Broad Street Believers

Recapping Day 4:
All three favorites came away with wins, with the great Lionel Messi leaving two defenders on the ground before threading the needle on a vintage goal that proved to be the difference in Argentina’s 2-1 win.  The game of the day was easily the Swiss comeback over Ecuador.  Ecuador had a nice chance to win it late in extra time but couldn’t pull the trigger on a shot, then the Swiss came sprinting back on the counter and stuck their own game-winner with 20 seconds left.  My Bourganel Aux Myrtilles was brewed not too far from the Swiss border, so clearly both France and Switzerland were inspired by the refreshing, bilberry-infused brew.

Today’s Games:
Noon: Germany vs. Portugal
3PM: Iran vs. Nigeria
6PM: USA vs. Ghana

Today’s Drink:
Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel. The oldest brewery on the planet, they’ve been brewing beer at this monastery on Weihenstephan Hill since 1040.  That’s almost a thousand years!  This is a “dunkel”, or dark, wheat beer, which I’m not sure I’ve ever had before.  It’s just a 40-minute drive to the brewery from downtown Munich, where 7 of the top 10 players on the current German team ply their trade, for Bayern Munich of the Bundesliga.

Highlighted Game:
Apologies to the Yanks, it’s Germany-Portugal.  Just the way he likes it, all eyes will be on Cristiano Ronaldo when he’s anywhere near the ball.  It will be interesting if the Germans start captain Philipp Lahm at right back, because he’ll be around Ronaldo a lot.  If Ronaldo fails to put in defensive effort, as he is wont to do, Lahm could wreak havoc up the right side for the Germans, swinging crosses into the box.  When Ronaldo is looking to score, he’ll have to deal with Manuel Neuer, arguably the world’s best goalkeeper.  After Messi’s goal last night, you know Ronaldo badly wants to match him.

Recapping Day 3:
The Fuller’s London Porter was fantastic, with complex flavors including notes of coffee, chocolate, and the tears of a working-class Londoner, as the long-suffering Brits got the heartbreak earlier than usual this year.  The Italy-England game was a big surprise in how both teams went on the attack to make for an exciting game, which has become the norm at this World Cup.

19-year-old Raheem Sterling looks like the next Great Hope for England, as he turned in an incredible game, including the first beautiful pass that led to Rooney’s beautiful pass and Daniel Sturridge’s finish on England’s lone goal.  There were good signs from both teams here, really, and England will still have a chance to move on.

The old standbys of Italy and England were overshadowed on this day, though, by Colombia and Costa Rica announcing their presence in this tournament.  Colombia goes up against the stingy defense of Greece without their world-class striker, and put the ball in the net three times.  That team looks explosive, though we’ll see if the defense can hold against the better teams.  Tip of a hat to the Colombian fans, who made this like a home game for their team, which should be a boost throughout the tournament if they can keep that up.

Costa Rica turns in the surprise of the tournament so far, topping a Uruguay team that just did not look good, with three really nice goals.  The word seems to be that Luis Suarez will be back for the England game on Thursday, but the fact that he didn’t even come into this game when they fell behind in the second half strongly suggests that he’s struggling with the knee surgery recovery.  Even if he does play, how effective will he be?  And can Uruguay earn any points from England and Italy without him?

Today’s Games:
Noon: Switzerland vs. Ecuador
3PM: France vs. Honduras
6PM: Argentina vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina

Today’s Drink:
Bourganel Aux Myrtilles. Brewed in southern France, this lager is infused with pure bilberry juice from the Ardeche region.  What’s a bilberry, you ask?  Well, it’s like a blueberry.  French striker Karim Benzema is a Lyon native, not far from where this beer was brewed.  With Franck Ribery out injured and with Benzema coming off a starring role for the European champs, Real Madrid, the pressure is on for him to put the ball into the back of the net for this French squad.

Highlighted Game
Switzerland-Ecuador should be really interesting, but I have to go with the Argentines making their debut at this tournament, along with Bosnia & Herzegovina as the only team in the whole field that is making their true debut, as this will be their first ever World Cup game.

B&H (lets just call them that) are apparently an attacking side.  Not a total surprise since they do feature a starting striker for the Prem League champs, Edin Dzeko of Man City.  That means this should be yet another up-and-down, attacking game.

It also means that Argentina need to put their stamp on this tournament right away and pump in a couple goals.  Messi has just one World Cup goal to his name.  He doesn’t have to score, there’s two other world-class goal scorers playing right alongside him, but he has to be a threat and be creating, if not scoring.

For B&H, there’s less pressure in this one.  Their first World Cup game ever, and if they were to even grab a point here it would be great, as they then head into games with Nigeria and Iran.

Recapping Day 2:
What the hell happened to the reigning champs??  The Netherlands may be a team of just a couple big stars, but those stars obviously delivered in a big way, with two goals apiece from Van Persie and Robben.  The more interesting thing here, of course, is can the Spanish turn the page from this rout?  They lost their first match at the last World Cup also, but it was nothing like this demolition.

As for my drinking quest, I’ve gotten off to a rough start here.  First, the fake caipirinha on Thursday and, yesterday, I failed to have a beverage from one of the six nations in competition.  In my defense, I ended up at a German beer hall and was forced to drink German beers, but hey, that’s close to Dutch beer, right?  In any event, I’ll get on track starting today.

Today’s Games:
Noon: Colombia vs. Greece
3PM: Uruguay vs. Costa Rica
6PM: England vs. Italy
9PM: Ivory Coast vs. Japan

Today’s Drink:
Fuller’s London Porter. Just like modern football itself, the porter-style beer originated in England.  Porters were first popularized while England was still the “mother country” of the American colonies, and it was named after the porters of the city who carried goods around the streets of London.  Fuller’s London Porter is widely considered to be the world’s finest porter, so what better way to welcome the Brits to this competition.  Wayne Rooney looks like a man who enjoys a well-made porter.

Highlighted Game:
England/Italy. Two European powers clash in a rain forest.  It will be interesting to see how these teams handle the heat and humidity and poor field conditions that they’ll face in Manaus. Many teams have a player in the point guard role, but Italy has a quarterback.  Andrea Pirlo hangs in the middle of the field and picks apart defenses, if given time.  He’ll be trying to connect on the long-ball passes to Mario Balotelli, in the wide receiver role, while England tries to find a way to keep the heat on Pirlo and Balotelli under wraps downfield.

Recapping Day 1:
The Brazilians pick up the 3 points after a lackluster performance and a terrible call for a penalty shot.  I don’t want to be that guy who comes in as a new fan to a sport and starts calling for rule changes, but I absolutely think the penalty shot should have to be taken by the player that was fouled.  It’s a high percentage shot anyway, why do you get to choose your best guy to take the shot?  Give it to the guy who “earned” the penalty kick.

My caipirinha was not really a caipirinha and the rainy, dreary weather here in PA didn’t help in making it feel Brazil-like, but I think my actions inspired my Chelsea man, Oscar, to a great game.  I’m not sure where those types of performances were in the second-half of the Premier League season, but he was the Man of the Match, in my opinion.

Croatia played right with them, but they clearly lacked the speed and creativity in attack that Neymar and Oscar showed for Brazil, and their keeper left something to be desired.  Still, they get their top striker (Mandzukic) back from suspension for the next game and they still have a very real chance of moving out of this group.

Today’s Games (see Bry’s previews below)
Noon- Mexico vs. Cameroon
3PM- Spain vs. Netherlands
6PM- Chile vs. Australia

Today’s Drink
To Be Determined. For the vast majority of World Cup days, I’ll be at home base pulling from the fridge.  But, for today, I’m taking the show into South Philly and will be choosing from what’s on offer in some of the local establishments. My hope is to find some good Dutch beer but, if all else fails, I’m sure a Corona, Amstel Light, or, God forbid, a Foster’s can be found.

Highlighted Game
How could it not be Spain/Netherlands, a rematch of the 2010 Cup Final?  There’s some question marks surrounding both squads.  A lot more questions for the Dutch, but more interesting ones for Spain.  Is the Spanish dynasty crumbling, or does this generation of players have one more major triumph in them?  Can newcomer Diego Costa inject some added punch to the attack?  How will Costa, Brazilian born and raised, handle the pressure of being seen as a traitor playing in his native land? Goalkeeper Iker Casillas has thrown up shutout after shutout in major tournaments, but he lost his spot at times for Real Madrid this season.  How much does he have left?

I’m down on the Dutch and would be surprised if Spain doesn’t win this one, but Arjen Robben should find a way to get the ball on his powerful left foot a couple times and really test Casillas.

Today’s Games
4PM: Brazil vs. Croatia

Today’s Drink
Caipirinha – In honor of the host country opening the tournament, it’s Brazil’s national cocktail.  A caipirinha is traditionally made with cachaca, sugar, and lime.  I’m going to cheat and make mine with rum instead of cachaca, but oh well.

Highlighted Game
The only one of the day, Brazil and Croatia.

Croatia’s team has only been in existence since the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991.  They finished in 3rd Place at their first World Cup, in 1998.  Yugoslavia also included Bosnia and Herzegovina, who is also in this World Cup, as well as Serbia and Slovenia, who both played in the 2010 Cup.  Amazingly, Yugoslavia’s best ever finish in a World Cup was 4th, in 1962.

Their best player is Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric, but also keep an eye on the youngest player on the team, 20-year-old Mateo Kovacic, an up-and-comer in the Italian League.

For Brazil, of course, there’s a lot to watch.  Chelsea midfielder Oscar will most likely be playing the point guard role as the “#10,” and trying to distribute the ball to Neymar, Fred, and Hulk.  The center backs are interesting, with maybe the best in the world, Thiago Silva, paired with David Luiz, who is liable to lose a game with a poor decision.

It’s finally here.  The greatest sporting event in the world (ok, I have it second to the NCAA tourney) kicks offs this afternoon in Brazil.

Ever since I decided to jump on the growing Belgium bandwagon for this World Cup, late last year, I’ve had this image in my head: rooting on the Belgians in the summer, while drinking an array of Belgian ales.  Really, it was a daydream to get me through the frozen-over days of winter and, of course, an excuse to drink Belgian beer.

As the tournament has approached, I’ve made my plan more ambitious.  Each day of the tournament (or at least close to it), I plan on sampling an adult beverage from one of the nations competing in that day’s action.  So far, in pursuit of this quest, I’ve made a visit to a craft beer store in Brooklyn and my local Wegman’s beer shop, here in PA.

Each day, I plan on detailing that day’s drink, along with, I guess, some thoughts on the actual game action from the tournament.

World Cup 2014 is here.  Go Belgium!

Last year, after a number of failed attempts over the years, I finally managed to turn myself into a soccer fan. I chose a Premier League team to root for (Chelsea), and proceeded to immerse myself in the world of European football, all from the comfort of my couch in suburban Pennsylvania. With a solid 10 months of fandom now under my belt, I’m ready to spout ill-informed and very amateurish opinions about the upcoming World Cup.

32 teams arrive in Brazil this week, all hoping to hoist the trophy as World Champs next week. Only 12 have any chance. Or at least that’s the very arbitrary number I’ve chosen to say have any chance. Among those 12 is most definitely not your US Men’s National team. Just ask their coach. So, before we move on to the teams that will decide this thing, a quick word on the Americans:

The good news is that Tim Howard is probably one of the top ten goalkeepers in the world. The bad news is that the U.S. defense might be so bad that that means very little. A team’s two central defenders have to be able to work together and react to each other like the drummer and bass player in a jazz band. This team’s four central defender options have very little experience together and very little experience, period, playing the level of competition they’ll see in Brazil. Besides the goalkeeper, the team’s best players are Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey, who both play in MLS. That basically makes this team the equivalent of a country that shows up to the Olympic basketball tournament and their best players play in the Greek league. Of course, all they have to do is advance out of this “Group of Death”, and they can call the tournament a success.

THE LONGSHOTS

These seven teams have slim chance, if things break right, of a championship.

12. Portugal- You could argue they shouldn’t be on this list, but my counter is two words: Cristiano Ronaldo. Soccer is absolutely a team sport, but when you have a transcendent talent like Ronaldo, crazy things can happen. U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann will have nightmares of Ronaldo reeking havoc on the back line of his defense. Nani didn’t have a great year for Man U, but he was strong in the Euro 2012 tourney and gives them a dangerous wing threat. They also feature two other starters (besides Ronaldo) from the newly crowned champs of Europe, Real Madrid.

11. Colombia- These guys would certainly be higher on the list, but their best player, Radamel Falcao, is out of the tourney with an injury. I’m leaving them in the “teams with a shot” though for a couple reasons. One, with the tournament in Brazil, all South American teams get a boost. I think that’s a legitimate edge for them. Two, they’ve been placed in a very easy group, which should put them in a good position as likely group winners heading into the knockout stage. Finally, I’ve heard a lot of good things about them. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve seen any of these guys play, so let’s just move on.

10. Netherlands- As the runner-ups of World Cup 2010, it may be surprising to see this team so far down the list. But four years is a long time and this team has a rapidly aging core. Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie are world-class goal scorers, but both are on the wrong side of 30, and Van Persie has had a lot of trouble staying healthy. Wesley Sneijder has also gone downhill since being named Europe’s best midfielder in 2010. The feeling here is that they had their chance in ’10 and the window has now closed.

9. England- As opposed to a team like Colombia, I’m pretty familiar with all 23 on this roster. They’re rock solid footballers, but do they have that something special to put them over the top? If they do, it’s the name you often hear: Wayne Rooney. Stephen Gerrard is as good a leader/captain as there is in sports. Watch Danny Welbeck move around the pitch and picture him as an NFL cornerback.

8. Italy- Only Brazil has won more World Cups than the Azzurri, but this isn’t the finest hour in their history. Yes, they did win the ’06 Cup, but the fact that they have a bunch of guys still hanging around from that team, eight years later, isn’t necessarily a huge plus. Andrea Pirlo and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon are legends, but have a combined age of over 70. Daniele De Rossi and Thiago Motta are both very good players and both past 30. One star right in his prime is the controversial striker Mario Balotelli. They need him to lead the tournament in goals if they’re going to win it.

7. France- This team was looking like my real darkhorse until news broke a couple days ago that their best player, Franck Ribery, is out with an injury. Still, they have the guys to replace his goal-scoring ability to some extent, with Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema, along with Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann. Paul Pogba is a rising star in the midfield and they have a fleet of backline players from top teams in England.

6. Uruguay- The third team on this list from Group D, along with England and Italy, which means that one of those teams will go out early, and also that the three games they meet in the group stage will be must-watch games. Luis Suarez is coming off a season where he set the Premier League record for goals per game, and he’ll team up with Paris St-Germain striker Edinson Cavani to form a deadly scoring duo. They made the semifinals in 2010, and now they’re playing very close to home, but there still probably isn’t enough talent behind Suarez and Cavani to carry them further this time around.

EVERYBODY’S DARKHORSE

5. Belgium- One of the main reasons I chose Chelsea as my team last year was the magic of Belgian Eden Hazard. If for no other reason than him, I would be a Belgium supporter in this tournament. Then, I started noticing really good Belgians all over the Premier League. I was surprised. How could such a small country, who’s national team I’d never heard anything about, have so many top players. It turns out the Belgians are experiencing a “Golden Age” of football talent, and I’m far from the only one to notice. Even though they didn’t even qualify for the last two World Cups, many have pegged them as a darkhorse contender in Brazil. I will be rooting for them but, most likely, they just don’t have the experience and all-around pedigree to win a world championship. With all the young talent thought, 2018 might be their year. Their best striker, Christian Benteke, is out with an injury, but aside from Hazard they also feature arguably the best defender in the world in Vincent Kompany, who just captained Man City to the Premier League title. They also feature budding stars Romelu Lukaku, Adnan Januzaj, and Thibault Courtois, who many call the best young keeper in the world.

THE FAVORITES

Four teams left and these teams constitute the top tier. On a purely neutral field, Spain and Germany clearly have the two best teams in the world. But Brazil and Argentina are arguably the third and fourth best teams in the world, and they get to play close to home, or AT home for Brazil, of course. Here’s how I see it shaking out.

4. Spain- Spain is in the midst of a dynasty, having won the last three “major” tournaments (’08 Euro Cup, ’10 World Cup, ’12 Euro). They’re still loaded with talent from top to bottom and have added Brazilian-native striker Diego Costa to their fleet of world-class midfielders. It just seems like it’s time for them to take a step back and for their “tiki-taka” style of quick, accurate passes to be put out to pasture. They do have some question marks on defense and goalkeeper Iker Casillas is starting to show his age. Spain goes down in the semifinals to the Argentinians.

3. Brazil- Tons of talent, playing on home soil, what’s not to like? Am I not picking them just to be different? No. They certainly have a good chance, but I don’t think the Brazilians will take home this cup. I might be biased though. Four of them play for Chelsea and none turned in a great season this year. David Luiz, in particular, was the worst performer Chelsea had, and he will start for Brazil. An incredible athlete with great size, speed, and athleticism on defense, he just makes too many fatal mistakes. Also, Oscar is supposed to be one other their top midfielders, but he wasn’t even starting for Chelsea a lot of the time late in the season. Finally, they’re only legit goalscorer is Neymar, who’s coming off a pedestrian season at Barcelona and, at 22 years old, is dealing with the pressure of having to deliver the lion’s share of the goals for the home country in the World Cup. When they hit adversity, they will hear it from the crowds, and I think they buckle under the pressure, especially against a foe as strong as the Germans, who I have them losing to in the semifinals.

2. Argentina- The other three “Favorites” probably have two truly elite strikers combined (Neymar and Costa). Argentina has four, and one of them just happens to be the best player of his generation. Aside from Messi, they have Sergio Aguero (of Prem League champs Man City), Gonzalo Higuain, and Ezequiel Lavezzi. They also have one of the world’s best midfielders, Angel Di Maria. Yes, they’re fairly weak defensively, but I see Messi shaking off his “down” year and delivering for his national team for the first time ever in a major tournament. In the end, they’ll come up just short, but have some dominating, high-scoring wins along the way.

1. Germany- Zie Germans! Yes, I’ll take the Germans to find a way to become the first European team to win a World Cup in South America, as they’re able to hold off Messi and Aguero in a somewhat free-wheeling 3-2 Finals victory. They just took a blow last week with the injury to Marco Reus but, the fact is, Reus is really good, but just another guy on this loaded roster. They come at you in waves from the midfield, with Schweinsteiger, Ozil, and Kroos controlling the ball and making all the right decisions, and their steady and heady captain, Philip Lahm, pulling things together if things start to go off track.

Okay, so on the one hand, I kind of want to see these two teams run it back. They’re clearly the two best teams, and without Ibaka at 100%, I think the Thunder would have been fodder. On the other hand, isn’t it bad for a sport when the same teams are in the playoffs and finals every year?

I used to love the NBA. It was a simpler time, when defense was legal, and superstars couldn’t take 4 steps without being called for a travel. Palming was called with some regularity, except on Jordan, on who I only saw it called once. When was the last time you saw a palming call in the NBA? I think I was in college.

By the way, I don’t want to get into a whole thing here, but people who say LeBron is better than Jordan literally don’t know sh*t. Jordan did what he did when defense was allowed and you couldn’t palm or travel. The second best player on his team was Pippen, the third best was Rodman, who couldn’t shoot or score a lick. LeBron plays with Wade and Bosh and, when he didn’t, he didn’t win anything. Jordan played in a stacked East; Lebron plays in the worst East in my lifetime. Hell, the Pacers were a one seed and made the finals, and they were a hot mess.

But back to my main point. Do we want to see another Heat/Spurs final? Are how these two teams got here good for the sport?

San Antonio may be smarter than everybody else, but they only got Tim Duncan because David Robinson got hurt. If David Robinson doesn’t get hurt, there is absolutely NO way the Spurs get Tim Duncan, and they don’t win all those games regardless of how smart they are. The Heat win because three of the leagues best players made a collusive agreement to win a bunch of championships together. Injuries and collusive nonsense swing an entire decade of the NBA? Is that good?

Pick 3 NFL players who, if they made a collusive agreement to all play on the same team, could swing the entire league.

Pick 3 MLB players who, if they made a collusive agreement to all play on the same team together, could swing the entire league.

Football and Baseball have more guys on the field at more time, and they require more coordination. I submit that NO three players in either sport could swing the entire league.

The rules in baseball have been the same forever. The rules in football have changed slightly over time to favor more offense, but it is still POSSIBLE to assemble a dominating defense. Teams try, with varying success, every year. Seattle won it all with a dominating defense, in particular, their secondary. In the NBA, defense is now all but illegal. Case in point — name a team in the NBA with a dominating defense. Maybe, kinda, on the right nights, the pacers or bulls assuming that they’re getting the benefit of some calls. The idea of a defense dominating their way to a championship like the seahawks did in the nfl this year? Laughable.

So, I guess what I’m saying is, I don’t really like how either of these teams got here, and I don’t particularly like that we’re watching them in the finals AGAIN. Don’t get me wrong, they deserve to be here, because I think these are clearly the two best teams. I just don’t like HOW they became the two best teams, or what that means for the league.

First, let me say that I agree with a lot of what Bry said. I think the eagles had, at best, a strange draft, and at worst a terrible draft. I have a really hard time getting to using a first round pick on Marcus Smith. If that’s your guy, why not trade back into the early second round with a team looking to come up and get a QB (or anything else really)? Was there really a big risk that Marcus Smith would have been gone at 38?

I wanted to get this up ranking the first 16 of the first round earlier, but I’ve been busy starting a law firm. No really: Stri’s Law Firm. If you live in the Charlotte, NC area and you get sexually harassed at work, I TOTALLY have you covered.

Anyway, here are my thoughts on the early part of Round 1.

Houston Texans: Jadeveon Clowney (Stri’s Mock, Jadeveon Clowney):

I still think they wanted to trade back and get a QB, but they were looking for the Redskins/Rams RGIII deal and nobody was biting. So they did the smart thing and took the best player. This grade would have been an A, except they never followed it up with the next obvious move, taking one of the available QB’s with their 2nd rd pick or trading up two spots for Bridgewater. If the Texans, who don’t have many holes, would have traded up TWO spots, they would have come away with Clowney and Bridewater (who was himself seen as a top 5 pick before his pro day). Why not do that Houston?!? It’s SO obvious.

Grade: B+

StL: Greg Robinson (Stri’s Mock: Greg Robinson)

I guess the Greg Robinson rumors to the Rams were as true as advertised. I don’t love the pick — as I said in the mock they should take Sammy Watkins and get a primary receiving threat to make Austin a dangerous slot guy. But Robinson’s a great prospect at a premium position, so it’s hard to get on them too much.

Grade: B+

Jacksonville Jags: Blake Bortles (Stri’s Mock: Sammy Watkins).

Honestly, what in the hell are the Jags doing? The worst franchise in the NFL makes yet another dumb move. Instead of trading down to fill their 100s of holes, or grabbing an impact position player, they take a QB so high that they’ll want to start him behind an atrocious offensive line with nobody to throw the ball to. What could go wrong? Bortles is about to have his whole career David Carr’ed.

Grade: D-

Buffalo Bills: Sammy Watkins (Stri’s Mock Taylor Lewan at 9)

The bills biggest needs were at O-line and WR and they trade up to get the best WR in the draft. I really like the move, but it came at a heavy heavy price.

Grade: B+

Raiders: Khalil Mack (Stri’s Mock: Blake Bortles).

Everyone is in love with Mack…except this guy. For some reason, I have never been a Mack fan. Just a feeling, but I don’t think he’s going to be the impact player at the next level that everyone thinks.

Grade: B

Falcons: Jake Matthews (Stri’s Mock: Jake Matthews).

A good team that needs to keep Matt Ryan upright does the smart thing and takes the most polished o-lineman in the draft.

Grade: A

Bucs: Mike Evans (Stri’s Mock: Mike Evans)

This was the right pick for the bucs all along. They needed to get another WR and when Evans fell into their laps, they did the right thing.

Grade: A

Browns: Justin Gilbert (Stri’s Mock: Johnny Manziel)

Now THIS is how you run a draft. I had the Browns taking Manziel at 4 and then coming back later in Rd. 1 to get their DB. Instead, they trade back, get the best DB in the draft, and STILL come away with Manziel. Great first round. Then their star wr Gordon gets suspended for the year. God really does hate Cleveland.

Grade A+++

Vikings: Anthony Barr (Stri’s Mock: Khalil Mack)

I think I blew this in the mock because I value Mack lower than pretty much everyone else in the universe. Truth be told, I’m not that high on Barr either. He seemed to gain a lot of momentum late in the draft process, but I don’t love him as a top 10 talent.

Grade: B-

Lions: Eric Ebron (Stri’s Mock, Justin Gilbert)

This pick really pissed me off because I wanted Ebron to be sitting there so the Giants could pass on him and I could write a I TOLD YOU SO to every so called draft expert who had the Giants taking Ebron. At least Jerry Reese said after the draft that Ebron “wasn’t really on our Board”, that made me feel better. In any event, this is an atrocious pick. Anytime you’re taking a tight end who doesn’t block in the top 10, you’re doing something wrong. And you can talk all you want about Jimmy Graham and Vernon Davis: when your pick HAS to turn into one of those two guys to justify it…let’s just say the odds aren’t great that you’re going to be happy in 5 years.

Grade: D

Titans: Taylor Lewan (Stri’s Mock, Darqueeze Dennard)

I really like Lewan, I think he’s a bruiser, but where does he play on this Titan’s line? Believe me, nobody subscribes to the idea of you can never have too many good offensive linemen more than I do. But the Titans just signed Michael Oher to play Lewan’s projected position. Do you move the 11th pick in the draft inside to guard? It seems a little odd to fortify a strength when there were so many other things to do with this pick, even if that strength is the critical o-line.

Grade: B

The NY Football Giants: Odell Beckham (Stri’s Mock: Aaron Donald).

Before the draft, I really wanted the Giants to take a first round WR to replace Nicks. But I knew Watkins and Evans would be gone and that the Giants wouldn’t get one of those guys because they rarely trade up, especially in the first round. I discounted Beckham as a possibility because I thought he was too similar to Cruz, and thought instead that the Giants would get their DT here and then pick up a bigger WR in a deep class in the later rounds. But they go with Beckham here, a great talent and a versatile WR, but not the big jump ball kind of WR1 that Nicks was and that Eli has always had (plaxico, nicks). I like the pick, but I’m still concerned about having two small WRs, even if the book on Beckham is that he plays bigger than his height.

Grade: B

Rams: Aaron Donald (Stri’s Mock: Clinton-Dix).

This is a tremendous value here…but with a very high bust risk. There is no doubting Donald’s production in college, but he is so small for a DT that he could get swallowed up at the next level. He almost projects better as a Justin Tuck type DE, but that’s a position he’s never really played. Hopefully for the Rams, he can bulk up while maintaining his devastatingly quick first step.

Grade: B+

Bears: Kyle Fuller (Stri’s Mock, Anthony Barr).

I have no problems with the Bears trying to go DB, but I think this was really high for Fuller with both Dennard and Pryor sitting there. Fuller is a guy whose stock rose late, and I’m not sure what the rise was based on. In any event, I can’t justify him over a guy like Dennard.

Grade: C-

Steelers: Ryan Shazier (Stri’s mock, Timmy Jernigan)

Shazier was a polarizing figure pre-draft. Either you love him or you think he’s terribly over-rated. I really like Shazier, and I think he fits well scheme wise with the Steelers. The only question is whether this was too high for him and the Steelers could have traded back a few spots and still got their man.

Grade: B

Cowboys: Zack Martin (Stri’s mock, Calvin Pryor)

I have no problem with Martin. Again, I think you can never have enough solid o-linemen. The problem is that this pick does nothing to address that secondary. You can’t keep getting beat over the top so much. How do you not take Pryor here and address that glaring problem? As a giants fan, I’m happy with this pick.

Grade: C+

Baltimore Ravens: C.J Mosely (Stri’s mock, Zach Martin)

I like C.J. Mosely and he seems like a good fit on the ravens. I thought pre-draft that they would look o-line, but they could also use a linebacker and this seems like good value here.

Grade: B

NY Jets: Calvin Pryor (Stri’s mock, Eric Ebron)

In mock 1, I had the Jets looking DB and then changed it because mock 2 had all of the elite DBs gone by this pick. In picking Pryor, the jets get arguably the best safety in the draft, which I think will help their depleted secondary. The problem, however, is that they still don’t have any corners, and Rex bases his entire D scheme on press corners. So what do they do? Play more zone? I have no idea, but so far I don’t think Idzik is hitting it out of the park in any facet of the GM job.

The Grade: B+

Dolphins: James JuWaun (stri’s mock: Xavier Su’a Filo)

So I was right about the dolphins taking an o-lineman, just missed on which one it would be. And for good reason, as this seems like a reach. And I am never a big fan of reaching for a need. Again, I wonder why if this was their guy, the Fins didn’t trade back and get some more picks.

Grade: D

Saints: Brandin Cooks (stri’s mock, Jason Verett at 27).

Cooks fits amazingly well into what the Saints do on offense as a Sproles type. While they had to come up to get him, they didn’t get completely fleeced in the deal. I love the aggressiveness, especially from a good team without a lot of wholes that can afford to give up draft picks.

Grade: A-

Packers: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (stri’s mock, CJ Mosely)

I really like Dix, I think he’s an impact player on the defensive side. As a giants fan, I was happy he didn’t fall to the eagles. Plus, the packers got value here.

Grade: B+

Browns: Johhny Manziel (stri’s mock, Bradley Roby)

I had Manziel mocked to the Browns at 4, and they pick him up at 22 after getting the best corner in the draft. How can you not like that? It’s weird to see Cleveland making smart moves.

Grade: A+++

Chiefs: Dee Ford (stri’s mock, Odell Beckham)

I don’t get this one. I know you can never have too many pass rushers and its fine value, but the Chiefs have Houston and Hali at DE already. I think they would have been much better served going after a weapon on offense. With few holes and a higher pick than the Saints, they could have done what New Orleans did and gotten Brandin Cooks.

Grade: C-

Bengals: Darqueeze Dennard (stri’s mock, Dee Ford)

I can’t figure out why so many teams with a need at corner (e.g. jets, cowboys) passed on Dennard or why the Bears too Kyle Fuller in front of him. In any event, the Bengals get great value here, as Dennard projects as one of the best cover corners in the draft.

Grade: B+

Chargers: Jason Verrett (stri’s mock, Louis Nix).

Something must of come out about Louis Nix pre-draft, because he plummeted. He was still on the Board when the Giants, who needed a DT, picked in the third round…and they passed. As for Verrett, he’s a solid corner and this is the range where he was projected to go. But he’s from a small school, which I think is usually riskier.

Grade: B

Eagles: Marcus Smith (stri’s mock, Kony Ealy).

Well, I was right about them going pass rusher, but Marcus Smith? That’s a hard one to figure. I know they traded back, but they could have traded back further, even into the second round, and still got him while acquiring more picks. Chip Kelly seems like a guy who knows what he’s doing, but I don’t get this pick.

Grade: D+

Arizona Cardinals: Deone Bucannon (stri’s mock, Cyrus Kouandjio)

A terrible pick on 3 fronts. First, it’s too high for Bucannon from a value point. Second, the Cardinals badly need offensive line help and Su’a Filo was sitting here for them. Finally, Bucannon wasn’t even the best player at his position left because Jimmy Ward was here. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Grade: D-

Carolina Panthers: Kelvin Benjamin (stri’s mock, Brandin Cooks)

So, I was right about them going WR, but the Saints moved up and stole Cooks so they settle for Benjamin. It’s a fine pick, but they have to be disappointed that one of the better WRs didn’t fall.

Grade: B

Pats: Dominique Easly (stri’s mock, Rasheed Hageman)

Again, I was right about them going DT, just picked the wrong DT. This is a boom or bust pick. Easly could be great and would have been a much higher pick if he didn’t injure both knees in college. Big DTs and knee injuries don’t mix well, so this pick will be dependent on how he holds up.

Grade: B

49ers: Jimmy Ward (stri’s mock, Kyle Fuller)

Since Fuller went about 15 picks too high, the 49ers went with Ward here. I think he was the best DB on the board at this point, which was a position of need. I like the pick.

Grade: B+

Broncos: Bradley Roby (stri’s mock, Ryan Shazier)

Roby falls a bit and the Broncos scoop him up. I think this is a great pick because they get the best player left on the board in a division where you need lots of corners. The smart teams keep doing smart things.

Grade: A-

Minnesota Vikings: Teddy Bridgewater (stri’s mock, seahawks taking Kelvin Benjamin)

I mentioned in the mock that the seahawks would look to move out of the first round to save themselves a bunch of salary cap dough, which is exactly what they did. With Bridegwater, the only elite QB left, falling to this point, the Seahawks were in a position to ransom the pick to someone trying to get in front of the Texans. Like I said, smart teams keep doing smart things. I love it for the Vikings. Bridgewater was once considered a potential first pick based on what he did in pads. He fell because of what he did in a t-shirt on his pro day. Personally, I don’t know what kind of NFL QB he’ll be, but he’s certainly worth the risk of a 32nd pick.

Like I said at the start, I can’t figure out why the Texans allowed this to happen. They should have trumped Minnesota’s offer using the first pick in the 2nd round and taken Bridgewater themselves. Moving up one pick and snagging Bridgewater would have put them in a FAR better position this year and beyond than standing pat and going with a bag of dirty socks at QB.