For each pick, I give the Consensus Big Board rankings collated by the indispensable Arif Hasan to add the draft community’s general opinion on each player.
Arizona Cardinals
- Round 1: No. 4: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State - CBB: #1
- Round 1: No. 27: Darius Robinson, Edge, Missouri - CBB: #32
- Round 2: No. 43: Max Melton, CB, Rutgers - CBB: #65
- Round 3: No. 66: Trey Benson, RB, Florida State - CBB: #58
- Round 3: No. 71: Isaiah Adams, G, Illinois - CBB: #133
- Round 3: No. 82: Tip Reiman, TE, Illinois - CBB: #154
- Round 3: No. 90: Elijah Jones, CB, Boston College - CBB: #138
- Round 4: No. 104: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, S, Texas Tech - CBB: #104th
- Round 5: No. 138: Xavier Thomas, Edge, Clemson - CBB: #158th
- Round 5: No. 162: Christian Jones, OT, Texas - CBB: #120
- Round 6: No. 191: Tejhaun Palmer, WR, UAB - CBB: #336
- Round 7: No. 226: Jaden Davis, CB, Miami - CBB: #454
Having made 12 picks, including five third-rounders, few teams have augmented the complexion of their team after the 2024 Draft quite like the Cardinals. WR Marvin Harrison Jr. follows Deandre Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald as generational AZ wide receivers. Super-sized Edge Darius Robinson generated 42 pressures, 27 stops, 14.0 TFL and 8.5 sacks for a stout Missouri defense that only allowed 20.5 PPG (25th in FBS).
CB Max Melton’s 4.39s 40-yard dash speed and 9.57 RAS helps him play man and zone coverage extremely well, recording a QBR of 65.7 while allowing 24 completions on 44 targets in 2024. They reached for the Illinois pass blocking two-step with G Isaiah Adams (CBB -62) and TE Tip Reiman (CBB -72), before adding Texas starting OT Christian Jones (CBB +42) in the fifth in a strident effort to protect QB Kyler Murray and block for new early-R3 RB Trey Benson (4.39s 40/9.76 RAS) who will be in position to replace aging RB James Conner in the near future.
GM Monte Ossenfort saw a glut of cornerbacks that fell from the R1 WR frenzy, so he traded down 8 slots in the second round and smartly nabbed an extra R3 selection before nabbing CB Melton. Hard to argue with the core of talent Arizona brought into the fold with their first four picks, however the next three were 62, 72 and 48 picks over consensus respectively. Demerson, Thomas and Jones were all well within their expert range, with Jones’ +42 representing their best value selection of the draft. after taking a reset-year while Kyler mended from his ACL injury.
Grade: A-
Atlanta Falcons
- Round 1: No. 8: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington - CBB: #32
- Round 2: No. 35: Ruke Orhorhoro, DT, Clemson - CBB: #68
- Round 3: No. 74: Bralen Trice, Edge, Washington - CBB: #64
- Round 4: No. 109: Brandon Dorlus, DT, Oregon - CBB: #80th
- Round 5: No. 143: JD Bertrand, LB, Notre Dame - CBB: #200
- Round 6: No. 186: Jase McClellan, RB, Alabama - CBB: #227
- Round 6: No. 187: Casey Washington, WR, Illinois - CBB: #346
- Round 6: No. 197: Zion Logue, DT, Georgia - CBB: #339
Quite the ignominious start for the Falcons, as Atlanta seemed to vex their brand new, extremely well-paid starting QB Kirk Cousins with the #8 selection, Michael Penix. He quickly pivoted to reinforcing the defense with the relatively raw DT Orhorhoro (-33 CBB), who didn’t start playing football until his junior year of high school. He flashes elite acceleration with a 1.67s 10-yard split (96th%) and 4.89s 40 (94th%), while also recording 89th% agility scores and the second-most bench reps (29) from the Combine DL group for a near perfect 9.92 RAS. In spite of his athletic potential, it was a surprise that he went before Illinois DT Jer’Zhan Newton.
Edge Trice (+10) recorded 80 pressures with a 17.6% overall win rate (10th in P5) and 29% win percentage from true pass sets (4th in FBS) in 2023, but checked in at 6’034/245 after being billed in the 265 range in college, big difference. A model of durability and consistency, Dorlus (+29) earned 72nd percentile grades against both the run and pass in each of his last three campaigns. Last year he generated the second-most pressures among FBS IDLs with five penalties drawn and 5.0 sacks for the Pac-12 runner-up Ducks, but posted a missed tackle rate of 25%+ in three of the last four seasons.
Taking Penix after signing Cousins encourages mutiny and passing on Newton for Orhorhoro were both highly questionable decisions, while Trice and Dorlus are both tweener-types for their positions. I’m all for “getting your guy, but each one of their R5+ selections is at least a -41 reach based on CBB. It’s hard for me to get behind the freewheeling nature of the Falcons’ draft.
Grade: D+
Carolina Panthers
- Round 1: No. 32: Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina - CBB: #42
- Round 2: No. 46: Jonathon Brooks, RB, Texas - CBB: #56
- Round 3: No. 72: Trevin Wallace, LB, Kentucky - CBB: #115
- Round 4: No. 101: Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, Texas - CBB:# 59
- Round 5: No. 157: Chau Smith-Wade, CB, Washington State - CBB: #184
- Round 6: No. 200: Jaden Crumedy, DT, Mississippi State - CBB: #239
- Round 7: No. 240: Michael Barrett, LB, Michigan - CBB: #245
The Panthers first traded up one pick with the Bills to acquire fifth-year breakout Legette (-10), then moved back from their second R2 selection in order to pickup a 2025 2nd Rounder, before moving back up to take RB1 Books (-10) at 46 in an exhaustive flurry of draft capital exchanges. Brooks gives Carolina the all-around complete back they desperately need who recorded 3.9 YAC, a 91st percentile run grade reeling in 25-of-29 targets last year. While he tore an ACL late in the season, recent reports suggest he’s already running and cutting and should be ready to contribute relatively early on in 2024.
The Panthers opted for 9.34 RAS freak LB Wallace (-43) over Payton Wilson and his scary injury history, while halting the freefall of TE JT Sanders (+42) in round 4. Coupled with the acquisition of Diontae Johnson, Carolina is sending a clear signal that they intend to give Bryce Young a bevy of playmakers to encourage his development. They probably didn’t need to panic-trade-up for Legette, but he’s clearly their guy and a local South Carolina product that they got to do plenty of homework on. It felt like another frenetic Carolina draft.
Grade: C+
Chicago Bears
- Round 1: No. 1: Caleb Williams, QB, USC - CBB: #2
- Round 1: No. 9: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington - CBB: #6
- Round 3: No. 75: Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale - CBB: #74
- Round 4: No. 122: Tory Taylor, P, Iowa - CBB: #220
- Round 5: No. 144: Austin Booker, Edge, Kansas - CBB: #85
The Bears smartly moved on from QB Justin Fields in his option year, pivoting to the electric Caleb Williams before giving him the high-end young pass catcher in Odunze to develop with. I had Amegadjie (-1) as OT12, and with tackles coming at a premium getting him essentially at CBB projections is a coup. Tory Taylor (-98) is a supremely talented specialist in R4, which is actually where we’ve been seeing the elite K/P go in recent years. Booker (+59) in R5 is a smoking value, as Chicago focused on quality over quantity in their top-heavy 2024 class. Tough to argue with this class outside of a slight reach for a punter.
Grade A-
Dallas Cowboys
- Round 1: No. 29: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma - CBB: #30
- Round 2: No. 56: Marshawn Kneeland, Edge, Western Michigan - CBB: #60
- Round 3: No. 73: Cooper Beebe, G, Kansas State - CBB: #46
- Round 3: No. 87: Marist Liufau, LB, Notre Dame - CBB: #165
- Round 5: No. 174: Caelen Carson, CB, Wake Forest - CBB: #116
- Round 6: No. 216: Ryan Flournoy, WR, SE Missouri State - CBB: #231
- Round 7: No. 233: Nathan Thomas, OT, Louisiana - CBB: #213
- Round 7: No. 244: Justin Rogers, DT, Auburn - CBB: #276
Trading down five spots and still getting one of the most athletic, moldable OTs in the class has to be considered a major win for Jerry Jones and company. Kneeland gives them a pass rusher opposite Micah Parsons with a 90th% overall grade (8th in FBS) with 57 tackles, 35 stops (9th) and an 18.5% third down pressure rate. Though the defensive captain was able to generate 37 pressures, he only hit paydirt for 4.5 sacks, with 3.0 of them coming in one game against Eastern Michigan.
OG Beebe (-26) was one of the notable OL fallers despite posting the fourth-highest pass block grade (89.3) with a microscopic 0.5% pressure rate despite logging 122 snaps between LT and RT. Beebe should be a mainstay on the Cowboys’ interior for years to come. CB Carson (+56) is also a tidy value in R5 and offsets a sizable reach for LB Liufau (-78) who they could have taken much later in my opinion.
There was a clearly articulated direction for the ‘Boys. First and foremost - reinforce the offensive line. Then try to upgrade each defensive position with the remaining choices. Dallas interestingly passed on taking a running back, while the class might not have quite the sizzle Cowboys fans were likely hoping for. Outside of Liufau, I like the players they selected from a talent and value perspective.
Grade: B+
Detroit Lions
- Round 1: No. 24: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama - CBB: #12
- Round 2: No. 61: Ennis Rakestraw Jr., CB, Missouri - CBB: #40
- Round 4: No. 126: Giovanni Manu, OT, British Columbia - CBB: #348
- Round 4: No. 132: Sione Vaki, S, Utah - CBB: #151
- Round 6: No. 189: Mekhi Wingo, DT, LSU - CBB: #109
- Round 6: No. 210: Christian Mahogany, G, Boston College - CBB: #93
The Lions brass must have almost fainted when they saw Arnold (+12) available at twice his CBB ranking and traded up decisively with Dallas to acquire his services. Arnold led the SEC with 16 PBU and five interceptions with the third-highest PFF defensive grade in the Power Five. The First Team All-American forced incompletions 29% with a strong 0.58 yards allowed per cover snap. Detroit then doubled down on DB and taking the wiry but short-armed CB Rakestraw (+21) in lieu of shoring up other areas of need since they didn’t pick again until #126. S Vaki (-19) was asked to play RB/WR for a spell this year, rushing for 158 yards against Cal one week, then catching five passes for 149 yards against USC the next. Both Wingo (+80) and Mahogany (+117) were selected well below CBB expectations and could challenge for roster spots. Mahogany recorded 0.3% pressure rate over 368 pass snaps, and 0.8% blown run block rate last year, which are both upper echelon marks for interior offensive linemen. While I personally might not have taken two corners in a row, especially with Rakestraw’s spindly frame, both picks were solid values and they added two linemen with the potential to contribute in short order.
Grade: B
Green Bay Packers
- Round 1: No. 25: Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona - CBB: #35
- Round 2: No. 45: Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M - CBB: #37
- Round 2: No. 58: Javon Bullard, S, Georgia - CBB: #63
- Round 3: No. 88: MarShawn Lloyd, RB, USC - CBB: #94
- Round 3: No. 91: Ty’Ron Hopper, LB, Missouri - CBB: #153
- Round 4: No. 111: Evan Williams, S, Oregon - CBB: #197
- Round 5: No. 163: Jacob Monk, C, Duke - CBB: #272
- Round 5: No. 169: Kitan Oladipo, S, Oregon State - CBB: #144
- Round 6: No. 202: Travis Glover, OT, Georgia State - CBB: #267
- Round 7: No. 245: Michael Pratt, QB, Tulane - CBB: #127
- Round 7: No. 255: Kalen King, CB, Penn St. - CBB: #156
The Packers will be reshaping their roster with five Day 1&2 selections and 11 picks overall. Taking Arizona OT Jordan Morgan (-10) over Tyler Guyton was an interesting decision. Morgan made a miraculous recovery from a late-2022 ACL tear by posting the sixth-highest PFF pass block grade in the country (87.3) with a 0.0% blown run block rate in 311 opportunities last year. He allowed just two sacks with a 98.3% blocking efficiency rate and will help to protect QB Jordan Love. LB Cooper (+7) was worthy of being the 1st LB taken having accumulated 17.0 TFL, 56 stops (5th in P5) and 27 pressures (7th in P5) while earning First Team All-American accolades for his accomplishments. His 91st percentile PFF defensive grade was the highest mark of any linebacker in the nation. Bullard boasts an 88.9 PFF cover grade ranked fifth nationally, as Bullard allowed a microscopic .27 yards per coverage snap with a 32% forced incompletion rate. RB Lloyd provides young legs behind the newly signed RB Josh Jacobs, but Hopper (-62), Williams (-86) and Monk (-109) were all perceived to be reaches at their respective spots. Also, taking two linebackers and three safeties within their first five selections indicates a complete restructuring of the Packers’ back seven.
Grade: B-
Los Angeles Rams
- Round 1: No. 19: Jared Verse, Edge, Florida State - CBB: #15
- Round 2: No. 39: Braden Fiske, DT, Florida State - CBB: #47
- Round 3: No. 83: Blake Corum, RB, Michigan - CBB: #77
- Round 3: No. 99: Kamren Kinchens, S, Miami - CBB: #84
- Round 5: No. 154: Brennan Jackson, Edge, Washington State - CBB: #167
- Round 6: No. 196: Tyler Davis, DT, Clemson - CBB: #172
- Round 6: No. 209: Joshua Karty, K, Stanford - CBB: #269
- Round 6: No. 213: Jordan Whittington, WR, Texas - CBB: #240
- Round 6: No. 217: Beaux Limmer, C, Arkansas - CBB: #122
- Round 7: No. 254: KT Leveston, OG, Kansas State - CBB: #249
With four defensive linemen taken in their first six picks, the Rams have been thrust into a DL rebuild with the retirement of legendary DT Aaron Donald. Verse was responsible for an 11.7% pressure rate (4th in P5) and 21.8% Win Rate (2nd in P5) in passing situations. The Second Team All-American ran a 1.59s 10-yard split (95th%) and 4.58s 40-yard dash (9.78s) at 254 pounds for a scorching 9.60 RAS. LA spent significant (some may say, prohibitive) capital to move up and take Fiske (-9), who tore up the Senior Bowl before running a 4.78s 40-yard dash (99th%) that was .07 faster than any other DT. He also led all defensive linemen in vertical jump (33.5”), broad (9’09”) and shuttle run (4.37s) for a superb 9.89 RAS.
Michigan RB Corum gives them a short-yardage, between the tackles grinder to pair with scat-back Kyren Williams. Kinchens recorded 59 tackles and 12 PBU to go with an ACC-leading six interceptions in addition to a fantastic 90th% PFF defensive grade that led that nation, but he also underwhelmed with a 2.43 RAS at his pro day testing. Limmer (+95) is a great deal that late, having led the 2024 draft class with 39 bench reps, but 32” arms and a sub-80” wingspan will present some length related issue in the trenches.
The Rams rebuilt their defensive line with a heavy Florida State influence, but they paid dearly to acquire Fiske. Kinchens’ athletic profile concerns me, but the Rams always squeeze production out of the back end of their drafts.
Grade: C+
Minnesota Vikings
- Round 1: No. 10: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan - CBB: #23
- Round 1: No. 17: Dallas Turner, Edge, Alabama - CBB: #9
- Round 4: No. 108: Khyree Jackson, CB, Oregon - CBB: #100
- Round 6: No. 177: Walter Rouse, OT, Oklahoma - CBB: #187
- Round 6: No. 203: Will Reichard, K, Alabama - CBB: #283
- Round 7: No. 230: Michael Jurgens, C, Wake Forest - CBB: #374
- Round 7: No. 232: Levi Drake Rodriguez, DT, Texas A&M-Commerce - CBB: #449
The Minnesota faithful can rest easy now that their successor to Kirk Cousins has been landed, and they only had to move up one spot to do it, allowing them to move up and also land Bama Edge Turner (+8). He posted 10.0 sacks with a 15.4% pressure rate (3rd) and 89.3 pass rush grade (8th in P5) while being named First Team All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Jackson (+8) is about as long as corners come at 6’036, but his 1.60s 10-yard split (46th%) and 2.67s flying-20 (37th%) are disappointing times, showing that he needs to ramp-up before he gets moving.
While this is one of the more top-heavy classes in the NFL, the Vikings landed a franchise QB and potentially high-end Edge rusher. They’re also banking the better part of two full draft classes on those two players, having mortgaged their 2nd, 3rd and 4th round picks in 2025 which could hamper their ability to build around them. There is a considerable downside to these decisions that needs to be factored in if McCarthy and Turner don’t pan out.
Grade: C+
New Orleans Saints
- Round 1: No. 14: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State - CBB: #14
- Round 2: No. 41: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama - CBB: #27
- Round 5: No. 150: Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina - CBB: #88
- Round 5: No. 170: Bub Means, WR, Pittsburgh - CBB: #209
- Round 5: No. 175: Jaylan Ford, LB, Texas - CBB: #166
- Round 6: No. 199: Khristian Boyd, DT, Northern Iowa - CBB: #177
- Round 7: No. 239: Josiah Ezirim, OT, Eastern Kentucky - CBB: #289
The Saints leaning OL at 14th overall was one of the worst kept secrets of draft szn, with New Orleans selecting the gargantuan RT Fuaga. An elite mauler who led the nation with a 91st percentile run block grade to go with a microscopic 0.6% blown run block rate, he also never allowed a sack in his entire collegiate career. Fate smiled upon them in R2, as the nominal CB1 entering the 2023 season, McKinstry (+14) fell to #41 overall. The All-American allowed 19 catches on 39 targets while ranking fifth nationally with .35 receiving yards allowed per coverage snap.
Rattler had 3rd round buzz after winning the Senior Bowl MVP Award and fills a desperate need to have some plan in place at QB outside of Derek Carr. Considering the limited draft capital they were working with, having zero 3rd or 4th rounders, the Saints were able to address three glaring positions of need while LB Jaylan Ford and DT Khristian Boyd are two players I like that could outperform their draft position. I like what New Orleans was able to do with limited draft capital.
Grade: B
New York Giants
- Round 1: No. 6: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU - CBB: #3
- Round 2: No. 47: Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota - CBB: #45
- Round 3: No. 70: Andru Phillips, CB, Kentucky - CBB: #96
- Round 4: No. 107: Theo Johnson, TE, Penn State - CBB: #91
- Round 5: No. 166: Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB, Purdue - CBB: #161
- Round 6: No. 183: Darius Muasau, LB, UCLA - CBB: #246
Nabers is a bona fide stud on the outside and will immediately revamp a listless WR room. He finished second nationally with 30 broken tackles and 3.81 yards per route while earning 91st percentile PFF receiving grades to all four-levels of the field. Nubin is a dependable workhorse, he would proceed to allow a 35% completion rate or less to go with 50+ tackles and 3+ interceptions in each of the last three seasons.
NY reached a bit to grab Andru Phillips (-26) who struggled giving up completions on 39-of-58 targets for 438 yards and a four-to-zero TD/INT ratio, resulting in five PBU with a passable 72nd percentile PFF defensive grade. He wasn’t particularly efficient bringing down ball carriers either, producing a 23% missed tackle rate despite 24 stops in run support.
Penn State TE Theo Johnson (+16) ripped the Senior Bowl DBs during the practice sessions and put up one of the freakiest Combine performances ever recorded by a tight end with a 9.93 Relative Athletic Score. Same goes for RB Tyrone Tracy who posted an elite 6.81s 3-Cone (96th%) and 9.78 overall RAS after transitioning from WR-to-RB at Purdue last season. I like how they stayed patient in waiting to address RB/TE and letting the board come to them instead of making a panic trade.
Grade: B
Philadelphia Eagles
- Round 1: No. 22: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo - CBB: #11
- Round 2: No. 40: Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa - CBB: #22
- Round 3: No. 94: Jalyx Hunt, Edge, Houston Christian - CBB: #140
- Round 4: No. 127: Will Shipley, RB, Clemson - CBB: #126
- Round 5: No. 152: Ainias Smith, WR, Texas A&M - CBB: #170
- Round 5: No. 155: Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB, Clemson - CBB: #89
- Round 5: No. 172: Trevor Keegan, G, Michigan - CBB: #191
- Round 6: No. 185: Johnny Wilson, WR, Florida State - CBB: #107
- Round 6: No. 190: Dylan McMahon, G, NC State - CBB: #222
The Eagles were rumored to be targeting DeJean with the 22nd pick, but were no doubt flummoxed by their good fortune when Consensus CB1 Quinyon Mitchell (+11+) tumbled down to the 22nd selection. Their amazing luck continued into R2 when they got CB DeJean with the 40th selection (+18) to fully restock their CB1/slot positions. Bravo, Howie Roseman.
Jalyx Hunt scored above average in every movement testing metric for a 9.22 RAS, while Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (+67) could play meaningful snaps in short order for a modest fifth-round investment. Shipley profiles as a passing down specialist while Keegan held down a starting spot on Michigan’s National Championship OL. I usually find myself liking how the Eagles draft, 2024 is no exception.
Grade: A
San Francisco 49ers
- Round 1: No. 31: Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida - CBB: #48
- Round 2: No. 64: Renardo Green, CB, Florida State - CBB: #110
- Round 3: No. 86: Dominick Puni, OT, Kansas - CBB: #78
- Round 4: No. 124: Malik Mustapha, S, Wake Forest - CBB: #124
- Round 4: No. 129: Isaac Guerendo, RB, Louisville - CBB: #164
- Round 4: No. 135: Jacob Cowing, WR, Arizona - CBB: #137
- Round 6: No. 215: Jarrett Kingston, G, USC - CBB: #297
- Round 7: No. 251: Tatum Bethune, LB, Florida State - CBB: #285
When Pearsall (-17) ran a 1.49s 10-yard split (99th%), 4.41s 40-time (93rd%) and 6.84s 3-Cone (98th%) for an absurd 9.91 RAS, his ticket as a top-flight WR was punched since there are zero questions about his body control, routes and elite hands. CB Green (-46) allowed 51.7% reception rate in ‘23 and was lockdown against some of the top wideouts in the country. Malik Nabers, Eugene Wilson, and Jamari Thrash combined for just six receptions on 10 targets for 54 yards with four PBU.
Puni should be a steady hand at guard, as he paced the Kansas OL with a team-low 1.3% pressure rate in 2023 while allowing zero sacks and just one QB hit in 1,593 snaps over his Kansas career. S Malik Mustapha is one of my favorite Day 3 players and could be an impact enforcer on the back line. WR Cowing could be the Jajuan Jennings exit plan in the slot.
While I may prefer some other corners at that spot to Green, the Niners drafted a strong overall crop of players that should bear fruit in the upcoming years.
Grade: B+
Seattle Seahawks
- Round 1: No. 16: Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas - CBB: #16
- Round 3: No. 81: Christian Haynes, G, UConn - CBB: #57
- Round 4: No. 118: Tyrice Knight, LB, UTEP - CBB: #192
- Round 4: No. 121: AJ Barner, TE, Michigan - CBB: #181
- Round 5: No. 136: Nehemiah Pritchett, CB, Auburn - CBB: #141
- Round 6: No. 179: Sataoa Laumea, G, Utah - CBB: #157
- Round 6: No. 192: D.J. James, CB, Auburn - CBB: #113
- Round 6: No. 207: Michael Jerrell, OT, Findlay - CBB: #470
Murphy created 45 pressures (3rd in FBS) and 21 stops with a 17.5% pressure rate, while his 91st percentile overall grade ranked second nationally among DTs. He’s a monster among men and a problem for the NFC West. Haynes (+26) is a smoking deal in R3, as the Huskies’ mauler still posted an 80th-to-82 run/pass grade percentile split with just one sack, four penalties and a 0.7% pressure rate. Though his sawed-off 6’026” stature is a second percentile mark that is perilously short for interior line play, Haynes makes up for it with above average 33.5” arms.
Knight (-74) was the most productive G5 LB in the country with 140 tackles, 15.5 TFL’s, 4.5 sacks and a gaudy 75 stops in 2023. Barner (-60) had a few poorly timed drops at Senior Bowl practices which hurt his perception in the scouting community. D.J. James (+79) was very productive in the SEC, but both of his agility tests charted in the sub-25th percentile, which accounts for his middling 5.82 RAS. Seattle accounted well for not having a R2 selection by nabbing G Haynes in R3 before addressing losses on the defensive side of the ball with a slew of targeted Day 3 selections.
Grade: C+/B-
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Round 1: No. 26: Graham Barton, C, Duke - CBB: #26
- Round 2: No. 57: Chris Braswell, Edge, Alabama - CBB: #54
- Round 3: No. 89: Tykee Smith, S, Georgia - CBB: #125
- Round 3: No. 92: Jalen McMillan, WR, Michigan - CBB: #81
- Round 4: No. 125: Bucky Irving, RB, Oregon - CBB: #123
- Round 6: No. 220: Elijah Klein, G, UTEP - CBB: #363
- Round 7: No. 246: Devin Culp, TE, Washington - CBB: #277
Barton is a Swiss-Army-Knife OL who recorded a 98.7% block efficiency with just two sacks and eight hurries to go with a sensational 88.2 PFF overall grade that ranked fourth among all FBS tackles at OT in 2022. He dealt with a nagging lower body injury in 2023, but Barton is as close to a sure-thing on the interior as it gets. Braswell created 56 pressures while almost doubling his sack rate from 1.8-to-3.3% in 2023. His 88th% pass rush grade charted as the seventh best grade in the Power Five among edge defenders. S Smith (-36) posted an 86th percentile cover grade while leading the vaunted Georgia defense with 70 tackles, 8.5 TFL and four interceptions despite being undersized at 5’10/202.
I’m a major proponent of both WR Jalen McMillan, who I think is a ready-made successor to an aging Chris Godwin, and RB Bucky Irving who is small but an unquestionably electric receiving back to help take some of the load off of Rachaad White. Bucky averaged 3.90 YAC while securing 52-of-58 targets for 377 yards and 21 broken tackles and 9.5 receiving YAC out of the backfield. Solid all-around draft for the Bucs.
Grade B+
Washington Commanders
- Round 1: No. 2: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU - CBB: #8
- Round 2: No. 36: Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton, DT, Illinois - CBB: #20
- Round 2: No. 50: Mike Sainristil, CB, Michigan - CBB: #52
- Round 2: No. 53: Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas St. - CBB: #83
- Round 3: No. 67: Brandon Coleman, OL, TCU - CBB: #114
- Round 3: No. 100: Luke McCaffrey, WR, Rice - CBB: #146
- Round 5: No. 139: Jordan Magee, LB, Temple - CBB: #174
- Round 5: No. 161: Dominique Hampton, S, Washington - CBB: #182
- Round 7: No. 222: Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Edge, Notre Dame - CBB: #228
Jayden Daniels ranked second in FBS in overall pressure grade (82.2) and NFL passer rating when pressured (123.5), two key metrics for success at the next level. And that’s before you get to his 99.2 deep passing grade and all-time SEC leading 90, 20+ yard explosive plays. Newton (+16) is one of the best iDL values at #36, as many prognosticators had him being selected in the 20’s. He created 43 pressures (4th in FBS) and 32 stops (3rd in P5) to go with a 15% win pass rush win rate (7th in P5) while being named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Sainristil was also being mocked in the late-first round in a flurry of pre-draft mocks after recording a 58% reception rate on 50 targets, to go along with six pass breakups and six interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. Sinnott (-30) is a rare 97th% athlete who was a noted seam-stretcher in college earning a 99th% deep grade with 16% of his targets being downfield. His 2.0 Y/RR average, 10.1 ADOT and 669 receiving yards all ranked fourth in FBS. Brandon Coleman (-47) is not a reach in my book, or many other evaluators, as he was my #10 IOL. Washington piled a wealth of talent onto their roster in a draft that was designed to reset their competitiveness.
Grade: A