After a long buildup and a furious three days of action, the 2018 NFL Draft is a thing of the past. But that doesn't mean we're done analyzing what happened and what should have happened.
Forget those two options, now it's time to think about what could have happened. While every team will tell you they're happy with how things played out, there's always a way to dream up a situation where things could have gone better. I'm going to try and find one spot for each team where things could have fallen into place perfectly had something been different.
In some cases, that means seeing who was available at picks that had been traded away earlier. In others, we check out key prospects that were tantalizingly out of reach when teams came on the clock.
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In every scenario, we're playing the what-if game. Consider this a look at an alternate reality of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Arizona Cardinals: Tackles out of reach
The Cardinals made the smart move to get up to No. 10 for Josh Rosen, but one byproduct of that deal means they didn't have that No. 79 overall pick in the third round, where Orlando Brown and Chukwuma Okorafor were available, to address the tackle position. Both were gone when the Cards picked at No. 97, and then another potential starter down the road went a few picks before No. 134 in Will Richardson. You make the Rosen deal every time, but when you do, it impacts how you can address other positions.
Atlanta Falcons: DT dominoes
Calvin Ridley was a great addition to the offense, but when the Falcons passed on Taven Bryan, it surprised a lot of people. Outside of the first-round prospects, the team had shown a lot of interest in two guys at the position: Sam Houston State's P.J. Hall, and Fort Hays State's Nathan Shepherd. The former was taken one pick ahead of Atlanta in the second round, and the Falcons went with corner Isaiah Oliver at No. 58 instead of Shepherd, who was taken early in the third. So the team ended up with Deadrin Senat with its third round pick. Oliver was a good value, so it's hard to hate that pick, but I'm sure most expected the defensive tackle position to be a higher priority in this draft.
Baltimore Ravens: Sniped on Davenport
I'm generally all for trading back and picking up selections, especially if you think the guy you want is going to be there down the line. But I'm not sure the Ravens would have passed on Marcus Davenport had the Saints not traded two first-round picks to get him at No. 14. Even with Davenport off the board, it was surprising to see the Ravens pass on the chance to draft Tremaine Edmunds in order to take a tight end prospect. And it was even more surprising when they came back around for another tight end in Round 3.
Buffalo Bills: O-line still an issue
The Bills had to move up for a quarterback, and they made a smart deal going up to grab Tremaine Edmunds when he fell further than expected. But the offshoot of those deals meant they had to wait until No. 96 to make their next pick, and those three picks dealt before then could have been used to address their offensive line issues. It then looked like they'd benefit from a stroke of luck and have Tyrell Crosby (someone they met at the combine) fall to them in the fifth, but he was taken one pick ahead of them at No. 153. I would have rather seen them take Crosby in the fourth round and spend more draft capital addressing the offensive line.
Carolina Panthers: O-line run in Round 1
D.J. Moore should be a quality receiver for the team, but before taking him, the Panthers missed out on Frank Ragnow, Billy Price and Isaiah Wynn, who came off the board at No. 20, 21 and 23, respectively. James Daniels was still there if they wanted to go that direction at No. 24, but they went with the receiver instead. That being said, I like every pick they made in the first four rounds, including taking tight end Ian Thomas at No. 101. But the reason they had the first pick in the fourth round in the first place was a trade down from No. 88, and one pick before that, the talented Arden Key came off the board thanks to the Raiders leapfrogging the Panthers to get to No. 87. Would the Panthers have taken Key and gambled on his off-field red flags? Can't rule it out. And if they did want Key, could they have taken him at No. 85 and gotten Rashaun Gaulden at No. 88? A draft of what-ifs for Carolina.
Chicago Bears: Sniped on Nelson
Hard to hate anything the Bears did in the first two rounds, but I'm sure there was a sigh of disappointment when Quenton Nelson came off the board at No. 6. They were able to get good value on James Daniels early in Round 2, but he has nowhere near the upside of Nelson, who'd been talked about as a potential Hall-of-Famer. Getting Nelson at No. 8 could have meant going with Anthony Miller at No. 39 rather than trading up for him later in the round and sacrificing the team's 2019 second-round pick. Roquan Smith, Daniels and Miller is a great haul, but would Nelson, Miller, the guy they could have taken next year and the player they would have taken at No. 105 with no Patriots trade (Josey Jewell? Nick Nelson?) been better? Hard to say.
Cincinnati Bengals: Just missed Ragnow
Many people had connected Frank Ragnow, the draft's top center, to the Bengals at No. 21. Then the Lions snapped him up one pick earlier, and the Bengals went with another interior lineman in Billy Price. Another what-if: Joshua Jackson was expected to be a first-round pick, and at one point I thought he could be in play for Cincinnati at No. 21. They came one pick within having him fall to their No. 45 pick, but the Packers double-dipped at the position and snatched him at No. 44. The Bengals then traded back, but would they have if Jackson was available?
Cleveland Browns: Barkley and a QB?
You absolutely have to take the QB you want at No. 1 and not hope he makes it to No. 4, or just be happy with any QB at No. 4. It's the do-or-die position in the NFL, and if you don't have a franchise quarterback, it becomes extremely tough to compete for a championship. But if Saquon Barkley quickly becomes a star in New York, Browns fans are going to be left wondering if they could have gotten both Barkley and Baker Mayfield had the team went with the running back at No. 1. And if any of the QBs that slipped out of the top four becomes a star, go ahead and crank the what-if game up to 11.
Dallas Cowboys: Just missed Witten heir
It's hard to hate what the Cowboys were able to do on the first two days of the draft, as they could have landed three long-term starters in Leighton Vander Esch, Connor Williams and Michael Gallup. But when news broke that Jason Witten was expected to retire, every Cowboy fan started thinking about landing Dallas Goedert at No. 50. Instead, the Eagles trades up from No. 52 to 49 and sniped the talented tight end, even though they already have Zach Ertz. That one has to sting.
Denver Broncos: Sniped on Daniels
This what-if would obviously have been about Bradley Chubb had he went in the top four as expected, but the Broncos were able to land the talented pass-rusher at No. 5. Quenton Nelson would have also addressed a position of need, and even though there was a run on interior lineman in the first round, then two more picked in the first two picks of Round 2, James Daniels was somehow still available as Denver's pick neared. The Broncos had brought him in for a private workout, so we know the interest was there. Yet one pick before they were on the clock, the Bears sniped Daniels at No. 39. Tough luck.
Detroit Lions: Paying price for RB
The Lions made an aggressive move up the board for a running back in Round 2, hopping from No. 51 to 43 to take Kerryon Johnson. They did that despite Derrius Guice still being on the board (he would last until No. 59). And in the trade-up, the Lions surrendered No. 117, which certainly would have come in handy on Day 3. The Lions ended up trading a 2019 third-round pick to get No. 113 and draft Da'Shawn Hand. If they had stayed put in Round 2, they could have had a running back, Hand likely still there at No. 117, and whoever that future third could have been.
Green Bay Packers: Trade costs Pack top punter
The Packers landed a nice haul in this draft, especially with their two trades in the first round. But one curious deal was the one to move up for into the third round for Oren Burks, who could have very well still been on the board at No. 101. The Packers sacrificed No. 147 to make that move, and that pick was ultimately used on potentially a better inside linebacker in Micah Kiser. But if the Packers still had that pick, they could have landed the top punting prospect in the draft, Texas' Michael Dickson. Instead they settled on JK Scott at No. 172. I'd be much happier with Josey Jewell (who went 106th) at inside linebacker and landing Dickson at No. 147, then using the Scott pick on help elsewhere.
Houston Texans: Passing on tackle help
The Texans somehow managed to land a guy in Justin Reid that many thought could go in the first round, even though they didn't pick until Round 3. Then they took Martinas Rankin, who is probably going to have to kick inside at the pro level, leaving the team lacking in talent at the offensive tackle position. In taking Rankin, the Texans passed on Orlando Brown and Chukwuma Okorafor, two players who project to stay at tackle, and both were gone by the time the team was back on the clock at No. 98. If the offensive line turns out to be their Achilles heel in 2018 due to mediocre tackle play, the Texans' third-round decisions could come back to haunt them.
Indianapolis Colts: 'Settling' for Nelson
Quenton Nelson is going to be a great player for a long time, and he should quickly become
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