The echoes of the last boos at Philadelphia's Museum of Art have faded, erasing the last vestiges of the 2017 NFL draft from theRockysteps.The three-day event, for the most part, went off without a hitch. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, crowd brought new life to the festivities, booing Roger Goodell with fervor not seen since the 2015 Royal Rumble and topping that again when former Cowboy Drew Pearson took the podium.It was a raucous football event that almost felt more like a music festival than a draft. Of course, there also was that whole thing where teams tried to shore up their futures by adding youth to their rosters.With the caveat that we all know that grading drafts is silly immediately afterwardwe're highlighting perceived value here, not player skilllet's take a look at how every team did over the last three days.Best DraftsCleveland BrownsThe Browns didn't panic. It feels almost strange praising Cleveland for the second straight year, yet here we are with general manager Sashi Brown pulling off two straight level-headed weekendseven when it seemed like he was about to Browns it up.Rumors were rampant before Thursday night that the Browns would pass on Myles Garrett and take Mitchell Trubisky with the top overall selection. They didn't. Garrett has been the obvious pick for months, and Brown wisely eschewed the draft's top quarterback in favor of its best player.Cleveland continued its Sam Hinkie-esque compiling of picks at No. 12, trading back so the Houston Texans could draft Deshaun Watson. Michigan safety Jabrill Peppers became the next Browns pick at No. 25, and then they leveraged their war chest of picks to move up to No. 29 to take Miami tight end David Njoku.Then, with the more obvious playmakers off the board, the Browns found their quarterback in the second round. DeShone Kizer was considered by some to be the draft's top quarterback for most of the regular season before Notre Dame fell off to a disappointing 4-8 record. Not all of that was on Kizer, who is raw but has a ton of natural talent.WashingtonWashington has undergone front-office turmoil this offseason but still somehow managed to land some of the biggest steals in this draft.Grabbing Jonathan Allen at No. 17, even with questions about his shoulders, is a pilfering. There was talk of Allen going as high as No. 2 throughout the draft process, and his drop was probably the biggest non-quarterback surprise of Thursday night.UCLA's Fabian Moreau also has injury concerns but first-round talent. Getting him at No. 81 gives Washington a potential starter over the long term. He recorded 31 tackles and two interceptions in his senior season.Perhaps their best selection, however, was Oklahoma running back Samaje Perine. It would be a surprise if he weren't the starter in Washington by the end of 2017. Perine was every bit as brilliant as Joe Mixon as they made the nation's best one-two punch in Norman, rushing for 4,122 yards and 49 touchdowns in his collegiate career. He's not much of a receiver, but he has a bell-cow mentality for first and second down.Steals of NoteDay 1:Reuben Foster, LB, San Francisco 49ers (No. 31 Overall)Foster's slide became a storyline heading into the draft, but no one expected him to be sitting there when the 49ers traded back into the first round at No. 31. After losing Patrick Willis and Chris Borland to early retirements, the 49ers appear to have found an heir apparent.Foster, as a prospect, is one of the best middle linebackers to come out in recent years. He was a fearless leader at Alabama, becoming a unanimous All-American selection and Butkus Award winner this past season.The 49ers also got good medical news, when Foster told reporters he would not need a second surgery on his right shoulder."I'm making big progress," Foster said. "I'll be limited in OTAs. Training camp I'll be a full go. But, if it's my decision, I think I can go now."There's not much to quibble with here. The 49ers traded back one spot from No. 2 to No. 3, then used one of those picks to move up and grab a top-10 talent at No. 31. Smart Day 1 drafting from John Lynch.Day 2: Forrest Lamp, G, Los Angeles Chargers (No. 39 Overall)Guard has always been a position worth waiting on; there are typically very good talents available on the second and third days of the draft. Mistakes like Jonathan Cooper spring to mind instantly when discussing first-round guards.Still, nearly every projection heading into Thursday night had Lamp going off the board in the first. The Western Kentucky product spent nearly his entire career at left tackle and will be making the full-time transition to guard, where he projects as an elite talent.Lamp's pass-blocking skills should be a welcome presence for Philip Rivers, who has been getting pummeled regularly for years He's not going to transform the pass protection from inside, but Lamp has all the makings of a day-one starter.
Click here to read full news..
