Lance's 2021 Draft Grades
If this section sounds familiar it’s probably because you read a similar version to it last year when I put out my 2020 draft grade’s article, you can probably skip down to the grades unless you want a refresher. Using the PSR a player received and a little of what I saw in a player I created a set round range I would have considered drafting a player in. 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 an “empty” label on was drafted they received -1 point. And for the players that were removed from my draft board with a “depleted” label 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 they 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
Included with each team’s grade is my favorite and least favorite pick they made. There are a few teams that I didn’t have a least favorite pick, and two teams that I didn’t have a favorite pick, for those teams I included a little blurb of something surprising I could see happening for them during the 2021 season.
Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Score: 1.67 Grade: A+
Favorite Pick: OT Dan Moore Jr. (Texas A&M) Round 4
Pitt received the highest grade, but it wasn’t my favorite draft, they just did a very good job at getting great value when it came time for their selection. Moore is a prime example of that. He was a solid starting Left Tackle on one of the best O-Lines in the FBS last year. If they’re unable to bring back Villanueva, Moore could offer an immediate starting option for them (though preferably he’d have a little time to develop).
Least Favorite Pick: DT Isaiahh Loudermilk (Wisconsin) Round 5
Loudermilk was the only player they selected who was removed from my draft board. He actually was included on the list of players for my original draft board, but he was given an “empty” label and since he wasn’t included on the NFL Combine invitee list, I took his name off my draft board. I’m curious as to what they saw in him.
Team: Philadelphia Eagles
Score: 1.33 Grade: A-
Favorite Pick: RB Kenny Gainwell (Memphis) Round 5
Last year Philly received my highest draft grade with a B+, this year they outdid the grade, but finished in second. Gainwell is the prime example of why Philly knocked this draft out of the park. He’s a dual threat out of the backfield with great explosiveness and the size to handle the ball 20 times a game. Look out Sanders.
Surprise for 2021? Philly’s faith in Hurts pays off.
There was that whole month where it looked as though the Eagles were going to stick it out with Wentz before he was shipped out to Indy, which might raise a few eyebrows seeing me put “Philly’s faith in Hurts.” But I mean what I wrote. They jumped up to pick 10 and could have easily drafted Justin Fields, instead they made the jump to land a weapon for Hurts in Devonta Smith. In the second round they added Landon Dickerson, who when healthy is one of the best blockers from this draft class. And in the fifth they selected Gainwell, a deadly weapon out of the backfield. I think this pays off for them, Hurts takes a leap forward in his progression and the Eagles barely miss out on winning the NFC East with an 8-8 record (yes, that does mean I think the NFC East champion will have a winning record this year).
Team: Denver
Score: 1.20 Grade: B+
Favorite Pick: OG Quinn Meinerz (UW-Whitewater) Round 3
For those wondering what team had my favorite draft class this year, Denver was one of the three (the other two were Carolina and Washington). Meinerz is an animal on the interior of the O-Line and I think he’ll push for a starting job immediately at either Guard or Center. I know they just drafted Lloyd Cushenberry last year at Center and they like him a lot, but that’s how confident I am in Meinerz’s ability.
Least Favorite Pick: RB Javonte Williams (North Carolina) Round 2
This is not a knock on Williams’ talent, I think he’s going to be a very good player. The avid fantasy football coach side of me is why I chose Williams here. Denver took a rookie who could have had 3rd-5th round value in our fantasy drafts this season and made his whole situation cloudy! Now he’ll have to compete with Melvin Gordon for touches which lowers how much we can trust either one of them. Otherwise, I definitely liked this pick.
Team: Chicago Bears
Score: 1.14 Grade: B
Favorite Pick: OT Teven Jenkins (Oklahoma State) Round 2
I can’t believe Jenkins fell as far as he did. I also can’t believe my Vikings are going to have to deal with him twice a year. This one hurt. The Bears got a fantastic blocker for whichever side of the Line they decided to play him on, and Fields will have a better chance at succeeding because of it.
Least Favorite Pick: WR Dazz Newsome (North Carolina) Round 6
I get that picking on a 6th round pick isn’t really going out on a limb. Newsome’s listing here is more about what he represents, and that is the fact that Chicago has Allen Robinson on the franchise tag (as of now), and a love-hate thing going with Anthony Miller. Receiver should have been a high priority on their board, especially since this Receiver class had some day 2 and early day 3 studs they could have snagged. Instead they ignored the position until the sixth round and didn’t do a good job of addressing it when they finally did pick one.
Team: Dallas Cowboys
Score: 1.14 Grade: B
Favorite Pick: WR Simi Fehoko (Stanford) 5th Round
I really liked Fehoko, enough so that he was a guy I was thinking could come off the board in the 2nd round. I am super disappointed that he wound up in Dallas, because barring some mega trade, or a major injury, he won’t see major snaps any time soon.
Least Favorite Pick: LB Micah Parsons (Penn State)
As if the Cowboys needed more players with character concerns. It seems like Jerry Jones is drawn to them like a moth to a flame. If the character issues weren’t there I still wouldn’t understand this choice. Their Linebackers might have been banged up a bit last year, but it was nowhere near the need that they had along the Defensive Line and in their Defensive Backfield. So they couldn’t trade down, so what, stay put and pull the trigger on Jaelan Phillips, Kwity Paye, Odafe Oweh, or Greg Newsome! Parsons wasn’t even the best Linebacker on the board in my opinion, that was Jamin Davis selected by Washington seven picks later. It’s going to suck for Dallas if Davis ends up outplaying Parsons since they’ll have to see him twice a year.
Team: Washington
Score: 1.10 Grade: B
Favorite Pick: WR Dyami Brown (North Carolina) Round 3
I was questioning Washington’s decision to take Jamin Davis in the first when they had major needs at Left Tackle and Wide Receiver, but then they grabbed Samuel Cosmi in the second and Dyami Brown in the third. Couple that with Benjamin St-Juste in the third, Darrick Forrest in the fifth, and Shaka Toney in the seventh and it’s easy to see why I liked their draft so much. Brown was the steal of the group though. He’s a great deep-ball threat, which will open things up for McLaurin underneath and give Fitzpatrick someone to chuck the ball downfield to.
Surprise for 2021? Washington gets overlooked once again, but still take the NFC East.
It’s basically a guarantee that the NFC East preseason darlings will be the Cowboys with the Giants sprinkled in here and there. But Washington won’t be relinquishing their crown. The defense is going to be better than it was last year, and the offense is going to be more dangerous this time around. Fitzpatrick offers a gunslinger playing style that will allow Washington to put more points on the board. At least this way the defense won’t feel like they have to hold opponents to 10 or less if they want to have a shot at winning.
Team: Detroit Lions
Score: 1.00 Grade: B-
Favorite Pick: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (USC) Round 4
Detroit did a fantastic job of holding steady at pick 7 and taking Penei Sewell. Jared Goff should be thrilled about that. He should also be excited about St. Brown who will fit right into the type of Receiver role that Woods played for him in L.A. Slot type guy who can take the quick passes and rack up yards. I wish the Lions had also taken someone like Simi Fehoko, or Seth Williams, a bigger guy with decent athleticism, but St. Brown is a good start to rebuilding that Receiving corps. Side note, they did sign Jonathan Adams out of Arkansas State to an undrafted free agent contract, which I think has a good chance of working out in their favor.
Surprise for 2021? They make a late season push setting them up for a big 2022 run.
The Lions had a solid draft. Sewell and St. Brown were added to the offensive side of things. And defensively they grabbed Ifeatu Melifonwu the big Corner out of Syracuse, two Defensive Tackles to help with pressuring the Quarterback (Levi Onwuzurike) and stuffing the run (Alim McNeill), and they added Derrick Barnes to their Linebackers who I think could push for a starter role from day 1. The new Lions regime already had a very good offseason between trades and free agent signings. It’ll take a little bit for the rookies to get into a groove and for the chemistry between players to take off, but the Lions could end the season on a high note and head into 2022 looking to make some real noise.
Team: Las Vegas Raiders
Score: 1.00 Grade: B-
Favorite Pick: C Jimmy Morrissey (Pittsburgh) Round 7
Morrissey was a fantastic pick in the seventh round. The Raiders should have a competition to see who will start at Center, and I think Morrissey could win the job. He’s smart, surprisingly athletic, strong, and he was a four year starter for Pitt.
Least Favorite Pick: OT Alex Leatherwood (Alabama) Round 1
I like Leatherwood and I think he’s going to be a solid starter as a pro, but they passed on Christian Darrisaw and Teven Jenkins, two guys with higher ceilings at the same position. I don’t think Leatherwood will do so poorly that they wish they could have a redo. But I do think Darrisaw and Jenkins are going to do so well that they look back and wonder what could have been.
Team: Indianapolis Colts
Score: 0.86 Grade: C+
Least Favorite Pick: DE Dayo Odeyingbo (Vanderbilt) Round 2
The Colts took Paye in the first and had a number of other needs that still had to be filled like Corner and Offensive Tackle. Instead they chose to select another Defensive End in the second, and not just any End, but one that tore his achilles just a few months ago. This was way too early regardless of his potential, achilles injuries can have lasting effects on players. It’ll hurt more if they can’t properly fill the hole left behind by Anthony Castonzo.
Surprise for 2021? Indy tumbles down the ranks in the AFC.
Their division isn’t stacked, but the Titans are a good team and the Jags are trending in the right direction with Trevor Lawrence now under Center. I don’t trust Wentz, and the hole that they have at Left Tackle will only exacerbate the QB situation. I don’t think they’ll do worse than Houston, but I do think they miss the playoffs.
Team: New Orleans Saints
Score: 0.83 Grade: C+
Favorite Pick: OT Landon Young (Kentucky) Round 6
Having a Left Tackle to groom for your aging starter is something that gets overlooked. It’s the second most important position on the offense, so why don’t teams treat it the same way they do the Quarterback position? Terron Armstead is only 29 and he has four years left on his deal, making this the perfect time to look for someone you can coach up to replace him when his deal is up. Landon Young has a lot of potential, but he could use some time to adjust and some good coaching. I don’t know if that was the plan when they selected Young, I just think it makes a lot of sense.
Least Favorite Pick: DE Payton Turner (Houston) Round 1
There’s reports out there that other teams really wanted Turner and had high grades on him and called the Saints to congratulate them. And there’s the talk of if this offseason was different he would have been higher on other people’s boards too. Blah blah blah. If those teams that called to congratulate the Saints for taking the guy they want would like to come forward and admit it then I’ll believe it, but it still won’t change the way I viewed Turner. Which is, a long Defensive End with decent athleticism and sub-par production against so-so competition, who will need some time to develop. Maybe they prove me horribly wrong, but I just don’t see the first-round grade they had on him.
Team: Green Bay Packers
Score: 0.78 Grade: C+
Favorite Pick: C Josh Myers (Ohio State) Round 2
Myers was a fantastic selection. Not only does he give the Packers a Center to replace Corey Linsley, but he also allows the Packers to keep Elgton Jenkins at Guard. It’s a win-win and a huge get for whoever ends up taking the snaps this season.
Least Favorite Pick: WR Amari Rodgers (Clemson) Round 3
Rodgers figures to play out of the slot. He was removed from my board, Jaelon Darden was toward the top of my board and should also play out of the slot. The Packers finally took a Receiver but I don’t think it was the right one.
Team: Buffalo Bills
Score: 0.75 Grade: C
Favorite Pick: OT Spencer Brown (Northern Iowa) Round 3
I had a higher grade on Brown than the third round. Buffalo needed to add some competition at Right Tackle, Brown was a great choice to do so.
Surprise for 2021? Basham beats out Rousseau for a starting spot on the D-Line.
I didn’t have a first round grade on Rousseau, but I won’t knock the Bills for taking him at 30. He’s long with plenty of talent, but still raw and needs some coaching up. Basham is more ready right now. The Bills could really use one of these youngsters to start in place of Mario Addison (he’ll be 34 at the start of the season and would be better utilized in a rotational role). I believe Basham would win that job as it stands right now.
Team: Arizona Cardinals
Score: 0.71 Grade: C
Favorite Pick: CB Marco Wilson (Florida) Round 4
I had a 2nd-3rd round grade on Wilson because of his athleticism and potential. His slide in play over the last couple years was probably what caused him to slide in the draft. The Cards got a great deal on him in the fourth.
Least Favorite Pick: WR Rondale Moore (Purdue) Round 2
So many needs, Receiver was nowhere near the top of that list. Taking a severely undersized Receiver was certainly not at the top of that list.
Team: New York Jets
Score: 0.70 Grade: C
Favorite Pick: WR Elijah Moore (Ole Miss) Round 2
Steal! Moore had a first round grade all the way for me. Of course there are going to be guys that slide out of the first, but if the Giants really wanted a speedy slot guy this is who they should have taken. Unfortunately for them they’ll have to see him tearing it up for the team they share a stadium with.
Surprise for 2021? The Jets swing back towards the top of the AFC East.
I think the AFC East is going to be a lot more competitive this year. Joe Douglas did a great job last year, but he may have outdone himself this offseason. Providing Zach Wilson with an upgrade on the Offensive Line (Alijah Vera-Tucker), Receiver (Elijah Moore, Corey Davis, Keelan Cole) and Running Back (Michael Carter, Tevin Coleman) was the best thing they could have done to try and ensure Wilson is set up for success. Those moves as well as the ones made to boost the defense helps Robert Saleh push for a surprise run in his first season. They won’t win the East, but don’t be surprised if they give Bills fans some mid to late season anxiety.
Team: Los Angeles Rams
Score: 0.67 Grade: C
Favorite Pick: CB Robert Rochell (Central Arkansas) Round 4
With every pick the Vikings took in the third round I was yelling at my TV for them to take Rochell, but obviously they didn’t and the Rams now have a day three gem at Corner. Rochell is a super freak athletically, but he also had fantastic ball-hawking abilities at Central Arkansas and he’s got great size. Seriously, if he had played at any power 5 school he would have been the top Corner off the board.
Least Favorite Pick: DE Earnest Brown IV (Northwestern) Round 5
Targeting talent to try and surround Aaron Donald so his play doesn’t drop-off before he nears the end of his career is a good idea, but drafting an unathletic, undersized End/Tackle for your 3-man front was poor execution. Brown was removed from my draft board for a reason, there was plenty of talent left at this point for the Rams to pick from.
Team: New York Giants
Score: 0.67 Grade: C
Favorite Pick: DE Elerson Smith (Northern Iowa) Round 4
Here’s another player I was clamoring for the Vikings to take in round 3, but here we are. The Giants did a very good job of addressing their outside pass rush woes by taking Ojulari in the second and Smith in the fourth. Last season the Giants ranked tied for 12th in total sacks and that was thanks to Leonard Williams’ breakout year, with these two in tow they should climb even higher.
Least Favorite Pick: WR Kadarius Toney (Florida) Round 1
I had Toney removed from my board, so for those who read my draft boards this should be no surprise. The thing that makes it worse in my opinion is that Elijah Moore was still available, they passed and the Jets grabbed him in the second round. If this plays out how I believe it will, the Giants are going to be kicking themselves.
Team: Seattle Seahawks
Score: 0.67 Grade: C
Favorite Pick: OT Stone Forsythe (Florida) Round 6
They could have taken just about any Offensive Lineman in any round and that would have been my favorite pick for them. Unfortunately for Wilson, Forsythe didn’t strike me as a plug and play starter, he’s going to need some time to develop, but the tools are there for him to be solid when he is ready to go.
Least Favorite Pick: WR D’Wayne Eskridge (Western Michigan) Round 2
I swear Seattle made this pick just to reignite the anger Russell Wilson was feeling toward them at the beginning of this offseason. Wilson wanted better protection, Seattle decided to draft a small speed Receiver for him to not be able to throw to cause he won’t have the time in the pocket to hit him. Brilliant.
Team: Minnesota Vikings
Score: 0.64 Grade: C
Favorite Pick: OG Wyatt Davis (Ohio State) Round 3
So, round 3 rolled around, the Vikings had four picks and after what they did in round 1, I was excited. Then they selected Kellen Mond (more on that below) and Chazz Surratt who plays a position that was so far down our list of needs I got pretty upset. But then came the Wyatt Davis selection. Davis was top five on my list of Guards. And knowing that our O-Line could feature him, Cleveland, O’Neill and Darrisaw this season made me excited for a Vikings O-Line for the first time in a long time. Of course with their next and final third round pick I threw my pen, but we won’t talk about that.
Least Favorite Pick: QB Kellen Mond (Texas A&M) Round 3
At best I see Mond as a career backup. Yes, the Vikings did need to upgrade their backup QB situation, but with the second selection we made in the draft? I don’t think so. And for all the analysts out there saying Mond is going to be the Vikings future, I hope you’re right, but I hope even more that the Vikings realize he isn’t before Cousins is gone and we’re stuck with below average, sporadic QB play for an entire season before having to invest a first round pick on the position.
Team: Miami Dolphins
Score: 0.57 Grade: C
Least Favorite Pick: WR Jaylen Waddle (Alabama) Round 1
If you didn’t read my draft board articles, I had a third round grade on Waddle. Taking a burner at Receiver that’s Waddle’s size and coming off a major injury worries me. I would not have taken the risk of selecting Waddle, especially not at 6 and especially not with Devonta Smith still available.
Surprise for 2021? The magic from 2020 disappears.
In a literal sense because Fitzmagic is gone, but also in the sense that nobody expected them to have the season they did last year, it was magical, and I don’t see them pushing for that type of year again this season. The East got better, the Jets made a bunch of moves to improve on both sides of the ball, the Patriots are bringing back a bunch of players on defense from the COVID opt-out list, plus they have a QB they can put in if Newton starts looking like he did in 2020, and the Bills kept most of their guys while adding a couple young edge rushers to a tough defensive unit. I haven’t yet figured out how I think each team is going to do in their division, but as of right now I don’t think the Dolphins will go 10-6, finish second in the East and barely miss the playoffs.
Team: Los Angeles Chargers
Score: 0.56 Grade: C
Favorite Pick: OG B. Jaimes (Nebraska) Round 5
Jaimes was my sleeper pick at Guard (I think he’s going to need to kick inside). The Chargers needed to improve along their O-Line and they did exactly that by grabbing Slater in the first and Jaimes here. Herbert should be very happy with what his front office did.
Least Favorite Pick: WR Josh Palmer(Tennessee)/TE Tre McKitty (Georgia) Round 3
Except with these picks, I don’t know what their front office was thinking with these. Both of these guys were removed from my board. I heard talk about how athletically gifted McKitty is, but if he really was all that then he would have done more at Georgia and Florida State where he managed just 55 receptions, 605 yards and 3 touchdowns total in three seasons! We’ve seen plenty of athletic Tight End spectacles that did nothing in college and nothing as a pro, and I think McKitty is going to add another name to that list. And selecting Palmer when Dyami Brown was still available, what were you thinking?!
Team: Baltimore Ravens
Score: 0.50 Grade: C-
Favorite Pick: WR Tylan Wallace (Oklahoma State) Round 4
The Ravens took big steps toward giving Jackson legitimate pass catching weapons and allowing Marquise Brown to step into a more fitting WR2 role. Rashod Bateman was a great grab in the first and Wallace was a steal in the fourth. The knee injury two years ago most likely attributed to his slide, but he looked healthy last year, so I don’t think Baltimore has anything they’ll need to worry about with him right now.
Least Favorite Pick: CB Brandon Stephens (SMU) Round 3
There were other Corners I liked more than Stephens at this point, but I’m listing this pick as my least favorite because they should have further addressed their D-Line and Pass Rush here. Odafe Oweh was a great start to that in the first, but they didn’t add to it further until the sixth round. Corner is a strength of theirs and it should have been the position they looked at for depth in the sixth, while taking someone like Elerson Smith, Cameron Sample or Chris Rumph II.
Team: Cincinnati Bengals
Score: 0.50 Grade: C-
Favorite Pick: DE Joseph Ossai (Texas) Round 3
Ossai was my top rated Edge Rusher and I think Cincy got away with highway robbery in the third. Newly signed Trey Hendrickson was added to the mix this offseason, but the Bengals still needed to add more punch to their pass rush and they will get exactly that with Ossai.
Least Favorite Pick: OG Jackson Carman (Clemson) Round 2
First they take Chase (which is what I would have done) knowing that they needed to fix the Line in front of Burrow. Then they trade down after Teven Jenkins falls right into their laps at the start of the second round. And they follow all that up by taking Carman, a short-armed Tackle that will likely need to kick inside to Guard. There were other guys still available at this point that could have better filled their Line needs; Dillon Radunz and Samuel Cosmi immediately come to mind, or Brady Christensen if they wanted a former Tackle who will probably need to move to Guard.
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Score: 0.50 Grade: C-
Favorite Pick: C Creed Humphrey (Oklahoma) Round 2
No first round pick, no problem! They took Nick Bolton with their first second-round pick, and I know a lot of people were high on him, but the Humphrey pick was where it was at for me. He was my top rated Center in the draft and I think he’s going to do a great job in the middle of their O-Line.
Least Favorite Pick: TE Noah Gray (Duke)/WR Cornell Powell (Clemson) Round 5
Gray and Powell were both removed from my draft board with a depleted label so this was slightly too rich for my taste. Not to mention they needed to continue to address their O-Line, but instead they addressed a couple of strengths. I figured a Tackle could be added for competition purposes this offseason, or at the very least a versatile Lineman could have been grabbed for depth.
Team: Atlanta Falcons
Score: 0.44 Grade: C-
Favorite Pick: DT Ta’Quon Graham (Texas) Round 5
Great pick. Graham offers some position flexibility which will allow Dean Pees to switch up his fronts. Graham can play a traditional Defensive Tackle role in a 4-3, or slide out a little in a 3-4. That’s the value that comes with his size, athleticism and strength. He was inconsistent at Texas, but the right coaching could change that for him.
Least Favorite Pick: S Richie Grant (UCF) Round 2
I like Grant, he was my sleeper at Safety, but there was so much talent still available at the position that I had ranked above him. I couldn’t believe he came off the board before Trevon Moehrig, Andre Cisco and Caden Sterns.
Team: New England Patriots
Score: 0.38 Grade: C-
Favorite Pick: DT Christian Barmore (Alabama) Round 2
The Patriots were aggressive, trading up to grab Barmore who was the top interior D-Lineman on a lot of people’s boards. New England has needed a premier talent on their Defensive Line for some time now, Barmore has the potential to fill that need. At the very least they’re getting a disruptive presence.
Least Favorite Pick: RB Rhamondre Stevenson (Oklahoma) Round 4
Stevenson was removed from my board, which was a knock against this pick, but not the reason I listed him. The Pats have so many needs, why did they decide to use a valuable fourth round pick to address a crowded position that already includes Damien Harris, Sony Michel and James White? It makes no sense to me.
Team: San Francisco 49ers
Score: 0.38 Grade: C-
Favorite Pick: RB Elijah Mitchell (Louisiana) Round 6
Least Favorite Pick: RB Trey Sermon (Ohio State) Round 3
Since my least favorite pick was also a RB they selected, I’m going to combine them into one paragraph. Mitchell was my sleeper at Running Back and I don’t think he could have asked for a better situation to land in. Jerick McKinnon and Tevin Coleman are gone, leaving behind Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson and JaMycal Hasty, all guys that Mitchell could beat out for playing time. Mitchell’s explosiveness is what Shanahan loves to see in his backs (it’s why Mostert and Breida have done/did so well). I don’t view Sermon as being worth the third round pick they used on him. He has an injury history and he’s not a very athletic guy, which causes him to use his body to make plays and that leads to further injury. My bold prediction is Mitchell will outplay Sermon.
Team: Tennessee Titans
Score: 0.38 Grade: C-
Favorite Pick: DE Rashad Weaver (Pittsburgh) Round 4
If the Vikings wanted a Defensive Lineman from Pitt so badly, this is the guy they should have grabbed. His athleticism wasn’t over the top good, but it was solid enough and his college production was impressive. The only issue I have is that Tennessee drafted him. I don’t know that he’s athletic enough to stand up as an edge rusher in their 3-4 front, or that he’s big enough to stick his hand in the dirt for them. It’ll be interesting to see where they end up putting him and if he’s able to succeed.
Least Favorite Pick: WR Dez Fitzpatrick (Louisville) Round 4
I wasn’t a fan of how the Titans waited to add Receiving options until the fourth round. And I wasn’t impressed by the selection of Dez Fitzpatrick. Sure his lack of college production can be attributed to poor QB play and the offense that Louisville runs, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he went in front of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tylan Wallace and Jaelon Darden.
Team: Carolina Panthers
Score: 0.36 Grade: C-
Favorite Pick: DT Daviyon Nixon (Iowa) Round 5
This was probably my steal of the draft if I had to pick. I didn’t think a Defensive Tackle would go in the first, but if it were to happen Nixon would have been my pick and yet the Panthers were able to snag him in the fifth. He’s going to wreak havoc on opposing backfields.
Surprise for 2021? They’re rookie class will have the biggest impact (out of any other team in the league) helping them finish just below .500.
Jaycee Horn should be a day 1 starter, but beyond him there are plenty of players who could see significant playing time. Round 2 pick Terrace Marshall Jr. should compete to fill that third Receiver role left open by the loss of Curtis Samuel. Round 3 pick Brady Christensen will likely have to move inside, but that won’t stop him from pushing for a starting role at Guard. Fellow round 3 selection Tommy Tremble is a blocking Tight End that can help clear lanes for CMC and keep Darnold’s jersey clean. Last season should have been eye opening for the Panthers, demonstrating what life could be like if they don’t start spelling CMC more often, which could explain the Chuba Hubbard selection in round 4. And of course there’s Daviyon Nixon who I mentioned above. Lots of talent, with plenty of spots that need improved play.
Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Score: 0.29 Grade: C-
Favorite Pick: WR Jaelon Darden (North Texas) Round 4
Darden will have the unfortunate circumstances of being lost in the mix of a loaded Receiving corps, at least to start his career, but I still love this pick. He’s not big, but he has the quick cut ability to thrive in the Slot. Despite how stacked Tampa is at Receiver, I wouldn’t be surprised if he earns himself decent playing time as a rookie because he’s the kind of guy Brady loves to throw to.
Least Favorite Pick: QB Kyle Trask (Florida) Round 2
I actually mentioned in my scouting fact or fiction article (link) that there has not been a successful Quarterback from the 2009-2018 draft classes who ran a 5.00 or slower forty. Trask ran a 5.08. I also mentioned in the article that I had a couple theories on why this is a thing, but that I wasn’t going to include them in that article. I’ll mention them now. 1) It could be the slow development of Offensive Linemen nowadays. More and more colleges are getting away from pro style offenses and that creates an extra layer of learning for Lineman when they do get to the NFL. So, Quarterbacks that are statues in a backfield struggle, especially young QBs because they typically haven’t developed the quick release that’s necessary to survive. Guys like Brady and Brees were able to make it work because they waste no time getting the ball out. Or 2) The college game has changed so much that nearly every major program running a non-traditional offense is looking for QBs with at least some mobility. That results in most of the guys that would have been top targets back in the day falling to small schools, or ending up in backup roles, lowering the recognition they get heading into the draft. Either way, a slow forty is a negative factor for QBs and if it holds true here, the use of a second round pick on Trask will prove to be a waste.
Team: Houston Texans
Score: 0.20 Grade: D
Favorite Pick: DT Roy Lopez (Arizona) Round 6
There were a handful of players that I didn’t know anything about before the draft, but had to look into after they were taken so I could better assess the value of the pick. Lopez was one of those guys and I think the Texans did a great job of taking a late-round flier on an athletic interior defensive lineman.
Least Favorite Pick: QB Davis Mills (Stanford) Round 3
Message received, that dark cloud hanging over your Quarterback situation isn’t going away right now, but this was a reach. I don’t get why analysts are so high on a guy that started just 11 games and didn’t impress in most of those starts. So what if he was a 5-star recruit, there are tons of top-rated high school players who never make it to the pros, or don’t pan out once they are there. He’s a project Quarterback and when you have as many needs and as few picks as the Texans you don’t use your first one on a project QB.
Team: Cleveland Browns
Score: 0.13 Grade: D
Favorite Pick: DT Tommy Togiai (Ohio State) Round 4
The Defensive Tackles slid and that allowed quite a few teams to get bargain deals on day three. Togiai was one of those bargains. I think he can immediately fill in for the loss of Larry Ogunjobi.
Least Favorite Pick: WR Anthony Schwartz (Auburn) Round 3
I’m not a fan of Schwartz, especially this early. If they wanted to grab him in the 6th or 7th, fine, but not the third, especially not when you could have had Tylan Wallace, Simi Fehoko or Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Team: Jacksonville Jaguars
Score: 0.11 Grade: D
Favorite Pick: S Andre Cisco (Syracuse) Round 3
Cisco has a nose for the ball and the ability to come away with it. He’s the kind of Safety that can put your offense in position to score. This was a fantastic get for the Jags on the backend.
Least Favorite Pick: RB Travis Etienne (Clemson) Round 1
I love Etienne. He was the #1 RB on my board and I think he’s going to be successful in Jacksonville. Having said that, this pick made zero sense to me. They already have James Robinson who is coming off a great rookie season. They also had needs elsewhere like Receiver, Offensive Line, and of course defense (yes, I did just gesture to all of it). I didn’t like the decision they made here.