Buffalo Bills
Draft picks: Wyoming QB Josh Allen (No. 7 overall), Virginia Tech LB Tremaine Edmunds (No. 16 overall), Stanford DT Harrison Phillips (No. 96 overall), Weber State DB Taron Johnson (No. 121 overall), Jacksonville State DB Siran Neal (No. 154 overall), Virginia Tech OG Wyatt Teller (No. 166 overall), Clemson WR Ray-Ray McCloud (No. 187 overall), North Carolina WR Austin Proehl (No. 255 overall).
The Bills moved up to get Allen without losing their second 1st round pick. Though they did lose some great value in the second round if Allen pans out its a moot point. They also moved up to get Edmunds in the first which was a great trade for them. I like Phillips in the 3rd and the “one should work out” approach with McCloud and Proehl as well. Overall I like their draft and if Allen turns into their franchise quarterback this could be one of the biggest drafts in Bill’s history.
Overall Grade: B+
Miami Dolphins
Draft picks: Alabama DB Minkah Fitzpatrick (No. 11 overall), Penn State TE Mike Gesicki (No. 42 overall), Ohio State LB Jerome Baker (No. 73 overall), Notre Dame TE Durham Smythe (No. 123 overall), Arizona State RB Kalen Ballage (No. 131 overall), Southern Mississippi S Cornell Armstrong (No. 209 overall), Ohio LB Quentin Polling (No. 227 overall), New Mexico K Jason Sanders (No. 229 overall).
The Dolphins bypassed taking a quarterback and started off their draft with Fitzpatrick who will, in my opinion, will push Miami’s defense to another level. I really liked this kid in college and I look forward to seeing him line up across from Tom Brady twice a year. I also LOVE Gesicki. I have a feeling he’ll be their starting tight end for awhile. I like Baker and Ballage as well. Overall Miami drafted well but failed to address the quarterback position. They also doubled up on multiple positions.
Overall Grade: B-
New England Patriots
Draft picks: Georgia OT Isaiah Wynn (No. 23 overall), Georgia RB Sony Michel (No. 31 overall), Florida CB Duke Dawson (No. 56 overall), Purdue LB Ja’Whaun Bentley (No. 143 overall), Arizona State LB Christian Sam (No. 178 overall), Miami WR Braxton Berrios (No. 210 overall), LSU QB Danny Etling (No. 219 overall), Western Carolina DB Keion Crossen (No. 243 overall), Florida State TE Ryan Izzo (No. 250 overall).
While Wynn is a little small compared to most NFL tackles I like the way they paired him with his teammate Sony Michel. He’s a tough runner and should contribute right away. Dawson is a slot corner that will be involved instantly. They doubled up on linebackers and added a quarterback late. Overall they had a good draft and addressed a lot of positions.
Overall Grade: B+
New York Jets
Draft picks: USC QB Sam Darnold (No. 3 overall), Fort Hays State DT Nathan Shepherd (No. 72 overall), Miami TE Christopher Herndon (No. 107 overall), Tulane CB Parry Nickerson (No. 179 overall), Connecticut DT Folorunso Fatukasi (No. 180 overall), Virginia State RB Trenton Cannon (No. 204 overall).
Lets just call it what it is. This draft was to get a franchise quarterback and I believe the Jets have gotten that. The issue is Darnold is young and New York has been a tough place to develop young QB’s. I ultimately think it will all out work out but I think thats at least 3 years down the line. A long wait for what they gave up. I think other quarterbacks were more NFL ready. They also took some gambles on smaller school players that could be genius or classic Jets. I think they could of done better and handled their picks better.
Overall Grade: C+