My first real draft, from the 3 slot

Finally had my first real draft last night with a group of buddies scattered around the country. Let's just say they didn't exactly follow the standard ADP order, which really kept me on my toes!

Here's what I got from the 3rd overall pick in a 10-team PPR league...

Pick 1.3: David Johnson, RB, Cardinals. The top pick on my board was there, as expected. Given his role as both a runner and receiver with a nose for the end zone, he's everything you want in your top draft pick. Somewhat surprisingly, DeAndre Hopkins was the second overall pick, after Antonio Brown.

Pick: 2.8: Jordy Nelson, WR, Packers. Not gonna lie. I love me some Jordy, but I did have some trepidation when drafting him about whether he's back to 100% health. Brandon Marshall was taken two picks earlier.

Pick 3.3: T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts. The guy picking at 3.2 snagged Doug Martin out of my paws, leaving me with no choice but to take the best WR on the board.

Pick 4.8: C.J. Anderson, RB, Broncos. Lots of upside for Anderson, and solid value in the 4th round.

Pick 5.3: Latavius Murray, RB, Raiders. Okay, clearly my buddy picking at 5.2 read my Perfect Draft column and is screwing with me. He grabbed Greg Olsen, throwing my strategy out the door. Dangit! I love Murray, who I almost took at 4.8, so he's a nice consolation prize. But my TE plans have been foiled.

Pick 6.8: Carson Palmer, QB, Cardinals. A run on QBs was well underway, so it was time to pull the trigger on my man.

Pick 7.3: Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals. There goes Bortles (my Perfect Draft pick) to the guy at 7.2. Sure hope he enjoys my roster! Love Fitz, and the combo with Palmer. But I'm putting an awful lot of eggs in the Cards' basket. They'd better live up to expectations!

Pick 8.8: Allen Hurns, WR, Jaguars. As I mentioned in my Perfect Draft column, you'll regret it if you don't buy a stake in Jacksonville's passing offense this season. Very pleased with Hurns this late in the draft.

Pick 9.3: Tom Brady, QB, Patriots. Suddenly, I feel a lot better about missing out on Bortles. This selection was extra delicious as the guy picking at 9.4 was the only one who had yet to take a QB and declared his everlasting hate for me when I took Brady off the board.

Pick 10.8: DeAngelo Williams, RB, Steelers. Julius Thomas was taken at 10.6, so there goes TE Plan B. Not sure if I'll have the guts to start D-Will in the first three weeks when he's the Steelers' workhorse. But if I don't, this could be a mostly wasted pick (barring an injury to Bell).

Pick 11.3: Antonio Gates, TE, Chargers. Does he have another elite season in him? Guess who will be rooting for it?

Pick 12.8: Broncos D/ST. I have the Cardinals ranked a bit higher, but I'm over-invested in them already. More than happy to "settle" for the Broncos.

Pick 13.3: Travis Benjamin, WR, Chargers. If he develops a chemistry with Rivers, Benjamin will be a steal in the 13th round. Surprisingly, James White was long gone.

Pick 14.8: Tyler Boyd, WR, Bengals. The other rookie WRs I liked better were gone, but Boyd felt like good value here.

Pick 15.3: Graham Gano, K, Panthers. I wanted a piece of the Panthers' offense, and there was a run on kickers. Besides, I was pretty confident my flier would be there on the turn.

Pick 16.8: Chris Hogan, WR, Patriots. If he solidifies his hold on the WR2 role in New England, this pick will pay nice dividends.

That's it, that's all. Overall, I feel great about my QBs, my RBs, my WRs, my DST and my K. Not so much on the TE. Clive Walford went undrafted, so I'll be looking to see how he does in Week 1 for backup purposes.