Draft Grades After Round 1 Of The NFL Draft
Michael Reaves. Getty Images.The 1st Round of the NFL Draft has concluded so let's do some instant grading and analysis.
1) Tennessee Titans - QB Cam Ward (Miami) Grade: D+
I hate this pick. Does anyone actually think Cam Ward is the best player in the Draft? Are the Titans one Quarterback away? Hell no! They have so many holes that starting a rookie QB contract now with this is just irresponsible. He better be Jayden Daniels level for this pick to make sense.
2) Jacksonville Jaguars - WR/CB Travis Hunter (Colorado) Grade: F-
Trading next year's 1st round pick is absolute insanity for a non-Quarterback. Hunter better be a legit top 5 WR or lockdown CB for this move to make any sense at all.
3) New York Giants - EDGE Abdul Carter (Penn State) Grade: A
Love this pick at #3. Yes, they needed a QB, but none were good enough to justify this spot. Abdul Carter was the best player available and the Giants are a team that has been built on pass rush before. Great pick.
4) New England Patriots - OT/OG Will Campbell (LSU) Grade: A-
Picking a guy who will potentially be a Guard is not great positional value at #4, but I just love the player. He's an ass kicker and got the right mindset to be a pro. It's not a sexy pick, but it's a good pick.
5) Cleveland Browns - DT Mason Graham (Michigan) Grade: A
I may not be the biggest Mason Graham guy, but Mike Katic certainly is.
But this is an A grade because they got the Jags 1st round pick next year! An unreal haul!
6) Las Vegas Raiders - RB Ashton Jeanty (Boise State) Grade: A-
I love Jeanty - he's a dynamic player and in the AFC West, you want to keep the ball out of Patrick Mahomes hands. Well, one way to do that would be to control the clock and this guy will help the Raiders do just that. *Only reason it's an A- and not an A is because I thought they'd go OL and Big Cat is mad at me I got that pick wrong as he bet it.
7) New York Jets - OT/OG Armand Membou (Missouri) Grade: A
Again, Offensive Tackle isn't a sexy pick, but Membou played Right Tackle and is both durable (30 straight starts) and productive. He'll get the Jets run game jump started and help keep Justin Fields clean.
8) Carolina Panthers - WR Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona) Grade: C+
T-Mac is a very talented WR, but there are questions about his love of the game and if you don't have that, you've got no shot. The natural comp. here is Mike Evans due to his 6'4" 213 lbs. size, but let's slow down. I will say that he gives Bryce Young a nice weapon, if he is committed to the game we all love.
9) New Orleans Saints - OT/OG Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas) Grade: A-
The Saints made a smart pick! They completely whiffed on Trevor Penning two years ago and Banks was the next best Tackle prospect. However, he played exclusively Left Tackle. Will they move Taliese Fuaga back over to Right Tackle or have the rookie start at RT? Either way, good problem to have.
10) Chicago Bears - TE Colston Loveland (Michigan) Grade: C-
This was Big Cat, Chief, and Eddie's top ranked guy at the time they were on the clock. No doubt about that! But most people had him as TE2 behind Tyler Warren. Loveland was often detached from the line of scrimmage playing in the slot so I'm wondering how he'll fit with Cole Kmet who is also a solid player. But my guess is you'll see them both a lot.
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11) San Francisco 49ers - EDGE Mykell Williams (Georgia) Grade: B
The 49ers just always draft big, nasty D-lineman. And while Williams will likely be an EDGE opposite Nick Bosa, I'd like to see him play more. He was only on the field for 34% of Georgia's snaps last year.
12) Dallas Cowboys - OG Tyler Booker (Alabama) Grade: A
Zack Martin retires and they get another soul crusher. Booker describes his style of play as "legal assault" and says "I make guys not like to play football anymore." I can't think of two better quotes you'd want to hear from your new Guard.
13) Miami Dolphins - DT Kenneth Grant (Michigan) Grade: A
This was one of Coach Jon Gruden's two favorite guys in the Draft. A 330 lbs. ass kicker who can help shore up a leaky run defense and provide a little pass rush too.
14) Indianapolis Colts - TE Tyler Warren (Penn State) Grade: A
Warren was a top 10 talent in this year's watered down draft. He's a perfect fit in Indy as he's not only a good pass catcher, but a lethal blocker too, which will help with Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson at QB.
15) Atlanta Falcons - LB/EDGE Jalon Walker (Georgia) Grade: A
I do not like the Atlanta Falcons one bit, but this was a smart play. They've got holes on defense and whether they put Walker at EDGE or at standup Linebacker, he is too talented to not succeed.
16) Arizona Cardinals - DT Walter Nolen (Ole Miss) Grade: B+
We had Calaias Campbell on the En Eff El Draft Show and he's the perfect guy to mentor this talented young 3-technique. Nolen was the #2 recruit behind Travis Hunter in 2022 in the nation and after some disappointing years at Texas A&M, got back on track with Ole Miss in 2024. Noted Ole Miss hater, Brandon Walker even admitted Nolen is a dude.
17) Cincinnati Bengals - EDGE Shemar Stewart (Texas A&M) Grade: D
Stewart is a classic looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane. The guy is built like Myles Garrett but he had 4.5 total sacks over the course of 3 years. His pressure rate is decent, but you get paid to get the Quarterback on the ground and we simply did not see it enough from him.
18) Seattle Seahawks - OG/C Grey Zabel (North Dakota State) Grade: A-
Zabel has got plenty of position flexibility and we saw Sam Darnold at his best when he was kept clean last year. Zabel will help the Seahawks do just that.
19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - WR Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State) Grade: A
While a lot of Draft Analysts may have had Texas' Matthew Golden above Egbuka, Jason Licht and the Buccaneers front office continue to prove that they know how to draft Wide Receivers. Egbuka has a Chris Godwin type frame at 6'0" 201 lbs. and like Chris, he's a good route runner and run blocker. He's also one of two Ohio State receivers EVER to have multiple seasons of 1,000+ yards (Marvin Harrison Jr. being the other). Receiver was a sneaky position of need for the Bucs too with Mike Evans being 32 and Godwin coming off another major knee injury.
20) Denver Broncos - CB Jahdae Barron (Texas) Grade: A-
Barron led the SEC in both interceptions and pass breakups last year and he's super versatile. He can play outside and he can play Nickel CB. The rich get richer as far as CBs as reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Patrick Surtain II gets an outstanding addition to the DB room.
21) Pittsburgh Steelers - DT Derrick Harmon (Oregon) Grade: A
Not going QB here may have proved to be the right move as Shedeur Sanders fell out of the 1st Round completely. So maybe if they're interested he falls to them on Day 2 as there aren't many QB-needy teams left. Harmon is a good player to help shore up their defensive interior and their anchor there, Cam Heyward will be 36 years old in two weeks.
22) Los Angeles Chargers - RB Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) Grade: D+
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This is a puzzling pick as they just signed Najee Harris. Hampton is even a similar type of runner! They had some other needs that could've been addressed, so getting a duplicative Runningback was a puzzling pick.
23) Green Bay Packers - WR Matthew Golden (Texas) Grade: B
I like Golden as a prospect and this is the first Packers 1st Round WR in a very long time, but their WR room is crowded. With a bunch of good Cornerbacks on the board and Jaire Alexander's status in question, I probably would have went that way.
24) Minnesota Vikings - OG Donovan Jackson (Ohio State) Grade: B
The Vikings have a really good roster and figured they'd want to help protect their big investment in JJ McCarthy by beefing up their interior OL. Solid move.
25) New York Giants - QB Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss) Grade: B+
Listen, I'm not a big Jaxson Dart guy, but you gotta admire the Giants for taking the best player available at #3 and then coming back to trade into the late 1st round to get the QB they'd been targeting in Dart. They didn't have to give up too much too and get the 5th year option. Nicely done.
26) Atlanta Falcons - EDGE James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee) Grade: F
This was one of the craziest moves of the Draft. The Falcons moved up 20 spots and to do so, gave up next year's 1st round pick. I realize they get the Rams' 3rd rounder this year, but it's crazy to give up that type of capital for an EDGE rusher that weighs 245 lbs. soaking wet. Congrats to Big T as he gets his guy from his college team to his pro team, but I absolutely hate the trade.
On a positive Falcons note - they did completely revamp their pass rush in one draft. But if they don't at least win the division this trade is a disaster.
27) Baltimore Ravens - S Malakai Starks (Georgia) Grade: A
The Ravens consistently have good players fall into their laps and they capitalize. Gruden is convinced this guy is going to be a stud. He studies with Coach already and he's clearly wired the right way. A defensive backfield with Starks and Kyle Hamilton is scary!
28) Detroit Lions - DT Tyliek Williams (Ohio State) Grade: B-
This was a big of a surprise as he was projected much lower than this, but Williams does fill a big need a DT after Alim McNeill's injury.
29) Washington Commanders - OT Josh Connerly Jr. (Oregon) Grade: B+
The Commanders lost Sam Cosmi in January so he may be out most of, if not the entire season. They did trade for Laremi Tunsil, but they've still got holes on the Offensive Line and Connerly can help keep Jayden Daniels upright.
30) Buffalo Bills - CB Maxwell Hairston (Kentucky) Grade: A-
The Bills needed a Cornerback and Bills Left Tackle Dion Dawkins wanted one. He wanted one so bad he said he'd jump in his pool if it happened. We were lucky enough to experience that with him in one of my favorite moments from tonight's show.
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Hairston is a bad ass who can fly. He ran a 4.28 40-yard dash at the Combine.
31) Philadelphia Eagles - LB Jihaad Campbell (Alabama) Grade: B-
Nakobe Dean is set to miss some time and while Campbell also is on the mend after a March shoulder surgery, he is an appropriate replacement if he can be ready in time.
32) Kansas City Chiefs - OT Josh Simmons (Ohio State) Grade: A
Gruden thinks Simmons is the best Left Tackle in the Draft and the Chiefs had a GLARING need at Left Tackle after starting the now departed Left Guard, Joe Thuney there for the stretch run. So KC gets a good player at a major need.
If you missed any of the action, watch it all unfold with us here: