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We are LIVE for the second half of Round 1 of the 2018 NFL Draft, folks!
I’ll be adding running commentary to this as the picks come in, and remember. . .NO GIFs, ladies and gentlemen.
Just for a change of pace, the running commentary will be below the horizontal rule this time. At this rate, the Minnesota Vikings will be on the clock earlier than some may have anticipated.
-At #17, the Los Angeles Chargers get themselves quite a steal with Derwin James, the safety out of Florida State. Great get for them.
-TRADE: After trading out of their initial pick, the Green Bay Packers have made a deal to move up to #18 with the Seattle Seahawks. Not sure who they’re targeting here, but we’ll find out here soon.
Green Bay gives up #27, #76 (third round), and #186 (sixth round) to move up to #18. Seattle also sends #248 (seventh round) to Green Bay.
Green Bay then uses the selection to draft Louisville cornerback Jaire Alexander. That brings their number of NFL-caliber defensive backs to. . .two.
-TRADE: This one doesn’t involve multiple draft picks, but the Pittsburgh Steelers have announced that they have traded wide receiver Martavis Bryant to the Oakland Raiders for the Raiders’ third-round pick (#79 overall).
-Back to the Draft, with the 19th pick, the hometown team for this year’s draft, the Dallas Cowboys, select Boise State linebacker Leighton Vander Esch. Very good pick for them, I think.
-The last of our NFC North rivals has made a selection, as the Detroit Lions have taken Arkansas center Frank Ragnow at #20 overall. So, if you’re scoring at home, the NFC North first-round draft picks (barring one of those three teams moving back up into Round 1) are:
- Chicago Bears - Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
- Green Bay Packers - Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville
- Detroit Lions - Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas
Thought the Vikings might have a shot at Ragnow, but it was not to be.
The Cincinnati Bengals, selecting with the pick they got from the Buffalo Bills for the trade they made about six months ago (or so it seems), continue the offensive line mini-run with the selection of Ohio State center Billy Price. Still plenty of good offensive linemen left on the board, though.
-TRADE: The Baltimore Ravens have traded down again, as the Tennessee Titans have moved up three spots from #25 to #22. With their new selection, the Titans take Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans.
The Ravens got pick #25 and pick #125 (fourth round), while Tennessee gets pick #22 and pick #215 (sixth round).
-At #23 with the pick they got from the Los Angeles Rams for Brandin Cooks, the New England Patriots make it three offensive linemen in the last four selections by taking Georgia guard Isaiah Wynn. Would have been a nice get for Minnesota, but it’s not happening.
-With pick #24, the Carolina Panthers take the first wide receiver off the board with the selection of Maryland wide receiver D.J. Moore (and not Calvin Ridley from Alabama). Can’t remember the last time it took 24 picks for a wide receiver to be selected.
-Hey, everyone, the Baltimore Ravens are on the clock! Again! And this time they actually make a pick! It’s the first tight end off the board, and it is not Dallas Goedert from South Dakota State, but rather South Carolina tight end Hayden Hurst.
-More pass catchers coming off the board, as the Atlanta Falcons select Calvin Ridley at #26.
We’re getting closer to the Vikings’ pick! Are they going to make a pick or trade out?
-Seattle is on the clock again, and they go a ways off the board with the selection of San Diego State running back Rashaad Penny. Absolutely did not see that coming. Wow.
-At pick #28, the Pittsburgh Steelers make another pick that’s a bit of a surprise, as they take Virginia Tech safety Terrell Edmunds. His brother, Tremaine Edmunds, was selected at pick #16 of the first round by the Buffalo Bills.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are now on the clock, followed by YOUR Minnesota Vikings!
-And the Jaguars select Florida defensive tackle Taven Bryan, which means it’s officially our turn!
-You can see our write-up about the Minnesota Vikings’ selection of Central Florida cornerback Mike Hughes right here.
-To finish off the first round, the New England Patriots selected Georgia running back Sony Michel, while the Baltimore Ravens traded back into the first round to select Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson.
We’ll have plenty more about what the Vikings did tonight over the course of the next few hours, and we’ll be right here at it again tomorrow for Rounds 2 and 3. Thanks for joining us tonight, everybody!