 31 TFLs in 2021 and had
a “disappointing” 17 this past year. He’s fundamentally sound, athletic, if not
freaky, and high motor/IQ.
4)
Indianapolis Colts – Anthony
Richardson, QB, Florida – Grade: A-
A
bit raw, and needs to be more consistent with his fee so the ball doesn’t sail
but he was much more well-rounded than I expected before the process.
5)
Seattle Seahawks from
Denver – Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois – Grade: A
A
hard-nosed, hard hitting, cornerback Witherspoon would have been a great fit
here or with the Lions.
Trade:
Arizona (C) gets 6 & 81, Detroit (C) gets 12 &
34
6)
Arizona Cardinals from Detroit
from Los Angeles (N) – Paris Johnson Jr, OT, Ohio State – Grade: A
Arizona
trades back up and gets the best tackle in the draft, solid tackle, almost
boring to watch. Has some mess ups but they are few and far between.
7)
Las Vegas Raiders – Tyree
Wilson, Edge, Texas Tech – Grade: A
Wilson
has a foot injury that is always worrisome for bigger players but he’s explosive
and productive and still has room to grow.
8)
Atlanta Falcons – Bijan
Robinson, RB, Texas – Grade: C+
Why,
with all the holes the team needs to fill? Why? A very good football player,
this is about value, and overall impact on the team.
Trade:
Philadelphia (C+) gets 9, Chicago (C-) gets 10
& ’24 4th
9)
Philadelphia Eagles
from Chicago from Carolina – Jalen Carter, INT, Georgia – Grade: A
Well,
the rich get richer, and they have the vet presence to help keep the kid in
line and teach him how to be a pro. At this point in the first he has by far
the highest ceiling.
10) Chicago
Bears from Philadelphia from New Orleans – Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee –
Grade: B-
Chicago
takes a good tackle but there were 3 tackle I would have liked more at that
point and Wright went a half round to a round higher than I would have taken
him.
11) Tennessee
Titans – Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern – Grade: A
Speaking
of players I would have preferred for Chicago, Skoronski may or may not be a
tackle but he’s a starter inside.
12) Detroit
Lions from Houston Texans from Cleveland – Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama – Grade: C
I
don’t understand this pick, it’s too early for a running back who isn’t on that
star level, and they already have Swift on the last year of his rookie deal and
just brought in Montgomery. Essentially, you’re wasting 25% of Gibbs’ rookie contract.
13) Green
Bay Packers from New York (A) – Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa – Grade: B
Much
to the chagrin of Packers fans this wasn’t an offensive player. There were edge
players I liked more but Van Ness has a lot of upside and is very athletic.
Very on brand and a solid if unspectacular pick.
Trade:
Pittsburgh (C+) gets 14, New England (C-) gets
17 & 120
14) Pittsburgh
Steelers from New England – Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia – Grade: A
Jones
was my top tackle on the board, helps sure up a Steelers line that has been
rough as of late and helps keep Pickett clean.
15) New
York Jets from Green Bay – Will McDonald IV, Edge, Iowa State – Grade:
One
edge I liked more out there but good, long, big, and athletic, McDonald gives
Salah a good young piece to mold.
16) Washington
Commanders – Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State – Grade: A
Forbes
is long, lanky, and a ball hawk. With a front seven that gets consistent
pressure this pick will go a long way to making this a complete defense.
17) New
England Patriots from Pittsburgh – Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon – Grade: A+
I
don’t know how Belichick does it but a top 5 player falls to the Pats at 17.
18) Detroit
Lions from Los Angeles (N) – Jack Campbell, OBLB, Iowa – Grade: A
I
like Simpson more but this is good pick and a Detroit type of guy.
19) Tampa
Bay Buccaneers – Calijah Kancey, INT, Pittsburgh – Grade: A
Kancey
is undersized but Tampa gets an explosive player who consistently disrupts.
20) Seattle
Seahawks from Denver – Jaxson Smith-Njigba, WR, Oiho State – Grade: A+
Great
pick, top receiver, top of my board. Him and Gonzalez the steals of the draft
so far.
21) Los
Angeles Chargers – Quintin Johnston, WR, TCU – Grade: A+
Johnson
was my WR2 and a bigger receiver in a draft of smaller options. He won at all
three levels and gives the Chargers a Keenan Allen replacement.
22) Baltimore
Ravens – Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College – Grade: A
Flowers
is a mean fuck, a small slot option with good long speed, plenty of wiggle, and
the previously mentioned mean streak.
23) Minnesota
Vikings – Jordan Addison, WR, USC – Grade: A-
The
Vikings get their Thielen replacement and the former Belitnikoff award winner.
Trade:
New York (N) (D) gets 24, Jacksonville (B) 25, 160, and 240
24) New
York Giants from Jacksonville – Deontay Banks, CB, Maryland – Grade: A-
Giants
get a physical corner and help fortify their defense.
Trade:
Buffalo (D-) gets 25, Jacksonville (B+) gets 27, 130
25) Buffalo
Bills from Jacksonville from New York (N) – Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah – Grade: A-
Buffalo
moves up and gets my co-top-rated TE at 25, 4 to 8 picks later than expected.
Kincaid is a strong enough blocker but will be most useful as a receiving option.
26) Dallas
Cowboys – Mazi Smith, INT, Michigan – Grade: D
I
didn’t get Smith in the run up, it’s completely possible I’m wrong but that
informs this grade.
27)
Jacksonville Jaguars
from Buffalo – Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma – Grade: B-
28)
Cincnnati Bengals – Myles
Murphy, Edge, Clemson – Grade: B-
These
next two fell into guys who I expected to go earlier based on mocks and
information pre-draft that fell to slightly before I would have taken them.
Both are good players who are solid selections but there were players at their positions
I would have preferred.
29) New
Orleans Saints from Denver from Miami from San Francisco – Bryan Bresee, INT, Clemson
Role (Gr) – Grade: C
See
above, but even more so. Bresee has potentially higher season after facing
trials and tribulations this season but three players I would have preferred at
the interior position.
30) Philadelphia
Eagles – Nolan Smith, Edge, Georgia – Grade: A
Smith
slid just past where I would have picked him, but he went to the team that will
utilize him better than anyone else. Last year’s team properly utilized Reddick
and should be able to maximize Smith’s potential.
31)
Kansas City Chiefs – Felix
Anudike-Uzomah, Edge, Kansas State – Grade: A-
This
was the player I was hoping would get to the Packers in the forties. He’s got
bend, good testing, and good production, there was one top 20 Edge that I would
have preferred but I still think this is a really nice pick.
This
was one of my better big boards compared to the draft with all but 12 players
drafted and 28 out of my top 63 players. 27 of 31 picks got a B- or higher, and
only Mazi Smith really went against my rankings in a significant way. I’ll have
a top 100 Big Board in the morning and a Round 2 & 3 mock draft before the evening’s
festivities.
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