NFL Draft Grades

The NFL Draft is over, and for a few days, it gave us, enough entertainment to distract us from the mundane of quarantine life, or at the very least, kept us from trying to talk ourselves into watching another reality show on Netflix. The NFL Draft, not surprisingly, broke every previous draft record for viewership as nearly five million people tuned in to get their sports fix. It provided lots of intrigue, especially in how it would all work, gave us a fun insight into players, coaches and personnel’s homes (including pets), and some relative surprises. The NFL draft was fun, especially when you consider the circumstances, but it’s aftermath provides us a little bit of a warped picture. 

Football fans every April, love the draft because it provides for them a glimpse into what next year COULD look like. And after a long winter, with no football, a fan can put a lot of stock into the draft and that can cause extreme jubilation or extreme dismay over one pick that COULD alter the path of a franchise. And that in not social distancing years.

Again, the key word being, could. Not that we cannot judge picks that are being made, because after all, that’s why we watch. For two or three days, we can pretend that we work for our favorite team’s front office and will our general managers/head coaches through our TV’s (in a very Poltergeist fashion) to select the players we want, or not select those we do not want. 

At no other time in the season, is the ‘vision’ of a team under more scrutiny. But what we end up doing, is judging the player, and not necessarily the vision. 

A perfect example is what took lace this past weekend, when in the first round the Green Bay Packers traded up to select Jordan Love. This sent Packers fans in an absolute tizzy, and rightfully so. They already have one of the greatest quarterbacks of our generation in Aaron Rodgers (who does have an injury history, and is getting older), and the Packers with first year head coach Matt LaFleur went all the way to the NFC Championship game. The Packers were just a few plays, but really, players away from being a Super Bowl team. But for whatever reason, or vision, the Packers decided to select Utah State quarterback Jordan Love, who fell, way past his projection all the way to the end of the first round, where the Packers swooped in and drafted him. 

But the truth is, there is nothing wrong with Jordan Love. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t project him to be Tom Brady, or even Aaron Rodgers at this point, but Love is a solid prospect that many teams were enamored with throughout this draft process. He has his flaws, like every college quarterback does, but his versatility, and arm strength make him a interesting player. 

The problem with the Packers selecting Love, is not the player, but the vision. What are the Packers trying to say with this pick? After being in last year’s final four, with a brand new head coach, are they thinking about starting over at quarterback? Which means, are you trading Aaron Rodgers, and if you do can you, how can you expect the team to be better? Or are you drafting Love to be Aaron Rodgers back up for the next 2-3 years, and if that’s the case, why waste a first round pick on a back up quarterback? 

There are a lot of questions here, but this formula for the Packers has worked before. After all these were the same exact conditions that Aaron Rodgers was drafted in to succeed Brett Favre. And at the time, it was met with criticism but now, knowing what we know about Aaron Rodgers, no Packers fan would go back and undo what the Packers did. 

Again, its not about the player, but the vision. 

That being said, when I do my draft grades, I like to focus more on the vision of the team, than just the one player. It’s important to understand what a team’s vision is, so that will be my little niche to my grades, I will not only provide a letter grade (because all of this distance learning has really rusted my grading skills) but I will also provide for you the team’s vision, and let that be your judge. 

AFC EAST

	Key Players Selected	Draft Grade	Vision
New England Patriots	Kyle Dugger (S- 2nd)  Josh Uche (OLB-3rd) Anfernee Jennings (OLB- 4th) Devin Asiasi (TE-4th) Dalton Keene (TE-4th)	B-	It’s all about 2021
Buffalo Bills	AJ Epenesa (DE-2nd) Zach Moss (RB-3rd)) Jake Fromm (QB-5th)	B-	Let’s Run It Back
New York Jets	Mekhi Becton (OT-1st) Denzel Mims (WR-2nd)	B	Its all about Sam
Miami Dolphins	Tua Tagovailoa (QB-1st) Austin Jackson (OT-1st) Noah Igbinoghene (CB-1st) Robert Hunt (OT-2nd)	A	Committing to a Plan

Keeping It Simple:

New England Patriots: Too many holes on offense and not enough cap space to fix in one draft, but found eventual successors to McCourty, Chung, Van Noy and Hightower. Oh, and also addressed the lack of tight end talent from last year’s group.

Buffalo Bills: After brining in Stephon Diggs from Minneosta, Buffalo finally got their big time play maker, so they just had to continue to add depth to one of the best defenses and running games in the league. Also Jake Fromm is not a terrible insurance policy to the inconsistent Josh Allen. 

New York Jets: They need to figure out if Sam Darnold is a franchise quarterback, so they got him an outstanding talent to protect his blindside and a good jump ball receiver who could be a real red zone threat for Darnold. 2020 is all about Sam. 

Miami Dolphins: They couldn’t afford to let Tua go by and live to regret it. Did it once with Drew Brees, they had to roll the dice on Tua. Got an two offensive tackles who will hopefully protect him for years to come. 

AFC North

	Key Players Selected	Draft Grade	Vision
Baltimore Ravens	Patrick Queen (LB- 1st) J.K. Dobbins (RB-3rd) Devin Duvernay (WR-4th)	A-	Becoming the best version of themselves
Pittsburgh Steelers	Chase Claypool (WR-2nd) Alex Highsmith (LB-4th)	C+	Bridging the gap
Cleveland Browns	Jedrick Wills (OT-1st) Grant Delpit (S-2nd)  Jordan Elliott (DT-3rd)	B	Baker can’t be the problem, can he?
Cincinnati Bengals	Joe Burrow (QB-1st) Tee Higgins (WR-2nd) Logan Wilson (LB-3rd)	A	Creating a new identity

Keeping It Simple…

Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens were the most explosive team in the league last year, on offense and at time, on defense as well. So they added more speed, and more athleticism to add onto a what could be, a solid foundation for the next several years. 

Pittsburgh Steelers: More than any other team in the league, the Steelers needed to address their Quarterback situation, and even though they had little resources to do so, they didn’t even attempt to. The Steelers have a outstanding defense, but it’s hard to figure how they are going to move on from Big Ben. It seems they have no immediate plans to do so. 

Cleveland Browns: The Browns were a huge disappointment last year, and instead of hitting any kind of panic button, they reloaded their offensive line and added some nice defensive pieces. If Baker can find his rookie form, with the talent he has around him, the Browns could be a more pleasant surprise. 

Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals are finally moving on from the Marvin Lewis-Andy Dalton-Bad Boy Defense that had identified the team for the past decade. Lewis is long gone, and now Andy Dalton is not far behind. The Bengals are creating a new identity and hopefully found a quarterback and head coach who can exercise the demons of the previous administration. 

AFC South

	Key Players Selected	Draft Grade	Vision
Tennessee Titans	Isaiah Wilson (OT-1st) Kristian Fulton (CB-2nd) Darrynton Evans (RB-3rd)	C+	Convinced their model is sustainable
Houston Texans	Ross Blacklock (DT-2nd) Jonathon Greenard (LB-3rd) CHarklie Heck (OT-4th)	C	Bill O’Brien’s Final Mistakes
Indianapolis Colts	Michael Pittman (WR-2nd) Jonathon Taylor (RB-2nd) Jacob Eason (QB-4th)	C+	A possible future?
Jacksonville Jaguars	CJ Henderson (CB-1) K’Lavon Chaisson (LB-1) Laviska Shenault (WR-2) DaVon Hamilton (DT-3rd) Ben Bartch (OT-4)  Collin Johnson (WR-5)	A-	Out with the old and in with the new

Let’s Keep It Simple…

Tennessee Titans: The Titans had their marquee win in the last decade, when the defeated the Patriots in New England, then followed that up with a trip to the AFC title game. The Titans were the hottest team in the AFC, and Mahomes may have been the only person on earth that could of stopped them. Which he did. Coach Mike Vrabel made it very clear in tis draft that the Titans formula works and he reloaded in this draft with offensive lineman, gritty defensive players and a running back to help Derrick Henry carry the load. The problem I have with this draft, is I am just not a believer in this model. Ryan Tannehill, despite his heroic game manager moments last year, really could of benefitted from adding another playmaker on the outside and/or another pass catching tight end. Or, if they really wanted to go all in on this model, perhaps adding a more dynamic running back to split time or share a backfield with Derrick Henry, like a DeAndre Swift, would have also provided that impact. The Titans are playing with house money in 2020, but if they truly think they are just a few plays away from another trip to the Super Bowl, they are badly mistaken. 

Houston Texans: This is just too easy. After trading away DeAndre Hopkins and making that foolish trade for Brandin Cooks, the Texans are no longer a sinking ship, they are scraping the ocean floor. This will be Bill O’Brien’s last season…right? 

Indianapolis Colts: After signing Philip Rivers, and hoping if he returns to floor the Colts could sneak through the back door and win this lackluster division, head coach Frank Reich took the time in this draft to carefully try and plan a future. Jacob Eason is a fourth round pick, and if Reich truly believes he has the potential to start someday, it will take a year or two of sitting, perhaps to see if that’s a possibility. But Pittman is a likable prospect and no one could argue against Jonathon Taylor’s production in college. It may not be Manning-James-Harrison but maybe we will look back at this draft in 2-3 years and start to draw some comparisons. 

Jacksonville Jaguars: After the 2018 season, when the Jaguars were just two or three plays away from beating the Patriots in the AFC title game, they really believed last year they were just one player away from getting to the Super Bowl. So they signed Nick Foles, a super bowl winning quarterback, to help get them over the hump. Instead, the whole thing imploded. Jalen Ramsey was finally traded, they let Foles go, and then there was that whole Garner Minshew mania thing. But despite all of the turmoil, the Jaguars had a very good draft getting some nice blue chippers on defense to hopefully rebuild one of the best units two years ago. They still have a long way to go, and I don’t think management will be around much longer to see out their vision. But there is talent in Jacksonville. 

AFC West 

	Key Players Selected	Draft Grade	Vision
Kansas City Chiefs	Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB-1st) Willie Gay (LB-2nd) Lucas Niang (OT-3rd)	B-	One more weapon for Mahomes should do the trick.
Denver Broncos	Jerry Judy (WR-1st) KJ Hamler (WR-2nd) Lloyd Cushenberry (C-3rd)	B+	Let’s create the best conditions for Lock
Las Vegas Raiders	Henry Ruggs III (WR-1st) Damon Arnette (CB-1st) Lynn Bowden (RB-3rd) Bryan Edwards (WR-3rd)	B	Go big or go home
Los Angeles Chargers	Justin Herbert (QB-1st) Kenneth Murray (LB-1st) Joshua Kelley (RB-3rd) KJ Hill (WR-6th)	B+	New Voices

Let’s Keep It Simple...

Kansas City Chiefs: A new fast toy for Patrick Mahomes makes the Kansas City offense even scarier for 2020, if that’s possible to imagine. But what I really like what the Chiefs did is the value they added to offensive line and the defensive side of the ball.

Denver Broncos: Drew Lock gave the Broncos a lot to be hopeful for. General Manger John Elway gave him a bunch of shiny new toys to play with, and Denver has the making of one of the best offensive in the league next year (don’t forget they signed Melvin Godron). The last time Denver’s offense looked this good, they were winning Super Bowls. 

Las Vegas Raiders: Man do Gruden and Mayock like players from big schools or what? Once again they loaded up on players from Alabama and Ohio State to turn around this franchise, and don’t get me wrong, they are good players, but the lack of trust in the quarterback situation, still has me scratching my head on how to evaluate this team. 

Los Angeles Chargers: The Chargers finally moved on from franchise great Philip Rivers, and with his departure the Chargers lose the biggest voice the franchise has had. So what did they do? Loaded up on good character guys, and leaders. Herbert was not only one of the best quarterback prospects on the board, but probably the most dedicated to his program. Herbert could of been a top 5 pick last year but decided to go back to school if he could lead his childhood team, the Ducks, to the playoff. Kenneth Murray had a similar connection and impact on Oklahoma, and Josh Kelley is one of the best stories in the draft (if you had not heard it, go look up how he got into UCLA). I really like what the Chargers have done, even though nobody in Los Angeles seems to care. 

NFC North

	Key Players Selected	Draft Grade	Vision
Philadelphia Eagles	Jalen Reagor (WR-1st)  Jalen Hurts (QB-2nd) K’Von Wallace (S-3rd)	C	I’m Doug Peterson and I can do whatever I want.
Dallas Cowboys	CeeDee Lamb (WR-1st) Trevon Diggs (CB-2nd) Tyler Biadasz (C-4th)	B	Dak or no Dak, the offense is going to be great.
New York Giants	Andrew Thomas (OT-1st) Xavier McKinney (S-2nd) Matt Peart (OT-3rd)  Shane Lemieux (OG-4th)	B-	Hey how about we address that whole lack of an offensive line, thing
Washington Redskins	Chase Young (DE-1st) Antonio Gibson (RB-3rd)  Saahdiq Charles (OT-3rd) Antonio Gandy-Golden (4th)	B	This is going to take time.

Let’s Keep It Simple...

Philadelphia Eagles: I don’t care what anyone says, this is a make or break year for Carson Wentz. Now, why all of sudden the Eagles are deciding upon that now, after his first full year back from injury, is up for debate, but there is no doubt that when Doug Peterson does something, its going to be big and bold. Don’t buy the hype, that he is just drafting a back up for his franchise quarterback, because no successful team does that with a 2nd round selection. Hurts is healthier and more versatile, and don’t be shocked if you hear some controversy heading into camp. Reagor was a reach at this spot, and for a team that has done a bad job at drafting receivers, there is little to be optimistic about. 

Dallas Cowboys: I love the selection of CeeDee Lamb and I really do believe he is the missing piece on that offense. The Cowboys will be explosive this year on offense with the trio of receivers they now have, Ezekiel Elliott being in camp on time this year and Dak Prescott with a lot to prove. Biadasz is a great value pick in the fourth, for an offensive line they will slowly have to replace.

New York Giants: The Giants saw their greatest quarterback erode quickly because of the lack of protection he had on the offensive line, and with their new quarterback of the future firmly in place, they could not let him suffer the same fate. So the Giants loaded up this draft, and hopefully they will hit some homers with these picks, and Daniel Jones will be on his backslide less. Oh, and a better offensive line will mean great things for Saquon Barkley, because he’s kind of good too. 

Washington Redskins: New head coach Ron Rivera wasted no time in selecting Chase Young to anchor his defense. It was the right move, and Young should end up becoming one of the best pass rushers in the league, something the Redskins have struggled with. But outside of that pick, the Redskins didn’t do anything of particular note. They didn’t have the picks to do it with anyway, so instead of trying to make a splash and trade up for say a big time receiver that Haskins sorely needs, the Redskins are going to try the patient approach…for now. 

NFC North

	Key Players Selected	Draft Grade	Vision
Green Bay Packers	Jordan Love (QB-1st) AJ Dillon (RB-2nd) Josiah Deguara (TE-3rd) Kamal Martin (LB-4th)	D	You got me
Minnesota Vikings	Justin Jefferson (WR-1st) Jeff Gladney (CB-1st) Erze Cleveland (OT-2nd) Cameron Dantzler (CB-3rd)	B-	Let’s put some fingers into this dam
Chicago Bears	Cole Kmet (TE-2nd) Jaylon Johnson (CB-2nd) Kindle Vidor (CB-4th)	C	Hey were are trying…kind of
Detroit Lions	Jeff Okudah (CB-1st) D’Andre Swift (RB-2nd) Julian Okwara (DE-3rd) Jonah Jackson (OG-4th)	B	A few more dynamic players, and maybe we have something here

Let’s Keep It Simple…

Green Bay Packers: The Love selection is one thing, but after that, that’s when things got scary for Green Bay. Selecting Dillon in the 2nd was straight out of left field, and Deguara was maybe the 8-9 best tight end prospect in what was already considered a weak group in this year’s draft. I am a big believer in “you take your guy” but when “your guys” are guys nobody else is considering maybe they shouldn’t be “your guys”. 

Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings are a talented group, with more talent coming in with a nice 2020 draft, but just not sure how sustainable it is. Cousins is the most unpredictable quarterback in the league, and that’s the nicest way he can be described. Dalvin Cook is spectacular but there is still a lot riding on his body. The defense is good, but could have used some youthful injections, particularly in the pass rush. The Vikings are trying to keep their heads above the competitive waters. But in 2020, the tide looks to be coming in. 

Chicago Bears: Have one of the worst offenses in the league? Just add one tight end and that will cure all of your problems right? No. Well that describes the Bears 2020 draft. 

Detroit Lions: Matt Patricia is going to need to have a winning season to save his job in 2020. Okudah and Swift could be serious impact players in 2020, but will they be enough to save his job? Looks like Patricia will be wearing a different hat in 2021. I wonder if they will let him keep the pencil? 

NFC South

	Key Players Selected	Draft Grade	Vision
New Orleans Saints	Cesar Ruiz (C- 1st)  Zack Baun (LB-2nd) Adam Trautman (TE- 3rd)	B-	The rebuild has begun…
Carolina Panthers	Derrick Brown (DT-1st)  Yetur Gross-Matos (DE-2nd) Jeremy Chinn (S-3rd) Troy Pride (CB-3rd) `	B+	Matt Ruhle is steering the ship
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Tristan Wirfs (OT-1st) Antoine Winfield (CB-2nd) Ke’Shawn Vaughn (RB-3rd)  Tyler Johnson (WR-4th)	B+	Not only did we steal Tom Brady, we also stole their scouts
Atlanta Falcons	AJ Terrell (CB-1st) Marlon Davidson (DT-2nd) Matt Henessy (C-3rd)	D+	Hey Houston Texans, hold my beer!

Let’s Keep It Simple…

New Orleans Saints: The Saints added great value in this draft, and each one of them will play a huge part in the future of the Saints.

Carolina Panthers: Matt Ruhle loves defense. So the Panthers went all defense in this draft, and each pick looks to be a blue chip prospect for the Panthers. Brown was a steal at the 7th spot in the draft, Matos easily could of been a first round pick, and the same could be said for Chinn, who also could of, and should of been draft a round earlier. The Panthers have entered the Matt Ruhle era…

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The additions of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski will overshadow just how good of a draft the Bucs had. Wirfs is an athletic freak, and a much needed addition to the Bucs to the offensive line. Winfield was a steal in the 2nd and Vaughn and Johnson could be really nice additions as well. I guess the Bucs are smart by association now. 

Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons are the Texans of the NFC. 

NFC West

	Key Players Selected	Draft Grade	Vision
San Francisco 49ers	Javon Kinlaw (DT-1st) Brandon Aiyuk (WR-1st)	C+	Still debating on whether or not, to go all in?
Seattle Seahawks	Jordyn Brooks (LB-1st) Darrell Taylor (DE-2nd) Damien Lewis (OG-3rd)  Colby Parkinson (TE-4th)	C+	Still trying to figure out how to get tough upfront again
Los Angeles Rams	Cam Akers (RB- 2nd) Van Jefferson (WR-2nd) Terrell Lewis (LB-3rd) Terrell Burgess (S-3rd)	B-	It’s the system not the player.
Arizona Cardinals	Isiah Simmons (LB-1st) Josh Jones (OT-3rd) Leki Fotu (DT-4th)	B-	We now have more than just Kyler

Let’s Keep It Simple…

San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers were the best team in the world, for 3 out of 4 quarters in the Super Bowl, despite not playing their best brand of football. Then, Patrick Mahomes happened. You would think the 49ers would have been a little more aggressive, this draft, and really this offseason to try and get this team over the hump, instead San Fran has played it pretty passive in their offseason improvements. Kinlaw is nice, but CeeDee Lamb would of been nicer, and Aiyuk is far from a sure thing that you would want to have when drafting a receiver in the 1st. San Fran should still be considered one of the best team’s in the sport entering the 2020 season. But they may be a way off from being a Super Bowl team again. 

Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks showed some real glimpses as to how good they could be going forward. However, their draft really didn’t reinforce the weak areas on this team. They once again didn’t address the running game, they waited til the 3rd to draft an offensive lineman, and while I am a big Jordyn Brooks fan, the defense needs much more help. The Seahawks are good, but they are more 9-7 good, rather than 12-4 good. 

Los Angeles Rams: Nobody had a rougher year last year than Sean McVay. It appears all of his magical powers are gone, as the offense eroded and once again we are left to question whether or not Justin Goff is a franchise quarterback or a potential season 2 cast member of Love is Blind. Gone is superstar Todd Gurley, who just two years ago was the best running back in the world, and now Cam Akers appears to be his successor. If Akers can reproduce the production Gurley once provided, than perhaps McVay can find his inner Coach Klein and resurrect his magical play calling powers. And perhaps the Rams can once again become explosive. 

Arizona Cardinals: Like with the Bucs, the addition of DeAndre Hopkins will overshadow the draft the Cardinals had. But the addition of Isiah Simmons provides a much needed impact player on the defensive side of the ball, something the Cardinals never appear to have. Arizona is set to burst onto the scene in 2020.