Grading Round One - The Winners, The Losers, and The TBD

The Winners:


Minnesota Vikings
- To move back as far as they did and still land a left tackle is outstanding. Darrishaw isn't as flashy as they other prospects but I see him as a Jordan Gross type.


Atlanta Falcons
- Pitts is going to terrorize NFC South defenses.


Detroit Lions
- I think Sewell is a left tackle, but on either side he slides in as an elite protector and run blocker. Campbell probably wants him on the right so they can run the ball 40x a game.


Los Angeles Chargers
- See Minnesota. Need and value collided perfectly. Even if Slater is ultimately a great left guard, that's still a foundational piece for LAC.


Dallas Cowboys
- Picked up a 3rd rounder and the best LB in the draft. Jerry had a good night.


Pittsburgh Steelers
- Harris is durable and versatile, and a huge upgrade over anything they currently have at the position. It's a good pick for a team that still has a playoff window.


Indianapolis Colts
- Paye can play the edge and also slide inside. Think Greg Hardy without the other excitement. Him and Buckner will be a nightmare for the AFC South.



New England Patriots
- They get their quarterback without trading up. In theory, he doesn't even have to play this season, but I believe Jones is too good of a fit for the system to sit for long.




Tennessee Titans
- You have to split hairs to see any difference between Farley, Horn, and Surtain. Maybe the other two are more NFL game ready, but the Titans win based on value. I'm not extremely worried about Farley's back surgery.






The Losers:




San Francisco 49ers
- Panic moves always deserve an F. They could have stayed where they were and gotten a quarterback. Plus, the apparent indecisiveness of which guy they'd take is a red flag. As for the actual player, I don't see anything in Lance that warrants the 3rd overall selection. His deep ball accuracy is atrocious, and he's very likely to go off script in Shanahan's structured system.



Green Bay Packers
- What a miserable night all around for the Green and Gold. Not only is their relationship with their iconic quarterback strained beyond repair, but they took a CB who probably can't be on the field for base defense given his size. Assuming Stokes isn't an all out bust, he doesn't add much value to a team with a championship window. It's no wonder why Rodgers wants out.



New York Giants
- Gettleman gon' Gettle. Toney looks like Tavon Austin 2.0, which would have been an okay day 2 pick, but you don't take that player at 20. That war room looked like a hostage video.


Arizona Cardinals
- I don't see Collins as a three down linebacker, which makes this pick an unacceptable reach in my estimation. In a league trending towards Nickel and Heavy Dime personnel, it's hard to see a starting role for him.




The TBD:


Jacksonville Jaguars
- Since Lawrence was a given, the true evaluation of Jacksonville's night was how they used their other first rounder. Drafting Trevor's backfield mate is a very college-ish move by Meyer. Maybe Etienne can be a Kamara, and this part of the draft was underwhelming overall, but I think they should have tried harder to trade up for a tackle.


Baltimore Ravens
- Both players seem like boom or bust prospects, but I guess the odds are decent for one boom. They do have a good model for developing edge rushers, which is good for Oweh, as he can focus on special teams while refining his technique. Bateman might get lost in a run heavy offense, though.


Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos
- Both corners are nearly identical, and both could become high end starters. Passing on quarterback and offensive line are dubious decisions, though. If either Fields or Jones becomes a franchise quarterback, these corners have to be terrific. Otherwise it's a death warrant for both GMs.


Chicago Bears
- I like Fields, but whether or not he's worth two first rounders is very much TBD. If he's Prescott, great, but that's not a guarantee.



Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints
- A run of boom/bust DEs at the end of the first round. None of them have to play right away given the edge depth of these teams, so we probably won't be able to judge these picks until 2022.



WFT
- WTF. I didn't see Jamin Davis as a top 20 pick. I am giving Ron some benefit of the doubt considering his history of developing linebackers, but I'd consider this pick a reach.



Las Vegas Raiders
- Definitely a reach, but Leatherwood has the tools to be an awesome guard or right tackle. I didn't hate this pick as much as everyone else did.



Cleveland Browns
- Newsome's medical history is a concern. If he's healthy, he helps strengthen Cleveland's only weak link on defense, but it's a big ask for a player who's struggled to stay on the field.


New York Jets
- I just don't know about Wilson. The trade up for AVT is a good move, though. Assuming the Jets see him as a left guard, pairing him with Becton gives New York a great left side tandem. But they need the quarterback to hit.



Cincinnati Bengals
- This one is hard. Chase will be a great receiver, but I agree with the concencus that they should have protected Burrow, especially with Tee Higgins on the roster. Like Jacksonville, it feels very Joe College to give Burrow his running mate.



Miami Dolphins
- I like both picks, but I give them a deduction for passing on Sewell, Slater, and Darrishaw. You could arguably put them in the winners category. Same with the Jets. Botn teams are close decisions.


Philadelphia Eagles
- Smith could be Marvin Harrison or Todd Pinkston. I don't think anyone knows for sure, so we'll see.

 

Excellent. I didn’t even need to see the damn first round.
Thank you sir

 

I'd be curious to see how all the talking heads rate Carolina's draft. With any luck there could be a dozen upgraded roster slots (to include a few of our free agent acquisitions).
This draft (along with Darnold) could end up being compared to one of those Jimmy Johnson drafts at Dallas (he said, optimistically.)

 

If the Panthers are mentioned at all, it will be among the losers for not drafting a quarterback because hyped players are all that most pundits care about.

 

I suppose we go ahead and send the Lombardi to Chicago? After all, they got Fields and that is their ticket. How dumb of the Panther brass not to recognize that Fields is all they needed to make the big game.

Either way, I suppose the NFL will require we go ahead and play the 2021 season, after all, they like the ticket sales and even jersey sales of other players even though they are destined for nothing

 

I give the Panthers a solid B. Horn is a reach, but getting three potential starters in the middle rounds is excellent, and I like the day 3 strategy of accumulating picks.

 

So far it looks like you are right Collin (shocking). Why do all the talking heads and "experts" put so many damn rookie QBs on the elite pedestal?! I guess they just keep forgetting how rare it is for a hyped rookie QB to evolve into a franchise NFL quarterback.
Right now, given where they have gone I only see MAYBE 3 rook QBs even having better than average careers (if they stay with the team that drafted them).

Lawrence is a given to (eventually) succeed, even though the jackass brass in jacksonville won't make it easy for him.
Wilson will fail for pretty much the same fucking reasons that Darnold did there.
Fields will fall victim to the Ruthian-like curse that has come over chicago QBs AND the fact that no ohio state QB has ever amounted to a damn thing in the NFL.
Lance had a very simple situation in the middle of nowhere against nobodies . .. the poor kid will be overwhelmed and take more sacks and punishment than a beaners flatbed ford. Unfortunately he could quickly go the way of RG3.
I really want Jones to fail because I loathe NE and Belichick so much but over time he will develop into a successful winning game manager and beloved Bostonian.
That kinda leaves Trask, who falls into the same "right place at the right time" situation that Jones does . .. hate that because I hate TB almost as much as NE

Kellen Mond is the possible Wilsonesque wildcard but the vikings have the same type of bad news bears luck with QBs so no to Mond succeeding (there anyway)

My two cents

 

Yeah so about these statements....

 

Is there anyone on the planet who would not agree that much like a Luck or p Manning Lawrence IS that “rare franchise prospect” ??
Yeah he has been hyped for years but unlike half a dozen others in this class he should have been hyped. .. Vs. the toughest of competition year after year he alone has earned the hype.