Before I was so rudely interrupted by the whoopi-cushion sound effect-laden DeflateGate fiasco over the last few days, I was doling out draft grades like an old-time school marm. Now that Tom Brady is trying to weasel out of his paddling, it’s time to get back to work on what’s really important: arbitrarily judging a team’s draft class based entirely on factors I manufacture from my imagination. It’s a living.
The teams in this class made a real attempt not to mess up their teams or screw up their drafts and the results weren’t a complete disaster. So, in attempting to get out of Chicago with their dignity intact, they achieved mediocrity. Just barely.
Baltimore Ravens
The haul: Breshad Perriman (WR, Central Florida, round one), Maxx Williams (TE, Minnesota, round two), Carl Davis (DT, Iowa, round three), Ze’Darius Smith (DE, Kentucky, round four), Javorius Allen (RB, USC, round four), Tray Walker (CB, Texas Southern, round four), Nick Boyle (TE, Delaware, round five), Robert Myers (OG, Tennessee State, round five) and Darren Walker (WR, Georgia Tech)
The skill position picks make this whole draft for the Ravens. If any of their defensive picks pan out, great, but the Ravens needed a starting wide receiver and tight end and the got that with Perriman and Williams. I thought that Darren Walker was one of the hidden gems of this draft. Both under and misused in Georgia Tech’s option offense, the 6-foot-6, 238-pound Walker ran a 4.46 40-yard dash and you know he can block downfield or he never would have played a down for the Yellowjackets. If you’re going to take a chance on a running back, it’s never a bad idea to pick a kid from USC.
Grade: B-
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San Diego Chargers
The haul: Melvin Gordon (RB, Wisconsin, round one), Denzel Perryman (ILB, Miami, round two), Craig Mager (CB, Texas State, round three), Kyle Emanuel (OLB, North Dakota State, round five) and Darius Philon (DT, Arkansas, round six)
The rumors about the Chargers crapping all over their franchise by trading Philip Rivers didn’t pan out, so instead they made the shocking decision to improve it. Losing out to Georgia running back Todd Gurley to the St. Louis Rams, the Chargers moved up in the draft to take Melvin Gordon. Perryman is a solid pick in round two and should eventually move into the starting line up.
Grade: C
Buffalo Bills
The haul: Ronald Darby (CB, Florida State, round two), John Miller (OG, Louisville, round three), Karlos Williams (RB, Florida State, round five), Tony Steward (OLB, Clemson, round six), Nick O’Leary (TE, Florida State, round six) and Dezmin Lewis (WR, Central Arkansas, round seven)
The Bills came into the draft without a first round or a fourth round pick and still managed to do better than plenty of teams that had a full compliment of selections and even extras from compensatory picks or trades. The beauty of a lot of these picks is that they’re good, developmental players in spots where the Bills already have strengths. Darby will see plenty of action at nickel before competing for a starting role. Miller could end up a starter before the year’s out and Dezmin Lewis can see action as a deep threat immediately.
Grade: C+
Washington Redskins
The haul: Brandon Scherff (OG, Iowa, round one), Preston Smith (DE, round two), Matt Jones (RB, Florida, round three), Jamison Crowder (WR, Duke, round four), Arie Kouandjo (OG, Alabama, round four), Marterell Spaight (OLB, Arkansas, round five), Kyshoen Jarrett (SS, Virginia Tech, round six), Tevin Mitchel (CB, Arkansas, round six), Evan Spencer (WR, Ohio State, round six) and Austin Reiter (C, South Florida, round seven)
The Redskins took Scherff too early, but they know it. They looked to trade down, but couldn’t get what they needed to move, so they picked the guy that wanted and rolled on. Hard to argue with that. Preston Smith is a first-round talent that only slipped to the second because the early run on wideouts. Smith could start immediately on a vastly-improved defensive line. Matt Jones is a power back and Kouandjio adds depth and a long-term option at guard.
Grade: B-
Cleveland Browns
The haul: Danny Shelton (NT, Washington, round one), Cameron Erving (C, Florida State, round one), Nate Orchard (DE, Utah, round two), Duke Johnson (RB, Miami, round three), Xavier Cooper (DT, Washington State, round three), Ibraheim Capbell (SS, Northwestern, round four), Vince Mayle (WR, Washington State, round four), Charles Gaines (CB, Louisville, round six), Malcolm Johnson (TE, Mississippi State, round six), Randall Teller (TE, USC, round six), Hayes Pullard (ILB, USC, round seven) and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (CB, Oregon)
The Browns came in with two first round picks and that usually spells disaster for them. Last year they blew both their picks (at least at the time), picking cornerback Justin Gilbert and quarterback Johnny Manziel. While both may turn around after their disastrous rookie seasons, the Browns could have picked impact players at those exact positions in those spots and been way better off. This year, they weren’t going to blow it. And they didn’t. But Shelton and Erving are players that, if they both play up to their potential, will add all of one game to the Browns’ win total. They didn’t exactly set the draft on fire. Johnson could sneak into the backfield before season’s end. I like the Gaines pick out of Louisville and Ekpre-Olomu will have a long career as an NFL nickel if he can get healthy.
Grade: B-
