Last week, I graded the 2021 NFL draft. But I only did the NFC. Today, I’m doing the AFC. Before we begin, I want to say that this is my opinion. It’s ok to disagree, but please don’t get angry.
New England Patriots: A+
As much as I hate to say it, the Patriots had a really good draft. They got their franchise quarterback in Mac Jones in the first round, traded up to get Alabama defensive tackle Christian Barmore in round 2, and edge Ronnie Perkins has good upside.
Miami Dolphins: A+
The Dolphins also crushed it. First-round picks Jaylen Waddle and Jaelen Phillips are both very talented. Waddle is a wide receiver who has been compared to Tyreek Hill with his insane speed. And cornerback Jevon Holland can pick off lots of passes.
New York Jets: B
Quarterback Zach Wilson at pick #2 was a no-brainer. But trading up 12 picks later to get USC guard Alijah Vera-Tucker was not a great move. Vera-Tucker is a good prospect, but he doesn’t have a good chance of making the Pro Bowl. Overall the Jets had a good draft.
Buffalo Bills: B+
The Bills had a solid draft. Defensive lineman Gregory Rousseau is a 6’7, 266 sack artist. He also has big upside potential. Edge rusher Carlos Basham Jr. is kind of the opposite. He’s versatile and should be on the field right away.
Pittsburgh Steelers: B-
This is probably being a little generous, but the Steelers draft really wasn’t that bad. Yes, running back Najee Harris and tight end Pat Freiermuth were head-scratchers, but they filled their hole at offensive line in rounds 3 and 4.
Cincinnati Bengals: C-
Why take wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase when Penei Sewell was on the board? Joe Burrow is in serious danger of tearing his ACL again. Yes, Chase and Burrow have great chemistry as they went to the same college and yes, the Bengals got their lineman in round 2, but come on! The guy was compared to Anthony Munoz!
Cleveland Browns: A-
The Browns filled plenty of defensive holes. In the first round, they were lucky enough to have cornerback Greg Newsome fall all the way down to 26. Then in the 2nd round, they traded up to stop Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s slide. You’ve gotta give GM Andrew Berry lots of credit.
Baltimore Ravens: A+
Wide receiver Rashod Bateman in the first round was one of the biggest steals of the draft. Fast, great hands, insane talent. Four picks later, they selected edge rusher Odafe Oweh. As a Penn State football fan, Oweh offers huge upside. Another year, another amazing Ravens draft.
Kansas City Chiefs: B
Trading for Orlando Brown a week before the draft began was a huge move. But Andy Reid’s squad continued to provide Patrick Mahomes by getting Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey. Humphrey will probably last for a while. Nick Bolton (Missouri linebacker) is kind of “off-ball”, as The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia says. But he was productive in college. Kansas City only had 6 picks overall and traded their first-rounder to Baltimore for Brown. But they still had a productive draft.
Las Vegas Raiders: C+
The Raiders didn’t have too bad of a draft. But I’m mainly giving them this low of a grade for their first-round choice of tackle Alex Leatherwood. Leatherwood was projected to be early 2nd-round at best. Plus, as ESPN said, he’s not the Alabama player you’d expect to go first-round.
Los Angeles Chargers: A
The Chargers could be a Super Bowl contender this year. They did a fantastic job during the draft. Offensive tackle Rashawn Slater will help Justin Herbert have more time to throw the ball. And CB Asante Samuel Jr. has good zone coverage and reminds people of his father. Could we have back-to-back Super Bowls with a team in their own building?
Denver Broncos: B
The Broncos started last Thursday with rumors of Aaron Rodgers coming to them and ended with them passing on Justin Fields. Cornerback Patrick Surtain II (also the son of a great corner) was one of the draft’s cleanest prospects. However, the Broncos are already stacked at cornerback. On a good note, though, Kyle Fuller and Bryce Callahan are scheduled to become free agents at the end of the season. As for the rest of their haul, trading up for running back Javonte Williams was a good move. Williams is pretty fun to watch and could be an immediate starter.
Tennessee Titans: B
The Titans had a good start to the draft, getting Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley. But he’s injury-prone. He hurt his back many times during college. NDSU offensive tackle Dillon Radunz was reasonable. However, this class will be determined based on whether Farley’s healthy or not.
Jacksonville Jaguars: B+
The Jags had the number #1 overall pick, and of course they took the best player available, which was Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence. But they used their second first-round pick on Lawrence’s college teammate, running back Travis Etienne when they already have James Robinson. Offensive tackle Walker Little was pretty good. This team’s not going 1-15 again.
Indianapolis Colts: B-
Edge rusher Kwity Paye was a good pick. It was surprising that he fell all the way to 21. But the Colts’ rest of the draft was somewhat underwhelming. They took another edge rusher in the second round in Dayo Odeyingbo,who tore his Achilles in the winter and might not play this year.
Houston Texans: F
Saving the worst for last, huh? It was known even before last year and the year before that the Texans weren’t going to have their first two selections. But their overall draft was awful. Drafting quarterback Davis Mills in round 3 when you have Deshaun Watson? Moving up 20 picks to get a receiver who never had more than 38 catches in a season? They only had 5 picks, but man, they’re not gonna look good in the future. At least Bill O’Brien is gone.
That’s every team’s draft grades! Of course, they might not age very well in the future. But for now that’s what I think of them.
