The Big Winners and Loser of the NFL Draft
This year’s NFL draft saw some big surprises and big wtf moments alike. While the Jaguars seemed to get all their missing pieces to make a playoff run next season, everybody’s favorite train wreck of a team, The Philadelphia Eagles, did some proper goofing up by trading away some amazing picks and leaving the Draft with some lackluster talent in comparison. Sure enough, this next season is going to see quite a few changes for some teams that really need it.
The Biggest Draft Winner: The Cleveland Browns
It seems like Cleveland is in this position every year. Many problems to address on both sides of the ball, but just as many high round draft picks because of how awful they played last season. So it should come as no surprise that The Browns easily rounded up some of the best college rookies with their picks. Surely getting star Baylor wide receiver, Corey Coleman and explosive Oklahoma State Defensive End, Emmanuel Ogbah would mean a good season to come, right? Well with the very questionable skills of Robert Griffin III leading the charge at quarterback, who knows what inevitable problems will be hitting the Browns franchise in 2016.
The Best Team with the Biggest Picks: The Green Bay Packers
Legitimate Super Bowl contenders rarely get to go home with a lot of rising stars come draft day, but this year, The Green Bay Packers came away with several key rookies to add to an already powerful roster. To address an aging on both offense and defense, The Packers selected Outside Linebacker Kyler Fackrell of Utah State and offensive Tackle Jason Spriggs from Indiana.
The Riskiest Move: The Philadelphia Eagles trade with the Browns
Let’s be honest with ourselves, the best part of the NFL draft day is some team executing a hail Mary move. Opening up the off-season with the firing of their no-results head coach, Chip Kelly, it was essential for the Eagles to capitalize on some promising talent this year. Well, they did at the expense of losing 5 picks just to move up 6 spots for a first round draft selection. While trading up to get QB Carson Wentz was a solid move, many argue that the Eagles gave up too many picks to do so, and didn’t seem to address a multitude of issues with the rest of their slots. Who knows, maybe he’ll become the next Tom Brady, or the next Johnny Manziel…
The Boldest Move: The Rams Bet on Kessler
While the talent at quarterback this year is nothing but promising, you have to wonder if the The Rams betting it all on Cody Kessler will spell results for them in the end. Having an insanely quiet and forgettable bad season last year, the best place to start for St. Louis is surely the QB position, and Kessler is an exceptional one. However, many analyst say that while the USC alum is the most NFL ready quarterback in the draft, his potential over the long term is eclipsed by Carson Wentz’s massive throwing arm. Only a few seasons will tell if The Rams made a good choice with longevity.
Who do you think were the biggest winners and losers were this year? And what rookies do you expect to surprise everyone? Watch the NFL Network’s recap of the draft here!