Yes, we’re still grading the 2016 NFL Draft. We’ve rounded the corner. No reason to stop now.
Minnesota Vikings
The haul: Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss – Round one, Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson – Round two, Willie Beavers, OT, Western Michigan – Round four, Kentrell Brothers, OLB, Missouri – Round five, Moritz Boehringer, WR, Germany – Round six, David Morgan, TE, Texas-San Antonio – Round six, Stephen Weatherly, OLB, Vanderbilt – Round seven, Jayron Kearse, Safety, Clemson – Round seven
The Vikings sat back, never panicked, relaxed and ended up with the best wide receiver in this draft in Treadwell, who turned out to be the fourth wideout taken. I would say that we’ll look back at this a few years later and realize how crazy that was, but I think all these receivers will have good careers. The real gift came in the second round with Mackensie Alexander, who was a first round pick in pretty much every mock I did, fell to the Vikings.
Brothers in the fifth round is absolutely outrageous. He had a second-round grade anywhere you looked. Boehringer has a great story and seems like an outstanding person to take a chance on in the sixth round. He’s from Germany and was first introduced to American Football by watching Youtube videos of Adrian Peterson. He fell in love with the sport and started playing on some German teams. Now he has the chance to be a wide receiver in the NFL. How do you top that?
Grade: A+
New England Patriots
The haul: Cyrus Jones, CB, Alabama – Round two, Joe Thuney, OG, N.C. State – Round three, Jacoby Brissett, QB, N.C. State – Round three, Vincent Valentine, DT, Nebraska – Round three, Malcolm Mitchell, WR, Georgia – Round four, Kamu Grugier-Hill, OLB, Eastern Illinois – Round six, Elandon Roberts, ILB, Houston – Round six, Ted Karras, OG, Illinois – Round six, Devin Lucien, WR, Arizona State – Round seven
Patriots fans waited two days for the team to make its back-to-back second-round selections only to see Belichick trade away the second pick. That had to sting a little. As far as the picks go, there’s good and bad here. Jones is a solid corner and good grab in the second round. Thuney may end up starting in a year or two on the offensive line, so that’s a good grab in the third.
Jacoby Brissett? I’m not sure what the Super Geenius sees there, especially when he could have picked Connor Cook or Dak Prescott at that same spot. The pundits talked about Brissett’s mobility, but wouldn’t Prescott have fit that bill, only better? I mean, I’m glad the Pats picked Brissett, a guy I can’t imagine ever starting for an NFL team on purpose.
The best pick is Malcolm Mitchell, a super kid and potential talent that doesn’t seem to fit on the Patriots’ roster of evildoers. He came into college practically illiterate, worked hard and became such an avid reader he not only joined a book club with a bunch of old ladies, he wrote a children’s book. He’s an inspiration and a positive example to everyone around him. He’s not exactly a Patriots-type player.
Grade: C-
New Orleans Saints
The haul: Sheldon Rankins, DT, Louisville, Michael Thomas, WR, Ohio State – Round two, Vonn Bell, Safety, Ohio State – Round two, David Onyemata, DT, Manitoba – Round four, Daniel Lasco, RB, California – Round seven
The Saints made just five picks in this draft, but their first three were so brilliant, the total number is completely irrelevant. I had Rankins going to the Saints, as did pretty much every mock draft on the planet. None of us got that one wrong as it was such an obvious pick, at the spot and a need, that not even an over-thinking NFL scout could screw it up. Getting Thomas in the second was a steal. He has first-round ability and may end up like Jordan Matthews with the Philadelphia Eagles, a guy that outperforms a lot of people drafted ahead of him. Especially in the Saints offense with Drew Brees throwing him the ball.
Bell will likely slide right into the starting line up this season, if not in the opening game then not far down the road. Lasco is a nice change-of-pace back for the Saints who already have a nice offensive backfield. Onyemata is a mystery player, at least to me, but at 6-foot-4 an 300 pounds the physical presence is there for coaches to hone into something good.
Grade: A
Next: Giants, Jets and Raiders
