Day 1 of the NFL Draft was absolutely electric. This was easily the most uncertain draft I’ve seen in quite sometime. For months there was so much smoke blown about so many different guys. A pass rusher went round 1 just as everyone always thought. It just so happens that the one that went to Jacksonville was not Kavon Thibodeaux like we assuming in September or Aidan Hutchinson like we assumed just until last week. I don’t think I’ve ever seen 2 cornerbacks go top 5 but these 2 are absolute studs in Derek Stingley Jr. and Sauce Gardner. I also don’t believe I’ve ever seen a run on receivers like the one we saw after the Falcons selected Drake London at 8. We found out that Kenny Pickett was QB1 over Malik Willis. The Pittsburgh Steelers made that happen with the 20th pick in the draft. Before Steelers fans say anything negative as we know they will, if Mitchell Trubisky didn’t know about the pick then who cares. He signed a contract for a chance to start. He wasn’t handed anything and I bet he knew this. Competition creates success and no one knows that better than the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Day 1 Winners
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles came into this offseason with 3 first rounders. They were able to flip one into a 2023 1st with additional 2022 picks, traded up to get the best DT prospect in Jordan Davis, and acquired AJ Brown while signing him to a 4 year $100 million extension. The ammo for 2023 allows them to do exactly what they did this year: go get your guys. A tip of the cap to you Howie Roseman as that was a heist.
Baltimore Ravens
Deke said it best regarding these draft prospects. There is only 2 positions where there is no debate on the clear cut number guy is and that was safety and center. The Ravens drafted both clear cut number 1 guys in Kyle Hamilton and Tyler Linderbaum. They did trade Hollywood Brown but somehow got a first for him and used that pick to get Linderbaum. His best asset is the deep ball due to his speed and there is plenty of speed on the outside in the later rounds.
New York Jets
My goodness what a draft day for them. I thought Kayvon Thibodeaux was the pick at 4 but instead they snagged my guy Sauce Gardner so I’m clearly not mad. I believe in that dude so much I tweeted some crazy stuff about it (@dre_frye). Went to 10 and snagged my number 1 receiver in Garrett Wilson getting their QB another weapon. I did not mind them avoiding a pass rusher because of the quality of guys at those picks. The Jets needed to fill these holes. The win comes later in the draft trading up to get edge rusher Jermaine Johnson who was available at 10, a projected top 10 pick, and they got him at 26. Joe Douglas also gets a tip of the cap for that wizardry.
Pitt Fans
What a cool moment for them. To see their homegrown kid, who carried them to the best season of my lifetime, get drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers is just an incredible moment. Happy for y’all. H2P and Here We Go! Best part about this is Kenny Heisman already knows to stay the hell away from The Flats.
My Live Drafting
At one of my favorite annual events where the entire party gathers to guess every pick in the 1st round, this was the best I’ve ever done at guessing who is going where. The final tally for me is getting 10 live picks right. I also nailed 4 picks where I was the only one who guessed it correct in Kayvon Thibodeaux, Zion Johnson, Tyler Smith, and Tyler Linderbaum.
Day 1 Losers
Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes
The Packers hate Rodgers and there is nothing more convincing than them not acquiring a receiver in round 1. The Chiefs don’t hate Mahomes but the same result still happened. Both teams with 2 firsts and having a massive hole there on the outside, their franchises failed to move up when the run on receivers was happening. The Chiefs had 12 picks too and just didn’t pull the trigger. Regarding Rodgers though, all that drama he created last year then signing his contract extension this year, the franchise just turned him into the joke on day 1 of the draft. To me, it’s poetic justice. I have more faith for the Chiefs to replace that speed in Tyreek Hill on the outside as this class is deep and they do have a ton of picks left. It is now infinitely harder to replace the production lost in Davante Adams and Hill. The only positive is their next State Farm commercial could produce top tier level comedy.
Malik Willis
He showed up to Las Vegas ready for his name to be called in round 1 and his best chance in the Pittsburgh Steelers was taken by Kenny Pickett. What shocks me is no one traded up to get him in round 1. He’s going to go day 2 and I think the most likely spot right now is the New York Giants with them not picking up the 5th year option of Daniel Jones.
New England Patriots
Whatttt are youuuu doingggg Bill? I don’t think the concept of value is understood here because their decision making regarding their 1st round pick was strange (hehehe). Cole Strange was a guy they could have had in the the 2nd round at least. I thought he was a round 3-4 guy and they traded back to acquire him. Just horrible value and baffling decision making here.
Deebo Samuel
Seeing AJ Brown get traded then get paid cannot feel good. It seems he may have overestimated his value as teams did not want to meet the price tag the 49ers had set to acquire him. The Jets were the strongest option to get him, but they kept the picks and took Garrett Wilson instead. We’ll see if he holds out for that new deal and if he’s used a different way come training camp but it appears he’s going to be a 49er for the foreseeable future.
I got 1 pick 100% correct in Garrett Wilson in terms of team and number and 2 picks where I guessed the team correctly in Chris Olave and Trevor Penning to the Saints as trades were not accounted for. To top things off, I lost to Ed Bouchette’s mock draft. Just a big ol’ fat L for the Dre Final Mock Draft. At least my team doesn’t hate me for being an arrogant douche like the Packers hate Aaron Rodgers.
thoughtsfromthebench.com 