You hear that in the distance, it’s the sound of Marylanders and Yinzers being salty that their arch rival from Cleveland is hosting the NFL Draft instead of perhaps one of these 2 blue collar cities. Anyways the NFL Draft has returned to an open air audience and will take place this year in the heart of the Dawg Pound. It may be super wet near the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but that won’t stop the NFL Draft to continue on with their plans of assuring some sense of normalcy. Note, if you didn’t have a 1st Round pick this year I will still go over your first pick in the draft after the opening round has concluded just so I can see what’s going on with your team. Anyways let’s see how Roger Goodell feels to have a crowd booing him at the draft again?
Fans: BOOOOOOOOOO! (Now there’s the NFL Draft we know and love!)
1st Pick (Jacksonville Jaguars): With the 1st Pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, The Jacksonville Jaguars select… Trevor Lawrence, Quarterback Clemson. What a difference a tank brigade makes in the NFL. A team that had self destructed a few years ago finally has hope again by taking perhaps the best QB prospect since Andrew Luck. With this selection #Sacksonville has something they haven’t had since Mark Brunell. A legit top flite QB! The Jags are going all in on this new era with Urban Meyer at the helm and they have already built up the roster in free agency and kept a few members still that are lingering from the 2017 team. Now they have what could be the best QB that the team has ever had. If I’m the AFC South I would watch out for them if Lawrence becomes everything the pundits predicted and more.
2nd Pick (New York Jets): The New York Jets select… Zach Wilson, Quarterback BYU. The Jets traded away Sam Darnold to get a guy that was very underrated last season. Wilson in my opinion could be a solid QB in the future and the Jets gave him plenty of weapons in free agency. The Buttfumble is clearly embracing the Robert Saleh era and should have a dark horse team if they don’t mess it up. I like that Wilson said that he is going to try and bring the Jets a Super Bowl. That’s just what New Yorkers want to hear!
3rd Pick (San Francisco 49ers via MIA/HOU): The San Francisco 49ers select… Trey Lance, Quarterback North Dakota State. I thought the 49ers would take Mac Jones but I honestly don’t blame them for taking Lance. They still have Jimmy G but I think they will develop him for a while before he becomes a starter. Now that everyone is healthy they should have a bright future if Lance doesn’t turn into the guy he replaced at NDS in Carson Wentz. As long as Kyle Shanahan knows what he is doing this could be a solid pick.
4th Pick (Atlanta Falcons): The Atlanta Falcons select… Kyle Pitts, Tight End Florida. Lets see here, potential generational talent joining forces with new head coach Arthur Smith and his play action heavy offense. The trade rumors of Julio Jones have kicked up a notch but at the moment Atlanta has what could be considered the best Tight End prospect since Tony Gonzalez. Pitts looked unstoppable last season and now that he goes to this loaded offense he could produce in bunches. I think this move could make or break the Falcons future plans considering their Cap Situation in the next few years. Honestly they still need to improve that defense after the departures of their 2 starting safeties. You’ve got time later on in the draft to fix these issues Falcons.
5th Pick (Cincinnati Bengals): The Cincinnati Bengals select… JaMarr Chase, Wide Receiver LSU. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Nothing brings me more joy than the Bungals ignoring the obvious choice of drafting Penei Sewell and deciding to take Joe Burrows favorite target in college. Chase is a great weapon but considering how rough the AFC North is this is a bad idea. I know this could be a great pick but I think they need more time to develop the defense and O-Line right now. As a fan of a rival the hype machine that is in Cleveland right now has also shifted to Cincy. Prove me wrong Mike Brown!
6th Pick (Miami Dolphins via PHI): The Miami Dolphins select… Jaylen Waddle, Wide Receiver Alabama. The Dolphins instead of protecting Tua got him one of his favorite targets from Alabama. Waddle was injured last year but I don’t think it will hold him back. Miami also signed Will Fuller in free agency and got him 2 former Ravens in Matt Skura and DJ Fluker for the O-Line. If this offense emerges to go along with the outstanding defense this could be a serious contender.
7th Pick (Detroit Lions): The Detroit Lions select… Penei Sewell, Tackle Oregon. The Lions capitalized on the Bengals and Dolphins decision to go for a wideout and drafted in my opinion the best tackle prospect since Jonathan Ogden. They are choosing to protect Jared Goff and build in the trenches. From what I saw in their draft room this could be an excellent pick for Lions fans. I think they could have a solid run game that they haven’t seen since the Barry Sanders era. Have fun with Sewell Detroit!
8th Pick (Carolina Panthers): The Carolina Panthers select… Jaycee Horn, Cornerback South Carolina. I thought they would take Patrick Surtain but I think Horn is a great fit because of his speed in the open field. Many people thought they would take a QB but this was expected since I think Sam Darnold still looks like he can be as good as expected. Well if Matt Rhule has a great plan for this season I think this could be a good pick if the defense becomes decent. Time will tell with this pick.
9th Pick (Denver Broncos): The Denver Broncos select… Patrick Surtain II, Cornerback Alabama. Well Denver replaces AJ Bouye and gets a solid prospect that could be a great fit on defense. This was a no brainer according to the front office in every way there is. All meltdowns aside, I’m looking at you ThatsGoodSports. Vic Fangio is trying to save his job and knows that he is going to live and die by defense. Honestly this was a great pick.
10th Pick (Philadelphia Eagles via DAL): The Philadelphia Eagles select… Devonta Smith, Wide Receiver Alabama. There it is! Philadelphia makes a bold move and adds the Heisman Trophy Winner to join forces with Jalen Hurts. Think of the possibilities, they could have Tyreek Hill 2.0 to go along with Miles Sanders, and Zach Ertz. I think this could be a feel good story if they win some good games early in the season. In my opinion this is going to be a great pick if they know what they are doing. TAKE THAT COWBOYS!
11th Pick (Chicago Bears via NYG): The Chicago Bears select… Justin Fields, Quarterback Ohio State. The Bears went for broke and traded up for Justin Fields because the McCaskeys think that this is going to be a popularity contest for bragging rights in the NFC North. Fields is a perfect fit in Chicago because of his toughness and never say die mindset. If he becomes a god the Bears could be solid contenders for the NFC North because of the elite defense and run game. I like this pick for the Bears, they got the guy they wanted this whole time despite giving up their 1st Round Pick next year.
12th Pick (Dallas Cowboys via MIA/SF/PHI): The Dallas Cowboys select… Micah Parsons, Linebacker Penn State. The Cowboys capitalized on Sean Lee’s retirement by getting one of the best all around linebackers in the draft. With him, Leighton Vander Esch, and Jaylon Smith, the linebacker core in BigD could be very underrated. At least the Cowboys didn’t trade the future for Kyle Pitts. And they got value from their arch rivals from Philly too. Solid pick overall!
13th Pick (Los Angeles Chargers): The Los Angeles Chargers select… Rashawn Slater Jr, Tackle Northwestern. The Chargers are looking to protect their lord and savior Justin Herbert by getting the best guard in the draft. Now that they have Corey Lindsley on the O-Line as well they are now going to have all the protection in the world. I thought that they would go for defense because of the new coaching staff but this should result in less offensive breakdowns. Good pick Spanos!
14th Pick (New York Jets via MIN): The New York Jets select… Alijah Vera Tucker, Guard USC. The Buttfumble made a bold move and added protection to their new stud in Zach Wilson. The Jets have been very active for lineman in the past few years and now that Saleh is in town he will reinforce this thinking. I like this pick because lineman like this don’t come around for this team often. I don’t like this trade because of what a certain rival is about to do.
15th Pick (New England Patriots): The 6 Time World Champion New England Patriots select… Mac Jones, Quarterback Alabama. The Jets mistake was the Patriots gain. New England got the guy they wanted without doing a single thing. Mac Jones in my opinion has perhaps the most upside of any QB in this draft besides Trevor Lawrence. Now that they have a guy that is similar to Tom Brady in terms of mechanics, strengths, and weaknesses. Not only that they won the offseason by getting a 2 TE combo and adding talent to the defense. THE EVIL EMPIRE HAS RETURNED! Belichick: Execute Order 66!
16th Pick (Arizona Cardinals): The Arizona Cardinals select… Zaven Collins, Linebacker Tulsa. Another solid pick for a defense that needs more talent to what they already did this past offseason with JJ Watt. They got a versatile linebacker and they didn’t have to move at all. Kingsbury I will give you a pass because you needed to solidify the defense and linebacking core. Good choice!
17th Pick (Las Vegas Raiders): The Las Vegas Raiders select… Alex Leatherwood, Tackle Alabama. Classic Raiders, getting a guy that was supposed to go at the end of the 1st Round and plays multiple positions. Gruden and Mayock in my opinion are trying to protect Derek Carr every which way so they went for a versatile lineman. Good choice if they develop him to be his true potential.
18th Pick (Miami Dolphins): The Miami Dolphins select… Jaelan Phillips, Defensive End Miami. Oh the Dolphins getting a local pass rusher to go along with the high end talent on defense. This pick in my opinion is a no brainer and he should fit in very well with the crew they are putting together. His speed and toughness off the edge gives Miami another excellent piece to work with. Nice job Flores!
19th Pick (Washington Hogs): The Washington Football Team selects… Jamin Davis, Linebacker Kentucky. Daniel Snider has spent the last several years building an excellent defense. This pick is exactly why. Davis is a solid all around linebacker that should fit in perfectly with Ron Rivera’s defense. I think they will take a QB later on since all of the 1st Rounders were off the board.
20th Pick (New York Giants via CHI): The New York Giants select… Kaderius Toney, Wide Receiver Florida. Dave Gettleman is at it again. Instead of adding talent to the defense he takes another receiver to go along with Kenny Golladay and Evan Engram. They need more weapons for Daniel Jones to work with so this makes sense. FivePointVids I won’t rip you because this was part of their solution to add speed to their emerging offense. It will take some time if anything.
21st Pick (Indianapolis Colts): The Indianapolis Colts select… Kwity Paye, Defensive End Michigan. The Colts just made the Giants pay and take the guy they wanted without making a single trade. This guy wasn’t supposed to go this high but most people are proven wrong when these types of players develop the right way. If he becomes Robert Mathis 2.0 this could make the Colts defense even stronger. Nice pick Irsay!
22nd Pick (Tennessee Titans): The Tennessee Titans select… Caleb Farley, Cornerback Virginia Tech. As a Ravens fan I’m glad they didn’t take Bateman or Marshall. But this was a good pick because Mike Vrabel is a defense first guy and they need corners badly. Considering that they got smoked by great receivers last year they needed to address that quickly with their 2 starting corners being gone. I think you’ll like him Titans fans.
23rd Pick (Minnesota Vikings via SEA): The Minnesota Vikings select… Christian Darrisaw, Tackle Virginia Tech. Solid pick all around, protecting Kirk Cousins is a must and this was a no brainer. I think this is a good pick but I think they could have gone for a safety. Lets see how this pans out.
24th Pick (Pittsburgh Steelers): The Pittsburgh Steelers select… Najee Harris, Running Back Alabama. The Rooneys have gone back to the old ways of Stiller Football and have decided to pound the rock. Harris in my opinion has the makeup of Jerome Bettis. Even if UrinatingTree disagrees with this pick this is an excellent selection despite weaknesses on the Offensive Line. This is their version of the Last Dance, everything relies on this one year. Good luck, Yinzers!
25th Pick (Jacksonville Jaguars via LAR): The Jacksonville Jaguars select… Travis Etienne, Running Back Clemson. Oh, the Jags are trying to form a 2 headed monster in the backfield with James Robinson. I know they needed a TE but they want to run the same offense that made Urban Meyer great at Ohio State. This is a guy that has good upside and should make a spark. Lets see how this works out.
26th Pick (Cleveland Browns): The Cleveland Browns select… Greg Newsome, Cornerback Northwestern. Jimmy Haslem did it again! He needed linebackers and run stoppers and instead got depth in the defensive backfield. I know they liked this guy but I honestly think they could have done better. But there’s still time to make moves to bolster the D. Thank god they didn’t take the guy the Ravens wanted.
27th Pick (Baltimore Ravens): The Baltimore Ravens select… Rashod Bateman, Wide Receiver Minnesota. HELL YES! The Ravens did what I thought they wouldn’t and chose to be bold. Even if they are likely to miss out on Julio Jones they got a guy who compares well with Stefon Diggs and is the big body guy that Lamar Jackson desperately needs. Now they can do whatever they want at #31 with a pass rusher or lineman still available. Eric DeCosta is at it again! Marylander: THE RAVENS ARE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL! Narrator: Like the spirit my man!
28th Pick (New Orleans Saints): The New Orleans Saints select… Payton Turner, Defensive End Houston. Bold move but they need depth up front I guess. This is a pick that in my opinion could be a combination of a run stopper and a pass rusher. I still think they need help on the backend of the secondary. We’ll see how this plays out.
29th Pick (Green Bay Packers): The Green Bay Packers select… Eric Stokes, Cornerback Georgia. The Packers boosted their secondary by getting a speed first corner who can cover all areas on the field. With him and Jaire Alexander those 2 could be a force. PS just don’t trade Aaron Rodgers. Do we need another Eric Woodyard rumor situation hitting a Wisconsin sports team. He got fired from the Bucks because of the rumor of Giannis potentially getting traded to the Warriors for the #1 pick if Golden State had won the NBA Draft Lottery and whoever reported this out of Green Bay is likely gone as well. Anyways, how is Giannis doing? CRACK! How many times this year will the Bucks have momentum only for Giannis to get hurt. With Rodgers please keep him for your fans sake.
30th Pick (Buffalo Bills): The Buffalo Bills select… Gregory Rousseau, Defensive End Miami. Nice selection for a team that needed edge rushers. That’s how the Chiefs exposed them last year. Despite the need of a TE the Bills went for the best player available. Now I see him becoming a stud and the Bills turning into the Tony Dungy era Colts. Even if they didn’t need him they just said “lets get who we want!” Nice thinking.
31st Pick (Baltimore Ravens via KC): The Baltimore Ravens select… Odafe Oweh, Linebacker Penn State. I love this pick, not only because he went to Penn State but because he looks like an absolute stud. This is the 1st Pass Rusher that the Ravens have taken in the 1st Round since Terrell Suggs. Baltimore knew that they needed more talent at defense and this was the obvious pick for many reasons. Once again the Ravens outdid Cleveland and Pittsburgh in terms of 1st Round Picks despite giving up Orlando Brown Jr to those Darn Chiefs. Those 2 great picks were karma for NFL Network playing the Ravens intro theme to hype up the Dawg Pound. It only got John Harbaugh and the rest of the Ravens draft room hyped instead. (Cleveland, Never play Where The Streets Have No Name in front of Marylanders if you are a Browns fan.)
32nd Pick (“Super Bowl Champion” Tampa Bay Buccaneers): The Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers select… Joe Tyron, Linebacker Washington. The Bucs decided to boost the linebacker core and added more depth to an already talented core. Tyron looks promising and should be a starter in the near future but they are running things like a Madden Player, stacking everyone. With #TompaBay bringing back the entire roster from the Super Bowl LV victory this could get ugly for the entire NFC.
56th Pick (Seattle Seahawks): The Seattle Seahawks select… D’Wayne Eskridge, Wide Receiver, Western Michigan. Really, I know you guys didn’t have a 1st Round pick because of the Jamal Adams trade but why are you taking another receiver? You already have DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockette. Oh wait, Lockettes contract is up this year and they want some speed. They struck out on Antonio Brown so it makes sense. At least you’re trying to fix the problems that doomed you against the Rams last year.
57th Pick (Los Angeles Rams): The Los Angeles Rams select… Tutu Atwell, Wide Receiver Louisville. I don’t know how they do it. The Rams haven’t had their 1st Round pick since the Jared Goff blockbuster yet still know how to develop talent. That answer is simple, Sean McVay and his staff know how to analyze talent. Atwell is a guy that could be used in the same way that Brandin Cooks was a couple of years ago. They might not have the offensive firepower anymore but if Matt Stafford turns back the clock they have a chance to do what the Buccaneers did last year. Win a Super Bowl in their own stadium. (I don’t think the rest of your division wants that to happen.)
58th Pick (Kansas City Chiefs): The Kansas City Chiefs select… Nick Bolton, Linebacker Missouri. Well the Chiefs needed to stabilize the defense after last year’s meltdown in the Super Bowl by getting perhaps a player that could have gone much higher. Considering that their 1st Round Pick went to Baltimore for Orlando Brown they needed to nail this pick badly and they at the moment got it done. You may think that Zeus was the only lineman entering Chiefs Kingdom. Joe Thuney plus Kyle Long coming out of retirement are the other big names coming to town. (I swear if they get Villanueva next week in FA!)
67th Pick (Houston Texans): The Houston Texans select… Davis Mills, Quarterback Stanford. WOW! LITERALLY WOW! The Texans have made Deshawn Watson even more unhappy by taking another QB instead of adding pieces on defense. As a Ravens fan I’m glad that David Culley is no longer running receivers into the ground in Baltimore. Honestly, please trade Watson, the investigations that have surrounded him will be gone from the organization. Just don’t let anyone else think he has no problems.
And there you have it. A wild and crazy bunch of 1st Picks and fan reactions. As the rest of the draft went on you had the entire AFC North trash talking one another from Joe Thomas, to Means Cameron, to Franco Harris, to Machine Gun Kelly, to DMC, to Miles Garrett, and finally Jacoby Jones plus the NFL Fan of the Year. (Who is a Ravens fan as well) This was a fun experience for the players, fans and front office members. Honestly I expect good things to come from these picks. Charm City Beasts is also on the way. Good night everyone!
Bragging Rights Sports 