My NFL Draft grades

By: Justin Villarreal

(Note: this will be just analyzing the biggest draft selections each team made and not every single selection made by every single team)

Chicago Bears: C

The Chicago Bears had a pretty average NFL draft. The highlight of their draft class was Tennessee tackle Darnell Wright who they took 10th overall. Wright didn’t allow a single sack last year while playing in the SEC. Another player from this Bear’s draft class that sticks out is Cincinnati receiver Tyler Scott. This was an excellent middle rounds selection by the Bear’s as Scott is a speedy receiver who has a very similar playing style to current Bear’s receiver Darnell Mooney. One of the most interesting selections the Bear’s made was selecting Oregon linebacker Noah Sewell. The Bears already have a pretty solidified linebacking core after the splashes they made in free agency ,so drafting a linebacker was pretty shocking. There have been some rumors that the Bears could potentially move Sewell into becoming an edge rusher.

Houston Texans: B-

The Texans took Ohio State QB CJ Stroud with the second overall pick and then made the most shocking move of the draft when they traded up for Arizona’s 3rd overall pick and took Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson. This was an extremely bold move by the Texans ,as they gave up a lot to go out and get Will Anderson ,but both Stroud and Anderson have the potential to become star players for Houston. The Texans also got Houston receiver Tank Dell. There have been some rumors that Stroud requested the Texans front office draft Tank Dell and Houston fulfilled their future franchise QB’s wish. Overall, the Texans got pieces all across the field that will set

up their team for success in future years ,but paid a pretty hefty price to be able to get Will Anderson from the Arizona Cardinals.

Philadelphia Eagles: A+

The Eagles came out of this draft with a handful of Georgia players. They drafted Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith in the first round and Kelee Ringo in the 3rd round as well as trading for Lions running back and former Georgia Bulldog DeAndre Swift. Philly added lots of talent to a team that was arguably the most talented roster in the league.

Arizona Cardinals: A+

The Cardinals came away as quiet winners of this year’s draft. The Cardinals set themselves up for lots of success in next year’s star studded draft while also getting a franchise offensive tackle in this draft with the selection of Paris Johnson. Outside of getting a franchise Cornerstone in Paris Johnson , the cardinals added a great pass rusher in BJ Ojulari from LSU.

Seattle Seahawks: A-

The Seattle Seahawks had a very good draft. Seattle added talent all over the field. Seattle came away with corner Devon Witherspoon and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba in round 1. In round 2 the Seahawks added UCLA star running back Zach Charbonet. In round 5 Seattle drafted one of the most underrated interior offensive linemen in Michigan center Olu Oluwatimi. The Seahawks also added running stopping Michigan defensive linemen Mike Morris in round 5.

New England Patriots: A-

The Patriots added lots of talent to their team. By far the best selection the Patriots made was drafting Oregon corner Christian Gonzalez at pick 17. Gonzalez is the best corner from this draft and New England came away with a huge win being able to get him at 17. In the 2nd round, the Patriots got Georgia Tech edge rusher Keion White. The Patriots also added Maryland kicker Chad Ryland ,who was one of the best kickers in college football last year, in the 4th round. The Patriots bolstered their offensive linemen in round 4 with the selections of Troy center Jake Andrews and Eastern Michigan guard Sidy Sow. In round 6, New England added an extremely talented wide receiver in Kayshon Boutte out of LSU.

Pittsburgh Steelers: C

The Steelers had a very top heavy draft. In round 1 they got Georgia lineman Broedrick Jones and with the 1st pick in round 2 they got Penn State corner Joey Porter Jr ,who’s dad also played for the Steelers. In round 3, the Steelers added Georgia tight end Darnell Washington.

Dallas Cowboys: B+

The Cowboys had a pretty good draft overall. Their first round pick Mazi Smith from Michigan got a lot of criticism ,but I think Mazi Smith was a good pick for Dallas. The Cowboys are getting a great running stuffing defensive linemen in Mazi Smith. In round 2 the Cowboys drafted Luke Schoonmaker ,who also played at Michigan. Schoonmaker at pick 58 was a bit of a reach ,but he has the potential to be a pretty good player nonetheless. The Cowboys had the story of the draft when they drafted Deuce Vaughn ,who’s dad is a scout for the Cowboys, with their late sixth round pick. Vaughn has a very similar play style to former Eagles running back Darren Sproles and former Bears running back Tarik Cohen.

San Francisco 49ers: B-

The 49ers didn’t have a 1st round or 2nd round pick ,but still had a pretty solid draft. The 49ers got Michigan kicker Jake Moody and Alabama tight end Cameron Latu. Moody was a great selection for San Fran as they are replacing Robbie Gould with someone equally as talented in Jake Moody. Latu is a solid tight end that will add depth to the tight end position behind George Kittle. The 49ers got the steal of the draft late in the 7th round with their selection of Ronnie Bell out of Michigan. Bell is a speedy receiver that can be a good slot receiver for San Francisco right away and can make an immediate impact on the offense.

Los Angeles Rams: F

The Rams didn’t have many picks in the NFL draft and made bad selections with the picks they did have. The Rams took Georgia QB Stetson Bennett in round 4 when he was a 7th round prospect at best. The worst part of this selection by the Rams is that there were better QB prospects available at the time they made this selection. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Tanner McKee, and Max Duggan were all still available at the time when the Rams made this pick. The Rams drafted punter Ethan Evans which was a bad selection considering arguably the best punter in this draft Adam Korsak was still on the board. This Rams draft class can best be summed up with them passing on talents for inferior talents at the same position.

Minnesota Vikings: C+

Minnesota had a lot of holes to fill ,especially on the defensive side of the ball, and not many picks to work with ,but despite this fact the Vikings still came away with a decent draft class. In

round 1 the Vikings got USC receiver Jordan Addison. This was a good selection by the Vikings as Addison should be a good complementary piece to Justin Jefferson. With their next picks, Minnesota got USC corner Mekhi Blackmon in round 3 and LSU corner Jay Ward in round 4. These two picks were good picks by Minnesota as their secondary was arguably their biggest need. Minnesota also drafted BYU QB Jaren Hall. This was a smart selection by Minnesota as their QB situation is unclear after this season with aging QB Kirk Cousins expected to be a free agent after this year. Minnesota also did amazing with their undrafted free agent signings. The Vikings signed Cincinnati linebacker Ivan Pace and Army linebacker Andre Carter. Both should’ve been drafted and could play a significant role on the Vikings. Minnesota also signed Georgia kicker Jack Podlensy who could be the Vikings kicker next year.

Detroit Lions: C-

The Lions made some both good selections and some questionable selections. In the first round, Detroit selected Alabama running back Jaymr Gibbs. 12th overall was way too high to select Gibbs. At pick 18 the Lions selected Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell. This was a solid selection for Detroit as Campbell has the potential to be a really solid linebacker for many years to come. In round 2 Detroit selected Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta. This was yet another solid selection by Detroit as LaPorta can start right away for the Lions. The Lions also selected Alabama DB Brian Branch. This was a great pick up by the Lions as Branch is an extremely versatile DB. In round 3 the Lions selected Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker. This has the potential to be a great pick by Detroit if Hooker is as good in the NFl as he was in college.

Green Bay Packers: C+

The Packers picked Iowa edge rusher Lukas Van Ness with the 13th pick. 13 was slightly higher than the range Van Ness was expected to be drafted in and Green Bay could’ve used an offensive player for their young QB instead of a defensive player in round 1. Despite not going with offense in round 1 the Packers were still able to add a lot of great pieces to their offense in this draft. Green Bay added two really good receivers in Michigan State receiver Jayden Reed and Virginia receiver Dontayvion Wicks. Green Bay also added Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave. All three of these players will most likely have big impacts on Green Bay’s offense next year. By far one of the worst moves made by any team in this draft was when Green Bay drafted Sean Clifford in round 5. It was a massive reach by the Packers as Clifford wasn’t expected to be drafted at all and Green Bay took him in round 5.

Cincinnati Bengals B-:

The Bengals had a really solid draft. The Bengals selected Clemson edge rusher Myles Murphy. This was a questionable move by the Bengals as they have two really good edge rushers in Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard each under contract for at least the next two years. Murphy will most likely be used as a rotational piece given the fact the Bengals are already set at edge. In round 2 the Bengals got Michigan corner DJ Turner. This was a great selection as Turner was one of the most talented corners in this year's draft. The Bengals continued to add to their secondary with the selection of Alabama safety Jordan Battle. Safety was a much needed position for the Bengals after losing both their starting safeties in free agency ,so this was a great pick. In round 5 the Bengals selected Illinois running back Chase Brown. This was a great selection for the Bengals as Brown was one of the most talented running backs in the draft.

New Orleans Saints B+:

In round 1 the Saints selected Clemson DL Bryan Breeese. This was an excellent pick by the Saints as Breese was one of the most underrated defensive linemen in this year’s draft class and could have a great impact for the Saints next year. In the 6th round the Saints got Wake Forest receiver AT Perry. This was an amazing selection by the Saints as AT Perry is a great talent at receiver.

New York Giants: B+

The Giants added multiple players who can help them out right away in this draft. In round 1 they got Maryland corner Deonte Banks. This was a decent selection. In round 2 the Giants got Jon Micheal Schmitz who could start right away for the Giants. In round 3 the Giants got Tennessee receiver Jalin Hyatt. This was yet another great selection by the Giants. In round 5 the Giants selected Oklahoma running back Eric Gray. This was a great selection by the Giants as Gray is one of the most underrated running backs in this draft.

LA Chargers: B-

The Chargers added a lot of talent to their roster in this draft. In round 1 they got TCU receiver Quetin Johnston. This was a pretty good pick by the Chargers. In round 2 the Chargers got USC edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu. This was a great pick as the Chargers added a pretty good pass rusher. The Chargers added another TCU as they drafted Derius Davis in round 4. Davis could be a really good depth piece at receiver for the Chargers. In round 7 the Chargers got TCU QB Max Duggan. This was a great pick by the Chargers as Duggan will be a really good backup QB for the Chargers in the event that Justin Herbert were to ever get injured.

Indianapolis Colts: C+

The Colts drafted Anthony Richardson with the 4th overall pick in the draft. Richardson is a QB people have often described as being a guy who needs to sit for a year or two before starting due to how raw he is as a prospect ,but he will most likely start right away in Indy. Richardson has the highest potential out of every QB in this draft class ,but only time will tell if he is able to live up to that sky high potential. In round 3 the Colts drafted Josh Downs. I like this pick by the Colts because this pick adds depth to an already good Colts receiver core for their young QB. In round 4 the Colts got BYU offensive tackle Blake Freeland. This was a great pick by the Colts as Freeland is one of the most physically gifted linemen in this draft which can help turn him into a long time starter in Indy. In round 4 the Colts also got Northwestern defensive end Adetomia Adebawore who has the potential to be a really good d-linemen in Indy. In round 5 the Colts drafted Maimi tight end Will Mallory. This was a good pick by the Colts because Mallory has the potential to be someone who can be a long time starter at tight end in Indy. The Colts also got Northwestern running back Evan Hull. This was a great pickup by the Colts as Hull has an ability to break tackles similar to Jonathan Taylor. Hull and Taylor will fit together perfectly in the backfield which is why this is such a great pick by the Colts.

Tennessee Titans: A-

The Titans got Northwestern lineman Peter Skoroski. This was a great pick as Skoronski should be a really good lineman in the NFL for many years. In round 2 the Titans got Kentucky QB Will Levis. This was a great selection as Levis has potential to be the Titans starting QB one day. In round 3 the Titans got Tulane running back Tayjae Spears. This is a great pick as Spears will be a very good RB2 behind Derek Henry in Tennessee next year.

Carolina Panthers: B+

The Panthers selected former Heisman award winner and Alabama QB Bryce Young with the first overall pick in the draft. Young was the consensus best QB in this draft class so this was a good selection by Carolina. In the 2nd round the Panthers went out and got Ole Miss receiver Jonathan Mingo. This was a great selection by the Panthers as they get their new QB a young receiver to throw the ball to for many years to come. In round 4, the Panthers added to their offense by drafting NC State guard Chandler Zavala. This was a great selection as Carolina gets someone who can help protect their new franchise QB.

Cleveland Browns: A-

The Browns didn’t have a single pick in the 1st two rounds of the draft ,but that didn’t stop them from adding lots of talent to their team. In round 4 the Browns added Ohio State tackle Dawand Jones to their team. This was an excellent selection by Cleveland as they added an extremely physically gifted offensive tackle in Jones. In round 6 the Browns added another Ohio State lineman in center Luke Wypler. This was yet another great selection by Cleveland as Wypler is someone who can eventually start for the Browns despite being a late round pick. Cleveland made one of the most interesting selections in the entire draft when they selected UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson. DTR is a very talented QB prospect ,but his talent won’t be seen in Cleveland behind Deshuan Watson who is the clear starter for the Browns. DTR is a solid backup for Watson ,but his true potential will never be seen in Cleveland.

Jacksonville Jaguars: B+

The Jaguars selected Oklahoma tackle Anton Harrison. This was an excellent selection by the Jaguars as they replaced Jawan Taylor — who they lost in free agency. In the 3rd round the Jaguars got Auburn running back Tank Bigsby. This was yet again another great pick by the Jaguars as Bigsby is a good running back. In round 6 the Jaguars got a speedy receiver in Parker Washington from Penn State. This was a good pick by the Jags as Washington can develop into a decent slot receiver for Jacksonville.

Washington Commanders: C-

The Washington Commanders made the biggest mistake in the draft when they passed on Christian Gonzlez in favor of Mississippi State corner Emmanuel Forbes. This will go down as being similar to when the Eagles passed on Justin Jefferson in favor of Jalen Raegor in the 2020 NFL draft. The Commanders added to their secondary in round 2 with the addition of Illinois safety Jartavius Martin. This was a decent pick up for Washington. In round 5 the Commanders added Clemson edge rusher KJ Henry. This was an excellent pickup by Washington as Henry has the potential to be a really good pass rusher in the NFL. The Commanders picked up Kentucky running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. This was an amazing pick up for Washington as Rodriguez is an immensely talented running back.

Baltimore Ravens: C-

The biggest position group the Ravens improved on in this draft was their linebacking core. The Ravens picked up Clemson linebacker Trent Simpson in round 3. This was a decent pickup by Baltimore. The Ravens added to their linebacking core with the addition of Ole Miss linebacker Tavius Robinson. This was yet another decent pickup by Baltimore.

The Falcons draft will be remembered for Atlanta taking Texas running back Bijan Robinson 8th overall. The Falcons already had a very good running game and essentially wasted a top 10 draft pick on a position of strength. The only other notable draft pick Atlanta made was Ohio State defensive end Zach Harrison.

Las Vegas Raiders: B-

Vegas had a pretty good draft. Vegas got Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson with the 7th pick in the draft. This was a good selection as the Raiders got someone who has the potential to eventually lead their team in sacks every season. In round 2 the Raiders got Notre Dame tight end Micheal Mayer. This was an amazing selection by the Raiders as they replaced Darren Waller with a talented and young tight end in Mayer. In round 3 the Raiders added a speedy receiver in Tre Tucker from Cincinnati. This was a good move by Vegas as Tucker has the potential to contribute right away as a slot receiver. In round 4 the Raiders added Purdue QB Aidan O’Connell. This was a great selection by the Raiders as O’Connell has the talent to be a starter in the NFL in a year or two. If Jimmy G isn’t playing well or goes down with an injury the Raiders will be just fine at QB with O’Connell.

Tampa Bay Bucaneers: D+

The Bucaneers had a very lackluster NFL draft. In round 1 they got Pitt defensive tackle Calijah Kancey. This was a reach by the Bucs as Kancey was more of a round 2 talent then round 1. In round 2 the Bucaneers got North Dakota State offensive tackle Cody Mauch. This was an excellent selection by the Bucs as Mauch was arguably the most underrated offensive tackle prospect in this draft. Mauch has the potential to be a starting tackle for the Bucs for many years

to come. In round 5 the Bucaneers got one of my favorite prospects in this entire draft in Purdue tight end Payne Durham. This was a great selection as Durham will be an amazing tight end in the NFL and has a very versatile skill set.

New York Jets: D+

The Jets had a very lackluster NFL draft. In round 1 they got Iowa State edge rusher Will McDonald IV. This was a reach by the Jets as McDonald was more of a round 2 talent then a round 1 talent. In round 2 the Jets got Wiscosin center Joe Tipppman. This was a great selection by the Jets as Tippman was one of the best center prospects in this draft. The Jets continued to add to their offensive line with the addition of Pitt offensive tackle Carter Warren. The Jets building a young offensive line around new QB Aaron Rodgers is smart which is why I like this selection for the Jets.

Denver Broncos: B-

The Broncos made their first pick in round 2 when they selected Oklahoma receiver Marvin Mims. This was a good selection by the Broncos as Mims is a speedy receiver. Mims could be the Broncos starting slot receiver this upcoming season. In round 3 the Broncos got Arkanas linebacker Drew Sanders. This was a great selection by the Broncos as Sanders is a hard hitting linebacker who is good against the run. The Broncos also got Iowa corner Riley Moss in round 3. This was a good selection by Denver as Moss has great ball skills.

Kansas City Cheifs: C

The defending super bowl champs had a pretty ok draft. In round 1 they got Kanas State defesinve linemen Felix Anudike-Uzomah. In round 2 the Cheifs got SMU receiver Rashee Rice. This is a great selection by the Chiefs as they needed a receiver and got one with this pick. Rice will likely make an immediate impact for the Cheifs this upcoming season. In round 3 the Cheifs got Oklahoma offensive tackle Wayna Morris. This was a great selection by the Cheifs as protecting star QB Patrick Mahomes is top priority and this pick helps them do that. In round 5 the Cheifs got edge rusher NJ Thompson from Stephen F. Austin university. This was an excellent selection for KC as Thompson is a great edge rusher.

Miami Dolphins: A

The Dolphins had a pretty good NFL draft. In round 2 the Dolphins got South Carolina corner Cam Smith. This was a great selection as Cam Smith easily could’ve gone in round 1. In round 6 the Dolphins got Stanford receiver Elijah Higgins. This was a great selection as Higgins is a big target who is a deep ball threat at reciever. In round 7 the Dolphins got Michigan offensive tackle Ryan Hayes. This was an excellent selection as Hayes was a part of the best line the past two years in college football at Michigan. Hayes is an extremely talented linemen and the Dolphins got an absolute steal drafting him in round 7.

Buffalo Bills: C

The only notable move the Bills made in the draft was with their first round pick. The Bills got Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid in round 1. This is a great pick as Kincaid is a perfect fit for the Bills system.