Here are the glorious picks for the NFC West teams we love. Over all, the main positions of need were addressed by each of the teams. There were a few curious picks, but that is expected when the picks are rolling in fast and furious day #3 of the draft.
Arizona Cardinals
RD(PK) PLAYER POS SCHOOL
1(24) D.J. Humphries OT Florida
2(26) Markus Golden DE Missouri
3(22) David Johnson RB Northern Iowa
4(17) Rodney Gunter DT Delaware State
5(22) Shaq Riddick DE West Virginia
5(23) J.J. Nelson WR UAB
7(39) Gerald Christian TE Louisville
Draft Grade: B
The 1st and 3rd picks were solid and addressed needs on the team. My favorite pick was RB Johnson, definately filled a need for a larger RB the team desperately required. Did they really need another very short and fast WR????? I’m not seeing obvious fits or high upside with half of the picks. Overall, slightly disappointing for Cardinals fans imo.
San Francisco 49ers
RD(PK) PLAYER POS SCHOOL
1(17) Arik Armstead DE Oregon
2(14) Jaquiski Tartt S Samford
3(15) Eli Harold OLB Virginia
4(18) Blake Bell TE Oklahoma
4(27) Mike Davis RB South Carolina
4(33) DeAndre Smelter WR Georgia Tech
5(29) Bradley Pinion P Clemson
6(14) Ian Silberman OG Boston College
7(27) Trent Brown OG Florida
7(37) Rory Anderson TE South Carolina
Draft Grade: B-
First three picks were solid. All three players should contribute, even though the safety fit is questionable right now. Eli Harold was the steal of the draft for them. The draft went off the rails for me when they took a punter in the 5th round… A PUNTER. SMH Smelter is a nice player with upside, could be a gem in 5th round. Room for upside with some of the other picks, like RB Davis and TE Bell. I would have liked to see them grab at least 1 CB in the draft, but what do I know… in Baalke they trust.
Saint Louis Rams
RD(PK) PLAYER POS SCHOOL
1(10) Todd Gurley RB Georgia
2(25) Robert Havenstein OT Wisconsin
3(8) Jamon Brown OT Louisville
3(25) Sean Mannion QB Oregon State
4(20) Andrew Donnal OT Iowa
6(25) Bud Sasser WR Missouri
6(39) Cody Wichmann OG Fresno State
7(7) Bryce Hager ILB Baylor
7(10) Martin Ifedi DE Memphis
Draft Grade: C+
This draft is make or break around RB Gurley. If he turns into the next AP or Lynch, then it was a home run. If not, horrible failure. The QB taken in the 3rd was one of my favorites, he was very under rated. A cannon for an arm and put up great numbers in college. OL was a need and they spent 4 picks on OL prospects, a bit of over kill. Couldn’t they have gotten another explosive WR to help the offense (or a TE for that matter)?? Heck, where is the CB help they appear to need. Thus, I gave them the slightly above average mark.
Seattle Seahawks
RD(PK) PLAYER POS SCHOOL
2(31) Frank Clark DE Michigan
3(5) Tyler Lockett WR Kansas State
4(31) Terry Poole OT San Diego State
4(35) Mark Glowinski OG West Virginia
5(34) Tye Smith CB Towson
6(33) Obum Gwacham DE Oregon State
6(38) Kristjan Sokoli OG Buffalo
7(31) Ryan Smith-Murphy S Oregon State
Draft Grade: B
On the field, the 2nd round pick will improve the defense. But can he keep his head screwed on straight? Almost every pick has a chance to make the roster, so that is pretty exciting. WR Lockett will pay immediate dividends in the return game and can help out as a slot WR. The two 6th round picks are very exciting prospects. One is a dynamic pass rusher needing polish and the other is projected as a center by the Seahawks brass as of the press conference after the completion of the draft. Another large draft WR would have been nice, but 3 draft picks got blown to take Lockett, which left a sour taste in the mouth. Not the player, but the capitol given up for him. Both of the CB and S are in the Seahawks “mode” of guys they like, so jury is out. But when have they went wrong at the CB slot in the last 4 years????
