Day 1 - Recap

Winners

New York Jets: Trading up for Mark Sanchez while only giving up a second rounder and some spare parts is a win in my book. He's got the perfect make-up to succeed in New York.

Baltimore: The Ravens traded up for Michael Oher and found first round talent late in the second round in Paul Kruger.

Philadelphia: The Eagles picked up two impact players in the draft (Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy) and another by trading a couple picks (Jason Peters). Well done.

Jacksonville: I love the fact that the Jaguars are addressing their glaring need on the offensive line. Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton will allow David Garrard to prove his 2008 season was an anomaly.

UConn: Four first day picks? Well done, Randy Edsall.


Losers

Oakland: Is this even a debate? They reached for Darrius Heyward-Bay with the seventh overall pick and then stunned the masses by taking Michael Mitchell with the 40th pick. The moral of the story: never entrust your draft to an unstable, 80 year old man.

Tampa Bay: Not only did they reach for Josh Freeman, but they also traded up for him. This has major bust potential.

Cleveland: The Browns traded down from the fifth overall pick to 21 and failed to pick up a 2010 first rounder in the process. Then, they drafted two wide receivers. Worst of all, they did not make a move with either of their two quarterbacks. A very confusing day.

New England: Lots of movement but no meaningful action. The Patriots failed to grab a difference maker on either side of the ball despite being involved in about a dozen trades.

The U(niversity of Miami): No first round picks for the first time in 14 years? That'll get you a spot on this list.


Best Picks (non-Sanchez category)

Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech: The 49ers get the top talent in the draft with the 10th pick. Makes sense to me.

Everette Brown, DE, Florida State (43rd by Carolina): Late first round talent scooped up in the middle of the second.

Sean Smith, CB, Utah (61st by Miami): An incredible value here. Smith will be a starter in the NFL for the next ten years.


Worst Picks (non-Raiders category)

Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU (3rd by Kansas City): Jackson is a decent player, but he has very limited upside. That's not something you look for when picking third. Jackson wasn't even in my initial mock draft which shows just how far he's climbed in a few short months.

Andre Smith, OT, Alabama (6th by Cincinnati): Another day, another acquisition of a player with character issues.

Pat White, QB/WR, West Virginia (44th by Miami): I understand White will be a nice fit for the Wildcat but is that worth a precious early second rounder?

Overrated Players

Yesterday, we detailed the seven most underrated players. Here are the four players I think are most overrated* (in order of overratedness; yes, that's a word too).

Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State (mock draft position: 17): Put simply, I will question my fanhood of the New York Jets if they select Freeman with the 17th pick. He's got great tools (rocket arm, prototypical size), but he is not a skilled quarterback but rather a developmental project.

Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina (29): Nicks has below average speed, isn't elusive, and worst of all he's been rumored to have scored a 7 on the Wonderlic. This will not end well.

Pat White, QB/WR, West Virginia (72): I've had just about enough of the Pat White Hype Machine. He's a solid college quarterback and above average athlete. He's not going to revolutionize the NFL. Teams will figure out the Wildcat whether White is playing or not.

Everette Brown, DE, Florida State (18): A ho hum prospect, not a mid-first round pick.


*Rated based on Todd McShay's latest seven-round mock draft published on April 21st.