The 2016 NFL Draft is in the books and boy was it a good one. The first round alone gave us more drama than an episode of First Take. We saw a top five pick slip because someone is clearly out to sabotage him, a running back taken in the top five, loads of trades, and the wonderful Chicago crowd giving Roger Goodell a piece of their mind. The 2016 draft didn’t disappoint at all.
Now it’s awards time. Let’s hand some out.
Biggest Kahunas: I predicted last week that John Elway would find a way to get Paxton Lynch and that’s exactly what he did. He got his quarterback of the future to pair with that legendary defense. Mark Sanchez will be a bridge while Paxton gets adjusted to the NFL game but the Broncos are built to carry the quarterback, not the other way around.
Most Improved Division: The NFC North just got a lot more interesting. The Vikings gave Teddy Bridgewater a new weapon in Laquon Treadwell and added depth to their secondary with Mackensie Alexander. Everyone else in the division focused on beefing up their lines. The Packers found BJ Raji‘s replacement in Kenny Clark while Detroit decided that it’s not a good thing for Matthew Stafford to be sacked 44 times. They drafted three offensive linemen in Taylor Decker, Graham Glasgow, and Joe Dahl. Chicago jumped up to take sack specialist Leonard Flyod. A move that has to make rival Aaron Rodgers quiver.
Biggest Loser: Ole Miss. That’s right, out of all 32 teams that participated in the draft this year no one lost more than Ole Miss. It’s great that three former Rebels (Tunsil, Treadwell, Nkemdiche) went in the first round. What’s not great is that the NCAA is sure to come knocking on their door with an investigation. Tunsil admitted to receiving money from a coach to help pay his mother’s light bill. Laremy was suspended seven games this past season for receiving improper benefits but this incident will open a brand new list of allegations towards the university. Hugh Freeze better be as cool as his last name implies. If not, Ole Miss is in a world of trouble.
Biggest Troll: Kevin Faulk. The Patriots must have team meetings about this. Faulk announced the Patriots third round pick while wearing a Tom Brady jersey. We all know the longstanding beef between the Patriots and Goodell and this is just another way for Bob Kraft and company to give a metophorical middle finger to the league.
Most Cringeworthy Moment: Jerry Jones and the Cowboys pretty much admitting that Dak Prescott was their third option for quarterback after missing out on Lynch and Connor Cook. Jerry gonna Jerry LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Dumbest Comment: Roger Goodell should just stick to botching investigations. After Laremy Tunsil slid to 13 Goodell said that his fall is what makes the draft interesting. Huh? You mean watching a young man lose millions because someone hacked his social media accounts is exciting? Was Roger on the other side of that camera wearing a gas mask too? That’s the only thing that can justify him saying that.
The Pick Out Of Left Field: I was going to put the Chargers picking Joey Bosa here then the Buccaneers decided to trade up for kicker, Robert Aguayo, in the second round. A kicker hasn’t been taken in the first two rounds since the Raiders took Sebastian Janikowski in the first round back in 2000. Robert has a tall order to fill.
Best Bromance: Cardale Jones, Rex Ryan with the mixture of Glenn Gronkowski. Ryan and Jones ooze confidence and have made a habit of saying things out of the ordinary. The Hard Knocks crew must be salivating just thinking about filming a locker room with Jones, Shady, Incognito, Baby Gronk, and Watkins. That’s a reality show worth watching, especially if big brother Rob makes a guest appearance.
Best Draft Class: The Jaguars focused on defense this year and it’s going to pay dividends. Gus Bradley constructed the Legion of Boom and he’s taken those blueprints to Jacksonville. The Jaguars got the steal of the draft in Myles Jack and added another top 5 prospect in Jalen Ramsey. The AFC South has been put on notice, the Jags have arrived.
Best Dressed: If you don’t like Ezekiel Elliot‘s cropped button shirt then I can’t help you. Not many people can pull that off but Elliot is one of them. It’s also a subliminal shot the the NCAA, that’s always a good thing.
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Most Likely to Contend: In three short years the Raiders have went from being a laughing stock to Super Bowl Contenders. Yes, you read that correctly. This team is loaded with young, all-pro talent in key positions. Derek Carr and Amari Cooper have formed one of the best duos in the league while Khalil Mack has already cemented himself as one of the best outside linebackers/defensive ends in the NFL. By drafting Karl Joseph it looks like the 26th ranked secondary can start to improve.
There you have, some good ole fashion awards fom the draft. Let me know your thoughts @mattgarrett41
As always, thanks for reading.
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