|
Round 1: Who won and lost?
 Posted
4/23/2010 10:16:00 AM
Winners:
- Atlanta Falcons: I said this on the air, and I'll say it again -- Sean Weatherspoon was a very good pick for Atlanta. With Weatherspoon, the Falcons are getting a tough, young, energetic player that will make an immediate impact when placed next to Curtis Lofton in the linebacker corps. Defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder will have a lot more speed to work with than he did last season with veteran Mike Peterson.
- Detroit Lions: DT Ndamukong Suh is just one of those guys. He is going to make Detroit great on defense, and they couldn't pass him up. Head coach Jim Schwartz is convinced Suh is very similar to Albert Haynesworth, at least on the field. Then the Lions traded up to get WR Jahvid Best, who can absolutely fly. They could also use him in a dual-RB situation with Kevin Smith ... imagine how scary that would be.
- Oakland Raiders: Finally, the Raiders managed to stay away from the sexy pick! It hasn't paid off for them in the past, so in this draft, Al Davis finally kept away from a C.J. Spiller or a Dez Bryant and selected LB Rolando McClain instead. While McClain probably would have been around for a while and the Raiders may have benefited from trading down to get the same guy, they are getting a winner with this kid. He will step up as a leader on this defense, and you want him in your locker room.
- St. Louis Rams: With Sam Bradford, I fully believe the Rams are getting Matt Ryan, and maybe even something more. He is THAT good, no doubt about it. They will definitely be able to rebuild their franchise around him.
- Dallas Cowboys: Dez Bryant is a freak of nature, and Tony Romo has to be looking forward to his options at wide receiver this season. Miles Austin and now Dez Bryant? Dallas should quickly become one of the top passing attacks in the NFL, if not the best. Plus, Dallas can finally get rid of Roy Williams now.
Losers:
- Jimmy Clausen: It really stinks that it happened like this, but when teams looked at Clausen, they saw Brady Quinn. They just weren't willing to roll with a first-round pick for the next Brady Quinn.
- San Diego Chargers: How much can a team give up for Ryan Mathews? Are two top-40 picks really an appropriate price for a kid that will need to get much better on run-blocking and catching?
- Jacksonville Jaguars: As usual, the Jags take the player that nobody has heard of. I didn't see a single board that had Tyson Alualu going in the first round, and Jacksonville takes him 10th overall. Just another typical first round for the Jaguars, who never seem to just take who everyone thinks they should.
- Buffalo Bills: Nothing like adding a third running back to a system that only needs two at most. C.J. Spiller was probably the most talented player left in the field at the time, but the Bills really needed a lineman or one of several other needs. They have a lot of holes to fill, and Spiller will be fast at the pro level, but running on the snow in Buffalo will slow him down a step.
- Denver Broncos: Trading up to get Tim Tebow? Any more bright ideas, Denver? In all seriousness, accuracy is the key to being a solid NFL quarterback, and Tebow just doesn't have it. One thing is for sure -- with the grouch that is Josh McDaniels leading that squad, Tebow will definitely add some much-needed positive reinforcement to that locker room.
|