1 (4). Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott
2 (34). Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith
3 (67). Nebraska DT Maliek Collins
4 (101). Oklahoma DE Charles Tapper
4 (135). Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott
6 (189). Purdue CB Anthony Brown
6 (212). Central Michigan S Kavon Frazier
6 (216). Eastern Michigan RB Darius Jackson
6 (217). Baylor TE Rico Gathers
Good Move - Picking at #4 overall the Cowboys wanted an impact player and landed one. Elliott is by far the best RB in the draft class. The Cowboys were criticised for picking a RB so early but it's hard to fault a team for drafting to their board and is Darren McFadden likely to remain injury free for two consecutive seasons? Behind the Dallas O-line, Elliott should be an early front runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Bargain Pick - There might be some unanswered questions over Kavon Frazier's coverage skills but he was regarded as a tempo setter in college and has ideal size, knows how to hit hard and was a leader at Central Michigan. His route to making the roster may initially be via special teams but the Cowboys depth chart could offer opportunities
Risk / Reward Gamble - The ultimate second round throw of the dice. I was really pleased for Jaylon Smith on a personal level. He's undoubtedly a top 10 talent if healthy but projects to miss 2016 as a minimum. The risk of nerve damage could potentially be career threatening, so to select him #34 overall was a massive gamble. I'd have thought teams may entertain a selection from Rd4 onwards. That said, if Smith comes back 100% then kudos to Jerry Jones for making sure he's a Cowboy.
Tell Me Why Again - The Cowboys draft strategy rarely feels consistent. With Tony Romo aging, they took a win-now move grabbing Ezekiel Elliott at #4 but then took the absolute opposite option taking Jaylon Smith in Rd2 knowing he is unlikely to play in 2016. Both players were picked higher than anyone expected. I just wonder if they'll regret passing on Jalen Ramsey with such a problematic secondary in Dallas? They've also failed to address their pass rush problems and are going to need to put up points and eat up the clock to be competitive.
1 (10). Ohio State CB Eli Apple
2 (40). Oklahoma WR Sterling Shepard
3 (71). Boise State S Darian Thompson
4 (109). Clemson LB B.J. Goodson
5 (149). UCLA RB Paul Perkins
6 (184). South Carolina TE Jerell Adams
Good Move - The Giants had an overall solid draft, addressing team needs with players who should get opportunities for playing time. The safest move was the addition of Sterling Shepard who probably becomes the Giants WR3 immediately and is ideally suited to operating in the slot.
Bargain Pick - B.J Goodson isn't the quickest LB but he's a tough inside thumper. The Giants always seem to be papering over cracks in their linebacking corps so he should get an opportunity to make an impact.
Risk / Reward Gamble - Darian Thompson posted some great ball-hawking numbers for Boise State but question marks over his speed and tackling ability will need to be dispelled for this pick to be a success.
Tell Me Why Again - If the rumour really is true that the Bears traded up above the Giants following a back-room leak in New York that they were about to pick Leonard Floyd, then questions need to be asked in the Giants war room. Was the selection of Apple a panic selection with Floyd no longer available? Apple to the Big Apple is a great headline for the press and he has bags of potential, but he's not yet the finished article. The pick feels a bit of a reach within the top 10, especially with Vernon Hargreaves still on the board. I was also surprised the Giants did not address their O-line at all. I'm sure Eli Manning felt the same.
1 (2). North Dakota State QB Carson Wentz
3 (79). Oregon State G/C Isaac Seumalo
5 (153). West Virginia RB Wendell Smallwood
5 (164). TCU T/G Halapoulivaati Vaitai
6 (196). Auburn CB Blake Countess
7 (233). LSU DB Jalen Mills
7 (240). Florida DE Alex McCalister
7 (251). Oregon LB Joe Walker
Good Move - It may have cost a lot and drafting a QB is always something of a lottery, but the Eagles were at least brave enough to aim beyond the average starter level incumbents on their roster. Wentz has all the tools and ran a pro-offense at North Dakota State. The only knock on him is the level of competition he's faced, but that's not something he should be blamed for. The Eagles were also smart enough to assign two picks for their O-line but were a little hampered in how early they could address this by the earlier trade-up to secure Wentz.
Bargain Pick - Jalen Mills was a 4-yr starter at LSU. He comes with a few off-field red flags but seems terrific value in Rd7. His skill set is perhaps best suited to operate as slot Corner rather than Safety, it will be interesting to see where the Eagles plan to utilise him best.
Risk / Reward Gamble - Trading up from #13 to #8 to #2 cost the organisation a lot of draft picks. The success of this draft class will almost exclusively depend on Carson Wentz development from Division 1-AA to the NFL. He has the tool set and the intangibles, let's hope he can handle the step up to the pro's and the ever impatient Eagles fanbase.
Tell Me Why Again - Why the large amounts of guaranteed cash for Bradford and Daniel if the plan all along was to aggressively chase Wentz? The Bradford situation will likely create a lot of media attention in Philly which could affect the rookie Wentz.
1 (22). TCU WR Josh Doctson
2 (53). USC S/LB Su'a Cravens
3 (84). Virginia Tech CB Kendall Fuller
5 (152). Temple DE Matt Ioannidis
6 (187). Indiana QB Nate Sudfeld
7 (232). Boston College LB Steven Daniels
7 (242). Georgia RB Keith Marshall
Good Move - It's important to note that the Skins came out of this draft with a further three picks for 2017, but the best move of all was the drafting of Josh Doctson who will compete immediately and provide another deep threat target for Kirk Cousins. The learning curve for a rookie WR can be steep but he should contribute immediately. It's a good future proving move too, with both Desean Jackson and Pierre Garcon entering contract years. Su'a Cravens adds speed to the defense and could be used in a hybrid LB/S role.
Bargain Pick - Keith Marshall didn't see a great deal of playing time at Georgia due to a fair amount of injuries, including a serious ACL injury in 2013 but is an ideal fit for a zone scheme. He doesn't have many miles on his clock and running the fastest 40 of all running backs at the combine should hopefully help dispel lingering doubts that the ACL injury slowed him at all. He could really surprise if he gets the right opportunity.
Risk / Reward Gamble - There's some injury history surrounding Kendall Fuller but there's enough upside to get value from this pick in Rd3 if the injuries are in the past. Kendall becomes the 4th Fuller brother to make it into the NFL so the pedigree is certainly there.
Tell Me Why Again - Despite a solid overall draft class, I was surprised that the interior of the O-line wasn't addressed at any point.
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