Prior to the start of the 2016 NFL Draft, most of the drama centered around the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles, who pulled off blockbuster trades in order to move to the top of the board and select quarterbacks Jared Goff and Carson Wentz. But since those two picks were essentially etched in stone, the real intrigue happened this weekend when the other 30 teams got on the clock.
NFL Draft grades 2016: Cowboys opt for headlines, Jaguars choose to remake defense
Unsurprisingly, Jerry Jones made big splashes with his first two draft picks. But were they were the best choices to make?
It was one of the more bizarre first rounds in recent memory, as a video of Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil smoking marijuana out of a gas mask surfaced just minutes before Thursday’s proceedings began. Tunsil, who was projected to be a top-five selection, dropped all the way down to No. 13 -- losing an estimated $7 million in the process.
There were lots of other surprises in the first round, including the Cleveland Browns trading down for a second time and the Denver Broncos trading up to select quarterback Paxton Lynch. This unpredictability carried over to the weekend, where a number of upper-echelon players remained on the board in the later rounds.
Though the new league year officially begins in early March, the draft is often considered the real start of the upcoming season. Here are five of the biggest takeaways that should carry over as teams begin preparing for training camp in the ensuing months:
Dallas Cowboys go for headlines
To no one’s surprise, Jerry Jones made big splashes with his first two picks. But it appears as if drafting a running back at No. 4 instead of a defensive player and taking the injured Jaylon Smith at No. 34 was more about grabbing headlines than anything else.
Ezekiel Elliott was a standout running back at Ohio State, but the Cowboys already have three good running backs -- Darren McFadden, Alfred Morris and Lance Dunbar -- on their roster. ESPN's Ed Werder reports the Cowboys graded Elliott and cornerback Jalen Ramsey evenly, but Elliot's ability to touch the ball 25 times per game is what pushed him ahead. That makes sense to a point, but also discounts Ramsey's ability to shut down one side of the field on defense.
Elliott is a better blocker than any of the three Cowboys running backs and promised to make sure Tony Romo doesn’t take so many unnecessary hits:
Ezekiel Elliott to @PatKirwanCBS: "Don't worry about the blocking, nobody is getting to Romo. I'll take care of that."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) April 29, 2016
But it’s questionable that Dallas would opt to add to an already stacked position rather than address an area of more pressing need, like its pass rush. Smith will help with that, but not he probably won’t play at all in 2016.
Jones told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that both Elliott and Smith were “foundation players that the Cowboys can build their future around.” However, with Romo now in his mid-30s, the Cowboys should’ve used their early draft capital on where they need help immediately.
SB Nation: B-
ESPN: C
CBS Sports: C-
Jacksonville Jaguars continue to overhaul their defense
Jacksonville went on a spending spree during the first week of free agency, inking defensive end Malik Jackson to a $90 million contract and also acquiring safety Tashaun Gibson and cornerback Prince Amukamara to shore up one of the worst secondaries in the league. General manager David Caldwell's focus on defense was on display again this weekend, where all but one of his seven selections was on the defensive side of the ball.
With the majority of the attention in the first round centered around the quarterbacks at the top and Tunsil’s fall, the Jaguars slipped in and may have made the surest pick of the weekend. At No. 5 overall, Jacksonville drafted cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who was a consensus All-American last year at Florida State. It’s not difficult to imagine Ramsey contributing in a big way as soon as his rookie season begins.
Linebacker Myles Jack was projected to be a first-rounder, but decided to be oddly candid about his knee injury just days before the draft. With teams likely concerned that Jack may need another surgery on his right knee, he fell all the way to No. 36, where the Jaguars snatched him up. If Jack is healthy, this may go down as one of the biggest steals in recent draft memory -- similar to the New England Patriots drafting a perpetually injured Rob Gronkowski in the second round six years ago.
SB Nation: B+
ESPN: A+
CBS Sports: A+
Laremy Tunsil fallout
Contrary to what commissioner Roger Goodell may believe, there was nothing “exciting” about watching Tunsil get smeared during the biggest night of his life. But the two teams that will be forever intertwined with his fall, the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins, both made the right choice.
In isolation, the old video of Tunsil smoking a bong out of a gas mask or the text messages that purportedly show him asking Ole Miss coaches for money probably wouldn’t have been enough to plummet his draft stock. But in combination with some of the other issues surrounding Tunsil, such as his contentious relationship with his stepfather, it was safer for the Ravens to select offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley with the No. 6 overall pick.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told NFL Network that the team was “disappointed” for Tunsil, but didn’t eliminate him from its draft board. “Ronnie Stanley was right at the top of our draft board from Day 1 of the process,” Harbaugh said. “We liked Tunsil, too, as a player. Tunsil was on our board, but not to get into the specifics of it, we liked both of those guys.”
Conversely, with Tunsil sitting there at No. 13, the Dolphins probably felt compelled to take him. Tunsil is a star in the making if he can stay out of trouble.
Ravens Grades:
SB Nation: B+
ESPN: A
CBS Sports: B
Dolphins Grades:
SB Nation: B-
ESPN: B+
CBS Sports: B+
Can the Broncos mold Paxton Lynch?
After failing to pull off a deal for Colin Kaepernick and not getting far in talks for the disgruntled Sam Bradford, the Broncos traded up to nab Paxton Lynch at No. 26 overall Thursday.
General manager John Elway said Lynch “fits the Broncos perfectly,” which seems to be a little disingenuous, considering Lynch played in a spread offense at Memphis. Gary Kubiak, who runs a variation of the West Coast offense, prefers his quarterbacks be under center.
Regardless, it's clear the Broncos targeted Lynch. Mark Sanchez may get the start on Week 1, but ultimately Lynch appears to be the guy they want to entrust their franchise to long-term. The move offers financial savings for the Broncos -- Lynch costs them $63 million less than Brock Osweiler -- but that will mean little if it turns out he can't play.
SB Nation: B-
ESPN: B-
CBS Sports: B-
Cincinnati Bengals add needed reinforcements
One of the oldest debates about draft philosophy is whether you should take the best player on the board or opt to address areas of need. The Bengals chose the latter, which was a good move for Marvin Lewis to make in what could be his last season in Cincinnati (we think?) if he doesn't win a playoff game.
With Adam Jones now 32 years old and Dre Kirkpatrick possibly leaving next year as an unrestricted free agent, the Bengals needed to add more youth to their cornerback depth chart. They accomplished that with William Jackson III, who has exceptional ball skills and is slated to slot in the rotation immediately.
Marvin Jones' and Mohamed Sanu's exits have opened up two holes at wide receiver, but Tyler Boyd should fill some of that void. He caught 85 passes last year at Pitt.
SB Nation: B
ESPN: A-
CBS Sports: B+
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