Tag: Grade

Broncos earn high grades for NFL Draft class

Broncos fans have given the team an “A” grade for their 2020 NFL Draft class.

It’s safe to say that most draft analysts believe Denver Broncos general manager John Elway had a great draft.

The Broncos came away from the draft with 10 new rookies, including star wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar gave Denver’s class a “B” grade, which is among the lower grades the team has received from pundits.

After praising the additions of Jeudy and fellow receiver KJ Hamler, Farrar noted that the Broncos’ offensive line also added two key players.

“The picks that may pay as many dividends as any are the ones Denver made for its offensive line,” Farrar wrote on Touchdown Wire. “LSU Center Lloyd Cushenberry and Fresno State guard Netane Muti add serious power to an interior line in need.”

Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling gave Denver’s class an “A” grade.

In a poll on Broncos Wire, a majority of fans (53.5% as of Saturday evening) gave the team an “A” grade, followed by 38.55% of fans giving a “B” grade. About 7% gave a “C” grade and less than 1% gave the team an “F.”

Up next for the Broncos is trying to sign highly-graded UDFAs.

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POLL: What grade should the Broncos get for drafting LB Justin Strnad?

What grade should the Broncos receive for selecting linebacker Justin Strnad in the NFL Draft?

The Denver Broncos selected Wake Forest inside linebacker Justin Strnad in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft on Saturday.

Strnad (6-3, 238 pounds) ran a 40-yard dash in 4.74 seconds and ran a 20-yard shuttle in 4.49 seconds at the combine earlier this offseason.

A play-making linebacker, Strnad totaled 244 tackles — including 22.5 tackles for losses — and eight sacks at Wake Forest. He also intercepted four passes, broke up 10 passes, recovered one fumble and forced three fumbles.

Strnad will likely serve as a rotational linebacker and key special teams player as a rookie.

We want to know what you think of the pick, Broncos fans! Share your opinion by giving the pick a grade in the poll below:

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POLL: What grade should the Broncos get for drafting Netane Muti?

What grade should the Broncos get for drafting Netane Muti in the sixth round? Vote in the poll!

The Denver Broncos selected Fresno State offensive lineman Netane Muti in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft on Saturday.

Muti (6-3, 315 pounds) has injury concerns but he has a lot of potential if he can stay on the field as a pro. Most pundits praised the team on Twitter for landing Muti late in the draft.

He showed off his strength at the NFL combine earlier this season, bench-pressing 225 pounds 44 times.

We want to know what you think of the pick, Broncos fans! Share your opinion by giving the pick a grade in the poll below:

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POLL: What grade should Broncos get for Albert Okwuegbunam pick?

What grade should the Broncos get for drafting tight end Albert Okwuegbunam? Vote in the poll here.

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The Denver Broncos selected Missouri tight end Albert Okwuegbunam in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft on Saturday.

Okwuegbunam will join a Broncos tight end room that already includes Noah Fant, Nick Vannett, Jeff Heuerman, Andrew Beck, Jake Butt, Austin Fort, Troy Fumagalli and Bug Howard.

Clearly, Denver will be making some cuts at tight end — maybe even starting this weekend to make room for undrafted free agent signings.

We want to know what you think of the pick, Broncos fans! Give the Okwuegbunam selection a grade in the poll below:

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Redskins earn ‘A-‘ grade for Antonio Gibson pick

The Redskins found a dynamic offensive weapon in the third round of the 2020 draft, earning them an A- grade for the pick.

It’s apparent that Washington Redskins fans are excited about the selection of Memphis RB/WR Antonio Gibson with the No. 66 pick, and that excitement likely grew once they got a chance to watch some of his college highlights.

So how does the rest of the league view the pick?

I’d say it was well accepted among the rest of the NFL. While many teams were busy diving into their big boards and doing their due diligence on certain players, the Redskins selection of Gibson caused social media to stir a bit as analysts lauded the pick and informed Washington fans that they got a real game-changer in the third round.

Over at USA TODAY’s For The Win!, they gave the pick an A- grade, saying that Gibson is the type of play you don’t necessarily want to restrict by placing a position distinction on his name.

“Maybe Gibson should be listed as an ‘offensive weapon’ instead of running back. He does it all. Will the Redskins be able to get the most out of him?” Steven Ruiz wrote.

It may not seem like much, but getting an A grade in the third round is nothing to write off. Being able to find that type of value with the No. 66 pick goes to show how well both Kyle Smith and Ron Rivera are working together, and the team will be the better for it in the future.

Here’s to hoping they can continue to rack up highly-graded picks into Saturday’s rounds as well.

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Grading the Detroit Lions’ selection of D’Andre Swift

Our Scott Warheit delivers his grade on the Detroit Lions’ selection of D’Andre Swift in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

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The Detroit Lions have not had a great recent history of second-round draft picks.

Darius Slay aside, the last decade has been ugly and full of wasted potential:

When the Lions came on the clock in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, they had their pick of any pass rusher, interior defensive lineman, or offensive lineman they wanted. Instead, they went to Matthew Stafford’s alma mater and selected D’Andre Swift, running back out of Georgia.

The primary concern many may have initially is Swift’s position — running back.  The Lions drafted Kerryon Johnson just two years ago (in the second round no less), and Bo Scarbrough showed some pop in limited playing time last season. And running back is not the premiere position it once was.

But running back was an underrated need on this team. Johnson has not been healthy seemingly since high school and has spent time on injured reserve in both his NFL seasons. Scarbrough has had his share of injuries too and the team had only minimal depth behind them.

Running back was absolutely a need.

Swift is also productive. He’s a three-down back who has rushed for over 1,000 yards in the SEC the past two seasons. He’s also a dynamite pass-catcher who won’t need to come off the field in passing situations. And he’s incredibly fun to watch, making defenders miss in the open field.

But, the pick is not without concerns. Swift is not the biggest back in the world, and, like Johnson and Scarbrough, he’s had his share of injuries in college. Counting on him to stay healthy may be asking too much. Especially behind a Lions offensive line that still has lots of questions.

And speaking of the offensive line, by taking Swift, the Lions passed on improving that position by taking Swift.  Louisiana’s Robert Hunt, one of the best pure guards in the draft, went to the Miami Dolphins shortly after the Lions picked Swift. The Lions also passed on Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins, who may ultimate turn out to be the better back in the NFL.

The Lions also passed over a number of defenders who could have immediately helped the team in 2020. Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa was basically born to play in a Matt Patricia system. Michigan’s Josh Uche and TCU’s Ross Blacklock also could instantly improve the defense.

Ultimately, running back was a much bigger need for the Lions than many may have thought coming into today. But given the other players still on the board, the Lions may have done best waiting to take their running back, and drafting a defensive lineman like Epenesa or a guard like Hunt instead.

GRADE: B-

Grading the Saints’ pick of Cesar Ruiz at No. 24 overall

The New Orleans Saints used their first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to select Michigan Wolverines offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz.

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So, that happened. The New Orleans Saints passed on prospects commonly projected to join them in the first round like linebacker Patrick Queen and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, instead opting to select Michigan Wolverines center Cesar Ruiz. How do you grade that pick?

The last time the Saints played a football game, their offense was destroyed from the inside out when the Minnesota Vikings defensive line outplayed their New Orleans counterparts. Neither left guard Andrus Peat nor right guard Larry Warford were up to snuff, leaving rookie center Erik McCoy in the unappealing position in-between. It was a massacre.

In light of that disaster, Ruiz makes sense. While the Saints may currently plan for him to start at center, bumping McCoy over to guard (where he’ll probably compete to replace Warford, who is highly-paid in the final year of his contract), that feels like a situation that won’t get resolved until the final weeks of training camp. McCoy played center at a very high level last season and Ruiz has experience in Warford’s spot at right guard (starting five games there as a freshman in 2017).

Don’t look at this pick as a depth move, though. That was how the Ryan Ramczyk pick was characterized a few years ago, and he was starting at right tackle by Week 3 after injuries cut down both Zach Strief and Terron Armstead. We’re one bad day away from Ruiz taking Ramczyk’s lead, by inheriting a starting job and never letting it go.

Ruiz actually has a shorter path to starting and playing often now than Ramczyk did those years ago. If the Saints can find a way to get out of Warford’s contract — possibly with a trade during the long draft weekend — it would immediately open the door for both Ruiz and McCoy to play early and often. Given the financial implications, that appears increasingly likely.

So we’re looking on this move more favorably than many Saints fans may be. Ruiz can help the Saints right now and offers long-term stability, completing the rare trick of helping extend Drew Brees’ Super Bowl window while improving the team years down the line. Still, it would be nice if the player the Saints added at this spot didn’t mean another recently-picked prospect didn’t have to get moved around.

The Grade: B

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How the Saints can win (or lose) the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft

The New Orleans Saints have a path to dominating the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, but the path isn’t without its pitfalls and hurdles.

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Few teams enjoy the depth and quality of talent that the New Orleans Saints have assembled before the 2020 NFL Draft, stocking their locker room with Pro Bowl talents and veterans who have spent years working together.

Even their biggest immediate roster needs — at linebacker and wide receiver — would be compliments to standouts like Michael Thomas and Demario Davis. The Saints don’t have a glaring position that they must address.

Still, there are paths forward that end in success or even failure.

How to ace it with an A grade

Adding a blue-chip prospect at either of those top two spots would be nice; it’d be even better if the Saints can make a move back and add more picks, considering how they’re tied for the fewest selections in this year’s draft.

So here’s a perfect scenario: the Saints make a trade down a few slots, adding a couple of mid-round picks. And they’re fortunate to have both of the LSU prospects fans have been focused on available between linebacker Patrick Queen and wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

Either of those players could do a lot to improve the team. Queen could be an immediate upgrade and provide long-term stability. Jefferson’s presence might help the Saints get over the hump in the playoffs and finally score 30-plus points again. We won’t complain either way.

How to flunk with an F grade

However, there’s also a path to disaster ahead of us. There’s an argument to make that it features a quarterback getting picked in a must-win year for Drew Brees. Yes, the Saints need to prepare for the future — eventually. But their focus right now should be centered on surrounding Brees with help so that the Saints can win another Super Bowl title with him under center. Adding a clipboard-holder with their most valuable draft choice runs against that philosophy.

However, it might work out. The Green Bay Packers proved that a smooth transition is possible, having gone from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers. It’s just telling that those easy torch-passings seem to happen once every other decade or so.

Another scenario to fear: drafting a running back in the first round, possibly in a trade up. Even if this is the last year Alvin Kamara plays in New Orleans, the position can be addressed later in the draft. As fun as Jonathan Taylor or D’Andre Swift may be to watch, the Saints should not pursue either of them or another running back early this year. It’s just not a wise investment.

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Lions grade out poorly in pre-draft offseason moves

The Detroit Lions barely scored a passing grade from Bleacher Report in pre-draft offseason roster moves

Free agency has largely paused while the 32 teams ready themselves for the 2020 NFL Draft. Taking advantage of the relative calm in the free agent waters, the good folks at Bleacher Report took the time to grade how every team has done in personnel moves since the season ended.

For the Detroit Lions, it’s a passing grade of a C-minus. Barely. A C-minus grade keeps you eligible for extracurricular activities but also relegates you to the study tables.

The notes cite “one of the worst contracts in free agency” for right tackle Hal Vaitai and the Darius Slay trade as the big negatives. Signing Jamie Collins, Danny Shelton and Duron Harmon all on smart deals rescue the failures.

What grade do you give the Lions this offseason so far?

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Saints offensive line carrying rare continuity, elite performance into 2020 season

The New Orleans Saints offensive line measured among the best in the NFL by Football Outsiders, but their health and continuity is important

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Just how good is the New Orleans Saints offense line? After re-signing left guard Andrus Peat (a two-time Pro Bowl alternate), they’re set to return all five starters from lats year’s unit. That’s an impressive feat in itself, but it means a lot more after you dig into what the analytics have to say about offensive line performance around the league.

Fortunately, analysts like the crew at Football Outsiders are on the cutting edge of quantifying how well the big blockers up front play. The Football Outsiders staff contextualizes their main grades well with a number of different factors, but we’ll be focusing on two key categories to determine how the Saints perform: adjusted sack rate (reflecting performance in pass protection) and adjusted line yards (which demonstrates run blocking efficiency), which are each contextualized for factors like down, distance, and opponents.

We took things a step further and filtered the list down to the offensive lines that perform at an above-average rate in both categories. Just a dozen teams from around the NFL passed the test in both categories, achieving an adjusted sack rate of lower than 7% as well as an adjusted line yards average higher than 4.26. Here’s how the list shook out (ranked by an average of each team’s placement in the two metrics):

  1. Dallas Cowboys: 4.3% adjusted sack rate, 4.91 adjusted line yards
  2. New Orleans Saints: 4.7% ASR, 4.92 ALY
  3. Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders: 5.9% ASR, 4.63 ALY
  4. Baltimore Ravens: 6.0% ASR, 4.73 ALY
  5. New England Patriots: 5.3% ASR, 4.49 ALY
  6. Los Angeles rams: 3.7% ASR, 4.27 ALY
  7. Green Bay Packers: 6.4% ASR, 4.63 ALY
  8. Indianapolis Colts: 6.0% ASR, 4.41 ALY
  9. Minnesota Vikings: 6.7% ASR, 4.60 ALY
  10. Los Angeles Chargers: 6.2% ASR, 4.37 ALY
  11. San Francisco 49ers: 6.9% ASR, 4.53 ALY
  12. Philadelphia Eagles: 6.4% ASR, 4.34 ALY

That places the Saints right at the top, in a tier of their own with the Cowboys. Behind them are the Ravens and Raiders, with the Patriots, Rams, and Packers clustered together. The rest of the group is fairly evenly matched.

So how do the seven best units compare moving into 2020? Four of them are either replacing starters who retired or left in free agency, or working players back into the starting lineup after their 2019 season ended with injuries. The Saints are one of just three teams (joined by the Raiders and Rams) projected to start the 2020 season with the same starting five that they kicked off with in 2019. Of course that could change for all teams after the draft and once injuries start to take their toll, but at this early stage the Saints should rightfully be seen as the NFL’s best offensive line.

The continuity the Saints enjoy will be important, doubly so in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. With teams expected to have less practice time than usual during the offseason, any offensive lines adding new pieces could have a steeper learning curve once games begin. By keeping the same starters together with the same position coaches, the Saints should have an immediate edge not just on other elite units around the league, but the less-impressive lines already playing catch-up.

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