Now that the NFL draft is in the books, let’s take a look and see how the Raider Ramble Top 32 stacks up against how the first round unfolded. All players are listed in the order they were selected and if they did not make the Raider Ramble Top 32, their rank will be listed as N.A.
Raider Ramble Top 32 vs. The Draft
1. Kyler Murray, Quarterback, Arizona Cardinals
Raider Ramble Rank: 11
As expected, Murray was drafted much higher than his rank. Playing quarterback certainly benefited Murray’s draft stock and the Cardinals get a dynamic playmaker at the most important position in football.
2. Nick Bosa, EDGE, San Francisco 49ers
Raider Ramble Rank: 2
Bosa’s rank was right on par with his draft position and went to the team just about everyone expected. The 49ers desperately needed a pass rusher and Bosa was the best one available. The question remains, can Bosa stay healthy enough to justify a top 5 pick?
3. Quinnen Williams, Defensive Tackle, New York Jets
Raider Ramble Rank: 1
It’s not very often that you can say the team picking 3rd got a steal, but that’s the case with the Jets. Williams is an amazing talent and the combination of him and Leonard Williams will give the Jets a defensive line that the rest of the NFL should fear.
4. Clelin Ferrell, EDGE, Oakland Raiders
Raider Ramble Rank: 5
The pick that shocked Raider Nation! Obviously I was very high Ferrell, but I didn’t even see this coming. Ferrell might not be the best athlete, but he is a great football player and fills the Raiders’ biggest need. For the rest of their careers, Clelin Ferrell and Josh Allen will be compared to each other. Let’s hope the Raiders and Ferrell win that comparison.
5. Devin White, Linebacker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Raider Ramble Rank: 9
White is the perfect “new age” NFL linebacker because he is excellent in coverage. This pick was a bit higher than White’s rank, but after losing Kwon Alexander to San Francisco, this pick makes a lot of sense for the Bucs.
6. Daniel Jones, Quarterback, New York Giants
Raider Ramble Rank: N.A.
Raider fans should take pride in the fact that Dave Gettleman isn’t their general manager. We heard all week about how the Giants loved Jones, but they probably could have taken him with pick 17. No way around it, this is a dumb pick and a huge reach.Â
7. Josh Allen, EDGE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Raider Ramble Rank: 3
The rationale for this pick had to be best player available. There is nothing wrong with that, but you’d think after bringing in Nick Foles the Jaguars’ first pick would have been on the offensive side of the ball. The Jaguars got a steal and now have two great young pass rushers with Josh Allen and Yannick Ngakoue.
8. T.J. Hockenson, Tight End, Detroit Lions
Raider Ramble Rank: 6
Another pick that was pretty close to the Raider Ramble rank. The Lions have been looking to get Matthew Stafford a legitimate tight end for a while and they might have found that with Hockenson.
9. Ed Oliver, Defensive Line, Buffalo Bills
Raider Ramble Rank: 8
Replacing Kyle Williams was obviously a big priority for the Bills. Oliver should fill Williams’ shoes nicely and as long as the Bills don’t try to use him as a nose tackle, they should be very happy with this pick.
10. Devin Bush, Linebacker, Pittsburgh Steelers
Raider Ramble Rank: 21
The first trade of the draft was between the Steelers and Broncos. Looking at it from the perspective of the Raider Ramble Top 32, this is a bit of a head scratcher. The Steelers originally picked 20th and Bush was ranked 21st. Bush must of really impressed the Steelers and that’s an organization that loves linebackers, so it will be interesting to see how it works out for them.
11. Jonah Williams, Offensive Tackle, Cincinnati Bengals
Raider Ramble Rank: 10
This pick will be great for the Bengals if they do one thing, leave Jonah Williams at tackle! Williams should start right away for the Bengals.
12. Rashan Gary, EDGE, Green Bay Packers
Raider Ramble Rank: 17
Can Rashan Gary turn athletic potential into on-field production? The Packers’ coaching staff will have their hands full trying to answer that question, but Gary’s ceiling is very high. Â
13. Christian Wilkins, Defensive Tackle, Miami Dolphins
Raider Ramble Rank: 13
Another one right one par! There isn’t much of a surprise here, Brian Flores is a defensive minded coach and Wilkins was one of the best defensive players on the board.Â
14. Chris Lindstorm, Guard, Atlanta Falcons
Raider Ramble Rank: N.A.
Chris Lindstorm is a good player, but the value of a guard is what kept him out of Raider Ramble Top 32. People might point to Quinton Nelson, but Lindstorm isn’t the player Nelson is. Overall this pick solidifies the offensive line for the Falcons and that’s never a bad thing.
15. Dwayne Haskins, Quarterback, Washington Redskins
Raider Ramble Rank: 28
This is another quarterback reach and to be honest, not as much of a reach as I thought it was going to be. This isn’t a good sign for Alex Smith’s leg, as Haskins could take over the starting job by next year.
16. Brian Burns, EDGE, Carolina Panthers
Raider Ramble Rank: 16
Just like in golf, I’ll take on par all day. The Panthers might have drafted their next Julius Peppers. As a true pass rush specialist, Brian Burns could wreck havoc in the NFC South.
17. Dexter Lawrence, Defensive Tackle, New York Giants
Raider Ramble Rank: 12
This is a surprisingly good pick from David Gettleman. Not only was Dexter Lawrence the best player available, but also he can replace Damon Harrison.
18. Garrett Bradbury, Center, Minnesota Vikings
Raider Ramble Rank: 31
Offensive line was a huge need for the Vikings and they addressed it with the best center in the draft. There might have been better offensive linemen available, but Garrett Bradbury should start on day one for the Vikings.
19. Jeffery Simmons, Defensive Tackle, Tennessee Titans
Raider Ramble Rank: N.A.
A torn ACL and video surfacing of Jeffery Simmons hitting a woman, kept Simmons out of the Raider Ramble Top 32. A shocking pick and one that is hard to stand behind.
20. Noah Fant, Tight End, Denver Broncos
Raider Ramble Rank: 29
Unfortunately for Raider fans, this is a pretty good pick by Elway. Noah Fant is a matchup nightmare and my initial reaction is that the Broncos won this trade. It looks like Elway was bluffing about Drew Lock being a top 10 pick.Â
21. Darnell Savage, Safety, Packers
Raider Ramble Rank: N.A.
Darnell Savage’s draft stock picked up steam the closer we got to the draft and tested very well at the Combine and on his pro day. It’s a little unexpected that the Packers went with two defensive players in the first round.
22. Andre Dillard, Offensive Tackle, Philadelphia Eagles
Raider Ramble Rank: 24
The Eagles had two routes to go here: Jason Peters’ replacement or secondary help. They opted for offensive lineman Andre Dillard. Without Nick Foles as the backup, keeping Carson Wentz healthy is going to be even more important. Howie Roseman knows this and made the right pick.Â
23. Tytus Howard, Offensive Tackle, Houston Texans
Raider Ramble Rank: N.A.
This pick shocked me as I would have gone with Dalton Risner. Howard becomes the first, first round pick from Alabama State.
24. Josh Jacobs, Running Back, Oakland Raiders
Raider Ramble Rank: 22
Josh Jacobs certainly is talented, but 24 is a bit high for a running back. On one hand Jacobs didn’t prove he can be a feature back at Alabama and on the other hand he didn’t have a lot of carries, so there is less wear and tear on his body. With Crowell on the roster, Jacobs will be in a similar situation as Nick Chubb and hopefully will have similar success.
25. Marquise Brown, Wide Receiver, Baltimore Ravens
Raider Ramble Rank: 14
The Ravens desperately needed a wide receiver and they got the best one in the draft. Marquise Brown is a great route runner and will be a great weapon for Lamar Jackson.
26. Montez Sweat, EDGE, Washington Redskins
Raider Ramble Rank: 7
It has to at least cross your mind that Jon might have talked about Sweat a little bit too much to his brother Jay. The Redskins traded up to take Montez Sweat and conveniently landed one spot ahead of the Raiders. If the Raiders really wanted Sweat, they have no one to blame but themselves because they could have taken him at 24.
27. Jonathan Abram, Safety, Oakland Raiders
Raider Ramble Rank: N.A.
Either Lamarcus Joyner is going to exclusively play slot corner or Jon Gruden and potentially Paul Guenther really don’t like Karl Joseph. While the Raiders could use help in the secondary, cornerbacks like Greedy Williams and Byron Murphy would have been better options. Oakland probably could have waited until the second round if they really liked Jonathan Abram.Â
28. Jerry Tillery, Defensive Tackle, Los Angles Chargers
Raider Ramble Rank: 20
This pick should make Raider fans nervous. Jerry Tillery is a great interior pass rusher and after round one, the Raiders still have a glaring need at guard. Tillery and Joey Bosa could give the Raiders trouble for years to come.
29. L.J. Collier, EDGE, Seattle Seahawks
Raider Ramble Rank: N.A.
The Seahawks will hope L.J. Collier can replace the void Frank Clark leaves behind, but Collier isn’t nearly the player Clark is. Collier was one of the best EDGE rushers available, so he’ll have to do for Pete Carroll and company.
30. Deandre Baker, Cornerback, New York Giants
Raider Ramble Rank: 26
Surprisingly, the Raiders weren’t the only team in this draft to have three first round picks. After slamming Dave Gettleman for his first pick, I have to admit I like his next two. Deandre Baker can be the cornerback the Giants were hoping to get when they drafted Eli Apple.Â
31. Kaleb McGary, Offensive Tackle, Atlanta Falcons
Raider Ramble Rank: N.A.
Clearly the Falcons set out to improve their offensive line. If McGary and Lindstorm end up starting, the Falcons will have five former first round picks on their starting offensive line.Â
32. N’Keal Harry, Wide Receiver, New England Patriots
Raider Ramble Rank: N.A.
In typical Bill Belichick fashion, in the first round he ignores needs like tight end, offensive line and EDGE. In atypical Belichick fashion, this is the first wide receiver he has ever taken in the first round. Deebo Samuel might have been in play here, but Belichick must have been looking for more of an outside receiver.