# 1-1. INDIANAPOLIS Luck, Andrew QB Stanford
# 2-2. WASHINGTON Griffin, Robert QB Baylor
from ST. LOUIS
# 3-3. CLEVELAND Richardson, Trent RB Alabama
from MINNESOTA
# 4-4. MINNESOTA Kalil, Matt T Southern California
from CLEVELAND
# 5-5. JACKSONVILLE Blackmon, Justin WR Oklahoma State
from TAMPA BAY
# 6-6. DALLAS Claiborne, Morris DB Louisiana State
from WASHINGTON through ST. LOUIS
7-7. TAMPA BAY Barron, Mark DB Alabama
from JACKSONVILLE
8-8. MIAMI Tannehill, Ryan QB Texas A&M
# 9-9. CAROLINA Kuechly, Luke LB Boston College
# 10-10. BUFFALO Gilmore, Stephon DB South Carolina
# 11-11. KANSAS CITY Poe, Dontari NT Memphis
# 12-12. PHILADELPHIA Cox, Fletcher DT Mississippi State
from SEATTLE
13-13. ARIZONA Floyd, Michael WR Notre Dame
# 14-14. ST. LOUIS Brockers, Michael DT Louisiana State
from DALLAS
15-15. SEATTLE Irvin, Bruce DE West Virginia
from PHILADELPHIA
16-16. NEW YORK JETS Coples, Quinton DE North Carolina
# 17-17. CINCINNATI Kirkpatrick, Dre DB Alabama
from OAKLAND
18-18. SAN DIEGO Ingram, Melvin LB South Carolina
19-19. CHICAGO McClellin, Shea DE Boise State
20-20. TENNESSEE Wright, Kendall WR Baylor
# 21-21. NEW ENGLAND Jones, Chandler DE Syracuse
from CINCINNATI
22-22. CLEVELAND Weeden, Brandon QB Oklahoma State
from ATLANTA
# 23-23. DETROIT Reiff, Riley T Iowa
# 24-24. PITTSBURGH DeCastro, David G Stanford
# 25-25. NEW ENGLAND Hightower, Dont’a LB Alabama
from DENVER
# 26-26. HOUSTON Mercilus, Whitney LB Illinois
27-27. CINCINNATI Zeitler, Kevin G Wisconsin
from NEW ORLEANS through NEW ENGLAND
# 28-28. GREEN BAY Perry, Nick LB Southern California
29-29. MINNESOTA Smith, Harrison DB Notre Dame
from BALTIMORE
30-30. SAN FRANCISCO Jenkins, A.J. WR Illinois
31-31. TAMPA BAY Martin, Doug RB Boise State
from NEW ENGLAND through DENVER
# 32-32. NEW YORK GIANTS Wilson, David RB Virginia Tech
The first round ended at 11:03 PM, EDT, and clocked in at a blistering 3 hours, exactly. And the NFL efficiently moved players through the downstairs interview room. (And the NFL Red Carpet was well-done, too.) Remember, there were 26 players, so the average time to talk with each one was about a minute or so shorter for each than in the past.
My Impressions
Overall, I think the Jacksonville Jaguars moving up to take Oklahoma State Wide Receiver Justin Blackmon was a serious move, and the best one of the NFL Draft 1st Round. It was the perfect match of player, team, and need. Jacksonville now has a young wide receiver who some call a “beast” of a player, in Blackmon. Last year, the Jags added Blaine Gabbert in the 1st Round. And while, to be frank, Gabbert’s got a long way to go in improving, having Blackmon there will certainly help. Plus, now, the pressure’s on Blaine to improve now. And Gabbert should take the Twitter photo from his college playing days and replace it with one from his NFL Days.
Another great trade that shocked many (except me, because there were hints in the last few weeks that the Cowboys were looking to make a trade) was the Dallas Cowboys trading up to get LSU Cornerback / Kick Returner Morris Claiborne. Claiborne said he had no idea the move was coming, but of course, he’s happy and ready to be a Cowboys player.
In my NFL Mock Draft, I predicted New England would have one of the better nights, and I was correct. I’m most impressed with their selections of Chandler Jones and Don’ta Hightower, the defensive end from Syracuse and the linebacker from Alabama, respectively. The idea that Hightower could be stacked behind Pats Nose Tackle Vince Wilfork, and with Jones coming from around end, is just frightening.
Not so much frightening as confusing is the Cleveland Browns selection of Brandon Weeden, the Oklahoma State Quarterback, when they took Colt McCoy just two years before, in the same NFL Draft where Tim Tebow was picked by The Denver Broncos.
Look, a good coach can coach a quarterback, period. There are too many not-so-good coaches who look for the new, pre-well-trained-in-college QB to in a way make up for their own not-admitted inability to coach a QB to be effective. Thus, I’m going to make the prediction that the Browns will trade Colt McCoy, and Brandon Weeden will not do well with the Browns. After all, it was Pat Shurmur who was the offensive coordinator for Sam Bradford when Shurmur was at the Rams. If Shurmur’s that good a coach, he should be able to work with Colt McCoy, whom the Browns are already paying some money – but not first round money – too.
All around it just seems to be a stupid decision. I’m not knocking Brandon Weeden’s ability, just the coach he’s going to. Cleveland Browns fans should take a wait-and-see position.
OK. Here’s the trades…
Trades 2012
No. 17 (04/26/12)
Denver Trades: Selection Choices: Round 1, 2012 Overall # 31; from New England
Round 4, 2012 Overall # 126; from New England
Tampa Bay Trades: Selection Choices: Round 2, 2012 Overall # 36
Round 4, 2012 Overall # 101; from Jacksonville
No. 16 (04/26/12)
Baltimore Trades: Selection Choice: Round 1, 2012 Overall # 29
Minnesota Trades: Selection Choices: Round 2, 2012 Overall # 35
Round 4, 2012 Overall # 98
No. 15 (04/26/12)
Denver Trades: Selection Choice: Round 1, 2012 Overall # 25
New England Trades: Selection Choices: Round 1, 2012 Overall # 31
Round 4, 2012 Overall # 126
No. 14 (04/26/12)
Cincinnati Trades: Selection Choice: Round 1, 2012 Overall # 21
New England Trades: Selection Choices: Round 1, 2012 Overall # 27; from New Orleans
Round 3, 2012 Overall # 93
No. 13 (04/26/12)
Philadelphia Trades: Selection Choices: Round 1, 2012 Overall # 15
Round 4, 2012 Overall # 114
Round 6, 2012 Overall # 172; from Indianapolis
Seattle Trades: Selection Choice: Round 1, 2012 Overall # 12
No. 12 (04/26/12)
Dallas Trades: Selection Choices: Round 1, 2012 Overall # 14
Round 2, 2012 Overall # 45
St. Louis Trades: Selection Choice: Round 1, 2012 Overall # 6; from Washington
No. 11 (04/26/12)
Jacksonville Trades: Selection Choices: Round 1, 2012 Overall # 7
Round 4, 2012 Overall # 101
Tampa Bay Trades: Selection Choice: Round 1, 2012 Overall # 5
No. 10 (04/26/12)
Cleveland Trades: Selection Choices: Round 1, 2012 Overall # 4
Round 4, 2012 Overall # 118; from Atlanta
Round 5, 2012 Overall # 139
Round 7, 2012 Overall # 211
Minnesota Trades: Selection Choice: Round 1, 2012 Overall # 3
No. 9 (04/26/12)
Atlanta Trades: Selection Choice: Round 7, 2012 Overall # 229
Philadelphia Trades: Samuel, Asante DB Central Florida
No. 8 (04/13/12)
Cincinnati Trades: Rivers, Keith LB Southern California
New York Giants Trade: Selection Choice: Round 5, 2012 Overall # 167
No. 7 (03/30/12)
Carolina Trades: Mike, Goodson RB Texas A&M
Oakland Trades: Campbell, Bruce T Maryland
No. 6 (03/26/12)
Indianapolis Trades: Selection Choice: Round 6, 2012 Overall # 187; from Philadelphia
New York Jets Trade: Stanton, Drew QB Michigan State
Selection Choice: Round 7, 2012 Overall # 214; from Jacksonville
No. 5 (03/26/12)
Denver Trades: Tebow, Tim QB Florida
Selection Choice: Round 7, 2012 Overall # 232
New York Jets Trade: Selection Choices: Round 4, 2012 Overall # 108
Round 6, 2012 Overall # 188
No. 4 (03/21/12)
Houston Trades: Ryans, DeMeco LB Alabama
Selection Choice: Unannounced
Philadelphia Trades: Selection Choices: Unannounced
Unannounced
No. 3 (03/19/12)
Indianapolis Trades: Selection Choice: Unannounced
Philadelphia Trades: Justice, Winston T Southern California
Selection Choice: Unannounced
No. 2 (03/14/12)
St. Louis Trades: Selection Choice: Unannounced
Washington Trades: Selection Choices: Unannounced
Unannounced
Unannounced
Unannounced
No. 1 (03/14/12)
Chicago Trades: Selection Choices: Unannounced
Unannounced
Miami Trades: Marshall, Brandon WR Central Florida
Stay tuned.