Boos echo throughout Grant Park and the Auditorium Theatre as Roger Goodell walks onto the stage… “With the first pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams select, Jared Goff, quarterback, California.”
As expected, Goff went first overall to the Rams. After recently moving back to Los Angeles, the Rams made a major splash by acquiring a potential superstar in Goff. Then right on cue, North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz was selected second overall by the Eagles, who, like the Rams, also traded up to get a quarterback.
With the obvious top two picks out of the way, the chaos began. Sitting at pick number three, the Chargers shocked some when they selected Joey Bosa from Ohio State. When the Cowboys selected standout running back Ezekiel Elliott out of Ohio State, the Jaguars were able to make one of the best picks of the day, defensive back Jalen Ramsey. Many experts projected the versatile Ramsey to be selected by San Diego, but when they picked Bosa, the Jaguars were able to steal Ramsey.
The biggest story Thursday night was offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil out of Mississippi. Before the Titans traded their number-one overall pick to the Rams, Tunsil was projected to be the first player taken, but after the trade, he fell a little.
A video of Tunsil smoking what appeared to be an illegal substance went viral on Twitter, minutes before the draft, causing his draft stock to plummet. He is projected to have lost around $10-$12 million since he was drafted much later than expected.
As the draft moved along, Tunsil continued to fall and the chaos in Draft Town continued until he was finally drafted 13th overall by the Dolphins. Tunsil is arguably the best offensive tackle in the draft class, but he was the third tackle off the board. If he can stay out of trouble, the Dolphins may have made the best pick of the draft.
Another huge shock was when superstar linebacker Myles Jack from UCLA was not picked in the first round. Most of the mock drafts had him going in the top 10 but last-minute concerns about his knee injury caused him to fall to the Jaguars in the second round. Jack is one of the best players in the draft and the Jaguars even considered taking him at number five. Since they opted to go with Ramsey in the first round and somehow still got Jack in the second-round, the Jaguars could end up having the best draft class this year.
Hometown Team
The Bears originally were sitting comfortably at pick 11, but as the draft started to play out, they felt the need to move up. So, the Bears made a trade with the Buccaneers and jumped up two spots. When the trade was announced, the mass of Bears fans in Draft Town broke into a frenzy of cheers and “Let’s Go Bears!” chants.
The energy was quickly sucked out of the crowd when Commissioner Goodell announced that the Bears had drafted linebacker Leonard Floyd from Georgia. Many Bears fans were expecting others players to be picked at the time and seemed to be let down by the selection their team made.
Floyd is a risky pick but has limitless potential. He is an exceptional athlete with tremendous speed, but he lacks the strength needed. Floyd has the talent to become an elite speed pass rusher in the NFL but has trouble shedding blockers, which could limit the situations he is able to play in.
The fact that he might not be able to play every down is concerning since the Bears spent a top 10 pick on him. If Floyd is able to bulk up a little without losing his signature speed, Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio might have his second-coming of Aldon Smith.
Bears Draft Picks:
- 1st Round: Leonard Floyd, linebacker, Georgia
- 2nd Round: Cody Whitehair, offensive guard, Kansas State
- 3rd Round: Jonathan Bullard, defensive end, Florida
- 4th Round: Deon Bush, safety, Miami
- 4th Round: Deiondre’ Hall, safety, Northern Iowa
- 5th Round: Jordan Howard, running back, Indiana
- 6th Round: DeAndre Houston-Carson, safety, William & Mary
- 7th Round: Daniel Braverman, wide receiver, Western Michigan
