Andre Williams goes to the New York Giants
It wasn’t necessarily the fact that Williams went to the Giants, or even that the Giants would be interested in Williams. What was surprising was that Williams fell as far as he did. ESPN had Williams as a third round pick.
However, the slide of running backs in the early rounds of the draft caused Williams to fall into the fourth round, pick No. 13. The Giants get a quality back who gained 963 yards after contact last season, indicating a strong player that they desperately needed.
Arizona Cardinals take Logan Thomas
Thomas, the former Virginia Tech quarterback, was grabbed by the Cardinals in the fourth round. There was much speculation as to where Thomas would go, but the fourth seems relatively high for Thomas.
Thomas struggled with accuracy throughout his time at Virginia Tech, and former Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron was still on the board. The Cardinals seemed to pick too early for the late-round quarterback binge, yet too late to grab any of the elite prospect.
However, Thomas has a lot of upside, so this pick could turn out to be a steal for the Cardinals. It just doesn’t seem like it right now.
Cincinnati Bengals take A.J. McCarron
Speaking of McCarron, he was taken by the Bengals with the 164th pick, in the fifth round. McCarron showed signs of confidence leading into the draft, after relatively strong Pro Day results. However, McCarron had to wait until the fifth round to hear his name.
The former Alabama product, who threw for 9,019 yards, 77 touchdowns and just 15 interceptions, was an interesting pick by the Bengals. It was surprising that he fell that far, but it was also a little questionable that the Bengals got him.
After two years of disappointing playoff losses where starter Andy Dalton did not look strong, the Bengals brought in a quarterback who, maybe not immediately, could test Dalton for the starting job.
Michael Sam to the St. Louis Rams
It was a suspenseful last few minutes of the NFL Draft, waiting to see whether the former Missouri defensive end Michael Sam would be drafted. It became increasingly evident that he may have had to become a free agent, until St. Louis took the chance at pick No. 249 in the seventh round.
Had it not been for terrible combine results, Sam may have heard his name much earlier. However, the Rams, led by Head Coach Jeff Fischer, decided to make history and take a chance on the former SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
The Rams were already pretty stacked in the defensive end and outside linebacker department, but Sam could still find his way on the team.
Wide receiver Bruce Ellington and Martavis Bryant picked in the fourth round
Both wide receivers played a huge role in their teams’ success last year. Ellington, the converted point guard for the South Carolina Gamecocks, had 775 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Bryant, playing behind Sammy Watkins, averaged 20 yards per reception with the Clemson Tigers.
Ellington, who went to the San Francisco 49ers, and Bryant, whom the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted, were both steals in the fourth round.
No one drafted from Texas
Yes, you heard that correctly. Texas had zero players selected in the entire NFL Draft. That means schools like Concordia (Minn.), Saginaw Valley State, Lindenwood and Towson had more players drafted that the former Big 12 force.