Round 1 | Team | Pick | Position |
1 | Buccaneers | J. Winston (FSU) | QB |
2 | Titans | M. Mariota (Oregon) | QB |
3 | Jaguars | V. Beasley (Clemson) | EDGE |
4 | Raiders | L. Williams (USC) | DL |
5 | Redskins | D. Fowler (Florida) | EDGE |
6 | Jets | K. White (UWV) | WR |
7 | Bears | A. Cooper (Alabama) | WR |
8 | Falcons | S. Ray (Missouri) | EDGE |
I’m not buying the Titans hitching their Franchise Wagon to Zack Mettenberger. I also don’t care that Mariota isn’t a Ken-Whisenhunt-type QB; who says this pick is even Whiz’s to make? The Titans either try to extort some team (I’m looking at you NY/Philly) for a ton of picks, or they simply roll with the best signal caller available.
The NFL is all about QB play on offense and getting after the QB on defense. Three “Edge” defenders get called in the first eight picks. Beasley’s athleticism is the tie-breaker with Fowler.
Round 1 | Team | Pick | Position |
9 | Giants | B. Scherff (Iowa) | OL |
10 | Rams | T. Waynes (MSU) | CB |
11 | Vikings | M. Peters (Washington) | CB |
12 | Browns | D. Shelton (Washington) | DT |
13 | Saints | L. Collins (LSU) | OL |
14 | Dolphins | R. Gregory (Nebraska) | EDGE |
15 | 49ers | D. Parker (Louisville) | WR |
16 | Texans | T. Gurley (Georgia) | RB |
Eli Manning has gotten rag-dolled the last two years playing behind make-shift lines. Surely going into his last contract, the Giants best chances of winning is keeping Eli upright in the pocket (and peppering ODB with 150+ targets)!
As the Saints overhaul their offensive philosophy, a potential franchise tackle falls into their laps at pick 13. Speaking of value, DeVante Parker absolutely has the skill set to be the best wide receiver in this draft class; the 49ers have a glaring hole at WR to boot.
Round 1 | Team | Pick | Position |
17 | Chargers | M. Brown (Texas) | DT |
18 | Chiefs | D. Green-Beckham (OU) | WR |
19 | Browns | A. Armstead (Oregon) | DE |
20 | Eagles | A. Peat (Stanford) | OL |
21 | Bengals | A. Dupree (Kentucky) | EDGE |
22 | Steelers | L. Collins (Alabama) | S |
23 | Lions | B. Jones (UConn) | CB |
24 | Cardinals | E. Flowers (Miami) | OT |
Dorial Green-Beckham is the wildcard of this draft. We all know about this ability’s both on and off the field. I’m sure there are a number of teams that will completely take him off their draft boards. The Chiefs take a shot on his upside and completely remake their (league worst) WR depth chart from last year.
Round 1 | Team | Pick | Position |
25 | Panthers | TJ. Clemmings (Pitt) | OT |
26 | Ravens | E. Kendricks (UCLA) | LB |
27 | Cowboys | K. Johnson (WF) | CB |
28 | Broncos | M. Gordon (Wisconsin) | RB |
29 | Colts | C. Erving (FSU) | C |
30 | Packers | J. Fisher (Oregon) | OT |
31 | Saints | S. Thompson (Washington) | LB |
32 | Patriots | E. Harold (Virginia) | LB |
Waiting on RBs has been en vogue in recent years. I’m bucking that trend and Melvin Gordon makes it two running backs selected in the first round (Gurley to Houston at 16). The Broncos are shifting to a more balanced offensive attack for two reasons: their high-flying aerial assault doesn’t work against elite defenses (see Super Bowl beatdown) and because Peyton is rapidly losing velocity on his fastball.