In our last post, we looked at the teams who ranked #21 - #32 from the most recent NFL Draft. I also spent some time in that post outlining the limitations with ranking a draft immediately following it, and the way in which the rating were derived. If you haven't already read this, I suggest you grab a copy here.
So lets keep on reviewing the teams, starting from #20 and working our way up to #11.
20. Washington Redskins (C-)
1.05 - Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa (B-)
2.06 - Preston Smith, DE, Mississippi State (B-)
4.06 - Jamison Crowder, WR, Duke (C-)
4.13 - Arie Kouandjio, OG, Alabama (C)
5.05 - Martell Speight, LB, Arkansas (C+)
6.05 - Kyshoen Jarrett, S, Virginia Tech (C-)
6.06 - Tevin Mitchell, CB, Arkansas (C)
6.11 - Evan Spencer, WR, Ohio State (C-)
7.05 - Austin Reiter, C, South Florida (F)
In his first draft as General Manager, Scot McCloughan is already putting his stamp on this organization. Considered by many as the best talent evaluator in football, McCloughan is starting to build the Skins using a formula that worked well in both San Francisco and Seattle. He is looking to draft players who fit his system, and trade down where possible to amass additional picks.
Many are calling his first selection, Brandon Scherff, a reach at 5. It may have been a slight reach, (3-4 picks max), but the truth is, Scherff fits his system perfectly. It also kept him away from the rival Giants, so bonus points for him there. I did knock him a bit because I would have tried to orchestrate a trade down to 7, to allow Chicago to trade up for Leonard Williams, and still grabbed Scherff at 7, but that is just a small knock. Preston Smith is another phenomenal fit for the team, and I suspect Kouandjio, Speight, Mitchell, and Spencer will all be playing roles for this team next season. I don't love Crowder like some others do, but still a well done first draft for McCloughan in Washington.
19. New England Patriots (C-)
1.32 - Malcolm Brown, DT, Texas (A)
2.32 - Jordan Richards, DB, Stanford (C-)
3.33 - Geneo Grissom, DE, Oklahoma (C+)
4.02 - Trey Flowers, DE, Arkansas (C+)
4.12 - Tre Jackson, OG, Florida State (A+)
4.32 - Shaq Mason, C, Georgia Tech (C+)
5.30 - Joe Cardona, C, Navy (C-)
6.02 - Matthew Wells, LB, Mississippi State (C-)
6.26 - AJ Derby, TE, Arkansas (F)
7.30 - Daryl Roberts, CB, Marshall (C)
7.36 - Xzavier Dickson, LB, Alabama (C-)
Like the Seahawks, I struggle to be critical of the Patriots draft. Every time I think they reach, they prove they know what they are doing and turn the pick into gold. Maybe that will be the case for Jordan Richards this year. I feel like it was a reach, but then again, Belichick knows what he is doing. I also saw Joe Cardona and Matthew Wells in a similar light.
Now on the other side of the equation, I think the Pats grabbed two of the biggest steals in this draft. Malcolm Brown, whom they took at the bottom of round 1 should have been a top 10-15 selection, and Tre Jackson, who they selected in the 4th round was slated on my board to go two full round earlier. I also really like them adding both Shaq Mason, and Trey Flowers as well. The 4th round of this year's draft by New England was one of the best draft rounds by any team in recent memory.
18. Arizona Cardinals (C)
1.24 - DJ Humphries, OT, Florida (B-)
2.26 - Markus Golden, LB, Missouri (B-)
3.22 - David Johnson, RB, Northern Iowa (C)
4.17 - Rodney Gunter, DT, Deleware State (C-)
5.22 - Shaquille Riddick, DE, West Virginia (C-)
5.23 - JJ Nelson, WR, Alabama Birmingham (C-)
7.39 - Gerald Christian, TE, Louisville (F)
The Cards surprised many last season fighting for the divisional crown, but they have been a very good drafting team as of late, so the roster is really starting to fill out. The top three picks this year will be no exception to that. DJ Humphries has fantastic footwork, and his focus on playing the game from the ground-up, will allow him to bookend Jared Veldheer and give this team excellent young tackles. Markus Golden is one of my favorite linebackers from this class, and I think David Johnson is the perfect compliment to Andre Ellington.
Unfortunately, the Cards left it off there. Except for the possibility of JJ Nelson, I am not sure the remainder of this draft will result in the team adding contributors to this roster. Nelson is blazing fast, and if he does in fact contribute, it will make covering him and fellow speedster John Brown a challenging proposition in Bruce Arians' air-it-out offense.
17. New Orleans Saints (C)
1.13 - Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford (D+)
1.31 - Stephone Anthony, LB, Clemson (A-)
2.12 - Hau'oli Kikaha, LB, Washington (B+)
3.11 - Garrett Grayson, QB, Colorado State (C+)
3.14 - PJ Williams, CB, Florida State (C+)
5.12 - Davis Tull, LB, Chattanooga (C+)
5.18 - Tyeler Davidson, DT, Fresno State (C)
5.31 - Damien Swann, CB, Georgia (C-)
7.13 - Marcus Murphy, RB, Missouri (F)
I have made no secrete of my thoughts on how overrated I felt Andrus Peat is coming into this draft. I know most of the experts disagree with me adamantly on this, but I am sticking to my evaluation, and thus the grade for the Saints with their top pick.
But for their next 5 picks after that, Mickey Loomis was locked in, and grabbed a bunch of talent. I love Stephone Anthony and Davis Tull as their ILBs of the future. I am thrilled to see them add Kikaha as they added a great kid with quite possibly the best motor in this draft. I think they mitigated the behavioral risk with the talented PJ Williams, grabbing him mid third, and Garrett Grayson will have the best possible mentor in Drew Brees, to see if he can become the heir apparent.
Aside from Peat, and not addressing the TE position at all, I thought the Saints did a very good job.
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (C)
1.01 - Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State (B-)
2.02 - Donovan Smith, OT, Penn State (C)
2.29 - Ali Marpet, OG, Hobart (C+)
4.25 - Kwon Alexander, LB, LSU (C+)
5.26 - Kenny Bell, WR, Nebraska (C-)
6.08 - Kaelin Clay, WR, Utah (C-)
7.14 - Joey Iosefa, FB, Hawaii (C-)
I am neither a Jameis Winston supporter, nor hater. I think the pick was the right choice for the Bucs, but I also wish there were other options available to them. With Winston in the fold, the Bucs had some great opportunities, and they capitalized on some with the selections of Ali Marpet, Kwon Alexander, and Kenny Bell. Although Alexander and Bell will start off providing depth, I suspect both will be special teams standouts, and start pushing for playing time soon.
Many others are very excited about Donovan Smith, but I am less so. I agree the Bucs had to address the OT position, but with Jake Fisher still on the board, Smith was the wrong choice. He has shown a propensity to be lazy on the football field, and when you are trying to rebuild, and your newest investment is a not very mobile QB, you have to have o-linemen who get after it. Marpet is that. Smith is not.
15. San Diego Chargers (C)
1.15 - Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin (A+)
2.16 - Denzel Perryman, LB, Miami (A)
3.19 - Craig Mager, CB, Texas State (D)
5.17 - Kyle Emmanuel, DE, North Dakota State (C)
6.16 - Darius Philon, DT, Arkansas (C)
The Chargers draft can be looked at in one of two lights. Either it was an excellent draft held back by too few picks, and a big reach in the third, or it can be viewed as a poor overall draft, held up by two very good selections at the top. This is why the grade ultimately lands them in the middle of the pack.
I have been saying all draft season long, Melvin Gordon was the top back on my board. Even over the more talented Todd Gurley. I see Gordon as a dynamo in the pros, and his fit in Sand Diego is perfect. I also have been touting Denzel Perryman as well. He was the top rated ILB on my board, because despite his size, this kid plays football. Both are great additions to this team, and I suspect both will be in the starting lineup week 1.
The rest of the draft however was a bit lackluster. I do like Philon a bit in the 6th, but this team really needs a big body up front to slow opponents running games, and I am not sold on Philon as the long term answer.
14. Chicago Bears (C+)
1.07 - Kevin White, WR, West Virginia (C+)
2.07 - Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State (A-)
3.07 - Hroniss Grasu, C, Oregon (B-)
4.07 - Jeremy Langford, RB, Michigan State (C)
5.06 - Adrian Amos, S, Penn State (C)
6.07 - Tayo Fabuluje, OT, Texas Christian (F)
With only 6 picks to work with, the Bears had to make the best use of them, and between rounds 2 and 5, I think they did just that. Eddie Goldman had a first round grade on my board, and getting him in round 2, at a position of need looks great for Chicago. Grasu was the second best C on my board, and I think Adrian Amos can develop into a starting caliber Safety if given some time. Langford too will prove valuable as an option to carry the rock while Forte gets a breather.
Really my only knock is with White. I don't dislike him, but I think his body of work is too slight to make a top ten call on this guy. He screams upside, but coming from West Virginia, I see his stat line as a bit over-inflated. I would have LOVED to see them deal up two spots with Washington in round 1 to grab Leonard Williams when he was falling instead.
13. New York Giants (C+)
1.09 - Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (C-)
2.01 - Landon Collins, S, Alabama (A)
3.10 - Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DE, UCLA (B+)
5.08 - Mykkele Thompson, S, Texas (C-)
6.10 - Geremy Davis, WR, UConn (D+)
7.09 - Bobby Hart, OT, Florida State (D)
I think the Giants made one of the best selections of the draft when they traded up in the second round to grab Landon Collins. Some call him a limited Safety, but the truth is, he is simply a very good box Safety, which is exactly what the Giants need. I also am in love with the fit of Odighizuwa in this defense. All draft season, I have been comparing the raw yet talented Bruin to Jason Pierre Paul. Double O is slightly less althletic, but has similar upside. To have him playing on the other side of JPP is just too perfect.
The Giants could have had a much higher draft grade if not for their selection of Flowers in the first. I don't see Flowers as a bad player, but I think it was a reach to take him in the top ten. I know they wanted to get Scherff, and the Skins ruined that plan, but I would have rather seen them trade down, or take a best overall player strategy than reach for Flowers.
12. Houston Texans (C+)
1.16 - Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest (C-)
2.11 - Benardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi State (B-)
3.06 - Jalen Strong, WR, Arizona State (A-)
5.39 - Keith Mumphery, WR, Michigam State (D)
6.35 - Reshard Cliett, LB, South Florida (C-)
6.40 - Christian Covington, DT, Rice (C)
7.18 - Kenny Hillard, RB, LSU (C-)
The Texans had the top overall selection in last year's draft, who missed so much time last season, it will be like having him brad new this year too. With a healthy Clowney and Watt, McKinney will look really good in this defense. I also absolutely love the addition of Jalen Strong in the third. He had a first round grade on my board, and I understand his injury situation had him falling, but in the third, he was straight value. Both Covington and Hillard could both be late round selections who are contributors quickly on this team too.
My biggest issue with the Texans draft was with Johnson at the top. I like him as a corner, despite him being undersized, but I would have rather seen him go 10-20 picks later. I think his size could be a liability, but only time will tell on this one.
11. New York Jets (C+)
1.06 - Leonard Williams, DE, Southern Cal (A+)
2.05 - Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State (C-)
3.18 - Lorenzo Mauldin, LB, Louisville (C+)
4.04 - Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor (B+)
5.16 - Jarvis Harrison, OG, TAMU (C+)
7.06 - Deon Simon, DT, Northwestern State (F)
The New York Jets made their first selection of the night at 6, and took advantage of other teams mistakes, specifically Tennessee's, of allowing Leonard Williams to fall. He does not fill a position of need, and moreover, it will be interesting to see how new HC Todd Bowles uses him along with those other studs on the DL, but when you grab the best player in the whole draft, at 6 overall, you get an A+ for the pick. I also love the team being daring with the selection of Bryce Petty in the 4th. He needs some time in the hopper, but if Smith fails again this year, and Fitz can hold it down next, the Jets may have something special after that. Mauldin is also a good pick for this team, and will help the linebacking corp immediately, and Harrison provides some much needed o-line depth.
For the Jets, their poor choice came in round 2. Some folks are very high on Smith. I am not. I think his game is too one dimensional, and until he learns how to run routes other than a 9, I don't see him as a legit NFL weapon. The good news is the Jets have other talent at the position (Marshall, Decker, and Kerley), so if Smith doesn't pan out, they are still OK.
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