We saw again tonight why the NFL Draft is - somehow almost every year - far more entertaining than a night of people’s names being read off of cards should ever be. Goff and Wentz going No. 1 and 2 was assumed ... but then the whole Laremy Tunsil thing happened.
1st Round winners: We won’t have any idea for at least a year.
1st Round losers: Laremy Tunsil’s bank account, Ole Miss, Twitter security.
Thanks for following the liveblog. Check out The Guardian tomorrow for 1st Round coverage from Les Carpenter.
No. 31 - Seahawks - Germain Ifedi, OT, Texas A&M
And that concludes the 1st Round of the NFL Draft. Everyone may now take off their gas masks.
Robert Nkemdiche said in an interview recently that he wants to buy himself a pet panther. Too bad he didn’t go one pick later to the Panthers. And we’ll see if Bruce Arians is keen on the panther idea.
No. 30 - Carolina - Vernon Butler, DT, Louisiana Tech
A good defense bulks up. Solid pick. But there was no one at No. 30, or really anywhere in the draft, who was going to make up for losing Josh Norman out of nowhere.
No. 29 - Arizona - Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Ole Miss
There’s another Ole Miss player taken. Nkemdiche is a very talented player, but has what scouts refer to as ... “some issues.” So he’s basically the defensive line version of Laremy Tunsil.
No. 28 - 49ers - Joshua Garnett, G, Stanford
San Francisco traded up with the Chiefs to take a guard. A guard. Not all trades or picks are exciting. This is a trade and a pick that’s not exciting.
Okay, just one more old Carson Wentz tweet:
Just watched a pigeon commit suicide...
— Carson Wentz (@cj_wentz) September 18, 2013
No. 27 - Packers - Kenny Clark, DT, UCLA
Kenny Clark goes from Los Angeles to Green Bay, Wisconsin. A bit of a culture change.
ESPN’s Jon Gruden just compared Paxton Lynch to Cam Newton. How do we know that’s not accurate? If anyone else thought Paxton Lynch compared to Cam Newton, he wouldn’t have been picked No. 26.
The last quarterback the Broncos drafted in the 1st Round was ... Tim Tebow! That worked out, sort of well, right? He won a playoff game!
No. 26 - Broncos - Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
The Broncos take another tall QB, 6-foot-7 Paxton Lynch. No pressure, guy. You just will have pressure to win a Super Bowl as a rookie.
Here’s an update from Les Carpenter in Chicago on Tunsil ...
Tunsil came back from the room and took a few extra questions. He kept saying he was “clueless” when asked about what happened to his Twitter account. Asked to clarify if he had indeed admitted to taking money from Ole Miss he did not answer and was quickly ushered away by a league official.
TRADE: Seahawks trade No. 26 pick to Broncos
The perception is that the Broncos are trading up for a quarterback. Poor Mark Sanchez. (And Sam Bradford and Colin Kaepernick.)
No. 25 - Steelers - Artie Burns, CB, Miami
The Steelers take a cornerback in the 1st Round. This is the position analysts thought they’d address in the 1st Round for, oh ... about 10 years, but they never have.
No. 24 - Bengals - William Jackson III, CB, Houston
The Bengals lost a ton of depth at receiver in free agency, but went with a cornerback instead. A.J. Green may have to get used to triple coverage.
Maybe Darron Lee also wonders how Urban Meyer didn’t coach Ohio State past Michigan State last year.
Darron Lee leaves Urban Meyer hanging https://t.co/RvGTJo6Ztg
— The Cauldron (ICYMI) (@CauldronICYMI) April 29, 2016
No. 23 - Vikings - Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
Congratulations to Laquon Treadwell, maybe the last Ole Miss 1st Round pick before the program is crushed by NCAA sanctions.
Treadwell is a great weapon for Teddy Bridgewater, who - a bit under the radar - is a solid, young QB in Minnesota.
Here’s The Guardian’s Les Carpenter on the scene in Chicago with Tunsil ...
In a press conference Tunsil just admitted to taking money from a coach at Ole Miss. When asked if the hacked Instagram account meant he took a payout he said “I’d have to say yes.”
Seconds later he was pulled off the stage by a woman in his travelling party. She said “this has all happened while he was up here,” implying that he didn’t understand he was admitting to an Ole Miss infraction. He is currently in a holding room behind closed doors and on the phone
No. 22 - Washington - Josh Doctson, WR, TCU
There’s a run on wide receivers, meaning a lot of great value at other positions is falling to the teams who are already good and are picking late in the 1st Round. It’s good to be good!
Ole Miss just lost the draft:
Laremy Tunsil asked if he took money from a coach. "I'd have to say yeah."
— Hugh Kellenberger (@HKellenbergerCL) April 29, 2016
This is especially awkward because Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze is at the draft in support of Tunsil.
No. 21 - Texans - Will Fuller, WR, Notre Dame
Houston moved up one spot in a trade with Washington from No. 22 to No. 21 to take Will Fuller. He’ll be Brock Osweiler’s new weapon.
Update: Nothing bad has been released from Laremy Tunsil’s Twitter account in about 10 minutes, so things are getting better for him.
No. 20 - Jets - Darron Lee, LB, Ohio State
That’s the fifth Buckeye in the Top 20.
The Jets passed on Memphis QB Paxton Lynch. Maybe word is getting out that the Broncos won the Super Bowl with defense.
Updated
No. 19 - Bills - Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson
Rex Ryan loves defense and he gets more here. There were some rumors about the Bills looking at Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg here, but they didn’t go that direction. Wisely.
No. 18 - Colts - Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama
No fans in the history of football got excited about their team picking a center. But Kelly is a good one.
But Indy’s problem last year wasn’t center. It was giving up 25 points per game and Andrew Luck turning the ball over constantly. But ... hooray! A good center.
No. 17 - Falcons - Keanu Neal, S, Florida
Atlanta goes with a hard-hitting defensive back, as Dan Quinn tries to recreate his old defense in Seattle.
Nine of the last 15 picks are SEC players or Ohio State players.
And now this. Laremy Tunsil needs to blow up his phone.
Tunsil needs to change every password he has RIGHT NOW. pic.twitter.com/CSKmxmJuKk
— jeff sterling (@jsterling86) April 29, 2016
Ole Miss may be getting a call from the NCAA.
Giants draft pick Eli Apple has now deleted his old tweet. But it lives on.
How long before Eli Apple deletes that tweet? #screenshot pic.twitter.com/terTWusfT7
— Jesse Kunz (@Jesse_Kunz) April 29, 2016
No. 16 - Lions - Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State
That’s the fourth Ohio State player in the first 16 picks. How did Ohio State lose to Michigan State?
We’re halfway through the first round, two hours in, and Roger Goodell is still being booed with each pick. There is hope for the world.
No. 15 - Browns - Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor
The Browns did not take a quarterback. I wrote last month that the Browns problem all these years has not been at quarterback. It’s been everywhere else.
Coleman is from Baylor. Same place as Josh Gordon.
Tunsil was a bit more forthcoming with Deion Sanders.
Deion Sanders talks to Laremy Tunsil pic.twitter.com/nJOtoXoNos
— The Cauldron (ICYMI) (@CauldronICYMI) April 29, 2016
No. 14 - Raiders - Karl Joseph, S, West Virginia
Joseph is a good player and a great value at No. 14. The Raiders continue to do smart things. This is very confusing.
ESPN’s Suzy Kolber just asked Laremy Tunsil if it was him in the picture. He responded: “I’m blessed.”
I’ll take that as a ... yes?
Here’s another update from Les Carpenter on the scene in Chicago ...
I spent some time behind stage where Jared Goff and Carson Wentz finally retreated to conduct a series of television interviews and press conferences.
Goff seemed a little more prepared for his fate as a sudden top pick. He wore a blue cap with a sparkling Rams logo on the front and said repeatedly that he felt confident about being taken No. 1 by the Rams once they traded for the top pick several days ago. At one point he chuckled a little and said: “I’ll have to prove them right.” Soon he was whisked off down a hallway in Roosevelt University (which is attached to the theatre) and through a wooden door marked “Copy Room.” A Rams official said there was a phone inside and team owner Stan Kroenke was waiting on the line. The door stayed shut for several minutes.
Wentz was more giddy at his press conference. He said the word “excited” over and over and expressed delight that the Eagles had traded up to the second pick to take him. “I’m just excited that’s all I got,” he said.
No. 13 - Dolphins - Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
The slide is over! Tunsil goes to the Dolphins. Hopefully there isn’t any kind of trouble to get into in the city of Miami.
Twitter is destroying the 2016 NFL Draft. Here is New York Giants draft pick Eli Apple ...
Must suck to be a giants fan today #shutout #embarrassing
— Eli Apple (@EliApple13) December 17, 2012
Never tweet, athletes. Never tweet.
Updated
No. 12 - Saints - Sheldon Rankins, DE, Louisville
Rankins had 14 sacks over the last two seasons with Louisville. He’s probably not the impact player the Saints could desperately use on defense, but he can play for them right away on defense. (As could almost anyone, in fairness.)
“He is one of the most humble, hard-working, talented kids I’ve ever been around.” - Hugh Freeze, Tunsil’s coach at Ole Miss, speaking just now on ESPN.
A reminder that Urban Meyer did not win College Coach of the Year last season.
Apparently Ohio State had three top ten guys on their roster and still couldn't make the playoff.
— Bandit (@banditref) April 29, 2016
No. 11 - Buccaneers - Vernon Hargreaves, CB, Florida
The Buccaneers have a need at DB, and still got one after trading down from No. 9 from the Bears.
Updated
David Shaw on NFL Network just now ...
David Shaw on Tunsil: “It’s a lesson for all young people… Make great decisions. Surround yourself w/ people who make great decisions."
— CoachingSearch.com (@coachingsearch) April 29, 2016
One more time: Tunsil messed up and may be a problem, but let’s stop pretending he’s the only guy in the draft who has smoked weed.
No. 10 - Giants - Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State
Apple was the guy who an anonymous scout complained about this week because Apple isn’t a good cook. Hopefully that scout will be identified and fired.
Giants bolster their defense. Tunsil continues to slide.
Updated
Tunsil’s camp has released a statement claiming he was “hacked.” That’s usually the go-to, pathetic, no-one-believes-it excuse, but he had to have been hacked, right? There’s no way he’d tweet out a picture of himself smoking marijuana right when the draft starts, unless he hates himself. Himself and money.
The New York Giants are up next. They could use a lineman for Eli Manning, so he doesn’t have to make Eli Faces while running in fear. Could they go Tunsil?
No. 9 - Bears - Leonard Floyd, OLB, Georgia
John Fox loves defense, and he just got a 6-5, 245 linebacker with SEC speed. Floyd didn’t come to the draft, so there will be no memorable draft moment in Chicago.
Laremy Tunsil with the smart career move. Smoke yourself into the 2nd round and let the Patriots scoop you up. #NFLDraft
— Krister Johnson (@KristerJohnson) April 29, 2016
I bet it was Bill Belichick’s idea, too.
TRADE: Buccaneers trade No. 9 to Bears
Bears traded a 4th-round pick, and 11th overall, to TB to move up to No. 9.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 29, 2016
Let’s see how the Chicago fans react to their pick.
RIP to the millions of mock drafts that were written in recent months that were completely ruined by that Browns-Titans trade.
No. 8 - Titans - Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State
When the Titans had the No. 1 overall pick at the end of the season, they were reportedly targeting Laremy Tunsil. They could have still taken him here, but it seems Tunsil has smoked his way out of the Top 10. Conklin is the best lineman still available and gets Marcus Mariota some protection.
TRADE: Browns trade No. 8 to Tennessee
If there’s one thing we know about the 2016 NFL Draft, it’s that the Browns and Titans really enjoy making trades.
No. 7 - 49ers - DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon
Chip Kelly’s first draft pick in San Francisco is ... and Oregon player. It’s almost like the guy wants to get criticized.
Updated
ESPN is now talking about Laremy Tunsil’s “slide.” And Adam Schefter just mentioned the Tweet Heard Round The World.
It’s interesting to see the reaction about Tunsil’s “red flags.” He’s not the only prospect in this draft who has smoked marijuana. Everyone might be clutching their pearls a bit too tightly.
Updated
No. 6 - Ravens - Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
The Ravens now have a new left tackle to protect Joe Flacco’s elite blind side.
Not a flashy pick, but making smart picks are why teams like the Ravens (usually) aren’t drafting this high.
Updated
Pretty much every analyst on two network are saying that Jalen Ramsey is a great pick for Jacksonville. Except for Jon Gruden. He’s not big on him.
Huge upset over the Browns here. Congratulations to the Jaguars.
The Jaguars just became the first team in the common era of the NFL draft to select in the top 5 picks for 5 straight years.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 29, 2016
No. 5 - Jaguars - Jalen Ramsey, CB, Florida State
The Jaguars have some good, young skill position players, so they go with defense at No. 5.
Ramsey won’t have to go far to play for Jacksonville. Well, not counting all of his games in London.
Last running back taken 4th overall? Darren McFadden, who Elliott will now be playing with.
— Jason Lisk (@JasonLisk) April 29, 2016
McFadden ran for 1,089 yards at 4.6 yards a clip and caught 40 passes last season. But apparently the Cowboys felt they were just a running back away from contending for a Super Bowl.
No. 4 - Cowboys - Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
A season after getting rid of DeMarco Murray, the Cowboys draft a running back NUMBER FOUR OVERALL. In a league where guys like Le’Veon Bell can be had in the 2nd Round.
Cowboys haters have to love that Jerry Jones remains in charge of the Cowboys.
Updated
Regarding the late Tunsil “scandal” ...
Everyone acts as if these GM's didn't know tunsil smoked... Video or no video the young man still will get drafted high.
— Derrick Mason (@deemason85) April 29, 2016
Maybe.
On the other hand ...
For the first time in recent memory, NFL has notified all 32 teams that no player tested positive at February combine, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 25, 2016
The Eagles really got themselves a thinker.
dog is a man's bestfriend? Flip that around and that's truly a man's bestfriend #GOD
— Carson Wentz (@cj_wentz) July 19, 2012
Okay, that’s the last Wentz tweet. Probably.
No. 3 - Chargers - Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
The Chargers get some defensive help. They were 21st in points allowed last year.
Goodell is getting booed when he walks out for every pick. Thank you, good people of Chicago.
This is all over Twitter. It will be interesting to see if any of the NFL draft rooms are on Twitter right now.
Uh Laremy Tunsil just tweeted then deleted this pic.twitter.com/N1h6JzkC9a
— Zesty NFL Draft News (@oscargambler) April 28, 2016
Jared Goff took approximately three minutes to take advantage of the opportunity to get paid. It’s good to be free of the NCAA.
I'm so honored to be heading to the Blue & Gold. It's time for a new era of football in LA, @TideNFL #OurColors #ad pic.twitter.com/iKbUUPY3QL
— Jared Goff (@JaredGoff16) April 29, 2016
No. 2 - Eagles - Carson Wentz, QB, Eagles
Tough break, Sam Bradford! (You know, outside of being paid a ton of money despite never accomplishing anything in your NFL career.)
Here’s a report from Les Carpenter on the scene in Chicago ...
The Chicago Auditorium Theatre is 107 years old and it feels like it. The building is beautiful and the acoustics are fantastic but the rows are tiny. I’ve enjoyed watching fairly large football fans in their team jerseys trying to squeeze under ornate archways and into rows designed for concert-goes a century ago. Another odd thing abut the building is that many of the aisles are sloped slightly -- this might be due to natural settling but it does create a persistent sense of vertigo. Most unsettling about the vertigo is the theatre is incredibly vertical The upper balconies are wayyyy above the crowd.
The fans in the highest seats are probably 150 feet above the bottom of the theatre. There are railings but they look 107 years old too. A slip by a fan jumping to celebrate their team’s pick could result in a very long fall.
Since all the walkways are carpeted and huge murals hang on the side walls the building is designed to mute audience noise and not amplify it. The fans are not as much of a part of the show here as they have in other draft settings.
Don’t expect lots of loud booing Jets fans this year.
Carson Wentz is clearly upset about not being taken No. 1 overall:
Someone kill me
— Carson Wentz (@cj_wentz) September 9, 2012
(Yeah, it’s a tweet from 2012. Still, though ... fun!)
No. 1 - Rams - Jared Goff, QB, Cal
The pick is in. Finally. The Rams get their quarterback. Or so they hope.
Either way, Jeff Fisher just bought himself a few more years to go 7-9 as Goff “develops.”
Here are all the starting QBs the Rams have had since Kurt Warner:
Marc Bulger, Sam Bradford, Kellen Clemens, Austin Davis, Shaun Hill, Jamie Martin, Chris Chandler, Kyle Boller, Keith Null, A.J. Feeley, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Gus Frerotte, Brock Berlin and Trent Green, Nick Foles, Case Keenum.
Yikes.
The Rams, who traded up to No. 1 weeks ago, are taking their full 10-minute allotment to announce their pick. I bet Jeff Fisher is behind this idiocy.
Don’t forget what you have to do, Chicago. BOO THIS MAN.
here we go. #NFLDraft
— Roger Goodell (@nflcommish) April 29, 2016
Chances these are all struggling Los Angeles actors the Rams paid 30 bucks to pretend they’re Rams fans: 51%.
Feeling the draft day love in LA! #RamUp #FirstPickMadness! pic.twitter.com/q4i729PsPd
— Johnny Hekker (@JHekker) April 29, 2016
Here is the walkout music for all the top prospects, via Dan Hanzus of NFL.com ...
Eli Apple - Magnificent, Rick Ross
Joey Bosa - “Sleepless”, Flume
Vernon Butler - “Really Really”, Kevin Gates
Corey Coleman - “Walk Thru”, Rich Homie Quan
Jack Conklin - “Big Gun”, AC/DC
Taylor Decker - “The Nights”, Avicci
Josh Doctson - “Love Yourz”, J. Cole
Kevin Dodd - “Chasin (TK n Cash), Pee Wee Longway
Ezekiel Elliott - “Hiroller”, Lil Uzi
Jared Goff - “California Love”, Tupac
Vernon Hargreaves - “Last Breath”, Future
Myles Jack - “Lemonade”, Gucci Mane
Chris Jones - “Summer 16”, Drake
Shaq Lawson - “Dead Presidents”, Bank Roll Fresh
Darron Lee - “Public Service Announcement”, Jay-Z
Keanu Neal - “Forever”, Drake
Robert Nkemdiche - “Lazarus”, David Bowie
Reggie Ragland - “Mo Money Mo Problems”, Notorious B.I.G.
Jalen Ramsey - “Ultralight Beam”, Kanye West
Jarran Reed - “Grind State”, Young Jeezy
A’Shawn Robinson - “Put On”, Young Jeezy
Ronnie Stanley - “Wicked”, Future
Laquon Treadwell - “Dream”, Young Thug
Laremy Tunsil - “Thank You”, Kodak Black
Carson Wentz - “Fly Over States”, Jason Aldean
No Prince? Worst draft EVER.
An important vote:
Is Sam Bradford:
— Chris Law (@ChrisLaw) April 28, 2016
Here’s the scene in Chicago:
I can't even tell what country the draft is in. Sad! pic.twitter.com/IqsjUBCp2t
— DJ Gallo (@DJGalloEtc) April 28, 2016
No word on whether the NFL forced the U.S. military to pay for this kind of patriotism, as has been the custom.
Only 15 minutes left until the Rams are officially on the clock. So can I interest you in a final mock draft? Here’s Paolo Bandini’s ...
4) Dallas Cowboys
Pick: Joey Bosa, defensive end, Ohio State
I could imagine Jerry Jones selecting running back Ezekiel Elliott here, despite having already signed Alfred Morris in free agency.
Yes, I very much agree that Jerry Jones could do something illogical.
There probably aren’t many Patriots fans following along with the liveblog tonight because New England doesn’t have a pick thanks to Goodell’s DeflateGate punishment.
However, maybe Patriots fans are still enjoying the night because they get to watch the Jets, Dolphins and Bills mess up again in a desperate attempt to compete with them.
Either way, if the Patriots had a 1st Round pick, this would probably happen:
@sportspickle Did you see this posted on the wall of New England's war room? pic.twitter.com/8h7euxC3oX
— Lou Diamond Chillips (@ConorGentes) April 28, 2016
If you’re watching ESPN’s draft coverage, you’ll get a heavy dose of Jon Gruden. I wrote this week about why you should ignore everything Jon Gruden says about quarterbacks, no matter how much ESPN markets him as a quarterback expert.
While most analysts can’t boast that they’ve won a Super Bowl, most analysts all can’t say they’ve gone all-in on Rob Johnson, Tim Rattay, Luke McCown, Bruce Gradkowski, Brian Griese, Simms, Tebow, Manziel. You name the disastrous NFL QB, Gruden has probably been high on him.
In 2005, he put Simms and Griese on the field all season after bypassing Aaron Rodgers in the draft to take Cadillac Williams. In 2007 he said of Simms: “I’m going to have to screw things up pretty good for that kid not to turn out really special.” In 2014 he said Johnny Manziel has a lot of “magic” to him and openly begged the Raiders to draft the Texas A&M man. The Raiders passed on Manziel and took Derek Carr with the 36th pick. Carr is arguably the best under-26 QB in the NFL, while Manziel is out of the league and possibly on his way to jail. Gruden remains on the air, being wrong about a whole new class of quarterbacks, telling teams that Christian Hackenberg is worthy of a first-round pick.
Evaluating football prospects is hard work. Doing it for quarterbacks is even harder. But it’s not near as hard as Gruden makes it look.
We’re less than three months removed from a Super Bowl that was won by a team with a fearsome defense and a quarterback that was one of the worst in the league.
Yet the top two picks last year were QBs and the top two picks this year will also be QBs -- and this year’s QBs aren’t nearly as highly regarded as Mariota and Winston were last year.
Defense wins championships: true. But NFL teams won’t let that fact stop them from reaching for quarterbacks.
Welcome to the 2016 NFL Draft liveblog! I’ll be sharing the picks and commentary here and Les Carpenter will be dropping in reports from the draft in Chicago.
I hope you all have dressed appropriately for tonight’s festivities:
.@EzekielElliott just made a huge fashion statement on the #NFLDraft red carpet. pic.twitter.com/VnriVFDz6s
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) April 28, 2016
By the way, if you’re not a big college football fan, that’s not some sort of Prince homage. Ezekiel Elliott liked wearing a cutoff jersey at Ohio State ... a practice that will get him fined in the NFL by Roger Goodell.
DJ will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s Les on Wentz and Goff:
Perhaps nothing sums up the strangeness of this draft more than the two men who never could have expected to be the stars of the night. Goff was a solid quarterback at Cal with a good chance of playing in the NFL, but there was nothing in the Bears 8-5 season that said was about to be the next John Elway. Wentz started just 23 games at FCS North Dakota State, hardly the kind of resumé that puts a player at the top of a draft.
Now they will be linked forever the way those rare quarterback tandems at one and two are eternally connected. Wentz and Goff do not conjure images of Manning and Leaf, or Luck and Griffin – or even Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. They did not compete for Heisman Trophies or play for FBS national championships. Instead, they seem more like passers who peaked at exactly the right time, when the need for a new leader filled enough NFL draft meeting rooms and teams became desperate to find their next great thing.
