The first round of the NFL Draft is one of my favorite night’s of the year. I have some strong feelings about what we witnessed. A quick aside before I give my thoughts, the smartest and most comprehensive review of the first round was by Mike Lombardi on the GM Street podcast. You can listen HERE as he goes over each selection individually. Mike is one of the most insightful individuals you can listen to on the subjects of talent evaluation and organizational structure.
A few thoughts before getting to the leadership lessons from ESPN’s coverage of the first round:
- I don’t understand the Cleveland Browns. John Dorsey, their GM, has obviously forgot more football than I will ever know but I do understand leadership. I would never want the face of my franchise, the primary leader in my locker room, the one who sets the tone for the entire organization, the picture of the desired destination others should wish to arrive, to be caught on video being tackled while running away from the police. Quarterbacks are special and held to a higher standard.
- I still don’t understand the Cleveland Browns. The team could have had Sam Darnold and Bradley Chubb. The came away with Baker Mayfield and Denzel Ward. Time will tell.
- If You Want A Great Leader, You Have To Go Get A Great Leader – The New York Jets traded up to the third spot to draft Sam Darnold, who thanks to the Browns, fell into their lap. The Buffalo Bills traded up to get Josh Allen. The Arizona Cardinals traded up to get Josh Rosen. The Baltimore Ravens traded up to get Lamar Jackson. Notice a trend.
- The NFL Draft Has Become An Annual Alabama Crimson Tide Infomercial – Four more players from the national champions were drafted in the first round. Nick Saban has produced 26 first round picks while at Alabama. Something to keep an eye on, the Georgia Bulldogs produced three.
- Organizations Place High Value On Low-Maintenance Personalities – Young leaders should simply focus on doing your job. Being a high-maintenance personality in a high-performing organization reduces your value. Rosen, who was the most fundamentally sound and smartest quarterback in the draft, fell to the 10th spot. BTW, I think he will prove to be this draft’s best offensive player.
- A quarterback and running back were selected with the first two picks of the first round (Mayfield, Saquon Barkley) and the last two picks in the first round (Jackson, Sony Michel). It will be interesting in three years to see which duo is collectively better.
The following are 35 Leadership Quotes from ESPN’s coverage of the NFL Draft’s first round. Louis Riddick is one of my favorite analyst and his talents were on full display during the broadcast.
- To Be A Great Leader You Must Be Decisive – “John Dorsey said his decision has been made for months.” – Louis Riddick
- Leadership Is An Organizational, Developmental, And Systemic Issue – The Cleveland Browns have had 28 different starting quarterbacks since 1999. Riddick said, “It’s never about the player. That’s an organizational problem. That’s a developmental problem. That’s a systemic inherent problem.”
- Finding The Right Leader Solves The Majority Of Your Problems – “They (Cleveland Browns) have passed on so many quarterbacks over the years. Go back to Ben Roethlisberger, Derek Carr, Deshawn Watson, Carson Wentz. They’ve got to get this right.” – Mel Kiper
- Bad Leaders And Organizations Will Cause Good Talent To Fail – “Players don’t fail on their own.” – Riddick
- Great Leaders Have Great Maturity – “Maturity issues. Baker Mayfield is 23. Sam Darnold is only 20.” – Kiper
- Smart Leaders Use Data In Decision-Making – “The NFL is a creature of habit. They all do what everyone else does and they all look at what has the most amount of data… You’re not so much concerned about hitting as much as you are about what if I miss.” – Riddick
- Leaders Must Be Able To Properly Evaluate Reality – “I don’t like the pick… That Georgia game, he (Mayfield) got stung in that game… He thinks he’s invincible. The NFL will bring you back to reality very quickly.” – Kiper
- Successful Leaders Value Production Over Potential – “It’s all about production. The league respects production. You have to produce.” – Riddick on Mayfield’s ability to motivate.
- Great Leaders Must Meet Great Expectations – “The second pick has to wear that gold jacket.” – Giants GM Dave Gettleman
- Great Leaders Had And Have Great Mentors – “Let’s start with the quarterback room. There is no better pro to learn from than Josh McCown. Josh McCown is perfect for Sam Darnold… Jeremy Bates is one of the up-and-comers you’re going to hear from as far as quarterback development. They have the luxury of time now… They’re tickled he fell to them.” – Riddick
- Football Is A Developmental Sport. So Is Leadership. – “Bradley Chubb was rated the 733rd best player in his draft class and now he walks across the stage as the 5th pick of the Denver Broncos.” – Trey Wingo
- Smart Organizations Surround Top Talent With Top Talent – “Why do you draft a guy like this? Because you need to protect your franchise quarterback.” – Riddick on 6th pick Notre Dame Quenton Nelson guard to the Indianapolis Colts
- Sometimes A Leader’s Mistakes Get Masked By The Failures Of Others – The Cleveland Browns get all the publicity for their inability to find a quarterback but the Buffalo Bills have had 17 starting quarterbacks since Jim Kelly retired.
- Do You Want To Get Better? Get A Better Leader. – “Four years prior to Josh Allen taking over, they were 15-33… The two years he’s a starter they’re 16-9. Four of those nine losses were by 3 points.” – Kiper
- Successful Leaders Handle Themselves In A Professional Manner – “Highly competitive. Very professional.” – Kiper on 49ers first round pick Notre Dame tackle Mike McGlinchey
- Great Leaders Have Great Fundamentals – “Of all the guys coming out in the college game who’s ready with the fundamentals, it’s him… I can’t believe he’s still there.” – Kirk Herbstreit on Josh Rosen
- A Leader’s Most Important Ability Is Availability – “Can he (Rosen) stay healthy?.. He’s had injury issues… There are durability concerns” – Kiper
- Smart Leaders Leaders Trust Their Eyes – “In the cross-town rivalry game, Josh Rosen outplayed Sam Darnold… It was no contest. He was the better quarterback.” – Kiper
- Great Leaders Galvanize Their Team – “Can he (Rosen) galvanize the team? Is he a natural leader?” – Kiper
- Trust Is Built Through Wise And Timely Decisions Over An Extended Period Of Time – “He’s (Rosen) got to make better decisions on the field.” – Kiper
- Successful Leaders Have Functional Intelligence – “A high football IQ. He has that.” – Kiper on Miami Dolphins selection Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick
- Great Leaders Adapt Their Systems To The Talents On Their Team – “Coaches who ‘force people to do what I do’ are not very good coaches.” – Kiper when discussing Lamar Jackson
- Successful Leaders Finish Well – “He is a finisher.” – Riddick on Marcus Davenport of Texas-San Antonio
- Smart Leaders Address Issues – “The middle linebacker for this football team, Preston Brown, led the NFL in tackles and he’s gone. They needed somebody in the middle.” – Riddick on the Buffalo Bills’s selection of Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds
- Great Leaders Often Have Great Confidence – “He is supremely confident. He fears nobody.” – Kiper on Green Bay Packers’s pick Louisville’s Jaire Alexander
- Don’t Chase Money. Chase Great Leadership. – Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans drafted by the Tennessee Titans is the eigth Nick Saban linebacker drafted in the first or second rounds.
- Smart Leaders Value Versatile Team Members – “They value versatility. You play one position you get knocked down. You play multiple positions, it’s perfect.” – On the New England Patriots and new Titans head coach Mike Vrabel
- Smart Organizations Do Everything Possible To Retain Great Leaders – “It’s got to be tremendously frustrating to watch Jimmy Garropalo right now when you know you picked him, you developed.. and trade him away and watched him get the biggest contract in the NFL.” – Riddick
- Great Leaders Extract Every Bit Of Talent Out Of You – “When you get to work with (Patriots offensive line coach) Dante Scarnecchia, you get to work with a legend. A guy who will extract every bit of talent you have in you.” – Riddick
- Leaders Have To Be Willing To Do The Dirty Work – “He is a good speed rusher. People have told me he’s a one-trick pony. He doesn’t really want to play the run or rush with much power.” – Riddick on Boston College’s Harold Landry
- Your Success Is Determined By Those Around You – “Russell Wilson had all but one offensive touchdown for the Seattle Seahawks.” – Wingo
- Great Leaders Have Paid A Great Price And Overcome Great Obstacles – The defining moment of the 2018 NFL Draft was Ryan Shazier walking onto the stage and announcing the Pittsburgh Steelers’s pick.
- Smart Leaders Go Strength To Strength – The Jacksonville Jaguars, who had and an incredible defense and the highest paid defensive line in the NFL last year, drafted defensive tackle Taven Bryan from Florida.
- Character Counts – Mike Hughes, an uber-talented Central Florida cornerback with the total package, fell to the 30th pick.
- Some Leaders Could Benefit From A Redshirt Year – Going to the Baltimore Ravens is a perfect situation for Lamar Jackson. Having the opportunity to sit under Joe Flacco for 1-3 years is a gift.
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