Let's Make a Deal--2012 version

The 1st Round of the 2012 NFL Draft has come to an end. Give me a minute and as soon as my head stops spinning from all the trades I should be able to continue. The biggest impact on this draft was not the players but the rookie salary cap. With the new collective bargaining agreement, it is actually lower this year than last. What that meant was that moving up in the draft would cost you a draft pick or 2 but not much money. When the draft rolled around, Monty Hall might as well have calling the picks instead of Roger Goddell. The top 6 picks went as most everyone foresaw, with a little shuffling. Cleveland moved up one spot to get their man in Trent Richardson, and Matt Kalil fell one spot to #4. Jacksonville made the first bold move by moving up in front of St. Louis to get Justin Blackmon, and Dallas made an even bigger move to get Morris Claiborne. Tampa Bay got the best safety of the draft in mark Barron and Miami made a bold move of their own by not moving and selecting Ryan Tannehill. St. Louis seemed to be a step behind and kept missing out on the wide receiver they were looking for to get some help for Sam Bradford. After Jacksonville picked Blackmon, the Rams missed out on Michael Floyd when Arizona selected him at #13. But St. Louis has the first pick of Round 2, and do not be surprised if they take Stephen Hill there, and with two other picks in the round they will be able to fill a lot of holes on Day 2. The big shocker came at #15. Philadelphia moved up from there to #12 to select Fletcher Cox, and Seattle picked Bruce Irvin. Irvin is seen as a pass rushing only specialist, and perhaps as a mid-second rounder at best. Irvin can get to the quarterback, but if the Seahawks are playing from behind then the pick of Irvin may come back to haunt them. Another big surprise came from the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick has made a living out of trading down in the draft and stockpiling picks, this year they move up twice to shore up their defense. Chandler Jones is an excellent outside linebacker, and Dont'a Hightower will anchor the middle for years to come. As for my own mock draft, I had 25 out of the 32 players from my picks selected in the first round. The DSA Player Rankings had 26 out of 32. If anyone out there had A.J. Jenkins going in the 1st Round I give you mad props for that. As for Round 2 tomorrow night, there are 17 players who got first round grades that were listed on the DSA Player Rankings at one time this year who are still available. With the exception of Irvin and Jenkins, there were no real reaches in Round 1. With the talent still available, overall draft grades will be solidified by who the do or do not pick on Friday. Day 1 is done. Let's get ready for Day 2.