Authorccurrier's Takes After Round 1:
1. Browns - Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M: The Browns have shown a serious change in the past two drafts. I think both drafts were savvy and could yield a number of quality starters, like Corey Coleman, Emmanuel Ogbah, Carl Nassib, Ricardo Louis, Shon Coleman, and now Myles Garrett. He was the best pick possible at number 1 overall.
2. TRADE! Bears - Mitchell Trubisky, QB, UNC: One of the dumbest trades and dumbest picks that I’ve ever seen. I don’t think John Fox wanted to develop a rookie after he’s already in a precarious position. On top of that, the Bears just signed Mike Glennon to a $45,000,000.00 contract to be their starter, and needed to use their pick to mend one of the immediate holes on their roster. On top of THAT, the Bears gave up for picks to move up one spot, and they could have gotten Trubisky had they stayed at number 3. I think Ryan Pace might get fired for this move combined with the bug bucks Glennon signing.
3. TRADE! 49ers - Solomon Thomas, DE/DT, Stanford: This doesn’t seem like Lynch’s first draft. He moved down, got 4 picks, and then drafted the person he was going to draft at 2 anyways. Jamal Adams would have been a better selection, but it was still an excellent move.
4. Jaguars – Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU: Fournette was the selection that Jacksonville wanted, and they got him. I think it’s a good pick that may end up looking great, especially if Jacksonville drafts one of the top two linemen in round 2.
5. Titans – Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan: I don’t like this pick. The Titans could have traded down for Corey Davis. On top of that, I think Mike Williams or OJ Howard would have been a better selection. Howard may be the fastest of the three, and he is an absolute beast. Mike Williams would have made Marcus Mariota, the NFL’s best red zone QB, even better in the red zone with his leaping ability. Davis’ stats dropped to average whenever he played big schools, and he is an injury risk. Williams came back from a major injury to help lead Clemson to the Championship as Deshaun Watson’s best target, and he consistently beat great competition, like Marshon Lattimor, Marlon Humphrey, and Gareon Conley, the draft’s top 3 rated CBs. Davis never did that. Still, he’s a weapon for Mariota, and has the tools to be a #1 receiver in the NFL.
6. Jets – Jamal Adams, S, LSU: This is a steal, and is the first A+ in the draft. Adams is a top 2 player in the draft. It’s so much like the Ramsey slide last year, except Jamal Adams is better than Jalen Ramsey and slid one pick further.
7. Chargers – Mike Williams, WR, Clemson: Mike Williams is a stud, and should be a valuable weapon for Philip Rivers. On paper, safety was a bigger need for Rivers, and perhaps Malik Hooker would have been the better choice, but Rivers’ weapons have been hurt each of the past two seasons, leaving him to use third string receivers and backup tight ends as his go-to targets for much of the time. A combo of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Tyrell Williams, Dontrelle Inman, Antonio Gates, Hunter Henry, Melvin Gordon, and Travis Benjamin makes this offense seem like it’s bursting at the seams with playmakers. The Chargers will be in position to draft one of two safeties that I’ve given first round grades in round 2.
8. Panthers – Christian McCaffery, RB, Stanford: McCaffery will do so much as a playmaker for Cam Newton. He’ll take a lot of pressure off of Newton as a runner, he’ll automatically be a top kick returner, and he can play receiver a lot. McCaffery has underrated toughness between the tackles, as well. He’s not a bruiser, but he can be used on the occasional power run and will also be a menace outside the tackles.
9. Bengals – John Ross, WR, Washington: I don’t like this pick, either. This is too early for Ross, and he’s a health concern, the Bengals drafted Tyler Ervin last year to be AJ Green’s second fiddle, and they just re-signed Brandon LaFell to a big contract. LaFell was pretty good to close out the season, averaging over five catches for 81 yards per game for the duration of the last five games. He had 20 receptions for 288 yards over the last three games of the season, and Tyler Ervin could be a great player, eventually. Now, the Bengals have a good group of playmakers, but Tyler Eifert, AJ Green, John Ross, and Brandon LaFell all have injury concerns, so I’m not sure if they will be able to keep this offense put together. Ross is a good player, but there are legitimate concerns about whether or not he can stay healthy in the NFL.
10. TRADE! Chiefs – Patrick Mahomes II, QB, Texas Tech: This is a solid pick. I had Mahomes rated from the 12-20 range, so the Chiefs got him a little high, and they gave up three picks, including a pair of first rounders, for him. Still, he’s my top-rated QB this year, and none of that is from his inflated stats. He has a massive arm, is accurate, is fast, can make throws from every platform, and is a serious playmaker. He also has the competitive drive, leadership, and intelligence that makes me prefer Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes over Mitchell Trubisky and DeShone Kizer. Any Reid coached Brett Favre, who Mahomes is frequently compared to, and can develop the gunslinger for a couple years while Alex Smith finishes his contract.
11. Saints – Marshon Lattimore, CB, THE Ohio State: In what world do the Saints, at number 11, get Lattimore, the top cornerback in a draft that is considered to be one of the best secondary drafts in a long time? Well, apparently this one. The QB trades and early run on all of the first round wide receivers changed the draft greatly, and so the Saints got the best cornerback. I would have also considered Malik Hooker and Jonathan Allen. All would have filled a need. Great steal.
12. TRADE! Texans – Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson: The Texans gave the Browns their first rounder this year and next year for the pick, so it was cheaper than Mahomes. Watson isn’t as good as Mahomes, but he was my #2 rated QB and the only one that I think can find success early. He has a “short term memory” that will allow him to not get shaken up by a couple of bad plays. He also has the best intangibles in the whole draft. He’s a hard worker who won the right to start at Clemson and was a finalist for the Heisman two years in a row. He’s going into a great situation in Houston where he can learn from Bill O’Brien, who has managed to make mediocre and awful QBs lead the Texans to winning seasons, so Watson should outperform all of the previous Houston QBs from the past three seasons. The Texans offense also looks really special. A nod to the Browns here, too. They now have five picks in the first two rounds next year.
13. Cardinals – Haason Reddick, LB, Temple: The Cardinals wanted Reddick. He’s a hard worker, great character, and is a tough athlete who can be a great inside linebacker with the ability to play the edge on pass-rushing downs.
14. Eagles – Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee: Didn’t think Barnett would fall past 11 before the draft began, but he’s the least surprising of the bunch of fallen talent at this point in the draft. Barnett broke Reggie White’s sack record and will provide valuable pass rush for the Eagles. Philly loved this pick.
15. Colts – Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State: This is the second A+ grade that I gave in the draft, after Jamal Adams. I have no idea why Hooker slid from potentially somewhere in the top 5 to number 15. The Colts, who need a playmaker at every position on defense, were more than happy to stop the ridiculous slide of Mike Mayock’s #3 rated player overall.
16. Ravens – Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama: Ozzie Newsome got his ‘Bama player, and a very talented cornerback to play across from Jimmy Smith. I also cried when I heard that “Make a Wish Foundation” kid’s story. And then some more when he looked out at the crowd and you could see in his eyes, “Whoa. I’m actually doing this. Deep breaths. This is awesome!” And then even more when he first looked at the card and pumped his fist and said “Yes!” because he was excited about the pick, and then realized that he hadn’t announced it yet, and read it to everyone.
17. Redskins – Jonathan Allen, DE/DT, Alabama: This is the third A+ grade that I have given so far. The Redskins were considering trading Kirk Cousins for the no. 2 overall pick at one point so that they could draft Jonathan Allen. I never imagined in a million years that they could get him at number 17! I don’t think anyone did, and it’s easily the best pick of round 1.
18. Titans – Adoree Jackson, CB/KR/WR, USC: Adoree Jackson is going to be hard to keep off of the field at all times. His talent level is amazing. He’s an extremely fast and fluid cover corner. Some are concerned about his size, but he has the best production and ball skills out of all of the cornerbacks in this draft; he played WR part-time at USC as a deep threat. Also, keep in mind; the Titans just got Logan Ryan, but they released Jason McCourty. Someone needs to be able to cover the high-talent speedsters in the division like T.Y. Hilton, Will Fuller, Phillip Dorsett (only applicable when Hilton is injured), Braxton Miller, and shifty receivers like Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee. Jackson is just what the doctor ordered.
19. Buccaneers – OJ Howard, TE, Alabama: What!? A top-5 talent fell to number 19? I understand that he’s a tight end, but they’re growing in significance, he’s the most highly-touted TE prospect in 10 years, and he has serious athletic ability. He’s a tremendous player, and Tampa Bay couldn’t resist him. A+
20. Broncos – Garett Bolles, OT, Utah: The Broncos managed to have their pick of any offensive lineman. While they didn’t get one of the top two (Robinson and Lamp), they got a very talented tackle who is highly athletic and blew up the Combine. The character concerns are understandable, but his character actually isn’t a problem, as he rehabbed, served a religious mission, is a proud father, and interviewed well at the Combine and in team interviews. Bolles also loves the prospect of playing in Denver, as that’s where he served his LDS Mission.
21. Lions – Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida: Davis is one of the best linebackers in the draft. He has a great personality and is a team leader. He missed a lot of time in 2016 with two leg injuries, but still managed to net 60 tackles, 6 TFLs, and 4 pass breakups. He had 98 tackles, 11 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, and 4 pass breakups in his junior year, when he played every game. He also was a special teams MVP. He can play on all three downs as an inside or outside linebacker, and brings special teams value to the table for the Lions.
22. Dolphins – Charles Harris, Edge, Missouri: The Redskins said that they’d pull the trigger on Charles Harris if he fell to them, but they also stated that they were preparing to make another pick because that Scenario wasn’t likely. Well, three teams early in the draft made a run on QBs and three more made a run on WRs, all before they should have gone in the draft. This allowed not only Harris, but Jonathan Allen, who fits the Redskins even better – and they didn’t even both bringing him in for more interviews after the first because they thought, “this guy’s a winner; there’s no way that he falls to us.” – to fall, so they drafted him over Harris, allowing the Lions to draft the talented, high character edge rusher.
23. Giants – Evan Engram, TE/WR, Ole Miss: I don’t like this pick. The Giants now effectively have four slot receivers, and passed up Cam Robinson, Forrest Lamp, and Ryan Ramczyk for a player that they didn’t need. Engram has serious speed and is effectively a receiver in the NFL. He can’t play in-line or block well as a TE, but run routes very well, has great hands, and ran a 4.42 at the Combine. He projects to be an H-back or slot receiver that occasionally splits out wide in the NFL. Now, the Giants have Odell Beckham, Jr., who can play on the outside, but is best in the slot, Brandon Marshall, who is the same story, Sterling Shepard, a pure slot receiver, and now Engram. Some of these players aren’t going to be able to see the field now that this selection has been made, which makes it seem like a bit of a waste, to me. If they wanted a TE who could also be a receiving threat (which is something they actually needed), they could have drafted David Njoku.
24. Raiders – Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State: Some people initially thought that this pick would be Rueben Foster. He fills a huge need at LB, is a top-ten talent, and between fights at hospitals, diluted urine samples, and extreme aggression on the field, seems like a Raider-type player. Instead, they opted for Gareon Conley, a top-fifteen player who fills a big need at cornerback and has been accused of rape. Well, while it wasn’t Foster, at least they stayed close to the Raider mold.
25. TRADE! Browns – Jabrill Peppers, S/LB, Michigan: This is the pick they got in the Texans’ trade up to number 12. At first, I was somewhat leery of this pick, and then I thought, “Mark Barron.” Dang. Peppers compares to Su’a Cravens of the Redskins and Mark Barron of the Rams, both a sort of safety and linebacker hybrid. Greg Williams, the Browns’ new defensive coordinator, and the former Rams coordinator, is the one who invented that position and developed Mark Barron from a draft bust to a superb chess piece. Peppers is like Barron, but better, and should be a mainstay of the defense. By the way, I finished saying this at my family’s draft viewing right before that one analyst on NFL network said that. Man, I should work for the NFL and write the script for their analyses.
26. TRADE! Falcons – Takkarist McKinley, OLB/DE, UCLA: The Falcons traded up to select Takkarist McKinley ahead of the Packers. Tak showed some serious passion when the pick was announced; he fulfilled his grandmother’s dying wish. I believe that he will transfer that passion to the field and be a terror to opposing QBs along the Falcons’ front seven.
27. TRADE! Bills – TreDavious White, CB, LSU: This is the Chiefs’ pick that the Bills got from the Pat Mahomes trade. TreDavious White fills a huge need after Stephon Gilmore moved to the Patriots’ roster, and while he isn’t a flashy player, he will probably quietly have a longer and more productive career than any other cornerback in this class.
28. Cowboys – Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan: Vidauntae “Taco” Charlton is one of the most athletic pass rushers in this class, and will seriously upgrade a Cowboys defense lacking in playmakers besides Sean Lee, who, aside from 2.5 sacks in 2015, has never had a sack in his 6 NFL seasons.
29. TRADE! Browns – David Njoku, TE, Miami, FL: The Browns traded picks with the Packers to leapfrog the Steelers, a tight end needy team, so that they could select Njoku, a potential Pro Bowler with one of the highest ceilings in this whole draft. While OJ Howard has the highest floor (his floor is top 10 starter at the position) as one of the safest picks of the draft, Njoku has a freakishly high ceiling to potentially be the best TE in the league. Njoku is only 20 years old and when the Browns are ready to start winning, Njoku will be a key cog of the offense. This closes up a great 1st round for the Browns, who, even if they don’t get the #1 overall pick next year, should be able to trade their many opening frame selections for #1 overall so that they can add Sam Darnold.
30. Steelers – TJ Watt, OLB, Wisconsin: The Steelers couldn’t get Njoku, and they expected DeShone Kizer to slide until at least midway through round 2, when they can trade up and draft him, so they upgraded their pass rush with the younger brother of JJ Watt. TJ is a bit of a one-year wonder, but he reportedly has good work ethic and should develop into one of the better pass rushing outside linebackers in the league. I don’t love the pick, but it’s decent.
31. TRADE! 49ers – Rueben Foster, ILB, Alabama: The 49ers traded up with the Seahawks, who had traded down with the Falcons, so that they could draft Rueben Foster and stop his slide. Foster will be a big-time playmaker for the 49ers, and John Lynch has managed to gain two top-ten players and extra picks (they gave up two for Foster, but gained four for Trubisky). He has essentially gotten Solomon Thomas, Rueben Foster, and one extra pick for free, curtesy of Ryan Pace’s stupidity.
32. Saints – Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin: This is sad, because I was wanting the Saints to make a Super Bowl run. They could have used their pick to grab a pass rusher or difference-making safety on defense. There are plenty of options still available. They could even have added ANOTHER cornerback like Teez Tabor, Quincy Wilson, or Kevin King, all of whom have 1st round grades, to give them one of the most dangerous young CB tandems in the league. Instead, they drafted an OT who will sit until Zack Streiff retires. Tackle is something needed for the future, but I believe that the Saints were intending to make a Super Bowl run for Brees while he still has gas in the tank. They basically traded Brandin Cooks, one of the best young deep threats in the league, for Ramczyk, the fourth-highest rated lineman in a crappy class, who has quit on football before, doesn’t love the game, and has a bad hip. They should have drafted Cam Robinson if they wanted to go OT with this pick.
