First round NFL Draft reactions

Kansas+City+Chiefs+Head+Coach%2C+Andy+Reid%2C+has+his+team+poised+to+be+strong+contenders+to+be+back-to-back+Super+Bowl+Champions.+

Justin Toumberlin

Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach, Andy Reid, has his team poised to be strong contenders to be back-to-back Super Bowl Champions.

Story by Jeremiah Edwards, Staff Writer

Bengals (A) Joe Burrow — Quarterback

Way to not over think this Bengals. Joe Burrow was obviously the man coming into the draft. His stats speak for themselves. The only question is whether or not his one year of college success was due to the system he played in at LSU.

Redskins (A) Chase Young — Defensive End

Considered by many the top player in this draft, the Redskins add to an already stacked defensive line. While there were rumors about first year head coach Ron Rivera taking a quarterback, he stuck with what he knows and that’s defense. In his last three games, Young failed to record a sack but that can be attributed to being doubled and tripled teamed.

Lions (A-) Jeff Okudah — Cornerback

The only reason the Lions get downgraded here is because they traded away their number one corner in Darius Slay. The Lions defense needs a lot of help and all of the pressure will fall on the shoulders of one rookie, when it could have been split with another veteran corner.

Giants (B) Andrew Thomas — Tackle

This is a bit of a reach for the Giants simply because they could have traded back with the Dolphins or Chargers and still have got him. However, it makes sense to get some protection for second year quarterback Daniel Jones. First year head coach Joe Judge made a conservative but sensible pick in taking Thomas.

Dolphins (A-) Tua Tagovailoa — Quarterback

This was the right quarterback to take if we are talking strictly talent wise. However, as we all know Tua has an extensive injury history. But good news is that he is not going to be required to play right away because the Dolphins have chosen to keep around veteran journey man quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick. Only time will tell if Tua is intact the savior of the Dolphins franchise.

Chargers (C) Justin Herbert — Quarterback

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the reincarnation of Mitchell Trubisky. A possibly smart pick for the future, but this puts the Chargers no closer to competing with the Chiefs in the AFC West this coming season. A 6-10 season surely awaits such a daring pick.

Panthers (B+) Derek Brown — Defensive Tackle

Not a sexy pick by any stretch of the imagination. But Brown was an absolute menace up the middle this year for Auburn and should help to solidify a shakeup Panther defense. However, with the loss of defensive leader Luke Kuechly the Panthers still have a giant hole to fill at middle linebacker.

Cardinals (B) Isaiah Simmons — Defense

Simmons checks every single box except the one that tells you what position he is going to play. Some view this as a positive, some view this as a negative. Simmons is an athlete no doubt about that, but it is questionable if his athleticism will translate to success in the NFL. The position-less football approach has been gaining steam in the NFL. However, nothing will kill that faster than if Simmons gets burnt trying to cover an elite NFL wide receiver.

Jaguars (B+) C.J. Henderson — Cornerback

An obvious replacement for Jalen Ramsey. A cover corner out of the University of Florida gives the hapless Jaguars a new building block on the defensive side of the ball. The Jaguars have a lot of holes to fill but this is definitely a start.

Browns (A) Jedrick Wills — Offensive Tackle

The Browns just got the best lineman in the draft and they did not have to move up to do it. The offensive line for the Browns was absolutely atrocious last year and Wills should help fix that problem. Baker Mayfield needs protection and they just got it with this draft pick.

Jets (C) Mekhi Becton — Offensive Tackle

Consider this the combine warrior pick for the Jets. The Jets have absolutely no skill position talent on the team and yet they chose a tackle who failed a combine drug test. Typical Jets to avoid taking what you actually need in favor of the splashy pick. I hope Sam Darnold enjoys throwing to the likes of absolute nobody is for the foreseeable future.

Raiders (C+) Henry Ruggs III — Wide Receiver

The fourth best receiver in this draft is the first off the board. The SEC has been a factory for receiver talent, but this is a bit of a reach. Speed kills but the Raiders went for a pet project pick rather than taking the best wideout on the board. Also, an interesting touch with Ruggs putting on the Raider hat in a bath robe.

Buccaneers from the 49ers (A-) Tristan Wirfs — Offensive Lineman

Tom Brady trades up and selects an offensive lineman how shocking. Yes, that’s right Tom Brady made this pick and not the Bucs because his limited skill set needs protection. Iowa is the place to go for offensive lineman and the Bucs might have just snagged the best one in the draft. The only question is whether or not he will play guard or tackle.

49ers from Buccaneers (C-) Javon Kinlaw — Defensive End

Somehow the 49ers for the second time in four years have managed to trade back one spot to get more picks for a player they were not going to take. That being said they absolutely blew this pick. The 49ers do not need help on the pass rush they need help in the wide receiving corps. Kinlaw might end up being a good pass rusher, but he will not make an impact his first year.

Broncos (A) Jerry Jeudy — Wide Receiver

This is the best wide receiver in the draft and because of the 49ers ignorance he winds up in Denver’s hands. Drew Lock now has another weapon on offense and the Broncos could be poised for a bounce back year. Credit to Vic Fangio for going offense here with this pick.

Falcons (B-) AJ Terrell — Cornerback

A solid yet unspectacular pick out of the University of Clemson. The Falcons defense was a train wreck last year and now Terrell is being chucked straight into the fire. Terrell is a player that relies on instinct and it will be critical for the Falcons to develop the rest of his game if Terrell wants to stick around. This was a need pick for the Falcons because there are definitely better players available.

Cowboys (B+) CeeDee Lamb

With his first ever pick for the Dallas Cowboys, former Baker Wildcat, Mike McCarthy selects the second best receiver in the draft. A solid pick for the Cowboys who do not have an obvious weakness, which allowed them to select the best player on the board. With this pick the Cowboys have now replaced Randle Cobb and have given their young quarterback a new weapon.

Dolphins (C+) Austin Jackson — Offensive Line

A bit of a reach here to draft Jackson this high. It is obvious that the Dolphins are trying to sure up their offensive line which was one of the worst in the NFL last year. Head Coach Brian Flores has a long road ahead of him and these first two picks point more towards to the future than the now. This is the part of the draft where the real guess work starts to happen.

Raiders (D+) Damon Annette — Cornerback

A puzzling pick by the Raiders who have just selected a third round talent in the first round. If it works out the Raiders will be hailed as geniuses. If it does not this might just be the worst pick of the draft so far.

Jaguars (B-) K’Lavon Chaisson — Outside Linebacker

A sensible pick made by an incompetent organization. A jack of all trades that excelled all over the field. The Jaguars are obviously trying to fall back on their defense to take pressure off second year starting quarterback, Gardner Minshew.

Eagles (C) Jalen Reagor — Wide Receiver

The real question of this NFL draft will be: why in the world did the Eagles not trade up to get a wide receiver? Another question is what made Reagor more appealing than Clemson wider receiver, Tee Higgins? This was an obvious need for the Eagles, and it feels like they waited too long to address this need.

Vikings (B-) Justin Jefferson — Wide Receiver

Another SEC wideout off the board and it should come as no surprise. The Vikings are looking for a player to replace Pro Bowler Stephon Diggs and they believe Jefferson is the man for the job. However, even though Jefferson had a great career at LSU, the fit is not ideal. Adam Theilen works primarily out of the slot and Jefferson took 99% of the snaps out of the slot.

Chargers from the Patriots (B+) Kenneth Murray — Linebacker

One of the best defensive players in the draft and the Chargers managed to get him late in the first round. The Chargers for so long have had the talent on defense to be special, but have underachieved under Head Coach Anthony Lynn so far. The real question is whether or not Murray will be the missing piece that will put the Chargers defense over the top?

Saints (B) Cesar Ruiz — Center

The Saints are in Super Bowl or bust mode right now, so this pick come as a bit of a surprise. The Saints will need to keep the aging Drew Brees upright this upcoming season no doubt, but they have a glaring need for a second wide receiver. Ruiz is without a doubt one of the top interior offensive line prospects in the draft, and the Saints got him at number 24. The offensive line was already a strength for the Saints and it just got stronger with the addition of Ruiz.

49ers from the Vikings (C+) Brandon Aiyuk — Wide Receiver

So, the 49ers sit back and are able to snag a decent prospect in Aiyuk. The main issue with this pick is that a player in Aiyuk does not have a chance to replace the departing Emmanuel Sanders in his first year. The 49ers have a nice core of young wideouts so it will be interesting to see how Aiyuk fits in with this group.

Packers from the Dolphins (D-) Jordan Love — Quarterback

The Packers did not get any better with this pick and they traded up to do it. Jordan Love had an absolutely abysmal senior year at Utah State and his decision making was horrendous. Pay no attention to the comparisons to Patrick Mahomes because the stats will debunk those right away. With this pick, Green Bay has essentially punted this upcoming season away in favor of trying to chase an unlikely pipe dream. In short, the Packers run of quarterback greatness dies if they choose to move on from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love.

Seahawks (B-) Jordyn Brooks — Linebacker

Texas Tech has obviously not been known for defense these past few years. Brooks ranks 7th all-time in tackles at Texas Tech, which highlights his true strength which is being at the right place at the right time. A great athlete that will need to add a bit of strength in order to make an impact in the NFL.

Ravens (B+) Patrick Queen — Linebacker

The Ravens sat back and got maybe the steal of the draft. The Ravens have been a defensive measuring stick in the NFL for a long time and this pick reinforces that mindset. Only time will tell if he is able to replace former Ravens linebacker, C.J. Mosley, who is now a New York Jet. With this pick, the LSU Tigers have now had four players drafted in the first round.

Titans (B) Isaiah Wilson — Offensive Line

An absolute steal of a draft pick for the Titans. It is amazing that somehow a top three offensive line prospect in this year’s draft lasted until the 29th pick. A plug and play guy that right away will slide in to replace the departing Jack Conklin. The main question is whether or not he will be able to improve on his inconsistent pass protection.

Dolphins (C+) Noah Igbinoghene — Cornerback

Xavier McKinney is the more obvious choice here to replace Minkah Fitzpatrick. The Dolphins however decide to address the other part of the secondary with a cornerback. Igbinoghene had a projected grade of a late second to early third rounder, but the Dolphins obviously saw something to draft him this high. He will join a top secondary with Byron Jones and Xavien Howard, so he will have great mentors to learn from.

Vikings (B) Jeff Gladney — Cornerback

Here is the guy that I thought the Dolphins would have taken if they were interested in a corner. A big physical corner that oozes raw talent, but that talent needs proper developing. Overall, a solid selection this late in the draft.

Chiefs (C) Clyde Edwards-Helaire — Running Back

The Chiefs return 20 of 22 starters from their Super Bowl winning team with little to no holes in the roster. Which means that they could sit back and take the best player available. If Edwards-Helaire was indeed the top player remaining, then they will receive the benefit of the doubt from their fan base. With other running backs like D’Andre Swift and Johnathan Taylor available, the Chiefs take a gamble on the running back from LSU.