Now that the dust has settled…somewhat, it’s time to dig in and analyze this last week’s NFL Draft.
First up: The biggest shockers of the draft.
The biggest shocker to most was the Cleveland Browns selecting Baker Mayfield with the No. 1 pick. However, those in attendance in Dallas were made aware of the Browns’ intentions hours before Roger Goodell trotted out to the podium. Leading up to the draft, all talks of the No. 1 pick centered around Sam Darnold and Josh Allen.
However, this shocker was not a pick; it was Josh Allen’s racist tweets that surfaced less than 24 hours prior to the start of the draft. When addressing the media following his selection, Allen apologized for the tweets and said that the Bills, who traded up to select him with the No. 7 pick, discussed the tweets with him.
Biggest Slide of the Draft – Derrius Guice
The former LSU running back slid to the second round where the Redskins selected him as the No. 59 pick. Sources are saying Guice’s slide is due to him being late to predraft meetings causing teams to doubt his reliability. Guice, considered the No. 2 running back in the draft class behind Saquon Barkley, also made headlines when he disclosed that he was asked about his sexuality during the Combine.
While Lamar Jackson falling to the last pick of the first round wasn’t ideal; I wouldn’t call it a slide. The politics surrounding Jackson (i.e. not hiring an agent; not running the 40) were expected to be held against him. Ironically, his athleticism was used against him as well and there’s no telling how far he would have slid had the Ravens not traded up to draft him.
Blindside Award goes to Jason Witten.
Although not a prospect, Witten’s last-minute intention to retire from the Dallas Cowboys came at the top of the second day of the draft. Witten is expected to follow the steps of Tony Romo and enter the broadcasting field.
My Brother’s Keeper
For the first time ever, a set of brothers were drafted in the first round of the same draft. Tremaine Edmunds, a linebacker, was selected by the Bills with the No.16 pick. Older brother Terrell, a safety, was in Dallas to support his younger brother and was shocked to hear his name called the first night of the draft. Terrell was selected by the Steelers with the No. 28 pick. The oldest of the Edmunds brothers, Trey, is a running back for the New Orleans Saints. Guess it runs in the family.
Another set of brothers, actually twins, were reunited on the field when the Seattle Seahawks drafted LB Shaquem Griffin in the fifth round. Shaquem, who was left with one hand due to a birth defect, gained national attention with his Combine performance. He joins twin brother Shaquill, a cornerback drafted by the Seahawks in 2017.
Who “won” the Draft – honestly; there’s no way to determine that just yet.
With none of the prospects having played a snap of NFL football, this is a really tough determination to make. Outside of pure talent, several factors determine a team’s success such as injury and fluidity on the field – just asked the Panthers whose roster was stacked with offensive power that didn’t translate into points.
That being said – Are you ready for some football?