The NFL Draft is done, and it’s time to release our team grades for all 7 rounds.
We’ll take into account every pick by each team, focusing primarily on the value of the players drafted.
While positional needs and trades will be considered, we’re looking closest at the players they did get, not what they didn’t get.
Also please keep in mind, best and worst picks are based on my opinion of the prospects.
NFL Draft Grades by Team
Buffalo Bills
Grade: C+
Total Picks: 8
Best Pick(s): Khalil Shakir (148th)
Worst Pick(s): James Cook (63rd)
Notes:
With their first four picks, the Bills addressed three of their four biggest needs at cornerback, running back, and wide receiver.
Elam was a bit of a reach in my opinion given his struggles defending the run, but there’s a lot to like about him and he definitely fits the Bills’ system.
James Cook was also a reach for me, and I reluctantly made him my worst pick. I don’t think it was a bad pick by any means, it filled a need and I think he’ll fit well in that offense. But he was the 3rd running back taken as a late 2nd round pick, and no other running back was taken until the late 3rd round. He’s a change of pace back but not a 3 down back which they could have gotten later.
Khalil Shakir was my favorite pick. I had him as a 3rd round caliber prospect, and they got him early in the 5th. Shakir is a solid route runner with incredible hands and good after-the-catch ability. He also fills a potential need on the offense. That was a home run pick in my opinion.
The Bills also grabbed the highest-ceiling punter in the draft with Matt Araiza, and a good coverage linebacker in Terrel Bernard who some really liked.
Miami Dolphins
Grade: B-
Total Picks: 4
Best Pick(s): Channing Tindall (102nd)
Worst Pick(s): Cameron Goode (224th)
Notes:
This is a tough one to grade because the Dolphins only had FOUR picks.
Most of the weight for the grade then goes to their first pick, which was Channing Tindall late in the 3rd round.
I didn’t think Tindall would make it out of the top 50, so grabbing him at 102 is a huge win for the Dolphins.
Their next pick was in the middle of the 4th round, selecting WR Erik Ezukanma. While he was far from my top receiver available at the time, most of the remaining receivers were smaller finesse guys. They already have Hill and Waddle, so they wanted a stronger receiver to compliment that. I can’t fault them for reaching a hair for Ezukanma.
The final two picks weren’t great in my opinion, but they were 7th rounders. I picked Goode as the worst pick, but that’s just because I had to pick something.
The biggest flaw of the Dolphins draft isn’t about who they got, it’s that they didn’t address their offensive line at all.
New England Patriots
Grade: D+
Total Picks: 10
Best Pick(s): Pierre Strong (127th)
Worst Pick(s): Cole Strange (29th), Tyquan Thornton (50th)
Notes:
I’m always preaching that it’s ok when teams differ from the consensus rankings. But… there’s a limit.
The Pats started it out with a 3rd round guard at the bottom of the 1st, followed by a 4th round receiver in the middle of the 2nd, then used each of their next two picks on slot corners.
Not to mention a Bailey Zappe selection despite having a young QB of the future and two decent backups already.
Oh, and taking two running backs despite having depth there as well. Traditional draft strategy was thrown out the window a bit.
I do love the value for Pierre Strong, one of my favorite draft sleepers.
Thornton at least filled a big need as a fast receiver, but the Patriots missed out on a linebacker or edge rusher entirely.
New York Jets
Grade: A
Total Picks: 7
Best Pick(s): Jermaine Johnson (26th), Sauce Gardner (4th)
Worst Pick(s): Jeremy Ruckert (101st)
Notes:
The Jets absolutely killed it.
They came out of the draft with the top cornerback (#2 overall on my board), the top wide receiver, a potential top-10 overall talent at edge rusher in Jermaine Johnson, and the top running back in Breece Hall.
Their later picks; Jeremy Ruckert, Max Mitchell, and Michael Clemons, were also pretty solid players.
The Jets grabbed their three biggest needs with their first three picks while also getting great value, and helped out Zach Wilson as much as they could.
The only small problem I have with the draft is Jeremy Ruckert. He’s my #3 tight end in the class, it was actually good value at 101. It’s just a matter of need.
The Jets signed CJ Uzomah and Tyler Conklin to be a solid tandem of tight ends, and they had plenty of other big needs to address. Ruckert is also recovering from an injury and wasn’t able to work out at the combine or senior bowl.
Baltimore Ravens
Grade: A+
Total Picks: 11
Best Pick(s): Kyle Hamilton (14th), Tyler Linderbaum (25th), Travis Jones (76th)
Worst Pick(s): Jordan Stout (130th)
Notes:
The Ravens dominated the draft.
They came out of it with my #1 safety, #1 center, #1 punter, #2 tight end, and #3 defensive tackle. And I haven’t even mentioned David Ojabo.
It was odd drafting multiple tight ends, but they got good value with both.
They grabbed uniquely talented players who also filled needs, and got great value with just about every pick.
With Jordan Stout, I’ve been on the “Stout is Punter #1” train for a long time. But taking one in the 4th round in a deep punter class isn’t great.
Cincinnati Bengals
Grade: C+
Total Picks: 6
Best Pick(s): Dax Hill (31st)
Worst Pick(s): Zach Carter (95th)
Notes:
The Bengals drafted versatile defensive back, who can play corner or safety, and then they did that two more times despite only having 6 picks.
I loved Dax Hill, and I loved the value of Tycen Anderson. Cam Taylor-Britt is a cornerback unlike the other two, but I wasn’t quite as high on that value.
Other than the DB’s, Volson was a bit of a reach in my book, and Gunter was such a late pick that he’s not expected to make an impact (although I like the value).
That leaves Zach Carter, who I’ve been low on throughout the whole process. I viewed his as a mid day 3 prospect, but heard his named called by the Bengals in the 3rd round. I’m not really sure how they plan to use him either.
Cleveland Browns
Grade: C-
Total Picks: 9
Best Pick(s): Perrion Winfrey (108th)
Worst Pick(s): Alex Wright (78th), Martin Emerson (68th)
Notes:
Usually I like the Browns’ draft picks, but not this time.
They didn’t pick until early in the 3rd round, and they grabbed a 4th round caliber corner. Emerson lacks any production on the ball in college, and he doesn’t fill that big of a need for the Browns.
They followed things up with Alex Wright, who again just wasn’t productive in college and isn’t as athletic as people seem to claim he is. He could’ve gone in the 7th round and I wouldn’t have blinked, but they took him in the 3rd.
The grade just can’t really recover from that, especially when you reach for one of the slowest receivers in the draft in David Bell with your 3rd pick.
Perrion Winfrey was a good value based on his athletic traits, and after falling in the draft having a chip on his shoulder good help him play with a more consistent motor.
Cade York was also a surprise in the 4th round. Cleveland needed a kicker, and I guess I can’t fault them for getting their guy in a class with only 1 draftable kicker prospect. But they had plenty of other needs they could’ve addressed.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Grade: C+
Total Picks: 7
Best Pick(s): Calvin Austin III (138th)
Worst Pick(s): Chris Oladokun (241st)
Notes:
The Steelers waited calmly for QBs to fall to them, and they got to take their choice at #20. Hopefully Kenny Pickett works out for them, he was my #1 QB in the draft.
I personally am very low on George Pickens, but I could see him succeeding in Pitt.
Leal was their 3rd pick and there’s a lot to like about him. I think they got great value there.
The biggest win for me was Calvin Austin, who I prefer over George Pickens. Austin is small but impossible to cover, and will add an interesting misdirection element to the Pittsburgh offense to help out either Trubisky or Pickett.
Both of their 7th round picks were guys I never expected to get drafted, but honestly that’s ok. Sometimes that happens in the 7th round. I just don’t see any way that Oladokun is better than some of the other QBs available at that point.
The reason the Steelers only got a C+ from me is the dreaded “what they didn’t get.” Pittsburgh’s offensive line was atrocious last year, and they didn’t use a single pick there. That’s not a recipe for success for a rookie QB.
Houston Texans
Grade: B-
Total Picks: 9
Best Pick(s): Christian Harris (75th)
Worst Pick(s): Kenyon Green (15th)
Notes:
The Texans started it out by rolling the dice on Stingley, and there’s a good job the gamble will pay off. It all comes down to health and “want-to”.
Kenyon Green at 15 I thought was a massive reach, but he’s got an advanced enough skillset that he can contribute from day 1, so it could be worse.
Jalen Pitre is a great versatile player, John Metchie has solid potential, and Dameon Pierce is a do-it-all option at RB.
Christian Harris was my favorite pick, getting him at 75. Harris is a big time athlete and experienced linebacker with massive potential. I didn’t expect him to slip out the 2nd round whatsoever, and Houston was the beneficiary.
The biggest negative I have beyond the Kenyon Green reach was the lack of an edge rusher. Houston forced basically no quarterback pressure last year, and it doesn’t seem like that will change this year.
Indianapolis Colts
Grade: B
Total Picks: 8
Best Pick(s): Bernhard Raimann (77th)
Worst Pick(s): Andrew Ogletree (192nd)
Notes:
Colts fans should be happy with their draft.
While they could’ve stood to take a corner, they addressed some of their biggest needs early.
I personally didn’t find great value with Alec Pierce or Jelani Woods to start off, but they have such great physical traits that I don’t blame the Colts for taking them where they did. I’m just not quite as confident in either of them as most, but that’s ok here.
Raimann with their early 3rd round pick was a very high value pick, and he has all the potential in the world to be a starting NFL tackle on either side of the line.
Nick Cross was also a good value where he was taken, with plenty of athletic traits.
There wasn’t any pick I particularly disliked, so I chose Ogletree reluctantly. I’m a big fan of Ogletree (watch him in the Hula Bowl if you don’t know him), and would have been content with a 6th round pick on him. The only big problem is they also got Jelani Woods, and I don’t really see Ogletree cracking the roster because of it.
I think most analysts would give the Colts a higher grade than I did, it’s just a matter of personal opinion on Pierce and Woods.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Grade: C+
Total Picks: 7
Best Pick(s): Devin Lloyd (27th)
Worst Pick(s): Snoop Conner (154th)
Notes:
The Jaguars had somewhat of an up-and-down draft.
They went with the high-risk, high-reward option in Travon Walker #1 overall, but followed it up with one of my favorite draft picks in Devin Lloyd. I seriously love Lloyd’s game, he does everything.
Fortner wasn’t a great value in the 3rd for me, but he filled a dire need.
Muma shortly after him was also good value, albeit not much of a need having already taken a linebacker (and not having been horrible there to begin with).
Snoop Conner was a bit of a head scratcher for me. The Jags could have used an interior defensive lineman, wide receiver (Kyle Philips or Bo Melton would have been great options), or corner, but they went with a third string running back who wasn’t even the top running back for his college team.
They followed up the Snoop pick by addressing cornerback depth, and grabbed two solid players in Gregory Junior and Montaric Brown. Decent players, but not enough to really turn around the grade.
Tennessee Titans
Grade: A
Total Picks: 9
Best Pick(s): Nicholas Petit-Frere (69th), Kyle Philips (163rd), Malik Willis (86th)
Worst Pick(s): Chig Okonkwo (143rd)
Notes:
The Titans got phenomenal value in the draft, along with some of the biggest names.
Treylon Burks at 18 was an intriguing replacement after trading AJ Brown, and Roger McCreary is an NFL-ready corner.
Petit-Frere is a former 5 star recruit and experienced offensive lineman, and was great value in the 3rd round.
The blockbuster deal was of course grabbing Malik Willis with the 86th pick. I’ve been pretty low on Willis, but this was great value. He can be in a pressure free environment and a good offensive system for his skillset. The odds of him being a bust dropped quite a bit when Tennessee called his name.
Haskins is a good bruising running back to step in at the goal line if Henry is unavailable, and Kyle Philips is potentially the best underneath route runner in the class. He can contribute immediately.
Chig Okonkwo wasn’t a bad pick at 143, but he’s very limited in what he can do. He can’t block, doesn’t play full speed until the ball is already in his hands, and has had concentration drops.
Overall, the Titans got a ton of dudes who can play right away, and that’s great for a team looking to take that next step to being Super Bowl caliber.
Denver Broncos
Grade: B-
Total Picks: 9
Best Pick(s): Nik Bonitto (64th)
Worst Pick(s): Delarrin Turner-Yell (152nd)
Notes:
The Broncos had a very “ok” draft. They didn’t really make any splash great value picks, but they didn’t really make any head scratchers.
I thought Bonitto was very solid value and also filled a need with the final pick of the 2nd round, while Dulcich, Mathis, and Uwazurike were also decent values.
Turner-Yell, Montrell Washington, and Luke Wattenberg, their trio of 3rd rounds picks, were all reaches in my book. But the 5th round is the point in the draft where I’m ok with that, the Broncos know the system they run much better than I do. I’ll trust their evaluation on those guys.
In all, it just wasn’t a super notable draft for the Broncos.
Kansas City Chiefs
Grade: A
Total Picks: 10
Best Pick(s): Trent McDuffie (21st), Leo Chenal (103rd), Darian Kinnard (144th)
Worst Pick(s): Joshua Williams (135th)
Notes:
It felt like the Chiefs were slipping a bit this offseason, losing some key players and not bringing in as good of replacements. But man this draft may have turned that around.
I saw four or five needs for the Chiefs entering the draft: Wide Receiver, Corner, Edge, Safety, and offensive line.
The Chiefs got a top 100 prospect for all 5 of those needs.
McDuffie at 21 was a great value who can contribute right away, which is awesome for a team like the Chiefs who have Super Bowl aspirations.
Karlaftis was also good value at 30, and Skyy Moore and Bryan Cook were ok values as well.
Darian Kinnard wasn’t taken until the 5th round, but most people had a 3rd round grade on him.
You also got Leo Chenal, one of the best run defending linebackers in the draft. I had a 2nd round grade on him and they grabbed him at the very end of the 3rd round.
Joshua Williams was the only pick where I felt there may have been a bit of a reach, but I don’t hate that pick by any means. There’s plenty to like about his length and potential.
Really good value for Kansas City here.
Las Vegas Raiders
Grade: B-
Total Picks: 6
Best Pick(s): Matthew Butler (175th)
Worst Pick(s): Dylan Parham (90th)
Notes:
There isn’t much to write about for the hometown Raiders.
Their pair of d-linemen, Farrell and Butler, were both good values.
Las Vegas only had 6 picks and didn’t select until pick #90. With it they took Parham, which I felt was a reach for a need.
Parham is less athletic than some think, and he’s very small for a guard which is where he’ll likely play. If they move him to center, he hasn’t had much success actually snapping the ball which is half the job.
Zamir White was a decent value, but he probably won’t do much to help them this year. Maybe it’ll look good if they don’t resign Josh Jacobs after the season, but it’s nothing too special of a pick. Every other pick I haven’t mentioned was in the 7th round.
Los Angeles Chargers
Grade: B+
Total Picks: 8
Best Pick(s): Jamaree Salyer (195th)
Worst Pick(s): Zion Johnson (17th)
Notes:
Zion Johnson may be listed as the worst pick, but I don’t dislike him. I just think he’s too small to ever be an elite guard, so taking him that early is a reach.
That being said, he’s ready to play now and will be a very solid professional.
Salyer later on is more raw but was phenomenal value as a guard/tackle.
JT Woods is a nice fit for the Chargers who I’ve gotten more high on just about every week.
Spiller is a nice compliment to Ekeler as a bigger back, and Ogbonnia has the potential to be a notable upgrade as a nose tackle.
I wasn’t a big fan of either of their late round corners, a position they probably wish they could’ve picked early, but I can see the upside to either of them so no real negatives there.
Pretty decent draft, but nothing too special.
Dallas Cowboys
Grade: C
Total Picks: 9
Best Pick(s): Jalen Tolbert (88th)
Worst Pick(s): Tyler Smith (24th)
Notes:
Tyler Smith started the draft for the Cowboys, and while some people really liked Smith I saw it as quite the reach. He’s incredibly raw and has a very high bust potential.
They followed that up with Sam Williams who I like, but wasn’t thrilled about as a 2nd round pick with previous significant off-field issues.
Dallas finally hit on a pick in the 3rd round, getting good value with Jalen Tolbert. Receiver was a potential need, and Tolbert is a great route runner with good hands. He’s got a lot of similarities with Michael Gallup who has worked out well for Dallas.
Ferguson was a safe, low-ceiling pick as a backup tight end, then they gambled on traits for Waletzko and Bland.
Damone Clark was their other very solid pick, but it all depends on the medicals for him. He had spinal surgery after the NFL combine, which could have a significant effect on his athleticism even though he’s expected to make a full recovery.
Ridgeway also at least filled a need for the Cowboys, who could still use a bigger interior defensive lineman.
New York Giants
Grade: B+
Total Picks: 11
Best Pick(s): Evan Neal (7th), Kayvon Thibodeaux (5th)
Worst Pick(s): Joshua Ezeudu (67th), Cordale Flott (81st)
Notes:
The Giants were one of the two biggest winners following Day 1 of the draft, picking up 2 of my top 5 players in Evan Neal and Kayvon Thibodeaux, which also filled needs. These are potential cornerstone players and had New York sitting at an A+ rating at that point.
I then gave them an F rating for day 2, and probably about a B for day 3. Luckily, day 1 was so good they were able to salvage a B+ rating.
What went wrong in day 2? I hated all 3 of their picks.
Hate is a strong word for Wan’Dale Robinson who fills a need, but didn’t look great in workouts and is very small. In a deep receiver class, I wouldn’t have taken him until the early 4th round.
Ezeudu I’ve never been as high on as others, and saw as a 5th round prospect. The entire North Carolina offensive line was atrocious last year, and I wouldn’t go anywhere near it. And yet the Giants drafted two of them.
Cordale Flott was also a massive reach. He’s a poor tackler and absolute string bean who looks like a high schooler in pads. I was frankly shocked to see him go day 2.
My favorite picks of day 3 were Bellinger, Davidson, and Beavers. I love Bellinger, and think he has the best chance of being this class’ George Kittle, if there is one. Davidson and Beavers were also great value.
Philadelphia Eagles
Grade: B-
Total Picks: 5
Best Pick(s): Nakobe Dean (83rd)
Worst Pick(s): Cameron Jurgens (51st)
Notes:
This was a tough one to great, as the Eagles only had 5 picks and didn’t do a great job of addressing needs.
They left the draft without grabbing a single receiver, cornerback, or edge rusher, all of which they were considering back when they had 3 1st round picks.
Luckily, the 3rd round pick of Nakobe Dean skyrockets their grade into the B range. While he’s undersized, he’s a culture changer on a defense with an absurd football IQ and great all around football ability.
Jordan Davis with the first pick was also exciting, bolstering the run defense and giving them a versatile player who can do things very few humans can do.
Jurgens is a high upside player, but he has had some issues with accurate snaps and is still pretty lean. There’s a lot of development that needs to be done there.
The Eagles didn’t pick in the 4th and 5th rounds, then both their 6th round picks were pretty average.
I am interested to see how they utilize the athleticism of Kyron Johnson, his traits are really impressive.
Washington Commanders
Grade: C-
Total Picks: 8
Best Pick(s): Sam Howell (143rd)
Worst Pick(s): Percy Butler (113th), Phidarian Mathis (47th)
Notes:
Jahan Dotson went earlier than expected to start, but I could see a team considering Dotson a top-3 receiver in the class. There’s a lot to like about his game.
Mathis was much more of a head scratcher. Maybe I’m wrong, but I didn’t view IDL as a need for Washington, and 47 was a bit early for a prospect as tight as Mathis anyway. I have a hard time believing it was a best available situation.
Brian Robinson was ok, but not great in the late 3rd round.
Butler is someone I’m not very fond of, I think he’s mostly a special teams player in the NFL. Seems like a massive reach for me.
Howell is what saved the draft. Washington got a top 5 QB prospect to begin the 5th round, someone that many were probably banging down the door for in the 3rd and 4th rounds. It was great value, even if you aren’t very fond of Howell.
Really I just think Washington’s only really good pick was a player who won’t even play (backup QB). I don’t see how it could be considered a very good draft class.
Chicago Bears
Grade: B-
Total Picks: 11
Best Pick(s): Dominique Robinson (174th)
Worst Pick(s): Velus Jones (71st)
Notes:
I can’t quite get a feel on what I think of the Bears’ draft.
They did a solid job with their first two picks. Ok value with a positional need for Kyler Gordon, and ok value for a smaller need at safety with Brisker.
I thought Velus Jones was a massive reach, and thoroughly didn’t expect him to go early 3rd. I love him as a returner and there’s upside as a receiver, but he doesn’t run his routes with a plan. He’s too unnecessarily wiggly almost, but not in a good way. There’s a lot of refinement he needs in his game.
They didn’t address the offensive line until the 5th round, and it was with another raw player in Braxton Jones. Later they picked Zachary Thomas, who doesn’t really have a position at the NFL level.
Dominique Robinson was really the only pick other than the first two that liked, providing great upside as an explosive pass rusher in the future.
There are definite problems with the Bears’ draft, and I don’t think they really did anything to help Justin Fields.
But the first couple rounds are most important, and the two players they got are really solid.
Detroit Lions
Grade: A-
Total Picks: 8
Best Pick(s): Aidan Hutchinson (2nd)
Worst Pick(s): Josh Paschal (46th)
Notes:
The Lions got the gem of the draft, my #1 overall prospect Aidan Hutchinson. That puts them in the A range right away.
They then made a gutsy trade to move way up and grab Jameson Williams, a potentially elite talent at wide receiver.
Games are won in the NFL by difference makers. And they got two true difference makers.
Josh Paschal wasn’t a bad pick by any means, but I viewed him as an early 3rd round prospect. He can play out of control and doesn’t really have an ideal position, lacking the elite quickness and length of the NFL’s top edge rushers while weighing about 270 pounds.
Joseph is a very intelligent safety who can contribute right away, and James Mitchell has some insane potential coming off an injury.
The Lions found a good mix of both upside and safety, and that’s a recipe for potentially climbing their way out of the gutter.
Green Bay Packers
Grade: B
Total Picks: 11
Best Pick(s): Devonte Wyatt (28th), Zach Tom (140th)
Worst Pick(s): Quay Walker (22nd), Romeo Doubs (132nd)
Notes:
The Packers had a bit of an up-and-down draft, but had enough plus marks to earn a solid grade.
Quay Walker was a head scratcher for me. He seems like a good fit for the Packers system, but I viewed him as the 3rd best draft prospect of the Georgia linebackers. Rumors were swirling that he was going to be a first round pick though, so it isn’t too surprising he was drafted in the 1st.
Devonte Wyatt I loved, especially since they got the same receiver they would have picked here later. Wyatt is so athletic and versatile, and could be very dangerous in the Packers’ system while improving their poor run defense.
Green Bay traded up for Christian Watson, who I thought was a reach at 34, albeit a necessary reach given their dire need. Watson is very old for a draft prospect, and will need to adjust to the physicality of NFL corners after playing in the FCS.
Rhyan was a solid pickup with upside at guard, and there’s quite a lot to like about the athleticism and value of Zach Tom.
Enagbare was also decent value, although I was much lower on him than most and don’t know how he’d fit as a face up edge rusher for Green Bay.
Doubs is the odd man out, who doesn’t really have the route running or any other elite traits to stand out in the NFL. I think they could have found an equally talented receiver with one of their 4 7th rounders.
Minnesota Vikings
Grade: C
Total Picks: 10
Best Pick(s): Andrew Booth (42nd)
Worst Pick(s): Akayleb Evans (118th)
Notes:
The Vikings got a new GM, but they’re still trading back as much as ever. They made SIX trades during the draft.
After moving all the way back from 12 to 32, they took a safety in Lewis Cine. Safety was a bigger need for the Vikings than some realized, and Cine is a good fit for the system. I thought he was a bit of a reach here, but I can see the upside.
Booth in the 2nd round was incredible value. I’m not sure just how bad the medicals looked to make him slip, but I know a few people who had him as a top-10 overall prospect. Filling their biggest need with that great of value 100% saved their draft grade from being bad.
Ed Ingram was ok and adds to their guard competition, and Asamoah was an overhyped prospect but fits well in their system.
Day 3 was very unimpressive to me, starting with Evans. He’s tall and long with a decent 40 time, but he has a slow backpedal and slow hips. He also just didn’t produce at a very high level in college. He could’ve been undrafted and I wouldn’t have blinked.
Etomewo was also a bit of a reach, but is an excellent fit for the system and has upside.
Chandler was the best pick of the day despite not being a need, having a multidimensional skillset at running back,
Atlanta Falcons
Grade: A-
Total Picks: 8
Best Pick(s): Troy Andersen (58th)
Worst Pick(s): DeAngelo Malone (82nd)
Notes:
The Falcons quietly had a really good draft, which was desperately needed.
Atlanta had 5 picks in the top 100, and successfully grabbed 5 top 100 players while addressing their biggest needs.
They had a completely abysmal receiver corps, quarterback room, and edge rusher group. They added Drake London in the first round to be their immediate WR1, Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone to contribute right away at EDGE, and Desmond Ridder in the 3rd round which was good value for a potential starting QB.
Troy Andersen was my biggest crush of the draft, and getting him at 58th was in my opinion a great pick.
While linebacker wasn’t as big of a need as the other three positions, Andersen is literally the most athletic linebacker in the history of the NFL draft. I’m not kidding. You’re getting a player with as high of a ceiling as anyone in the draft.
I picked Malone as the worst pick simply because I thought it wasn’t great value, and they already took a smaller edge rusher. The outside linebackers in their 3-4 system are both smaller pass rush specialists, and it didn’t really fill as big of a need. That being said, I still think it was a solid pick.
I have no big complaints about any of their final picks, but not jump off the page in a positive way either.
Carolina Panthers
Grade: A
Total Picks: 6
Best Pick(s): Amare Barno (189th), Matt Corral (94th), Ikem Ekwonu (6th)
Worst Pick(s): Literally none. Brandon Smith I guess (120th)
Notes:
Carolina is secretly one of the biggest winners in the draft.
They only had 6 picks so it doesn’t feel like they came away with as big of a haul as a team like the Jets, but they really made the most of what they have.
It started with Ekwonu, who fills a massive need and is a great player.
They then got a quarterback who some expected to go in the 1st round, but they drafted at the end of the 3rd.
Brandon Smith was taken right around where I thought he would, offering great athleticism and potential at linebacker.
Amare Barno as a linebacker and edge rusher has elite athletic traits, running a sub-4.4 at 245 pounds with great length. He’s got a lot to learn, but as a 6th round pick you just can’t argue with the athletic potential.
Cade Mays is very versatile and ready to play, and Kalon Barnes is another freak athlete.
Every single pick I had ranked lower than their draft selection, which means they were all good value in my opinion. Great draft.
New Orleans Saints
Grade: C+
Total Picks: 5
Best Pick(s): D’Marco Jackson (161st)
Worst Pick(s): Alontae Taylor (49th)
Notes:
The Saints only had 5 picks in the draft, and none were particularly good or bad.
They filled their desperate WR need with Chris Olave, but took him pretty early at #11.
Penning has massive potential but will be raw to start, but again filled a need.
They then went with Alontae Taylor which surprised me. I thought I had him ranked higher than most as a fringe 2nd-3rd round prospect. I didn’t expect him to go top 50 whatsoever. But sure enough he did, I’m not sure where they’re planning to even play him.
D’Marco Jackson was solid value with good potential at linebacker, then Jordan Jackson was really just a 6th round flier.
Nothing too special here.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Grade: C+
Total Picks: 8
Best Pick(s): Zyon McCollum (157th)
Worst Pick(s): Luke Goedeke (57th)
Notes:
Tampa Bay’s draft didn’t start off great, but got strong in the middle.
Logan Hall was a player I wasn’t as high on as most, and wouldn’t normally have liked him at #33. But I love his fit into Tampa’s defense, so I’m totally fine with it.
Goedeke on the other hand I thought was a massive reach. He’ll likely kick inside to guard, although he could stick on the outside if needed. He’s a tough mauler with fun film, but I expected the early 4th round. 2nd round was a big reach for him.
White and Otton were solid high upside players, Otton in particular.
Camarda was unexpected, but I love him. He’s one of those punters who is an artist at the position.
Then Zyon McCollum saved the class. Easily. No other way around it.
I was absolutely shocked to see him make it to the 5th round. He could’ve been a 2nd round pick and I wouldn’t have blinked. I actually had him graded moderately higher than Hall, with both of them being on the 2nd-3rd round fringe.
McCollum was the highest graded player they took, and they got him in the 5th round. Freakish athleticism with great size and a lot of production at one of the traditional FCS powerhouses. Total steal of the draft.
Arizona Cardinals
Grade: B+
Total Picks: 8
Best Pick(s): Trey McBride (55th)
Worst Pick(s): Keaontay Ingram (201st)
Notes:
Arizona would have broken the A range if they had filled more needs, but that was tough with so little draft capital. 5 of their 8 picks fell in the 6th or 7th round.
Trey McBride to start was great value, getting the top tight end in the late 2nd round. I considered him an early 2nd round prospect, and wouldn’t have been shocked to see him go in the 1st.
Cameron Thomas and Myjai Sanders are really good edge rushers, and fill a dire need. They’re also very different players who can play varying roles on the team.
Keaontay Ingram was their 4th pick, and was a need at running back. I didn’t even think it was that bad of a value, I just liked the first 3 picks and had to choose one of the late round picks as worst. Ingram might be their #2 running back now, but that’s a problem because he just isn’t very good.
Los Angeles Rams
Grade: D
Total Picks: 8
Best Pick(s): Kyren Williams (164th)
Worst Pick(s): Logan Bruss (104th). Plus like the rest of them
Notes:
If you were to tell me before the draft that a team had 8 picks, and the only one I remotely liked was Kyren Williams I wouldn’t believe you in the slightest. I’m not a big Kyren fan. That being said, every other pick was pretty bad.
To begin, I don’t like Logan Bruss. He doesn’t have a trait that stands out, and I think you could’ve gotten a very comparable player in undrafted free agency. And Bruss was their first selection at 104 overall.
They followed it with Decobie Durant, a nickel corner who played in a below average FCS conference, has short arms, is old, and limited upside.
Kyren Williams was decent value by the 5th round. Despite lacking top end speed, he’s very quick and multitalented.
Their remaining 5 picks I had as undrafted free agents. Daniel Hardy is probably my favorite of them all, and I’m not at all surprised he got drafted after his dominant season.
Derion Kendrick is well known, but legend has it he’s still running his 40 time as we speak. Even if you don’t care about 40 times, you have to acknowledge that no corner has ever been successful with anything remotely close to a 4.79.
San Francisco 49ers
Grade: D
Total Picks: 9
Best Pick(s): Spencer Burford (134th)
Worst Pick(s): Tyrion Davis-Price (93rd), Danny Gray (105th)
Notes:
NFC West, what’s going on? This draft was horrible too.
You start with Drake Jackson. He’s got good bend around the edge, but work ethic red flags and was a very unhealthy version of 270+ pounds at his pro day after being 255 at the combine. One game to the next is as inconsistent as you’ll ever find, and if I was a team I’d be avoiding him until day 3, not taking him in the 2nd round.
Tyrion Davis-Price was their next pick at the end of the 3rd round. He was the 5th running back taken, ahead of Brian Robinson, Dameon Pierce, Zamier White, Isaiah Spiller, Pierre Strong, and Jerome Ford.
Usually I allow plenty of room for teams to have different evaluations that me. I’m grading based on general fit into the NFL, they’re grading based on fit into their scheme. That being said, I don’t see a single trait I prefer from TDP over any of the guys I just named. I swear they could’ve drafted him in the 5th round, and I wouldn’t have taken him until free agency. Maybe the worst pick of the draft.
They followed it up with Danny Gray, who is a very fast sprinter but needs to learn how to actually get open with more than just go-routes. I thought it was a big stretch once again. I thoroughly don’t understand how he could’ve been a 3rd round pik, ahead of Calvin Austin, Khalil Shakir, Kyle Philips, Erik Ezukanma, and more.
Burford was good, I like him. Not sure if they’ll view him at tackle or guard, but I like his film and versatility.
Womack was also a shock to me, he was a 5th round pick but barely cracked my top 500 prospects. Maybe that’s on me though, at least at that point you’re just taking fliers.
Zakelj was also a bit of a reach, then I guess the last three picks were decent.
Seattle Seahawks
Grade: B+
Total Picks: 9
Best Pick(s): Boye Mafe (40th), Coby Bryant (109th), Tariq Woolen (153rd)
Worst Pick(s): Kenneth Walker III (41st)
Notes:
Pretty good draft for Seattle.
I’m not totally sure if Cross will fit into that system considering how run-heavy it will be, but at least he’s a talented player.
Boye Mafe is a stud on and off the field, and was solid value at 40.
Walker wasn’t a bad value, but Seattle already has so much at running back. Looks like Chris Carson is on his way out after the injuries, otherwise this pick would make no sense.
Abraham Lucas has upside as a potential starting tackle, then they got two great value corners in Bryant and Woolen.
Bryant is extremely talented for a 4th rounder. Then while I wasn’t high on Woolen, he has too many traits to make it to the 5th round. Great value and a perfect fit for a big corner.
Tyreke Smith was an average at best pick, then plenty to like about the two 7th round receivers.
What’s keeping them from an A grade was positional needs, particularly spending a 2nd round pick on a running back when they desperately need help at other positions like QB.
