Grade Your Team's 2023 Draft Picks

[Daniel]

How did your team do over the weekend, and/or how much do you hate Philadelphia right now?

Titans get a D from me.  Bad positional value for a lot of the picks, losing future assets, and still managing to come away without addressing the biggest need on the team.  New GM, same old Titans, making it clear that the game plan will be to run Henry into the ground, yet again.

1.11 Peter Skoronski: C-
Skoronski will probably be a good guard, and perhaps his best tape just isn't available on YouTube, but he struggled with guys that have good length.  Positional value for a guard at 11 is pretty low, considering the Titans have needs at premium positions and this is a deep OL class.  At least he's a good player with a high floor, but a low ceiling imo, and at 11th overall, that's a below average quality pick.

2.33 Will Levis: D-
I've maybe been the lowest on Levis in the Draft subforum, so no surprise I hate this pick.  I hate even more that they surrendered a future third, which is starting to look like it might be a very high third, to get him.  And as a result of moving down from 71, missed out on the run of second tier receivers.

3.81 Tyjae Spears: D-
I like the player, and running back was a need.  However, like the first pick, the positional value isn't great, and the fit is awful.  Spears has no ACL, and the Titans have been pretty consistently the worst team in the NFL at managing injuries.  Even worse, the Titans end Day 2 having spent no capital on their biggest need by a wide margin (receiver).

5.147 Josh Whyle: B
I don't have particularly strong feelings on Whyle as a player.  But with Davis Allen, Will Mallory, and Zach Kuntz still available, I don't know that this is a great pick.  Still, at least they finally invested in someone who can catch balls.

6.186 Jaelyn Duncan: B-
Another developmental tackle.  I had Duncan on my list of most likely busts (along with Levis and Skoronski), but that was when he was projected in Rounds 2-3.  Here, it's fine, though the fit for need isn't.

7.228 Colton Dowell: B+
Everyone knows I'd be lying if I pretended to know who this was before the draft.  He's an athletic, productive receiver from a small school, and that's a great pick in the seventh.  The affect on need though is insignificant, because he's almost certainly not doing much more than making the roster, if that.  So the Titans leave the draft with the team's biggest need still its biggest need.

[THE DUKE]

Bengals

1.28 - Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson - B - I've warmed up to this pick quite a bit over my initial reaction, but I still can't give it anything higher than a B.  He definitely adds some strength and speed to our pass rush, but he's going to need to learn a couple rush moves to mix in with the long arm.  The Bengals are 4 solid deep at DE now though and perhaps Hendrickson and Hubbard don't have to play quite so many snaps as they really looked gassed towards the end of last year.

2.60 - DJ Turner, CB, Michigan - A- - CB4 has been a very relied on position for the Bengals the past couple of years and i'm happy to move on from the walking bulletin board material guy that is Eli Apple.  Turner can play outside or in the slot, and that 4.26 speed is a nice asset to have on the back end.  Has long term starter upside with Awuzie in the last year of his deal and at the end of round 2, seems like great value, I didn't think he'd be here at this point.

3.95 - Jordan Battle, S, Alabama - B- - Lol, I talked so much crap during mocks saying we wouldn't take a safety, and lo and behold.  I like the player, getting him at 95 and picking up a late 6th was nice, and he is a very solid overall player.  Helps the safety group be versatile as all 4 of their top safeties can work as either a FS or SS, so it helps them be more multiple.  Bit of a luxury pick imo, but he's a guy the Bengals said they had a 2nd rd grade on.

4.131 - Charlie Jones, WR, Purdie - B - Seemingly the heir apparent to Tyler Boyd, Jones' profile to fit in as a slot WR is a nice fit for what the Bengals need.  On the smaller side at 175 lbs, but the 4.43 speed and polished route running along with insane production in 2023 make this a solid gamble for a good fit.

5.163 - Chase Brown, RB, Illinois - B+ - Maybe my favorite pick in this draft.  I thought Brown would have been great value in the 4th.  I would have been ok with him in the 3rd. Getting him in the 5th feels like a straight up steal. Accomplished as both a runner and receiver, and one of the better pass blocking backs in this draft.  The flip side, is that there is a decent amount of tread used on the tires already as Illinois used him as a work horse for multiple year.  However, he is ready to step into that Perine role immediately as the change of pace behind Mixon and can potentially eat more and more into Mixon's snaps as the year progresses.  Needs to have better ball security, which i'm sure will be a focal point for him in training camp.

6.206 - Andrei Iovisas, WR, Princeton - C+ - I like Iovisas as a late round flier at WR, but not sure how much a 2nd WR in this draft was a need.  Granted, I think it is an upgrade along with Jones for WR4 and WR5 for the Bengals, which was fairly lackluster at times last year.  Good height, very good speed, I could see him being a gem, but the Bengals do have some needs they bypassed, so I hope they are right on him.

6.217 - Brad Robbins, P, Michigan - B+ - Hang time.  That's what got Robbins drafted and what potentially lost the Bengals the AFCCG back in January.  Didn't have a single touchback in 2022 and I think only 2 in 2021, so it feels like a nice upgrade at a specialist position, and they got to pick their guy rather than hoping they could get him in UDFA.  That he looks like Tom Hardy in Bronson I also just find hilarious for some reason.

7.246 - DJ Ivey, CB, Miami - C - I'm not huge on Ivey, but at the back end of rd 7, you typically aren't getting steals.  Will get a chance to be CB5/6, but will be in a battle with about 3 or 4 other guys and the decider will likely be on special teams.  Decent athlete, I do like that the days of the Bengals taking bad athletes (by NFL standards) in the draft are behind them.

Overall grade: B

Edited May 1, 2023 by THE DUKE

[Trentwannabe]

Buffalo Bills: Two early potential home run picks and some potential singles or doubles in the mid to late rounds. Nothing I disliked. 

Round 1: TE Dalton Kincaid A

- I think he becomes and immediate contributor to the offense and helps lessen the loss they've felt since Beasley moved on. The Bills had real issue staying on schedule last year and remaining in 2nd and short and 3rd and short. Kincaid should help. He should also help their redzone woes.

Round 2: OG O'Cyrus Torrence A+

- Just based on where he was ranked pre draft, it looks like a steal to get him at 59. Though I don't think he offers and position flexibility, he should be a day 1 starter at RG and help protect Allen from interior pressure. He's also help the Bills run game immensely which is already better then given credit for.

Round 3: LB Dorian Williams B-

- Most Bills fans are not huge fans of the pick - probably because last year we took a LB in the 3rd who didn't contribute and was inactive by the end of the season. However, Williams looks to be a core 4 special teamer and the Bills lacked serious depth behind Milano should he go down.

Round 5: WR Justin Shorter B-

- I like the position, I like the height and I like the special teams value. Just not overly sure about the player who never got it going at Penn State or Florida. He won't be rushed into any real game action on offense so he will have time to grow. If he is another core 4 special teams guy, this grade goes up.

Round 7: OG Nick Broeker B

- I read he was once considered a day 1 pick after the 2021 season. A move inside to Guard and other factors helped him slip way down the board. He fits the prototype that Aaron Kromer likes and the Bills have struggled with IOL depth for a while so I like the dart throw in the 7th.

Round 7: CB Alex Austin B

- The Bills love late round DB's and many of them have been starters or major contributors. So I trust this staff completely with these picks. Sounds like Austin is a sure tackler who excels in zone and may have a future at S. Sounds a lot like last years rookie Christian Benford who played really well. 

[Daniel]

30 minutes ago, THE DUKE said:

Bengals

1.28 - Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson - B - I've warmed up to this pick quite a bit over my initial reaction, but I still can't give it anything higher than a B.  He definitely adds some strength and speed to our pass rush, but he's going to need to learn a couple rush moves to mix in with the long arm.  The Bengals are 4 solid deep at DE now though and perhaps Hendrickson and Hubbard don't have to play quite so many snaps as they really looked gassed towards the end of last year.

2.60 - DJ Turner, CB, Michigan - A- - CB4 has been a very relied on position for the Bengals the past couple of years and i'm happy to move on from the walking bulletin board material guy that is Eli Apple.  Turner can play outside or in the slot, and that 4.26 speed is a nice asset to have on the back end.  Has long term starter upside with Awuzie in the last year of his deal and at the end of round 2, seems like great value, I didn't think he'd be here at this point.

3.95 - Jordan Battle, S, Alabama - B- - Lol, I talked so much crap during mocks saying we wouldn't take a safety, and lo and behold.  I like the player, getting him at 95 and picking up a late 6th was nice, and he is a very solid overall player.  Helps the safety group be versatile as all 4 of their top safeties can work as either a FS or SS, so it helps them be more multiple.  Bit of a luxury pick imo, but he's a guy the Bengals said they had a 2nd rd grade on.

4.131 - Charlie Jones, WR, Purdie - B - Seemingly the heir apparent to Tyler Boyd, Jones' profile to fit in as a slot WR is a nice fit for what the Bengals need.  On the smaller side at 175 lbs, but the 4.43 speed and polished route running along with insane production in 2023 make this a solid gamble for a good fit.

5.163 - Chase Brown, RB, Illinois - B+ - Maybe my favorite pick in this draft.  I thought Brown would have been great value in the 4th.  I would have been ok with him in the 3rd. Getting him in the 5th feels like a straight up steal. Accomplished as both a runner and receiver, and one of the better pass blocking backs in this draft.  The flip side, is that there is a decent amount of tread used on the tires already as Illinois used him as a work horse for multiple year.  However, he is ready to step into that Perine role immediately as the change of pace behind Mixon and can potentially eat more and more into Mixon's snaps as the year progresses.  Needs to have better ball security, which i'm sure will be a focal point for him in training camp.

6.206 - Andrei Iovisas, WR, Princeton - C+ - I like Iovisas as a late round flier at WR, but not sure how much a 2nd WR in this draft was a need.  Granted, I think it is an upgrade along with Jones for WR4 and WR5 for the Bengals, which was fairly lackluster at times last year.  Good height, very good speed, I could see him being a gem, but the Bengals do have some needs they bypassed, so I hope they are right on him.

6.217 - Brad Robbins, P, Michigan - B+ - Hang time.  That's what got Robbins drafted and what potentially lost the Bengals the AFCCG back in January.  Didn't have a single touchback in 2022 and I think only 2 in 2021, so it feels like a nice upgrade at a specialist position, and they got to pick their guy rather than hoping they could get him in UDFA.  That he looks like Tom Hardy in Bronson I also just find hilarious for some reason.

7.246 - DJ Ivey, CB, Miami - C - I'm not huge on Ivey, but at the back end of rd 7, you typically aren't getting steals.  Will get a chance to be CB5/6, but will be in a battle with about 3 or 4 other guys and the decider will likely be on special teams.  Decent athlete, I do like that the days of the Bengals taking bad athletes (by NFL standards) in the draft are behind them.

Overall grade: B

Bengals landed Jaxson Kirkland in UDFA.  That's an A.

[THE DUKE]

15 minutes ago, Daniel said:

Bengals landed Jaxson Kirkland in UDFA.  That's an A.

I think he's got a real shot of making the roster. That said, i'd still be trying to go get Dalton Risner if i'm the Bengals.

[tyler735]

1st Round: Bryan Bresee- B+

I keep going between a B and B+ on this pick, but I’ve settled on a B+ as he was the best available DT and it was a huge need filled for us. I love his potential. He has the size and athleticism (9.61 RAS) to become an impact player at DT, but he seems like a classic boom/bust pick with how many injuries he had in college. However, if he can get back on track, like during his freshman year, many from Clemson thought he was their best player on defense. 
 

2nd Round: Isaiah Foskey- A

This was another big need addressed for us after losing Davenport in Free Agency and Cam Jordan isn’t getting any younger. I like Foskey a lot, he was very productive as Notre Dame’s all time sack leader, and also possesses top tier athleticism (9.61 RAS) for the position. He’s a player I think can contribute for us right away as a rookie.

 

3rd Round: Kendre Miller- A+

This was probably my favorite pick in the draft. I feel like I was a bit late to the party on Kendre Miller, early on I saw an (alleged) 4.58 40 time on him, and let that skew my idea of who he really is as a player. After watching as much footage as I could possibly find on him. I don’t buy that 4.58 time at all. I saw another 4.42 40 time floating around as well which he apparently ran at TCU. This seems much more in line with what I saw from him in his game clips.
 

I think the narrative on Miller would have been much different had he not had the MCL injury and would have been able to play in the National Championship game and test at the combine. Long story short, I think this helped us get a steal in the 3rd round. Miller has the highest career explosive run percentage of any RB prospect this year (and last year). His play style with his exceptional contact balance, burst, and patience is very reminiscent of Alvin Kamara. He isn’t quite the receiver Kamara was coming out, but in his limited chances at TCU was much more effective than the low volume would lead you to believe. He made some tough catches and very few drops.

 

4th Round: Nick Saldiveri- B

The Saints traded up to the top pick in the 4th round to grab Saldiveri. I’d be lying if I wasn’t a bit disappointed with this pick given some of the players left on the board still. I really wanted Adebawore with this pick. With all that said, we definitely could have used another OL and it sounds like Saldiveri has some versatility and athleticism (9.47 RAS) as well. The Saints also have a pretty good track record with taking OL in the mid rounds, so for them to trade up and grab their guy I’ll have to give them the benefit of the doubt on this one.

 

5th round: Jake Haener- C

I didn’t mind grabbing a QB in this draft, but I would have much rather had a guy like Clayton Tune at this spot instead. Jake Haener has at best a backup caliber arm and limited size/athletic ability. I just don’t see much more than a Case Keenum type ceiling for him. At least with a guy like Clayton Tune, he has the tools needed to be a potential starting caliber QB some day as his ceiling (could see Tune’s ceiling as a Ryan Tannehill type).

 

5th Round: Jordan Howden- C

This pick didn’t really do much for me. He’s likely a career depth guy on defense if he makes the team and will likely make most of his contributions on special teams. 

 

6th Round: AT Perry- A

I really liked the value of this pick. We needed to bring in another big bodied WR and AT Perry fits the bill. I thought Perry easily could have been a late 3rd/early 4th round pick, so to get him in the 6th round was a tremendous value. Love his combination of size, athleticism (9.62 RAS), and production. Wouldn’t surprise me if he contributes some as a rookie.

Overall Draft Grade: A-

Edited May 1, 2023 by tyler735

[candyman93]

Round 3: No. 74 (from NYJ) – Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee

My favorite pick from the draft. We added another big bodied WR. Berry NEEDED to fix the depth of our WR core this offseason and he did.

B+

 

Round 3: No. 98 – Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor
 

Berry also needed to add some beef to the interior of our d-line and did that with Tomlinson and Siaki. I’m just worried about his weight and conditioning.

B

 

Round 4: No. 111 – Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State

2nd favorite pick and could start at RT for us. Another guy who needs to watch his weight though.

B+

 

Round 4: No. 126 (from MIN) – Isaiah McGuire, DE, Missouri

The entire theme of this offseason was getting bigger in the trenches. Isaiah is another strong DE that fits the mold we want.

B-

 

Round 5: No. 140 (from LAR) – Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA

Hopefully he develops into a solid career backup.

B-

 

Round 5: No. 142 – Cameron Mitchell, CB, Northwestern

Just depth at CB hopefully

C+

 

Round 6: No. 190 – Luke Wypler, IOL, Ohio State

I’m a homer, but he really fits schematically. We have a lot of depth at center, so not entirely sure why we picked him.

B

[Scoundrel]

33 minutes ago, tyler735 said:

3rd Round: Kendre Miller- A+

 

100%

[kgarrett12486]

For the Bucs:

 

1. 3-4 DE Cajijah Kancey - B+

Like the player, just wasn't sure where he fit in a 3-4 defense. He's a disruptive force and that rare interior guy that can beat anyone OL off the ball. I just question if he will be able to hold up against the run and not completely get washed out if the OL is able to get his hands on him and engage. 

2. OT/OG Cody Mauch - A

Love this pick. I thought he could go in late 1st round. Dude is just nasty in the run game. He's very athletic and this gives him position flexibility. He could develop into a LT, but if not your getting a potential all pro OG.

3. EDGE YaYa Diaby - B

We desperately need some pressure off the edge. Diaby brings that. He really showed immense athleticism with his combine testing, although I dont think he shows that same level on tape. He already understands how to track the QB. An important step even elite pressure guys can lack.

5. ILB SirVocea Dennis - D

Honestly, didn't know too much about him coming in. Seems like just another guy. Gambles too much. Thought there were better options still on the board.

5. TE Payne Durham - A 

Love this pick. In a normal TE class, he was probably a 3rd round pick. Just a good ole fashioned all around TE. Reminds me of Otten ironically.

6. CB Josh Hayes - B-

He's got good size for CB and looks like he can play the nickle as well. He's overly grabby though, but like his physical game.

6. WR Trey Palmer - C

We need some depth and speed at the WR spot. Palmer is a one trick pony (speedy deep threat), but plays that role well. Could develop into a better Scotty Miller.

6. EDGE Jose Ramirez - A

Might be my favorite pick in this draft. I think this kid has potential to be a diamond in the rough. His short are explosiveness and athleticism is off the charts. He's a natural pass rusher. He's not an eveydown guy because he will get picked on in run game, but he can be a weapon as a situational pass rusher.

Overall Class Grade: B+

[RaidersAreOne]

Raiders:

• R1 (7): DE Tyree Wilson - B+
• R2 (35): TE Michael Mayer - A
• R3 (70): DT Byron Young - B-
• R3 (100): WR Tre Tucker - C-
• R4 (104): CB Jakorian Bennett - B
• R4 (135): QB Aidan O’Connell - C
• R5 (170): S Christopher Smith II - B+
• R6 (203): LB Amari Burney - C+
• R7 (231): DT Nesta Jade Silvera - C+

[minutemancl]

Deonte Banks was a great pick that I'll ding a little for the trade up. In a great CB class, he was rated between CB2-CB4 by different people. He's got incredible athleticism, top-2 all time RAS for CB, and is comfortable in press man coverage, which is a must for Wink's defense. Great pick. B

JMS was a home run pick. A+, 100/100, whatever you want to use. Strong, talented, day 1 starter at center goes to a team with a desperate need at center. He is also the guy that was most mocked to us at 25, and we get him a round later. A

Jalin Hyatt was a great pick as well, which I will ding again for the trade up. Consensus top-45 player that was again mocked to us at 25 often, he brings a lot of speed and explosiveness to an offense that lacked that last year. B

Eric Gray I think was yet another great pick. 11th RB drafted, but IMO he was just about a top-100 player in this draft. Perfect fit for this offense. He undoubtedly fell because of a slow 40 time, but he's explosive and shifty and underrated in the pass game. B

I'm not going to pretend I watched any of the later Giants picks before they got picked. They seem fine. Tre Hawkins is super interesting because he, like Banks, posted an insane RAS score. He's big and strong and flew under the radar due to playing at ODU. Jordon Riley is just big. Gervarrius Owens seems like a solid special teams guy. No grades on these players; it would be disingenuous to try to say I knew about them prior to this weekend, knew their value, and thought about where they should have been drafted.

[WizeGuy]

Kincaid- A+

Torrence- A+

Williams- C+ 

Justin Shorter B+

Nick Broeker B+

Alex Austin C+

 

I LOVE the first two picks of the draft. I also love that Beane added another potential starting guard later in the draft. I don't know a ton about Williams, but the position taken gives me pause. I like Shorter's potential. He could be a damn good player in this league. 

The first two picks push this draft to an A- for me. If we could've landed Spencer (I think I'd rather have Torrence) or Simpson, it would've been an A+++++++

 

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by WizeGuy

[Forge]

#87 - Ji'yar Brown: B-. I like the player well enough. I have some concerns about long speed, but I like that he's a ball hawk going after it and plays strong down hill. I think the fit with Hufanga is a little weird because it may expose the defense deep. Then again, with the way they want to play up front I'm assuming that they are hoping that teams don't have the time. Brown played it all at Penn State, clearly knows how to play the position, which I like. . Basically just have to hope that his mind makes up for the lack of athletic traits...though he does have a really good initial burst. I think at worst that he's probably a 3rd safety in the league, and I'm a big proponent of utilizing 3 safeties. But I thought there were better safeties on the board, particularly Jordan Battle. 

#99 - Jake Moody, K: I'm torn between a D and an F. I think I'm going to go D. I understand the logic of what they are doing adding a kicker because the team needs to replace Gould and you can't count on Gonzalez, but I'm simply never going to follow or be kind to a process that results in taking a kicker in round 3. But in a draft I've felt was pretty crappy the entire time, I mean...shoot your shot, right? If I can be okay with a running back at 8 in this draft, I can't be too apoplectic about a kicker at 99. I'm just regurgitating what I have said multiple times in the niner forum over the last few days, but there is no indication that the NFL has any idea how to evaluate this position which is my biggest issue with this kind of selection. 2 of the last 15 drafted kickers have gotten a second contract with the team that drafted them, I believe. Over the last 20 years, the results of kickers taken in rounds 2-4 isn't great  (though there's a fairly limited sample). Gostkowski is probably the lone worthwhile selection, though Kaeding and Mike Nugent had moments. A lot of niners twitter fans have started treating Moody like he is the Trevor Lawrence of kicking prospects after the fact and I don't get that either. Some people didn't even have him as the top kicker in the class, and he's certainly not a "special" kicking prospect. Hell, I'm not sure that he was a better college kicker than the guy he's replacing in Zane Gonzalez. 

Moody is a heavy results based selection. It's pretty binary because I'm just not going to support the process for the most part. Yes, if you were going to make this move, this was probably the draft you are going to do it in. I don't quite support the "the niners are stocked everywhere and just needed a kicker" narrative because I Think that actually puts you in a weird spot if he struggles, so I think that's really a double edged sword.  I'd have been perfectly happy signing Chrisopher Dunn and Harrison Mevis as UDFAs and seeing what shakes out, but if he's a really good kicker, or hits the kicks in the big moments, nobody is going to care about pick 99 being used on him. I just don't think it's a good process. 

#101 - Cameron Latu, TE: F. As much as I can't get behind the process for Moody, again, at least i understand the pick. There's at least some logic to it. I haaaaaaaaaaaaate this pick. Pick for pick one of my least favorite picks in the draft of any team (DJ Johnson and Luke Schoonmaker were also up there). When the niners were talking to him, I thought he was a good fall back on day three if they couldn't get in on the deep TE run on day 2. If this pick is in the 6th, its a B. If it's the 5th, it's probably a C+. This absolutely reeks of a team that freaked out at the number of tight ends coming off the board on day 2 and had to get the guy that they spent time with and liked. Latu has no athletic upside, he's not a prolific blocker...doesn't brake tackles...hands are meh. This smells like a guy who maybe is a TE 2 at the next level and thats probably the extent of the upside. He's a comparable prospect to me as the Brayden Willis who the niners took in round 7....that should not happen lol. If this is the tight end you're ending up with, I'm just waiting for round 5/6 and seeing who is available. Making a move for Will Mallory who actually has traits to develop seems like a far superior option, for example. There were sooooo many prospects I would have rather taken here  and then just thrown darts at this position in the last 3 rounds since Latu fits in that group. Seems like a guy that will have some plays against zone coverage and maybe be a redzone threat. 

 

Now we get to day 3 which I was much, much higher on. 

#155 - Darrel Luter, CB: B+. My favorite pick of the draft for the niners. Good enough physical profile, can play a little press, can play a little off...zone / man...probably better in press man, but I think he's fine in either. Athletic profile is solid. Hard worker and he's got that dog in him, which has been really big with the niners lately. Will get after it downhill as well. I don't see any reason why he can't be the next Emmanuel Moseley in a year. 

#173 - Robert Beal, EDGE: C+. I actually drafted him for the niners in TCMD, so he was on my list. This is a little earlier than I would have maybe gone, but its really splitting hairs and EDGE guys were going off a little faster than I anticipated. Guys like Fehoko and BJ Thompson I expected to go around this spot and they just weren't. The only EDGE player on the board that I may have taken before Beal was Jose Ramirez. He's a decent traits based gamble who played on a stacked defense and couldn't crack it. He's a little older (24 this year, I believe), and I am not a fan of older prospects, but I'm hopeful that the 49ers pass rushing scheme and simplistic go get it mentality will help unlock a little something. 

#216 - Dee Winters, LB: B+. Another guy I actually drafted for the niners in TCMD, this is a pick that I like. The niners know linebacker talent, and I think he profiles very, very well in the 49ers defense. He's not going to take over for Warner in the middle, but he should be able to move into Al Shaair's role in 2024 and then maybe into Greenlaw's role in 2025. May take a year to gain some strength and adjust what he sees on the field, but should contribute to special teams as a rookie and maybe he'll gets some snaps defensively throughout the year. 

#247 - Brayden Willis, TE: B-. The difference between he and Latu is not 145 picks which really makes me hate the Latu pick even more lol. Yes, he's another older guy at 24 this year, but that's weirdly the case for a lot of tight ends in this range this year. This was just a very old draft. Willis is probably at best a TE 2 at the next level like Latu, but the cost is vastly different. Even if I were to like Latu slightly better as a prospect and am more bullish on his future, its simply not that big of a gap. 

#253 - Ronnie Bell, WR:  B. I like this just fine. He's a future slot receiver who likely takes over for Jennings, perhaps as soon as 2024. He's definitely a different type of slot; Jennings is a plodder who will make the tough catches with a defender draped on him, Bell is going to create his openings with his feet. Very much a 49er type player given how aggressively and willingly he will block as well. He's nothing special, but I'll be somewhat shocked if he doesn't get a 1-2 year run as a WR3 on this team, tbh. 

[SoCalDirtyBird]

#8 - Texas RB Bijan Robinson: B

Like many have pointed out, positional value probably keeps this from being an A. We had a rookie run for over 1k yards last year despite not getting significant playing time until a little later on in the season. We also have Patterson who can still generate big plays out of the backfield. That being said, however, neither of those dudes brings the explosiveness to the position that Bijan brings. Patterson is also only signed for 1 more year and is getting older. This was just as much a NOW move as it is a move for the FUTURE. A RB 1-2 punch of Robinson & Allgeier is sure to wear defenses down big time next year and beyond. Anyone rating this selection lower than a B needs to take a hard look at how much the running game really can influence the outcome of games, especially in this offensive system.

#38 - Syracuse LG Matthew Bergeron: B+

Left guard was a massive hole going into this draft, and it looks to have been filled with the selection of Bergeron. Many projected that his best fit would be at guard in a zone heavy run scheme, which is exactly par for the course regarding his projected role in Atlanta. There's been a video circulating on Twitter of the Cowboys draft room debating between selecting Mazi Smith & Bergeron, with them ultimately selecting Smith due to the amount of time it had been for them since they had addressed interior DL in the 1st round. Bergeron impressed a ton at the senior bowl practicing at both Tackle and Guard. Kid has the size and all the tools to be a big time guard, and the trade-up clearly that the Falcons did their homework on him. We specifically had our O line coach meet with him 1 on 1 at Syracuse earlier in the draft process. Only reason the pick doesn't get an A from me is that we surrendered a 4th round pick to move up to this selection.

#57 - Ohio State DE Zach Harrison: C

Production obviously never matched potential in college. Even in high school, he averaged just 1 sack & 2 TFL a game his senior year. He was like 6'5 240, with that size he should have literally dominated every high school game. Fast forward to now, he's 6'6 270+ with a 36+ arm length, strong (25 bench reps with arms that long) & really fast (never ran the 40 during the pre-draft process but was a track athlete with fantastic times). Despite his lack of impact plays on the statsheet, he was generally viewed as a key player on that OSU defense and graded out well per PFF. Worthwhile project to take on, even if I would rather have had Diaby or Adebawore there.

#113 - Utah CB Clark Phillips III: A

He's gotten some buzz as the steal of the draft, and I think that he may deserve more of it. Ultra productive in college and even going back to high school. Obviously there are undersized corners that have gone on to have stellar careers, but I think that the main reason Phillips fell was the combination of his size and his subpar athletic testing numbers from an agility/change-of-direction perspective. I would've loved for those numbers to have been better, but I still am highly confident that he's athletic enough to have a fantastic career as a slot corner in an NFL defense because he's extremely skilled, intelligent and tough. This dude should make plays for us early and often, amazing round 4 value.

#224 - Alabama S Demarcco Hellams: B

Don't know much about this player, but he was a starting safety at Alabama and actually led the team in tackles. I think he makes the roster, which for a 7th round pick almost automatically justifies the selection. The B grade seems fair here.

#225 - South Carolina C Jovaughn Gwyn: C+

Maybe he makes the team, maybe he doesn't. A little undersized but he has some tools to work with and was pretty decent at South Carolina. I really wanted Vorhees at this spot.

 

 

[DawgX]

6 hours ago, candyman93 said:

Round 3: No. 74 (from NYJ) – Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee

My favorite pick from the draft. We added another big bodied WR. Berry NEEDED to fix the depth of our WR core this offseason and he did.

B+

 

Round 3: No. 98 – Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor
 

Berry also needed to add some beef to the interior of our d-line and did that with Tomlinson and Siaki. I’m just worried about his weight and conditioning.

B

 

Round 4: No. 111 – Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State

2nd favorite pick and could start at RT for us. Another guy who needs to watch his weight though.

B+

 

Round 4: No. 126 (from MIN) – Isaiah McGuire, DE, Missouri

The entire theme of this offseason was getting bigger in the trenches. Isaiah is another strong DE that fits the mold we want.

B-

 

Round 5: No. 140 (from LAR) – Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA

Hopefully he develops into a solid career backup.

B-

 

Round 5: No. 142 – Cameron Mitchell, CB, Northwestern

Just depth at CB hopefully

C+

 

Round 6: No. 190 – Luke Wypler, IOL, Ohio State

I’m a homer, but he really fits schematically. We have a lot of depth at center, so not entirely sure why we picked him.

B

Agree with this. Just a lot of solid picks. We definitely got bigger this offseason.

If you include the Elijah Moore trade as part of the draft grade, then even better. For not having a pick until round three, I think we did a really solid job.