by Ben Bramhall
If you follow me on any of the social media outlets, then you’d know that I absolutely love the NFL draft. The addition of brand-new players to the NFL, the reactions from the players and fans when picks are announced, the unbelievable stories that have led to these young men accomplishing their dreams, and the never-ending booing of Football Overlord Roger Goodell just make the draft so much fun.
As a Philadelphia Eagles fan, I love the excitement and suspense whenever their pick is up. But you get it, the draft is great…for some people. Honestly, it’s a love-hate relationship for most casual fans. People love their team’s new additions when it’s someone they wanted. But most of the time, people hate their team’s picks because it’s not who they wanted.
With that being said, it’s time to analyze the picks from the first round. Keep in mind that these are my (Ben Bramhall’s) personal opinions, and I’m always willing to eat crow whenever I’m wrong. Also, you may love my opinions, you may hate them, so be it. That’s why we talk sports! But enough rambling, let’s go:
After months of stories and speculation, the Cardinals pull the trigger on the Heisman-winning quarterback from Oklahoma and give rookie head coach Kliff Kingsbury his man of the future. He replaces last-year first rounder quarterback Josh Rosen, who they just shipped to Miami for solid draft capital. The Cards skipped out on a lot of generational defensive talents, so the weight of the world will be on Murray’s shoulders. God-speed! Draft Grade: B
One of the more obviously slaps in the face of a draft pick. With Solomon Thomas proving to be a bust so far, the 49ers get a much-needed generational talent of a pass-rusher who might be even better than his brother, Joey. Draft Grade: A
Another obvious pick, Williams might be the most talented player in this draft class. The Jets have seriously upgraded their defensive line by adding the Crimson Tide disruptor. No complaints here, and Jets fans should be very pleased. Draft Grade: A+
The first perplexing pick of the draft, the Gruden Grinders go with a pass rusher who wasn’t even the top defensive end on the board. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great player who could do very well, but you go with him over Josh Allen? Even a few of my Clemson fan friends were shocked by this pick. That should really tell you something. Prove me wrong, Ferrell! Draft Grade: C+
The Bucs desperately need all the help they can get on defense, as they were one of the worst units in the NFL. This pick is an enormous step in the right direction. White is an incredible all-around linebacker that will vastly improve the Bucs defense. They could have gone with edge-rusher Josh Allen, but I can’t blame them for going with the best linebacker of this draft class. Draft Grade: A
The quarterback is the most important position in the NFL. And regardless of the other quarterbacks in a class, when you feel that someone is your guy, you get him. That being said, this pick shocked me. Not because of the fact that the Giants picked Jones, but when they picked him. You had defensive end Josh Allen fall in your laps and you pass on him?!? I get that he’s your guy and believe me, I think he’s the most polished quarterback in this class, but I really don’t think that he would’ve been gone by your next pick. Now, before everyone calls for my death sentence (the Paschal brothers have probably issued a bounty for my head), understand that I’m rooting for Jones to succeed, as he seems to be a solid guy. I am an Eagles fan…rooting for a Giant to succeed…let that sink in, folks. Draft Grade: B-
FINALLY! The Jags take advantage of the golden opportunity to add an uber-talented pass rusher to their already daunting defensive line. Sure, the Jags really didn’t need a pass-rusher and they could have gone with other options. But, with the exception of getting a quarterback, the best teams in the NFL always take the best player available off the board. The Jags did just that, and #Sacksonville just got stronger…man that hashtag is cringe-worthy. Draft Grade: A+
The Lions have neglected to give Matt Stafford any adequate weaponry for years, and their offense has suffered as a result. He’s not getting any younger, so the Lions finally decide to find a playmaker for the offense. And boy did they find one. Hockenson is the closest thing to a Gronk that we are going to get since the former Patriot tight end announced his retirement recently. Sure, the Lions could have addressed other areas with other great selections, but I can’t fault them too much for this pick. Draft Grade: A-
The Bills can begin to count their blessings as they receive one of (perhaps the most) talented defensive lineman. “But Ben, if he’s that talented, why didn’t he go earlier?” Well…there are questions about his character. He did have an incident with Houston head coach Major Applewhite over not obeying team rules, which led to a heated confrontation between the two on the sidelines during a game. He’s also been described as high maintenance. This is something you never want to hear as a fan, but there’s no denying that the talent is there. Draft Grade: B+
Ever since the heartbreaking injury suffered by Ryan Shazier, the Steeler defense has suffered mightily. While Shazier is making miraculous strides in his recovery, there is no guarantee that he will ever play another snap of football. As such, they needed to add a new leader for their defense, and they got one in Bush. This move ended up costing the Steelers a significant amount of draft capital, and I’m not a huge fan of trading a lot of assets to get a non-quarterback. But, if Bush is anything like Shazier, it may be worth the price. Draft Grade: B
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