AFC Draft Grades

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Baltimore Ravens: B+
The Ravens usually do a great job on draft day, and this year was no different. Moseley, Jernigan, and 3rd round S Terrence Brooks all help the defense right away. You would've liked to see them get Joe Flacco more weapons, but they did a great job with the picks they did make. Best Pick: LB CJ Moseley, 1st round. While a different type of player, Moseley has a chance to lock down the MLB and leadership role vacated when Ray Lewis retired. Keep an eye on: DT Timmy Jernigan, 2nd round. Jernigan had the talent to land in the first. He's a load against the run, but also has surprising quickness and athleticism.

Buffalo Bills: B-
The price for Watkins was very steep. The Bills are all in on EJ Manuel, and they better hope they make a big jump this year, with next year's #1 shipped to Cleveland. OT Cyrus Kouandjio is raw but could be a steal in the 2nd. 3rd round LB Preston Brown was a bit of a reach. Two late round offensive linemen Ð Richardson and 7th round Ot Seantrel Henderson Ð have skills that can't be taught. If they're ready to work, these two could be massive steals but the lack of dedication obviously is worrisome. Best Pick: WR Sammy Watkins, 1st round. Trading up for Watkins gives the team a dynamic weapon in the passing game, and gives them one of the drafts elite players. Keep an eye on: OG Cyril Richardson, 5th round. As long as Richardson keeps his weight in check, he is a steal. He looked sluggish this year after being a dominant performer as a junior. In shape and motivated, he's a physical run blocker with surprising feet in a short area.

Cincinnati Bengals: B+
Dennard was excellent value in the first, as was Hill in the second. The Bengals have done a good job with long, athletic ends and drafted another in the third round, Will Clarke. QB AJ McCarron in he 5th was a solid pick. He gives them a quality backup and could possibly become a starter down the road if Andy Dalton is not extended. Best Pick: CB Darqueze Dennard, 1st round. Dennard was the drafts second best corner, and could've been taken in the top 15. Youth at the corner spot is an issue for the Bengals, as is durability. Dennard gives them the youth and should start right away. Keep an eye on: RB Jeremy Hill, 2nd round. Hill is the most talented back in this draft class, but maturity concerns raised questions. His size and ability between the tackles fit perfectly with Giovanni Bernard.

Cleveland Browns: A
Moving down and adding a first rounder next year, then coming away with Justin Gilbert was a fantastic trade. Landing Johnny Manziel at 22 is a gamble, but at that point, well worth it. Bitonio is an instant starter on the OL, and West and 4th round CB Pierre Desir have a lot of ability for small school players. Best Pick: OL Joel Bitonio, 2nd round. Bitonio brings a nastiness to the field, and could play anywhere along the offensive line. Keep an eye on: RB Terrance West, 3rd round. The newly signed Ben Tate will start, but he has glaring durability issues. If he goes down, West has the power and quick feet to take the job and never let it go.

Denver Broncos: C
The Broncos added two talented performers in the first two rounds in Roby and Latimer but reached in the third on OT Michael Schofield. 5th round LB Lamin Barrow is athletic and run to the football, and should provide depth, but there isn't much to get excited about outside of the first two selections.
Best Pick: CB Bradley Roby, 1st round. Roby is as gifted as any corner in this draft. He had an up and down season, but the talent is there and for a team in dire need of corner help, this is a great match. Keep an eye on: WR Cody Latimer, 2nd round. With Peyton Manning as your QB, anyone can go off. Latimer should eventually step up into the Eric Decker role and has the skills to be just as effective.

Houston Texans: A
Clowney and Nix give them two extremely gifted defensive linemen, and 2nd round guard Xavier Su'a Filo is an immediate impact kind of guy. 3rd round TE CJ Fiedorowicz is a complete TE that could be a big threat in the red zone, and 4th round QB Tom Savage could be the guy throwing to him. The Texans did a great job landing high upside talent at the right spots in the draft, and added a lot of talent overall to their football team. Best Pick: DE Jadeveon Clowney, 1st round. This pick had a little intrigue as the draft approached, because there was some debate on other players being better fits. In the end, the Texans did the right thing and took the draft's best player. Keep an eye on: DT Louis Nix, 3rd round. This kid was a top ten talent last year. Injuries and weight issues pushed him down boards a bit. He still flashed that dominant ability on the nose this year, it was just in patches. If motivated, Nix is the type of player you can anchor a defense around. JJ Watt, Nix, and Clowney could be a devastating defensive line.

Indianapolis Colts: D
Its difficult to not factor in trading their first round pick during the season for Trent Richardson and how the trade seemingly only benefitted the Browns. There is still hope for that trade though, but clearly impacted the Colts ability to improve in the draft. OT Jack Mewhort in the second was the teams first selection. And while solid with some versatility, he may not have a true position. After Moncrief, there aren't any real playmakers to hope pan out. Best Pick: WR Donte Moncrief, 3rd round. Moncrief doesn't always play up to his ability, but he has the size, strength, speed, and athleticism to be a star. With Andrew Luck at quarterback, that talent could be dangerous. Keep an eye on: LB Andrew Jackson, 6th round. Not an exciting pickup, but Jackson is a thumper and tackling machine at inside linebacker. He's a two down run stuffer type, but he will fill gaps and bust some heads.

Jacksonville Jaguars: A
Despite the perceived slide of QB Blake Bortles, he is still a very talented signal caller. And a year after drafting a LT at #2 overall, the Jags did a great job adding weapons around him. Grabbing Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson give him two big play threats to develop with. The Jags offense in a couple years could be very exciting. LB Smith and CB Aaron Colvin may not make an immediate impact but could be surprises a year from now. Best Pick: WR Marqise Lee, 2nd round. Lee was a flat out steal in the second round. He was the draft's top receiver entering the year and a minor injury and a case of the dropsies caused him to slide. The explosiveness is still there and he will have a ton of passes thrown his way in Jacksonville. Keep an eye on: LB Telvin Smith, 5th round. Smith slid because he's a LB/S tweener. With the amount of spread offenses though, his speed and ability to run to the ball are a plus. If he can bulk up to become a true linebacker, his ability in space would really stand out and give the team a real factor in coverage.

Kansas City Chiefs: C-
There is a lot of boom or bust potential with the Chiefs, and they failed to address their glaring need for speed at WR early in the draft. 1st round LB Dee Ford is an explosive edge rusher, but he'll be a situational player as a rookie. Without a second rounder in the Alex Smith trade, the Chiefs didn't pick again until the third and they went with a talented but raw corner in Phillip Gaines. Thomas is the one potential addition to the offense, but it's hard to bank on fourth rounders as rookies. Best Pick: RB/WR De'Anthony Thomas, 4th round. The biggest need for the Chiefs was adding playmaking and speed to the offense. While Thomas may not have a defined position on offense, his big play ability and versatility could be a difference maker for the Chiefs. Keep an eye on: Thomas. His diminutive frame gives him legitimate durability concerns. But he's a threat to take it to the house every time he touches it, and he will touch is as a RB, WR, PR, and KR. Andy Reid will get creative in getting him the ball and allowing him to make plays.

Miami Dolphins: C
OT With their focus on addressing the offensive line, the Phins reached on first round OT Ja'Wuan James. Landry in the second was a safe pick, but not the physically imposing WR they could have used, nor is he a big playmaker. OL Billy Turner in the third is a solid talent, but is another tackle. After selecting James early and signing Branden Albert in free agency, the tackle spots appear set for the forseeable future. The Dolphins did add some talent and improved on the offensive line, but seemed to double up on some things they already had or already added. Best Pick: WR Jarvis Landry, 2nd round. Landry isn't the explosive or big receiver the Phins needed, but he's one of the safer picks in the draft. He knows how to get open and has excellent hands. He'll give Ryan Tannehill a dependable option in the passing game right away. Keep an eye on: LB Jordie Tripp, 5th round. Tripp is very active and aggressive. He can fly to the football and is always around the action. He could push for time on the weakside or inside eventually.

New England Patriots: C
1st round DT Dominique Easley was a top 15 pick before a season ending ACL injury. If healthy, he is a steal and fills a big hole for the Patriots, but there is obvious concern there. The Patriots then used their second rounder on QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who may not see the field for a few years. The draft has some risk the Patriots typically do not make, and some picks are a little surprising given New England's ability to push for a title now. Best Pick: C Bryan Stork, 4th round. Stork is battle tested and won the RImington Award as the nations top center this year. The Pats do well with mid round linemen, and Stork could play very early in his career. Keep an eye on: Rb James White, 4th round. Nothing jumps out at you with White physically. He's not the biggest, fastest, or most powerful back but he gets the job done. Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen are very talented, but Ridley has had trouble holding on to the ball and Vereen staying healthy. White's consistency could allow him to step in and make an immediate impact if either incumbent continues their previous problems.

New York Jets: B
The Jets were active on offense in free agency, giving them some flexibility in the first round to draft the best player. They went for S Calvin Pryor, a tone setter at S. He'll be a tremendous fit in Rex Ryan's defense. Amaro is a big, versatile weapon at TE, and 4th round OG Dakota Dozier could surprise. Best Pick: TE Jace Amaro, 2nd round. Calvin Pryor was a good pickup in the first, but Amaro should make a big impact on the offense. He's a versatile TE that can cause some real problems when split out wide. Keep an eye on: WR Jalen Saunders, 4th round. Saunders is definitely limited physically but he has the look of the undersized but quick and tough slot receivers that outplay their physical talent. With the revamping of the entire Jets offense, Saunders could find a niche as a slot man eventually. He's quick, knows how to get open, and isn't afraid to operate over the middle of the field. With the attention paid to Eric Decker, Jace Amaro, and Chris Johnson, he may be able to catch a lot of balls underneath and keep the chains moving.

Oakland Raiders: B+
This was a great draft for the Raiders. They filled needs and took advantage of some talented players falling. Mack was a great pick in the first, as was Gabe Jackson in the third. Derek Carr is a guy they wanted to slide to them, but he's a bit overrated. McGill and 7th round S Jonathan Dowling have some maturity issues, but also have great natural gifts. If they put in the work, it could pay off.
Best Pick:LB Khalil Mack, 1st round. Mack kind of fell in the Raiders laps, but it was a tremendous selection. He's a game changer on the defensive side of the ball, something the Raiders lack.
Keep an eye on: CB Keith McGill, 4th round. McGill has all the tools to be one of the new wave standouts at corner with his size, speed, and athleticism. He may need some prodding to reach his potential, but the skills are there to make a difference.

Pittsburgh Steelers: B+
1st round Lb Ryan Shazier might have been a slight reach, but his speed and athleticism in today's NFL is in high demand. Tuitt was fantastic value, and third rounder Dri Archer gives them a versatile offensive weapon. Bryant has the talent to go much higher, but his lack of polish and depth at the position pushed him to the fourth. Best Pick: DL Stephon Tuitt, 2nd round. Tuitt was a top ten pick entering the year but didn't play with the same intensity he did the year prior. His size, wingspan, and athleticism give him a rare combination and stardom is possible. Keep an eye on: WR Martavis Bryant, 4th round. Bryant has the size, speed, and athleticism to be a big time playmaker on the field. He is raw and doesn't always play up to his talent, but if everything clicks, he's exactly what the Steelers have been looking for at WR.

San Diego Chargers: B
Verrett and Attaochu were solid pickups in the first two rounds. 3rd round OG Chris Watt was another solid pickup. After that, there isn't much to get excited about or much help expected. Best Pick: CB Jason Verrett, 1st round. The Chargers needed help at corner in a bad way, and landed a good one in Verrett. If he was two inches taller, he goes at least 10 spots earlier. He's pro ready and will pay dividends early for the Chargers. Keep an eye on: LB Jeremiah Attaochu, 2nd round. Addressing the pass rush was something the Chargers also wanted to do, and they moved up in the second to select Attaochu. He is relentless off the edge and should help the Chargers defense catch up to the offense.

Tennessee Titans: B+
Lewan was a great pick in the first, and Bishop Sankey just as good in the second. He may not be as explosive as Chris Johnson, but he's more consistent and runs with more power. The fourth round brought about depth in the secondary in Huff and DT DaQuan Jones. Both have the potential to start in time. QB Zach Mettenberger received a lot of hype as a potential first or second rounder before a knee injury, but that was going a bit far. Still, landing him in the 5th round is excellent value and offers nothing but upside. Best Pick: OT Taylor Lewan, 1st round. Lewan is an elite left tackle prospect and legitimate top eight talent. Landing him outside the top ten is a steal for the Titans. Keep an eye on: DB Marqueston Huff, 4th round. Huff has great speed, is active, and versatile. He can play corner and safety, and that versatility is a plus with the uptempo offenses today.