The 2017 NFL Draft is now complete and with that, it’s time to measure how everyone did. This was one of the deepest drafts in the last 10 years, and with that, most teams left with, at a minimum, two players that they look at as early contributors. This year, I felt a few teams really stood out and over the next couple years, will reap the benefits of this year’s draft. Let’s get to the team by team analysis for every team for the 2017 NFL Draft.
Arizona Cardinals – They got good players in Haasan Reddick, Budda Baker, and Dorian Johnson, but I don’t like the fits. Still need a QB, WR, CB, and DL. If Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald really do retire after this year, they will have a lot of catching up to do.
Atlanta Falcons – The defending NFC Champions had a solid draft, getting a good pass rusher in Takkarist McKinley and a good CB in Damontae Kazee. I would have liked a better G than who they ended up with.
Baltimore Ravens – I liked their 1st four rounds of picks in Marlon Humphrey, Tyus Bowser, Chris Wormley, and Tim Williams. They are really good players who will contribute quickly. Problem is, they still have big holes at C, WR, RB, and OT.
Buffalo Bills – Four good picks in Tre’Davius White, Zay Jones, Dion Dawkins, and Nathan Peterman. Could have doubled up at CB and should have used a pick an OT. Still, they need more pieces.
Carolina Panthers – Had lots of holes in RB, WR, OT, S. They hit on three of them. LOVE Christian McCaffrey. LOVE Curtis Samuel. And Taylor Moton can play both G and OT. Daeshon Hall was also a good pick.
Chicago Bears – I made this known during the draft. I thought Chicago had a horrible draft. Traded too much to move up one spot to take Mitchell Trubisky. Doubt that any player they drafted starts a game this year, barring injury.
Cincinnati Bengals – Completely LOVED their draft. Added an extreme amount of talent in the 1st four picks. John Ross is the fastest WR in the draft. Joe Mixon may be the most talented RB in the draft. They also added two pass rushers in Jordan Willis and Carl Lawson, which was their biggest need.
Cleveland Browns – The Browns completely crushed it. The selected seven players that had either 1st or 2nd round talent, which is almost unthinkable. Only nitpick could have been missing on getting a 2nd S. However, getting the best player in the draft in Myles Garrett, plus Jabrill Peppers, David Njoku, DeShone Kizer, Larry Ogunjobi, Caleb Brantley, Roderick Johnson, and even Howard Wilson is gaining a ridiculous amount of talent.
Dallas Cowboys – Dallas had their three needs: pass rusher, CB, and S. They kind of filled all three of the needs. Taco Charlton and Chidobe Awuzie are very good. Jourdan Lewis can be a slot CB. However, I would have liked a better S than Xavier Woods. Ryan Switzer is a clone of current player Cole Beasley.
Denver Broncos – Surprised they took Garett Bolles over Ryan Ramczyk. They got Jake Butt to fill the need at TE and got Carlos Henderson to be the slot WR. Very solid draft.
Detroit Lions – The Lions went Gator-Gator to start with Jarrad Davis and Teez Tabor. They didn’t get a big upgrade at DE and didn’t get a much-needed S.
Green Bay Packers – The Pack just needed help primarily on defense, in a pass rusher and a DB. They got two DBs, in Kevin King and Josh Jones, to make sure they solved that issue. But they did not a pass rusher I really liked.
Houston Texans – They had about five to six holes to fill, but sold out for a QB in Deshaun Watson, which is what is most important. They didn’t replace AJ Bouye and their o-line is a bit shaky.
Indianapolis Colts – Indy had a very good draft. Malik Hooker and Quincy Wilson add a LOT of talent to a secondary that needs it. Tarell Basham is a good pass rusher and Marlon Mack is solid.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Leonard Fournette is a beast. Dede Westbrook is extremely talented, but not sure on the fit for him. Cam Robinson a good RT, but they are weak inside, needed a G.
Kansas City Chiefs – Another team that sold out for a QB, in Patrick Mahomes. I didn’t like their draft as much as the guys on TV did. Thought they could’ve had better choices for their draft picks.
Los Angeles Chargers – Taking Mike Williams didn’t make much sense to me. They did do a beastly job with Forrest Lamp, Dan Freeney, and Desmond King though. One LB away from being a solid team.
Los Angeles Rams – I really liked their 1st four picks in Gerald Everett, Cooper Kupp, John Johnson, and Josh Reynolds. The Rams got some much-needed offensive weapons for their young QB. They will be a MUCH better team next year.
Miami Dolphins – Very good draft by Miami. They filled their biggest needs in pass rusher and G with Charles Harris and Isaac Asiata. Cordrea Tankersley was the icing on the cake.
Minnesota Vikings – The Vikings added very good offensive talent to go with their top five defense. Dalvin Cook, Pat Elflein, and Bucky Hodges will all contribute solidly this year.
New England Patriots – Even with only four picks, the Pats added to the DL (Derek Rivers) and OL (Antonio Garcia). Their real picks were Brandin Cooks and Kony Ealy. I “think” they know what they are doing.
New Orleans Saints – This was one of the best drafts of anyone. Two top DBs in Marshon Lattimore and Marcus Williams. They got two pass rushers in Trey Hendrickson and Alex Anzalone. Add to that, they got the best OT in the draft in Ryan Ramczyk. Just an A+ draft for the Saints.
New York Giants – Evan Engram over David Njoku didn’t make sense to me. They passed on Ryan Ramczyk, which would have filled their biggest need on the OL. General Manager Jerry Reese better hope the guys they took work out.
New York Jets – I’m not a fan of Marcus Maye or Chad Hanson, but I LOVE the picks of Jamal Adams, ArDarius Stewart, and Jordan Leggett. They came in with a lot of needs and hit a few of them.
Oakland Raiders – Gareon Conley may be the 2nd best CB in the draft. They got GREAT value with him and David Sharpe. Wasn’t a fan of Obi Melifonwu or Eddie Vanderdoes. They still need a slot WR and an upgrade at LB.
Philadelphia Eagles – The home base of the draft, Philadelphia, didn’t get the BIG RB they wanted, which was a disappointment. However, I loved their rest of their draft. Derek Barnett, Sidney Jones, and Rasul Douglas could start almost immediately. Elijah Qualls unbelievably GREAT value at the end of the 6th.
Pittsburgh Steelers – The Steelers came into the draft with two big needs, pass rusher and CB. They ended up taking care of that with TJ Watt and Cameron Sutton. I’m also higher on Juju Smith-Schuster than most. I give them an above average draft grade.
San Francisco 49ers – Four good picks for the Niners defense. Solomon Thomas and DJ Jones will help big time on the DL, Ahkello Witherspoon, at CB, helps a lot on a thin secondary. And obviously, Reuben Foster in the middle should be a monster. Joe Williams and George Kittle will contribute on offense.
Seattle Seahawks – Seattle should have taken a 2nd OL earlier than they did. They didn’t get an LB. Shaquill Griffin is somewhat of a developmental project. I’m just not a big fan of their draft pick choices.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – The Bucs left the draft without an OT or CB but got very good talent. OJ Howard was a steal and will be a huge help for Jameis Winston. Chris Godwin and Jeremy McNichols will contribute. Justin Evans and Kendall Beckwith are solid selections.
Tennessee Titans – Their two biggest needs were CB and WR and they addressed those needs, swiftly, in round one with Corey Davis and Adoree Jackson. They then doubled up at WR with Taywan Taylor in round three. Wasn’t a fan of the Jonnu Smith pick, but most scouts to compare him to current TE Delanie Walker. Their 1st three picks made their draft and made their fans happy.
Washington Redskins – The Skins took the talent that fell to them in Jonathan Allen and Ryan Anderson, both from Alabama. Fabian Moreau, Samaje Perine, Jeremy Sprinkle will also contribute early.
And with that, another NFL draft ends. No teams are perfect, but more than a few did a lot to help themselves. In fact, my biggest winners were Cleveland, Baltimore, New Orleans, Cincinnati, and Philadelphia. Additionally, my biggest losers were Chicago, Seattle, Detroit, Kansas City, and Houston. But, we won’t know the true winners till these players develop over the next 3-4-5 years. Till then, all we can do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the upcoming NFL season.