FALCONS: In short I don't know where their draft plan came from. O-line can always use reinforcements. But I don't think it lands within the Falcons top 2 needs. They finished 6th in total offense last year, but 28th in total defense. Regardless, they spent more than their top 2 picks drafting 2 new players for the offensive line group. While those players are both widely considered to be pretty good prospects, it leaves you wondering how their front office perceives the team as a whole. Add to that the fact I'm not particularly high on either of the CB's they drafted, and that the RB they took quite possibly goes undrafted if they don't pull the trigger, and I've given the Falcons the prestigious prize of being my worst rated 2019 draft. Sorry Dirty Birds! COWBOYS: I could point to the acquisition of Amari Cooper and potentially move them up 5-10 spots. But in the end their draft is a fairly mixed bag. I like Trysten Hill, but he was possibly taken early. I like Connor McGovern. They doubled down at RB, even though they have one of the premier guys in the NFL and re-signed that bum Tavon Austin (cutting him now?). They did a decent job of hitting positions of need otherwise, and in truth they were one of my tougher drafts to grade. I could easily have them up 5-7 spots. They did some things right, but in the end my lack of enthusiasm for all of their midround picks might have stuck them near the bottom of my grades. In reality my bottom 4 teams might be interchangeable and I let the best player acquired by each be the tiebreaker. Amari is a great player, but the top pick by the next two teams each has the potential to be even better than him. JETS: Quinnen Williams was my 2nd rated player in this whole draft. But after that, what did the Jets accomplish? They were rumored to want to trade back, but didn't succeed. I like the potential of Jachai Polite, but their whole class consists of 6 players and the 4th one is a fullback, or undersized TE. I'm not sure. Do the Jets know? At one point they paid a draft pick to move up one spot. I assume because they were afraid the Vikings would steal Chuma Edoga, a promising, albeit highly risky draft pick. The Jets may have "won" free agency this year (or lost, depending on perspective), but they didn't win the draft. 49ers: Yes, I know. We all love Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel. But beyond those two picks what did they do? Likely reached hard on the next WR in Jalen Hurd at 3(3). Then took a punter in the 4th. Punters are people too. But not people worthy of a very early 4th rounder unless they're the next coming of Ray Guy. After that their draft is full of guys who might be decent pros, but I just can't get excited about, highlighted IMO by Kaden Smith. I know John Lynch is expecting a lot more from this class than I am. But until they prove it on the field, I'm right and John's wrong. I do love the first two picks though. They just didn't finish strong. RAMS: The Rams did a pretty good job of hitting positions of need. And I did enjoy the one trade they made where they moved back 14 spots from 31 to 45 to improve from 203 to 79. Pretty shrewd. I love the Rapp pick too. But unfortunately the Rams are one team I can't ignore my own rankings on. I just don't see much of a ceiling for most of their picks. And their BIGGEST need was arguably ILB. They waited until round 7 to touch it, with a player whose tape I hated no less. SAINTS: An argument could be made they had the worst draft this year. But they're a team chasing that elusive 2nd SB for Drew Brees, who is 40. They're in win now mode, so I can't kill them for giving up quality future assets for the second consecutive year. They did need a center pretty bad, and Erik McCoy should be a pretty good one. I give them a slight bump for acquiring Teddy B on the cheap. And I do like Chauncey Gardner-Johnson a lot. Good value on Alize Mack in the 7th (probably). It wasn't overly flashy, but if they can reach the Superbowl this year they'll prove doubters like myself wrong. LIONS: Man, T.J. Hockenson should be a very good football player. At a position of need no less. The Lions were certainly close to landing 4-5 spots higher in my rankings, but too many mid-round reaches held them back (Jahlani Tavai/Will Harris). Could have bumped them back up for the value on Oruwariye and possibly Isaac Nauta, plus they hit their needs fairly well. But in the end the entirety of what they did after their first pick just reeked of talent and value being left out there. GIANTS: They were a storyline this year!! Despite me being one of Daniel Jones bigger supporters around these parts, it does seem like they could have gained something somehow and still acquired him. At this point even their fans can't see the vision their new GM has for the team. And that led to a draft with no obvious goals other than to take a QB of the future that at this point not many people outside of their own GM and the kids own mother believe in. They appear to have drafted a couple good CB's. That's something. And they might have landed a couple nice picks late in players like Ryan Connelly, Corey Ballentine, and Chris Slayton. The back half of their draft on its own would have received better acclaim than the front half. BROWNS: The reaction here should be interesting. If they had done anything less than acquiring OBJ with their first rounder I'd have them lower. Takitaki was a reach. Mack Wilson just isn't exciting from where I sit (and apparently the rest of the NFL or he'd go higher). Greedy isn't an eager tackler and the Browns were 28th against the run last year. So let's assume their top 2 picks (OBJ/Greedy) don't improve that at all. They took a kicker for the second time in however many years, and he wasn't really expected to be drafted. And I can honestly say I've never heard of their last two picks. I shouldn't kill them for that, but some of their own most supportive fans around here have already expressed their own lack of elation over this draft class. In short, I'd have to agree. But OBJ should help you out-score a few teams anyways while your D is bleeding points. Greedy does have some nice potential in coverage (if he works harder than he apparently did in workouts), and I do kinda like Redwine. Could have been worse. You got a top 5 WR. Period! VIKINGS: They would be a little higher if not for the reaches on Mattison and Marcus Epps. They hit positions of need pretty well. And they started out strong with Bradbury and Irv Smith Jr. Had 2-3 more good picks. Just nothing spectacular about it, plus the reaching equals an average ranking. Sorry @Will BENGALS: Despite how low some of these rankings might feel, it's about this point where I might argue every team from here on had a "good" draft. Bengals might finally have replaced Andrew Whitworth with the selection of Jonah Williams. Great prospect. They went and got guys they like at positions of need after that. I like most of them too. Sample, Finley, Trayveon, Anderson (how many RB's can they carry though?), Michael Jordan. Got two OL's and two LB's, and a quality TE who can step in when Eifert gets hurt, plus contribute to the run game. All in all, it's pretty good. SEAHAWKS: Based on the players they took, I could have them lower. But the Hawks have always done it their way. And they stayed true to that. I appreciate how they effortlessly turned 4 picks into 11. Love the value on DK Metcalf, as well as the fit/selections of Gary Jennings, Burr-Kirven, and L.J. Collier. It's a boom or bust class, but aren't the Hawk's classes always like that? I like how it looks in the end (for Seattle anyways). CHARGERS: Essentially I have them this high because of how good their first two picks are. Tillery and Adderley are both awesome IMO. And can help their D. I like the potential of Pipkins too. Beyond that, not much to look at overall. Both Tranquill and Egbule give them the potential to contribute. Time will tell. But I can't overlook those first two choices. Just very solid. Fun fact: Second year in a row, Chragers did not trade one pick. Sat still and took who they wanted, at 28 in every round. BUCCANEERS: The Buccs draft was very up-and-down as far as my own view of the players selected. But I can appreciate the angle the staff took in trying to rebuild a defense that got torched regularly last year. My favorite picks were S Mike Edwards who I believe might outplay his draft position and Terry Beckner Jr who they stole (if healthy) in the 7th round. Their D should be better. If it isn't, then this draft was a failure. Their top five picks were all on that side of the ball, and 6 of 8 total. They took some chances on health with both the picks of Beckner, and hyper-athlete Jamel Dean, drafted in the 3rd as the second of back-to-back CB's. COLTS: This is one of the more boom-or-bust draft classes this year. Both top picks, Rock Ya-Sin and Ben Banogu are in my opinion projections. They have the traits to be impact playmakers, but neither is close to a sure thing. Their later picks are all development or depth players. Parris Campbell, Bobby Okereke, and Khari Willis are the safest selections here, and should add something to the roster. The Colts desperately want one of the top two selections to reach their ceiling. Time will tell.
EAGLES: The Eagles might be ranked a bit low on my rankings. Whether fair or not, they didn't have many picks. They landed IMO solid, but unspectacular players. I was discussing with Joe the reasons I might be undervaluing their draft of Andre Dillard, Miles Sanders, Arcega-Whiteside, Shareef Miller, and Thorson. Perhaps the best reason I can come up with is their spotty track record drafting WR's recently, combined with the fact I just happen to be less blown away by the top couple picks than some others here. I could move the Eagles up, but when I put their draft side by side with the teams I have ahead of them, I just can't see who they deserve to be ahead of. RAVENS: I personally thought the Ravens had a pretty solid draft. I like the value they found, and the positions they chose to upgrade. I'm just not as high on certain highlight picks as others, or they might be higher. At the end of the day, they're likely a better team thanks to this draft. And I guess that's the goal after all. If either of the WR's drafted reaches their ceiling this is an excellent draft. TEXANS: This is one of the drafts I might have higher than most. You can argue they reached early. But knowing their needs, and considering my own rankings of these players, I could make an argument that their top 5 picks are as good as any team in this draft. Take away the "reach" for Tytus Howard, and they might have a top 5 draft this year. As a Colts fan, I'm not too thrilled. CHIEFS: There's just something very intentional and cohesive about the Chiefs draft. I'm giving them credit for acquiring Frank Clark, a close to premier pass-rusher. Also love the selections of Juan Thornhill and Khalen Saunders, although Saunders is another DL I pictured in a 4-3 who finds himself with a 3-4 squad. We'll see. I love Nick Allegretti too. 7th rounder, relative unknown. But I believe he'll be starting for them in a couple years. And considering the sudden legal troubles of Tyreek Hill, the selection of Mecole Hardman just seems too necessary if they don't want to watch their offense regress. A fairly solid, well rounded, and necessary draft. PANTHERS: I don't love every player the Panthers drafted, but I do love the need for those positions to be filled on that team. Burns was a great pick. Grier could provide some meaningful snaps if all those hits Cam has taken over the years are starting to catch up to him. They put in a lot of time on Greg Little. I appreciate his selection and that of Christian Miller, a necessary double dip for them at DE (like I did in the mock). I actually like almost every player they drafted. It was a good weekend for Panthers fans. Double dip in both trenches. Always Nice! (As long as they aren't your first two and slightly unnecessary, right ATL?) TITANS: Of the six selections they made, I would grade 5 of those 6 as a 9 or better, separately. I won't say which player I hate. But as long as you hit 5 of 6, you're getting better in a hurry. The Titans consistently found value in their selections, and landed some household names too. STEELERS: Excellent draft. They would potentially land inside my top 6 if not for that surprising reach at 3(2) for Diontae Johnson. By the same token, they'd potentially land a few spots further back due to that reach if not for their excellent track record at identifying WR talent. All their other selections have the chance to be players, but they're downgraded slightly for losing value in 2020 (traded 3rd to Denver). Devin Bush was a necessary addition however. CARDINALS: They get extra points for installing the right guys for the new HC in a hurry. They lose a little for how little they got back for Rosen. But in the end Kyler is an exciting player. Byron Murphy should be a great addition to their defense. And they found great value in the selections of Hakeem Butler, Deionte Thompson, and IMO Lamont Gaillard. Isabella should be an impact addition also. It's hard not to be intrigued by what they might look like going forward. REDSKINS: The Redskins draft of 2019 has the potential to be the most positive draft they've had in the last decade. Landing a potential franchise QB (and not trading up to get him), and a potential franchise pass-rusher in the same draft is the kind of scintillating potential that gets fans buying tickets. After that I thought they found some good value and potential as well, with picks such as Bryce Love, Ross Pierschbacher, and Kelvin Harmon. I also appreciate the comfort zone they tried to create by bringing someone the new QB is comfortable with on board (McLaurin). Great job by the Skins. Slight downgrade for trading future assets (2nd to IND in 2020). But they're in my top 10. I obviously appreciate what they did this weekend. PACKERS: I think the Pack quietly had an excellent draft. I'm far from Rashan Gary's biggest supporter, but the potential is there. And when you follow it up with one of my favorite players in Darnell Savage Jr, it's easier to overlook my doubts. They definitely got more explosive. Elgton Jenkins is a great addition on the O-line. Jace Sternberger, Kingsley Keke, and Dexter Williams round out an athletic and high ceiling class. BEARS: Well they had a small draft class. But there's nothing small about the value of David Montgomery and Riley Ridley where the Bears acquired them. And they get a MAJOR boost because their first rounder is missing due to the trade for Khalil Mack, quite possibly the best defender in the entire league. It's tough to overlook the impact he has had on the Bears. JAGUARS: Probably in most rankings top 10, thanks to the excellent value of their top 2 picks. Josh Allen, taken 7th, has the potential to be an elite rusher in the NFL and was widely considered a top 4 player in this draft. They followed that up in the second round with Jawaan Taylor, a tackle most of us had graded inside the top 12 of the draft. Pretty impressive. Despite some reaching, they found some good value again late with their last 3 selections or Ryquell Armstead, Minshew, and Dontavius Russell. They did most of their damage early. But the potential can't be overstated. BRONCOS: The exciting Noah Fant, solid Dalton Risner, potential franchise passer Drew Lock, un-tapped Dre'Mont Jones, and an extra 3rd rounder in their pocket next year(PIT). Moving on. *RAIDERS: Okay, I gave the Bears a lot of credit for gaining Khalil Mack. But since first time GM Mike Mayock can't be blamed for that trade (which I can almost guarantee he wouldn't make), I'm grading their draft without docking them for that foolishness. Perhaps not fair, but that's why I added the asterisk. Even with that said, top 4?? F*** yeah!! Immediately following night one I thought they did okay. But I actually went to bed thinking about it. And the more I did the more convinced I was that Mayock killed his first draft. Think about it. Gruden says to him "don't mess this up Mike!" Mike says to his old friends at NFL-N that his goal is to find "franchise" guys. So what does he do. Takes the cornerstone of a highly touted National Championship defensive line, even though it's called a reach. His guy! Then takes a physical player who is clean off the field and tough on it from the only team good enough to challenge Clemson, at a position of need no less. Then finishes up round one by grabbing a clean, physical, athletic dude who loves football in Johnathan Abram. I like to picture Ferrell and Abram on the field at the same time. I see the vision Mayock has. Then the potential of guys like Maxx Crosby and Isaiah Johnson, pure athleticism. But top that up with the solid, safe selections of Hunter Renfrow (Bama beater) and Foster Moreau. The potential of Trayvon Mullen, and proven game changing prowess of Antonio Brown (given credit for the trade Mayock made). It's possible I'm giving Mayock extra credit because there aren't many humans I respect that much, but the more I think about what Oakland did this weekend, the more impressed I am. PATRIOTS: This one pains me. But Damn! Another solid draft by BB. N'Keal Harry, Chase Winovich, Yodny Cajuste, Damien Harris, Hjalte Froholdt, Byron Cowart, and an extra 4th (CHI) next year (shocker). Knowing that way more often than not Belichick gets players to reach their potential, this is a scary class to think about, unless you're a Pats fan...which I am decidedly not. BILLS: We don't get to say this often enough, but the Bills killed this draft. Ed Oliver is a splashy prize at the top. But they just found value everywhere. Singletary, Knox, Vosean J, Ford, Jaquan, Sweeney. Just a masterful draft by Mr. Beane. If they had more drafts like this, the Pats wouldn't win that division every Damn year. DOLPHINS: Well, even I was surprised when I finally started thinking about it at how much I liked what the Dolphins did. The selections of Christian Wilkins and Michael Deiter are just excellent fit and value IMO. Gaskin and Isaiah Prince are likely going to have an impact in South Beach. Then add that they got their QB of the present and future for a late 2nd rounder, on the cheap financially. AND...they add an extra 2nd rounder (NWO) to the cupboard for next year. Just outclassed their opponents on this one. Excellent draft by the Fins. Can you believe all of my top three came from the AFC East? Well that's it folks! Feel free to tell me what my worst ranking was.
That's a lot of good work and thought put into your project here, it was fun to read. As for your opinion on the Vikings and I cant disagree too much. I do think it turned out better than I anticipated though and I give credit to Spielman allowing Kubiak to influence a lot of the offensive decisions. I agree the Bradbury and Irv Smith Jr picks were the 'cream of the crop', but a few other 'reaches' still have potential, with the right training and situations, to be 'diamonds in the rough'. At least that's what we are hoping for. Mattison was a depth move, but could be that 'breakout' back if given the opportunity if any injuries thin things out. Im still waiting to see what Boone and others can do to back-up Dalvin Cook, who has some proving to do to show he can remain healthy. They may have reached with Mattison, but they have a decent trio of very young RB's that just might work out. I really like how the Offensive line was handled, I thought they did well there. Its been the achilles the last few seasons do to injury mostly, but it was thin for sure. Some key defensive positions were addressed also. I think they (Vikings brass) handled the positional aspect well, but they also did as well as they could for such late round picks they stock-piled. I grade them a B+, considering a lot of late rounders...
The Bills really do not have a lot of holes after gorging on FA's. So it's a surprise that they landed two starters (in the trenches, no less) in this draft. I think Knox and Singletary could see a lot of action, too. I also like the team's strategy of moving picks for higher spots - there's just not enough roster spots for all of them. Finally, jumping in front of the Pats to nab TE Knox was just sweet. The Bills should be one of the more improved teams this year.
Perhaps not, but Sheldon Richardson and Olivier Vernon might have some effect on that, not to mention a healthy Christian Kirksey.... Just food for thought. Some needs were addressed in free agency. Bleeding points? lol! Well we'll see about that. To me it looks like one of the best defensive fronts in football. Not to mention we have a new defensive coordinator, Steve Wilks. .... Myles Garrett, Larry Ogunjobi, Richardson and Vernon should be pretty formidable. Not saying you gotta be excited about this draft haul, but if you are gonna assess the Browns defense, let's look at the whole picture....To chalk it up as "well OBJ and Greedy aren't gonna help the run D, so that's that", is pretty short sighted.
I think everyone is overlooking the net effect of the Brown's pre-draft moves. Yes, Dorsey traded 1-17 for OBJ, a top 3 WR. Yes, he traded for Olvier Vernon to bolster the defense. But that trade (the teams and the league consolidated those two trades into one) also cost the Browns one of the best Guards in the league (Zeitler) and his starting Strong Safety (Peppers). So, while he vastly improved the WR room and maybe improved the pass rush, it also cost two established starters. Lost in all the OBJ excitement is he then released the next man up at SS (Kindred) and traded D-line depth (Ogbah) for a backup CB (Eric Murray). So, yes, while he added a premier WR and improved at DE (maybe), he at the same time created "positions of need" at two other positions (OG and SS) which were not addressed in the draft whatsoever. (Does anybody really think Sheldrick Redwine at 6'0" - 190 pounds can play SS ?) Last year, I went ballistic over the draft and was emphatically proven wrong. I'm willing to wait to be proven wrong again this year.
You wanted to know what I think your worst ranking was? I could make you wait until mine is posted but I'll just say it. It's the Texans. I really don't like their picks at all even if you ignore thinking Tytus is a major reach. As for the Eagles I can't argue. I have them higher but it's because I think they set out what they needed to do almost perfectly. I'll get into it in more detail in my write-up, although you yourself already heard it.
Only one huh? lol! Is this a joke? What planet are you on? I've never seen Browns fans so excited about this team. Nevermind where we were when John Dorsey took over this franchise, lets quickly snap judge his 2nd draft and get all negative about everything. Smh. geez... Since I'm the only Browns fan that still likes the team, I'll just keep my optimism to myself... By all means. Blast away at the team that went from 1-31 to division favorites in two years, because you didn't agree with a couple of his draft choices. It's not like he's earned any benefit of doubt or anything.... I actually only know of two Browns fans that aren't happy with the way things are going, and one of those is showstopper, who has never said a good word about the team in his life....
Expanding on this thought . . . This doesn't even take into consideration the "positions of need" that existed before that pre-draft trade went down. Linebacker: they were basically one deep at all three LB spots. Solution - Sione Takitaki in the 3rd round ??? O-line depth: (here is where I'm on an island) J.C. Tretter is getting up in age, is in the last year of his contract and played half of last year on one leg. Austin Corbett was the backup Guard. Now he's the starter - after flaming out last year.
TD, I have warned you once already about questioning my fanhood. I will not do it again. I'm just as excited about the upcoming season as anyone else. Maybe more so. But that doesn't prevent me from airing my thoughts and/or opinions. And, if you ever lump me into the same bucket with Showslopper again, I will drive to Newark and stomp on your foot.
Don't act as if all Browns fans are as negative as you... You targeted me first Lym...I'm always gonna come back with something. My point from the beginning was simply to remind RT that the Browns did make efforts to shore up the run D. His implication was simply that OBJ and Greedy aren't going to help it, so it'll be bad again. I just thought it should be pointed out that we have a new coordinator on that side of the ball, and one could argue that no team did more to shore up the run defense.... Then you chimed in with your implication that I'm the only happy Browns fan, which is ridiculous. I was chatting with Browns fans all weekend and I've never seen the fan base more amped. FWIW, I haven't even given my opinion on this draft. Snap grades are stupid IMO. The only thing I've mentioned about this Dorsey draft is that I love where they got Greedy and Mack Wilson....Everyone had Mack Wilson with a 2nd rd grade, until Dorsey took him in the 4th. That's when the critiques of Mack Wilson started... Maybe you are just as excited about the season. I'm glad to hear it. Nobody would ever know that by all the negativity....To each his own.
Please, I urge you to point out where I targeted you. I'll wait . . . On second thought. I won't wait. You just keep on with your thin-skinned, group think mentality. Meanwhile, I'll continue to post my thoughts and opinions without clearing them with you beforehand.
DE - Myles Garrett DT- Sheldon Richardson DT- Larry Ogunjobi DE- Olivier Vernon OLB- Christian Kirksey MLB- Joe Schobert OLB- Genard Avery CB- Denzel Ward CB- Greedy Williams FS- Damarious Randall SS- Morgan Burnett Nickle- TJ Carrie ^^^^This is the defense that's going to be "bleeding points" while hoping OBJ can counter? Presumably because they didn't address the run defense when they took Greedy and traded for Beckham... I just don't see it that way at all. This isn't the Baylor Bears here... I see a young, strong, potentially dominant defensive front that should be able to match up favorably with any team in the league. It'll be a major shock if the run D isn't vastly improved.
