Rather than recap what you all already knew I had picked yesterday, I thought it might be a better idea to wait and feature some of the bolder picks of the first round with my thoughts on them.
Throw the mock draft out the window- the real one was much wilder. And after Denver passed on their primary need at DT to take Von Miller, AND after the cards passed on drafting a quarterback... well, throw most of what I said out the window, we're dealing with a different animal. Here are my thoughts on the most surprising picks from last night:
2. Denver Broncoes- Von Miller (OLB). I already alluded to this, but... wow. Many teams draft players they dont need because their athleticism and skill is so off the charts that they just have to take them, simply because they're still on the board. This is not the case with Denver and the second overall pick. With every possible player they could ever want still on the board- the only one gone was Cam Newton, and the quarterback is one of the only positions the broncos don't need- they chose a player that they really don't need. I mean honestly, when JMU's own Arthur Moats is one of your linebackers... who needs other linebackers?
Okay but seriously, why take Von Miller? You can't use the "he's just so good that we had to take him" excuse because the same thing could be said of Patrick Peterson, AJ Green, and... oh yeah, Marcell Dareus. You know, that guy that actually fills the position you desperately need?
The upside is that Von Miller is still an exceptional player that's gonna be an immediate and noticable impact. So it's not like it was a waste... just a little inefficient if you ask me.
Grade: C
5. Arizona-Patrick Peterson (CB) Same problem as Denver, but magnified. Do these guys realize that their team literally does not have a quarterback right now? Okay, clearly these guys have a plan on what to do about their qb situation. Either they wanna take someone like Kaepernick that will still be available when they pick again at the end of the second round... or they want to trade after the entire draft is over for someone like Bulger. I love Bulger for the obvious reasons (all time passing yards leader for qb's at WVU) and he's been a consistent qb in the NFL. But he's getting old. Why would you want a qb who would be starting in the 11th hour of his career? It's a temporary fix for a big, big problem, and when there are clearly franchise-altering solutions right in front of you, it seems a little weird to fill a slot you don't need filled, albeit with a freakishly gifted player.
Grade: C
6. Atlanta (traded from Cleveland)- Julio Jones (WR) This is a rare trade where both teams absolutely hit the lottery. Cleveland got something like five picks from Atlanta, two of which are future first rounders. Atlanta, meanwhile, picks up Julio Jones, a top end receiver that will take away the double team option on Roddy White. That solves one of only two real needs for the Falcons. The only need left to address is DE, and there are PLENTY of them still available tonight in the second round.
Atlanta Pick Grade: A
Cleveland Trade Grade: A
7. San Francisco- Aldon Smith (DE) Did SF not realize Blaine Gabbert was still on the board here? What happened? They need a quarterback. They need a corner, and Prince was there. There's literally a million End's this year... why waste your top ten pick on one that 1. isn't even a DE in the top 15 players and 2. doesn't address a primary concern on your team?
Grade: D
13. Detroit- Nick Fairley (DT) When I first heard this pick, I thought... wow. just when the lions were starting to get it together, they go and pick someone that makes no sense at all. But when I really started to think about it, I realized I was going to have nightmares thinking about the D-line that is Fairley, Suh, Vanden Bosch, and insert fourth name here who is not nearly as scary as the other three. That is psycho stuff. That is the defensive line that inspires movies like Saw. It's just downright disgusting stuff. So yeah, they dont fix their O-line and they didnt get a corner. But it might just be worth it.
Grade: B
16. Washington- Ryan Kerrigan (DE) Now I don't mean this as a knock on Kerrigan, because he's one of the best Ends in the class and even more importantly, he's a really good kid. But WHAT IN THE WORLD WERE THE REDSKINS THINKING? attention, tragic redskins fans: you're team has once again achieved an epic fail. this has gotta be one of the worst picks I've ever seen. Washington drafted an end, which they dont need, with the intention of spending time converting him into a linebacker, which they REALLY don't need (orakpo is kind of a beast, in case you hadn't heard). Prince is still on the board! draft him! draft a receiver! draft a quarterback! draft SOMEONE that makes sense on any level! good grief...
Grade: F
26. KC- Jonathan Baldwin (WR) He wasn't projected as a first round pick at WR, but this kid is good. And he's out of Pitt- so think how good he must be if I'm admitting that he is, in fact, a good pick. Baldwin will compliment the playing style of Bowe, and will add spread-the-field capabililties to an offense that, without Bowe, is frankly pretty one-dimensional. Baldwin will help the running game more than any offensive lineman could by making the D respect the pass. Certainly a high risk pick, but the Chiefs will see high reward.
Grade: A
I'll keep you all updated this weekend on anything strange or exciting. My twitter will be spewing out draft information all weekend long, so keep that in mind too!
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