The NFL Draft has come and gone and it was one to remember. Coverage for the three-day event started in December (honestly) and now we have weeks, if not months until the next great football event. For the most part, it felt like the teams address their needs and drafted relatively well. However, some teams truly struggled to repair their teams at the NFL Draft. For the winners of the NFL Draft, there were two themes that stood out in drafting significant talent to instantly contribute to the roster and addressing key needs. The teams that drafted poorly were mainly under the theme of turning a blind eye or unaware of their situation. For these grades, we will limit every team to only a few sentences, since you don’t need such a grand explanation for this anyway.
AFC EAST
New England Patriots: A
Having Mac Jones slide to 15 was great for a team that needs a quarterback for the future, especially considering how Jones’s ball-placement and down the middle of the field passing might be the best in this draft. Day Two was incredible as the Patriots added two play-makers to the front seven in Christian Barmore and Ronnie Perkins. Both players are going to be day one starters that can impact the defense immediately.
New York Jets: C+
The success of the Jets drafts ultimately starts and ends with Zach Wilson, who might be the greatest mystery of any quarterback prospect. Aside from Wilson, the Jets appeared to be reaching on the rest of their selections, drafting Elijah Vera-Tucker with the 14th pick and Elijah Moore in the second round. Day Three was probably their best day as they landed a downhill running back in Michael Carter and 5 defensive backs.
Miami Dolphins: C
The Dolphins were in great position to built a contender in this draft with all the early picks they accumulated. Jaylen Waddle was a head-scratcher considering they had another first round pick and the same can be said for taking a leap on a high-risk speed rusher in Jaelen Phillips. Other than the first round, the Dolphins draft was rather uneventful other than drafted Jevon Holland who can be a great safety in the NFL.
Buffalo Bills: C-
The Bills drafted Gregory Rousseau in the first round who will be intriguing in the on the edge in the front seven. Other than that selection, the Bills had a rather uneventful draft and essentially drafted for depth. The Bills are on the favorites to win the Super Bowl but it doesn’t look like they made any more to increase their likelihood.
AFC NORTH
Baltimore Ravens: B+
The Ravens almost won the NFL Draft before it started when they landed a first round pick for Orlando Brown. The first round saw the team fill two need with receiver Rashod Bateman and edge-rusher Odafe Oweh. The rest of the NFL Draft saw the Ravens take intriguing players who saw their stock fall but can be crucial pieces on an already good team in guard Ben Cleveland and cornerback Shaun Wade.
Cleveland Browns: B
The overall theme for the Browns was that they added three playmakers on the defensive side of the ball on all three days of the draft. Greg Newsome will be key in playing press coverage while Richard LeCounte can be a hard-hitting safety to also boost the secondary. Between the first and fifth round selection, the Browns landed the sliding linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah who will be able to “freestyle” behind an already good defensive line.
Cincinnati Bengals: C
Let’s start with the Ja’Marr Chase selection, the best receiver in the class but the team could have drafted the best offensive line prospect in years. In the middle rounds, the Bengals added depth to both the edge of their defense and the offensive line. The true question mark came when the Bengals drafted a kicker in the fifth round, what are they thinking?
Pittsburgh Steelers: D
The Steelers essentially drafted with no awareness of their biggest needs, center and edge defender. Drafting Najee Harris is riddled with questions as the Steelers could have drafted a viable center in the first round. Likewise, still needing to draft a center, the Steelers used their next pick on tight end Pat Frieiermuth and by the time the Steelers drafted their major needs, it was too little and too late.
AFC SOUTH
Jacksonville Jaguars: A
It was hard for the Jaguars to fail, they had the number one pick and took the number one player. Afterward, the Jaguars might have reached for running back Travis Etienne but Andre Cisco and Tyson Campbell will boost a young secondary overnight. Trevor Lawrence is ultimately what puts this draft over the top, arguably the best quarterback prospect since Peyton Manning.
Tennessee Titans: C
Cornerback Caleb Farley and offensive lineman Dillion Radnunz highlight this draft for the Titans. Both players can become day one starters, helping the Titans get closer to looking like a Super Bowl team. The problem is that they had an uneventful draft after that, not drafting any impact players in the later rounds.
Indianapolis Colts: D
It’s easy to ignore the Colts offensive line issues when they have arguably the best offensive lineman in the game in Quinton Nelson. This team needed a left tackle with Anthony Costanzo retiring in the offseason and failed to address the need throughout the draft. Moreover, outside of edge defender Kwity Paye, the Colts were essentially invisible in the NFL Draft.
Houston Texans: D
The Texans were in trouble before this draft started. The roster is a mess and they had no draft capital. Simply put, with the lack of picks, the Texans weren’t able to put together a good class in the NFL Draft.
AFC WEST
Kansas City Chiefs: A
The Chiefs needed offensive line, as everyone witnessed in the Super Bowl. Not only did the Chiefs trade for Tackle Orlando Brown, they landed center Creed Humphrey who might be the best pass-blocking center in this class. The Chiefs also added some depth, indicating that they are eager to return to the Super Bowl.
Los Angeles Chargers: A
The Chargers had one glaring need entering this draft and addressed it with their first pick, landing left tackle Rashawn Slater. The Chiefs also boosted the secondary by adding Asante Samuel who plays bump-and-run coverage for a team that needs it. The two weaknesses for the Chargers from last season were offensive line and defense, they addressed both throughout this offseason.
Denver Broncos: C
The first pick was riddled with questions. Patrick Surtain being a great cornerback but the team already invested heavily in their secondary and most importantly, Justin Fields was still on the board. The Broncos had a solid draft afterwards landing many talented players including Javonte Williams, Caden Sterns, and Seth Williams but the first round might be what hurts the Broncos moving forward.
Las Vegas Raiders: C-
The Raiders always seem to overreach in the NFL Draft. This season was no different starting with drafting left tackle Alex Leatherwood with the 17th pick. Throughout the rest of the draft, the Raiders were constantly drafting defensive players higher than one would expect.
NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys: A-
The Cowboys drafted the best player on the board in linebacker Micah Parsons. Parsons should be an impact player in the middle and the Cowboys were fortunate he slid to the 12th pick. Other than that, the Cowboys were able to draft depth, particularly in the secondary with 3 of the picks being cornerbacks.
Philadelphia Eagles: B
The Eagles drafting wide receiver DeVonta Smith is going to have its question marks considering how good Smith truly is. Smith fills a receiving need but the great pick was center Landon Dickerson, arguably the best center in this draft. The Eagles had a quiet draft after their first two picks but safety JaCoby Stevens can help retool the secondary.
Washington Football Team: B-
The Football Team had a boring draft with not many crazy selections. Simply put, they drafted defense where they weren’t looking for the ‘home run” rather just the “single” to help an already good unit. Moreover, Samuel Cosmi fills a need at left tackle and can be great in pass protection.
New York Giants: C-
KaDarius Toney is a head scratcher for a team that already invested heavily in receiver this offseason. Moreover, Toney is a speed receiver that will have to adjust to quarterback Daniel Jones’s passing ability. Drafting edge defenders and cornerbacks in the later rounds will fill two needs but the Giants have many underlying weaknesses.
NFC NORTH
Chicago Bears: A
The bears made the selection of the draft in Justin Fields. Personally, I believed Fields was the second-best quarterback in this draft and the Bears saw him sliding and took advantage. Fields can open up that offense and second-round selection tackle Teven Jenkins will help with extra time under center.
Detroit Lions: B+
Having the best offensive line prospect in years fall into the lap of the Lions is probably the best thing to happen to this franchise since drafting Calvin Johnson after someone passed on him. Penei Sewell is going to be great in the NFL and instantly makes this team better. Along with Sewell, the Lions landed a nose tackle with high upside in Levi Onwuzurike and receiver Amon Ra St. Brown helping a rebuilding team with key contributors.
Minnesota Vikings: B-
The Vikings drafting tackle Christian Darrisaw helps boost an offensive line that needed the help. The same can be said about guard Wyatt Davis. Kellen Mond is an intriguing pick since the Vikings have a quarterback in Kirk Cousins but this pick might indicate they are ready to move on from him.
Green Bay Packers: D
The Packers drafted with a blissful, unaware mindset. They need to do whatever they can to convince Aaron Rodgers to stay in Green Bay and that would imply drafting receivers and offensive linemen. The Packers drafted receiver Amari Rodgers but failed to address the offensive line and the other major need in a linebacker.
NFC SOUTH
Atlanta Falcons: B
I consider Kyle Pitts the greatest risk in the top five selections considering the success of first-round tight ends is almost non-existent. The Falcons were able to do a good job addressing some of the key needs on the offensive line and in the secondary in the later rounds to boost their grade. Ultimately, the team gets a push on the draft considering they drafted talented players but with the mindset to compete now despite not being built to do so.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: C+
The Bucs’ bigger priority this season was keeping the core together and running it back. They have all the pieces in place to win another Super Bowl and were only trying to add to the great roster. Quarterback Kyle Trask sliding to Tampa in the second round is the extra piece considering the team already has Tom Brady leading the way but they now can think about the future.
New Orleans Saints: C+
The Saints weren’t in an ideal draft position, to begin with, but didn’t help their case with some questionable draft picks. Payton Turner wasn’t regarded as a first-round pick but the Saints brought him in to help the edge of the front seven. Moreover, linebacker Pete Werner and corner Paulson Abedo help add depth to the defense but the offense has many question marks and they failed to address them.
Carolina Panthers: C
The Panthers addressed their need at cornerback and took a great man-coverage corner in Jaycee Horn. This pick is overshadowed by the fact that they could have drafted Justin Fields and let him fall despite not having a clear answer at quarterback. The Panthers continued to draft depth for defense and also landed a valuable interior offensive lineman in Brady Christiansen but the offense still has issues that were left unaddressed.
NFC WEST
San Francisco 49ers: A-
The 49ers drafted is highlighted by Trey Lance and understandably so. Considering he is a work-in-progress, the 49ers were ultimately trying to add depth throughout the rest of the draft. Drafting running back Tre Sermon is adding power to a good running game and drafting defensive backs is retooling the losses from the offseason.
Los Angeles Rams: C-
The Rams draft was essentially invested in Matthew Stafford and Jalen Ramsey, both of which were acquired with draft picks. The Rams were still able to add depth to the roster with 9 draft picks including 3 wide receivers. This team clearly views the draft differently and as a result, has to be evaluated in a different light.
Arizona Cardinals: D
The Cardinals are a confusing team. Zaven Collins is a great talent and incredibly versatile but they drafted a similar type of player last season (Isaiah Simmons) thus they didn’t help any of their weaknesses. Moreover, receiver Rondale Moore doesn’t help the Cardinals, who need help in the running game and offensive line.
Seattle Seahawks: D
Simply, the Seahawks didn’t have much draft capital. With only three picks, the team had a terrible draft by default. Good luck Russell Wilson.
