I’ll go through by pick and give each a grade. The grade is an amalgamation of the prospect grade, the position they were drafted at and the needs of the team. This is the most reactionary shit I’ll get into.
1. Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
Grade: A
They stayed put and made the right pick. Quarterbacks are almost impossible to predict but Burrow is as surefire as they come. Best QB prospect I’ve seen.
2. Washington Redskins: Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State
Grade: A-
Young was the top prospect for most draft analysts, mine was Burrow. Young has all the potential in the world and I hope he delivers but there are still questions. He isn’t as refined as the Bosa brothers but he has a higher ceiling. I’m not 100% convinced he’ll get there but he will provided an immediate impact in Washington.
3. Detroit Lions: Jeffrey Okudah, CB, Ohio State
Grade: A-
Great prospect, but in a deep CB class so I can’t give this a full A. Fulton or Henderson might be the best CB someday or even now though. CB is the most important position on defense and since Slay was traded this was a no brainer pick. They also should have traded down but maybe they couldn’t get a good enough offer from MIA.
4. New York Giants: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia
Grade: A
The top 3 OT prospects are all really close for me. If you like Thomas over Willis then I’m fine with it. I also get not drafting Wirfs because he isn’t as pro ready as the others and has obvious flaws but plenty of potential.
5. Miami Dolphins (via DET): Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
Grade: A+
Could be the best QB in the draft and they didn’t have to trade up for him. Hard to not call them a winner here.
6. Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
Grade: C-
I get that QB was the most needy position on their roster but Herbert is a second round pick at best. At this point in their careers Tyrod is better so they don’t get an immediate impact on offense like they would with an OL or Jeudy. I just really don’t like this pick.
7. Carolina Panthers: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn
Grade: A
Brown could have been a top 3 pick. I love him as a prospect. Panthers fans should be grateful their team didn’t all for the SImmons trap and instead took the better prospect for what I’ve been calling a “One Year Rebuild” or a “Matt Rhule Rebuild”.
8. Arizona Cardinals: Isaiah Simmons, LB/S, Clemson
Grade: C-
I really wanted to give this a D or a D+ but I guess I want to save my ass in case Simmons is good. I just don’t like him as a prospect he’s a “jack of all trades, master of none”. He logged about 200 snaps at like 4 different positions and he looked the best as a 3/4 blitzing linebacker who can cover. Could be an intriguing guy at that position but almost anywhere else I’m out on him.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars: C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida
Grade: B
The Jags needed to replace Ramsey and I was torn between Henderson and Fulton (it’s possible they get both lol). I know the memes about how “he can’t tackle it’s not a big deal” but it’s really obvious on film he shys away from it in the vein of Antonio Cromartie and that’s a problem for me. But his coverage skills are as good as Cromartie’s lol. He’s basically Cromartie. I couldn’t give this a higher grade because it felt a little early for Henderson in a deep CB class.
10. Cleveland Browns: Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama
Grade: A
Really surprised no one traded up for a tackle so far. Wills is ready to go now and can help turn the Browns into a contender. Love this pick.
11. New York Jets: Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville
Grade: B
Becton is a goddamn beast but raw af. I would rather Wirfs here but Becton is a mauler. Teams were obviously going fall in love him and the Jets did so good for them. I think they should have gone WR or different OL but this is fine. Jeudy would have been my pick though.
12. Las Vegas Raiders (via CAR): Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama
Grade: D
The ghost of Al Davis made this pick right? I know I’ve said Ruggs isn’t exactly like Heyward-Bey but he’s the closest receiver to him in this draft. Anyway Ruggs has bust written all over him (he wasn’t even the best receiver on his college team) and was like the 6th receiver on my big board. Horrible pick considering the guys they could have had.
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa
Grade: A-
I don’t know why they traded up one pick when it was obvious to me (I predicted this) that the 49ers were going to take Kinlaw with their first pick in the draft. If they didn’t trade this possibly would have been an A, maybe. Buccs needed to address their secondary or o-lineman and they did it here with a top 3 OL so I’m happy with this pick.
14. San Francisco 49ers: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina
Grade: A
Love this pick, they just replaced Buckner with a stud at a much lower price point. Love this, love this, love this.
15. Denver Broncos: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama
Grade: A+
The best pick of the draft holy fuck how did he fall this far? Jeudy is the best receiver in this draft and the fact that he fell to 15 is going to make every team that passed up on him (especially SF, NYJ, NYG, LAC) regret it. Go Broncos.
16. Atlanta Falcons: A. J. Terrell, CB, Clemson
Grade: B
I didn’t have a first round grade on him but the Falcons need help on their defense and CB is the most important position so this makes sense to me. I would rather have Fulton or Arnette at this point but Terrell is a good player in his own right. Not super sold on this.
17. Dallas Cowboys: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma
Grade: B+
Honestly I’m warming up to CeeDee but only because he landed in the perfect spot. Lamb can easily slot into the Cobb role for this offense as the 3rd WR. It’s almost too perfect, good on Dallas.
18. Miami Dolphins: Austin Jackson, OT, USC
Grade: A-
I think I would have gone Ruiz here but Jackson is a good pick. Time to protect Tua. Replacing Tunsil with Jackson is smart considering this team is going through a rebuild and they probably didn’t want to pay Tunsil. I get it.
19. Las Vegas Raiders: Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State
Grade: A-
If you’ve seen my mock drafts you know I love Arnette but I thought he would be a second round pick. I want to give this a higher grade but I feel like they could have waited to take him. Likely the best pick the Raiders will make all year.
20. Jacksonville Jaguars: K'Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, LSU
Grade: B
Looks like the Jags will switch to a 3/4 with Allen and Chaisson now. Interesting. Chaisson will be the Yan replacement and that’s fine. I’m not super high on a lot of these edge/de guys but this was need for the Jags and they addressed it.
21. Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU
Grade: C-
With Jefferson, Pittman, Higgins and Mims all on the board this is a reach. I guess he can be a DeSean replacement next year. Eagles striking out again at WR this year is a mega yikes.
22. Minnesota Vikings: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU
Grade: A
Really good pick here, one my top receivers in the draft. Replacing Diggs with a cheaper option and pairing him with Thielen and Olabisi Johnson is a stroke of genius. If Jefferson can be as good as he was at LSU this receiver group might have actually gotten better after this offseason.
23. Los Angeles Chargers: Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma
Grade: A-
Great trade, the Chargers needed another linebacker (that’s why I though they were going to take Simmons) and Murray was my number 1 guy. He’s flashed so much in college and while he isn’t a polished product he’s already on a great defense. Hopefully that will ease his transition into the NFL.
24. New Orleans Saints: Cesar Ruiz, C, Michigan
Grade: A-
The Saints don’t really have a lot of holes but they do have old lineman. This pick makes a lot of sense. I just can’t give this an A because I’m not 100% sold on the prospect.
25. San Francisco 49ers: Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State
Grade: D+
There are better WR out there and I don’t even think this is the biggest need for the 49ers. I dislike almost everything about this selection especially the fact that they had to trade up to do it.
26. Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love, QB, Utah
Grade: B+
People are going to hate this pick and ignore the last time the Packers took a first round QB when they already had a future hall of famer as their starter. How did that work out for them? Love is a project but he is going to be a star. As long as he sits behind Rodgers for a few years the Packers are yet again going to be set at QB for years to come. Genius move especially when there are guys like Pittman, Higgins, Mims and Hamler out there still.
27. Seattle Seahawks: Jordyn Brooks, LB, Texas Tech
Grade: C-
This is a reach, anyone who tells you different is an idiot. I liked him as a 3rd round guy in the same breath as Malik Harrison but 1st round is really odd.
28. Baltimore Ravens: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU
Grade: B+
The Ravens just lucked into the most polished LB in the draft. The Ravens need OL reinforcements but taking BPA when you already have a great roster is a smart move. The Ravens continue to kill it at drafting.
29. Tennessee Titans: Isaiah Wilson, OT, Georgia
Grade: B
Had a second round grade on Wilson, but the Titan’s need to replace Jack Conklin. They have to keep Tannehill upright and they have to win in the trenches for Henry so going hard on OL is must for Tenn. I think I would rather taken Josh Jones or Ezra Cleveland for the Titans but I’m not going to give them a bad grade for a good prospect at a position of need.
30. Miami Dolphins: Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn
Grade: C-
A reach at a position where they are paying a combined like 40 mil per year at is odd. Why did Miami do this? I guess you can never have too many good CBs but there are other holes they should have filled with guys like Antoine Winfield Jr. or A.J. Epenesa. Igbinoghene is a fine prospect but there are also other CBs I’d rather have.
31. Minnesota Vikings: Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU
Grade: C-
Glad they moved back to take this pick but Fulton is still on the board, how do you pass up on him? I’m so confused rn. The Vikings need CB help but this feels like another prospect that is going to fail out of Minn.
32. Kansas City Chiefs: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, LSU
Grade: B
Probably the only RB outside of D'Andre Swift that deserved to be a first round pick. The Chiefs offense just keeps getting scarier. I’d rather them take another WR like Pittman or Mimms tho.