Round One Wrap Up!

We all had the feeling that this draft was going to be a bit crazy, and it lived up to the billing. Even with the tag as a “weak quarterback class”, the quarterbacks became the hot topic over the past few weeks. Teams like the Browns, Jets, 49ers, Bills, Cardinals, and even the Chargers, were being linked to the top 3 players at the position. However, the Chiefs and Texans, picking at 27 and 25 respectively, would be too far back to land one or trade up high enough to acquire one,right? Wrong.

The draft started out with the ridiculous rumor that the Browns were still deciding between drafting Myles Garrett or Mitchell Trubisky with their #1 overall pick. Whether true or not, the team ultimately made the right call with Myles Garrett.

only news out of Chicago the past month, was that they had a desire to trade down in the first round from the third spot, so it was a bit of a surprise when the actually traded up one spot to the #2 pick. They gave up a lot (3rd, 4th and 2018 3rd) to acquire the 2nd pick, and then shocked the football world by selecting North Carolina Quarterback, Mitchell Trubisky. While I’ve been saying all long that the best places for these quarterbacks would be with teams that already have an established veteran quarterback to learn from, Mike Glennon isn’t what I had in mind. The only reason I could think of that would make the Bears trade up for a player that they very well could’ve had at #3, is because San Francisco must’ve had another team on the phone about to jump them. And if that wasn’t the case, well, great job by new GM John Lynch.

In one the most defensive heavy drafts in years, it was the offense that stole the show for the top half of the draft. We’ll break down the rest of the 1st round in categories: Stats│Surprises│Best Picks (values)│Worst Picks (reaches)

STATS

6 total trades (during draft)
6 offensive players in the top 10
3 of the first top 5 picks were on offense
2RB’s, 2WR’s in the top 10
3 first round picks for the Browns (Garrett, Peppers, Njoku)
2 offensive lineman taken

Surprises

Bears trade from 3 to 2 ( Trubisky)
Chiefs trade from 27 to 10 (Mahomes)
Texans trade from 25 to 12 (Watson)
DE, Jonathan Allen not off the board until #17
Browns and 49ers trade back into late first round
Gareon Conley still a 1st rounder
RB Dalvin Cook not drafted in 1st round

Best Picks- Values

New York Jets- Jamal Adams, S, LSU: Adams, the best safety in the draft, and according to some, the best player in the entire draft, fell in the Jets’ lap at #6. Just like Leonard Williams in 2015, nobody thought Adams was going to be there for the Jets to have the chance to even select him. Adams is a physical safety that can do everything on the field. His leadership and demeanor will be a nice addition to the organization on and off the field. This was a no-brainer of a pick for the New York Jets.
New Orleans Saints- Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio St: Saints were thrilled when the top corner-back was there at #11. Lattimore was projected to go as early as #3 in many mock drafts. The Saints, desperately in need of help on the defensive side of the ball, got a good one here.
Indianapolis Colts- Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State: Many believed that Hooker was going to be a top 10 pick, primarily to the Jets at #6. Like most of these value picks, those plans changed due to the surprising run of offensive players. Even for those that didn’t have Hooker as a top 10 pick, the Colts were able to obtain the 2nd best safety and a play-making defensive leader.
Washington Redskins- Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama: Washington couldn’t mess up pick #17 with defensive end, Jonathan Allen still on the board. It was only a few months ago that Allen was considered to be the #1 overall pick in this years draft. Shoulder concerns are probably the reason fro his slide, but Jonathan Allen at number 17 is a steal for Washington.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- O.J Howard, TE, Alabama: Howard could’ve gone as high as # 4 to Jacksonville, so I could imagine the excitement in the Bucs war room when he was there for them at #19. I view this pick as a luxury pick for the team, as Cameron Brate did a really nice job for them in 2016. Howard gives Winston another dynamic weapon to go along with Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, and Cameron Brate. He will also help in the running game, as he is a good blocker.
Cleveland Browns- Reuben Foster- , LB, Alabama: Even with his diluted urine sample and scouting combine incident, #31 overall is just too low for a player that can end up being the best player when we look back on this draft. He’s also dealing with a shoulder injury, that could be more serious than some believe, resulting in him siding down this far. Either way, a great job by the Browns trading back into the 1st round and making this pick.

Other Picks that I like:

Arizona Cardinals- Haason Reddick, LB, Temple (#13)

Philadelphia Eagles- Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee (#14)

Detroit Lions- Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida (#21)

Miami Dolphins- Charles Harris, OLB/DE, Missouri

Buffalo Bills- Tre’Davious White, CB LSU (#27)

Reaches

Chicago Bears- Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina– I touched on the Bears situation earlier, but only time will tell if this was a good or bad move. On the surface, it was a terrible decision for the Bears to give up that much for not only a player they could’ve had with their own pick (the very next pick), but also a player that didn’t warrant a top 5 pick to begin with. However, it’s hard to fault a team for going “all in” on a player that they strongly felt was good enough to lead their team for the next decade.
Tennessee Titans- Corey Davis WR, Western Michigan /Los Angeles Chargers- Mike Williams,WR, Clemson Cincinnati Bengals- John Ross, WR, Washington– I’m grouping these three picks because my reasoning is the same for all of them. While I actually do like the players and where they ended up, I don’t like how high they went in this draft. Corey Davis is a player that I feel the Titans could’ve taken with their second 1st rounder (#18). Perhaps the move wasn’t there for them to make, but the Chargers and Bengals should’ve looked to trade down if Mike Williams and John Ross respectively, was their guy all along. None of these receivers were worthy of a top 10 pick in this draft and yet all three were.
Tennessee Titans- Adoree’ Jackson, CB, USC- Tennessee makes the list for the 2nd time. They reached on Corey Davis, and they reached on Adoree’ Jackson. Jackson was headed for the 2nd round if the Titans don’t make this pick. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. I’m not saying the players they drafted aren’t good. They are. My issue lies solely on where they were taken.
New York Giants- Evan Engram, TE, Mississippi- This one I’m still scratching my head over. The G-Men selected a tight end that doesn’t line up as a tight end. What they acquired was a slot receiver when they already have talented wide receivers on the roster. Engram could present match-up problems for defenses, but I feel like the Giants fell in love with a “vision” instead of what the reality will be. I wouldn’t be questioning this pick if it happened in the 2nd round however. This just wasn’t the pick for them when David Njoku, Reuben Foster, Takkarist McKinley and the top Offensive Linemen still available.

What to expect in Day 2: The second round will be DB heavy with many talented players available….. Teams with aging quarterbacks (Saints, Cardinals, Chargers, Giants) will look for the heir to their stars….More trades…..Who will take Joe Mixon?

Looking Ahead: My Top Available players