First-round impressions, and look ahead to Day 2
- Updated: May 9, 2014
Rams Hit Jackpot: I’m not sure how the St. Louis Rams could’ve had a better first round of the NFL Draft. The Rams won the day by getting the best offensive lineman (Greg Robinson) and interior defensive lineman (Aaron Donald) Thursday night.
Whether they start Greg Robinson at tackle or guard, the Rams brought in a guy who is going to put a beating on defenders from Seattle, Arizona and San Francisco for years to come. The scary thing about Robinson, is that he is not even close to realizing his potential.
The addition of Donald makes a very good defensive front, possibly the best in the NFL. Donald’s quickness and ability to push the pocket should make defensive ends Robert Quinn, who is arguably already the best in the business, and Chris Long even more productive.
Putting it simply … this was a coup for the Rams.
Other Day 1 Winners: It’s difficult to give winners when the complete picture of the draft won’t be clear until Saturday evening, but I really like what the Cowboys, Raiders, Ravens, Saints and Niners accomplished Thursday night.
Dallas Cowboys: It’s 50-50 when analyzing the Cowboys, as I like what they didn’t do – draft Johnny Manziel – as much as I liked what they did – by drafting offensive tackle/guard, Zack Martin. Martin will start immediately and upgrade an improved line. Now, if the Cowboys can use the remainder of their selections to improve a horrendous defense, they will have earned a high grade.
Oakland Raiders: The Raiders stood by their board and ended up getting, arguably, the best all-around defender in the draft. Khalil Mack fits the aura of the Raiders, and should bring back some of the nastiness that once made Oakland one of the most-feared teams in the NFL.
Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens filled a huge area of need at inside linebacker by selecting Alabama’s C.J. Mosley at No. 17. I had Mosley as the fifth-ranked player in this draft. He is instinctive, and is a three- or four-down linebacker. Injury is the only thing that could derail Mosley from enjoying a highly-successful career.
New Orleans Saints: Every team in the NFC South cringed Thursday night, when the Saints traded up to No. 20 to add dynamic receiver, Brandin Cooks to their already potent offense. Cooks immediately becomes the top rookie receiver as far as production. Paired with Drew Brees, I would estimate Cooks could catch as many as 70-75 balls as a rookie.
San Francisco 49ers: The Niners needed help at cornerback and wide receiver entering the draft. With the 30th pick, San Francisco shocked many by taking safety/cornerback Jimmie Ward. As one of Ward’s biggest fans – I had him ranked as the top safety and 16th overall – I love the selection. Whether they play him as a slot corner, or pair him with Eric Reid to create an impressive safety tandem, the Niners will be much improved in coverage. San Francisco is also adding receiver Stevie Johnson in a trade from the Bills.
Teams with risky selections: A few teams have a boom-or-bust factor with iffy first-round selections. The Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots come to mind.
The Browns and Vikings are in the same boat. Both selected defensive players with their first selections, then traded up later in the round to grab a quarterback. Their grade mostly revolves around whether Manziel (Browns) and/or Teddy Bridgewater (Vikings) ever become franchise quarterbacks. If they do, their grade will be very high.
The other reason for worry is: both the Browns’ Justin Gilbert (No. 9 overall) and the Vikings’ Anthony Barr (No. 8) have question marks and flaws in their games. Gilbert has the best ball skills out of the cornerbacks, but needs to become better in off-coverage and really improve his tackling. Barr is a pass-rush specialist right now, and may need a year or two developing his all-around game.
The Patriots – amazingly enough – stayed at No. 29 and selected Florida defensive tackle Dominique Easley. The question with Easley has nothing to do with talent or scheme fit. He is what the Patriots need as a penetrating defensive tackle, who also has enough physical gifts to play defensive end in certain schemes. The risk is Easley has already had two major knee injuries, the second limiting him to just three games in 2013.
Looking Ahead: My favorite night of the draft is not Thursday … it is Friday. Much of the hype and hoopla is gone, and you really get a better picture of how teams are approaching this draft.
The Texans are back on the clock, and I’d expect a good chance of a trade, unless they are in love with a player. They do need to add a quarterback, and it’ll be interesting to see which signal-caller they covet. Could it be Derek Carr? Or is it a Tom Savage, Jimmy Garoppolo, Zach Mettenberger or A.J. McCarron? There’s a good chance we’ll know tonight.
I thought more receivers would go in the first round. I predicted at least six or seven would go, with an outside chance as many as nine could hear their names called. It didn’t happen. Only five – Sammy Watkins (Bills), Mike Evans (Bucs), Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants), Brandin Cooks (Saints) and Kelvin Benjamin (Panthers) – were selected.
I think there will be an early run on receivers in the second round.
Enjoy Day 2 … I certainly will.
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