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Two Bears drafted in first round.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000928013/article/2017-nfl-draft-doover-deshaun-watson-goes-no-1-to-browns
Each first-round draft pick provides the chance to change your team's trajectory. It also can end up being a regrettable decision, much like that late-night drive-thru run after an evening of revelry. (Which, of course, precedes the hazy, late-night impulse purchase on NFL Shop where you unexpectedly end up with a Jay Cutler throwback on your doorstep seven to 10 working days later. Oh, wait -- I don't regret that at all.)
But today, I would love to give every team a do-over from last year's draft. And who wouldn't want that kind of hindsight?
NOTE: For the purposes of this exercise, I worked off the draft order that we had ENTERING the first round of last year's event -- before a series of draft-night trades mucked things up.
PICK
1
Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
As is tradition, we lead off with the quarterback the Browns should have selected. Is 2018 the year the Browns do the right thing? Nah. They'll go Saquon Barkley at No. 1 and Bradley Chubb at No. 4, only to trade back into the first to take Mason Rudolph. Sorry, I'm projecting.
Actual pick: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M.
PICK
2
Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
I'm going to assume the 49ers still end up with Jimmy G (I know, this time travel stuff is weird -- try pragmatically thinking your way through the "Back to the Future" movies), so it makes sense to go with the biggest impact player on the defensive side of the ball. But in this redo, you don't get the Bears' picks.
Actual pick: Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford (at No. 3 overall following trade with Bears).
PICK
3
Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
Did I make a YouTube video complaining about this pick in the aftermath? I did. Do I regret it now? I do. Are rhetorical questions the laziest of the writing devices? Sure are. But Mitch can play.
Actual pick: Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina (at No. 2 overall following trade with 49ers).
PICK
4
Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
Alvin Kamara and Kareem Hunt might be better all-around backs, but Fournette fits better with Doug Marrone's smashmouth style.
Actual pick: Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU.
PICK
5
Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
Tennessee's actual pick, Corey Davis, has potential at receiver, but Lattimore is a true difference maker on defense.
Actual pick: Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan.
PICK
6
Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech
Jamal Adams was a great pick. But the Jets have longed for a quarterback since the Chad Pennington era. Mahomes brings some excitement and, you know, is a quarterback.
Actual pick: Jamal Adams, S, LSU.
PICK
7
Jamal Adams, S, LSU
The Chargers are loaded at the cornerback position, and Adams would make L.A.'s defensive secondary absolutely (wait for it) great. Ah, I'm just kidding. Electric. The Chargers' secondary would be electric.
Actual pick: Mike Williams, WR, Clemson.
PICK
8
Alvin Kamara, RB, Tennessee
I'm torn here. McCaffrey was a pretty good player for the Panthers in Year 1. And you wonder if Kamara would have had the same impact if he landed in Charlotte. But watching Kamara last year, he looked like the better back.
Actual pick: Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford.
PICK
9
T.J. Watt, Edge, Wisconsin
This might be a reach. But there is something so Bengals-like about drafting a guy who crushed it for the Steelers.
Actual pick: John Ross, WR, Washington.
PICK
10
Tre'Davious White, CB, LSU
Well it was a better deal nabbing White at No. 27 after trading down last year, for sure. But guess what? You missed the Happy Hour pricing and you have to take him here.
Actual pick: Tre'Davious White, CB, LSU (at No. 27 overall following trade with Chiefs).
...
No doubt that based on 2017 alone, Watson deserved to go first overall. It's way to early to tell who will have the better career, but I'm liking what the Bears have done.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000928013/article/2017-nfl-draft-doover-deshaun-watson-goes-no-1-to-browns
Each first-round draft pick provides the chance to change your team's trajectory. It also can end up being a regrettable decision, much like that late-night drive-thru run after an evening of revelry. (Which, of course, precedes the hazy, late-night impulse purchase on NFL Shop where you unexpectedly end up with a Jay Cutler throwback on your doorstep seven to 10 working days later. Oh, wait -- I don't regret that at all.)
But today, I would love to give every team a do-over from last year's draft. And who wouldn't want that kind of hindsight?
NOTE: For the purposes of this exercise, I worked off the draft order that we had ENTERING the first round of last year's event -- before a series of draft-night trades mucked things up.
PICK
1
Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
As is tradition, we lead off with the quarterback the Browns should have selected. Is 2018 the year the Browns do the right thing? Nah. They'll go Saquon Barkley at No. 1 and Bradley Chubb at No. 4, only to trade back into the first to take Mason Rudolph. Sorry, I'm projecting.
Actual pick: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M.
PICK
2
Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
I'm going to assume the 49ers still end up with Jimmy G (I know, this time travel stuff is weird -- try pragmatically thinking your way through the "Back to the Future" movies), so it makes sense to go with the biggest impact player on the defensive side of the ball. But in this redo, you don't get the Bears' picks.
Actual pick: Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford (at No. 3 overall following trade with Bears).
PICK
3
Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
Did I make a YouTube video complaining about this pick in the aftermath? I did. Do I regret it now? I do. Are rhetorical questions the laziest of the writing devices? Sure are. But Mitch can play.
Actual pick: Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina (at No. 2 overall following trade with 49ers).
PICK
4
Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
Alvin Kamara and Kareem Hunt might be better all-around backs, but Fournette fits better with Doug Marrone's smashmouth style.
Actual pick: Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU.
PICK
5
Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
Tennessee's actual pick, Corey Davis, has potential at receiver, but Lattimore is a true difference maker on defense.
Actual pick: Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan.
PICK
6
Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech
Jamal Adams was a great pick. But the Jets have longed for a quarterback since the Chad Pennington era. Mahomes brings some excitement and, you know, is a quarterback.
Actual pick: Jamal Adams, S, LSU.
PICK
7
Jamal Adams, S, LSU
The Chargers are loaded at the cornerback position, and Adams would make L.A.'s defensive secondary absolutely (wait for it) great. Ah, I'm just kidding. Electric. The Chargers' secondary would be electric.
Actual pick: Mike Williams, WR, Clemson.
PICK
8
Alvin Kamara, RB, Tennessee
I'm torn here. McCaffrey was a pretty good player for the Panthers in Year 1. And you wonder if Kamara would have had the same impact if he landed in Charlotte. But watching Kamara last year, he looked like the better back.
Actual pick: Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford.
PICK
9
T.J. Watt, Edge, Wisconsin
This might be a reach. But there is something so Bengals-like about drafting a guy who crushed it for the Steelers.
Actual pick: John Ross, WR, Washington.
PICK
10
Tre'Davious White, CB, LSU
Well it was a better deal nabbing White at No. 27 after trading down last year, for sure. But guess what? You missed the Happy Hour pricing and you have to take him here.
Actual pick: Tre'Davious White, CB, LSU (at No. 27 overall following trade with Chiefs).
...
No doubt that based on 2017 alone, Watson deserved to go first overall. It's way to early to tell who will have the better career, but I'm liking what the Bears have done.
