The first round of the 2014 NFL Draft is over. People will naturally continue to focus on the second and third rounds on Friday night, but let’s first take stock of what happened on Thursday night, and no, Johnny Manziel’s selection does not make Cleveland a major winner.
1. St. Louis Rams
The Rams won the night, and don’t allow a focus on other more hyped players to take your mind off this reality. The Rams stockpiled picks and made very good use of them. First of all, they needed help along the offensive line to protect quarterback Sam Bradford. The Rams got exactly that by taking Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson with the number two overall pick. St. Louis then gained the No. 13 selection in the draft and took defensive tackle Aaron Donald from Pittsburgh. Donald was a tireless and consistent playmaker in college, despite receiving all sorts of attention from opposing offensive lines and coordinators. He’s going to be a beast in the NFL, and he’s going to give the Rams one of the top five defensive lines in the league, alongside Chris Long, Michael Brockers, and Robert Quinn.
2. Detroit Lions
The Lions needed to give some help to quarterback Matthew Stafford. They needed to grab some offensive linemen or get a pass catcher who could take some pressure off Calvin Johnson and open up other parts of the field. The Lions might not have gotten their lineman, but they definitely got their second big pass catcher by taking North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron. Though North Carolina was an inconsistent team last season, Ebron was spectacular. He made stacks of highlight-reel catches and showed that he could be a significant downfield threat in the Tar Heels’ passing game. Ebron is definitely going to improve the Lions’ passing game, giving Stafford that second target he really, really needed. The Lions can now draft linemen in the following rounds.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers needed to improve their passing game. They’re definitely a team that entered the draft with a lot more questions on offense than on defense. Going out and getting Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans will fit quite nicely. Evans had a better season last year than teammate Johnny Manziel did. Evans was the guy who made catches in traffic, sometimes on jump balls in one-on-one situations. Evans is muscular, fearless, and highly skilled. He’s going to give defensive backs a very hard time in the NFL, and that’s why Tampa Bay must be thrilled about picking him up.
4. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings swooped in at the end of the first round and nabbed quarterback Teddy Bridgewater from Louisville. Some concerns apparently emerged about Bridgewater’s heart condition. Being satisfied about reports, the Vikings selected Bridgewater and ensured that the playmaking quarterback would not have to spend another whole day waiting to be drafted. Minnesota, which drowned last year because of poor quarterback play from Christian Ponder and two other backups, needs to have a top-quality quarterback so that Adrian Peterson doesn’t have to do everything by himself. The Vikings could become a great team if they solve the quarterback problem, and Bridgewater, who can make every NFL throw while possessing great pocket presence, is the man for the job.
