Post by Juggs on May 1, 2015 17:51:42 GMT -5
NFC East:
Dallas Cowboys: Team grade: B
Byron Jones, CB, Connecticut
Grade: B
This is right around where most people had Jones. He’s a hard prospect for me to grade because he was limited in 2014 with an injury and wasn’t a well-known prospect in 2013, leaving me with basically no tape to watch. His measurable alone show that he’s a great athlete, and I’m confident that at least two teams, Arizona and Dallas, had first round grades on Jones after seeing the film I didn’t. I like the value. The position surprised me though. Odighizuwa or Randy Gregory would have been phenomenal additions to the Dallas D-line that doesn’t have a real defensive end starter right now.
Philadelphia Eagles: Team grade: A-
Nelson Agholor, WR, Southern California
Grade: A-
This pick surprised me even though I projected it. Breshad Perriman seemed like the better prospect to me. Still, Agholor’s ability with the ball in his hands and as a kick returner is perfect for a Philadelphia offense that honestly was looking starved for playmakers after losing Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy. The value on Agholor isn’t worth an A-, but the desperate positional need and the utility with Chip Kelly brings up the grade.
New York Giants: Team Grade: A
Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
Grade: A
I went back after this pick to watch Flowers more, and I saw that he did play left tackle as well. This gives the Giants the option to move on from the up-and-down Will Beatty or just kick Justin Pugh to left guard like most think they will do. Getting a versatile lineman who can honestly play 4 positions is what the Giants need as they have historically been decimated by injuries down the stretch. It’s tough to say in this top-heavy o-line class whether Flowers was a good value at #9. I get why they chose him over Peat since Andrus Peat hadn’t played right tackle.
Washington Redskins: Team Grade: C
Brandon Scherff, G, Iowa
Grade: C
Tough pick to grade. I like the player, but I hate taking him so high and the options you passed up with a top five pick. I applaud the Skins for admitting that Leonard Williams wasn’t a fit in their 3-4. I laugh at them for passing Vic Beasley, Kevin White, and Devante Parker. The Redskins said they wanted to use this draft to build an offense around RGIII. I don’t understand why you would use your top 5 pick getting him a guard, if that’s what you’re trying to do.
NFC NORTH:
Green Bay Packers: Team grade: B-
Damarious Randall, FS, Arizona State
Grade: B-
No one say a bigger draft week rise than Randall. A month ago I had him in round 3. I overlooked his range and coverage ability, but the concerns on his size and ability to lay a hit are real. Randall isn’t a day one starter. At 196, it’s hard to imagine playing defense in the NFL, let alone a single high safety in charge bringing down a 250 lb tight end one on one in the open field. Bulking up is something that a prospect can do in the weight room on his own after getting picked, but at just 5’11, how much more weight can Randall really add? He’s got starting quality coverage ability and speed, but he very well could be a bust and make people wonder how anyone thought he should go ahead of Landon Collins.
Detroit Lions: Team grade: A+
Laken Tomlinson, G, Duke
Grade: A+
You know you’ve done well when NFL.com fucks up and calls your pure guard a tackle on facebook. On a more serious note, the Lions traded down and got the best lineman in the draft, maybe the best prospect since Chance Warmack, and secured two extra draft picks and Tomlinson’s backup in Manny Ramirez (. It’s hard to imagine the Lions doing better. Maybe the Broncos should have thrown in Von Miller too? I had a top 10 grade on Tomlinson based on his consistent ability to pancake even the strongest pass rushers and still show the athleticism to move around and get off his spot. At the Senior Bowl, Tomlinson went up against Danny Shelton and Carl Davis on back to back stunt drills. He put both of them on the ground. He’ll do the same to BJ Raji and Linval Joseph this year.
Minnesota Vikings: Team grade C+
Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
Grade: C+
I can’t believe Minnesota didn’t take Devante Parker. Trae Waynes is the top CB on the board. You can’t make the value argument when you passed up falling players who were even better. Waynes is the best corner in a very weak class, and feel like he’ll make an impact as a rookie, so the pick isn’t a head scratches, but it’s not an impressive one either. Did Minnesota do anything with their first round pick to make me think they’re better than Detroit? Absolutely not.
Chicago Bears: Team grade: C
Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
Grade: C
I’m lower on Kevin White than just about anyone else. I see a great deep threat with unbelievable ball location skills in the air. He’s also got good reading of downfield blocking and ability in the screen game and the return game. When I draft a receiver in the top 10, I need a complete player like Cooper and Parker. White’s routes are too rough and his hands were too inconsistent. Top speed, strength, and vertical ability make this an okay pick, but it could have been a lot better. The Bears not taking a defensive player also just disappointed me. How quickly they’ve forgotten what plagued them.
NFC SOUTH:
Carolina Panthers: Team grade: C-
Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
Grade: C-
I predicted the Panthers taking a 4-3 outside backer in round 2, but even that was only because they’d already taken an offensive tackle and because the WR talent was dried up. The Panthers passing on TJ Clemmings and Laken Tomlinson to fix their broken offensive line, as well as some WR prospects left sends them into day 2 with a lot of work to do. Thompson is a tweener without an obvious position or many marketable skills. He made some amazing plays and scored a few touchdowns his senior year. He’s an exciting prospect on production, but not based on talent.
New Orleans Saints: Team grade: B
Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
Grade: C
I don’t see where Peat is going to start in New Orleans. On top of that, I had Peat at the end of round 1 in my mocks up until the day before the draft when rumors said the Giants wanted him. I don’t see the pass protector that others label Peat to be, and without a great discrepancy between him, Armstead, and Strief, I don’t really see why New Orleans passed on the wide receivers, linebackers, and pass rushers that they did.
Stephone Anthony, ILB, Clemson
Grade: A
I like this pick a lot better. Anthony hits harder than any player in the draft and seems to out hustle people. I noticed him making plays when teams often ran away from Vic Beasley and realized that he’s a great run defender who has the get-off to rush the passer up the A gap as well. That’s the recipe for a 3-down linebacker and a first round pick. Pass coverage is the only question mark.
Atlanta Falcons: Team grade: A+
Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson
If Tomlinson isn’t the biggest steal of round 1, then it might have been Beasley. Vic Beasley is the draft’s most exciting pass rusher and he bulked up and improved against the run as a senior. Clemson liked his play inside so much, he played 4 different positions including 3tech, as ridiculous as it sounds. Beasley is my favorite for defensive rookie of the year in 2014. I really can’t see anyone else winning.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Team grade: A+
Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
Grade: A+
I can’t fault the pick even though I personally never would have made it. I have made my feelings clear that because no acquittal was ever issued in the rape case, there’s still a shadow of a doubt that he could be involved. That would take him off my board, but I haven’t done the thorough investigation that the Bucs have which apparently found it not to be too concerning. As a football player, I have written that Winston is an excellent passer in is on par with Eli, Luck and RGIII when they came into the draft as flawless prospects. I’m not a good enough scout to find anything wrong. They probably found a franchise QB, and just like Mariota, that’s an A+.
NFC WEST
Seattle Seahawks: Team Grade: TBD
They traded the first pick (and a center) for Jimmy Graham. We’ll see how that works out. I like the trade.
Arizona Cardinals: Team Grade: B
D.J. Humprhies, T, Florida
The value isn’t bad and Cedric Ogbuehi, the guy I imagine they wanted, was off the board. Humpries’ is not good enough against speed rushers and is just too slow moving his feet to be a left tackle. That’s fine because Arizona has Jared Veldheer there. Humphries is a good fit, but ultimately, I can’t endorse the Cards passing on every quarterback they ever get a chance at. Bruce Arians is smarter than I am, but he has to see that he has the talent to win everywhere but quarterback. Brett Hundley (maybe through a trade down) would have been my move here.
San Francisco 49ers: Team grade: D
Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon
Grade: D
Armstead is one of the most likely busts in the NFL draft this year. He’s a giant human being, and that’s about all he’s got going for him. He wasn’t a good football player at Oregon and didn’t show enough to be a high draft pick. He’s not talented as a pass rusher as he needs to be, and his work ethic and get off from the snap is really bad. I don’t get why this pick was made.
St. Louis Rams: Team grade: A-
Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
Grade: A-
Todd Gurley is a unique runningback prospect who is going to be a star in the NFL. I don’t get the need or the pick specifically to this team, but it doesn’t matter. Todd Gurley is going to push the top quarterbacks and receivers for rookie of the year on offense. I can’t give his a bad grade because whether or not value or need would grade this pick a different way, I just see Gurley as an NFL producer and anything lower than A- will be the wrong call a year from now.
Dallas Cowboys: Team grade: B
Byron Jones, CB, Connecticut
Grade: B
This is right around where most people had Jones. He’s a hard prospect for me to grade because he was limited in 2014 with an injury and wasn’t a well-known prospect in 2013, leaving me with basically no tape to watch. His measurable alone show that he’s a great athlete, and I’m confident that at least two teams, Arizona and Dallas, had first round grades on Jones after seeing the film I didn’t. I like the value. The position surprised me though. Odighizuwa or Randy Gregory would have been phenomenal additions to the Dallas D-line that doesn’t have a real defensive end starter right now.
Philadelphia Eagles: Team grade: A-
Nelson Agholor, WR, Southern California
Grade: A-
This pick surprised me even though I projected it. Breshad Perriman seemed like the better prospect to me. Still, Agholor’s ability with the ball in his hands and as a kick returner is perfect for a Philadelphia offense that honestly was looking starved for playmakers after losing Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy. The value on Agholor isn’t worth an A-, but the desperate positional need and the utility with Chip Kelly brings up the grade.
New York Giants: Team Grade: A
Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
Grade: A
I went back after this pick to watch Flowers more, and I saw that he did play left tackle as well. This gives the Giants the option to move on from the up-and-down Will Beatty or just kick Justin Pugh to left guard like most think they will do. Getting a versatile lineman who can honestly play 4 positions is what the Giants need as they have historically been decimated by injuries down the stretch. It’s tough to say in this top-heavy o-line class whether Flowers was a good value at #9. I get why they chose him over Peat since Andrus Peat hadn’t played right tackle.
Washington Redskins: Team Grade: C
Brandon Scherff, G, Iowa
Grade: C
Tough pick to grade. I like the player, but I hate taking him so high and the options you passed up with a top five pick. I applaud the Skins for admitting that Leonard Williams wasn’t a fit in their 3-4. I laugh at them for passing Vic Beasley, Kevin White, and Devante Parker. The Redskins said they wanted to use this draft to build an offense around RGIII. I don’t understand why you would use your top 5 pick getting him a guard, if that’s what you’re trying to do.
NFC NORTH:
Green Bay Packers: Team grade: B-
Damarious Randall, FS, Arizona State
Grade: B-
No one say a bigger draft week rise than Randall. A month ago I had him in round 3. I overlooked his range and coverage ability, but the concerns on his size and ability to lay a hit are real. Randall isn’t a day one starter. At 196, it’s hard to imagine playing defense in the NFL, let alone a single high safety in charge bringing down a 250 lb tight end one on one in the open field. Bulking up is something that a prospect can do in the weight room on his own after getting picked, but at just 5’11, how much more weight can Randall really add? He’s got starting quality coverage ability and speed, but he very well could be a bust and make people wonder how anyone thought he should go ahead of Landon Collins.
Detroit Lions: Team grade: A+
Laken Tomlinson, G, Duke
Grade: A+
You know you’ve done well when NFL.com fucks up and calls your pure guard a tackle on facebook. On a more serious note, the Lions traded down and got the best lineman in the draft, maybe the best prospect since Chance Warmack, and secured two extra draft picks and Tomlinson’s backup in Manny Ramirez (. It’s hard to imagine the Lions doing better. Maybe the Broncos should have thrown in Von Miller too? I had a top 10 grade on Tomlinson based on his consistent ability to pancake even the strongest pass rushers and still show the athleticism to move around and get off his spot. At the Senior Bowl, Tomlinson went up against Danny Shelton and Carl Davis on back to back stunt drills. He put both of them on the ground. He’ll do the same to BJ Raji and Linval Joseph this year.
Minnesota Vikings: Team grade C+
Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
Grade: C+
I can’t believe Minnesota didn’t take Devante Parker. Trae Waynes is the top CB on the board. You can’t make the value argument when you passed up falling players who were even better. Waynes is the best corner in a very weak class, and feel like he’ll make an impact as a rookie, so the pick isn’t a head scratches, but it’s not an impressive one either. Did Minnesota do anything with their first round pick to make me think they’re better than Detroit? Absolutely not.
Chicago Bears: Team grade: C
Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
Grade: C
I’m lower on Kevin White than just about anyone else. I see a great deep threat with unbelievable ball location skills in the air. He’s also got good reading of downfield blocking and ability in the screen game and the return game. When I draft a receiver in the top 10, I need a complete player like Cooper and Parker. White’s routes are too rough and his hands were too inconsistent. Top speed, strength, and vertical ability make this an okay pick, but it could have been a lot better. The Bears not taking a defensive player also just disappointed me. How quickly they’ve forgotten what plagued them.
NFC SOUTH:
Carolina Panthers: Team grade: C-
Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
Grade: C-
I predicted the Panthers taking a 4-3 outside backer in round 2, but even that was only because they’d already taken an offensive tackle and because the WR talent was dried up. The Panthers passing on TJ Clemmings and Laken Tomlinson to fix their broken offensive line, as well as some WR prospects left sends them into day 2 with a lot of work to do. Thompson is a tweener without an obvious position or many marketable skills. He made some amazing plays and scored a few touchdowns his senior year. He’s an exciting prospect on production, but not based on talent.
New Orleans Saints: Team grade: B
Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
Grade: C
I don’t see where Peat is going to start in New Orleans. On top of that, I had Peat at the end of round 1 in my mocks up until the day before the draft when rumors said the Giants wanted him. I don’t see the pass protector that others label Peat to be, and without a great discrepancy between him, Armstead, and Strief, I don’t really see why New Orleans passed on the wide receivers, linebackers, and pass rushers that they did.
Stephone Anthony, ILB, Clemson
Grade: A
I like this pick a lot better. Anthony hits harder than any player in the draft and seems to out hustle people. I noticed him making plays when teams often ran away from Vic Beasley and realized that he’s a great run defender who has the get-off to rush the passer up the A gap as well. That’s the recipe for a 3-down linebacker and a first round pick. Pass coverage is the only question mark.
Atlanta Falcons: Team grade: A+
Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson
If Tomlinson isn’t the biggest steal of round 1, then it might have been Beasley. Vic Beasley is the draft’s most exciting pass rusher and he bulked up and improved against the run as a senior. Clemson liked his play inside so much, he played 4 different positions including 3tech, as ridiculous as it sounds. Beasley is my favorite for defensive rookie of the year in 2014. I really can’t see anyone else winning.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Team grade: A+
Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
Grade: A+
I can’t fault the pick even though I personally never would have made it. I have made my feelings clear that because no acquittal was ever issued in the rape case, there’s still a shadow of a doubt that he could be involved. That would take him off my board, but I haven’t done the thorough investigation that the Bucs have which apparently found it not to be too concerning. As a football player, I have written that Winston is an excellent passer in is on par with Eli, Luck and RGIII when they came into the draft as flawless prospects. I’m not a good enough scout to find anything wrong. They probably found a franchise QB, and just like Mariota, that’s an A+.
NFC WEST
Seattle Seahawks: Team Grade: TBD
They traded the first pick (and a center) for Jimmy Graham. We’ll see how that works out. I like the trade.
Arizona Cardinals: Team Grade: B
D.J. Humprhies, T, Florida
The value isn’t bad and Cedric Ogbuehi, the guy I imagine they wanted, was off the board. Humpries’ is not good enough against speed rushers and is just too slow moving his feet to be a left tackle. That’s fine because Arizona has Jared Veldheer there. Humphries is a good fit, but ultimately, I can’t endorse the Cards passing on every quarterback they ever get a chance at. Bruce Arians is smarter than I am, but he has to see that he has the talent to win everywhere but quarterback. Brett Hundley (maybe through a trade down) would have been my move here.
San Francisco 49ers: Team grade: D
Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon
Grade: D
Armstead is one of the most likely busts in the NFL draft this year. He’s a giant human being, and that’s about all he’s got going for him. He wasn’t a good football player at Oregon and didn’t show enough to be a high draft pick. He’s not talented as a pass rusher as he needs to be, and his work ethic and get off from the snap is really bad. I don’t get why this pick was made.
St. Louis Rams: Team grade: A-
Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
Grade: A-
Todd Gurley is a unique runningback prospect who is going to be a star in the NFL. I don’t get the need or the pick specifically to this team, but it doesn’t matter. Todd Gurley is going to push the top quarterbacks and receivers for rookie of the year on offense. I can’t give his a bad grade because whether or not value or need would grade this pick a different way, I just see Gurley as an NFL producer and anything lower than A- will be the wrong call a year from now.