Thought for today...
If you want to make God laugh, tell Him YOUR plan!
Best Drafts
1) New York Jets
2) Baltimore Ravens
3) Kansas City Chiefs
Worst Drafts
30) Chicago Bears
31) Miami Dolphins
32) New England Patriots
Arizona Cardinals: B
The Cardinals traded their first round pick for WR Hollywood Brown who has a good history with QB Kyler Murray. They took Trey McBride who is likely the best tight end in the draft. They took edge rusher Cam Thomas to try to replace Chandler Jones who left in free agency.
Atlanta Falcons: B+
Drake London was considered by many to be the best WR in the draft. Arnold Ebiketie is a solid edge rusher who could have gone in the first round. Desmond Ridder is a QB who has first round arm strength and leadership skills but has questionable accuracy. It’s rare accuracy issues get fixed in the NFL. Nearly everything can be fixed except arm strength and accuracy.
Baltimore Ravens: A
Kyle Hamilton might not be a speed merchant, but he’s a top notch safety in every other regard. Some experts have said they don’t like him, but they will find out otherwise. Center Tyler Linderbaum will be a solid player in this league. They will have to wait on David Ojabo for a year with his injury, but he would definitely have been a first round pick without the injury. They drafted a couple of tight ends who might do well, too.
Buffalo Bills: B-
They didn’t need much, and they didn’t get much. Cornerback was very much a need position. Kaiir Elam is a talented cornerback, but he didn’t exactly shut people down at Florida according to some Gator fans. With coaching, he might can do what the Bills need him to do. Khalil Shakir could make it as a decent second or third WR option. Bills fans shouldn’t worry about a so-so grade. I think they are one of the top two or three teams in the NFL.
Carolina Panthers: B
I thought Tackle Ikem Ekwonu would be gone before the Panthers picked. I’m not saying he’s Superman, but he could flatten a steel ball. QB Matt Corral will determine how good this draft will be. I don’t think he will ever be a superstar, but he could turn into a nice player if he can stay healthy.
Chicago Bears: C-
The good news is the Bears had 11 picks. The bad news is none were in the first round and six were in the sixth round or later. I like CB Kyler Gordon, and S Jaquan Brisker can be good. After that, good luck.
Cincinnati Bengals: B
Daxton Hill should be a good safety/slot corner in this league. CB Cam Taylor-Britt and DE Zachary Carter could be decent players, too. The rest are hit or miss.
Cleveland Browns: B
I was not thrilled with the first couple of picks the Browns made, but WR David Bell and DT Perrion Winfrey can be very good players. The Browns are tired of their kicking woes, so they drafted K Cade York from LSU in the fourth round. He blasted a 57-yarder against Florida then went to the end zone and "mimic chomped" the Gator fans.
Dallas Cowboys: B-
OL Tyler Smith might be a good player, but the Cowboys passed on better ones at positions of need, like DE Jermaine Johnson II, LB Devin Lloyd, etc. They better hope DE Sam Williams turns out to be great, else they will live with passing on Johnson for a long time. TE Jake Ferguson could be a keeper.
Denver Broncos: B-
Edge rusher Nik Bonitto can really come around the corner and should help in pass rush situations, but I doubt he will ever be much against the run. After that, they drafted TE Greg Dulcich as a need pick after trading away TE Noah Fant for Russell Wilson. The rest of their picks were solid but not spectacular.
Detroit Lions: A-
Edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson was a great pick, and moving up 20 picks to get WR Jameson Williams was a great move. I would have given the Lions a B+ if they had stopped right there, but they did draft a few other players that are likely to stick with the team.
Green Bay Packers: B
Honestly, I think the Packers were being hard-headed by not drafting a wide receiver in the first round. They have not done it in 20 years and were bound and determined to not do it this year. I’m not sure they would have drafted WRs Drake London or Garrett Wilson if they fell in their laps. Here’s proof… They gave up their two second round picks to move up near the top of the second round to draft WR Christian Watson. If they loved him that much, why didn’t they take him six picks higher and save a second round pick? So, they took LB Quay Walker followed by DT Devonte Wyatt in the first round. They are good players, so the Packers get a decent grade, but I don’t get it because they basically had chicken feed on their roster for wide receivers, and Watson is a developmental guy who might take a year or two to pop if he pops at all.
Houston Texans: A-
CB Derek Stingley Jr. is not without risk, but chances are he will be a shutdown corner. S Jalen Pitre will help the secondary, too. He has great instincts and doesn’t mind crashing in to tackle a running back. G Kenyon Green was one of the top two guards in the draft, and WR John Metchie III can help improve a poor wide receiver group.
Indianapolis Colts: C+
OT Bernhard Raimann was projected to be a first round pick by some. I wasn’t crazy about him, but he’s worth a shot in the third round. WR Alec Pierce should be a good one. He’s big and fast. TE Jelani Woods is a good player.
Jacksonville Jaguars: B
Picking edger rusher Travon Walker first overall is a gamble on greatness, but I don’t understand why you want to gamble if you are the Jaguars. They haven’t been good in years. Wouldn’t you rather take Aidan Hutchinson who is a sure thing at this same position? He might not make the all-decade team, but I’ll almost guarantee he makes the all-rookie team. I do really like LB Devin Lloyd, and taking C Luke Fortner in round three is a good idea. Their grade would have been A- with Hutchinson.
Kansas City Chiefs: A
They traded up for CB Trent McDuffie to fill a desperate need. DE George Karlaftis plays with every nerve in him on almost every play, and he can put pressure on the passer while being effective in the run. The Chiefs really need that. But, the best pick by the Chiefs could have been WR Skyy Moore. They needed someone to come in and have a chance to be a number 1 receiver, and Moore is a good route runner with 4.41 speed. S Bryan Cook was a good pick, too. I’m not sure where they are going to use LB Leo Chenal. Most of their defensive plays are run with two linebackers, and Willie Gay and Nick Bolton are excellent ones. Maybe they will use Chenal on goal line and running plays. They picked up CB Joshua Williams, a tall and fast guy, in the fourth round and got the SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy award winner, G/OT Darian Kinnard, in the fifth round.
Las Vegas Raiders: B
G Dylan Parham is a much needed player. RB Zamir White could take over for Josh Jacobs since the Raiders did not pick up his fifth year option. DT Neil Farrell Jr. is a strong player.
Los Angeles Chargers: B
I like G/OT Zion Johnson. Safety JT Woods is decent but misses a lot of tackles. RB Isaiah Spiller will make the team and get carries this fall despite Austin Ekeler being a good running back. G Jamaree Salyer is a big guy who can block, but he needs to have quicker feet.
Los Angeles Rams: C
Logan Bruss is a guard who can play. Other than that, they seemed to draft for depth other than CB Derion Kendrick who was a head case at Clemson before transferring to Georgia and helping them win a championship. They had eight picks, but five of them were sixth round or later with none in the first or second round.
Miami Dolphins: C-
LB Channing Tindall in the third round was their first pick. He looks pretty good to me. They only had four picks and spent one on QB Skylar Thompson. I know they are worried about Tua, but is a seventh round pick expected to help matters?
Minnesota Vikings: B+
The Vikings set out to improve their defense, and they certainly did. S Lewis Cine hits like a ton of bricks. Andrew Booth Jr. had first round potential. LB Brian Asamoah has been compared to Tampa Bay LB Lavonte David. Mel Kiper doesn’t much like G Ed Ingram, but others on ESPN like him, and RB Ty Chandler has a chance to stick with the team.
New England Patriots: WT…F
Calm down… It stands for What The Fudge! I know Bill Belichick is a genius, but maybe he’s losing it. Some of the guys he picked were either seen as not very good or were drafted way too high. The Patriots drafted G Cole Strange in the first round. He’s a pretty good pick… if you are drafting in the third round. My mock draft named 29 first rounders out of 32. I strongly considered two others, but Cole was a Strange pick to say the least! In the second round, they took WR Tyquan Thornton. He’s very fast and he can also… did I mention he’s very fast? They drafted QB Bailey Zappe in the fourth round. If he's not going to beat out Mac Jones, which he’s not, then why draft him that high? I think Belichick flunked this test.
New Orleans Saints: B+
The Saints only had five picks, but they made two of them really count. OT Trevor Penning should be able to replace Terron Armstead who left in free agency. Then, they traded up to get excellent WR Chris Olave. CB Alontae Taylor has a chance to be a good one.
New York Giants: A-
OT Evan Neal should be a great one. Edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux was once thought to be the best player in this draft, and I think he will be excellent if he doesn’t take plays off. They got a good receiver, Wan'Dale Robinson. Actually, all of their picks look pretty good.
New York Jets: A+
The Jets should bronze this draft and send it to the Hall of Fame. With apologies to Derek Stingley, Jr., I think the Jets got the best CB in the draft. Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner didn’t allow a touchdown in college. Teams just didn’t try him because they knew better. I think WR Garrett Wilson could be the best receiver in the draft. And, if that wasn’t enough, they traded back into the late first round to pick up DE Jermaine Johnson II who was seen as a top 10 pick by most mock drafters. Add to that they picked up the best running back in the draft when they took Breece Hall in the second round.
Philadelphia Eagles: B+
The Eagles only had five picks, but I really liked the first three. They traded up two spots to get ahead of the Ravens so they could take DT Jordan Davis. Davis blots out the sun along with any running back who gets near him. C Cam Jurgens will be a starter when Jason Kelce retires which is likely after this year. LB Nakobe Dean was said to be a first round pick, but he fell to the third due to some injury and size issues. Teams are overthinking it. This guy is a football player, and he's big enough and tough enough to do the job.
Pittsburgh Steelers: B+
QB Kenny Pickett will make or break this draft for the Steelers. You can almost count on the Steelers to have a good defense, so Pickett can manage the game and make solid plays. He doesn’t have a cannon for an arm, so he reminds me of a poor man’s Drew Brees which is a very good compliment. WR George Pickens has a mouth on him, but the Steelers should be used to dealing with that after several years of Antonio Brown. If he can keep it under control, he has a ton of talent. I really like DT DeMarvin Leal. WR Calvin Austin III is a speed guy.
San Francisco 49ers: C
After edge rusher Drake Jackson, there was not a lot get excited about. I like to give the 49ers the benefit of the doubt. I’ll bet some of these guys turn into good players. It’s just that no one really stands out other than Jackson. QB Brock Purdy was their last pick. He was Mr. Irrelevant, and if Trey Lance plays as hoped, he will remain Mr. Irrelevant.
Seattle Seahawks: B+
I rarely like the Seahawks draft, but I thought it was good this year. OT Charles Cross should be a solid starter for years. Edge rusher Boye Mafe is a player I like a lot even if Mel Kiper doesn’t. RB Kenneth Walker III is a very tough runner, maybe the second best one in the draft. CB Coby Bryant seems to be very respected by most in the league.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B
DT Logan Hall was the next best thing to Devonte Wyatt who many thought would go to the Buccaneers, but Wyatt was picked before the Buccaneers picked. G Luke Goedeke was a very good pick. Cade Otton can be a solid tight end.
Tennessee Titans: B+
The Titans traded away WR A. J. Brown, so they needed a replacement. The closest thing in this draft to Brown was WR Treylon Burks, so they took him. I like CB Roger McCreary. He has good instincts. QB Malik Willis lasted until the third round. That was a surprise. Picking Willis also put Ryan Tannehill on notice that he needs to stop messing up in the playoffs.
Washington Commanders: B+
The Commanders traded down in the first round and still got WR Jahan Dotson. That was an excellent move. DT Phidarian Mathis was a stalwart on Alabama’s defensive line. RB Brian Robinson was a bruising runner for Alabama. It was smart to take QB Sam Howell with him lasting until the fifth round. He will be good insurance in case Carson Wentz goes off the rails as he often does.
May God always be your number 1 draft pick!
Draftman Rick