USA TODAY International Edition
TOO EARLY TO TELL?
NFL draft grades: Bears and Jets among best team classes while Raiders among worst
Welp, it’s about that time ... when I reluctantly break out the red pencil – not pen – to assign reactionary grades to the just- completed NFL draft.
It’s an annual exercise in futility, any draft needing roughly three years to be fairly evaluated. Heck, it was only 2018 when the Cardinals seemed to be sitting pretty with their new Josh Rosen- to- Christian Kirk connection ... or the Jets lucked into Sam Darnold as their latest savior. Alas.
But first impressions are what they are – we’ll call them grades if we must – and who am I to not give the people what they want? ( However, let’s strive to pull back for a big- picture look at each club’s draft rather than judging them in a vacuum that doesn’t include trades and other considerations that more accurately frame each haul.)
With that, here are your ridiculously premature 2021 NFL draft grades, with team classes ranked from best to worst:
Jaguars: Hard not to roll the eyes when you hear new coach Urban Meyer bloviate about all the research they invested in No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence ... but sure, cross your T’s and dot your I’s, coach.
End of the day, even if the only prerequisite to obtain Lawrence was
going 1- 15, getting a generational prospect like the Clemson star pretty much makes this a near- perfect draft with the subsequent picks serving as gravy – even if the gravy here is scrumptious. As for Lawrence? He seems uniquely suited to elevate this franchise in the win column and at the gate with the persona to handle such pressure even at 21.
Keeping first- round RB Travis Etienne, another Clemson product, teamed with Lawrence makes perfect sense, while second- round OT Walker Little and third- round S Andre Cisco have significant upside if fully healthy. Second- round CB Tyson Campbell has great physical traits but needs to polish his football skills ... but, again, gravy. Grade: A+
Jets: This draft will ultimately be defined by whatever success No. 2 pick Zach Wilson has compared to what Darnold, now a member of the Panthers, does with a bona fide supporting cast – which NYJ general manager Joe Douglas could have built for his former QB by dealing the second pick for a king’s ransom, which was apparently on the table. Be that as it may, Darnold is hardly a proven NFL commodity – and by going the Wilson route, Douglas maintains far more financial flexibility than if he had to speculate on the inevitable middle- tier compensation ( at minimum) Darnold has coming sooner than later. And give Douglas credit – he may have hit a home run with Wilson, who has awe- inspiring arm talent that gives him the ability to make just about any throw from just about any area of the field, whether or not his feet are set. He’ll have to prove he can do it against better competition than BYU played while using his athleticism to preserve his 6- foot- 2, 214- pound body from NFL poundings as much as possible. Grade: A
Broncos: Ample speculation, heretofore unfounded, linking them to Aaron Rodgers.
But divorce that from the assessment of new GM George Paton’s first draft class – which looks awfully solid with plug- and- play first- round CB Patrick Surtain II, impressive second- round RB Javonte Williams ( whom Paton moved up for) and even highly acclaimed thirdround Division III star Quinn Meinerz, who will probably win a spot on the offensive line.
And surrendering a mere sixthrounder for quarterback insurance the caliber of Teddy Bridgewater seems like a deft move. Grade: A
Giants: After eschewing trade- down opportunities in his first eight drafts as a GM, Dave Gettleman couldn’t get enough of it Thursday and Friday, parlaying deals with the Bears and Dolphins into first-, second- and fourth- round picks in 2022.
As for Gettleman’s actual draft board – and Thursday’s deal with Chicago suggests he didn’t want to miss out on Alabama’s DeVonta Smith – it seemed he stacked it well since he wasn’t a slave to his beloved “hog mollies.” Round 1 WR Kadarius Toney and Round 2 OLB Azeez Ojulari both have first- round ability, and Toney should help third- year QB Daniel Jones get going in the right direction. Grade: A
Bears: It’s not often that NFL personnel execs survive to make two bold draft moves for a quarterback, but apparently Ryan Pace is the Rasputin of GMs.
Four years after his failed gambit for QB Mitchell Trubisky, who’s now in Buffalo, Pace maneuvered Thursday for Justin Fields – who looks to be an infinitely better prospect than Trubisky and arguably the steal of this draft.
Less notable but perhaps as important, Pace also traded up for RT Teven Jenkins in the second round. Pace, now without his first- and fourth- rounder in 2022, better be right. Grade: A
Eagles: If the mandate was indeed to provide direct support to second- year QB Jalen Hurts, not a much better way to do it than going to Alabama for Heisman Trophy- winning WR DeVonta Smith in Round 1 and highly regarded blocker Landon Dickerson in Round 2. Fifthround RB Kenneth Gainwell could be a boon to a run game that hasn’t had a 1,000- yard rusher since LeSean McCoy in 2014. And other predraft moves, including parting with QB Carson Wentz, mean this team is likely to have three first- rounders next year.
Not bad. Grade: A
Patriots: QB Mac Jones ( in Round 1) and DE Ronnie Perkins ( in Round 3) fell to the Pats, and they ( wisely) climbed the board to get DT Christian Barmore in the second round, the Alabama- to- Foxborough pipeline alive and well. The defense should get a nice boost after its ranking dropped to 15th in 2020, and Bill Belichick also used a dash of his draft capital to reacquire Pro Bowl OT Trent Brown. The big question might be how New England designs an offense that both suits veteran QB Cam Newton while making it comfortable enough for Jones, whose skill set is pocket- based. Grade: A
Chiefs: You’re not going to find a left tackle the caliber of Orlando Brown Jr. at No. 31, so high marks for their trade with Baltimore. LB Nick Bolton and C Creed Humphrey, both late second- rounders who some thought would go earlier, seem likely to be starters no later than the midpoint of the 2021 season for a team with few job openings. Grade: A
Browns: GM Andrew Berry’s defense could approach elite territory after he took CB Greg Newsome II in Round 1 and then made a targeted move to rescue LB Jeremiah Owusu- Koramoah, widely perceived as a first- round talent, with the 52nd pick. Keep an eye on fifth- round S Richard LeCounte III. Grade: A
Lions: It wasn’t sexy, but it didn’t need to be given the state of this roster. The first three picks – OT Penei Sewell ( Round 1), DT Levi Onwuzurike ( Round 2) and DT Alim McNeill ( Round 3) – replenished the trenches for an organization that wants to be tougher. However, the full tale won’t be told until the Lions use the 2022 and 2023 first- rounders they acquired in the Matthew Stafford trade. Grade: A
Chargers: It fell pretty nicely to the Bolts, but their top two choices, OT Rashawn Slater in Round 1 and CB Asante Samuel Jr. in Round 2, have a chance to be franchise cornerstones – Slater the bodyguard this offense needed to get for offensive rookie of the year Justin Herbert. Pass rusher Chris Rumph II ( Round 4) could blossom under coach Brandon Staley. Grade: A
Panthers: Rookie GM Scott Fitterer was quite active before and during the draft and has already recouped some of what he spent on Darnold. Since then, Fitterer has busily gone to work in a bid to help his new quarterback, with WR Terrace Marshall Jr., LT Brady Christensen, TE Tommy Tremble and RB Chuba Hubbard all coming after Round 1. And that first round did net CB Jaycee Horn, the first defender picked. Fitterer will need to hope Marshall is healthy enough to contribute and that he didn’t miscalculate when Fields was available at No. 8, but plenty for the people of Charlotte to be pumped about. Grade: B+
Rams: Can’t argue sitting out the first round – once again – because the pick was used to get All- Pro CB Jalen Ramsey. Can argue spending your top selection in Round 2 on a luxury item like WR Tutu Atwell given speedster DeSean Jackson had already signed on.
Can’t argue using the third- rounder to get QB Matthew Stafford ... though whether he’s worth two future firstround picks remains to be seen. Can argue how well the rest of the selections were deployed given you’re distracted by the dazzling sunshine reflecting off the Pacific Ocean in your Malibu “Rams House” draft HQ. Grade: B+
Falcons: Sure seemed like new GM Terry Fontenot’s first three picks – TE Kyle Pitts, S Richie Grant and OL Jalen Mayfield – are winners and should contribute to this team heavily in 2021. Time will tell what happens with WR Julio Jones or if Fontenot should’ve taken Fields, who grew up in the shadow of Atlanta. But hard to argue with the approach, especially given the constraints of their salary cap. Grade: B+
Bengals: Reuniting star WR Ja’Marr Chase with former LSU teammate Joe Burrow has to be exciting for Cincy fans and could make this offense really special if Chase is as good as advertised. The Bengals next went for protection for Burrow ( OL Jackson Carman) before continuing to bolster a pass rush – it had a league- low 17 sacks in 2020 – with DEs Joseph Ossai and Cameron Sample. Taking a kicker ( Evan McPherson) as high as the fifth round is usually a dicey proposition. Grade: B+
Titans: They don’t seem to be garnering much national attention despite arguably procuring the draft’s top cornerback late in Round 1 ( Caleb Farley, who is recovering from back surgery), its top slot corner in Round 3 ( Elijah Molden) while presumably – finally – stopping a revolving door at right tackle by getting Dillon Radunz in Round 2 a year after losing All- Pro Jack Conklin in free agency and then blowing a first- round choice on now former Titan OT Isaiah Wilson. Grade: B+
Buccaneers: With a championship team effectively returning intact, GM Jason Licht and coach Bruce Arians didn’t need anything ... and it was worth wondering if the Bucs would try to amass assets when they’re needed for future drafts. But they managed to bolster an already exceptional pass rush with Joe Tryon in Round 1 and found a potential heir apparent for Tom Brady at the end of Round 2 in Kyle Trask, who led the nation with 43 touchdown passes in 2020. Grade: B+
49ers: It likely won’t be known for some time whether their investment of three first- round picks to get up to No. 3 will be worth the gamble. But it does seem selecting North Dakota State’s Trey Lance was a much better decision given the freight attached to it than taking Alabama’s Mac Jones, who was long rumored to be Kyle Shanahan’s preference. Third- round RB Trey Sermon could be one of this draft’s heists. Grade: B
Dolphins: Did they get too cute with their circuitous route from No. 3 to No. 6? TBD. But this much is sure: Despite a sensible near- term commitment to help second- year QB Tua Tagovailoa, neither Pitts nor Chase is walking through that door. It will be a moot point if WR Jaylen Waddle, a teammate of Tagovailoa’s at Alabama, becomes the second coming of Tyreek Hill. Grade: B
Cardinals: Imposing LB Zaven Collins ( Round 1) – he might be a better NFL fit than 2020’ s No. 8 pick, Isaiah Simmons – diminutive but explosive WR Rondale Moore ( Round 2) and the acquisition of Pro Bowl C Rodney Hudson for a third- rounder seem like a pretty good way to invest your top three selections. Grade: B
Bills: The Bills’ first two picks were pass rushers, Greg Rousseau and Carlos “Boogie” Basham, who provide a double dose of heat and youth to a front that needed both given how much Sean McDermott’s defense has become uncharacteristically reliant on blitzes in recent years. Worth wondering if Buffalo should’ve targeted another running back in the middle rounds rather than offensive line depth. Grade: B
Colts: They made a more- than- reasonable investment to get Wentz, spending this year’s third- rounder and a 2022 second- rounder that becomes a first ... but basically only if Wentz stays on the field. But the Colts opted for Kwity Paye in Round 1 – and the former Michigan star might be this draft’s premier edge prospect – but then took DE Dayo Odeyingbo in the second round even though an Achilles injury might keep him off the field in 2021. Grade: B
Saints: When you pick at the end of every round, it can be a little hard to get excited about players like first- round DE Payton Turner, second- round LB Pete Werner and third- round CB Paulson Adebo, all with lower Q Scores than their more high- profile peers. But all were productive in college – as was well- known Notre Dame QB Ian Book ( Round 4). Grade: B
Cowboys: They picked up a thirdrounder on Day 1 ( with an amusing intradivisional trade with the Eagles) when the cornerback market didn’t fall their way. But LB Micah Parsons – arguably the most gifted defender in this draft – dropped to them at No. 12 and has a chance to be a superstar for a defense that needs one. Many of Dallas’ Day 2 picks were panned. Grade: B
Ravens: They took some big swings, and first- round WR Rashod Bateman and DE Odafe Oweh have the potential to be home runs or strikeouts – Oweh a physically gifted player who nevertheless had zero sacks for Penn State in 2020, but a man who essentially winds up being the compensation in the trade of Orlando Brown. Grade: C+
Packers: The news that Rodgers apparently wants out of Wisconsin becoming public Thursday afternoon cast a dark shadow over this draft class. But GM Brian Gutekunst managed to fill needs at corner ( Eric Stokes, Round 1) and center ( Josh Myers, Round 2), though there were arguably better ways to address those positions. Then Gutekunst moved up in Round 3 for slot WR Amari Rodgers. Grade: C+
Vikings: Can’t argue with LT Christian Darrisaw in Round 1. But they lost their second- rounder in last year’s Yannick Ngakoue deal and, despite coach Mike Zimmer deeming last year’s defense the “worst” he’d ever fielded in his lengthy NFL career, GM Rick Spielman didn’t address it until his third selection. Grade: C
Steelers: Getting Najee Harris, who seems like this draft’s top running back, should be a hand- in- glove fit for a team that finished last in rushing in 2020 and hasn’t been very good in that department since its last Super Bowl appearance in 2010. Grade: C
Seahawks: Given they only had three picks ... pretty flabbergasting – to QB Russell Wilson and The 12’ s – that their highest one was used for a wide receiver, D’Wayne Eskridge in Round 2. It should be noted that G Gabe Jackson was plucked from the Raiders ( and later extended) for a fifth- rounder in March. But it remains to be seen if S Jamal Adams was worth a pair of Round 1 choices. Grade: C
Washington Football Team: They got some nice players, though firstround LB Jamin Davis must prove he’s not a one- year wonder, and third- year WR Dyami Brown must prove he’s not a one- trick pony – even if his “trick” is script- flipping speed. But did they err by not more aggressively pursuing QBs Fields and Mac Jones, who were both in striking distance of Washington’s No. 19 selection Thursday evening? Grade: C
Raiders: GM Mike Mayock used to be on this side of the velvet rope, which makes it hard not to root for him. But he’s started to build a track record for firstround reaches, and his third draft with the Silver and Black was no different, OL Alex Leatherwood raising eyebrows as Mayock took him at No. 17 – weeks after trading 60% of his starting offensive line and not getting a whole lot in return. Grade: D
Texans: The new regime finishes paying off former coach Bill O’Brien’s Laremy Tunsil debt ... and then follows up an offseason marred by the Deshaun Watson soap opera and the organization’s own questionable handling of it by investing their top pick ( 67th overall) in developmental QB Davis Mills.