Guess which two teams top his list? The only ones who drafted Noles.
I won't link ESPN, so here's the important stuff:
Successful NFL drafts are a combination of great planning, along with some great luck.
The 2016 draft was a little different than most. It might not have been great at the top, but there was a lot of depth. There were so many good defensive tackles that studs could be taken in Round 3. Some teams had draftable grades on between 160 and 200 prospects.
Here are my five favorite classes:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
For many years, the Jaguars were singing the blues at the draft. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert, whom they traded up for in 2011, was a bust. Wide receiver Justin Blackmon, whom they traded up for in 2012, can't get on the field because of suspension. Left tackle Luke Joeckel, the No. 2 pick in the 2013 draft, is on his way out after the team declined to pick up his fifth-year option.
Things are trending upward under general manager Dave Caldwell, however. Jacksonville got a break this year. Cornerback Jalen Ramseyfell to them at the No. 5 spot. Linebacker Myles Jack fell to them in the second round. Both are considered top-five talents.
The reason I bring up the blues is that blue is the color teams associate with potentially elite players -- blue chips. If Jack's knee ends up being OK, the Jaguars could have drafted two blue-chip players in the first two rounds. Throw in the return of last season's first-round pick Dante Fowler Jr -- he missed all of 2015 after tearing his ACL shortly after being drafted -- and the Jaguars could have three new blue-chip rookies on their defense in 2016, plus free-agent additions of defensive lineman Malik Jackson and free safety Tashaun Gipson. Jacksonville is trending up, and that defense should be much improved.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs filled their two biggest needs with their first picks, taking cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III in the first round and pass-rusher Noah Spence in the second. They signed cornerback Brent Grimes and defensive end Robert Ayers in the offseason, but the Bucs needed young talent in both positions. Now the two veterans can help groom Hargreaves and Spence.
The extra beauty for the Bucs was getting an extra fourth-round choice in moving down two spots to take Hargreaves at No. 11. They used that fourth-round pick to move into the second round to take kicker Roberto Aguayo. Trading up to take a kicker in the second round might seem questionable, but Aguayo is supremely talented and gives the Bucs an immediate upgrade. I thought GM Jason Licht had a great draft.
I won't link ESPN, so here's the important stuff:
Successful NFL drafts are a combination of great planning, along with some great luck.
The 2016 draft was a little different than most. It might not have been great at the top, but there was a lot of depth. There were so many good defensive tackles that studs could be taken in Round 3. Some teams had draftable grades on between 160 and 200 prospects.
Here are my five favorite classes:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
For many years, the Jaguars were singing the blues at the draft. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert, whom they traded up for in 2011, was a bust. Wide receiver Justin Blackmon, whom they traded up for in 2012, can't get on the field because of suspension. Left tackle Luke Joeckel, the No. 2 pick in the 2013 draft, is on his way out after the team declined to pick up his fifth-year option.
Things are trending upward under general manager Dave Caldwell, however. Jacksonville got a break this year. Cornerback Jalen Ramseyfell to them at the No. 5 spot. Linebacker Myles Jack fell to them in the second round. Both are considered top-five talents.
The reason I bring up the blues is that blue is the color teams associate with potentially elite players -- blue chips. If Jack's knee ends up being OK, the Jaguars could have drafted two blue-chip players in the first two rounds. Throw in the return of last season's first-round pick Dante Fowler Jr -- he missed all of 2015 after tearing his ACL shortly after being drafted -- and the Jaguars could have three new blue-chip rookies on their defense in 2016, plus free-agent additions of defensive lineman Malik Jackson and free safety Tashaun Gipson. Jacksonville is trending up, and that defense should be much improved.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs filled their two biggest needs with their first picks, taking cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III in the first round and pass-rusher Noah Spence in the second. They signed cornerback Brent Grimes and defensive end Robert Ayers in the offseason, but the Bucs needed young talent in both positions. Now the two veterans can help groom Hargreaves and Spence.
The extra beauty for the Bucs was getting an extra fourth-round choice in moving down two spots to take Hargreaves at No. 11. They used that fourth-round pick to move into the second round to take kicker Roberto Aguayo. Trading up to take a kicker in the second round might seem questionable, but Aguayo is supremely talented and gives the Bucs an immediate upgrade. I thought GM Jason Licht had a great draft.
