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Here's a quick recap of picks 26 through 32 in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
| 1 | 26 | Philadelphia Eagles | Marcus Smith | OLB | Louisville |
| 1 | 27 | Arizona Cardinals | Deone Bucannon | S | Washington State |
| 1 | 28 | Carolina Panthers | Kelvin Benjamin | WR | Florida State |
| 1 | 29 | New England Patriots | Dominique Easley | DT | Florida |
| 1 | 30 | San Francisco 49ers | Jimmie Ward | S | Northern Illinois |
| 1 | 31 | Denver Broncos | Bradley Roby | CB | Ohio State |
| 1 | 32 | Minnesota Vikings | Teddy Bridgewater | QB | Louisville |
My general thoughts:
Eagles - I absolutely, positively HATE this pick. It's not that I hate the player, or the position, because they needed a quality pass rusher. However, Marcus Smith could have likely been had in round two and there is a much more immediate need in the secondary. I get that they need to improve the pass rush, and Smith will do that, but I feel that this is an enormous reach. My wife will not be happy. Thanks Chip... Jerk!
Cardinals - I think the ESPN commentators nailed it with "Wow." This is a huge, huge reach in my opinion. First off, Jimmie Ward is a much, much better safety. Bucannon is a solid player who can make plays all over the field. He's a bit more of a in the box, big hitter kind of safety i my mind. He'll have it easier with a solid defense in front of him and after Arizona upgrades their pass rush. I don't like this pick though, not at this position.
Panthers - I expected Carolina to take a wide receiver or an offensive lineman here. However, I did not expect them to take Benjamin with Lee, Latimer, Robinson, and Matthews still on the board. Benjamin has all the physical tools to be a great wide receiver but I question his drive. I mean, he actually described himself as "lazy." I wouldn't have touched him until Round 3.
Patriots - I really like Easley as a player, but as with about every other pick in this section, he went far too early in my mind. When healthy Easley is possibly the most disruptive interior defensive lineman not name Aaron Donald. He does have time to sit and learn behind Big Vince with no hurry to step in and play immediately. He's got major injury concerns though, which is a big issue in my mind.
49ers - :( That's my basic reaction to this pick. Ward has been one of my favorite players all year and would have been such a great pick for the Colts. I'm a bit surprised San Francisco took him though because they have Eric Reid and Antoine Bethea at safety. I wouldn't be surprised if Ward's rights are shopped to a team like the Colts for a 2015 Round 1 pick.
Broncos - Now this pick I really like. Denver needed a quality player to pair opposite Aqib Talib. Roby regressed this past season but if he can return to his previous self, he'll be a great player for the Broncos. This pick just makes sense to me in terms of need and talent available.
Vikings - This pick just made my night. Bridgewater is the perfect fit for the Vikings. He's my top rated quarterback and is the best pure passer in the draft. He's very accurate within 20 yards and with Adrian Peterson, he will have time to throw especially in play action. Best of all, he keeps Bridgewater out of Houston's hands! Thank Goodness!
Trade Details: Seattle receives 40 and 108