Palsgrove’s Points

It’s finally over. After the time I spent covering the NFL draft for the last four months, watching hours of film and sitting through three days of actual selections, the NFL draft has finally come to a close. In my last column of the school year, I’ll be breaking down three teams that I think had good weekends and three that didn’t. I’m not going to say that they had “bad” drafts, but I will say that I don’t agree with the picks they’ve made based on my own player rankings and analysis.   

Last thing: Inevitably I’ve written too much to fit on the page, so you’re going to have to hop over to our website by using the QR code at the bottom of the page to read the whole thing. I recommend you do; I have a lot to say in this one.  

 

Good draft: The Chicago Bears 

My favorite picks 

1.01: QB — Caleb Williams 

1.09: WR — Rome Odunze 

3.11: OT — Kiran Amegadjie 

4.22: P — Tory Taylor  

5.09: EDGE — Austin Booker 

 

So … uh … I know that I labeled the entire Bears draft as some of my favorite picks. I don’t care. The Bears killed this draft. Every pick was a good pick, and they may have turned themselves into a future contender in just one draft. Chicago was abused for years by Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams, so they went out and got their own version of the duo. That’s an overused metaphor in draft media, but that’s because it’s true. The consensus player comparison for Odunze is Adams, and the Bears placed former USC quarterback at the helm of their franchise. Who does Williams model his game after? That would be Rodgers. There is new ownership in Chi-Town, and this time it’s coming from its own building. 

 

Not good draft: The Atlanta Falcons 

Head-scratcher picks 

1.08: QB — Michael Penix Jr. 

2.03: DT — Ruke Orhorhoro 

 

What in the world happened in the Atlanta draft room? They made stranger decisions in this draft than a main character in a slasher movie. Let’s start with the Penix pick. The idea of drafting a young quarterback to develop behind your aging veteran starter is defensible — until you spend the eighth overall pick on said developmental quarterback and take one of the least developmental and oldest passers in the class. Penix is going to turn 24 in his rookie season, and by the time that Kirk Cousins’ contract expires and he gets to see the field as the sure-fire starter, he’ll be 28 years old. That is bad. And it’s indefensible when J.J. McCarthy, who won’t be turning 22 until the end of the season, went two picks later to the Vikings. To summarize, the Penix pick is a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad decision.   

 

Good draft: The Arizona Cardinals  

My favorite picks 

1.04: WR — Marvin Harrison Jr.  

1.27: D-Line — Darius Robinson  

2.11 CB — Max Melton 

3.03: RB — Trey Benson 

4.04: S — Dadrion Taylor-Demerson 

 

Everything about this class is quality. From drafting a young, powerful back to develop behind your current vet, to making the most of a run of corners to draft a second-round sleeper, to giving your defensive head coach a true multi-position player on the defensive front, this is a good draft. And that’s all without mentioning how Arizona drafted one of the best (if not the best) wide receiver prospects we’ve seen since Megatron.  

  

Good draft: Indianapolis Colts 

My favorite picks 

1.15: EDGE — Laiatu Latu 

2.20: WR — Adonai Mitchell  

3.15: OT — Matt Goncalves 

4.17: C — Tanor Bortolini 

 

This, this is how you build around your young quarterbacks. Give them a defense that can get the ball back, wide receivers to throw to and an offensive line to keep them alive. Latu was my second-highest-ranked edge rusher in this class, and this is right where I wanted him to go — somewhere he can compete for a starting gig right away and not do it alone. Mitchell is seemingly going to slot right into Alec Pierce’s role from last year, and at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, he’s exactly what the Colts tend to go for. Some anonymous questions were asked about his character, which seem to be the reason he slid to day two of the draft, and I haven’t been his biggest fan in this process. But getting him here is excellent value for Indy, and he’s going to give them something new.  

 

Not good draft: Denver Broncos  

Head-scratcher pick 

1.12: QB — Bo Nix 

 

These next two are both something of a stretch, because in all honesty, there aren’t very many bad drafts this time around. Some mediocre or just okay ones, sure, but not as many bad ones as I’m used to seeing. The only reason I put the Broncos on here is because of the one pick I listed: the Nix pick. I had Nix ranked as my 45th-best prospect in this class, so this pick at 12, even with the positional value of drafting a quarterback, is one of the biggest reaches in this draft. Now if the Broncos really like Nix as much as they say they do, this is an okay pick. If not — and I doubt they do — this wasn’t the brightest idea. No matter what, the future of Denver is looking rough.  

 

Not good draft: Baltimore Ravens  

Head-scratcher picks 

1.30: CB — Nate Wiggins 

2.30: OT — Roger Rosengarten 

4.13: WR — Devontez Walker
 

The Ravens managed to take two players that I placed on my “do not draft list,” and in between those picks, they also took a tackle with pick 62 that I didn’t have ranked in my top 81 players. Bravo. Wiggins was a consensus top-five corner going into the draft, but his measurables and film concerned me to the point where I wouldn’t take him even if I needed a corner and he fell to me. Walker is the same way but to a higher degree. Walker’s Senior Bowl was horrendous, and his film was even worse. I’m not a fan of this Ravens draft, to say the least.  

Palsgrove is the sports editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow him on X