The Rams reach for Stafford’s successor
The Rams delivered the biggest shock of the night, sticking at pick No 13 and selecting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. It was a stunner that seemed to take even their head coach by surprise. Sean McVay seemed less than enthusiastic at the Rams’ post-pick press conference, and Simpson said in an interview that he’s never met McVay.
Maybe it shouldn’t have been a shock. Simpson, who started just 15 games in college, hemmed and hawed about whether to enter the draft at all. But a key reason he entered the class was Rams general manager Les Snead telling him he was a first-round pick. On Thursday, Snead stuck to his word, reaching for a quarterback tabbed as a fringe first-round prospect.
First round
1 Las Vegas, Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
2 New York Jets, David Bailey, LB, Texas Tech
3 Arizona, Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
4 Tennessee, Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
5 New York Giants, Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
6 Kansas City (from Cleveland), Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
7 Washington, Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
8 New Orleans, Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
9 Cleveland (from Kansas City), Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
10 New York Giants (from Cincinnati), Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
11 Dallas (from Miami), Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
12 Miami (from Dallas), Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
13 LA Rams (from Atlanta), Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
14 Baltimore, Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State
15 Tampa Bay, Rueben Bain Jr, LB, Miami
16 New York Jets (from Indianapolis), Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
17 Detroit, Blake Miller, OT, Clemson
18 Minnesota, Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
19 Carolina, Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
20 Philadelphia (from Green Bay through Dallas), Makai Lemon, WR, USC
21 Pittsburgh, Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
22 LA Chargers, Akheem Mesidor, LB, Miami
23 Dallas (from Philadelphia), Malachi Lawrence, LB, UCF
24 Cleveland (from Jacksonville), KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
25 Chicago, Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
26 Houston (from Buffalo), Keylan Rutledge, G, Georgia Tech
27 Miami (from San Francisco), Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
28 New England (from Houston through Buffalo), Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
29 Kansas City (from LA Rams), Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
30 New York Jets (from Denver through Miami and San Francisco), Omar Cooper Jr, WR, Indiana
31 Tennessee (from New England through Buffalo), Keldric Faulk, DE, Clemson
32 Seattle, Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame
Second round
33 San Francisco (from New York Jets), De’Zhaun Stribling, WR, Mississippi
34 Arizona, Chase Bisontis, G, Texas A&M
35 Buffalo (from Tennessee), T.J. Parker, DE, Clemson
36 Houston (from Las Vegas), Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
37 New York Giants, Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
38 Las Vegas (from Washington through Houston), Treydan Stukes, S, Arizona
39 Cleveland, Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
40 Kansas City, R Mason Thomas, DE, Oklahoma
41 Cincinnati, Cashius Howell, DE, Texas A&M
42 New Orleans, Christen Miller, DT, Georgia
43 Miami, Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
44 Detroit (from Dallas through New York Jets), Derrick Moore, DE, Michigan
45 Baltimore, Zion Young, DE, Missouri
46 Tampa Bay, Josiah Trotter, LB, Missouri
47 Pittsburgh (from Indianapolis), Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama
48 Atlanta, Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
49 Carolina (from Minnesota), Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech
50 New York Jets (from Detroit), D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana
51 Minnesota, Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati
52 Green Bay, Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina
53 Indianapolis (from Pittsburgh), CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
54 Philadelphia, Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt
55 New England (from LA Chargers), Gabe Jacas, LB, Illinois
56 Jacksonville, Nate Boerkircher, TE, Texas A&M
57 Chicago, Logan Jones, C, Iowa
58 Cleveland (from San Francisco), Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
59 Houston, Marlin Klein, TE, Michigan
60 Tennessee (from Buffalo through Chicago), Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas
61 LA Rams, Max Klare, TE, Ohio State
62 Buffalo (from Denver), Davison Igbinosun, CB, Ohio State
63 LA Chargers (from New England), Jake Slaughter, C, Florida
64 Seattle, Bud Clark, S, TCU
Third round
65 Arizona, Carson Beck, QB, Miami
66 Denver (from Tennessee through Buffalo), Tyler Onyedim, DT, Texas A&M
67 Las Vegas, Keyron Crawford, DE, Auburn
68 Philadelphia (from New York Jets), Markel Bell, OT, Miami
69 Chicago (from New York Giants through Houston, Buffalo and Tennessee), Sam Roush, TE, Stanford
70 San Francisco (from Cleveland), Romello Height, DE, Texas Tech
71 Washington, Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson
72 Cincinnati, Tacario Davis, CB, Washington
73 New Orleans, Oscar Delp, TE, Georgia
74 New York Giants (from Kansas City through Cleveland), Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame
75 Miami, Caleb Douglas, WR, Texas A&M
76 Pittsburgh (from Dallas), Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
77 Green Bay (from Tampa Bay), Chris McClellan, DT, Missouri
78 Indianapolis, A.J. Haulcy, S, LSU
79 Atlanta, Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia
80 Baltimore, Ja'Kobi Lane, WR, Southern Cal
81 Jacksonville (from Detroit), Albert Regis, DT, Texas A&M
82 Minnesota, Domonique Orange, DT, Iowa State
83 Carolina, Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee
84 Tampa Bay (from Green Bay), Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State
85 Pittsburgh, Daylen Everette, CB, Georgia
86 Cleveland (from LA Chargers), Austin Barber, OT, Florida
87 Miami (from Philadelphia), Will Kacmarek, TE, Ohio State
88 Jacksonville, Emmanuel Pregnon, G, Oregon
89 Chicago, Zavion Thomas, WR, LSU
90 San Francisco (from Houston through Miami), Kaelon Black, RB, Indiana
91 Las Vegas (from Buffalo through Houston), Trey Zuhn III, C, Texas A&M
92 Dallas (from San Francisco), Jaishawn Barham, DE, Michigan
93 LA Rams, Keagan Trost, OT, Missouri
94 Miami (from Denver), Chris Bell, WR, Louisville
95 New England, Eli Raridon, TE, Notre Dame
96 Pittsburgh (from Seattle), Gennings Dunker, G, Iowa
Compensatory Selections
97 Minnesota, Caleb Tiernan, OT, Northwestern
98 Minnesota (from Philadelphia), Jakobe Thomas, S, Miami
99 Seattle (from Pittsburgh), Julian Neal, CB, Arkansas
100 Jacksonville (from Detroit), Jalen Huskey, CB, Maryland
Fourth round
101 Las Vegas (from Tennessee through Buffalo), Jermond McCoy, CB, Tennessee
102 Buffalo (from Las Vegas), Jude Bowry, OT, Boston College
103 New York Jets, Darrell Jackson Jr., DT, Florida State
104 Arizona, Kaleb Proctor, DT, SE Louisiana
105 LA Chargers (from New York Giants through Cleveland), Brenen Thompson, WR, Mississippi State
106 Houston (from Washington), Febechi Nwaiwu, G, Oklahoma
107 San Francisco (from Cleveland), Gracen Halton, DT, Oklahoma
108 Denver (from New Orleans), Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington
109 Kansas City, Jadon Canady, CB, Oregon
110 New York Jets (from Cincinnati), Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
111 Denver (from Miami), Kage Casey, OT, Boise State
112 Dallas, Drew Shelton, OT, Penn State
113 Indianapolis, Jalen Farmer, G, Kentucky
114 Dallas (from Atlanta through Philadelphia), Delvin Moore, CB, Florida
115 Baltimore, Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana
116 Tampa Bay, Keionte Scott, CB, Miami
117 LA Chargers (from Minnesota through Jacksonville, Las Vegas and Houston), Travis Burke, OT, Memphis
118 Detroit, Jimmy Rolder, LB, Michigan
119 Jacksonville (from Carolina), Wesley Williams, DE, Duke
120 Green Bay, Dani Dennis-Sutton, DE, Penn State
121 Pittsburgh, Kaden Wetjen, WR, Iowa
122 Las Vegas (from Philadelphia through Atlanta), Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas
123 Houston (from LA Chargers), Wade Woodaz, LB, Clemson
124 Chicago (from Jacksonville through Carolina), Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas
125 Buffalo (from Chicago through Kansas City and New England), Skyler Bell, WR, Connecticut
126 Buffalo, Kaleb Elarms-Orr, LB, TCU
127 San Francisco, Carver Willis, OT, Washington
128 Cincinnati (from Houston through Detroit and New York Jets), Connor Lew, C, Auburn
129 Carolina (from LA Rams through Chicago), Will Lee III, CB, Texas A&M
130 Miami (from Denver), Trey Moore, DE, Texas
131 LA Chargers (from New England), Genesis Smith, S, Arizona
132 New Orleans (from Seattle), Jeremiah Wright, G, Auburn
Compensatory Selections
133 Baltimore (from San Francisco), Matthew Hibner, TE, SMU
134 Atlanta (from Las Vegas), Kendal Daniels, LB, Oklahoma
135 Indianapolis (from Pittsburgh), Bryce Boettcher, LB, Oregon
136 New Orleans, Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State
137 Dallas (from Philadelphia), LT Overton, DE, Alabama
138 Miami (from San Francisco), Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh
139 San Francisco, Ephesians Prysock, CB, Washington
140 Cincinnati (from New York Jets), Colbie Young, WR, Georgia
Fifth round
141 Houston (from Las Vegas through Cleveland), Kamari Ramsey, S, Southern Cal
142 Tennessee (from New York Jets through Baltimore), Fernando Carmona, G, Arkansas
143 Arizona, Reggie Virgil, WR, Texas Tech
144 Carolina (from Tennessee through LA Rams, Tennessee and Chicago), Sam Hecht, C, Kansas State
145 LA Chargers (from New York Giants through Cleveland), Nick Barrett, DT, South Carolina
146 Cleveland, Parker Brailsford, C, Alabama
147 Washington, Joshua Josephs, DE, Tennessee
148 Seattle (from Kansas City through Cleveland), Beau Stephens, G, Iowa
149 Cleveland (from Cincinnati), Justin Jefferson, LB, Alabama
150 Las Vegas (from New Orleans), Dalton Johnson, S, Arizona
151 Carolina (from Miami), Zakee Wheatley, S, Penn State
152 Denver (from Dallas through San Francisco and Cleveland), Justin Joly, TE, NC State
153 Green Bay (from Atlanta through Philadelphia), Jager Burton, C, Kentucky
154 San Francisco (from Baltimore), Jaden Dugger, LB, Louisiana
155 Tampa Bay, DeMonte Capehart, DT, Clemson
156 Indianapolis, George Gumbs Jr., DE, Florida
157 Detroit, Keith Abney II, CB, Arizona State
158 Miami (from Minnesota through Carolina), Michael Taaffe, S, Texas
159 Minnesota (from Carolina), Max Bredeson, FB, Michigan
160 Tampa Bay (from Green Bay), Billy Schrauth, G, Notre Dame
161 Kansas City (from Pittsburgh), Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska
162 Baltimore (from LA Chargers), Chandler Rivers, CB, Duke
163 Minnesota (from Philadelphia), Charles Demmings, CB, Stephen F. Austin
164 Jacksonville, Tanner Koziol, TE, Houston
165 Tennessee (from Chicago through Buffalo), Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State
166 Chicago (from San Francisco through Philadelphia, Jacksonville and Carolina), Keyshaun Elliott, LB, Arizona State
167 Buffalo (from Houston through Philadelphia and Houston), Jalon Kilgore, S, South Carolina
168 Detroit (from Buffalo), Kendrick Law, WR, Kentucky
169 Pittsburgh (from LA Rams through Kansas City), Riley Nowakowski, TE, Indiana
170 Cleveland (from Denver), Joe Royer, TE, Cincinnati
171 New England, Karon Prunty, DB, Wake Forest
172 New Orleans (from Seattle), Lorenzo Styles Jr., S, Ohio State
Compensatory Selections
173 Baltimore, Josh Cuevas, TE, Alabama
174 Baltimore, Adam Randall, RB, Clemson
175 Las Vegas, Hezekiah Masses, CB, California
176 Kansas City, Cyrus Allen, WR, Cincinnati
177 Miami (from Dallas), Kevin Coleman Jr., WR, Missouri
178 Philadelphia, Cole Payton, QB, North Dakota State
179 San Francisco (from New York Jets), Enrique Cruz, OT, Kansas
180 Miami (from Dallas), Seydou Traore, TE, Mississippi State
181 Buffalo (from Detroit), Zane Durant, DT, Penn State
Sixth round
182 Cleveland (from Jacksonville through Las Vegas, Buffalo and Denver), Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas
183 Arizona, Karson Sharar, LB, Iowa
184 Tennessee, Jackie Marshall, DT, Baylor
185 Tampa Bay (from Las Vegas), Bauer Sharp, TE, LSU
186 New York Giants, Bobby Jamison-Travis, DT, Auburn
187 Washington, Kaytron Allen, RB, Penn State
188 New York Jets (from Cleveland through Seattle), Anez Cooper, G, Miami
189 Cincinnati, Brian Parker II, C, Duke
190 New Orleans, Barion Brown, WR, LSU
191 Jacksonville (from Kansas City through New England), Josh Cameron, WR, Baylor
192 New York Giants (from Miami), J.C. Davis, OT, Illinois
193 New York Giants (from Dallas), Jack Kelly, LB, BYU
194 Tennessee (from Baltimore through New York Jets), Pat Coogan, C, Indiana
195 Las Vegas (from Tampa Bay), Malik Benson, WR, Oregon
196 New England (from Indianapolis through Minnesota, Carolina and Jacksonville), Dametrious Crownover, OT, Texas A&M
197 LA Rams (from Atlanta through Philadelphia), CJ Daniels, WR, Miami
198 Minnesota (from Minnesota through Houston, Minnesota and San Francisco), Demond Clairborne, RB, Wake Forest
199 Seattle (from Detroit through Cleveland, Cincinnati and Jacksonville), Emmanuel Henderson Jr., WR, Kansas
200 Miami (from Carolina), DJ Campbell, G, Texas
201 Green Bay, Domani Jackson, CB, Alabama
202 LA Chargers (from Pittsburgh through New England), Logan Taylor, G, Boston College
203 Jacksonville (from Philadelphia through Houston and Philadelphia), C.J. Williams, WR, Stanford
204 Houston (from LA Chargers), Lewis Bond, WR, Boston College
205 Detroit (from Jacksonville), Skyler Gill-Howard, DT, Texas Tech
206 LA Chargers (from Chicago through Cleveland), Alex Harkey, G, Oregon
207 Philadelphia (from Houston through LA Rams, Tennessee and LA Rams), Micah Morris, G, Georgia
208 Atlanta (from Buffalo through New York Jets and Las Vegas), Anterio Thompson, DT, Washington
209 Washington (from San Francisco), Matt Gulbin, C, Michigan State
210 Pittsburgh (from LA Rams through Kansas City), Gabe Rubio, DE, Notre Dame
211 Baltimore (from Denver through New York Jets, Minnesota and Philadelphia), Ryan Eckley, P, Michigan State
212 New England, Namdi Obiazor, LB, TCU
213 Chicago (from Seattle through Jacksonville, Detroit and Buffalo), Jordan Van Den Berg, DT, Georgia Tech
Compensatory Selections
214 Indianapolis (from Pittsburgh), Caden Curry, DE, Ohio State
215 Atlanta (from Philadelphia), Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU
216 Green Bay (from Pittsburgh through Seattle), Trey Smack, K, Florida
Seventh round
217 Arizona, Jayden Williams, OT, Mississippi
218 Dallas (from Tennessee), Anthony Smith, WR, East Carolina
219 New Orleans (from Las Vegas), TJ Hall, CB, Iowa
220 Buffalo (from New York Jets), Toriano Pride Jr., CB, Missouri
221 Cincinnati (from New York Giants through Dallas), Jack Endries, TE, Texas
222 Detroit (from Cleveland), Tyre West, DT, Tennessee
223 Washington, Athan Kaliakmanis, QB, Rutgers
224 Pittsburgh (from New Orleans through New England), Robert Spears-Jennings, S, Oklahoma
225 Tennessee (from Kansas City through Dallas), Jaren Kanak, TE, Oklahoma
226 Cincinnati, Landon Robinson, DT, Navy
227 Carolina (from Miami), Jackson Kuwatch, LB, Miami (Ohio)
228 New York Jets (from Dallas through Buffalo and Las Vegas), VJ Payne, S, Kansas State
229 Las Vegas (from Tampa Bay), Brandon Cleveland, DT, NC State
230 Pittsburgh (from Indianapolis), Eli Heidenreich, RB, Navy
231 Atlanta, Ethan Onianwa, OT, Ohio State
232 LA Rams (from Baltimore), Tim Keenan III, DT, Alabama
233 Jacksonville (from Detroit), Zach Durfee, DE, Washington
234 New England (from Minnesota), Behren Morton, QB, Texas Tech
235 Minnesota (from Carolina), Gavin Gerhardt, C, Cincinnati
236 Seattle (from Green Bay), Andre Fuller, CB, Toledo
237 Indianapolis (from Pittsburgh), Seth McGowan, RB, Kentucky
238 Miami (from LA Chargers through Tennessee and New York Jets), Max Llewellyn, DE, Iowa
239 Buffalo (from Philadelphia through Jacksonville, Cleveland and Chicago), Tommy Doman Jr., P, Florida
240 Jacksonville, Parker Hughes, LB, Middle Tennessee
241 Buffalo (from Chicago), Ar'maj Reed-Adams, G, Texas A&M
242 Seattle (from Buffalo through Cleveland and New York Jets), Deven Eastern, DT, Minnesota
243 Houston (from San Francisco), Aiden Fisher, LB, Indiana
244 Philadelphia (from Houston through Minnesota), Cole Wisniewski, S, Texas Tech
245 New England (from LA Rams through Houston and Jacksonville), Jam Miller, RB, Alabama
246 Denver, Miles Scott, DB, Illinois
247 New England, Quintayvious Hutchins, DE, Boston College
248 Cleveland (from Seattle), Carsen Ryan, TE, BYU
Compensatory Selections
249 Kansas City (from Indianapolis through Pittsburgh), Garrett Nussmeir, QB, LSU
250 Baltimore, Rayshaun Benny, DT, Michigan
251 Philadelphia (from LA Rams), Uar Bernard, DT, Nigeria
252 Philadelphia (from LA Rams), Keyshawn James-Newby, DE, New Mexico
253 Baltimore, Evan Beerntsen, G, Northwestern
254 Indianapolis, Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma
255 Seattle (from Green Bay), Michael Dansby, DB, Arizona
256 Denver, Dallen Bentley, TE, Utah
257 Denver, Red Murdock, LB, Buffalo
It makes some sense. The Rams don’t expect to pick in the top half of the first round again any time soon. They’re slap-bang in the middle of the championship window, with the best roster in the league. If they believe Simpson can be a viable starter, it will extend that window beyond the career of Matthew Stafford, who has toyed with retirement and has only one or two years left in the league.
But taking a flier on Simpson at No 13 was a reach. He is a historic outlier in size, weight and starting experience. The history of quarterbacks arriving with so little tape is gnarly. Only one quarterback has made a Pro Bowl with 15 or fewer college starts: Mitchell Trubisky, whom the Bears couldn’t wait to move on from after four seasons. And the history of quarterbacks who play at 6ft1in, 211lb or under is just as grim. The only quarterbacks who’ve had success at that size have been either electric athletes or Drew Brees, one of the most accurate passers in the history of the league. Simpson is neither.
Simpson is talented. In college, he was asked to do professional quarterback things, playing in a pro-style system and running the show from the line of scrimmage. You can see why the Rams would fall in love with his intellect, toughness and his willingness to push the ball down the field. All those skills map well to McVay’s offense; Simpson rips it over the middle of the field, and McVay’s offense is designed to generate those throws.
The rest, however, is pure projection. Simpson lacks any elite tool. Inexperienced college starters are usually selected highly because they have an athletic super-skill. Simpson doesn’t. On the continuum of quarterbacks, he is closer to Mac Jones or Brock Purdy than he is to Stafford.
Simpson isn’t just short, he’s light. He lacked the body armour to survive a 12-game college season. How will it hold up over a 17-to-23-game schedule against NFL size and speed? We don’t need to theorize. Last year, he took too many blows, and a rib injury wrecked his second half of the year. After looking like one of the best quarterbacks in college football over the first eight weeks of the season, he fell apart as the hits and injuries mounted up.
Pairing up with McVay and learning from Stafford is the ideal landing spot for Simpson. It beats landing with the Jets or Cardinals, the other teams with serious interest. With some time behind the scenes, perhaps he can bulk up. But he needs reps against live competition, and with Stafford still at the peak of his powers, that isn’t coming any time soon.
The Cowboys crush it
The Cowboys entered day one with two first-round picks and a clear mandate: to fix their defense. Last year’s unit was a disaster. Thursday night was a great step in correcting that.
Dallas traded up one spot to select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. It’s a home run pick. Downs was the best all-around player in the draft, a do-everything safety who can cover from the slot or deep down the field, bang away against the run in the box and is a weapon as a blitzer. He was the best read-and-react defender in college football, leading a Buckeyes defense that had Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles, two top-seven picks in the draft, in tackles and splash plays. Downs will also add some much-needed playmaking and versatility to Dallas’ re-made unit.
In the era of Kyle Hamilton, Brian Branch, Jalen Pitre and Nick Emmanwori, safety/slot value should have gone out the window. But Downs’ slide proves the league continues to overlook the value of hybrid players in the secondary. Hamilton, Pitre, Branch and Emmanwori all slipped in the draft. Each of them is now a linchpin piece for the league’s best defenses, putting stuff on the menu that other defenses cannot access. As a prospect, Downs stacks up with all of them. He lacks Hamilton’s size, but he is a more blurry athlete who can create carnage all over the field.
And the Cowboys weren’t done there. With their second pick in the first round, they traded back and still picked up one of the top edge-rushing prospects in the class, UCF’s Malachi Lawrence. Lawrence brings juice off the ball. He’s a speed-bend pass-rusher who moves a little like former Cowboys great DeMarcus Ware. Lawrence isn’t as refined as Rueben Bain or Akheem Mesidor, two of the three edge-defenders selected ahead of him, but he has a shot to be the most impactful pass-rusher from this year’s class.
It’s a league of big men
Ties, the old cliche says, go to the big man. And the league stayed true to the rule, loading up on offensive linemen on the opening night. Nine offensive linemen came off the board in the first round, more than a quarter of the evening’s haul. Part of that is the usual league-wide panic about the trenches; part of it is a genuinely strong crop this year; and part of it, let’s be honest, is that the top of this draft was thin on the sort of blue-chip skill-position prospects that normally hoover up the early picks.
Spencer Fano (Browns), Francis Mauigoa (Giants) and Kadyn Proctor (Dolphins) went at 9, 10 and 12. Vega Ioane got the interior prospects going, landing in Baltimore at pick No 14. And then the Texans decided to move up for Keylan Rutledge at 26, a mauling, slightly unhinged guard with shades of Richie Incognito. Four more tackles went between 17 and 28, with the Patriots jumping up to make sure Utah tackle Caleb Lomu didn’t get away.
Proctor was the buzziest selection. Miami has been at pains to say they’re rebuilding through the trenches, trying to shed their label as a soft (yet fast) team and looking to build a more imposing, powerful group on offense. Proctor checks the box. He’s a 6ft 6in, 352lb tackle who played closer to 400lb in college. His weight and work ethic have been concerns at times, and if he continues to play heavy, he will be forced to move inside to guard. But when Proctor’s weight is under control, he’s an extraordinary athlete for his size. It’s not that complicated: guys so big shouldn’t be able to move so fluidly. Given his sheer mass, no one can run through him. Proctor has all the physical to work with and is one of the youngest players in the class despite having plenty of experience. For a Dolphins team going through a full rebuild, taking a swing on a player with All-Pro potential, most likely at guard, was a bet worth making.
The electric Jets
The Jets wound up making three picks in the first round. They traded back up to pick No 30 to go along with selections at No 2 overall and No 16. All their picks had one thing in common: gas.
The Jets kicked off the night by selecting Texas Tech edge-rusher David Bailey, opting for proven pass-rush juice over the hybrid Ohio State defender Arvell Reese. Reese is the better prospect, but Bailey has unteachable first-step speed and a settled position. Given his deficiencies against the run, Bailey may struggle to become a full-time starter. But pass-rush sizzle is one of the most valuable commodities in the league, and few get off the ball as quickly or play as suddenly as Bailey. He may not be as stable down-to-down, but he will create splash plays.
After Bailey, the Jets turned their attention to the offense, grabbing Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq and Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. Sadiq is a ridiculous athlete, with the best acceleration of the snap of any player in the class, regardless of position. His fit with new offensive coordinator Frank Reich is funky, but Sadiq has the kind of playmaking chops that Reich can build portions of his offense around. Sadiq is still somewhat of a project, both as a receiver and a blocker, but all tight ends take time to develop. And Sadiq isn’t just a combine darling. Sure, he tested like a freak, but that athleticism translates to the field. And he’s willing to play a rugged style, offering all-out effort as a blocker. Sadiq is a little boom-bust, but squint hard enough, and you can see Vernon Davis. With the Jets lacking speed all over the field, taking a gamble on one of the most explosive offensive weapons in the draft makes sense.
It’s hard not to feel better about the Sadiq pick after the Jets closed out the night with Cooper, either. The Indiana receiver is a tough, shifty, slot-based player, with a hint of Puka Nacua about his game. He’s a willing blocker and creates chunk plays with the ball in his hands. There were more tantalizing receivers available in the draft, but Cooper was as safe a selection as the Jets could have made. They entered the offseason with few playmakers on offense and an old and slow defense. If nothing else, they now have game-breaking speed on their roster.
A round of applause for the league
There was a time when teams had 15 minutes to make their selections in the first round. For the better part of a decade, the league reduced that time to 10 minutes. This year, the NFL cut the time between picks down to eight minutes. And it was a triumph. The first round was snappy, moving at a slick pace.
The opening night of the draft has become a marquee event. Ultimately, though, it’s an exercise in reading names. While there are dorks (hand up) who obsess about this stuff, most fans just want to know who they’ve picked and whether or not their team is run by bozos. Back in 2003, that took six hours. You could have flown coast-to-coast in the time it took to rattle off the selections. This year, with the reduced clock, everything was wrapped up in just over three hours.
That subtle shift made everything feel more dramatic. There was almost no time to digest what had happened before Roger Goodell was back at the podium. Who’s on the clock? Who’s still available? Have the Cowboys traded up? What did they give up? Mel Kiper couldn’t handle the cortisol spikes. It was a broadcast built for the TikTok generation, and in a class that lacked star power at the premium positions, it added some needed tension. Teams may not love making franchise-altering decisions without a chance to breathe, but it cranked up the stakes.
The league deserves credit. When do they ever make a decision that leaves money on the table? Dropping the overall run time may have reduced the number of ad slots but made for a better overall program. Sometimes, even the NFL deserves a begrudging round of applause.
