One of the most anticipated drafts in years, the 2014 NFL Draft certainly didn't lack any drama on either of the first two days. While we got the Johnny Manziel circus out of the way Thursday night at Radio City Music Hall, there was still plenty of intrigue for the second and third rounds on Friday.
Here are some quick-reaction grades to how just about every team did through the end of the third round.
Passed with flying colors
St. Louis Rams: Greg Robinson (2nd), Aaron Donald (13th), Lamarcus Joyner (41st), Tre Mason (75th)
The skinny:After having maybe the best first round of any team, the Rams added to it with two of the best athletes in the draft. Joyner isn't big, but he can cover anybody in the slot and adds to the NFC West defensive arms race. Mason gets to run behind his former Auburn teammate Robinson.
Houston Texans:Jadeveon Clowney (1st overall), Xavier Su'a-Filo (33rd), C.J. Fiedorowicz (65th), Louis Nix (83rd)
The skinny: Bill O'Brien is building in the trenches first, and that tends to be a good strategy. After getting the best player in the draft, the Texans nabbed the best guard to protect (insert name here) at quarterback. He also gets the last good tight end in the draft and fits the offense to a T. Nix had first-round talent but dropped to the third and will fit well into Romeo Crennel's defense. Quality, quality draft.
Minnesota Vikings:Anthony Barr (9th), Teddy Bridgewater (32nd), Scott Crichton (72), Jerick McKinnon (96th)
The skinny: The first round was phenomenal for the Vikings and, though they didn't have a second-rounder, they got a talent that could have gone that round in Crichton. McKinnon should be a nice special-teamer.
Oakland Raiders: Khalil Mack (5th), Derek Carr (36th), Gabe Jackson (81st)
The skinny: Raiders didn't make any moves through the first two rounds but landed one of the best defensive players in the draft and one of the top four quarterbacks. Great value with Carr, who some think has the best arm talent in this year's class. Jackson helps out in the middle of the line.
Baltimore Ravens:C.J. Mosley (17th), Timmy Jernigan (48th), Terrence Brooks (79th), Crockett Gillmore (99th)
The skinny: Ozzie Newsome must be astonished at his luck this year. The Ravens add two top-20-rated players for the middle of their defense, and the rest of the teams in the division shake their heads. Brooks is a solid third-round selection. If you didn't watch a ton of Mountain West football, you missed out on a very solid tight end in Gillmore.
Green Bay Packers:Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (21st), Davante Adams (53rd), Khyri Thornton (85th), Richard Rodgers (98th)
The skinny: A pair of highly rated players fall down to the Packers and Ted Thompson celebrates. Aaron Rodgers will really like throwing to Adams, who should contribute early. Thornton should be able to learn from B.J. Raji and then replace him. Rodgers is an interesting choice but certainly has the talent to be a player in the league.
General manager gets a sticker
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:Mike Evans (7th), Austin Seferian-Jenkins (38th), Charles Sims (69th)
The skinny: Is Lovie Smith building a great pick-up hoops team or what? Evans and Seferian-Jenkins are a pair of big targets, and getting the second-best tight end in the draft as late as the 38th pick is great value. Jeff Tedford will know how to use both. As for Sims, he's a great fit to team with Doug Martin.
Cleveland Browns: Justin Gilbert (8th), Johnny Manziel (22nd), Joel Bitonio (35th), Christian Kirksey (71st), Terrance West (94th)
The skinny:Johnny Manziel had Cleveland in a crazy good mood, but that was wiped out by the time the second day of the draft rolled around, thanks to the Josh Gordon news. Bitonio isn't a sexy pick, but he solidifies the line for Manziel and provides flexibility to play tackle, guard or backup center. Kirksey should contribute on special teams and sub-packages early on. West should back up Ben Tate and could be the most underrated running back in the draft.
San Francisco 49ers: Jimmie Ward (30th), Carlos Hyde (57th), Marcus Martin (70th), Chris Borland (77th), Brandon Thomas (100th)
The skinny: The second day was where Trent Baalke was really going to do some damage, and the 49ers were moving all over the place Friday night. Hyde is a between-the-tackles runner who can spell Frank Gore while developing into a nice tandem with Marcus Lattimore down the road. Martin was the best center in the draft and is a smart pickup. Borland is a steal and provides plenty of insurance for NaVorro Bowman. Thomas is a perfect fit for the 49ers. He'll be on the PUP list after tearing an ACL, but he has early second-round talent.
Atlanta Falcons: Jake Matthews, (6th), Ra'Shede Hageman (37th), Dezmen Southward (68th)
The skinny: No bold moves for the Falcons early, but they added the safest pick in Matthews to help protect Matt Ryan and a pick with the highest upside at defensive tackle in Hageman. Two players with first-round grades in the first 37 picks is a nice weekend. You wonder if Southward can start at safety as a rookie, but he should be able to provide some flexibility in the secondary if nothing else.
Cincinnati Bengals:Darqueze Dennard (24th), Jeremy Hill (55th), Will Clarke (88th)
The skinny: Bengals get tougher with their early picks. Dennard shores up the defense, and Hill is a back who slipped because of character concerns but has plenty of talent. Clarke fits the mold of what the Bengals are looking for, too.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Ryan Shazier (15th), Stephon Tuitt (46th), Dri Archer (97th)
The skinny: A good effort from the Steelers as they rebuild their defense. Shazier coming off the edge behind Tuitt, an ideal fit for what the team does on defense, will not be fun to deal with in a few years. Archer is the fastest player in the draft and defines the term electric.
New Orleans Saints: Brandin Cooks (20th), Stanley Jean-Baptiste (58th)
The skinny: Talk about filling needs, the Saints are having a great draft. Cooks is the electric receiver the offense needs, and Jean-Baptiste was a corner some thought could go in the first round but winds up falling to them in the second.
Arizona Cardinals:Deone Bucannon (27th), Troy Niklas (52nd), Kareem Martin (84th), John Brown (91st)
The skinny: Grabbing a big hitter on defense in Bucannon and then picking up a nice outlet for Carson Palmer in Niklas is a good draft. Think the offense can put up some points with that receiving corps? Martin was a late riser in the draft who might end up being a starter at end at some point, and Brown was a speedy small-school player who went about where expected.
Denver Broncos: Bradley Roby (31st), Cody Latimer (56th), Michael Schofield (95th)
The skinny: Another team at the bottom of each round capitalizing on talent falling down. Roby fell into John Elway's lap in the first-round, but he went up to get Eric Decker's replacement Latimer in the second round. Schofield played well at the Senior Bowl and could find a spot at guard or tackle for the team.
New York Jets: Calvin Pryor (18th), Jace Amaro (49th), Dexter McDougle (80th)
The skinny: Love what the Jets have done. Highly rated safety on the first night and the pass catcher the offense needed in Amaro in the second round. McDougle has plenty of potential, but we'll see how he develops.
Good pick, good fit
Detroit Lions: Eric Ebron (10th), Kyle Van Noy (40th), Travis Swanson (76th)
The skinny:Lions go back to the BYU well for Van Noy, who has the length and speed to be a good fit in the NFL. Really good pick in the second round. Swanson was, too, in the third.
San Diego Chargers:Jason Verrett (25th), Jeremiah Attaochu (50th), Chris Watt (89th)
The skinny: Verrett and Attaochu will help on defense as two terrific athletes. It might take a few years, however, before Attaochu fully realizes his potential. Watt is as solid as they come for an interior blocker and should pick up an NFL system quickly.
How to watch the NFL draft
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Carolina Panthers: Kelvin Benjamin (28th), Kony Ealy (60th), Trai Turner (92nd)
The skinny: Benjamin was a need, Ealy wasn't but represented a far better value falling to the Panthers at the bottom of the second round. Turner could be a Week 1 starter on the interior of the line.
Chicago Bears: Kyle Fuller (14th), Ego Ferguson (51st), Will Sutton (82nd)
The skinny: Ferguson fills a need but might have gone a little earlier than expected. Given the depth at the position though, you can understand taking him at No. 51. If the Bears get the Sutton of two years ago, the pick looks better than it does.
Dallas Cowboys: Zack Martin (16th), Demarcus Lawrence (34th)
The skinny: After building up so much goodwill in the first round, you know Jerry Jones was going to give it away. The Cowboys paid way too much to move up a handful of spots, but at least they got a replacement for DeMarcus Ware in Lawrence.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Blake Bortles (3rd), Marqise Lee (39th), Allen Robinson (61st), Brandon Linder (93rd)
The skinny: Bortles gets two weapons in the second round, and both are big value picks. Lee might not be a huge star in Jacksonville, but he'll be a reliable pro for a long time, and Robinson can run after the catch. Much better second day for David Caldwell.
Good job, good effort
New York Giants: Odell Beckham Jr. (12th), Weston Richburg (43rd), Jay Bromley (74th)
The skinny: Beckham was a needed weapon, but it seems like the Richburg pick was a bit of a reach, given where the Giants picked. He fills another hole on the roster, but the pick is not as great as a good defensive player would have been. Bromley comes down from upstate to add to the middle of the defense.
Seattle Seahawks: Traded out of the first round, Paul Richardson (45th), Justin Britt (64th)
The skinny: A little interesting to see Pete Carroll trade back to get Richardson, but that's another speed threat to stretch the field. Russell Wilson has quite the collection of weapons, and Britt should help shore up the line even if he went a little earlier than expected.
New England Patriots: Dominique Easley (29th), Jimmy Garoppolo (62nd)
The skinny: Did the Patriots finally draft the heir apparent to Tom Brady? The quick release of Garoppolo would certainly suggest as much, but it seems a tad excessive to be spending second-round picks on backups.
Philadelphia Eagles:Marcus Smith (26th), Jordan Matthews (42nd), Josh Huff (86th)
The skinny: The Eagles land a much-needed wide receiver in Matthews who will do well in Chip Kelly's system. He won't have the big plays Desean Jackson did, but he'll be Nick Foles' friend. Huff will be great on special teams and should be able to jump right in on offense as a former Kelly player at Oregon.
Tennessee Titans: Taylor Lewan (11th), Bishop Sankey (54th)
The skinny: Lewan was one of the top tackles, but you would have thought the team would have gone elsewhere given its needs. The Titans did find a Chris Johnson replacement in Sankey, who is a different type of player but was Mike Mayock's top running back.
Kansas City Chiefs: Dee Ford (23rd), Phillip Gaines (87th)
The skinny: Thanks to the Alex Smith trade the team didn't have a second-rounder but added Gaines in the third. He's a smaller-school player who some folks really liked and could play early on in Kansas City.
Sorry, Charlie
Buffalo Bills: Sammy Watkins (4th), Cyrus Kouandjio (44th), Preston Brown (73rd)
The skinny: Again, the Bills paid way too much to move up in the first round for Watkins, but they're out of the basement with the addition of Kouandjio. The Alabama tackle fell because of injury concerns, but Buffalo doesn't mind with a great value at No. 44. Basically, the draft got stronger for the team as it went on, and the Bills also got a nice pickup in Brown.
Miami Dolphins:Ja'Wuan James (19th), Jarvis Landry (63rd), Billy Turner (67th)
The skinny: Didn't like the Dolphins' first-round pick, which they could have gotten at No. 63, but at least Ryan Tannehill gets another reliable receiver in Landry. Turner might end up being better than James down the road but is a much better value in the third round.
Indianapolis Colts: Jack Mewhort (59th), Donte Moncrief (90th)
The skinny: We'll keep the Colts down here, thanks to the still-to-be-determined trade that cost them their first-rounder, but Mewhort is a nice boost to the offensive line. Moncrief is a bit raw but could find some playing time down the road for the Colts.
Washington Redskins:Trent Murphy (47th), Morgan Moses (66th), Spencer Long (78th)
The skinny: Well, Washington did move back and fleeced the Cowboys out of a third-round pick, but it was a reach to get Murphy, especially with an offensive lineman like Cyrus Kouandjio available. They did get a steal in Moses in the third round, however, and he could slide in at right tackle. Long had an up-and-down season last year but adds even more depth.
Follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter @BryanDFischer.
