Grade Your Draft

[One Punch Man]

14 minutes ago, Forge said:

I don't think it has anything to do with the backfield being crowded. I think it has more to do with most people viewing the selection as a reach for the most part, along with considerably more prominent needs on the team. Their continued refusal to improve the offensive line is mind boggling. 

Bingo.

[CWood21]

36 minutes ago, Forge said:

I don't think it has anything to do with the backfield being crowded. I think it has more to do with most people viewing the selection as a reach for the most part, along with considerably more prominent needs on the team. Their continued refusal to improve the offensive line is mind boggling. 

Pretty much.  The Seahawks OL is still a mess, and they're no closer to fixing it.  Personally, I would have grabbed their guard of choice, whether it be Connor Williams, Will Hernandez, or Austin Corbett.

[Roninho]

3 hours ago, Broncofan said:

Yeah, Elway through DEN's beat reporter confirmed this - http://www.9news.com/article/sports/nfl/denver-broncos/a-look-inside-elways-day-1-strategy-why-chubb-trumped-bills-hefty-trade-offer/73-546939481 (So the offer is confirmed as true, not speculation).

 

Still, we're pretty much almost all on board with Elway passing, for 3 reasons:

1.  No guarantee Elway would have made the best-case picks (passing on Freeman at 3.71 and going Oliver at 2.56, then taking a RB at 3.99, and say, going with Isiaih Henrnandez or Wynn at 1.22.  Vea probably yes, but even then - if Tampa doesn't move back, can't say they don't take Vea, either.  Then our draft completely changes). 

2.  More importantly, at 1.5, there was no way for Elway to know how the picks would run.  At 2.40, or a 3.71 or 3.99, or even at 5.149, when Elway traded picks, you have a very good idea of how the Big Board is going.  You don't at 1.5, not for 50+ picks later.    So it's entirely hindsight at 1.5 to project 50 picks later.   

3. Chubb to us at 1.5, Elway believes he's elite.  If he's not, then it's a bad move.  But if you believe it (Elway had him as 3 overall, and in the elite tier).  

Given that, pretty much everyone is on board with Chubb at 1.5....but it's fun to hear what BUF was offering.  Unlike the Draft rumors, now it's concrete.

BUF is obviously happy that they didn't have to pay as much, obviously.   

Yeah basically Elway couldnt lose with how picks   1 till 4 played out and with Chubb, Allen and Rosen on board.

Either you have Chubb rated as elite, or see a franchise qb in Allen/Rosen. If you dont believe in Chub, Rosen or Allen there will be someone who will pay a bunch of picks to move up. Hard to lose in that scenario.

Imo best case scenario for the Broncos would have been them believing in a qb to be a franchise qb fall to them. Butgetting an elite weapon on that defense is great as well.

 

[Calvert28]

I use this grading system every year. Very basic, very flawed but the end grade is unbiased as long as you try to be unbiased with each individual rank.

a+15
a14
a-13
b+12
b11
b-10
c+9
c8
c-7
d+6
d5
d-4
f+3
f2
f-1

Just total it up. Divide by finding the median. And assign the median to the letter and that your grade.

Overall Grade-  C  <------ Well damn when we first finished I gave ours a A- at a first glance.

 

 

1 (19) Leighton Vander Esch I LB I Boise State Broncos            B+    =  I would have ranked this our best pick if not for Connor Williams. Every "expert" and other uninformed thought WR was our biggest need with Dez gone but that's not how this team runs. It runs through Zeke and Sean Lee. Lee has been injury plagued since the start of his career. When he is on the field he is nearly every bit as impactful as Keuchly is. And when he's not our defense becomes bottom feeders. He's 32 on top of being normally injured. Not only is LVE filling our top need pick he was arguably the top overall player at 19. If he taps into his potential which there is no reason to think he can't. He could develop into a marquee player and corner stone of this defense for the next decade. So yea think Keuchly or Urlacher when you ask why we picked him. 

2 (50) Connor Williams I OL I Texas Longhorns                           A   = I was tempted to give this an A+ because behind Nelson I viewed him at the best OL in this class. He slipped because of a poor showing in a injury hampered and plagued season. Otherwise people considered him a Top 10 prospect. He is capable of filling every position on the line and on top of being the best talent at 50 where we picked. He also filled our 2nd biggest need. As I said our offense runs through Zeke. With a complete line we dictate games to opposing defenses as seen in 2016. And Connor has the ability, the style of play, and learning skills to come in and make an immediate impact. Might even perhaps make a Zach Martin type impact at Guard if we put him there.

3 (81) Michael Gallup I WR I Colorado State Rams                     C    =  I wasn't a huge fan of this pick but this guy is crazy efficient. Capable of developing into a No.2. And considering all the new faces on our receiving core. He may get that chance sooner then later. He may not have the blazing speed or crazy size like some of the other guys have. But his consistency, reliability, and polish may be crucial to Dak this year given certain situations. Only reason why this pick was not graded higher is because Mark Andrews TE was still on the board.

4 (116) Dorance Armstrong Jr. I EDGE I Kansas Jayhawks       D-   =  This is not one I was a fan of. Armstrong has talent but we passed on someone like Armani Watts and other safety talents and IMO better talents to get him. A huge first step guy, and a Marinelli guy that he loves using in his pass rush. But I still felt this pick could have been used elsewhere better. Still though considering his talent and Rod's capability. He may turn into a good 3rd down rusher.

4 (137) Dalton Schultz I TE I Stanford Cardinal                           D     =  This guy is very raw. He has some athletic talent and size. But he's not gonna make an impact this year. I thought we should have scrapped the idea for a TE altogether after Gesecki was picked. Still might develop into something. And it is a need position.

5 (171) Mike White I QB I Western Kentucky Hilltoppers           D+   =  I like this pick to a degree. He has pocket talent to get the job done. And I thought he got a bad rep considering like Josh Allen his line betrayed him. And he does not have the feet to continually buy 2nd chances. I said this to someone else but his physical attributes are Tom Brady-esque. He won't every be Brady obviously but the point is he does have the physical attributes to compete at this level.

6 (193) Chris Covington I LB I Indiana Hoosiers                         D    =   I cant see this pick as being anything more then depth and maybe a special teams guys. Honestly I expect him to be cut within a year unless he proves himself on kickoffs and punts.

6 (208) Cedrick Wilson I WR I Boise St. Broncos                        C+   =   Another value pick. Nothing spectacular about him but he does have some speed. I would have preffered them to go get Ateman from Ok State. But oh well. He may be able to contribute in certain situations in the slot.

7 (236) Bo Scarbrough I RB I Alabama Crimson Tide                B-   =  Favorite pick for Day 3 after White. You may not think of RB as a need for the Cowboys but a backup RB was for Zeke. Scarbrough is a disappointment considering his talent. But considering his talent, im surprised he fell to the 7th. He's not a starting RB. And I am not sure he would be worth anything more then 10 carries a game if that until he learns how to actually be one. H/e, considering what we need him for (goal line/3rd and 1) he doesn't need alot of smarts and technique.

[Calvert28]

8 minutes ago, CWood21 said:

Pretty much.  The Seahawks OL is still a mess, and they're no closer to fixing it.  Personally, I would have grabbed their guard of choice, whether it be Connor Williams, Will Hernandez, or Austin Corbett.

Same. I don't care how much they like Penny. I would have given that 1st a D or D- grade.

[MWil23]

Browns:

1.1 Baker Mayfield (QB OU): The Browns majorly reach and draft my 3rd ranked QB in the entire draft behind Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen. Sam Darnold wanted to go to Cleveland, has the bigger frame, and is over two years younger. He was a great college QB (albeit not as good as Mayfield) with a calm, cool, demeanor. Mayfield is short, not as athletic as advertised, and pinpoint accurate with a D&D/running from police on his record and various on field antics. Time will tell if this pick works out. Grade: C-

1.4 Denzel Ward (CB OSU): The Browns draft the best man/press man corner on their boards. Some say that he could have been had later, but reports indicate that Denver was very interested in Ward and had they stayed at 5 likely would have drafted him. The Browns DESPERATELY needed a corner and got the best one in the draft. Bradley Chubb may be considered a better prospect, but with Garrett and Ogbah already there, it makes sense for this 0-16 roster to get a CB instead of tripling down on a position that they're already set with youth. Grade: A-

2.33 Austin Corbett (OL Nevada): This one was a head scratcher as well. Sources indicate that they're playing him at LT, which is interesting given his frame and struggles with edge rush. He's allegedly versatile. That said, I preferred Landry from Boston College as an edge rush guy or Will Hernandez if they went OL. Grade: C

2.35 Nick Chubb (RB UGA): Pre knee injury, Chubb was once considered a Top 10 lock. He was still a VERY productive RB at UGA, and if his medical stays put, he will be a solid RB. He goes into a backfield where Carlos Hyde is the starter and Duke Johnson is their hybrid 3rd down back/slot guy. I preferred Guice, but off the field attitude/other issues made him drop a long ways anyway. Grade: B+

3.67 Chad Thomas (DE, Miami): Absolutely horrible pick. This former 5 star and solid athlete never figured it out at Miami. The Browns plan to use him as an inside rusher on 3rd downs, which could be beneficial and he could have some success there. Drafting a situational interior pass rusher in the high 3rd round when other talent was on the board wasn't a great decision IMO. Grade: D+

4.105 Antonio Calloway (WR, Florida): The good news is, when Calloway was in college he didn't rape someone in 2016. The bad news is, his defense was that he "was way too stoned". He has major drug issues, testing positive at the combine (where these guys ALWAYS know that they're going to be tested). He was involved/suspended for various other criminal activity. He's allegedly the #1 WR in the draft without the "off field", which is like saying that she's wife material but may moonlight as a prostitute. Dorsey trying to get Tyreke Hill 2.0 with this pick. Grade (1st round value in the 4th round): A-

5.150 Genard Avery: (MLB Memphis): This athletic rushing MLB will come in and contribute in situations immediately. He was highly productive and is highly athletic. I loved this pick. Grade: B+

6.175 Damian Ratley (WR Texas A&M): Highly athletic WR without good game tape. The 6th round is the time to see if athletes can throw it together: Grade: B

6.188 Simeon Thomas (DB Louisiana Lafayette): This 6'3 24/almost 25 year old DB had major off the field issues at LL, suspended for a year and a half for various issues. Grade: C

The Browns really made it known how much they value character in this draft. Ultimately, this draft will rise or fall based upon how good Baker Mayfield is. If he flames out, it's another "Browns being the Browns" move, especially if/when Darnold succeeds in New York. If Baker succeeds, he's the "nobody has ever believed in me" guy in the "nobody ever believes in us" city. He's that doosh that no one wants to play but everyone secretly wishes that they had (Hines Ward syndrome). If he busts, it's the Browns not learning from QB's with frat boy personality/short man syndrome ala 2014 with Manziel (not that there games are similar at all though).

Total Grade: C

[Uncle Buck]

Vikings - C-/D+

I don't know enough about each individual prospect to grade them one-by-one, so I'll just give an overall grade for the draft as a whole.

I think Rick Spielman miscalculated this year.  What he was more than likely trying to do was draft good players we could develop and have ready to possibly fill in for some of our current stars when they become too expensive to keep.  It's a good strategy that could conceivably help you stay in contention for a long time. To do this, the Vikings selected CB Mike Hughes with their first-round pick and DE Jayln Holmes in the third round.

While this makes sense for the purposes of continuity, the Vikings do have a weakness on their team, which is the offensive line. 

It is my belief that Rick Spielman underestimated the run that would take place on offensive linemen at the top of the second round.  He probably went into the draft thinking that in the first round they would pick the best player available at either cornerback or defensive end, and then there would still be a very solid offensive lineman he could take with our second round pick.  Unfortunately, that did not turn out to be the case.  At the top of the second round, there was a big run on offensive linemen, and by the time our second round selection came around, there weren't many left from which to choose.

In my opinion, when this run started happening, Spielman should have found a way to move up into the middle of the second round and take Connor Williams, a player with the versatility to play just about any position on the offensive line.  He probably didn't want to do that, however, because that would require sacrificing our third round pick, which he wanted to use on a defensive end for the possible replacement of Danielle Hunter.

Spielman waited.  Connor Williams was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys at pick #50.  By the time the Vikings' turn came around, they picked the best player and scheme fit available in Brian O'Neill.  He is a player with great athleticism and a lot of potential, but he will need to build up some strength before we can truly rely on him to play a lot of snaps.  For a team in "win now mode", this was a blunder that could very possibly come back to bite us in a number of different ways.

We are now a team that is going into next season without having adequately addressed our biggest weakness.  With that weakness, we were not able to advance to the Super Bowl last year.  One big thing in our favor is that we did improve at the quarterback position, which is important to remember.  The problem is that we will need to keep our huge investment healthy or we will go nowhere.

What Spielman should have done was to sacrifice the plan of getting a DE in the third round in favor of properly addressing the need at offensive line by moving up in the second.  When he failed to do this, our draft, and the entire offseason, for that matter, suffered.  Now we have to hope that we can stay healthy on the line and/or that a rookie who is probably not quite ready for prime time, will find a way to step up in time if he is called into action.

When you are in win now mode, you need to improve the weakest areas on the team ASAP.  When you have done that, then you can plan and prepare for what happens in the future.  If you don't take care of current weaknesses, all you are really doing is assuring yourself that you will keep a team in place that wasn't good enough to win it all last year.  The purpose of the draft is to replace players you lose for various reasons, but the biggest goal in the draft should ALWAYS be to improve on the roster you already have in place.  We improved our team with the acquisition of Kirk Cousins.  Time will tell if that was enough because our offensive line is more than likely not a bit better than it was in 2017.  I just hope they can stay healthy and play at least at the level they did before.  We shall see if Spielman gets away with the gamble he chose to take.  It's not what I would have done.

 

[///mcompact]

9 hours ago, Bucketheadsdad said:

Didn't they let a TE walk in FA?  They certainly had a hole to fill.  It simply made for good television the way that it worked out.

James Hanna retired due to injury (knee).     Bigger need at OL and WR than a hybrid TE the Cowboys don't value/utilize (see Gavin Escobar).  

6 hours ago, Techbert said:

I'm just curious. Were you born the last time the Cowboys have been to the Super Bowl?

Yes...4 of them, in fact. 

[Danger]

Eagles:

Goedert: A
Maddux: B-
Sweat: A-
Matt Pryor: B
Jordan Mailata: B-

[MightyMouse07]

7 hours ago, Techbert said:

I'm just curious. Were you born the last time the Cowboys have been to the Super Bowl?

Techbert,
only problem I had with Akers is his tie was too long

Sounded like he hadn’t hit puberty either. Got too squeaky but I loved the attempt to troll. I think the league needs more of that. And I’m a Cowboys fan. 

[thebestever6]

35 minutes ago, Danger said:

Eagles:

Goedert: A
Maddux: B-
Sweat: A-
Matt Pryor: B
Jordan Mailata: B-

What do you think of that udfa from notre dame the rb?

[pnies20]

1.1 Baker Mayfield - B - I like Darnold better but they got THEIR guy. I'm okay with that.

1.4 Denzel Ward - A - Lockdown man-to-man CB. Top 3 (Barkley, Nelson, Ward) player in the draft. 

2.33 Austin Corbett - B - Tabbed to start at LT or LG. Tough kid and they almost traded back into the 1st for him.

2.35 Nick Chubb - A - Really like the pick. RB by committee will keep his knees fresh. Between the tackles bruiser.

3.67 Chad Thomas - C - Solid rotational player with some upside. Would rather have a potential starter here

4.105 Antonio Callaway - C - Huge potential. Maybe a reach this early in the draft

5.150 Genard Avery - B - Late riser. Solid rotational LB/Edge player

6.175 Damion Ratley - D - Probably won't make the roster 

6.188 Simeon Thomas - D - Maybe a special teams guy. Has off field issues 

[BleedTheClock]

10 minutes ago, pnies20 said:

1.1 Baker Mayfield - B - I like Darnold better but they got THEIR guy. I'm okay with that.

1.4 Denzel Ward - A - Lockdown man-to-man CB. Top 3 (Barkley, Nelson, Ward) player in the draft. 

2.33 Austin Corbett - B - Tabbed to start at LT or LG. Tough kid and they almost traded back into the 1st for him.

2.35 Nick Chubb - A - Really like the pick. RB by committee will keep his knees fresh. Between the tackles bruiser.

3.67 Chad Thomas - C - Solid rotational player with some upside. Would rather have a potential starter here

4.105 Antonio Callaway - C - Huge potential. Maybe a reach this early in the draft

5.150 Genard Avery - B - Late riser. Solid rotational LB/Edge player

6.175 Damion Ratley - D - Probably won't make the roster 

6.188 Simeon Thomas - D - Maybe a special teams guy. Has off field issues 

Pretty much agree with all of it except Antonio Callaway. He's going to be redrafted in the top 20 if he doesn't flub up off the field. Whoever drafted the kid was taking a major chance, but in the 4th round? I consider that a steal. He is as risky as any pick in recent memory, but in the 4th round, you got a potential superstar #1 WR. I think it was our best selection given the potential value he brings. Dumb kid? For sure. Punk kid? You betcha. But that upside, especially playing in an offense with Gordon, Njoku, and Landry to draw coverage, is extremely high.

[Broncofan]

28 minutes ago, BleedTheClock said:

Pretty much agree with all of it except Antonio Callaway. He's going to be redrafted in the top 20 if he doesn't flub up off the field. Whoever drafted the kid was taking a major chance, but in the 4th round? I consider that a steal. He is as risky as any pick in recent memory, but in the 4th round, you got a potential superstar #1 WR. I think it was our best selection given the potential value he brings. Dumb kid? For sure. Punk kid? You betcha. But that upside, especially playing in an offense with Gordon, Njoku, and Landry to draw coverage, is extremely high.

You forgot the GOAT Corey Coleman.  

[N4L]

11 hours ago, Forge said:

I don't think it has anything to do with the backfield being crowded. I think it has more to do with most people viewing the selection as a reach for the most part, along with considerably more prominent needs on the team. Their continued refusal to improve the offensive line is mind boggling. 

It's almost as bad as the raiders complete disregard for the linebacker position.

 

As for the niners draft, it gets a D+ from me. We didn't really make our team that much better next year. I mean, the fact we didn't add a single pass rusher is going to piss me off for the entire season. Everytime a QB drops back into a clean pocket I'm going tear my hair out. That was our #1 need and we didn't draft a single guy at that spot. We are one or two injuries away from going dumpster diving at one of the most important positions. I understand it was a weak pass rush class, but you couldn't add one guy? 

We got two immediate starters. One because we traded the guy in his spot, and the other because Foster will most likely be suspended. 

Very underwelming off-season.