21. Eagles: Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU: Grade: F
-The Eagles knew Justin Jefferson was still on the board, right? How about Brandon Aiyuk, Tee Higgins, and Michael Pittman? Jalen Reagor brings skill to the table for the Eagles, but with them also trading for M. Goodwin, I only scratch my head that much more on this pick. Jalen Reagor, I think, could be a good pick for the Eagles, but with Justin Jefferson still on the board and so many other options at Wide Receiver, why?
22. Vikings: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU: Grade: A
-The Vikings strike gold with this pick, especially since Justin Jefferson has been known to be a QB’s right hand man. Justin Jefferson was a major part of Joe Burrow’s success this season and is an unsung hero of that LSU team. Jefferson has the potential to replace the traded star Wide Receiver Stefon Diggs. The Vikings may be the 3rd (1st-Cowboys, 2nd-Browns) luckiest team in the Draft because of Justin Jefferson somehow falling to them in this Draft. This will give Kirk Cousins a great, youthful option during games. Such a steal.
23. Chargers: Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma: Grade: D+
-Kenneth Murray proved during his time at Oklahoma that he is a physical presence and was highly touted as being the first or second best LB in the Draft class depending on who you asked. My problem with the Chargers taking Kenneth Murray over a guy like Patrick Queen is that one of the main reasons Oklahoma hasn’t been able to get to a National Championship game is because of their defense. Big 12 Defensive players are such a risk because the Big 12 virtually plays no defense. The Chargers do finally find someone here that I think can be a good starter at LB, but there was a more polished option on the board.
24. Saints: Cesar Ruiz, C, Michigan: Grade: B+
-I like this pick a lot. The Saints needed to improve their interior offensive linemen, and they do exactly that with the athletic and physical Cesar Ruiz. He brings a lot to the table for the Saints, and if teams hadn't needed offensive tackles so desperately this year, Cesar Ruiz probably would’ve been selected already. This is a great pick up and possibly a steal for the Saints. Could they have taken a Patrick Queen or maybe even a WR here? Possibly, but protecting the QB has to be a must for the Saints. I know Drew Brees, Taysom Hill, and now Jameis Winston have to be happy.
25. 49ers: Brandon Aiyuk, WR, ASU: Grade: A
-Well, the 49ers do it again; Brandon Aiyuk is a beast. In a draft that was dominated by hyped WR talent, Brandon Aiyuk went desperately under the radar. A part of me wanted Brandon Aiyuk to fall so the Browns could maybe pick him up as a mid round steal, but the 49ers knew they couldn’t pass on him. As a big Oregon Ducks football fan, Brandon Aiyuk made my head hurt and was a major reason why the Sun Devils upset the Oregon Ducks this season, knocking them out of CFB Playoff contention. Brandon Aiyuk has speed, hands, route running, and is a down the field threat against any defense; this only makes Jimmy G’s life easier.
26. Packers: Jordan Love, QB, Utah State: Grade: C-
-Now the Packers had needs. They needed WR depth, they needed to take a LB (which was available), and maybe a RB here. The Green Bay regime decided that this was their time to take the QB of the future going forward in Jordan Love. I can’t say that I disagree with it either, but they had other needs here. Packers fans had to know that Matt LaFluer was going to eventually try and find Aaron Rodgers’s replacement (if that’s Jordan Love, I don’t know). What just really stings a lot of Packers fans about this is that they traded up to get him. I will say that I believe had Jordan Love still been on the board when the Tennessee Titans had selected, they would’ve probably drafted him because they’ll eventually need someone in a couple seasons to replace their current QB. The Packers risked a lot with this pick; Jordan Love is a project QB, but if anyone can mentor him into reaching great potential it’s Aaron Rodgers. I don’t think Packers fans will hate this pick in two seasons, but for now, there were other needs.
27. Seahawks: Jordyn Brooks, LB, TT: Grade: F
-I think the Seahawks missed with this pick. Not saying Jordyn Brooks can’t be a good LB for the Seahawks, but there were other options here. Patrick Queen especially should’ve been taken here, but what they really needed was an impact pass rusher, and they chose not to take AJ Epenesa or even Yetur Gross-Matos. I think a lot of teams will cringe for seasons to come that they did not draft AJ Epenesa, and I’m sure the Seahawks will wish they had gone the Edge Rusher route in some way here for seasons to come.
28. Ravens: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU: Grade: A-
-The Ravens get a steal here. They draft the number two LB in this draft, who somehow took a drastic fall, and stack an already stacked defense. The Ravens defense only gets better with this pick, and as a Browns fan, I cringe. Why Patrick Queen fell and was the fourth LB taken in the first round is beyond me. Why Patrick Queen has so many doubters is also beyond me, because all he did was prove himself at LSU and was a staple of that defense. The Ravens get a good one here.
29. Titans: Isaiah Wilson, OT, Georgia: Grade: B
-The Titans had two glaring needs coming into this draft: finding a replacement for both Jurell Casey and Jack Conklin. They decided to go with finding Jack Conklin’s replacement, and in a big way. Isaiah Wilson should’ve been off the board by now, but for whatever reason the Dolphins didn’t pull the trigger. I don’t know if Isaiah Wilson can replace Jack Conklin, but he will definitely be a solid Offensive Tackle and could be an intricate part of the Tennessee Titans offensive line for seasons to come. I maybe would’ve tried to find Jurell Casey’s replacement here with a Ross Blacklock because that’s a huge hole in the middle of that defensive line, but you have to protect the QB.
30. Dolphins: Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn: Grade: C+
-This Draft only gets more interesting for the Dolphins. The Dolphins so far have taken an injury riddled QB and a project Offensive Tackle all in the first round. This was their chance to address a trouble area in a big way (Safety) with either Xavier McKinney or Grant Delpit. Instead they go corner and draft a guy who is highly touted for his speed and athleticism, but is taken down a peg by his ball-handling skills. This is probably their best pick, but a corner wasn’t needed here.
31. Vikings: Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU: Grade: C-
-The Vikings needed to address their need for a corner, and they do that with this pick. Again, I’m not high on Big 12 defenders, especially DBs, because the Big 12 is a passing TD league. Jeff Gladney has questions about his height and how he’ll fit into a pro-scheme, but he has really good instincts, and as a corner, that is a very valuable skill to have. I think this could be a good pick; but again, it’s a Big 12 defender.
32. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, LSU: Grade: D
-It’s not that I think Clyde Edwards-Helaire will be a bad pick for Kansas City; in fact, I think he’ll do alright in Kansas City. But just like the Eagles, there were way better options here. I don’t know if running back was really the move here? If I were them, I would’ve gone WR or Offensive Line. They went running back though, and with prospects such as Johnathon Taylor, J.K. Dobbins, and De’Andre Swift still on the board, the Chiefs could’ve really knocked this pick out of the stadium and gotten even better production. I think this pick will produce, but what the heck? There were two Heisman Trophy running back contenders (Johnathon Taylor and J.K. Dobbins) still on the board; why didn’t they take them? It’s a really interesting pick. The only reason I don’t give this pick an F is because he more than likely will produce, but come on.
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