Better late than never I guess. Work has been a bear and I get to play Mr Mom this weekend with Mrs Doofus off to see our Peanut President's home town and exhibition. But I finally got to finish off the NFL draft update with some help of TX whiskey (after the kids went ot bed of course)
After years of little or no drama, this years draft finally had some excitement. Who would be the first pick, woud more than four QBs be taken. Which of the four QBs would go first? Would a QB be even taken first?
After years of little or no drama, this years draft finally had some excitement. Who would be the first pick, woud more than four QBs be taken. Which of the four QBs would go first? Would a QB be even taken first?
Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma | And the Browns make their first mistake of the draft. I'll grant you that Baker Mayfield deserved to be in the first five, there wasn't a clear edge over Rosen and Darnold. No, he's not Johnny Manziel, he was a once in a generation screw up. Yeah, he got arrested for public intoxication (who hasn't) but on the fields he had one of the best stat sheets ever. He was the most efficient QB in college two years running. Forget about the height, he can play. Stil, The better move would have been to take Berkley or Chubb and see where the chips fall. |
| Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State Sam Darnold, QB, USC Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming Roquon Smith, LB, Georgia Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama Vita Vea, NT Washington Da'Ron Payne, NT Alabama Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Va Tech Derwin James, S, Florida Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville Leighton Vander Esch, LB. Boise State Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas Billy Price, C, Ohio State Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama Isaiah Wynn, OT, Georgia DJ Moore, WR, Maryland Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina Calvin Ridley. WR, Alabama Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State Terrell Edmunds, LB, Va Tech Taven Bryan, DT, Florida Mike Hughes, CB Central Florida Sony Michel, RB, Georgia Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville | The Browns blow it and the Giants benefit. They were expecting to get Eli's replacement here but now they get a gifted running back with great pass catching skills. He's the best RB to come down the pike in several years. New York's offense just got a whole lot more dangerous. Barkley will make the Giants better immediately, taking pressure off Eli Manning and help the work-in-progress offensive line find itself. But, If Manning’s play continues to slip, the line doesn’t jell or the defense doesn’t rebound quickly, the Giants will wish they went in a different direction with this pick. It’s hard to quibble with the selection of a player as good (and exciting) as Barkley. It was the safest QB pick. Mayfield and Rosen had rumblings of character issues while Allen is a project. Darnold is good at everything even if he wasn't the best at anything. The Jets traded 2nd round picks to leapfrog Denver to put themselves square in the middle of the QB draft race. Things fell their way when the Giants went for Barkley letting the Jets get the man they wanted all along. Darnold isn’t as ready as Mayfield and Rosen but has the luxury of learning the game while Josh McGowen starts in the interim. He will need to work on his tendency to turn the ball over. By trading up to get Darnold, the gave up picks to surround him with talent. The Jets are going to continue to flounder for awhile. And the Browns whiff again. First they let the best offensive player go so they can get a QB then the let the best defensive player go to grab a CB. Ward doesn’t have the size to cover larger WR and will play primarily against slot receivers. If Cleveland really thought Ward was a better fit than Chubb they could have traded back. There were plenty of teams looking at this pick to nab a QB. Christmas came early in the Rockies when Chubb fell into their laps. The Broncos know how to win with defense, they won a Super Bowl despite having a decrepit Peyton Manning under center. Now they have Chubb lining up with Von Miller? Nice. No longer can teams double team Miller. They are going to wreak havoc on the AFC West QBs. Andrew Luck is finally going to return to the field and the Colts made the right choice to keep him healthy. Nelson is the best OL in the draft and plays in the interior, a position of growing importance in the NFL He put it best himself by saying "You have guys that are dominating the NFL right now in Aaron Donald, Geno Atkins, Fletcher Cox, that have just been working on interior guys, and you need guys to stop them. You talk to quarterbacks, and they say if a D-end gets on the edge, that's fine, they can step up in the pocket and they can throw. That's what I give: a pocket to step up in. And I think I also help the offense establish the run through my nastiness, and establishing the run also opens up the passing game." Instant upgrade to a pathetic Colts OL that let Luck get destroyed. Buffalo made a great trade to get to seven then blew the pick. The Bills traded up without giving up their first round pick wither this year or next. Rather, the traded two 2nd rounders to position themselves to get a QB - then took the wrong one. Everyone loves the character, arm strength and mobility of Allen but gloss over the poor accuracy. I’m sorry, but you can’t teach accuracy. If it was a problem in the Mountain West it’s going to be a huge problem in the NFL. Allen is a bust waiting to happen. The Bears got an instant starter and potential star in Smith. He is quick to diagnose the play and comes in like a missle. Widely regarded as the 2nd best defensive player after Chubb. Chicago just got a three-down linebacker with big-play capability who should be a high-level starter for the next decade. The Saxy Lady may soon be rooting for Da Bears Not sure I get this pick. Just because San Francisco won a few games with Garappolo doesn’t mean they are ready to challenge in the NFC. There are a lot of holes to fill so they draft a back up right tackle? The Niners already have two NFL quality tackles in Joe Staley and Trent Brown. McGlinchey will take over for Staley in the future but it was too early to draft his replacement now. That said, he’s a punishing run-blocker with excellent technique who did a nice job cleaning up the devastation left in teammate Quenton Nelson's wake. But he’ll struggle in pass pro. Wasted pick by the Niners. Finally, my favorite QB in the draft gets taken. And, whereas, Buffalo made some great trades but made the wrong pick, Arizona made some great trades and nailed the pick. The Cardinals traded a 3rd and 5th round pick to land Rosen. I’ve always thought that Rosen was the best QB this year. He clearly outplayed Darnold when they played each other and is widely considered the most NFL ready QB of the Big 4. His accuracy and game prep are far better than the others. I’m not worried about the character issues. He’ll be fine. You’ll get to see Rosen sometime around midseason after Sam Bradford gets injured again and Mike Glennon throws his seventh pick. The Fins have plenty of holes to fill but the most glaring one just got taken care of. Today’s NFL offenses are geared towards challenging the nickel back with TE’s like the Gronk and Tyreek Hill. Fitzpatrick is the answer to that problem. He is quick enough to handle Hill and big enough to handle Gronk. He will stay on the field no matter what line up offenses throw at him. Miami may have been targeting Roquon Smith but they will find their consolation prize even better. Tampa Bay had their QB so they wisely traded out of the top 7 and still got a great player. Vita Vea was another one of my favorite players last year. He is a rare talent. Think about this – he played QB as a HS freshman at 260 pounds. Imagine if you were a parent in the bleachers and saw Vea running straight downhill into straight into your 15-year-old, I would pulled the Big Guy straight off the field and sign him up for the cross-country team. Playing next to Gerald McCoy will make the Bucs about as dominant as it can get up the middle So close, The Redskins wanted Vea but just missed him to Tampa Bay. Still, Payne isn’t a bad consolation prize. Da’Ron Payne is your standard-issue Crimson Tide interior lineman, a natural 310-pounder with surprising athleticism, a tenacious work ethic, proper leverage technique and a small-but-useful arsenal of pass-rush surprises. Payne is more likely to hurry or spill the quarterback from the pocket than to sack him, but he’ll be a high-impact run defender who can stay on the field and cause congestion on third downs. He’ll fit in nicely with last year’s ‘Bama first-rounder, Jonathan Allen. Whaaaaaaat...??? You don't trade a future first-round pick for a non-quarterback, especially in a draft class that is absolutely loaded on the defensive line! Pathetic. This would have made sense of the Saints were stationed at 14 to begin with but to traded away a future 1st rounder to nab a raw dege rusher. Nope, just do get it. The Saints will be wishing they had that 1st round pick when the fabulous Drew Bress retires in the next couple of years. Bruce is still smiling over the ineptitude. He hates the Saints I texted Bruce that he is probably sorry he didn’t name one of his kids Kolton. Powerful bad boy outer space type name. A name new HC Chucky had to love. Oakland needed help at tackle but when the Niners grabbed McGlinchley one pick before them they did the right thing and traded back, nabbing Kolton at a more reasonable spot. He’s a project who will need to learn fast. LT Donald Penn is 35 and will be looking to retire soon. While Oakland was trading back, Buffalo traded up. Draft charts had Edwards going as high as sixth and so before he could fall any farther the Bills moved up to grab him. His athleticism is off the charts but he at 19 is still learning the game and makes bad mistakes. H’ll make Bills fans cheer and groan on the same drive. Should be interesting to watch him develop. He’s aggressive when attacking the ball or playing perpendicular to the line of scrimmage, and Edmunds has the potential to be a three-down defender who plays in space on early downs and rushes the edge on 3rd-and-long. But Edmunds loses track of receivers in coverage and gets caught staring into the backfield on play action, making him a frustrating player to watch in pass coverage, and he will sometimes overrun holes and cutback lanes in run defense. He’s raw, and he’ll be a liability if forced to play a major role right away. Edmunds doesn’t even turn 20 until May 2, making him one of the youngest players in draft history The Chargers came into the draft wanting to get more athletic and physical on defense. Mission accomplished. A top 10 pick fell into their laps at 17, and unlike last year when the passed on Malik Hooker, the Chargers sprinted to the podium and nabbed Derwin. The Chargers defense already loaded solid and the versatile James will be a huge upgrade at safety, a definite need in LA. The Chargers 18 runs of 20-plus yards and six runs of 40-plus yards last season, both the highest totals in the NFL. Safety was a pressing need entering the draft, and Derwin James is an excellent value here. He has Kam Chancellor potential. He has tremendous open-field speed and range, reads plays quickly, attacks downhill with authority and hits hard enough to dislodge the ball. He excels in deep zone coverage but is tough enough for run defense and can be a weapon when blitzing off the edge. An unusual gaffe by the Packers brain trust. Alexander is a cocky, feisty, physical competitor in coverage, which is the kind of makeup the Packers needed for the position in Mike Pettine's defense. They ranked last in the NFL at covering No. 1 wide receivers in 2017, according to. But they selected an undersized cornerback with some injury concerns. He’s a bit of a gambler and a bit undersized, so he presents some high risk, high reward. He might give up more big plays than he makes until he polishes his technique. Because of injury concerns and lack of size, most teams were looking a Alexander going in the second round. Green Bay could have had him at 27. And just in case, Green Bay selected another CB in Josh Jackson from Iowa in the second round and didn’t get any weapons for Aaron until the fourth round. There were concerns by some teams about Vander Esch’s neck but the Cowboys cleared him medically and made the pick everyone expected. The Cowboys had a massive void at linebacker, and with Anthony Hitchens having signed with the Chiefs in NFL free agency, Vander Esch will immediately start to flank Sean Lee and Jaylon Smith. They have three hard-nosed pursuit options who can play any of the three positions. For now, Vander Esch is tabbed for the strong side because of his untapped coverage skills. But, Vander Esch was just a one-year starter at Boise State, and it shows when he is late to diagnose pass patterns, has a hard time disengaging from blockers or fails to protect his legs from cut blocks. I have my doubts. Detroit’s gain was Cincinnati’s loss. Most analysts had Detroit going DL or CB here but they continue to invest pick in the running game. That he can also protect Stafford up the middle is no small benefit either. Ragonow didn’t give up a sack in SEC play last year and was rated the best center in college football two years running. New HC Matt Patricia said he was going to build from the inside out. Excellent start. He adjusts to blitzes well, peels off to engage linebackers and finishes his blocks with hostility. Ragnow lets some defenders get low on him, negating his power, and may have trouble against quick, cagey interior defenders. But assuming his bill of health is clean, Ragnow is a likely starter and a potential steal. The Lions making a good move in the draft? Count me surprised The Bengals had to go straight to plan B and took the next best center in Price. Price isn’t the most athletic but he is a powerful run blocker, something the Bengals desperately need. Cincinnati was likely their plan A until he got injured. Price tore his pectoral at the combine, but recent medical reports suggested that he would be ready by August, if not earlier. Billy Price is everything an NFL team wants from a center. He started 55 consecutive games at center or guard for the Buckeyes, so he has both ideal experience and a clean health history. He’s a high-effort, high-intensity player who should excel at making adjustments and calls. He’s a solid run defender and capable pass protector, and he can get the job done on second-level blocks and when moving laterally on stretch runs. Price, as a result, should be Cincinnati's day-one starter at center. The Titans lost Avery Williamson in free agency, so they had to replace him. With Leighton Vander Esch being taken off the board, there was just one first-round inside linebacker remaining, The Titans ranked in the NFL at covering opposing running backs on passing plays, according to Football Outsiders. That’s not a stat you want to finish at the bottom of the league in when you are trying to overtake the Patriots. The Titans need help in the middle of their defense. So they took Evans, trading up three spots to secure him. It’s terrific value for the Titans here in getting a guy who will instantly contribute all over that defense He’ll be able to learn from vets like Brian Orakpo and head coach Mike Vrabel while also being a guy whose athleticism is tailor-made to where the game is going Evans played a lot on the outside at Alabama and has the physicality to play the middle. Remember when there was a debate as to who was better, Chubb or Michels. Maybe the answer was the guy who opened the holes. Wynn has athleticism, but he lacks the length to be a successful tackle so he was moved to guard at the Senior Bowl. He excelled, mauling everyone in his path. Most QBs hate pressure up the middle. Brady really hates it. Wynn will keep the pressure off as Beady finishes off hos career (soon?). he way the Patriots zone and get push to second level Wynn fits in just nicely thank you. Was D.J. Moore was taken too early, or should the Panthers taken Calvin Ridley with the pick? Time will tell but there were teams looking to take Moore in the late to mid teens of round one. Moore definitely fills a huge need. The Panthers had no No. 1 receiver, thanks to the Kelvin Benjamin trade, The Panthers now have lots of different-sized weapons for Cam Newton with Moore adding to Devin Funchess/Torrey Smith on the outside, Curtis Samuel out of the slot, Greg Olsen at tight end and last year’s pick Christian McCaffrey all over the place. This offense is going to be a nightmare to game plan against. All of this year's receiver prospects come with a big knock. Moore's is that he doesn't have a lot of tricky releases off the line of scrimmage and rarely gets himself open. Too many of his catches, whether on deep jump balls or comebacks, are contested. Moore will have to learn the craft of getting open at the NFL level. Good job by the Ravens for trading down twice. They wanted a tight end, but it would've been dumb to take either Hayden Hurst at No. 16. At No. 25, it's much more reasonable. The Ravens are filling a big need here with Hurst, and they got good value via the trades. The one concern with Hurst is his age (25), which could mean that he's already maxed out, but Baltimore should be getting a player who can help Joe Flacco quite a bit. The reason for the age is that Hurst spent two seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system coming out of high school, batting .245 (and slugging .245) as a rookie-league first baseman. He returned to college, walking on at South Carolina. He eventually became a soft-handed move tight end who worked underneath zones well, catching 100 career passes from all over the formation. Hurst was the top tight end on many draft boards, but he comes with a host of yellow flags. He possesses minimal seam-stretching big-play ability and blocks like someone whose first choice was a non-contact sport. When Carolina made Moore their pick they jumped at the chance to get Ridley. The Falcons' offense collapses whenever Julio Jones gets hurt - they lost at home to the Bills without him this past season - so acquiring a legitimate No. 2 wideout was very necessary. Ridley was once projected as a top-10 prospect, but this range makes more sense. Ridley is a nice bargain at No. 26, and his terrific route running will allow him to develop quickly and contribute as soon as possible. Mrs. Bruce likes this pick a lot, He is the most polished guy at the position in the draft and will be a great fit running precise routes out of the slot to draw attention away from fellow former Crimson Tide receiver Julio Jones. . Ridley may not be a great wide receiver. But he’s almost guaranteed to be a good one, and with Jones occupying the defense’s attention and Matt Ryan getting him the ball, he’s going to be a blast to watch. One thing is for sure, Ridley knows how to win at Mercedes Benz stadium already. And my favorite RB goes off the board. But way too early. I was hoping the Lions could pick up Penny in the 2nd round but Seattle really, really wanted Penny. The Seahawks are clearly eager to replace Marshawn Lynch, but this was messed up. The Seahawks don't have a second-round choice and almost certainly wouldn't have gotten Penny in the third. So, I understand this pick ... sort of. The Seahawks could've traded down once more to get Penny. Seattle's backfield has been ugly post-Beast Mode, and Penny has workhorse potential. He led the nation with 2,248 rushing yards (the only RB to surpass 2,000 yards this year) and scored 23 touchdowns on 289 carries, he also ranked fourth in the country with 31.2 yards per kick return (two touchdowns), running at top speed with purpose after securing the ball. Don’t be surprised if this pick becomes a lot shinier than it looks now. What a moment this pick was to have Ryan Shazier to trot out onstage and then make Edmunds the first pair of brothers selected in the first round. Theatrics aside, this was a mega reach. Teams expected Edmunds to be available in the second, maybe even third round. He's not his brother; he's not nearly the athlete, nor the player. And he is a year older. Yet, the Steelers are taking him because they have an immense need at linebacker (he’ll drop down there from safety). In terms of character, personality and toughnes, yeah, he’s a Steeler but in a couple of years the Steelers will wish they had taken Lamar Jackson as Big Ben’s heir replacement. Taven Bryan doesn't exactly fill a need, but the late first round is not necessarily a time for needs. Selecting the best player available who makes sense is usually a winning strategy, and the Jaguars appear to have made a very strong move. That terrifying defensive line gets even better with yet another athletic tackle that can get some great push up the field. It never hurts to have another interior pass-rusher to rattle Deshaun Watson. Bryan was being discussed as a possible top-20 prospect. Getting him at No. 29 is great value. OL may have been a bigger need but CB nearly as big. Hughes is extremely talented, and he'll provide a big upgrade over Terence Newman in the slot. The Vikings' secondary was torched in the NFC Championship, and Hughes will help make sure that won't happen again. As an added bonus, Hughes will strengthen Minnesota's return game. The Vikings needed help in this regard, and Hughes will be a dynamic threat as a return specialist. He’s a potential starter as an underneath defender and could be a weapon on punt returns. Not a bad pick for the Vikings, but they may end up regretting it the first time Kirk Cousins gets hurried into an interception. – Many expected the Patriots to find their quarterback of the future in this class, but they also passed on Lamar Jackson settling on Danny Etling as the possible backup. Instead, they gave Brady a weapon out of the backfield. The less he has to carry the load at his age, the better. Michel helps with that. The team has a bit of a logjam at tailback after this pick with Jeremy Hill, Rex Burkhead and James White. But Michel could be the best of the bunch quite early given what he showcased in Athens. He’ll do well in that scheme where he can hit the hole on the stretch play and is just the kind of receiver out of the backfield where you can keep him out there all three downs. The Patriots might have gotten him later but didn’t seem to want to chance it. But don’t have him starting in a Super Bowl just yet. Bill Belichick hates when running backs fumble. Mike Gillislee fumbled last year and wasn't heard from again for months. Sony Michel's one weakness on the field is his fumbling. Maybe Belichick thinks he can fix that problem, but if he doesn't, Michel could be in the dog house. There he goes. One of my favorites picks may be the last. After New England and Pittsburgh passed on their next QB, Baltimore saw the light and got Flacco’s replacement. Baltimore played this so well. It could’ve and should’ve taken him far earlier in the first round, but Jackson slid, he was still there, then baltimore traded up to make him a Raven. It doesn’t matter that it’s the last pick of the first round – the Ravens got the guy who’ll inject a ton of excitement into the franchise’s future. Contrary to much draft prattle, his college production speaks for itself. Jackson operated effectively from the pocket and consistently identified second and sometimes third reads. The Louisville offense he ran was no more gimmicky than any other modern college offense. Jackson was responsible for mastering complex terminology and making pre- and post-snap decisions. He's roughly as “NFL ready,” from a mental standpoint, as the typical first-round quarterback prospect. It's a great situation, Joe Flacco can still be the guy, Jackson can take a little while to develop, and then it’s Game On. There's also a chance Jackson could play sooner than that, given Flacco's injury history |
The 2018 GO JUMBO trip is Nov 3 2018 at the Westgate. With the college and NFL schedules - more on that weekend's line ups to come
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