In Buffalo, Jerry Sullivan notes the Bills "moved down in the first round" on Thursday night, a sign that GM Doug Whaley has "moved closer to the door." The Bills traded the 10th pick to the Chiefs for a package of picks, a move that confirms "suspicion that new head coach Sean McDermott, the singular voice and and the only member of the organization allowed to speak about the Draft beforehand, has indeed been given an unprecedented level of power over the personnel side" by Bills co-Owners Terry and Kim Pegula. After two decades of "bumbling and miscalculation, what happened Thursday night was a refreshing sign, a puff of competence" from the team. The Bills "did the smart thing, the sort of maneuver the good franchises make, instead of trying to make an immediate splash to dazzle the masses" (BUFFALO NEWS, 4/28). Also in Buffalo, Vic Carucci writes the trade "never would have happened" if Whaley was still "calling the shots." This is McDermott's show "all the way" (BUFFALO NEWS, 4/28).
GOING FOR IT: In K.C., Sam Mellinger writes the Chiefs' decision to trade up and select Texas Tech QB Patrick Mahomes at No. 10 will "define the franchise’s next decade -- good or bad." For decades, and by its "own actions across different leadership groups, the Chiefs have branded themselves a singles hitter." Mellinger: "They just took a home run swing" (K.C. STAR, 4/28).
CLEVELAND ROCKS: In Columbus, Rob Oller writes the Browns' decision-making on Draft night was "born not of elitist superiority but of Midwestern common sense." In addition to taking Texas A&M DE Myles Garrett with the No. 1 pick, the Browns executed several trades that resulted in the team also drafting Michigan S Jabrill Peppers and Miami TE David Njoku. Browns Exec VP/Football Operations Sashi Brown understands that restoring the team to the .500 level, "much less greatness, is not a one-draft process." Oller: "It’s going to take two or three of these babies, collecting as many picks as possible, to get off the bottom" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 4/28).
GOOD START: In San Jose, Tim Kawakami writes the 49ers played round one "perfectly," as the team was "patient" in swapping the No. 2 pick for the Bears' No. 3 and three more picks. This was "all about as much as anybody could’ve hoped for" during GM John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan's first Draft together. Kawakami: "We can see that Lynch and Shanahan have a vision, they have a front office running smoothly, and I wouldn’t put anything else past them after what they just pulled off" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 4/28).
THEY GOT THEIR GUYS: After the Jaguars selected LSU RB Leonard Fournette with the No. 4 pick, the estimated crowd of 19,211 fans at EverBank Field "roared their approval while they watched the draft shown on the two scoreboards at the stadium" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 4/28). Meanwhile, the reaction of Texans fans at NRG Stadium to the team taking Clemson QB Deshaun Watson at No. 12 "bordered on hysterics" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 4/28).
