Prior to arriving in Dallas earlier this week, my mind was anywhere but the NFL draft. Life often intervenes with football in whimsical fashion. But a random talk with a longtime sports scribe who covers the Dallas Cowboys recharged the proverbial pigskin battery in an instant.
Chatting it up with Rick Gosselin, one of the first newspapermen to introduce the mock draft into our collective consciousness, brought much perspective on the needs of the franchise in North Dallas, as well as those of the 31 other member clubs. Most importantly, our draft talk brought home the realization that the 2018 season is coming down the pike, as every GM is contemplating how to field a contender, no matter how much "BPA" blather you hear. Also familiar: posting instant reax off all three days of the great college trade fair, something I've been doing for the last seven drafts. (Which is a mere fraction of Gosselin's catalogue.)
Every one of these things reminds us of the first axiom of draft analysis: Nobody knows jack. All the trades -- and all the unpredictable quarterback drama -- Thursday night underlined that notion. Now, one of these QBs might morph into Dan Marino; another might morph into J.P. Losman. Yet, despite the months of forecasting and know-it-all prognostication leading up to this event, there is little in professional sports -- or the entertainment industry as a whole -- that can match the robust suspense of the first round of an NFL draft.
With that said, all three days of this deal carry weight. Thus, over the next 4,000 or so words, you'll get a nice rundown of the most notable happenings on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Picks worth loving, picks that spawn confusion and spot evaluations of a few team hauls. Take a gander, then lend a take: @HarrisonNFL is the place.
Best Pick, Day 1
Sam Darnold, QB, drafted third overall by the New York Jets: I agree with Mike Mayock's off-the-cuff sentiments Thursday night on NFL Network about this pick. The advantage of this move for the Jets is that, while Darnold's far from a project, the franchise does have the luxury of letting him marinate on the bench for a bit, due to the presence of Josh McCown (and, to some extent, Teddy Bridgewater). That being said, Darnold was considered by many to be the best quarterback in this draft, and for a reason: The guy can play. The incredible thing here is that the Giants passed on the kid at No. 2 overall -- and now the Jets' new QB1(?) will be under center at the Big Snoopy, home of Gang Green and Big Blue. New York knocked it out of that park (or any other) with first-round pick Jamal Adams last year. Todd Bowles' group competed last season before falling apart when McCown went down. So, what if Darnold grows up quick and shows promise in the coming campaign? No more making fun of the J-E-T-S Jets.
Best Pick, Day 2
Justin Reid, S, drafted 68th overall (Round 3) by the Houston Texans: Reid runs a 4.4 40. He has a brother (Eric Reid, recently of the 49ers) that knows a little something about playing safety. Some folks thought he could sneak into the back end of the first round. Instead, Houston found him near the top of the third. With no first- or second-round pick (due to the Deshaun Watson and Brock Osweiler trades), it was awfully important that the Texans got this pick right. Think about that defense down in Houston this year for a moment. Well, first think about the fact that Watson is back from the torn ACL that ruined half his season, meaning the D won't have to do as much as it did in Watson's absence. Then remember that J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus are also back from injury, with Honey Badger (Tyrann Mathieu) added on the back end as a free agent. Insert Reid, who could start right away.
Best Pick, Day 3
Ian Thomas, TE, drafted 101st overall (Round 4) by the Carolina Panthers: If you're not familiar with Thomas' story, get on it. He grew up without parents, raised by his siblings as a youngster. Now he is a member of an NFL playoff team and the first pick of Day 3. There were a handful of folks (or 1,000) who thought GM Marty Hurney would take a sweetheart offer from another team to trade pick 101. Instead, the Panthers end up with a talented tight end who can help out Cam Newton immediately -- and learn from one of the better TEs in league history in Greg Olsen.
Other picks I liked
DAY 1
Derwin James, S, drafted 17th overall by the Los Angeles Chargers: If today's NFL is all about matchups, as Stanford head coach David Shaw said Thursday night on NFL Network's draft coverage, then you have to love the versatility of the Chargers' newly minted chess piece. James is a big safety who can cover tight ends man to man. That's what you want. And if he's close to the line, he's certainly no liability in run support. The guy can do it all, giving L.A. a Swiss Army Knife in the back seven. Combine this roaming weapon with the Bolts' potent edge-rushing duo (Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram) and ... Have fun, opposing quarterbacks!
DAY 2
Dallas Goedert, TE, drafted 49th overall (Round 2) by the Philadelphia Eagles: Interesting that Goedert's comp from NFL.com draftnik Lance Zierlein was Eagles stalwart Zach Ertz. Goedert is going to be eased in with the best team in the league. He has the ability to contribute in the passing game immediately. Could've made a case for him being taken in the last few picks of the first round.
Ronnie Harrison, S, drafted 93rd overall (Round 3) by the Jacksonville Jaguars: Harrison went about a round and a half late, according to Daniel Jeremiah and Mike Mayock's boards. It's odd: We always hear how important safety is in today's NFL, and yet, the solid college players consistently fall.
Alex Cappa, G, drafted 94th overall (Round 3) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Watching the B-roll of this Humboldt State product on NFL Network was awesome. Who doesn't root for these power linemen from small schools? Hey, Larry Allen went to Sonoma State.
Harrison Phillips, DT, drafted 96th overall (Round 3) by the Buffalo Bills: Heckuva pick for the Bills at 96th overall. Phillips had 103 tackles in 2017 as an interior lineman. That's unbelievable. The only thing better? Bills alumni Andre Reed and Fred Jackson honoring super fan Pancho Billa. What a fantastic idea, and a touching moment that Buffalo's biggest supporter will appreciate forever.
DAY 3
Armani Watts, S, drafted 124th overall (Round 4) by the Kansas City Chiefs: Watts could qualify as a steal from this draft. Watts should compete for a starting job in training camp, and with Eric Berry returning from injury, he could be part of a transformation on coordinator Bob Sutton's defense. Solid coaching should help him capitalize on immense athletic ability. Always respect four-year starters like Watts.
Maurice Hurst, DT, drafted 140th overall (Round 5) by the Oakland Raiders: Hurst's selection was certainly one of the headliners of Day 3. The last day of the draft has historically been essentially a reverse undercard, with nearly all the main attractions long gone, save for the occasional top-of-the-fourth-round prospect who inexplicably fell. But getting a talent who could turn into an All-Pro at 140th overall? Hurst was diagnosed with a heart condition at the NFL Scouting Combine, but presuming he's able to continue his career unabated, he'll be a 4-3 DT in Oakland, which is appropriate for his size (6-foot-1, 292 pounds) and style of play.
Micah Kiser, ILB, drafted 147th overall (Round 5) by the Los Angeles Rams: This dude had 411 tackles in college. Kiser was a tackling machine. Get this: He was the first ACC linebacker to lead the conference in that stat three straight seasons since ... wait for it ... Luke Kuechly.
Braxton Berrios, WR, drafted 210th overall (Round 6) by the New England Patriots: Berrios was made for the Patriots. My colleague Reggie Wayne compares him to Danny Amendola, based on his dimensions (5-9, 184 pounds) and what he can do on the field. His ability on special teams is a huge asset, given where he was taken, and should enhance his ability to contribute right away as a low-round player. His toughness trying to fight through a rib injury during the Senior Bowl is also notable.
Jordan Mailata, OT, drafted 233rd overall (Round 7) by the Philadelphia Eagles: Yes ... he's from Australia. No, that's not a teacher's college in upstate New York. As in, Australia the country. How about a former Australian rugby player making the transition to pro football, at tackle, no less? (We think.) No one knows for sure where the 20-year-old will play, but OT is the thought for now. It probably has a little to do with him being 6-8 and 346 pounds. Good grief.
Trey Quinn, WR, drafted 256th overall (Round 7) by the Washington Redskins: Mr. Irrelevant could stick. Surprised the SMU product's hands didn't fall off: He led the nation with 114 receptions in 2017 and set a Louisiana high school record for career catches.
Drafts I liked
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs set out to right some wrongs in this draft. Head coach Dirk Koetter's discipline might be the offensive side of the ball, yet -- much like Sean Payton in New Orleans last year -- he and GM Jason Licht are setting out to change the philosophical approach. Namely, don't make QB Jameis Winston win games by himself. So Tampa drafted the best run-stuffer in the class in Vita Vea out of Washington in Round 1. Then, in Round 2, the Bucs went after a running back (again, much like the Saints did last year with RB Alvin Kamara, a third-round pick who became Offensive Rookie of the Year), picking up Ronald Jones out of USC with the 38th overall pick. Talk about filling a need now. Then came a pair of corners, with M.J. Stewart (Round 2, No. 53) and Carlton Davis (Round 2, No. 63), from UNC and Auburn, respectively. Guessing these second-rounders will work out better than Roberto Aguayo.
Chicago Bears: Spoke to one of my editors, college buff Gennaro Filice, about drafts he liked. I played coy, not letting him know which hauls I
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