Which teams did the best and which teams still have work to do this offseason?
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
GRADE: B–
- Round 1, Pick 1: Travon Walker, DE, Georgia
- Round 1, Pick 27: Devin Lloyd, ILB, Utah
- Round 3, Pick 65: Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky
- Round 3, Pick 70 (from Carolina): Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming
- Round 5, Pick 154 (from Commanders via Eagles): Snoop Conner, RB, Ole Miss
- Round 6, Pick 197 (from Philadelphia): Gregory Junior, CB, Ouachita Baptist
- Round 7, Pick 222: Montaric Brown, CB, Arkansas
ANALYSIS: The Jaguars’ draft performance is a lot like a school project where, instead of submitting a powerpoint or written report, you instead don a full mime costume and perform interpretive dance. It could net you resounding praise. It could also turn out to be so troubling and confusing that you get removed from the University. Trent Baalke’s 2022 draft was focused on rebuilding a defense and gambling on positional versatility. Travon Walker could be a generational pass-rushing talent. He could also be the edge-rushing equivalent of Mark Barron, a talented and versatile player who never was used correctly. My favorite pick may have been Muma, who will add a solid counterpunch next to Lloyd in the linebacking corps. Here’s the explanation for the “minus” attached to the B: The Jaguars are building a formidable defense with solid edge-rushing presence and, theoretically, two good off-ball linebackers. However, they still suffer from a lack of heft through the middle. The Buccaneers, another great off-ball linebacker and edge-driven defense, needed Vita Vea and Ndamukong Suh in order to free their personnel to make plays. The Jaguars don’t have those space eaters.
Orr: Baalke stakes his reputation on Walker after picking him No. 1
Jaguar Report: Analysis of every Jacksonville selection
2. Detroit Lions
GRADE: A
- Round 1, Pick 2: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan
- Round 1, Pick 12 (from Vikings): Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
- Round 2, Pick 46: Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky
- Round 3, Pick 97: Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois
- Round 5, Pick 177: James Mitchell, TE, Virginia Tech
- Round 6, Pick 217: James Houston, LB, Jackson State
ANALYSIS: GM Brad Holmes had us swooning the moment he jumped back into the thick of the first round to land arguably the best wide receiver in the class. He had us blindly supporting any and every future move with the addition of Paschal. As much as we heralded Hutchinson as the consummate Dan Campbell player, Paschal may be the more ideal fit. He can line up in multiple positions and he plays every down like an oversized toddler kicking his way through a playpen full of block towers—it’s pure joy and destruction. The Lions may be the most improved team in the NFL next year by virtue of this class. With one slate of picks, both head coach and quarterback feel supported and pacified. There isn’t much more a GM can do.
Orr: Hutchinson can lift Lions to NFL legitimacy
All Lions: Analysis of every Detroit selection
3. Houston Texans
GRADE: B
- Round 1, Pick 3: Derek Stingley Jr, CB, LSU
- Round 1, Pick 15 (from Miami via Philadelphia): Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M
- Round 2, Pick 37: Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor
- Round 2, Pick 44 (from Cleveland): John Metchie III, WR, Alabama
- Round 3, Pick 75 (from Denver): Christian Harris, LB, Alabama
- Round 4, Pick 107 (from Detroit via Cleveland): Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida
- Round 5, Pick 150: Thomas Booker, DT, Stanford
- Round 5, Pick 170 (from Tampa Bay via New England): Teagan Quitoriano, TE, Oregon State
- Round 6, Pick 205 (from Green Bay): Austin Deculus, OT, LSU
ANALYSIS: The Texans are turning the corner on their rebuild, from chaotic Game of Thrones-esque power struggle to not-so-subtle tank job, to, now utilizing some of those assets to formulate the basis of whatever Nick Caserio’s long-term vision might be. Stingley is incredibly talented, a cornerback who has the tools to be among the league’s best. And fast. It’s curious that the knock on him was that his play slid after the 2019 LSU championship season, and not that his coaching staff did the same, ultimately leading to Ed Orgeron’s ouster and the hiring of Brian Kelly. The Texans mined the Belichick-Alabama pipeline frequently in this draft and, despite missing out on the initial run of wide receivers, managed to find a functional pass catcher in John Metchie III, who will provide Davis Mills with the kind of playmaker who can turn horizontal throws into significant gains. For a team that was depending an awful lot on 28-year-old Brandin Cooks, the Texans have a chance to look a little less adrift offensively now, forcing defenses to respect both their deep speed and intermediate speed.
Texans Daily: Analysis of every Houston selection
4. New York Jets
GRADE: A
- Round 1, Pick 4: Ahmad “Sauce” Garner, CB, Cincinnati
- Round 1, Pick 10 (from Seattle): Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
- Round 1, Pick 26 (from Tennessee): Jermaine Johnson II, DE, Florida State
- Round 2, Pick 36 (from N.Y. Giants): Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State
- Round 3, Pick 101 (from New Orleans via Philadelphia and Tennessee): Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State
- Round 4, Pick 111: Max Mitchell, OT, Louisiana
- Round 4, Pick 117: Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M
ANALYSIS: The Jets have been in a vicious cycle of late. The end of the Mike Tannenbaum era carried a chips-all-in mentality balanced by the John Idzik era of savings and pragmatism (though most of the draft picks they acquired failed to produce). This was followed by a disastrous Mike Maccagnan regime that buried the franchise … until now? As we mentioned in our draft night recap, I’m not sure people understand how difficult a job Joe Douglas had and how far the roster has come. With this class, the team should be able to start seeing some results. Ruckert was an interesting pickup. On film at Ohio State, he carried some of the exact same responsibilities as Kyle Jusczcyk and George Kittle do in the 49ers’ offense, down to some of the minute, arc-motion-style blocking. This should be a real plug-and-play scenario for the Jets, who needed more players intimately familiar with the way offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur wants to run his offense. Hall is exactly what Zach Wilson and the offense needs: a running back who can turn a play dead in the backfield into something. At Iowa State, he rescued the Cyclones from time to time when their offensive line was plowed over.
Jets Country: Analysis of every New York selection
5. New York Giants
GRADE: A–
- Round 1, Pick 5: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon
- Round 1, Pick 7 (from Chicago): Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
- Round 2, Pick 43 (from Atlanta): Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky
- Round 3, Pick 67: Joshua Ezeudu, OG, North Carolina
- Round 3, Pick 81 (from Miami): Cordale Flott, CB, LSU
- Round 4, Pick 112 (from Chicago): Daniel Bellinger, TE, San Diego State
- Round 4, Pick 114 (from Atlanta): Dane Belton, S, Iowa
- Round 5, Pick 146 (from Jets): Micah McFadden, LB, Indiana
- Round 5, Pick 147: D.J. Davidson, DT, Arizona State
- Round 5, Pick 173 (from Kansas City via Baltimore): Marcus McKethan, OL, UNC
- Round 6, Pick 182: Darrian Beavers, LB, Oregon State
ANALYSIS: Thibodeaux is the Giants’ most athletic pass rusher since Jason Pierre-Paul. At some point, the franchise started whiffing on athletic players and, in a desperate attempt to save the end of the Eli Manning era, began hoarding “safer” prospects with more production on their résumé. The result was a punchless defensive line that offered little outside some feisty, situational run defense. Neal will be the steal of the draft. The Alabama tackle has the most natural kick back for an offensive lineman I’ve ever seen. His ability, at that size, to drop into standard protection, rebalance and find a center of power is something to behold. From the later rounds, Ezeudu was almost as critical. The Giants were still weak through the interior of their offensive line, which is especially troubling considering the Eagles and Commanders have two of the best interior pass rushes in the NFL. Ezeudu has positional flexibility and is a strong, athletic body who will bring the pain on pulls.
Bishop: Thibodeaux has a plan to take back control of his story
Giants Country: Analysis of every New York selection
6. CAROLINA PANTHERS
GRADE: C
- Round 1, Pick 6: Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State
- Round 3, Pick 94 (from Kansas City via New England): Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss
- Round 4, Pick 120 (from New Orleans via Washington): Brandon Smith, LB, Penn State
- Round 6, Pick 189: Amare Barno, LB, Virginia Tech
- Round 6, Pick 199 (from Las Vegas): Cade Mays, OT, Tennessee
- Round 7, Pick 242 (from New England via Miami):
ANALYSIS: I think the main criticism here is a failure of GM Scott Fitterer to make more out of what they have. We’ve watched, for instance, as the Eagles rescue themselves through smart administrative work, and then watch other teams (such as the Panthers) in a perpetual shrug emoji. If the plan was not to draft the best quarterback available, the limited draft capital at their disposal should have gone toward an all-In approach to buoy Sam Darnold. If the plan was to draft a quarterback to compete with Darnold, they should have tailored the draft around Corral, who hails from an RPO heavy system that requires certain players to make it effective. Brandon Smith seems like a Phil Snow (defensive coordinator) type of player, though, with blitz capability off the edge and a mean streak. While it’s always hard to project big hitters once collegiate players reach a larger pond, Smith has quite the resume of helmet-twisters from his time in Happy Valley.
All Panthers: Analysis of every Carolina selection
7. ATLANTA FALCONS
GRADE: B–
- Round 1, Pick 8: Drake London, WR, USC
- Round 2, Pick 38 (from Carolina via N.Y. Giants and N.Y. Jets): Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State
- Round 2, Pick 58 (from Tennessee): Troy Andersen, LB, Montana State
- Round 3, Pick 74: Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati
- Round 3, Pick 82 (from Indianapolis): DeAngelo Malone, LB, Western Kentucky
- Round 5, Pick 151: Tyler Allgeier, RB, BYU
- Round 6, Pick 190: Justin Shaffer, G, Georgia
- Round 6, Pick 213: John FitzPatrick, TE, Georgia
ANALYSIS: I think Drake London will be a really good NFL player, and maybe the Falcons have the capabilities to use him right now. Both Marcus Mariota and Ridder are on-time throwers who succeed more regularly with a defined system. But London can reward quarterbacks who can buy themselves time, re-set and throw the deep ball, which Mariota and Ridder can both do. Ridder was especially impressive in finding more time within tight spaces. The Falcons’ offensive skill position set reminds me a bit of the middle years of Cam Newton’s time with the Patriots. Most of the weapons are taller with a larger catch radius and can dominate mismatches. Ebiketie has a heavy first punch and while his own momentum can be used against him sometimes, he is an example of the depth of this edge-rushing class.
Falcon Report: Analysis of every Atlanta selection
8. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
GRADE: C+
- Round 1, Pick 9 (from Denver): Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
- Round 2, Pick 40 (from Denver): Boye Mafe, LB, Minnesota
- Round 2, Pick 41: Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State
- Round 3, Pick 72: Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State
- Round 4, Pick 109 (from N.Y. Jets): Coby Bryant, CB, Cincinnati
- Round 5, Pick 153: Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA
- Round 5, Pick 158 (from Miami via New England): Tyreke Smith, DE, Ohio State
- Round 7, Pick 229:
- Round 7, Pick 233:
ANALYSIS: I always dislike a team that’s bottoming out from a personnel standpoint trying to break in potential left tackles. It’s a position, like cornerback and quarterback, where players can develop bad habits quickly when overwhelmed. The Seahawks offense is going to be overwhelmed this year fairly consistently. Mafe is going to be 24 at the end of his first NFL season, which, to me, isn’t a huge issue; he brings physical maturity even if his pass-rushing toolbox needs to be developed. Walker was such a Seahawks pick. There is something about a sturdier back who can cause missed tackles with subtle movement, supplementing with a hits-bigger-than-he-looks frame that must cause Pete Carroll to flip the table over.
