Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
Spring is a difficult time for fans of the NFL. There’s no real football — no the UFL doesn’t count — until September. With nothing better to do, fans pore over every minute of college film, hoping to find their team’s next Tom Brady hidden in a sea of busts.
This grade of various team drafts is focused on two factors — did teams get what they need, and did they overextend to get it?
Starting off with a team that got some of what they needed, the San Francisco 49ers did their best Bill Belichick impression and focused largely on defense.
While they definitely needed to address their defensive line, picking defense through most of the fourth round was not the best move.
The draft would have been a good time to load up on second and third round offensive talent in preparation for Brock Purdy’s contract ballooning. Instead, it looks like the 49ers might be joining my Patriots in purgatory.
Another team that got what they needed but still raised some eyebrows is the Cleveland Browns. Aside from trading out of the No. 2 pick, they drafted two quarterbacks in late rounds.
They definitely added some talent on both sides of the ball, but if the Browns had one need since the Deshaun Watson fiasco, it’s a good quarterback. A room featuring Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders does not inspire confidence for a solid season.
The Las Vegas Raiders finally have good talent coming out of the draft. The team needed more options for Geno Smith to throw and hand off to, as well as more protection.
With that in mind, they targeted offense throughout the draft. Since they drafted starting-caliber players early, later round picks should have time to develop on a Raiders roster that looks to improve on their results from last season.
Another team that got what they needed, when they needed it, is my New England Patriots. The Patriots have been allergic to drafting offense in early rounds for years. This year, offense was their main focus through the first two days of the draft.
They drafted multiple talents for revamping the offensive line, got a scarily accurate kicker and patched holes on the rest of the team. They also drafted defensive back Kobee Minor as Mr. Irrelevant — the last pick of the draft — who will undoubtedly be the second coming of Ty Law.
Finally, a team that leapfrogged everyone and got their players, the Jacksonville Jaguars. New team general manager James Gladstone made a name for himself with the Rams by selecting versatile talents that became household names — think Puka Nacua as a recent example.
He traded up to get Travis Hunter at pick No. 2 and drafted versatile playmakers for new head coach Liam Coen to plug and play wherever he sees fit.
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