NFL Draft : How did your team do?
 

Welp, the Raiders got boxed out of the QB run by Atlanta going for Penix. That was a bit of a shocker given the contract they just gave Cousins, but I think a smart pick.

Bowers is the first value pick by the Raiders in the first round I can remember since...well I can't remember. Might be the best player they've grabbed since Mack in 2015. You could make a case for Kolton Miller or Josh Jacobs, but outside of that, just horrible reaches and underperformers.

I'll take it.

The Niners grabbed a really good WR, which seems to indicate we've seen the last of Ayuk. Ah well.

How 'bout your team?

The Raiders haven't known what to do for 35 years. That won't change.

We'll have to wait and see how the Penix situation unfolds. Could be a master stroke, but more likely it will go down as a really bad decision.

There isn't a good way to frame that decision and reconcile it with the Cousins decision. The deal they made with Cousins indicates that they feel they are in 'win now' mode and they are looking to Cousins to get them deep into the playoffs. If true (and the contract $ say it is true), then that #8 pick should have been used on a player that can contribute to that goal in year 1. As in, NOW.

Drafting Penix is nothing more than an insurance policy in year 1, and not a very good insurance policy. While I think he may actually be the best QB prospect, his injury history, and the 'unknown' that comes with ANY rookie QB learning to adapt to the NFL, makes this pick incredibly risky. The success rate of all QBs drafted in the 1st round is about 30%... so 1 in 3. Success rate being defined as getting into a deep playoff run at least twice with the team that drafted you. *ALL* 1st round QB picks are risky. To make that pick at #8 AFTER bringing in a veteran on a 4 year, $180MM contract really doesn't make a lot of sense (to me, at least). If Cousins plays out his contract, Penix won't see the field and will be 30 years old... if they cut Cousins after next year (or even the year after), there is still a HUGE guaranteed amount that will hit their salary cap.

I don't know. Like I said, it could be brilliant, or really terrible. At the end of the day, the results will determine which it is... I would have rather seen him go to a team where he could sit for a year and then get a shot at being the starter. Unless Cousins goes down, I don't see how he gets to start for a couple of seasons, if ever, realistically.

As for my team? I'm in KC, so... whatever they do is fine. We got another super fast receiver which with adding Hollywood Brown means we should be able to stretch the defensive secondaries more than last year... which should open up opportunities in the running game, screen passes, and Kelce across the middle. As well as just giving us more big play opportunities that all but disappeared when Tyreek left.

I think the Chiefs are due to regress, but they keep on going and are now looking to defy the odds... a championship 3-peat in the NFL??? The gambler in me says no... but...

That's fair, but to me this is a change. Not the all-too-typical reach. Just grab great players. Keep doing that and they'll be in great shape. They have some players already.

Love Brock Bowers, Raiders fans will too.

Broncos had one first round pick. They need a dozen or two more. We'll see about Bo Nix. I fell for the hype on Drew Lock. Then Russell Wilson. Won't be doing that again, I'm in Show Me mode.

I'm not sure how much they're still "my team", since this will be our second season living 3000 miles away, but Eagles fans tend to stay Eagles fans so I guess I'll still be one - I'm certainly not a fan of any other particular team. They needed a shut down corner and even looked at moving up in the draft to get the guy they wanted, but none of the teams they might have been able to trade with had a corner as a high priority, so the Eagles sat tight and still got the first corner in the draft and, evidently, the guy they wanted all along. Whether he'll be as good as advertised, we'll see... I don't know anything about him and don't even remember his name at the moment, so we'll see if he makes me remember his name...

The way the Eagles shut down last season after a 10-1 start though leaves me a bit of a doubter to say the least. They'll have to re-earn my hopes...

-Ray

I think Nix will be an upgrade.

Broncos fan here…..and an Oregon Ducks fan….so I am delighted with Bo Nix going to them at number 12…… I watched him play every snap in his two years at Oregon and the dude is for real. ….I caught three of his games in Autzen and saw close up how well he reads the field and makes the right choices……my sense is that he’s gonna kill it in Sean Payton’s offense…..providing they can protect him of course as there is no substitute for a good O-line…..

Eagles fan here. They selected CB Quniyon Mitchell with the 22 pick. He was a standout at the Senior Bowl and was the guy the Eagles wanted. I'm good with the pick as the Eagles need to rebuild their Defense. The Offense is stacked and now with a good OC I think they will be in hunt.

That's a pretty good straight line, but I canned all my Russell Wilson jokes the minute he left :D

I was hoping the Raiders would pick him. Seems like he's gonna be a difference maker. I'd be happy.

I have been a Giants fan for my entire remembered life, over 60 years. I caught it from my father. Also caught the Red Sox from him (we live on the fault line between NYC and Boston, not unusual to swing both ways).

The Giants have only been relevant for a very small part of that time, but there have been some great peaks among a lot of valleys. Same with the Sox.

I thought they would pick a QB since there were so many good ones available. But they have to pay Jones this year anyway, and if he bombs even with a first rounder at wide out then they are justified in dumping him, and maybe even draft from a better position next year. I hope he does well, but I'm not sold on him. Maybe it will be different if he can manage to finally stay healthy, doubtful since they don't have an O line to protect him. Really strange he had a few good games and they set him up for life, but its not my money....

The real question...
 

Who will be Mr. Irrelevant ?

I know that the Patriots need a QB, but I would have liked to have seen them draft Marvin Harrison Jr. I think he could be one of the top 3 receivers over the next ten years. Hopefully Drake Maye lives up to his #3 pick.

I honestly don't understand how the draft came to be such a big deal. It's all unknowns... first round picks go bust; Mr. Irrelevant plays in a Super Bowl. I just hope a few picks work out to make the Broncos suck less this year. ;)