With the first round of the NFL Draft behind us and every pick made, it is time to go over the most head scratching, and the best choices made across the league. Several teams showed their true colors, letting fans know the direction they are headed and what to expect, while others pushed themselves into contention and furthered their chance of taking home the Lombardi Trophy next February.
Superlatives
Best Pick: Chicago Bears; Caleb Williams: The Bears, after trading away the number 1 overall pick last season and testing one more season with Justin Fields, finally made the decision to move on from their former first rounder and selected Caleb Williams out of USC. Williams has been a highly touted prospect ever since he came into college, and Bears fans are immediately ready to give him the keys to the franchise. Along with that, you cannot overlook the fact that they got him another rookie to pair up with, selecting Washington WR Rome Odunze at number 9.
Best Value: Arizona Cardinals; Marvin Harrison Jr.: Possibly the best overall prospect in this draft, the Cardinals were lucky to have three times above them all needing QBs, and got the top skill position player at number 4. After losing key offensive pieces Hollywood Brown and Rondale Moore this past offseason, Harrison will be a huge target for QB Kyler Murray to work with. While they may not be able to contend right away, this is a huge step in the right direction for an Arizona team in need of a big boost.
Worst Pick: Atlanta Falcons; Michael Penix Jr.: Sure, I get it. You need to be positive you will have a good backup if Kirk Cousins doesn't work out. But number 8?? Penix is a guy who has had just as much injury trouble as anyone else in this draft. And yes, while he had a great 2 seasons at Washington, he is 23 years old and likely has had much of his progression come in College. There is a chance that this pick works out but I doubt he ever becomes good enough to live up to the number 8 overall in a draft where the Falcons were in desperate need of defensive help. It was an unnecessary reach, especially when they could have gotten other quarterbacks much later for much better value.
Biggest Faller: Cooper DeJean: DeJean, a highly scouted and expected first rounder out of Iowa, was passed on by multiple teams needing secondary help in favor of others. On Day 2, it is likely that teams with higher picks get many calls looking to trade up and select him. Expect for him to prove all these teams wrong when he gets to the league as he will be an excellent pick for whoever is able to pick him up, and will be one of the best value selections made in any round.
Biggest Riser: Bo Nix: Throughout the entire draft process, Nix was never given favorable odds to fall in the first round. But with all the teams in need of Quarterbacks, he ended up falling to the Broncos at number 12. Because of Russell Wilson's departure, he will likely given the keys to the offense immediately upon arrival. There may be a small competition in training camp, but expect to see the Oregon product on the field in Week 1. There is no telling how this may turn out, but history has proven that teams in need of a QB are more likely to reach for one than any other position, so don't expect crazy fireworks right away.
Eli Knight
Add comment
Comments