I used to do grades until I realized how foolish that is. Instead of doing grades, I have decided to just do my winners, did o.k teams and losers from this weekend.
Let’s start with the winners.
Winners
New York Giants: The Giants stood pat and let the board come to them. As a result, they ended up with Saquon Barkley, Will Hernandez, Lorenzo Carter and Kyle Lauletta among others. A pretty good haul for a team reloading.
Chicago Bears: Chicago drafted Roquan Smith out of Georgia. Smith could be the next great Bears linebacker if he can fit in their 3-4 scheme. James Daniels is one of the most talented lineman in this draft and could be the centerpiece of their offensive line. Prior to the draft, the Bears primary focus this off-season has been to put pieces are Mitchell Trubisky. Mission accomplished. They added Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel and Trey Burton in free agency. They also added Anthony Miller to that group. A solid value pick in the second round.
Buffalo Bills: The Bills didn’t overpay to move up and draft their quarterback of the future in Josh Allen. They still managed to hold onto the 22nd pick and moved up again, this time to draft versatile linebacker Trumaine Edmunds. Harrison Phillips was a terrific value pick in the third round.
Baltimore Ravens: Ozzie Newsome’s last draft was a success. The Ravens were able to retool the tight position by drafting two of the best tight ends in the class in Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews. Moving back into the first round to draft Lamar Jackson was brilliant. Now the Ravens have their quarterback of the future but more importantly, they have a security blanket if Joe Flacco falters. Third rounder Orlando Brown has elite physical traits and could end up being a steal. Center Bradley Bozeman could end up starting at center. Another solid all around draft for Baltimore.
Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals waited for the board to sort itself out, made a trade and went up and got their quarterback of the future in Josh Rosen. Rosen is starter ready right now. Christian Kirk gives Arizona a much need big play presence at receiver. Michigan center Mason Cole was a reach in the third round but GM Steve Keim did a great job overall.
Carolina Panthers: I really like what Carolina did in this draft. D.J Moore fills an immediate need at wide receiver. Carolina has size at the position but they lack a receiver who can stretch the field in all three levels. Moore can do that. Cornerback Donte Jackson also addresses another need for Carolina. He is a lean, athletic corner who can excel in man coverage. Tight end Ian Thomas is a former basketball player who has the skills to excel in the Panthers offense. Could be a replacement for Greg Olson. Third round pick Rashaan Gaulden could play right away as well.
Denver Broncos: The Broncos stole the best defensive player in this draft with the fifth pick. Bradley Chubb will pair with Von Miller to give the Broncos the best pair of edge rushers in the league. Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton will play right away in 10 and 11 personnel packages but both could eventually replace Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. Josey Jewell will get every opportunity to win the starting MIKE linebacker job in the middle of Denver’s defense. A quality over all draft for John Elway who needs to build a winner again in Denver.
Indianapolis Colts: General manager Chris Ballard was able to put his stamp on the Colts with a solid draft that addressed multiple needs. Quenton Nelson was a no brainer with pick number 6. He was the second best player on the board. Nelson will solidify a young but talented offensive line. Auburn guard Braden Smith is a big, old school mauler who offers some versatility in that he can play tackle as well. Linebacker Darius Leonard and defensive end Kemoko Turay will both help a retooled defense lacking talent along the front seven. Running backs Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins add depth and a different skill set at running back.
Did O.K
New England Patriots: The Patriots surprisingly used both of their first round picks and came away with two players that will make an immediate impact. Isaiah Wynn could potentially start for them as a rookie at left tackle. The Patriots have plenty of depth at running back but couldn’t pass up on the multi-talented Sony Michel. Michel gives them the big play back they lack. After orchestrating several trades over the course of the weekend, Bill Belichick landed quality depth prospects in Duke Dawson, JaWhaun Bentley, Christian Sam and Braxton Berrios. Ignoring the quarterback position until the seventh round selection of Danny Etling was a head scratcher.
Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons will be even tougher to defend next season thanks to the addition of Calvin Ridley. Atlanta will be lethal next year in 11 personnel with Ridley, Julio Jones, Mohammed Sanu, Austin Hooper and either Devonta Freeman or Tevin Coleman in the backfield. Cornerback Isaiah Oliver was one of my favorite players in this draft. I like his size, length, athleticism and his ability to return kicks. Deadrin Senat gives the Falcons a big body they can plug in next to Grady Jarrett. I am a little confused that they didn’t draft an offensive lineman however.
Detroit Lions: General manager Bob Quinn once again started from the inside, out by drafting Arkansas mauler Frank Ragnow. Ragnow will solidify the interior of the Lions offensive line. Running back Kerryon Johnson can handle 20 plus carries a game and be “the guy”. He and LeGarrette Blount will form quite the power back duo. Offensive tackle Tyrell Crosby plays with a mean streak. Needs to improve as a pass blocker however.
Green Bay Packers: In their never ending quest to get it right at the cornerback position, the Packers got two of the best corners in this class in Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson. Teaming them with last year’s picks Kevin King and Josh Jones gives the Packers a lot of young talent on the back end. The run on wide receiver was a little peculiar but I like what they got with J’Mon Moore and E.Q St. Brown. Linebacker Oren Burks could be a steal in the third round. Not addressing the offensive line and tight end position was odd.
Los Angeles Chargers: The Chargers added two players who will become foundation pieces for them defensively. Derwin James was one of the five best players in this draft and the Chargers got him at 17! He will make a similar impact to Eric Berry in Kansas City. Outside linebacker Uchenna Owosu is versatility in that he can play on or off the line of scrimmage. He is a three down player. Nose tackle Justin Jones should play right away and could potentially start. The Chargers should have invested in their receiving corp.
Miami Dolphins: I am a big fan of safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick will not only solidify the Dolphins secondary with his play. He will also bring versatility and leadership to the Dolphins locker room. Tight end Mike Gesicki will be a match up piece for Adam Gase. He hasn’t blocked a soul in his football career but that’s not why the Dolphins drafted him. They drafted him to be an effective target down the middle of the field. Linebacker Jerome Baker will make an impact as a rookie.
Pittsburgh Steelers: There are not too many teams that draft as well as the Steelers do. Pittsburgh again addressed their needs while looking to the future. They reached a little for safety Terrell Edmunds but he is a good safety with range and a willingness to support the run. Wide receiver James Washington will thrive in the Steelers offense. Drafting the potential heir apparent to Ben Roethlisberger in Mason Rudolph was a stroke of genius. Rudolph to Washington could become a thing again. Jaylen Samuels out of N.C State is interesting pick. Not addressing the cornerback position didn’t make sense.
Washington Redskins: Drafting Alabama defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne was an absolute no brainer. He will team with former Alabama teammate Jonathan Allen to give the Redskins one of the best defensive tackle duos in the NFL. Derrius Guice in the second round was a steal despite the fact that he has attitude issues. Offensive tackle Geron Christian could play sooner than later depending on Trent Williams health.
Tampa Bay Bucs: The Bucs fortified their defensive line this off-season with several acquisitions. Vita Vea was the final piece in what should be a dominate defensive line. Running back Ronald Jones reminds me of Jamaal Charles. He could step in and start as a rookie. Cornerback Carlton Davis was a solid pick in the third round.
Cleveland Browns: Aside from the Baker Mayfield pick, which I did not agree with, the Browns had a solid draft. I really like cornerback Denzel Ward but not better than Bradley Chubb. Nick Chubb is a bell cow back who could be the starter in Week One. Offensive tackle Austin Corbett is tough and athletic. He could be Joe Thomas’ replacement at left tackle. Wide receiver Antonio Callaway has a lot of talent but comes with a ton of baggage. Regardless of how the rest of this class does, this group’s legacy will be hitched to Mayfield.
New York Jets: It’s hard to label a team a loser when you land arguably the top quarterback prospect in the class in Sam Darnold. In four years, Darnold could be the best quarterback in the division. Nose tackle Nathan Shepherd will replace Mo Wilkerson as the shade tackle and could make an immediate impact for the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets!
Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars already talented front seven got even better with the addition of Florida defensive tackle Taven Bryan. Jacksonville needed to come out of this draft with an impact receiver and they did in big play target D.J Chark. Safety Ronnie Harrison and linebacker Leon Jacobs could both play prominently in the Jags defensive plans this season.
Houston Texans: The Texans didn’t have a first round pick but they got a couple of quality players that should make an impact in safety Justin Reid and Martinas Rankins. Tight ends Jordan Akins and Jordan Thomas will be featured as part of a revamped tight end unit.
Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys have gotten a lot of heat for the selection of linebacker Leighton Vander Esch but if he can stay healthy, Vander Esch has the potential to be very good playing alongside Sean Lee and Jaylen Smith. Connor Williams has a lot of upside if he can stay healthy. The Cowboys plan on kicking him inside to guard. Receivers Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson will have a chance to make the roster as part of a revamped receiving corp. Running back Bo Scarborough could be a late round steal.
Tennessee Titans: The Titans only had four picks but I thought they got good value. I like the Rashaan Evans pick. Evans is versatile and can play all three downs. Harold Landry will be a great fit in Dean Pees defense as a sub package edge rusher. Luke Falk is a quality developmental quarterback despite his lack of arm strength. They did well considering they hardly made a pick.
Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals got a good football player in center Billy Price. Many experts had him dropping out of the first round but I thought he was a first round talent because he can play center or guard. Safety Jessie Bates has good ball skills and can play over the top in a single or two high coverage. Sam Hubbard and Malik Jefferson are both plug and play guys who should make an immediate impact. I like the Mark Walton pick but the rest of this draft left something to be desired.
Losers
Los Angeles Rams: The Rams did well to take advantage of all the day three picks they had but other than adding offensive line depth with Joe Noteboom, Brian Allen, Jamil Demby and running back John Kelly, they did nothing. The Rams won the free agency off-season.
Minnesota Vikings: I like the picks of cornerback Mike Hughes and offensive tackle Brian O’Neil but not addressing the offensive line first makes no sense to me. At least the Vikings have depth in the secondary. They are thin along the offensive line. That should have been their focus in this draft.
New Orleans Saints: I think it is safe to say that the Saints will not get the same amount of impact out of this draft that they did last season. Defensive end Marcus Davenport is a raw talent but they overpaid for him big time. Wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith has some big play potential, something the Saints lack right now. New Orleans just didn’t have enough picks to make an impact in this draft.
Philadelphia Eagles: I really like the selection of tight end Dallas Goedert and defensive end Josh Sweat but the Eagles just didn’t get enough in this draft. The lack of picks hurt them.
San Francisco 49ers: I like the pick of Mike McGlinchey who could end up moving over to left tackle. Wide receiver Dante Pettis can make big plays in the vertical passing game but his best value is the return game. The Niners didn’t trade up to get him however. From afar, it looks like they reached for a lot of guys when there were better players on the board.
Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks told us they were going to re-tool their roster in this draft. Well, they didn’t. They reached on Rashaad Penny which by all accounts they had to because the Browns wanted him too. Tight end Will Dissely was probably the best blocking tight end in this class but is average as a receiver. Defensive end Rasheem Green has a lot of upside but can be inconsistent. I love the Shaquem Griffin pick but it will be interesting to see how they use him. They didn’t address corner, which was a major need coming into the draft.
Oakland Raiders: I like the Kolton Miller pick. I know some people feel that they reached for him but Miller has elite left tackle skills. P.K Hall was a reach in the second round. I thought the Raiders got tremendous value with defensive end Arden Key and defensive tackle Maurice Hurst. Both could end up starting for them as rookies. The rest of this draft left a lot to be desired.
Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs didn’t have a first rounder but they reached for a lot of the players they took. I get that they like guys Breeland Speaks and Derrick Nnadi but they probably could have gotten them later than they did. Not addressing the offensive line before the seventh pick was very puzzling to me.