Just as we celebrated the teams who fared the best at first glance in Thursday's first round of the NFL Draft, we now present the five worst. Time can only tell, of course, but these were the five teams that raised eyebrows and question marks in fans and experts alike.
Here are five losers from last night's first round:
1. Minnesota Vikings - Word from Adam Schefter was that the Vikings were desperately trying to trade out of the pick, so kudos to them for at least trying. Obviously they realized Christian Ponder would be available a bit later, and you can't take a deal that's simply not available. But at the No. 12 overall choice, Ponder is a reach by any team's value chart -- apparently even the Vikings.
2. Dallas Cowboys - Offensive tackle is definitely a need for the Cowboys, but Tyron Smith is young and has never played with enough bulk to truly project his ability as a franchise blindside protector. With plenty of needs, the Cowboys could have taken an elite impact talent and opted for a bit of a project when comparable tackles were still available at the end of the first round (i.e. Green Bay Packers choice of Derek Sherrod).
3. Seattle Seahawks - I can't find a single draft analyst who felt offensive lineman James Carpenter was a first round talent, and the Seahawks are still left with questions at quarterback. Solid talent is also available after this point at both tackle and guard, so it's simply a poor value at this point in the first round -- need or not.
4. Washington Redskins - As terrific a player as I believe Ryan Kerrigan will be at the NFL level, the Redskins simply have a tremendous void at quarterback with no real ability to fill the void after their first round selection. The Donovan McNabb deal last season stripped them of much needed picks in this draft, so to grab Kerrigan leaves them wanting at the most important position on the field. Perhaps there's an unstated deal for a veteran when the labor deal lifts, but for now this is a questionable choice.
5. St. Louis Rams - Most believe Robert Quinn has tremendous pass rushing skills and was a great value at No. 14. A closer look at the stats, however, tell otherwise, Quinn dominated smaller competition to rack up the impressive stats he did, and that was before sitting out an entire season. Quinn, for me, has the highest bust potential in the first round and the Rams are a club that can ill afford to miss, despite the upswing last season.
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