2014 NFL Draft winners
I'll admit it: I love the draft.
I don't fancy myself an NFL expert and find the idea of handing out arbitrary grades to team's draft classes every year to be a farce. There's no sense in slapping an evaluation on a team without accounting for the context and needs behind each pick.
Instead, I'll just offer up a couple of teams that I thought did well based on my own impressions as a college football fan. Drafts that I liked:
St. Louis
The Rams seemed to do the best job of any team, adding a potential cornerstone offensive tackle (Greg Robinson) and immediate contributor on the defensive line (Aaron Donald). Auburn running back Tre Mason will get some burn running behind his college teammate Robinson, while Lamarcus Joyner should give the Lou's D additional depth in the secondary. My only complaint would be that this team badly needs fresh blood at receiver and didn't get it.
Minnesota
The word on the street Thursday night was that the Vikings tried to trade up to select Johnny Football. They might have ended up with the better option for their personnel by taking Teddy Bridgewater late in the first round. New coach Mike Zimmer will come up with all sorts of ways to make use of top 10 pick Anthony Barr on D. David Yankey should be a mainstay at guard for a long time. I'll go ahead and call my shot: Minny makes the playoffs this season.
San Francisco
Sure, half of the 49ers' picks are going to need a redshirt year to recover from injuries. They still landed some useful pieces for their power running game, including thumpers Carlos Hyde and Trey Millard. I'm betting Chris Borland will give SF a multi-year starter at inside linebacker.
New York Jets
Maybe my vision is skewed by picking Oklahoma wideout Jalen Saunders, but I thought Rex Ryan did awfully well for himself. I love both safety Calvin Pryor and tight end Jace Amaro, but the Jest could have ended up with a real steal in landing active Iowa State linebacker Jeremiah George.
San Diego
I would've been tempted to put the Chargers on this list just because I like TCU cornerback Jason Verrett that much. Nabbing dangerous Baylor receiver Tevin Reese and hard-running Arizona State tailback Marion Grice put S.D. in great position.