1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck - A+
They picked the best player in the draft and will rebuild around a future potential hall of fame QB nothing at all wrong with this pick.
2. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III - A+
The Redskins haven't had a meaningful QB in years and now they have a franchise QB. RG3 brings excitement to the franchise and can start to make them relevant again. I love the pick.
3. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson - B+
I think if your gonna take a RB top 5 in these days he needs to have a little more speed than Richardson has. Not only did they take him 3rd overall they gave up like 3 picks to move up 1 spot. I think they would have been better off staying at 4 and if Richardson wasn't there taking Blackmon especially since they ended up drafting his QB with the 22nd pick. All I know is Richardson better be an elite not just good but elite RB to justify this pick.
4. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil - A
I think Claiborne would have been a slightly better pick for the Vikings. For one I think he's a better player at a more important position. 2nd all 3 of the other teams in their conference have both a pro bowl caliber WR and a pro bowl caliber QB. This Vikings secondary is going to be tested 6 times a year for the next couple of years and could have really used a guy that could hold his own in coverage 1 on 1. But the pick wasn't bad they needed a LT as well. Ponder was running for his life all year last season and you do wanna protect your franchise investment. But the way the draft turned out the Vikings could have actually got a tackle later in the draft they way they fell.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Justin Blackmon - A+
I'm not sure if Blackmon will be a true elite WR or just a good one but regardless this was a great pick and a great trade to move up to make the pick. The Jags if nothing else needs to sell tickets and Blackmon was one of the biggest names in this draft. He's a well known playmaker and considered to be the best at his position. Blaine Gabbert struggled last year but it wasn't all his fault he didn't have anyone to throw to and now he does so it's a great pick.
6. Dallas Cowboys: Morris Claiborne - A+
This might have been the best move all draft. The Cowboys moved up from the 14 spot to snag Claiborne. Because Dallas signed Carr CB was no longer as huge a need but Claiborne has the potential to be special and the way the Dallas secondary played last year I'm not at all mad at this pick. Now Dallas has 3 quality players at the CB position which they'll need in this pass happy league.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mark Barron - B
I still think Tampa's biggest needs were at corner and RB but a safety helps too. However the top 10 for a safety that isn't really a play making safety in the passing game comes off as a bit of a reach to me. Barron has good instincts and is great against the run but if I'm picking a safety in the top 10 I need top notch speed and coverage skills like Eric Berry had when the Chiefs took him top 10 and Barron just doesn't have that. He could be good but I don't think he'll be great.
8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill - F
Until I'm proven wrong this was the worse pick in the draft. At the very least if your gonna reach for a player that nobody else wanted anywhere near where you took him you should move back some before you do it. It's gonna be at least 2 years before Tannehill is even ready to step on the field and I don't think Tannehill will ever even be better than their current starter Matt Moore. This team had all kind of other needs especially at WR.
9. Carolina Panthers: Luke Kuechly - B+
Luke Kuechly is a fantastic prospect and should be a great MLB but when you have a glaring weakness at a far more important position like DT and the best player at that position is on the board when you pick and you pass on him that docks you points in my opinion. The need for a LB was definitely there but I think Fletcher Cox could have had way more impact for the Panthers defense.
10. Buffalo Bills: Stephon Gillmore - B+
Gillmore was a solid pick but corner just wasn't a weakness for the Bills so I can't give them a A. This team has a glaring need at T and WR and passed up on 2 perfectly good prospects in Riley Reiff and Michael Floyd. Gilmore is the 2nd best corner in the draft though and they are going to have to deal with the Patriots who run alot of multiple WR sets so this wasn't a terrible pick by any means either.
11. Kansas City Chiefs: Dontari Poe - A
I personally don't like the fact Poe wasn't more productive in a conference that featured almost no NFL talent. But his physical gifts are undeniable and the Chiefs really needed a Nose tackle to replace Gregg who retired and Poe was the only one worth taking in the 1st round in this draft so I can't be mad at this pick.
12. Philadelphia Eagles: Fletcher Cox - A+
This was a great move by the Eagles both the pick and the trade. The Rams were definitely gonna go with Cox at 14 so if they stayed back they wouldn't have gotten him and Brockers just wasn't a great fit for a pass rushing style of defense their line plays. Cox has the quickness and skill set to be effective in Philly and they moved up and got their guy. It also doesn't hurt that they got the best DT in the draft at pick 12 so that's also great value.
13. Arizona Cardinals: Michael Floyd - A
The Cardinals invested alot of money in Kolb and getting him another target to throw to should really help him and should help Fitzgerald as well who they also invested alot of money in. You can't really reap the benefits from having a elite WR like Larry if he's always getting doubled and there's no one else to pick up the slack. Well now that Floyd is here their is so I like the pick. I can't give them a A+ because T and the pass rush were more severe needs but this pick should factor in on the win column so there's nothing wrong with that either.
14. St. Louis Rams: Michael Brockers - B+
At 1st I was thinking the Rams weren't really making out to well in this draft seeing all their prospects going to other teams as they kept moving back but then I look at the 2nd round lineup for today and see they have 3 picks in the top 15 and they can really do some damage so I'm actaully not mad at those trades. 1 pick no matter what position wasn't going to fix this team, their awful and they needed multiple talented players more than they needed 1 really good one. This pick actually wasn't a bad pick I just think Brockers is going to be a 1 dimensional player. The Rams were awful defending the run last season and Brockers will help them improve in that area so this is a good pick even though it's not as sexy as Rams fans would like. But I still feel the Rams coulda picked a Tackle here as well or moved back some more because Brockers talent doesn't justify top 15 in my opinion.
15. Seattle Seahawks: Ivan Bruce - F
I said the Dolphins pick might have been the worse but actually I think this is. Forget what you or I think about Ivan Bruce for a 2nd. The bigger issue with this pick is the fact that he would have been sitting there in the 2nd round when Seattle picked again at 43. So what I can't understand is why take a guy you can get at 43 at 15. Also Melvin Ingram and Coples are on the board and you reach for this guy? All I gotta say is this kid better be a stud, I'm talking multi double digit sacks seasons or this will truly be a wasted pick.
16. New York Jets: Quinton Coples - A
This was a good pick for the Jets but I think Melvin Ingram would have been a slightly better fit. I think he could have played the OLB position more naturally than Coples can. But at the same time Coples will be more versatile as you can line him up all over the place and he's 6'5 280 so I definitely understand the move.
17. Cincinnati Bengals: Dre Kirkpatrick - A
Cornerback was one of the biggest needs for this team and the best one available was Kirkpatrick and they got him. 17 is good value for his talent level as well so it's a all around solid pick.
18. San Diego Chargers: Melvin Ingram - A+
The Chargers were one of the luckier teams in last night's 1st round. The best pass rusher in the draft arguably fell to them at 18. They got a steal and filled their biggest need I'd say that's an A+.
19. Chicago Bears: Shea McClellin - B+
The Bears biggest need was DT but there wasn't one worth taking at this point, DE was also a need and they decided to address that with the pick but I just don't know enough about McClellin. He brings it every down but I'm just not so sure he's a top 20 talent. Also this O-Line got Cutler killed last season and I mean literally because he had a season ending injury. Knowing that the best overall offensive lineman David DeCastro is on the board and you don't take him? The Bears with a healthy Culter and Forte are a playoff team and didn't need to reach for McClellin to fill a minor need when they could have just taken the best player on the board.
20. Tennessee Titans: Kendall Wright - A
With all the best available Defensive backs off the board and best DT's the Titans weren't in a position to draft for their biggest needs so they went with I guess who they felt was the best available player that could help them most. With Kenny Britt coming off a torn ACL this actually isn't a bad pick and I like it.
21. New England Patriots: Chandler Jones - A+
The Patriots desperately needed help rushing the passer and Jones was the best available at this point in the draft so what does Bill do move up and get him and I love it. Were used to seeing the Patriots trade in the other direction but this year they got aggressive, moved up, and got who they wanted.
22. Cleveland Browns: Brandon Weeden - D
Weeden has talent and could be a serviceable quality starter in this league but that's about it. Even if he is better than Colt it won't be by much. Throw in the fact that he's 29 and probably can't get much better and I just really don't like the pick. It's also extremely likely they could have gotten Weeden with their 2nd round pick which makes this an unnecessary reach and a wasted pick.
23. Detroit Lions: Riley Reiff - A
It looked like the Lions was having some bad luck as all the notable DBs went early. But luckily for them only 1 tackle went in the 22 picks before them and a top 20 prospect and 2nd best tackle just fell in their lap. Reiff will help the Lions in the run game and help better protect Stafford. This was a steal and a great pick. The only reason I'm not giving them a A+ is because they should have picked DeCastro just because he was there.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: David DeCastro - A+
This might be one of the biggest steals in recent memory. The Steelers had much bigger needs at MLB and on the D-Line but this is a super bowl contending roster with not a lot of holes and the best offensive guard prospect in sometime is still on the board at 24 it was a no brainer that they take him. I said the Lions should have picked him just because he was there and the Steelers did. He's gotten comparisons to the likes of Steve Hutchinson and Allan Faneca. This was a great pick for the Steelers especially since they want to get back to ground and pound Steelers football.
25. New England Patriots: Donta Hightower - A+
Another great pick by the Patriots. Donta wasn't making it past Baltimore and the Patriots needed help at LB so they moved up again in the 1st round to get a player and once again I love it.
26. Houston Texans: Whitney Mercilus - A
Mercilus has been rising up the draft boards coming into the draft and for a Texans team without a lot of weaknesses I like this pick. They lost Mario to free agency and even though they managed pretty well without him last season you can never have to many pass rushers. This really good defense just got a little better.
27. Cincinnati Bengals - Kevin Zeitler - C
My problem with this pick isn't the player its the trade. The Bengals moved out of the 21 spot and acquired late picks just to move back 6 spots and take a Guard when they could have had David DeCastro and I just don't get it. DeCastro is going to be a special player and I just don't like the idea of moving back 6 spots to take a player of the same positions when you coulda just drafted the better player.
28. Green Bay Packers - Nick Perry - A
Some thought this was a reach or that they should have taken Upshaw and I disagree with both views. Nobody including Clay Matthews did anything to pressure the QB last year for the Packers so they HAD to get the best available pass rusher at this point not the best available all around player which I think Upshaw is. The Packers are going to be getting out in front with big leads again next year which kind of negates the use of Upshaw talent against the run they needed an athletic guy that can create pressure and Perry is better at that than Upshaw.
29. Minnesotta Vikings - Harrison Smith - B+
The Vikings secondary played horrendous all of last year and so they moved up and got the best safety available. They filled a need and at 29 this isn't really a reach. I just wonder could they have stayed put in the 2nd round and still got him though.
30. San Francisco 49ers - A.J. Jenkins - D
I just didn't get this pick. The 49ers needed a G and even though Zietler was gone they might has well reached for Amini Silatolu at G because they reached for a WR anyway. You go out and sign Manningham and Moss in the offseason and draft a WR, why? Why take a 4th WR in the 1st round? They would have been better off taking Fleener if they wanted more weapons in the passing game at least that gives them another TE.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Doug Martin - C
Why move back into the 1st round to get a RB that isn't even going to be special. Martin most likely will never be a feature back in this league. Yea the Giants would have taken him so if they wanted him they had to move to this spot and they get points for that but I'm here to tell you there isn't much of a gap between him, David Wilson, or Lamar Miller.
32. New York Giants - David Wilson - B+
This pick should have been Fleener and the fact that they didn't pick him leads me to believe they actually feel that Martellus Bennent can be their guy at TE. RB was a need to and with them not picking again till 64 and not mad at them reaching for Wilson here but I just think TE was the bigger need and Fleener was the better player that filled the bigger need.
