Assessing the NFL Draft (Day 1)

On April 28th, 2016, 31 young mens’ dreams came true - they were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. For those who are unfamiliar with the NFL draft, here’s a rundown: On draft night, NFL teams have 10 minutes to select a football player who is graduating/retiring from college football in order to pursue an NFL career. Each team has one pick (Except the New England Patriots), and the worse a team did last season, the higher the pick will be. Teams can also trade draft picks before or during the draft itself, for additional picks and players. With all of that out of the way, let’s assess the picks.

1. Los Angeles Rams — Jared Goff, QB, University of California Berkeley. Draft grade: B This is a smart choice for the Rams, to take the quarterback who is almost universally agreed to be the the most NFL ready QB to be the new face of the franchise. The team needed a talented, “pro ready” kind of quarterback in order to compete in the extremely tough NFC West, so getting the closest thing to a blue chip QB prospect was smart. This grade is a B, because the Rams did give up a lot of picks to the Titans for him, as well as the fact that NFL experts agree that Goff probably is not the most purely talented QB in the draft. It will be interesting to see how well he adjusts to the NFL, and how much the Rams improve.

2. Philadelphia Eagles — Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State University. Draft grade: C+ Oh boy, what a bold, polarizing pick by Eagles. They gave a king’s ransom to the Cleveland Browns, in order to pick up the Quarterback who many believe is more talented then the aforementioned Jared Goff. On one hand, the Eagles got a Quarterback who’s arm strength and speed rivals Cam Newton, and has won multiple FCS-level championships at NDSU. On the other hand, Wentz played against far less talented opponents at NDSU, and will likely need a year on the sidelines in order to adjust to such a high caliber of football being played. Add onto the QB controversy that is brewing with the Eagles, and you can see how high risk-high reward this pick is. Personally, I do not think he will make enough of a positive impact in his rookie year to warrant the pick; but I do believe he has the talent to be a top 10 NFL QB. We simply do not know enough yet, which is why I grade the Wentz move a C+.

3. San Diego Chargers — Joey Bosa, DE, The Ohio State University. Draft grade: A- Joey Bosa is an extremely talented defensive lineman, who could theoretically also play outside linebacker for the Chargers. San Diego was smart to take such a special player, who’s rare combination of size, strength, and speed has drawn comparisons to pro-bowler JJ Watt, especially when you consider how bad the Chargers defense was last year. My two reservations are that Chargers probably need a left tackle to protect an aging Phil Rivers even more so then a front 7 defensive player; and that I’m skeptical of how well a 6'6, 270 lb lineman can play as a linebacker. Still though, his talent alone warrants an A- grade.

4. Dallas Cowboys — Ezekiel Elliott, RB, The Ohio State University. Draft grade: A+ This a perfect choice by Dallas. They desperately needed an RB to replace Demarco Murray, and Cowboys Darren McFadden and Joseph Randle were not the answers last year; as the offense regressed mightily, which ultimately led to their 4–12 record. The Cowboys got the obviously best RB available, who will make the offense much better, and who will also take pressure off of the 36 year old Tony Romo to make huge plays. Perfect pick.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars — Jalen Ramsey, CB/S, Florida State University. Draft grade: A A beautiful pick for the Jags. With the offense looking to be on the rise with the Bortles, Hurns, Robinson, Yeldon nucleus, adding a super talented defensive player was the way to. Ramsey is easily the best defensive back in the draft, and he’ll start a young defensive nucleus with DE Dante Fowler. My only reservation is that he has a bit of a positional identity crisis; whether he’s a pure cornerback or more geared to being a safety. I’ll have my eye on his position decision during training camp. Either way, excellent pick from Jacksonville.

6. Baltimore Ravens — Ronnie Stanley, OT, University of Notre Dame. Draft grade: B- The B- grade is not so much because Stanley isn’t talented, because Stanley will almost certainly be a safe, reliable, good offensive lineman for years to come. My problem is that the Ravens had the opportunity to steal Laremy Tunsil with pick #6, but they didn’t pull the trigger because of his “character issues”. Tunsil was the easy pick for top OT in the draft, but his alleged drug use and NCAA money violations held him back. The Ravens played it as safe as possible, and I imagine that Stanley will never be able to live up to such a high draft pick.

7. San Francisco 49ers — DeForest Buckner, DE, University of Oregon. Draft grade: A- You could almost copy and paste what I wrote above about Joey Bosa here. Buckner is long, strong, athletic D-lineman who will wreck havoc for NFC West QBs like Russell Wilson, Carson Palmer, and now Jared Goff. That being said, San Francisco has bigger problems then the D-line, as their O-line or Colin Kaepernick’s successor would probably have been smarter options. Still, I can’t fault San Fran too much for going with the best player available to them by pick #7. Good call.

8. Tennessee Titans — Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State University. Draft grade: C- Here we go again, another team who foolishly missed out on Tunsil, largely because of a video they saw of him smoking marijuana. The Titans look even more foolish then the Ravens here, because they traded up from pick 15 to 8, only to skip over arguably the best non QB in the entire draft. Had the Titans picked Tunsil, they would have gotten away with draft robbery — get the king’s ransom from the Rams and the best OT in the draft. Talk about a missed opportunity. As for Conklin himself? He’s fine, pretty much a Ronnie Stanley clone (though his possible transition from left to right tackle could hurt his potential). What a terrible move by Tennessee.

9. Chicago Bears — Leonard Floyd, OLB, University of Georgia. Draft grade: B+ The Bears drafting Leonard Floyd was a very good, though uninspired pick. The Bears’ defense was anemic last year, so getting the best pure linebacker in the draft for the middle of the defense makes perfect sense. Floyd has the talent and maturity to be a great NFL player, but the Bears probably could have traded a few spots down, and still get Floyd or another player of similar talent in exchange for a decent amount of picks later in the draft. Still though, good call by the Da Bears, he will improve the team on day one.

10. New York Giants — Eli Apple, CB, The Ohio State University. Draft grade: D First of all, Eli Apple is such a great name for Giants player. Seriously though, I think this was a huge mistake from the Giants. For one thing, Apple’s lack of good zone coverage and poor ball skills could hinder him from being a great NFL CB… Or even a good one. Furthermore, the Giants let Florida CB Vernon Hargreaves (Considered to be a much better player) slip through the cracks, opting for a CB that has a good chance of struggling in his rookie year. Not to mention that the Giants could have used an LT (*cough Laremy Tunsil cough*) much more then a CB, and you can see the flaws in this move. What a Giant mistake.

11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Vernon Hargreaves, CB, University of Florida. Draft grade: A+What a fantastic pick for Tampa Bay. They traded down with Chicago for an extra fourth round pick and still got the man they wanted all along. Hargreaves is considered to be the best pure CB in the draft (remember, Jalen Ramsey could end up being a safety), so getting him outside the top 10 of the draft is an absolute steal. Defensive backs were Tampa’s #1 priority, and they got the best true CB possible for so little. Absolutely perfect.

12. New Orleans Saints — Sheldon Rankins, DT, University of Louisville. Draft grade: A Great pick up by the Saints. The team had by far the worst defense int the league, so getting a big mauler like Rankins was an easy choice. Perhaps the best quality of Rankins is that despite his size, he’s athletic enough to play anywhere on the D-line, making him more versatile then teams may expect. Not a whole lot to say, just a great pick for a terrible defense.

13. Miami Dolphins — Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss. Draft grade: A+ Somebody give the Miami Dolphins’ front office a standing ovation! They got the best non-QB in the draft, and all they had to do was see past a two year old video of him smoking marijuana. A great left tackle could be all middling Miami QB Ryan Tannehill needs to elevate from being a mediocre to a very good quarterback, especially against the Bills’ and the Jet’s marvelous D-lines. I would have given the Dolphins an “A+++”, but the talks of moving Tunsil to left guard/right tackle are moderately concerning. Still though, the best pick of the night.

14. Oakland Raiders — Karl Joseph, S, West Virginia University. Draft grade: B This is one of the more interesting moves in the first round of the draft. The Raiders wanted to keep their surprisingly good secondary defense progressing, so instead of filling a more obvious hole for the team like another target for QB Derek Carr, they opt for a safety not unlike former Raider Charles Woodson. While I can’t blame the Raiders for nabbing a talented DB like Joseph, I can’t help but think that the pick would be better used elsewhere.

15. Cleveland Browns — Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor University. Draft grade: A- Holy smokes, the Cleveland Browns actually made a good first round draft pick!!! Seriously though, Corey Coleman, the best WR in college football last year, was good pick for an offense as pitiful as Cleveland’s was last year. Coleman will make a positive impact on the team, but only after the Browns figure their messy QB situation. Coleman’s only major downside is that he’s a small receiver (5'11, 9 inch hands), a minor problem with team filled with fellow smaller targets, like Andrew Hawkins. Even so, kudos for the Browns for selecting the best offensive play maker available by pick 15.

16. Detroit Lions — Taylor Decker, OT, The Ohio State University. Draft grade: B- The Lions went with one of the safest picks in the first round, by taking a versatile OT in Taylor Decker. Decker is a solid lineman with a winning pedigree, so there is no doubt that he will be a positive impact on helping the Matt Stafford led offense. That being said, the departure of Calvin Johnson makes the choice to take an OT over a Calvin Johnson like WR (*cough Josh Doctson cough*) feels a bit like a missed opportunity. At the very at least, the Lions could have easily traded down a few spots for more picks later on and still have gotten Decker.

17. Atlanta Falcons — Keanu Neal, S, University of Florida. Draft grade: A- There is nothing to dislike about this pick. The Falcons desperately need defensive play makers to stay relevant in an NFC South with Cam Newton, Drew Brees, and Jameis Winston, so taking a hard hitting, physical safety like Neal makes perfect sense. He can keep big plays from happening as often as they did in Atlanta last year. His relatively unpolished skills holds him back from being a flat out A grade for me. Regardless, a very strong pick for the Falcons.

18. Indianapolis Colts — Ryan Kelly, C, University of Alabama. Draft grade: B+ Much like the Lions just two picks above them, the Colts opted to stay safe an take a blue chip interior offensive lineman in Ryan Kelly. This pick makes more sense the Lions’, because the interior O-line was big a big problem for the Colts. Keeping Andrew Luck on the field has to be the Colts’ #1 priority, so Kelly is an obvious choice. The pick should probably be an A-, but I can’t help but to think that taking a center with the 18th pick feels a wee bit to high. The Colts got their main priority in order though, so I guess I can’t complain too much about the pick.

19. Buffalo Bills — Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson University. Draft grade: B Are you beginning to notice a pattern with D-Lineman in this draft? They fall to the point when they're the best player available at a certain point in the draft, yet are picked by teams who have much more pressing issues then the D-Line. Lawson, much like Bosa and Buckner, were all passed over until they were picked almost ironically by teams who have bigger problems then their defensive ends. Lawson is a talented player with great quickness and size, a commodity for any NFL team. The Bills already have a great D-Line though, making this draft pick feel like yet another missed opportunity to get offensive play makers.

20. New York Jets — Darron Lee, OLB, The Ohio State University. Draft grade C+ Boy, you’d think the Jets would want to fix their QB situation here wouldn’t ya? Instead of going with the raw but talented Paxton Lynch, the Jets chose to optimize their linebacker core with Darron Lee. While I have nothing against the very athletic (though undersized) linebacker, the Jets could have ended the Ryan Fitzpatrick drama with drafting QB Paxton Lynch, rather then add Lee to what is already a very talented New York defense. Oh, and the round two Hackenberg pick was even more baffling.

21. Houston Texans — Will Fuller, WR, University of Notre Dame. Draft grade: B I have to credit to Houston, they needed a WR to keep pressure off of DeAndre Hopkins, and getting a flashy deep threat like Fuller is sound reasoning. With that in mind, the pick feels like the right idea, but not so much in execution.Will Fuller is explosive, but very undersized; so there are some reliability concerns with him. I feel the Texans would have been smarter going with a safer, bigger bodied WR, it would be a better complement to a deep threat like Hopkins to fill out the receiving core. Even so, Houston got some badly needed talent for a one-man-show group of receivers.

22. Washington Redskins — Josh Doctson, WR, Texas Christian University. Draft grade: A What a great pick up for the ‘Skins. Josh Doctson has the ideal size, speed, and ball skills to be an elite WR in the NFL, and will help progress middling back up-turned decent QB Kirk Cousins. While its great that Washington went the best offensive play-maker available at the time, it does feel a bit odd that they didn’t address a larger weakness, like an RB to replace Alfred Morris. Otherwise, this pick would rival Miami’s for draft steal of the night.

23. Minnesota Vikings — Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss. Draft grade: A- Another great WR pick up in draft, with the Vikes taking Treadwell. Treadwell is a bit like an anti-Will Fuller: He’s bigger and bulkier then Fuller, and although Treadwell is less flashy and much slower, he’s a much safer and reliable target. Seeing how the Vikings need more consistently good receivers for 3rd year QB Teddy Bridgewater, the pick makes a ton of sense. Although Treadwell’s upside is not terribly high, his consistency makes a great pick for Minnesota.

24. Cincinnati Bengals — William Jackson, CB, University of Houston. Draft grade: B+ Cincinnati went the with most talent available model, and drafted William Jackson, a CB with ridiculous speed and decent size. Cincy got themselves a talented corner, a premium by this point in the draft, but I feel like replacing Marvin Jones would have been plan ‘A’ going into the draft. Its just bad luck that the Bengals goes right after 3 of the best WRs in the draft, so going with a talented CB is tough not to like.

25. Pittsburgh Steelers — Artie Burns, CB, University of Miami (FL). Draft grade: B- Much like the Bengals, the Steelers had bad luck in their draft order; as the Bengals took a great CB just ahead of them, a desperate need for the shaky Steelers D just one pick before them. With little choice, the Steelers took Artie Burns, a talented but very raw player who will probably need a year on the bench to fully develop into an NFL lever player. With Steelers defense in limbo after so many great players retiring in the past few seasons, its a minor letdown that a talented CB will almost certainly not be a year one impact player.

26. Denver Broncos — Paxton Lynch, QB, University of Memphis. Draft grade: A Somebody buy John Elway a steak dinner, because he certainly earned one with this draft pick. After Papa John (err I mean Peyton Manning) retired and losing Brock Osweiler, the Broncos entered QB limbo, resorting to picking up Mark Sanchez to be their new starter. Sanchez is a short term answer at best though, so Denver traded up to get the 3rd best QB in the draft with Paxton Lynch. Lynch is very large and very talented, but still very raw, so pairing him with a grizzled vet like Sanchez makes perfect sense. This plan can ensure that Denver stays relevant in the underrated AFC West for years to come. A fantastic pick from the reigning Super Bowl champs.

27. Green Bay Packers — Kenny Clark, DT, University of California, Los Angeles. Draft grade: B- A typical safe, defensive player going to Green Bay in the first round. While Clark fills a hole left by the recently retired BJ Raji, it seems that his size makes him not the best fit for the nose tackle role the packers will put him into, as his true talents lie more as a 4–3 DT. Not a bad pick from the Packers, but the upside seems minimal.

28. San Francisco 49ers — Joshua Garnett, OG, Stanford University. Draft grade: C+ The 49ers traded with the Chiefs to get back into the first round, to get award winning LG Joshua Garnett. This pick feels like the anti-Buckner move, because they reached for a player who they really needed. While Garnett, the best interior lineman in college football last year, will help the aging O-line for the Niners, they gave up three draft picks to Kansas City in the process. The price seems too steep, especially for a team which desperately needs a whole lot of new talent to rebuild the team.

29. Arizona Cardinal — Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Ole Miss. Draft grade: A Arizona is keeping their front 7 on defense locked and loaded, by taking DT Nkemdiche. He has the size and power of an nose tackle, but the speed and agility of an edge rusher. His draft stock fell mightily, after a somewhat unproductive senior year, as well as accounts of him smoking marijuana let a potentially top 10 talent fall all the way to pick 29. The Cardinals were very smart by not passing up such a special player, even if there is somewhat of a gamble of how productive he will be. Fantastic choice.

30. Carolina Panthers — Vernon Butler, DT, Louisiana Tech University. Draft grade: C- With an offensive line as mediocre as the Panthers’ last year, it would be a no-brainer to snag an OT. Instead, the Panthers reached for all Conference-USA DT Vernon Butler. Butler is a talented, though inexperienced DT; and is really more of a round 2 pick, given his lack of NFL readiness. As mentioned before, Butler isn’t all that needed on Panthers, given how good their D-Line already is. Carolina’s draft pick baffles me more and more as I think about it.

31. Seattle Seahawks — Germain Ifedi, OT, Texas A&M University. Draft grade: A- Seattle ended the draft’s first round with a smart pick in Germain Ifedi. His size and athleticism makes him a first round talent, even if his mechanics are underdeveloped. Fortunately for Seattle, the Seahawks have one of the best OL coaches in former Raiders HC Tom Cable, so its easy to imagine Ifedi’s development into a dynamic pass blocker for Russell Wilson for years to come. What a fantastic way to end the first round.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading my NFL draft analysis! Stay tuned for more sports content here on The Phanzone.