Pick 1: Indianapolis Colts, Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
Draft Grade: A
This pick was a forgone conclusion and is an excellent pick, as Luck is the best prospect in ten years and will be the Colts’ franchise quarterback.
Pick 2: Washington Redskins, Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
Draft Grade: A
Another unsurprising pick, as Griffin will be the Redskins’ quarterback for the next decade. Griffin is also a good fit in Mike Shannahan’s bootleg-oriented offensive system.
Pick 3: TRADE: Cleveland Browns, Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
Draft Grade: A-
This is the correct pick, but the Browns receive only an A-minus because of the price they paid to move up just one pick. Cleveland gave up a fourth-rounder, a fifth-rounder, and a seventh-rounder for the right to pick the Alabama running back.
Pick 4: TRADE: Minnesota Vikings, Matt Kalil, OT, USC
Draft Grade: A+
Minnesota pulls off a coup here, acquiring Kalil, the player they originally wanted, while picking up extra picks later in the draft. Kalil is a fantastic selection to be Christian Ponder’s blindside protector.
Pick 5: TRADE: Jacksonville Jaguars, Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma St.
Draft Grade: A+
A fantastic move by the Jaguars, as they finally get help for second-year quarterback Blaine Gabbert. They didn’t give up too much here, only surrendering a fourth rounder for the right to select the Oklahoma St. playmaker.
Pick 6: TRADE: Dallas Cowboys, Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
Draft Grade: B
I really liked the aggressive nature of this move, as the Cowboys sacrificed their first and second round picks in this year’s draft to nab the LSU playmaker. The reason this is only a B, however, is because the Cowboys aren’t one player from being a Super Bowl team and could’ve used more depth from this draft.
Pick 7: TRADE: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mark Barron, S, Alabama
Draft Grade: C-
The Buccaneers traded out of their 5th overall pick in this draft to the Jaguars for the 7 pick in the draft for a fourth round pick, losing the opportunity to pick one of the six blue-chip prospects in this draft. Barron fills a huge need and is a talented player, so it saves the Bucs from having too low of a grade.
Pick 8: Miami Dolphins, Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
Draft Grade: B+
This is a pick the Dolphins had to make, and I believe it was the correct one. Tannehill will not be forced to start right away and will be surrounded by a decent supporting cast, both of which will help in his development.
Pick 9: Carolina Panthers, Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
Draft Grade: B-
Kuechly is an instinctive and athletic linebacker, but the Panthers had bigger needs, notably at defensive tackle. They would have been better served selecting Mississippi St. product Fletcher Cox.
Pick 10: Buffalo Bills, Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
Draft Grade: B+
A solid selection here, as you can never have enough cornerbacks to compete with Tom Brady and the Patriots in the AFC East. The Bills continue to develop a top-notch defense with the additions of Gilmore and Mario Williams.
Pick 11: Kansas City Chiefs, Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis
Draft Grade: D
Kansas City was in need of a nose tackle, but the Chiefs would have been better off picking Stanford guard David DeCastro. Poe is a Combine warrior who showed very little during his collegiate career at Memphis, leading many to believe he will bust in the NFL.
Pick 12: TRADE: Philadelphia Eagles, Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State
Draft Grade: A-
Andy Reid loves adding depth to the trenches, and does so with Cox, who is a steal here at number 12.
Pick 13: Arizona Cardinals, Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
Draft Grade: A-
Larry Fitzgerald has asked for another wide receiver to take attention away from him, and Floyd fits the bill. Floyd has an NFL-ready body and will be very similar to Anquan Boldin during his days in the desert.
Pick 14: TRADE: St. Louis Rams, Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
Draft Grade: B
Brockers is a good selection here, as the Rams have a need at defensive tackle. They traded down twice, picking up multiple extra picks to fill their numerous holes, but I would have liked to see them acquire a number 1 wide receiver for quarterback Sam Bradford instead of picking the LSU standout.
Pick 15: TRADE: Seattle Seahawks, Bruce Irvin, OLB, West Virginia
Draft Grade: F
An incredible reach here, as Bruce Irvin had a third round grade, as well as character concerns. The Seahawks needed a pass rusher, but should’ve selected UNC prospect Quinton Coples or South Carolina end Melvin Ingram.
Pick 16: New York Jets, Quinton Coples, DE, UNC
Draft Grade: B-
A boom-or-bust pick, as Coples is a fantastic athlete who will be a game-changer if he shows an increased work ethic. However, Melvin Ingram would’ve been a better pick here, leading to a lower grade.
Pick 17: Cincinnati Bengals, Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
Draft Grade: B+
This is a good pick, as Kirkpatrick is good value here and fills a need. Guard was a bigger need after the signing of Terrence Newman, so Stanford’s David DeCastro would’ve been a better pick.
Pick 18: San Diego Chargers, Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina
Draft Grade: A
San Diego gets fantastic value here, as Ingram would’ve been picked at number 7 had the Jaguars stayed there. He is an explosive playmaker who will bolster a lacking Charger pass-rush.
Pick 19: Chicago Bears, Shea McClellin, DE/OLB, Boise St
Draft Grade: C-
Shea McClellin was a late riser in this draft, as the Packers were rumored to be very interested in him. Therein lies the problem, as the Bears reached here because McClellin had a late first-round grade, and I’m not quite sure how McClellin fits into their defense. McClellin seems like a natural 3-4 outside linebacker, so he will have to make a transition to becoming a 4-3 defensive end.
Pick 20: Tennessee Titans, Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
Draft Grade: B
Wright is a good selection here, as the Titans are surrounding Jake Locker with multiple explosive weapons. However, the pick should’ve been David DeCastro because of a need on the interior of Tennessee’s offensive line.
Pick 21: TRADE: New England Patriots, Chandler Jones, DE/OLB, Syracuse
Draft Grade: A-
Jones will add much needed versatility and explosiveness to a struggling New England defensive unit, and he will be able to provide some sort of a pass rush, something New England has lacked in the past several seasons.
Pick 22: Cleveland Browns, Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma St
Draft Grade: D-
Is Brandon Weeden really an improvement over Colt McCoy? Weeden, a failed MLB prospect, is, at 28 years old, already older than McCoy and doesn’t provide a clear upgrade over the Browns current quarterbacking situations.
Pick 23: Detroit Lions, Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
Draft Grade: A
The Lions stuck to their “best player available strategy” and selected Reiff, who could’ve gone as high as 10th to Buffalo. Reiff will be able to step into the left tackle position when Jeff Backus retires, protecting quarterback Matt Stafford’s blindside.
Pick 24: Pittsburgh Steelers, David DeCastro, G, Stanford
Draft Grade: A+
Perhaps the best pick in the entire first round, the Steelers showed here why they are the class of the NFL. DeCastro is a fantastic prospect and will do wonders in protecting Ben Roethlisberger and creating holes for Pittsburgh’s ground attack.
Pick 25: TRADE: New England Patriots, Don’t’a Hightower, LB, Alabama
Draft Grade: B+
The Patriots opt for defensive versatility again here, and Hightower is a good selection here. Depending on what kind of defense Bill Belichick decides to use, Hightower will either play 3-4 inside linebacker or 4-3 outside linebacker.
Pick 26: Houston Texans, Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois
Draft Grade: B+
With the loss of former number 1 overall selection Mario Williams, the Texans had a need for a pass rusher, and Mercilus was the best one left on the board at this point. However, with Brooks Reed and Connor Barwin at outside linebacker, wide receiver Stephen Hill would’ve been a better selection at this point.
Pick 27: TRADE: Cincinnati Bengals, Kevin Zeitler, G, Wisconsin
Draft Grade: C
The Bengals needed a guard, so Zeitler definitely fills a need here, but Cincinnati should not have traded down from their original number 21 selection, where they could’ve selected David DeCastro to fill the same need.
Pick 28: Green Bay Packers, Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC
Draft Grade: A-
Green Bay focused on their horrific defense in this draft, selecting defensive players with each of their first five picks, beginning with Perry. Perry definitely fits the range and will provide a pass rusher opposite to All-Pro Clay Matthews.
Pick 29: TRADE: Minnesota Vikings, Harrison Smith, S, Notre Dame
Draft Grade: A-
Minnesota suffered through terrible secondary play last year, and Smith was the clear-cut second best safety in this year’s draft. Smith fits the range and fills a need, making this a good selection.
Pick 30: San Francisco 49ers, A.J. Jenkins, WR, Illinois
Draft Grade: D
An unexpected reach by coach Jim Harbaugh, as Jenkins was a Day 2 prospect. While the 49ers don’t have any explosive wide receivers, Jenkins now creates a logjam at the position, competing with Michael Crabtree, Randy Moss, Ted Ginn Jr., Mario Manningham, and Kyle Williams for playing time.
Pick 31: TRADE: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Doug Martin, RB, Boise St
Draft Grade: B+
The Buccaneers traded back into the first round to select Martin, who will pair with incumbent running back LeGarette Blount to give Tampa Bay a potent 1-2 rushing attack.
Pick 32: New York Giants, David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech
Draft Grade: C
It seems like Giants’ GM Jerry Reese was caught off guard here, expecting to select Boise St product Doug Martin before he was snatched up. Reese reached for Wilson, eschewing better prospects, such as tight end Coby Fleener, to fill a need at running back.