The NFL Draft gambles that teams will regret almost immediately

It's been a few weeks since the NFL Draft. The excitement has worn off, which means it's a perfect time to start looking at some of the selections made in the draft through the lens of, "Uhh, wait, why exactly did they pick that guy?"

Sometimes these are obvious. Like, I didn't even bother writing about the Cardinals taking Jeremiyah Love even though it was a bad use of a top-five pick because, well...we all know already that taking a running back that high is bad. Some of these, though, might not be quite as apparent to the casual fan.

The Giants passing on Caleb Downs

This is less of a regret from a team-building perspective — I personally loved what the New York Giants did by adding potentially elite players on both sides of the ball — and more from a "letting our division rival get this guy will come back to bite us" perspective.

This brings up an interesting question, which is how much should you be thinking about blocking other teams in the draft. Offensive line and safety were both positions of need for the Giants this offseason, and finding a safety later in the draft can be easier than finding a starting offensive tackle. Add in that Francis Mauigoa fell more than expected, and I get it.

At the same time, Downs has a chance to be one of the NFL's best safeties and by leaving him on the board, the Giants now have to face him twice a year. I think this might be a situation where the Giants wind up happy with who they picked — I really think Mauigoa will be a great lineman for them — but also frustrated by who they didn't pick.

The Seahawks taking a running back in the first round

The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl after the 2019 season, looked at their roster, saw a need at running back and used the final pick of the first round on Clyde Edwards-Helaire. It was a bit of a reach for a position of need, and the results were not good. Edwards-Helaire had a decent rookie season and then faded away from there.

I fear the Seattle Seahawks have made the same mistake.

Actually, I fear the Seattle Seahawks have made a worse mistake, using their first-round pick on Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price, who was a backup behind Jeremiyah Love with the Irish. It's fair to say he was the second-best talent in this class despite that, but that speaks more to the dearth of talent in this class than to Price being some great prospect. If the Seahawks took him a full round later, great — that's where he probably should have gone. But picking a running back in the first round just because you need a running back is bad roster management.

The Rams looking to the future, not the present

The Los Angeles Rams faced a tough decision with the No. 13 overall pick. This is a team that is firmly in a Super Bowl window right now, but that also has to contend with the reality that its starting quarterback, Matthew Stafford, feels destined to retire after the 2026 season. Do you pick a player to help with that Super Bowl window, or do you go after a Stafford successor? Yes, next year's draft is stronger at quarterback, but the Rams likely won't be picking high enough to take advantage of that.

Ultimately, they went the direction of the future, taking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. And while I get the impulse, I also hate the impulse. Simpson was a fringe first-round talent at best, and the Rams missed a chance to add a talent who could have helped now, opting instead to pick a guy who ideally won't play in 2026.

Rueben Bain Jr. could have bolstered the pass rush. Kenyon Sadiq needed development time but could have been a weapon at tight end by the time the playoffs rolled around. Heck, you could have traded down and added multiple talents if someone wanted to move up. Multiple options that could have increased Los Angeles' chances of winning a Super Bowl. Instead, they take a quarterback who might not even work out. Meh.

The Patriots trading up for Caleb Lomu

I have nothing against Caleb Lomu. Taking him at Pick No. 28 is good value. The issue, though, is two-fold: the New England Patriots traded up with a divisional rival to take Lomu, and he plays the same position as last year's first-round pick, Will Campbell.

Sure, the Patriots can move one of those players to right tackle, but they have Morgan Moses over there right now, who was really solid for them last season. At the moment, it looks like Lomu will start his career as a backup tackle, and at some point, the Patriots will need to decide which player is the left tackle and which to move to the other side. That also risks upsetting one of the players — left tackle is the premier tackle spot, so if the loser of that battle views himself as unfairly "demoted" to the right side, will that player want to stick around long-term, or would exploring free agency when his rookie deal expires be the ultimate move?

The trade here also landed the Bills the No. 125 pick, which they used on UConn wide receiver Skyler Bell. That pick has been hailed by many as a huge steal by the Bills, so that probably needs to be factored in here as well.

The 49ers attempt to solve their receiver issues

The San Francisco 49ers signed Mike Evans and Christian Kirk this offseason, but neither of them is the long-term answer at wide receiver. Especially with Jauan Jennings walking, the team needed to find someone with future upside. Instead, they reached for De'Zhaun Stribling.

I'm not saying Stribling will be a bad NFL player. His speed makes him a big-play threat, but I worry about his physicality and his ability to get off the line well. Taking him at No. 33 overall felt like a pretty big reach, especially when you look at who remained on the board: Denzel Boston.

I don't get it, and I'm not sure many people do get it. Boston is a more complete prospect who looks more NFL ready and has both a higher floor and ceiling. Leaving him on the board to take Stribling was a baffling decision, and I believe the 49ers will quickly regret it.

More NFL news and analysis:

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow