GRADING EACH NFL DRAFT PICK FROM ROUND ONE
Pick 1: Browns select Myles Garrett, DE – Texas A&M
Garrett is the best player in the draft, and if the Browns didn’t take him here, it would be a major gaffe. Garrett is the explosive pass rusher that the Browns needed, and while he isn’t a quarterback, he fills a major need.
Grade: A
Pick 2: Bears trade up to select Mitch Trubisky, QB – North Carolina
The Bears gave up two threes and a fourth to swap picks with the 49ers and trade up one spot and draft a quarterback that didn’t deserve to be drafted in the top ten. Trubisky only started one year in college, and I see him ending up being a backup for life, and they draft him just after signing Mike Glennon. Awful move.
Grade: F
Pick 3: 49ers trade down and select Solomon Thomas, DE – Stanford
John Lynch had a great draft, he got two thirds and a fourth from the Bears, and still got the prospect that he wanted. The fact that San Francisco has had to go defensive line three years in a row is a little worrying for 49ers fans, but this was the right pick. Thomas can play inside and edge, and will be disrupting quarterbacks for years to come.
Grade: A
Pick 4: Jaguars select Leonard Fournette, RB – LSU
I’m not a fan of taking runningbacks in the top ten, but Leonard Fournette is the prospect of a generation, he’s fast, but he is also built like a horse. He can juke someone out with his speed, or run them over with his power. I still think the Jags should have gone defense, but Fournette provides a face of the franchise.
Grade: B
Pick 5: Titans select Corey Davis, WR – Western Michigan
Davis is good player, and he fills a need, but this was too early for him. I had Davis as a mid-to-late first rounder, so going at #5 overall is a reach. Davis has good speed, and he gives Mariota a weapon, but he has injury problems, and Mike Williams is the better overall player.
Grade: C+
Pick 6: Jets select Jamal Adams, SS – LSU
I had the Jets taking Jamal Adams in my mock draft, so obviously I agree with this pick. Adams fills a need as a play-maker in the secondary, he can cover the run and pass, and he has some size to cover bigger targets. He was the best available player, and he will make an impact immediately.
Grade: A-
Pick 7: Chargers select Mike Williams, WR – Clemson
Mike Williams is a great player. He’s got size and he is the best receiver in the draft, with Keenan Allen getting older, Williams provides a receiver for the future. But. Malik Hooker was on the board, and the Chargers needed a defensive back more than another receiver.
Grade: B-
Pick 8: Panthers select Christian McCaffery, RB – Stanford
I’ve said it before, I don’t like runningbacks in the top 10-15 of the draft. McCaffery is great but, how much better is he then a Dalvin Cook or a Joe Mixon that you could take fourty picks later?
Grade: C-
Pick 9: Bengals select John Ross, WR – Washington
John Ross can fly, everybody knows that, but he has had injury problems in the past. He will help take coverage off of AJ Green, but Malik Hooker was still available, and Hooker fills a need better than John Ross.
Grade: C
Pick 10: Chiefs trade up to select Patrick Mahomes II, QB – Texas Tech
The Chiefs gave up a 3rd and a 2018 1st to trade up 17 spots to grab Pat Mahomes at number 10. Mahomes will definitely sit for a year behind Alex Smith. Mahomes’ accuracy isn’t the best, but he has a monster arm. It was a major risk to give up that much for a QB that will be a project, we’ll see if it pays off.
Grade: B-
Pick 11: Saints select Marshon Lattimore, CB – Ohio State
The Saints’ defense has been terrible, and they specifically needed a corner, and somehow, Marshon Lattimore fell to them. I (and most) thought Lattimore would go in the top six picks, so getting him at 11 is a good value. Lattimore has size and athleticism, and the Saints benefitted from some questionable decisions ahead of them.
Grade: A
Pick 12: Texans trade up to select Deshaun Watson, QB – Clemson
The Texans gave up a 2018 1st rounder to trade up 13 spots for Deshaun Watson. The Texans needed a quarterback bad. I thought Pat Mahomes might fall to them at 25, but once the Chiefs traded up for him, the Texans panicked. Watson is a winner, and he will contribute immediately, but he threw a lot of interceptions at Clemson, and I don’t know if it was worth it to trade up.
Grade: C
Pick 13: Cardinals select Haason Reddick, OLB – Temple
Reddick will make an impact on day one for Arizona. They needed a linebacker badly, and Reddick can stuff the run, blitz on late downs, and even play coverage better than most linebackers. Reddick has a great story of being a walk-on for Temple, and he can be a good face for the Cardinals too.
Grade: A-
Pick 14: Eagles select Derek Barnett, DE – Tennessee
I had Barnett at 9 to Cincinnati, which was higher than most. He might be the best pass rusher in the draft, he has some weakness against the run, but that can be easily avoided by putting him out at edge. A solid pick for an Eagles defense that needed help.
Grade: B+
Pick 15: Colts select Malik Hooker, FS – Ohio State
How did Malik Hooker fall to pick 15? I had him as a top-five talent. He is a rangy safety that has drawn comparisons to Earl Thomas and Ed Reed. Hooker had seven interceptions last year, and this was the perfect pick by the Colts.
Grade: A+
Pick 16: Ravens select Marlon Humphrey, CB – Alabama
In my mock draft I had the Ravens going O-Line in Round 1, but they needed help in the secondary, and Humphrey makes sense. Not a flashy pick, but not bad either.
Grade: B
Pick 17: Redskins select Jonathan Allen, DE – Alabama
In my mock I had Jonathan Allen lower than most, and as I expected he fell down the draft board because of shoulder problems. Allen was the best player in college football last year, and as long as he can stay healthy, the Redskins got a difference maker for years to come.
Grade: A
Pick 18: Titans select Adoree Jackson, CB – USC
Not a big fan of this pick. Jackson is a good player, really fast, but his coverage is pretty weak for a first round selection. He will probably play returnman for a few years as he develops as a corner.
Grade: B-
Pick 19: Buccaneers select OJ Howard, TE – Alabama
Had Howard been off the board as expected, the Buccs probably would’ve gone with Dalvin Cook here, but since Howard was still here, it’s an easy pick. Howard is the best tight end prospect in years, and he will give Jameis Winston a good target.
Grade: A
Pick 20: Broncos select Garrett Bolles, T – Utah
I had Bolles to the Broncos in my mock draft, it makes sense. The Broncos’ offensive line has been abysmal, and Bolles is an athletic tackle, that could even shift inside and pull. He will be an instant starter for Denver.
Grade: B+
Pick 21: Lions select Jarrad Davis, LB – Florida
This avoids a really bad grade because it fills a need, but with Takkarist McKinley and Reuben Foster still on the board, I don’t like this pick by the Lions. Davis has the raw talent, and is good against the run, but his coverage is average for a 1st round pick.
Grade: C+
Pick 22: Dolphins select Charles Harris, DE – Missouri
Charles Harris is a young pass-rusher to supplement Miami’s older front seven. He had a weak combine, but he can get after the quarterback, and will be a difference maker in his rookie year.
Grade: B
Pick 23: Giants select Evan Engram, TE – Ole Miss
This year’s tight end class is stacked, but Engram was an mid-early 2nd-round talent in my opinion, he’s a good pass catcher and can provide Eli Manning with a good target, but his blocking isn’t good, and David Njoku is a better player.
Grade: C+
Pick 24: Raiders select Gareon Conley, CB – Ohio State
This is a risk for the Raiders to take someone with the very serious baggage that Gareon Conley does. For the Raiders to use a 1st round pick on him they must have done their homework, Conley is a great player that fills the Raiders need at corner.
Grade: B+ if he’s innocent, F- if he’s not
Pick 25: Browns trade down and select Jabrill Peppers, SS – Michigan
Peppers is the most versatile player in the draft. He can play a multitude of positions, from safety to corner to linebacker to kick returner. He will be able to plug and play somewhere on Day 1 for Cleveland, and the Browns scored a 2018 1st rounder out of the deal to trade down here.
Grade: B+
Pick 26: Falcons trade up to select Takkarist McKinley, OLB – UCLA
McKinley had a great speech after being drafted, and he is an explosive edge rusher that will put pressure on the quarterback. BUT. He had reconstructive shoulder surgery after the combine, and won’t be able to play at the beginning of the season, I don’t think you trade up for an injured player.
Grade: B
Pick 27: Bills trade down and select Tre’Davious White, CB – LSU
White will start at nickel or dime this year for Buffalo (and maybe punt returner too) The Bills also scored a three and a 2018 1st out of a trade with the Chiefs, which bumps up this grade a little bit.
Grade: B+
Pick 28: Cowboys select Taco Charlton, DE – Michigan
Edge rusher might not have been the Cowboys biggest need, but they could not pass on a rusher as good as Taco Charlton. Charlton proved he could get after the quarterback last year at Michigan, and while he is inexperienced, he has the talent to succeed.
Grade: A-
Pick 29: Browns trade up to select David Njoku, TE – Miami
The Browns only had to give up one 4th rounder to trade up here, but I like the pick. Njoku is raw and needs some coaching with his blocking, but he has incredible size and speed. Njoku has the potential to be a stud, and with some coaching he can be.
Grade: B+
Pick 30: Steelers select TJ Watt, OLB – Wisconsin
Watt put up crazy stats at Wisconsin, and not only does he fill a need, he is a great fit for the Steelers orginazation. He still needs some development, but he should be a good edge rusher in a few years.
Grade: B+
Pick 31: 49ers trade up to select Reuben Foster, ILB – Alabama
The 49ers had the best draft of any team, here they give up a fourth rounder to trade up a few spots and take Reuben Foster, a player with top-10 talent. Foster has injury concerns, but he is everything you could want from a inside linebacker. He has speed, toughness, and has drawn comparisons to Ed Reed.
Grade: A+
Pick 32: Saints select Ryan Ramczyk, OT – Wisconsin
Ramczyk is a great player, he probably should have been drafted higher, but this pick doesn’t make sense. Tackle wasn’t a big need for New Orleans, they should’ve gone defense, and he might not even start day one, certainly not at left tackle. Ramczyk also has injury problems, and this pick seems like a panic move once they realized Reuben Foster was gone.]
Grade: C