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NFL Draft Livestream: Follow for picks and analysis of the first round

The time has come for some normalcy to return to all of our lives as the NFL Draft kicks off tonight at 6 p.m. MST with the first round. 32 former college football players will hear their names called tonight, with Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson hoping to be one of them
NFL Draft Livestream: Follow for picks and analysis of the first round
NFL Draft Livestream: Follow for picks and analysis of the first round

Sports are officially back!

The time has come for some normalcy to return to all of our lives as the NFL Draft kicks off tonight at 6 p.m. MST with the first round on ABC, the ESPN Networks and the NFL Network. 

32 former college football players will hear their names called tonight, with Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson hoping to be one of them. Johnson has risen up draft boards over the past few weeks, going from a mid-to-end second round pick to somebody who's predicted to be taken in the last half of the first round.

There will be plenty to dissect tonight with the draft, including the big trades — which is practically a guarantee — the surprise picks and the players who could fall, we are talking about you quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert and Jordan Love.

Both the San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins have multiple first round picks — the Dolphins have three (5, 18 and 26). 

The Dolphins, Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints are all teams to keep an eye regarding a potential trade up in the draft while the 49ers are potentially looking to trade down and garner more picks.

Follow along for a pick-by-pick analysis and how each one grades out...

NFL DRAFT — FIRST ROUND

1.) Cincinatti Bengals — JOE BURROW, QB, LSU
This is a great pick for Cincy as Burrow, the hometown hero, will instantly improve the Bengals. After the greatest season by a quarterback in college football history, Burrow is poised, confident, accurate, awareness and has that "it" factor hat's coveted by NFL GM's. It was hard to get this pick wrong, and Cincy got the best player available in the draft.
DRAFT GRADE = A- 

2.) Washington Redskins — CHASE YOUNG, DE, Ohio State
Another great pick as quarterbacks in the NFC East had better be aware — that means you Dak Prescott, Carson Wentz and Daniel Jones. Arguably the best player in the draft (with Burrow), Young is a future Hall of Fame candidate who has the ability to be better than Nock and Joey Bosa, former Ohio State stars who've had great starts to the NFL careers. Young can play all three downs and attack the pass rusher or come inside and stuff the run — he's as complete a player as it gets
DRAFT GRADE = A

3.) Detroit Lions — JEFF OKUDAH, DB, Ohio State
He's easily the top cornerback prospect in this NFL Draft, and one of the best in the last 5 years. Okudah can do it all whether it's a zone or press man coverage. He will be a day one starter in taking over the vacated spot of recently-departed Darius Slay. He's long, athletic and strong and consistently dominated matchups against the best WR's in this draft class.
DRAFT GRADE = A

4.) New York Giants — ANDREW THOMAS, OT, Georgia
He was the SEC's offensive lineman of the year and a consensus All-American — but he wasn't as highly regarded as Iowa's Tristan Wirfs or Alabama's Jedrick Wills. He was rated as the No. 4 offensive tackle in the draft, who's stronger in the run game than he was in the passing game. Thomas is a plug-and-play player and should be very steady with a high floor in the NFL.
DRAFT GRADE = B-

5.) Miami Dolphins — TUA TAGOVAILOA, QB, Alabama
It appears that it was all smoke throughout the leadup to the draft as Miami is gambling on the often injured quarterback. Tagovailoa, if healthy, is a heck of a prospect with the only drawback potentially because his height and injury-history. He has great feet, a strong arm and great vision — and he's also a proven winner. Question is if Miami plays him right away or medically redshirt's him this season behind Ryan Ftizpatrick.
DRAFT GRADE = B+

6.) Los Angeles Chargers — JUSTIN HERBERT, QB, Oregon
It appears that the Chargers now have their quarterback of the future after 16-year starter Philip Rivers left in the offseason. Herbert could very well end up being the best quarterback of the draft 10 years from now, but that's a big if. He possesses tremendous upside but there have been consistency issues in college. He doesn't have to start right away and when he does, he will have weapons everywhere on the field to help him.
DRAFT GRADE = B-

 7.) Carolina Panthers — DERRICK BROWN, DL, Auburn
A mammoth of a man, Derrick Brown has All-Pro potential and will anchor the Panthers defensive line for years to come. One-on-one battles he'll win all day, but he always does a great job of eating up space when he's double-teamed. He's the real deal and very good pick Carolina.
DRAFT GRADE = A-

8.) Arizona Cardinals — ISAIAH SIMMONS, OLB, Clemson
The best athlete in the draft, Simmons is a freak of nature athletically. He played 120+ snaps at four different positions on defense and will immediately improve the Cardinals defense. He's one of the five best players available in the draft so getting him at No. 8 is great value. There was talk of the Cardinals going receiver or OL but Simmons is the better prospect.
DRAFT GRADE = A

9.) Jacksonville Jaguars — CJ HENDERSON, CB, Florida
This is fitting for Jacksonville given the departure of All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey. He's a talented cover corner but needs to improve in tackling and run support. He's best suited in man coverage and has been very active in coverage throughout his career. He has the feet and eyes to play in every package, but needs to find more consistency in his game.
DRAFT GRADE = B 

10.) Cleveland Browns — JEDRICK WILLS, OT, Alabama
This is a great value pick for the Browns as somebody who will anchor the Cleveland offensive line and quarterback Baker Mayfield for years to come. He'll more than likely move to left tackle and thrives so much more in pass coverage than the running game, and was widely regarded as the top left tackle to start from day one.
DRAFT GRADE = B+

11.) New York Jets — MEKHI BECTON, OT, Louisville
Human beings as big as Becton should not be able to move the way he does, and that's why Becton is loved by the Jets. He's not special in anyone category as a tackle, but he's good at everything. He possess the highest ceiling of any tackle in the draft and is an absolute brawler, just as physical and nasty as it gets. The Jets are protecting quarterback Sam Darnold's future with this pick.
DRAFT GRADE = B

12.) Las Vegas Raiders — HENRY RUGSS III, WR, Alabama
The Raiders have always loved speed, and they're getting that in wide receiver Henry Ruggs. Not sure about this pick considering Cee Dee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy are both rated higher than Ruggs and possess higher ceilings. But Ruggs makes sense in a weird way considering he will take the top of defenses and give more room for tight end Darren Waller and running back Josh Jacobs to work underneath.
DRAFT GRADE = C+

13.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Trade with SF) — TRISTN WIRFS, OT, Iowa
Tampa Bay already got Tom Brady, so now they needed someone to protect him and that's what they're getting in Wirfs. He's only 6'4'' but he possesses a lot of upside as the most athletic tackle in the draft. He's explosive and can manhandle defenders, but he needs to get better off the snap, especially going against the fast pass rushers in the NFL. He's a great zone scheme as a tackle and will give Brady some time to throw.
DRAFT GRADE = A-

14.) San Francisco 49ers (From Indianapolis, trade with TB) — JAVON KINLAW, DT, South Carolina
Seems fitting that the 49ers would trade away star defensive lineman DeForest Buckner to the Colts, only to turn around and draft Kinlaw in that spot. While many predicted the 49ers to go after a wide receiver, and with Jeudy and Lamb still available, San Francisco elected to stick to who they are and build that defensive line — which landed them in the Super Bowl last year.
DRAFT GRADE = B

15.) Denver Broncos — JERRY JEUDY, WR, Alabama
An absolute steal for the Broncos, getting the best route runner and most polished wide receiver in the draft at No. 15. He is ready to step in right away and will instantly upgrade Denver's offense by pairing with outside receivers Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick. This is a great pick for the Broncos and could end up being the steal of the draft later on.
DRAFT GRADE = A-

16.) Atlanta Falcons — A.J TERRELL, CB, Clemson
Can be considered a reach by the Falcons but with an expected run on cornerbacks coming, it makes sense that Atlanta would go with Terrell. He's two types of players, a guy who thrived and dominated during Clemson's run to the national championship in 2018, or a player who struggled against Ohio State and LSU in 2019. Terrell needs some refinement in his game, especially with holding and pass interference calls, but he possesses all the skills needed to be a No. 1 guy in the league.
DRAFT GRADE = B-

17.) Dallas Cowboys — CEE DEE LAMB, WR, Oklahoma
It's hard to believe that Lamb, a true game changer in every sense of the word, would drop all the way down to Dallas at No. 17 but he did and the Cowboys were happy to scoop him up. Although they have other needs, and a logjam at wide receiver, passing up on Lamb was something they couldn't do — but more importantly they kept him from rival Philadelphia. Lamb can work out of the slot or on the outside with equal success, and is dominant in the air. 
DRAFT GRADE = A-

18.) Miami Dolphins (from Pittsburgh) — AUSTIN JACKSON, OT, USC
A reach for sure but the Dolphins needed somebody to protect Tagovailoa and Jackson was far and above the best tackle available, although he had a second round grade on him. An issue is that he may not be ready to start right away, but he's only 20 years old and possesses tremendous upside. He's extremely athletic, great bend in his knees and powerful, but he will need some time to grow and mature more.
DRAFT GRADE = C+

19.) Las Vegas Raiders (from Chicago) — DAMON ARNETTE, CB, Ohio State
It appears the Raiders have reached again, once again going with speed by taking Arnette out of Ohio State. Playing opposite Okudah, Arnette had a lot of action and thrived in it. While there are question marks about his character, the more you watch his film, the more you appreciate his skillset and technique. He's graded at a second-rounder but the Raiders don't have a second round pick and they went and got their guy.
DRAFT GRADE = C-

20.) Jacksonville Jaguars (from Los Angeles Rams) — K'LAVON CHAISSON, DL, LSU
A phenomenal value pick for for the Jaguars and another great young piece to build around on that defense. While he's raw and has had some injury history, he thrived in the end of the season with 5 sacks in his final 4 games. Incredibly athletic, he will give offensive lineman issues but he needs to grow more and learn more rush moves instead of just a spin move.
DRAFT GRADE = B+ 

21.) Philadelphia Eagles — JALEN RAEGOR, WR, TCU
Probably the worst pick of the first round up to this point, Raegor was ranked outside the top-6 receivers available and considered a late second-round pick. Going to Philadelphia where he's expected to be a No. 1 is not an ideal spot for him, especially with LSU's Justin Jefferson still available. A twitchy athlete out of the slot, Raegor is dangerous after the catch and should project as a good No. 2 guy in the NFL.
DRAFT GRADE = D+

22.) Minnesota Vikings (from Buffalo) — JUSTIN JEFFERSON, WR, LSU
A pick too late, Jefferson is as good as it gets and could easily be the best wide receiver of this draft when it's all said and done. This is great value for Minnesota as Jefferson has overcome every issue to be one of the best in college football. Gifted with size, speed, strength and body control, he spent his youth going up against Patrick Peterson so he won't be afraid when he gets to the NFL. Only issue is that he works primarily out of the slot, which is where Minnesota already has Adam Thielen. 
DRAFT GRADE = B+

23.) Los Angeles Chargers (Trade with NE) — KENNETH MURRAY, LB, Oklahoma
This is an absolute steal for the Chargers as they now have the rangy and athletic linebacker they needed to arguably become the best defense in the NFL. Murray is smart, strong, physical and athletic, the perfect linebacker in today's NFL and will thrive for the LAC. He will need to become more consistent, but if he does, he will be successful for the next 10 years.
DRAFT GRADE = A-

24.) New Orleans Saints — CESAR RUIZ, OL, Michigan
The Saints are in win-now mode and getting a player like Ruiz is exactly what the Saints needed to do. He's not flashy but he's a guy who will start from day one for the next decade and become an All-Pro type of guy, someone who will anchor the Saints offensive line for years to come. Linebacker was an option here but keeping Drew Brees safe one more year is a great call
DRAFT GRADE = B+

25.) San Francisco 49ers (Trade with MIN) — BRANDON AIYUK, WR, Arizona State
The 49ers finally got their wide receiver in a guy who has the same wingspan as the great Calvin Johnson. Aiyuk is somebody who has risen up draft boards and possesses all of the raw and natural talent needed to succeed. He needs to refine some of his route running, like getting in and out of breaks, and become more physical at the point of catch. But he showcases tremendous upside with his "yards after catch" potential and will fit right into San Francisco's offense.
DRAFT GRADE = B+

26.) Green Bay Packers (from Houston, trade with MIA, ) — JORDAN LOVE, QB, Utah State
Aaron Rodgers is not going to be happy about this pick. One year removed after getting out-muscled in the NFC Championship game and with needs at playmaker, the Packers pick Love, who won't see the field for the next couple of years. Love is extremely raw but has massive potential so hopefully he can grow into a very good player, something the Packers know all about. But after coming so close to the Super Bowl, shocking Green Bay doesn't go with a guy who can't help them immediately.
DRAFT GRADE = D+

27.) Seattle Seahawks — JORDYN BROOKS, LB, Texas Tech
A typical pick of the Seahawks to bolster the defense, Brooks is a guy who could see the field early but is best used as a first and second down type of linebacker. He has great instincts and the ability to fill in strong downhill, but he needs to become more physical when getting off blocks and is right now seen as a liability in pass coverage. Brooks will get to learn from Bobby Wagner, which can only help his game later on.
DRAFT GRADE = B- 

28.) Baltimore Ravens — PATRICK QUEEN, LB, LSU
Could this be the missing piece from Baltimore's defense? Getting Queen here is a massive steal for the Ravens as he's a plug-and-play starter from day one and instantly improves the defense. He's a three-down linebacker with physical traits to thrive in the league — although some will look at his one year starting and cite his lack of experience. But that just means that he will only get better.
DRAFT GRADE = A-

29.) Tennessee Titans — ISAIAH WILSON, RT, Georgia
After signing Ryan Tannehill and having Derrick Henry to carry the ball, the Titans are looking to sure up the offensive line, and that's what they're getting with Wilson. He's got plus size and athleticism but struggled with consistency in college, although he got better late last season. He needs some work with his footwork but will be a mauler in the run game, which is what the Titans want to do.
DRAFT GRADE = B+

30.) Miami Dolphins (Trade with GB) — NOAH IGBINOGHENE, CB, Auburn
Miami went with QB and LT with its first two picks, but the Dolphins needed to upgrade the defense so they went with Igbinoghene — a raw prospect who has the athleticism and a high ceiling. He's a former receiver who is very physical and already average in route recognition. But he needs a lot of work and will take time to develop, particularly in coverage skills. Expect growing pains and giving up some big plays, but he could become a starter in a few years.
DRAFT GRADE = C+

31.) Minnesota Vikings (Trade with SF) — JEFF GLADNEY, CB, TCU
A nice pickup this late in the first round, Minnesota going with Gladney will provide an instant physical presence in the division to matchup with receivers. He's got great ball skills and thrives in all types of coverage, but he is always looking to make a play and could be beaten on double moves or looking into the backfield. Still, this is a great value pick and with a perfect scheme fit for both teams.
DRAFT GRADE = B+

32.) Kansas City Chiefs — CLYDE EDWARDS-HELAIRE, RB, LSU
A guy who shined for LSU en route to its national championship, Edwards-Helaire going to Kansas City and Andy Reid is terrifying for the AFC West. Compact with great burst, quickness and eyes, he should thrive with the Chiefs as a runner or capable pass catcher out of the backfield. He will need to improve his blocking and has average speed who won't run away from defenses, but Edwards-Helaire could be a three-down back with time. 
DRAFT GRADE = B

*The draft will now continue on Friday at 5 p.m. MST for rounds two and three before concluding on Saturday at 10 a.m. MST for rounds four through seven. All rounds will be available on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network.

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