Welcome to primetime indeed!  Twists and turns, trades and flops, ESPN and NFL Net had the real "Must See TV" working on Thursday.  Time to separate the good from the bad with Tim Tebow's "Jersey Shore" support group accounting for the ugly...

Well Played...

Detroit Lions

Isn't it amazing what you can accomplish on draft night without Matt Millen?  They picked the best player in the draft (Ndamukong Suh) and then got back into the 1st round to steal a game-breaking back (Jahvid Best).  If he had not suffered a horrific concussion, Best would be considered on par with C.J. Spiller.  Now, Detroit goes forward with Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and Best.  We might actually watch the Thanksgiving game for more than a quarter.

Seattle Seahawks

Pete Carroll showed wisdom in his graying age.  He picked the best available player twice, which netted him the best left tackle Russell Okung and playmaking safety Earl Thomas.  If he wants, he can even grab a Trojan in the 2nd round as there are plenty still available.

Jon Gruden

He was the highlight of ESPN's draft coverage for the last month.  He has Ron Jaworski's knowledge, but in a much more charismatic package.  If you missed his film sessions with the top four quarterbacks, they were high quality television.

Scott Pioli

The Chiefs GM broke away from the Bill Belichick mold and did not try and outhink the room like another Belichick protege Josh McDaniels.  He picked the best player on the board, which was most definitely Eric Berry.  He won't regret that decision.

"Tales from the Crypt"

Al Davis is to the NFL Draft what Sanjaya was to American Idol, he has set the bar so low in recent years that if he picks a half decent player, we are all impressed.  Was #8 high for Rolando McClain?  Yes.  Do the Raiders already have a solid MLB in Kirk Morrison?  Yes.  Do the Raiders have a million other holes to fill?  Yes.  But, McClain is an excellent player, so it's a good pick.

Brandon Graham

I watched Michigan play a few times last year and never came away talking about their staunch defense, but whatever Graham does on film, he received universal praise from TV and Twitter pundits.  The Eagles seemed destined for Earl Thomas when they traded up, but Graham sounds like the next great pass rusher.  

Carson Palmer

He used to be considered the third best QB in the NFL, but he was not nearly that good last year.  When he lost T.J. Houshmandzadeh, he lost his security blanket.  With the selection of TE Jermaine Gresham, Palmer will have dependable target to move the chains in the middle of the field.

Jerry Jones

He vowed not to let Randy Moss slip by twice.  Jones makes a lot of mistakes, but at least they are aggressive mistakes.  While Dez Bryant will not likely benefit staying close to home, he will probably help the Cowboys until the other shoe drops.  Remember, Brandon Marshall, Terrell Owens, Chad Ochocinco, etc. made some big plays to earn their reputations before their attitudes earned them a different kind of reputation.  Alongside Miles Austin (or Austin Miles according to Steve Young's concussed squash), Bryant will bring the danger back to the Cowboys passing game that was noticeably missing last year.

Rex Ryan

The big man likes toys.  Now, he has the biggest defensive toy chest in the league.  With Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and rookie Kyle Wilson, the Jets secondary has to be considered the best in the league.  Given the extra second or two, New York's pass rush will get home a lot more this season.

Jerry Hughes

The TCU speed rusher could be the next Dwight Freeney, so who better to learn from than the man himself.

Oklahoma

The Sooners are coming off an awful season and they might be headed for another one given all the talent that they've lost.  After last night though, recruiting should pick up.  Bob Stoops delievered three of the top four picks.  High school prospects will take notice.

The Second Round

ESPN and the NFL took a huge risk by separating the rounds, but it could not have played out any better this season.  The 1st round was action packed without that "dig in for the long haul" feel of previous drafts.  And now, the ratings should be excellent for round two given all the big name talents still left on the board.

"And the Whiff"...

Josh McDaniels

I had to listen to a few late picks on the radio, while picking up dinner.  Former Redskins GM Vinny Cerrato was part of ESPN Radio's coverage and he recounted that he'd been saying all week, "Tebow will get drafted by a 'quarterback guru,' who wants to prove how smart he is."  Hello Josh McDaniels!  The Broncos have Kyle Orton, who is average.  They have a developmental quarterback in Brady Quinn and now they have the ultimate project in Tebow.  By the time, McDaniels gets Tebow up to a passable level, he won't be coaching the Broncos anymore. 

Bill Belichick

Every year, New England trades down.  Every year!  What is the point?  If you don't pick someone at some point, you are not helping your football team get better.  They needed an explosive running back or pass rusher.  Instead, they ended up with CB Devin McCourty, who is best known for his special teams work.  McCourty was so shocked to go in the first round that he was in the bathroom when the pick was made.  Brandon Marshall is 6'4" and McCourty is 5'10", so you hardly solved that problem.

Me

Looking back, I have not liked a Giants first round pick since Eli Manning.  Of course, I now like Hakeem Nicks, Aaron Ross, Mathias Kiwanuka and Kenny Phillips, but I wanted somebody else on draft night.  Last night, with McClain gone, I wanted OG Mike Iupati or DT Dan Williams.  GM Jerry Reese chose the best player available, which was Jason Pierre-Paul.  I'd be all for that, except that the Giants now have 5 DEFENSIVE ENDS!!!  What kind of formation is that?  According to Reese, they are not even considering moving Osi Umenyiora, so how is Paul going to pay dividends when he's watching from the sidelines?

The Charger Plan

San Diego built their current string of success off one great draft.  Instead of being lured in by franchise QB Michael Vick, they traded out of the #1 spot to pick up the best player in the draft, RB LaDainian Tomlinson, and got Drew Brees with the first pick of the 2nd round.  Given how little the other teams liked Jimmy Clausen and Colt McCoy, the Rams must have been able to pull in a king's ransom for Sam Bradford.  And, they'd be sitting here today with their choice of Clausen or McCoy. 

Chris Berman and Steve Young

"Boomer" has a unique way of speaking.  To put it gently, it takes him a while to get a question out.  As he's gotten older, his mid sentence extended pauses have gotten longer.  Well, Young was not willing to wait last night.  Twice, he started speaking, while Berman was mid thought, but they obviously could not hear each other because then they proceeded to talk over one and other.  At one point, there were two separate conversations going simultaneously on set.  For me, it's high comedy, but I don't know if the ESPN director is writing his Emmy speech.

USC

Not a good day for my beloved alma mater, but maybe a cleansing day.  As Bob Stoops will use Oklahoma's success as a measuring stick for the program, Lane Kiffin will likely use the Trojans lack of success as an example.  Taylor Mays and Everson Griffen are and have always been 1st round talents, but they did not spend enough time learning their craft at USC to cultivate that talent into 1st round value.

Buffalo Bills

They have zero offensive linemen, yet they took an offensive luxury item.  C.J. Spiller is a dynamic player, but he's not a bruising cold weather back and he's not dissimilar from Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson, who are already on the Bills payroll.  They don't have a quarterback or line, so what is Spiller going to do? 

Jacksonville Jaguars

Maybe they should have taken Tim Tebow at #10...  I think I know what happened.  The Jaguars wanted Rolando McClain or C.J. Spiller, who all the mock drafts had on the board at #10.  However, the mocks did not account for Al Davis and the Bills being crazy.  So, the Jaguars were caught woefully unprepared and they ended up drafting Tyson Alualu, who they probably ranked highly, but never expected to actually select.  When the general reaction to the #10 pick is, "Who?", it's not a good sign.

A.J. Smith

The Chargers GM believes he's the smartest man in any draft room, so it was so uncharacteristic to see him hit the panic button in search of LDT's replacement.  Ryan Matthews is a good player, but he could have held strong and ended up with Jahvid Best.

Brotherly Love

Twins have a special relationship and I get that, but I did not expect to see Maurkice and Mike Pouncey kiss on the mouth in celebration of his draft selection.  It was the moment of the night, but they might not agree when the youtube clip surfaces.

Colt McCoy's Carpenter

Was the Texas QB watching the draft in an unfinished house?  McCoy really drew the short end of the stick.  At least Jimmy Clausen got to spend a day with Erin Andrews in Palm Springs.

Mock Drafters

I'm glad I spent two months reading mock drafts that were not even remotely close to what happened.  This year's mocks were the equivalent of Joe Lunardi picking half the field right.  I'm just glad that I did not do one.

Jimmy Clausen

The NFL values character more and more each season, but I've never seen a player drop because he's cocky.  I did not hear one argument against his quarterbacking skills nor has anyone mentioned any off the field incidents.  They are basically punishing him for being, for lack of a better word, a d-bag.  Strange days in the NFL!

He got it done.  Now what?