Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman went wild like a billiard shark. Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell has shown his stubborn individualism.
This year’s NFL Draft provided an opportunity for some of the league’s most compelling decision-makers and franchises to truly express themselves. Here are the teams that made some clever moves and some players that fell a little short.
eagles reloaded
The Eagles shouldn’t be able to do what they do.
A team that won 14 games last season and made it to the Super Bowl should not be a top 10 pick in the next draft. That team will draft both Jalen Carter, perhaps the most talented player in his class, and Nolan Smith, his Georgia defensive linemate who produced phenomenal training results at the Scout Combine. You shouldn’t have the chance.
The team could not have added four potential starters later. Illinois safety Sidney Brown, who intercepted six passes in 2022 as one of the nation’s best defensemen. Cornerback Kelly Ringo is another member of Georgia’s back-to-back national championship team. And through the trade, veteran running back Dandle Swift (again, Georgia), who had eight touchdowns with the Detroit Lions last year.
Finally, a team treating a Super Bowl hangover could not have locked star quarterback Jalen Hurts into a reported five-year, $255 million contract extension before the draft. . Such teams are usually tied to a salary cap and require months of soap opera before such a deal.
The Eagles have achieved all this thanks to Roseman’s wizard, the Wolf of Broad Street. Among other feats, Roseman made his 9th overall the Eagles used in Carter (whose stock fell after he was involved in a fatal car accident) as part of a complex trading web dating back to 2021. won the second nomination. To help the Eagles retain other core veterans, they crammed most of Hearts’ rewards into future balloon payouts. And he engineered a deal to land the team an apple pick and a Swift as Saturday’s aperitif.
Other teams may have done more than the Eagles to improve their rosters in this weekend’s NFL Draft. But no team has done more to improve their chances of winning the Super Bowl next year. Of course, it helps that the Eagles didn’t have a lot to improve on thanks to the brilliance of the past few years’ draft weekends.
revenge on the geek
One of the basic tenets of football analysis is that running backs and linebackers are bad investments in the first round of the draft. These positions have a surplus of talent, with running backs having short careers and linebackers passing his limited role at Happy. modern NFL
The Lions, coached by Campbell, the quintessential tough guy, took out both Alabama running back Jermer Gibbs and Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell (no relation to Dunn) in the first round. By drafting it, we gave the analytical community an atomic wedge. Gibbs was the first elected running he wasn’t back — Atlanta his Falcons were his 8th overall Texas Bijan He picked Robinson — and Jack Campbell has been on the brink of extinction for years The 249-pound run he’s been on the verge of stopping is his sledgehammer type.
The early selection of Iowa tight end Sam Laporta in the second round (a tight end was seen as another position of low marginal value) further fueled the ire of analytics geeks.
Tempers cooled when the Lions chose Alabama defensive back Bryan Branch. The team then selected Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker with his 68th pick. Hooker is no older than many of his NFL starters (he turned 25 in January) and would have been a first-round pick if he hadn’t torn his anterior cruciate ligament in November. may have been
Suddenly, Lyons’ initiative looked more like a master class in resource management than a draft of a tipsy father-in-law’s fantasy.
A second directive to football analysis underscores that scouts are wildly inaccurate, opting for extra draft picks rather than trading up to target one coveted prospect. Winning in bulk is a much better tactic. The Lions got a ton of picks from the Los Angeles Rams when they traded away quarterback Matthew Stafford in 2021, and an extra two by trading down before picking Gibbs from the Arizona Cardinals. Received round nomination. As a result, they got several potential starters and a possible franchise his quarterback from Friday night. They just did so in an unusual order.
featherweight requiem
The 2023 draft class was filled with sly, speedy receivers who didn’t weigh 180 pounds after endless pasta bowls, and NFL teams turned out to be lukewarm about such prospects.
Southern California receiver Jordan Addison, who weighed 173 pounds at the scout combine, advanced to the first round and joined the Minnesota Vikings 23rd overall. However, other receivers who had first-round reputations but weighed less than 180 pounds were forced to wait until the third round. Pound, Houston Texans, 69th overall).
But bigger, like Mississippi’s Jonathan Mingo (220-pound, Carolina Panthers, No. 39 overall) and Southern Methodist Russie Rice (204-pound, Kansas City Chiefs, No. 55 overall). Lesser-known receivers heard their names called earlier than expected.
Boston College receiver Zay Flowers weighed in at 182 pounds and joined the Baltimore Ravens in 22nd overall. When it comes to reaching the NFL scout’s benchmark, Choked Hush his Brown’s extra help goes a long way.
Still, NFL teams are more willing to invest in receivers under £180 than they were in the past. Fortune shows the strengths and weaknesses of a draft receiver the size of a high school soccer player. Lions’ Jameson Williams missed most of the season with a college injury and is currently serving a gambling suspension. Washington Commanders’ Jahan Dotsson shined but missed five midseason games with a hamstring injury, while Giants’ Wandale his Robinson had an elusive catch-and-play before suffering an ACL injury. began to establish himself as a threat in his run.
If Hyatt and Robinson can stay healthy, the Giants will not only have a dynamic and unpredictable attack, but they’ll also save a little money on groceries.
pettypackers
Some teams draft the best athletes available. Others draft as needed. The Packers may be the first NFL team to ever draft. The Packers, who eventually traded Rodgers to the Jets earlier in the week, have assembled a draft class that seems tailored to make Rodgers jealous.
The Packers added three pass catchers on Friday night. , was one spot above the Jets.
With the Packers depleted on tight ends and having to rebuild their offense for new starting quarterback Jordan Love, of course, as the football equivalent of wearing a white dress to your ex-spouses wedding, Didn’t really choose three versatile playmakers..
Still, the Jets had a pretty quiet weekend – their picks included defensive end Will McDonald IV, center Joe Tipman and offensive tackle Carter Warren.
After all, living well is the best revenge.
