The first round of the NFL draft is always unpredictable. This year's first round, however, was even more unpredictable than usual.
The first two picks of the draft went exactly according to plan. The Indianapolis Colts took Andrew Luck at No. 1, and the Washington Redskins took Robert Griffin III at No. 2. Everything went swimmingly.
The draft went way off the rails after that. By the time the draft was into the 20s, it was obvious that anything could happen.
Despite all the craziness, some teams played it cool at the end of the first round and just took the best players they could get. A couple picks jump out as absolute steals.
Here's a rundown of said steals.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Trade up and Draft RB Doug Martin at No. 31
The Buccaneers made a smart move trading down from No. 5 to No. 7 earlier in the first round. That deal gave them the flexibility to trade up when the draft got to the end of the first round (ESPN.com has a recap of all the trades).
The Bucs cut a deal with the Denver Broncos, sending them picks No. 36 and No. 101 in exchange for picks No. 31 and No. 126. With the No. 31 pick, they got Doug Martin, who was widely considered to be the best running back in the draft after Trent Richardson.
Martin represents an outstanding addition for the Bucs. He's a tough runner who will also help out in Tampa's passing game. The playbook will be much more wide open with him in the backfield than it ever was with LeGarrette Blount in the backfield.
Fear the Bucs offense. Josh Freeman is going to be a lot better, they added Vincent Jackson and now they have a talented running back. The best part is that they didn't have to pay an arm and a leg to get him.
Grade: B
3. Green Bay Packers Draft DE/OLB Nick Perry at No. 28
The Packers absolutely had to find a guy who could rush the passer and free things up for Clay Matthews. Nick Perry looked like a perfect fit for them before the draft, but I figured he would be off the board by the time the Packers were on the clock.
Nope. Perry was still there for the taking at No. 28, and the Packers grabbed him.
Perry will have to learn some new tricks in Green Bay, as he's a defensive end by trade and the Packers will no doubt be looking to use him as a linebacker. But his versatility is something the Packers will take advantage of, and they'll no doubt make good use of Perry's pass-rushing skills.
I won't be surprised if Perry starts right away. I also won't be surprised if Green Bay's pass rush gets back to where it was in 2010.
Grade: B+
2. Detroit Lions Draft OT Riley Reiff at No. 23
I and many others expected Riley Reiff to come off the board very quickly, possibly as high as the top 10. He surely wouldn't last beyond the top 16, anyway.
He did, and that was thanks in large part to all the movement that was going on at the top of the draft. Reiff quickly became an afterthought.
Drafting Reiff was a no-brainer for the Lions. Finding an offensive lineman was one of their top priorities, and they drafted a guy who was widely considered to be the top offensive tackle in the draft after Matt Kalil.
The Lions don't need to start Reiff right away, but he'll see plenty of action as a rookie. His starting days will come soon enough, and when they do he'll be tasked with keeping Matthew Stafford healthy.
He will do so. The Lions scored with this pick.
Grade: A
1. Pittsburgh Steelers Draft OG David DeCastro at No. 24
Steal of the draft so far, right here. Pittsburgh should be very, very pleased.
David DeCastro wasn't supposed to last this long. He could have been a top-10 pick, and I was going to be very surprised if he dropped past No. 20. We're talking about a guy who is without a doubt the top interior lineman in the 2012 draft class.
DeCastro fell anyway, and he happened to fall all the way to a Steelers team that desperately needed to find a talented offensive lineman.
They found one. DeCastro can start right right away alongside Maurkice Pouncey, strengthening both Pittsburgh's run blocking and pass protection.
Huge win for the Steelers.
Grade: A+
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