Buying or Selling Buzz-Worthy NFL Draft Names as Day 1 Starters

The 2014 NFL draft was filled with its surprises. Whether it’s Blake Bortles heading to the “Bold New City of the South” or Johnny Manziel free-falling to Cleveland, the draft has left fans buzzing.

While buzzworthy picks can sometimes sell tickets, they don’t always promise immediate success.

There will be a lot of pressure on first- and second-round players to start and make immediate impacts on their teams. Unfortunately, not everyone will meet expectations—at least not right away.

In fact, even some premiere picks will struggle to start at Week 1. While that’s not necessarily an indictment on their career, it’s enough to cause concern among impatient fanbases.

Here are the players I’m buying and selling as Day 1 starters.

Buy: Jace Amaro, TE, New York Jets

While the Jets failed to grab a high-profile wide receiver in the draft, they did land quarterback Geno Smith an excellent security blanket in Jace Amaro. Amaro is immediately an upgrade at tight end over veterans Jeff Cumberland and Zach Sudfeld.

Amaro’s size (6’5”, 265 lbs) makes him a huge target in the passing game. He has good hands and excels at making catches in traffic. He isn’t going to burn anyone, but he runs effective routes and has enough speed to be productive after the catch.

Amaro becomes a big weapon for a pass offense that ranked 31st in 2013, averaging 183.2 yards per game. He will become a focal point from the beginning with defenses keying on recently signed receiver Eric Decker.

Amaro will have the potential to put up top-10 tight end numbers his first season.

Sell: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Carolina Panthers

It’s no secret that the Panthers badly needed an upgrade at wide receiver after releasing long-time veteran Steve Smith.

In 2013, Ted Ginn Jr., Steve Smith and Brandon LaFell were the only Carolina receivers with over 200 offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). And now all are on different rosters.

Needless to say, Carolina had to get Cam Newton someone to throw to. Unfortunately, the Panthers made the wrong decision.

To put it in perspective, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller had Benjamin rated as his 12th-ranked receiver, 74th overall. The Panthers took him ahead of Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson, Davante Adams and Jarvis Landry—all ranked higher than Benjamin, according to Matt Miller’s final board.

The issue with the pick isn’t about rankings; it is about Benjamin’s overall skill set. While his size (6’5”, 240 lbs) is great for an outside receiver, his speed, weight and physicality leave questions.

Can Benjamin control his weight? Will he be able to be a playmaker without top-end speed? These are questions that make me believe that Benjamin isn’t a legitimate starting wide receiver yet.

The potential exists for Benjamin to really develop. He might break the lineup based on lack of depth, but he’s still a long way from being relevant.

Buy: Johnny Manziel, QB, Cleveland Browns

It’s been a long time since the city of Cleveland has had a reason to get really excited about a quarterback. Cue Johnny Football. Although history suggests that the Browns are cursed at the 22nd overall pick, Manziel has a fantastic shot at breaking the mold.

Manziel will go to an offense led by Kyle Shanahan, who knows how to utilize mobile quarterbacks. With weapons around him like Jordan Cameron and Josh Gordon (assuming he doesn't get suspended, per T.J. Quinn and Don Van Natta Jr. at ESPN.com), Manziel will have the opportunity to have a very successful season.

There will undoubtedly be a lot of pressure on Manziel to restore the Browns to relevance, but given time to develop he’ll meet those expectations.

It will take some time before Manziel really reaches his potential. Despite this, he is a winner, and this organization seems committed to building something special with Manziel the centerpiece for years to come.

Sell: Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars shocked the world when they selected Blake Bortles over Sammy Watkins and Khalil Mack. Now, Bortles heads to Jacksonville as the guy who will be the face of the franchise.

While it’s easy to be excited about Bortles, it’s important to temper expectations.

Jaguars general manager David Caldwell was quick to say, per CBSSports.com's John Breech, that they don’t expect Bortles to start right away. The plan is for him to adjust to the NFL while Chad Henne leads the offense at the beginning of the 2014 NFL season.

What fans must be careful of here is assuming that Bortles is a bust just because he isn’t starting immediately. The Jaguars are trying to do a good job of protecting him from the pressures associated with being a high pick.

Bortles was selected for his prototypical size and skills, which project him to be a very strong NFL quarterback. Additionally, they worked hard to ensure they surround him with some weapons in the future by adding Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson.

Bortles will be a solid starter in the league, but there’s no sense in rushing it.

Buy: Anthony Barr, OLB, Minnesota Vikings

As far as athleticism goes, Anthony Barr is an absolute beast. He ran a 4.66 40-yard dash, per NFL.com, and he has made a career of disrupting passers and chasing down running backs.

Despite his incredible measurables, Barr is still very much a raw prospect. 

What is most intriguing here is how Barr fits in Mike Zimmer’s 4-3 defense. His skill set projects him perfectly as a “Will” linebacker in the base 4-3 package and a guy who puts his hand in the dirt on passing downs in the nickel package.

Because of Barr’s potential to make plays both in coverage and rushing the passer, I believe he’ll immediately start for the Vikings. Technique and fundamentals are coachable, but talent is not. Zimmer will help Barr hone his skills and be an absolute monster for the Vikings in 2014.

Sell: Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants

In a year where Eli Manning only tossed 18 touchdowns and the Giants lost Hakeem Nicks to free agency, the selection of Odell Beckham Jr. makes a lot of sense.

Beckham is a game-changer with plenty of speed. He’ll come in to New York and immediately be utilized as a guy Manning expects to blow the top off defenses.

For all the talent that he has, I’m not convinced Beckham is a Day 1 starter.

He is best to come in and play outside on three-receiver sets. Playing outside will allow Victor Cruz to operate in the slot where he is most dangerous. In two-receiver sets, the Giants will still value Rueben Randle’s 6’2” size.

Beckham Jr. will be the second-best receiver in New York behind Cruz. However, until he proves that he can be productive as an outside receiver and run-blocker, it’s not smart to move him into the starting lineup.

Buy: Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Minnesota Vikings

For all the rumors and buzz about Bridgewater dropping out of the first round, the Minnesota Vikings had no problem trading up to get him.

While Minnesota had a shot at Johnny Manziel, the club chose to wait and landed the best player in the draft, according to Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller. 

It seems as though things in Minnesota are trending up. With Adrian Peterson, Cordarrelle Patterson and Kyle Rudolph around him, Bridgewater has landed in a great situation. He won’t feel pressure to be the offensive playmaker and will be supported by a team that made Christian Ponder look relatively competent.

Bridgewater’s accuracy and mobility will make him an immediate upgrade for the Vikings. I don’t envision him having any problems earning the starting spot and winning over fans in a hurry.