Following an exciting first round, we break down the favorite picks, most pleasant and biggest surprises, most under-appreciated pick, worst move and more.
Peyton Manning, Mario Williams, Mike Wallace and Carl Nicks headline an intriguing free agent class that can shift the balance of power this offseason.
The Eagles seemingly came out of nowhere to sign Nnamdi Asomugha as they eye a trip to the Super Bowl.
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Quite an eventful night at Radio City!
What Jeff Liked:
-- Cleveland picking up incredible value for the #6 pick, and taking Phil Taylor at #21 as the first of the king's ransom they extracted from Atlanta. In a division that likes to run between the tackles, Taylor was the best run stuffer in the draft and is a great fit.
-- Jacksonville and Blaine Gabbert. I put Gabbert on my bust list, but this is the best-case scenario for him. David Garrard has responded well when pushed before, but he's 33 and wildly inconsistent. Gabbert can get up to speed with no pressure to play right away, and he inherits a great running game and decent bookend tackles to protect him. I'm insanely jealous of Gabbert's hair.
-- Jimmy Smith to Baltimore. He's a perfect schematic fit, the best pure cover man in this draft. It's for the best the alleged trade with Chicago wasn't consumated and they had no interest in Jonathan Baldwin anyways.
-- Arizona sticking at #5 and taking Patrick Peterson. Their defense loves to gamble and make plays, and Peterson is a playmaker extraordinaire. They'd better add a pass rusher on Friday though...
-- Andy Dalton and Ryan Mallett not being first round picks.
-- My mock draft nailing Jake Locker at #8, Washington trading back, Minnesota taking Christian Ponder, and getting many other picks very close. In this year of crazy uncertainty, I'll take it.
-- The Colts getting the most NFL-ready tackle in Anthony Castonzo as they keep the Super Bowl window open. Green Bay taking Derek Sherrod is a strong pick as well.
What Jeff Didn't Like:
-- New Orleans trading way up for Mark Ingram. Not a negative reflection on Ingram, but as my friend Sal quite astutely pointed out, they gave up their second round pick and next year's first rounder to move up and select a guy they already essentially have in Pierre Thomas. I don't see the fit with Cameron Jordan either, he struck me as a strict 30-front DE.
-- Minnesota taking Christian Ponder at #12. See my quarterback video for my thoughts on Ponder.
-- Corey Liuget to San Diego. I like him quite a bit but he's not a traditional 3-4 end. Harkens to taking Larry English, who most certainly was not a 3-4 OLB; you'd think they would have learned from that...
-- The Houston media striking out swinging at pitches in the dirt. There are four local sports radio stations in Houston and almost every host on every station, not to mention the print media guys, had the Texans either moving up to get Peterson (or Von Miller) or taking Aldon Smith or Robert Quinn or Prince Amukamara. I never once heard the name J.J. Watt. To be fair, the Texans staff never mentioned Watt either and was very tight-lipped, but you would think that one of the thirty-something guys covering this team would have accidentally stumbled upon Watt at least being a candidate.
-- Seattle not moving back to get James Carpenter. I actually like the pick, just not at #25. A wise birdie told me Green Bay was going to take him at #32, so the Seahawks had plenty of wiggle room and seemingly willing trade partners with little threat to select the underrated Alabama tackle.
Things Jeff Is Still Sorting Out:
-- My Lions and Nick Fairley. This pick provoked extensive debate on the message boards. My initial reaction was "I hate this pick," as the Lions already have the best DT rotation in the league and a once-a-generation talent in Suh that plays the exact same spot. But I've listened to the arguments and I am warming to the concept with these ideas:
A. The Bears, Vikings, and Packers (in that order) are all in various states of disrepair on their interior offensive lines. None of them could even slow down Suh with Corey Williams or Sammie Hill a year ago, and now comes the lightning quick Fairley. I like that.
B. I can't think of anyone else that presented real value for the pick other than Anthony Castonzo, and I had Fairley rated much higher. I'm happy they didn't reach for a linebacker or corner. Now get me an outside linebacker and a safety/corner tomorrow and I'm much happier.
-- Aldon Smith to San Francisco. They certainly need him, or at least what he is in theory, a dynamic outside rusher with great length and quickness. But he's pretty green and has some injury issues, and they have to play him right away. Rushing raw talent into the lineup hasn't worked real well in San Francisco lately. I preferred Robert Quinn (also pretty green), but not enough that I think this is a poor pick. I applaud them for being patient on the QB front. But there’s just something here that makes me uneasy.
-- Atlanta's bold move. It's a huge gamble, giving up all those picks to move way up and take Julio Jones. Depending on where they finish 2011 it could be more than the Saints gave up to pick Ricky Williams or the Vikings surrendered to get Herschel Walker, two moves that horribly backfired. I do think Jones is a perfect fit for their offense, but the pressure is really on him to deliver right away. He's had a litany of small injuries and some ugly drops. Still, I like the message that GM Tom Dimitroff sent to his team here: We're good enough to win now, and I'm not afraid to go all in with the cards I've got. It's either going to be brilliant or a complete disaster three years from now, when all those traded picks would be bearing fruit.
What Jeff Anticipates For Friday:
-- A mini-run on QBs (Dalton, Mallett, Kaepernick) and DL (Austin, Reed, Paea, Casey) at the top of the second round.
-- Da'Quan Bowers falling out of the top 50.
-- Teams pushing hard to make trades of current players. I've deliberately avoided all CBA talk, but too many people on both sides want this to happen for it to continue in limbo.
-- No tight ends or running backs in the first 20 picks.
