The Biggest Losers From The 2018 NFL Draft

Our look at the biggest losers from the 2018 NFL Draft

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks always puzzle people with their drafts and this year was no different. While I liked the move to trade down from 18 and add picks, I truly didn’t (and still don’t) get the Rashaad Penny pick at 27. And this is coming from someone who loves Penny. There was a ton more value on the board at that point and players who fit far more pressing needs — particularly along the offensive line.

Protecting Russell Wilson has to be priority No. 1 in Seattle, and the Seahawks took one offensive lineman in fifth-rounder Jamarco Jones. Jones has experience but the fact that they waited that long is truly puzzling.

I liked some of the picks though. Third-round defensive end Rasheem Green should be a starter soon and has a ton of upside, getting Shaquem Griffin in the fifth round is an awesome story (and a steal) and punter Michael Dickson was by far the best in this draft.

That said, the lack of attention paid to the offensive line and the secondary was a huge miss for Seattle. Particularly because help was available when they were on the clock and they chose to focus elsewhere.

New Orleans Saints

I loved the New Orleans Saints draft in 2017 so it’s crazy that they failed so mightily this year. UTSA edge rusher Marcus Davenport at 14 was already a stretch, when you factor in that they gave up next year’s first-round pick to move up and get him it’s just plain crazy. Davenport has ridiculous size and talent, but he’s raw. He’s got a super-high ceiling, but it may take him a while to get there.

The Saints badly need a tight end and didn’t get one and still haven’t addressed the future after Drew Brees, who’s 39 and will turn 40 in January.

Receiver Tre'Quan Smith was a reach for me in the third round, but could work out, while fourth-rounder Rick Leonard is a tall tackle that needs to get stronger. I just wasn’t in love with anything the Saints did this year, and while I like Davenport, he wasn’t worth giving up next year’s first-rounder to move up.

Derrius Guice

There are tons of rumors about how and why Derrius Guice dropped all the way to the 59th pick in the draft, but we may never know the real reason. A guy who most believed was a fringe first-rounder, wound up being the seventh running back off the board. Washington got a steal here though, and Guice should be able to come in and start right away.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers badly needed to find some help at inside linebacker and add talent to a flimsy secondary and they barely addressed those needs. Terrell Edmunds is a solid safety but taking him at 28 with Justin Reid, Jessie Bates III and Ronnie Harrison still on the board was puzzling.

At no point in the draft did the Steelers address the gaping hole in the middle of their defense left by Ryan Shazier’s injury. I didn’t mind the Mason Rudolph pick in the third round, but wasn’t a fan of taking receiver James Washington one pick before D.J. Chark in the second. Chark is a big-play threat who can take the top off a defense, while Washington is likely limited to being a possession guy in the NFL.

Some of the later picks were fine, as third-rounder Chukwuma Okorafor is a solid addition at either tackle spot, and it will be fascinating to see how they use fifth-rounder Jaylen Samuels on offense. He’s a hybrid fullback type who could line up as a tight end or even split white.

Cleveland Browns

Let me explain this before we dive in: I liked some of what the Cleveland Browns did, but when you have the first and fourth overall picks, you have a chance to absolutely dominate the draft. I felt like they missed on that opportunity.

Let’s start with the good: In the second round the Browns took Austin Corbett and Georgia running back Nick Chubb, which were both excellent picks. Well, the Corbett pick was a good one if they plan on deploying him at tackle. If not, then I sincerely question selecting him before fellow guard Will Hernandez, who is far better at that position.

After that and before it, I’m not sold on this draft. Was Antonio Callaway worth the character risks in the fourth round? Probably, but I’m not sure the Browns need anyone like that around the facility anymore. Third-round pick Chad Thomas was a reach. He never showed the upside you feel like he has hidden away somewhere.

The big issues with this draft comes at No. 1. Yes, the Browns clearly wanted Baker Mayfield and he was their guy at quarterback, I’m just not sure he’s worthy of the top selection. He’s undersized, doesn’t have a big arm, his scrambling won’t play up in the NFL with faster defenders and he played in a system that made things easy. He’s accurate, smart and supremely confident, but the Browns are going to have to completely change the offense around for him to fulfill the promise of a No. 1 pick. He was the third quarterback on my board and wasn’t among my top 10 overall players.

At No. 4 they went with Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, who was the top defensive back on my board. I like Ward a lot, I just feel like the Browns will regret passing on Bradley Chubb, who was the best all-around defender in this draft. Ward could wind up being an All-Pro and — like I said — I really like him. I just liked Chubb better.

Wide receivers

This draft was a bit crazy top to bottom, but the fact that the first receiver to come off the board was selected at No. 24 was insane. Maryland’s D.J. Moore was picked by the Carolina Panthers there, and the Atlanta Falcons took Alabama’s Calvin Ridley at No. 26. Those were the only wideouts taken in the first round. That’s insane.

Six receivers came off the board in the second round, but the fact that none were taken in the first 23 picks is crazy.

Los Angeles Chargers

This isn’t about the Los Angeles Chargers’ selections — which graded out as slightly below average after the Derwin James pick — it’s more about the constant indignities the franchise faced in Dallas. First, there was the guy the team hand-picked to deliver its seventh-round selection. He refused to say “Los Angeles” Chargers, then called them the “San Diego Chargers” which drives the team’s ownership and marketing people nuts.

Watch:

" Chargers are definitely gonna regret letting this guy announce their pick pic.twitter.com/Xsl7MhGWDs — Born Salty (@cjzero) April 28, 2018 "

Then, the team didn’t have enough actual fans in Dallas at the draft, so they handed out “inner circle” passes to local high school football players and told them to pretend to be Chargers fans. They didn’t:

" @Chargers so few fans their official Draft passes were given to local High School football fans. We told a few to come be with us for this video! Enjoy San Diego from ?? LA Rams fans #respect pic.twitter.com/Aja6bauV4B — BlueBlood_Rams (@Blueblood_Rams) April 28, 2018 "

Oh, and then there was the massive contingent of Los Angeles Rams fans in attendance who yelled “San Diego” every time the Chargers picked:

" Bahahahahaha when Roger Goodell said “with the 17th pick…” all LA Rams fan shouted “San Diego” !!!! ?? pic.twitter.com/h6Okq9gUuX — BlueBlood_Rams (@Blueblood_Rams) April 27, 2018 "

Oh, and while other franchises sent private jets for their first-round picks, the Chargers made theirs fly commercial:

Heckuva job, guys.