Draft Winners and Losers

Winners - Steelers

Losers - Steeler fans

no seriously... I thought Indianapolis, Green Bay, Tampa Bay and Tennessee (for only having 4 picks) did very well. But I thought the winner was the Giants. First four picks were very solid.

I thought the Raiders had an awful draft, 2 guys with question marks in Key and Hurst.

 

The Raiders with major reaches in the early rounds-losers
Jags-winners

 

I was pretty underwhelmed with the Steelers this year. They got some ball players...but not the help for a ring in 2018 that I was hoping for. The window is closing

Green Bay grabbed my favorite 2 WR's in the 5th and 6th rounds. Will get to see if I was right about them with Aaron Rodgers throwing passes to them.

HACK

 

*Cracks knuckles.


Let's do this!! Finally got done with dinner. Tacos! Cannot miss those.



Indianapolis Colts:



Chris Ballard pulled off a very impressive sophomore campaign in this year's draft. Picking my personal best prospect in the draft in Quenton Nelson is a rock solid start; another solid option in Braden Smith. Adding the likes of Kemeko Turay and Tyquan Lewis will yield big dividends to boost the pass rush. The biggest defensive acquisition though for "The Stampede" was Darius Leonard. Instituting a 4-3 defense requires a linebacker with not only range and instincts but the edge and pack leader mentality to match. Should Andrew Luck return to full capacity, look for Indy to return to relavence in the South yet again.



New York Giants:



Generally speaking, selecting in the top five in any draft will usually yield amazing results. Such was the case with New York. However, seldom do teams obtain Round One talent; athletic and football based, in three consecutive rounds. Dave Gettleman has to be having a party right now. Having Barkley around will now give Eli the best ability to win a Lombardi with the time he has remaining. However, adding arguably the most physcially imposing blocker in Will Hernandez sky-rockets Barkley abilities even further. Lorenzo Carter and B.J. Hill are two rock solid options to add towards New York's new 3-4 defense. Given the fact that the NFC East is getting more physical, it is nice to see the Giants also follow the division and get even. For me, the New York Giants are now a dark horse title contender that even teams like Philidelphia and Green Bay should be not too thrilled with.




Atlanta Falcons:


The age old NFL saying of draft picks;


"It matters not upon the number of picks a franchise possess but upon the quality of each".


Seems Thomas Dimitroff has heeded these lessons well; three steals in each round being the end result. Calvin Ridley, Julio Jones, Justin Hardy and Mohammed Sanu. Say hello to one of the deepest and most electrifying Wide Receiving corps in the league. If that was not good enough, how about landing arguably the best corner in the draft in Isaiah Oliver. Going up against the skyscraper Wide Receivers in Devin Funchess, Mike Evans and Micheal Thomas requires a long and athletic corner who fears nothing; exactly what Oliver is. Him, Robert Alford and Desmond Trufant will complete a defensive backfield that should be able to handle the monstrous receiving threats in the NFC South. Perhaps the most underrated pick is Deadrin Senat from the University of South Florida. Essentially Javon Hargrave circa 2016, Senat will provide extra muscle up front to assist Grady Jarrett to stuff the increased and improved rushing attacks as well. While New Orleans is still the odds on favorite to win the NFC South, look for Atlanta to challenge them once more in 2018.



Tampa Bay Buccaneers:


As stated regarding the NFC South, the days of the high flying, high powered offenses are still relavent but are slowly shifting to a bit of a more physcial style. To that end, Tampa Bay needed someone to pair with Gerald McCoy. As such, Vita Vea was their first pick in the draft. While he is best deployed in a two gapping scheme, considering that Vea is going to be an issue no matter the scheme anyways, why not have him hunt as opposed to open up gaps? Now, Jason Pierre Paul, Vinny Curry and McCoy himself just may all need to buy Vea something nice after every game he nullifies power run based teams. To further compliment Vea in the defensive focus, both M.J. Stewart and Carlton Davis were added to add much needed assistance in the secondary that will be tested against the NFC South and other talents such as Odell Beckham Jr. Offensively, they really needed a running back and got a great one in Ronald Jones II. He can be a receiving back but he is best deployed as a rushing based home run assest; Jameis Winston being the biggest beneficiary. Much like Atlanta but less, I do see the Buccaneers as a dark horse division title contender but only if Jameis himself is more consistent.




Jacksonville Jaguars:


*** Four Peat Winner ***


I think it is safe to say that Dave Caldwell really wants "Duvual Nation" the cream of the AFC crop. As if Malik Jackson, Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue, Dante Fowler Jr., and Marcell Dareus was not enough along the defensive line. Now, they can get even more nasty up front with a multi role monster in Taven Bryan. Sure, he is relying on his athletic ability a bit too much but with the likes of Campbell, Jackson and Ngakoue with him, I do not believe he has little to worry about. Nabbing a speedster in D.J. Chark gives Blake Bortles a chance to showcase more of his improved arm that many of us saw from a season ago. In an offense predicated on clock management, him and Donte Moncrief take a majority of pressure off of Leonard Fournette and allow him to continue to wear down defenses. My two favorite picks of theirs were Ronnie Harrison and Leon Jacobs respectively. Coincidentally enough, much like the Steelers, the Jaguars needed some serious muscle and violence to neutralize the oppositions rushing attack. Adding these two will allow Jacksonville's defense to reach even more absurd heights in 2018. Much like last year as I stated, Jacksonville is now a threat. A rematch with New England will likely yield a different result this time. Speaking of rematches...



Pittsburgh Steelers:


















Before anyone berates this selection for the winners section, please hear me out on this one. Pittsburgh's inability to suitably replace Shazier and negate deep passing plays ultimatley did this team in long before the "Jacksonville Jackhammer" smashed into the Steel City. To that end, Pittsburgh needed to get back to basics and find out just whar went wrong here. For starters, tackling was an issue. For two, communication breakdowns were far too commonplace. Most importantly is three; arrogance. As stated by legendary Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu:


"There is no greater danger than underestimating your opponent."


To that end, talent that was not only humble but also dedicated and focused only upon the task before them was essential to acquire, communication skills no less. Terrell Edmunds is the classic Tomlin pick; versatile, young, athletic, humble and gracious, dedicated towards the current task with the perseverance to overcome any of the mightest emotional storms the NFL may throw his way. Continuing with this theme was James Washington; a receiver in a running backs body circa JuJu Smith-Schuster. Mason Rudolph capped off arguably the biggest steal of the entire NFL draft and Joshua Frazier is easily going to be the most underappreciated player due to his role but might yield the greatest impact in 2018. While Chukwuma Okorafor might be head scratching, Marcus Gilbert's unavailability is usually a given. Marcus Allen further adds more reinforcement against rushing attacks and provides more range for the linebacking corps. Not only did Pittsburgh get back to basics on "The Steeler Way" on defense, they have also secured their future once Ben elects to call it a career.



Los Angeles Chargers:



While some may crown the likes of the New York Giants or Atlanta Falcons winners, one could argue that the Chargers and Tom Telesco had a better draft than any other team in the league. Reasons? How about a Kam Chancellor clone in Derwin James; a player of his caliber once seen every generation. To me, he possess greater overall talent and potential than even his Florida State teammate Jalen Ramsey. Unlike Ramsey, James can line up just about anywhere he wants to in Gus Bradley's defense sans the front four. That level of versatility should be physcially impossible. If James was not good enough for yoy, about about another LEO player in Uchenna Nwosu? He can not only hold the point of attack and set the edge but also drop in coverage; not including either Bosa nor Ingram either. If that is still not convincing enough, one of the draft's most underrated prospects overall in Justin Jones gives the bolts more interior muscle to combat opposing rushing attacks in the AFC West; Kareem Hunt namely. Kyzir White adds another element to incorporate in the defense by using White as a linebacker; the same vein we will see in Marcus Allen. Nevermind being a division title contender but it is clear that, like New York and Pittsburgh, see something bigger in the vein of contenders for the Super Bowl. Like Tampa Bay though but different, how well this new defense meshes together will be the deciding factor.



Chicago Bears:



Ryan Pace has developed quite the dark horse in the Windy City. Sure, Kevin White needs to actually play and much of this is dependant upon the growth of Mitchell Trubrisky. That being said, to ensure that Trubrisky does not have to shoulder the weight of a game by himself, a top shelf defense is what is needed. Starting with Roquan Smith, the Bears have their new "Monster of the Midway". Nevermind his leadership and pack leading traits, Smith has a "do or die" approach and brings tempo setting plays and energy to a defense already secretly loaded with some amazing talent in the likes of Eddie Goldman, Akiem Hicks and Johnathan Bullard commanding double teams, Smith can unleash his full potential early on; him being my odds on favorite to win the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Not forgetting about Trubrisky though, acquiring two first round talents in Anthony Miller and James Daniels will round out the offense for Mitchell; his progress being ready to be put on full display in year two. Should Mitchell Trubrisky be able to showcase considerable improvement, the Bears have the pieces to challenge even the likes of Green Bay and Minnesota for the NFC North crown. If not, at worst, they will be a tough team to beat.



As with winners, there must be losers. Here are mine. They are as follows:



Cleveland Browns:



What a surprise. To those of you that have seen my posts, recall how I stated in another thread that Cleveland should draft some "academics" and "common sense" before addressing anything? Turns out they did the exact opposite! I do understand picking someone like Baker Mayfield as he is a proven winner and loves to play under pressure but someone like Denzel Ward does not make sense to me. Yes, the Browns do need cornerback depth but someone like Isaiah Oliver, a prospect who fits Dorsey's previous alignments towards corners, would have been better. Considering that Bradley Chubb was still on the board, a fearsome pass rushing duo would have been much more beneficial. As if that was not enough, adding two problem childern in Chad Thomas and Antonio Callaway. Are they talented? Sure. Will they produce. Absolutely. Will they likely get into trouble again? Most definitely. What will it take for Cleveland to learn is beyond anyone's guess.



San Francisco 49ers:



To say I am disappointed with John Lynch is an understatement. His defense is good but would have been better with Derwin James, Minkah Fitzpatrick or even Tremaine Edmunds. Now, is Mike McGlinchey a top 20 prospect? Yes. Top 15? Maybe. Top 10? Not a chance. Yes, Jimmy Garappolo needs more protection but players like Connor Williams would have been just as efficient. Yes, Travarius Moore is a rock solid pick but someone like James would have yielded a much greater impact. Notice how I am only talking about their first pick. That is due in part to Dante Pittis and Fred Warner were solid choices but more than likely, Pittis will yield bigger dividends than Warner will as the solution for their linebacking unit post Reuben Foster is still unsolved. I hope that Lynch does learn from this as some of these picks likely will not yield the results he is expecting.




New England Patriots:




Either Bill Belichick still wants to remind Robert Kraft on whom brought New England glory or "Hoodie" has some type of plan in place. Be that as it may, the Patriots not only have lost the Super Bowl but the draft as well based on face value alone. Isaiah Wynn is a rock solid interior lineman and Sony Michel has some serious potential in an already loaded backfield with the likes of James White and Dion Lewis. However, unlike Pittsburgh, I really fail to see how either or are going to secure New England's future and nevermind addressing their defensive needs. Sure, Duke Dawson is a cerebral player but not an athletically gifted one and the only other notable defensive player was Christian Sam. Dare I say it Sam may yield the greater results among all defensive picks made by Belichick. As so many of us know, so long as Tom Brady is Tom Brady, New England is not going anywhere. However, with Brady's clock nearing midnight and a defense who desperately needs a pass rusher, unless the "Boston Battalion of Running Backs" with both Wynn and Gronk will likely have to carry this team again. Should they be expecting Derek Rivers to be even better than last year, that is a far greater leap of faith than Sean Davis becoming a Free Safety.



New Orleans Saints:



Mickey Loomis must believe this Saints team is primed for a Super Bowl run. He must also believe that salvaging the future is the key towards achieving this by attempting to reenact the 2015 Broncos "No Fly Zone". Unless Marcus Davenport has achieved that which lies far beyond technique considering he does not have any, Green Bay's Brian Gutekunst should enjoy immense levels of schadenfreude aa he takes his kings ransom heading into the 2019 Draft. As for the Saints, with no backup plan to Brees in addition towards having only two solid prospects in Davenport and Natrell Jamerson, for Mickey Loomis and Sean Payton, 2018 better be the year for New Orleans. Otherwise, things are not going to go easy in the "Big Easy".



Seattle Seahawks:



Rashad Green and Jamarco Jones were steals in my opinion. Shaquiem Griffin will be out to seek that which lies beyond redemption through aiming for greatness. Outside those three though, their draft was horrible. Either Richard Sherman was correct about Pete Carroll and his abilities are waning or John Schneider truly believes Russel Wilson will be fine yet again running for his life; "The Sprint to Salvation; Russell's Relavtion" is what this draft should be themed for the 'Hawks. I really emphasize horrible. Derrius Guice is a massively superior prospect than Rashaad Penny. Given that the Seahawks desperately needed offensive line depth, Connor Williams or even Orlando Brown later in the draft would have not been bad picks. Outside of those aforementioned three, the rest of their draft is bad.



Oakland Raiders:



Reggie McKenzie must have dined with Jon Gruden a little bit too much to understand that, while talent is necessary, it is not the end all, be all for evaluating prospects. Kolton Miller going as high as he did did not surprise me entirely but given the fact the likes of Tremaine Edmunds or even Marcus Davenport were available in a deep offensive tackle class, outside of Donald Penn on the back nine of his career, this pick simply does not make sense. I liked the P.J. Hall pick as it does fill a need and Hill is monstrously athletic but the other picks literally contradict themselves. For example;


1.) Brandon Parker seems a bit too high for a team loaded with offensive tackle talent but are in desperate need for a pass rusher. I am all for adding depth but given the team has it and could have gotten someone like Joseph Noteboom or even Chukwuma Okorafor with their second selection in the third round, it makes no sense given the fact that Khalil Mack would love to have a running mate. Speaking of that..


2.) Arden Key was that guy but he is Robert Nkemdiche 2.0; way more talented but way more character issues to boot. Nevermind Lorenzo Carter or even Sam Hubbard; far superior players in terms of athleticism from the former and desire with the tenacity to match from the latter. Taking an immense risk/high reward pick doe not even weigh out in your favor.



All in all, Oakland had far more chances to improve themselves and make a statement to not just the AFC West but possibly the AFC. Instead, the "Silver and Black" make themselves look comical.



Well that is it guys, my Winners and Losers list. Before I wrap it up, some final thoughts.



Closing Statements:



This draft was weird. I mean really weird. Some teams did exactly what I thought they do but many others enacted upon something else. From seeing Ryan Shazier walk again, hearing the "Entitled One" in Josh Rosen throw a hissy fit for not being in the top five, Quarterback needy teams either waiting out the draft to strike gold or say "forget this" all together, Shaquiem Griffin's own "Road To Greatness" tour and everything in between, I loved the sub plots for the draft but was disappointed in how the drafr turned out for many teams; Quarterback needy ones especially.


Should those teams falter in the future, they will reflect on what could have been on April 28th, 2018.




Anyways everyone, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Really enjoyed commenting, discussing and conversing with you all for another draft. Cannot wait for the 2019 NFL Draft as the likes of Nick Bosa and Drew Lock are already early odds on favorites for the number one pick. Before I go though, I will have my own thoughts on the Steelers haul tomorrow and will have a thread that will hopefully bury a very common false consenus effect within the fanbase. To those of you that know me, you do not want to miss either. It will be a real treat!



Until next time everyone, please take care and I will see you tomorrow!

 

I thought the Giants had a great draft. I've always wondered how awesome it would be if the Steelers ever had a top-3 pick in each round. This was kind of what that would be like. Watching a competent franchise pick high is a lot different than watching the bottom feeders doing it.

I loved Miami's draft. I don't know what their needs were, but the players they took would have been a great Steelers draft this year.

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Jerome Baker, Geiseki plus another solid TE out of Notre Dame, and RB Ballage were all good fits for us this year.