NFL draft grades: NFC edition

 

The NFL Draft has concluded, so it's time to grade the drafts that teams had. This will cover the NFC, because that's the conference my team (the Eagles) are in. The AFC grades will come later.
This probably won't age well, but let's give this a go.

Philadelphia Eagles: A

No bias, the Eagles had another outstanding draft. Quinyon Mitchell fell right into their laps at 22, and then they stopped Cooper DeJean's slide at 40, and Jeremiah Trotter, whose dad played in Philly, complete a great class.

Dallas Cowboys: B-

The Cowboys had a better draft than some might think. Tyler Guyton is a solid o-lineman, as well as Cooper Beebe. Marshawn Kneeland has decent potential. I hate being generous to the Cowboys, but this draft class really isn't bad.

New York Giants: B

The Giants chose to help out Daniel Jones rather than replacing him, and they got him an incredibly talented receiver in Malik Nabers. Then on day two, they got two solid defensive backs in Tyler Nubin and Andru Phillips. And they got a talented tight end in Theo Johnson, so this was a pretty solid class, in my opinion.

Washington Commanders: A-

The Commanders decided to go for Heisman winner Jayden Daniels, and I can definitely see why. He's has insane athleticism and throws and runs incredibly. Johnny Newton is an outstanding defensive lineman, and can definitely scare quarterbacks. Adam Peters, in his first draft as Commanders GM, knocked it out of the park.

Arizona Cardinals: A

Marvin Harrison Jr. is the best receiver from the class, and the Cardinals chose not to trade down, but to take him. Darius Robinson was a great get at 27, and Max Melton is an outstanding corner. Hell of a job by Monti Ossenfort. 

Seattle Seahawks: B

The Seahawks grabbed Byron Murphy at 16, probably the most athletic d-lineman in the draft, and then followed it up with a great offensive lineman in Christian Haynes, but then it went slightly downhill from there. The reason I gave them a B is because of their first two picks.

San Francisco 49ers: B-

I might be being a bit harsh, but the 49ers started off slow with Ricky Pearsall. They recovered, but the Pearsall pick is what brought this grade down.

Los Angeles Rams: C+

The Rams had a great first round pick in Jared Verse, and although I like Blake Corum, he's not the type of player I'd expect the Rams to take. Days 2 and 3 for the Rams were pretty mediocre, and so they get a C+.

Minnesota Vikings: A-

The Vikings had a great Day 1, getting JJ McCarthy and Dallas Turner. They had no picks on Day 2, and then had a stellar Day 3, getting the likes of Khyree Jackson, Walter Rouse and Michael Jurgens. Great stuff.

Green Bay Packers: B+

The Packers protected Jordan Love in Round 1 with Jordan Morgan, then had a great second round, getting Edgerrin Cooper and Javon Bullard. MarShawn Lloyd's a great running back, but the Packers shouldn't have been thinking of getting a running back in round 3. All in all, pretty solid, though.

Detroit Lions: B

The Lions traded up for Terrion Arnold, which I really liked, and then got Ennis Rakestraw in the second round, but their third pick, Giovanni Manu, was pretty confusing.

Chicago Bears: A

The Bears only had 5 picks, but their round 1, Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze, was enough to get an A from me.

Atlanta Falcons: D

Yeah, probably saw that coming. The only thing that prevented me from giving an F was their defensive line picks. I still don't know what the hell they were thinking getting Michael Penix Jr. after signing Kirk Cousins and giving him $180 million.

New Orleans Saints: B+

Pretty solid, getting Taliese Fuaga in round one, and then nabbing Kool-Aid McKinstrey in round 2. Even round 5, Spencer Rattler, is pretty solid.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B

Graham Barton is a great pick, and so is Chris Braswell, but from there, it's just meh. Not bad though.

Carolina Panthers: C+

Trading up for Xavier Leggette to end the first round was a bit of a stretch. I don't hate the Jonathan Brooks choice, and Chau Smith-Wade is a pretty underrated player. But other than that, it's just there.

So there you have it. That's the NFC draft grades. I doubt they'll age well, but we'll see. 

NFL Mock Draft 2024

 The NFL Draft is 3 days away, so it's time to do a mock draft. You may remember me doing this in Curious Kids, and the draft is coming up shortly, so why not bring it back? This is the only mock draft I'll be doing, and it'll cover the first round only. Let's get into it.

1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, QB, USC

The Bears go with the obvious choice here at number 1. Williams is an incredible quarterback, and the Bears have a history of bad quarterbacks.

2. Washington Commanders: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

Some say Jayden Daniels will go here, but the Commanders held a quarterback prospect meeting, and Daniels was unsatisfied. Drake Maye said he'd be happy to be drafted by Washington, and I'm sure Washington would be happy to have him.

3. New England Patriots: Jayden Daniels: QB, LSU

The Patriots will be the ones drafting the Heisman winner, and the dual-threat of Daniels will be a good fit in New England. 

4. Minnesota Vikings: JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan (projected trade with Arizona Cardinals)

The Vikings get aggressive and trade up for national champion McCarthy. After losing Kirk Cousins, there's no way the Vikings will want to be stuck with Sam Darnold as their quarterback, and they don't expect one to fall to #11, so why not move up?

5. Los Angeles Chargers: Marvin Harrison Jr, WR, Ohio State

After losing Mike Williams and Keenan Allen, the Chargers have no one for Justin Herbert to throw it to, and Harrison is the top receiveng prospect, so if he's still around at #5, there's no way the Chargers shouldn't take him.

6. New York Giants: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
If the Giants wind up missing out on the top 4 quarterbacks, they should try to give Daniel Jones some help, and Nabers is a perfect chance to do that. Jones will be happy that not only did he not get replaced, but that he now has someone to throw the ball to. 

7. Tennessee Titans: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

The Titans don't have a spectacular offensive line, so Alt would be a big boost, and protecting Will Levis is key right now.

8. Atlanta Falcons: Dallas Turner: Edge, Alabama

With Kirk Cousins now at quarterback and Bijan Robinson at running back, the Falcons can now focus on the defense, and Dallas Turner is a great addition to a mediocre defense. 

9. Arizona Cardinals: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington (projected trade with Chicago Bears)

The Cardinals aren't waiting around to see if a receiver will drop to #11! Odunze is a great choice and a way to make up for missing out on Marvin Harrison. Kyler Murray gets his receiver.

10. New York Jets: Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State

Why the heck would the Jets take Brock Bowers if they want Aaron Rodgers to stay healthy? I don't see any reason to. Yes, they have Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses, but they need more.

11. Chicago Bears: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia (from Arizona Cardinals via Minnesota Vikings)

The Bears need to give Williams some help, and Bowers, the best tight end in the class, is a great way to do so.

12. Denver Broncos: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon

There's no way you expect me to believe that Zach Wilson is starting for this team. Bo Nix is a better fit by a long shot. He's got a great arm and is much more talented.

13. Las Vegas Raiders: Michael Penix, QB, Washington

The Raiders aren't starting Aiden O'Connell. Gardner Minshew is a decent backup, but not a starter. Penix is the logical choice here. He's got a great arm and great legs.

14. New Orleans Saints: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State

The Saints don't have a good offensive line, with Trevor Penning being bad, and Ryan Ramczyk being injured. Fuaga would fit in pretty well.

15. Indianapolis Colts: Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA

The Colts need a boost at the defensive line position and Latu provides that. He'd be a problem for AFC South quarterbacks.

16. Seattle Seahawks: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

Mitchell would be a great add alongside Devon Witherspoon, and that secondary would be scary for NFC West quarterbacks. Although he's likely to be picked earlier, I think this is a solid spot for him.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars: Terrion Arnold, CB, Illinois

The Jaguars need a cornerback, and Arnold is a great fit for them. Some say maybe Cooper DeJean, but Arnold is, I'd say, more talented.

18. Cincinnati Bengals: Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington,

I know he's projected to go earlier, but offensive tackle is a position teams will likely be thinking over offensive line. Offensive line is a must for the Bengals if they want a healthy Joe Burrow.

19. Los Angeles Rams: Jared Verse, Edge, Florida State

The Rams need an edge rusher after Aaron Donald's retirement, and Verse is a monster. He'd make  a great replacement for Donald.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers: JC Latham: OT, Alabama

The Steelers need a tackle alongside Broderick Jones, and Latham fits that bill, and helps keep Russell Wilson or Justin Fields healthy. 

21. Miami Dolphins: Amarius Mims: OT, Georgia

The Dolphins need a lineman, and Mims is a great fit for them. Mims will help keep Tua Tagovailoa healthy.

22. Philadelphia Eagles: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson

For me, this was between Jackson Powers-Johnson and Wiggins, and I chose Wiggins because I feel like the Eagles should value cornerback over center.

23. Minnesota Vikings: Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon

Speaking of Powers-Johnson, the Vikings might need protection for their new QB, and he fits that bill perfectly.

24. Dallas Cowboys: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma

Guyton is a great way from the Cowboys to protect Dak Prescott, and that's what they need to do.

25. Green Bay Packers: Byron Murphy, DL, Texas'

I know Murphy's not expected to fall this far, but if he does, Brian Gutekunst should grab him without a doubt. Murphy would be a great boost to the Packers D-Line.

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Chop Robinson, Edge,Penn State

The Bucs need an edge rusher, and Robinson does the trick. This might be a bit of a reach, but it's a necessary one.

27. Arizona Cardinals: Cooper DeJean CB, Alabama

The Cardinals can now address the defense, and DeJean would boost the secondary the Cardinals have. Maybe this isn't the best pick, but they could use it.

28. Buffalo Bills: Xavier Worthy,WR, Texas

The Bills have no receivers after trading away Stefon Diggs, and we all know Worthy is fast as hell, so why wouldn't Buffalo take him?

29. Detroit Lions: Jer'Zhan Newton, DL, Illinois

The Lions need to bolster up their defense, and Newton would help with that, tremendously.

30. Baltimore Ravens: Jordan Morgan, OL, Arizona

Morgan would be a huge addition to the Ravens offensive line. They need to protect Lamar, and Morgan can do that.

31. San Francisco 49ers: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama

McKinstry would booster the Niners' weak secondary. He's athletic, fast and can pick off passes that come his way.

32. Kansas City Chiefs: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas

The Chiefs WR room is terrible, and Mitchell is fast and can catch, so this is a great scenario.

That's my mock draft for 2024! If you disagree, let me know. I'd love to hear your opinions.