With Casey Hayward Jr. The Rams had plenty of need to beef up their interior offensive line after the departure of C Austin Blythe, but instead, they went elsewhere — elsewhere being wide receiver — probably one of the last needs any analysts would have pegged them for heading into this draft.
Is depth always necessary? Of course. I just think they could have found better value for their picks, especially considering their lack of a first rounder. The Dolphins killed the first two rounds of the draft and added necessary depth at every position they needed to except running back.
Miami defensive end Jaelen Phillips will solidify the edge rush, and Oregon safety Jevon Holland can make a secondary that ranked first in the NFL with 18 picks last year even better. Few teams capitalized on quality draft capital like Miami.
The Vikings handled the first round masterfully, trading back from the No. The extra picks acquired in the transaction allowed the team to take some chances later in the draft, including spending a second-rounder on quarterback and potential Kirk Cousins successor Kellen Mond. Minnesota also padded their depth at running back and receiver with Kene Nwangwu and Ihmir Smith-Marsette, respectively.
Like every team, Minnesota will miss on some of their picks, but they maximized the number of selections in the heart of the draft.
They reversed course early on Day 2, trading up to nab fellow Crimson Tide Christian Barmore to reinforce the defensive line. The rest of the draft class looked like a more typical Patriots group, with a pair of Oklahoma Sooners — Ronnie Perkins and Rhamondre Stevenson — adding depth to the defensive line and offensive backfield and pieces added to address the back end of the defense.
The group might not have many or any starters out of the gate, but several should emerge within the next few years. The Saints made one of the few shocking picks in the first round with defensive end Patrick Turner. Earlier on Thursday, it was reported that Turner could drop in Round 1 due to his character, medicals, and length. New Orleans felt that the defensive end could provide them with chaos on wheels in Year 1. After that, the Saints used their two next picks on defense in linebacker Pete Warner and cornerback Paulson Adebo.
Adebo could compete right away for the CB2 job opposite of Marshon Lattimore. Dave Gettleman bucked his usual trend of never trading back and ended up putting together a strong draft with plenty of value picks. They were sniped at wide receiver early, but Gettleman played it perfectly and got a future first rounder and a fourth rounder as the Bears were desperate to grab Justin Fields while still getting a strong receiver at No.
That move gives them an overall good grade no matter what happened next. The only problem with this draft was the lack of offensive line help. They ended up leaning too much into pass protection instead of quarterback protection after a great start.
The Jets had the second-most draft capital in the draft, so it would have been difficult for them to come out of the draft without a strong crop of rookies no matter your preferences. But there is no doubt they accomplished what they set out to do, as they went hard at offensive players early.
They have now taken a stud offensive lineman in the first round of the last two drafts and that will eventually pay dividends. The Philadelphia Eagles surprisingly made the smart pick in the first round and did not reach with the selection of DeVonta Smith. The reigning Heisman Trophy addressed an immediate need for Philadelphia and gives an explosive playmaker for Jalen Hurts.
After that, the Eagles made the trenches a priority on Day 2, which many fans were not happy with because they have holes at linebacker and cornerback.
Helping their cause on the run blocking scheme will be Freiermuth — arguably the second-best and well-rounded tight end in this class — and guard Kendrick Green taken in the third. The 49ers had some needs to address, but this grade comes down to what you think of the Trey Lance pick and the trade that made it happen. The 49ers gave up two future first-round picks to move up nine spots.
Lance has incredible upside, but the least experienced of the three quarterbacks available at No. San Francisco added some beef for the offensive line with guard Aaron Banks in the second round and then added a great zone running back in Trey Sermon. They waited until late in the third round to add cornerback depth, but Ambry Thomas offers them potential as a nickel of the future.
With not much draft capital heading into this weekend, the Seahawks had to make all three of their selections count. Eskridge could be a factor as a rookie next season with Tyler Lockett now ever the age of He also may be able to provide the Seahawks with some exciting plays on special teams. In the sixth round, the Seahawks finally addressed the offensive line with the pick of tackle Stone Forsythe. But to see them not address offensive line on Day 2 is not a great look. The reigning Super Bowl champions brought back everybody who was scheduled to be a free agent this offseason.
That being said, the draft allowed them to take best player available in some spots and add continue to bolster certain positions. At the end of the first round, they took Joe Tryon out of the University of Washington, giving another pass rusher.
In the second round, they drafted former Florida Gators quarterback Kyle Trask, who could turn out to be the heir apparent to Tom Brady. After that, the Bucs drafted offensive tackle Robert Hainsey in the third round and wide receiver Jaelon Darden in the fourth round. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Bills' first two picks were pass rushers, Greg Rousseau and Carlos "Boogie" Basham, who provide a double dose of heat and youth to a front that needed both given how much Sean McDermott's defense has become uncharacteristically reliant on blitzes in recent years.
Worth wondering if Buffalo should've targeted another running back in the middle rounds rather than offensive line depth. They made a more-than-reasonable investment to get Wentz, spending this year's third-rounder and a second-rounder that becomes a first But the Colts opted for Kwity Paye in Round 1 — and the former Michigan star might be this draft's premier edge prospect — but then took DE Dayo Odeyingbo in the second round even though an Achilles injury might keep him off the field in Very curious that GM Chris Ballard didn't more aggressively pursue a left tackle replacement for retired Anthony Castonzo given Wentz was sacked a league-high 50 times in just 12 games last season.
But all were productive in college — as was well-known Notre Dame QB Ian Book Round 4 — and this organization has generally drafted well in recent years. They picked up a third-rounder on Day 1 with an amusing intra-divisional trade with the Eagles when the cornerback market didn't fall their way.
Grade: B-. They took some big swings, and first-round WR Rashod Bateman and DE Odafe Oweh both have the potential to be home runs or strikeouts — Oweh a physically gifted player who nevertheless had zero sacks for Penn State in , but a man who essentially winds up being the compensation in the trade of Orlando Brown. The news that Rodgers apparently wants out of Wisconsin becoming public Thursday afternoon cast a dark shadow over this draft class.
But they lost their second-rounder in last year's Yannick Ngakoue deal and, despite coach Mike Zimmer deeming last year's defense the "worst" he'd ever fielded in his lengthy NFL career, GM Rick Spielman didn't address it until his third selection — and well after he took QB Kellen Mond at the top of Round 3. And though pass rush seems to be one of this club's weak spots, none of Spielman's first four picks were earmarked for it.
Grade: C. Getting Najee Harris , who seems like this draft's top running back, should be a hand-in-glove fit for a team that finished last in rushing in and hasn't been effective in that department since its last Super Bowl appearance in Harris should protect QB Ben Roethlisberger, 39, with pass protection and as an outlet receiver The big question is whether GM Kevin Colbert sufficiently addressed his offensive line by waiting until the middle rounds.
Given they only had three picks It should be noted that G Gabe Jackson was plucked from the Raiders and later extended for a fifth-rounder in March. But it remains to be seen if S Jamal Adams was worth a pair of Round 1 choices — though the Seahawks tend to muck those up anyway — especially given how he was picked on by the Rams in the playoffs. Grade: C-. They got some nice players, though first-round LB Jamin Davis must prove he's not a one-year wonder, and third-year WR Dyami Brown must prove he's not a one-trick pony — even if his "trick" is script-flipping speed.
GM Mike Mayock used to be on this side of the velvet rope, which makes it hard not to root for him. But he's started to build a track record for first-round reaches, and his third draft with the Silver and Black was no different, OL Alex Leatherwood raising eyebrows as Mayock took him at No. Mayock said Saturday on NFL Network that he was unable to find a deal that would allow him to trade back and still feel comfortable he'd get Leatherwood. A move up for S Trevon Moehrig in Round 2 might offset Thursday's tactics as Mayock — smartly — went to work upgrading his defense.
But you'd think he'd need this draft to provide more ROI than his others generally have to date. Grade: D. But soup to nuts — starting with O'Brien — this looks pretty disastrous from 30, feet. Grade: D-. Facebook Twitter Email. Show Caption. Taylor fits the press coverage identity that they seem to prefer, given the selection of Horn. The Panthers will get criticized for this draft if their belief in Sam Darnold does not pay off and Justin Fields turns into a star for the Bears.
The Steelers are bringing their aging core back for one last Super Bowl run with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. In that quest, they needed to draft immediate impact players that would help them in and address immediate areas of need. The falling Freiermuth was scooped up by the team in the second round. A solid run blocker, the local Penn State product should also contribute heavily as a receiver. He should start at some point in alongside Moore, who is a sound tackle prospect that fills a need in Pittsburgh.
The other Aggie, Johnson, should at least offer valuable depth at inside linebacker. Miami pass rusher Roche is technically sound with the ability to apply pressure on quarterbacks off the bench.
The Bears' draft was defined by their first two picks, which were part of trading up. Stopping the Fields slide by making a deal with the Giants could give Chicago a true franchise quarterback for the first time in decades. Filling another area of need with Jenkins, Chicago traded up for a safe right-tackle prospect. Jenkins is not only one of the meanest players in the draft, finishing blocks consistently, but also has strong technique in pass protection.
He should be a solid starter at a premium position. On Day 3, general manager Ryan Pace mainly got depth. Herbert stands out, however.
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