This is my first year writing about post-NFL Draft reviews, and this was a great year to get started. There were a bunch of talented players in all seven rounds of this year’s draft. In this article, I’ll be going division by division, grading the draft class for every team, while also writing about my favorite player that each team selected. Let’s get started with the NFC East and the New York Giants.
Giants (A)
The Giants’ haul in this year’s class is one of the best in the league. The pick that stands out most to me, and in my opinion is their best (other than the obvious slam dunk of Abdul Carter in Round 1), is former Purdue OL Marcus Mbow in the fifth round. This was great value for the lineman, one who I could have seen being taken in the third round.
Cowboys (B+)
A good class for the Cowboys, who needed a big year in the draft. Shavon Revel and Donovan Ezeiraku were both phenomenal picks and were their best value picks. Booker was a good selection, but I believe that there were other prospects available that they could have targeted at a better value. However, overall, it was a good class.
Eagles (B)
Some very good picks, and some that made me scratch my head a little here for the Eagles. While I do not love the prospect, there is tremendous value found in tackle Cameron Williams, whom they drafted in the latter end of Round 6. They picked another Georgia defender (typical) and overall had a solid class.
Commanders (B-)
A small class, but a solid one at that. They drafted some talented players, like Josh Conerly Jr. and Trey Amos, in the early rounds. But my favorite pick is Jacory Croskey-Merritt out of Arizona. Do not be surprised if he is a meaningful player down the line, and we could possibly even see him get a role carved out this season.
Packers (B-)
I may not be the biggest fan of this class, but they did draft some very talented players. I think they could have gone with something different in the first round, although they did try and help out Jordan Love. My favorite pick is Savion Williams, who may be a big threat playmaker for the Packers. Maybe not an outstanding class, but they filled needs.
Lions (B-)
I am not a crazy fan of what they did at the defensive back and wide out positions, but the trenches were definitely addressed in this class. I believe that they had three really good picks, with Miles Frazier being my favorite pick. They needed help up front, and they addressed that.
Vikings (C)
Obviously, all of these players were talented enough to get drafted, and I am not saying that they aren’t, but I am just not a fan of this class. I feel as if they needed to fill in some holes in the defensive backfield and at linebacker, but they drafted one late-round backer to help them out. I am not a fan of this class, but I do like Donovan Jackson a lot.
Bears (B+)
Help Caleb Williams. Ben Johnson and staff wanted to make sure Williams had all of the talent around him for this season, and they sure did that. Colston Loveland in the first addressed the tight end position, and Burden and Trapilo in the second round were both good value. But their best selection by far comes in the last round, and last pick, with Kyle Monangai out of Rutgers. He truly is one of my favorite backs from the class, and he could be a starter down the line for the Bears.
Panthers (A-)
Some very good picks, starting in the first with Tetairoa McMillan. One that helps an immediate problem, and could be a building block. They then took two edge rushers, Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen, to start right away. Mitchell Evans down the board will also play an immediate role, I believe, at tight end. Overall, this was a very good class from the Panthers. They got in and out with some great players, and it looks as if their team is on the rise.
Falcons (B)
Jalon Walker is my favorite player out of this class, and he fell to 15. Along with Walker, James Pearce Jr. is a great pass rusher who will play opposite him. Both of the safeties that they drafted are talented players, and they drafted Jack Nelson, who dropped a lot later than expected. I do not factor trades into this class grade, but that would have dropped this score.
Saints (C+)
Some great picks, with Kelvin Banks Jr. being a good pick to start off their class at pick No. 9. They then drafted 3 outstanding players in a row, in Danny Stutsman, Quincy Riley, and Devin Neal. But other than those picks, I am not a fan. Tyler Shough may come out and be an uber-talented player, but personally, I think it was a major reach for selecting him with pick 40 overall. Overall, very talented players, but some of whom I am not a fan.
Buccaneers (B-)
Emeka Egbuka is a very talented player, but I do not believe that he should have been the pick at No. 19. That is a lot of value that they used on what is going to be their third wide receiver, so I am not a fan. Past that, I think there are some players with true meaning right away. Benjamin Morrison is very talented, just dealt with a bunch of injuries. David Walker is also another good selection, who could see some big time this season.
Seahawks (B+)
An overall good class from the Seahawks, with my favorite selection of theirs coming in either the second or the seventh round. Nick Emmanwori and Damien Martinez are outstanding players, both whom I expected to go much earlier. They had some average picks, which knocked my score a little, but this was a nice class for Seattle.
Rams (C+)
Terrance Ferguson was a player I expected to go a decent amount later than he was taken, albeit I did not expect a run on tight ends so early. A pick that I absolutely love is Chris Paul Jr, who is an outstanding linebacker that I really think fell at least 1 round, possibly more. But that was the only pick that I truly think will have an immediate impact on this team. They had an abundance of defensive line help, running backs, and some decent receivers, but they selected all of those positions. Not an outstanding class from Los Angeles.
Cardinals (A-)
One of the best classes out of the NFC, the Arizona Cardinals, turned some heads. Walter Nolen was a great pick, followed up with a shot on a player many didn’t want to take in Will Johnson. Some great value picks followed up, and they ended the draft with a good safety in Kitan Crawford. Great class for the Cardinals, as they look to push towards a playoff birth in 2025-2026.
49ers (B)
And finally, the 49ers. I really could see their first 5 players starting immediately on the defensive side, with maybe even Marques Sigle being a sixth if Mustapha’s injury takes a lot of time. Some picks I wasn’t a big fan of, because I didn’t see tremendous value. Overall, they drafted talented players, but a lot of them were “reaches” according to PFF. I do think that this is another good class for San Francisco, as Robert Saleh was evidently back in the picture. Upton Stout and CJ West were both picks that are slept on, with both looking to carve out big roles immediately.