WINNER!!! Houston’s Defensive Line
The Texans added two of the marquee down linemen in the draft by ignoring so-called "draft gurus" and picking Jadeveon Clowney first overall and following that up with the draft's best noseguard in Louis Nix. After fortifying the defense, the lucky quarterback who gets to be tutored by coach Bill O’Brien is Pitt's Tom Savage. I first heard about him when you did, as he surged past more collegiately decorated QBs out of Alabama and Georgia on draft boards this spring.
LOSER!!! The Bills, Who Drafted Like It Was 2013
The Bills would have had a dynamo draft a year ago. In 2013, they would have picked one of the most electric wideouts and offensive linemen in the country. However, they chased a questionable trade with Alabama’s Cyrus Kouandjio, who had a "meh" 2013 senior season. Meanwhile, their offensive-line-heavy draft suggests Bills officials believe E.J. Manuel is ready to take the next step. Color me skeptical.
LOSER!!! New England Fails to Give Brady any Significant New Weapons
For all the picks New England had and all the holes they had to fill, selecting Eastern Illinois QB Jimmy Garoppolo when they already have Tom Brady and Ryan Mallett was one of the more questionable moves of the weekend. They've stranded Brady for another season while continuing to allow their defense to atrophy with age.
WINNER AND LOSER!!! Jacksonville QB Blake Bortles
Blake's a winner and a loser here. If games were won on paper, the Jags would have one of the best offenses. They gave Blake Bortles two of the top wide-outs available and his old college running back. On the flip side. I don't know how Jacksonville intends to keep Bortles upright behind a patchwork offensive line. Then again, I wouldn't worry about him too much.
WINNER!!! AJ McCarron and HBO Sports
The Bengals scored a proven winner in McCarron, who's more of playmaker than given credit. The only downside is Cincy already has a QB with similar tools. But if Dalton continues to be mediocre, the Bungles can feel comfortable throwing McCarron in since everyone knows wideout AJ Green will catch anything. At least HBO knows they have a couple willing to smile for the camera if they decide to revisit the Bengals camp for this year's edition of Hard Knocks.
LOSER!!! The University at Texas Men's Football Program
In less than 10 years, the largest state school in America's richest football state went from this...
...to this....
...to where they are now.
For the first time since 1937, the Texas Longhorns failed to have a player selected in the NFL draft: http://t.co/kvsxAEi5VG
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) May 12, 2014