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round one grades


Good picks, good value, filled a need:

  1. Amari Cooper – Oakland (4)
  2. Danny Shelton – Cleveland (12)
  3. Marcus Mariota – Tennessee (2)
  4. Devante Parker – Miami (14)
  5. Vic Beasley – Atlanta (8)
  6. Kevin White – Chicago (7)
  7. Malcolm Brown – New England (32)
  8. Melvin Gordon – San Diego (15)
  9. Jameis Winston – Tampa Bay (1)
  10. Trae Waynes – Minnesota (11)

Solid picks, decent value, made sense

  1. Byron Jones – Dallas
  2. Kevin Johnson – Houston
  3. Ereck Flowers – New York Giants
  4. Breshad Perriman – Baltimore
  5. Bud Dupree – Pittsburgh
  6. Todd Gurley – St. Louis
  7. Andrus Peat – New Orleans
  8. Brandon Scherff - Washington

I get it, didn’t love it, but not bad

  1. Dante Fowler Jr – Jacksonville
  2. Arik Armstead – San Francisco
  3. Leonard Williams – New York Jets
  4. D.J. Humphries – Arizona
  5. Marcus Peters – Kansas City

I don’t get it, bad fit schematically, or a reach

  1. Laken Tomlinson – Detroit
  2. Cameron Erving – Cleveland
  3. Shane Ray – Denver
  4. Shaq Thompson – Carolina
  5. Cedric Ogbuehi – Cincinnati
  6. Nelson Agholar – Philadelphia

I don’t like these picks, major reaches, or they don’t make sense:

  1. Stephone Anthony – New Orleans
  2. Damrious Randall – Green Bay
  3. Phillip Dorsett – Indianapolis

To be honest I pretty much think that every team did a pretty good job, there wasn't any major what the hell moments last night. I wouldn't fail anyone and I think everyone at this point would probably get a C or better, which is astounding when you think about it.

A few things were pretty weird to me last night though. One, I get when you have the 6th pick and the best overall player is there you take him, but the ONLY position the Jets were strong at was the defensive front. I can't ever get mad at taking the best available player.
 I'm not sure what Detroit or Denver were doing with their picks either. I like both players a lot, they are both going to be good pro's, don't get me wrong. However, why would Denver trade a starting guard, which is a position they need, to go after a really solid outside linebacker when you're in a "win-now" mode, and you have zero immediate need there? If you stand pat and he's still there, I understand, but why move up to get him? Then for the Lions, I love the move to trade back and get the starting guard you really needed, but since you got him, why do you draft Tomlinson?
Cleveland, great job with the Shelton pick. I don't quite get the Erving selection though? Good solid value, a really good player, but you need weapons at wide receiver number one. Secondly, you just lost value by kicking a center to guard? I don't get that pick, but again I'm nit picking here.
As a diehard Texans fan I wasn't huge on the Johnson pick at 16, but it became clear that corners were more valued than receivers in this draft and that was probably the correct move. He's going to be a good player and apparently you valued him more correctly than I did on my draft board.
I like Shaq Thompson, but that seemed like a luxury pick for the Panthers. I think Agholar is a decent player, and he'll put up good numbers in that offense but that was a reach for me from Philly. He'll be a solid contributor though, but too rich for me at 20. However, it's a decent pick as it fills position of need. Ogbuehi to Cincinnati made some sense as well, position of need, but a slight reach in terms of value.
I get why New Orleans took an inside linebacker but how do you pass on Perryman or Kendricks to go get Anthony? I think you passed over at least 2 and probably 3 other much better players for someone who is going to be pretty good. You also didn't address the pass rush or receiver position. Not a fan. Randall to Green Bay was confusing to me as well. You have two really good starting safeties, and a rotational safety who has played very well. Then you draft this guy to essentially play I'm guessing a slot corner spot? Maybe you kick him outside but he's much better suited as a safety. Seemed like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole or a round peg in a square hole or however the hell that saying goes. The Dorsett pick was just another stupid selection from Ryan Grigson who is the worst GM in the NFL. I this Dorsett is a really nice piece, but that was possibly the least team need. You had REALLY good football players left on the board and you went with something shiny.
Even these last picks weren't horrible reaches though, so again probably a C- grade for these three selections, but I would say overall the first day of the draft, nobody failed. Tonight is the biggest night of the draft though, it's when you get starters who can help, or bench people who get you fired. I'll do another board tomorrow.


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