Lance's 2020 Draft Grades
Lance gives his 2020 draft grades for all 32 teams.
**Note: I spent May and June improving my system. I set stricter parameters and added in every player that was invited to the combine from 2008-2017. The improvements led to changes with my factors and table. Due to those changes some players that were removed from my draft board were added back, some players that were on my draft board originally have been removed, and there were plenty of round grade changes among the rest of the players. Because of all that I was forced to also adjust my draft grades. These changes have since been made below.
I used my draft board to create a grading scale. If a player was selected later than the round range, they received 2 points. If they were selected within the round range, they received 1 point. If they were selected earlier than the round range, they received 0 points. If a player that I had labeled a “bust” was drafted they received -1 point. And for the players that were removed from my draft board because they had attributes that led to a significantly low chance of success as a pro there were two possible outcomes: If they were taken in the 5th or earlier, they received -1 point; if they were taken in the 6th or 7th the received 0 points.
After I established all that I added up a team’s total score and divided by the number of draft picks made, this gave them a score between -1 and 2. Then, I put a grade to everyone’s score. This is how that list went:
A+ = 1.5 or greater
A = 1.4-1.49
A- = 1.3-1.39
B+ = 1.2-1.29
B = 1.1-1.19
B- = 1-1.09
C+ = 0.76-0.99
C = 0.51-0.75
C- = 0.26-0.5
D = 0.01-0.25
F = 0 or less
Team: Philadelphia Eagles
Score: 1.20 Grade: B+
Favorite Pick: LB Davion Taylor
As noted above, the improvements I made to my system in May and June shifted around the draft grades some due to players moving up and down on my draft board. All the players that I listed for each Favorite, least favorite and highest fantasy impact picks are staying the same with the exception of this one and my least favorite for Houston. I was horribly wrong about Davion Taylor and the fact that Philly snagged him in the third round now looks like a steal based off my draft board. Taylor went from a 4th-6th round guy to a 1st round draft grade. He’s the biggest reason why Philly moved up to the highest score in this year’s draft.
Least Favorite Pick: WR Jalen Reagor
Reagor’s lack of college production can be chocked up to poor Quarterback play, but that’s not why he was marked as a “bust” on my draft board. He was labeled a bust due to part of his Combine results. Luckily for Philly, Hightower landed in their laps a few rounds later.
Highest Fantasy Impact: WR John Hightower
Philly needed Receiver help. Reagor and 6th round pick Quez Watkins were removed from my board, but I had a 3rd-4th round grade on Hightower. He has the potential to be the #2 in Philly, right behind Alshon Jeffery.
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Score: 1.17 Grade: B
Favorite Pick: DB L’Jarius Sneed
Sneed played Corner at Louisiana Tech before he was moved over to Safety. He’s better suited to play Corner and that just so happens to be the bigger need in KC’s secondary. Sneed is fast, explosive and has good size. I think he’ll end up being the best pick from their draft class this year.
Least Favorite Pick: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
He’s a 5’7” Running Back that ran a 4.6 forty, there’s no way I would’ve used a first-round pick on him. Do I think he’ll be decently productive in the Chief’s offense? Yes, but I don’t think he’ll end up being one of the top Running Backs from this draft class, not by a long shot.
Highest Fantasy Impact: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Having said what I just did, CEH should have the biggest fantasy football impact from the Chiefs picks. His primary competition for touches is Damien Williams. They’ll probably eat into each other’s fantasy value keeping either one from making a big impact, but they’d still both be worth having in your Running Back stable.
Team: Carolina Panthers
Score: 1.14 Grade: B
Favorite Pick: DE Yetur Gross-Matos
Gross-Matos should’ve been gone in the first-round, so kudos to Carolina for preventing him from falling further. He’ll take over the spot opposite Brian Burns giving them a solid young one-two punch to get after opposing QBs.
Least Favorite Pick: CB Troy Pride
I don’t have a problem with where they picked Pride, it’s the fact that he’s the first Corner they selected. The loss of Bradberry opens a hole opposite Donte Jackson and I don’t see Pride being the one to fill it. Another least favorite pick is the fact that they didn’t address their O-Line at all.
Highest Fantasy Impact: S Jeremy Chinn
Carolina went defense heavy, and that’s totally understandable, but it means I’m left selecting the defensive player that I think will have the biggest impact. You can absolutely argue that I should have Gross-Matos or Derrick Brown in this slot, but I’m picking Chinn. His versatility and incredible size and speed are going to allow the Panthers to move him around the field so he can make plays all day long. If the Panthers defense makes a big jump forward from where they were last season Chinn is going to be a major reason why.
Team: Green Bay Packers
Score: 1.11 Grade: B
Favorite Pick: RB A.J. Dillon
If you’re questioning why Green Bay made this pick let me explain. First, Aaron Jones missed 8 games between his first two seasons and prior to that he suffered two major injuries while in college. The run game was a big reason for Green Bay’s success and Dillon is their insurance plan in case Jones gets hurt again. Second, Jones’ contract is up at the end of this year and right now Running Backs are wanting to get paid, yet time and time again we see them failing to play out their big contracts, so the Packers could be trying to get in front of losing Jones to free agency. I love A.J. Dillon, he was the #1 Running Back on my board. He’s got tremendous Size-Athleticism ratio plus the college production to back it up! I was really annoyed throughout the draft, if felt like the Packers draft board matched up with mine and they kept taking my top players available.
Least Favorite Pick: Not Drafting a WR
I like the Jordan Love pick; he was the #3 QB on my board. It’s like that quote, keep drafting for your franchise Quarterback even after you think you’ve already got him because you never know what’s going to happen…or something like that. So, in my eyes the Love pick wasn’t a mistake. My least favorite pick by the Packers was their lack of Receiver selections. No matter what way you spin it, Green Bay failed to address their biggest area of need which happened to be the most stacked position in this draft. They’re going to run it back with the same Receiver Corps they had last season which leads to another quote, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.
Highest Fantasy Impact: TE Josiah Deguara
Green Bay drafted Jace Sternberger last year and unless they pick up somebody else in free agency it should be Sternberger and Deguara competing in training camp. Since Sternberger has a year in the Packers system I’d give him the leg up, but I am a big fan of Deguara. He has the talent to give Sternberger a run for his money as long as he can pick up the playbook quickly.
Team: LA Rams
Score: 1.11 Grade: B
Favorite Pick: TE Brycen Hopkins
This is a mixed emotion pick for me. The Rams just resigned Higbee and they still have Everett for one more season, plus they don’t use their Tight Ends enough to get that much value out of all three, so really what is the point of taking a Tight End? On the flip side of that, they stole my #1 Tight End that I had a 1st-2ndround value on in the 4th round. Mixed bag.
Least Favorite Pick: WR Van Jefferson
I was no where near as high on Jefferson as just about everyone else seemed to be. He averaged 41.3 receptions, 491.5 yards, 4 touchdowns and 11.9 yards/reception. Nothing about that screams 2nd round pick to me. He also had a fracture in his foot that prevented him from participating at the Combine. Yep, that’s the stat-injury combination that I like to see in 2nd round picks…
Highest Fantasy Impact: RB Cam Akers
Akers enters a Running Back room that is wide open. Malcolm Brown was brought back last season, but his highest carry total in a season was 69 and his career 3.9 average doesn’t say lead back. Darrell Henderson was a 3rd round pick last season, but he failed to do much before landing on IR. There’s a very good chance that Akers takes the starting job, he also has the benefit of having played behind a bad Offensive Line and still found a way to produce.
Team: New York Giants
Score: 1.10 Grade: B
Favorite Pick: S Xavier McKinney
McKinney had a first-round grade from me, but the devaluing of the Safety position causes players who aren’t on the Jamal Adams/Derwin James level to fall. That works out well for teams like the Giants who get an instant impact player on the backend of their defense in the 2nd round.
Least Favorite Pick: OT Andrew Thomas
I love that the Giants went Tackle at 4, I just think they went after the wrong guy. Thomas will still end up being a solid starter for the next decade, so I’m really just being nit-picky. Personally, I believe Wirfs, Becton and Wills will all end up being better players at the same position.
Highest Fantasy Impact: OT Andrew Thomas
Thomas should start at Right Tackle unless the Giants move on from Solder in which case he’ll slide in at Left Tackle. Whichever side of the line he starts at he’s going to increase the opportunity for production for Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley.
Team: Arizona Cardinals
Score: 1.00 Grade: B-
Favorite Pick: OT Josh Jones
The Cards had a big need at Tackle, but they passed on a couple of big targets in the first because a top three player (Isaiah Simmons) slid down the board. But it all worked out as they were able to bring in Josh Jones in the 3rd! It was a fantastic start to the draft for Arizona. They also ended it very well with LB Evan Weaver and RB Eno Benjamin, it was the middle portion that hurt them.
Least Favorite Pick: DT Rashard Lawrence
Lawrence had poor college production and athletically he’s lacking. There were tons of other options at Defensive Tackle in the 4th round.
Highest Fantasy Impact: LB Isaiah Simmons
Isaiah Simmons’ versatility is going to have a major impact on Arizona’s defense. They might still be a year or two away from having real fantasy value, but we’re going to see them make a jump this year due largely to Simmons.
Team: Cincinnati Bengals
Score: 1.00 Grade: B-
Favorite Pick: LB Logan Wilson
The Bengals selected three Linebackers and any of those three could land right here. Akeem Davis-Gaither (4th round) is someone they got to work with at the very beginning of the pre-draft process, and had he played at a bigger school he likely would’ve been long gone. Markus Bailey (7thround) is a very talented Linebacker, but two major knee injuries are why he fell. If he can stay on the field, he’s going to be a steal. And Logan Wilson (3rd round) is an all-around Linebacker, he can stay on the field every down. He averaged 100 tackles, and he came away with 11 interceptions and 14 pass deflections in college. I honestly thought that if there was any Linebacker that would shoot up the board it would be Wilson. Great job by Cincy for fixing arguably the worst unit on their team. If Burrow pans out this will be the draft that everyone looks back at as the moment the Bengals turned things around.
Least Favorite Pick: None
I have almost no complaints about Cincinnati’s draft class this year. They didn’t overthink the #1 pick. They landed a fantastic Receiver on the outside for Burrow. They heavily addressed their Linebacker unit. They stole Hakeem Adeniji in the 6th who could vie for a starting spot in the next couple years and at the very least he’ll provide much needed depth on their O-Line. And the Khalid Kareem pick will provide a solid rotational End to one of their younger position groups that’s still growing.
Highest Fantasy Impact: WR Tee Higgins
Green’s coming off a couple significant injuries, and John Ross has spent almost the entirety of the start of his career injured. Higgins is going to get plenty of opportunities to shine early and often, and since no Receiver on the roster has any experience playing with Burrow, everyone will be starting at the same spot as far as repertoire goes. Also, Higgins has the size to dominate in the redzone.
Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Score: 1.00 Grade: B-
Favorite Pick: OLB Alex Highsmith
I’m a big fan of Highsmith’s, I think he’s going to start out adding to the pass rush rotation, but I believe he has the ability to take over for Bud Dupree if Pitt is unable to get him under a reasonable long-term contract.
Least Favorite Pick: RB Anthony McFarland
Taking McFarland in the fourth was a reach in my opinion. I think they would’ve been better off with Eno Benjamin who managed to fall all the way to the 7th. I just didn’t expect to see an injury prone back land where he did.
Highest Fantasy Impact: OG Kevin Dotson
The loss of Ramon Foster on their interior O-Line was quietly the biggest hit they took this offseason. Drafting Dotson should prevent any bleeding inside, allowing Big Ben and James Conner to continue to have a chance at fantasy dominance.
Team: Buffalo Bills
Score: 0.86 Grade: C+
Favorite Pick: WR Isaiah Hodgins
I could’ve listed Gabriel Davis here as well, I had very similar grades on the two Receivers. I went with Hodgins because they landed him two rounds after they took Davis. Neither guy has freakish athleticism, but they both bring much needed size to the outside (Davis is 6’2” and Hodgins is 6’4”). Between John Brown, Cole Beasley and Stefon Diggs, Diggs is the tallest at 6’.
Least Favorite Pick: DE A.J. Epenesa
He’s not big enough to play Defensive Tackle and not quick enough to play off the edge. He’s an awkward tweener that we’ve seen fail in the past due to lack of a dominant position. I think his best chance at success is to pack on another 15-20 pounds, but that doesn’t happen at the drop of a hat. No way I would’ve spent a 2nd round pick on Epenesa.
Highest Fantasy Impact: RB Zack Moss
Devin Singletary is not a workhorse back, so drafting Zack Moss made sense. Singletary should still be the primary, but Moss will get a decent amount of carries to spell the undersized back. I don’t foresee Moss taking off with the starting job, he should just be a decent fill-in to keep Singletary from taking on too high much of a workload.
Team: Chicago Bears
Score: 0.86 Grade: C+
Favorite Pick: CB Jaylon Johnson
The Bears have been rolling with one good Corner and a mixed bag of so-so coverage on the opposite side of the field. Johnson will fix that issue. He’s got good ball skills and solid size to take on guys like Davante Adams, Marvin Jones and Adam Thielen.
Least Favorite Pick: TE Cole Kmet
Apart from the fact that the Bears have 5,000 other Tight Ends on their roster they made Kmet (the 9th best Tight End on my draft board) the first Tight End taken. And they grabbed him in the 2nd round! There were so many other, higher priority needs for a team that failed to make the playoffs and is heading down the path of multi-year mediocrity.
Highest Fantasy Impact: WR Darnell Mooney
They didn’t resign Taylor Gabriel. Mooney should get the first shot at filling that speedster role. He ran a 4.38 forty and showed the explosiveness with his 37” Vertical and 124” Broad Jump, plus the 5’10” height is a bump up from Gabriel’s 5’7”. Don’t expect a ton of production though, at least not until Chicago can improve their Quarterback situation.
Team: Cleveland Browns
Score: 0.86 Grade: C+
Favorite Pick: C Nick Harris
The Browns did a stellar job grabbing Wills in the first and I think they followed it up with a great grab of the underrated Harris in the 5th. He’s not the biggest or the fastest, but he plays like he has something to prove and that’s not a bad thing to have.
Least Favorite Pick: TE Harrison Bryant
What was the point of this pick? They signed Austin Hooper, they never moved David Njoku and then they selected Harrison Bryant in the 4th. They have needs elsewhere, they showed last season they were nowhere near close to making the Super Bowl, so drafting a player at a position that’s a strength is questionable especially in the fourth round. Not to mention Harrison Bryant received the bust label from my Draft Board project.
Highest Fantasy Impact: OT Jedrick Wills
Wills paired with Jack Conklin at the Tackle positions is going to be a major upgrade over that mess Cleveland was rolling with last season. The addition of both is going to help greatly with Chubb and Mayfield’s fantasy value, as well as the pass catchers who will see more accurate passes since Mayfield should have more time to throw.
Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Score: 0.86 Grade: C+
Favorite Pick: DT Khalil Davis
Based off stats and his combine performance he was one of my top DTs in this draft, but he wasn’t a starter at Nebraska (which only makes his stats more impressive in my opinion) and that’s why he fell as far as he did. Tampa’s got a future star here.
Least Favorite Pick: None
There were two players that received a zero. Antoine Winfield was one of those players, because he was taken a round earlier than I would’ve drafted him. But his name was heating up and I do think he’s a good player, so I don’t hate the pick. The other was Raymond Calais in the 7th. He was removed from my draft board, but wasn’t listed as a bust, so I view the pick as taking a flier on a player before they get to the undrafted free agent portion of the process. Neither one of those picks warrants me labeling them as my least favorite, Tampa had a great draft.
Highest Fantasy Impact: RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
He has more than enough talent to take the starting spot from Ronald Jones. Considering how stacked this offense is, Vaughn should have plenty of running room with teams being forced to focus on the pass catchers.
Team: Los Angeles Chargers
Score: 0.83 Grade: C+
Favorite Pick: RB Joshua Kelley
Losing Melvin Gordon was always going to lead to higher usage for Austin Ekeler, but the Chargers still needed to add to their backfield committee. Kelley is a high motor player. He and Ekeler are going to make a solid 1-2 punch.
Least Favorite Pick: QB Justin Herbert
Herbert was the lowest on my list out of the first-round Quarterbacks. I have questions about his willingness to throw the deep ball, or possibly the willingness of Oregon’s coaching staff to allow him to use his arm. I think Herbert is overrated and will only end up being an average starting QB at best.
Highest Fantasy Impact: RB Joshua Kelley
I believe Anthony Lynn will be a little more conservative on when he rolls out his rookie passer, but Kelley should work into the rushing rotation right off the bat. The Chargers also love to run the ball, which will increase his fantasy value even more.
Team: Denver Broncos
Score: 0.80 Grade: C+
Favorite Pick: CB Michael Ojemudia
I love Ojemudia, he was my favorite mid-round Corner in this draft. 6’1”, 200 pounds, ran a 4.45 forty and a very impressive 6.87 3 Cone Drill AND he averaged 3 interceptions over the last two seasons at Iowa.
Least Favorite Pick: WR K.J. Hamler
Taking two Receivers in back to back rounds when the strength of the draft is the Wide Receiver position is a questionable move, especially when you have so many other needs to address. Having said that, Hamler is a shifty speed freak that adds an explosive element to the offense. His slight frame is a concern though.
Highest Fantasy Impact: WR Jerry Jeudy
Great route runner, decent size, good athletic profile. He’s going to be the #2 behind Courtland Sutton, but he has the talent to make it a true WR1/WR1 situation in Denver. Drew Lock is going to be a hot commodity with the receiving corps the Broncos have built for him.
Team: New Orleans Saints
Score: 0.75 Grade: C
Favorite Pick: LB Zack Baun
After baffling Bryar and I with their first pick the Saints turned around and moved up in the third round to grab Baun. Baun was apparently still on the board due to injury concerns, but the talent the Saints are getting in comparison to the round selected is undeniable. He also brings versatility to the position, allowing Dennis Allen to have some fun creating plays to unleash his new weapon.
Least Favorite Pick: C Cesar Ruiz
This is not a knock on Ruiz in any way. I was high on him and viewed him as a late 1st, or early 2nd round pick. This is a huge baffling question mark on the Saints. Ruiz is talented, but was drafting for depth on the interior of your O-Line the best decision in the first round when you had needs at Receiver, Corner, Linebacker and on your D-Line? I don’t think it was. Ruiz could take over at Guard next year if Warford leaves, but that’s next year! This is a team that has the potential to win a Super Bowl right now if they add the right pieces who can play right now! Everyone’s attacking Green Bay for using their first pick to get their QB of the future, at least they didn’t draft their Guard of the future.
Highest Fantasy Impact: TE Adam Trautman
His full fantasy value may not be recognized this year, but Cook’s 33 and entering the second year of his two-year deal. The Saints can roll Trautman out for two Tight End sets this year and hand him the reigns next year. Although he won’t see a ton of playing time in 2020, he will be another mismatch option for Brees up the seam when he is on the field.
Team: Las Vegas Raiders
Score: 0.71 Grade: C
Favorite Pick: CB Amik Robertson
He started 3 seasons at Louisiana Tech and averaged nearly 5 picks a season! That is crazy ball production. His size means he’ll probably have to play the Slot, but there’s no reason that he should’ve still been on the board in the fourth round. My bold prediction here is that he’ll have a far better career than Damon Arnette who the Raiders selected in the 1st round.
Least Favorite Pick: CB Damon Arnette
Speaking of Arnette, this was my least favorite selection by Vegas (wow that was weird to type). His lack of college production is why he was removed from my board, the fact that he failed to produce big while playing opposite Jeff Okudah makes it that much worse.
Highest Fantasy Impact: WR Henry Ruggs
I don’t agree with the Ruggs selection. Carr is not a big armed Quarterback, he needs a tactician on the outside. Yet, with Tyrell Williams already on the roster, the Raiders went and drafted another burner with Lamb and Jeudy still on the board! This made no sense to me. Still, he’s the most talented Receiver on this team and should see the highest target share unless Darren Waller gets it again.
Team: Tennessee Titans
Score: 0.67 Grade: C
Favorite Pick: DT Larrell Murchison
Trading away Jurrell Casey for a 4th round pick was a bad idea. Selecting Murchison in the 5th round was good idea. Murchison is similar in build to Casey and slightly more athletic. He’s not going to have the same kind of impact immediately, but he’s a good selection to groom as a replacement for Casey.
Least Favorite Pick: OT Isaiah Wilson
He received the bust label because he’s severely lacking in the athleticism department. It’s hard to play Tackle as a pro when you lack good lateral movement ability. Josh Jones and Ezra Cleveland were both available. Wilson was the wrong decision.
Highest Fantasy Impact: RB Darrynton Evans
I don’t see any of the players they selected having an immediate impact on the team’s fantasy value. Evans has the best chance since he should take over the backup role behind Derrick Henry. Dion Lewis saw a significant decrease in his production because Henry’s usage went up, which means Evans probably doesn’t have redraft value. His fantasy worth would come if Henry were to suffer an injury.
Team: Washington Redskins
Score: 0.63 Grade: C
Favorite Pick: RB Antonio Gibson
He’s a swiss army knife. They took him higher than I expected to see him go, but he’s a weapon in so many facets (Receiving, Rushing, and Returning kicks). Looking at Washington’s Receivers and Running Backs he could literally play either position for them, or potentially both. They could opt to keep him on the field for just about every play and move him around. The potential here is exciting.
Least Favorite Pick: WR Antonio Gandy-Golden
There were a few concerning elements to his Combine Results that were why I removed him from my board. I really hope I’m wrong though because he was an exciting Receiver to watch at Liberty.
Highest Fantasy Impact: RB Antonio Gibson
See what I mentioned above. Guice keeps getting hurt and AP is in his 30’s, I wouldn’t be surprised if Gibson takes over as the primary ball carrier before the end of the year, while also seeing time split out wide and in the Slot. Think of him as McCaffrey-esque thanks to the hands, Rivera knows McCaffrey very well.
Team: New England Patriots
Score: 0.60 Grade: C
Favorite Pick: OG Mike Onwenu
The Patriots have a knack at drafting really well on their Interior O-Line in the mid to late rounds. I think Onwenu (6th round) is their next big hit at the position. He won’t need to start this season, barring injuries. But we all know how Belichick feels about resetting position markets, so if Thuney decides he wants to get paid next offseason then Onwenu gives them a replacement option.
Least Favorite Pick: TE Dalton Keene
Keene received the bust label from my draft board project, and it had to do with his lack of production. The one thing I will point out that could work in Keene’s favor is that he didn’t play a traditional Tight End role at Virginia Tech, he was more of an H-Back, which could explain away the production concerns.
Highest Fantasy Impact: K Justin Rohrwasser
As it stands this is Rohrwasser’s job, unless the Pats bring in competition prior to training camp. New England’s offense is almost guaranteed to take a step back, but a Kicker’s will get their opportunities. He has the best chance to have the biggest fantasy impact out of any of their rookies.
Team: Atlanta Falcons
Score: 0.50 Grade: C-
Favorite Pick: C Matt Hennessy
New Orleans should take note of what the Falcons did. Alex Mack is still their starter, but he is 33 and on the last year of his contract. However, Atlanta didn’t use their 1st round pick to address the future need on their interior O-Line, they snagged one of the top Centers in the 3rdround and addressed two major needs with their first two picks.
Least Favorite Pick: S Jaylinn Hawkins
I don’t know what they say in Hawkins that made them pull the trigger in the 4th. His college stats and athletic profile screamed end of the draft to me. Maybe he’ll prove me wrong, but I just don’t see it.
Highest Fantasy Impact: CB A.J. Terrell
Atlanta’s Cornerback crew has seen a lot of turnover in the last two seasons. Most recently Desmond Trufant was the one given the boot leaving an opening for Terrell to step into. I think Atlanta’s defense still has some room to grow before they’ll be on fantasy coach’s radar, but they’re on the right track.
Team: Jacksonville Jaguars
Score: 0.50 Grade: C-
Favorite Pick: LB Shaquille Quarterman
He was the leader of the Miami defense and he has a great nose for the ball. He doesn’t have the speed to get to the outside as effectively as some of the other Linebackers in this class, but he’s the run stuffer in the middle that Jacksonville needs.
Least Favorite Pick: OLB K’Lavon Chaisson
Drafting purely off of potential in the first round is something I can’t get behind. Chaisson’s averages at LSU (30.7 tackles, 6.3 tackles for loss and 3.2 sacks) tell me that Chaisson has the athletic profile that teams love without the production at a lower level to prove he can actually put it to use. They should’ve gone after Yetur Gross-Matos or Ross Blacklock at this point.
Highest Fantasy Impact: WR Laviska Shenault
Shenault will need to prove he can stay on the field, but his run after the catch ability will make him a beloved target by Gardner Minshew. D.J. Chark should still be the #1, but the #2 spot is open after Westbrook and Conley failed to dominate last season (due in large part to the lack of consistency under Center).
Team: Indianapolis Colts
Score: 0.44 Grade: C-
Favorite Pick: WR Michael Pittman
LOVED this pick. Pittman is a fantastic addition to the Colts offense. He has WR1 ability but won’t need to show that right away as long as TY Hilton stays on the field. This was the big (6’4”, 223 pounds) Receiver they needed for Rivers.
Least Favorite Pick: QB Jacob Eason
Eason fell into the bust category for my draft board and I don’t think learning from Rivers is going to help change that. The Colts will either want to bring back Rivers next year or look to the draft for their new franchise QB. This wasn’t a worthwhile use of a 4th round pick.
Highest Fantasy Impact: RB Jonathan Taylor
Fumbling issues aside Taylor was a great addition to take the pressure off Rivers in the pass game. Taylor should also greatly excel in the fantasy world thanks to Indy’s fantastic Offensive Line. He’ll be one of the top rookies selected in fantasy football this season.
Team: New York Jets
Score: 0.44 Grade: C-
Favorite Pick: CB Bryce Hall
If it weren’t for the injury this past season Hall would’ve been gone long before the 5th round. He had great production and he has fantastic ball skills. He has the skillset to become the #1 Corner for the Jets.
Least Favorite Pick: RB La’Mical Perine
Virtually no production in college and poor athleticism, that’s why Perine was removed from my draft board. This pick may have been about Adam Gase’s feelings toward Le’Veon Bell, but it was the wrong Running Back to select.
Highest Fantasy Impact: WR Denzel Mims
He’s the perfect Receiver to replace Robby Anderson and do an even better job. The Jets landed a big blocker for Sam Darnold in the first and a new WR1 in the second.
Team: Seattle Seahawks
Score: 0.38 Grade: C-
Favorite Pick: DE Alton Robinson
I was higher on Robinson (5th round) than on Darrell Taylor who they selected in the 2nd round. Pass rush was a high priority need for Seattle and they addressed it twice, one of these two young men or possibly both could help bolster Seattle’s edge presence.
Least Favorite Pick: LB Jordyn Brooks
I liked Brooks, but I liked Brooks as a 3rd-5th rounder. There was a lot of really good value in the mid-rounds for this position, I just don’t understand why Seattle felt the need to reach. The even bigger concern I have here is that there was still some really good upper-level talent at Offensive Tackle and the Seahawks flat out refused to address the gaping holes that continue to loom in front of Russell Wilson in favor of a position that they’re already set at. Good luck Wilson, I hope after your contract’s up you head to a team that values your well-being.
Highest Fantasy Impact: OG Damien Lewis
The Seahawks addressed their O-Line in the third round with one of the top Guards on my board then never looked at the position group again. Damien Lewis will be an upgrade at either Guard spot. He should help keep a portion of the pressure away from Wilson on passing downs and clear some room for Chris Carson on run plays.
Team: Miami Dolphins
Score: 0.36 Grade: C-
Favorite Pick: DE Curtis Weaver
I had a first-round grade on Weaver and watched him fall all the way to the 5thround (I also watched as my team passed on him 7 times). He was uber-productive at Boise State and out of the tests at the Combine he performed there weren’t any results that would cause someone to believe he’s athletically hindered. I’m not sure why he fell (perhaps it was the fact he decided not to run the forty), but I think Miami landed a steal and they’ve got a future star off the edge.
Least Favorite Pick: DT Raekwon Davis
Being an Alabama fan, I heard a lot about Raekwon Davis’ potential and was consistently disappointed with his results over the last two years. The other piece to this is that I don’t like his athletic profile when compared to his size, a lot of his combine results were results I would expect from a heavier Defensive Tackle.
Highest Fantasy Impact: QB Tua Tagovailoa
I wouldn’t be surprised if Tua is in the lineup sooner rather than later. Fitzpatrick is a very sporadic Quarterback and if he goes through one of his three game droughts the Dolphins fans will start getting restless. Thankfully for Tua, Miami did a great job of addressing their O-Line through the Draft as Austin Jackson and Robert Hunt are more than capable of taking the starting jobs at each Tackle, and as a bonus Solomon Kindley should compete for a Guard spot.
Team: Minnesota Vikings
Score: 0.33 Grade: C-
Favorite Pick: OT Ezra Cleveland
After years of not having solid Tackle play it looks like the Vikings have found the franchise bookends on their O-Line (Brian O’Neill being the other one). There’s a chance that Minnesota elects to run with Reiff at Left Tackle to give Cleveland some time to adjust, but I don’t think they should. Reiff was a liability last season and could be cut to free up more cap space. If they want to keep him on the team, then he should be kicked inside to Guard (he couldn’t do much worse there than the starters from last season did).
Least Favorite Pick: CB Cameron Dantzler
I get that the Vikings let most of their secondary walk in free agency, but that’s not reason to select a guy who doesn’t have the speed to make it at the position as a pro. Dantzler’s best chance of finding success in the NFL is to move to Safety, which I totally could’ve accepted that that’s why Minnesota selected him, except that they drafted two safeties later on. I think this was a wasted pick, especially when they passed on Amik Robertson and Essang Bassey (two high potential Slot Corners) over and over again.
Highest Fantasy Impact: WR Justin Jefferson
I think Jefferson is going to be highly productive, I just don’t like the idea that he plays primarily out of the Slot and that Adam Thielen spends a lot of time in the Slot. There were plenty of outside Receivers that the Vikings could have drafted as better compliments to Thielen. Having said that, they’ll find a way to use both of them effectively. Also, Tajae Sharpe and Olabisi Johnson are no where near as talented as Jefferson, so there shouldn’t be a concern about playing time or target share.
Team: Detroit Lions
Score: 0.22 Grade: D
Favorite Pick: DE Julian Okwara
A 3rdround pick on an athletically gifted pass rusher who needs to bulk up, this was a smart pick by Detroit. His 6’4” frame should allow for him to pack on some extra weight and strength, the Lions just gotta get him in the weight room. Low college production is a concern, but it’s not like they picked him in the first *cough* Jacksonville *cough*.
Least Favorite Pick: WR Quintez Cephus
He ran a 4.73 forty, that isn’t helpful in any way shape or form at Receiver. Beyond that he has serious character concerns. What was Detroit thinking using a 5thround pick on him?
Highest Fantasy Impact: RB D’Andre Swift
He’s undersized and wasn’t a heavy workload guy at Georgia, so this is about the best situation he could have hoped to land in. Pairing him with Kerryon Johnson will help minimize the injury risk for Johnson and keep Swift from getting over worked, giving both the opportunity to be explosive part-time ball carriers.
Team: Baltimore Ravens
Score: 0.20 Grade: D
Favorite Pick: DT Justin Madubuike
The Ravens adding Madubuike to their current starting D-Line is just unfair. He’s a very talented depth add for now, with the ability to take over as a starter if someone goes down with an injury.
Least Favorite Pick: WR Devin Duvernay
Based off the stats I found during my project (see 2020 Draft Board: Wide Receivers), Duvernay is a “Bust” as a pro (bust being an all inclusive term for a player that has a trait that I found which led to everyone with that trait failing as a pro). They selected Duvernay in the third round, which stings a little more.
Highest Fantasy Impact: RB J.K. Dobbins
Dobbins himself is not necessarily going to be a fantasy star as rookie, there’s currently too many mouths to feed in that backfield. His addition has the highest fantasy impact because it’s going to hurt Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards and any chance Justice Hill had of exploding onto the scene this year. Baltimore’s backfield is going to be a mess, which is a good thing for Lamar Jackson’s prospects (a never ending supply of fresh runners to take the pressure off the pass game isn’t a bad thing for a QB), but it hurts anyone in a dynasty league currently housing Ingram or Edwards.
Team: Dallas Cowboys
Score: 0.14 Grade: D
Favorite Pick: CB Trevon Diggs
Dallas did a fantastic job jumping on players who slid farther than they probably should’ve. Diggs has really good size and great hands which should lead to an increase in turnovers. That’s the big bonus to drafting Diggs after Byron Jones managed 2 interceptions in the 5 years he spent in Dallas.
Least Favorite Pick: DT Neville Gallimore
Gallimore was removed from my draft board due to a bit of an obscure attribute finding from my draft board project, so there’s a decent chance he succeeds and makes me look like a fool. But I’m going to go based off of what I found, which is what led me to file Gallimore in the “bust” category that I mentioned with Duvernay above (drafted by Baltimore). There were a few players Dallas drafted that I had removed from my board, but Gallimore was the highest selected.
Highest Fantasy Impact: WR CeeDee Lamb
He’s going to lineup in three Receiver sets with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, and while his route running may not be as good as Cooper’s is, I do think he is more talented than the other two. It might take a season, but by next year he could be Dak’s new #1 target.
Team: Houston Texans
Score: 0.00 Grade: F
Favorite Pick: DT Ross Blacklock
The Texans needed to address their front seven. They got a good one in Blacklock who will team up with J.J. Watt. He’ll also have the pleasure of learning from Watt, one of the best to ever play the position.
Least Favorite Pick: Their Timing
A strange thing to list as a least favorite pick and many of you may have zero idea what I mean, so let me explain. I liked the Blacklock pick and while I originally didn't like the Greenard pick I've come around. However, both players had lower grades for me than where the Texans picked them. Meanwhile, there were a couple better options (in my opinion) left on the board at that time. If Blacklock was who they really wanted then maybe they should've targeted a different position of need. Of course, maybe Blacklock wouldn't have been there later. That's the joy of the draft, you end up left with a bunch of what ifs.
Highest Fantasy Impact: DT Ross Blacklock
Blacklock’s the only player from this Houston draft class that I think will have an early impact for the Texans. Unfortunately, his addition alone is not going to make Houston’s defense draftable in fantasy land.
Team: San Francisco 49ers
Score: -0.60 Grade: F
Favorite Pick: DT Javon Kinlaw
Kinlaw is the only player San Fran took that I would have used a draft pick on. He’s a big guy with really good sack production for his size. The Niners needed to add a top tier player to the interior of their D-Line after trading away Buckner and they did a solid job of maintaining their biggest strength.
Least Favorite Pick: WR Brandon Aiyuk
Aiyuk is another player that was listed as a “bust” on my draft board. Three years from now the Niners are going to look back on this draft and wish they had taken Higgins, Mims or Pittman.
Highest Fantasy Impact: DT Javon Kinlaw
Kinlaw’s presence will allow San Fran’s defense to keep their higher-end fantasy value.
