Another NFL Draft has come and gone. All of the excitement and fun that the city of Chicago provided in its first year hosting the event last year, completely dissolved with the cold, rainy weekend we all survived this time around.

The draft started out as well all knew that it would with the two top quarterbacks in Jared Goff and Carson Wentz being selected by the Rams and Eagles respectively. But that was pretty much the end of the predictable picks made by NFL teams this year.

I was fortunate enough to cover all three days of the 2016 NFL Draft for SiriusXM Radio and was able to speak with plenty of players, coaches and fans of pretty much every NFL team. If you missed any of the 15 hours of live coverage you can still listen anytime with the SiriusXM On Demand feature either online or with the SiriusXM app. I don’t usually push you folks but I have to say that these broadcasts were among the best I have ever been a part of. Let’s take a look at some of my own favorite highlights before breaking down the best and worst picks.

I don’t get the concern that many teams evidently had with taking Laremy Tunsil. The gas mask video is one of the funniest things I have ever seen but realistically it is much ado about nothing. I remember teams freaking out about Warren Sapp’s marijuana test too and that wound up being a huge win for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While I agree with Jared Goff and Carson Wentz being the top two QB’s in this years draft, I don’t see either becoming true franchise QB’s at any point. Do any of you believe that either one of these guys will be batter players than either Jay Cutler or Ryan Tannehill? If not, it was not worth the abundance of picks it took to acquire them.

As many of you who listen to my radio shows or read my work here on the site know, I have a three team digestive system for the worst teams in the NFL. For the past four years it has been the Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns as my three team digestive tract. However, after this draft I am officially going to promote the Jaguars out of this stink filled system. The Jags got two of the best players in the entire draft in Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack plus added three more defensive linemen along the way. They have the talent to win starting in 2016 and if not, Gus Bradley will be out of a job.

The Bears front office continues to impress me. I wasn’t a huge fan of Leonard Floyd but Whitehall, Bullard, Hall, Howard and Braverman are all versatile players who can make a quick impact.

Now let’s take a look at some of the more interesting players from a fantasy perspective in this years draft. I’ll make it easy by labeling them the GOOD, the BAD & the UGLY.

 

THE GOOD

Ezekiel Elliot, RB, Cowboys – 1st Round (4th overall)

Everybody not named Darren McFadden or Alfred Morris loves Elliot landing in Dallas. Zeke is a three down back who can get to the edge, pick up yards after contact and protect the passer. The only concern for me whatsoever is whether they allow him to handle a full time role right out of the gate in 2016 since they do have other proven veteran backs.

Reggie Ragland, ILB, Bills – 2nd Round – 41st overall)

Ragland kept slipping further and further down the draft until he landed in the perfect spot with Rex Ryan and his aggressive defense. Ragland could legitimately be the Bills version of Ray Lewis for the next decade. He’ll be an IDP beast for years to come by racking up the tackles, sacks and turnovers.

Michael Thomas, WR, Saints – 2nd Round (47th overall)

It was confusing why Michael Thomas wasn’t valued along the lines of Laquon Treadwell or Josh Doctson entering the draft. Thomas is a polished player with NFL bloodlines being the nephew of former Jets WR Keyshawn Johnson. Thomas has big hands, great size and enough speed to get downfield and run over the catch. I value him as a Marques Colston circa 2009 right away in this Saints offense.

Kenyan Drake, RB, Dolphins – 3rd Round (73rd overall)

Drake was a big time recruit coming out of high school and would have been Alabama’s workhorse RB if not for two broken bones during his stay in Tuscaloosa. Drake has great feet that remind be a lot of Darren Sproles. Yet, he is a bigger kid (6 foot, 210 lbs) and ran a 4.45 40-yard dash. He’s going to be Dolphins best running back in 2016.

Tyler Higbee, TE, Rams – 4th Round (110th overall)

Higbee could be the best pure pass catching TE in this entire draft. He has great size, speed and hands making him the perfect “move” TE at the next level. He suffered a knee injury at times in his final college season and was charged with second degree assault for an incident at a bar just a few weeks ago. Those charges look harmless as he was indeed defending his girlfriend from a separate assault. A rookie QB’s best friend is usually a pass catching TE and the Goff/Higbee combo will be one to watch this season.

Ricardo Louis, WR, Browns – 4th Round (114th overall)

I will offer the Browns some love since I am about to crap all over pretty much every other pick they make this week. Louis should have been their first WR taken in this draft because he will be their best. He dominated the combine with his athleticism and has made some huge catches at Auburn over the years. His stock suffered greatly because of terrible QB play in his last couple of years but trust me when I say this kid will be around awhile.

Kenneth Dixon, RB, Ravens – 4th Round (134th overall)

The Ravens have four potential starting RB’s on their roster coming into this season meaning they had no real starting RB. Dixon was the best pass catching RB in this draft which makes him a perfect fit for Marc Trestman’s offense. He doesn’t have elusive speed but runs well between the tackles and has a nose for the endzone. No matter who you draft to be the Ravens starter, make sure you handcuff them with Dixon this year.

Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys – 4th Round (135th overall)

The Cowboys second fourth round pick quite possibly could be their best. Prescott has been compared to both Cam Newton and former Eagles QB Donovan McNabb and I have to say that neither are that far off. Prescott is a big, strong QB who can stand in the pocket take a big hit while delivering a strike. He’s not fast but is an absolute factor in the running game. Prescott has a big time arm that allows him to make all of the throws. He needs to get better with accuracy and in reading defenses presnap. Give him a year or two in the league and he could wind up being the best QB of this entire class.

Charone Peake, WR, Jets – 7th Round (241st overall)

Peake was once a top recruit who was born to be an NFL WR. Two knee surgeries though put his college career in the slow lane and he got passed up by some other real talented WR’s at Clemson. He’s got great size and showed great speed despite the knee surgeries. Peake is a football rat type of kid and will benefit greatly by having Brandon Marshall mentor him. He’s a great deep league dynasty pick.

Keith Marshall, RB, Redskins – 7th Round (242nd overall)

Another player who was once a big time recruit that got hurt and passed by on the depth chart. Marshall could have been at the Todd Gurley level a few years ago but had an ACL tear that forced him to a hybrid type of role at Georgia. The good news is that he has low miles on him and ran a crazy good 4.31 40-yard dash at the combine. He’s going to play a lot in his rookie year in Washington.

 

OTHER GOOD PICKS

Laquan Tredwell, WR, Vikings – 1st Round (23rd overall)

Tyler Boyd, WR, Bengals – 2nd Round (55th overall)

Jordan Howard, RB, Bears – 5th Round (150th overall)

 

THE BAD

Joey Bosa, DE, Chargers – 1st Round (3rd overall)

The Chargers were scared away from Laremy Tunsil after the gas mask video was posted to his Twitter account. But instead of using the pick on the next best offensive lineman, they grab Bosa, a high motor surfer dude with one dimensional upside. It’s not that Bosa will be a bad player, it’s that they passed up a whole lot of really great players to make a selection they could defend better in the media.

Germain Ifedi, OG, Seahawks – 1st Round (31st overall)

I will publically say that I don’t like the way the Seahawks treated their first round pick. Yeah, they only moved down a few spots and picked up a couple of extra late round picks in the process but Ifedi was not the right choice for them. Ifedi did almost no run blocking in college and also played guard while the Seahawks are expecting him to be their starting left tackle. There were better choices on the board and the Seahawks didn’t get enough in return to justify such a massive risk to their QB’s blind side.

Derrick Henry, RB, Titans – 2nd Round (45th overall)

Henry is one cheeseburger away from being an offensive lineman. He may be productive as a short yardage back for a couple of years early on but at this size he isn’t long for this league. I’d have no problem with the Dolphins or Ravens taking this shot but the Titans are again giving DeMarco Murray competition something he hasn’t handled well in the past.

Christian Hackenberg, QB, Jets – 2nd Round (51st overall)

The doughy faced QB from Penn State could be entering a world of hurt if the Jets somehow believe he can be their starting QB this year. This team is built to win and features aging WR’s that are not going to be patient with one of the most erratic passers in this years draft. Even if they resign Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Jets could have gotten a much better player at the position several rounds later. I can just see the NY Post headline now: Jets Hack(enberg)ed!

Pharoh Cooper, WR, Rams – 4th Round (117th overall)

They draft another small WR that is a less upside version of Tavon Austin? The Rams may be in Los Angeles now but they are certainly far from Hollywood. They had plenty of opportunities to get their #1 overall pick (Jared Goff) some real weapons and protection in this draft and they completely failed.

Cardale Jones, QB, Bills – 4th Round (139th overall)

I don’t blame the Bills for not taking a QB earlier on because there really wasn’t a significant game changer at the position other than maybe Jared Goff, Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott. But Jones is incapable of making reads. He stares down receivers and forces the ball into coverage with very poor accuracy. The idea that a guy who couldn’t hold onto the starting job at Ohio State is the answer to an NFL teams QB situation is laughable at best. The Bills seem to think that Jones can be another Tyrod Taylor but they had better think long and hard about turning over the reins to him in 2017.

Paul Perkins, RB, Giants – 5th Round (149th overall)

This isn’t a knock on Perkins as much as it is on the Giants. If I had any faith in the Giants to cut ties with the atrocious Andre Williams and cut loose Shane Vereen, I could actually support his pick. But knowing that Perkins is going in to be just another average runner in a crowded backfield just depresses me. Perkins could be the obvious best player in the Giants RB corps this summer and still see the field less than 10 plays a game in 2016.

 

OTHER BAD PICKS

Kamalei Correa, DE, Ravens – 2nd Round (42nd overall)

Connor Cook, QB, Raiders – 4th Round (100th overall)

DeAndre Washington, RB, Raiders – 5th Round (143rd overall)

Drew Kaser, P, Chargers – 6th Round (179th overall)

 

THE UGLY

Corey Coleman, WR, Browns – 1st Round (15th overall)

This pick set me off during our coverage of the NFL Draft. It’s not that Coleman is a bad player by any stretch, it is because the Browns fans deserve better from their front office. I had secretly hoped that this new regime would find a way to pour a proper foundation for a long suffering fan base. The Browns have 21 starting positions that are open for competition this summer and they decided to spend their first pick on the only position that depends on another for success. Taking a WR here especially one that is under six-foot-tall was as bad a mistake as any team made in this draft.

Will Fuller, WR, Texans – 1st Round (21st overall)

Fuller is probably the fastest wide receiver in this draft. He is a home run threat down the field for sure. But he is also a body catcher who simply cannot control the football away from his body. This is the same problem that so many college WR’s have entering the NFL. Cordarrelle Patterson is the name that immediately comes to mind when realizing just how this can derail an NFL WR’s career. Fuller could end up making some big plays for Brock Osweiler down the field but he is also going to be a mess with dropped passes.

Jaylon Smith, OLB, Cowboys – 2nd Round (34th overall)

It breaks my heart putting Smith on this list but the fact of the matter is that the Cowboys reached too far with this selection. There is no way that Smith plays this season and when he does, there is no guarantee that he will be the same player he was at Notre Dame. The 34th overall pick was just way too early for both the Cowboys and for Smith.

Roberto Aguayo, K, Buccaneers – 2nd Round (58th overall)

This is one of the worst draft picks in NFL history. I am not kidding. The Buccaneers surrendered two picks in order to move up and take a kicker. Don’t let anybody fool you about how accurate Aguayo was in college. That is all nice and good but the fact is that he doesn’t have a big leg and was only 14-for-22 on field goals over 40 yards. For this pick to make any sense, Aguayo is going to have to make all of his extra point attempts and be nearly perfect on field goal of 50 yards and under. The first time he botches an extra point, I am going to remind the Buccaneers of the huge mistake they made here.

Nick Vannett, TE, Seahawks – 3rd Round (94th overall)

Maybe the Seahawks need some insurance for the injured Jimmy Graham but using a third round choice here was a bad move. Vannett is not a good blocker nor is he in the same category as a pass catcher as Graham or even a few other TE’s in this draft.

 

OTHER UGLY PICKS

Artie Burns, CB, Steelers – 1st Round (25th overall)

Tyler Ervin, RB, Texans – 4th Round (119th overall)

Moritz Boehringer, WR, Vikings – 6th Round (180th overall)

Brandon Doughty, QB, Dolphins – 7th Round (223rd overall)