Tag: draft grades

Cowboys NFL Draft grades: Marist Liufau, LB, Notre Dame

Cowboys NFL Draft grade for selecting Notre Dame LB Marist Liufau in the third round

The Dallas Cowboys headed into the offseason having a glaring need to improve their rushing defense and depth in a fragile linebacker room. They accomplished both of their goals in the third round with the selection of Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau.

Liufau does not project as a starter right away and will need to sit behind talented veterans Damone Clark and newly signed Eric Kendricks. Liufau will have a great opportunity to grow behind the two starters and could see the field as early as next season.

Possessing great length, strength, and enough agility to keep up with tight ends, Liufau should help Dallas stick their nose in the box and plug up what was a vulnerable rushing defense. Liufau does have some limitations in his technique and instincts that do run the risk of him never fully snagging a starting position, but with time and good coaching, he has the physical tools to make it.

Grade: C+

Seahawks NFL Draft grades: Christian Haynes, OG, UConn 81st overall

Seahawks NFL Draft grade for selecting UConn offensive lineman Christian Haynes in the third round

The Seattle Seahawks saw former starting guard Damien Lewis walk in free agency, and hope that UConn offensive guard Christian Haynes can help fill some of the void left by their talented departure.

Haynes projects as a potential starter opposite of free agency signee Laken Tomlinson, who will end up starting at the left guard spot. If Haynes can impress early he should be able to take last years starter at the right guard spot in Anthony Bradford, who was underwhelming in his opportunity.

A four year starter who was extremely productive, Haynes is powerful, relentless, agile, and has plenty of pop in his game to be a soli starter at the NFL level. Haynes was highly rated on my board and ended up as a surprise to fall to this point in the draft.

Grade: A

Raiders NFL Draft grades: Delmar Glaze, OT, Maryland 77th overall

Raiders NFL Draft grade for selecting Maryland OL Delmar Glaze in the third round

The Las Vegas Raiders continue to add to their offensive line in which they already snagged their center of the future, and may have snagged their starter at right tackle for next season with the selection of Maryland tackle Delmar ‘DJ’ Glaze in the middle of the third round.

Glaze will be locked into a key battle for the starting right tackle position with veteran Thayer Munford Jr. but given his starting experience and physical ability, it is easy to see Glaze walking away as the week one starter for the regular season.

With excellent length, 32 games of starting experience, and the potential to develop into a rock solid tackle in the league, Glaze was a perfect fit for the Raiders who got a bit of a steal at this point in the draft.

Grade: A

Cardinals NFL Draft grades: Trey Benson, RB, Florida State 66th overall

Cardinals NFL Draft grade for selecting Florida State RB Trey Benson in the 2024 NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals continue to invest in their newfound commitment to the running attack under second-year head coach Jonathan Gannon by securing yet another guy to tote the rock with the selection of Florida State running back Trey Benson at the top of the third round.

Benson projects as a backup to established and underrated starter James Conner. Though in this league there is hardly any running back that sees a vast majority of carries, and given the physical skillset of Benson, it’s likely Arizona will quickly add him into the mix as a rotational piece.

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Physical, balanced, and explosive in his running, Benson was one of the most impressive running backs in this entire class. To get a talent like Benson, who is almost certainly going to be the locked-in starter in the near future, is excellent value for Arizona in the third round of this class.

Grade: A

Lions NFL Draft grade: Ennis Rakestraw, CB, Missouri 60th overall

Lions NFL Draft grade for selecting Missouri CB Ennis Rakestraw

The Detroit Lions double dip after snagging Alabama corner Terrion Arnold in the first round and snag a player that surprisingly fell to them in Missouri cornerback Ennish Rakestraw to help fill out a young and talented secondary in the Motor City.

Rakestraw does not project as an immediate starter given the amount of young talent in the Detroit secondary, but should see snaps regardless in a rotation or in lighter pass defense packages. This was a pick that was clearly thinking into the future, and should give the Lions time to mold Rakestraw and refine his game even further.

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Long, physical, and aggressive, Rakestraw was one of the most productive corners in all of college football last season. With prototype size and length for his position at the next level and a level of tenacity that can’t be coached, Rakestraw should see the field as a starter sooner rather than later.

Grade: A

Packers NFL Draft grade: Javon Bullard, DB, Georgia 58th overall

Packers NFL Draft grade for selecting Georgia DB Javon Bullard in the second round

The Green Bay Packers are notorious for investing heavily in their defense come draft day and managed to do so once again with some great value in the second round with the selection of Georgia safety Javon Bullard.

Bullard projects as an immediate difference maker for a team that just lost Darnell Savage to free agency. With free agent signee Xavier McKinney locking up one safety spot Bullard is well suited to slide into the other. Bullard’s versatility will allow the Packers to move him into nicker, an in the box safety, or more in the back end which means he should be on the field day one for an underrated Green Bay defense.

An excellent athlete with top tier burst, physicality, and instinct, Bullard graded out as one of the drafts top safeties and defensive backs. It was a bit of a surprise that the Bulldogs elite defender fell this far into the second round and the Packers reap the reward of some tremendous value.

Grade: A+

NFL analyst Bucky Brooks loved the Commanders’ 2024 draft class

Brooks loved Adam Peters’ plan and execution of the NFL draft.

The Washington Commanders put the finishing touches on the 2024 NFL draft last week with a nine-player class led by quarterback Jayden Daniels. Washington, under new general manager Adam Peters, drew widespread praise for its draft, particularly over the first two days.

The Commanders earned A’s across the board for landing Daniels and finding players such as Johnny Newton, Mike Sainristil, and Ben Sinnott, who could make an early impact.

You can count former NFL player, current NFL Network analyst and co-host of the “Move the Sticks” podcast, Bucky Brooks, among those impressed. Brooks recently named his five favorite classes from the 2024 NFL draft, and Washington was included.

Credit new general manager Adam Peters for revamping the team’s culture with a collection of experienced players bringing superb leadership skills. All nine of the Commanders’ draftees spent at least four years in college and seven were team captains. Though playing ability is prioritized in the evaluation process, the decision to add a group of young leaders is part of a long-term plan to eradicate the losing mentality within the locker room.

On the field, the addition of Jayden Daniels gives the Commanders the QB1 they have been looking for since Kirk Cousins’ departure after the 2017 season. The LSU standout dazzles as an electric dual-threat quarterback with elite passing skills and impromptu playmaking ability. With Kliff Kingsbury experienced in exploiting a dynamic athlete at the position (SEE: Kyler Murray), the Commanders could hit the ground running in 2024.

If Jer’Zhan Newton and Mikey Sainristil also make their mark as potential Day 1 starters, and Jordan Magee, Dominique Hampton and Javontae Jean-Baptiste secure roles as backups/special teams standouts, the Commanders could emerge as a surprise playoff contender in Dan Quinn’s debut season.

Brooks is correct. If each of these things occur that he described, the Commanders could be a potential wild-card team in 2024. So much depends on Daniels following C.J. Stroud’s path from one year ago. He has the talent to make an immediate impact with his arm and legs.

Another potential X-Factor for Washington’s class was third-round pick, offensive lineman Brandon Coleman. Coleman played tackle and guard in college, and he tested off the charts athletically. Additionally, all of Coleman’s measurables, such as arm length and wingspan translate to tackle. If Coleman becomes the player, Peters thinks he can be; this could be a class Washington fans remember for a long time.

 

Bill Belichick heaps high praise on Joe Alt after being drafted by Chargers

Bill Belichick had nothing but high praise for Joe Alt.

Joe Alt was the first tackle taken off the board when the Chargers selected him No. 5 overall.

One of the greatest coaches, Bill Belichick, who was a guest analyst on the live stream of the Pat McAfee Show during the draft, had nothing but high praise for Alt. 

“This guy is ready to go,” Belichick said. “I think he’ll be able to play right away for them.”

As the analysts reviewed Alt’s highlight reel, Belichick immediately noted his length, athleticism and awareness on the field. 

“There’s a lot to like about him; he’s a quality guy,” Belichick stated. 

With Alt being a rookie, there is always something to work on and Belicheck believes the young tackle can improve on his balance. 

Nevertheless, the Chargers snagged a player who competes at a high level. 

“You’ll like having him on your football team,” Belichick added. “There’s no question about that. 

For a team looking to be more physical, Alt will be a key cog with his ability to shut down edge rushers and create running lanes.

2024 NFL draft grades: Steelers earn highest cumulative grade, Falcons the lowest

2024 NFL draft grades: Steelers earn highest cumulative grade, Falcons the lowest GPA in the aggregated grade scoring

One of the great traditions of NFL draft weekend is analyzing all the teams’ draft hauls and grading them. Everyone has their own opinion, but what about a collective GPA comprised of many different sets of draft grades?

German NFL analyst Rene Bugner annually reviews 20 of the more prominent draft grades and compiles them into an aggregate grade point average for all 32 teams.

The top composite grade in the draft class belongs to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Only four of the 20 graders sampled failed to give the Steelers an “A”, earning Pittsburgh an impressive GPA of 3.92.

Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington and Kansas City round out the top five GPAs, with the Chiefs posting a 3.68 grade.

At the other end of hte grade book, Atlanta earned a 1.88. The Falcons were the only team to earn below a 2.0 GPA, based largely on the wildly controversial and generally unpopular move to select QB Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall.

The Browns, Panthers, Titans and Broncos round out the bottom five, from lowest to highest. There were 20 teams to earn a 3.0 aggregate grade or higher, with the Houston Texans dead on the 3.0 GPA.

Bugner’s full GPA chart and all the votes, courtesy of his X (formerly Twitter) post:

Commanders receive the only A+ grade for their draft from CBS

The Commanders are headed in the right direction.

You’d be hard to find too many people who thought the Washington Commanders had a bad 2024 NFL draft. Washington had nine selections, beginning at No. 2 overall when it selected LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.

The Commanders had an unprecedented five selections on Day, which included three second-round picks and two third-round picks. Of its nine selections, all came at different positions.

We graded each Washington pick, and it compared favorably to the consensus.

On Sunday, longtime NFL writer Pete Prisco of CBS Sports weighed in on the Commanders’ draft class. He’s a big fan. In fact, the A+ that Prisco gave Washington was the only one he handed out for the 2024 draft.

In my book, there were five teams that had really good drafts, the best of them all being the Washington Commanders, who received my only A+ grade. First-year general manager Adam Peters, who came over from San Francisco, nailed his first draft, starting with quarterback Jayden Daniels, who they took second overall. He will be a star. Peters kept going after that, loading up on good, talented players, many of whom I liked throughout the process. Yes, my film evaluation plays into the grades.

Here is Prisco’s analysis on the picks:

Best Pick: It was their first one, quarterback Jayden Daniels. I think he will be the best quarterback from this draft. They locked up a franchise passer with pick No. 2. He will be dynamic.

Worst Pick: I didn’t love the pick of third-round receiver Luke McCaffrey, although he has talent and is improving. I think there were better options on the board — like Troy Franklin — when the pick was made.

The Skinny: In his first year running the draft, general manager Adam Peters killed it. It started by taking Daniels with the second overall pick, but continued throughout the process. This is a team moving in the right direction. I liked all their second-round picks in defensive tackle Johnny Newton, corner Mike Sainristil and tight end Ben Sinnott. They drafted a lot of talented football players.

Prisco is correct; the Commanders are headed in the right direction. While no one can know for certain if these players will help reverse Washington’s fortunes, there are reasons to be optimistic, and that begins with Peters and Daniels.