First Round Recap

I correctly predicted 28 of the 32 players drafted in the first round. There were a few very surprising selections: Jimmie Ward to San Francisco, Marcus Smith to Philadelphia and Dee Ford to Kansas City were the picks that I'd consider to be reaches. Here is a recap of the first round of the draft:

1. Houston Texans- Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
J.J. Watt's will teach Clowney to be a professional. Work ethic and motivation won't be a problem with Watt around.
2. St. Louis Rams- Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn
He's immediately going to compete with Joe Barksdale for the starting right tackle job, but could also kick inside and play guard his rookie season. Great pick that will help keep Sam Bradford upright.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars- Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida
They got their franchise quarterback. Arguably the best signal caller in the draft, this was a good pick and now they need to draft some weapons for him.
4. Buffalo Bills- Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
I still believe right tackle was a greater position of need, but clearly Buffalo wanted Watkins, whom they traded up to get. Watkins is the best receiver in the draft and provides quarterback E.J. Manuel with a legitimate number one wide out.
5. Oakland Raiders- Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo
Great pick by the Raiders. Playing in the same division as Peyton Manning, pressuring the quarterback is a top priority and Khalil Mack does it as well as any prospect.
6. Atlanta Falcons- Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
It was either offensive tackle or pass-rusher. They went offensive tackle and selected arguably the best one in the draft. Matt Ryan is a very happy guy.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M
It was clear the Bucs needed another wide receiver after they traded Mike Williams. Evans is going to pair with Vincent Jackson to form a towering duo much like the Chicago Bears have.
8. Cleveland Browns- Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma St.
The Browns front office new they could get their quarterback later, and chose to trade back. In doing so, they garnered another draft pick and also were able to draft the best cornerback prospect in Gilbert. He'll pair with Joe Haden to make a formidable cornerback tandem.
9. Minnesota Vikings- Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA
The experts were saying that if Minnesota didn't draft a quarterback, they'd take the best available defensive player. And they did just that when they selected linebacker Anthony Barr. He's going to be a hell of a player for Mike Zimmer.
10. Detroit Lions- Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina
With Gilbert off the board, providing Matthew Stafford with an elite receiving tight end gives him another weapon. Ebron could be the icing on the offense's cake.
11. Tennessee Titans- Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan
Quarterback Jake Locker has trouble staying healthy, so what better way to keep him healthy than improve the offensive line? Lewan is a nasty, mean offensive lineman who will come in an compete for a starting job.
12. New York Giants- Odell Beckham Jr., WR, LSU
I thought Zack Martin would be the pick here, but losing Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Myers in free agency limited Eli Manning's arsenal, so Beckham made a lot of sense here. His impact will be immediate as he provides a homerun threat on both offense and special teams.
13. St. Louis Rams- Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh
Donald joins a Rams defense that recorded 53 sacks in 2013.  And he will be plugged in to a defensive line that features Robert Quinn, Chris Long, and Michael Brockers. This is going to be a ferocious front seven.
14. Chicago Bears- Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech
With Aaron Donald off the board I thought Chicago might choose a safety. But since they signed a handful of veterans at the position, they made the wise choice addressing their lack of depth at cornerback.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers- Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio St.
I expected cornerback to be the choice here, but Shazier was a great pick. He's an aggressive, sideline-to-sideline linebacker who is going to be fit in well with the Steelers.
16. Dallas Cowboys- Zack Martin, OT, Notre Dame
Jerry Jones played it safe and smart. I'm shocked. Martin is a great selection and will be a starter for Dallas, whether it be at guard or tackle.
17. Baltimore Ravens- C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama
This pick has me wondering. Last year the Ravens selected linebacker Arthur Brown in the second round, selecting Mosley makes me think that Brown isn't progressing the way they'd hoped. Regardless, Mosley is an excellent linebacker who provides versatility and is a three down linebacker.
18. New York Jets- Calvin Pryor, SS, Louisville
With Odell Beckham unavailable, it was clear that Rex Ryan would be adding to his defense. The hard-hitting Pryor is going to be a welcomed addition to a very unimpressive secondary.
19. Miami Dolphins- JaWuan James, OT, Tennessee
Everyone knew the Dolphins would target the offensive line. James will come in and be their starting right tackle.
20. New Orleans Saints- Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon St.
New Orleans traded up to draft Cooks. It was a good choice, giving Drew Brees another weapon that can play in the slot and still has the speed to burn defenses.
21. Green Bay Packers- Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix, FS, Alabama
I couldn't believe Clinton-Dix dropped this far. Green Bay got their guy.
22. Cleveland Browns- Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
The Browns capped off an active first round by drafting who they hope ends up being their franchise quarterback.
23. Kansas City Chiefs- Dee Ford, DE, Auburn
I thought this might have been a bit of a reach. And considering the need for a receiver and the option available at that position, I was surprised by this pick. But, with Tamba Hali turning 31 this year it's not a bad idea to address the position. 
24. Cincinnati Bengals- Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan St.
Dennard is an aggressive press-man corner who is a good fit for the Bengals defense. Cornerback was a position of need and Dennard will hopefully come in and make an immediate impact.
25. San Diego Chargers- Jason Verrett, CB, TCU
Some experts have been saying that Verrett might be the best cornerback prospect. He's certainly the best nickelback and will be assigned the task of covering Wes Welker at least twice a year. A great pick by the Chargers.
26. Philadelphia Eagles- Marcus Smith, DE/OLB, Louisville
The Eagles needed to address their pass-rush, but I think they reached for Marcus Smith. Then again, it's not a reach if they gave him a first round grade. He'll compete with Trent Cole for a starting job.
27. Arizona Cardinals- Deone Bucannon, SS, Washington St.
This was a great pick. I didn't think Bucannon would go in the first round, but when Arizona selected him it made perfect sense. Pairing him with Tyrann Mathieu; that's now one of the best young safety tandems in the league. 
28. Carolina Panthers- Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida St.
Cam Newton is a very large man, listed at 6'5" and 245-pounds, and now he has the league's largest wide receiver in Kelvin Benjamin who's 6'5" and 240-pounds. Newton lost all his receivers in free agency, so Benjamin is a much needed addition as long as he can stay motivated and focused.
29. New England Patriots- Dominique Easley, DT, Florida
The defensive line needed to be addressed and Easley is a very good fit. He's suffered two ACL tears, so there's some risk involved. Still, he provides versatility, athleticism, and a much needed boost to the pass-rush.
30. San Francisco 49ers- Jimmie Ward, FS, Northern Illinois
I think Marqise Lee or Bradley Roby would have made a lot more sense with this pick. Ward projects more to a free safety but Eric Reid is firmly cemented at the position. Cornerback and wide receiver need to be addressed, but San Fran has a lot of draft picks and could make a trade or two on Day 2.
31. Denver Broncos- Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio St.
I'm not sure the Denver front office expected Roby to be available, but they need help at cornerback and he's too good to pass up. He's had some troubles off the field and struggles with consistency, but Denver has good leaders on their team and Roby has a chance to compete for the starting job opposite Aqib Talib.
32. Minnesota Vikings- Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
Minnesota traded their way back into the first round to get their franchise quarterback. Bridgewater joins an offense that boasts the league's best running back, a good offensive line, and some good receivers. He'll compete with veteran Matt Cassell for the starting job.