NFL Draft Live: Did we hit or miss on each first-round pick?
The NFL Draft is underway and Rivals recruiting director Adam Gorney will share his memories of each pick throughout the first round, and explain why they were ranked where they were in high school.
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1. Tennessee Titans: QB Cam Ward (Miami)
Gorney’s lookback: Cam Ward is the first No. 1 in Rivals history dating back to 2002 that was unranked in high school. He was not heralded in high school, went to Incarnate Word and shined before transferring to Washington State and dominating there and finished his career at Miami.
It was not a clean path and he was not the marquee in the 2020 class that was led at QB by Bryce Young but Ward earned everything along the way. LeSean McCoy said he wasn’t sold on Ward because he wasn’t a five-star guy. In a bad quarterback draft class, Ward is by far the best of the bunch and earned being taken No. 1 overall every step of the way.
DID WE HIT OR MISS ON HIM? … Miss
2. Jacksonville Jaguars: WR/DB Travis Hunter (Colorado)
Gorney’s lookback: There will be a discussion about whether Colorado‘s Travis Hunter can play offense and defense in the NFL and while it’s unlikely, the former five-star is one of the most impactful players we’ve seen in Rivals history. He has truly endless energy, loves the game, loves competition and he’s by far the best athlete in this draft class.
Watching Hunter’s tape is like watching Charles Woodson‘s or Champ Bailey‘s on fast forward. From a 7on7 tournament during COVID in Bullhead City, Ariz., to numerous camps and all-star games through his high school career, Hunter was always a human highlight reel and he also had the biggest signing day flip in Rivals history going from Florida State to Jackson State.
DID WE HIT OR MISS ON HIM? … Hit
3. New York Giants: DE Abdul Carter (Penn State)
Gorney’s lookback: Rated as a four-star linebacker inside the Rivals250, Abdul Carter was not the fastest in the world but he hit like a truck at Philadelphia (Pa.) La Salle. Penn State didn’t love him at first, offered him but then had him come back for summer camp to see if he could commit. It was a wise decision as he picked the Nittany Lions over Ole Miss and South Carolina mainly.
He converted to an edge rusher and had an amazing 24 tackles for loss and 12 sacks this season, even with one arm at times because of injury. Carter’s progression is also an important note for bigger linebackers in high school – moving down to the edge might be the wisest move.
DID WE HIT OR MISS ON HIM? … Push
4. New England Patriots: OT Will Campbell (LSU)
Gorney’s lookback: Will Campbell was outstanding at the Rivals Camp in Dallas and we didn’t pull the trigger on making him a five-star. The four-star offensive tackle has great athleticism and there’s a country-strong mentality to his game. Yeah, his arms are a lot shorter than many others but it did not hurt him in high school, he dominated at LSU and he should’ve been a five-star coming out.
DID WE HIT OR MISS ON HIM? … Push
5. Cleveland Browns: DT Mason Graham (Michigan)
Gorney’s lookback: Mason Graham was a beast coming out of Anaheim (Calif.) Servite as a two-way lineman as he looked great at both offensive and defensive line. As time went on, Graham started to emerge as a great interior defensive lineman who could use his physical nature to win at the line of scrimmage. He only got better and better at Michigan where he continued to develop physically and from a technique standpoint.
We loved Graham a lot in high school but clearly not enough as we didn’t ID him as a five-star prospect.
DID WE HIT OR MISS ON HIM? … Push
6. Las Vegas Raiders: RB Ashton Jeanty (Boise State)
Gorney’s lookback: Ashton Jeanty was a two-star coming out of Frisco (Texas) Lone Star which looks foolish now since he put up massive numbers in high school but when he went to Boise State it was still a question whether he would play running back, receiver or come in as an athlete.
Jeanty was a Heisman Trophy finalist for the Broncos this season as he bounced off all comers this season. Penn State essentially shut him down but he had a great game against Oregon and I just wonder if taking a running back this high is worth it.
DID WE HIT OR MISS ON HIM? … Miss
7. New York Jets: OT Armand Membou (Missouri)
Gorney’s lookback: We saw Armand Membou in high school and he attended Rivals Camp but his body needed some reshaping and we weren’t sold that someone just over 6-foot-4 could make it as an elite offensive tackle at the next level and beyond.
We were wrong because his arm length at 82 inches is elite, he can power through defensive linemen and he has outstanding balance. We were wrong on Membou, who we thought would have a nice college career but wouldn’t be nearly as dominant as he turned out to be at Missouri.
DID WE HIT OR MISS ON HIM? … Miss
