Some of you may have read my overall thoughts on some of the selections and players in the 2002 NFL Draft this past weekend, however, this is more of a broader scope on how all 32 NFL teams performed in my opinion. The summaries on these picks are no longer than 2-3 sentences because nobody wants to read a fleshed out dissertation on every team’s picks, but I’m providing just a face value look at how each NFL team’s draft, and the personal grade I gave them based on the personnel decisions they made. Most of these grades are determined by the earlier picks, rather than the later picks, however, if a later pick made a serious impact on the grade, I’ll make sure to note that.
2020 NFL Draft Grades for all 32 NFL teams
Note: The teams are in alphabetical order
Arizona Cardinals
The addition of Isaiah Simmons gives the Cardinals an extremely diverse piece on the defensive side, but it wasn’t the position they needed to address in the first round. They could’ve used this pick to upgrade their struggling offensive line with better options such as Jedrick Wills, Mehki Becton or Tristan Wirfs. Grade: B+
Atlanta Falcons
Adding A.J Terrell was a solid move by the Falcons, they needed reinforcements to replace Desmond Trufant, however, they needed to seriously prioritize grabbing an edge rusher in the second round, and while Marlon Davidson is talented, he isn’t the answer. I’ve heard decent things about Matt Hennessey, and with Alex Mack on the way out, Hennessey will be expected to take over center duties. Grade: B-
Baltimore Ravens
I’m in love with the Ravens draft, they’re clearly becoming Super Bowl contenders as time goes on in my opinion. Guys like Patrick Queen and J.K Dobbins are certified ballers while players like Justin Madubuike, Geno Stone and James Proche have the potential to make some plays if they’re developed correctly. Grade: A+
Buffalo Bills
Coming off of a playoff season, along with a weakened New England Patriots, now is the time for the Bills to go all-in for the division crown. The additions of Epenesa, Moss, and Davis reinforce the strength of this team on both sides of the ball. Josh Allen doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence in me, so I’m willing to see what Jake Fromm can bring to the table. Grade: B
Carolina Panthers
Shoutout to the Panthers for reinforcing their defense, Derrick Brown, Yetur Gross-Matos and Jeremy Chinn have the potential to see the field immediately, you pair that with the emergence of Brian Burns and veteran Kawann Short, and I can see the Panthers getting in the backfield quite often. I can respect teams who just go out and immediately address weaknesses rather than holding off or waiting to make moves later on down the road. Grade: A
Chicago Bears
I don’t agree with the selection of Cole Kmet at all, put his talent aside, the Bears have 10 fucking tight ends and in what world is that ever logical? Jaylon Johnson is a talented piece that will provide Kyle Fuller with some support, nothing else about their draft stands out though. Grade: C
Cincinnati Bengals
Well, the Bengals clearly earned themselves a high grade after selecting their franchise quarterback in Joe Burrow with the first overall pick, while Tee Higgins will also be a solid presence for Burrow in the air. They made a few moves on the defensive side of the ball, but it’ll be a few years before all of the holes on that side of the ball are filled. Grade: A
Cleveland Browns
Jedrick Wills is special and he provides Baker Mayfield with all of the tools he needs to properly succeed, and Donovan Peoples-Jones has a great chance to be a solid WR3 in my opinion. I’m interested to see how Grant Delpit performs in the NFL, obviously a pure standout at LSU, but this isn’t college anymore. Grade: B+
Dallas Cowboys
The thought of Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb on a field together is enough to scare any defensive secondary, it’ll also be interesting to see if Rimington Award winner Tyler Biadasz steps in for the retired Travis Frederick. Speaking of secondaries, picking up Trevon Diggs was a very smart move, the Cowboys clearly needed help back there all last season. I also think Neville Gallimore has the potential to make some noise next season if he develops correctly. Grade: A+
Denver Broncos
Drew Lock certainly has no excuses now, with options in Courtland Sutton, route technician Jerry Jeudy and speedster KJ Hamler, he has plenty of options when he’s dropping back. Lloyd Cushenberry, McTelvin Agim and Netane Muti will certainly be able to create some competition in the trenches. John Elway did a hell of a job this year, I’m impressed. Grade: A+
Detroit Lions
Jeff Okudah is definitely going to be the one running the show in the secondary, and I’m a personal fan of D’Andre Swift, the Lions are lucky he fell to them. Julian Okwara can definitely wreak havoc in the backfield if he plays his role well, I’m also very fond of Jonah Jackson and Logan Stenberg, two tough guards who are capable of keeping Matt Stafford upright. Grade: A
Green Bay Packers
While he’s not an instant impact player and trading up for him was questionable, I like the long-term implications of selecting Jordan Love. It feels like AJ Dillon was in college forever, but he’ll be a solid complementary piece for Aaron Jones. I don’t like the fact that the Packers didn’t address the receiver position, A-Rod and Davante Adams can’t do it all on their own. Grade: C
Houston Texans
Picking up Ross Blacklock strengthened the interior pass rush, and Johnathan Greenard is a versatile piece that can be employed in a variety of ways, Charlie Heck is a mountain of a man and it’ll be interesting to see what he turns into. It would’ve been nice to see them try to grab a receiver considering they just gave away a generational talent in DeAndre Hopkins. Grade: B
Indianapolis Colts
I really like Michael Pittman Jr, he’s an instant WR2, Johnathan Taylor has a lot of mileage but if he stays healthy, he’ll form a dangerous duo alongside Marlon Mack. Jacob Eason has plenty of potential learning behind Philip Rivers, and Jordan Glasgow has his limitations but is very versatile. Great job by the Colts reinforcing both sides of the ball. Grade: A
Jacksonville Jaguars
While losing Jalen Ramsey and A.J Bouye over the past couple years hurt pretty bad, C.J Henderson is definitely an exciting replacement. It’ll be interesting to see how young guys like K’Lavon Chaisson, Laviska Shenault Jr, Shaquille Quarterman and Collin Johnson translate to the pro level, but there’s solid potential in each of them. They also selected Ben Bartch, a D-III tackle in the fourth round, I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on him. Grade: B
Kansas City Chiefs
The reigning Super Bowl champions reinforced their backfield with the addition of Clyde Edwards-Helaire, some might argue that De’Andre Swift or Johnathan Taylor should’ve come off the board first, but I love what Edwards-Helaire brings to the table. If Willie Gay Jr stays out of trouble, and Lucas Niang can take over for Mitchell Schwartz, when it’s time, the Chiefs will continue to remain strong. Grade: B-
Las Vegas Raiders
The addition of Henry Ruggs III as the first receiver off the board was a surprise, but it makes sense, why wouldn’t you snag your own personal Tyreek Hill? Damon Arnette at No.19 overall was very questionable, he’ll definitely have to prove he earned that spot, I also like Lynn Bowden Jr versatility, right now he’s listed as a running back but we know he can virtually any specialist position on the field. Don’t sleep on Amik Robertson either, there’s definitely potential there. Grade: B+
Los Angeles Chargers
The additions of Justin Herbert and Kenneth Murray were both solid, directly filling needs right off the bat. Joshua Kelley has a chance to compete for the 2 spot behind Austin Ekeler. I hope seventh-rounder KJ Hill manages to surprise some people, he isn’t a world breaker, but I’ve heard nothing but solid things about him throughout the draft process. Grade: B
Los Angeles Rams
I’ve been following Cam Akers since he was in 8th grade, and that man is a certified baller. Van Jefferson had a fantastic Senior Bowl performance, and while he’s raw I absolutely loved the film on Terrell Lewis. I also want to give a huge shoutout to my former teammate Sam Sloman on being drafted to the Rams! Grade: A
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins will also receive a high grade just for selecting Tagovailoa, he may not be ready this season, but when he is he will take the league by storm. Noah Igbinoghene is new to the position of corner, but he’s as aggressive as they come. I don’t know how I feel about Austin Jackson yet, and Solomon Kindley is raw but he can fuck some people up with the right development. I liked what I saw in Curtis Weaver and Malcolm Perry, but they’ll need to excel in order to become more than just role players. Grade: A
Minnesota Vikings
I’m a huge fan of Justin Jefferson, no reason why he can’t get on the field immediately. Jeff Gladney also looked good on tape, and I’ve heard solid things about Ezra Cleveland. Guys like Troy Dye, Josh Metellus and K.J Osborn need time to develop, but there may be something there for them. Drafting Nate Stanley was a complete waste of a pick, and while Kenny Willekes is an athletic freak, he’s nothing more than a situational lineman in my opinion. B-
New England Patriots
Clearly Kyle Dugger must be a guy for the Patriots to happily take a D-II player with their first selection, there will certainly be eyes on him. Josh Uche is a solid selection, and I saw flashes at times from Anfernee Jennings. I understand Bill Belichick has a reputation for turning no-names into stars, but outside of the names I just gave you, I’m worried for the Patriots next season. Grade: C+
New Orleans Saints
I loved the selection of Cesar Ruiz, he’s definitely going to see the field in a hurry in New Orleans. Zack Baun was also a candidate for a dark-horse sleeper pick and rightfully so, this guy is fantastic at getting into the backfield. I doubt Tommy Stevens lasts long in the league, but we’ll see what the Saints can do with him. Grade: B+
New York Giants
Of course, it was a loaded tackle class with various options, but Andrew Thomas is a guy you absolutely can’t go wrong with, he’s absolutely chilling in New York for the next decade. Xavier McKinney also becomes the new do-it-all defensive back for the Giants, and I also like the value that Darnay Holmes brings, especially for finding him in the fourth round. Grade: B+
New York Jets
Just like Thomas, Becton is a next-decade caliber tackle, I’ve heard very good things about Denzel Mims, and Jabari Zuniga and La’Mical Perine are both solid ballers in my mind. My real concern though is that the Jets haven’t truly given Jamal Adams and C.J Mosley enough tools to compete on the defensive side of the ball. The Jets still have ways to go before they can truly compete, but they definitely stepped in the right direction. Grade: B+
Philadelphia Eagles
Don’t get me wrong I respect Jalen Reagor and I think this guy is valuable, with the steep decline among the Eagles receivers, I just don’t think he’s as valuable as guys such as Justin Jefferson and Tee Higgins who I think are capable of stepping into WR1 roles. Selecting Jalen Hurts in the second round has got to be the stupidest pick I’ve ever been alive for, and frankly, it pretty much went downhill from there in my mind. Grade: D
Pittsburgh Steelers
I really like Chase Claypool, he’ll definitely be a reliable threat in the league, and I also think while Anthony McFarland Jr is situational, he has the potential to be special. Former All-American Kevin Dotson has some rough edges, but he’s experienced and will be able to contribute later down the road. Grade: C
San Francisco 49ers
I love what Javon Kinlaw brings to the table, and if he’s developed correctly, it’ll be like DeForest Buckner never left. I feel like the 49ers saw something we didn’t in Brandon Aiyuk, because there were a plethora of options in this wide receiver heavy draft class. Bringing in Charlie Woerner is questionable, he’s serviceable but he’ll never reach George Kittle’s level. Jauan Jennings has major character concerns, so we’ll need to see if his talent makes up for it. Grade: B-
Seattle Seahawks
The Jordyn Brooks pick confuses me when you have one of the top linebacking tandems in the league. I really like Damien Lewis, he’s undersized but he’s a dog and I really think we can see him on the field very soon. Colby Parkinson is pretty good as a receiving threat, he’ll need some development but I trust Stanford’s track record of tight ends to suggest he’ll be fine. Maybe DeeJay Dallas turns into a playmaker for the Seahawks but he’s really young. Grade: C
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tristan Wirfs is one of the more elite tackles in this draft with unreal athleticism, I’m extremely excited about him. Antoine Winfield Jr is just as if not more talented than his pops in my opinion, and I’m a huge Tyler Johnson fan, I think he’ll become one of Tom Brady’s favorite targets fast. Not quite sure about Ke’Shawn Vaughn, but at the very least it’s more depth in the running back room. Grade: A
Tennessee Titans
Isaiah Wilson is a road-grader which bodes well for Derrick Henry, and Kristian Fulton will definitely bolster the secondary, two very solid picks to open up the Titans draft process. Grade: B
Washington Redskins
The Redskins set up their defense with a generational talent in Chase Young, Saahdiq Charles knows how to play at a high level, but will need to learn quickly in the absence of Trent Williams and Antonio Gandy-Golden will either be a boom or bust in my mind. Khaleke Hudson is a situational guy at best, but his versatility will definitely open up opportunities for him. B+
