Favorite Picks

I find grading a draft a day or two after the last pick has been announced a fairly pointless endeavor. These players haven't even taken an NFL snap. Instead I'll choose my favorite pick from each team's draft.

Minnesota Vikings
Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson
2nd round
I like several of the Vikings picks. Top pick receiver Laquon Treadwell has the potential to make an immediate impact in the passing game. Fifth-round pick Kentrell Brothers is a smart, instinctive linebacker that simply gets ballcarriers to the ground. He could be the future at middle linebacker. German import Moritz Boehringer is a terrific story. So's that of Mackensie Alexander. When the draft evaluation process started he was right there with Vernon Hargreaves as the top corners in the draft. As the draft approached Alexander's stock started to drop. That was puzzling. On draft day he dropped right out of the first round and to the Vikings pick at 54. That was even more puzzling. What happened to Mackensie Alexander? It's a mystery. Near as I can figure it was because of his zero interceptions in two years as a starter at Clemson. The zero touchdowns given up and 24.5% completion against seem to be more significant statistics. He shut receivers down. He's driven. He's focused. His work ethic is top-notch. Yep, his drop to the second is still a mystery. Alexander joins Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes to give the Vikings one of the best young corner trios in the league.

Arizona Cardinals
Cole Toner, T, Harvard
5th round
I always like seeing the Ivy league football players getting a shot at the NFL. Maybe Toner turns in an NFL career like another Harvard tackle, Matt Birk.

Atlanta Falcons
Austin Hooper, TE, Stanford
3rd round
Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense seemed to play their best when Gonzalez was a part of it. Hooper has the talent to fill a role that's been missing since Gonzalez retired.

Baltimore Ravens
Bronson Kaufusi, DE, BYU
3rd round
The Ravens had another terrific draft. They made it tough to pick only one player. Kaufusi was my favorite defensive end in the draft. It was also great to see the Ravens draft Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds.

Buffalo Bills
Jonathan Williams, RB, Arkansas
5th round
Williams is a terrific talent. He might have been the second back drafted if a foot injury hadn't wiped out his 2015 season.

Carolina Panthers
James Bradberry, CB, Samford
2nd round
Bradberry was a player that I hoped could sneak through the draft to the Vikings in round 4 or so simply because he played at itty-bitty Samford. It didn't work out that way. He's too good.

Chicago Bears
Daniel Braverman, WR, Western Michigan
7th round
I like seeing underrated football players like Braverman excel against the big boys in the NFL.

Cincinnati Bengals
Tyler Boyd, WR, Pittsburgh
2nd round
Boyd was the reason that I didn't think that the Vikings had to draft a receiver in the first round. I love the way that he went after contested passes.

Cleveland Browns
Scooby Wright, LB, Arizona
7th round
Wright's reaction to being drafted by the Browns was one of the highlights of the draft. He had a brilliant college career. Statisticians are still counting the tackles that Wright made during the 2014 season.

Dallas Cowboys
Jaylon Smith, LB, Notre Dame
2nd round
If he hadn't been injured in the Fiesta Bowl Smith might have been the first pick in the draft. It was great to see him still get drafted early even though his see the field in 2016 is a longshot. He doesn't think it's so long.

Denver Broncos
Devontae Booker, RB, Utah
4th round
I became a believer after watching Booker take apart Cal. Such a believer that I was surprised that he was still on the board after the second round closed. He might already be the Broncos best back.

Detroit Lions
Joe Dahl, G, Washington State
5th round
Dahl was one of my favorite linemen in the draft. As with Booker I was surprised that he was still available on the third day of the draft.

Green Bay Packers
Kenny Clark, DT, UCLA
1st round
As a Cal fan I saw enough of Clark at UCLA. As a Vikings fan I now have to see him with the Packers. He's a very disruptive football player.

Houston Texans
Tyler Ervin, RB, San Jose State
4th round
Ervin didn't get a lot of attention while playing at San Jose State but he was terrific. NFL people knew about him and he was often listed as a running back sleeper. He should be a nice, versatile weapon for the Texans.

Indianapolis Colts
Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama
1st round
Just like Jeff Saturday did for so long Kelly should lead the Colts line for a long time.

Jacksonville Jaguars
Myles Jack, LB, UCLA
1st round
Like the Ravens the Jaguars offer a few options for my favorite pick. Jack should have been a top-3 pick. Concerns over his knee dropped him out of the first round. He's an outstanding football player and I hope that little knee issue never comes up again.

Kansas City Chiefs
Chris Jones, DT, Mississippi State
2nd round
Jones seemed to ranked among the second tier of a very talented group of defensive tackles. He has the talent to be the best of the group in the NFL.

Los Angeles Rams
Jared Goff, QB, Cal
1st round
I have to go with the first Cal player to be picked first overall since Steve Bartkowski in 1975.

Miami Dolphins
Thomas Duarte, WR/TE, UCLA
7th round
Duarte is another UCLA player that I got tired of watching work over Cal. It should be interesting to see where he ends up playing for the Dolphins. Perhaps a little like former Dolphins and current Bills tight end/receiver/H-back Charles Clay.

New England Patriots
Malcolm Mitchell, WR, Georgia
4th round
Have the Patriots finally found a receiver that isn't a squirrely little slot receiver? The Patriots will find a way to use Mitchell.

New Orleans Saints
Michael Thomas, WR, Ohio State
2nd round
The Saints only had five picks and each could have been the pick here. They had a real nice draft. Thomas should have a better NFL career than college career. And he was pretty good in college. He should pair nicely with Brandin Cooks.

New York Giants
Sterling Shepard, WR, Oklahoma
2nd round
Shepard might be the most polished receiver in the draft. He and Odell Beckham Jr. should give defensive coordinators a lot of sleepless nights.

New York Jets
Darron Lee, LB, Ohio State
1st round
I'm sure that Todd Bowles will find some interesting ways to use the speedy Lee.

Oakland Raiders
Karl Joseph, S, West Virginia
1st round
Joseph was one of the my favorite players in the entire draft. The Raiders had another impressive draft and they kicked it off by drafting a terrific football player.

Philadelphia Eagles
Isaac Seumalo, G, Oregon State
3rd round
Seumalo was one of the most underrated offensive linemen in the draft. He could be a very good NFL player.

Pittsburgh Steelers
Tyler Matakevich, LB, Temple
7th round
Matakevich and Scooby Wright were two of the most productive linebackers in college football. Each lasted until the 7th round. It's easy to cheer for these high-effort football players.

San Diego Chargers
Hunter Henry, TE, Arkansas
2nd round
The Chargers have been known to be fond of their tight ends. Having Antonio Gates will do that to a team. Henry was the best tight end in the draft. He should it in nicely in San Diego.

San Francisco 49ers
DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon
1st round
Some draft analysts have predicted that Buckner will be the best defensive player from this draft. He's a terrific football player.

Seattle Seahawks
Kenny Lawler, WR, Cal
7th round
Another Cal player. I thought that Lawler would be drafted about three rounds earlier. His highlight-reel catches were fun. His touchdowns were better. Like Cris Carter before him, all Lawler does is catch touchdowns.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ryan Smith, CB, North Carolina Central
4th round
Smith and James Bradberry were two of my small-school sleepers. They were also two of my favorite corners no matter the size of the school that they attended.

Tennessee Titans
Kevin Byard, S, Middle Tennessee State
3rd round
By the time the draft started Byard was one of  my favorite safeties.

Washington Redskins
Josh Doctson, WR, TCU
1st round
Laquon Treadwell, Tyler Boyd, and Doctson were my favorite receivers in the draft. Doctson is the most explosive of the bunch.