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I normally don't like draft grades right away by the mainstream media. Almost all their plus grades have to do with drafting high, drafting often or both. But this year in particular some journalists are just slobbering all over bad picks and it bothers me.
Arizona Cardinals
D
There's a reason Nkemdiche fell in the draft so this isn't a "steal". Arizona is on the bubble of collecting one too many bad apples and this is a super talent grab by Arians to try and get over the hump before his QB can't walk anymore. On top of that, I'm not even sure he's a scheme fit with what they do. As for the rest of their draft, it looks like a bunch of "just guys" to me with no one grading out very well on my board and most every other I've seen. I would argue that every one of their picks was a reach from round 3 to round 6. We'll find out if they are smarter than everyone else, but I doubt it.
Atlanta Falcons
C
While I don't agree with everything they've done, they at least are sticking to a plan. Neal was a reach, but it was a position of need and he played under their head coach so he should know exactly what he is getting. They obviously wanted speed in their linebackers and they doubled up trying to find it with their 2nd and 4th round picks. And I think Austin Hooper is a very good 3rd round selection with both value and need. So overall, I think they lost on value, but got need and scheme match pretty good.
Baltimore Ravens
C+
When you have the #8 overall pick and 11 picks overall (including five 4th rounders) it's hard not to find a few players, but I think Ravens fans will look back at this draft unfavorably in a few seasons. I think Stanley is not as great as some are proclaiming and reports are they wanted Tunsil and got spooked by the pre-draft video of him smoking pot. I thought Correa and Kaufusi were two of the most overhyped front-7 players in the draft. As a Steelers fan, I'm not afraid of undersized mid-round Pac-10 and Mountain West pass rushers. There's a lack of toughness in those conferences and in their play that I don't think fits in the AFC North. We'll find out. If anything, what props Baltimore's grade up the most is some of their mid round work. Willie Henry and Kenneth Dixon in my opinion are their two best round 4 selections. And Canady, while having flaws, wasn't bad value in Round 7. Those counteract some head scratchers to me in Chris Moore (who yes, does fit their chuck it and hope for a pass interference offense, but that's about it), Tavon Young (way too undersized) and Alex Lewis (dead end on that one I think). So again, volume doesn't necessarily mean good drafted. But they still got some players we'll likely see in years to come.
Buffalo Bills
B+
Pretty solid picks in every round with an obvious emphasis on the defensive side of the ball as Rex Ryan rebuilds that group in his image (of course that can be a huge waste of resources if you aren't committed to his vision and he leaves). Lawson, Ragland and Washington are big players from big programs that play tough man football. All will contribute a lot of snaps this year and moving forward. As far as Cardale Jones in round 4, I thought that was a bit high for him, but understand the logic. For a Rex Ryan team, in 2-3 years he can build the defense into a top-5 unit and possibly let Jones just play wild football. His size, arm strength and hand certainly fit cold weather Buffalo to a tee. I described Jones as a combination of Tebow and Russell, which I don't think works in the NFL, but Rex Ryan certainly is the type of coach that would accept a simple, college offense if it can protect the ball, be physical and get 20 ppg. I'm not saying it's going to happen, but can't you maybe imagine a tough Rex Ryan team with Jones at the helm in cold, snowy Buffalo come playoff time in January, 2020? It's a long shot, but certainly not out of the realm of possibilities either. As for the rest of the draft, it's good as well. Williams and Listenbee are NFL talents that will at least be given a shot to contribute and make the team as something more than a special teamer.
Carolina Panthers
C-
Odd draft for the Panthers. I have no problem with Butler in round 1. As Steelers fans know, the choices at the back end of round 1 were difficult to judge. Butler is a solid DT prospect even if it's not at a position of need and I have no problems when teams build on strengths if there is value in a draft pick. The next three picks however are a bit less constructive. As can only be described as a shotgun approach to replacing Josh Norman (who they didn't really need to lose), they draft THREE corners back-to-back-to-back in rounds two, three and five leaving only their last pick in round 7 to do anything on offense (a likely 3rd string TE at best). I also think the players they drafted are very average, especially their 2nd round pick in James Bradberry who is very raw and had draft grades mostly in the mid-to-late round range. They better hope one of the corners pans out but even then it's not the most stellar way of drafting in my opinion.
Chicago Bears:
B
This grade is not about Leonard Floyd, who I strongly feel was over drafted and likely a bust if asked to be a pass rusher specialist (which I'm sure Chicago is selling their fans right now). But I can't fault them for all the great picks they had after round 1. I was a huge fan of Cody Whitehair and think he will start sooner rather than later on that group (and further raises the IQ level of a group that needs it). I also think Bullard is a very good pick and think he'll be a nice, versatile down lineman who can line up at DE on run downs or move inside on passing downs. He's a good pick for anyone playing a 4-3 and a particularly good fit for a team needing to generate more pressure. Nothing really wowed me with their three 4th round picks but they are good depth guys on the defense as John Fox and Vic Fangio work on that unit. I love their RB pick Jordan Howard in round 5. That's a steal in my opinion. He's perfect for Chicago and John Fox. And I thought SS DeAndre Houston-Carlson and WR Daniel Braverman were value selections that were higher on many people's' boards. If it wasn't for my feeling on Floyd, this is likely an "A" draft.
Cincinnati Bengals
A-
Hard to find anything wrong with any of their first 5 picks. Nothing special, just stuck to the board and picked the best guy regardless of need. We've talked about William Jackson to death. Tyler Boyd is a solid, if unspectacular WR, that I worry might be maxed out but he works for what they want to do opposite A.J. Green (all they need is solid and steady). I thought Nick Vigil went a round or two too high, but it's not the end of the world. But Andrew Billings and Christian Westerman are flat out steals in mid-rounds. Obviously if Billings isn't healthy, that's another story, but even so it seems okay in Round 4. He still has legs doesn't he? I really like Westerman, so as much as I want to throw mud on this draft, I can't. It's solid and pretty consistent with how Cincinnati has drafted lately. There's a reason they have the best record in the division since 2011 (it's not Marvin Lewis, let's say that). They've drafted a lot of good players.
Cleveland Brows
D
Well, moneyball in the NFL might mean this: 14 draft picks and see who comes out the other end. To me, this draft grade has nothing to do with the shotgun approach they took to this year's draft. I'm sure 3-4 will make it as quality NFL players. But my opinion is they made a franchise killing mistake in passing on Carson Wentz. PInning your future hopes on RGIII and the supposed poor classes of QB's coming down the pike is not "moneyball". It's foolish. So while this draft with Coleman and Ogbah and Nassib and a host of mid-to-late round depth guys is nice for a team that just had yet another regime change (the 4th in this decade) and just gutted their roster yet again to fit a new "scheme", I don't think it will change the fortunes of this franchise one iota. I thought Wentz might have been able to do that.
Dallas Cowboys
B+
How Jaylon Smith comes back from his Sean Spence-type injury will obviously make or break this draft, but this has the potential to be a solid draft even without Smith. While I didn't like Elliott at #4 over Jaylen Ramsey, we all know he's getting 300+ touches this season and will be a uber productive player behind Dallas' offensive line. I thought Maliek Collins and Charles Tapper really add some much needed pieces for Rod Marinelli to work with in that unit. And don't sleep on super athletes Anthony Brown and Kevon Frazier at finding ways to contribute at the next level and being good picks down the line. I don't really like Dak Prescott, but you understand the need at this stage of Romo's career. Overall, it's a good draft that could be really good in Smith ends up being a great WILL for that old Tampa-2 style defense in one or two seasons.
Denver Broncos
B-
Trading up to get a QB in the back half of round 1 is always risky and I was no great fan of Paxton Lynch but they are now committed and he couldn't have asked for a better situation to be thrown into. It's a championship roster who is managed by a GM with surprisingly similar skill set when he was a quarterback. Lynch is no Elway, but the athleticism is similar as is the overly strong arm that still needs to be reigned in and polished. In fact, of all the rookie QB's, Lynch could initially look the best by coming in week 8 or 9 to a struggling Denver team after Sanchez and look halfway decent early. But I don't see much long-term with the pick and still think his accuracy issues will restrict his ceiling. Other than the all-in on a QB their draft was pretty good, getting one of Steeler Nation's favorite players, Justin Simmons, in round 3 (where everyone here wanted him). That's an A pick. I think Davonte Booker fits them as a 3rd down guy and Gotsis (who I think was overdrafted) and McGovern provide a body on each side of the line for depth. Overall it's solid for now but we all know depends on what Lynch looks like and where this team is in 3-4 seasons.
Detroit Lions
B-
It's a meat and potatoes draft for the Lions this year with strong investment (4 out of their first 5 picks) in the trenches. Even their round 4 safety, Miles Killebrew (who I didn't like the tape on) is oversized and a downhill player. If they wanted to get bigger and tougher, they drafted that way. I don't see a lot of wasted effort in their picks and had high ratings on both Decker and Robinson and thought they got good value with both. This isn't a flashy draft or likely one you'll see a lot of on the stat sheet but teams sometimes need to invest in these positions to make all the other flashy guys look good. I thought they might have been able to do a bit better with their 6 picks from round 5 to the end (not a fan of the QB or the long snapper for this team) so we'll see if they get the correct 1-2 hits given the 6 tries they had.
Green Bay Packers
C
Four Pac-10 players highlight an up-and-down draft for the Packers in my opinion. I was not a fan of Kenny Clark in round 1 but they came back and got great value in the very athletic Jason Spriggs in round 2 (although I'm not sure he's an ideal scheme fit). The older Fackrell and the quick Martinez add needed depth to their linebacker group. The team failed to address secondary which might be cause for concern but they stuck to the board instead and I thought Lowry, Davis and Murphy all help depth and have a chance to make the roster. If not for Kenny Clark, this has a chance to be a decent, contributing class of athletes, but Clark is such a meh pick to start things off with so many better choices at that position, you have to penalize them a lot for that selection.
More to come.....
Arizona Cardinals
D
There's a reason Nkemdiche fell in the draft so this isn't a "steal". Arizona is on the bubble of collecting one too many bad apples and this is a super talent grab by Arians to try and get over the hump before his QB can't walk anymore. On top of that, I'm not even sure he's a scheme fit with what they do. As for the rest of their draft, it looks like a bunch of "just guys" to me with no one grading out very well on my board and most every other I've seen. I would argue that every one of their picks was a reach from round 3 to round 6. We'll find out if they are smarter than everyone else, but I doubt it.
Atlanta Falcons
C
While I don't agree with everything they've done, they at least are sticking to a plan. Neal was a reach, but it was a position of need and he played under their head coach so he should know exactly what he is getting. They obviously wanted speed in their linebackers and they doubled up trying to find it with their 2nd and 4th round picks. And I think Austin Hooper is a very good 3rd round selection with both value and need. So overall, I think they lost on value, but got need and scheme match pretty good.
Baltimore Ravens
C+
When you have the #8 overall pick and 11 picks overall (including five 4th rounders) it's hard not to find a few players, but I think Ravens fans will look back at this draft unfavorably in a few seasons. I think Stanley is not as great as some are proclaiming and reports are they wanted Tunsil and got spooked by the pre-draft video of him smoking pot. I thought Correa and Kaufusi were two of the most overhyped front-7 players in the draft. As a Steelers fan, I'm not afraid of undersized mid-round Pac-10 and Mountain West pass rushers. There's a lack of toughness in those conferences and in their play that I don't think fits in the AFC North. We'll find out. If anything, what props Baltimore's grade up the most is some of their mid round work. Willie Henry and Kenneth Dixon in my opinion are their two best round 4 selections. And Canady, while having flaws, wasn't bad value in Round 7. Those counteract some head scratchers to me in Chris Moore (who yes, does fit their chuck it and hope for a pass interference offense, but that's about it), Tavon Young (way too undersized) and Alex Lewis (dead end on that one I think). So again, volume doesn't necessarily mean good drafted. But they still got some players we'll likely see in years to come.
Buffalo Bills
B+
Pretty solid picks in every round with an obvious emphasis on the defensive side of the ball as Rex Ryan rebuilds that group in his image (of course that can be a huge waste of resources if you aren't committed to his vision and he leaves). Lawson, Ragland and Washington are big players from big programs that play tough man football. All will contribute a lot of snaps this year and moving forward. As far as Cardale Jones in round 4, I thought that was a bit high for him, but understand the logic. For a Rex Ryan team, in 2-3 years he can build the defense into a top-5 unit and possibly let Jones just play wild football. His size, arm strength and hand certainly fit cold weather Buffalo to a tee. I described Jones as a combination of Tebow and Russell, which I don't think works in the NFL, but Rex Ryan certainly is the type of coach that would accept a simple, college offense if it can protect the ball, be physical and get 20 ppg. I'm not saying it's going to happen, but can't you maybe imagine a tough Rex Ryan team with Jones at the helm in cold, snowy Buffalo come playoff time in January, 2020? It's a long shot, but certainly not out of the realm of possibilities either. As for the rest of the draft, it's good as well. Williams and Listenbee are NFL talents that will at least be given a shot to contribute and make the team as something more than a special teamer.
Carolina Panthers
C-
Odd draft for the Panthers. I have no problem with Butler in round 1. As Steelers fans know, the choices at the back end of round 1 were difficult to judge. Butler is a solid DT prospect even if it's not at a position of need and I have no problems when teams build on strengths if there is value in a draft pick. The next three picks however are a bit less constructive. As can only be described as a shotgun approach to replacing Josh Norman (who they didn't really need to lose), they draft THREE corners back-to-back-to-back in rounds two, three and five leaving only their last pick in round 7 to do anything on offense (a likely 3rd string TE at best). I also think the players they drafted are very average, especially their 2nd round pick in James Bradberry who is very raw and had draft grades mostly in the mid-to-late round range. They better hope one of the corners pans out but even then it's not the most stellar way of drafting in my opinion.
Chicago Bears:
B
This grade is not about Leonard Floyd, who I strongly feel was over drafted and likely a bust if asked to be a pass rusher specialist (which I'm sure Chicago is selling their fans right now). But I can't fault them for all the great picks they had after round 1. I was a huge fan of Cody Whitehair and think he will start sooner rather than later on that group (and further raises the IQ level of a group that needs it). I also think Bullard is a very good pick and think he'll be a nice, versatile down lineman who can line up at DE on run downs or move inside on passing downs. He's a good pick for anyone playing a 4-3 and a particularly good fit for a team needing to generate more pressure. Nothing really wowed me with their three 4th round picks but they are good depth guys on the defense as John Fox and Vic Fangio work on that unit. I love their RB pick Jordan Howard in round 5. That's a steal in my opinion. He's perfect for Chicago and John Fox. And I thought SS DeAndre Houston-Carlson and WR Daniel Braverman were value selections that were higher on many people's' boards. If it wasn't for my feeling on Floyd, this is likely an "A" draft.
Cincinnati Bengals
A-
Hard to find anything wrong with any of their first 5 picks. Nothing special, just stuck to the board and picked the best guy regardless of need. We've talked about William Jackson to death. Tyler Boyd is a solid, if unspectacular WR, that I worry might be maxed out but he works for what they want to do opposite A.J. Green (all they need is solid and steady). I thought Nick Vigil went a round or two too high, but it's not the end of the world. But Andrew Billings and Christian Westerman are flat out steals in mid-rounds. Obviously if Billings isn't healthy, that's another story, but even so it seems okay in Round 4. He still has legs doesn't he? I really like Westerman, so as much as I want to throw mud on this draft, I can't. It's solid and pretty consistent with how Cincinnati has drafted lately. There's a reason they have the best record in the division since 2011 (it's not Marvin Lewis, let's say that). They've drafted a lot of good players.
Cleveland Brows
D
Well, moneyball in the NFL might mean this: 14 draft picks and see who comes out the other end. To me, this draft grade has nothing to do with the shotgun approach they took to this year's draft. I'm sure 3-4 will make it as quality NFL players. But my opinion is they made a franchise killing mistake in passing on Carson Wentz. PInning your future hopes on RGIII and the supposed poor classes of QB's coming down the pike is not "moneyball". It's foolish. So while this draft with Coleman and Ogbah and Nassib and a host of mid-to-late round depth guys is nice for a team that just had yet another regime change (the 4th in this decade) and just gutted their roster yet again to fit a new "scheme", I don't think it will change the fortunes of this franchise one iota. I thought Wentz might have been able to do that.
Dallas Cowboys
B+
How Jaylon Smith comes back from his Sean Spence-type injury will obviously make or break this draft, but this has the potential to be a solid draft even without Smith. While I didn't like Elliott at #4 over Jaylen Ramsey, we all know he's getting 300+ touches this season and will be a uber productive player behind Dallas' offensive line. I thought Maliek Collins and Charles Tapper really add some much needed pieces for Rod Marinelli to work with in that unit. And don't sleep on super athletes Anthony Brown and Kevon Frazier at finding ways to contribute at the next level and being good picks down the line. I don't really like Dak Prescott, but you understand the need at this stage of Romo's career. Overall, it's a good draft that could be really good in Smith ends up being a great WILL for that old Tampa-2 style defense in one or two seasons.
Denver Broncos
B-
Trading up to get a QB in the back half of round 1 is always risky and I was no great fan of Paxton Lynch but they are now committed and he couldn't have asked for a better situation to be thrown into. It's a championship roster who is managed by a GM with surprisingly similar skill set when he was a quarterback. Lynch is no Elway, but the athleticism is similar as is the overly strong arm that still needs to be reigned in and polished. In fact, of all the rookie QB's, Lynch could initially look the best by coming in week 8 or 9 to a struggling Denver team after Sanchez and look halfway decent early. But I don't see much long-term with the pick and still think his accuracy issues will restrict his ceiling. Other than the all-in on a QB their draft was pretty good, getting one of Steeler Nation's favorite players, Justin Simmons, in round 3 (where everyone here wanted him). That's an A pick. I think Davonte Booker fits them as a 3rd down guy and Gotsis (who I think was overdrafted) and McGovern provide a body on each side of the line for depth. Overall it's solid for now but we all know depends on what Lynch looks like and where this team is in 3-4 seasons.
Detroit Lions
B-
It's a meat and potatoes draft for the Lions this year with strong investment (4 out of their first 5 picks) in the trenches. Even their round 4 safety, Miles Killebrew (who I didn't like the tape on) is oversized and a downhill player. If they wanted to get bigger and tougher, they drafted that way. I don't see a lot of wasted effort in their picks and had high ratings on both Decker and Robinson and thought they got good value with both. This isn't a flashy draft or likely one you'll see a lot of on the stat sheet but teams sometimes need to invest in these positions to make all the other flashy guys look good. I thought they might have been able to do a bit better with their 6 picks from round 5 to the end (not a fan of the QB or the long snapper for this team) so we'll see if they get the correct 1-2 hits given the 6 tries they had.
Green Bay Packers
C
Four Pac-10 players highlight an up-and-down draft for the Packers in my opinion. I was not a fan of Kenny Clark in round 1 but they came back and got great value in the very athletic Jason Spriggs in round 2 (although I'm not sure he's an ideal scheme fit). The older Fackrell and the quick Martinez add needed depth to their linebacker group. The team failed to address secondary which might be cause for concern but they stuck to the board instead and I thought Lowry, Davis and Murphy all help depth and have a chance to make the roster. If not for Kenny Clark, this has a chance to be a decent, contributing class of athletes, but Clark is such a meh pick to start things off with so many better choices at that position, you have to penalize them a lot for that selection.
More to come.....
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