Aaron Rodgers said it
best when he tweeted, “this should be an interesting 10 minutes” as the Cowboys
went on the clock with Johnny Manziel on the board. The Cowboys selected Zach Martin from Notre
Dame and defied conventional wisdom in stunning fashion. Jerry Jones is a showman to his core and
passing on Johnny Football left football fans with a Manzielephant in the room.
Watching the Heisman trophy winner sweat
out the process in the green room was the theater that ESPN needed to give this
delayed draft extra juice.
As you undoubtedly know
at this point, Manziel was finally drafted by the Browns at number
twenty-two. This pick was Cleveland
owner Jimmy Haslem’s all the way.
Drafting Justin Gilbert was a nod to Mike Pettine’s heritage but Manziel
will sell tickets. Pettine watched his
friend and boss in New York, Rex Ryan struggle with a young quarterback’s
learning curve. Cleveland fans certainly
hope that Johnny Football is not Pettine’s Mark Sanchez. Of course, other players found new homes tonight. Here are the most interesting picks of the
evening.
Tampa
Bay made an early splash by seizing Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans at
seven. Many pundits had slotted Evans as
a top five pick so on paper this was a value pick by new Buccaneers coach Lovie
Smith. That is not the case. Evans will pair well with Vincent Jackson but
who will throw the pigskin to this towering tandem? Mike Glennon is out despite a productive
rookie season (19 touchdowns against 6 interceptions). Tampa Bay paid Josh McCown to be the starter
but he has not shown consistency thus far in his NFL career. Buc’s offensive coordinator and quarterback
guru Jeff Tedford will have his work cut out for him.
While
Lovie Smith left people mildly confused, Jim Caldwell has sunk Detroit
already. The Lions picked tight end Eric
Ebron at number ten. Ebron is more wideout
than tight end. He is not a blocker nor
will he be as viable a threat when he puts a hand on the ground at the end of
the line. It is not possible to
overstate how badly the Lions need defensive help. This pick did nothing to solve the
problem.
Meanwhile,
St. Louis demonstrated a Midas touch.
They used the second overall pick on Greg Robinson who while raw will
steady the Rams’ offensive line. Then
with the 13th selection, Jeff Fisher struck fear into the NFC
West. By drafting defensive lineman
Aaron Donald, the Rams have upgraded what arguably was the best D-line in
football. St. Louis boasts four top
fifteen picks with Robert Quinn, Chris Long, Michael Brockers, and now Donald
on the line. Seattle illustrated how a
defensive front can defeat even the best offenses. Now the Rams will look to dethrone the champions
with their own method.
Not
to be outdone, Arizona used the 27th pick on Deone Bucannon. He is a hard-hitting safety out of Washington
State. While Jimmie Ward from Northern Illinois
has flashed skills and aggression, it seems that Bucannon’s Pac-12 pedigree
caught Bruce Arians’ eye. He will team
with Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu in what appears to be a nod to Seattle’s
Legion of Boom. Imitation is the sincerest
form of flattery and the NFC West teams seeking the playoffs are copying
Seattle so far during the 2014 NFL Draft.
The last two selections of the round have seen Denver continue a run on secondary players and Minnesota snatch their quarterback to end the evening. Denver’s selection of Bradley Roby will give added depth to an upgraded secondary and he could be an integral role player in Peyton’s Super Bowl push. The Vikings selection of Teddy Bridgewater, from Louisville, solidifies the position. The concern is that Bridgewater’s deep ball accuracy can wane and Norv Turner is a Don Coryell acolyte. That means the quarterback’s progression will be from deepest to shortest. That wrinkle could expose Bridgewater’s Achilles heel or reveal how little football analysts truly know. Either way, count on Sporting Joe for your Draft Day Two and Draft Day Three breakdowns.
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