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Ranking the drafts, 1-32.


Suffering_Bills

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Let me know what you all think of your team's ranking.

#01. BALTIMORE.

They seemingly NEVER have a bad haul. Hamilton at #14 and Linderbaum at #25 were home runs, not to mention the best players in the draft at their respective positions; actually in the past several drafts. Ojabo in the 2nd could pay HUGE dividends, down the road. Doesn't matter if his rookie year is a redshirt one, either. Heal him up, coach him up, then turn him loose later. I have no idea why Travis Jones lasted until the 3rd round, but what a selection at nose tackle. Every one of their SIX 4th-rounders should make the team, and contribute, in some capacity or another. I especially like the 1-2 punch at TE, with Kolar and Likely. Even Tyler Badie, in the 6th, has a chance to stick. Another outstanding job by their front office.

#02. N.Y. JETS.

Easy selection to make, and deservedly so. Four immediate, impact starters with their first four picks. I'm not sure I would have taken Gardner over Thibodeaux, but once Houston took Stingley, I can understand it. Garrett Wilson catching passes from Zach Wilson will be a long-term combo. Atlanta may very well regret selecting London over him. Jermaine Johnson was an outstanding pick, and he should almost certainly prove a steal. Breece Hall, combined with Michael Carter, gives the Jets, at least on paper, a young, highly effective combination at running back. Ruckert should be their future starting tight end, if not immediately. I would have liked to have seen more O-line help, but NO team helped themselves more in this draft.

#03. SEATTLE.

This may go against the grain a bit, but I absolutely love what they did. It looks like they figured there was nothing really approaching a franchise QB in this class, so they concentrated on other premium positions. Mission accomplished. The selections of Cross and Lucas gives them a tremendously talented pair of pass-blocking young bookends. Whoever eventually DOES wind up being their future starting QB will appreciate it, I'm sure. Walker in the 2nd surprised me a bit, but it'll obviously be a run-first offense this year, so, cool. Boye Mafe helps their pass-rush right away. CB's Bryant and Woolen were both good value selections, and should play soon. Tyreke Smith was a solid pick. Love the selection of Bo Melton in the seventh.

#04. KANSAS CITY.

They easily had one of THE best drafts. Trading up for cornerback McDuffie was a smart move, and he will bring some honey badger tendencies to KC. Nothing bad to say about that selection. George Karlaftis was a solid pick, a need pick, and a safe pick. He doesn't have the upside of the elite pass-rushers in this class, true, but he's not going to be a liability. Skyy Moore was an outstanding selection, who will help ease the loss of Tyreek Hill, no question. He will be productive right out of the gate. I'm not the biggest fan of selecting Bryan Cook at safety, because I think there were better players available at the position, but he's not terrible, either. Chenal in the 3rd and Kinnard in the 5th should both be effective future starters.

#05. GREEN BAY.

Well, they had quantity, and they got quality, but I just don't know if it was done the best way possible for the team. Walker and Wyatt totally improve the middle of their defense, but it can be argued that both were slight reaches, as well as taken at the expense of other positions. Watson was the best size/speed combo WR prospect in the draft, and he's used to playing in cold weather, so, worth the risk. The additions of Rhyan, Tom, and Walker can only help their O-line. Doubs and Toure add a couple more targets at WR. Enegbare was a bit of a value in the 5th, but I would have liked to see more pass-rushing help than him, honestly. All-in-all, not a bad group, with lots of players that should make the final roster.

#06. PHILADELPHIA.

This here is a classic example of why you have to take trades into account for a team's overall draft class. They originally had three 1st-round picks, right before the draft, and they did three different things with them. One was traded to Tennessee for A.J. Brown, which is an automatic win. He's just what Philly needed at WR. One was used to select DT Jordan Davis, who is a bit boom-or-bust, but his "boom" could be sensational. Worth the shot. The other will be the Saint's 1st-rounder next year, which I think has a decent chance of being a top-20 selection. Jurgens will be their future starting center, and Nakobe Dean could wind up being the steal of the draft at ILB. No defensive end help lowers this grade a notch, however.

#07. TENNESSEE.

I think they did a commendable job, considering their circumstances. They weren't going to be able to afford keeping A.J. Brown, so they traded him to Philly, and saved 100 million dollars. Modern N.F.L. economics. They drafted Treylon Burks, who is the closest thing TO Brown in this class, and they were actually lucky he was still there, considering the early run on WR's. McCreary in the 2nd was a smart pick. Maybe not a #1 corner, but could be a VERY good #2. Petit-Frere in the 3rd has immediate swing-tackle potential. And, of course, there's Malik Willis, who fell into a near-ideal situation/team for him. Haskins will be Henry's backup, and Okonkwo will challenge to start at TE. Kyle Phillips could be the next Hunter Renfrow.

#08. DENVER.

In keeping with the taking trades into account theme, there was NO more important pre-draft trade than the one for Russell Wilson by the Broncos, in the entire N.F.L. Sure, he's past his ultimate prime, but he's still the best QB they've had since, well, John Elway. More importantly, he gives them an actual chance to succeed in the toughest division in all of football right now. Cost them their 1st and 2nd, but if you get 3-5 years of quality play, WELL worth it. Bonitto at #64 was a quality pick. Dulcich in the 3rd was sneaky-good, and will help replace the loss of Noah Fant. Damari Mathis in the 4th is an outstanding athlete at cornerback. The rest of their draft gives them at LEAST competition at various other positions.

#09. DETROIT.

Hard to think of a better player-to-team selection, not only in this draft, but in recent YEARS, than Hutchinson to his near-hometown Lions. Close as you can probably get to the real ideal. I am still confident that Walker and Thibodeaux have comfortably higher ceilings, but this guy will play his heart out, and be effective. Trading up for Jameson Williams scares me, not only because of the coming off of the ACL injury, but I am never a fan of inter-divisional trades. At least the price was cheap to make the move. He could be very special. I think the selection of Josh Paschal will wind up being a productive one. Kerby Joseph could eventually become a quality safety. Any way you cut it, they definitely are a better team after the draft.

#10. ATLANTA.

They got talent, they addressed obvious team needs, but this one still kind of falls flat for me a bit. I am skeptical about Drake London being worth the #8 overall pick, as well him even being the best receiver IN the draft. He's actually kind of like a smaller, slower Kyle Pitts, and I'm just not the biggest fan. Jordan Davis in the 1st, and a WR and Pass-rusher in the 2nd might have been better bang. They hit their pass-rusher and ILB needs in the 2nd, with Ebiketie and Andersen, so I can't say much bad about that, really. Both are talented, athletic young players. Desmond Ridder went to a perfect scene, and I personally can't wait to find out if he has what it takes to be an eventual franchise quarterback in the N.F.L. Great pick.

#11. CAROLINA.

Yes, they only had 6 total selections, which isn't a lot. THAT being said, I challenge ANYONE to find me a team that did more with less in this draft. The selection of Ekwonu at #6 was probably the best pick they could have hoped for. Best all-around O-lineman in the draft, almost certainly their biggest need, and he's even from Charlotte! Bit of a steal, too. I had him as a top-5 talent all day in this draft. The trade-up for Corral was a gutsy move, and only time will tell if it was a savvy one. You make moves like that for quarterbacks, and Darnold isn't making the Pro Bowl anytime soon. Brandon Smith needs time, but has the total athletic profile at LB. Barno is a freak. Mays could start at guard, soon. Kalon Barnes has RARE speed.

#12. N.Y. GIANTS.

Figuratively-speaking, this is a tale of TWO drafts, by the same team. First, the GOOD: They absolutely CRUSHED the 1st round. Better than anybody. Thibs and Neal were the best two picks they could have possibly dreamed of. They each had been mentioned as possible #1 overall picks, and to friggin' get BOTH, at #5 and #7, respectively, at major need positions?!? Simply incredible. Foundation pieces. Now, the BAD: The REST of their draft appears to suck harder than a super-massive black hole at the center of a galaxy, and it's just sad. The only other player I'll comment about is Wan'Dale Robinson, just to say there were maybe 20-25 players that would have helped the team more. This could have been SO much better.

#13. DALLAS.

If I could sum up their annual body-gathering in one short term, it would be like THIS: Uninspiring, but serviceable. They for sure needed O-line help, so they took a chance on a potentially physically dominating one, in Smith. He may take time, but he could be a MONSTER guard. Williams in the 2nd was a well-documented character risk, but they got a football player. If he develops his game, he could be a double-digit sack threat. Tolbert was a nice WR pickup in the 3rd. Good talent and value. Ferguson in the 4th was "Mehhh", but he'll wind up on the roster. Backup tight end, all day. See what I did there? Their later picks were decent enough, too, seems like. Waletzko and Ridgeway should both make the team. Boring?

#14. BUFFALO.

Best thing I can say about the picks for my Bills is that we didn't need MUCH, and I think we got what we NEEDED. I'll take the small trade-up for Elam in the 1st, no problem. We probably preferred McDuffie, but Kansas City made our choice for us. Cook in the 2nd gives us a really interesting duo with Singletary. Different games and styles, and both should be effective. The Bernard pick in the 3rd ruined my decade. Maybe not literally. SUPER-reach in my book. I would have selected SO many players instead. I see him as a career backup/special-teamer. Shakir was amazing value in the 5th. Future starting slot WR. Matt Araiza could possibly wind up being our 2nd-most important pick in the draft, after Kaiir Elam. SUPER BOWL!

#15. HOUSTON.

In direct, polar-opposite contrast to Carolina's draft, I find it hard to identify a team that did LESS with MORE. Just WAY too much risk and reaches for me. They needed help everywhere, sure, but what a dart-throw of a draft. Stingley over Thibodeaux or Gardner, or ANY O-lineman? Trading down to select Kenyon Green, when you could have stayed put, and drafted Hamilton? Pitre was a good pick, Metchie was NOT. In fact, it can be argued that Metchie was one of the worst picks, PERIOD, far as reaches and risks go. Aside from Stingley, maybe. Harris in the 3rd and Pierce in the 4th were at least decent. The rest of their draft is irrelevant. They got starters, but there's NO way this could've have been too much lamer.

#16. WASHINGTON.

This is a pretty tough one to evaluate, initially. On the one hand, they absolutely did add some fresh new talent, mostly at need positions. They did their job there. On the other hand, it can CLEARLY be argued that they reached, in varying degrees, on most of their picks. Have to wait and see on this one, pretty much. Dotson in the 1st WILL be a weapon, make NO mistake. Never a true #1, though. Mathis in the 2nd was a terrible value pick. Robinson in the 3rd should at least give them a fairly competent power back for the next few years. Butler in the 4th will be a backup safety, and special-teams stud. Sam Howell in the 5th, however, is the key to this draft. Future starting QB, or a forgettable draft pick. No middle ground, I bet.

#17. CLEVELAND.

NEVER have I seen a more extreme risk than the trade for Deshaun Watson. Not only super-expensive in terms of draft picks surrendered, the ABSURD amount of guaranteed money, the CLEAR legal and character issues, but do you really even see him wanting to be in CLEVELAND, other than the money?!? It's just a bad-looking fit, chemistry-wise. Ask Baker Mayfield about THAT. Simply not a good look. This could wind up being just disastrous for the team, short AND long-term. Grab the popcorn. On the plus side, the rest of their draft was actually pretty good. Emerson, Wright, and Bell were all solid 3rd-round picks, and Winfrey in the 4th is a total steal-of-the-draft candidate. Cade York will be their new placekicker.

#18. JACKSONVILLE.

Their draft really wasn't all that bad, but I would have liked to see them concentrate on other areas besides linebacker. Travon Walker, last I heard, is being geared up to play that position, but I see him more as a 4-3 end, honestly. Maybe it'll be a hybrid scheme, and at least he's versatile. Him and Josh Allen could certainly bring some heat off the edges. Trading up for Devin Lloyd was an unexpected but worthy move, I'd figure. PROBABLY the best all-around linebacker in the draft, and I'm sure he'll play the inside, as will Chad Muma, their 3rd-round pick at the position. Their other 3rd-rounder, Fortner, the center from Kentucky, was a reach, IMHO. None of their other picks appear to matter much. Kind of a strange team.

#19. INDIANAPOLIS.

They didn't have a 1st-rounder because of that whole Carson Wentz thing, and I know that HAS to burn/sting/irritate. They actually do have themselves a little bit of a Super Bowl window, right now, with Matt Ryan, and it looks like they picked up some help for him in this draft. Alec Pierce, in the 2nd, gives them a big, fast target who can stretch the field a bit. I personally think that the selection of Woods in the 3rd was one of the highest-upside picks in the entire draft. He is potentially even a Jimmy Graham-type tight end. Their other two 3rd-rounders, Raimman and Cross, are both talents in their own right. Raimman has the skill-set to be a left tackle, even though he's older and inexperienced. Cross is an athletic marvel.

#20. L.A. CHARGERS.

Zion Johnson, their 1st-rounder, was one of the safer picks in the entire draft, and he fills an immediate need on their interior offensive line. The only thing I question is if Trevor Penning might have been the better choice, to play right tackle, but I can't argue the logic of the selection, really. J.T. Woods, their 3rd-rounder, was kind of an odd pick. He has the athletic ability to be a very good safety in the league, for sure, but there were, in my opinion, better players available at his position, and they had bigger needs to address. Isaiah Spiller gives them quality depth in their RB corps. I think the selection of Jamaree Salyer in the 6th was an excellent one. I feel as though they should have targeted help for their run defense a bit more.

#21. LAS VEGAS.

They traded a LOT to get him, but they got the guy who is, currently, probably the best wide receiver in the N.F.L., in Davante Adams. This is all well and good, and he is definitely a part of what will help keep the Raiders competitive in the juggernaut that is the A.F.C. West. Was it worth it, though? I'm not entirely sure. There's the picks given up, the huge contract, but to me, the thing is THIS: He'll be 30 years old before the end of the year. Still in his prime at the moment, yes, but closer to the end than the beginning. Just a thing to think about. They got Dylan Parham in the 3rd, who could become a good O-lineman. Not much else to comment about. This is clearly the Davante Adams draft, for better or for worse. No doubt.

#22. MINNESOTA.

To start off, I was not at all a fan of their trade-down with Detroit. I never like inter-divisional trades, as I've mentioned before, but I really think they got fleeced, value-wise. Perhaps they were just trying to save rookie salary money? Could be the case. Lewis Cine in the 1st wasn't a bad pick, but probably not their biggest need. Booth, in the 2nd, comes with a bit of injury risk, but his talent is undeniable. They absolutely needed a cornerback, and he could be a good one. Their other 2nd-rounder, Ingram, is kind of the living definition of a "Meh" pick, and I think they could have done better. Asamoah, in the 3rd, intrigues me a bit. They'll find a way to get him on the field. Evans, the 4th-round CB, was maybe their best value pick.

#23. PITTSBURGH.

Well, they got Kenny Pickett at #20, but the problem is that he wasn't worth the #20 pick in this, or probably ANY other draft. Sure, he's a quarterback, but is he even any better than Mitchell Trubisky?!? Guys like Ridder, Willis, and even Howell have higher ceilings than him. They should have just bit the bullet with Trubisky, traded down or grabbed the best football player available, and tried for a QB next year, if Trubisky flops completely. They needed WR help, so Pickens was a good selection in the 2nd. He could wind up being a true #1, in time. Taking DeMarvin Leal in the 3rd was a good pick. Looks like a classic Steeler 5-technique. Like the pick of tiny Austin in the 4th. Slot nightmare; blazing speed and playmaking ability.

#24. ARIZONA.

Bluntly put? This was the "Kiss up to Kyler Murray" draft. Sorry if anybody disagrees, albeit not really, BUT, there is NO way Marquise Brown was worth trading a top-25 pick in the draft for. EVER. "Here's your buddy from your college days back to play with you, Kyler." Oh, well. Guess he's at least another guy to throw the football to, if they can even see each other. Now, Trey McBride in the 2nd actually was a decent pick. Consensus top tight end in the draft, another obvious Murray target, and this one at least makes sense, right? You'd have to think PROBABLY. The picks of Thomas and Sanders in the 3rd actually do hold some reasonable promise. Both could provide some present and future pass-rushing help for the team.

#25. NEW ORLEANS.

Bit too many eggs in a basket kind of draft for me, personally. They gave up a 3rd and a 4th to move up a few spots for Olave, which I guess they felt they had to do in order to secure their guy. Now, I have little doubt that he will be an effective N.F.L. wide receiver, so I really can't talk TOO much smack about the pick. What I CAN talk junk about, however, is their selection of Penning, at #19. Please don't get me wrong; I think Penning is a very talented offensive lineman. However, I see him as strictly a right tackle in the league, potentially even a dominating one, but NOT as a LEFT tackle. Which is where I hear they're going to try him at. You don't replace Armstead with Penning, guys. Taylor in the 2nd was a reach, period.

#26. MIAMI.

Similar to the Raiders, Miami traded a bunch to nab one of the best wide receivers in football. So, they traded the picks, paid Tyreek Hill a TON of money, and they got not only the best deep threat in all of football, but one of the best of ALL-TIME, in that particular regard. In fact, with him and Jaylen Waddle combined, I'm not sure if I've ever seen two faster, quicker wideouts on the same team before. It's kind of unique! BUT.... -I don't think he went to the best team to utilize his talents. At ALL. Simply put, Tua is not Mahomes, Allen, or any other strong-armed quarterback you can think of. I just think the best of what he can do will be wasted, to a large degree. Channing Tindall, the linebacker from Georgia, was a great pick.

#27. CINCINNATI.

This one just bugs me. This is a team with a RIGHT NOW Super Bowl window, and I think they missed the boat on this one. Daxton Hill is a good player, but where will he play? Slot corner? Outside corner? I know they have upcoming contract issues with both of their safeties, so are they gearing him towards replacing one of them next year? I just find myself wondering what the plan is. They absolutely did need a pure cornerback, but I thought Cam Taylor-Britt was a pretty substantial reach in the 2nd. The selections of Carter in the 3rd and Volson in the 4th did nothing for me, honestly. I think a day 2 pick of a WR would have helped them. Don't like what they did, and I'm not sure what they were thinking. This fell way short.

#28. TAMPA BAY.

I can't say that they didn't address some of their biggest needs, but WHAT an uninspiring haul this one turned out to be. Too many reaches on guys without exceptional qualities, especially with their first three picks. I just don't see Hall, Goedeke, or White having any difference-making abilities at the N.F.L. level. They made up for it a LITTLE bit in the 4th and 5th rounds, though. They absolutely needed a tight end, so Cade Otten was a decent enough selection. Camarda is a decent punter, but the 4th round seems WAY too rich for him. The selection of McCollum in the 5th was my favorite pick for them. He has all the athletic ability in the world at the cornerback position. Him aside, the rest of this sucked pretty bad.

#29. CHICAGO.

This one was terrible in a couple ways, but the main thing is, what kind of a message does this draft send to Justin Fields?!? Probably something along the lines of "Sink or swim?" "We don't care about you?" "You're on your own?" This is their young, talented franchise quarterback, who got absolutely KILLED behind that O-line last year, and instead of prioritizing weapons and protection for him, you spend your 1st TWO picks on defensive backs?!? Then, almost as like an afterthought, you finally draft a receiver in the 3rd, who happens to be the OLDEST receiver in the draft, to boot. Gordon and Brisker are good players, and it's not their fault the Bears picked them. George Pickens and Skyy Moore in the 2nd, Abe Lucas in the 3rd.

#30. SAN FRANCISCO.

Not having a 1st-rounder never really helps your draft, and I guess we'll see this year if Trey Lance was indeed worth it. That should be one of the more interesting storylines in the league this season. I thought they did about as well as they could, talent-wise, with the selection of Drake Jackson in the late 2nd. He could form a very good tandem with Bosa, in time. Unfortunately, the rest of their draft kind of resembles a landfill. It's like a who's who of "WHO?" Now, Gray, the 3rd-round WR from S.M.U., actually does have some potential, and I think the 6th-round choice of Castro-Fields was a pretty good value selection. Other than that, it's one of the lamest collections of camp bodies that I've truly ever personally seen. 

#31. NEW ENGLAND.

It certainly appears that, lately, Bill Belichick is doing his best to become the Jerry Jones of General Managers. This was the "reachiest" crop of picks that I've ever seen a team make in a draft. Now, in ALL fairness to the Patriots, I actually DID have them selecting Cole Strange in my mock... -in the THIRD round. Tyquan Thornton was also probably picked a couple rounds too high, and it's just sad, because there were several higher-graded talents at the position still on the board. Marcus Jones is a talented little cornerback, but he was another bit of a reach, and he might be the smallest CB in football. The rest of their draft has nothing at all worth mentioning. They blew it bad, and I can't understand their thought process.

#32. L.A. RAMS.

The fact is, it doesn't matter what you, I, or anybody else says about their draft this year, because they won the Super Bowl. But, they got nothing from this draft.

Edited by Suffering_Bills
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11 hours ago, Suffering_Bills said:

Building towards the total 32 team reviews, guys. Feedback?

I don't watch college so have zero knowledge about 99% of the players drafted. But I'm fascinated by the hard work and research people put into it, cheers. 

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Don't really have many issues.

I'd say if the number 1 thing you can say for TEN is that they drafted a like-for-like replacement for a WR they let go the day before, then they're probably too high. There's no way Burks replaces one of the best WR in the game. I think GB also slightly high, would be putting PHI and DET above them. Otherwise though, similar to how I feel.

 

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2 hours ago, Hunter2_1 said:

Don't really have many issues.

I'd say if the number 1 thing you can say for TEN is that they drafted a like-for-like replacement for a WR they let go the day before, then they're probably too high. There's no way Burks replaces one of the best WR in the game. I think GB also slightly high, would be putting PHI and DET above them. Otherwise though, similar to how I feel.

 

Agree with what you say. I'm just betting on Willis becoming the steal of the draft, albeit certainly not immediately.

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On 5/4/2022 at 12:01 AM, Suffering_Bills said:

#05. GREEN BAY.

Well, they had quantity, and they got quality, but I just don't know if it was done the best way possible for the team. Walker and Wyatt totally improve the middle of their defense, but it can be argued that both were slight reaches, as well as taken at the expense of other positions. Watson was the best size/speed combo WR prospect in the draft, and he's used to playing in cold weather, so, worth the risk. The additions of Rhyan, Tom, and Walker can only help their O-line. Doubs and Toure add a couple more targets at WR. Enegbare was a bit of a value in the 5th, but I would have liked to see more pass-rushing help than him, honestly. All-in-all, not a bad group, with lots of players that should make the final roster.

Funny I have seen the Packers anywhere from average to top 5 based on the thoughts of the 1st round. IMO Wyatt was in no way a reach at #28 and I wouldn't have been shocked to see him going any pick between 10 to 20. Interior D Linemen with his type of pass rush, athletic ability, and still being stout against the run don't come around that often. I actually thought he was a steal at 28. Walker I won't argue seemed like a reach at 22 however I don't see him lasting past the top 15 of the 2nd round either. 

The WR board just did not fall the Packers way IMO London, Olave, Dotson, and Burks were all overdrafted causing a severe lack of talent at the end of the 1st. I think where the Packers got the most talent is at the OL. There is not a single O line pick that I can't see contributing in some aspect. Walker has an up hill battle but Rhyan and Tom are both classic Packers mid round OL that turn out to be steals in a few years. I also really like Doubs as that MVS replacement. Watson was drafted to be more then MVS and if he isn't it will be disappointing. 

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9 hours ago, Suffering_Bills said:

It'll be explained in my summary. Be up soon. One hint, though: If Adams was 25-27 instead of 29, they'd be ranked much higher.

Getting HOF in his prime and we had one of the worst 5 drafts in the NFL??

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