Grade Your Team's Draft

[Daniel]

Maybe a little premature, but I know most teams are done, so how did your team do?

I'll start with the Titans:

1.7. JC Latham, OT, Alabama: C  The Titans were high on Latham from the start, and while I don't think he was the best tackle available, he's talented, and OT was the biggest need.

2.38. T'Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas: D  Sweat looks like a guy with weight and conditioning issues, so I don't think he was worth a pick this high before he got a DUI.  DT is a need, but this is a big risk and a significant reach.

4.106. Cedric Gray, LB, UNC: A+  Gray was my top LB in the draft, and I didn't expect him to be available here.  LB was a huge need for Tennessee, and one I didn't expect to get addressed because of the poor class.

5.146. Jarvis Brownlee, CB, Louisville: B  Brownlee is undersized and not very athletic CB, but he's physical, and has some good tape.  Better players could have been had, but it makes sense.

6.182. Jha'Quan Jackson, WR, Tulane: B+  Would have rather had Malik Washington, but Jackson is a legit deep threat who can be a punt returner as well.  A little undersized, but a guy who will make the roster.

7.242. James Williams, S/LB, Miami: C  I don't really know if Williams will make the roster or not, but he seems to have some traits, and that's about all you can expect in the seventh round.

7.252. Jaylen Harrell, Edge, Michigan: B+  A good pick.  Titans need better Edge depth, and Harrell is a good player.

Overall: C

[USADave]

Caleb Williams: A+

Rome Odunze: A+ 

Kiran Amegadjie: B+

Tory Taylor: B+

Austin Booker: B+

Picks for Players:

2nd Round: Montez Sweat: A+

4th round: Keenan Allen: A+

5th round: Ryan Bates: C+

6th round: Dan Feeney: C+

7th round: N’Keal Harry: C

Overall: A+
 

I wouldn’t change any of our picks.  I’m pumped about Sweat/Allen and never opposed to offensive line depth.  

 

 

[candyman93]

Cleveland B- / C+ purely due to no 1st round pick.

 

2. Michael Hall - A, absolutely love this pick for us. Should be a rotational guy as a rookie who starts in 2025.

 

3. Zak Zinter - B, worried about his injury. However, he can be a starter for us in 2025.

 

5. Jamari Thrash - B, we needed more WR depth and competition.

 

6. Nathaniel Watson - B, badly needed depth at LB.

7. Myles Harden - C, more depth at CB.

7. Jowon Briggs - C, more depth at DT

[TankWilliams]

9 minutes ago, USADave said:

Caleb Williams: A+

Rome Odunze: A+ 

Kiran Amegadjie: B+

Tory Taylor: B+

Austin Booker: B+

Picks for Players:

2nd Round: Montez Sweat: A+

4th round: Keenan Allen: A+

5th round: Ryan Bates: C+

6th round: Dan Feeney: C+

7th round: N’Keal Harry: C

Overall: A+
 

I wouldn’t change any of our picks.  I’m pumped about Sweat/Allen and never opposed to offensive line depth.  

 

 

As a bears fan, I think your ratings for Kiran and Taylor are on the high side.  Kiran is very high upside but pretty high risk.  Taylor is a great punter, but 4th round value I'm not sure about.  I suppose you could make an argument that a potential top 10 punter in the NFL for a decade will be higher value than the typical 4th round pick, but I still would have gone elsewhere.  Overall I definitely give the Bears an A though.

[USADave]

5 minutes ago, TankWilliams said:

As a bears fan, I think your ratings for Kiran and Taylor are on the high side.  Kiran is very high upside but pretty high risk.  Taylor is a great punter, but 4th round value I'm not sure about.  I suppose you could make an argument that a potential top 10 punter in the NFL for a decade will be higher value than the typical 4th round pick, but I still would have gone elsewhere.  Overall I definitely give the Bears an A though.

Who who you have picked in the second and fourth?

[TankWilliams]

22 minutes ago, USADave said:

Who who you have picked in the second and fourth?

Third and fourth.

 

For the third, I probably would have traded down, and I'm not upset with the choice, I just think it's very high risk considering the level of competition he played against at Yale.

I think ideally the Bears trade down into the late third/early fourth and grab Tanner Bortolini, and then I would have grabbed Manu as the developmental tackle prospect.  

Again, I see the logic and don't have major gripes, I just feel a punter is rich for round 4 and wish they would have added another guy to compete at C. 

[Louis Friend]

1.24- Terrion Arnold, CB Alabama A 

Lions were able to grab their #1 rated CB at a spot they didn’t expect him to be. 

2.61- Ennis Rakestraw, CB Missouri A-

I don’t mind double dipping at CB, and don’t mind the player, but I had a couple guys rated higher. 

4.126- Giovanni Manu, OT British Columbia C+

Manu was a guy the Lions were high on. Brought in for a visit. Fans don’t seem to know a lot about him but dude is massive, tons of upside, and he can learn from Sewell and Decker. 

4.132- Sione Vaki, S/RB Utah B

People are confused about his position and Brad Holmes talking about it doesn’t help. He’s a football player. He can play RB/WR on offense, he can play S/LB on defense, he can play ST. Dude is just a dawg and I’m excited to see all the different ways we’ll use him, especially Ben Johnson on 4th down. Lions were rumored to be high on him and he was one of the 3 guys I hoped we walked away with today. 

6.189- Mekhi Wingo, DT LSU A

High upside, will make a nice DL depth guy with a chance to make an impact right away. I was surprised he was available in the 6th. 

6.210- Christian Mahogany, G Boston College A+

I had Mahogany rated as a 3rd rd prospect. To get him at 210 is just theft. He can come in and wreak havoc. Could play next to Penei Sewell for the next 5 years. Best value in the draft for me and I’m not being biased. 
 

Overall: A

I think it was another Brad Holmes draft. He took his top guys and the placement doesn’t match up with what fans/media expected, but if you move the picks around (Mahogany and Wingo before Vaki and Manu) I think people would view it better. 

Edited April 28 by Louis Friend

[FrantikRam]

A+ for the Rams. Could not have been any better and will have us right there with the Niners and Lions in the NFC

[Sugashane]

32 minutes ago, TankWilliams said:

Third and fourth.

 

For the third, I probably would have traded down, and I'm not upset with the choice, I just think it's very high risk considering the level of competition he played against at Yale.

I think ideally the Bears trade down into the late third/early fourth and grab Tanner Bortolini, and then I would have grabbed Manu as the developmental tackle prospect.  

Again, I see the logic and don't have major gripes, I just feel a punter is rich for round 4 and wish they would have added another guy to compete at C. 

I drafted Manu in my dynasty draft, and Bortolini is a favorite of mine in no short way due to that majestic mullet  lol  

 

My grades for CHI

Williams - A+   Don't overthink it, made the pick and put talent around him. No 1.1 has ever been in a better position that I can think of. 

Odunze - A+   I drafted him so I'm biased, so I'm really happy. Allen is a stud but is a rental, Odunze could be paired with Williams and Moore for years. 

Kiran Amegadjie- A-  I wanted a trade back here but I did draft Amegadije for his traits too. I like him quite  bit, but he isn't ready to play this year. That being said as a swing/depth guy I still think he will be better than Borom.

Tory Taylor- B    I like Taylor a lot, I still wish they had signed Araiza, then this could have gone elsewhere like Manu Giovanni.  

Austin Booker- N/A    Never heard of him before the draft, but what I have seen of him I like a lot. I'm a sucker for a good motor and dude looks like he goes 100% in the few clips I've seen. 

 

 

[Danger]

CB Quinyon Mitchell  (A+) Easily CB1 in the class, and we got him at 22, has potential to be a top 5 CB in the league.
DB Cooper DeJean   (A+) I don't know where he plays, but he's super versatile and that is incredibly useful in Fangio's scheme. His athleticism and nose for the football is fantastic. Easily a 1st round grade
EDGE Jalyx Hunt (B-) I like the guy and find him fascinating from a traits stand point. Would've preferred him a round later, but he'll be a draft and stash for a year or two. High potential.
RB Will Shipley (B) Useful in the passing game, good athlete, will likely be part of the Runningback rotation this year, time will tell how much he spells Barkley compared to certified JAG Kenny Gainwell
WR Ainias Smith (C) A lot of folks like his game, I'm not as big of a fan. Definitely could come in and prove me wrong, but there were like 3 guys I wanted over him at WR when we picked him.
LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr (C+) He's a LB, and we know him well here in Philly. Unfortunately his athleticism is pretty limited, and he may have already peaked. I'd probably bump this down a bit if his last name wasn't Trotter
G Trevor Keegan (B-) His athletic testing numbers look good, but a lot of scouting reports show him as being limited laterally which isn't ideal for the way the Eagles do things, a project for sure
WR Johnny Wilson (A) Considering I had a 3rd round grade and we took him in the 6th? I'm happy. He doesn't really fit given the current construction of our roster BUT his size and speed (while not being a burner by any means) combination is something you don't find often. Doesn't sound like we want to convert him to TE, but I love the traits here.
G Dylan McMahon (B-) Honestly? I could just copy and paste what I said for Trevor Keegan. Hoping one of them can come in and become something.

Overall (A-)

Would've liked to see an OT and Interior D-Lineman like UDFAs Garrett Greenfield and Leonard Taylor respectively in the late round to sort of fill out some depth areas a bit better, but the top end of this draft is just unreal.

[Forge]

It was fine 

[Tugboat]

For Jacksonville:

 

1st - Brian Thomas Jr, WR - LSU:  A.

Love it.  Trevor needs weapons desperately.  There's some risk in whether BTJ will develop into a more complete #1WR type, but at the very least...they've got a really fluid, rare HWS specimen who is already excellent at tracking deep balls.  If he can expand and refine his route tree, he's got the potential to be easily the best receiver Lawrence has ever had.  To get him after picking up extra draft capital with a trade-down?  Terrific execution.

2nd - Maason Smith, DT - LSU:  C+.

Prototypical Baalke pick.  Bigtime measurables, athletic upside, injury concerns, traits that are way better than the tape.  Kind of salvaged by the apparent run on DTs earlier, in a class that wasn't very deep in guys with big upside.  A real "wait and see" pick.  They obviously think they can get him coached up to actually take more advantage of his physical tools.  There's some window for optimism, but the value feels rich to me, for a developmental guy who doesn't have absolutely sky high upside.  Kind of waver on bumping it up to a B- based on the upside that is there, but i'll stick with C+.

3rd - Jarrian Jones, CB - FSU:  B-.

Not the guy i would've taken, but it was pretty clear it had to be a DB.  They got one they like, who also has the added bonus of being a guy who apparently wants to be in Jacksonville.  That's not insignificant for a team that can struggle to lure and retain FAs at times.  If he ends up being any good, and worth retaining.  Seems like a reasonably safe bet to contribute in some way.  Feels like sub 4.4 40-time was a big factor there, which shows some potential beyond the tape.  Versatility to potentially play inside or out is nice enough.  There were better DBs with more upside available though.

4th - Javon Foster, OL - Mizzou:  B-.

Filling another position of need.  Hopefully kicking inside helps him a bit, but he's not my favorite OLine prospect.  He's got size and some athletic ability, but he seems pretty stiff on tape, and doesn't have much of a real killer instinct to speak of.  Doesn't seem to have top level awareness, balance, anchor, or really anything in particular to hang his hat on.  It's just another..."fine" pick for me.

4th - Jordan Jefferson, NT - LSU:  C.

A big run stuffer who can take on double teams isn't a bad thing to add i guess.  He's got some decent quickness and athleticism for the role and potential to threaten the pocket as more than a 2-down nose.  But it feels weird to have drafted basically the whole LSU DLine except for the guy in Wingo who stands out the most.  Purely because Wingo is too short for "thresholds" presumably.  Feels like Baalke and the staff must not have much confidence in the coaching and development of the DLinemen at LSU or something.  To think they can take these two and "coach them up" to something much better, actually unlock those traits and tools.  I'm not as convinced on that.

5th - Deantre Prince, CB - Ole Miss:  A.

Great pick here.  I actually had him a ways ahead of the guy they grabbed a couple rounds earlier, so all's well that ends well i guess.  Balances out.  Big lanky corner who looks very comfortable to me on tape, and solid instincts and ability to read the play, despite being shoehorned into a scheme that is clearly not an ideal fit for his skillset, being forced to play miles off most of the time.  He's got clear upside as a true outside corner, and running a surprising sub-4.4 just enhances that.  Really solid pick here.

5th - Keilan Robinson, RB - Texas:  B-.

They needed to add something with a dynamic element to the RB group depth.  Not really what i had in mind, as more of a gadget player/RB/KR niche player.  But there's home run threat ability there and at least it'll give them something to split out of the backfield as a receiver and do some of those things, when ETN isn't in the game.  And it's not like he can't actually take normal carries and pick his way through for some decent results potentially.  Plus another KR option in case they really do become very important now.

6th - Cam Little, K - Arkansas:  K.

Heck if i know how to grade a kicker pick.  I just hope he doesn't suck.  I don't love kicker picks in general, and a super young one seems extra volatile and risky voodoo dabbling.  But hey...if he can give them average or better kicking that you don't have to worry about for a few years on that dirt cheap rookie deal, that's exceptional value.  So i guess we'll see.

7th - Myles Cole, DE - Texas Tech:  D.

So far as i can tell, the effectively just drafted a set of extremely long arms that can run really fast in a straight line.  Just doesn't seem to have any real coordination or particular football aptitude.  It's harsh because it's the 7th round and it's really just throwing darts at PFAs you'd like to lock up before you have to bid on them...but it feels like a measuring tape pick rather than a football pick.

 

 

Overall:  B-.

Hard to really weight overall, as nailing the most important pick and picking up extra capital has to play heavily into that.  Plenty of "fine" picks, but not a lot to get really super excited about outside the first.  I think there's also the element of missing the opportunity to actually bundle some of the plethora of Day3 picks they have this year and next, to move up for more "quality" over "quantity".  That's a big missed opportunity imo.  They easily had the capital to go up and grab more from the real "meat" of this draft on Day2.

Overall...just a fairly inoffensive, but underwhelming draft.

[Wyld Stallyns]

Colts 

1-15 Laiatu Latu DE UCLA 

Ballard’s first non project as a pass rusher at DE (Kwity Paye as a pass rusher was a bit of a project meaning he didn’t have any particular moves set, but as a run stopper he was set from Day 1). Latu has 3 set moves from the jump. Getting to draft the first defensive player at no. 15 is shocking. Could start out behind Samson Ebukam but be a heavy rotation guy 

A+ 

2-52 Adonai Mitchell WR Texas 

Could be a perfect compliment to Pittman and Downs at the X spot. Could’ve been a late first round pick or early second but the Colts traded down 6 spots and still got him. 

A

3-82 Matt Goncalves OT Pitt 

Braden Smith is great at RT when healthy. But he is going to miss about 3 or 4 games every year. Blake Freeland was thrust into a starting job last year at both tackle spots and was fine but inexperience shown through. Goncalves can be a swing tackle or even be a replacement for Will Fries at RG down the road. 

B- 

4-117 Tanor Bortolini C Wisconsin 

Colts actually listed him as a G so that makes me wonder about their plans for him. He played all over the Wisconsin line in his time but spent the most recent time at C. Could be Ryan Kelly’s replacement at C, though Kelly has gone on record that he’d like to get an extension done.

B 

5-142 Anthony Gould WR Oregon St

Speedy receiver with return ability, says he expects to return every kick/punt to the house every time. Could be the 6th WR but spend most of his rookie season on special teams returning kicks. 

C+ 

5-151 Jaylin Carlies LB Missouri 

Safety/LB hybrid role that Ronnie Harrison Jr. filled last year and was re-signed for this year as well. Harrison ended up finishing the year playing SS because of injuries to the safety room and the benching of Rodney Thomas 

C 

5-160 Jaylon Simpson CB Auburn 

FS at Auburn who also played NB and Outside CB. The depth at CB is really good despite the top end talent missing. Juju Brents and Dallis Flowers are expected to start on the outside but there is always a chance that Simpson or Jaylon Jones (‘23 7th) could displace Flowers who spent most of 2023 on IR.

C+ 

6-201 Micah Abraham CB Marshall 

Legacy pick, son of Donnie Abraham (Buccaneers and Jets CB) on the smaller side (5’11”) from what the Colts normally go for (5’9” Kenny Moore the obvious exception). It’s going to be an uphill battle for him because of the depth of corners on the roster. His position flexibility could help him make the roster and give him a chance to find a way to get on the field somehow 

C 

7-234 Jonah Laulu DT Oklahoma 

Project who might be a practice squad guy, special teamer at best. Colts interior DL is fairly deep and he is going to be working towards making the team in 2025 more-so then 2024 

C- 

Overall Grade: B-

One possible Day 1 starter (Mitchell) with Latu an outside shot at it. Goncalves and Bortolini are potential starters if/when injuries occur but otherwise future starters. 7/9 are most likely going to make the day 1 roster 

[tyler735]

Saints

Round 1 • Pick 14 (14) • OT Taliese Fuaga- A+

 

Coming into the draft there were few teams with bigger needs than we had on our OL. With Ryan Ramczyk likely being forced to retire with his knee issues, we really needed to bring in a RT. Fuaga was a good value at pick 14 and filled a huge need for us.

 

Round 2 • Pick 9 (41) • CB Kool-Aid McKinstry- A-

 

I feel like this was an excellent value to get Kool-Aid at this spot in the 2nd round. Going into the draft, I thought he was a lock to go in the 1st round. Wasn’t a big need for us, but there are rumors that we might trade Lattimore before the season starts, if that’s the case then this pick is an A+,only knocked down because it’s not a huge need currently.

 

Round 5 • Pick 15 (150) • QB Spencer Rattler- A+
 

I admittedly have been much higher on Spencer Rattler than many, but my post history would show on here that I have been high on him for some time now. I thought he could have gone to a team in the 2nd or 3rd round and it would have been a solid pick. In my Saints mock draft I actually had us trading into the 3rd to grab him. To get him in the 5th is incredible value. I do think he had starter potential and could be the next Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins, Dak Prescott type mid round success story at QB.

 

Round 5 • Pick 35 (170) • WR Bub Means- C+
 

I wanted us to grab a WR in the 5th round, but would have preferred some other options that were still on the board. Seems a bit raw as a route runner, but has a nice size and athletic combo, so maybe he can develop in time.

 

Round 5 • Pick 40 (175) • LB Jaylan Ford- B
 

Very productive while at Texas the past 2 years. Not a huge need, but we will need to find a replacement for Demario Davis in the next couple years. Has a chance to back Davis up on the depth chart and best case scenario take over once Davis retires. Realistically, I think he will slot in as a solid backup LB for us, which is fine at this point in the draft.

 

Round 6 • Pick 23 (199) • DT Khristian Boyd- B+

 

He is another player I had going to the Saints in my mock draft. As a late round prospect, I like his potential to be a contributor for us even if it’s in more of a depth role. 

 

Round 7 • Pick 19 (239) • OT Josiah Ezirim- B

 

I know nothing about the player, but given that it’s a 7th round pick at a position of need, I can’t argue with adding another player to the mix at OL. 

 

Undrafted Free Agent • TE Dallin Holker- A

 

Holker was a player I thought would get drafted in the 5th/6th round. Feel like he was one of the top undrafted free agents. During the draft I really wanted us to add another TE, so I’m pretty happy about bringing in Holker. We’ve had some success over the years with undrafted free agents, I feel like with our current TE’s, he could potentially find a role on our team.

 

Overall, I thought we did a great job of balancing value, and team needs that seemed to coincide well with BPA. Feel like this was one of our better drafts over the past 5 years.

 

Grade- A

Edited April 28 by tyler735

[Hunter2_1]

Drake Maye - A

This depends where you land on him as a prospect. Some people have him closer to Trubisky, some have him closer to Herbert. I’m in the latter camp, so that and our desperate need for a QB, I am over the moon. Our lack of talent around him isnt considered here, grading in a vacuum. 
 

Ja’Lynn Polk - B

a whiff of a reach, but again, we are desperate for this type of player and I think he’s a good’un. We need a WR that can make contested catches and have reliable hands for our new QB.

 

Caedan Wallace -  D

Nope. Apparently he can play “every spot” on the line. Which probably means he can’t play in any spot in the NFL. He’s quite light and athletic, but he’s mostly played at RT - the spot on the line that is actually OK with Onwenu. It’s a classic reach for “need”.

 

Layden Robinson - D

The player we need on the line is a LT. We have so many guards, and many that were drafted recently. Fine, this regime didn’t draft them, but we have 680 guards and Okorafor at LT. Another reach.

 

Javon Baker - A

We needed a WR who can separate, burn past man, get himself open and get up to the ball. I think Baker can do that! Probably our best pick? Great value here too, with most having 3rd round grades.

 

Marcellas Dial - C

Not really sure. Relying on write ups for this one. Seems meh to me. Good physical corner who can slow WRs down that way, but can’t diagnose plays before they happen and can be fooled. 
 

Joe Milton - D

why?

 

Jaheim Bell - B+
 

Love this pick here! Great value. Won’t be used to block, but he’s a piece that Van Pelt can hopefully move around and get creative with. 
 

Overall - C

For me personally, it was a roller coaster draft. Highs and lows. I think it’s going to be a very divisive draft class. Some of us are over the moon, some of us hate it. For me, I’m in the middle.