Opinion: First Round Draft Analysis; The Winners And the Losers

Last night's NFL Draft was quite the dramatic show that we love to watch. Trades, surprise picks, and burning mock drafts were all done last night with much enthusiasm to fans and analysts alike. In this article, I will give my grades to each and every pick, and tell you what to expect this season from the new class of first round rookies.

Tier 1 Picks & Trades (A Grades)

San Francisco 49ers Trades Their #2 overall pick to Chicago for their #3 overall, #67 overall, #111 overall and 2018 3rd round picks. (99 - A+)

This was the best move of the night by far. John Lynch, in his first Draft as a General Manager, trades down one pick collecting 2 extra picks this season and another one next. It was a great move on his part, and I would have paid anything to have been in the 49ers War Room personally to see that trade go down.

San Francisco 49ers #3 - DE Solomon Thomas, Stanford (95 - A)

The 49ers struck gold with this pick, not just because they got the player they wanted all along, but because they basically got paid by Chicago to take this guy, stockpiling a couple picks this season and another pick next season that the 49ers can do a whole lot with.

I'm assuming John Lynch is looking to replace Aaron Lynch at right outside linebacker, and pair Thomas with Ahmad Brooks as pass rushers in the 3-4 scheme. Its a healthy marriage. Thomas was a pass rushing beast last season who collected 61 tackles last season, 14 for loss, and shows a lot of promise in the run stopping game. Thomas may actually be a better overall player then Myles Garrett, who the Browns took at #1. Great pick by the 49ers.

Indianapolis Colts #15 - S Malik Hooker, Ohio State (95 - A)

The Colts back end of their secondary is really bad. There really is not a starting caliber player on their safety roster. Adding some bigger bodies up front with Barkeveious Mingo and Jabaal Sheard from Cleveland through New England, Jon Bostic and Johnathan Hankins inside, the Colts are trying to replicate the defense that the Patriots have put together.

Hooker is a coverage playmaker. Picking off 7 passes in 2016, and taking 3 to the house, the Colts have added a zone safety who can play extremely well as a free safety. He is strong and has a strong hitting power, and can contribute in multiple areas on the field. He has a little red flag because of some minor injury issues, but didn't miss time as a result of that last season. Very strong pick for Indianapolis.

New Orleans Saints #11 - CB Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State (94 - A)

The Saint's veteran cornerback roster is simply bad. Let's not beat around the bush. They are really bad. PJ Williams and Delvin Breaux were the projected starters going into the draft. The Nickelback position was being faught between Damien Swann and Taveze Calhoun. Have you ever heard of any of those players? Me either.

Enter Marshon Lattimore.

The Ohio State product has struggled with injuries, but his top end speed and coverage ability is exciting for Saints fans. He can be a #1 cornerback as soon as opening day.

San Francisco 49ers #31 - LB Reuben Foster, Alabama (94 - A)

The 49ers have been working on building a strong defense, going back to John Lynch's roots. Lynch was a safety who played a Hall of Fame type career with the Denver Broncos. After adding Malcolm Smith and Dekota Watson for depth at the inside linebacker spot, the 49ers built depth and stability.

Add Reuben Foster to the mix, and the 49ers have another strong defensive front 7, and another top 10 caliber player at a very low cost. Foster has been described by scouts as a "heat-seeking missle," Foster has a knack for being a violent sideline-to-sideline player, and strong in all three aspects of defense; pass coverage, pass rushing and run stuffing. He is a Hall of Fame caliber talent if he can stay healthy and out of trouble.

Cleveland Browns #1 - DE Myles Garrett, Texas A&M (93 - A)

Thank God that the Cleveland Browns did not screw up another #1 overall draft pick by taking a quarterback with a monster like Garrett on the board. Garrett has been the surefire #1 overall pick ever since we started looking forward to this draft after the last one 360 days ago. He's a top-end speed threat with a whole lot of strength and can be a gamechanger with his disruptiveness.

Cleveland adds him to the other end on the defensive line opposite of Emmanuel Ogbah, who also boasts top end speed, to give the Browns two top 5 speed threats in their position group on their defensive ends. It looks pretty spectacular when you see those two and a 6'7" prospect in Carl Nassib who can rotate in and Danny Shelton in the middle. Clevelands front 7 just got really exciting.

San Francisco 49ers trade #34 overall and #111 overall to Seattle Seahawks for #31 overall. (93 - A)

The 49ers have added a second great trade to the night, trading one of their newly aquired picks to the Seahawks, also in need of mid round picks, to get back into the first round. A very smart move again on the part of John Lynch.

Washington Redskins #17 - DL Jonathan Allen, Alabama (92 - A-)

The Redskins are trying to rebuild their defensive front, signing Stacy McGee, Phil Taylor and Terrell McClain this offseason to try and buildsome depth. It was a very dismal season for the Redskins defensive line, and then loosing the starters that were already there.

Alabama's Jonathan Allen is a balanced defensive demon. He has the pass rushing and run plugging ability and is probably the closest we have seen to a Ndamukong Suh since the man was drafted in 2010. Allen brings a serious threat to the Redskins front and can be a big playmaker for a decade.

Green Bay Packers trade #29 overall pick to Cleveland Browns for #33 overall and #108 overall picks. (92 - A-)

The Packers draft board must have been a mess after the crazy night that unfolded. Smart choice to trade out of the first round, take a day to recollect themselves and open up day 2 of the Draft while adding an extra pick to the resources.

Carolina Panthers #8 - RB Christian McCaffrey, Stanford (91 - A-)

The Panthers suffered last season with Cam Newton trying to lead an offense almost single handedly while suffering a multitude of minor injuries. Running Back Jonathan Stewart did not return in full form, and when he missed time neither did his backups.

Christian McCaffrey brings a new dymanic to the Panther offense that they haven't really seen before. Capable of being a 4 down back in the league and lining up as a receiver in several different slots, McCaffreys versitility should help Newton tremendously and bring Carolina back to a competitive state in the NFC South.

Kansas City Chiefs #10 - QB Patrick Mahomes II, Texas Tech (91 - A-)

I like to think of the Chiefs as the NFL's version of the Los Angeles Clippers. They can achieve regular season success or put together great teams with a great coach. They can't win playoff games. Alex Smith, the 2005 1st Overall pick, has had his chances to lead Kansas City to post season success. Granted, he hasn't had the flashiest offenses nor the healthy teams once he gets there, but his conservative outlook on the game of football has not helped Kansas City in the playoffs.

I like this pick for both parties. The Chiefs know Smith is getting old and a replacement has to come soon. You trade up and take the quarterback with the most upside of any quarterback in this class, who has a completely different style of play then Smith, and a great quarterback tutor in Andy Reid. This pick lives and breathes with common sense. It's a great move for the future of the Kansas City Chiefs Franchise.

Cleveland Browns trade #12 overall pick to Houston Texans for #25th overall and 2018 1st round picks. (91 - A-)

The Browns made a nice move trading down into the mid 20's and collecting another 1st round pick next season to help transistion the rebuilding process further. At this rate, however, they will own all of the Texans picks next season. If they can't get their offense together, it'll end up being quite a bargain. The Browns were probably hoping that Patrick Mahomes would fall to 12, and when he was selected at #10, they started looking for a suitor to trade down and regroup with.

Cleveland Browns trade #33 overall and #108 overall picks to Green Bay Packers for #29 overall pick. (91 - A-)

Cleveland made a really nice move giving up a couple of picks to trade back into the 1st round. With the craziness that had unfolded throughout the night, the move made a lot of sense.

Buffalo Bills trade #10 overall pick to Kansas City Chiefs for #27 overall, #91 overall and 2018 1st round picks. (90 - A-)

There is nothing wrong with getting an extra 1st round pick next season when you are a team going into rebuilding mode. The Bills took advantage of the situation and added a couple picks to their resources, both in the top 100 picks of the draft. Very nice value and good move on their part.

Philadelphia Eagles #14 - DE Derek Barnett, Tennessee (90 - A-)

The Eagles have spent a lot of money on their defensive front. Adding Chris Long from New England to the starting rotation this season to play in front of Vinny Curry, who is being used as a pass rushing specialist being paid almost $9M a year, and having Fletcher Cox on the roster with a massive contract, the Eagles add a new face in Tennessee career sack leader Derek Barnett.

Barnett broke Reggie White's Tennessee career record in 3 seasons, and declared early after his true junior season. He's a consistant pass rusher who shows up in games, and a very decent run stopper on the edge. While not a blatant need, between him, Long, Cox and Curry, the Eagles have now put together a very nice front and can bring a lot of competition on to the NFC East.

Pittsburgh Steelers #30 - OLB T.J. Watt, Wisconsin (90 - A-)

The Steelers want to have a pass rushing tandem they can come to rely upon on the opposite side of Bud Dupree. With James Harrison on the other side right now, its a smart move to add a talented young body to be tutored by someone old enough to be a coach. *Hint Hint*.

T.J. Watt is the younger brother of J.J. Watt, the Houston Texan standout defensive end. Watt played on a very underrated defense at Wisconsin and compiled double digit sacks last season while there. He has good speed and was probably the best option for the Steelers at that point.

Tier 2 Picks & Trades (B Grades)

Tampa Bay Buccanneers #19 - TE OJ Howard, Alabama (89 - B+)

Tampa Bay gives Jameis Winston yet another tool for his passing game, to add alongside Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson. The Tight End position didn't work out with Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who has since joined the Jets, and the team was left to depend on Cameron Brate and Luke Stocker.

OJ Howard has a complete skill set for his position. He is skilled as a blocker, has very soft hands and isn't just a threat in the short to intermediate game, but has 4.5 speed to outrun linebackers and even safeties going deep. Howard is skilled in his pass receiving trade, but it also very talented in run blocking. It's a great addition to the Buccanneers roster.

Seattle Seahawks trade #31 overall to San Francisco 49ers for #34 overall and #111 overall picks. (89 - B+)

Seattle's draft board was probably a mess too. Good job using another trade to move out of the 1st round, regroup for day 2, and collect another mid round pick to make up for the lost picks by working with a fierce division rival. Very bold.

Jacksonville Jaguars #4 - RB Leonard Fournette, LSU (88 - B+)

Leonard Fournette is a very good selection for the Jaguars, as they continue to show confidence in Blake Bortles by trying to give him some real help in the run game. Chris Ivory and TJ Yeldon couldn't really cut it last season with a below average offensive line, and the offense was forced to try and survive with an unbalanced pass attack.

Fournette last season struggled with injuries, bouncing between his ankle and knees, and was reportedly healthy enough to play in the Bowl game against Louisville but sat out to keep himself healthy. Nevertheless, there is no denying that he was undoubtably the best running back in college football for the past couple of seasons, and still produced huge numbers despite the predictability of the offense he was part of. If he keeps himself healthy, the Jaguars are landing a franchise player for the next decade.

New York Giants #23 - TE Evan Engram, Ole Miss (88 - B+)

The Giants have just loaded their passing offense. With Odell Beckham Jr, Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepherd all on the roster, New York has lacked the help from the tight end position that they have needed.

Evan Engram is a very good receiver. While he is not much help in run blocking, he can make huge plays with his receiving ability, and is a serious downfield threat. Don't expect huge fantasy numbers from Engram, but expect him to give Eli Manning another reliable option in the passing game.

Buffalo Bills #27 - CB Tre'Davious White, LSU (88 - B+)

The Bills lost Stephon Gillmore, and their cornerbacks left on the roster are really weak. Ronald Darby and Kevon Seymour are the expected starters pre draft.

Tre'Davious White is slightly undersized, and a lot of teams have concern about his speed. However, he is a smart and physical player who is a solid tackler, and plays solid in coverage. White can start Week 1, but he might struggle at first. However, he has nothing but upside to develop into.

Kansas City Chiefs trade #27 overall, #91 overall and 2018 1st round pick to Buffalo for #10 overall pick. (87 - B+)

It's a fair and decent trade. Kansas City moves up 17 spots and gives up what really is considered minimal damages. It's a solid trade and it works well for the Chiefs.

Arizona Cardinals #13 - LB Hassan Reddick, Temple (87 - B+)

Arizona has to be thinking about the future with their defense. They brought back Karlos Dansby, a former 2nd round pick of theirs from 2004, to try and help stablize the middle of the defense. Dansby may have another good season in the tank, and Deone Buccanon stepped up his game last season.

Reddick is a former walk-on that earned himself a football scholarship at Temple. A monster force inside, he will have time to learn from one of the best at the game in Dansby, and have time to step into his role over the next couple of seasons.

Miami Dolphins #21 - DE Charles Harris, Missouri (87 - B+)


The Dolphins have a formidable front already with Cameron Wake and Ndamukong Suh. They added William Hayes during the offseason, a very good player when in rotation.

Charles Harris will step into that opposite side of Wake and give the Dolphins a formidable front. Harris is a violent player off of the snap, and was solid in his career at Missouri.

Seattle Seahawks trade #26 overall to Atlanta Falcons for #31 overall, #95 overall and #249 overall picks. (87 - B+)

Seattle is trying to get some of their picks that were forfeited for rule violations back, and got their 3rd round back in a trade with Atlanta. Nice move on their part to get that from someplace, and they only had to move down 5 spots.

Cleveland Browns #29 - TE David Njoku, Miami, Florida (87 - B+)

The Browns are about to cut Gary Barnidge, and most likely because of his contract being too much for the Browns to want to pay right now. That leaves them with Randle Telfer and Seth DeValve.

This ends up being a really great move on the part of Cleveland who gets themselves a solid receiving threat as well as a stiff run blocker in Njoku who can step in and produce big in year 1.

Houston Texans #12 - QB Deshaun Watson, Clemson (86 - B)

The Texans enter this season with Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden as the veteran quarterbacks on the roster. Not very comforting for anyone who wants to see Houston succeed. The Texans have been focused on building a strong offense around the quarterback, and have done a good job of doing so, securing a good line and receiver group, and have Lamar Miller to support in the run game.

A lot of people probably consider this pick as an A Grade pick, but I'm not exactly sold on Watson. He has a big ego, his coach, Dabo Swinney, certainly didn't help with that, and he struggled against lesser talent. He was picked off 3 times twice last season, once by Louisville and once by Pittsburgh. Troy's secondary picked him off twice. Watson has been able to rise to the occasion in big games, but it's very questionable whether he can rise to the occasion on a consistant basis.

New York Jets #6 - S Jamal Adams, LSU (85 - B)

The Jets have a horendous team right now and can easily be drafting the #1 overall pick in next years draft. One bright spot on the team, however, is Strong Safety Calvin Pryor, a former Alabama first round pick who plays well in coverage. The Jets went and added Marcus Gilchrist this season, to add depth to the Free Safety, as well as Morris Claiborne from Dallas at Cornerback.

The Jet's ended up with the perfect opportunity to bolster their back end with Adams, who can play in both safety slots, and was a hard hitting playmaker at LSU. While Adams didn't show exactly above average coverage skills and has some red flags due to injurys, Adams was the best overall player left on the board and the Jets filled a need with taking him early.

Baltimore Ravens #16 - CB Marlon Humphrey, Alabama (85 - B)

The Ravens added Brandon Carr to their secondary to play alongside shutdown corner Jimmy Smith and safeties Tony Jefferson and Eric Weddle. For a secondary that has been picked on badly for the past couple of years, there were neccessary additions for the Ravens to really get back into AFC North competition.

Cornerback wasn't the biggest need for Baltimore, but it works out well taking the playmaker out of Alabama. The Ravens now add a reliable nickel option, using Humphreys physicality and smarts to keep teams #3 receivers in check. His speed was a concern for several teams, but it should work out well in Baltimore's physical Harbough defense.

Oakland Raiders #24 - CB Gareon Conley, Ohio State (85 - B)

Atlanta Falcons #26 - LB Takkarist McKinley, UCLA (85 - B)

New Orleans Saints #32 - OT Ryan Ramczyk, Wisconsin (85 - B)


Houston Texans trade #25 overall and 2018 1st round pick to Cleveland Browns for #12 overall pick (84 - B)

The Texans move up 13 spots from #25 to #12, and gave up an extra 1st round pick to do so. Already handing the Browns their 2nd and 6th round picks next season with the Brock Osweiler trade earlier this season, it seems as though a friendship has developed between the two teams. They really gave up the minimum to move up as far as they did, but the Browns lost out on getting a quarterback and took what they could get to move down.

Cleveland Browns #25 - S Jabrill Peppers, Michigan (83 - B)


Denver Broncos #20 - OT Garett Bolles, Utah (82 - B-)


Tennessee Titans #5 - WR Corey Davis, Western Michigan (81 - B-)

This pick is considered by most analysts as a reach, and I assume that the Titans were trying to trade down and were unable to reach a deal, so they took the guy they wanted a little early. The Titans need some help at their receiver position, with Rashard Matthews serving as the #1 receiver last season.

Davis can step in as the #1, or a #3 at the very least, with his soft hands and NCAA career receiving records, produce and boost a receiving group that got spread very thin last season, and has thinned more with the loss of Kendall Wright to free agency. Davis has good potential, but also a lot of bust potential due to the lack of competition he faced in College.

Tier 3 Picks (C Grades)

Tennessee Titans #18 - CB Adoree Jackson, USC (79 - C+)

The Titans secondary has needed help for quite some time now. Barely surviving with Parrish Cox, Cody Sensabaugh and LeShaun Sims last season, the Titans need serious help at the cornerback position and everybody knew it.

Still, Adoree Jackson feels like another reach for the Titans. He has elite end speed, and played well in coverage in the PAC-12, but his size is an issue and he will struggle against bigger receivers if asked to play as the #1 cornerback. Still, he's a multi-threat talent, able to play wide receiver and running back as well as kick/punt returner on special teams.

Atlanta Falcons trade #31 overall, #95 overall and #249 overall to Seattle Seahawks for #26 overall. (75 - C)

Atlanta gave up a good bit to move up 5 spots, late in the first round. Seems like a little bit of a reach for me. It could be worse, if the Falcons had more holes in the team.

Cincinnati Bengals #9 - WR John Ross, Washington (73 - B)

Brandon LaFell didn't work out as a good replacement for a departed Marvin Jones as a #2 receiver, AJ Green ended up missing some time with injuries last season and Tyler Boyd wasn't better then average. Granted, Cincinnati probably made a decent decision taking the fastest guy in the history of the NFL Combine to play as their #2 receiver, and try to bump LaFell into more of a #3 role.

However, Ross has struggled his entire career with different injuries, and may not be able to stay very healthy in the NFL. Taking Ross early was probably a good bit of a reach as well, and, again, with so much defensive talent left on the board and some holes to plug on defense, it's hard to understand why they grabbed him here.

Dallas Cowboys #28 - DE Taco Charlton, Michigan (72 - B-)

Los Angeles Chargers #7 - WR Mike Williams, Clemson (71 - B-)

The Chargers have a lot of depth at the wide receiver positions, between Keenan Allen, Travis Benjamin, Dontrelle Inman and Tight End help in Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry, so this pick really doesn't make much sense. Philip Rivers is getting old, and may only have a couple seasons left in his tank. With the holes on defense and the defensive talent that had fallen to them at 7, it's a shocker that they didn't pull the trigger on someone who can bolster their weakest parts.

Perhaps the Chargers are worried about the health of Keenan Allen, who missed most of last season with a torn ACL. Bad reason to grab Williams, who missed the entire 2015 season with the same injury. However, he is explosive, he wins contested balls, and brings a lot to the receiving group, once he actually gets time on the field.

Tier 4 Picks (D Grades) 

Chicago Bears #2 - QB Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina (67 - D)
The Chicago Bears might as well have paid out the lottery winnings to the 49ers who robbed them blind to take this pick. Chicago is already paying quarterback Mike Glennon $18.5M this season to start, and will be giving him $45M over the next 3 seasons. Why are they giving 3 draft picks to move up 1 spot?

Trubisky shows a lot of potential as a quarterback to be, assuming that he landed in the right spot. He was a one year starter at North Carolina, starting his junior season, and declared early. He shows great accuracy throwing the football but struggled in the bigger games against better defenses. He has a lot of bust material. Who do the Chicago Bears have on their roster at quarterback to serve as a teacher and mentor to their new young rookie? Mark Sanchez? Great going, Chicago. Looks like you dug a grave for John Fox, who is an overrated head coach in the league already.


"What The Hell Were They Thinking?!" Tier (F Grades)

Chicago Bears Trade #3 Overall, #67 overall, #111 overall and 2018 3rd round picks to San Francisco for their #2 overall pick

I'm seriously wondering what the hell Chicago was thinking on this one. You're giving San Francisco 3 extra picks, including 2 in the first 100, to move up one spot? Really?

BIG WINNERS

San Francisco 49ers 
Two big trades followed by two big picks, and the 49ers are the clear cut big winners on day 1 of the draft. Adding two valuable pieces to their defense, both being Top 10 talents, San Francisco finishes the day two 3rd round picks ahead of where they started.

BIG LOSERS

Chicago Bears
Seriously?! A questionable move to make a questionable pick results in a big loss for the Chicago Bears who are seriously interested in digging the grave for their head coach John Fox. My oh my. It was truly a bad day.