So my last article, I dropped my grades of the first round of draft night. Now that the dust has settled, and the 2021 draft is officially over, I will be ranking each team based on their graded draft class that I came up with.
I assuming it will be controversial, but that’s the whole point people. Without further ado, here are each team’s draft class ranked and graded by me; The Rank King.
32.) Houston Texans
Grade: D-
| Davis Mills (QB/Stanford) | Round 3/Pick 67 |
| Nico Collins (WR/Michigan) | Round 3/Pick 89 |
| Brevin Jordan (TE/Miami) | Round 5/Pick 147 |
| Garret Wallow (LB/TCU) | Round 5/Pick 170 |
| Roy Lopez (DT/Arizona) | Round 6/Pick 195 |
The Texans had quite a few needs to fill, and man did they just fumble on a lot of them. Davis Mills is a security blanket for whatever happens to Deshaun Watson, but still he has injury concern. Nico Collins has some upside, but there was way too much given up for him (a 2021 4th round pick, a 2021 5th round pick, and a 2022 4th round pick). Brevin Jordan is interesting, but they have some tight end depth on the roster already. Wallow and Lopez aren’t bad options to add late, but man this is a bad draft class.
31.) Los Angeles Rams
Grade: D
| Tutu Atwell (WR/Louisville) | Round 2/Pick 57 |
| Ernest Jones (LB/South Carolina) | Round 3/Pick 103 |
| Bobby Brown III (DT/Texas A&M) | Round 4/Pick 117 |
| Robert Rochell (CB/Central Arkansas) | Round 4/Pick 130 |
| Jacob Harris (WR/UCF) | Round 4/Pick 141 |
| Earnest Brown IV (DE/Northwestern) | Round 5/Pick 174 |
| Jake Funk (RB/Maryland) | Round 7/Pick 233 |
| Ben Skowronek (WR/Notre Dame) | Round 7/Pick 249 |
| Chris Garrett (EDGE/Concordia-St. Paul) | Round 7/Pick 252 |
Once again, the Rams find themselves in an awkward loop of draft picks. Tutu Atwell is a decent receiver, but the fact he was the first person off the draft board for the Rams is saying something. Maybe they are trying to get another receiver for Matt Stafford, but who knows? They even picked two more receivers in this class. Jones, and the rest of this class might be a reach since they didn’t address any major needs. A lot of question marks here people.
30.) Las Vegas Raiders
Grade: D
| Alex Leatherwood (OT/Alabama) | Round 1/Pick 17 |
| Trevon Moehrig (S/TCU) | Round 2/Pick 43 |
| Malcolm Koonce (EDGE/Buffalo) | Round 3/Pick 79 |
| Divine Deablo (S/Virginia Tech) | Round 3/Pick 80 |
| Tyree Gillespie (S/Missouri) | Round 4/Pick 143 |
| Nate Hobbs (CB/Illinois) | Round 5/Pick 167 |
| Jimmy Morrissey (C/Pitt) | Round 7/Pick 230 |
This one might be odd giving the Raiders’ unusual success during the draft, but man this one was way out there. Alex Leatherwood was a reach (yet again) as they are relying on character a lot in their locker room. Really thought Teven Jenkins would have fallen here, and Leatherwood’s injury history bugs me as well. Other than that, taking three safeties in one draft is a little extreme, and Malcolm Koonce in the 3rd round is a little bit of an eyebrow raiser. We’ll have to see how the rest of this class pans out.
29.) Seattle Seahawks
Grade: D
| D’Wayne Eskridge (WR/Western Michigan) | Round 2/Pick 56 |
| Tre Brown (CB/Oklahoma) | Round 4/Pick 137 |
| Stone Forsythe (OT/Florida) | Round 6/ Pick 208 |
Three draft picks. That’s all Seattle had to work with in this one folks. The needs were not addressed aside from their last pick of the draft. Wilson needs offensive line help. So you wait until your last pick to get it. Shame man. Eskridge and Brown could be good in the right system, but we’ll have to wait and see when the season starts.
28.) Green Bay Packers
Grade: C-
| Eric Stokes (CB/Georgia) | Round 1/Pick 27 |
| Josh Myers (C/Ohio State) | Round 2/Pick 62 |
| Amari Rodgers (WR/Clemson) | Round 3/Pick 85 |
| Royce Newman (G/Mississippi) | Round 4/Pick 142 |
| Tedarrell Slaton (DT/Florida) | Round 5/Pick 173 |
| Shemar Jean-Charles (CB/Appalachian State) | Round 5/Pick 178 |
| Cole Van Lanen (G/Wisconsin) | Round 6/Pick 214 |
| Isaiah McDuffie (LB/Boston College) | Round 6/Pick 220 |
| Kylin Hill (RB/Mississippi State) | Round 7/Pick 256 |
On paper, the needs of Green Bay might look addressed, but this team is in for what can only be described as Hurricane Rodgers. The team did decent in drafting Stokes, Myers, and Rodgers, but after that it gets very murky to the point of drafting for Jordan Love’s Packers rather than Aaron Rodgers’s Packers. Either way, more things needed to be addressed, but you could argue that drama got in the way of production that night.
27.) Arizona Cardinals
Grade: C-
| Zaven Collins (LB/Tusla) | Round 1/Pick 16 |
| Rondale Moore (WR/Purdue) | Round 2/Pick 49 |
| Marco Wilson (CB/Florida) | Round 4/Pick 136 |
| Victor Dimukeje (EDGE/Duke) | Round 6/Pick 210 |
| Tay Gowan (CB/UCF) | Round 6/Pick 223 |
| James Wiggins (S/Cincinnati) | Round 7/Pick 243 |
| Michael Menet (C/Penn State) | Round 7/Pick 247 |
Other than the Zaven Collins pick, this draft for the Cardinals confused me. Sure Rondale Moore is a good pick up, but I’m assuming it is to replace A.J. Green or Andy Izabella. Marco Wilson is a reach for the corner spot, and the rest of the picks were a head scratcher for me and my insanity for a team that is in win-now mode.
26.) New Orleans Saints
Grade: C-
| Payton Turner (DE/Houston) | Round 1/Pick 28 |
| Pete Werner (LB/Ohio State) | Round 2/Pick 60 |
| Paulson Adebo (CB/Stanford) | Round 3/Pick 76 |
| Ian Book (QB/Notre Dame) | Round 4/Pick 133 |
| Landon Young (OT/Kentucky) | Round 6/Pick 206 |
| Kawaan Baker (WR/South Alabama) | Round 7/Pick 255 |
The Saints had a weird draft man. The wide receiver and corner positions were the most needed positions. The corner position didn’t get addressed until the 3rd round, and while Paulson Adebo is a good fit for the round, some other ones puzzled me to no end. For one thing, Payton Turner and Pete Werner make no sense to me, and their wideout issue wasn’t addressed until the 7th round. Odd picks, and I am not sure about their draft class personally.
25.) Indianapolis Colts
Grade: C-
| Kwity Paye (EDGE/Michigan) | Round 1/Pick 21 |
| Dayo Odeyingbo (DE/Vanderbilt) | Round 2/Pick 54 |
| Kylen Granson (TE/Southern Methodist) | Round 4/Pick 127 |
| Shawn Davis (S/Florida) | Round 5/Pick 165 |
| Sam Ehlinger (QB/Texas) | Round 6/Pick 218 |
| Mike Strachan (WR/Charleston WV) | Round 7/Pick 229 |
| Will Fries (G/Penn State) | Round 7/Pick 248 |
The Colts had two good picks in this draft. Two good picks… I am not really sure what they were doing afterward. They needed an offensive tackle to replace Anthony Castonzo when he retired. That didn’t happen in the entire draft. So, not sure who is going to play tackle for them. Two, they didn’t draft a single cornerback to help out in the secondary. Those were two big needs, and they weren’t even addressed. So yes they were scored bad because of it.
24.) Dallas Cowboys
Grade: C
| Micah Parsons (LB/Penn State) | Round 1/Pick 12 |
| Kelvin Joseph (CB/Kentucky) | Round 2/Pick 44 |
| Osa Odighizuwa (DT/UCLA) | Round 3/Pick 75 |
| Chauncey Golston (DE/Iowa) | Round 3/Pick 84 |
| Nahshon Wright (CB/Oregon State) | Round 3/Pick 99 |
| Jabril Cox (LB/LSU) | Round 4/Pick 115 |
| Josh Ball (OT/Marshall) | Round 4/Pick 138 |
| Simi Fehoko (WR/Stanford) | Round 5/Pick 179 |
| Quinton Bohanna (DT/Kentucky) | Round 6/Pick 192 |
| Israel Mukuamu (CB/South Carolina) | Round 6/Pick 227 |
| Matt Farniok (G/Nebraska) | Round 7/Pick 238 |
Dallas surprisingly was left without the opportunity to pick up a corner with their first pick. Carolina took Jaycee Horn, and Denver took Patrick Surtain II. That left Dallas with a tricky situation. They ended up taking Michah Parsons to replace the retired Sean Lee. Not a bad move, but some other picks were questionable. Kelvin Joseph and Israel Mukuamu don’t make sense to me. It is the right position, but not the right player. Oh well.
23.) Buffalo Bills
Grade: C+
| Gregory Rousseau (EDGE/Miami) | Round 1/Pick 30 |
| Carlos Basham Jr. (EDGE/Wake Forest) | Round 2/Pick 61 |
| Spencer Brown (OT/Northern Iowa) | Round 3/Pick 93 |
| Tommy Doyle (OT/Miami Ohio) | Round 5/Pick 161 |
| Marquez Stevenson (WR/Houston) | Round 6/Pick 203 |
| Damar Hamlin (S/Pitt) | Round 6/Pick 212 |
| Rachad Wildgoose (CB/Wisconsin) | Round 6/Pick 213 |
| Jack Anderson (G/Texas Tech) | Round 7/Pick 236 |
Buffalo needed to push heavily on the defense in this draft. Their once dominate force was ripped open and spit out by opposing offenses to the point where it might have been laughable. Now as we know, their offense made up for it. I will say the additions of Gregory Rousseau and Carlos Basham Jr. have ability to do well. The additions of the two offensive lineman have me puzzled a bit, but otherwise not a bad draft, slightly above average.
22.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Grade: C+
| Joe Tryon (EDGE/Washington) | Round 1/Pick 32 |
| Kyle Trask (QB/Florida) | Round 2/Pick 64 |
| Robert Hainsey (OT/Notre Dame) | Round 3/Pick 95 |
| Jaelon Darden (WR/North Texas) | Round 4/Pick 129 |
| K.J. Britt (LB/Auburn) | Round 5/Pick 176 |
| Chris Wilcox (CB/BYU) | Round 7/Pick 251 |
| Grant Stuard (LB/Houston) | Round 7/Pick 259 |
Okay, so Tampa Bay didn’t have to do much considering they resigned everyone back from their Super Bowl season in 2020. However, they have to replace some of these guys eventually. Joe Tryon is the only one I believe that will happen in the next year. If Brady gets extended, then Kyle Trask simply goes unused. The only way I see him be useful is if he plays after this year after learning from Brady. Everyone else is decent, but doesn’t measure up to the current talent on the roster.
21.) Pittsburgh Steelers
Grade: C+
| Najee Harris (RB/Alabama) | Round 1/Pick 24 |
| Pat Freiermuth (TE/Penn State) | Round 2/Pick 55 |
| Kendrick Green (G/Illinois) | Round 3/Pick 87 |
| Dan Moore Jr. (OT/Texas A&M) | Round 4/Pick 128 |
| Buddy Johnson (LB/Texas A&M) | Round 4/Pick 140 |
| Isaiahh Loudermilk (EDGE/Wisconsin) | Round 5/Pick 156 |
| Quincy Roche (EDGE/Miami) | Round 6/Pick 216 |
| Tre Norwood (CB/Oklahoma) | Round 7/Pick 245 |
| Pressley Harvin III (P/Georgia Tech) | Round 7/Pick 254 |
It sucks seeing the Steelers this far down the list as terms of a draft class, but here we are. Honestly, I was happy at our draft, but then I looked again, and maybe I was mistaken. Najee Harris in my opinion was the right way to go to get our running back of the future. However, heads were turned when our second pick went to the Penn State tight end; Freiermuth. That said, we might not sign Eric Ebron after his two-year deal runs out. Green was a good pick, but then we start getting very messy with the two Texas A&M picks, and the trade up for Loudermilk stunned me completely. We rounded out with Quincy Roche (steal), and a punter that is 5’11 and weighs 263 pounds. It’s above average, but a little questionable to say the least.
20.) New York Giants
Grade: B-
| Kadarius Toney (WR/Florida) | Round 1/Pick 20 |
| Azeez Ojulari (EDGE/Georgia) | Round 2/Pick 50 |
| Aaron Robinson (CB/UCF) | Round 3/Pick 71 |
| Elerson Smith (EDGE/Northern Iowa) | Round 4/Pick 116 |
| Gary Brightwell (RB/Arizona) | Round 6/Pick 196 |
| Rodarius Williams (CB/Oklahoma State) | Round 6/Pick 201 |
The Giants started off this draft with a dumb decision in my honest opinion. They were eyeing up DeVonta Smith, but were cut off by the Eagles trading up. So, the Giants ended up trading back with Chicago, and instead of taking an important edge, they get Florida’s Kadarius Toney. He’s a developmental wide receiver. Now they did make it up by drafting Azeez Ojuilari, but they could have gotten a better wideout instead of a punt-return guy now. Aaron Robinson is also a decent pick for them, so overall not a bad draft class, but there were some better options.
19.) Kansas City Chiefs
Grade: B-
| Nick Bolton (LB/Missouri) | Round 2/Pick 58 |
| Creed Humphrey (C/Oklahoma) | Round 2/Pick 63 |
| Joshua Kaindoh (EDGE/Florida State) | Round 4/Pick 144 |
| Noah Gray (TE/Duke) | Round 5/Pick 162 |
| Cornell Powell (WR/Clemson) | Round 5/Pick 181 |
| Trey Smith (G/Tennessee) | Round 6/Pick 226 |
The rich are supposed to get richer and honestly they made some decent moves in free agency while their draft choices were just okay. The highlights were linebacker Nick Bolton and center Creed Humphrey. You could argue Noah Gray is interesting, but Travis Kelce is still gonna be there for a long time.
18.) Philadelphia Eagles
Grade: B-
| DeVonta Smith (WR/Alabama) | Round 1/Pick 10 |
| Landon Dickerson (C/Alabama) | Round 2/Pick 37 |
| Milton Williams (DT/Louisiana Tech) | Round 3/Pick 73 |
| Zech McPhearson (CB/Texas Tech) | Round 4/Pick 123 |
| Kenneth Gainwell (RB/Memphis) | Round 5/Pick 150 |
| Marlon Tuipulotu (DT/USC) | Round 6/Pick 189 |
| Tarron Jackson (EDGE/Coastal Carolina) | Round 6/Pick 191 |
| JaCoby Stevens (S/LSU) | Round 6/Pick 224 |
| Patrick Johnson (EDGE/Tulane) | Round 7/Pick 234 |
Philadelphia acted on themselves and performed the first trade in the 2021 NFL Draft. They traded up with the Cowboys in order to get in front rod the Giants to take DeVonta Smith. The Heisman Trophy winner can now be the number one weapon for Jalen Hurts. Center Landon Dickerson and defensive tackle Milton Williams are also good selections. The others leave me a in daze a bit, but overall it’s a B- draft grade for the Eagles.
17.) Cincinnati Bengals
Grade: B
| Ja’Marr Chase (WR/LSU) | Round 1/Pick 5 |
| Jackson Carman (OT/Clemson) | Round 2/Pick 46 |
| Joseph Ossai (EDGE/Texas) | Round 3/Pick 69 |
| Cameron Sample (EDGE/Tulane) | Round 4/Pick 111 |
| Tyler Shelvin (DT/LSU) | Round 4/Pick 122 |
| D’Ante Smith (OT/East Carolina) | Round 4/Pick 139 |
| Evan McPherson (K/Florida) | Round 5/Pick 149 |
| Trey Hill (C/Georgia) | Round 6/Pick 190 |
| Chris Evans (RB/Michigan) | Round 6/Pick 202 |
| Wyatt Hubert (EDGE/Kansas State) | Round 7/Pick 235 |
Normally, I was gonna grade the Bengals a C, but I put personal bias aside and dove in. Realistically, the only reason the Bengals got a B- instead of a C is because of Ja’Marr Chase. Joseph Ossai and Cameron Sample are decent pickups. The Jackson Carman pick was a reach to say the least, and I don’t really believe the Bengals did a lot to address the offensive line issues for Joe Burrow.
16.) Atlanta Falcons
Grade: B
| Kyle Pitts (TE/Florida) | Round 1/Pick 4 |
| Richie Grant (S/UCF) | Round 2/Pick 40 |
| Jalen Mayfield (OT/Michigan) | Round 3/Pick 68 |
| Darren Hall (CB/San Diego State) | Round 4/Pick 108 |
| Drew Dalman (C/Stanford) | Round 4/Pick 114 |
| Ta’Quon Graham (DT/Texas) | Round 5/Pick 148 |
| Adetokunbo Ogundeji (EDGE/Notre Dame) | Round 5/Pick 182 |
| Avery Williams (CB/Boise State) | Round 5/Pick 183 |
| Frank Darby (WR/Arizona State) | Round 6/Pick 187 |
The Falcons get a B, but it honestly should be worse to be fair. They only addressed two of their team needs in tight end and corner. Kyle Pitts is an instant starter and will easily replace Hayden Hurst, but they also might be losing Julio Jones come next month. Who knows, but value of Pitts alone saves this draft class from falling.
15.) Baltimore Ravens
Grade: B
| Rashod Bateman (WR/Minnesota) | Round 1/Pick 27 |
| Jayson Oweh (EDGE/Penn State) | Round 1/Pick 31 |
| Ben Cleveland (G/Georgia) | Round 3/Pick 94 |
| Brandon Stephens (CB/SMU) | Round 3/Pick 104 |
| Tylan Wallace (WR/Oklahoma State) | Round 4/Pick 131 |
| Shaun Wade (CB/Ohio State) | Round 5/Pick 160 |
| Daelin Hayes (EDGE/Notre Dame) | Round 5/Pick 171 |
| Ben Mason (TE/Michigan) | Round 5/Pick 184 |
Baltimore had two first round picks to work with, and they nailed it with both of them. They took wide receiver Rashad Bateman and edge rusher Jayson Oweh. Ben Cleveland, Tylan Wallace, and Shaun Wade also are exceptional picks for this Ravens class. Other picks make me a little iffy about it though which makes me award it a B.
14.) San Francisco 49ers
Grade : B+
| Trey Lance (QB/North Dakota State) | Round 1/Pick 4 |
| Aaron Banks (G/Notre Dame) | Round 2/Pick 48 |
| Trey Sermon (RB/Ohio State) | Round 3/Pick 88 |
| Ambry Thomas (CB/Michigan) | Round 3/Pick 102 |
| Jaylon Moore (OT/Western Michigan) | Round 5/Pick 155 |
| Deommodore Lenoir (CB/Oregon) | Round 5/Pick 172 |
| Talanoa Hufanga (S/USC) | Round 5/Pick 180 |
| Elijah Mitchell (RB/Louisiana) | Round 6/Pick 194 |
The 49ers had smoke-screened us all thinking they were taking Mac Jones with the #3 overall pick. Instead, that honor goes to Trey Lance who I am pumped will be a 49er. He will gladly pick up where Jimmy G leaves off. I get the Trey Sermon pick, but did they really need another running back. Other picks on here are average, but Trey Lance provides such an upside, I can’t ignore putting it above a B.
12.) Washington Football Team
Grade: B+
| Jamin Davis (LB/Kentucky) | Round 1/Pick 19 |
| Samuel Cosmi (OT/Texas) | Round 2/Pick 51 |
| Benjamin St-Juste (CB/Minnesota) | Round 3/Pick 74 |
| Dyami Brown (WR/North Carolina) | Round 3/Pick 82 |
| John Bates (TE/Boise State) | Round 4/Pick 124 |
| Darrick Forrest (S/Cincinnati) | Round 5/Pick 163 |
| Cameron Cheeseman (LS/Michigan) | Round 6/Pick 225 |
| Will Bradley-King (DE/Baylor) | Round 7/Pick 240 |
| Shaka Toney (DE/Penn State) | Round 7/Pick 246 |
| Dax Milne (WR/Brigham Young) | Round 7/Pick 258 |
Now I’ll admit I came down hard on Washington’s first pick of Jamin Davis. I wasn’t very high on his ability, but they hit essentially hit on a lot of other needs with certain picks. Samuel Cosmi, Benjamin St-Juste, and Dyami Brown are big names to add to a Washington team that will be looking to win their division once again.
12.) Carolina Panthers
Grade: B+
| Jaycee Horn (CB/South Carolina) | Round 1/Pick 8 |
| Terrace Marshall Jr. (WR/LSU) | Round 2/Pick 59 |
| Brady Christensen (OT/BYU) | Round 3/Pick 70 |
| Tommy Tremble (TE/Notre Dame) | Round 3/Pick 83 |
| Chuba Hubbard (RB/Oklahoma State) | Round 4/Pick 126 |
| Daviyon Nixon (DT/Iowa) | Round 5/Pick 158 |
| Keith Taylor (CB/Washington) | Round 5/Pick 166 |
| Deonte Brown (G/Alabama) | Round 6/Pick 193 |
| Shi Smith (WR/South Carolina) | Round 6/Pick 204 |
| Thomas Fletcher (LS/Alabama) | Round 6/Pick 222 |
| Phil Hoskins (DT/Kentucky) | Round 7/Pick 232 |
Carolina impressed me in this draft. They were able to fluidly trade in and out and make smart decisions. Everyone thought they would have gone quarterback or picked Rashawn Slater with their selection, but they went corner with Jaycee Horn. I also love the picks of Terrace Marshall Jr, Brady Christensen, Tommy Tremble, Chuba Hubbard, and Daviyon Nixon. Big names for a team looking to move in the right direction.
11.) Minnesota Vikings
Grade: A-
| Christian Darrisaw (OT/Virginia Tech) | Round 1/Pick 23 |
| Kellen Mond (QB/Texas A&M) | Round 2/Pick 66 |
| Chazz Surratt (LB/North Carolina) | Round 3/Pick 78 |
| Wyatt Davis (G/Ohio State) | Round 3/Pick 86 |
| Patrick Jones II (EDGE/Pitt) | Round 3/Pick 90 |
| Kene Nwangwu (RB/Iowa State) | Round 4/Pick 119 |
| Camryn Bynum (CB/Cal) | Round 4/Pick 125 |
| Jamarius Robinson (EDGE/Florida State) | Round 4/Pick 134 |
| Ihmir Smith-Marsette (WR/Iowa) | Round 5/Pick 157 |
| Zach Davidson (TE/Central Missouri) | Round 5/Pick 168 |
| Jaylen Twyman (DT/Pitt) | Round 6/Pick 199 |
Minnesota was a team I thought would have sucked at the draft this year, but man did they knock my socks off in this one. The Vikings were able to trade down and still grab Virginia Tech offensive lineman; Christian Darrisaw. They also grabbed quarterback Kellen Mond, linebacker Chazz Surratt, guard Wyatt Davis, and edge rusher Patrick Jones II.
10.) Denver Broncos
Grade: A-
| Patrick Surtain II (CB/Alabama) | Round 1/Pick 9 |
| Javonte Williams (RB/North Carolina) | Round 2/Pick 35 |
| Quinn Meinerz (G/Wisconsin-Whitewater) | Round 3/Pick 98 |
| Baron Browning (LB/Ohio State) | Round 3/Pick 105 |
| Caden Sterns (S/Texas) | Round 5/Pick 152 |
| Jamar Johnson (S/Indiana) | Round 5/Pick 164 |
| Seth Williams (WR/Auburn) | Round 6/Pick 219 |
| Kary Vincent Jr. (CB/LSU) | Round 6/Pick 237 |
| Jonathon Cooper (DE/Ohio State) | Round 7/Pick 239 |
| Marquiss Spencer (DE/Mississippi State) | Round 7/Pick 253 |
Denver was supposed to take a quarterback, but SIKE, they lied. Which means that they still have confidence in their quarterbacks of Lock and Bridgewater. Grabbing Surtain II was smart because their corner situation last year was injured and scary. Running back Javonte Williams also has upside when Melvin Gordon doesn’t return. Quinn Meinerz at guard is crucial and so is Baron Browning. You could argue their picks didn’t address a lot of needs, but they did get some studs in this class.
9.) Tennessee Titans
Grade: A-
| Caleb Farley (CB/Virginia Tech) | Round 1/Pick 22 |
| Dillon Radunz (OT/North Dakota State) | Round 2/Pick 53 |
| Monty Rice (LB/Georgia) | Round 3/Pick 92 |
| Elijah Molden (CB/Washington) | Round 3/Pick 100 |
| Dez Fitzpatrick (WR/Louisville) | Round 4/Pick 109 |
| Rashad Weaver (EDGE/Pitt) | Round 4/Pick 135 |
| Racey McMath (WR/LSU) | Round 6/Pick 205 |
| Brady Breeze (S/Oregon) | Round 6/Pick 215 |
Tennessee I feel always has a weird draft class to go through, but it brought AJ Brown last year so I gotta trust them. They essentially hit every one of their needs except the tight end position taking the likes of Caleb Farely, Dillon Radunz, Monty Rice, and Rashad Weaver. The issues with Farely’s back make this less than an abnormal A though.
8.) Detroit Lions
Grade: A
| Penei Sewell (OT/Oregon) | Round 1/Pick 7 |
| Levi Onwuzurike (DT/Washington) | Round 2/Pick 41 |
| Alim McNeil (DT/NC State) | Round 3/Pick 72 |
| Ifeatu Melifonwu (CB/Syracuse) | Round 3/Pick 101 |
| Armon-Ra St. Brown (WR/USC) | Round 4/Pick 112 |
| Derrick Barnes (LB/Purdue) | Round 4/Pick 113 |
| Jemar Jefferson (RB/Oregon State) | Round 7/Pick 257 |
Detroit under new management went “balls deep” in their draft picks this year. Man I love this class, but sadly I wanted to give it an A+ but little to no wideout help is coming Jared Goff’s way. Penei Sewell could quite possibly be the steal of the draft falling all the way to the Lions at pick seven. Their defense also got stronger with the additions of Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill. Amon-Ra St. Brown is a start, but man this offense needs help.
7.) Miami Dolphins
Grade: A
| Jaylen Waddle (WR/Alabama) | Round 1/Pick 6 |
| Jaelen Phillips (EDGE/Miami) | Round 1/Pick 18 |
| Jevon Holland (S/Oregon) | Round 2/Pick 36 |
| Liam Eichenberg (OT/Notre Dame) | Round 2/Pick 42 |
| Hunter Long (TE/Boston College) | Round 3/Pick 81 |
| Larnel Coleman (OT/Massachusetts) | Round 7/Pick 231 |
| Gerrid Doaks (RB/Cincinnati) | Round 7/Pick 244 |
Miami continues to make waves in their division with an impressive take on the draft once again. In their first round, they were able to snag Jaylen Waddle and Jaelen Phillips. Holland, Eichenberg, and Long were also great adds. Waddle’s injury history and Phillips’s raw talent make this strictly an A draft for the Dolphins.
6.) New York Jets
Grade: A
| Zach Wilson (QB/BYU) | Round 1/Pick 2 |
| Alijah Vera-Tucker (OT/UCLA) | Round 1/Pick 14 |
| Elijah Moore (WR/Ole Miss) | Round 2/Pick 34 |
| Michael Carter (RB/North Carolina) | Round 4/Pick 107 |
| Jamien Sherwood (S/Auburn) | Round 5/Pick 146 |
| Michael Carter II (CB/Duke) | Round 5/Pick 154 |
| Jason Pinnock (CB/Pitt) | Round 5/Pick 175 |
| Hamsah Nasirildeen (S/Florida State) | Round 6/Pick 186 |
| Brandin Echols (CB/Kentucky) | Round 6/Pick 200 |
| Jonathan Marshall (DT/Arkansas) | Round 6/Pick 207 |
The Jets took me by surprise here with their draft choices. Naturally, after trading Sam Darnold, they picked up Zach Wilson and an offensive tackle to help in out in Alijah Vera-Tucker. After that, the Jets stormed through with picks like wide receiver Elijah Moore, Michael Carter, Jamien Sherwood, and Hamsah Nasirildeen. They are nowhere close to a perfect team, but an A graded draft is a good start.
5.) Jacksonville Jaguars
Grade: A
| Trevor Lawrence (QB/Clemson) | Round 1/Pick 1 |
| Travis Etienne (RB/Clemson) | Round 1/Pick 25 |
| Tyson Campbell (CB/Georgia) | Round 2/Pick 33 |
| Walker Little (OT/Stanford) | Round 2/Pick 45 |
| Andre Cisco (S/Syracuse) | Round 3/Pick 65 |
| Jay Tufele (DT/USC) | Round 4/Pick 106 |
| Jordan Smith (EDGE/UAB) | Round 4/Pick 121 |
| Luke Farrell (TE/Ohio State) | Round 5/Pick 145 |
| Jalen Camp (WR/Georgia Tech) | Round 6/Pick 209 |
Jacksonville. A team that needed all the support and picks in the world moves into the top five as they were graded an A in this draft. They got their quarterback of the future in Trevor Lawrence. However, what stops this class from getting an A+ is the next pick; running back Travis Etienne. It virtually makes no sense considering how great James Robinson did last year, and Urban Meyer said they would use him as a 3rd down back. Disrespect honestly to Etienne’s ability to be fair. Big names to consider in this draft for Jacksonville are Tyson Campbell, Walker Little, and Andre Cisco. Alas, the Etienne pick stops this from being perfect.
4.) Los Angeles Chargers
Grade: A+
| Rashawn Slater (G/Northwestern) | Round 1/Pick 13 |
| Asante Samuel Jr (CB/Florida State) | Round 2/Pick 47 |
| Josh Palmer (WR/Tennessee) | Round 3/Pick 77 |
| Tre’McKitty (TE/Georgia) | Round 3/Pick 97 |
| Chris Rumph II (EDGE/Duke) | Round 4/Pick 118 |
| Brenden Jaimes (OT/Nebraska) | Round 5/Pick 159 |
| Nick Niemann (LB/Iowa) | Round 6/Pick 185 |
| Larry Roundtree III (RB/Missouri) | Round 6/Pick 198 |
| Mark Webb (CB/Georgia) | Round 7/Pick 241 |
The Chargers are our first team off the board with an A+ grade and rightfully so. The Chargers had Rashawn Slater basically fall to them, and they were also able to pick up Asante Samuel Jr. Both players were graded in the first round, so that was a steal for them. I personally enjoy all of these picks. Josh Palmer, Tre’ McKitty, Chris Rumph II, Brenden Jaimes, I mean where can you go wrong here. Good stuff by the Chargers.
3.) Cleveland Browns
Grade: A+
| Greg Newsome II (CB/Northwestern) | Round 1/Pick 26 |
| Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (LB/Notre Dame) | Round 2/Pick 52 |
| Anthony Schwartz (WR/Auburn) | Round 3/Pick 91 |
| James Hudson (OT/Cincinnati) | Round 4/Pick 110 |
| Tommy Togiai (DT/Ohio State) | Round 4/Pick 132 |
| Tony Fields II (LB/West Virginia) | Round 5/Pick 153 |
| Richard LeCounte (S/Georgia) | Round 5/Pick 169 |
| Demetric Felton (RB/UCLA) | Round 6/Pick 211 |
Well I’ll be damned. The Browns drafted pretty damn well yet again… Greg Newsome has a lot of potential, but the Browns need help at developing corners. What makes this a definite A+ for me is that they JOK in the second round. Unbelievable, that he fell far honestly. Tommy Togiai, and James Hudson are also great pickups. Good look on you Cleveland.
2.) New England Patriots
Grade: A+
| Mac Jones (QB/Alabama) | Round 1/Pick 15 |
| Christian Barmore (DT/Alabama) | Round 2/Pick 38 |
| Ronnie Perkins (EDGE/Oklahoma) | Round 3/Pick 96 |
| Rhamondre Stevenson (RB/Oklahoma) | Round 4/Pick 120 |
| Cameron McGrone (LB/Michigan) | Round 5/Pick 177 |
| Joshua Bledsoe (CB/Missouri) | Round 6/Pick 188 |
| William Sherman (OT/Colorado) | Round 6/Pick 197 |
| Tre Nixon (WR/UCF) | Round 7/Pick 242 |
The Patriots finally did it. They got their quarterback, and for the first time in Bill’s history as a coach, they took him in the first round. Mac Jones is a Patriot. They also took Christian Barmore who was regarded as the best defensive tackle in the draft. The Pats then took two Oklahoma kids; Ronnie Perkins and Rhamondre Stevenson. However, I believe McGrone and Bledsoe have the most upside going forward. What a draft for Bill and the Pats.
1.) Chicago Bears
Grade: A+
| Justin Fields (QB/Ohio State) | Round 1/Pick 11 |
| Teven Jenkins (OT/Oklahoma State) | Round 2/Pick 39 |
| Larry Borom (OT/Missouri) | Round 5/Pick 151 |
| Khalil Herbert (RB/Virginia Tech) | Round 6/Pick 217 |
| Dazz Newsome (WR/North Carolina) | Round 6/Pick 221 |
| Thomas Graham Jr (CB/Oregon) | Round 6/Pick 228 |
| Khyiris Tonga (DT/BYU) | Round 7/Pick 250 |
It may not be a popular opinion, but the Chicago Bears had the best draft class in the 2021 NFL Draft. Not only did they trade up to get their guy in Justin Fields, but they got him protection as well with the nasty and reliable Teven Jenkins at offensive tackle. They then got another tower of a human to block with an offensive tackle out of Missouri; Larry Borom. Other needs were addressed as well like running back, corner, and wide receiver. In fact, I believe guard is the only one they missed on, but Justin Fields erases all of those bad thoughts. He is the future and the future looks bright for once for the Bears.
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