Jump to content

Grade Your Draft


RaidersAreOne

Recommended Posts

For the Raiders, the draft started off poorly imo. However overall I am extremely pleased with the players we got. Overall I would give it a B.

  • Kolton Miller - C. No doubt a slight reach but he has the makings to be a good T.
  • PJ Hall - B. Elite measurables and production from a smaller program. He is going to provide some pass-rush ability from the interior which we have lacked for years and years.
  • Brandon Parker - B-. Similar to Miller, he is raw but has the tools to be a good one. Hopefully he develops well because we will need him in year 2.
  • Arden Key - B+. Big risk, big reward. Could be a premiere defender if he stays out of trouble and focuses. I expect Gruden to keep him on track.
  • Nick Nelson - B+. Very solid CB who likely would have been higher if he didn't have a recent minor operation. Will likely be our slot CB sooner rather than later.
  • Maurice Hurst - A+. Steal of the draft as far as I am concerned. Great player at a vital position. He will start day 1.
  • Johnny Townsend - A. Second best Punter in the draft. We got cheaper, younger and less psycho by moving on from King and getting Johnny boy.
  • Azeem Victor - C. Don't expect a lot from him. He had high praise a year ago but was a major let down this season.
  • Marcell Ateman - B. Solid yet unspectacular WR from the sounds of it. Was projected to go a couple rounds higher. I can see him being our #5 WR if/when we move on from Roberts.

Add in the fact we traded a 3rd for Bryant, and I am very happy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DT Vita Vea - Not only did we get who we would have taken at seven, we traded back five spots and gained two extra second round picks. A

RB Ronald Jones II - He probably wasn't the best RB available, but with all the crazy surrounding Guice I can't complain. B

CB MJ Stewart - I thought there were better CBs available. But he's not bad by any means. Sounds like he's gonna compete to be our slot guy. C

CB Carlton Davis - We traded back a few spots and still got a better CB than the one we just took. He allowed 48% of the passes thrown at him last year to be completed. B

OL Alex Cappa - We traded up into the third and took him. I really like the pick. He's got a chance to take over one of our guard spots or maybe even RT. B

S Jordan Whitehead - I think there were a few safeties we could have taken earlier that were better. But I can't complain too much. He's athletic and tough. C

WR Justin Watson - Dude's a monster HWS guy. 6'3" 220lbs, runs a 4.42, and has a 40" vert. He's got a chance to learn this year and potentially start next year, once DJax and Hump are gone. B

LB Jack Cichy - He would have probably been a second or third round pick had he not torn his ACL. He has the potential to be a big steal at the end of the sixth. A

 

I think that gives us a solid B overall. But if you include JPP and the way we were able to turn 1.7 into four picks in the top 100, I think we probably deserve a B+.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rams get a B grade (not counting the Cooks trade).

For all those who complained about the Rams not drafting an OL prospect last year they drafted 3 OL prospects this year. Noteboom has the tools to be a starting LT in the future. Allen is similar to Sullivan and according to Mayock, he fits what the Rams want to do perfectly. Demby can play both tackle and guard so I like his versatility.

The Rams drafted an intriguing back in Kelly. I heard he could be a better route runner than Kamara was coming out of Tennessee. The Rams are looking for a guy to help take some of the load off Gurley and so maybe Kelly can be that guy. On defense the Rams added depth on the DL for the future just in case they lose Suh next year and Brockers soon after that. They also added linebackers to replace Tree and Quinn. I’m really liking Kiser who I think is an instant starter and Okoronkwo who is being thought of as possibly the next Carl Lawson. Wade could take him and make him a force to be reckoned with off the edge. Also Young and Howard both intrigues me. Lawler is the grandson of WWE HOFer Jerry “The King” Lawler which I think is just cool because I’m a huge wrestling fan. So overall I like what the Rams did. They added depth, fill needs, have guys who can be future starters/big time contributors and they have the right coaches in place to develop those guys who have raw talent that if developed could turn out to be gems.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jags:

Taven Bryan DT

DJ Chark WR

Ronnie Harrison S

Will Richardson OT

Tanner Lee QB

Leon Jacobs SAM

Logan Cooke P

 

Key UDFA pickups: Allen Lazard WR/TE? And Quenton Meeks CB

Not going to give it a grade but they addressed almost everything I wanted them to. Tanner Lee was a god awful pick but oh well. I will pretend we took Meeks or Lazard in the 6th.

The Jags D is great right now and with this Draft, they set themselves up for the future on that side of the ball when they let go of some high priced veterans in a year or two. 

Feels good man.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I give the Chargers and B+.

Telesco and co. had a clearcut plan heading into the draft and executed it to near perfection. The biggest weakness on this team is the defense in the middle of the field. They didn't have enough high-end athletes to cover TE's and RBs and that could be exploited by smart offensive teams (ex. Pats and Chiefs games). So they targeted versatile high-end athletes with three out of their first four picks. There nickel defense is going to be really good this year.

They also added some needed depth at OL, RB, and WR. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not a fan of assigning grades since I don't know nearly enough about the later guys to make an assessment, as I imagine is the case with most people on here. Solid draft for Miami as far as I'm concerned, I am pleased.

We had a need at TE, LB, DT and depth CB and OL. We got our FS to pair up with Reshad and took care of TE, LB while also adding CB to come in and compete for a spot. Would've been ok with us picking a project QB or some depth at DT or OL but overall I feel like they did a good job addressing some big needs and you can't ask for much more than that. Hopefully the guys they picked pan out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jaguars draft:

Taven Bryan DT - B+

DJ Chark WR - B+

Ronnie Harrison S - A

Will Richardson OT - B

Tanner Lee QB - F

Leon Jacobs SAM - B

Logan Cooke P - C

Overall, I'd give them right around a B to a B+. They went full value in the first four rounds and although we had a couple spots that would have been nice to upgrade, we didn't have a pressing need so we were allowed to do it. The one thing about this draft is it kind of points more to the future than right now and we are a legit contender right now so it's an interesting approach.

Feel like Harrison is the best value. Thought he made serious strides in coverage this past year and I think he'll fit in perfectly at safety in 2019 once Church is gone. His personality should gel perfectly with Ramsey and co.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, Emerica said:

Looking forward to reading how everyone's favorite team had the greatestest drafts.

Yeah because who wants to be harsh on guys who hasn’t played a down in the NFL. Last year @goldfishwars rated the Rams 19th best draft class. When the season ended most would agree the Rams had the best if not one of the best draft classes last year. Kupp and Johnson III both were on the first team all-rookie. Reynolds came in a filled in nicely when Woods was hurt. Ebukam made an impact on a defense that ranked 4th in sacks and Everett had his moments on the highest scoring offense in the league. He was also critical about the Rams not drafting an OL prospect. The Rams OL played well last season so obviously it wasn’t a high priority as most thought. Coach Kromer did a heck of a job with the group he had and didn’t feel the need for the Rams to draft anyone on the OL last year. This year the Rams drafted three on the OL which I predicted the Rams would do this year which is why I wasn’t concerned last year when they didn’t draft one.

So again why would anyone be too harsh about their team draft when these rookies haven’t played a snap in the NFL yet. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a long post so read the last sentence for the main point.

S Minkah Fitzpatrick - A+. This guy would be a top 5 pick in a normal draft that doesn't have a ton of QBs. He has potential to be a perennial Pro Bowler and face of the defense for years. He has an amazing football IQ. Nick Saban said he's the best player he ever coached. Miami did not expect him to fall to 11.

TE Mike Gesicki - A. This guy has elite athleticism. We finally got a legit weapon in the middle of the field. He's a bad blocker, but we won't ask him to. It's about damn time we get a legit TE.

LB Jerome Baker - B. This guy is really fast and fills what we are looking for in a LB. A guy who can actually cover. He can also play special teams. He'll fit in the rotation. He reunites with McMillan. They wanted Leonard or Warner but they didn't fall to them so he was the next best player that's similar to them.

TE Durham Smythe - B-  or C+. It's a bit high for a pure blocking TE, but this guy is a legit blocker. Notre Dame didn't use him much outside blocking so IDK how good he will be outside that. But he perfectly compliments Gesicki so we can finally run 2 TE sets. Other fans don't like the pick, but I think he's the kind of guy who will contribute to the team for quite a while. He reminds me of Fasano.

RB Kalen Ballage - B+. This guy has a lot of potential. He won't have to do a ton at first behind Drake and Gore. He fits what Gase wants a RB. By the 4th round in the draft, it's worth going for the potential despite the concern he doesn't play as well as he should. 

CB Cornell Armstrong - C. He's a feisty slot CB with ball skills who will compete with McCain. He reminds me of a Brent Grimes (without a crazy wife). He might not be a starter or even make the team at first, but who knows? There were better players on the board at the time, but I also think you can never have enough CBs. He's a guy that will be easy to root for. We'll see.

LB Quentin Poling - C+. I like this pick late in the draft, but there were better guys on the board. He's another speedy cover LB. He was Ohio's leading tackler. He has holes in his game, but I think he will provide good depth and contribute on special teams right away. I like his attitude from what I've seen on Twitter. 

K Jason Sanders - I can't grade this one. By the 7th round it doesn't really matter all that much if the guys pan out or not, but this one is more risky because he could be our kicker this season. This guy was a stud his junior year (only missing 1 kick - 93%) and then had a rough senior year (only made 73% of this FGs). He has an amazing leg so he'll be great for kicking touchbacks and he seems to be good at onside kicks, but hopefully he overcomes whatever bothered him his senior year. Fortunately, Rizzi is one of the best ST coaches in the league so I trust what they see in him. I would have preferred Pinerio. 



This is an A draft for me from from day 1 to day 2. I love the first 3 picks. The Dolphins finally addressed their biggest need that have hurt them for years - plays in the middle of the field. They can't cover TEs, they are super slow in the middle of the field so quick passes murder them, and Tannehill has never had a legitimate athletic big TE to throw to on 3rd downs. The defense has talent but it hasn't shown as much because teams continuously exploit them in the middle of the field. Fitzpatrick next to Jones with having McMillan back and running a bunch of different packages with McDonald as a safety/LB hybrid, Fitz as a nickel CB, not having to rely on Alonso to cover (he sucks at it), and so on will make a TREMENDOUS difference. I'm really getting excited about this secondary and the LB core is starting to shape up. They got tremendously faster on defense. 

Day 3 is very iffy with me. Smythe is a bit of a reach and more of just a blocking TE, but he will contribute right away. Armstrong is probably just a camp body right now. Poling is just a back up and ST player right now. And Sanders could be awful. But if 5 players in this draft contribute, it's a successful draft. 

My two concerns are QB and DT. I'd rather have Fitz than a QB. If Miami sucks, I'd still rather have Fitz and get a QB next year. If Tanny comes back and they are good, then having Fitz is even more awesome. I didn't love the rest of the QBs in the draft so I don't have an issue with passing on these guys. But Tanny is 30 and coming off an injury so it is a concern. The coaching staff likes David Fales, but I don't feel comfortable with him as a backup. Osweiler isn't reliable either. I don't think a rookie QB, especially one drafted mid to late round would save the season anyways if Tanny got hurt.

Miami already has a bunch of young talented DTs, but they really need a veteran. I don't have an issue with passing on a DT because a veteran is needed more than another mid to late young guy. Until we get one, it's a concern. It doesn't matter how good and fast our 2nd and 3rd level are if we can't stop the run up the middle

The first 4 guys will contribute right away. Ballage and Poling will contribute in ways and could develop into future studs. Sanders could be our starting kicker. So it's an A, A-, or B+. Either way, I really love this draft. 

TLDR: Miami got faster and fixed their biggest weakness on defense: the middle of the field. They finally got legitimate TEs for their QB. They might have found their kicker and Ballage could be a great weapon with Drake. Poling could be a future starter or key rotational piece. They got a lot of guys who can contribute immediately. I really liked this draft despite the iffy day 3. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Colts 

1/6 G Quenton Nelson - There was talk in the War Room about trading up to 4 or 5 to ensure getting Bradley Chubb but in the end Ballard and Co. decided to stand pat and take a premium non-QB. A+

2/36 LB Darius Leonard - instant starter at WLB, has the size speed measurables that Ballard talked about when he came in last year and fits the new Cover2/Tampa2 D. Probably could’ve gotten him later in the draft/round but you can’t go wrong with a Day 1 Starter. B-

2/37 G Braden Smith - Ballard said that Smith was the last OL on the board who could ‘compete’ for a starting job. He’ll likely back up either Matt Slauson or Jack Mewhort and takeover RG in 2019 but injuries do happen. As with Leonard he could have been had with a later pick C+

2/49 DE Kemoko Turay - He is going to dominate the league from Day 1 (his words). He’ll likely compete with last year’s 3rd rounder Tarell Basham to back up Jabaal Sheard on the Rush side of the D. C+

2/64 DE Tyquan Lewis - He could see time as a backup to John Simon on the left side of the D and even step inside occasionally at DT on passing downs for some extra pass rush. Could have been available later (#trending) B-

4/104 HB Nyheim Hines - already hearing the Tyreek Hill comps (not woman beating just style of play). He could immediately become our 3rd down back and spell Marlon Mack. He could also be a safety net in case short yardage back Robert Turbin breaks his wrist or something else. C+

5/159 WR Daurice Fountain - Tremendous work ethic, makes contested catches. Raw route runner, not much experience against Power 5 conf talent. He and Deon Cain will compete with a horde of UDFAs from previous drafts for the 3rd-5th WR spots but special teams will really make the difference. C 

5/169 HB Jordan Wilkins - Has the ability to avoid tackles but goes down pretty easily once he’s in the grasp. Missed an entire year to academic ineligibility because of course requirements (need to complete 60% of your degree requirements before your 4th year of eligibility) Will likely compete with Christine Michael and Matt Jones for the 4th HB roster spot. C

6/185 WR Deon Cain Clemson - positional flexibility whether on the boundary or in the slot. Downhill speed guy once he has the ball. Makes mental errors and is more of a body catcher then hands catcher. C+

7/221 LB Matthew Adams - I actually know very little about him other then he will be a Mike LB for us which means he could compete for Najee Goode and a few other LBs for the starting role or could end up a special teams contributor only. C

7/235 LB Zaire Franklin - When the first thing you read about a 7th round LB is that he ran down your 4th rd HB from behind in a game. It tells you something. On the small side size wise, can get washed out in the run game. I originally placed on the depth chart for Sam LB but I might have to change that around. Probably just a special teams guy until our coaching staff can work out his negatives. C-

Overall - Ballard has been beating the drum of competition since arriving and I think just by looking at the position breakdown of this class it shows

G-2, LB-3, DE-2, HB-2, WR-2 

i give it a C+ for now. 2 starters (Nelson and Leonard) with the opportunity for 2 more (Smith and Cain). Most of these picks are about impacting 2019 and beyond more then 2018.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not going to dive too far into the Titans draft, but I'd probably give it a solid B+/A-. Only a four-man draft class, but after having doubts that they'd be able to get Rashaan Evans or Harold Landry, to come away with both of them when they represent probably the biggest needs on the roster was a big win. Particularly since Landry can, at least at first, be slowly eased in as a situational pass-rusher with Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo still serving as the primary starters. Evans will play all over the place, but for a team that struggled to get consistent pressure last year, getting two pieces with first-round talent was huge. Add in a fairly young and improving secondary, and on paper the defense looks better than it has in a long time.

Other two picks were late, so it's tough to really know what kind of early impact they'll make. Dane Cruikshank has a pretty high ceiling at safety, and could get the third safety reps and plenty of special teams work this year. Needs to work on his play recognition in zone, but the potential is there for him to take the strong safety spot from Cyprien at some point down the road. Luke Falk was good value and can hopefully provide some long-term stability at backup quarterback behind Mariota.

Too few players to give it an A+ or anything, but really liked the quality over quantity approach. Now that we've reached the playoffs and the roster depth is solid, it makes perfect sense to aggressively attack positions of need with your highest rated players.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Panthers. TL;DR at end.

DJ Moore, WR, Maryland - Gives us a well-rounded wideout to go with Devin Funchess and Curtis Samuel. Could very easily be a day one starter. By far our best pick.

Donte Jackson, CB, LSU - Not a big fan of this one. Would have preferred getting bigger guys like Isaiah Oliver or Carlton Davis who went to our division rivals. I like that he plays with attitude. But in a division with Julio, Evans, Thomas, now Ridley... I'd rather go with bigger corners. Of course there's also Ted Ginn, D-Jax, and other speedsters out there he can maybe cover but I'm less concerned with them, really.

Rashaan Gaulden, DB, Tennessee - Sounds like he might be a chesspiece we move around to nickel, safety, and maybe even outside corner. Lord knows we need secondary help and he has the length I prefer in our DB prospects. Also plays with some attitude and gets an A+ for giving Bama fans the finger.

Ian Thomas, TE, Indiana - Extremely raw but will come in and probably be our second TE right away due to how weak we are at the position outside of Olsen. Hopefully develops into his eventual replacement. Can block, catch, and run. Just a matter of whether or not he can learn more. Had a big game against the Buckeyes.

Marquis Haynes, DE, Ole Miss - Not a fan of this pick. Guy isn't even 240 lbs and Rivera is saying they won't have him add weight. Compared him to Mario Addison, but Addison has got to be at least 260 by now and was never that small... Supposedly he has an extremely quick first step and hopefully he does pan out as a pass-rush specialist.

Jermaine Carter, LB, Maryland - Rivera seemed to really like him as a MIKE or WILL. He also did well on special teams in college and forced seven fumbles, so there's that. We really don't need more LBs though between Kuechly, Shaq, TD (who hinted he may not retire), Mayo, Norris, Jacobs... all of whom are either already good special teamers or are good/great starters. Not even sure he'd make the team if TD weren't gonna be suspended the first four games.

Andre Smith, LB, UNC - Another LB. Won't make the team. I guess he was super productive at UNC before hurting his knee but there just isn't much to be excited about here. Good PS candidate I guess.

Kendrick Norton, DT, Miami - A very large NT who has a slim shot at making the team to backup Dontari Poe. Unlikely he beats out Kyle Love though. Another PS candidate.


Overall, I mean, our first four picks will probably all be dressed for week one, so that's good I guess. Just gotta hope they're used and coached correctly. Wish we would have packaged our last three picks to move up for someone instead of spending them on three guys who might not stick around for very long. Haynes is an interesting project to see how he fits in with a team that has a bunch of DEs that are all 260-280.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Joseph Noteboom: B - Developmental guy with potential to be a starting LT. But his film didn't blow me away.

Brian Allen: F - I hope I'm wrong on this one, but it came out of nowhere. He's similar to his brother, who went undrafted a couple years ago and is already out of the NFL. Kromer is a genius, though, so we'll see what he can do. I would have strongly preferred Tony Adams, who went undrafted.

John Franklin-Myers: B - He's another developmental guy with potential. I've heard good things about him.

Micah Kiser: A - Great fit in the scheme as a thumper next to Barron. Has some coverage limitations and lacks sideline-to-sideline speed, but he'll do the dirty work against the run. We needed a guy like him.

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo: A+ - Had a top 60 grade on him. Not the greatest run defender, but he can drop into coverage and is a very crafty pass rusher with great quickness.

John Kelly: A - Loved this pick. Had a 3rd/4th round grade on him. He's not the fastest guy, but he's very difficult to tackle, can be a major contributor in the passing game, and can carry the load if Gurley is injured. He had better rushing numbers than Alvin Kamara at Tennessee in 2016.

Jamil Demby: A - It's a good pick. Demby has all the attributes we look for in a guard in this scheme. And I always like college LTs moving inside.

Sebastian Joseph: F - I have no idea whom this guy is.

Trevon Young: B - Young is a do-it-all SOLB type. He was a highly regarded guy before the hip injury. We'll see if he can regain some the juice as he distances himself from the injury. If he can, he'll offer some pass rush potential. If he can't, he won't.

Travin Howard: B+ - This is a Bones pick. I wouldn't be surprised if he's another Daren Bates for us. Small LB but very fast and productive.

Justin Lawler: B - I like the thought here. He's a productive try-hard guy who's a bit of a tweener in most schemes. It's worth a flier at this point in the Draft.

Overall, I'd give the draft a B. It's not as good as it could have been, but that's JMO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Marcus Davenport, DE: I like the player and it fills a huge need for the Saints, but they gave up a lot for him. C+

Tre'Quan Smith, WR: Not as much of a need as TE, but it was still a position the Saints needed to address. He could eventually replace Ted Ginn. He's a good blocker with good speed and upside. B-

Rick Leonard, T: We needed depth along the offensive line, but from what I've read this guy is super raw and doesn't have much experience. He could develop onto a solid backup for the Saints, but it seems like a reach. D

Natrell Jamerson, S: Should provide depth and contribute on special teams. B

Kamrin Moore, CB: We are already pretty deep at the position, so I doubt he sees any playing time outside of special teams. C+

Boston Scott, RB: Another special teams guy. May or may not make the team. C

Will Clapp, C/G: Good value. We need more depth along the offensive line. He's also an LSU guy, so that's a plus. B+

 

Overall the draft wasn't horrible. We drafted some solid depth and hopefully got a DE that can create a great tandem with Cameron Jordan. However, we gave up quite a bit to move up to get him and that puts our future at risk. 

Overall grade: C

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...