NFL Draft 2023 (Non) Grades

The 2023 NFL Draft Performance Assessments have arrived! And what have we learned?

• The Pittsburgh Steelers had an awesome weekend.
• Bill Belichick did Bill Belichick stuff.
• The Philadelphia Eagles broke the multiverse. Or at least the Georgiaverse.
• Dan Campbell did Dan Campbell stuff.
• Will Levis fell out of the first-round frying pan and into the Tennessee Titans fire.
• The Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears earned rare Walkthrough praise.
• The Atlanta Falcons did not.

A reminder: these are performance assessments, not "grades." Draft grades are silly clickbait. This grade-like substance is actually pure science, just like a "cognitive test" administered on an old Nintendo 64 by certified experts in neuropigskin scientific marketing.

Sometimes recent trades like the Aaron Rodgers deal count. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes they count for one of the trade partners but not the other. It doesn't matter. You already stopped reading the intro and scrolled to your team. Wise choice. Let's get on with it.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills

Improved Roster: B
Used Resources Well: C
Met Needs: B-
FINAL PPA: B-

Dalton Kincaid represents an athletic upgrade over Dawson Knox and should beef up the 12 package this year. O'Cyrus Torrence is an excellent second-round value. Both can help the Bills optimize an offense that appeared to max out at "good enough" at a few positions last year.

Dorian Williams is an undersized try-hard defender. Justin Shorter is an ironically named king-sized receiver who runs lumbering routes. Both look more like core special teamers than defensive/offensive contributors on a Super Bowl short-lister. Shorter might be a useful interference blocker on receiver screens, but Ken Dorsey doesn't like receiver screens.

This draft class lacks the masterstroke move that Bills Mafia probably wanted and the Bills themselves probably need: a trade up for a missing-piece playmaker, a DeAndre Hopkins deal, whatever.

The Bengals and Chiefs didn't do much wheeling and dealing either. But they are the teams the Bills are trying to catch. That means the Bills should have been willing to take some extra risks and bigger swings.

Miami Dolphins

Improved Roster: B
Used Resources Well: B-
Met Needs: C+
FINAL PPA: B-

Count the Jalen Ramsey trade and the grades would have been more like

Improved Roster: A
Used Resources Well: A+
Met Needs: B+
FINAL PPA: A

Cam Smith has Pro Bowl upside if he can learn to keep his hands off receivers. Devon Achane is a Nyheim Hynes type who could solve the Dolphins' punt/kick return issues. Elijah Higgins is more or less Mike Gesicki reimagined as a slot receiver (that's not an endorsement).

Some reinforcements on the offensive line and the edge (where there is zero depth) would have been swell. But the Dolphins lacked a first-round pick yet added an All-Pro cornerback in a sheriff's auction trade, so let's not sweat the details too much.

New England Patriots

Improved Roster: B+
Used Resources Well: B
Met Needs: D-
FINAL PPA: C-

Christian Gonzalez will be another J.C. Jackson or Stephon Gilmore, and the Patriots traded down for extra capital before landing him. Keion White is another Deatrich Wise type and a true Belichick scheme/culture fit. Seriously: the fellow already looks miserable!

Then we get to the kickers, punters, and self-indulgent noodling.

The quintessential Patriots draft pick these days is a lad with an unusual name from a college better known for producing creative writing professors than football players. Less than 1% of the draft media actually scouted this theoretical prospect, but all of us whipped up a pre-draft dossier om him based on a highlight video and some Shrine Bowl scuttlebutt, specifically so we can all say things like, "Oooh I loved edge rusher/fullback Gabba Booboogagaganesh coming out of Oral Hygiene University. Bill Belichick is SUCH a genius."

Yes, Belichick gets some benefit of the doubt on such players. But you may have noticed that Mac Jones is mediocre at best and that the Patriots receiver corps is, frankly, embarrassing. They needed more than Kayshon Boutte (vaporware) and Demario Douglas (the Malik Willis of slot receivers). They could have loaded up on the Josh Downs/Tyler Scott/Charlie Jones type receivers who slipped, thrown in a tight end who can block, and built a YAC machine for Jones starting in the third round. Instead, they goofed around with kickers and beefed up the interior line with small-school sleepers to compete with last year's small-school interior-line sleepers.

Hence the "D-" for meeting needs. The Patriots went out of their way to avoid meeting needs. This draft is just going to make the 2020s Patriots more like themselves, capable of hanging around the wild-card chase each year by beating bad teams by 16-13 final scores. And that score assumes this kicker pans out.

New York Jets

Improved Roster: A
Used Resources Well: D
Met Needs: B+
FINAL PPA: B-

In an effort to not enrage Jets fans any more than necessary, the Aaron Rodgers trade was included in these grades. Hence the "A" (they got a let's-say top-12 quarterback) and the "B+" for filling their most pressing need.

The "D" for resources comes not just from giving up a lot for Rodgers—I don't think they got snookered, but I don't want to hear anyone lecture me about "leverage" on the Internet again—but from sitting still when the Steelers leap-frogged them for Broderick Jones. Local guy Carter Warren feels like a consolation prize at tackle, while Israel Abanikanda is more of a fantasy-community binkie and Look Aaron: skill-position talent! selection than someone who will really help the Jets.

Will McDonald IV has intriguing tools on the edge. Joe Tippmann fills a need. And it's great to finally be able to get on with our lives after the Rodgers trade. But the Jets drafted like they had a lump in their throats because they were afraid to make a mistake. They should get used to that feeling.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

Improved Roster: B+
Used Resources Well: B
Met Needs: C
FINAL PPA: B

Zay Flowers became crystal clickmeth this draft season. Homer fans and bloggers around the NFL watched the same 10-play Flowers sizzle reel over and over until they were certain he was Tyreek Hill 2.0. He may be, but he's much more likely to be Mecole Hardman 2.0, or something in the wide range in between.

Granted, Flowers made a fine gift for the Lamar Jackson renewal-of-vows ceremony. But Hollywood Brown was a better prospect.

Trenton Simpson is a speedy linebacker who should never leave the field, and Tavius Robinson is big and rugged, has some pass-rush moves, and makes a lot of hustle plays. Kyu Blu Kelly was impressive in Mobile. As Daniel Jeremiah (I think) said on air: they all look like Ravens picks, as does Flowers. Maybe I have just gotten used to the Ravens coming away from draft weekend with a dozen of these guys because of compensatory picks and fourth-round hoarding.

Cincinnati Bengals

Improved Roster: A
Used Resources Well: B
Met Needs: B-
FINAL PPA: B+

Confession time: I thought Charlie Jones wasn't entering the draft until 2024. I thought that was the case for far too long. Like, until two weeks ago. I took preliminary notes on him while scouting Aidan O'Connell and Payne Durham and was like, "interesting smol-but-plays-big, finds-a-way receiver; better keep tabs on him." Whoops!

Jones does not exactly fill a need, but the Bengals won't need to worry about injuries at receiver, and good luck covering him with a linebacker on third-and-6.

Chase Brown is on my radar as a stealth Rookie of the Year candidate. Joe Mixon has legal issues and has lost some burst; Brown is a no-nonsense rusher with burst and receiving chops. Yes, he's an older prospect; I want to win a prop bet, not marry him (though he's a swell lad!). I could not find Brown odds on Sunday, even at sportsbooks offering action on Evan Null and Zach Kuntz. The house knows I am a dangerous sharp!

DJ Turner was an outstanding second-round value: faster than the Turnpike at midnight, good technique, great physicality. Myles Murphy and Jordan Battle are fine, with Battle taking over for Jessie Bates. Some offensive line reinforcements, a tight end, or some inspired early move would have earned the Bengals an A.

Cleveland Browns

Improved Roster: B+
Used Resources Well: B
Met Needs: B+
FINAL PPA: B+

Take it away, friend-of-Walkthrough Jared Mueller!

If the Browns draft Dawand Jones after already drafting Siaki Ika, the team won't be able to play in their home stadium. The foundations built on a trash dump aren't strong enough to hold those two

— Jared Mueller (@JaredKMueller) April 29, 2023

I am a Siaki Ika stan, and he fills the Browns' need for sheer ballast. Dawand Jones can be an NFL starter; in the short term, the Browns could have a really nasty short-yardage six-lineman package. Luke Wypler was very high on my board; center depth can stave off a crisis. Dorian Thompson-Robinson's selection reflects that the Browns need to spend as little money as possible backing up Deshaun Watson.

Cedric Tillman is the key to this draft. The banged-up 2022 version of Tillman would have barely been worth drafting. The 2021 version could be the versatile WR2 the Browns desperately need. I would have nabbed a falling Josh Downs or Jalin Hyatt (Tillman's teammate at Tennessee) instead; both have higher upside, especially for a team that already has a go-to receiver, and much lower risk. Still, the Browns accomplished quite a bit with the draft capital they possessed.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Improved Roster: A+
Used Resources Well: A
Met Needs: A
FINAL PPA: A

Darnell Washington apparently has a bad foot. Like, a really bad foot. Frankly, his foot could have fallen off in the National Championship Game—perhaps it came loose as he was stomping over some TCU defender—and he still would be an outstanding value at 93rd overall.

Washington won't get many touches, but he will be a matchup migraine in 12 packages and a blocking nightmare in both the running and screen games.

The Joey Porter Jr. slide was semi-predictable. The dude jams like he's in an Allman Brothers tribute band: very well but far too long. He doesn't look like a natural fit in the Steelers secondary, but he's as athletically impressive as a cornerback can be, and of course the Steelers could not have found a better "culture" fit unless they drafted Franco Greene HamLambert IV.

I fell in lurve with Keeanu Benton in Mobile and never fell out. Broderick Jones doesn't meet a critical need—Dan Moore got the job done last year—but that makes him an excellent pick. Adding Nick Herbig in the fourth round was just showing off.

The Steelers, as usual, are building at their own pace instead of panicking. They still have questions—the team and the fan base are more sold on Kenny Pickett than outside observers are—but they always look like a franchise that knows exactly what it's doing on draft weekend.

AFC South

Houston Texans

Improved Roster: A+
Used Resources Well: D+
Met Needs: A+
FINAL PPA: B+

The Texans are the sort of team that our draft assessment rubric was designed for. Obviously, C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson are excellent additions. Obviously, trading a first-round pick in 2024, among other assets, was a hefty price to pay for Anderson. The Texans improved their roster, but they would have had to be geniuses of self-sabotage not to, and all of the geniuses of self-sabotage are supposed to be out of the building.

The Stroud/Anderson acquisitions announce that the Texans are a football team again, not a youth ministry/performance art installation. That alone is valuable: it's a sign that the franchise is committed to DeMeco Ryans and a signal both to current players and the rest of the league to start taking the Texans seriously again.

Juice Newton Scruggs fills a need, though other quality centers were on the board when the Texans traded up (again) for him. Tank Dell is a fun little slotcar of a receiver, but Jalin Hyatt and Josh Downs were still on the board when the Texans traded up (yet again) for a 165-pounder. The Texans could have used the fifth- and sixth-round picks they traded away, but Nick Caserio appears to still be semi-dedicated to providing a halfway house for Derek Rivers/Christian Kirksey types on the back of the depth chart.

Ultimately, Thursday night marked the dawn of the DeMeco/Stroud/Anderson era. Those are three names worth getting behind, so we should keep our concerns about pick-value optimization under our hats. For now.

Indianapolis Colts

Improved Roster: A
Used Resources Well: A
Met Needs: A
FINAL PPA: A

I loved the Colts draft class! Does that mean Jim Irsay and I are now on the same wavelength? I have been listening to a lot of the Grateful Dead and pounding down fistfuls of cannabis gummies drinking a lot of herbal tea lately.

Whatever the reason, this was the sort of bold, thorough draft that the Colts have needed for years but couldn't accomplish because they kept trading draft picks for terrible quarterbacks.

Julius Brents is a high-effort, high-character, high-above-the-ground-because-he-is-tall defender. Seventh-rounder Jaylon Jones is similar to Brents though not as athletic or polished. Josh Downs and Adetomiwa Adebawore were outstanding values at their draft positions. Blake Freeland could develop into a starting left tackle. Evan Hull is another of my favorites: watch him gain an immediate role as a reliable third-down back behind Jonathan Taylor.

As for Anthony Richardson, he's the risk the Colts never wanted to take, and look where it got them. It's not hard to see a championship nucleus in this class if Richardson and some high-upside guys like Adebawore pan out. What more can a team ask for from the draft?

Jacksonville Jaguars

Improved Roster: D+
Used Resources Well: B+
Met Needs: C-
FINAL PPA: C

The Jaguars traded down twice before selecting Anton Harrison, then traded down again in the second round before choosing Brenton Strange. They accumulated a stockpile of about 83 Day 3 picks, most of which were used on players I either didn't like or did not do any real legwork on.

From a purity-of-analytics standpoint, therefore, the Jaguars did the right thing by not reaching for "their guy" and getting lots of extra rolls of the dice.

The Jaguars clearly like their secondary and interior defensive line more than I do (Antonio Johnson was a swell late addition). They liked Strange and Ventrell Miller more than I do. They may be a smidge more confident in Calvin Ridley/Christian Kirk/Zay Jones than they should be. Yeah, I am rooting for Ridley too. I haven't seen the cat since 2020, and "rooting for" is different from "analyzing" (at least, that's how I do it).

Trevor Lawrence gives Trent Baalke and Doug Pederson lots of margin for error when drafting. That doesn't mean they have to use it. But again: one or two Day 3 sleepers in the bushel could change the complexion of this class quickly.

Tennessee Titans

Improved Roster: C+
Used Resources Well: B
Met Needs: C-
FINAL PPA: C

Tyjae Spears, one of my giga-binkies, apparently doesn't have an ACL in one of his knees. That's right: he tore his ACL one too many times in the past, so that little sucker just packed its bags and noped out. That makes Spears an odd change-of-pace/insurance policy/heir apparent for Derrick Henry, but maybe Henry can protect Spears within the bubble of his Curse of 370 Cancellation spell.

Anyway, the Titans draft comes down to Will Levis. Acquiring Levis in the second round was worth the risk, the price of the second-round trade-up (a 2024 third-rounder and some late-round reshuffling) negligible for a theoretical quarterback solution. Peter Skoronski bulwarks the offensive line, and Jaelyn Duncan is an intriguing sixth-round lottery ticket at tackle.

Now, if someone can explain to me how Levis, who struggled in 2022 because of a depleted receiving corps (so the pro-Levis story goes, anyway), will develop while throwing to Treylon Burks, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Chris Moore, Racey McMath, Kyle Philips, Chigozeim Okonkwo, and some Day 3 randos, I will hang up and listen.

AFC West

Denver Broncos

Improved Roster: A
Used Resources Well: A+
Met Needs: C
FINAL PPA: A-

The Broncos did not draft for need. Or did they? They're loaded at wide receiver on paper, but it feels like they always have two guys on injured reserve and a third on the trading block. Their defense is always stout, but Dre'Mont Jones (who's now in Seattle) led the team with just 6.5 sacks last season, and there's always room for more talent at cornerback.

Marvin Mims should be fine as a seam-stretcher. Drew Sanders is my uberbinkie: he's an upgraded version of Baron Browning who can get after the quarterback, defend the run, and effectively drop into coverage a dozen times per game. JL Skinner is a fun 'tweener; players like Skinner end up washing out when drafted on Day 2 by bad teams but become quality role players for better defenses (who do not expect them to instantly become Tyrann Mathieu) when taken on Day 3.

As for Riley Moss: take it away, padawan...

Riley Moss is the fastest white Bronco since O.J’s car pic.twitter.com/lPBKe7GzMN

— Jarrett Bailey (@JBaileyNFL) April 29, 2023

The Broncos should not be drafting "for need" anyway. Either Russell Wilson rebounds and they reach the playoffs or he disappears further down into his own navel. The later scenario is more likely, and the Sean Payton regime spent the weekend adding fresh talent and starting to place its stamp on the roster in case a rebuild is imminent.

Kansas City Chiefs

Improved Roster: B+
Used Resources Well: B
Met Needs: B
FINAL PPA: B

Rashee Rice will either be an absolute revelation as Patrick Mahomes' new deep threat—an upgraded Marquez Valdes-Scantling, perhaps—or a small-school mirage. As a tall, one-dimensional boundary threat, Rice could not have landed in a better place, except perhaps Buffalo.

Wanya Morris will be starting at one of the tackle positions in 2024. Keondre Coburn can provide 30 space-eating snaps in the middle of the defense right away.

Felix Anudike-Uzomah is Captain Moldable Traits. BJ Thompson was a small-school pro day standout. Perennial contenders like the Chiefs must keep taking big swings like this on the edge because they are never in position to draft Will Anderson and get diminishing returns from ring-chasing rentals such as Carlos Dunlap.

It's a Super Bowl winner's draft. It's only going to be so thrilling.

Las Vegas Raiders

Improved Roster: C+
Used Resources Well: B
Met Needs: C+
FINAL PPA: B-

A solid but scattered draft class. Tyree Wilson and Michael Mayer are just peachy at the top. Mayer was an excellent value with the 35th pick and will see a lot of action immediately. Christopher Smith and Jakorian Bennett are quality upgrades in the secondary; Smith could start early, while Bennett has starting potential.

Tre Tucker charmed me at the Senior Bowl (he's quick and nifty) and the combine (he's an engaging interview). I like him as a return man and slot depth piece, but not as a third-round pick.

Aidan O'Connell is so immobile that I cannot imagine him developing into even a useful backup. The Raiders should have just grabbed more offensive line or front-seven talent instead of pretending that Josh McDaniels has any interest in a long-range quarterback solution.

Searching for rhyme or reason in a Raiders draft class has been a fool's errand since the Jon Gruden era, and really for most of the last 35 years. Enjoy the guy with the long arms, the tight end, and the feisty punt returner, and try not to think about what it all means.

Los Angeles Chargers

Improved Roster: B+
Used Resources Well: B
Met Needs: A
FINAL PPA: B+

This may have been the most by-the-books draft of the weekend. Receiver for Justin Herbert in the first round? Check. Beef up the defense on Day 2? Check. The Chargers did not even make a trade in the first three rounds. Maybe Tom Telesco was saving mental energy for the task of wringing the Herbert contract out of Dean Spanos.

Quentin Johnston is more of a Mike Williams than a Keenan Allen, but there was no Allen-type once Jaxon Smith-Njigba was gone. Derius Davis (Tank Dell without the buzz) was a strong fourth-round value.

Tuli Tuipulotu adds size, versatility, and a nasty hop-out move to the defensive front. Daiyan Henley may be old for a prospect, but he's younger than Eric Kendricks and could push the aging free-agent acquisition for a starting job.

Max Duggan can back Herbert up for three years at the league-minimum salary. In the event that Herbert suffers a minor injury, Duggan has enough big-game experience to get the Chargers through a week without suffering panic attacks.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

Improved Roster: B
Used Resources Well: B-
Met Needs: B
FINAL PPA: B

We enter every draft expecting the Cowboys to do loopy, splashy stuff. In most cases, they just add a collection of big/strong/fast guys, most of whom fill a need and come with a round-appropriate scouting report, perhaps with a dash of splash.

Mazi Smith is going to make Micah Parsons and Tank Lawrence better by munching about 45 double-teams per game. I also enjoyed Parsons' "no more sneaks" messaging. I don't think defenses can solve the quarterback sneak issue with manpower, but it's interesting to watch teams and players try to address the problem.

Luke Schoonmaker is a talented athlete and a sturdy blocker. He's a solid system fit for a team that probably plans to feature its receivers and use the tight end as a safety valve in the passing game, though Schoonmaker is fast enough to beat linebackers up the seam.

Yes, Deuce Vaughn's father works for the Cowboys, and he's only 5-foot-5. Vaughn's a thick little bocce ball, though, and the fact that the Cowboys pursued a Tony Pollard change-up in the sixth round instead of a Zeke Elliott surrogate in the first or second round illustrates the difference between Cowboys philosophies and Cowboys Internet memes.

The rest of the Cowboys draft class isn't all that interesting, and they didn't do any significant trading. Like the Bills, Bengals, and Chiefs (but not the Eagles), they acted like a Super Bowl contender just looking to plug holes and fine-tune the roster. But they are the Cowboys, so we always expect something more, or less, or just more COWBOYS.

New York Giants

Improved Roster: B
Used Resources Well: C+
Met Needs: B+
FINAL PPA: B+

Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll run a tidy ship. From contract negotiations to free agency to the draft board, you never look at a Giants decision over the last 16 months and ask, "WTF was that all about!" It's refreshing. It's also a little boring. Like, creating a reasonable B-tier compensation package for Daniel Jones took some subtle general management and careful balancing of risks with rewards. But it also just means Daniel Jones is your quarterback for the next two years.

Deonte Banks and John Michael Schmitz are strong prospects who solve immediate problems. Jalin Hyatt slipped, and Schoen grabbed the deep threat Kenny Golladay was supposed to be. Eric Gray is versatile enough to be a featured back during one of Saquon Barkley's absences.

Solid, by-the-book stuff. But remember: the Giants aren't as talented as the typical nine-win team. A by-the-book draft could land them back at eight wins or less. They would have benefitted from finding ways to be more active on Day 3. Or maybe they could have really hammered on one unit (receiver, secondary) like the Commanders did. This was a solid effort, not a special one. Schoen may need to break out the "special" to get the Giants ahead, because Jones will never be Josh Allen.

Philadelphia Eagles

Improved Roster: Brrt.
Used Resources Well: Brrrrt.
Met Needs: Brrrrrrrrrrt.
FINAL PPA: BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT.

I led my New York Times draft summary with the Eagles and do not want to repeat myself or belabor any common talking points.

The worst thing that can be said about the Eagles draft is that Jalen Carter might become a character-issue bust, Nolan Smith may just be a workout warrior, Kelee Ringo might have fallen to the fourth round for a reason, D'Andre Swift could be just a non-factor with a recognizable name, and the whole Georgia meme merely a sign of Howie Roseman getting too cutesy-poo. Indeed, Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean did not do much last year.

Fine, the worst-case scenario is possible, maybe a little plausible. But the Eagles did exactly what a Super Bowl contender should do in the draft: they aggressively pursued maximum-upside talent, because the "safe" picks likely to fall to them in most spots are unlikely to be talented enough to make a difference.

Also, Eagles fans are going to love Sydney Brown, and I wish the Eagles had drafted Chase Brown too.

Washington Commanders

Improved Roster: B+
Used Resources Well: B-
Met Needs: C-
FINAL PPA: C

Emmanuel Forbes and Jartavius Martin are good, though the Commanders could easily have had a more talented cornerback tandem in those same slots.

The overall Commanders draft strategy, on the other hand, was bad. That's not just a quarterback thing: Chase Young's option was not picked up, which means every edge rusher on the roster becomes a free agent next year, yet the Commanders waited until the fifth round to address that position.

I also don't get Chris Rodriguez, who essentially duplicates Brian Robinson as a thumper but is slow-footed and has a DUI arrest on his record. It's a quibble, but it speaks to the Commanders' aimless roster construction.

The Commanders don't really have a plan right now. That's understandable during an ownership change, but it's hardly optimal.

NFC North

Chicago Bears

Improved Roster: A+
Used Resources Well: A+
Met Needs: A-
FINAL PPA: A

Eight picks before the fifth round? Love it. An extra trade down in the first round? Elegant. Darnell Wright? One of my favorite prospects. Gervon Dexter and Thicch Zacch Pickens adding a zillion pounds of gristle to the defensive line? On brand. Tyler Scott (fast, great at fetching bad balls), Noah Sewell (too chonk for his own good, but with upside as a Sam/situational edge), and Terrell Smith (potential starting cornerback) on Day 3? Outstanding resource husbandry.

DJ Moore? An extra first-round pick next year? Five stars. No notes.

Detroit Lions

Improved Roster: A+
Used Resources Well: B-
Met Needs: B+
FINAL PPA: A-

You will likely read many deep-dive treatises into the Lions draft this week from evangelical analytics navel-gazers, Dan Campbell apologists, Lions-for-Super-Bowl early adopters, Hendon Hooker stans, and gambling/fantasy experts who think Jahmyr Gibbs +900 for Offensive Rookie of the Year looks tasty (it does). I tried to sum the Lions draft experience up succinctly in The New York Times, and I have neither the time nor patience to bloat the wordcount of this piece.

Overall, the Lions had a very good weekend. But they also could have added Christian Gonzalez, Lukas Van Ness, or Jaxon Smith-Ngiba instead of Gibbs, then added some running back later in the draft, kept D'Andre Swift, or perhaps grabbed Austin Ekeler for a Day 3 pick if they really felt they needed a receiver out of the backfield.

Had they selected one of those other players, the Lions would have had an objectively better weekend, and any stealth-contender talk would have been a little more serious.

Green Bay Packers

Improved Roster: B
Used Resources Well: C+
Met Needs: C+
FINAL PPA: C+

The first and last initials of all the skill position players the Packers drafted spell out the words "F*ck You, Rodgers."

OK, not really. But there were still some reaches among the team's post-Rodgers celebration bouquet.

I am not a big Luke Musgrave fan; he strikes me as a future airport All-Star who is always hurt and never blocks well enough to be a quality starter. Tucker Kraft could end up starting instead, which is fine, except the Packers should have grabbed a cornerback or a wide receiver (or a linebacker, or something) with the 42nd pick. Unless the goal was just to deny the Jets Musgrave.

Jayden Reed also felt a bit high. If you are passing on Jalin Hyatt or Josh Downs because they weigh 177 pounds, then don't draft a receiver who weighs exactly 180 pounds. Dontayvian Wicks dropped 15 passes in the last two years and was not targeted that much. There's also a small-school running back and a kicker lurking at the bottom of the board.

That said, Lukas Van Ness and Karl Brooks give up some strong Preston Smith and Rashan Gary vibes, Kraft is interesting, and the sheer size of this draft class (13 players) will be useful for a team at the dawn of a not-so-soft reboot.

Minnesota Vikings

Improved Roster: C
Used Resources Well: C
Met Needs: C-
FINAL PPA: C-

Some readers may think I go into around-the-league features like these looking for ways to troll Vikings fans. I do not. The Vikings keep forcing my hand.

Here are some of the notes I wrote in mid-February about DeWayne McBride: "Five career receptions is a glowing red flag, and McBride put up pinball numbers against opponents such as Georgia Southern (223 yards, four touchdowns) and Liberty (177, one). So we're looking at a midmajor workhorse with no receiving value: not exactly a great value in a deep running back class. Five fumbles (four lost) in 2022 are another cause for concern."

And here are some of my Jaren Hall notes: "Hall has a C+ NFL arm. ... Hall's passes often sail high, sometimes in traffic over the middle. He has good touch but below-average velocity in the 10- to 20-yard range, and defenders can jump his softer stuff. … There was lots of pro-Hall buzz entering the Senior Bowl, but he laid an egg during practice week. It was one of the worst weeks of practice I have seen by a quarterback in Mobile since Kellen Moore."

Jordan Addison is fine, but I did not have Mekhi Blackmon among my top 20 cornerbacks, and it does not appear that many other analysts did.

So what am I supposed to do here? The Vikings need youth and speed everywhere, probably should have saturation-drafted their secondary, and would have benefitted from expanding the depth chart at edge, on the offensive line, and at linebacker. Instead, they drafted Kellen Mond 2.0 and a fumble-prone running back. This is how they stay the Vikings.

Central tendency is about to hit this poor franchise like a freight train.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons

Improved Roster: B-
Used Resources Well: C-
Met Needs: C
FINAL PPA: C

Bijan Robinson transforms the Falcons from a nine-win team into an SEO-friendly nine-win team. The Falcons had absolutely zero business drafting a running back in the first round. None.

There's something unforgivably mid about the Arthur Smith Falcons' ambitions and taste in draft picks (and free agents in most cases). Clark Phillips was an excellent value, but Mathew Bergeron and Zach Harrison are low-upside prospects, and the same can be said about a huge chunk of the non-Jessie Bates members of the Falcons' free-agent shopping cart. Smith is definitely the guy who orders the chicken parm at the four-star Italian bistro.

The Falcons are burning money and resources to win the NFC South and only the NFC South. They're like the Saints without the financial-tightrope-walking flair. And at least the Saints really know what they have at quarterback.

Carolina Panthers

Improved Roster: C+
Used Resources Well: C+
Met Needs: A
FINAL PPA: B-

Quarterback was the need. Bryce Young filled it. Trading up for Young weakened both the roster (DJ Moore is a huge loss) and the Panthers' spending power in the draft.

Jonathan Mingo joins DJ Chark and Adam Thielen in a too slow/too injured/too old receiver corps, which could hamper Young's early career development. Mingo would have fit better on a team that needed a hard-blocking trips-formation receiver and third-and-6 guy, not one that might need someone to soak up a dozen targets per game by October.

I like adding Chandler Zavala to Ickey Ekwonu, potentially creating an all-Wolfpack offensive line, and both DJ Johnson and Jammie Robinson are interesting defensive pieces, but the Panthers could have used some late-round picks to churn the depth chart.

Don't be surprised—or too concerned—if Bryce Young has a Trevor Lawrence rookie year.

New Orleans Saints

Improved Roster: C+
Used Resources Well: C+
Met Needs: C
FINAL PPA: C+

Bryan Bresee has All-Pro upside but dealt with family and personal medical issues in college. Isaiah Foskey is big and toolsy; he could fill the Marcus Davenport role of "edge rusher everyone keeps waiting to break out."

A.T. Perry is tall and crafty, but he's 23 years old and slow-footed off the line. Kendre Miller is an upright runner with limited receiving value.

Jake Haener? He's a pepperpot, and I could see him as a cheap finish-the-game backup for Jalen Hurts or Patrick Mahomes. He'll be stuck on the third string in New Orleans, because Jameis Winston is backing up Derek Carr. The Saints must keep Winston because they agreed to restructure his contract to save cap space. The Saints have this weird need to burn midround picks on quarterback prospects such as Ian Book and Garrett Grayson who just don't have the tools to do more than soak up preseason snaps.

Don't read too much into the Saints' grades. Thinking about the way they have done business since Drew Brees' retirement just makes my head hurt, and I don't think even they really know what their plan is.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Improved Roster: B+
Used Resources Well: B
Met Needs: C
FINAL PPA: B

As promised/threatened, the Buccaneers did nothing at quarterback. This is Kyle Trask and Baker Mayfield's team to crash into the Shoals of Tankeria now, for better or worse.

Calijah Kancey and YaYa Diaby are athletic tough-guys who can help with the soft reboot on defense. Cody Mauch fills Jason Licht's never-satiated craving for gap-toothed small-program offensive linemen. I love Payne Durham as a block-first tight end with a little juice and Trey Palmer as a fast-fast-fast receiver/returner who can bounce right up after he takes a licking.

The "C" grade for "met needs" may be harsh; the Bucs have needs that they could not have possibly met on draft weekend. But they could have done something inspired like trade out of the first round (an extra first-rounder in 2024 could help them achieve their goals), stockpile more picks, liberate Mike Evans, etc.

Hmm, then maybe they should be dinged for "Used Resources Well." Whatever. Enjoy the concert by the Mayfield Trask Blues Band.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals

Improved Roster: B-
Used Resources Well: A+
Met Needs: B-
FINAL PPA: B

To everything there is a season. A time to trade up. A time to trade down. A time to rebuild. A time to win now. A time to draft the best player available. A time to wait and add picks for next year.

The Cardinals added a 2024 first-round pick and two third-rounders through various trades this weekend, and I love it. The roster is in disarray, and so is the front office: my guess is that general manager Monti Ossenfort needs to restructure some things before he can really trust his personnel department's decision-making. The Cardinals need a fallow-field year more than they needed someone like Will Anderson to notch 10 sacks for a six-win team.

That said, Paris Johnson and BJ Ojulari are fine picks, but the Cardinals needed more mid-round offensive line reinforcements than just Jon Gaines. Owen Pappoe is the last thing the Cardinals need: another pumped-up safety with great workout numbers and mediocre instincts trying to play linebacker.

Clayton Tune does not have fifth-round talent; Jeff Driskel or David Blough could easily beat him in training camp, especially if the Cardinals need a September starter due to Kyler Murray's injury. Michael Wilson hasn't looked like a third-round value since 2019, and if DeAndre Hopkins is staying put, the Cardinals didn't need to invest at receiver.

Every draft grade is actually "to be determined in a few years." The Cardinals' true draft grade is "check back and see whom they select in 2024."

Los Angeles Rams

Improved Roster: C
Used Resources Well: C+
Met Needs: C-
FINAL PPA: C

The problem with Stetson Bennett is that he lacks starting-quarterback upside but possesses the illusion of starting-quarterback upside.

Fans will clamor for Bennett the first time Matthew Stafford has one of his turnover sprees. Sean McVay is highly capable of outsmarting himself into thinking he can win with Bennett after the rookie "leads" the Rams to a 19-13 victory over the Cardinals. Next thing you know, the Rams are wasting a season on a pint-sized spray-shooting AJ McCarron type.

Bennett would have made a fine backup for someone such as Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert: his best attribute is that the spotlight won't bother him if he's thrown into a big game, and a contender could then shop him to some patsy if he delivers some "clutch" relief wins instead of being the patsies themselves.

Anyway, Steve Avila and Byron Young are very good players, Kobie Turner a bootleg knockoff weak-tea store-brand Aaron Donald (Turner's fine, but the Rams look like they are trying a little too hard to catch lightning in the bottle by drafting him), and trading down twice in the third round for extra late-round capital (some of which went into Bennett, some into fundersized edge rusher Nick Hampton) was a graceful little move. Puka Nacua could be a useful receiver, and it was fun to watch the Rams get bored at the end and just keep drafting guys named "Evans."

The Rams could have gotten Hendon Hooker—or Will Levis if they liked him—with little trouble instead of adding a guard, a B-tier edge, and a wishful-thinking heir apparent to a Hall of Famer. Maybe it won't matter. Maybe it's the only thing that would have mattered.

San Francisco 49ers

Improved Roster: D
Used Resources Well: B-
Met Needs: C-
FINAL PPA: D+

I don't understand most of what the 49ers did, and I don't really care to.

Drafting a kicker was, well, the kicker. Yes, I know Robbie Gould is gone. If the 49ers had first- or second-round picks, I might have overlooked a third-round kicker. But the 49ers needed to get all the bang they could from their three bucks worth of Day 2 draft capital.

Ji'Ayir Brown was a fine choice. Cameron Latu makes some sense as a system fit. Jake Moody should have been depth at receiver or on the interior offensive line, two units the 49ers didn't bother addressing, even with all of their Day 3 picks.

The 49ers keep succeeding despite weird drafts because of a high home run rate, Kyle Shanahan's clever game-planning, and a string of inspired defensive coordinators. But it's frustrating to watch them almost purposely make things harder on themselves.

Seattle Seahawks

Improved Roster: A+
Used Resources Well: B
Met Needs: B+
FINAL PPA: A-

Let's leave Pete Carroll alone so he can enjoy his running backs. Yes, the Seahawks draft one too early every darn year. And guess what? They end up needing them all, because running backs get hurt a lot.

How many times have the Seahawks started the season stacked at running back but then been forced to pull P.J. Piscataway off the practice squad or lure Abe Vigoda Peterson out of retirement? Both Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh are going to contribute this year. McIntosh would probably have been sufficient behind Kenny Walker, but whatever.

Let's concentrate instead on Devon Witherspoon, who will get the Seahawks back on brand; Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the best WR3 the Seahawks have employed since their Super Bowl era (and a future go-to guy); Derick Hall, a thumping edge; Mike Morris, a run-stopping rotational defensive end with upside; and a pair of useful interior offensive line pieces. And the Seahawks can be forgiven for not fly-fishing for a maybe-kinda-sorta quarterback-of-the-future late in the draft to cloud the Geno Smith picture this year.

The Seahawks may not have perfectly optimized their draft board. But they didn't revert to their late-2010s Bonkersville drafts, either. And right now, the Seahawks have the best roster in their division. Sorry, 49ers fans!