NFC Draft Grades and Review.
NFC West—Draft Grades.
Arizona Cardinals—
At Pick Three, the Cardinals sat on prime trade-back real estate. Still, they decided to stand pat at three and select Notre Dame Running Back Jeremyiah Love, Possibly The Best Player In The Draft At The Lowest Valued Position next To Linebacker At Running Back. The Cardinals needed another position, but I Think They Feared Botching This Pick—Three Years Ago, Arizona Traded Away The Pick That Became Will Anderson—So They stuck With The Best Player Available. Arizona finished 31st in total rushing last year, But We’ve Learned From The Raiders That A Top ten Pick at Running Back doesn’t Cure Rushing Woes. The Rest Of the Cardinals' draft fell Better In Line With Roster Expectations Nabbing Guard Chase Bisontis, a top-five guard in the second round, followed by Miami Quarterback Carson Beck in the third round. Beck, once thought of as a potential number one overall pick in 2025, attended college for six years and Has A Chance To Overtake Jacoby Brissett as the Cardinals' day one starter. The Cardinals drafted just two offensive linemen after adding Jayden Williams of Ole Miss as a projected backup swing in the seventh round. The Cardinals Also Add Depth At Receiver With Reggie Virgil Of Texas Tech In The Fifth round—another Big Target At 6’3 To Hang With The Tree. Arizona already assembled its picks. The Cardinals stayed safe in the first round, and the quality of most draft grades hinges on The Number One Pick.
Grade: B-
Los Angeles Rams—
The Team, The Franchise, The Front Office, and Brian trust that Championed Going All In With General Manager Les Snead's “F*** Them Picks” Mantra, The Rams Buck The Trend, and a Move Towards Their Future. Snead traded a pick, the lesser of their two first-round picks (29th), for Trent McDuffie, so Les Snead's appetite for trading found satiation. The Rams Kept The 13th Overall Pick and Selected Alabama Quarterback Ty Simpson, Heir Apparent To Matthew Stafford. The Rams Went Tight End In Round Two with Max Klare Out Of Ohio State, as their offense leans further into their 13-personnel era. Why Draft Another Tight End in The Second On A Roster Flush With Tight Ends Even As Tyler Higbee Continues To March Over The Cliff? Keagan Artist In The Third Round joins the Rams' offense in need of depth. I Thought The Rams could’ve Added More Depth At Receiver. They took CJ Daniels Out Of Miami In The sixth Round, Especially Considering The Sordid Injury History Of Both Davante Adams and Puka Nacua. The Rams just had five picks in the draft, and None Of Them Moved The Needle For This Roster.
Grade: C
Seattle Seahawks—
Running back Quality In The Draft Has Responded To the NFL's running-back positional value, which has crushed the position in the market, with only one quality back available: Jeremiyah Love. The Seahawks needed a back and took Jeredian Price with the 32nd Pick. Ala The Chiefs Who Drafted Running Back At 32nd 2020 After Winning A Super Bowl, Kansas City Had A “Luxury Pick,” But Clyde Edwards-Helaire Didn’t Pan Out For The Champs. The Seahawks didn’t Have The Same Luxury To Grab A “Luxury Pick” Because They Needed a back with Kenneth Walker Gone and Zach Charbonnet injured, but they passed on more pressing roster needs like edge rusher. Perhaps Seattle Felt The Dropoff After Price On The Board Too Steep With Only Three Backs Taken In The First Three Rounds 57 Picks Between Price And The Next Back Selected. Even With Klimt Kubiak Running The Offense The Team Will Most Likely Run The Same Structure Of Offense That Relied Heavily On The Run To Set Up The play Action Game. The Seahawks Went Secondary With Their Next Two Picks With Safety Bud Clark out of TCU With The Final Pick of the second round and Cornerback Julian Neal in the third round to help cover some of the losses the team suffered in the secondary. On the back end, the Seahawks Added Some Offensive Line Depth In Beau Stephen of Iowa in the Fifth Before Adding Two More Corners In The Seventh Round, a defensive tackle, and one receiver in the fifth. Unlike the Rams, the Seahawks Fall Short Of A Perfect roster, and for a team reliant heavily on several aging veterans at receiver (Cooper Kupp) And Along the Defensive Line (Leonard Williams, Demarcus Lawrence, Jarran Reed), they didn’t Aim In That Direction First Before Running back And Secondary. The Run On Big Explosive Receivers Started In Round Three Before The Seahawks Made Their Third Round Pick.
Grade B-
San Francisco 49ers—
The Niners Traded Out Of The First Round Of The NFL Draft, But with Their First Pick, The Niners Selected Ole Miss Receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, a strong-framed wide receiver with explosive burst after the catch, a Niners receiver I had ever seen. Romello Height adds depth to the Niners' edge situation, with both Mykel Williams and Nick Bosa Suffering ACL injuries. Kaelon Black, running back, in the third round out of Indiana, at Shorter, with excellent vision and compact power to explode up through holes up front. The Nabbed A Top Six option at Defensive Tackle in Gracen Halton, a quick-footed, explosive interior rusher. The Niners wrapped up the fourth round draft with two Washington Huskies: Offensive Tackle Carver Wills, and Cornerback Ephesians Prysock, a tall, long corner. The Niners Draft Closed In The Fifth Round With Massive Linebacker Jaden Dugger out Of Louisiana and Offensive Tackle Enrique Curl Jr. out of Kansas. The Niners performed exceptionally, filling in the Gaps In Their Roster with this 2026 Draft.
Grade: A
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys—
Jerry Jones entered the Three-Day Draft event with one agenda: how to put the “D” Back In Dallas? Full Pause. Ohio State’s Stand Out Safety Caleb Downs, at 11th overall, moved the needle in the right direction. The Cowboys Triple Dipped In The Edge Class, Starting With Malachi Lawrence In The First Round, Out of the University of Central Florida, A Combine Riser. Jaishawn Barham, Out Of Michigan, is a strong run defender, and LT Overton, Out Of Alabama, In The Fourth, are all top 20 Ranked Players At The edge Position In The Draft. Drew Shelton, Offensive Tackle Out Of Penn State, Devin Moore, Cornerback out Of Florida, and Anthony Smith In The Seventh. The Cowboys May Have Hit The “Overkilled” button by selecting three edge rushers, not drafting a linebacker, or adding another receiver to the mix for depth, even with George Pickens slated To Run On The Franchise Tag. Nine receivers received phone calls in the third round, but with most of their draft ammunition stored away in the fourth round (with three fourth-round picks), the Cowboys missed the run on quality receivers in this draft.The Cowboys Took THE best Players Available And Get Multiple “Cheap” Options at Edge.
grade B
New York Giants—
Malik Nabers Captured The Thoughts Of Everyone Watching The Draft In Bewildered by The Giants' Selection Of Ohio State's Hybrid Player Avrell Reese. Nabers stated, “…we just drafted someone last year to that same position." The Draft Method of “Selecting The Best Player available” has supporters in the roster-building community, but Reese Will Join A Crowded Pass Rush Group In New York. Reese could move to off-ball linebacker, the less favorable of his two hybrid features, and If The Giants wanted a linebacker, take Sonny Styles. Who Francis Mauigoa An Good Pick and A Solid Tackle, But If The Giants Intend To Plug Frank At Guard With Their Tackle Spot Mostly settled, why not just draft the top-rated guard who won’t Have To Adjust To A Different Spot Along The Line? Colton Hood At Corner And Malachi Fields At Receivers Two Rangy High Upside Options At Both Positions Headed To New York. Fields Looks Like A Tight end, and His 6’4 Frame Will Provide The Giants with a jump-ball red zone threat. Three Six Round Picks Defensive Tackle Bobby Jamison-Travis Out of Auburn, JC Davis Offensive Tackle Out Of Illinois, and Jack Kelly Linebacker Out Of BYU. The Giants' offensive line has faced injury concerns in the past, so strengthening that position and overall, the Giants Produced A Solid Draft with good coverage in case their top pick doesn’t Pan Out.
Grade B+
Philadelphia Eagles—
The Eagles unofficially Confirmed The AJ Brown trade with their first-round pick of Wide Receiver Makai Lemon of USC, a player with a very quarterback-friendly skill set. Lemon Will Arrive In Philly To Eat Up all the quick slants and curls out of the slot, some of Jalen Hurts ' favorite routes, To Target With High Yards After Catch Capacity. The Eagles Added Another Pass Catcher In Eli Stowers, a tight end out of Vanderbilt, a player I like as a move tight end, and the replacement for the present starting tight end, Dallas Goedert. In the third round, the Eagles Drafted Offensive Lineman Markel Bell out of Miami, A Towering 6’9 ", 346 lbs, who played left tackle at Miami, As The Eagles' current right tackle, Lane Johnson, Edges Towards Retirement. Quarterback Cole Payton In The Fifth Round A Player Some Considered Top Five At The Quarterback Position To Possibly Back Up Jalen Hurts As The Team Field Calls For Current Back Up Tanner McKee. Micah Morris Guard Out Of Georgia A Palter Who Tested Exceptionally From An Athletic Stand Point and adds More Stability To The Offensive Line Behind Guard Tyler Steen On The Right side. The Eagles Closed The Draft With Three Seventh round Picks: Cole Winiekski, athletic Marvel Uar Bernard Out Of Nigeria, and Edge Rusher Keyshawn James-Newby, Edge Out Of New Mexico. I Love The Player The Eagles drafted. Philly secured Jonathan Greenard From The Vikings for a third-round pick, and without needing to put much emphasis on the pass rusher, the door opened for the Eagles to draft towards future needs.
Grade: A
Washington Commanders—
Thanks to several ambitious and questionable trades, the Commanders selected fewer than seven players for the second year in a row and thus capped Their Grade From The Jump. Sonny Styles “Wow” Football fans At The Combine with his testing numbers, but he’s a linebacker, and even though the Commanders Needed Impact on defense, it may not have been the right selection. The Commanders Played Safe, Not Risky, Their Future On Reuben Bain’s Short Arm. Clemson’s Slot Dominant Receiver Antonio Williams is a solid pick-up after the Commanders Have Struggled To Pair Terry McLaurin with another outside threat, either through the draft or trade. Joshua Joseph’s In Fifth Round A Lengthy Toolsy Edge Rusher Out Of Tennessee, a Projected Day Two Pick with High Upside Despite A 21.3% Pass Rush Win Rate With Limited Production, but had No Business Falling To The Fifth Round. Running Back Kaytron Allen Out of Penn State and Center Matt Gubin of Michigan State in The Sixth round. Two Positions Of Need For The Commanders, which the team waited until the sixth round to address. Athan KaKalakmanis, quarterback from Rutgers, wasselected by the Commanders in the Commanders' draft. The Commanders Got Great Value On Edge Rusher Joseph In The Fifth And Wide Receiver Antonio Williams in The Third. I Thought The Commanders Should Have Worked Harder To Trade Out Of The Top Ten and Collect More Picks Potentially Adding More Value To The Roster Rather Than Selecting A Linebacker Top Ten A Style Of Selection That Hasn’t worked Out since Luke Kechley in 2012, Maybe Raquon Smith In 2018.
Grade C
NFC north
Green Bay Packers—
The Packers Traded Their First-Round Pick To The Cowboys In The Micah Parsons deal. Unfortunately, He Tore His ACL Ahead Of The Playoffs. The Packers Also Lost A Ton of Receiver Production With Romeo Doubs' Departure And The Dontayvion Wicks Trade. With their second round pick, the Packers Select Brandon Cisse, Cornerback From South Carolina, one of the top-ranked corners in the draft, but still raw at the position, with one year of high-level starter tape tethered to high-shelf physical tools. Chris McCLean, a powerful and Productive Defensive Tackle Out Of Missouri, who racked up 87 Tackles, 14 TFLs, and 8.5 Sacks In Two Seasons At Missouri From The Interior. The Packers add to the defensive line in the fourth round with Dani Dennis-Sutton out of Penn State, a player with excellent Traits (Tall, long, powerful, and Explosive) and production who ranked in the top ten at edge on some boards. Fifth Round Pick Jager Burton, Center Of Of Kentucky, Adds Depth Along the Offensive Line. In The Sixth Round, The Packers Select Domani Jackson, Cornerback, a taller cornerback, and Place Kicker Trey Smack Out Of Florida. The Packers Added A lot Of Development Value As Contracts On Their Roster Get Costlier and Tougher Decisions Surface In The Coming Year. Green Bay Movesmoves on from players more seamlessly.
Grade: B-
Minnesota Vikings—
Four Of The Vikings First Five Picks Went To The Defensive Side Of The Ball And Despite Finishing Top Ten On Defense Minnesota Decided To Renovate. Florida’s Caleb Banks came off the board first for the of. He demonstrated explosive power at times in Florida. He found his way to the V, Ikkings 19th,,, Who Demand looking to the top-10wer. At 6’6, 327 lbs running albs running albs running a 5.04 40 Yard Dash,And Looked like a top ten talent on film. Still, foot injuries dampened his top ten talent on film. Still, foot injuries dampened his top ten talent on film, but foot injuries dampened his upside. In The Second Round, Minnesota chose linebacker Jake Golday from Cincinnati, a top-five linebacker on most boards, and a good pick-up in the second Round. The Vikes Double Dip, taking Defensive Tackle Dominique Orange, Nick Name “Big Citrus”, in the third round, the seventh-ranked Defensive Tackle on ESPN’s board in the third round. With their other two third-round picks, the Vikings Took Offensive Lineman Caleb Tremblay fromNorthwestern and Safety Jakobe Thoma from Miami. Most Mock Draft Projections Suggested The Vikings Would Take A Safety Early With Harrison Smith's Retirement(or Expected Retirement), But The Vikings Waited Until The Third Round. Tight end Max Bredeson in the fifth, along with Charles Demmings, cornerback Stephen F Austin. Running Back Stud at The Top Of Minnesota Needs, In The Sixth round, Demond Claiborne Out Of Wake Forest, a stout power back who ran a 4.37 At The Combine and played a few snaps as a receiver at Wake Forest. Cincinnati Center Gavin Gerhardt Closed The Draft For The Vikings In The Seventh round. Most Of The Success From The Draft will Fall On Caleb Banks’ health and productivity, who could push this grade into an A, but for now, with the Vikings addressing the Needs of a Defense That Will Most likely carry Team Minnesota, it came out fine.
Grade B-
Chicago Bears—
The Bears Can’t Rest On Their Laurels From Last Season. The reigning NFC North has everyone's attention, and they’ll get Everyone's Best In Their Second Year Under Ben Johnson. The Defense Thrived On Turnovers But shuttered In Terms Of Efficiency So Why Not Draft a Player Who Can Intersect At Turnover Generations The Ball Over and Play recognition And Stop. in A Safety Class Shrouded By Caleb Downs High Profile Shadow Dilon Thieeman Step Out Wth his Blend Of Ath ticism(4.35 40 rd Dash, 41 Inch; Vertical And 10-Foot-5 Broad Jump), Versatility Having Played Across The Board at Oregon (Slot, Deep and Box Linebacker Type)And Experience As A Three Year Starter In College. The Bears get their center, Logan Jone, out of Iowa in the second round. In the third, the Bears make an interesting decision: going tight with Stanford tight end Sam Rush or adding another receiver. Ben Johnson may Have More 13 Personnel Up His Sleeve. The Bears Select Receiver Zavion Thomas out ofout ofout ofout ofout ofout ofout of LSU with Their Second 3rd Round Pick....... An Undersized Receiver,Most Boards Had A Seventh Round Grade On. Cornerback Malik Muhammad Out Of Texas A Corner. Some publications have listed him as high as eight; others not so. Still, he was high, but he generated a 57.8 Passer Rating When With interceptions In The SEC. Keyshaun, Elliott, Linebacker from Arizona, in thefifth round, and Jordan Van D, en Berg Defensive Tackle fromGeorgia Tech. The Bears chose the most functional players on the board, but wonder if reaching for Zavion Thomas Will Hurt Chicago In The Long Run.
Grade: C+
Detroit Lions—
The Lions came in with a clear-cut need to add an offensive lineman. They couldn’t come in with a clear-cut need to add an offensive lineman. They couldn’t come in with a clear-cut need to add an offensive lineman. They couldn’t come in with a clear-cut need to add an offensive lineman. They couldn’t come in with a clear-cut need to add an offensive lineman. They couldn’tLeave The First Round Without One,,,,, and Because The Run On Tackles started Later Than Expected,,,,, Detroit had an option but settled onhad an option but settled onhad an option but settled onhad an option but settled on had an option but settled onClemson’s Blake Miller. All-Pro Tackle Penei Sewell Will Move To The Left Side, and Blake Will Take Over The Right Side For Detroit. Edge Rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson has long stuck out, so the Lions Select Another Wolverine To Tag Along Side Hutchinson in Derrick Moore, Who Led Michigan in sacks last year, just like Hutchinson A Few Years Ago. Detroit Stayed In Their Back Yard Grabbing Linebacker Jimmy Rolder in the fourth round. A Stout Linebacker, Excellent Tackler Who Played A Fair Amount of Coverage Snaps. In the fifth round,Keith Abney, Cornerback from Arizona State, a top ten corner, but a Little Undersized At 5’10, 187 lbs, and Kendrick Law, a highly athletic wide receiver out of Kentucky. Defensive Tackle Skyler Gill-Howard, Defensive Tackle Out Of Texas Tech, and Another Edge in Tire West, Out Of Tennessee. All in all, I think the Lions performed well, addressing their needs at edge and offensive tackle. I thought Detroit would make more additions to the secondary, especially considering the “Up And Down” Play At Corner and Injury To Safety Brian Branch, rather Than Reaching For What Looks Like A Returner In Kendrick Law.
Grade: B-
NFC South—
Atlanta Falcons—
The Falcons Made One Of The NFL Draft's greatest moments without a first-round pick, drafting Clemson cornerback AvionTerrell to Play Alongside his brother, AJ Terrell, in Their Secondary. In The Third Round, The Falcons Grab Georgia Receiver Zachariah Branch, An Undersized Speedster at 5’8, But Packs Rockets In Cleats That Ignite On Contact With A Pass In The Short Game Or Down Field. With Tua in Line To start day one, I see Branch becoming Tua’s Best Friend in the future. Oklahoma Linebacker Kendal Daniels In The Fourth round, A Pretty Deep position, Well For The Falcons. Anterio Thompson,Defensive Tackle From Washington, and Linebacker Harold Perkins, Out Of LSU. Perkins looked like a top-five pick after His Freshman Season At LSU, But Injuries and Coaching Changes Derailed His Upside As A Pass Rusher. The Falcons have a lot to work through with their quarterback situation and James Pearce Jr.'s legal situation. I Like Their Draft Selection Especially Considering They Had A Good Secondary And Just Got Better.
Grade B
Carolina Panthers—
The Panthers Shocked The Football World By Taking Over The NFC South, but they’ve Got A Long Way To Travel With This Roster To Stay at the top of the NFC South. The Panthers lost left tackle, former top ten pick Ickey Ekwonu, in the process.Monroe Freeling, A Massive 6’7 " blocker out of Georgia, will step up to take over the left tackle role. The Panthers Go Big Once Again In The Second Round with Defensive Tackle 6’3, 318 Lbs Nose Tackle Out Of Texas Tech to Absorb Snaps Next To Derrick Brown On The Panthers Defensive Line. Size Matters,And The Panthers understood the assignment, selectingTennessee Receiver Chris Brazell II, a 6’4, slender-built receiver with a lot of upside. In the fourth round, the Panthers tookCornerback Will Lee III out of Texas A&M, A Range 6’1 Cornerback with excellent length, with 32 3/4, But His Speed Could force Him To safety. Sam Hecht, center, Out Of Kansas State, and Zakee Wheatley, a top ten safety on many boards, fell to the fifth round. Jackson Kuwatch, Linebacker, Miami (Ohio),Closed Out The Panthers Draft In The Seventh Round. Like The Brazwell Pick In The Third Round, A High Boom Or Bust Player At A Position Where The Panthers Have A lot of Options At That Position, But Dont Know if A Pure Deep Threat Guy Fits With Bryce Young’s Skill set.
Grade B+
New Orleans Saints—
New Orleans Has Strong History With Food and spices, and theSaints Cooked With Their Draft Selection. Quarterback Tyler Shough showed promise last season, so the Saints decided to get him help on the outside, and the Saints Drafted Three Receivers and A Receiving Tight End, starting with Jordyn Tyson with the ninth pick, my only correctly mocked pick. The Saints draftedGeorgia Defensive Tackle Christen Miller in the second round, a top-five player at his position, followed by Georgia Tight End Oscar Delp, an “Intriguing” prospect whose profile (Long Speed and Get Off) suggests a higher level of production exists beyond how his college offense used him (28 Targets). In the fourth round, Jeremiah Wright, an offensive guard out of Auburn, was a top ten guard on multiple boards. Then the Saints add Bryce Lance, a 6’3 Wide Receiver Out Of North Dakota State, a big-play speedster who played at all lower levels of competition. Safety Lorenzo Styles Jr., Out Of Ohio State, brother of Sonny Styles, A Speedy Prospect who Ran A 4.27 At The Combine. Barion Brown, Wide Receiver Out of LSU, in the sixth round,and TJ Hall, cornerback out of Iowa. I Like The Saints' draft Nabbing A Few Of My Favorite Players With upside In Both Tyson and Delp.
Grade A-
Tampa Bay Buccaneers— In Seven Picks, The Buccaneers Satisfy Most, If Not all, of Their Draft Needs, Starting With Reuben Bain Jr., Edge Rusher Out of Aid Miami at 15, a Much-Needed Boost To The Bucs Pass Rush. Bain stayed In The Running For The Top Edge Rusher Spot Throughout The Draft Process Before His Arm Length Ultimately Scared Teams Off But His Power Immediately Translate. Jeremiah Trotter,Linebacker Out of Missouri In The Second Round, Covers theHole Left by Lavonte David’s Retirement, and Trotter Brings A young Force To The Tampa Bay Linebacker Group. In the third round, the Bucs Took Wide Receiver Ted Hurst Out Of Georgia State, a tall, lean passing threat and One Of The More Tantalizing receiver Prospects In This Draft. Keionte Scott is one of the higher-touted cornerbacks in this class, but The Board Due knocked him down To His Size and His Play Style As A Slot Corner Primarily, and His Woeful Run Support As A Tackler. Clemson’s Demonte Capehart is a good value in the fifth round. Billy Schrauth, Guard from Notre Dame, is a Top Ten guard on some boards, but a player who some fear his foot speed could relegate him to center or backup duty. Tight End Baur Sharp ofLSU closes out the Bucs draft, a player expected to add more blocking to the tight position. The Bucs performed fairly well, addressing some of the team's needs at receiver and edge rusher, but not at tight end. I Would Have Taken Sadiq At Fifteen Over Bain and Passed On Hurst in the third for the next best edge rusher, corner, or linebacker in the third round.
Grade B.
