2020 NFL Draft Grades by Team- Part I

NFL Draft Team Grades

Ben listed each draft pick and graded them. Now he's drafting how each team fared, whether they addressed their needs, reached, or stole certain picks.

Arizona Cardinals

Team Needs Before the Draft: Edge, TE, CB, IOL, RB, WR

First Round - LB Isaiah Simmons, Clemson. Grade: A+

Third Round - OT Josh Jones, Houston. Grade: A

Fourth Round - DT Leki Fotu, Utah. Grade: B-

Fifth Round - DT Rashard Lawrence, LSU. Grade: B+

Sixth Round - ILB Evan Weaver, California. Grade: B-

Seventh Round - RB Eno Benjamin, Arizona State. Grade: B

Comments: The Cards had a really good draft. Josh Jones taken in the third round was a steal. Simmons will be a monster if they can find a position for him and likely it will be inside linebacker for two downs and will be blitzing or covering the slot on third down. DT Justin My didn't have a huge need for the defensive line, but they certainly addressed that. Probably could have used another young receiver with Larry Fitzgerald retiring at some point. They didn't have a second-round pick but ended up with DeAndre Hopkins well before the draft. They also gave up their fifth for running back Kenyan Drake. So, the draft could have been a little better, but they addressed those needs before it.

Overall Draft Grade: B+

Atlanta Falcons

Team Needs Before the Draft: DB, OL, LB, RB, DL

First Round - CB A.J. Terrell, Clemson. Grade: B-

Second Round - DT Marlon Davidson, Auburn. Grade: C

Third Round - C Matt Hennessy, Temple. Grade: B+

Fourth Round - LB Mykal Walker, Fresno State. Grade: B-

Fourth Round - S Jaylinn Hawkins, California. Grade: C-

Seventh Round - P Sterling Hofrichter, Syracuse: Grade: B

Comments: Terrell was a slight reach in the middle of the first round. He was torched by LSU in the title game. He has good speed at 4.42. Hennessy was a strong pick in the third round and could eventually take over for Alex Mack. Davidson is kind of a tweener but is versatile. Walker was a solid pick in the fourth round, but they didn't really move the needle with any of these picks. The hope is that Hawkins and Terrell can step right in and play.

Overall Draft Grade: C-

Baltimore Ravens

Team Needs Before the Draft: ILB, Edge, TE, G, WR, S

First Round - ILB Patrick Queen, LSU. Grade: B+

Second Round - RB J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State. Grade: B+

Third Round - DT Justin Madubuilkie, Texas A&M. Grade: B

Third Round - WR Devin Duvernay, Texas. Grade: B-

Third Round - ILB Malik Harrison, Ohio State. Grade: A-

Third Round - OT Tyre Phillips, Mississippi State. Grade: C

Fourth Round -OG Ben Bredeson, Michigan. Grade: B-

Fifth Round - DT Broderick Washington, Texas Tech. Grade: C

Sixth Round - WR James Pocher, SMU. Grade: C-

Seventh Round -S Geno Stone, Iowa. Grade: B+

Comments: Another solid draft by Eric DeCosta in his second season. Queen was their best pick, addressing a huge need at inside linebacker. They also add another middle linebacker in Harrison, who can play some on the Edge. Wink Martindale will love using both of those fast linebackers. Dobbins was a really good pick, even though he wasn't a major need. Mark Ingram is now in his thirties and instead of taking a back later, they went for value. The head-scratchers were drafting two slot receivers in Duvernay and Pocher, who are undersized, though both have great hands. They also needed offensive guard help and if Philips or Breedeson work out, that's great for them.

Overall Draft Grade: B+

Buffalo Bills

Team Needs Before the Draft: CB, LB, Edge, IOL, WR

Second Round - A.J. Espenesa, Iowa. Grade: A-

Third Round - RB Zack Moss, Utah. Grade: C+

Fourth Round - WR Gabriel Davis, UCF. Grade: C-

Fifth Round - QB Jake Fromm, Georgia. Grade: C+

Sixth Round - K Tyler Bass, Georgia Southern. Grade: C-

Sixth Round - WR Isaiah Hodgins, Oregon State. Grade: B-

Seventh Round - CB Dane Jackson, Pittsburgh: Grade: D

Comments: Bills didn't have a first-round pick so it's tough to get a star. They did get a top-flight receiver in the trade for Stefon Diggs with Minnesota. But they did a nice job selecting Espenesa, a first-round talent in the second round. Moss was a bit of a reach in the third round. Fromm will have to fight to make the team as a backup. Hodgins is a big receiver who was very productive at Oregon State with 13 TDs but has below-average speed. Still a nice pick late.

Overall Draft Grade: C-

Chicago Bears

Team Needs Before the Draft: OL, S, CB, WR, QB

Second Round - TE Cole Kmet, Notre Dame. Grade: B-

Second Round - CB Jaylon Johnson, Utah. Grade: A-

Fifth Round - DE Trevis Gipson, Tulsa. Grade: B-

Fifth Round - CB Kindle Vildor, Georgia Southern. Grade: C+

Fifth Round - WR Darnell Mooney, Tulane. Grade: C-

Seventh Round - OT Arlington Hambright, Colorado. Grade: C-

Seventh Round - OG Lachavious Simmons, Tennessee State. Grace: B-

Comments: Kmet is not a star, but a pretty solid pick in the second round. Save for the fact that the Bears have 10 tight ends now led by free agent Jimmy Graham. Johnson was a stronger selection with the second, second-round pick. He is a really good corner if he can stay healthy. Like the Gipson pick who has the length and speed to be a factor on the Edge. But did they get better on the offensive end with this draft? They still need a quarterback and a receiver.

Overall Draft Grade: D+

Carolina Panthers

Team Needs Before the Draft: LB, DL, CB, IOL, CB, TE

First Round - DT Derrick Brown, Auburn. Grade: A

Second Round - Edge Ytur Gross-Matos, Penn State. Grade: B+

Second Round - S Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois. Grade: A-

Fourth Round - CB Troy Pride Jr., Notre Dame. Grade: B-

Fifth Round - S Kenny Robinson, West Virginia. Grade: B+

Sixth Round - DT Bravvion Roy, Baylor. Grade: C

Seventh Round - CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver III. Grade: B-

Comments: Matt Rhule was left a team that was not only terribly on defense, but they lost Luke Kuechly to retirement. So they went out and addressed every defensive need they had. They also might go to a 4-3, so they need more defensive linemen. They ignored the offensive end, though they are pretty solid at receiver and running back. What they did need was help on the interior of the offensive line. Taking Brown was a value, because he could be dominant right away. Chinn may have been the best in the draft for the Panthers. He's a steal there in the last pick of the second round. He was a better pick than Gross-Matos, who was also a solid pick in the early second round. Very solid draft despite neglecting the offense.

Overall Draft Grade: B

Cincinnati Bengals

Team Needs Before the Draft: QB, Edge, OT, WR, CB, TE.

First Round - QB Joe Burrow, LSU. Grade: A

Second Round - WR Tee Higgins, Clemson. Grade: B+

Third Round - ILB Logan Wilson, Wyoming. Grade: B+

Fourth Round - OLB Akeem Davis-Gaither, Appalachian State. Grade: A-

Fifth Round: Edge Khalid Kareem, Notre Dame. Grade: C+

Sixth Round: OT Hakeem Adeniji, Kansas. Grade: B-

Seventh Round: LB Markus Bailey, LB Purdue. Grade: B+

Comments: It's hard not to like this draft. Not only did the Bengals predictably take Burrow, but they got him a weapon in Higgins. His lack of elite speed could hinder him some. All he goes is get open and catch ball. Wilson was a nice value pick in the third round. Some guys that don't play for Power 5 conferences can actually play. Davis-Gather is one of those undersized linebackers that can cover and are basically bulked-up safetyes. It helps to have Burrow, but this was a solid pick drafted after him. They added an offensive tackle late and did not take a cornerback. This team needed to just add more talent and not just worry about needs.

Overall Draft Grade: A-

Cleveland Browns

Team Needs Before the Draft: OT, S, WR, IOL, DL, CB.

First Round - OT Jedrick Wills, Alabama. Grade: B+

Second Round - S Grant Delpit, LSU. Grade: A-

Third Round - DT Jordan Elliott, Missouri. Grade: B+

Third Round - ILB Jacob Phillips, LSU. Grade: B

Fourth Round - TE Harrison Bryant, Fla Atlantic. Grade: B+

Fifth Round - C Nick Harris, Washington. Grade: B+

Sixth Round - WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan. Grade: A-

Comments: Very strong draft for the Browns. They didn't go for flashy picks and tried to adress both lines. Delpit was a strong pick in the second round, even though he's coming off a inconsistent season. He's a first-round talent. Wills is a solid first-round pick, that should be able to anchor at left tackle for years. Nick Harris was a steal in the fifth round, even though he's undersized. They also took another LSU player in the third round in Phillips and you can't go wrong with that (14 players taken from LSU).

Overall Draft Grade: B

Dallas Cowboys

Team Needs Before the Draft: CB, OL, S, TE, LB, WR, IDL

First Round - WR CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma. Grade: A-

Second Round - CB Trevon Diggs, Alabama. Grade: A

Third Round - DT Neville Gallimore, Oklahoma. Grade: C-

Fourth Round - CB Reggie Robinson, Tulsa. Grade: A-

Fifth Round - C Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin. Grade: A

Fifth Round - DE Bradley Anae, Utah. Grade: C+

Seventh Round - QB Ben DiNucci, James Madison. Grade: C-

Comments: Very good draft for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. With Byron Jones going to Miami, they needed a corner and found two. They could have traded up or down to attempt to get a corner in the first round (they may have), but getting Diggs in the second round was just as good. Diggs is a talented corner, but he won't be able to step in right away. Not likely because he is still learning the position. The Lamb pick in the first round was a bit puzzling, because they already had Amari Cooper, who is a similar receiver. Biadasz was a strong pick in the fifth round. They didn't add a linebacker and could have added a Kenneth Murray or a Patrick Queen instead of Lamb. That would have made this draft an A.

Overall Draft Grade: B+

Denver Broncos

Team Needs Before the Draft: OT, LB, WR, S, Edge, CB, TE

First Round - WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama. Grade: A+

Second Round - WR K.J. Hamler, Penn State. Grade: C-

Third Round - CB Michael Ojemudia, Iowa. Grade: C

Third Round - C Lloyd Cushenberry III, LSU. Grade: B+

Third Round - DT McTelvin Agim, Arkansas. Grade: B

Fourth Round - TE Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri. Grade: B

Fifth Round - OLB Justin Strnad, Wake Forest. Grade: C-

Sixth Round - G Netane Muti, Fresno State. Grade: A

Seventh Round - WR Tyrie Cleveland, Florida. Grade: D

Seventh Round - OLB Derrek Tuszka, North Dakota State. Grade: B+

Comments: John Elway hit a home run with the first pick with Jeudy and hit a long single with Hamler. Jeudy is an elite receiver because he's a great route runner and has decent speed. Hamler is a burner, but very small and not a consistent catcher. They didn't draft an offensive lineman until the third round and no tackle. Cushenberry was a strong pick up in the third round and Agim was strong as well. They had some hits and misses. You can't go wrong with Jeudy to anchor the draft. Albert Okwuegbunam was the most intriguing pick because he has the talent and great speed for his size with a 4.49 40 and Drew Lock will be happy to throw to a former Mizzou Tiger.

Overall Draft Grade: B+

Detroit Lions

Team Needs Before the Draft: DL, CB, WR, IDL, RB, LB, QB

First Round - CB Jeff Okudah, Ohio State. Grade: A

Second Round - RB D'Andre Swift, Georgia. Grade: B+

Third Round - DE Julian Okwara, Notre Dame. Grade: B

Third Round - OG Jonah Jackson, Ohio State. Grade: B-

Fourth Round - OG Logan Stenberg, Kentucky. Grade: B+

Fifth Round - WR Quintez Cephus, Wisconsin. Grade: C-

Fifth Round - RB Jason Huntley, New Mexico State. Grade: B+

Sixth Round - DT John Penisini, Utah. Grade: C

Seventh Round - DT Jason Cornell, Ohio State. Grade: B-

Comments: I like what the Lions did early in the draft. Okudah is a stud and he replaces Darius Slay right away. Swift was an interesting pick in the second round. Taking a running back, even in the second round, doesn't make a whole lot of sense. But he walks in as the best back label since Barry Sanders. He's legit. Okwara and Jackson were solid picks in the third round. Not sure why they took another back in Huntley in the fifth round, but he's a nice value. The biggest issue is that they didn't address a defensive tackle until the sixth round. Getting a slow receiver in the fifth round in Cephus didn't make sense either.

Overall Draft Grade: B-

Green Bay Packers

Team Needs Before the Draft: TE, WR, OL, CB, LB

First Round - QB Jordan Love, Utah. Grade: C-

Second Round - RB A.J. Dillon, Boston College. Grade: C-

Third Round - TE Josiah Degura, Cincinnati. Grade: C

Fifth Round - LB Kamal Martin, Minnesota. Grade: C+

Sixth Round - OT Jon Runyan, Michigan. Grade: B+

Sixth Round - C Jake Hanson, Oregon. Grade: C-

Sixth Round - OT/G Simon Stepaniak, Indiana. Grade: B-

Seventh Round - S Vernon Scott, TCU. Grade: C-

Seventh Round - DE Jonathan Garvin, Miami-Fl. Grade: B-

Comments: What in the world happened. I think the original grades were too nice and I'm going to give the Love pick a C-. When your best pick is Jon Runyan in the sixth round, you did not have a good draft. The only thing that saves them from a D was the fact that they had five picks in the sixth and seventh round and might hit on a few of them. Not sure the point of taking Dillon in the second round when he's basically just a bruising short-yardage back. But it all starts with Love. Even if he becomes a great quarterback, you still have a veteran quarterback who is still productive. You don't get him a receiver and you add a tight end that is undersized.

Overall Draft Grade: C-

Houston Texans

Team Needs Before the Draft: WR, Edge, OL, DL, CB

Second Round - DT Ross Blacklock, TCU. Grade: B

Third Round - LB Jonathan Greenard, Florida. Grade: C-

Fourth Round - OT Charlie Heck, North Carolina. Grade: C

Fourth Round - CB John Reid, Penn State. Grade: C

Fifth Round - WR Isaiah Coulter, Rhode Island. Grade: B-

Comments: Houston didn't have a first-rounder thanks to the Laremy Tunsil trade from Miami. So, Bill O'Brien did a decent job here with what he had. Blacklock will be able to help the defensive line right away. Greenard is a pass rusher from Florida, taking a bit high in the third round. He doesn't do much else, but should at least be able to rush the passer. Heck should add some depth, but not a pick that will change the team. This was a meh draft.

Overall Draft Grade: C

Indianapolis Colts:

Team Needs Before the Draft: QB, WR, CB, OL

Second Round - WR Michael Pittman, USC. Grade: A-

Second Round - RB Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin. Grade: B-

Third Round - S Julian Blackmon, Utah. Grade: B-

Fourth Round - QB Jacob Eason, Washington. Grade: B

Fifth Round - OL Danny Pinter, Ball State. Grade: C

Sixth Round - DT Rob Windsor, Penn State. Grade: B-

Sixth Round - CB Isaiah Rodgers, UMass. Grade: C-

Sixth Round - WR Dezmon Patmon, Washington State. Grade: B

Sixth Round - ILB Jordan Glasgow, Michigan. Grade: C-

Comments: The Colts owned the sixth round with four picks. The key to this draft will be Jacob Eason in the fourth round. He does have size and talent will be learning from Philip Rivers. That's a solid pick for a young quarterback who has some tools but is nowhere ready to play. Pittman was another strong pick in the second round. They needed some size and talent. Not as sold on Taylor late in the second round, but you can't deny his talent and speed. Most guys that put the ball on the ground, it becomes mental and it's tough to reverse. For not having a first-round pick due to the DeForest Buckner deal, the Colts did a nice job.

Overall Draft Grade: B

Jacksonville Jaguars

Team Needs Before the Draft: DL, RB, CB, Edge, OL

First Round - CB C.J. Henderson, Florida. Grade: B+.

First Round - Edge K'Lavon Chaisson. Grade: A-

Second Round - WR Laviska Shenault, Colorado. Grade: B+

Third Round - DL DeVon Hamilton, Ohio. Grade: B

Fourth Round - OT Ben Bartch, St. John's (MN). Grade: A-

Fourth Round - CB Josiah Scott, Michigan State. Grade: C

Fourth Round - LB Shaquille Quarterman, Miami. Grade: B

Fifth Round - S Daniel Thomas, Auburn. Grade: B

Fifth Round - WR Collin Johnson, Texas. Grade: B

Sixth Round - QB Jake Luton, Oregon State. Grade: B-

Sixth Round - TE Tyler Davis, Georgia Tech. Grade: C-.

Seventh Round - CB Chris Claybrooks, Memphis. Grade: D

Comments: Pretty good pick with Henderson, though a slight reach. He's a good cover guy who needs to improve his tackling. They desperately needed a corner. Getting Chaisson at 20 was a better selection and the Jags had to be happy that the Cowboys passed him up. They had 12 picks, so not everybody is going to make the team. Luton is a guy that could be interesting and is not just a project in the sixth round. Look what happened with Gardner Minshew. Bartch is a slight gamble, but he's worth taking a shot in the fourth round. Shenault was another solid pick in the second round.

Overall Draft Grade: B

Kansas City Chiefs

Team Needs Before the Draft: DL, CB, RB, OL

First round - RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LSU. Grade: C

Second Round - LB Willie Gay Jr., Miss. State. Grade: C-

Third Round - OT Lucas Niang, TCU. Grade: B+

Fourth Round - S L'Jarius Sneed, Louisiana Tech. Grade: B+

Fifth Round - DE Michael Danna, Michigan. Grade: C-

Seventh Round - CB Bopete Keyes, Tulane. Grade: B

Comments: Didn't love this draft, but you have to consider where they were drafting. Grabbing a running back late in the first round was a need, but the defense should have been more of a priority. Edwards-Helaire is a nice player, but with Damien Williams, he's not a major need. Gay is a big risk because the talent is there, but he had some off-the-field issues. Maybe you take a guy like that later in the draft, not with your second pick. Niang was a better pick in the third round. Also, like the Sneed pick in the fourth round. Nice value there. Does it really matter what their grade is after winning the Super Bowl for the first time in 50 years?

Overall Draft Grade: C+