Unlike drafts in the past, the first day of the 2017 NFL Draft gave viewers a ton of movement and unpredictability. There were six trades made on day one of the draft and none of them were more surprising than the Chicago Bears moving up one spot to select North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
Chicago gave up a lot to the San Francisco 49ers just to move up from No. 3 overall to No 2 in order to select Trubisky. The Bears not only exchanged first round picks with the 49ers, but they also sent San Francisco a 2017 third and fourth round pick along with a 2018 third round pick.
“It was an incredible moment when the commissioner went to the stage and called my name,” said Trubisky after he was selected. “I can’t wait to get started. It means a lot to start my NFL career in Chicago. My favorite player growing up was Walter Payton. I’m looking forward to wearing that jersey. The city of Chicago is my home now.”
Although Trubisky left North Carolina as the most accurate passer in Tar Heels history, he only started 13 games while in college. If Trubisky becomes a franchise quarterback, no one will remember how much they gave up to draft him. With signing Mike Glennon to a three-year, $45 million contract during the offseason, it was a bit surprising the Bears drafted a quarterback so early in the draft
Here are the other thoughts from the first day of the draft:
Lynch hits home run in his first draft
In his first draft as the San Francisco 49ers general manager, John Lynch couldn’t have asked for a better draft. Not only did the 49ers get the player they wanted in Solomon Thomas at No. 3 overall, but they also received extra picks from the Bears in the process.
If you add Thomas along with DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead and the 49ers all of sudden have a formable defensive line. Lynch also used one of the picks he received from Chicago to jump back into the first round at No. 31 to select linebacker Reuben Foster.
If not for some medical red flags, Foster would have probably been a top 10 selection. Lynch and the 49ers couldn’t have asked for a better draft as the 49ers selected two players with top-10 talent on day one.
Cleveland Browns weren’t impressed with quarterbacks outside of Trubisky
Leading up to the draft, there were rumbling about the Cleveland Browns possibly selecting Trubisky at No.1 overall. Cleveland ultimately decided to select defensive end Myles Garrett with their first pick. The team later trade their No. 12 pick to the Houston Texans in exchange to move down to No. 25 where they selected Jabrill Peppers.
Cleveland also jumped back into the first round to take tight end David Njoku No. 29. While many have scratched their head on why the Browns haven’t taken a quarterback yet, it is evident the team doesn’t want to reach for one.
Since returning to the NFL in 1999, the Browns have failed to find that franchise quarterback via the draft. With a team that has so many holes, it is smart the Browns would fortify other positions before selecting a quarterback. Cleveland has enough picks where they can still take a DeShone Kizer, Davis Webb or Josuha Dobbs later on.
It finally seems like the Browns franchise has the right idea for once.
Houston, you could have a problem
Everyone knows the Texans have a need at the quarterback position as Tom Savage isn’t viewed as a long-term solution. What is strange is Houston trading up 13 spots to select Deshaun Watson.
Sure, Watson could have been gone by the time the Texans picked at No. 25, but the team gave up picks to take him. Now, Houston will be without a first or second round pick in 2018. The Texans are in prime position to win now and are feeling pressure from the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts, but trading up to get Watson could come back to haunt the team if they miss the postseason in 2017.
Rumors have surfaced about Dalvin Cook’s character since the NFL Combine. It appears that was enough to scare some teams away from picking him in round one. Just based on talent alone, Cook was worth a first round pick and arguably the best running back in the draft.
Cook could come off the board early in round two as Green Bay and Seattle have the first two picks on day two. If Green Bay and Seattle pass on Cook, he could wait awhile to hear his name called as the Jaguars, Bears, Rams, Panthers, Bengals and Saints have early second round selections and none of those teams appear to have a need at running back.
Twitter:@antwanstaley
