Pick-by-pick reactions to Round 1

1. Rams: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Did you know the last time the Rams drafted a quarterback in the first round the common draft hadn't even begun yet? Good luck to Bradford, who joins a team with no receivers and a porous offensive line. Jason Smith (last year's No. 1) had better turn into a damn good left tackle and now. At least Bradford gets to play indoors. If the Rams ever get any skill players, that could be fun for him. That all being said, I still think Colt McCoy is going to be better. Call me crazy.

2. Lions: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
Best player in the draft. The only way he would fail would be if Matt Millen was the guy making this pick. Still, I can't shake the feeling that the Lions would have been better off with a left tackle to protect Matthew Stafford and a trade for Albert Haynesworth to play Suh's position.

3. Buccaneers: Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
Need pick. The Bucs haven't had a disruptive defensive tackle since Warren Sapp last played hard for them in 2000.

4. Redskins: Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
If you're Bob Stoops, this draft is the best recruiting tool you have: three of the top four picks in the NFL draft played for Oklahoma. The Redskins have had a rather strong offseason for once. The wonders of what can happen with Dan Snyder isn't making the decisions.

5. Chiefs: Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
Pretty close to a sure thing, I think, and he gets the Monte Kiffin seal of approval. If only the Chiefs played Cover Two.

6. Seahawks: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
So much for SEC domination in college football: five of the top six picks are from the Big 12. Hope a playmaker falls to Seattle at 14 because they have absolutely none of those. Okung gets to try and fill Walter Jones' enormous shoes.

7. Browns: Joe Haden, CB, Florida
ESPN had a great shot of Haden in tears while on the phone with the Browns. He was in tears. Not sure if that's because he has to go to the Browns (fulfills his NFL dream) or if it's because he has to go to the Browns (the NFL's worst franchise since they re-joined the league in 1999). Never realized he had such big ears before. I guess Mike Holmgren doesn't believe Jimmy Clausen is his long-term quarterback.

8. Raiders: Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
He must have run a 4.3 40, right? Was he arrested recently? Was he somehow belatedly awarded the Heisman Trophy? Those are the only logical explanations I have for Al Davis doing something completely illogical by Raiders standards and drafting someone completely logical for their team. I bet McClain has better hands that last year's No. 1, receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey.

9. Bills: C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
No Jimmy Clausen here either. I like Spiller but I see him more as a Reggie Bush type and I think you can find those guys in the second round.

10. Jaguars: Tyson Alualu, DT, California






























Sorry for the long delay; I was left speechless with my jaw on the floor with this pick. Seriously, the Jaguars could have traded down 15 spots and still been guaranteed this guy. They probably could have traded out of the first round and still gotten him. Instead, they'll pay him first-round money. And you wonder why the James Harris/Jack Del Rio hasn't succeeeded?

11. 49ers: Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
Not sure the 49ers needed to move up from 13 to get Davis but he's a need-pick to play right tackle. Their offensive line has been terrible so addressing it to improve both the pass-protection and the run-blocking makes sense.

12. Chargers: Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State
A.J. Smith must really love this kid and as much as I think Smith has an ego run amok, I can't question his eye for talent. I'll be my HD television that Mathews has a greater yards per carry this season than LaDainian Tomlinson. Surprised the Chargers had to trade this far up to get Mathews.

13. Eagles: Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan
My favorite moment of the draft so far: the Eagles acquiring this pick from Denver (who had previously acquired this pick from San Francisco) and Adam Schefter going on ESPN to boldly declare Philadelphia did so to take Earl Thomas. Oops. Everyone should know by now that Andy Reid almost always uses the first round to build up his lines. Graham's demolition of Bryan Bulaga in the Michigan-Iowa game no doubt aided in this draft position.

Speaking of which, Bulaga is falling and anyone saw what Graham did to him isn't surprised by that. So is Clausen.

14. Seahawks: Earl Thomas, S, Texas
Maybe Schefter meant the Eagles traded up so the Seahawks could take Thomas one pick behind them?

Clausen was seen as a possible Seahawk and they passed on him. Maybe the Broncos will take him.

15. Giants: Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
My guess is everyone now assumes the Giants will deal Osi Umenyiora. Not me. I'd be shocked if they traded him. Everyone who has followed the Giants the last four years should know that they invest everything they can in having a deep, productive defensive line. I say Pierre-Paul joins Osi, Justin Tuck and the rest in an effort to recreate the 2007 defensive line rotation.

16. Titans: Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
Predictable with Pierre-Paul off the board.

17. 49ers: Mike Iupati, G, Idaho
No surprise that the 49ers didn't have any use for Clausen. Two offensive linemen in the first round says what they felt was their greatest weakness. I would have loved to see them take Dez Bryant; imagine him joining Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis, Josh Morgan and Frank Gore?

18. Steelers: Maurkice Pouncey, C/G, Florida
Really fortunate that a Make-A-Wish kid was on the stage to make this pick for the Steelers because it stopped the fans chants of "She Said No!" I hope Ben Roethlisberger is ready for chants like that all season after he returns from his suspension.

19. Falcons: Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri
Any help in the back-seven was badly needed. Sort of surprised he went ahead of Sergio Kindle.

20. Texans: Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama
Surprised they didn't take Kyle Wilson at this spot. This should close the book on Dunta Robinson's Houston career.

21. Bengals: Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
That's four Sooners taken in the first round. I hope Stoops recorded this draft so he can take it on recruiting trips.

22. Broncos: Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech
Figured New England would take Dez Bryant once they were on the clock. Instead, in Belichickian fashion, they traded down. Denver took Thomas instead of Bryant even though Thomas played in an option offense against defenses geared to stop the run and doesn't know how to run routes.

By the way, the Broncos are another quarterback-needy team that passed on Clausen. The Vikings look like his last hope to stay in the first round. He better be hoping teams are trying to move up for him.

23. Packers: Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa
Great pick for the Packers. Green Bay has a pair of tackles who combine for an age of about 146 so Bulaga is a nice fit, especially for them getting a guy who a few days ago was seen as a top-10 pick.

24. Cowboys: Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
Patriots trade down again, even though I again figured they'd use this pick on Bryant. Jerry Jones gets him instead, a tacit admission that his idiotic trade for Roy Williams failed miserably.

25. Broncos: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida



























Sorry, yet another moment that I'm left speechless. The Broncos trade up, into the latter part of the first round, and give the Ravens second-, third- and fourth-round choices to do it. For a quarterback who can't throw the ball correctly. I guess it's par for the course: Denver has drafted a receiver who doesn't know how to run good routes and a quarterback with poor passing mechanics. And this trade was highway robbery for the Ravens, getting that king's ransom all so Denver could take a guy who is an incredible project and really just a developmental quarterback for the next couple of years.

And how angry is Clausen right about now? And you just know Todd McShay has fumes coming out of his ears given the way he has lambasted Tebow since the Senior Bowl.

26. Cardinals: Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
Great pick for Arizona wich needs defensive help. Williams was thought to possibly go as high as ninth in the days leading up to the draft.

27. Patriots: Devin McCourty, CB, Fresno State
The Patriots finally make a pick. They needed a corner although I sort of think Kyle Wilson would have been a better pick. Belichick needs to keep rebuilding that defense.

28. Dolphins: Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State
Whoever could have guessed that Bill Parcells would take a run-stuffing defensive lineman? He's only done that, what, 20 times in the first round before?

29. Jets: Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, Kyle Wilson. Wow. Pretty loaded at the cornerback position. The Jets have so many good cornerbacks that Cromartie may feel the need to get a few girls pregnant just so that his child-count can keep up. I think the Jets could take a step back offensively next season (Thomas Jones to LaDainian Tomlinson is a downgrade and I still have doubts about Mark Sanchez, in spite of his mistake-free postseason) but that defense is loaded.

30. Lions: Jahvid Best, RB, California
The Vikings trade out of the first round so, Jimmy Clausen, we'll see you tomorrow at round two. On the bright side, you've got Erin Andrews at your house to console you. Life could be worse. What does it say about the Lions that the Vikings are happily trading down with a division rival?

31. Colts: Jerry Hughes, DE, Texas Christian
If the most recent playoffs taught the Colts anything, it's that they probably can't count on Dwight Freeney, entering his 10th season, to continue to stay healthy going forward.

It's up to the Saints to keep Clausen in the first round. It's also up to them to keep USC's streak of No. 1 picks alive.

32. Saints: Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State
No Jimmy Clausen! No Southern California Trojans! No Sergio Kindle! Lots of exclamation points from me!