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CW21's 2018 NFL Draft Review (Browns Up)


CWood21

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Since I wasn't able to get my rankings over to my thread in a timely manner, I intend to make up for that with a team-by-team review, awards for best value picks and trades, along with a few other awards.  So let me know what you think and feel free to disagree.

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AFC East

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1(7) - Josh Allen [QB; Wyoming]
1(16) - Tremaine Edmunds [LB; Virginia Tech]
3(96) - Harrison Phillips [DT; Stanford]
4(121) - Taron Johnson [CB; Weber State]
5(154) - Siran Neal [S; Jacksonville State]
5(166) - Wyatt Teller [OG; Virginia Tech]
6(187) - Ray-Ray McLoud [WR; Clemson]
7(255) - Austin Proehl [WR; North Carolina]

Looking back at the Bills' draft, I think there's going to be two distinct sides to the opinion on their draft.   You either love the draft or you don't, and I don't think there's going to be a whole lot of people who fall in between.  Going into the draft, the Bills had five of the first 65 picks, so it was assumed that the Bills would somehow package some of their picks to ensure they land their franchise QB.  After failing to reach a deal with Denver at 5 or Indianapolis at 6, they managed to swing a deal with Tampa Bay that didn't cost them their second 1st round pick, 22nd overall, or their 2019 1st round pick which should be considered a win.  In comparison, the Bills gave up significantly more than what the Cardinals gave up, so the question is did the Bills give up too much to secure Allen?  The bigger problem I had was that Josh Allen was my 4th ranked QB, and he was clearly in a different tier than Josh Rosen.  I can't find much reason to penalize a team for drafting their QBOTF, but needless to say I'm not a fan of Allen.  His issues with accuracy and anticipation aren't mechanical issues in my mind, and if not corrected are going to cause him to bust.  With their pick at 22, I anticipated them to secure an IOL here but instead they opted to draft Tremaine Edmunds.  In terms of value, the Bills won in both trade value as well as drafting BPA although the drafting of a non-rush LB this early has some questions in terms of value.  Quite frankly, I probably would have stayed put at 22 and selected their highest ranked IOL and then used the 3rd round pick they gave up to draft Malik Jefferson if they felt that LB was a pressing need.  Regardless, I can't hate on the value even if I disagree with the philosophical value.  Grabbing Harrison Phillips at 96 was really good value, and should immediately become a rotational DL immediately.  Not sure he has much upside, but he should provide valuable reps.  Unfortunately, their Day 3 picks really underwhelmed me.  Corner tend to go early and often, so grabbing Taron Johnson in the 4th was probably a bit of a Hail Mary he should add some depth to the position.  Not sure I like what I saw from Siran Neal, as he seems to be better closer to the LOS but his size seems to make me worry that he won't be able to cut it there in the NFL.  And I'm not sure he has the coverage skills to make up for it.  I liked the value of Wyatt Teller in the 5th round, and could turn into a serviceable starter at guard.  But the fact that they waited until the 5th round to draft their first IOL scares me especially if they plan on getting Josh Allen reps at QB.  I like Ray-Ray McCloud, but there were better WRs on the board at the time and I'm not sure McCloud amounts to much.  I felt like ESB and Cedrick Wilson were the top ranked WR at the time, and if they preferred someone more in the slot WR mold that Braxton Berrios was a better fit.  Quite frankly, I'm not sure that Austin Proehl their 7th round pick isn't already better than McCloud.  Overall, the Bills came in with a TON of promise into the draft and they were underwhelming.  Even if you get past the Josh Allen selection, I think they missed on values in trades especially since Arizona got Rosen for a 3rd and 5th round pick instead of the two 2nds that Buffalo gave up.  How much different would the draft have gone for the Bills if they made a similar deal with Oakland and didn't trade up for Edmunds?  Walking away with Josh Allen (at 10), Isaiah Wynn (at 22), and whoever they liked at 53 and 56 seemed like better value, but that's using the value of hindsight.  Overall, I won't fault a team for taking a chance on their QBOTF but the Bills seemed to be all over the place and lost a bit of value across the board.

Best Value Pick: Harrison Phillips [DT; Stanford]
Worst Value Pick: Josh Allen [QB; Wyoming]
Grade: C-

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1(11) - Minkah Fitzpatrick [CB/S; Alabama]
2(42) - Mike Gesecki [TE; Penn State]
3(73) - Jerome Baker [LB; Ohio State]
4(123) - Durham Smythe [TE; Notre Dame]
4(131) - Kalen Ballage [RB; Arizona State]
6(209) - Cornell Armstrong [CB; Southern Miss]
7(227) - Quentin Poling [LB; Ohio]
7(229) - Jason Sanders [K; New Mexico[

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1(23) - Isaiah Wynn [OG/OT; Georgia]
1(31) - Sony Michel [RB; Georgia]
2(56) - Duke Dawson [CB; Florida]
5(143) - Ja'Whaun Bentley [LB; Purdue]
6(178) - Christian Sam [LB; Arizona State]
6(210) - Christian Berrios [WR; Miami (FL)]
7(219) - Danny Etling [QB; LSU]
7(243) - Keion Crossen [CB; West Carolina]
7(250) - Ryan Izzo [TE; Florida State]

It seems year after year, the Patriots get less value out of their draft picks and despite that lack of production they still manage to win their division and contender for an NFL Championship.  After acquiring Brandin Cooks last offseason from the Saints, they turned around and flipped him to the Rams for a first round pick.  Armed with two first round picks, there were rumors in the week leading up to the draft that the Patriots were exploring moving up to select their QBOTF after trading Jimmy Garappolo to the 49ers as part of a deadline deal.  With their first pick, they drafted Isaiah Wynn out of Georgia who was my #2 ranked OL behind Quenton Nelson.  There were questions whether or not he was a tackle or a guard, but he's the best available OL when the Patriots picked and will help try and fill the hole that was left when Nate Solder signed with the Giants.  With their other first round pick, they selected one of the Georgia backs in Sony Michel.  I like Michel, but the value just isn't there for me and I don't envision him being a feature back which really hurts the value of this pick.  Armed with a semi-high 2nd round pick, they moved back with the Lions for a fourth round pick and eventually dealt out of that round all together getting the Bears' 19 2nd round pick as part of the Anthony Miller trade.  Still, they had another 2nd round pick to make and selected slot corner in Duke Dawson.  Selecting Dawson this high was a tad high for my liking, but not bad value by any means and probably in the range where his tier was going to go.    The Bentley selection was a bit of a head scratcher as he doesn't really seem to fit into today's NFL where there's a premium put on a ability to play in space.  In terms of his ability to play against the run, he's going to be a strength in that regard but his issues in coverage are going to be exposed by any half decent OC.  Between the two LBs the Patriots drafted, I think Christian Sam is more likely to be a potential starter down the road because I believe he can hold up better in coverage than Bentley.  Christian Berrios figures to be a potential fit in the slot as an eventual replacement for Julian Edelman.  Quite frankly, I'm not sure what the Patriots saw in Danny Etling that indicated he was a priority UDFA let alone draftable.  Keion Crossen in the 7th round isn't bad value if you're trying to find a return man, but expecting much more than that out of him probably isn't going to happen.  I didn't have a draftable grade on Ryan Izzo either, so I'm not really sure what the Patriots saw out of him.  Overall, the Patriots draft was underwhelming.  Armed with four picks in the top 64, the idea that the Patriots could move up to select their QBOTF seemed tantalizing but ultimately the Patriots stuck to their draft process and continued to move down and amass more picks.  Overall, I'm not sure this draft bucks their recent trend of unsuccessful drafts but the Patriots had one of the more interesting drafts.

Best Value Pick: Isaiah Wynn [OG/OG; Georgia]
Worst Value Pick: Sony Michel [RB; Georgia]
Grade: C-
 

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1(3) - Sam Darnold [QB; USC]
3(72) - Nathan Shepherd [DT; Fort Hays State]
4(107) - Chris Herndon [TE; Miami (FL)]
6(179) - Parry Nickerson [CB; Tulane]
6(180) - Folorunso Fatukasi [DT; UConn]
6(204) - Trenton Cannon [RB; Virginia State]

The Jets shocked many, myself included, when they traded up in the first round more than a month before the draft.  And that's without knowing who the Browns and Giants were going to take.  In a worst case scenario, they would be looking at their third ranked QB.  Fortunately for the Jets, the Giants opted to take Saquon Barkley instead of a QB, which means that you'll hear the Saquon Barkley vs. Sam Darnold debates happen until the end of time.  Leading up to the draft, Baker Mayfield was the QB most associated with the Jets and until the Browns ended up taking him first overall it was believed that he would be the Jets QBOTF.  As it turned out, the Browns took Mayfield and the Giants took Barkley which led to Sam Darnold being the selection, many of which believed to be the best QB in the draft.  After dealing both 2nd round picks this year and one next year, the Jets next pick didn't come until the third round when they took Nathan Shepherd out of Fort Hays State.  Most of the time you're gambling on a player at that kind of school, you'd invest a later pick but the physical skillset that Shephert possesses is just too hard to pass up and ultimately I can't find any reason to fault them for this gamble.  I wouldn't anticipate much production out of him this year, but down the road he could be a really good player.  I don't hate the value of Chris Herndon, but I don't really see him ever emerging as a legitimate starting TE.  I think he lacks any true standout skillset, and probably projects more as a #2 TE.  I probably would have targeted either a TE who was clearly going to impact as a blocker or take a gamble on someone with a bit more athleticism, not that he's lacking it.  Parry Nickerson slots in nicely as a potential slot CB, but I'm not sure he's going to offer much more than that.  Both Folorunso Fatukasi and Trenton Cannon add more depth to their respective positions, but neither really project to be much more depth players in the NFL.  At the end of the day, this draft is going to be heavily influenced by Sam Darnold.  IF Darnold turns out to be a franchise QB, nobody will care that the Jets traded 3 second round picks to move up and select him.  IF the Darnold flops, they'll be discussing the players they could have had if they hadn't traded all those picks to the Colts.

Best Value Pick: Sam Darnold [QB; USC]
Worst Value Pick: Chris Herndon [TE; Miami (FL)]
Grade: B 

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AFC North

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1(25) - Hayden Hurst [TE; South Carolina]

1(32) - Lamar Jackson [QB; Louisville]
3(83) - Orlando Brown [OT; Oklahoma]
3(86) - Mark Andrews [TE; Oklahoma]
4(118) - Anthony Averett [CB; Alabama]
4(122) - Kenny Young [LB; UCLA]
4(132) - Jaleel Scott [WR; New Mexico State]
5(162) - Jordan Lasley [WR; UCLA]
6(190) - DeShon Elliott [S; Texas]
6(212) - Greg Senat [OT; Wagner]
6(215) - Bradley Bozeman [C; Alabama]
7(238) - Zach Sieler [DE; Fresno State]

In what would become Ozzie Newsome's last draft before he retired, nobody especially Ravens' fans anticipated it being this exciting.  Armed with the 16th pick in the draft, the Ravens had a slew of good players left on the board but opted to move down 5 slots swapping a 5th round pick for a 3rd round pick in the process.  Baltimore moved down another 3 spots upgrading a sixth round pick into another fourth round pick.  This kind of maneuvering might not endear itself to fans, but Day 2 of the draft is when teams really make their mark.  That being said, when the Ravens finally selected 25th overall they took Hayden Hurst out of South Carolina.  Quite frankly, I wasn't a huge fan of Hurst because I didn't project him to be an impact TE and I don't buy the idea of taking a TE in the first round when the position doesn't lend itself to being a high impact position.  Overall, I think his combination of upside and floor is probably the best of the TE class.  Probably a tad higher than I'd want to draft Hurst, but given the value they received via trade downs and getting Hurst at 25 instead of 18 makes this pick better in my eyes.  After moving down twice, the Ravens were poised to move back up the board which they did when they dealt #52, #125, and their '19 2nd round pick to Philadelphia for the 32nd overall pick.  That values that future pick as roughly a mid-3rd round pick, which is solid value.  The problem is I'm not a fan of Lamar Jackson, at all.  So the idea of trading up for Lamar Jackson using a future pick is a questionable decision, one in which Ozzie won't be around to deal with.  I have no problems with a team looking for their QBOTF, but I really don't see Lamar Jackson being that unless he's Michael Vick all over again.  I the third round, the Ravens drafted a pair of Sooners first grabbing Orlando Brown.  Orlando Brown is the son of former Raven, Zeus Brown, which makes a great story in itself.  His tape from his last year in Oklahoma was as strong as any OL prospect in this year's draft, but a miserable Combine process dropped his stock to the point where he went from being a potential Day 1 pick to possibly sliding into Day 3.  They grabbed another TE shortly after the Brown selection, grabbing Mark Andrews.  Andrews probably is the better receiving option between he and Hurst, but he's a near unknown in terms of in-line blocking and is a worse blocker in general.  Quite frankly, I think Andrews in the 3rd was better value than Hurst in the 1st.  Kenny Young was an interesting grab in the fourth to add to their LB corps.  He's got the athleticism to play at the next level, but the instincts are lacking and probably would come back to hurt them.  And to no surprise, Ozzie grabbed another Alabama player this year adding Anthony Averett to their roster.  While I don't think Averett offers a ton of upside, I think he'll offer solid depth in the secondary.  The Ravens grabbed a pair of receivers in Jaleel Scott and Jordan Lasley to add more depth to their WR corps, and should compete for a future with Lamar Jackson.  They grabbed more quality depth in the sixth with the selections of DeShon Elliot and Greg Senat.  Elliot has some questions in coverage, which might lead him into more of a S/LB hybrid role.  Senat seems like a solid developmental OL type, but counting on anything him this year seems unreasonable at best.  Again, Ozzie grabbed another Alabama player with Bradley Bozeman and should add a solid backup C to the roster.  Zach Sieler really wasn't much on my radar.  Overall, I loved the Ravens plan in the draft but their execution was lacking.  I'm not sure there's going to be many teams where I preferred their Day 3 picks to their Day 1 and 2 picks.  Overall, the Ravens targeted their needs and addressed them as such.  But this is a bit of a bag of mixed feelings for me in terms of player evaluation.

Best Value Pick: Mark Andrews [TE; Oklahoma]
Worst Value Pick: Lamar Jackson [QB; Louisville]
Grade: C-

 

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1(21) - Billy Price [C; Ohio State]
2(54) - Jessie Bates [S; Wake Forest]
3(77) - Sam Hubbard [DE; Ohio State]
3(78) - Malik Jefferson [LB; Texas]
4(112) - Mark Walton [RB; Miami (FL)]
5(151) - Davontae Harris [CB; Illinois State]
5(158) - Andrew Brown [DT; Virginia]
5(170) - Darius Phillips [CB; Western Michigan]
7(249) - Logan Woodside [QB; Toledo]
7(252) - Rod Taylor [OG; Ole Miss]
7(253) - Auden Tate [WR; Florida State]

One of these days, I'll figure out what's going on in Mike Brown's head.  But until then, I'll continue to speculate and make fun of his interesting decisions. After almost all of the NFL believed that the Bengals and Marvin Lewis were about to part ways, they ended up retaining Marvin Lewis as their head coach and entered the 2018 draft looking to continue to improve their roster.  In the first round, the Bengals drafted Billy Price out of Ohio State coming off a torn pectoral muscle.  Most of the time that you see this kind of significant injury, the player would be in line for a tumble down the draft board.  Fortunately for Billy Price, medical doctors believed he was on track to recover from the injury in time for the start of the regular season.  Combine that with his excellent play and you've got yourself a first round pick.  In the second, they grabbed Jessie Bates.  Safeties in general seem to be devalued around the league, likely because teams are turning aging, slowing corners into safeties.  He's a solid safety, but I question how much upside he truly has and I don't think he'll ever be a huge playmaking safety in the NFL.  I really, really am trying to find something positive to say about Sam Hubbard, but I'm convinced he's the 4th best pass rusher on that Buckeyes DL.  I'd sooner have taken Tyquan Lewis or Jaylyn Holmes if I've got my choice between the three draft-eligible pass rushers this year.  Despite that, they took Malik Jefferson in the third round pick who if he would have came out a year earlier we're probably talking about a guy who probably would have pushed for a Day 1 pick.  He regressed a bit last year, but the kid is tremendously talented and should be a starter sooner rather than later.  Mark Walton was a pretty solid pick.  The Bengals already have pretty solid depth at the RB position, but Mark Walton adds more depth.  He probably won't get a ton of burn as a rookie but if they move on from Giovanni Bernard he'll get more reps.  Didn't really watch a bunch of Davontae Harris, but grabbing a guy with his physical profile this late in the draft is a reasonable gamble.  He's a little tight in the hips, which blurs his projection at cornerback but if he has to transition to safety that wouldn't be the worst situation to have.  Andrew Brown was a former highly ranked prospect, and his athletic profile projects him to be a good project.  Quite frankly, he was one of the DL I had my eyes in terms of finding value later in the draft and I think the Bengals made a very good choice with him.  The Bengals continued with solid depth with Darius Phillips and Rod Taylor.  Phillips projects to be more of a slot cornerback for me, while Rod Taylor add some good depth to the IOL.  Logan Woodside was one of my favorite UDFA prospects for the QB position.  He's a bit of a rough translation to the NFL, but it's hard to ignore the tools.  At the very least, he should give you some good throws in camp and probably starts the year on the PS or the 3rd QB on the depth chart.  Auden Tate is a big WR who is going to be a good red zone target, but I'm not sure he offers much more than that.  I almost wonder if he should bulk up a bit and be a TE-lite.  I just don't think he offers much between the 20s.  Overall, the Bengals had a really good draft but it didn't really have the upside I've been accustomed to seeing with them.  It seems like they went relatively safe in this draft, and I felt the Bengals needed a little something to get them over the hump.  I think when we look back at this draft in 5+ years, it won't be viewed as a disappointing draft but also not a franchise-changing one either.

Best Value Pick: Andrew Brown [DT; Virginia]
Worst Value Pick: Sam Hubbard [DE; Ohio State]
Grade: B

 

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1(1) - Baker Mayfield [QB; Oklahoma]
1(4) - Denzel Ward [CB; Ohio State]
2(33) - Austin Corbett [OG/C; Nevada]
2(35) - Nick Chubb [RB; Georgia]
3(67) - Chad Thomas [DE; Miami (FL)]
4(105) - Antonio Calloway [WR; Florida]
5(150) - Genard Avery [LB; Memphis]
6(175) - Damion Ratley [WR; Texas A&M]
6(188) - Simeon Thomas [CB; Louisiana-Lafayette]

Leading up to the draft, there were a LOT of rumblings about what direction would the Browns take.  Would they draft arguably the Best Player Available in Saquon Barkley and then select their QBOTF at 4?  Would they pair their first round pick last year with another top pass rusher in Bradley Chubb?  In the weeks before the draft, Sam Darnold was the leader in the clubhouse for who the Browns would prefer at QB, but rumblings that the Browns like Baker Mayfield and even Josh Allen more than Darnold.  Instead, the Browns shocked most of the NFL world by selecting the polarizing Baker Mayfield.  By far the most productive of the QBs in this year's draft, he's not your traditional QB prospect as he's a bit shorter than your traditional QB and didn't play in a pro-style offense but his off-the-charts intangibles and his charisma won the Browns front office over.  After selecting their franchise QB first overall, the Browns had the option to take Bradley Chubb who many had as the top ranked player in the draft.  They took Denzel Ward who was by most viewed as the top ranked CB, but some viewed as a reach and felt was more in that 8-12 range.  In the second round, they reinforced the loss on the offensive line of Joe Thomas to retirement with Austin Corbett.  I personally like him more on the interior OL, but I believe they plan on playing him at LT.  Either way, he's not a real sexy OL prospect but he should be a high value lineman and play well for the Browns.  Instead of taking Saquon Barkley first overall, the Browns opted to wait until the second round and selected Nick Chubb.  Had it not been for his injury, Chubb likely would have been a first round pick and probably an early first round pick at that.  Instead, he got hurt and split reps with Sony Michel and fell into the second round.  The Browns added more depth to the defensive line by selecting Chad Thomas.  While he lacks any real legitimate upside, he should be able to add some valuable reps to the DL and add more depth.  In the fourth round, they took the incredibly talented Antonio Callaway despite his character concerns.  Based on his talent, we are probably talking about a first round talent here but the character issues knocked him into Day 3 of the draft.  Gernard Avery is an undersized pass rusher who should add more depth to the Browns LB corps.  I'm not sure he's much more than a situational player at the next level, but not a bad gamble to make.  Damion Ratley is an interesting guy as he really only produced for one season, and he's got the size/speed ratio that make teams take a chance on him.  Probably doesn't develop anything but there are worst gambles to make.  Don't really have a whole lot on Simeon Thomas, but he'll likely move to safety.  Overall, I think the Browns had a really good draft and I think they got a LOT of bad responses.  They stuck to their draft board and it'll be interesting to see how their board stacked up compared to the traditional board.

Best Value Pick: Antonio Callaway [WR; Florida]
Worst Value Pick: Chad Thomas [DE; Florida]
Grade: B

 

 

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1(28) - Terrell Edmunds [S; Virginia Tech]
2(60) - James Washington [WR; Oklahoma State]

3(76) - Mason Rudolph [QB; Oklahoma State]
3(92) - Chukwuma Okorafor [OT; Western Michigan]
5(148) - Marcus Allen [S; Penn State]
5(165) - Jaylen Samuels [TE; NC State]
7(246) - Joshua Frazier [DT; Alabama]

The Steelers draft was well...interesting to say the least.  I think the best thing I heard about the Steelers draft in the first two days was that the Steelers thought they drafted Tremaine Edmunds, and not Terrell Edmunds with their initial pick.  That being said, it's hard to get excited about the Steelers' draft.  Quite frankly, I'm not quite sure what their goal out of this draft was because it seems all over the place.  I had Terrell Emunds graded out as an early Day 3 pick, at best a late Day 2 pick which given that the Steelers picked at 28 seems bad value at best.  Given that the Steelers probably weren't in the mood to help the Ravens find their QBOTF, it's probably safe to assume that they wouldn't have taken the deal from the Ravens that would have netted their '19 2nd round pick. Still, it's hard to believe they couldn't have moved down into the second round and picked up an additional asset, likely in the form of a 4th round pick.  As for Edmunds himself, he's not as good a prospect as his brother but his value lies in the flexibility that the Steelers can move him around the defensive backfield.  He tested well at the Combine but didn't play that well at Virginia Tech and was probably the shock of the first round.  I'm always going to put a higher premium on rangy safeties, which is probably why I'm lower on Edmunds than I probably should.  But his versatility on the football field makes him an easy slot into multiple roles.  Unfortunately, Day 2 went worse for the Steelers in my eyes than Day 1.  At the very least, Edmunds has versatility going for him.  The Steelers took James Washington in the second round, and with Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster in the mix he's probably not going to be asked to shoulder the load.  Most of his production at Oklahoma State was as a deep threat, and they've got a really good in Antonio Brown.  I've got questions about his ability to play in the short-to-intermediate range.  He's not the best receiver with the ball in his hands, but the Steelers have always put a premium on guys who can threaten deep.  They paired James Washington with his college QB, Mason Rudolph.  To say I wasn't a fan of Mason Rudolph is putting it mildly.  Like Washington, I had him as a Day 3 prospect and his questionable accuracy in the short-to-intermediate accuracy.  Ultimately though, the success rate of Day 2 QBs is pretty damn miserable and I've got no reason to believe that Rudolph is going to buck those trends.  I'm still not totally sure where Chukwuma Okorafor fits in on the offensive line.  I'm not sure he's got the pass pro skills to play LT at the next level, and his lack of aggression wonders if guard is the fit for him.  If he's not able to play left tackle, that limits his flexibility on game days.  He needs to spend time strengthening his core and continuing to work on his technique.  Marcus Allen adds more depth in the backfield, and should be a solid special teams player.  Ultimately though, I'm not sure there's much upside with him.  Jaylen Samuels is probably the player I'm most intrigued by, and not because I think he's some special player but because I think his flexibility on game days is going to keep him in the league.  He's not a natural back, and he's not big enough to play as an in-line blocker which probably lends him to be more of an offensive weapon rather than having a particular position on offense.  I'm not convinced there's much with Joshua Frazier.  He doesn't offer much in terms of pass rush, which limits him into a run-stopping role.  Add on the lack of athleticism and I'm not sure he's going to be much more than a PS player.  This is a draft class that I hope I'm wrong, but this isn't a class I'd be happy about if I were a Steelers fans.  It lacks upside and it lacks floor, which is a scary proposition especially given the transition period the Steelers are likely going to be undergoing in the next 2-3 years.

Best Value Pick: Jaylen Samuels [TE; NC State]
Worst Value Pick: Terrell Edmunds [S; Virginia Tech]
Grade: D+

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AFC South

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3(68) - Justin Reid [S; Stanford]
3(80) - Martinas Rankins [OT; Mississippi State]
3(98) - Jordan Akins [TE; UCF]
4(103) - Keke Coutee [WR; Texas Tech]
6(177) - Duke Ejiofor [EDGE; Wake Forest]

6(211) - Jordan Thomas [TE; Mississippi State]
6(214) - Peter Kalambayi [LB; Stanford]
7(222) - Jermaine Kelly [CB; San Jose State]

 

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1(6) - Quenton Nelson [OG; Notre Dame]
2(36)  - Darius Leonard [LB; South Carolina]
2(37) - Braden Smith [OG; Auburn]
2(52) - Kemoko Turay [EDGE; Rutgers]
2(64) - Tyquan Lewis [EDGE; Ohio State]
4(104) - Nyheim Hines [RB; NC State]
5(159) - Daurice Fountain [WR; Northern Iowa]
5(169) - Jordan Wilkins [RB; Ole Miss]
6(185) - Deon Cain [WR; Clemson]
7(221) - Matthew Adams [LB; Houston]
7(235) - Zaire Franklin [LB; Syracuse]

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1(29) - Taven Bryan [DT; Florida]
2(61) - DJ Chark [WR; LSU]
3(93) - Ronnie Harrison [S; Alabama]
4(129) - Will Richardson [OT; NC State]
6(203) - Tanner Lee [QB; Nebraska]
7(230) - Leon Jacobs [LB; Wisconsin]

7(247) - Logan Cooke [P; Mississippi State]

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1(22) - Rashaan Evans [LB; Alabama]
2(41) - Harold Landry [EDGE; Boston College]
5(152) - Dane Cruikshank [CB; Arizona]
6(199) - Luke Falk [QB; Washington State]

I'd have had way too many philosophical discussions about the merits of trading up in the first round, and for the most part my argument comes around two very important facts.  By trading up in the first round, you have to at a bare minimum give up your 3rd round pick to make any sort of move and if you want to make a notable move you have to either deal your second round pick or a future first round pick.  Fortunately, the Titans didn't dig into their 2019 picks or give up a Day 2 pick in order to move up in the first which would fall into the value portion of which I'm okay with.  But when you trade up in the first, you're limited in your flexibility later on in the draft.  In terms of trade value, I think the Titans did well.  As I mentioned in the Bills' review, I'm not a huge fan of trading up for off-ball linebackers but I do like the aggressiveness the Titans showed by going up and getting their guy, as they clearly felt the Patriots would take them if they didn't make that move.  Most teams who move up in the first round are trying to recover the picks they gave up by moving down, but since the Titans didn't have to give up their 3rd round pick they didn't feel the need to recoup that 3rd round pick.  With that added extra asset, the Titans surprised many including myself by moving up a second time to select Harold Landry who fell because of medical concerns.  Color me someone who thought that Harold Landry should have gone higher than 41, and had he stayed healthy he would have been as productive as he was in 2016 and would have gone off the board significantly higher than this.  The Titans won this trade by a slim margin, but they were aggressive in attacking a need and found someone of tremendous value.  I'm not sure that Harold Landry is more than a situational pass rusher, but if he develops into more than this trade-up was well worth it.  After trading their 3rd and 4th round picks, the Titans didn't have a pick until 152 at which point you're starting to dig into your UDFA rankings and selecting guys you are prioritizing.  Dane Cruikshank has some really good measureables, but the tape doesn't match those and he often gave up too many big plays in coverage.  Ultimately though, they can transition him to safety if he doesn't work out at cornerback.  With their last pick at 199, they took a QB who barring injury to Marcus Mariota won't be playing outside of mop up duties.  And he's not going to supplant Blaine Gabbert as the backup QB this year.  I suppose if they're looking to develop a long-term backup behind Mariota, there are worse gambles than Falk but given how bad his 2017 tape was I didn't even have a draftable grade on him.  He was outplayed by his backup whenever he was forced out by injury, and coming out of Mike Leach's offense makes it hell to feel like he's even remotely capable of playing in the NFL.  Overall, this is an interesting draft in the sense that we saw them trade up with both of their top two picks.  I honestly don't recall the last time I've seen a team do that, and I'm sure it's been a while.  Maybe someone will figure that one out.  That being said, the Titans were incredibly aggressive about targeting their guys and getting good value on the trades.  There's a few philosophical issues I don't like here, but it's hard to argue with the results.  Overall, a pretty strong draft but there's a TON of risk when you're essentially hedging your draft into two players.

Best Value Pick: Harold Landry [EDGE; Boston College]
Worst Value Pick: Rashaan Evans [LB; Alabama]
Grade: B

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AFC West

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1(5) - Bradley Chubb [EDGE; NC State]
2(40) - Courtland Sutton [WR; SMU]
3(71) - Royce Freeman [RB; Oregon]
3(99) - Isaac Yiadom [CB; Boston College]
4(106) - Josey Jewell [LB; Iowa]
4(113) - Daesean Hamilton [WR; Penn State]
5(156) - Troy Fumagali [TE; Wisconsin]
6(183) - Sam Jones [OG; Arizona State]
6(217) - Keishawn Bierria [LB; Washington]
7(226) - David Williams [RB; Arkansas]

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2(46) - Breeland Speaks [DT; Ole Miss]
3(75) - Derrick Nnadi [DT; Florida State]
3(100) - Dorian O'Daniel [LB; Clemson]
4(121) - Armani Watts [S; Texas A&M]
6(196) - Tremon Smith [CB; Carolina]
6(198) - Reggie McKenzie Jr. [DT; Tennessee]

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1(17) - Derwin James [S; Florida State]
2(48) - Uchenna Nowsu [EDGE; USC]
3(84) - Justin Jones [DT; NC State]
4(119) - Kyzir White [S; West Virginia]
5(155) - Scott Quessenberry [OG/C; UCLA]
6(191) - Dylan Cantrell [WR; Texas Tech]
7(251) - Justin Jackson [CB; Northwestern]

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1(15) - Kolton Miller [OT; UCLA]
2(57) - P.J. Hall [DT; Sam Houston State]
3(65) - Brandon Parker [OT; North Carolina A&T]
3(87) - Arden Key [EDGE; LSU]
4(110) - Nick Nelson [CB; Wisconsin]
5(140) - Mo Hurst [DT; Michigan]
5(173) - Johnny Townsend [P; Florida]
6(216) - Azeem Victor [LB; Washington]
7(228) - Marcell Ateman [WR; Oklahoma State]

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NFC East

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1(19) - Leighton Vander Esch [LB; Boise State]
2(50) - Connor Williams [OG; Texas]
3(81) - Michael Gallup [WR; Colorado State]
4(116) - Dorance Armstrong [EDGE; Kansas]
4(137) - Dalton Schultz [TE; Stanford]
5(171) - Mike White [QB; Western Kentucky]
6(193) - Chris Covington [LB; Indiana]
6(208) - Cedrick Wilson [WR; Boise State]

7(236) - Bo Scarbrough [RB; Alabama]

 

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1(2) - Saquon Barkley [RB; Penn State]
2(34) - Will Hernandez [OG; UTEP]
3(66) - Lorenzo Carter [EDGE; Georgia]
3(69) - B.J. Hill [DT; NC State]

4(108) - Kyle Lauletta [QB; Richmond]
5(139) - RJ McIntosh [DT; Miami (FL)]

I've had enough discussions about my philosophical stance about taking RBs in the first round.  But the Giants saw the immediate team success that the Dallas Cowboys with Ezekiel Elliott and Jaguars with Leonard Fournette and probably felt a reason to emulate their plan and hope to have the same sustained success.  In the months leading up to the draft, the rumors of the Giants in love with Saquon seemed to be far fetched, but in the week leading up in the draft those rumors didn't dissipate it was time to take those rumors more as truth than fiction..  Saquon Barkley is arguably a better RB prospect than both of them, and should immediately contend for the rushing title as a rookie.  In order to protect their investment, they grabbed arguably the second best OL in the draft in Will Hernandez who slides in nicely at LG next to their big FA signing, Nate Solder.  Nate Solder is the highest paid offensive lineman in the draft, and the left side of their offensive line looks orders of magnitude better than it did just a year ago.  From what I've read, Lorenzo Carter isn't a natural fit for a Bettcher defense, but the upside in Lorenzo Carter is undeniable.  Athletically, he tested near the top of the chart in almost all of his Combine testing, but his production at Georgia didn't quite live up to those Combine numbers which probably was a reason why he fell to the third round.  In the third round, they paired him with B.J. Hill who was part of a talented Wolfpack defensive line.  He's not the most explosive DL off the snap, but he's sturdy and technically sound which bodes well for his ability to be a consistent producer for the Giants.  In the weeks leading up to the draft, we kept hearing about how the Giants were comfortable in the future of Davis Webb, and while the selection of Kyle Lauletta doesn't necessarily change anything to that it does give them a fallback plan in case Webb sputters out.  While Lauletta lacks the big arm that Webb has, he's a more accurate passer and projects reasonably well as a potential long-term backup in New York.  In either case, he figures to add more competition with Davis Webb to find the heir apparent to Eli Manning.  In the 5th round, they plucked RJ McIntosh who declared early for the NFL draft.  There were some mixed feelings about his early declaration, and going in the fifth round has to be disappointing.  But his fall is the Giants luck as he will get a chance to get a year in the S&C room and continue to work on his technique.  This late in the draft, that's not a bad bet to make especially given his raw talent.  Overall, this is an interesting draft for me to grade.  On one hand, I think they did a great job in sticking to the draft board in terms of value.  On the other hand, this goes against several of my general philosophies.  I don't like drafting RBs in the first round, although special ones like Saquon Barkley tend to be the exception to the rule.  I also am not a fan of drafting guards this early in the draft, especially when you can get quality ones later on in the draft.

Best Value Pick: Lorenzo Carter [EDGE; Georgia]
Worst Value Pick: B.J. Hill [DT: NC State]
Grade: B+

 

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2(49) - Dallas Goedert [TE; South Dakota State]
4(125) - Avonte Maddox [CB; Pittsburgh]
4(130) - Josh Sweat [EDGE; Florida State]
6(206) - Matt Pryor [OT; TCU]

7(233) - Jordan Mailata [OT; Australia]

Going into the draft with their 2nd pick going to the Browns as part of the Carson Wentz trade and their 3rd round pick going to the Bills as part of the Ronald Darby trade, it seemed that the Eagles who had only one pick in the first 120 picks were set to trade down from their first round pick.  After trading down from their first and picking up a 2019 2nd round pick from the Ravens, they shocked the Cowboys crowd by jumping ahead of Dallas to grab Dallas Goedert.  Goedert came into the draft process with quite a bit of hype and some comparisons made to Rob Gronkowski, but his Combine wasn't as good as some had hoped but to grab the guy that most viewed the Cowboys poised to select is a satisfying feeling for Eagles fans.  That's not to take away from the Goedert selection whose a really good TE prospect in his own right.  It might not be a huge need right now, but they can develop him as their future starting TE.  With their second pick, they took a small corner in Avonte Maddox.  I don't hate this selection, but I'm not a huge fan of taking shorter corners.  I think he's limited to the slot, which I think fits his skillset well.  The value on Josh Sweat is great even if the medical red flags probably took him off several team boards.  If the Eagles can get 3-4 good years out of him off of his rookie contract, that's considered a huge success and then let someone else pay him the big bucks when those knees give out.  Matt Pryor is a solid gamble this late in the draft, but his motivation issues and his struggles to find a consistent playing weight loom large.  In terms of adding depth, there's worse additions to make.  Don't have any real feelings on Jordan Mailata as he's a rugby player with no experience playing football.  This late in the draft, you're drafting your priority UDFA which means they probably didn't have a draftable grade on him.  Overall, the Eagles draft was pretty bland but that's to be expected when you only have one pick in the top 120 picks.  That limits what the Eagles are able to do in terms of maneuvering around the draft.  For what they had, they accomplished it well enough and wouldn't trade any of those picks they dealt away as they became Super Bowl champs because of it.

Best Value Pick: Josh Sweat [EDGE; Florida State]
Worst Value Pick: Avonte Maddox
Grade: C

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1(13) - Da'Ron Payne [DT; Alabama]
2(59) - Derrius Guice [RB; LSU]
3(74) - Geron Christian [OT; Louisville]

4(109) - Troy Apke [S; Penn State]
5(163) - Tim Settle [DT; Virginia Tech]
6(197) - Shaun Dion Hamilton [LB; Alabama]
7(241) - Greg Stroman [CB; Virginia Tech]
7(256) - Trey Quinn [WR; SMU]

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NFC North

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1(8) - Roquan Smith [LB; Georgia]
2(39) - James Daniels [C; Iowa]
2(51) - Anthony Miller [WR; Memphis]
4(115) - Joel Iyiegbuniwe [LB; Western Kentucky]
5(145) - Bilal Nichols [DT; Delaware]
6(181) - Kylie Fitts [EDGE; Utah]
7(224) - Javon Wims [WR; Georgia]

It's hard to find much to fault with the Bears draft, they got a good combination of upside and floors.  It might not go down as the sexiest of drafts, but this is probably a draft class that 10+ years down the road we're looking back and talking about the impact that this draft class had on the Bears' fortune.  Let's start at the beginning where the Bears tabbed Roquan Smith with the 8th overall pick.  Personally, I had Tremaine Edmunds as my top ranked LB and largely was based on the upside possessed.  Given his relative small stature, I had some questions about his ability to hold up in traffic particularly if the lineman in front of him were unable to sustain their blockers allowing him to make their move.  Ultimately though, it's hard to believe that he won't be productive with the Bears especially after producing at a high level at Georgia against tough SEC competition.  James Daniels graded out as my highest ranked C prospect in this year's drat, and figures to be a relatively safe bet to to anchor the offensive line for the next decade.  Billy Price and Frank Ragnow would have been ultimately graded higher than Daniels, in large part because I felt that Ragnow and Price had legitimate value as guard prospects as well.  I didn't really see guard value in Daniels, which is probably part of the reason why he fell into the second round where Billy Price and Frank Ragnow went in the first round.  Grabbing Anthony Miller towards the tail end of the second round is good value for him, although I question his fit outside of the slot.  The bigger issue I have is with what they gave up to secure him.  After giving up their third round pick as part of the Mitchell Trubisky trade, they had to give up a '19 2nd round pick to receive the pick from the Patriots.  Barring short of a significant improvement out of Mitchell Trubisky, they figure to be a bottom 10 team so giving up a pick in the 33-42 range is going to be hard to swallow.  The only WR's of value that I had left were Michael Gallup, so if you're fine with what they gave up then the value of the pick itself isn't bad.  In the fourth round, the Bears took Joel Iyiegbuniwe out of Western Kentucky who declared early for the NFL draft.  While I question his decision, it's not for me to judge when he's the one making the decision.  As for the player himself, he's a tremendous athlete but his lack of size is going to create struggles for him to succeed and he's going to fill in the same role as Roquan Smith which would indicate that he's a ST player at most.  Bilal Nichols came on late and showed up well at the East-West Shrine game.  There are some concerns about his motor.  Given his raw physical tools and how well he played against decent competition, that's not a bad gamble to make especially this late in the draft.  At the very least, he figures to add some solid depth on the defensive line for the Bears.  The inconsistent tape and hot/cold motor probably turned teams off.  Pass rushers tend to go off the board early and often, especially those who are proven.  Kylie Fitts wasn't very productive in terms of production in college, but he's a better athlete than given credit for.  He's probably not much more than a situational pass rusher at the next level, but his flexibility in terms of roles he was asked to play makes him a solid bet to make the final 53 and play on special teams.  I hadn't really evaluated Javon Wims as he was an average athlete at best and less than ideal hand size.  Given his limited athleticism, it's going to be tough for him to make the final 53 unless he cracks on special teams.  Overall, it's a solid but unspectacular draft class.  They should get a good amount of production, particularly out of their first two picks who should be stalwarts for the Bears for years to come.  Grabbing Anthony Miller gives the Bears another option to give Mitchell Trubisky to thrive, but the value is where I have the biggest question.  If the Bears keep borrowing picks from the future, they're eventually going to regret that decision and they need to put Mitchell Trubisky in a position to succeed.

Best Value Pick: James Daniels [C; Iowa]
Worst Value Pick: Anthony Miller [WR; Memphis]
Grade: B+

 

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1(20) - Frank Ragnow [C/OG; Arkansas]
2(43) - Kerryon Johnson [RB; Auburn]
3(82) - Tracy Walker [S; Louisiana-Lafayette]
4(114) - Da'Shawn Hand [DT; Alabama]
5(153) - Tyrell Crosby [OT; Oregon]
7(237) - Nick Bawden [FB; San Diego State]

 

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1(18) - Jaire Alexander [CB; Louisville]
2(45) - Josh Jackson [CB; Iowa]
3(88) - Oren Burks [LB; Vanderbilt]
4(133) - J'Mon Moore [WR; Missouri]
5(138) - Cole Madison [OG; Washington State]
5(172) - JK Scott [P; Alabama]
5(174) - Marquez Valdes-Scantling [WR; USF]
6(207) - Equanimeous St. Brown [WR; Notre Dame]
7(232) - James Looney [DT; California]
7(239) - Hunter Bradley [LS; Mississippi State]
7(248) - Kendall Donnerson [EDGE; SE Missouri State]

 

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1(30) - Mike Hughes [CB; UCF]
2(62) - Brian O'Neill [OT; Pittsburgh]
4(102) - Jalyn Holmes [EDGE; Ohio State]
5(157) - Tyler Conklin [TE; Central Michigan]
5(167) - Daniel Carlson [K; Auburn]
6(213) - Colby Gossett [OG; Appalachian State]
6(213) - Ade Aruna [EDGE; Tulane]
7(225) - Devante Downs [LB; California]

Coming off an impressive 2017 season and signing Kirk Cousins, hope was high in Minnesota.  They had a chance to continue to add pieces to the puzzle and hopefully put Minnesota in a place to compete for a title after coming up short in 2017.  Upgrading the offensive line seemed like a high priority going into the offseason, and when their biggest FA signing for the offensive line was adding Tom Compton to add depth on the OL, most felt that the Vikings would target OL early and often.  Instead, at 30 they stuck to their big board and grabbed Mike Hughes.  In terms of value, there's really no reason to hate.  He was a late 1st, early 2nd depending on whether or not you chose to hold the character concerns against him.  But the bigger question I have is that they used another high pick on a corner.  You need 3 starting-caliber corners in the NFL, and they have Xavier Rhodes as one of their boundary corners and he's locked up for the foreseeable future.  They drafted Trae Waynes early in the first round of the 2015 draft, and then followed it up by taking Mackensie Alexander in the second round of the 2016 draft.  And they still have veteran Terrance Newman under contract.  So at first glance, it appears they drafted a guy who projects to be their dime corner.  While I admired them sticking to their board and drafting BPA, they left a LOT of OL on the board with Will Hernandez, Austin Corbett, James Daniels, and Connor Williams still on the board.  But they stuck to their board, and in the second round they looked to address their OL finally by drafting Brian O'Neill.  Unfortunately, he's a bit of a project and quite frankly I don't think he improves the Vikings' OL in the slightest as a rookie short of an injury forcing him into the lineup.  He's a bit raw in terms of projection, and they're clearly playing the long game with him but given the big commitment they just made to Kirk Cousins would the Vikings have been better off flipping their selections and grabbing an OL first and then going for a corner in the second? That's probably going to be a question the Vikings fans are going to ask themselves if their picks flop.  I know it really doesn't have any bearing on this, but this selection brought back bad memories of the discussion regarding T.J. Clemmings back in 2015.  And it's not like the Vikings have a history of developing OL.  The Vikings have done a good job of developing pass rushers in the middle rounds of the draft, and they're hoping to keep that trend continuing with their selection of Jalyn Holmes.  He's not an explosive athlete and in terms of production, he was dead last among the draft eligible DL for Ohio State.  My question is this, how high would he have been drafted if he played for a non-powerhouse D1 school?  My guess is he'd go undrafted.  I'd like to give Minnesota the benefit of the doubt given their history, but it's hard to see this one panning out.  Getting Tyler Conklin in the 5th round was really solid value.  I'm not sure he'll ever be a starting TE, but I think he can be a steady #2.  Add in the bloodlines, and it's hard to hate this pick even if it doesn't really push the needle for the Vikings.  I've never really been a supporter of drafting specialists, unless we're talking about a guy whose an "elite" specialist or a returner.  I'm not sure Daniel Carlson is that.  Last year, Kai Forbath was 16th in FG% but 30th in XP%.  The Vikings clearly felt they needed to improve, especially in terms of XP but if you're looking to add competition then I probably would have waited a bit later.  They were the first one to draft a kicker, which means they weren't really chasing a run.  The Vikings grabbed another OL late with Gossett, but he's probably nothing more than a developmental type who spends the year on the PS.  Ade Aruna is an interesting guy.  He was incredibly explosive in the 10 yard split, but his 3 cone was terrifyingly bad.  Makes me question how much lateral agility he has, and as a pass rusher that's HUGE.  At 262 pounds, Aruna ran a 7.53 3 cone.  For context, Bradley Chubb at 269 pounds ran a 7.37 3 cone.  That's a drastic difference.  Add on the the difference in production, and while I don't hate the gamble I think expecting anything out of him is unrealistic.  Devante Downs wasn't even on my radar at the time, so I don't really have much for him.  Overall, the Vikings had an incredibly interesting draft.  I had expected them to target their OL of choice in the first, whether it be Will Hernandez or Connor Williams who were my two highest ranked OL at the time.  My question would be this, would the Vikings be better off going with Hernandez/Williams in the 1st and taking Carlton Davis in the 2nd.  And that's the question I think Vikings fans are going to be asking a few years from now.

Best Value Pick: Tyler Conklin [TE; Central Michigan]
Worst Value Pick: Jalyn Holmes [EDGE; Ohio State]
Grade: C-

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NFC South

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1(26) - Calvin Ridley [WR; Alabama]
2(58) - Isaiah Oliver [CB; Colorado]
3(90) - Deadrin Senat [DT; South Florida]
4(126) - Ito Smith [RB; Southern Miss]
6(194) - Russell Gage [WR; LSU]
6(200) - Foyesade Oluokon [LB; Yale]

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1(24) - D.J. Moore [WR; Maryland]
2(55) - Donte Jackson [CB; LSU]
3(85) - Rashaan Gaulden [CB; Tennessee]
4(101) - Ian Thomas [TE; Indiana]
4(136) - Marquis Haynes [EDGE; Ole Miss]
5(161) - Jermaine Carter [LB; Maryland]
7(234) - Andre Smith [LB; North Carolina]
7(242) - Kendrick Norton [DT; Miami (FL)]

 

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1(14) - Marcus Davenport [EDGE; UTSA]
3(91) - Tre'Quan Smith [WR; UCF]
4(127) - Rich Leonard [OT; Fresno State]
5(164) - Natrell Jamerson [S; Wisconsin]
6(189) - Kamrin Moore [CB; Boston College]
6(201) - Boston Scott [RB; Louisiana Tech]

7(245) - Will Clapp [C; LSU]

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1(12) - Vita Vea [DT; Washington]
2(38) - Ronald Jones [RB; USC]
2(53) - M.J. Stewart [CB; North Carolina]
2(63) - Carlton Davis [CB; Auburn]
3(94) - Alex Cappa [OT; Humbold State]
4(117) - Jordan Whitehead [S; Pittsburgh]
5(144) - Justin Watson [WR; Penn]
6(202) - Jack Cichy [LB; Wisconsin]

Much like @goldfishwars said, for a team that had a QB in place, the Buccaneers did a great job extracting trade value from a team in search of their franchise QB.  When the Buccaneers were in the weeks leading up to the draft, they had no idea or expectation that a potential franchise QB, let alone two of them would be available when they selected.  Given their investment in Jameis Winston, they were unlikely to select one.  And when the clock for the Buccaneers started, they saw both Josh Allen and Josh Rosen available.  While the package the Bucs received didn't include the Bills second 1st round pick or a future first round pick, it included what was essentially an extra 2nd round pick in value.  Unlike the teams picking directly before them, the Buccaneers weren't wed to any one draft pick and instead took value of the trade and move down five spots.  At 12, they selected Vita Vea a big defensive tackle out of Washington who was arguably the best DL this side of Bradley Chubb.  There are some concerns about whether or not he's a 3-down lineman, which if he's not able to provide pass rush from the interior really hurts the value of this pick.  Despite this, solid value on the pick although I probably would have grabbed Derwin James here instead.  They were linked to Minkah Fitzpatrick throughout the process, so you have wonder if he was available would they have taken him over Vea?  At the start of the second round, they looked to address their running game by adding Ronald Jones.  Most thought that they would take Derius Guice, but character question marks continued to push him down the board.  With the two second round picks the Buccaneers acquired from the Bills, they addressed their cornerback position with M.J. Stewart and Carlton Davis.  Both are more of a man up corner, and have enough question about their ball skills.  I think Stewart projects a bit better in the slot, where his ability to sift through traffic seems to fit in well.  I liked Carlton Davis quite a bit, but he's going to have to play in a man press coverage scheme.  He's got solid fundamentals, but needs to clean up his technique a bit more.  I like the choice of Alex Cappa, who was a bit of a late riser during the draft process.  I'm not sure if he's a natural fit at guard or tackle at this point, and the Bucs probably don't know either so they'll probably give him reps at both positions and see which one he takes to.  I do believe that if Quenton Nelson was on the board at 7, they would have quickly turned in the card but given that he wasn't available this isn't a bad consolation prize.  It wasn't a real great safety class, especially at the top outside of Derwin James but getting Jordan Whitehead in the 4th round provides value and can add more value to special teams than immediately.  After that, they added more depth in the form of Justin Watson and Jack Cichy.  The Bucs are clearly hoping they found another Cooper Kupp as an overlooked WR who fell in the draft due to a perceived lack of upside.  If Jack Cichy had managed to stay healthy over his career at Wisconsin, we're probably talking about a Day 2 pick at worst but with his injury history he tumbled far down the draft.  He's not a great athlete at the LB position, but makes up for it with great instincts.  Overall, Bucs fans should feel pretty happy with this draft.  I don't think the draft has a ton of upside in itself, but I think it's a got a good combination of value and players that fits needs.

Best Value Pick: Carlton Davis [CB; Auburn]
Worst Value Pick: Ronald Jones [RB; USC}
Grade: B+

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NFC West

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1(10) - Josh Rosen [QB; UCLA]
2(47) - Christian Kirk [WR; Texas A&M]
3(97) - Mason Cole [C; Michigan]
4(134) - Chase Edmonds [RB; Fordham]
6(182) - Christian Campbell [CB; Penn State]
7(254) - Korey Cunningham [OT; Cincinnati]

Quite frankly, I think there's going to be a myriad of opinions on the Cardinals draft and I believe it has largely to do with their first pick of the draft, Josh Rosen.  But I'll dig into him in a bit, but for now I'll overlook the entire Cardinals draft.  After finishing the season 8-8, the Cardinals were the pinnacle of not good enough to be a playoff team and not bad enough to bottom out for a franchise QB.  Or at least in a range where it wouldn't be too expensive to move up if one fell down the board.  Fortunately, the Cardinals saw a potential franchise QB fall into the range where the cost didn't go crazy.  The Cardinals actually won this trade, and probably should have had to add another 5th round pick in order to match values but given the Raiders desire to move down the Cardinals made out abundantly well.  Add on that the Cardinals didn't have to pay premium, and the cost the Cardinals gave up especially in comparison to what the Bills gave up makes this a hard deal to dislike even if you aren't a fan of Josh Rosen.  That being said, Josh Rosen was my top ranked QB so getting him at 10 was nothing short of a steal.  Obviously, not everyone comes with the same belief that Josh Rosen is a franchise QB and apparently was off many boards, but his talent is undeniable even if he rubs people the wrong way.  He'll likely start the year 3rd on the depth chart behind Sam Bradford and Mike Glennon, but given Sam Bradford's inability to stay healthy he'll likely end up as the primary backup at a certain point.  Pairing with Josh Rosen, the Cardinals added Christian Kirk in the middle of the second round to play in the slot.  Larry Fitzgerald is already 34 years old, so as Josh Rosen starts to develop into his prime he'll be close to retirement.  Adding some receiving talent that Josh Rosen can develop chemistry will play dividends down the road.  While not the most exciting group, Larry Fitzgerald, Brice Butler, and Christian Kirk figure to be a solid trio.  I'm not huge on the value of Mason Cole as I had an early Day 3 grade, but it's not bad value by any means.  But the part that I like the most about the drafting of Cole is that they're going to give Josh Rosen his center to work with as he develops.  That's invaluable reps that those two have together that I think is hard to effectively value.  Chase Edmonds went off the board a tad earlier than I thought he would go, but given that we're talking about Day 3 of the draft we're starting to get to the point where boards are vastly different so I don't hate this pick.  I believe I had John Kelly as my top ranked available back, but I don't hate this pick.  Christian Campbell seems like a pretty good athlete, but I think his CB skills are a bit behind.  Solid value pick with Korey Cunningham, even if he doesn't amount to much.  You're getting some solid depth with this pick, but I'm not sure there really isn't much room to imagine upon.  Overall, the Cardinals did about as well as I would have hoped that they did in this year's draft.  They made a concerted effort once Josh Rosen fell into the draft to put him in as strong a position as they could and they didn't mortgage the future do so.  It's hard to find anything to really fault the Cardinals for, but they also kept to their values and looked at their long-term future with their picks.

Best Value Pick: Josh Rosen [QB; UCLA]
Worst Value Pick: Chase Edmonds [RB; Fordham]
Grade: B+

 

 

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3(89) - Joseph Noteboom [OT; TCU]
4(111) - Brian Allen [C; Michigan State]
4(135) - John Franklin [DT; Stephen F. Austin]
5(147) - Micah Kiser [LB; Virginia]
5(160) - Ogbo Okoronkwo [EDGE; Oklahoma]
6(176) - John Kelly [RB; Tennessee]
6(192) - Jamil Demby [OG; Maine]

6(195) - Sebastian Joseph [DT; Rutgers]
6(205) - Trevon Young [EDGE; Louisville]
7(231) - Travin Howard [LB; TCU]
7(244) - Justin Lawler [DE; SMU]

After trading their 2nd round pick in 2017 as part of the Sammy Watkins trade, and then dealt their 1st round pick as part of the Brandin Cooks trade, the Rams came into the draft with only one selection in the first 100 picks.  With such limited number of assets available, Day 1 of the NFL Draft was ridiculously boring for Rams fans.  And with a pick that was in the late 3rd, Day 2 wasn't much more exciting.  And when the Rams were finally on the clock at 87, the Rams moved down two spots swapping spots with the Raiders who moved up to select Arden Key.  Finally at 89, the Rams selected Joseph Noteboom out of TCU.  Noteboom was a bit of a late read by me, but the tools are there to be a starting offensive tackle, which you usually won't have an opportunity to draft this late.  Right now, his pass pro is far ahead of his run blocking largely because he lacks the aggressiveness to go attack a defender.  His footwork needs a bit of work, but he's got pass pro potential to eventually replace Andrew Whitworth.  A year in a S&C room is going to do him wonders, but his rookie year could be a bit rough to due to a lack of core strength.  The Rams continued to address the offensive line by selecting Brian Allen at 111.  That may have been a tad higher than I'd take him, but not terrible value here.  Hadn't really seen much of John Franklin, but from what I've gathered he's pretty much a draft and stash DL.  I wouldn't anticipate much from him this year, but he seems like a good enough athlete that you'll gamble on developing him.  Kiser should provide some additional depth at LB especially after the Rams dealt Alec Ogletree away this offseason but I don't think he'll ever amount to much more than that.  I don't feel he offers enough in pass coverage to play as an everydown LB.  I like the grab of Ogbo Okoronkwo in the fifth even if he doesn't amount to much more than a situational pass rusher.  Most felt he was going to come in as another one of those undersized college pass rushers who live off their speed, but Ogbo tested out quite well and taller than anticipated.  Still, he slipped to the fifth round where the Rams took a gamble on him.  I really like the selection of John Kelly in the 6th round, who was more productive than Alvin Kamara was with Tennessee.  But don't anticipate him being as productive as Kamara.  Kamara fell into the ideal situation with New Orleans, and Kelly figures to have a chance to win the backup RB spot to Todd Gurley.  Jamil Demby in the sixth wasn't bad value to add if you're looking to add some depth on the OL.  The Rams continued to add more depth to the defensive in the 7th round with Sebastian Joseph and Justin Lawler.  Trevon Young was an interesting gamble in the sixth round, but ultimately the medical concerns with him probably outweigh what future production he might have.  If you were to picture an idea of the most basic draft, this would have been a prime example of it.  The Rams didn't do anything flashy, but I also don't think they left upside on the table.  The Rams who were without their top two picks were limited in the draft in terms of flexibility had a very solid draft.

Best Value Pick: John Kelly [RB; Tennessee]
Worst Value Pick: John Franklin [DT; Stephen F. Austin]
Grade: C

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1(9) - Mike McGlinchey [OT; Notre Dame]
2(44) - Dante Pettis [WR; Washington]
3(70) - Fred Warner [LB; BYU]
3(95) - Tarvarius Moore [S; Southern Miss]
4(128) - Kentavius Street [DT; NC State]
5(142) - D.J. Reed [CB; Kansas State]
6(184) - Marcell Harris [S; Florida]
7(233) - Jullian Taylor [DT; Temple]
7(240) - Richie James [WR; Middle Tennessee State]

 

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1(27) - Rashaad Penny [RB; San Diego State]
3(79) - Rasheem Greene [EDGE; USC]
4(120) - Will Dissly [TE; Washington]

5(141) - Shaquem Griffin [LB; UCF]
5(146) - Tre' Flowers [S; Oklahoma State]
5(149) - Michael Dickson [P; Texas]
5(168) - Jamarco Jones [OT; Ohio State]
6(186) - Jacob Martin [DE; Temple]
7(220) - Alex McGough [QB; Florida International]

From 2010-2012, the Seahawks were as good at drafting as any franchise in the league.  Unfortunately, since then their drafting has been pretty bad which is in large part a reason why the Seahawks have struggled to consistently stay atop the league standings and some believe that they're about to move back into the middle of the pack of teams.  To make things worse, they traded their second round pick to the Jets for Sheldon Richardson and their 3rd round pick to the Texans for Duane Brown.  Armed with only one pick in the first 100 picks, everyone and their dog knew that the Seahawks were going to be highly motivated to move down, which they did when they struck a deal with the Packers who moved back up after trading down just a few picks earlier.  The disparity between the Packers trade down with the Saints and the Seahawks trade down with the Packers shows how hamstrung the Seahawks were with a lack of second and third round picks.  After trading down with the Packers, the Seahawks surprised everyone by being the second team to take a RB in the draft when they selected SDSU's Rashaad Penny.  While I probably was higher on Penny than most, grabbing him in the first round wasn't very good value and I believe there was enough RB value left in the draft that even if they move back a second time and someone took Penny that they'd find a quality back later in the draft.  In the third round, I thought they got solid value with Rasheem Green and while he doesn't really offer huge upside in terms of pressuring the quarterback I think he's a solid fit in that scheme and should be a solid rotational pass rusher.  The Will Dissly selection was just head scratching as I had an UDFA grade on him, and felt like there were better values in the draft and FA if they were wanting to get someone in his mold.  I just have no idea how they view him as any sort of receiving threat.  Tre' Flowers was probably taken a tad earlier than I would have liked, but not terrible value.  I think he could potentially replace Kam Chancellor down the road, but he's got enough question marks about his ability to hold up in coverage consistently.  I'm not really a fan of taking special team players in the draft, and Jon Ryan is a good enough punter that I'm not sure why the Seahawks felt a real motivation to grab a punter, especially this early.  Jamarco Jones this late in the draft is good value, especially since I felt positional need would push him up the board.  The Seahawks history of developing OL isn't good, so I'm not expecting him to come in and fix the OL but the value here is strong.  Jacob Martin adds some more depth to the DL, and Alex McCough probably gets added to the PS after the cutdowns.

Best Value Pick: Rasheem Greene [EDGE; USC]
Worst Value Pick: Will Dissly [TE; Washington]
Grade: C-

 

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