NFC Draft Picks That I Liked

Grading draft classes immediately after the picks are made is a foolish exercise. Instead of the grades I'll simply pick the picks that I liked best in each team's class.

Minnesota Vikings
Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State, second round
The Vikings didn't have a first round pick but they ended up with a first round talent. Off-the-field concerns caused teams to pass on Cook and the Vikings benefited. Third-round center/guard Pat Elflein is a consideration due to the giant need to improve the line and his ability to help fill that need. Sixth-round tight end Bucky Hodges is also a consideration due to his freaky physical talents. Cook's the pick because the Vikings weren't supposed to come close to landing him.

Green Bay Packers
Kevin King, CB, Washington, second round
King gets the nod for the Packers because he's a skilled corner with terrific size. As a Vikings fan I don't like that they have him but he's a very talented football player. I also love that he was the only Green Room player that stuck around after not being selected in the first round. He didn't have to wait long. The Packers took him with the first pick of the second round.

Detroit Lions
Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida, first round
Davis is another player that I'd prefer to see spend his NFL career outside of the NFC North. He should control the middle of the Lions defense for years.

Chicago Bears
Tarik Cohen, RB, North Carolina A&T, fourth round
Whenever draft analysts were physically and mentally drained from watching film they'd often get re-energized by calling up the ridiculous highlights of this little runner. It's video game stuff. The 5'6" Cohen is a thrill to watch. Again, as a Vikings fan, the hope here is that Cohen doesn't bring about the sort of gameday fear that Devin Hester often brought.

New York Giants
Davis Webb, QB, Cal, third round
It's gotta be the Cal player. Webb played a single season in Berkeley but he provided many offensive thrills. There's no doubt that Webb will put in the work to be the quarterback that follows Eli Manning.

Philadelphia Eagles
Sidney Jones, CB, Washington, second round
The Eagles had several picks that I liked. Jones was a favorite of mine throughout his time at Washington and his short involvement in the draft evaluation. If not for his torn achilles at his Pro Day Jones would probably have been a top-10 pick. At least he didn't fall too far.

Washington Redskins
Fabian Moreau, CB, UCLA, third round
Like Sidney Jones, Moreau suffered an injury at his Pro Day. Also like Jones, he has the talent to be a terrific corner in the NFL.

Dallas Cowboys
Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Colorado, second round
Another Pac-12 corner. Awuzie has the talent and versatility to be a bigger Antoine Winfield. If Awuzie can hit that high mark the Cowboys will be very happy.

Atlanta Falcons
Duke Riley, LB, LSU, third round
This pick was a surprise to me as the Falcons drafted a couple of versatile, run-and-chase linebackers in the draft last year in De'Vondre Campbell and Riley's former LSU teammate Deion Jones. I like Riley because he's a versatile, run-and-chase linebacker. The Falcons apparently do as well.

New Orleans Saints
Trey Hendrickson, DE, Florida Atlantic, third round
It's easy to fall for high energy pass rushers and Hendrickson most certainly is one. The Saints really helped their defense with this draft.

Carolina Panthers
Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford, first round
Curtis Samuel, WR, Ohio State, second round
Other than Vikings stuff, the two things that I'm most looking forward to seeing this season is how the San Francisco 49ers use those pieces on their defensive line and how the Carolina Panthers plan to use McCaffrey and Samuel. Despite having Cam Newton at quarterback the Panthers offense was mostly a predictable, power offense. Big backs, big receivers. McCaffrey and Samuel change that. Considerably. I'm just glad that McCaffrey is no longer able to shred Cal's defense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jeremy McNichols, RB, Boise State, fifth round
I like O.J. Howard but I'm going with the running back. McNichols gives the Buccaneers another short, versatile running back from Boise State. Doug Martin hasn't been too reliable. The Buccaneers are hoping that McNichols will be more so. He'll have his chance.

San Francisco 49ers
George Kittle, TE, Iowa, fourth round
Just as I like versatile, run-and-chase linebackers I really like "move" tight ends. Kittle is one of those players. He can be moved around the formation. In line, split wide, in the backfield. Ever since the days of Jim Kleinsasser I've enjoyed and appreciated these players that do a lot of the dirty work so that others can shine. Kittle is a terrific blocker and he gives the 49ers offense more versatility.

Los Angeles Rams
Cooper Kupp, WR, Eastern Washington, third round
How can you not like a receiver with excellent hands that runs great routes? It's amazing how many are in the NFL that don't have the former and can't do the latter.

Arizona Cardinals
Budda Baker, S, Washington, second round
I might've cried a little when the Cardinals took Baker off the board early in the second round. I didn't see much chance that he'd last until the Vikings pick but one can dream. I might've seen a little of Antoine Winfield in Chidobe Awuzie. I see a lot of Winfield in Baker. It's partly in the size of the two but it's mostly in the play. I didn't see the Cardinals making this pick because they already have a similar player in Tyrann Mathieu. That secondary should be a lot of fun to watch.

Seattle Seahawks
Tedric Thompson, S, Colorado, fourth round
I like this pick of Seattle's the best simply because Thompson is a rangy safety that I liked for the Vikings in the mid-rounds. It looks like the Seahawks are getting an early start on reloading their talented secondary. Thompson is a nice start.