I apologize for the long title, but I wanted to make it as specific as possible. Anyways, the draft is the biggest highlight of the NFL off-season. It is here that great careers are born and the fate of teams are forever changed. Think back to when the Indianapolis Colts drafted Peyton Manning #1 overall or when the Detroit Lions drafted Calvin Johnson with the second pick, ending their wide receiver curse.
This year's draft is filled with a ton of talented players, including Ohio State's Joey Bosa, Alabama's Derrick Henry, Notre Dame's Ronnie Stanley, Memphis's Paxton Lynch, and Florida State's Jalen Ramsey. There were also plenty of surprises in the actual draft, which made things even more fun. In this article we'll take a quick look at each draft pick. Let's get started.
1. Los Angeles Rams (from Tennessee): Jared Goff, QB (Cal)- The Rams traded up to get Goff and it looks like this will certainly work out. The Rams are in need for a QB and Goff was the best out of this year's draft class. Having guys like Todd Gurley and Tavon Austin will certainly help him adjust to the NFL.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (from Cleveland): Carson Wentz, QB (North Dakota State)- Goff may be the best QB in the draft, but Wentz is not far behind. He may not start right away, but watching Sam Bradford play should get him acclimated.
3. San Diego Chargers: Joey Bosa, DE/OLB (Ohio State)- At the beginning of the college football season, I thought Bosa was the best player in the game. His stock had fallen a little since then, but not by much. Everyone expected the Chargers to take Tunsil here (more on that later), but Bosa should help improve the lackluster SD D.
4. Dallas Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliot, RB (Ohio State)- This is one of my favorite picks from the entire draft. Elliot is an elite back that can really help out the 'Boys. The only time in the last six years Dallas made the playoffs was two years ago when a certain DeMarco Murray was running rampant. This could be the key to get Dallas back in playoff conversation.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jalen Ramsey, DB (Florida State)- This pick makes a lot of sense: Ramsey is one of the best defensive players in the draft while Jacksonville has one of the weakest defenses in the league. Expect Ramsey to be a star over the coming seasons.
6. Baltimore Ravens: Ronnie Stanley, OT (Notre Dame)- GM Ozzie Newsome said they had Stanley higher on their board than they did Tunsil, which is debatable. but the pick makes sense. Stanley is one of the best talents in this draft and will help protect Joe Flacco.
7. San Francisco 49ers: DeForest Buckner, DE (Oregon)- The 'Niners need a QB, but this was way too early to get Lynch or anyone else. Meanwhile, Buckner is a defensive force that will give Russell Wilson and Carson Palmer fits.
8. Tennessee Titans (from Miami via Eagles and Browns): Jack Conklin, T (Michigan State)- The Titans traded away their #1 overall pick but traded up to get Conklin. I think this was a little early to get Conklin, but it makes a lot of sense for the Titans. Tennessee is hoping that Marcus Mariota (who was injured last season) is their franchise QB and they need to protect him. Having Conklin also helps Murray and the ground game (which was pretty weak last year).
9. Chicago Bears (from Tampa Bay): Leonard Floyd, DE/OLB (Georgia)- Trading up to get Floyd was a smart move, as he probably would have been off the board two picks later. Floyd is an impact defense player that can certainly help the Bears.
10. New York Giants: Eli Apple, CB (Ohio State)- The fourth Buckeye to be taken in the draft is a very talented player that will definitely help a weak Giants D. This was a bit of a surprise pick as well, but as we've seen, that's what you can expect from the draft.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Chicago): Vernon Hargreaves III, CB (Florida)- Thanks to guys like Jameis Winston, Doug Martin, and Mike Evans, the offense in Tampa is much stronger than the defense. Hargreaves III will also benefit from having veteran CB Brent Grimes playing alongside him.
12. New Orleans Saints: Sheldon Rankins, DT (Louisville)- The defense was the real problem in NO last year and adding Rankins should help alleviate that. Rankins was arguably the best pass-rusher left on the board, so this was a very smart pick.
13. Miami Dolphins (from Philadelphia): Laremy Tunsil, T (Ole Miss)- Just about a month ago, everyone was sure Tunsil was going #1. Since then however, he's been plagued with off-the-field issues, including getting money from an Ole Miss coach and having a video surface of him smoking weed through a gas mask. Nonetheless, Tunsil has endless potential and this can be considered one of the biggest steals of the round.
14. Oakland Raiders: Karl Joseph, S (West Virginia)- The Raiders lost Charles Woodson, one of the all-time greats, to retirement this season. While Joseph is nowhere close to the level of Woodson, he's got a ton of potential.
15. Cleveland Browns (from Los Angeles via Tennessee): Corey Coleman, WR (Baylor)- I was a little surprised by this pick, as Laquon Treadwell was the best receiver of this class. Still, Coleman is very talented and should hook up often with fellow Baylor alumni RG3. Coleman will also help the Browns forget about Travis Benjamin and Josh Gordon.
16. Detroit Lions: Taylor Decker, OT (Ohio State)- Some expected the Lions to take a receiver to help fill the void left by a retiring Calvin Johnson, but the signing of Marvin Jones helped with that. Getting Decker will help protect Matthew Stafford and create room for sophomore Ameer Abdullah, so this was a pretty smart pick.
17. Atlanta Falcons: Keanu Neal, S (Florida)- Somewhat of a surprise pick, but it makes sense. Head coach Dan Quinn is a defensive strategist, after all. Besides, Atlanta has plenty of weapons on offense, including Matt Ryan, Tevin Coleman, and Julio Jones, so a defensive player makes sense.
18. Indianapolis Colts: Ryan Kelly, C (Alabama)- The biggest concern for Indy is protecting Andrew Luck, who spent a lot of last season on the sidelines. Getting an offensive linemen also helps the Colts' run game, which was pretty weak last season. Kelly won the Rimmington Award for Best Center last year, so you know he's an elite player.
19. Buffalo Bills: Shaq Lawson, DE (Clemson)- Many expected Lawson's teammate Kevin Dodd to go ahead of Lawson, but the Bills snapped up the former Clemson star. Lawson is a fantastic pass-rusher that can completely disrupt an offense. Lawson also helps the Bills forget about Mario Williams.
20. New York Jets: Darron Lee, LB (Ohio State): Many expected the Jets to take a quarterback, as the Ryan Fitzpatrick situation is not getting any better. Lee however, is a talented player that will help the Jets D. Besides, HC Todd Bowles is a defensive-minded coach.
21. Houston Texans (from Washington): Will Fuller, WR (Notre Dame): I absolutely love this pick. The Texans have an elite defense (thanks to guys like JJ Watt and Jonathan Joseph), so an offensive player makes sense. Fuller was the fastest WR in the class and is an incredible deep-ball threat. The Texans already have an elite-WR#1 in DeAndre Hopkins so having Fuller mixes things up and gives Brock Osweiler another target.
22. Washington Redskins (from Houston): Josh Doctson, WR (TCU): After Houston traded up to pick up Fuller, Washington got a receiver of their own. Doctson is a stellar player that will give Kirk Cousins another target besides DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, and Jordan Reed. I would have preferred Washington help out their suspect defense, but signing Josh Norman before the draft certainly helps.
23. Minnesota Vikings: Laquon Treadwell, WR (Ole Miss): I love this pick. As I said before, Treadwell was the best WR of this class. The Vikings had trouble with the passing game last season, so adding Treadwell gives Teddy Bridgewater a receiver to pair with Stefon Diggs.
24. Cincinnati Bengals: William Jackson III, CB (Houston): I don't love this pick, as the Bengals already have Dre Kirkpatrick, Leon Hall, and Adam Jones. Still, having Jackson only helps in a division with Big Ben and Joe Flacco.
25. Pittsburgh Steelers: Artie Burns, CB (Miami, Fl.)- The pass defense was the weakest thing about the Steelers last year, so this was a smart pick. At 6 feet and 193 pounds, Burns has the potential to defend guys like A.J. Green.
26. Denver Broncos (from Seattle): Paxton Lynch, QB (Memphis): Wow. It looks like John Elway has passed over Colin Kaepernick, Mark Sanchez, and Blake Bortles in favor of the former college standout. Lynch is a great player that should help the Broncos try and defend their championship. It's likely he will play a more reserved role, as Peyton Manning did last season.
27. Green Bay Packers: Kenny Clark, DL (UCLA): The Packers needed a player to fill the void left by B.J. Raji's retirement. The Packers are looking for another deep run in the playoffs this year and adding Clark will help.
28. San Francisco 49ers: Joshua Garnett, G (Stanford)- After getting Buckner earlier in the day, San Fran picks up Garnett, who played an important part in Christian McCaffrey's incredible season last year. Adding Garnett will help RB Carlos Hyde and whoever the QB is (probably Colin Kaepernick).
29. Arizona Cardinals: Robert Nkemdiche, DL (Ole Miss)- Although there are plenty of red flags concerning his off-the-field activity, Nkemdiche is vastly talented that will help a team looking for a Super Bowl. Nkemdiche will also benefit from playing alongside Calais Campbell.
30. Carolina Panthers, Vernon Butler, DT (Virginia Tech)- There wasn't a glaring issue for the defending NFC Champions to address, so they took a guy who was likely at the top of their draft board. Butler is a monster (6'4" and 323 pounds) that will fit in nicely with a defense that includes guys like Kawaan Short and Luke Kuechly.
31. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver): Germain Ifedi, OL (Texas A&M)- To close out the first round, the Seahawks picked up one of the best offensive linemen left on the board. The 'Hawks needed one to help Thomas Rawls and fill the void left by Russell Okung,
Thanks for reading everyone. Check back Sunday to see an article about the other six rounds of the draft.
This year's draft is filled with a ton of talented players, including Ohio State's Joey Bosa, Alabama's Derrick Henry, Notre Dame's Ronnie Stanley, Memphis's Paxton Lynch, and Florida State's Jalen Ramsey. There were also plenty of surprises in the actual draft, which made things even more fun. In this article we'll take a quick look at each draft pick. Let's get started.
1. Los Angeles Rams (from Tennessee): Jared Goff, QB (Cal)- The Rams traded up to get Goff and it looks like this will certainly work out. The Rams are in need for a QB and Goff was the best out of this year's draft class. Having guys like Todd Gurley and Tavon Austin will certainly help him adjust to the NFL.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (from Cleveland): Carson Wentz, QB (North Dakota State)- Goff may be the best QB in the draft, but Wentz is not far behind. He may not start right away, but watching Sam Bradford play should get him acclimated.
3. San Diego Chargers: Joey Bosa, DE/OLB (Ohio State)- At the beginning of the college football season, I thought Bosa was the best player in the game. His stock had fallen a little since then, but not by much. Everyone expected the Chargers to take Tunsil here (more on that later), but Bosa should help improve the lackluster SD D.
4. Dallas Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliot, RB (Ohio State)- This is one of my favorite picks from the entire draft. Elliot is an elite back that can really help out the 'Boys. The only time in the last six years Dallas made the playoffs was two years ago when a certain DeMarco Murray was running rampant. This could be the key to get Dallas back in playoff conversation.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jalen Ramsey, DB (Florida State)- This pick makes a lot of sense: Ramsey is one of the best defensive players in the draft while Jacksonville has one of the weakest defenses in the league. Expect Ramsey to be a star over the coming seasons.
6. Baltimore Ravens: Ronnie Stanley, OT (Notre Dame)- GM Ozzie Newsome said they had Stanley higher on their board than they did Tunsil, which is debatable. but the pick makes sense. Stanley is one of the best talents in this draft and will help protect Joe Flacco.
7. San Francisco 49ers: DeForest Buckner, DE (Oregon)- The 'Niners need a QB, but this was way too early to get Lynch or anyone else. Meanwhile, Buckner is a defensive force that will give Russell Wilson and Carson Palmer fits.
8. Tennessee Titans (from Miami via Eagles and Browns): Jack Conklin, T (Michigan State)- The Titans traded away their #1 overall pick but traded up to get Conklin. I think this was a little early to get Conklin, but it makes a lot of sense for the Titans. Tennessee is hoping that Marcus Mariota (who was injured last season) is their franchise QB and they need to protect him. Having Conklin also helps Murray and the ground game (which was pretty weak last year).
9. Chicago Bears (from Tampa Bay): Leonard Floyd, DE/OLB (Georgia)- Trading up to get Floyd was a smart move, as he probably would have been off the board two picks later. Floyd is an impact defense player that can certainly help the Bears.
10. New York Giants: Eli Apple, CB (Ohio State)- The fourth Buckeye to be taken in the draft is a very talented player that will definitely help a weak Giants D. This was a bit of a surprise pick as well, but as we've seen, that's what you can expect from the draft.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Chicago): Vernon Hargreaves III, CB (Florida)- Thanks to guys like Jameis Winston, Doug Martin, and Mike Evans, the offense in Tampa is much stronger than the defense. Hargreaves III will also benefit from having veteran CB Brent Grimes playing alongside him.
12. New Orleans Saints: Sheldon Rankins, DT (Louisville)- The defense was the real problem in NO last year and adding Rankins should help alleviate that. Rankins was arguably the best pass-rusher left on the board, so this was a very smart pick.
13. Miami Dolphins (from Philadelphia): Laremy Tunsil, T (Ole Miss)- Just about a month ago, everyone was sure Tunsil was going #1. Since then however, he's been plagued with off-the-field issues, including getting money from an Ole Miss coach and having a video surface of him smoking weed through a gas mask. Nonetheless, Tunsil has endless potential and this can be considered one of the biggest steals of the round.
14. Oakland Raiders: Karl Joseph, S (West Virginia)- The Raiders lost Charles Woodson, one of the all-time greats, to retirement this season. While Joseph is nowhere close to the level of Woodson, he's got a ton of potential.
15. Cleveland Browns (from Los Angeles via Tennessee): Corey Coleman, WR (Baylor)- I was a little surprised by this pick, as Laquon Treadwell was the best receiver of this class. Still, Coleman is very talented and should hook up often with fellow Baylor alumni RG3. Coleman will also help the Browns forget about Travis Benjamin and Josh Gordon.
16. Detroit Lions: Taylor Decker, OT (Ohio State)- Some expected the Lions to take a receiver to help fill the void left by a retiring Calvin Johnson, but the signing of Marvin Jones helped with that. Getting Decker will help protect Matthew Stafford and create room for sophomore Ameer Abdullah, so this was a pretty smart pick.
17. Atlanta Falcons: Keanu Neal, S (Florida)- Somewhat of a surprise pick, but it makes sense. Head coach Dan Quinn is a defensive strategist, after all. Besides, Atlanta has plenty of weapons on offense, including Matt Ryan, Tevin Coleman, and Julio Jones, so a defensive player makes sense.
18. Indianapolis Colts: Ryan Kelly, C (Alabama)- The biggest concern for Indy is protecting Andrew Luck, who spent a lot of last season on the sidelines. Getting an offensive linemen also helps the Colts' run game, which was pretty weak last season. Kelly won the Rimmington Award for Best Center last year, so you know he's an elite player.
19. Buffalo Bills: Shaq Lawson, DE (Clemson)- Many expected Lawson's teammate Kevin Dodd to go ahead of Lawson, but the Bills snapped up the former Clemson star. Lawson is a fantastic pass-rusher that can completely disrupt an offense. Lawson also helps the Bills forget about Mario Williams.
20. New York Jets: Darron Lee, LB (Ohio State): Many expected the Jets to take a quarterback, as the Ryan Fitzpatrick situation is not getting any better. Lee however, is a talented player that will help the Jets D. Besides, HC Todd Bowles is a defensive-minded coach.
21. Houston Texans (from Washington): Will Fuller, WR (Notre Dame): I absolutely love this pick. The Texans have an elite defense (thanks to guys like JJ Watt and Jonathan Joseph), so an offensive player makes sense. Fuller was the fastest WR in the class and is an incredible deep-ball threat. The Texans already have an elite-WR#1 in DeAndre Hopkins so having Fuller mixes things up and gives Brock Osweiler another target.
22. Washington Redskins (from Houston): Josh Doctson, WR (TCU): After Houston traded up to pick up Fuller, Washington got a receiver of their own. Doctson is a stellar player that will give Kirk Cousins another target besides DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, and Jordan Reed. I would have preferred Washington help out their suspect defense, but signing Josh Norman before the draft certainly helps.
23. Minnesota Vikings: Laquon Treadwell, WR (Ole Miss): I love this pick. As I said before, Treadwell was the best WR of this class. The Vikings had trouble with the passing game last season, so adding Treadwell gives Teddy Bridgewater a receiver to pair with Stefon Diggs.
24. Cincinnati Bengals: William Jackson III, CB (Houston): I don't love this pick, as the Bengals already have Dre Kirkpatrick, Leon Hall, and Adam Jones. Still, having Jackson only helps in a division with Big Ben and Joe Flacco.
25. Pittsburgh Steelers: Artie Burns, CB (Miami, Fl.)- The pass defense was the weakest thing about the Steelers last year, so this was a smart pick. At 6 feet and 193 pounds, Burns has the potential to defend guys like A.J. Green.
26. Denver Broncos (from Seattle): Paxton Lynch, QB (Memphis): Wow. It looks like John Elway has passed over Colin Kaepernick, Mark Sanchez, and Blake Bortles in favor of the former college standout. Lynch is a great player that should help the Broncos try and defend their championship. It's likely he will play a more reserved role, as Peyton Manning did last season.
27. Green Bay Packers: Kenny Clark, DL (UCLA): The Packers needed a player to fill the void left by B.J. Raji's retirement. The Packers are looking for another deep run in the playoffs this year and adding Clark will help.
28. San Francisco 49ers: Joshua Garnett, G (Stanford)- After getting Buckner earlier in the day, San Fran picks up Garnett, who played an important part in Christian McCaffrey's incredible season last year. Adding Garnett will help RB Carlos Hyde and whoever the QB is (probably Colin Kaepernick).
29. Arizona Cardinals: Robert Nkemdiche, DL (Ole Miss)- Although there are plenty of red flags concerning his off-the-field activity, Nkemdiche is vastly talented that will help a team looking for a Super Bowl. Nkemdiche will also benefit from playing alongside Calais Campbell.
30. Carolina Panthers, Vernon Butler, DT (Virginia Tech)- There wasn't a glaring issue for the defending NFC Champions to address, so they took a guy who was likely at the top of their draft board. Butler is a monster (6'4" and 323 pounds) that will fit in nicely with a defense that includes guys like Kawaan Short and Luke Kuechly.
31. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver): Germain Ifedi, OL (Texas A&M)- To close out the first round, the Seahawks picked up one of the best offensive linemen left on the board. The 'Hawks needed one to help Thomas Rawls and fill the void left by Russell Okung,
Thanks for reading everyone. Check back Sunday to see an article about the other six rounds of the draft.
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