As I say every year, the draft is about adding talent, but winning is about talent development. I know I can't grade a draft class on performance for at least a few years, which is a reason I audit old drafts. What I do here is assess three main things:
• How much overall talent did a team add, based on board position?
• How effectively did they address key personnel voids?
• How efficient were they in maneuvering on the draft board?
Remember: I have to use my player grades as the prism. I'm well aware all NFL teams see players differently -- I debate with those evaluators all year. Disagreements are just the reality of this process, and I'm sure they have some grades on me.
Grading scale: In my mind an A means it's exceptional; a B is pretty good; a C is average, with hits and questions marks; a D means below average with some big questions. An F ... well, keep reading.
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND | JAC | KC | LA | MIA | MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | OAK | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | SEA | TB | TEN | WAS
Jacksonville Jaguars: A
Top needs: DE, RB, CB, C
Regardless of what the future holds for Myles Jack in terms of health, if he's anything close to 100 percent for years to come, the Jags will have one of the biggest steals of recent draft history. They got Jalen Ramsey at No. 5 after Dallas took Ezekiel Elliott, and then saw Jack fall all the way into the second round, where they moved up to grab him. That's two top-5 types in a single draft class. Stay healthy, Myles.
Yannick Ngakoue provides pass-rush insurance, and Sheldon Day could have gone much earlier as a disruptive interior player with a great motor. He'll deepen the rotation. Tyrone Holmes is an unknown, but the value is just fine here. Defense, defense, defense ... and hey, they need it. The defense was a trainwreck last year, frankly. I like the addition of Brandon Allen in the sixth round. He was dropped from some boards because of small hands, but he was the best QB in the SEC last year and is a great fit here as a backup. Ultimately, you love the talent Jacksonville added and the value, but they've drafted well recently and just haven't shown the growth on the field. Is this the class that turns the tide?
