The Daily Haze: NFL Draft First Round Recap

Jadeveon Clowney was the first man off the board in last night’s NFL Draft to the Houston Texans. Not much fantasy value there unless you are in an IDP league.

As for the skill position players drafted last night? Some instant reactions:

Blake Bortles to the Jaguars.

Shocker. Putting Chad Henne on notice for Week 1. Meanwhile, Bortles’ girlfriend is attractive.

Sammy Watkins to the Bills.

I didn’t like the trade up for Watkins. Still has a lot to prove in terms of being a polished wide receiver. I think he’s got a steep learning curve.

Mike Evans to the Buccaneers.

Lovie Smith doing his best to recreate the Bears offense for Josh McCown. With Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans on the outside, and Doug Martin toting the rock, McCown should be OK.

Eric Ebron to the Lions.

Bye-bye Brandon Pettigrew. Also, Joseph Fauria. Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, Reggie Bush, Eric Ebron. The NFL is FUN.

Odell Beckham to the Giants.

Rueben Randle takes the biggest fantasy football hit of the night. Beckham will come in, compete, and likely win snaps from Randle.

Brandin Cooks to the Saints.

Nailed it. I like Cooks as a Darren Sproles replacement. Obviously can produce in the receiving game, also a capable return man. Slight hit to Kenny Stills’ value.

Johnny Manziel to the Browns.

Back-to-back skill-position picks I LOVE. Look, I’ve been hard on Johnny Football. Long term, I don’t think he makes it in the NFL. But damn, he’s going to be exciting for a little while at least.

Kelvin Benjamin to the Panthers.

Bust potential is as large as Benjamin is tall. Raw receiver with an often-inaccurate quarterback. Buyer beware.

Teddy Bridgewater to the Vikings.

Vikings have some nice young weapons (Patterson, Rudolph) and a strong, supportive running game. Not to mention Norv as OC. Could be a good long-term investment.

STORIES WE LIKE

The NFL Draft has become a three-day television spectacle, and even more popular now that Twitter is so mainstream. Would a fourth day be too much of a good thing? [The New York Times]

Related to last night’s first round and tonight’s second round, The Big Lead posted this map of states whose high schools have produced the most first and second round draft picks in the last 10 years.

How does your state stack up?