Elite Eight of the NFL Draft

By: Josh Frey-Sam

Kudos to Seattle Seahawks GM John Schneider— he hit this draft out of the park.

The Hawks entered last week’s draft with 10 picks and left with 11 players after Schenieder shrewdly navigated the board, executing four different trades on Days 2 and 3.

I put Seattle in the same bucket as San Francisco and Houston — franchises that are at important junctures, respectively, and NEEDED to have a good draft.

In the Hawks’ case, they needed to upgrade the offensive line, add more weapons and continue to stack talent on defence for Mike McDonald to work with.

The Hawks were rumoured as a potential trade-back candidate in the hours leading up to the draft, but Schneider opted to stick and pick versatile offensive lineman Grey Zabel at 18th overall. It felt like a match made in heaven.

Zabel can start at guard immediately, but he could slide to center and be the brains of the line for the next decade if the Hawks choose to do that.

Day 2 brought an early trade-up to No. 35, where they selected safety Nick Emmanwori. This was one of my favourite picks in the draft, because we saw what McDonald did with Kyle Hamilton in Baltimore. He gets his next project in Emmanwori.

Tight end Elijah Arroyo, a big-bodied vertical threat, and quarterback Jalen Milroe, who will need time to develop but has all the physical tools you could ask for, rounded out a successful second day.

Day 3 brought some more great picks in DT Rylie Mills, WR Tory Horton, TE Robbie Ouzts, G Bryce Cabeldue, RB Damien Martinez, OT Mason Richman and WR Ricky White III.

I loved the Horton pick, in particular. He will compete to contribute immediately in this offence.

Now I’m not one to give out grades, I think they’re a useless clickbait exercise around draft time, because we don’t know how any of these classes will turn out.

But I have no problem handing out flowers where I think they’re due.

Here are my other favourite draft classes from the NFC:

Chicago Bears

*TE Colston Loveland, WR Luther Burden III, OT Ozzy Trapilo, DT Shemar Turner, LB Ruben Hppolite II, CB Zah Frazier, G Luke Newman, RB Kyle Monangai

I can’t wait to see what Ben Johnson cooks up.

This was a pick-your-flavour type of draft, and the Bears started the fun when they selected Loveland over Tyler Warren.

I love it. My comp. for Loveland is Travis Kelce, and I think Bears fans are going to enjoy his ability with Johnson calling plays.

I can’t say I expected Burden to be their second-round pick, but he now provides that WR room with supreme depth. The Bears are going to be a hard team to match up with.

Trapilo should develop into the starting left tackle by next season, while I thought Turner was a tremendous value pick for Chicago at 62 overall.

New York Giants

*EDGE Abdul Carter, QB Jaxson Dart, IDL Darius Alexander, RB Cam Skattebo, OT Matcus Mbow, TE Thomas Fidone II, CB Korie Black

I don’t need to tell you how important this draft was for the New York Giants.

Personnel across the organization are on the hot seat, and this offseason, they needed to strike a balance of creating a team that could deliver some results this season while providing hope for the future.

After piecing together some veterans in free agency to hopefully provide a few more wins in the short term, I think GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll executed the latter wonderfully in this draft.

By landing Carter at No. 3 overall, then trading back into the first round to select the QB of their future, Dart, at No. 25, the Giants won Day 1.

What I loved was that Schoen didn’t stop adding to his defensive front. Alexander falling to the third round was a crime and a value simply too good to pass up.

GOOD LUCK against the Giants in 3rd-and-long next season.

I also think Skattebo was just a solid pickup, he should work as a great complement to Tyrone Tracy Jr. next season.

My favourite individual picks from NFC teams:

• CB Will Johnson, Cardinals, 2nd round (47 ovr)

• DL Shemar Turner, Bears, 2nd round (62 ovr)

• CB Shavon Revel, Cowboys, 3rd round (76 ovr)

• EDGE Barryn Sorrell, Packers, 4th round (124 ovr)

• IDL Darius Alexander, Giants, 3rd round (65 ovr)

• S Andrew Makuba, Eagles, 2nd round (64 ovr)

• WR Tory Horton, Seahawks, 5th round (166 ovr)

• TE Elijah Arroyo, Seahawks, 2nd round (50 over)

Tomorrow, we tackle the AFC.

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh