THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
SPORTS
2013 NFL Draft — Round 1 OverviewBleary-eyed but dedicated Richard L Gale throws off the caffeine palpitations to review the first day of the NFL Draft: oodles of OLs, boatloads of Vikings, and Geno Smith as Sir-Not-Appearing... A first round pick doesn't make or break a draft class, but a first round whiff at quarterback can sure make or break a coach's tenure. With that fear patrolling the minds of every team's brain-trust, the NFL Draft began Thursday night with the predicted reticence in calling out signal callers and a preoccupation with either protecting the league's existing gunslingers or getting to opposing passers before they can pull the trigger. Three tackles went in the first four picks, six offensive linemen in the first eleven, and the first three non-linemen selected were all edge rushers marketed on their ability to beat up quarterbacks. Just one QB was selected — not the highly regarded (read 'mock draft-hyped') Geno Smith, who became the latest player to endure 'Green Room Limbo', just one receiver went in the top 20, and for the first time in half a century, no running back was selected in the first round. After last year's passer pyrotechnics, this year has begun as a tale of Xs and Os. As you may know, The American doesn't rush to judgement — no 'insta-grades' here, and our full draft grades, 'The Last Word On…' will appear during this next week, once the dust has settled on EVERY round from one through seven, PLUS the key priority free agents. For now, though, here's the anatomy of the first round… STRONG ARM TACTICS Kansas City, picking first, had their choice of quality offensive tackles, so it was merely a preference of style that saw them go for Central Michigan's Eric Fisher first overall. Every mock draft's no.1, Luke Joeckel of Texas A&M was such a no-brainer, everybody forgot to comment on the Jacksonville Jaguars passing on a greater need for a pass rusher, but the pick was on-theme for the 'reset' atmosphere of the Jaguars administration that had ex-OT Tony Boselli, their original overall No.2 sitting in London watching the Wembley-bound Jags sign up another can't-miss left tackle. Seeing Oregon DE/OLB Dion Jordan still on the board, the Dolphins traded into Oakland's three spot, defying those who hurriedly predicted a 1-2-3 of tackles, and snatched the first pass rusher of the day. Top of every big board went Oklahoma OT Lane Johnson, and while the Eagles fielded calls, they took the protector for themselves, a smart decision to keep an equally savvy player. Any of the previous players would have suited the Detroit Lions, but they won't cry at being left high and dry at five with BYU DE Ziggy Ansah. AND SO THE QB WAIT BEGINS Would the first QB come off the board at pick 6, to the Cleveland Browns, Arizona at 7, Buffalo at 8 or Jets at 9 or 13? When we come to final judgement of this year's draft, teams may earn bonuses for ignoring a range of imperfect passers, and this Draft would reach pick 16 before reaching for a passer. Instead, the Browns barked the entertaining name of Barkevious Mingo, LSU OLB; the Cardinals, likely interested in OLs and OLBs, expressed some talent-sense and went for outstanding North Carolina guard Jonathan Cooper; and the Bills traded down, bringing in the St Louis Rams (who successfully completed rumored deals to trade both up and down from their two first round positions). The Rams landed the first wide receiver of the draft, diminutive but elf-quick Tavon Austin of WVU, who fits them like a glove after the departure of Danny Amendola (even if he didn't entirely fill his Rams cap on the night). And still Austin's college QB Geno Smith sat… The Jets replaced Darrelle Revis with Alabama's Dee Milliner at corner, the Titans chose Alabama OG Chance Warmack to further restructure their line, and the Chargers also called for Crimson Tide heft up front with DJ Fluker. Back on the clock, Oakland shocked everybody with the 'surprise' pick that had been rumored for hours, injury comeback corner DJ Hayden. Then the Jets were back, the New York faithless booing the selection of defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson when their eyes had been bright to the prospect of a quarterback — any quarterback — to snap them out of the Sanchez-Tebow suicide pact signed last year. The Jets had much greater needs, but looked a little outmaneuvered. Another DT, Star Lotulelei went to Carolina, the Saints took safety Kenny Vaccaro at 15, and finally a quarterback came off the board… The Bills, after much speculation that head coach Doug Marrone couldn't pass on his old college passer Ryan Nassib and a weak consensus that Geno Smith was the top passer available, snubbed their noses at conventional thinking and took Florida State gunman EJ Manuel, certainly an NFL body and arm, but no more sure a thing to take the Bills to the upside of mediocrity than what they've seen under center in recent seasons. It'll likely still be Kevin Kolb out there this season until the win-loss gets out of shape and they can throw whoever to the AFC East wolves. OBVIOUS AND LESS OBVIOUS The claim that the networks wouldn't spoil the evening by telling us the picks before Roger Goodell's announcements took something of a hit in the second half of the draft, partly through safety of selection in the mid-section, and partly as on-stage dedications to American Armed Forces and Boston's First Responders allowed Twitter to start getting the news out before the Commissioner. Those wishing to avoid spoilers or perhaps show some respect would have been wise to disregard social networking, though Sky Sports, eager to flick to the last page and find out whodunnit, did break the new unwritten network code and jump ahead just once. Still, the Commish didn't seem in any rush to catch up to social networking, leaving the impression that the selection cards might be moving down the chain through Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg before reaching the ever-languid Goodell. The Steelers surprised few with OLB Jarvis Jones, not just suiting their needs, but denying the Ravens; the 49ers moved up for the Cowboys pick (possibly literally) in Eric Reid, and the New York Giants and Chicago Bears went steady as a house brick with headline-resistant offensive linemen Justin Pugh and Kyle Long. Cincinnati woke everyone from the lull by snatching TE Tyler Eifert, not high among their expected needs, and a player Atlanta coveted. Nonetheless, the Falcons swooped via a trade with the Rams for corner Desmond Trufant, a desperate matching of need, but the first of a number of players whose draft-position value will open to debate when we revisit the whole draft next week. A LONGBOAT FULL OF VIKINGS The last ten picks of the draft were defined by Minnesota. At 23, DT Sherrif Floyd of Florida free-fell to them (if you subscribe to the idea that a draftee can 'fall' from a place they never were to begin with), and after the Colts took German defensive end Bjoern Werner, his FSU team-mate corner Xavier Rhodes became Viking no.2. The Vikings would soon be back a third time… The Packers, still seeking to rush the passer more than rushing the ball, opted for Datone Jones, the UCLA product who, if the NFL Network highlight reel was representative, looked really bothersome on all the occasions nobody blocked him. An offensive skill position player — seemingly rarer than unicorns this draft day — arrived at the Texans with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins instantly a tasty option opposite Andre Johnson; not just a partner for the 11-year veteran, it must be noted, but a possible replacement in the longer-term. It wouldn't shock me to see the Texans take another WR before this thing is through if the talent pool holds up. After the Broncos tried to define an interior defensive line, again in flux, with DT Sylvester Williams of North Carolina, the Vikings sensationally returned with their third first round pick of the day. Their trade partner? Why, the Patriots of course, always on the lookout to vacuum unwanted mid-round picks, and acquiring selections 52, 83, 102 and 229 in exchange for Minnesota's chance to take WR Cordarrelle Patterson, who will hopefully discover direction with Greg Jennings as a mentor. The Rams grinned their way out of day one with the late selection of LB Alec Ogletree, too good to pass on. We'll leave judgement on trade exchanges that gained two 3rds and a 6th and lost a 2nd, 3rd and 7th until the actual picks are in, but they liked what they bought and they weren't counting the change just yet. However, the Cowboys trade-down from 18 to 31 to gain just a 3rd (pick 74) and Wisconsin interior lineman Travis Frederick will be filed away for further scrutiny when we sift the draft minutiae over the next few days. By comparison, Baltimore's selection of safety Matt Elam of Florida was an unfussy tick off their needs list to end the day. STILL ON THE BOARD? Several teams will start to consider that glut of sub-prime quarterbacks now — Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, Ryan Nassib, Tyler Wilson; the whole selection of RBs left like rancid salad at the NFL steakhouse; receivers Keenan Allen and Robert Woods; DEs Damontre Moore and Alex Okafor; LBs Manti Te'o, Arthur Brown, Kevin Minter; and the biggest Englishman to don armor since Henry VIII, Menelik Watson. (Okay, Watson's actually a whole lot bigger) But then, most of the draft is still on the board. For those with the attention span of Finding Nemo's Dory, you can whoop and holler right now at your team's picks, but for everybody else, don't forget to check back through next week, when The American will be prodding and poking through all the picks, the trades, needs fulfilled and unfulfilled from the first pick to the priority free agents, to discover which teams helped themselves best through the entire Draft process — opening selection to post-draft telephone scramble. We'll see you here and on twitter @TheAmericanNFL over the next two evenings. |
