Hit Or Miss: How Teams Did On Day One Of The NFL Draft

With the first round of the NFL draft in the books, the question becomes who did right and who did wrong by their teams? Some teams made great moves, others reached way too far. Either way, it’s time to rank them.

1. Arizona Cardinals take Quarterback Kyler Murray- Miss: Murray was the worst kept secret in the draft.  With the NFC West becoming more physical in the front seven and Murray having such a slim body (195 lbs), not sure it was the right call. He has the talent and the similarities to Cleveland Browns’ quarterback Baker Mayfield but he doesn’t have the pieces around him.

2. San Francisco 49ers take Defensive End Nick Bosa- Hit: San Francisco now has a loaded defensive line with Bosa, Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner and Dee Ford. The line alone could challenge the Los Angeles Rams for best pass rush.

3. New York Jets take Defensive End Quinnen Williams- Hit: The Jets are quietly building a good front seven. Williams can help put an attack together but the corners are going to need to step up and help with coverage sacks.

4. Oakland Raiders take Defensive End Clelin Ferrell- Miss: General Manager Mike Mayock is a good draft expert but he over valued some players. Farrell was seen as the 17th best prospect and the fourth best edge rusher of what was available. Yikes.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers take Linebacker Devin White- Hit: Potentially one of the best linebacker prospects in the last few years, White could be something special. Maybe a tad early but a great replacement for linebacker Kwon Alexander.

6. New York Giants take Quarterback Daniel Jones- Miss: Could Jones be good? Sure. That said, all but one quarterback was off the board and they take the fourth best? What is general manager Dave Gettleman thinking?

7. Jacksonville Jaguars take Linebacker Josh Allen- Hit: how did he fall this low? Doesn’t matter: after the disappointing season for the Jags last year, they’ll be able to get some help on that defensive line.

8. Detroit Lions take Tight End T.J. Hockenson- Hit: Tight ends are becoming bigger factors in games. With head coach Matt Patricia seeing what Rob Gronkowski did in New England, he may have gotten his Gronk.

9. Buffalo Bills take Defensive Tackle Ed Oliver- Hit: The top prospect going into the season, Oliver slid down as the year went on. He still has the potential be an elite level talent though.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers take Linebacker Devin Bush- Hit: They finally replace linebacker Ryan Shazier. Bush could be their next great defensive weapon.

11. Cincinnati Bengals take Offensive Tackle Jonah Williams- Miss: Your quarterback is quickly falling down the totem pole in the division, your defense is among the worst in the league and you take an offensive lineman? Why?

12. Green Bay Packers take Linebacker Rashan Gary- Hit: With the quarterback competition being as stiff as it is, a defensive lineman was a great choice. If they can apply pressure, maybe Green Bay returns to form.

13. Miami Dolphins take Defensive Tackle Christian Wilkins- Miss: Miami had a chance to get the second best quarterback in the class, without losing a pick and they go defense. That’s a bit of a hard sell.

14. Atlanta Flacons take Guard Chris Lindstrom- Hit: While not the best available offensive lineman, Lindstrom was a good pick. Offensive lineman are usually safe bets.

15. Washington Redskins take Quarterback Dwayne Haskins- Hit: The fact that the Giants, Bengals and Dolphins passed on Haskins is a tad concerning. That said, the Redskins needed a quarterback and having this fire lit underneath him, watch out for Haskins.

16. Carolina Panthers take Linebacker Brian Burns- Hit: Linebacker Luke Kuechley is an elite talent but not even he can win a championship by himself. Brian Burns can help add pressure to quarterbacks, which is the first step in rebuilding a defense.

17. New York Giants take Defensive Tackle Dexter Lawrence- Hit: The Giants went one for two in the draft. Lawrence will be a valuable replacement on the line after some of the line moved on.

18. Minnesota Vikings take Center Garrett Bradberry: Hit: Quarterback Kirk Cousins had an alright year when they needed a good one. Maybe helping sure up the line could help.

19. Tennessee Titans take Defensive End Jeffrey Simmons- Push: An all pro potential player, but judgement can’t be made until he can actually play, so ask again in a year.

20. Denver Broncos take Tight End Noah Fant- Hit: The Broncos needed a big bodied tight end and receiver. This is good move for Denver.

21. Green Bay Packers take Safety Darnell Savage- Miss: Savage could be a good player, he has that potential. The problem is, he was seen as a day two guy so to say this was a reach seems accurate.

22. Philadelphia Eagles take Offensive Tackle Andre Dillard- Hit: Quarterback Carson Wentz has an injury history. When someone has an injury history, you get him more protection. Good pick.

23. Houston Texans take Offensive Tackle Tytus Howard- Miss: Howard was a clear day two guy. Similar to quarterback DeShone Kizer a few years ago, he needed to sit for a year or two and develop. Safe to say he won’t get that in Houston.

24. Oakland Raiders take Running Back Josh Jacobs- Hit: It’s going to be hard to replace Marshawn Lynch. Jacobs has the skill set to do some fantastic things, even though his college numbers may not reflect it.

25. Baltimore Ravens take Wide Receiver Marquise Brown- Hit: not sure he can block well or if his size will be a factor. However, he may be the type of weapon that quarterback Lamar Jackson Could use.

26. Washington Redskins take Linebacker Montez Sweat- Hit: Sweat is someone who showed up and showed out at the combine. He was pretty good in college as well. Fast edge rushers that have strength can do wonders for a football team.

27. Oakland Raiders take Safety Jonathan Abram- Hit: While puzzling because they already have Lamarcus Joyner and Karl Joseph, Abram has the chance to become the thumper Oakland was hoping they’d get in Obi Melifonu. He fits Oakland’s aggressive style and could turn out to be something special.

28. Los Angeles Chargers take Defensive Tackle Jerry Tillery- Hit: The Chargers have two great edge rushers in Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. They also had a good interior guy with Brandon Mebane. Now with four good defensive lineman, Los Angeles could overtake Kansas City for the AFC West crown….maybe.

29. Seattle Seahawks take Defensive End L.J. Collier- Miss: Collier will be productive. That’s not why he’ll be a miss though. That falls on what they gave up to draft him. They probably could have made a better pick or just gave defensive end Frank Clark his money.

30. New York Giants take Cornerback Deandre Baker-Hit: Giants finish with a positive grade. They traded for their safety in Jabrill Peppers, they got some line help early in the draft, now they get their corner. Their next move should be an offensive lineman.

31. Atlanta Falcons take Offensive Tackle Kaleb McGary- Miss: As an offensive lineman, when your draft profile says that your biggest weakness is technique, that’s not a great sign. McGary could prove a lot of people wrong, which would be good news for quarterback Matt Ryan, as he needs more protection.

32. New England Patriots take Wide Receiver N’Keal Harry- Hit: The Patriots lost Gronkowski to retirement, what do they do? They get a big receiver who is a good contested catcher. He may not be fast but when you have Julien Edelman near you, you don’t have to be.