With the NFL draft just moments away, follow me and refresh the page frequently to see what’s going on, pick by pick, trade by trade.
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7:38 PM– First pick-off of the night. The Cleveland Browns acquire the #3 overall pick from the Minnesota Vikings for the #4 overall pick, plus the Browns 4th, 5th and 7th round picks. There was no way the Vikings were going to take T-Rich. Seems to me like Cleveland just gave away 3 extra draft picks for nothing.
7:58 PM– Chris Berman may have just blown out his vocal chords yelling “Are you ready for the draft? We are!”. Seriously. Calm down, the first 2 picks are sure things there’s nothing to get excited about yet.
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8:05 PM– The Indianapolis Colts are on the clock. 2 grown men wearing Colts jerseys, one with a backwards hat are acting like idiots on national TV. I own a ton of sports jerseys, but if I’m going to be on TV I make sure to act like an adult, not a complete moron.
Pick #1. Indianapolis Colts- Andrew Luck QB, Stanford
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No surprise here. The Colts had their eyes set on Luck months ago. I think RG3 is already adjusting the brim of his Washington Redskins cap.
7:09 PM- Andrew Luck conducts his first interview as a professional football player. I still can’t get over how deep his voice is. He sounds like Andre The Giant in The Princess Bride
Pick #2. Washington Redskins- Robert Griffin III QB, Baylor
Again, no surprise here. The Redskins gave St Louis everything but the kitchen sink to move up to #2. RG3 rocking a powder blue suit with a burgundy tie… and here comes the flat brim Redskins hat that looks like a yarmulke on his giant dome.
Pick #3. Cleveland Browns- Trent Richardson RB, Alabama
It was obvious the Browns wanted T-Rich. He’s an absolute stud and should make an immediate impact in the NFL. Only thing is there was no reason to trade up. Sure AP is coming off a knee injury, but he’ll be healthy by the beginning of the season and the Vikings wouldn’t do him dirty like that. I don’t know how some of these front office guys get their job.
8:26PM– Tampa trades the #5 overall pick to Jacksonville for the #7 overall pick and a 4th round pick. Look for Jacksonville to take WR Justin Blackmon, although they have no one to throw to him.
Pick #4. Minnesota Vikings- Matt Kalil OT, USC
Great pick here by the Vikings. He would have been the 3rd overall pick had the Browns not been complete idiots. This guy will create holes for AP and give Ponder some decent pass protection.
Pick #5. Jacksonville Jaguars- Justin Blackmon WR, OKST
Big time receiver and a great move by JAX. They didn’t give up too much to get a complete stud.
Pick #6. Dallas Cowboys- Morris Claiborne DB, LSU
Cowboys traded up to get a super athletic DB who is border-line retarded. Seriously, a 4 on the Wonderlic? There are chimpanzees who can get a higher score. At least you don’t have to be a genius to run a 4.4 40 and jump 40 inches off the ground. He should be a solid pro, but I expect him to get torched by the elite QBs in the NFL.
Pick #7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Mark Barron S, Alabama
Solid pick here, but I think the Bucs could have used an elite WR more than a defensive player and an extra 4th round pick. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out for Tampa.
8:48PM– Miami is on the clock and Ryan Tannehill is all smiles in his seat. I’d be shocked if the Dolphins pick anybody else.
Pick #8. Miami Dolphins- Ryan Tannehill QB, Texas A&M
Tannehill should send Jim Irsay a thank you note for the tweet he sent out a few weeks ago calling him possibly the best QB in the draft. Tannehill has the tools, but he’s inexperienced and unproven. He wasn’t even on the radar in the beginning of the year. Miami needs a franchise QB so bad, they’re willing to take the gamble.
Pick #9. Carolina Panthers- Luke Keuchly LB, Boston College
Keuchly is a smart player who has a nose for tackling the ball carrier. He fills a need for the Panthers and should have a solid pro football career.
8:58PM– The Bills are on the clock. They made some huge off-season acquisitions…
Pick #10. Buffalo Bills- Stephon Gilmore CB, South Carolina
Wasting no time the Bills quickly put in their pick. It’s clear they’re trying to improve their defense going into the 2012 season. Gilmore put up huge numbers at the combine and can really play ball. He just hugged the commissioner for about 5 seconds too long. Awkward…
8:03PM– The Chiefs are taking their sweet time here. They have so many holes to fill who knows who they’re going to pick… Cox maybe?
Pick #11. Kansas City Chiefs- Dontari Poe DT, Memphis
Poe increased his draft status with incredible workouts. He’s a huge human being that moves very well for his size. Even if Jamaal Charles comes back healthy next year I still see the Chiefs being one of the worst teams in the NFL in 2012. They need a new QB, bad. I see Brady Quinn starting at some point next year for sure. Who knows if Peyton Hillis will recover from an awful 2011 campaign.
Pick #12. Philadelphia Eagles- Fletcher Cox DT, Miss ST
The Eagles trade up for the player Kansas City probably should have taken. A lot of teams had their eyes on Cox, who at 300 lbs runs a 4.79 40 yard dash. For that size, that’s great speed. Nice move by Philly.
Pick #13. Arizona Cardinals- Michael Floyd WR, Notre Dame
New York Jets fans are letting out a collective “fuck!”. I didn’t expect the Cardinals to go WR here, but they did. Since Anquan Boldin left town they’ve been looking for a threat opposite Larry Fitzgerald, now they have him.
Pick #14. St Louis Rams- Micheal Brockers DT, LSU
S Jax needs some better blocking on the O-line, so St Louis selects a defensive tackle… well done, Rams. Brockers is a huge guy who should be a decent run stopper, but the Rams should be picking an offensive lineman here, no question. David DeCastro, Riley Reiff.. I could name a few guys who would have made more sense here.
Pick #15. Seattle Seahawks- Bruce Irvin OLB, West Virginia
Why not Melvin Ingram? What the hell is going on here? And they jumped on Irvin too, wasting no time inbetween picks. I don’t get it. 2 bad picks in a row. This guy wasn’t even on my 1st round radar.
9:34PM– New York Jets are on the clock and the fans are chanting for the guy Seattle should have picked, Melvin Ingram. Go get em, Jets. NY fans apparently pouring in from MSG where the Rangers won a pivotal game 7 in the NHL playoffs.
Pick #16. New York Jets- Quinton Coples DE, UNC
I’m not speechless, Coples was next on my depth chart of available defensive ends, but the Jets should have taken Ingram. As a Jets fan I’m kind of pissed, but I’ll get over it.
Pick #17. Cincinnati Bengals- Dre Kirkpatrick CB, Alabama
A 3rd member of the National Champion Crimson Tide goes in the first round. If you watched Alabama this year, their defense was stifling. Bengals drafted on need and they got the 3rd best available corner in the draft.
9:52PM– Melvin Ingram sitting, waiting, looks furious. I wouldn’t want to make Melvin Ingram angry. He’s the type of guy that will go out and punish the teams that passed him up.
Pick #18. San Diego Chargers- Melvin Ingram, DE South Carolina
The Chargers get the steal of the draft in my opinion. He is an absolute beast who can play several positions on the field. I can’t believe he dropped to 18. San Diego finally found a replacement for Shawne Merriman.
9:57PM– I take it back. I’m not going to get over it. The Jets fucked up passing on Melvin Ingram. Barring some type of career ending injury to Ingram in camp this summer, there’s little that’ll change my opinion on that.
Pick #19. Chicago Bears- Shea McClellin OLB, Boise State
Boise State has been something of a powerhouse in the NCAA in recent years, but they get ignored because they don’t play in a power conference. McClellin is an athletic player who will fit in well in the Bears’ defensive scheme. Nice pick.
10:02PM– New England trades up, expected to pick Chandler Jones DE, Syracuse with the 21st pick if available.
Pick #20. Tennessee Titans- Kendall Wright WR, Baylor
One of RG3’s favorite targets will become Matt Hasselbeck/Jake Locker’s #3 option immediately in Tennessee. Wright has the ability to be a solid contributor right away as the Titans look to improve their offense going into 2012.
Pick #21. New England Patriots- Chandler Jones DE, Syracuse
As expected, Jones goes to New England who is in dire need of help on the defensive side of the football. They need to put pressure on opposing QBs and this guy can sure help in that department. Look for New England to pick a ton of defensive players in this year’s draft.
Pick #22. Cleveland Browns- Brandon Weeden QB, OK State
The clock is ticking for Colt McCoy in Cleveland. Brandon Weeden may be a 29 year old rookie, but he doesn’t have the wear and tear that comes with most football players his age. This guy has a cannon for an arm and I see Weeden starting before the end of the 2012 season. Lock it in.
10:15PM– NFL paying tribute to our armed forces at the moment, kinda caught me by surprise. Almost as surprising as the speed the Browns got that last pick in. McCoy may be the 2nd winningest QB in NCAA history, but Weeden is a better overall player in my opinion. This draft class has many solid QBs, that’s for sure. NFL careers can be short lived if you don’t produce.
Pick #23. Detroit Lions- Riley Reiff OT, Iowa
Calvin Johnson announces the pick and gives thanks to the fans for voting him to the cover of Madden 2013. While Reiff is a solid pick here, if I was Johnson I wouldn’t be thanking anybody. The Madden curse is real. I’m passing on the top WR in the NFL in all fantasy leagues next year.
Pick #24. Pittsburgh Steelers- David DeCastro OG, Stanford
Solid pick by Pittsburgh who didnt waste any time at all. DeCastro is a great pass protector. Andrew Luck owes a lot of success to DeCastro, and Big Ben can rest assured he got a quality player to watch his 6.
Pick #25. New England Patriots- Dont’a Hightower ILB, Alabama
Denver trades the pick to New England who, not to anyone’s surprise, goes defense. Hightower is a BEAST. Alabama’s defense looked like a professional team last season, and this guy was a big reason for it.
10:25PM– These picks are coming in fast and furiously, I barely have a moment to collect my thoughts. There’s still a ton of talent left on the board. Cordy Glenn from Georgia, Whitney Mercilus from Illinois, Bobby Massie from Ole Miss… the list goes on.
Pick #26. Houston Texans- Whitney Mercilus, DE Illinois
There goes one of the guys I just mentioned. Mercilus has an awesome football name. He lead the nation in tackles and forced fumbles. That’s solid.
Pick #27. Cincinnati Bengals- Kevin Zeitler OG, Wisconsin
I’m not going to pretend to have watched a ton of Wisconsin games, but I definitely sat through my fair share this year. Zeitler is a big boy who seems to thrive on roaching opposing players. He was a big reason Wisconsin made it to the Rose Bowl this year.
Pick #28. Green Bay Packers- Nick Perry DE, USC
Other than Clay Matthews, there aren’t a ton of guy on Green Bay threatening to sack the QB. Perry will change that. I’m not expecting an immediate impact but this guy could develop into a solid NFL player.
Pick #29. Minnesota Vikings- Harrison Smith S, ND
Baltimore trades the pick and the Vikings get arguably the 2nd best safety available in the draft. He’s a reliable defensive player who should be an effective player for the Vikings. I like the pick here.
Pick #30. San Francisco 49ers- AJ Jenkins WR, Illinois
Leeeeeeroy Jenkinnnnnns! But seriously, who is this guy? The 9ers picked up Randy Moss and Mario Manningham in the off-season. They still have Crabtree. Sure they lost Morgan, but I think this was a waste of a first round pick. AJ Jenkins probably wasn’t expecting the call. I sure wasn’t.
Pick #31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Doug Martin RB, Boise State
Denver trades away the pick to the Bucs who need to find players that’ll put some pressure on LeGarrette Blount who underachieved as the starting back last year. 2 Boise State players drafted in the 1st round, seems like they’re getting a little more respect from professional scouts.
10:58PM– The Giants are on the clock and the live blog is soon coming to an end. It was an exciting day and a great start to the draft. I’ve seen a lot of smug pro-Giants statuses on facebook, it’ll be interesting to see who the Super Bowl Champs select with the final pick of the first round.
Pick #32. New York Giants-David Wilson RB, Virginia Tech
The G-Men could have gone O-line, but they choose to fill the hole in the depth chart left by the departure of Brandon Jacobs. Wilson has some speed and decent hands, but he reminds me a lot of the guy NY already has on their squad, Ahmad Bradshaw. The Giants will be good in 2012 yet again as Eli Manning continues to solidify his reputation as an elite QB in the NFL (2 rings. He is. Your argument is invalid, and this is coming from a Jets fan).
11:07PM– That wraps it up. Hope you enjoyed my commentary on the first round. Enjoy the rest of the draft festivities, it’s closing time for us here at TSB. Goodnight.
