AFC Draft Picks That I Liked

To continue the exercise started yesterday here are the draft picks that I liked the most from the AFC teams.

Pittsburgh Steelers
T.J. Watt, LB, Wisconsin, first round
It's fun to watch the Steelers draft. They rarely trade and always let the draft come to them. Six Lombardi Trophies show that it can work. They often have a bunch of picks that I like. This year's no exception. Cameron Sutton, James Conner, Joshus Dobbs, Keion Adams. I'll go the easy route and pick their first one. Watt, like his brother, has a motor that's always running hot. In a few years this Watt might be the pass rusher to come out of this draft.

Baltimore Ravens
Nico Siragusa, G, San Diego State, fourth round
The Ravens are another team that makes a lot of picks that I like. As with a lot of my favoritepicks Siragusa is a player that I hoped the Minnesota Vikings might land. No matter how many offensive linemen the Ravens lose in free agency they always field a solid front five. That's because of players like Siragusa. The Ravens always seem to have their next solid lineman on the roster, waiting for his shot.

Clevelend Browns
Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan, first round
The Browns have been a drafting laughing-stock for nearly all of their years since re-joining the league in 1999. So much so that this new front office will have to have many great drafts to shake that reputation. At least on paper, their 2017 draft looks like a step in the right direction. They may have found difference-makers throughout the draft and my favorite is Peppers. He can do it all. Defense, offense, special teams. Michigan took advantage of it. The Browns probably will too. It's probably best if he initially focuses on one position on defense, return punts, and maybe pepper him into the offense.

Cincinnati Bengals
John Ross, WR, Washington, first round
If I had any doubts about Ross' receiving talents before this past college season that ended when I watched the way he handled Cal's defensive backs last November. Now, taking apart Cal's defense hasn't been too difficult for anyone over the past few years but the way Ross did it was stunning. It was such a mismatch. I've seen Paul Richardson, Nelson Agholor, Robert Woods, Marqise Lee, Brandin Cooks, Ju Ju Smith-Schuster, and so many others have their way with Cal's defensive backs but Ross looked like he was playing a whole other sport. Ross teamed with A.J. Green could be real scary.

Miami Dolphins
Isaac Asiata, G, Utah, fifth round
Asiata was one of my favorite guards in the draft. So much so, that he was a fixture of every Vikings mock that I did prior to the draft. In my mind, he was already a Vikings. Reality played out differently and now Asiata's my favorite Dolphins pick.

Buffalo Bills
Zay Jones, WR, East Carolina, second round
It's easy to like Jones based on his abilities on the football field. It's even easier to like his personality and attitude off the football field. It's easy to like Zay Jones.

New York Jets
Chad Hansen, WR, Cal, fourth
I have to go with the Cal guy over the two excellent safeties that the Jets picked to start their draft. Hansen was a receiving revelation last season for the Bears. It would've been nice if it wasn't his only season in Berkeley.

New England Patriots
Derek Rivers, DE, Youngstown State, third round
For a while it looked like the Patriots might sit out this draft. They made their first pick in the third round and Rivers was their man. It'll be fun to see how Bill Belichick and Mike Patricia use their new pass rusher.

Indianapolis Colts
Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State, first round
Hooker was one of several first round players that went later than expected. The Colts benefited. Hooker roams and makes play like former Baltimore Ravens great Ed Reed. I loved watching Reed play football so it only follows that I love watching Hooker play football.

Jacksonville Jaguars
Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU, first round
Looking at and thinking about the drafts of the Jacksonville Jaguars has become a frustrating thing in recent years. They keep picking excellent players and there's annual hope that the team is heading in the right direction and then they go out and win four games and end up with a top-5 pick. Again. Maybe Fournette is the pick to change that pattern.

Houston Texans
D'Onta Foreman, RB, Texas, third round
I liked what I saw of Foreman last season and through the draft evaluation process. I liked him even more after watching NFL Network's intimate profile of him aired before the second round. It's easy to like a kid like Foreman.

Tennessee Titans
Khalfani Muhammad, RB, Cal, seventh round
The final of three Cal players selected. Go Bears! Muhammad is considered one of the top prep athletes in California state history. He was a top recruit that came to Berkeley with a lot of hype and simply did everything asked of him to help the team win. Which wasn't very often. Muhammad has terrific speed and can produce big plays at any time from anywhere on the field.

Denver Broncos
Jake Butt, TE, Michigan, fifth round
How can you not like a football player named Butt. But this isn't just about his name. Butt would probably have been drafted much higher if he hadn't torn his ACL in the Orange Bowl. Butt played in that game for the love of his team. Something that many are speaking against these days. Butt's a terrific player with a bright NFL future.

Kansas City Chiefs
Kareem Hunt, RB, Toledo, third round
As I was looking at potential mid-round running backs for the Minnesota Vikings Hunt emerged as my favorite. I just liked the no-nonsense. physical manner with which he ran with the football. It seemed fitting that the Chiefs selected him with a pick that they received from the Vikings.

Los Angeles Chargers
Forrest Lamp, G, Western Kentucky, second round
Due to the Vikings serious need at the position and his play at it, Lamp was one of my favorite players in the entire draft. If the Vikings had a first round pick he was the player I wanted them to pick with it. When Lamp slid into the second round there was a flicker of hope that he'd slide a bit farther. The Chargers dashed that with the sixth pick of the second round. I love Lamp.

Oakland Raiders
Obi Melifonwu, S, Connecticut, second round
I just like saying Obi Melifonwu. Who doesn't? If Melifonwu can earn a starting gig in the back of the Raiders defense, it's going to be a gas to see him paired with last year's top pick Karl Joseph. The height difference will be striking.