The NFL Draft looked a little different this year. The first round took place last Thursday night, and the whole event was spread over three days. But in the end, it was mostly the same. Mostly.
Sam Bradford went No. 1 to the St. Louis Rams and will be entrusted with turning around a franchise that won just one game last season. Five cornerbacks and a pair of safeties went in round one, representing almost a quarter of the picks. There were reaches and there were free fallers, none more so than Jimmy Clausen, who went No. 48 to the Carolina Panthers. And the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick continued to treat draft picks like they were on the stock market, gaining another second?round pick in the 2011 draft to bring their haul to four in the first two rounds. All in all, it was a fairly typical draft.
That's not to say that some teams did not do better than others. The Daily breaks down three winners and losers from the NFL's premier offseason showcase.
Winners:
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs' consolation prize at No. 3? Gerald McCoy, a player who quite a few scouts feel might be better than No. 2 pick Ndamukong Suh. McCoy gives the Bucs a player whom they can build their defense around, much like Josh Freeman at quarterback last season.
Speaking of Freeman, Tampa Bay gave its second?year QB a new toy in the second round when it drafted Arrelious Benn. The former Illinois wideout did not have the best year, but he is a major talent and was not helped by his teammates around him. Benn has the chance to be a big?time target and a top?tier wideout in the league. Couple that pick with another tackle in Brian Price, who had first?round value, and the Bucs' second round was better than a number of teams' firsts.
2. Seattle Seahawks: For once, Pete Carroll actually has a reason to be "pumped" and "jacked." He will begin his first year as the Seattle coach on the heels of one of the best drafts of 2010.
Most people thought Russell Okung was the best offensive tackle in this draft, and that was a position of strength this year. Okung is an excellent left tackle prospect who can step right in and replace the legendary Walter Jones. The Seahawks then waited until No. 14 and picked up the second?best safety in the draft, Earl Thomas. Thomas is a playmaker on defense and has great cover skills. The one knock on him is his size, but he makes up for it in every other facet.
If that wasn't enough, Seattle got some help at the offensive skill positions as well. Golden Tate might not have the measurables of other elite prospects, but he plays big and continually made big plays at Notre Dame. And Anthony McCoy, who played under Carroll at USC, was a great value in the sixth round. When you factor in draft day trades for LenDale White and Leon Washington at running back, Seahawks fans have a reason to share their coach's optimism.
3. Oakland Raiders: The Raiders finally had a good draft. What happened?
Some feel that Rolando McClain could have been had later in the first round, but he was the best linebacker in this draft and will be great in the middle of the Oakland D, playing with second?round pick Lamarr Houston.
The Raiders reverted back to their usual selves in the fourth round, picking up prospects with gaudy combined numbers. But instead of reaching for Bruce Campbell, Al Davis got his coveted man in the fourth round and got another intriguing o?line prospect in Edwin Veldheer in the third. Davis also picked up combine speedster Jacoby Ford.
The Raiders got the players they wanted without making any questionable moves to do so. Just because of that, they are automatically winners. The trade for Jason Campbell at QB doesn't hurt either.
Losers:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Like any other team could be here. The decision to draft Tyson Alualu at No. 10 can only be described as a colossal reach, one that could go down as one of the most memorable in draft history. Alualu was a fringe first?round player but wound up making a whole lot of money when the Jags could not trade down and bit on the player they thought to be the best fit.
Never mind that Gene Smith upset the entire city of Jacksonville by not drafting hometown hero Tim Tebow. Smith did even worse. It wasn't enough that he picked Alualu so high. He also spent his next three selections on defensive linemen, all after acquiring Aaron Kampman this offseason.
To be fair, the Jags did release John Henderson, so maybe that factored into their plan. But that defensive line will be full of untested players this season.
2. Denver Broncos: The sad thing about this is that the Broncos actually picked up two talented receivers: Demaryius Thomas, who might turn out to be the best wideout from this draft, and Eric Decker, a hard?nosed talent from Minnesota who has great hands. Even round?five pick Perrish Cox, the corner from Oklahoma State, was a great value.
But Tebow? Josh McDaniels already had one heralded college quarterback with a low NFL ceiling on his roster in the recently acquired Brady Quinn. Now he has another project in Tebow. This is what Broncos' fans get after the team traded Jay Cutler?
Tebow was a great college player, there is no denying that. But he doesn't translate well to the NFL, and he might never become a starting quarterback. For a first?round pick who cost a second, third and fourth rounder, the Broncos cannot afford to have Tebow be a bust. But with questionable throwing mechanics, he very well may be just that.
3. San Diego Chargers: So long, LT. Hello, Mr. Mathews. The Chargers traded up to the No. 12 spot to grab a new franchise back to replace LaDainian Tomlinson. But in a draft largely devoid of running back talent, Ryan Mathews felt like a reach that high up.
There is something to be said about drafting for need, but why move all the way up to do it? Mathews does have good speed and explosiveness, but he struggled to stay on the field while at Fresno State, missing games in each season due to injury. He will work well in the backfield with Darren Sproles, but he cost San Diego an awful lot.
The decision to trade up for Donald Butler, the linebacker from Washington, was similar. It cost the Chargers a sixth?rounder and their fourth?round pick next season. It wasn't such a need for San Diego, but they felt compelled to trade up for him anyway.
