Risen Star
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http://espn.go.com/nfl/draft2016/in...raft-mel-kiper-runs-winners-questions-round-1
We knew it was going to be quarterbacks going No. 1 and No. 2 overall. From there, it got fun, just as it always does. The first surprise of the 2016 NFL draft came at No. 3, where the San Diego Chargers drafted Joey Bosa. They spent a lot of time on him late -- including a call between Bosa and owner Dean Spanos -- and they felt comfortable with the pick. Considering he was my No. 2 prospect overall, I can't argue with the value at all.
But I didn't feel that way about every pick.
Here are a few favorites and a few question marks, with a number of notes added. If you don't see your team here, remember, I'm going to break down every team in the draft in my draft grades when it's all said and done.
Liking it
Tennessee Titans
I haven't really been hiding my affection for Jack Conklin, the offensive tackle out of Michigan State. He was No. 4 on my final Big Board, and I think he has a high floor. Maybe he's not a future left tackle, but he could be, and he could also be really good on the right side. So Tennessee, a team in desperate need of a tackle, moved down in the draft -- and got a massive haul from the Rams to do so -- and still managed to get the tackle prospect it wanted. Hard to argue with that. Good draft so far for general manager Jon Robinson.
Seattle Seahawks
This is setting up to be a great second day of the draft, as there are just so many good players on the board. So you have to give Seattle credit for adding a valuable third-round pick from the Broncos to move down just a handful of spots and then still get an offensive lineman who could be useful fairly soon, at least as a guard. Germain Ifedi needs work, but he's a solid value as the last pick in Round 1, and again, you're getting a future third-round pick in addition. John Schneider has to be thinking that's a future starter.
Washington Commanders
They moved down a spot and still got at No. 22 the player I had rated as the top wide receiver in the draft. I'll call that a good night for the Commanders and general manager Scot McCloughan. Josh Doctson is a needed infusion of youth in this offense, and I think he's a special player both with the ball in the air and after the catch. He's also just a great kid. It's a nice combo platter for Washington, which gets a steal, adds a little pick value and hits a need.
Indianapolis Colts
I've given them enough of a hard time on some picks over the past couple of years, so let's hand out credit where it's due. I think Ryan Kelly is a really, really good football player. He's a center the Colts can plug in right away, and the kind of guy with whom Andrew Luck will find instant chemistry. Not only does he fill a need, he helps out your franchise player in identifying what defenses are doing.
More I liked: I know Laremy Tunsil is the talk of the draft, and it's not all good. But to get a guy with that level of talent at No. 13? That's a reasonable bet to place. ... Darron Lee at No. 20 is a great value for the Jets, and he's exactly the kind of player they were looking for. He ended up No. 15 on my Big Board. ... The Bengals were wise to add William Jackson III at No. 24. I think he would have been a good fit for the team drafting next -- the Steelers. ... Karl Joseph is another great piece for a Raiders defense that looks a lot better than it did at this time last year. ... The Carolina defensive line was scary already. Adding Vernon Butler? They're tough up front. ... Laquon Treadwell in Minnesota is a best-case scenario for the Vikings. ... The Lions did the right thing in going for an offensive tackle over a defensive lineman when they tookTaylor Decker.
Questioning it
San Francisco 49ers
I think the 49ers got solid value with the addition of DeForest Buckner at No. 7 overall. But the trade up to get back in the first round and grab Joshua Garnett of Stanford -- the No. 67 player on my board -- was a little bit of a surprise and a clear reach for me. They do have some flexibility, thanks to a surplus of picks, and that's what puts you in position to simply target and add the guy you want. One thought that came to mind later was that perhaps they felt Seattle, a team in dire need of offensive line help, would grab Garnett with the final pick in Round 1.
Philadelphia Eagles
My feeling here: Don't knock the pick, but you sure can knock the process. The Eagles moved up to No. 2 overall at a pretty significant cost, and for a quarterback they feel can be the future. I think Carson Wentz needs a significant amount of seasoning due to the jump in competition, but the question here is about how this occurred. The locker room dynamic is really problematic here if Sam Bradford is frustrated by this process, whether he's the one voicing his frustration or it's being voiced for him. If the Eagles really don't want to trade Bradford, they've put themselves in a difficult situation. And really, where would they deal him?
New York Giants
The Giants needed to add a cornerback at some point, and they got their guy, clearly, with Eli Apple at No. 10. Apple has the physical ability and upside to prove them smart, but for the second year in a row, they took a player at a need position where the need far surpassed value. Last year, it was Ereck Flowers (No. 23 on the Big Board) at No. 9; this year it was Apple (No. 28 for me) at No. 10. Fit is important, but I had a couple of cornerbacks rated higher. Again, I don't dislike the pick; it's just a value question mark for me.
Denver Broncos
Denver moved from No. 31 up to No. 26 to get Paxton Lynch, a guy they're clearly excited to develop. But "develop" is the key word here, because when I see Lynch, I see a major physical talent who is not ready. I had him at No. 40 overall on my board -- and Michigan State's Connor Cook rated higher. But the question really isn't about value. It's "what's next?" Are they comfortable defending a Super Bowl title with Mark Sanchez and Paxton Lynch? I still have to wonder if John Elway is done. Don't you?
More: We all know I think a running back at No. 4 is a leap on positional value, but I love Ezekiel Elliott and think he can be a star for the Cowboys. ... I don't mind Houston targeting a wide receiver, as Will Fuller gives them a needed speed element to stretch the field, I just think Doctson is a better player. That said, if Fuller gets more consistent catching the ball, he's what they need. ...Keanu Neal had been a hot name over the past few days, and Atlanta nabbed him at No. 17. That's a little rich for me, though I don't think he would have gotten past the Jets at No. 20 or a team right after that. ... I'll be interested to find out if Pittsburgh had Artie Burns rated ahead of William Jackson III, the corner the Bengals took one spot ahead of them. And I like Burns.
We knew it was going to be quarterbacks going No. 1 and No. 2 overall. From there, it got fun, just as it always does. The first surprise of the 2016 NFL draft came at No. 3, where the San Diego Chargers drafted Joey Bosa. They spent a lot of time on him late -- including a call between Bosa and owner Dean Spanos -- and they felt comfortable with the pick. Considering he was my No. 2 prospect overall, I can't argue with the value at all.
But I didn't feel that way about every pick.
Here are a few favorites and a few question marks, with a number of notes added. If you don't see your team here, remember, I'm going to break down every team in the draft in my draft grades when it's all said and done.
Liking it
Tennessee Titans
I haven't really been hiding my affection for Jack Conklin, the offensive tackle out of Michigan State. He was No. 4 on my final Big Board, and I think he has a high floor. Maybe he's not a future left tackle, but he could be, and he could also be really good on the right side. So Tennessee, a team in desperate need of a tackle, moved down in the draft -- and got a massive haul from the Rams to do so -- and still managed to get the tackle prospect it wanted. Hard to argue with that. Good draft so far for general manager Jon Robinson.
Seattle Seahawks
This is setting up to be a great second day of the draft, as there are just so many good players on the board. So you have to give Seattle credit for adding a valuable third-round pick from the Broncos to move down just a handful of spots and then still get an offensive lineman who could be useful fairly soon, at least as a guard. Germain Ifedi needs work, but he's a solid value as the last pick in Round 1, and again, you're getting a future third-round pick in addition. John Schneider has to be thinking that's a future starter.
Washington Commanders
They moved down a spot and still got at No. 22 the player I had rated as the top wide receiver in the draft. I'll call that a good night for the Commanders and general manager Scot McCloughan. Josh Doctson is a needed infusion of youth in this offense, and I think he's a special player both with the ball in the air and after the catch. He's also just a great kid. It's a nice combo platter for Washington, which gets a steal, adds a little pick value and hits a need.
Indianapolis Colts
I've given them enough of a hard time on some picks over the past couple of years, so let's hand out credit where it's due. I think Ryan Kelly is a really, really good football player. He's a center the Colts can plug in right away, and the kind of guy with whom Andrew Luck will find instant chemistry. Not only does he fill a need, he helps out your franchise player in identifying what defenses are doing.
More I liked: I know Laremy Tunsil is the talk of the draft, and it's not all good. But to get a guy with that level of talent at No. 13? That's a reasonable bet to place. ... Darron Lee at No. 20 is a great value for the Jets, and he's exactly the kind of player they were looking for. He ended up No. 15 on my Big Board. ... The Bengals were wise to add William Jackson III at No. 24. I think he would have been a good fit for the team drafting next -- the Steelers. ... Karl Joseph is another great piece for a Raiders defense that looks a lot better than it did at this time last year. ... The Carolina defensive line was scary already. Adding Vernon Butler? They're tough up front. ... Laquon Treadwell in Minnesota is a best-case scenario for the Vikings. ... The Lions did the right thing in going for an offensive tackle over a defensive lineman when they tookTaylor Decker.
Questioning it
San Francisco 49ers
I think the 49ers got solid value with the addition of DeForest Buckner at No. 7 overall. But the trade up to get back in the first round and grab Joshua Garnett of Stanford -- the No. 67 player on my board -- was a little bit of a surprise and a clear reach for me. They do have some flexibility, thanks to a surplus of picks, and that's what puts you in position to simply target and add the guy you want. One thought that came to mind later was that perhaps they felt Seattle, a team in dire need of offensive line help, would grab Garnett with the final pick in Round 1.
Philadelphia Eagles
My feeling here: Don't knock the pick, but you sure can knock the process. The Eagles moved up to No. 2 overall at a pretty significant cost, and for a quarterback they feel can be the future. I think Carson Wentz needs a significant amount of seasoning due to the jump in competition, but the question here is about how this occurred. The locker room dynamic is really problematic here if Sam Bradford is frustrated by this process, whether he's the one voicing his frustration or it's being voiced for him. If the Eagles really don't want to trade Bradford, they've put themselves in a difficult situation. And really, where would they deal him?
New York Giants
The Giants needed to add a cornerback at some point, and they got their guy, clearly, with Eli Apple at No. 10. Apple has the physical ability and upside to prove them smart, but for the second year in a row, they took a player at a need position where the need far surpassed value. Last year, it was Ereck Flowers (No. 23 on the Big Board) at No. 9; this year it was Apple (No. 28 for me) at No. 10. Fit is important, but I had a couple of cornerbacks rated higher. Again, I don't dislike the pick; it's just a value question mark for me.
Denver Broncos
Denver moved from No. 31 up to No. 26 to get Paxton Lynch, a guy they're clearly excited to develop. But "develop" is the key word here, because when I see Lynch, I see a major physical talent who is not ready. I had him at No. 40 overall on my board -- and Michigan State's Connor Cook rated higher. But the question really isn't about value. It's "what's next?" Are they comfortable defending a Super Bowl title with Mark Sanchez and Paxton Lynch? I still have to wonder if John Elway is done. Don't you?
More: We all know I think a running back at No. 4 is a leap on positional value, but I love Ezekiel Elliott and think he can be a star for the Cowboys. ... I don't mind Houston targeting a wide receiver, as Will Fuller gives them a needed speed element to stretch the field, I just think Doctson is a better player. That said, if Fuller gets more consistent catching the ball, he's what they need. ...Keanu Neal had been a hot name over the past few days, and Atlanta nabbed him at No. 17. That's a little rich for me, though I don't think he would have gotten past the Jets at No. 20 or a team right after that. ... I'll be interested to find out if Pittsburgh had Artie Burns rated ahead of William Jackson III, the corner the Bengals took one spot ahead of them. And I like Burns.
