NFL Draft: Round One Awards

The NFL Draft wrapped up the first of seven rounds on Thursday night and while teams like the Arizona Cardinals seemed to have found the face of their franchise moving forward, other teams (New York Giants anyone?) had their fans yelling at their TVs. There are still two days and six rounds remaining in the Draft but I thought it would be a good time to revisit the 32 selections and hand out our NFL Draft Awards.

The “I called it” Award: Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals had the top pick in this year’s draft and just about everyone expected Arizona to take Oklahoma QB and Heisman Trophy Winner Kyler Murray. While there was still a question as to what the Cardinals would do regarding their tenth overall pick from 2018, QB Josh Rosen, but it was clear that new Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury was a big fan of Murray, so it was hardly surprising when Roger Goodell announced that Murray would be heading to Phoenix.

The “What are you thinking?!” Award: New York Giants

The last few seasons have been a disaster for the New York Football Giants, and depending on who you ask, it may all stem from a trip aboard a sea vessel. Whether it was benching Eli Manning for Geno Smith, letting Landon Collins walk for nothing, or trading away Odell Beckham Jr., Giants fans have had a lot to complain about. You can add one more item to that list as the Giants picked Duke QB Daniel Jones sixth overall. Don’t get me wrong, Jones is a fine QB, but considering the fact that Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins, a much better prospect in my eyes, was still available was perplexing. Add in the fact that Jones would have most likely still been available with the Giants’ 17th overall pick, the choice to go with Jones at number six had Giants fall yelling at the TV.

The “huh?” Award: Oakland Raiders

The Raiders very well could have taken him this award after their decision to trade away franchise cornerstone Khalil Mack last season. But taking Clelin Ferrell, the defensive end out of Clemson was the icing on the cake. Yes, Ferrell was a talented prospect that played a major role on a Clemson team that took home a National Championship in 2018-19, but the Raiders overreached with this pick. Many mock drafts had Ferrell going later in the first round, and on top of that several prominent, and probably more talented, edge rushers were still available at number four, namely Josh Allen, Devin White, Devin Bush and Rashan Gary.

I think this guy’s reaction sums up the night for Oakland, or is it Vegas?

The *sit in silence for a second* Award: Seattle Seahawks

It was a busy draft for Seattle that started earlier this week when the Seahawks traded defensive end Frank Clark for the 29th overall pick. Seattle then traded their own 21st overall pick to Green Bay for the 30th pick. The Seahawks then traded the 30th pick to the Giants. When Seattle finally made a pick (29th) fans waited for what seemed like 20 minutes for the pick to be announced. When it was finally announced many Seahawk fans were surprised to hear the name of TCU defensive end L.J. Collier. It’s not that Collier is a bad pick, it’s just not what fans expected, seeing as they had traded away their defensive end just days prior. After thinking about the move, it makes sense for Seattle who just signed QB Russell Wilson to the largest contract ever and now need to surround him with young, and more importantly cheap, talent. So stocking draft picks is a smart move in the long run but it still doesn’t change the reaction most Seattle fans had in the moment.

The Michael Scott on Pretzel Day Award: New England Patriots

If you have ever seen the Pretzel Day episode of The Office, you can draw the parallels between Michael Scott’s experience in the episode and the experience most Patriot fans have on draft day. In the episode, Michael stands in line all day in hopes of getting a delicious soft pretzel. As the day goes on, Michael begins to worry that by the time he reaches the front of the line, all the pretzels will be gone. Such is life as a Pats fan. When the Patriots go to the AFC Championship or the Super Bowl year after year, the team finds themselves picking at the end of round one nearly every year, meaning Pat fans must wait hours to see their team make a selection. However, with the Patriots being notorious for trading down in the draft, fans have to sit and wonder as the night goes by if the Patriots will even make a selection by the time their number is called. Just like Michael is relieved and overjoyed that not only is a soft pretzel still available by the time he reaches the front of the line, but that he can have a pretzel that includes every topping imaginable, Patriots fans were overjoyed at the end of the first round as New England not only made a selection, but drafted a highly talented and electric wide receiver that should pair perfectly alongside Tom Brady.