1. Carolina - QB - Bryce Young
Rivals: 5 stars, No.2 overall
247: 5 stars, No.1 overall
ESPN: 5 stars. No.5 overall
My take:: Damnit, Rivals. You really ranked Bryan Bresee at No.1 overall?
Scorecard: 247 (3), Rivals (2), ESPN (1)
2. Houston - CJ Stroud - QB - Ohio State
Rivals: High 4 stars, No.51 overall
247: 5 stars, No.29 overall
ESPN: Mid 4 stars, No.104 overall
My take: Nice job, 247.
Scorecard: 247 (6), Rivals (4), ESPN (2)
3. Houston - Will Anderson - LB - Alabama
Rivals: 5 stars, No.22 overall
247: 5 stars, No.5 overall
ESPN: High 4 stars, No.49 overall
My take: Two five stars and a high four star are the first three picks of the draft. Recruiting matters.
Scorecard: 247 (9), Rivals (6), ESPN (3)
4. Indianapolis - Anthony Richardson - QB - Florida
Rivals: Low 4 stars, No.200 overall
247: Low 4 stars, No.245 overall
ESPN: Low 4 stars, No.183 overall
My take: The AFC South is going to be crunk with Trevor Lawrence, Anthony Richardson and CJ Stroud all doing their things in the division.
Scorecard: 247 (10), Rivals (8), ESPN (6)
5. Seattle - Devon Witherspoon - CB - Illinois
Rivals: NR
247: NR
ESPN: NR
My take: Talk about coming out of nowhere. No one had this kid ranked... at all.
Scorecard: No points awarded to any service. Take three steps backwards. 247 (10), Rivals (8), ESPN (6)
6. Arizona - Paris Johnson - OL - Ohio State
Rivals: 5 stars and No.21 overall
247: 5 stars, No.8 overall
ESPN: 5 stars, No.11 overall
My take: A consensus five-star. Nice job, everyone.
Scorecard: 247 (13), Rivals (9), ESPN (8)
7. Las Vegas - Tyree Wilson - DE - Texas Tech
Rivals: High 3 stars, No.65 in Texas
247: Low 4 stars, No.32 in Texas
ESPN: Mid 3 stars, No.162 in Texas
Scorecard: 247 (16), Rivals (11), ESPN (9)
8. Atlanta - Bijan Robinson - RB - Texas
Rivals: 5 stars, No.18 overall
247: 5 stars, No.21 in Texas
ESPN: 5 stars, No.21 overall
My take: Rivals had Bijan rated higher than anyone. Just wanted to make sure that everyone knows that. If Rivals was going to have any player rated than the other services, this was the one to have.
Scorecard: 247 (17.5), Rivals (14), ESPN (10.5)
9. Philadelphia - Jalen Carter - DT - Georgia
Rivals: High four star and No.49 overall
247: 5 stars, No.9 overall
ESPN: 5 stars, No.12 overall
My take: Rivals might have rated Carter as a super blue chip, but they missed the boat by not having him as a 5-star.
Scorecard: 247 (20.5), Rivals (15), ESPN (12.5)
10. Chicago - Darnell Wright - OT - Tennessee
Rivals: 5 stars and No.16 overall
247: 5 stars, No.25 overall
ESPN: 5 stars, No.5 overall
My take: His name went off the board about 10 picks higher than I think most were expecting. Was kind of hooping he'd fall to the Cowboys. So much for that.
Scorecard: 247 (21.5), Rivals (17), ESPN (15.5)
11. Tennessee - Peter Skronski - OL - Northwestern
Rivals: Low 4 stars and No.223 overall
247: 5 stars, No.27 overall
ESPN: Mid 4 stars, No.105 overall
My take: Well done, 247. That might be the best call of the first round by any of the services,
Scorecard: 247 (24.5), Rivals (18), ESPN (17.5)
12. Detroit - Jahmyr Gibbs - RB - Alabama
Rivals: Mid 4 stars and No.70 overall
247: High4 stars, No.44 overall
ESPN: Low 4 stars, No.178 overall
My take: Tashard Choice had him self a night.
Scorecard: 247 (27.5), Rivals (20), ESPN (18.5)
13. Green Bay - Lukas Van Ness - DE - Iowa
Rivals: Mid 3 stars, No.16 WDE
247: Mid 3 stars, No.19 WDE
ESPN: Mid 3 stars, No.25 WDE
My take: The second three-star prospect of the round. Rivals had Van Ness ranked as the highest at his position, so they get a slight win.
Scorecard: 247 (29.5), Rivals (23), ESPN (19.5)
14. Pittsburgh - Broderick Jones - OT - Georgia
Rivals: 5 stars, No.5 overall
247: 5 stars, No.30 overall
ESPN: 5 stars, No.9 WDE
My take: Pittsburgh fans, how we feeling?
Scorecard: 247 (30.5), Rivals (26), ESPN (21.5)
15. NY Jets - Will McDonald - DE - Iowa State
Rivals: Mid 3 stars
247: Mid 3 stars
ESPN: Mid 3 stars
My take: ESPN had McDonald as the No.2 player in Wisconsin, while 247 had him at No.4 and Rivals had him at No.5.
Scorecard: 247 (32.5), Rivals (27), ESPN (24.5)
16. Washington - Emmanuel Forbes - CB - Miss State
Rivals: Low 4 stars, No.229 overall
247: Mid 4 stars, No.132 overall
ESPN: Low 4 stars, No.247 overall
Scorecard: 247 (35.5), Rivals (29), ESPN (25.5)
17. New England - Christian Gonzales - CB -Oregon
Rivals: Low 4 stars, No.37 in Texas
247: Low 4 stars, No.44 in Texas
ESPN: NR
My take: The second player from the Lone Star State to go in the draft. ESPN< what was up with not ranking him?
Scorecard: 247 (37.5), Rivals (32), ESPN (26.5)
18. Detroit - Jack Campbell - LB -Iowa
Rivals: Mid 3 stars, No.2 in Iowa
247: Low 4 stars,, No.3 in Iowa
ESPN: Mid 3 stars, No.7 in Iowa
Scorecard: 247 (40.5), Rivals (34), ESPN (27.5)
19. Tampa Bay - Calijah Kancey - DT -Pittsburgh
Rivals: Mid 3 stars, No.47 DT
247: Mid 3 stars,, No.68 DT
ESPN: Mid 3 stars, No.56 DT
Scorecard: 247 (41.5), Rivals (37), ESPN (29.5)
20. Seattle - Jaxon Smith-Njigba - WR -Ohio State
Rivals: 5 stars, No.20 overall
247: 5 stars,, No.15 overall
ESPN: Mid 4 stars, No.91 overall
My take: I was kind of hoping he would fall to the Cowboys. Given that Rivals had him ranked at No.20 in 2020 and it's the exact position he was drafted in, I'm giving Rivals the W.
Scorecard: 247 (43.5), Rivals (40), ESPN (30.5)
21. LA Chargers - Quentin Johnsyon - WR -TCU
Rivals: Mid 4 stars, No.80 overall, No.8 in Texas
247: Mid 4 stars,, No.113 overall, No.19 in Texas
ESPN: Mid 4 stars, No.63 overall, No.7 in Texas
Scorecard: 247 (44.5), Rivals (42), ESPN (33.5)
22. Baltimore - Zay Flowers - WR -Boston College
Rivals: Mid 3 stars, No.86 WR
247: Low 3 stars, No.198 WR
ESPN: Low 3 stars, No.123 WR
Scorecard: 247 (45.5), Rivals (45), ESPN (35.5)
23. Minnesota - Jordan Addison - WR - USC
Rivals: High 3 stars,
247: Mid 4 stars, No.131 overall
ESPN: Low 4 stars,
Scorecard: 247 (48.5), Rivals (46), ESPN (37.5)
24. NY Giants - Deonte Banks - CB - Maryland
Rivals: 2 stars,
247: High 3 stars
ESPN: High 3 stars,
Scorecard: 247 (51.5), Rivals (47), ESPN (39.5)
25. Buffalo - Dalton Kincaid - TE - Utah
Rivals: NR
247: NR
ESPN: NR
Scorecard: 247 (51.5), Rivals (47), ESPN (39.5)
26. Dallas - Mazi Smith - DT - Michigan
Rivals: Mid 4 star, No.142 overall
247: Low 4 star, No.170 overall
ESPN: High 4 star, No.45 overall
Scorecard: 247 (52.5), Rivals (49), ESPN (42.5)
27. Jacksonville - Anton Harrison - OT - Oklahoma
Rivals: Low 4 star, No.166 overall
247: Low 4 star,
ESPN: Low 4 star, No.158 overall
Scorecard: 247 (53.5), Rivals (51), ESPN (45.5)
28. Cincinnati - Myles Murphy - DE - Clemson
Rivals: 5 stars, No.4 overall
247: 5 stars, No.15 overall
ESPN: 5 stars, No.13 overall
My take: All of the services had him ranked as a 5-star, which means where they are slotted matters. I'll give the edge to 247 because they had him at No.15, which is closer to No.27 than anyone else.
Scorecard: 247 (56.5), Rivals (52), ESPN (47.5)
29. New Orleans - Bryan Bresee - DT - Clemson
Rivals: 5 stars, No.1 overall
247: 5 stars, No.3 overall
ESPN: 5 stars, No.3 overall
My take: This feels like it should be a tie, but for the sake of not looking like I'm playing favorites, it's a tie for 247 and ESPN, but they all literally had him in the top 3.
Scorecard: 247 (59), Rivals (53), ESPN (50)
30. Philadelphia - Nolan Smith - DE - Georgia
Rivals: 5 stars, No.2 overall
247: 5 stars, No.4 overall
ESPN: 5 stars, No.2 overall
My take: See last pick. This feels like it should be a tie, but for the sake of not looking like I'm playing favorites, it's a tie for Rivals and ESPN for second place.
Scorecard: 247 (62), Rivals (54.5), ESPN (51,5)
31. Kansas City - Felix Andudike - DE - Kansas State
Rivals: 2 stars
247: 2 stars
ESPN: Low 3 stars
Scorecard: 247 (63.5), Rivals (56), ESPN (54,5)
*******
A few notes...
1. Kudos to 247. I thought they had a very good night and were deserving winners in the first round contest tonight.
2. I'm pretty sure more 5-stars went in the first round tonight than at any point in history. 10 5-stars from Rivals were drafted, while a total of 12 players with 5-star grades from at least one service went in the first round.
3. 20 of the 31 players selected were either 4- or 5-stars.
4. Weirdly, it seems to have taken Texas and Oklahoma leaving for the SEC for the Big 12 to step up its game. Six first-round picks from six different Big 12 schools is decent work for the conference.
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