By: Carter and Hershy Kulkarni
Biggest surprise of the draft?
Hershy: I’m surprised D’Andre Swift was not a first rounder. He was my RB2 coming into the draft and has the playmaking ability to be an instant contributor on offense. He’s an excellent runner and pass-catcher with elite agility and pass-blocking. Swift is my early pick for Offensive Rookie of the Year and should be easily taken within the first couple picks of the second round. I expected him to go #30 to the Dolphins or #32 to the Chiefs. While both teams got great players, I expect the Dolphins to make a move to get him at #39 or earlier.
Chailuv: I thought the Giants decision to grab Andrew Thomas at 4 was very surprising. It was clear going into the draft that there was going to be heavy competition for the top tier of offensive linemen (helped along by some 11th hour tomfoolery from the Dolphins), but I was fully expecting Dave Gettleman to start rebuilding the defense, specifically the edge rushers and DBs. Thomas is a day-one starter, but the pick strikes me as somewhat of a failure of imagination with practically the whole board still available.
What team “won” the first round?
Hershy: The Cardinals got excellent value by drafting Isaiah Simmons at #8. I don’t think anyone expected Simmons to fall this far and the team should be exciting to watch in the fall. After starting this offseason with good signings in Devon Kennard and Jordan Phillips to shore up their front seven, the Cardinals executed what can only be described as a coup to grab DeAndre Hopkins from the Texans. In our pre-draft evaluations, we laid out why we like him so much, but suffice it to say Simmons provides swiss-army-knife versatility to a creative, attacking Cardinals defense that can unleash that potential. Alongside Budda Baker and Patrick Peterson, Simmons will lead a retooled unit that will be sneaky good this year. With this pick, the Cardinals have added two blue chip players in Hopkins and Simmons this offseason.
Chailuv: The Dolphins made it clear to the world at the outset of the 2019–20 NFL season that they were all-in… on tanking that is. They traded away key contributors like Laremy Tunsil, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and their starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill (who went on to have himself a pretty decent season). The unofficial mantra for the team was “Tank for Tua”, and while the journey to reach that point was rockier than one might expect when all that needed to be done was lose football games, they did end up taking the Hawaiian Heisman runner-up with their first pick. With their next two picks, they grabbed a talented OT in Austin Jackson and a shutdown man corner in Noah Igbinoghene. Acquiring that much potential starting talent is the point of trading for multiple first round picks and the Dolphins will start next season with considerably brighter prospects than they have the past couple years.
What was the worst pick(s) made?
Hershy: It brings me much joy to report that Jordan Love was, hands down, the worst pick of the first round. The Packers traded UP to grossly overdraft a QB in the first round that many considered a multiple-year project. To make matters worse, GM Brian Gutekunst did not give any heads up to future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, a player who went on the record prior to the draft to say he would have preferred the Packers drafting a skill position player in the first round. Be careful what you wish for, 12. In fact, Jordan Love, his presumptive replacement, was the first skill position player drafted by the Packers since, well, Aaron Rodgers. Yikes. Internal friction aside, there’s a very real chance Jordan Love may never play a single snap for Packers until his contract is up.
Chailuv: We spent a good amount of time evaluating the receiver prospects here at Unculture, and Jalen Reagor was someone we saw as a potential bust. For all of Howie Roseman’s success at building up the offensive and defensive lines, his record in picking wideouts has been… let’s say spotty? Reagor has a lot of raw potential but his drop numbers and route running make him a questionable choice with Justin Jefferson and Brandon Aiyuk still on the board. It was a position of need and with DeSean Jackson entering the twilight of his career, adding speed on the depth chart isn’t a bad idea, but we’ve read this story (blazing fast receiver with poor fundamentals) before and it doesn’t end well.
Best “value” pick?
Hershy: Patrick Queen. Here’s a more in-depth analysis of him, but Queen falling to #28 is a travesty. An extremely rangy defender with blazing sideline-to-sideline speed and unteachable instincts, Unculture has him rated as the #3 LB in the draft and could very likely become a perennial All-Pro talent in the league. The biggest knock on Queen was his lack of quality tape, being just a one year starter. However, to fall all the way to #28, the Ravens may have the steal of the draft when it’s all said and done.
Chailuv: I loved the Jaguars taking LSU product K’Lavon Chaisson at #20. He’s got great quickness and acceleration coming off the edge and great hands to boot. He hasn’t put up the big numbers, but watching him play on Saturdays was enough to convince me that the guy is going to have a smooth transition to pro defenses. I was screaming at the TV as he fell down the board.
Best player left on the board?
Hershy: Tee Higgins. He’s a guy the Colts at #34 need to consider. Outside of TY Hilton, the Colts don’t have much of anything in the receiver room. As one of the best catchers in the draft with elite ball-skills, Higgins would be an immediate upgrade for the Colts, slotting in as a starting Z receiver for the team. It’s surprising to see him to be still on the board while Reagor drafted and provides some of the best talent left on the board for Day 2.
Chailuv: Top safety prospect Xavier McKinney out of Alabama. Of course cornerbacks make a greater difference in the pass-crazy world of pro football, but there’s a lot to be said for drafting a surefire leader for your secondary. McKinney is the complete package, with versatility at the corner, free safety, and strong safety positions. He doesn’t wow you with one skill the way some of the guys left on the board do, but he offers great value as a second-round pick with first-round caliber pedigree.
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