NFC South
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers had a really good draft. This team last year was considered to be a preseason favorite to make the playoffs but faltered in part due to shabby defense, well save the coaching issues for a different article. So the Buccaneers went out and found defensive pieces drafting defensive tackle Vita Vea to help Gerald McCoy out up front. Then in the second round they made moves to pick up two corners headlined by Auburns Carlton Davis. Then they got Jameis Winston more protection with guard Alex Capppa. The Buccaneers did there job this offseason and improved the defense.
Best Pick: Vita Vea
Worst Pick: None
Favorite pick: Vita Vea
Sleeper: Jordan Whitehead
Grade: A+
Carolina Panthers
It’s hard to knock the Panthers for filling a need at wide out its easy to knock them for not taking Calvin Ridley. D.J. Moore is a polarizing prospect and Ridley just seemed like a safer pick to me but you can’t knock the Panthers for giving Cam Newton another weapon. Then in the late rounds the Panthers did there job upping there defense by taking players like LSU CB Donte Jackson and Rashaan Gaulden a safety out of Tennessee.
Best Pick: Donte Jackson
Worst Pick: Passing on Calvin Ridley.
Favorite pick: Donte Jackson
Sleeper: Marquis Haynes
Grade: B
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons got the steal of the draft by taking Calvin Ridley. Re uniting with former Alabama OC Steve Sarkisian Ridley gives the Falcons another much needed weapon to use In there attack. Then the Falcons reloaded on defense taking highly praised Colorado corner Isaiah Oliver in the second round and DT Deadrin Senat.
Best Pick: Calvin Ridley
Worst Pick: None
Favorite pick: Calvin Ridley
Sleeper: Isaiah Oliver
Grade: B+
New Orleans Saints
The legacy of this Saints draft will be that they traded a first round pick for a player in Marcus Davenport that would have been at 27. The rest of there draft was pretty lack luster depth building.
Best Pick: Marcus Davenport
Worst Pick: Trading up for Marcus Davenport
Favorite pick: None
Sleeper: None
Grade: C-
NFC North
Chicago Bears
The Bears did their job in the draft. While they could have gone with receiver early they gave an already good defense a great pick in Roqan Smith. Then went and took care of protecting Mitchell Trubisky in the second round by pick O lineman James Daniels out of Iowa. With great protection and a good defense paired with a new wide receiving core the Bears should be really fun to watch this year.
Best Pick: Roqan Smith
Worst Pick: None
Favorite pick: Anthony Miller WR Memphis.
Sleeper: Kyle Fitts
Grade: A
Green Bay Packers
The Packers had the best draft haul in this division and it is because they scammed the Saints out of a first round pick. The Packers could potentially return to being Giants and have two picks in next years first round that they could leverage into another top 15 pick. Then they went out and got two of the best corners in the draft. Jaire Alexander out of Louisville and Josh Jackson out of Iowa, and then in the late rounds focused on wide receiver depth. It was the perfect draft for the Packers who were in need of one after they were exposed as one of the worst rosters in the NFL after Aaron Rodgers went down.
Best Pick: The Saints first rounder next year.
Worst Pick: None
Favorite pick: Jaire Alexander/ Josh Jackson tandem.
Sleeper: J’mon Moore
Grade: A+
Detroit Lions
The Lions draft was, strange. They took center Frank Ragnow from Arkansas in the first round. Not a bad pick for a struggling O line but Ragnow probably would have been obtainable in the second round and Billy Price the consensus best center in the draft was still on the board. Then they took Auburn back Keryon Johnson proving the end of the Ameer Abdullah experiment, in the process however passing on Darius Guice. The Lions then took a depth safety when what they really needed was another pass rusher. It wasn’t an awful draft but a strange one that we won’t really be able to judge for a while.
Best Pick: Keryon Johnson
Worst Pick: None
Favorite pick: None
Sleeper: Tyrell Crosby G Oregon
Grade: B
Minnesota Vikings
A smart draft by the Vikings. Not many stand out day one starters but they drafted for the future finding another Corner Back in Mike Hughes and a developmental offensive tackle in Brian O’Donnel I love teams that stay ahead of the curve when drafting.
Best Pick: Mike Hughes
Worst Pick: None
Favorite pick: Mike Hughes
Sleeper: Jaylen Holmes
Grade: B+
NFC West
San Francisco 49ers
The Niners had a strange draft. People killed them for taking McGlinchey 9, me included but it filled a real need for them. They then went and grabbed a good receiver in Dante Pettis in the second round. Fred Warner the LB out of BYU provides nice depth for troubled backer Reuben Foster. The draft was not loaded with studs but San Fran filled needs.
Best Pick: Dante Pettis
Worst Pick: None
Favorite pick: None
Sleeper: Tarvarius Moore
Grade: B
Arizona Cardinals
This draft comes down to two things. The Cardinals got the best QB in the draft at 10 and then a Larry Fitzgerald replacement in highly touted wide out Christian Kirk in the second round, a steal. Then upped there run game with the addition of Michigan center Mason Cole. Chris Campbell is potentially a stud corner in waiting according to some draft experts.
Best Pick: Josh Rosen
Worst Pick: None
Favorite pick: Josh Rosen
Sleeper: Mason Cole
Grade: A
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks draft was confusing. First they went RB in the first round when there is legitimately no o line to run behind up in Seattle. They didn’t address the offensive line until round five with the pick of Jamarco Jones. There is nothing special on this team except for the QB and they seemingly ignored protecting him. They did give us the best story of the draft by taking Shaqueem Griffin though.
Best Pick: Rashaad Penney
Worst Pick: Avoiding an offensive lineman in the first five rounds.
Favorite pick: None
Sleeper: None
Grade: C
Los Angeles Rams
Hard to judge the Rams draft class. They really traded away there picks for Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib, and Brandin Cooks. None of the Rams draft class will have an immediate effect. So I will give my favorite but they get an NA grade.
Best Pick: Joseph Noteboom
Worst Pick: None
Favorite pick: None
Sleeper: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
Grade: B (NA)
NFC East
New York Giants
The Giants draft has to be considered one of the best in this years class. They had a mission, build around Eli Manning and trust Pat Shurmur can turn the offense around. They did that. Drafting arguably the best player in the draft at two and grabbing one of the best guards in the draft in round two. Then they found a Jason Pierre Paul replacement in highly touted edge rusher Lorenzo Carter in the third round. While I do not believe Eli Manning is currently a top 20 NFL QB the Giants have certainly put him in a position to bounce back big time this year. They also found a solid backup for Davis Webb in Kyle Lauletta out of Richmond. I hate when I love what the Giants do but I love what the Giants did this draft.
Best Pick: Saqoun Barkley
Worst Pick: None
Favorite pick: Will Hernandez
Sleeper: B.j Hill
Grade: A+
Washington Redskins
Washington had holes defensively in this draft and they took care of them. Though I disagree with Daron Payne, there were better defensive players on the board, you can’t knock them for taking one of Alabama’s best run stuffers last year. Not to mention you may have gotten the steal of the draft in Darius Guice although character issues are a concern for him.
Best Pick: Darius Guice
Worst Pick: None
Favorite pick: Darius Guice
Sleeper: Trey Quinn (Mr. Irrelevant but was touted by some scouts as a fourth round talent)
Grade: B
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys were put in an extremely tough situation when Jason Witten retired the second day of there draft seemingly out of the blue. That being said the Cowboys passed on tight ends early when that should have been one of their primary needs even if Witten was coming back. The Cowboys grabbed Leighton Vander Esch to beef up a previously thin linebacking core in the first round. Jerry Jones went back to what made the Cowboys such a hot commodity over the past five years or so betting on offensive lineman Connor Williams in the second and finding a Dez replacement in Colorado State Wide Out Michael Gallup. The Cowboys did their job this draft although waiting for a tight end hurts their grade.
Best Pick: Leighton Vander Esch
Worst Pick: Dalton Schultz (they waited to long to take a tight end a major need in that offense)
Favorite pick: Michael Gallup
Sleeper: Bo Scarbrough
Grade: B
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles came into the draft with only one major need, tight end, they addressed that with one of the top three in the class late in the second round in Dallas Goedert. Then the Eagles grabbed O linemen and a corner and built depth. For a team with very few draft picks they did their best to improve their roster.
Best Pick: Dallas Goedert
Worst Pick: None.
Favorite pick: Dallas Goedert
Sleeper: Josh Sweat
Grade: A-