NFL Draft Grades

We're now over a week removed from the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, so now that the dust has settled, let's dive into some analysis of all 32 teams' drafts. Starting with the AFC East, I'll assess each team with a letter grade.

AFC East

Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins had an incredible amount of picks, including 3 first rounders, and the overall class seems like a mixed bag. They got off to a great start in getting their franchise QB in Tua, who when healthy, is just as good as Joe Burrow. The rest of the first round was a flop to me, Austin Jackson is so so so raw and isn't close to being ready to being a starting OT in the league and Noah Igbinoghene isn't a bad player, but the Phins had bigger needs and Igbinoghene isn't a perfect fit. I liked the selection of Louisiana IOL Robert Hunt in the second round and snagging a high-motor guy like Curtis Weaver in the fifth round, but the rest of the draft was unspectacular. Miami added a lot of pieces that can be big contributors, but I feel that they didn't make the most out of their selection wealth. B-

Buffalo Bills: The Bills made a splash move and acquired Stefon Diggs this offseason in exchange for their first round selection. Although the Bills didn't have a day 1 pick, they had a fantastic day 2 in picking up Iowa's DL A.J. Epenesa and longtime Ute RB Zack Moss. Gabe Davis out of UCF was another solid addition and although I'm not much of a Fromm fan, taking him in the 5th round is great value. Oregon State WR Isaiah Hodgins probably won't be an early factor in the offense, but he tore up the Pac-12 and could develop into a starting caliber WR in the NFL. Completely opposite to the Dolphins, the Bills had few picks, but made the most of each selection. A-

New England Patriots: In typical Pats fashion, they traded out of the first round to stock up more picks. I'm a fan of their first selection S Kyle Dugger and adding EDGEs Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings were fine, but the rest of New England's selections were pretty awful. The evil empire in Foxboro loves two TE sets and Devin Asiasi is okay, but Dalton Keene out of Virginia Tech was a more than questionable pick. The rest of their picks seemed pretty insignificant, but what makes this class subpar is the lack of QB. We saw some pretty good, albeit developmental, QBs available on day 3, such as the aforementioned Jake Fromm, Washington's Jacob Eason, and FIU's James Morgan. With the departure of Tom Brady and New England's seemingly annual selections of QBs, it was incredibly disappointing to see them pass on a QB. C

New York Jets: I will always be a biased New York Jets fan, but I think most of the league can agree that the Jets did very well this draft. While I preferred Tristan Wirfs over Mekhi Becton at #11, Becton has All-Pro potential and fills a massive need on the OL. Denzel Mims is my favorite pick in the draft, no question. A guy that was mocked by many to be a late first rounder, Gang Green snatched Mims after trading down 11 slots to #48. The Jets WR corps is atrocious, so Denzel can slide in quickly and make an instant impact. S Ashytn Davis is quite versatile and will be a coveted asset for DC Gregg Williams. DE Jabari Zuniga has a lot of question marks, but has high upside and fills a need. Taking Virginia CB Bryce Hall was a hell of a pick because although the former Cavalier has injury concerns, he was one of the best DBs in all of college football when healthy. Home Run first draft for Joe Douglas! A

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens: After a disappointing end to their 2019-2020 season, the Ravens have had a phenomenal offseason. LSU LB Patrick Queen fills arguably their biggest need, which allowed Baltimore to go more by a B.P.A. (best player available) style of drafting. They proceeded to crush day 2, drafting their future starting tailback in Ohio State's J.K. Dobbins as well as IDL Justin Madubuike and WR Devin Duvernay. My favorite pick, however, was the addition of former SMU Mustang WR James Proche in round 6. Regardless of if Lamar Jackson can maintain his video game numbers, the Ravens are a top contender in the AFC. A

Cleveland Browns: I guess we're on a roll of great drafts, because the Browns did very well. I don't think the Browns made a single poor pick and were able to pluck quality players throughout the entirety of the draft. Jed Wills was my favorite OT in the class and he fell to the Browns at #10, giving Cleveland one of the best OT duos in the league with the also newly acquired RT Jack Conklin. Similar to last year, the Browns were able to grab an uber talented LSU DB in the second round, this year being S Grant Delpit. With their final pick, Andrew Berry bit the bullet and crossed the Ohio border to select Xichigan WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, who underperformed in Ann Arbor, but has always had NFL talent. A

Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers draft class is a tough one to evaluate. WR Chase Claypool is a polarizing prospect that is graded very differently throughout the scouting world. I'm not really sure about how I feel about the Notre Dame product, but Mike Tomlin has a knack for developing non-first round receivers, so I can't knock this pick too much. EDGE Alex Highsmith was considered a diamond in the rough by many, but may have been overpicked a bit. Anthony McFarland is a high motor back that can make an instant impact in the backfield and S Antoine Brooks was great value in the 6th round. Time will tell with this group. B

Cincinnati Bengals: QB Joe Burrow was the clear guy to be the first player selected in this draft and should start (and be solid) day 1. I am not a fan of Clemson WR Tee Higgins, especially given the depth of this wideout class. However, that does not mean Higgins is bad. LBs Logan Wilson and Akeem Davis-Gaither were two under-the-radar great picks for Cincy. The late picks didn't necessarily excite me, but overall the Bengals did well this draft. B+

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts: The Colts exchanged their first round pick for IDL DeForest Buckner, but made the most out of their first two selections. USC WR Michael Pittman Jr. may have been a reach this early in the second, but he is an absolute stud that'll be a quality target early for Phillip Rivers. To further bolster the offense, Indy selected 2x Doak Walker Award winner RB Jonathan Taylor from Wisconsin. RB wasn't exactly a top need for Indianapolis, but a guy like J.T. can be one of the best backs in the league. Grabbing former Georgia/Washington signal caller Jacob Eason in the 4th was a magnificent pick, as he has the potential to be the heir to Rivers. I didn't care for the rest of the selections, but Chris Ballard delivered a solid class. B

Tennessee Titans: The Titans exceeded all expectations in 2019, led by RB Derrick Henry. Tennessee tried to further improve the run blocking for Henry in adding Georgia OT Isaiah Wilson, but he didn't strike me as a first round caliber player at all. I love the pick of LSU CB Kristian Fulton, I thought he was a first round talent and is capable of being a very good DB in the NFL. Darrynton Evans, a change of pace back with good hands, projects as an ideal complementary back to Henry. I didn't think too highly off their final 3 picks and overall the Titans selections felt mediocre. B-

Houston Texans: The Texans have had an abysmal offseason and the draft didn't exactly change that. I'm a fan of their first selection IDL Ross Blacklock and I see the appeal and upside of Florida LB Jonathan Greenard, but these picks aren't gonna excite a fanbase or probably even make hefty impacts. The final 3 picks I hadn't even heard of and from what I've found on them, they don't seem too special. For a team that has a star QB still on his rookie deal, the Texans can win now for sure. However, Bill O'Brien's idiotic trade decisions coupled with few and unspectacular draft picks puts Houston at a cross-road. C

Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags have a truly horrible roster, but did a good job improving it via the draft. In terms of first rounders, CB C.J. Henderson has the makings of an elite corner and EDGE K'Lavon Chaisson has some risk to him, but displayed incredible pass rush ability on the Bayou. I am a big Laviska Shenault Jr. fan, but I question how he'll fit in the Jacksonville offense. The DaVon Hamilton pick was god awful, but the Jaguars made up for it in good picks like MSU's CB Josiah Scott and Texas WR Collin Johnson. Laviska Shenault Jr. is the big x-factor of this group, if he shines to his potential, we'll look back at this draft for Duval as a great one. B+

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs: The defending champs enhanced their worldly offense with their first selection of LSU RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire. CEH was my RB3 making this was a bit of a reach, but he fits the Chiefs offense well so this isn't an horrible pick. LB Willie Gay Jr. is full of talent, but has injury and character concerns. I like the value of TCU OT Lucas Niang in the third round, but the draft from there goes sharply downhill. Michigan EDGE Mike Danna seemed undraftable, yet Kansas City chose to select him at pick 177. Then with their final pick, K.C. went with Tulane CB Bopete Keyes, who likely would've gone undrafted as well. Interesting draft for Brett Veach and the mighty Chiefs. C+

Los Angeles (blehhh) Chargers: The Chargers didn't have the opportunity to grab Alabama QB Tua Tagavailoa, so they added Oregon QB Justin Herbert. I'm not a big Herbert fan and have questions about his fit in the Anthony Lynn offensive scheme, but he has the arm strength and overall talent to be a success. I thought moving back into the first to nab OU LB Kenneth Murray was an excellent choice, strengthening an already strong defense. I'm not so sure about mid round picks UCLA RB Josh Kelly, UVA WR Joe Reed, or Notre Dame S Alohi Gilman. To end the draft for L.A., though, Tom Telesco nailed the pick in selecting Ohio State WR K.J. Hill. Hill could've gone as high as the second round, yet the Chargers got him in the seventh round. B

Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders bypassed top WR options Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb to select Jon Gruden's ultimate man crush; Henry Ruggs III. Ruggs is more than just a burner, he can do it all at receiver and is not a John Ross kind of player. I'm not sure if he's Tyreek Hill, but Ruggs will be a great WR for years to come. CB Damon Arnette was maybe the worst pick of the first round, I mean I don't think he was even second round worthy. ATH Lynn Bowden Jr. is a positionless player that gives Jon Gruden a true hybrid player to scheme around on offense. The (literal) next pick was South Carolina WR Bryan Edwards, who I think is one of the more slept on receivers in this prospect pool. They took a lot of receivers, but I like all of them and they do need to upgrade the pass catching unit for (likely) Derek Carr. The Clemson boys S Tanner Muse and IOL John Simpson are subpar players that were overdrafted because of Las Vegas' front office overvaluing "character players." Louisiana Tech CB Amik Robertson was a steal for Mike Mayock in the back-end of the fourth. B

Denver Broncos: Denver believes they've found their franchise QB in Drew Lock, so naturally, they targeted targets for him. The Broncos got the best WR in the draft without moving slots - Jerry Jeudy out of Alabama. Jeudy, who won the Biletnikoff Award as a Sophomore, has foot work ability that this league has never seen before. John Elway stayed at WR in the second round with Penn State WR K.J. Hamler. I understand adding more WRs, but Hamler is a pure slot guy, which is also probably the best spot for Jerry Jeudy. Jeudy can play outside too, but taking a big bodied outside receiver would've made more sense than the undersized Hamler. I do not like the Michael Ojemudia or McTelvin Agim picks, but the quality selections of IOL Lloyd Cushenberry and Drew Lock's former teammate TE Albert Okwuegbunam somewhat offsets the questionable ones. B+

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles: It was somewhat of a foregone conclusion that the Eagles would select a WR with their first pick in the draft. The WR they got, TCU's Jalen Reagor, who has top notch speed and fits as a field stretcher for Doug Pederson. I like Justin Jefferson more, but Reagor was a fine pick. The primary reason the Eagles grade is so poor is their second round selection of Jalen Hurts. I'm a Jalen Hurts fan through and through, but he wasn't worthy of a second-round pick. The Eagles have too many other needs to invest this kind of draft capital in a project backup QB. Philly got great value in the selection of OT Prince Tega Wanogho, who I projected as a second round pick, but the rest of their picks left much to be desired. Howie Roseman took Jalen Hurts because of regrets over Russell Wilson, but you can't make moves like drafting Jalen Hurts to amend past mistakes. C

Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys came into the draft not even considering a WR, but when Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb fell to their #17 pick, Jerry Jones made the obvious choice. CeeDee will produce very early in Dallas alongside Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. Alabama CB Trevon Diggs is incredibly raw and was wildly inconsistent in college, but has desirable length and speed. The third round pick of Lamb's teammate IDL Neville Gallimore was terrific value for a solid player and then Jones nailed the next three picks in snagging Tulsa DB Reggie Robinson II, Wisconsin IOL Tyler Biadasz, and DE Bradlee Anae. I love all three guys as prospects and love the value of where the Cowboys picked them even more. America's Team went north of Texas and plucked some goons from the state of Oklahoma. A-

Washington Redskins: As long as the Redskins didn't do the unthinkable and pass on Ohio State EDGE Chase Young, they would receive a good grade. Young will enter the season as the DROTY favorite and a pest for opposing offensive linemen. After Young, Washington grabbed gadget guy Antonio Gibson from Memphis at #66. I'm not gushing over this pick, but I see the appeal of a jack-of-all-trades player like Gibson. Liberty WR Antonio Gandy-Golden isn't well known, but he can make an impact fast, especially for a team like the Redskins who have little guarantees on offense. Michigan LB Khaleke Hudson is an intriguing player that was worthy of the Skins 5th round pick. Chase Young carries this class, but there may still be some studs beyond him. A-

New York Giants: Dave Gettleman is always unpredictable and that didn't really change this draft. Drafting OT Andrew Thomas wasn't a complete jaw-dropper, but I expected it to be OT Jed Wills or LB Isaiah Simmons. Thomas might not have the upside that the other OTs have, but he could be the most pro-ready and safest, which is something I understand to covet in a year with little in person evaluation. Adding S Xavier McKinney in the second round was incredible, the consensus #1 S (excluding Simmons) just fell into Big Blue's lap at pick 36. I get doubling up on OL with a young QB to build around, but I am not sure about Connecticut's Matt Peart. DB Darnay Holmes, picked at #110, has a high ceiling, but a very low floor. Oregon OL Shane Lemieux can easily be a starter for NY in the future.  B

NFC North

Chicago Bears: The Bears were hit with massive regression in 2019 after a terrific 2018, making this a pivotal offseason. Notre Dame's Cole Kmet was probably the best TE available (maybe Adam Trautman), but he was a reach selection at 43. I love taking Utah DB Jaylon Johnson at pick 50, he has so much talent as has the tools to be a great CB. CB Kindle Vildor is a high-upside player, but he was the only decent late pick for Chicago. The Bears needed to crush this draft to compete in a fierce NFC North… and they didn't. C+

Green Bay Packers: The clear worst draft in the NFL, but maybe not for the reason you all may think. QB Jordan Love doesn't help a roster that's fighting for a Super Bowl berth this year, but he is so so so talented and Green Bay is the perfect spot for him. Green Bay is perfect for Love, but with glaring needs at WR and LB, Love isn't necessarily perfect for Green Bay. Rounds 2-7 are the big reasons for this failing grade. RB wasn't a need and A.J. Dillon isn't a change-of-pace guy with hands that can carve out a role. Cincinnati's Josiah Deguara looks like a fullback and was taken in the top 100. I like the pick of Michigan OL Jon Runyan Jr., but he isn't the piece to push the Packers over the edge. In the end, when you have such an obvious need and neglect it so strongly- as Brian Gutenkurst did with the secondary WRs- you're going to get an F. F

Minnesota Vikings: I'm not sure if I feel the same as many in crowning the Vikings the outright winners of the draft, but they did very well. WR Justin Jefferson isn't a perfect replacement for the departed Stefon Diggs, but Jefferson can for sure help fill the void. The Vikings had a desperate need at CB and TCU's Jeff Gladney fills that nicely. Some had Boise State OT Ezra Cleveland sneaking into the first round, but Minnesota was able to get him at pick #58. Mississippi State CB Cameron Dantzler is a guy that I loved in the pre-draft process and can be an immediate help to the DB unit. Oregon's Troy Dye was one of the best LBs in the Pac-12 throughout his career in Eugene and figures to be a high floor depth piece. I didn't care for the Nate Stanley pick, I thought there were better and more intriguing QBs available, but they only spent a seventh rounder on the Iowa product. The defending NFC North Champion Packers have had a disappointing offseason, while the Vikings have done rather well. Can Kirk Cousins and co. take the NFC North title in 2020? A

Detroit Lions: Despite being the Lions, I think they made a great choice in Ohio State's Jeff Okudah. Okudah is regarded as the best CB prospect since Jalen Ramsey and I think he can be even better. D'Andre Swift is an incredible RB (my favorite in the draft), but doesn't exactly fill a need. I expected a team (the Seahawks) to overdraft Notre Dame EDGE Julian Okwara, but he fell into the third round and the Lions got good value out of a talented player. I wasn't a fan of taking Ohio State IOL Jonah Jackson or Kentucky OL Logan Sternberger, neither excite me. I find people severely overrate Wisconsin Quintez Cephus and I question his ability to be a useful pass-catcher at the next level. I liked the early parts of Bob Quinn's draft, not so much the later parts. B

NFC South 

New Orleans Saints: The Saints have a Super Bowl caliber roster that outside of Drew Brees, should have it's most important players stick around for a long time. Michigan IOL Cesar Ruiz was a reach at #24, especially with nearby LSU LB Patrick Queen available. However, I like Ruiz and think he can be successful in NOLA at either guard or his natural position of center. New Orleans didn't pick again until round three, but made a solid selection in Zack Baun, EDGE out of Wisconsin. I was surprised to see Baun available here and the Saints front office jumped at the chance to select the former Badger. Dayton TE Adam Trautman, a small school prospect who I really like, saw inferior TEs selected in front of him before he was added to Sean Payton's offense. I didn't like the Tommy Stevens pick because, and I don't want to be repetitive, but there were better QBs available (like Wazzu's Anthony Gordon).  B

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: After an already exciting offseason, Jason Licht riled up the fanbase even more with an excellent draft. Iowa's Tristan Wirfs was probably mt OT2 and only took a move up one pick for Tampa to get him. In Tampa Bay, they don't have to force him to be an OT, if the staff sees him more as interior lineman, he can be just that. Minnesota's Antoine Winfield Jr. is a ball-hawking safety with nice coverage skills, but is undersized. Not everyone loved the Ke'Shawn Vaughn pick, but he's a powerful runner that figures to see a fair amount of touches in an offense that doesn't have a workhorse kind of RB.  Not that TB12 needs any more weapons, but the Bucs benefited from a deep draft class at WR and added Minnesota wideout Tyler Johnson in the fifth round. The question now is, will a flashy offseason translate into a winning 2020? A-

Carolina Panthers: Little remains from the Carolina Super Bowl team after departures such as franchise icons Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly. With so many needs, I like taking Auburn IDL Derrick Brown. I might've taken Isaiah Simmons here, but Brown is a prototypical DT with superhuman strength. Penn State EDGE Yetur Gross-Matos has work to do if he wants to see success in the pros, but I like Carolina betting on his talent at #38. Southern Illinois S Jeremy Chinn seemed like a guy that could find his way into the first round, but the Panthers were able to get him at pick 64. Troy Pride is an interesting CB prospect out of Notre Dame, prompting the FO in Carolina to pull the trigger in the fourth. Kenny Robinson is a super high-ceiling S coming out of West Virginia by way of the XFL. I would've liked to see a receiver (or an offensive player period) taken at some point, but the Panthers got some very good players that can help quickly. A-

Atlanta Falcons: Before the draft, it sounded like GM Thomas Dimitroff was trying to make a splash by moving into the Top 10 and getting a highly-touted defender like Isaiah Simmons, Jeff Okudah, or C.J. Henderson, but they stayed at 16 and made an awful pick in Clemson CB A.J. Terrell. Terrell gets more credit than he deserves (by many people) because he went to Clemson and picked off Tua in the 2019 National Championship, when in reality he struggled against legit competition like LSU and J'Marr Chase. I don't dislike Auburn DE Marlon Davidson, but it isn't a thrilling pick. Matt Hennessey is a quality lineman and may be the future replacement for Alex Mack. The rest of the ATL draft wasn't memorable, making this draft a failure for Dimitroff, who is fighting for his job. C-

NFC West

Los Angeles Rams: The Rams didn't have their first round pick as a result of the likely ill-fated Jalen Ramsey trade, but made a nice selection of RB Cam Akers from Florida State. Akers has always had the talent, but had an underwhelming career in Tallahassee largely due to subpar offensive line work. Van Jefferson out of Florida wasn't the best WR available at 57, but I'm a fan of his and think he can be a solid target for Jared Goff. I am very biased in regards to this pick, but I really like Alabama EDGE Terrell Lewis. The guy is gifted and a playmaker when on the field, but has battled injuries while at Alabama. Utah S Terrell Burgess is a fine pick and I think Purdue TE Brycen Hopkins can be a surprise contributor in 2020 for LA. B

San Francisco 49ers: The Niners have been wheelin' and dealin' this offseason and that continued during the draft, moving back a spot to pick former Gamecock IDL Javon Kinlaw at #14 and moving up to #25 to take ASU WR Brandon Aiyuk. I think the gap between Kinlaw and Derrick Brown is very close, but they are different players. Javon is a kind of interior pass-rusher that doesn't come by often. With their depth on the DL, DC Robert Saleh can ease Javon into the defense in third down and obvious passing situations. Brandon Aiyuk is a former JUCO standout that broke out for Herm Edwards' Sun Devils in 2019. Aiyuk is a speedster that is lethal after the catch and has serviceable hands. He is a perfect fit for the Kyle Shanahan offense. Colton McKivitz, an OT from West Virginia, and Charlie Woerner, a TE from Georgia, are both headscratchers at picks 153 and 190, respectively. To end the draft, I liked Jed Hoyer taking a flyer on former Volunteer WR Jauan Jennings. B+

Arizona Cardinals: I think the best draft in football came from the Sonoran Desert. Clemson's Isaiah Simmons is the most versatile defensive player in the draft, which allows Arizona to plug him in at the spot they see as the biggest weakness. Their next pick in round three was spectacular, landing Houston OT Josh Jones. Jones easily could've been a first rounder, but AZ was able to get great value for him at pick 72 and he fills an important need. IDL Leki Fotu from Utah enjoyed an extremely productive career at Utah and definitely has the ability to contribute on the defensive line. Rashard Lawrence, IDL from LSU was an iffy pick partially because I don't love him as a player and given the previous pick of Fotu, IDL wasn't super important. That being said, Lawrence is decent and is only the worst pick here because of the incredibleness of the other selections. Cal LB Evan Weaver is a high-floor guy with an elevated ceiling, capable of being a positive member of the LB unit instantly. Weaver pairs high character with high intensity, two things you love to see out of late round picks. Their final selection of Arizona State RB Eno Benjamin was yet another steal. Benjamin was one of the best backs in college football and despite some tread on his tires and a less than ideal frame, he could become a feature back at some point in the league. In conclusion, the Arizona Cardinals absolutely destroyed this draft by making the most out of their 6 picks. A+

Seattle Seahawks: At this point, I think all football fans are used to Seattle drafting like this. Year after year, they draft guys so far ahead of where they would likely go. I like Texas Tech LB Jordyn Brooks because he has nice speed and possesses incredible god gifted ability, but he is a massive project that would've likely been available near the backend of the second round. Tennessee EDGE Darrell Taylor was selected before guys such as A.J. Epenesa, Josh Uche, and Jabari Zuniga. LSU IOL Damien Lewis was a fine pick, but then the Seahawks decided to double up on TE with Stanford's Colby Parkinson in the fourth and LSU's Stephen Sullivan. Just because these drafts are routine for the Seattle Seahawks doesn't mean they aren't absolutely atrocious. D

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! What are your thoughts on the draft? How'd your team do? Do you disagree or agree with my picks? Let me know down in the comment section!