The NFL Draft is one of the biggest sporting events of the year (in America). It is where the 32 NFL teams draft some of the top college football players in the country. And it recently just occurred a couple of weeks ago in Pittsburgh. So let’s go over each team that drafted, who they drafted, and whether they picked up some good players that they needed. A grade will also be applied to each team to assess their choices. 

Arizona Cardinals: B

Needs (In order of what they need the most): QB, OT, EDGE, S, DT

Met: QB, OT, DT

The Arizona Cardinals had one of their better drafts in the past couple years. They addressed the QB issue, got the best running back in the draft, and got some weapons for the quarterback. There is just one issue, THE QUARTERBACK HIMSELF. Listen, I love Carson Beck as much as the next guy, but he is just too old. He is too old, and he isn’t built for the NFL big boys. One sack that is falling flat like Woody when Andy walks in. And Andy isn’t leaving, which means Carson isn’t getting up unless someone gets him up. Other than that, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cardinals make the wild card or just miss the cut this year. Next year, they focus on absolute beasts to help the offense.

Atlanta Falcons: A-

Needs: DT, WR, LB, CB, OT

Met: DT,WR,LB,CB,OT

Oh my goodness, this might’ve been one of the best draft performances of the night, ladies and gentlemen. They addressed all of their biggest needs and got good players with high draft value. Now they might actually be scary. I have actually liked all of the Falcons’ drafting choices, this year and last, so I was honestly always going to give it at least above B. The one choice that they made that I didn’t like was the choice they made in the 6th round. Their biggest need was DT (Defensive Tackle), and they didn’t address it until the 6th round. And when they did, they only got one. My mind is at, if you draft your biggest need this late in the draft, the least you can do is draft someone at the same position. Because keep in mind, THEY HAD TWO PICKS IN THIS ROUND.

Baltimore Ravens: C+

Needs: CB, S, DT, OG, WR

Met: CB, DT, OG,WR

Now I understand, to the untrained eye, that it looks like they met almost all of their needs and deserve a B or higher. I DISAGREE. Now for the nice things, they got the best Offensive Guard in the draft. He is most definitely a good contribution to the offensive linemen, which gives Lamar time to decide if he is going to run for a first down or run for a touchdown. They drafted a new punter due to the fact that Tyler Loop is in the Witness Protection Program after missing a game-winning field goal in the playoffs. Now into the parts I don’t like. They didn’t draft a CB until the 5th round. THE 5TH ROUND! Now I can absolutely justify spending their first on an Offensive Guard. BUT SPENDING A SECOND-ROUND PICK ON AN EDGE THAT THEY DIDN’T NEED! They don’t need that. They could’ve gotten a top CB in the draft. And if they did, they might’ve had an A. But they didn’t. How about that Jesse Minter (Head Coach)!

Buffalo Bills: A-A+

Needs:WR,EDGE,LB,OG,CB

Met: WR,EDGE,LB,OG,CB

I know what you’re thinking. “Aaron, if you only gave the Ravens a C+ for missing one need, yet you give Buffalo an A for meeting all of them?” Now, first of all, YES I AM. The list of needs that are listed, are in order of what they need the most. And Buffalo, they didn’t go too far out of order, but the Ravens felt like playing Twister with their needs. But the main reason why I gave this team the A grade is because they strategically matched with their playing styles. They got an EDGE that was the 8th best in the draft, and his pro comp was Trey Hendrickson(which, for the second round, isn’t horrible). And they continuously got the best player that fit their team. And while I do wish that they attempted to trade into the first round to draft a wide receiver, I can understand that their QB is good enough to work with mediocre receivers for one more season.

Carolina Panthers: B-

Needs:S, WR,EDGE,CB,RB

Met: S, WR,CB

Honestly, this was one of my favorite drafts. It took the approach of “It’s good, let’s make it better.” And I love that so much. They got an OT to improve their O Line so Bryce Young has more time. Not to mention that the OT that they got was the second best one in the entire draft. Then they got a WR in round 3 and got a C in the 5th. All of this is to make Bryce Young an asset. And I’m glad they are. They are getting their QB all the help he needs to perform his best this season. Now with all that said, they definitely took the wrong turn when drafting defense early. They could’ve gotten Bud Clark, the best available safety, in the second round instead of letting him fall to the Seahawks. But that was the only critique I had. Unfortunately, it is pretty significant.

Chicago Bears: A-
Needs: S, DT, EDGE, C,WR
Met: S, DT, C, WR

I honestly don’t know how I feel about this. They did everything right, but in the wrong way. They could’ve made more edgy picks (See what I did there). Because honestly, they shouldn’t have gotten an EDGE. Ben Johnson (their head coach) is more capable of grabbing one in Free Agency and making them better than starting from scratch with a rookie. One thing I don’t agree with is drafting a D tackle in the last round. But other than that, I think they took things slow and steady. But they also took a responsible approach. I don’t know how I feel about that. But it was an overall great draft, so congrats, you get an A- on my scale.

Cincinnati Bengals: B

Needs: CB, OT, WR, LB,OG

Met: CB, WR

The Bengals drafted like a little child playing Madden. Which is just picking the player at the top of the list, and leaving it up to chance. And it didn’t end up that bad. But my favorite pick was their second. They drafted an EDGE, whom I assume they’re going to assign at LB. And this is perfect since they just lost Trey Hendrickson. And the best part is that the drafted player’s draft comparison was a linebacker who had the 6th most sacks in the league. So that must say it all. But I have to give it a B rating purely because they hardly acknowledged any of their other needs.

Cleveland Browns: B

Needs: QB,WR,OT,OG,CB

Met: QB, WR, OT

The Browns most definitely must think Miles Garrett is the GOAT of defense, because they completely focused on offense this draft. They got a great value of an OT, who can play either side of the O-Line. They got 2 WR as weapons, and they got more help on the offensive side of the ball. But my favorite part of their draft was the back-to-back receiver picks. They used their late first and early second-round picks on receivers. And I love this strategy because they got the 4th and 6th best receivers in this draft to make a great combination of weapons. But the one thing I didn’t like was their late pick of QB. Because after their failed experiment of multiple QB draft picks from last year, the best thing to do, is start all over. But since that didn’t happen, they get a B grade.

Dallas Cowboys: C+

Needs:CB, S, LB, EDGE, TE

Met: CB, S, EDGE

I think Jerry Jones needs to pack up his bag and move to a local retirement home. That man is so confusing, maybe an insane asylum would be best for him. First, he was able to draft the 6th best player at 11th, and then they drafted the 54th best player at 23rd, when they could’ve used that pick for a top CB in Chris Johnson. Then, after this, they just do any average draft plan, and it was really boring. But they made some good picks, and they made some bad picks. But overall, it was horribly average.

Denver Broncos: D

Needs:DT, LB,TE,OT,OG

Met:DT,LB,TE,OT

I know what you’re thinking. “Aaron, they met almost all of their requirements; surely they have earned at least a B.” And I say, heck no. First of all, they didn’t get a pick until the 3rd Round. No first-rounder or second-rounder. And the players they did get were either over-drafted or straight buns. That’s all I need to say. And I will not list who they picked because the players are so bad that saying their names is similar to swearing.

Detroit Lions: B+

Needs:EDGE,DT,OT,CB,RB

Met:EDGE,DT,OT,CB

I loved their draft. The only thing I could think of is that they could’ve done stuff in a new direction, and I would love it even more. What they did in the early rounds was decent. But they shone in the later rounds. The two changes I would make are drafting Akheem Mesidor instead of Blake Miller in the first, and drafting Aveion Terrell instead of Derrick Moore in the second. This way, they would’ve addressed their defense early on instead of O line in the first (And honestly, if they traded back into the second, they probably still could’ve gotten Blake Miller)

Green Bay Packers: C

Needs:CB,OT,EDGE,LB,OG

Met:CB,EDGE

They did the same thing that the cowboys did, but better. Yes, they drafted some players too early, and some fell to them. But the one thing that they did that shot them up the board was the fact that they used their first pick to pick their biggest need. That one choice single-handedly brought them up from a D to a C. But still, barely passing the class.

Houston Texans: C+

Needs:OG,C,DT,CB,EDGE

Met:OG,DT

They did what the Packers did, and they drafted their first overall need with their first pick. It was a decent pickup. Do I think they could’ve drafted a different area of need with higher upside for their first-round pick? Oh, absolutely. They could’ve had Peter Woods, a top DT in this year’s draft. But their draft wasn’t bad, just slightly average.

Indianapolis Colts: A-

Needs: EDGE,WR,LB,S,C

Met:EDGE,WR,LB,S

The Colts put a spell on Daniel Jones to turn him into an MVP candidate from a Make-a-Wish Kid whose dream was to be an NFL QB. So now that they’ve got their (hopeful) QB of the future, they traded for Sauce Gardner to increase their chances of winning. But now it’s time to focus on everything around them. They are strong on RB’s and backup QB’s. So they just needed to focus on tackles and WR. And even though they drafted WR late, they got their biggest need in an appropriate round, AND THEY GOT TWO. Now two average EDGEs are better than one average EDGE. The only thing I would change if I were them would be to draft a second WR in the two picks that they had in the 7th Round instead of one.

Jacksonville Jaguars:B

Needs: DT,EDGE,LB,CB,RB

Met:DT,EDGE,LB,CB

This is very common in this article, but the Jags did something very similar to the Colts. They drafted the best possible players while also getting what they needed. The one thing I would’ve suggested is that if they chose to draft a TE; at least do it in a later round. But they chose to do it with their first pick in the second round. Other than that, I have no other needs for them. It seems like they are getting more assets for Trevor Lawrence in the TE and WR positions, and improved their defense. And honestly, I like their chances of going to the playoffs this season.

Kansas City Chiefs: A

Needs: WR, EDGE,DT,TE,CB
Met: WR, EDGE,DT,CB

Don’t say anything–I already hate how much I loved this draft. I hate the Chiefs with all of my heart. But I still can’t deny that they did great with their picks. THEY TRADED UP IN THE FIRST ROUND TO GET THE 6TH, AND TRADED BACK INTO THE FIRST ROUND TO GET THE 29TH. I hate how good their picks were, too. With their first pick, they got the highest-ranked CB in the draft, and with their second pick, they got the second-best DT in the draft. They met almost all of their needs throughout the draft with good timing. I just can’t give them an A+ purely because THEY ARE THE CHIEFS.

Los Angeles Chargers: B-

Needs: OG,DT,EDGE,WR,TE

Met:OG,DT,EDGE,WR

I like their draft; I really do. It’s just that I can’t deal with the fact that they drafted their OG’s as their last two picks. Because you can’t get a steal in the draft that late in the draft. Now everything else was honestly phenomenal. They got steals, they got underrated players. But I can’t say too much else because they kind of sold with those late picks. Nothing else to say.

Los Angeles Rams: B+

Needs: WR,OT,CB,QB,TE

Met:WR,OT,QB,TE

The Rams were on lockdown this draft. Probably because they only had 5 picks. And they made them count. They got a great TE and OT. And while their WR choices were questionable, you can’t really complain. But I do have one really big issue. WHY WOULD YOU DRAFT TY SIMPSON IN THE FIRST ROUND? LIKE HE HONESTLY WOULD’VE BEEN AVAILABLE FOR YOUR NEXT PICK. YOU HAVE A QB WHO JUST WON THE MVP. IT DOESN’T MATTER IF HE’S OLD. That’s all I have to say.

Las Vegas Raiders: C+

Needs: QB,WR,DT,CB,OG

Met:QB,WR,DT,CB

I don’t need to say much–they had the first overall pick and drafted a QB. I love their pick because it leads to a QB whose comparison is Joe Burrow. Now to the stuff I don’t like. The rest of their picks were all over the place. They got some rando’s instead of getting who they needed. If they played their cards right, I could say “THE RAIDERS HAVE WON THE SUPER BOWL ALREADY WITH THEIR IMPRESSIVE YOUNG CORE” instead of saying that they barely made the playoffs. They had so much potential in the draft and just couldn’t execute.

Miami Dolphins: A

Needs: WR,CB,EDGE,TE,S

Met: WR,CB,EDGE,TE,S

First of all, I LOVE THIS DRAFT. THIS HONESTLY IS IN THE RUNNING FOR THE BEST DRAFT OF THE EVENING. They had 13 picks in 7 rounds. “How is that possible?” I have no idea. But with that amount of picks, there is a very low chance that they screw it up. And they didn’t. They got all of their needs in 5 rounds, while also getting the best surrounding cast available. Now, they are still the Miami Dolphins, so I won’t be shocked if they are still horrible. BUT, I think that their draft would turn an average team into a deep playoff team.

Minnesota Vikings: F

Needs: S,C,WR,OG,LB

Met:S,C,LB

What a fall from grace. How do the Dolphin’s draft better than the Viking’s. But anyway, yeah this draft was horrible. They didn’t utilize any of their picks until later in the draft. Enough said.

New England Patriots: C

Needs: OT,DT,TE,S,EDGE

Met: OT,TE,EDGE

I am grading these drafts based on how much better the teams can get with the new additions. And honestly, I think that the Patriots won’t do as well this season as they did last. Because as each team is getting better, the Patriots are more or less staying the same. Now I am not saying that is the rookie’s fault. I am saying that they are helpless to stop it. Therefore, since they can’t change the team in a positive way, I am giving them a barely passing grade.

New Orleans Saints: B+

Needs: EDGE,WR,CB,OG,LB 

Met: WR,CB,OG

The Saints got some good assets. Honestly, I like all of the picks they made; I would just change one or two picks. With their first pick, they drafted Jordyn Tyson as their WR choice. Now I agree that Tyson is a good player. I just think that if they wanted to pick a WR, they should’ve picked Makai Lemon. He is the exact psychotic maniac that they need. Especially because he has the potential to be a Derrick Henry of the WR position, due to his insane mentality. The other thing I don’t agree with is that, instead of only drafting a CB in the 7th round, if I were them, I would’ve gotten Jermod McCoy in the 3rd round. The last thing that I would’ve done is draft an EDGE in the second. They could’ve selected the 5th best in the draft with their pick, Zion Young. But I’m not mad at the picks they did make.

New York Giants: A+

Needs: WR,OG,CB,DT,OT

Met:WR,CB,DT,OT

I hate the New York Giants. I really do. But the thing is, their first round pick made me stand up and start pacing. Do you want to know why? BECAUSE I WANTED ARVELL REESE FOR THE COMMANDERS. I WANTED HIM SOOO BAD. BUT THEY STOLE HIM FROM ME!!!!! AND THEN THEY TRADED BACK INTO THE FIRST ROUND AND GOT THE BEST OT!!!! WHY, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!!!! But after I had time to cope with my emotions, I realized that they made great picks for any team. The one thing I didn’t like was that they didn’t draft some of their needs sooner, but they took players who would just make them stronger in certain areas. So that’s why they have the first CERTIFIED A+.

New York Jets: A

Needs: QB,WR,EDGE,OG,CB

Met:QB,WR,EDGE,OG,CB

I don’t want to talk about it. NO ONE UNDERSTANDS HOW MUCH THE JETS DESERVE TO BE HORRIBLE FOREVER. IF THEY JETS EVER EVEN HAVE A DRAFT PICK OUTSIDE THE TOP 15 IN THE FIRST ROUND, THEN THEY ARE TOO GOOD, AND I HATE IT.

But they arguably had the best draft of the night. I refuse to speak more on the subject because their name is the New York Jets, and just saying their name is like saying a slur to the NFL fans of the world, but I will say, if you go to ESPN and see their draft picks, they don’t look bad.

Philadelphia Eagles: A+

Needs:EDGE,TE,OT,LB,S

Met:EDGE,TE,OT,S

As much as I hate the Giants, I hate the Eagles even more. As a Commanders fan, it’s my moral obligation to hate every team in my division. Except for the Cowboys, I won’t even give them the light of day. But one thing I must say about this draft for the Eagles is that, HOW DO WE KEEP LETTING THEM GET AWAY WITH THIS? THEY GET STEALS IN EVERY DRAFT, AND THEY DRAFTED A POTENTIAL DT, WITH BETTER PHYSICALS THAN MYLES GARRETT. HOW??????????? IT’S A GENUINE QUESTION. THEY GOT THE BEST WR, AND THE SECOND BEST TE. AS IF JALEN HURTS DOESN’T ALREADY HAVE THE AVENGERS TO THROW TOO. I don’t like this draft as a Commanders fan, but as an NFL fan, I have to say they did a phenomenal job.

Pittsburgh Steelers: B

Needs:QB,OG,OT,S,DT

Met: QB,OT,S,DT

The Steelers might be the most unpredictable team in the NFL, and it’s odd. They have a flat-earther throwing the ball, a bear as a wide receiver after losing a panther. And a lot of other people that I don’t feel like characterizing into a lot of other animals or profiles. But if that’s about to change, it’s either really good or pretty bad. The Steelers made some good picks, some good, some bad, but one that I am excited for is Drew Allar. He was an elite QB at Penn State, and now, I want him to take over the starting QB spot from that old grandpa named Aaron Rogers. But other than that, it was a pretty average draft.

Seattle Seahawks: B-

Needs:RB,EDGE,CB,OT,WR

Met: RB,CB,WR

This situation is very similar to the Patriots. They can’t get much better, and the rookies are powerless to change that. BUT the Seahawks still put together the best draft possible. They picked up what they thought they needed, and can put together a scrappy young team that can attempt to bring it back to the glory days of the 25-26 season.

San Francisco 49ers: B

Needs: OT,EDGE,WR,C,S

Met:OT,EDGE,WR

Preparation is the theme here. The 49ers are here preparing for their future. With their first pick, they got a WR, because they knew that Jauan Jennings would be leaving, and got a lot of younger players to help out their young core due to their deteriorating defensive core. I do wish that they focused a tad bit more on offense, but overall, it was a good draft. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B

Needs: EDGE,CB,DT,LB,TE

Met:EDGE,CB,DT,LB,TE

Boring, that’s all I have to say. No standouts other than Rueben Bain Jr. Everyone else is boring. They are a good type of boring, though. Yeah, they’re ok, but no standouts.

Tennessee Titans: B+

Needs: EDGE,WR,OG,RB,LB

Met:EDGE,WR,OG,RB,LB

It was a pretty good draft, once more, not too many standouts, but overall it was nice. I think Carnell Tate was a good pickup, especially getting more weapons for Cam Ward is always a good choice, but otherwise, it was pretty boring.

Washington Commanders: A 

Needs: WR,CB,C,RB,S

Met: WR,C,RB

As a Commanders fan, I LOVE THIS DRAFT. We got the best LB in the draft who had the best physicals possible; we got a WR who is an elite weapon for Jayden Daniels, an EDGE to support our defense, and more assets for our new and improved Washington Team.

NFL, game on!