The first round of the NFL Draft held little intrigue with the first few selections, but things started to get interesting when the Oakland Raiders were on the clock. Coach Jon Gruden promised a surprise at the No. 4 pick, and he didn’t disappoint.
Gruden selected defensive end Clelin Ferrell, a solid talent, but according to draft experts there were better players at the same position. It wasn’t the only puzzling move he made in the first round.
The Raiders draft strategy wasn’t the only head scratching moves made on the first day of Thursday’s draft. There were others that were instantly criticized.
There were also teams and players that did quite well in the draft. We at OG News take a look at the ones that scored in the first round of the draft, and the ones that fumbled.
Winners
Kyler Murray
The Oklahoma quarterback was rumored to be going do the Arizona Cardinals with the first pick, but reports leading up to Thursday made it seem like his stock was slipping.
Fortunately for Murray that wasn’t the case. He was the overall No. 1 pick, and while it remains to be seen how he will do at the professional level, he did prove that he was valuable enough to be the first selection.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville wasn’t expecting Kentucky’s edge rusher Josh Allen to still be around at No. 7, but when he was it didn’t take long for the Jaguars to grab him.
Allen was thought to be going to the Raiders at No. 4, but when they passed and took the questionable Ferrell, Jacksonville was elated.
Washington Redskins
Washington needs a quarterback and thought they might have to give up an asset to trade for one. Fortunately with the New York Giants taking Daniel Jones, Dwayne Haskins of Ohio State was still available.
Many thought Haskins was the better of the two, and the Redskins get a signal caller through the draft. They also get a very motivated Haskins, who was visibly agitated the Giants didn’t take him. The teams will face each other twice being in the same conference, and Haskins will want to show them what the missed.
Losers
New York Giants
Just because Eli Manning and Daniel Jones have a relationship doesn’t mean you should take the Duke quarterback with the sixth overall pick. The minute the selection was announced it was met with groans from Giants fans.
Almost all the draft experts said Haskins was a better quarterback, and now the team has Manning’s successor, let’s just hope he doesn’t flame out before he can take over the reins.
The Giants also took defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who is a very good player. Only problem is New York already has two starters at that position. Head shaking will probably be frequent throughout the season.
Oakland Raiders
One of Oakland’s most immediate needs was an edge rusher to make up for trading away All-Pro Khalil Mack. So what does Gruden do with the fourth pick, with Josh Allen and Ed Oliver available? He takes a player that was listed below those two on most draft boards.
That could come back to haunt Gruden. He could have used that pick for quarterback, or a splashier defensive player, but he took someone that might have a solid NFL career, but won’t be a huge impact for the defense.
Running Backs and Wide Receivers
It was not a good evening for the skill positions. The only running back projected to go in the first round was Alabama’s Josh Jacobs. He did, but not until the 24th pick.
Wide receivers Marquise Brown and N’Keal Harry didn’t fare any better. Brown was taken with the 25th pick by Baltimore, who is run oriented, and Harry had to wait until the last pick in the first round. The good news for him is he did get taken by Super Bowl Champion New England.
