Like always, the NFL draft didn't disappoint us. It was entertaining and full of surprises. You could say that this draft had more flavor to it than any of the previous ones. A lot of trading took place in this draft, especially in the first-round. We expect trades to take place in the first-round every year, but not as often as we did in this year's draft. This drafted actually started with a buzz, as the Cleveland Browns with the first overall pick selected Baker Mayfield. When the whole world thought the Browns were going to take either Sam Darnold or Josh Allen with the first pick in the draft, they threw a curveball at us by going in the direction of Baker Mayfield. The first overall pick wasn't the only shocker in the first-round. Some other shockers included Sam Darnold falling to the New York Jets at number three. Then, the New Orleans Saints trading up in the first-round by thirteen spots, after they gave up a first-round selection from the next year's (2019) draft. Many thought that the Saints were going to pick their quarterback of the future with a huge jump in the first-round, but they threw a curveball at us too, as they picked a defensive end, Marcus Davenport. Finally, the New England Patriots entered the draft just six months after they had traded away Jimmy Garaoppolo for a second-round pick. So we all assumed that the Pats were definitely going to draft Tom Brady's successor in this year's draft. I had a great feeling that they were going to draft Lamar Jackson. Instead, they passed on him not once, but twice in the first-round. I knew that the Patriots had a need of drafting a tackle in the first or second round, but selecting a running back with their second first-round pick was a surprise. The Patriots met Lamar Jackson couple times before the draft and were very impressed with his abilities. Guess what? They just didn't see him worthy of being drafted in the first-round. The Patriots passing on Lamar was a bit of a surprise to me.
Were there some boring moves in the first-round? Indeed there were, as the Detriot Lions, San Francisco 49ers, and the Cincinnati Bengals drafted offensive linemen with their top selections. Those picks were boring, but it doesn't mean that those picks were bad. Sometimes an offensive lineman is a player a team is missing to have success with its offense. For instance, the Dallas Cowboys were in a need of a right guard entering the 2014 draft. They drafted Zach Martin with their sixteenth overall pick, and then Tony Romo and the Cowboys went 12-4 with a great run game. That's probably the draft the Lions, 49ers, and Bengals looked up before making their first-round draft selections. However, no one enjoys their team picking a lineman in the first-round of the draft unless their team badly needs one, like the Indianapolis Colts did this year and addressed it by selecting Quenton Nelson with the sixth pick. Some teams addressed their needs to compete for Super Bowl next year and some teams addressed their need to become relevant again. Some teams took a huge step forward with their draft picks, while others made strange draft picks that made no sense to a lot of people.
Best Draft Selections from this year's draft!
Sam Darnold to the New York Jets at number 3. This selection by the Jets has a chance to be the best one in the entire draft. Coming out of USC, I and many others believed that Sam Darnold was the best quarterback entering the draft. He can give the New York Jets consistency at the quarterback position and could help them compete for Super Bowl titles in the next three to four years. Jets were very fortunate that both the Cleveland Browns and the New York Giants elected to pass on him. Even the Jets themselves couldn't believe that Darnold was available for them to take at third overall.
Bradley Chubb to the Denver Broncos at number 5. Easily the best defensive player from this year's draft. Many experts have compared him to Von Miller, who is one of the best rushers in the game. Von Miller himself said that Chubb reminds him a little bit of himself and Khalil Mack of the Oakland Raiders. That's some serious praise for a young player from one of the best players in the NFL. Now Chubb and Miller together could cause severe problems for all the opposing quarterbacks, starting from this upcoming 2018 season.
Quenton Nelson to the Indianapolis Colts at number 6. He is considered to be the safest pick in this year's draft. Meaning, he has the least amount of chance to be a bust. Nelson can provide great protection to Andrew Luck, and he could help the Colts have one of the best offensive lines in the entire league. Number one priority for the Colts was to keep Andrew Luck healthy and help him stand straight in the pocket. They addressed their need by drafting Nelson at number six.
Marcus Davenport to the New Orleans Saints at number 14. Last year, the New Orleans surprised the league with how good their defense played all year. With the selection of Davenport, they have added more strength to their defense and have set themselves as strong contenders to represent NFC in the Super Bowl next year.
Harold Landry to the Tennesse Titans with pick 41. The Titans with the selection of Landry in the second-round were able to snag two of the five best linebackers in this year's draft. In the first-round, the Titans drafted Rashaan Evans who was a really good selection for them. But then adding Harold Landry with their second pick in the draft gives the Titans a great tandem of linebackers. They two can dominate the league for at least a decade.
Josh Jackson to the Green Bay Packers with pick 45. He was an excellent choice by the Packers. Not many teams pick corners back to back with their first and second round picks! Packers made the right choice by drafting him after they had already drafted Jaire Alexander with the 18th pick in the first-round. Jackson and Alexander will give the Packers great cornerback play in the secondary. The two have the potential to completely turn the Packers' defense from one of the worst to the very best.
Dallas Goedert to the Philadephia Eagles with the 49th pick. The Philadephia Eagles literally stole him in the draft. They stole him from the Dallas Cowboys, who were expected to pick Goedert with the 50th pick in the second-round. Eagles traded up to 49 and then took Goedert. He is going to be a great fit as the number two tight-end for the Eagles. Goedert and Zach Ertz could give the Eagles the best tight-end tandem in the NFL.
Mason Rudolph to the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 76th pick. He wasn't considered by anyone as a top three or a top-four quarterback coming into this draft, but he can play. Steelers don't know how much longer Ben Roethlisberger is going to play, so they needed to get their quarterback of the future with this draft. They did that! Sitting behind Big Ben and learning from him for a year or two, could help Mason Rudolph establish himself into an elite quarterback, and keep the Steelers Super Bowl contenders for another decade or so.
Harrison Phillips to the Buffalo Bills with the 96th pick. The Buffalo Bills last year traded away Marcell Dareus to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth-round selection. Everyone knew that the Bills would be able to replace Dareus with one of their top three picks in the first two rounds, as the 2018 draft is loaded with many good defensive tackles. However, the Bills found Dareus replacement in the third-round, when they got to draft Harrison Phillips. He could do whatever Dareus did for the Bills from 2011-2017. The only thing is that Phillips is going to play for the Bills for a lot cheaper than what Dareus was making with them.
Kyle Lauletta to the New York Giants with the 108th pick. First, I was mocking the Giants for passing on Sam Darnold and selecting Saquan Barkley at number two. Then, the Giants drafted Kyle Lauletta in round-four. After selecting Lauletta in round four, I said to myself that the Giants just used the same formula as the Cowboys did in the 2016 draft when they drafted Ezekiel Elliot with the top-four pick and then Dak Prescott in the fourth-round. Plus, if the Giants had drafted Sam Darnold with the second overall pick, he was going to sit behind Eli Manning for at least a year, just like Lauletta will sit. Lauletta like Mason Rudolph of the Steelers, can learn from a hall of fame quarterback in Eli Manning for a year or two and then start for the Giants with all the knowledge learned and the experience he will gain from all the practices.
Braxton Berrios to the New England Patriots with the 210th pick. I read what Reggie Wayne had to say about the selection of Berrios by the Patriots. Reggie Wayne believes that Berrios for the Patriots could replace Danny Amendola, who left for the Miami Dolphins in the free agency. Braxton Berrios has the size, speed, and route running ability of Danny Amendola, and he is one of those receivers to whom Tom Brady loves throwing quick passes to.
Riskiest selections from the draft.
Risky selection, in my opinion, takes place only in the first-round. It is the first-rounders on whom teams spend the most time and money on, before and during the draft. Plus, every team wants to get their first pick right. We know that never happens. I believe there were four risky picks in the first-round.
The first overall pick in the 2018 draft was a six-foot quarterback. The Cleveland Browns elected to pass on Sam Darnold with the first overall pick and then went onto draft Baker Mayfield from Oklahoma State. I myself, actually like Baker more than Sam Darnold. Baker, in my opinion, is a better quarterback in terms of making game-winning plays. The only reason why I believe Darnold is going to have a better career than Baker is that Darnold has no on or off the field issues. Sometimes emotions get the best of a player, and no one wants the quarterback of the team to be emotional. Baker plays with a lot of emotion. Baker's attitude and behavior could get him out of the league within three to four years. Unless he matures with time.
Isaiah Wynn to the New England Patriots at 23rd overall was certainly a shocker. Yes, the Patriots needed to address their left-tackle position after Nate Solder left them for the New York Giants. However, that does not mean that the Patriots had to draft a left tackle who isn't that big of a person. Wynn is listed at 6'3 who plays left tackle. Normally in the NFL, most of the left tackles who are really good are 6'5 or taller. Even though Wynn had a great career in college with Georgia, I don't see him being as good with the Patriots as Nate Solder and Matt Light were to them.
Lamar Jackson to the Baltimore Ravens at 32nd was seen as a pretty cool move by Ozzie Newsome. I really wanted the Patriots to draft him with one of their two picks in the first-round. As I mentioned in my previous blog, Lamar Jackson has all the talent in the world, but I don't see him succeeding in the NFL with the style that he plays. If he had been drafted by the Patriots, the Saints, or the Packers, then he would have had a great chance to succeed in the NFL. Why those three teams? All those teams have a great offensive system and three of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time to learn from. Baltimore Ravens have no history of making great quarterbacks. Joe Flacco is good, but not a top twelve quarterback in this league. Flacco has had only one good run with the Ravens and that was the 2012 post-season. Other than that, he has been mediocre. I see Lamar Jackson to be as good as Flacco, or maybe just a little better than him. To trade up for Jackson in the first-round was not a good decision by the Ravens.
Which team(s) had the best overall draft?
In my opinion, three teams did exceptionally well in the draft. The 2018 draft was won by the Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, and the New York Giants.
Nobody did better in the first two rounds of the draft than the Indianapolis Colts. They came into this draft needing help on the offensive line and at all three phases of the defense (front four, linebacker position, and the secondary). The Colts started their 2018 draft by selecting guard Quenton Nelson in the first-round, who is considered to be the safest pick in the entire draft. In the second round, they drafted another guard with Braden Smith. Also, in the second-round, they drafted three defensive players who could start for the team next season. The Colts drafted two defensive ends with Kemoko Turay and Tyquan Lewis, and they drafted an outside linebacker Darius Leonard who is a tackling machine. All these five selections in the first two rounds, with Andrew Luck returning, should have the Colts play a lot better in 2018 than they did in 2017.
The Green Bay Packers besides the Indianapolis Colts nailed the first two rounds of the draft. Last year, with Aaron Rodgers hurt, the Packers' defense barely stood against the Cleveland Browns' offense, who went 0-16 for the season. The Packers really needed help on defense, especially in the secondary. They addressed it in rounds one and two by adding two of the top five corners from the draft. In the first-round, the Packers selected Jaire Alexander from Louisville, and in the second-round, they were able to get Josh Jackson from Iowa who was projected to go in the first-round by many football experts. The Packers were also able to draft linebacker Oren Burks from Vanderbilt. Burks will provide speed and solid athleticism at the linebacker position for the Packers. Besides getting these three players in the first three rounds of the draft, the Packers were also able to get an additional pick (147th pick) in this year's draft and a first-round pick in next year's draft, after they traded with the New Orleans Saints on the first day of the draft.
The Colts and the Packers won the first two rounds of the draft, but it was the New York Giants who won the entire 2018 draft. Not only they addressed the present with this draft, but they also were able to address their future. In the first-round with the second overall pick, the Giants drafted the best player in the draft with running back Saquan Barkley. With Barkley, the Giants finally have a star running back for Eli Manning. Barkley is going to open up the field for Eli to throw the ball to his receivers. After drafting Barkley with the second overall pick, the Giants in the second round drafted Will Hernandez who is going to take over the starting offensive guard position. Hernandez along with Nate Solder is going to provide the necessary protection for Eli Manning next season. Then in round three, the Giants drafted an outside linebacker with Lorenzo Carter and a defensive tackle with B.J.Hill. Carter and Hill will add explosiveness on Giants' defense, which took a step back last year. Then in the fourth round, the Giants drafted Eli Manning's successor with Kyle Lauletta from Richmond. Good coaching and sitting behind Eli for a year or two could help Lauletta become a franchise quarterback for the New York Giants. Since the Giants are finally going to have consistency on offense for years to come with Saqauan Barkley and Kyle Lauletta, they won the 2018 draft with their selections!
Nobody did better in the first two rounds of the draft than the Indianapolis Colts. They came into this draft needing help on the offensive line and at all three phases of the defense (front four, linebacker position, and the secondary). The Colts started their 2018 draft by selecting guard Quenton Nelson in the first-round, who is considered to be the safest pick in the entire draft. In the second round, they drafted another guard with Braden Smith. Also, in the second-round, they drafted three defensive players who could start for the team next season. The Colts drafted two defensive ends with Kemoko Turay and Tyquan Lewis, and they drafted an outside linebacker Darius Leonard who is a tackling machine. All these five selections in the first two rounds, with Andrew Luck returning, should have the Colts play a lot better in 2018 than they did in 2017.
The Green Bay Packers besides the Indianapolis Colts nailed the first two rounds of the draft. Last year, with Aaron Rodgers hurt, the Packers' defense barely stood against the Cleveland Browns' offense, who went 0-16 for the season. The Packers really needed help on defense, especially in the secondary. They addressed it in rounds one and two by adding two of the top five corners from the draft. In the first-round, the Packers selected Jaire Alexander from Louisville, and in the second-round, they were able to get Josh Jackson from Iowa who was projected to go in the first-round by many football experts. The Packers were also able to draft linebacker Oren Burks from Vanderbilt. Burks will provide speed and solid athleticism at the linebacker position for the Packers. Besides getting these three players in the first three rounds of the draft, the Packers were also able to get an additional pick (147th pick) in this year's draft and a first-round pick in next year's draft, after they traded with the New Orleans Saints on the first day of the draft.
The Colts and the Packers won the first two rounds of the draft, but it was the New York Giants who won the entire 2018 draft. Not only they addressed the present with this draft, but they also were able to address their future. In the first-round with the second overall pick, the Giants drafted the best player in the draft with running back Saquan Barkley. With Barkley, the Giants finally have a star running back for Eli Manning. Barkley is going to open up the field for Eli to throw the ball to his receivers. After drafting Barkley with the second overall pick, the Giants in the second round drafted Will Hernandez who is going to take over the starting offensive guard position. Hernandez along with Nate Solder is going to provide the necessary protection for Eli Manning next season. Then in round three, the Giants drafted an outside linebacker with Lorenzo Carter and a defensive tackle with B.J.Hill. Carter and Hill will add explosiveness on Giants' defense, which took a step back last year. Then in the fourth round, the Giants drafted Eli Manning's successor with Kyle Lauletta from Richmond. Good coaching and sitting behind Eli for a year or two could help Lauletta become a franchise quarterback for the New York Giants. Since the Giants are finally going to have consistency on offense for years to come with Saqauan Barkley and Kyle Lauletta, they won the 2018 draft with their selections!
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