I am pretty amazed by how much talent there is in the draft this year. I felt that most teams made reasonable picks. Obviously, it is impossible to tell which players will work out and which will flame out, but very few teams made head scratchers. I'm going to run down what I think are the best picks, and the worst picks.
Best picks:
Texans, Jadeveon Clowney - Kudos to them for not panicking and taking a second-rate QB first overall. This guy is the most talented player to enter the draft in years. They had to take him.
Browns, Justin Gilbert - They traded back and got a pretty nice bounty, then traded up a spot to get Gilbert. He is a very good cover corner. The Brows defense looks formidable, especially with Haden and Gilbert at the corners.
Rams, Robinson (2), Donald (13) - What a haul for the Rams. They have really cashed in on the RGIII trade. Robinson is a day one starter, and Aaron Donald might be a difference-maker immediately. I loved both of these picks. I was hoping (I know there was no chance!) that Donald would fall to 21 and the Packers would be forced to take him. I love that guy.
Ravens, CJ Mosley - Awesome pick. They chose the best player available.
Vikings, Teddy Bridgewater - I hate the Vikings. Their fans annoy me with their persistent "we are going to go at least 15-1 this year" attitudes. They are a great fan base, in part because they are so delusional about their team. Well, the time may finally be coming that they are no longer delusional. Teddy Bridgewater is the best QB in this draft. It isn't close. Don't fall into the Mike Mayock trap of "the tape looks wonderful, but I just hated that pro day." What a bunch of crap. The guy came up big in big games. He was the only QB that I thought was a first round QB. He will likely not start day 1, which may benefit him, but he will the QB for that team for the next 10-12 years. Great job by Spielman the last two years drafting really good players, especially by trading back into the first round.
Worst Picks:
Jaguars, Blake Bortles - This pick reeks of Blaine Gabbert. It also shows how much scouts can hype themselves into a pick between the end of the college football season and the draft. Blake Bortles is a big dude. He has a so-so arm. In addition, he has displayed very little ability to move through progressions. He is a major project, and by all accounts a nice guy. However, it's really funny how a guy with so-so arm talent and questionable instinct at the position becomes viewed as a guy (these are things I heard on the broadcasts last night) "big arm" "great athlete" (4.9 40?). I just don't think this is going to work out well for the Jaguars. They could have continued to build their defense, or taken a WR. The QBs later in the draft aren't really any different than this guy.
Browns, Johnny Manziel - I just don't think the guy can play in the NFL. He reminds me of Cade McNown. Terrible personality, not the best passer, undersized, etc. The only difference is he isn't left handed. I could be way off, but I don't think I've ever disagreed more with scouts. The only thing Manziel will bring to the Browns is hype and media attention, which is good for the franchise, but I think the best quarterback on their roster is still Hoyer.
Those are my opinions. I'm probably wrong on all of them. I'll check back on this in 3-4 years and see just how wrong I was!
Bridgewater in my opinion was a terrible pick. The vikings will no longer be playing their games inside. The next two years will ne playing at u o minn where its going to be balls ass cold. Bridgewaters passes seemed to get worse the farther he threw. Spiral. Tightness. Projectory. All lost. With the last pick in the first. Sure why not.
ReplyDeleteManziel is so tiny. Other qbs are stocky and ripped who are short. Look at wilson. But manziel looks like he can barely lift a 5 pound barbell. Im hoping he tears every ligament in his knee and permanetlydamages has larynx so he cant talk or play football again