Did Georgia come out of the draft better or worse?

Georgia can either come out of the draft as winners or losers. The fate of Georgia lies in the hands of head coach Kirby Smart but not as you may think. It is no secrete the Georgia Bulldogs have dominated the SEC east the last couple seasons but if Kirby Smart doesn’t pull things together this season Kentucky and Florida will be looking for their opportunity to take to the top of the East. 

Georgia can be huge losers coming out of the draft for the obvious reasons – they lost many of their biggest impact players. A three-year starter at quarterback in Jake Fromm left Athens a year early, only to drop into the 5th round to the Bills, where he will sit behind Josh Allen for the foreseeable future. The Bulldogs also lost their one-two punch in the backfield with D’andre Swift going in the 2nd round to the Lions and Brian Herrien signing with the Browns as an undrafted free agent. Now for most teams that would be difficult to rebound from, but that’s not all Georgia lost.

They also lost their top three offensive tackles with Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson going in the first round and Solomon Kindley going in the fourth to the Dolphins. Other notable departures on the offense were tight ends Eli Wolf and Charlie Woerner along with wide receiver Lawrence Cager. On defense, Georgia lost Tae Crowder and JR Reed among others. In total, Georgia lost 15 players to the draft and free agency leaving gaping holes both in their offense and defense. With schools like Kentucky returning quarterback Terry Wilson next season and only losing two starters things are not looking good for the Bulldogs for next season as of right now.

Georgia is unique though in the fact that if Kirby Smart plays things right in Athens this year’s team could be better than last years. Promptly following Jake Fromms’ decision to forego his senior season and declare for the draft Smart upgraded his quarterback groom by signing Wake Forest transfer, Jamie Newman. It will only take one game of watching Newman for Georgia fans to forget the name Jake Fromm. Georgia lost Justin Fields two years ago but they signed the next great dual-threat QB this off-season. Jamie Newman will transform the Georgia offense from the boring ground and pound offense it has been in the past to an explosive dual-threat offense. Another reason for Georgia fans not to worry? They are RBU, and that means you always have great running backs and this season should not be any different. Junior James Cook, brother of Minnesota’s Vikings’ running back Dalvin Cook, will be getting the majority of the carries and, although his carries have been limited with Swift and Harrien taking on the bulk of the workload last season, he is very capable of stepping up in a big way for the Bulldogs this season.

Georgia did lose three key offensive linemen this season, but this is not a cause for massive concern, due to the fact Kirby Smart brings in new monsters to protect his quarterbacks every year. The wide receiving corp should also be much better this year with new recruits coming in and other young wide receivers will have had another season to develop. My final argument for why Georgia should be absolutely fine next season is Kirby Smart is a defensive coach – after giving up 24 points per game in his first year, Smart’s defenses have given up under 20 points per contest for the past three year, lowering the mark to under 13 points in 2019. Their defense will always be a mainstay so long as Kirby Smart is coaching.

If you are a Georgia fan, wait on hitting the panic button for now. There’s little reason to panic unless you’ve already lost two games, and with the highly talented Jamie Newman taking over under center, that seems unlikely to happen in the diluted SEC East.

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About Us: Jackson Wilson

As our team continues to grow, preparing to grow our coverage when sports resume, we welcome Jackson Wilson as the newest member of our team. Jackson just finished classes for his senior year of high school, and he will be taking over, primarily covering hockey and lacrosse for us. Learn more about Jackson below!

Age: 18

High School: Cheverus High School, Class of 2020

High School Sports: Hockey (4 years), Lacrosse (2 years), Cross Country (4 years)

College: University of Maine, Class of 2024

Hobbies: Weightlifting, Hiking, Playing Video Games, Collecting Hockey Cards

Favorite D1 Teams: UMaine Black Bears, BC Eagles, Maryland Terrapins

Favorite Personal Sports Memory: My favorite sports memories are from my high school hockey career. I scored to tie the regional finals my sophomore year, scored the first two goals as a captain on my senior night, and I had a four-goal game to reach 100 varsity points.

Favorite Professional/College Sports Memory: The Boston College Hockey national titles in 2010 and 2012. I’ve loved attending professional and college games, especially the Hockey East championship games with my dad, and Portland Pirates games with my grandparents.

2020 NFL Draft Reactions Episode: Oregon as RBU? Michigan a big draft winner?

If you’re tired of the same old “Which NFL teams won and lost the 2020 NFL Draft”, but want to still relive the only live sporting event of the past month and a half, then please check out our latest episode! We launch a must-watch show on which players made a mistake by entering this most recent draft, which college programs won and lost the draft, and who is QBU, RBU, and WRU right now in the world of college football. Check out a hot (or really cold?) take by Andrew, some controversial arguments by Cal, and Nathaniel’s undying love for the Georgia Bulldogs.

About Us: Ryan Nelson

The latest member to join our growing team at College Kids Talking College Sports is Ryan Nelson. Ryan is an associate producer with CitrusTV – Syracuse’s student-run television studio – and a beat writer for Syracuse Men’s Hockey. To learn a little more about Ryan, check below!

Age: 19

High School: Notre Dame College Prep, Class of 2019

High School Sports: Volleyball (1 year), and Tennis (3 years)

College: Syracuse University

Hobbies: I love watching, commentating, and talking sports. As mentioned above, I work both as a beat writer for Syracuse Hockey and an associate producer with CitrusTV.

Favorite D1 Teams: Northwestern Wildcats and Syracuse Orange

Favorite Personal Sports Memory: In sixth grade football, I scored a touchdown despite only playing as an offensive and defensive lineman.

Favorite Professional/College Sports Memory: Any Chicago championship – The 2005 White Sox, Blackhawks in ’10, ’13, and ’15, and the 2016 Cubs are especially memorable.

Cal Christoforo’s 3 Winners and Losers of the Draft: Where does Jalen Hurts fall?

Winner – Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals weren’t known to be searching for defense in the first round, but they obtained an absolute steal with the eighth overall pick, grabbing Isaiah Simmons out of Clemson. Simmons is listed as an outside linebacker, but he can truly play anywhere on the defensive side of the ball, and the fact that he was available at #8 was very surprising. It looked like Arizona had forfeited their chance to grab an impact player at offensive tackle, their biggest need, but somehow, in the third round, Houston tackle Josh Jones, ranked 17th overall on CBS’s draft board, was still available. The Cardinals grabbed the first round talent there, walking away with two steals. Considering their second round pick was part of the deal for DeAndre Hopkins, and the Cardinals were pretty happy with the usage of their top picks. 

Loser – Jalen Hurts

Doug Pederson may find a way to use Hurts in some creative packages, but ultimately, Jalen Hurts wants to be a starting quarterback in the NFL, and he’s now stuck behind Carson Wentz, who is locked in for another four years in Philadelphia. It’s going to be tough for Hurts to develop, especially considering Pederson’s commitment to Wentz. If winning a Super Bowl isn’t enough to supplant Wentz, nor is his multitude of injuries, it’s going to be a long road for hurts to gain prominence at the next level.

Winner – Wide Receivers
Wide receivers flew off the board left and right, with thirty-seven total receivers hearing their name called this past weekend. Six came in the first round, and seven more in the second, as NFL squads showed a desperate wish to grab receivers, finding value in all seven rounds. As dynamic offenses continue to take hold in the NFL, skill position players, particularly receivers, are becoming huge value picks. 

Loser – Las Vegas Raiders

Henry Ruggs was a good pick, but the Raiders started reaching with Damon Arnette, and then they took two more offensive players. I get offense is the new premium in the NFL, but when you’re in a division with Patrick Mahomes, you simply have to get some impact defensive players, and the Raiders just didn’t do that. Considering the Broncos and Chargers really putting together strong drafts, the Raiders could find them at the bottom of the AFC West next season. 

Winner – LSU
14 draft picks. Absolutely absurd. LSU set all kind of records, including an SEC record with 14 picks, along with becoming the first team to have their quarterback, wide receiver, and running back selected in the first round, as Clyde-Edwards Hillaire snuck in with the final pick of the round. Justin Jefferson, Joe Burrow, K’Lavon Chaisson, and Patrick Queen made it 5 LSU players taken in the first round. You can say what you want about how last year was just an anomaly, how LSU is not really the power of the SEC, but 14 draft picks will get you somewhere in recruiting, and that’s undeniable. Also, bonus points for LSU breaking the prior SEC record of 12 draft picks by getting long snapper Blake Ferguson picked in the sixth round. You love to see that. 

Loser – ACC

This is specifically targeted at the ACC not including Clemson. Clemson had a decent draft day, as would be expected from one of the top programs in the country, but the ACC in general struggled. In the first two rounds, only 3 non-Clemson ACC players heard their name called, and only one of those was in the first round (Mekhi Becton, Louisville). Running backs Cam Akers of Florida State and AJ Dillon of Boston College were the only other ACC players to leave the draft board. As Clemson continues to dominate the ACC, the lack of NFL interest in the other teams in the conference is a tough look for teams looking to recruit heavily and begin to compete with the Tigers once more.

2020 NFL Draft Ratings and Rankings, 8-1: Bengals and Jaguars near the top, but who’s #1?

The NFL Draft has come and gone, and while there will still be flurries of signings of undrafted free agents, it’s time to hand out the grades for who nailed the draft, and who is left with more questions than answers. Here are my official draft rankings and ratings, from worst to first. Here are my top eight!
Note: Especially in the top eight, the ‘worst’ pick was usually just a position I felt didn’t need to be addressed as soon as it was. It very rarely has anything to do with the player, unless there was a clear steal available that the team passed on.

 8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Rating 67 out of 100)
Best Pick: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa (Round 1, Pick 13)
Worst Pick: Tyler Johnson WR, (Round 5, Pick 16)
1-Sentence Analysis: I was confused why the Bucs traded up one spot in the first round to get Wirfs, who the 49ers probably weren’t targeting, but they still took the right guy there, and they filled most of their needs, really nailing their first three picks in my opinion, but I would have liked them to the defensive tackle position earlier, as adding a 5th-round receiver to the strongest part of their team does little to improve their chances of winning right away. 

7. Houston Texans (Rating 68 out of 100)
Best Pick: Ross Blacklock, DT, TCU (Round 2, Pick 8)
Worst Pick: John Reid, CB, Penn State (Round 4, Pick 35)
1-Sentence Analysis: I’ll stand up for Bill O’Brien here, as I actually didn’t think Houston bombed the draft like many say they did, picking up a great talent in Blacklock, a late-round flier at receiver Isaiah Coulter, and some decent value in the trenches to both adequately fill needs and build for the future, although they probably could have done better at cornerback, as Virginia’s Bryce Hall was still available. 

6. Miami Dolphins (Rating 72 out of 100)
Best Pick: Raekwon Davis, DT, Alabama (Round 2, Pick 24)
Worst Pick: Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn (Round 1, Pick 30)
1-Sentence Analysis: Miami was superb with attention to detail, filling lots of little holes – they even added a really good long snapper to shore up their special teams – with pretty good value, adding intriguing prospects for much of the draft, although I think I would have preferred to see Miami get a playmaker cornerback with some bigger upside with their first round pick. 

5. Baltimore Ravens (78 out of 100)
Best Pick: Patrick Queen, ILB, LSU (Round 1, Pick 28)
Worst Pick: Tyre Phillips, OT, Mississippi State (Round 3, Pick 42)
1-Sentence Analysis: The Ravens are entering a championship-or-bust window, and they excelled in picking up guys that look NFL-ready, securing huge steals in Queen, and running back JK Dobbins, and several others, filling most of their needs – Phillips is a great developmental pick, he just seemed to fit outside the ‘win-now’ mode Baltimore is in, considering they spent a third-rounder on him. 

4. Cincinnati Bengals (81 out of 100)
Best Pick: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson (Round 2, Pick 1)
Worst Pick: Khalid Kareem, DE, Notre Dame (Round 5, Pick 1)
1-Sentence Analysis: Adding Higgins to give Burrow an immediate weapon was a stroke of genius, and the Bengals did a great job filling needs and finding great value along the way, as Kareem gets the nod as ‘worst pick’ largely because he, in my opinion, has the lowest ceiling, but he could still be a decent impact player for the Bengals. 

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (82 out of 100)
Best Pick: K’Lavon Chaisson (Round 1, Pick 20)
Worst Pick: Laviska Shenault Jr (Round 2, Pick 10)
1-Sentence Analysis: Jacksonville came in with a wealth of draft picks and they filled most of their major needs, making a great call on Chaisson to fill a hole at linebacker in the first round, getting great value at receiver in Collin Johnson in the fifth round, grabbing a sixth-round quarterback to keep some competition for Gardner Minshew, and the only thing I would have liked to see is prioritizing a tight end selection earlier than the 6th round (Cole Kmet was available when they took Shenault).

2. Arizona Cardinals (89 out of 100)
Best Pick: Josh Jones, OT, Houston (Round 3, Pick 8)
Worst Pick: Evan Weaver, ILB, California (Round 6, Pick 23)
1-Sentence Analysis: Arizona was able to surprisingly grab defensive swiss-army-knife Isaiah Simmons with the eighth overall pick, and despite not picking until the third round, got amazing value in Jones while filling their biggest need, and they went on to add a pair of intriguing defensive tackles that should fill a hole for the Cardinals, as, all-in-all, my only minor complaint is their refusal to go get another wide receiver for Kyler Murray, but their earlier trade for DeAndre Hopkins helps alleviate that grievance.

1. Minnesota Vikings (91 out of 100)
Best Pick: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU (Round 1, Pick 22)
Worst Pick: Cameron Dantzler, CB, Mississippi State (Round 3, Pick 25)
1-Sentence Analysis: The Vikings had 14 draft picks and did well to cover all their needs, getting a steal at receiver in Jefferson, trading back and getting a good corner in Jeff Gladney, another major steal at offensive tackle in Ezra Cleveland, and that was just the start of an excellent weekend for Minnesota, whose biggest (and very minor) regret may be taking two cornerbacks in their first four picks, but you can still argue it was a position of need, and Dantzler is a very good prospect.

2020 NFL Draft Ratings and Rankings, 16-9: Was Carolina’s all-defense draft the right move?

The NFL Draft has come and gone, and while there will still be flurries of signings of undrafted free agents, it’s time to hand out the grades for who nailed the draft, and who is left with more questions than answers. Here are my official draft rankings and ratings, from worst to first. 

16. Pittsburgh Steelers (54 out of 100)
Best Pick: Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame (Round 2, Pick 17)
Worst Pick: Kevin Dotson, OG, Louisiana (Round 4, Pick 29)
1-Sentence Analysis: Pittsburgh nailed it early, addressing two of their biggest needs at receiver and outside lineback in their first two picks, but the rest of their draft was a bit sketchy, as they didn’t grab a tight end, or a quarterback to groom in a division that has Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Baker Mayfield. 

15. New York Jets (55 out of 100)

Best Pick: Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor (Round 2, Pick 27)
Worst Pick: James Morgan, QB, Florida International (Round 4, Pick 19)

1-Sentence Analysis: The Jets passed on their pick of the litter from this year’s receiver class to get a monster in Mekhi Becton, and they still stole Mims off the board late in the second round, but things got confusing on day 3, when the Jets took a quarterback despite a promising Darnold under center, and they failed to draft any linebackers, most definitely a need for a New York team in an AFC East that’s there for the taking. 

14. Philadelphia Eagles (58 out of 100)
Best Pick: Davion Taylor, OLB, Colorado (Round 3, Pick 39)
Worst Pick: Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU (Round 1, Pick 21)
1-Sentence Analysis: CeeDee Lamb came within four spots of the Eagles, but Philly didn’t make a move to trade up and watched him fall to the Cowboys, and then they grabbed Reagor, who I didn’t think was the best available by any means, but the Eagles redeemed themselves with a great pick in Jalen Hurts and an intriguing selection of Taylor, whose speed and versatility can make an immediate impact in their defense. 

13. Los Angeles Chargers (61 out of 100)
Best Pick: K.J. Hill, WR, Ohio State (Round 7, Pick 6)
Worst Pick: Alohi Gilman, S, Notre Dame (Round 6, Pick 7)
1-Sentence Analysis: Anyone who watched our draft preview knows I mentioned Hill as a late round steal possibility so I love the move to get him in the seventh, pairing him up with Justin Herbert, but defensively, I thought the Chargers added great value in Kenneth Murray, but I’m not sure Alohi Gilman fits into their scheme athletically despite his great ball skills, and I would have liked to see LA pick up a cornerback to improve their grade.
12. Carolina Panthers (62 out of 100)
Best Pick: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn (Round 1, Pick 7)
Worst Pick: Kenny Robinson, S, West Virginia (Round 5, Pick 6)
1 Sentence Analysis: Matt Rhule didn’t mess around, drafting strictly on the defensive side, and I thought he killed it early with Brown, Yetur Gross-Matos, and Jeremy Chinn, but I felt that when he spent four of his final five picks in the secondary, he neglected to address needs at linebacker, which will need to be filled quickly for Carolina to compete in a division with Matt Ryan, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees. 

11. Dallas Cowboys (65 out of 100)
Best Pick: Trevon Diggs, Cornerback, Alabama (Round 2, Pick 19)
Worst Pick: Reggie Robinson III, Cornerback, Tulsa (Round 4, Pick 17)
1-Sentence Analysis: Most people gave Dallas heaping praise on their draft, and I found it to be a good draft, but a failure to address a need at safety, when there was good value available, and while taking CeeDee Lamb kept him away from Philadelphia, it stopped Dallas from getting an impact player on the defensive line, which I believe should have been prioritized earlier given the Cowboys’ surplus of offense. 

10. Las Vegas Raiders (66 out of 100)
Best Pick: Lynn Bowden, WR, Kentucky (Round 3, Pick 16)
Worst Pick: Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State (Round 1, Pick 19)
1-Sentence Analysis: I’m a little higher on the Raiders’ draft than most, as I think Jon Gruden realized that the only way to beat the Chiefs is to just go blow-for-blow with them on offense, and he loaded up quarterback Derek Carr with an arsenal of weapons, including the speedy Henry Ruggs, swiss-army-knife Lynn Bowden, and Bryan Edwards of South Carolina, covering up some deficiencies in his defensive selections, namely picking Arnette in the first round and not drafting a linebacker. 

9. Denver Broncos (67 out of 100)
Best Pick: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama (Round 1, Pick 15)Worst Pick: Michael Ojemudia, CB, Iowa (Round 3, Pick 13)
1-Sentence Analysis: Drew Lock was smiling as he was supplied a bevy of weapons from the draft, and I thought, despite potentially reaching for the very athletic Ojemudia in the third round, Denver did a good job getting value in later rounds, recognizing that while they might make a playoff push this year, their real window to win probably starts closer to next year.

Aidan Thomas’s 2020 NFL Draft 3 Winners and Losers: Where does Jake Fromm go from here?

Winners 

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers absolutely killed this draft, picking up guys that I think could be high-impact players at every stage of the draft, and that was without a pick on Day 2. Without trading up, LA snared Justin Herbert at pick #6, a QB who many consider to be the most pro-ready. They traded up for a second first-round pick, and they grabbed Kenneth Murray, potentially the best linebacker in the class. Then, they picked up UCLA running back Joshua Kelley, who has good speed and great potential as a pass-catching back, a do-it-all swiss army knife in Virginia receiver Joe Reed, Notre Dame safety Alohi Gilman – a gritty defender with great ball skills –  and finally a complete and utter steal in KJ Hill out of Ohio State. Every single one of these players, I believe, can make LA’s 53-man roster. Justin Herbert tossing to Keenan Alllen, Mike Williams, and KJ Hill. Joe Reed returning kickoffs – Austin Ekeler working with Josh Kelley at running back, Alohi Gilman eventually slotting into the secondary or a key special teams role, and Murray rushing inside with Joey Bosa coming from the edge? Chargers aren’t going to be picking 6th again for a while

LOSERS

Jake Fromm

I really didn’t understand Fromm’s decision to go pro this year. He had no foreseeable challenger for his job at Georgia, and he was going to have a chance to be one of the best QBs in the SEC, after playing second fiddle to Tua and Burrow. He might even have chased a national championship. Instead he threw himself into a quarterback draft class that was loaded at the top as a middling prospect. Fromm was the 8th quarterback off the board, and he went in the 5th round to Buffalo, where Josh Allen is locked in at quarterback for the foreseeable future. I don’t see Fromm challenging the more physically talented and mobile Allen for the #1 job, and he’s not the type of athlete you can throw into special packages like you could with Jalen Hurts, so Fromm may just find himself on the bench for a long time to come. 

WINNERS

Division II Football

It’s becoming increasingly rare for DII prospects to be high selections in the draft, as Kyle Dugger out Lenoir-Rhyne became the first to be selected in the first three rounds of the draft since 2006 (according to Boston.com), taken off the draft board at 37th overall by the New England Patriots. It’s just one player, but it’s huge for Division II to prove they can still produce elite prospects, as retaining top players can be a problem for players seeking a professional future. 

LOSERS
Aaron Rodgers/Green Bay Packers

I don’t know what the Packers were doing in this draft. General Manager Brian Gutekunst said before the draft that while the receiver class was deep, he wasn’t just going to hope someone fell into their laps late, adding that he “didn’t expect us to wait around”. Aaron Rodgers mentioned it ‘would be nice’ for the Packers to draft a skill position player in the first round, something they haven’t done in 15 years. Not only did Green Bay not draft a receiver, their first two picks were spent on Jordan Love, a quarterback who will sit behind Rodgers for a few years, and AJ Dillon, who while a great runner, joins a crowded backfield. They gave Rodgers one weapon in the passing game, taking tight end Josiah Deguara. Deguara is good, but Green Bay left arguably the second best tight end in the class, Dayton’s Adam Trautman, on the board with this pick. With a closing window to win and a Hall of Fame quarterback asking for more weapons, Green Bay didn’t deliver, and now they will struggle to remain even close to the top of the cutthroat NFC.

WINNERS
Jacob Eason

Look, Eason probably wasn’t thrilled about slipping all the way into the middle of the fourth round, but he found his way into a near-perfect situation. The Washington and former Georgia signal-caller was selected by the Indianapolis Colts, where he finds himself in a quarterback room with Philip Rivers and Jacoby Brissett. Their selection of Eason likely signifies the exit of the latter, or at very least, gives the fourth-rounder a chance to battle it out for the backup job. That part is under his control, at which point he could be the backup to Rivers, learning under an experienced starter. Rivers is under contract for just a year, so Eason, if he impresses, could have a chance to take the reigns within a year. Consider that to the situation of Fromm, and it’s a dream. Eason can just make his slip in the draft a chip on his shoulder and convert that frustration into proving himself worthy of becoming Rivers’ heir apparent in Indianapolis.

Losers
Dayton
Alright this one’s a little strange, and it can more universally be applied to small-name football schools. Dayton tight end Adam Trautman was ranked as the 2nd best tight end on the board, and he was regarded as a potential second-round pick. It largely depended on when Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet was taken, and after Kmet departed the board for the Chicago Bears early in the second round, Trautman seemed in a good spot. Yet Trautman watched three more tight ends get selected, before he finally heard his name called at the very end of the third round by the New Orleans Saints. You can call Dayton a winner for getting their first draft pick in 43 years, but the reality is Trautman should have gone way before he did, and the selection of tight ends from bigger football schools like UCLA, Virginia Tech, and Cincinnati just showed a lack of trust from NFL teams in picking up Trautman. For small schools like Dayton looking to compete against bigger name schools, it’s a tough recruiting blow to see such a slide from their best player since the 1970s.

2020 NFL Draft Rankings and Ratings, 24-17: Should Detroit have gone for a quarterback?

The NFL Draft has come and gone, and while there will still be flurries of signings of undrafted free agents, it’s time to hand out the grades for who nailed the draft, and who is left with more questions than answers. Here are my official draft rankings and ratings, from worst to first. Here are teams 17-24 in our rankings:

24. Tennessee Titans (43 out of 100)
Best Pick: Isaiah Wilson, OT, Georgia (Round 1, Pick 29)

Worst Pick: Darrynton Evans, RB, Appalachian State (Round 3, Pick 29)

1-Sentence Analysis: Evans is really a casualty here as he’s a decent fit in Tennessee, but it seems to me that the Titans could have done better in addressing major needs at outside linebacker, or adding a weapon at tight end for Ryan Tannehill to utilize – not a bad draft, I’m just left with some questions about Mike Vrabel’s plans. 

23. Seattle Seahawks (47 out of 100)
Best Pick: Darrell Taylor, DE, Tennessee (Round 2, Pick 16)
Worst Pick: Jordyn Brooks, OLB, Texas Tech (Round 1, Pick 27)
1-Sentence Analysis: Maybe the Seahawks know something we don’t, but it seems like they could’ve gotten Brooks in the third round and definitely in the second, but at least their trade up in the second round netted them Taylor, addressing a big-time need at defensive end. 

22. Buffalo Bills (49 out of 100)
Best Pick: AJ Epenesa, DE, Iowa (Round 2, Pick 22)
Worst Pick: Gabriel Davis, WR, UCF (Round 4, Pick 22)

1-Sentence Analysis: A lot of people thought Buffalo had a good draft, but I just feel like after two solid value picks in Epenesa and Zach Moss, it was pretty mediocre for the Bills, who added multiple receivers to an already-strong receiving core, added a quarterback they simply don’t need and likely won’t play, and failed to grab any kind of impact player on defense after Epenesa, particularly at OLB. 

21. New York Giants (49 out of 100)
Best Pick: Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama (Round 2, Pick 4)
Worst Pick: Matt Peart, OT, UConn (Round 3, Pick 35)
1-Sentence Analysis: The Giants were expected to go after an offensive tackle but to go for two in three rounds, and taking Andrew Thomas over Mekhi Becton, Jedrick Wills, and Tristan Wirfs, seemed unnecessary and questionable given their various holes, especially at the linebacker position. 

20. Chicago Bears (50 out of 100)
Best Pick: Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame (Round 2, Pick 11)
Worst Pick: Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah (Round 2, Pick 18)
1-Sentence Analysis: This isn’t a knock against Johnson, who is a second round talent, but it seems like after a great first pick in Kmet, the Bears would have been better to use their second and final pick of the first two days to address a more prominent need than adding cornerback depth.
19. Detroit Lions (50 out of 100)
Best Pick: Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State (Round 1, Pick 3)
Worst Pick: Logan Stenberg, OG, Kentucky (Round 4, Pick 15)
1-Sentence Analysis: I thought Detroit was rolling early with Okudah, Swift, and Okwara, and then after grabbing a guard in Jonah Jackson, I thought Detroit made a significant error with their second fourth round pick, where I believe drafting a quarterback, given their clear issues behind Stafford, should have been done, especially with Jacob Eason still on the board, instead of picking up another guard. 18. Los Angeles Rams(51 out of 100)
Best Pick: Terrell Lewis, OLB, Alabama (Round 3, Pick 20)
Worst Pick: Van Jefferson, WR, Florida (Round 2, Pick 25)
1-Sentence Analysis: After no Day 1 picks, the Rams largely did a good job addressing needs with great value picks on day 2, but I didn’t like spending a second round pick on a wide receiver in general, given their two returning 1000-yard receivers and need for improvements at the guard position.
17. Cleveland Browns (51 out of 100)
Best Pick: Jedrick Wills Jr., OT, Alabama (Round 1, Pick 10)
Worst Pick: Harrison Bryant, TE, Florida Atlantic (Round 4, Pick 9)
1-Sentence Analysis: I think Cleveland did a great job getting value with each pick, but I also think they could have done better to address bigger needs, as I think going best available only goes so far when you have playoff aspirations, which the Browns undoubtedly do.

NFL Draft Rankings and Ratings, 32-25: Saints bring up the rear in 2020 NFL Draft

The NFL Draft has come and gone, and while there will still be flurries of signings of undrafted free agents, it’s time to hand out the grades for who nailed the draft, and who is left with more questions than answers. Note: The worst pick noted by each team is very rarely an indication of the player, but rather the time of the draft, alternatives available at the time of the pick, or fit with the team that picked them.
Here are my official draft rankings and ratings, from worst to first. Here are teams 32-25 in the rankings:

32. New Orlean Saints (17 out of 100)
Best Pick: Adam Trautman, TE, Dayton (Round 3, Pick 41) 
Worst Move: Losing almost all Day 3 draft capital
1-sentence analysis: With a defense that needed some help, the Saints put three out of four picks into their offense, trading away virtually every remaining pick to jump up and grab Trautman, who, while good, will not assist New Orleans’ patchy secondary. 

31. San Francisco 49ers (20 out of 100)
Best Pick: Colton McKivitz, OT, West Virginia (Round 5, Pick 9)
Worst Pick: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina (Round 1, 14)
1-sentence analysis: Kinlaw is a beast, but so was DeForest Buckner who they traded to get the pick, leading the 49ers to replace a sure thing with a less sure thing, all while missing out on their pick of any of the three elite

30. Washington Redskins (34 out of 100)
Best Pick: Chase Young, DE, Ohio State (Round 1, Pick 2)
Worst Pick: Antonio Gibson, WR, Memphis (Round 3, Pick 2)
1-sentence analysis: The Redskins came in needing to address their defense, and although they got an elite talent in Young, they drafted only one other defensive player prior to Round 7, leaving their fans to question what needs the ‘Skins really filled this weekend. 

29. Kansas City Chiefs (38 out of 100)
Best Pick: Lucas Niang, OT, TCU (Round 3, Pick 32)
Worst Pick: Willie Gay Jr, ILB, Mississippi State (Round 2, Pick 31)
1-Sentence Analysis: Gay is a great player, but I more question the fit in Kansas City, and whether they could have gotten him later, as the Chiefs neglected to address a pressing situation in their secondary until Day 3, but at least they got a strong running back and a tackle with big-time upside to protect Mahomes. 

28. Atlanta Falcons (39 out of 100)
Best Pick: Marlon Davidson, DT, Auburn (Round 2, Pick 15)
Worst Pick: Jaylinn Hawks, S, California (Round 4, Pick 28)
1-Sentence Analysis: The Falcons were reaching all weekend long, taking guys way before they were expected to fill holes, while leaving better players on the board and failing to add help at defensive end or outside linebacker, two needy positions in Atlanta.

27. New England Patriots (41 out of 100)
Best Pick: Devin Asiasi, TE, UCLA ( Round 3, Pick 27)
Worst Pick: Dalton Keene, TE, Virginia Tech (Round 3, Pick 37)
1-Sentence Analysis: Asiasi was a great pick, but to leave Trautman on the board in favor of Keene is a travesty, and overall, the Patriots just didn’t do much exciting, trading out of the first round and taking a lot of late-round guys unlikely to make an immediate impact. 

26. Indianapolis Colts (42 out of 100)
Best Pick: Michael Pittman, WR, USC (Round 2, Pick 2)
Worst Pick: Julian Blackmon, S, Utah (Round 3, Pick 21)
1-Sentence Analysis: The Colts got some great value early in Pittman and Jonathan Taylor, but in spending four of their first five picks on offense, Indy failed to do much about their defense, which could be in rough shape in 2020.

25. Green Bay Packers (43 out of 100)
Best Pick: Josiah Deguara, TE, Cincinnati (Round 3, pick 30)
Worst Move: Not getting a wide receiver
1-Sentence Analysis: Green Bay would have nailed this draft if they were rebuilding, but they are coming off a 13-3 season so getting a lot of high-ceiling guys that don’t fit positional needs, while failing to address a gaping need at wide receiver leads to a poor grade.