8. Green Bay Packers
Previous ranking: 5
Draft picks: QB Jordan Love, RB A.J. Dillon, TE/FB Josiah Deguara, LB Kamal Martin, G Jon Runyan Jr., C Jake Hanson, G Simon Stepaniak, S Vernon Scott, DE Jonathan Garvin
Touchdown Wire draft grade: D-
Like all post-draft rankings, this one could look completely different in three years.
But the question that one takes away from this class is this: How does this group of players – particularly those at the top – help the 2020 Green Bay Packers? A team that was one game away from the Super Bowl.
We will get to Jordan Love in a moment but let us begin with A.J. Dillon, a bruising back between the tackles who showed a bit more speed at the Combine than expected. He joins a running back room that already has Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams. Yes, both players are under contract for just one more season, meaning that Dillon could be the feature back in 2021, but he is likely a part of a rotation in 2020 at best.
Josh Deguara is apparently going to carve out a Kyle Juszczyk role for the Packers, according to head coach Matt LaFleur. That makes sense, given that Touchdown Wire compared him to the former Harvard standout. The Packers were one of the teams that relied the most on 21 offensive personnel a year ago, implementing that two RB package on 25% of their plays. 218 snaps to be precise.
They also used 11 offensive personnel – you know, three wide receivers – on 53% of their snaps. Yet there was not a wide receiver to be found in this class.
Now maybe the vision for 2020 is to rely on the run a bit more, emphasis the ground attack out of 21 personnel, and minimize what your quarterback has to do. Does that make sense with *checks notes* Aaron Rodgers as your quarterback? Well, maybe, if you look at some recent indicators of his play…but I digress.
That leads us to the Jordan Love selection. Again, as we said during the Philadelphia Eagles discussion, two things can be true. In this case, Green Bay is the ideal fit for the Utah State passer, as he can sit, learn and develop. But at the same time, this is not the best fit for Green Bay in 2020. It does not get the team closer to a Super Bowl in 2020, and it does nothing to help extend the Rodgers window. This draft might tell us more about the future of the Packers, rather than the present. Long term, we might look back on this as a win, but to do that right now requires a crystal ball. In the present, this looks much different.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Previous ranking: 8
Draft picks: OT Tristan Wirfs, S Antoine Winfield Jr., RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn, WR Tyler Johnson, DT Khalil Davis, LB Chapelle Russell, RB Raymond Calais
Touchdown Wire draft grade: A
This has been a tremendous offseason for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On the first night of the draft they added a fantastic offensive tackle prospect in Tristan Wirfs. The monster of a right tackle has a power-lifting background, great athleticism for the position and a bevy of experience. Then on the second day of the draft the added Antoine Winfield Jr., a great safety prospect with ideal vision and versatility for the pro game. Running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn addressed a need on the roster as well.
They were not done, adding Tyler Johnson from Minnesota on Day Three. Johnson is a savvy route-runner with experience, and fell in the draft due to his interesting pre-draft process. Dropping out of the East-West Shrine game, and then the Combine drills, raised eyebrows, but so does his film – in a good way. Also do not sleep on Khalil Davis. The Nebraska defensive tackle has some penetration skills and can be stout against the run.
Oh and they added Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski too.
6. Buffalo Bills
Previous ranking: 7
Draft picks: DE A.J. Epenesa, RB Zack Moss, WR Gabriel Davis, QB Jake Fromm, K Tyler Bass, WR Isaiah Hodgins, CB Dane Jackson
Touchdown Wire draft grade: A
We will get to the player pictured in a minute.
The Buffalo Bills waited until the second day of the draft to make their first pick, but they cashed in on night two. First they added Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa. The pass rusher had a bit of a draft week fall, perhaps due to less than inspiring testing at the Combine that moved him from a true EDGE to more of a 3-4 defensive end type of player in the NFL. That might make his scheme fit in Buffalo a question mark, but adding him to a defensive front along with Ed Oliver, Jerry Hughes, Vernon Butler and Trent Murphy is going to give offensive coordinators headaches. Zack Moss is a perfect addition to this offense and along with Devin Singletary is going to make an almost ideal one-two punch behind Josh Allen.
Then on Day Three they added Gabriel Davis, a wide receiver with some some downfield talent, Isaiah Hodgins, another wide receiver who brings great ball skills to the roster, and Dane Jackson, a chippy cornerback with NFL traits.
Then there is Jake Fromm. Now, I am certainly not one to fan the flames of a quarterback controversy. However, last season, Josh Allen made strides in the timing and rhythm part of the quarterback game. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s offense, due to his time in both New England and Alabama, has a certain Erhardt-Perkins/West Coast feel to it. Allen was good in that part of the playbook, but struggled in the downfield part of the game, odd considering his strengths coming out of Wyoming.
Should those struggles continue…and Bills fans are convinced they will not…but if Allen struggles Fromm is a good fit for the timing and rhythm game. He certainly does not have the arm strength of Allen, nor does he have the athleticism, and sub-nine inch hands have caused him trouble in games featuring adverse weather conditions (go back and watch his game against Kentucky this past season). But this is a potential storyline worth watching.
5. Tennessee Titans
Previous ranking: 6
Draft picks: OT Isaiah Wilson, CB Kristian Fulton, RB Darrynton Evans, DT Larrell Murchison, QB Cole McDonald, CB Chris Jackson
Touchdown Wire draft grade: A-
The buzz around Georgia right tackle Isaiah Wilson was real as the NFL Draft approached, and at the end of the first round the Tennessee Titans made him their selection to protect Ryan Tannehill, pave the way for Derrick Henry and step into a slot vacated by departing RT Jack Conklin. Then the organization addressed a need at cornerback, drafting Kristian Fulton from LSU when the DB fell into the back of the second round.
A very intriguing selection for them came in the fifth round, when they added defensive tackle Larrell Murchison. The N.C. State defender has a solid array of pass rushing moves and could be a presence on the inside of the Titans’ defensive line. Plus? They added the uber-aggressive Cole McDonald to their quarterback room. McDonald has an NFL arm and the willingness to challenge windows downfield that other passers shy away from. Darrynton Evans, the running back from Appalachian State, seems to be more of a Dion Lewis replacement than a Derrick Henry backstop, but he will give the offense a nice change of pace.
4. New Orleans Saints
Previous ranking: 3
Draft picks: C Cesar Ruiz, OLB Zach Baun, TE Adam Trautman, QB Tommy Stevens
Touchdown Wire draft grade: B
It has been an interesting few days for the New Orleans Saints. The selection of Cesar Ruiz is a great pick for the Saints’ offense. He can slot in potentially at the right guard spot given this experience playing guard at Michigan before moving to center. Zach Baun might be a bit of a hybrid, but defensive coordinator Dennis Allen can care out a role for him both as a pass rusher and even a coverage player on passing downs. Trautman is a very intriguing player, and could be the complete package at the tight end position. He was dominant on film against FCS competition. They also added Jameis Winston to the roster and gave Taysom Hill a new deal, so they’ve got that going for them, which is nice.
3. San Francisco 49ers
Previous ranking: 3
Draft picks: DL Javon Kinlaw, WR Brandon Aiyuk, OT Colton McKivitz, TE Charlie Woerner, WR Jauan Jennings
Touchdown Wire draft grade: B
The San Francisco 49ers made a trade prior to the draft with the Indianapolis Colts, sending them interior defender DeForest Buckner in exchange for the 13th pick in the draft. What did they turn that pick into? Perhaps an ideal replacement in Javon Kinlaw. The South Carolina defensive tackle is an explosive penetration off the snap and can be the perfect player to step into Buckner’s cleats.
Many expected San Francisco to trade out of their spot at the end of the first round and add additional picks, but they actually moved up in the round, making a trade with the Minnesota Vikings to get to the 25th spot in the draft. There they drafted wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk from Arizona State. With Emmanuel Sanders gone to New Orleans, this was a position of need and they added a receiver with burst off the line, into his breaks and after the catch. He is not the complete package like Sanders, but is a nice addition to the WR group.
Then, in the wake of offensive tackle Joe Staley retiring, they acquired stout left tackle Trent Williams via a trade. In all, not a bad weekend for the defending NFC Champions.
2. Baltimore Ravens
Previous ranking: 2
Draft picks: LB Patrick Queen, RB J.K. Dobbins, DT Justin Madubuike, WR Devin Duvernay, LB Malik Harrison, G Tyre Phillips, G Ben Bredeson, DT Broderick Washington, WR James Proche, S Geno Stone
Touchdown Wire draft grade: A
Interestingly enough, this has become something of a polarizing draft class. Those who grade this class highly point to the pairing of Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison as an almost-ideal WLB/MLB tandem. Queen is athletic, a linebacker in a safety’s body, and can flow to the football while Harrison is reminiscent of Donta’ Hightower, a downhill player against the run who can be a functional “Rat” defender or even a potential situational pass rusher on passing downs. J.K. Dobbins is an ideal fit for their offense as a running back, and between Tyre Phillips and Ben Bredeson they have achance to fill a big hole vacated by the Marshall Yanda retirement. Even Geno Stonoe, their seventh-round selection, has a shot to be an early contributor given his prowess in zone coverage settings.
But yet, it could be argued that they used some premium picks on linebackers and running backs, positions that can be addressed later in the draft or via another round of free agency.
From where we sit at Touchdown Wire, these are solid picks, and just add to a team that finished 14-2 a year ago and looked like they were headed to a showdown with Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game. Nothing that happened this weekend should drop them from the number two spot.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
Previous ranking: 1
Draft picks: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LB Willie Gay, OT Lucas Niang, S L’Jarius Sneed, EDGE Michael Danna, CB Thakarius Keyes
Touchdown Wire draft grade: A
The selection of Clyde Edwards-Helaire at the end of the first round was a stroke of genius from Brett Veach and Andy Reid. The Chiefs did not have a ton of holes coming into the draft – winning a Super Bowl often makes that clear – but he makes this offense that much tougher to defender. Edwards-Helaire can be an immediate factor in the passing game. He is coming from an offense that used five-man protection schemes on 83% of their passing plays. Meaning that if he was on the field and a pass was called, odds are he was running a route. Then they addressed a need at linebacker with the explosive Willie Gay Jr., from Mississippi State. Gay has sideline-to-sideline burst and had an impressive Combine, and character concerns probably contributed to his fall in the draft.
Plus, they still have Patrick Mahomes.