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The second day of the NFL Draft is all about value and risk. That showed up plenty during the second and third rounds. The second round featured plenty of steals after some top talents were pushed back. The third round featured a lot of risks that filled needs.
We decided all those picked required some way-too-early grades. The letters associated with each team were decided on a number of factors: Relative value, need, system fit, risk and potential.
Arizona Cardinals
The Carindals finally got to make a pick on Day 2 of the draft all the way at No. 92 overall. They used the pick on Texas A&M cornerback Brandon Williams after picking defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche in the first round. Williams is a developmental player who played just a season at cornerback after moving from running back. I thought he was a late Day 3 pick.
Overall grade: D-
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons wanted to add speed in the draft, and they certainly got it with LSU linebacker Deion Jones. He's a speedy Telvin Smith-like linebacker who can make plays all over the field. The criticism is passing up a really good interior blocker like Cody Whitehair.
The selection of tight end Austin Hooper at No. 81 was a good move. The Falcons need talent at the position, and he provides it. Just a redshirt sophomore, Hooper runs good routes and knows where to sit in a zone. He can develop quickly into a starter for the Falcons.
Overall grade: B-
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens started the second round with pick No. 36 before dropping down twice before taking Kamalei Correa at No. 42. It's clear the Ravens needed a pass rusher early in the draft, and they got one with the Boise State product. By getting multiple picks, that boosts the grade. Correa has some big highlights with 20 career sacks, and can play end or outside linebacker, so he's a scheme fit. The Ravens will have to figure out a way to way to use him because he can struggle against the run and getting off blocks. The athleticism and hustle is there, though.
In the third round, the Ravens got another great system fit with BYU's Bronson Kaufusi. He's an athletic front seven player with a ton of length. He needs to get stronger, but he can really move. If he can get off blockers better, watch out.
Overall grade: B
Buffalo Bills
The Bills gave up a lot of draft capital to move up to the 41st overall pick to draft Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland, but it was a needed move. Ragland is the thumper between the tackles linebacker the Bills needed. He's going to be an annual 100-tackle machine in Rex Ryan's defense.
With the 80th overall pick, the Bills got more help on defense with Ohio State defensive tackle Adolphus Washington. At Ohio State, he was used over the nose but moved to more of a three-technique in 2015. Washington is NFL-ready as a pass rusher, but he has to get better versus the run. He's a rotation player to start.
Overall grade: B+
Carolina Panthers
The "wow" NFL Network's Mike Mayock let out with with the pick of Samford cornerback James Bradberry was warranted. Sure, he's a long corner, but he needs some work. No. 62 overall was high for Bradberry. Maybe he'll get used at safety.
In the third round, the Panthers moved up to the 77th pick to select another defensive back in West Virginia's Daryl Worley. He has excellent ball skills, finishing his career with 37 passes defended. He's a risk taker, but has talent.
Overall grade: D+
Chicago Bears
The Bears played the draft in the second round, dropping down from No. 49 to No. 56 while picking up an extra fourth-round pick. They grabbed offensive lineman Cody Whitehair, who will likely play guard in the NFL. Whitehair, who has good feet and technical skills, will push Matt Slauson for the starting left guard job.
In the third round, the Bears got a starter along the defensive line with Jonathan Bullard. He's a versatile player who will play tackle and end and a great fit in Vic Fangio's defense.
Overall grade: B
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals had to get a wide receiver with one of their early picks in the draft, and did it by picking Tyler Boyd with the 55th overall pick. Boyd isn't a superstar player, but with A.J. Green, he doesn't have to be. Boyd is a dependable downfield receiver with good hands and solid route running. He's not going to run past a lot of defenders, but that's fine.
In the third round, the Bengals followed that up with Utah State linebacker Nick Vigil. He's a solid, dependable player who can slot into the middle for Cincinnati. Vigil is a solid all-around player who was incredibly productive in college.
Overall grade: B-
Cleveland Browns
The Browns opted to keep the No. 32 overall pick in the draft – the first of the second round – and used it on pass rusher Emmanuel Ogbah. At Oklahoma State, Ogbah was inconsistent, but has a lot of talent. He's strong and athletic, and capable of getting to the quarterback. With some of the other pass rushers on the board, it was a little early for Ogbah.
The Browns followed that pick up with another front seven player in Penn State defensive lineman Carl Nassib. He exploded as a senior with 19.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks. Nassib plays hard, and will help Cleveland's pass rush. To hold up in Cleveland's defense, which will run a lot of 3-4 looks, Nassib will need to get stronger. Cleveland got their potential starting right tackle with Shon Coleman with the 76th pick in the draft. Coleman is a big blocker who can hold his spot. The Browns closed out a busy Day 2 by selecting quarterback Cody Kessler. He may not have overly impressive physical talent, but Kessler can place the ball.
Overall grade: B-
Dallas Cowboys
After getting running back Ezekiel Elliott in the first round of the draft, Dallas got a first-round talent with linebacker Jaylon Smith with the 34th pick. It was one of the real stunners on Day 2 of the draft. Smith is expected to miss all of the 2016 season following knee surgery. If he comes back healthy, he can be a star. If he can't this is a risky pick. The issue with this pick is that he doesn't help Dallas in 2016.
In the third round, the Cowboys got better up front on defense by taking Nebraska's Maliek Collin at No. 67 overall. Had he been in a draft with less talent at defensive tackle, he would have been a second round pick. Collins specializes in getting through gaps and creating disruption.
Overall grade: C+
Denver Broncos
Denver closed out the second round of the draft by surprising a lot of people by taking Georgia Tech defensive tackle Adam Gotsis. He's a good system fit in Denver's defense, but how many snaps is he going to get with Derek Wolfe and Jared Crick at end? Potentially a minimal amount of snaps isn't getting a lot out of a second-round pick.
The Broncos closed the third round by taking Boston College safety Justin Simmons. He's a solid coverage safety who has good athleticism.
Overall grade: C
Detroit Lions
In getting defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson with the No. 46 overall pick, the Lions got one of the steals of the draft. The Lions have will some holes at the position after next season, and Robinson can fill them. He's a powerhouse defensive tackle who can stuff the run. In Alabama's system he wasn't asked to rush the passer a lot last season, but he's shown some potential to do it.
At No. 95 overall, the Lions picked up center Graham Glasgow from Michigan. He's a player who can play guard or center in the NFL. He plays with a mean streak and can move around well. There was a run on centers in the third round, so the Lions had to grab one.
Overall grade: B
Analyzing A'Shawn Robinson and other top defensive tackles
Green Bay Packers
The most unexpected move in the draft took place in the second round: Packers general manager traded up. He did it to get Indiana offensive tackle Jason Spriggs. Given how many pending free agents the Packers have up front, you can't fault the pick. Spriggs is arguably the most athletic pass blocker in this year's draft. They'll need to work on his ability to block inside moves, but the talent is there.
The Packers got a solid outside linebacker with the 88th overall pick with Kyler Fackrell of Utah State. Fackrell has length and decent athleticism but was hurt for parts of his college career. He doesn't have a great initial burst, but is a good foil opposite Clay Matthews.
Overall grade: B-
Houston Texans
The Texans spent big money on quarterback Brock Osweiler this offseason, and got someone to help keep him upright with center Nick Martin with the No. 50 pick. The Texans made a small trade to go up and get Martin, but it was needed due to the departure of Ben Jones this offseason. Martin is an instant starter in that offense.
Houston got more offense in the third round with Braxton Miller. Make no mistake, Miller is a project but he is a hell of a project to work on. He has scary on-field athleticism with an extra gear in the open field. His routes need refined and his hands are still unknown, but he can be a star. Fans and the locker room will love Miller.
Overall grade: A
Indianapolis Colts
Free safety was a need for the Colts in this draft, and they got one with T.J. Green. He should jump into the starting lineup straight away, but it's hard to love the pick when Ohio State's Vonn Bell was available. Green is a freaky athlete with speed and good hands, but still raw as a player.
With Le'Raven Clark in the third round, the Colts got a good blocker. With Clark and center Ryan Kelly, the Colts should now have a complete offensive line. Clark has a lot of impressive physical attributes and has experience inside and outside.
Overall grade:B-
Jacksonville Jaguars
Somehow, the Jaguars came away from the draft with two of the three best defensive players in the 2016 NFL Draft. The Jaguars got a top 10 talent in linebacker Myles Jack with the 36th overall pick. There's risk because of the knee injury Jack suffered, but he is a superstar linebacker. He can cover, he can work the whole field and he can come up and stop the run.
The Jaguars kept the theme on defense going in the third round with Yannick Ngakoue. He's the pas rusher they needed, but it was early. He can be moved around lot, and the Jaguars will know how to take advantage of those skills. For me, it was early to get Ngakoue, but there weren't a lot of pass rushers left to pick from that fit in Jacksonville.
Overall grade: B+
Kansas City Chiefs
The second round is all about value, and the Chiefs got it with defensive lineman Chris Jones at pick No. 37. He was misused a bit at Mississippi State, but is a really strong and athletic player up front. I had a higher grade on the Alabama defensive linemen, but Jones is a good fit.
The Chiefs got potentially a second starter on Day 2 with the pick of cornerback KeiVarae Russell. He lacks experience because of academics and injury, but he has talent and size. At worst he's a starting nickel corner.
Overall grade: B+
Miami Dolphins
One of the biggest needs the Dolphins had coming into the draft was at cornerback where they don't have much beyond Byron Maxwell. In Xavien Howard, they got a toolsy player with athleticism and length. Howard is a capable outside corner who has played man and zone, which is a plus. He's really inconsistent, though, and has as many good games as bad ones.
The Dolphins made a surprise choice in the third round with Alabama running back Kenyan Drake. He's a player the Dolphins can use in a variety of roles, but he's not a bell cow. Maybe he doesn't need to be, but there were about five running backs I'd pick before him. Drake has speed, but not a lot of wiggle. He also had fumbling issues throughout his career. The Dolphins made up for a couple shaky picks by getting wide out Leonte Carroo with pick No. 86. He's a really talented player stuck on a bad college team. There is some upside to Carroo.
Overall grade: C+
Minnesota Vikings
Cornerback Mackensie Alexander fell too far in the draft, all the way down to the Vikings with pick No. 54. Maybe it was because of size, or the reports about him having poor team interviews was true. That benefits the Vikings who get a top 20 talent. Alexander is better than a few of the cornerbacks who were picked in the first round. With Alexander's obvious talent in Mike Zimmer's defense, it's a safe bet to think he'll be a good player. The only criticism is that the Vikings still need to address the offensive line and that Alexander is likely a nickel corner in that defense.
Overall grade: A
New England Patriots
Bill Belichick seems to keep swinging on defensive backs, and did so again by taking Cyrus Jones with the 60th pick in the draft. Jones is very much a Patriots pick. He's smart, disciplined and experienced. He'll play the nickel and star on special teams. The knock on Jones is that he's small and gets beaten by bigger receivers. As expected, the Patriots traded away the 61st pick, which was a smart play to accumulate more picks. Also a very Belichickian maneuver.
With the 78th pick overall, the Patriots grabbed versatile tackle and guard Joe Thuney. Like Jones, he's smart and experienced. If the Patriots tackles get injured, Thuney can play outside, but he's not the longest and could probably find more success at guard in the NFL. The Patriots added quarterback Jacoby Brissett with the 91st pick. He has tools to develop, but will he ever get on the field? The Patriots added defensive tackle Vincent Valentine at No. 96. He was a surprise draft entrant who can play over the nose for the Patriots.
Overall grade: C
New Orleans Saints
Undoubtedly, the Saints got a very good player in Ohio State wide receiver Michael Thomas with the No. 47 pick in the draft. He's a big receiver with good hands and power to get yards after the catch. But there were some good interior blockers available the Saints passed on. Thomas can be a productive outside receiver, assuming Drew Brees is kept upright enough to get him the ball. The Saints gave up pick Nos. 78 and 112 to jump back into the second round to take Vonn Bell with the 61st pick. That's another big steal in the second round. Bell is a ballhawk who could stick at free safety or play cornerback.
Overall grade: A+
New York Giants
With Odell Beckham on the team, the Giants will never have a massive need at wide receiver, but they had to get one in this draft. They got a good one with Oklahoma's Sterling Shepard. He can be a productive player in the slot thanks to his quickness, burst, hands and exceptional route running. If Shepard were a few inches taller, he may have been the first wide receiver taken.
With their third-round pick, the Giants went with safety Darian Thompson. He was easily the best safety left on the board. He's a very good coverage safety but has some tackling issues. If he can better in that area, he pairs well with Landon Collins.
Overall grade: B
New York Jets
One of the shocking picks in the second round was the Jets taking Christian Hackenberg at No. 51. In the past two years, Hackenberg has fallen apart. He's obviously talented as a traditional pocket quarterback, but his completion percentage dropped every year and his footwork became a mess. A smarter pick for 2016 where Ryan Fitzpatrick's returning is looking less likely by the day would have been Connor Cook of Michigan State. Hackenberg is a project.
In the third round, the Jets stole pass rusher Jordan Jenkins. He's a stronger pass rusher who can move around a little bit. He doesn't blow you away with his athleticism, but had 40 tackles for loss and 19 sacks in his career.
Overall grade: C-
Oakland Raiders
In the first round, the Raiders got their big-hitting safety in Karl Joseph, and continued to get better on defense with Jihad Ward. He's a talented player who can play end and tackle, but like some other second round defenders, I had much higher grades on the Alabama players.
With the 75th pick, the Raiders got pass rusher Shilique Calhoun out of Michigan State. He's probably a backup for the Raiders with Khalil Mack and Aldon Smith, but he can make an impact for Oakland. Calhoun can play the run and the pass. If he consistently plays hard, he'll earn a starting job.
Overall grade: C+
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles only got one pick on Day 2 of the draft thanks to the disastrous Sam Bradford deal. With the 79th pick, they grabbed center Isaac Seumalo. He can play guard or center thanks to his physical playing style. He had some injury issues in college, but should push for a starting guard job in Philadelphia. Although I like him, I had more of a fourth-round grade on Seumalo.
Overall grade: C
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers got their cornerback in Artie Burns in the first round, and followed that up by taking Maryland safety Sean Davis in the second. Maybe now the team's secondary is fixed. Although I like Vonn Bell of Ohio State a lot more, Davis is a good coverage safety. He's a little stiff moving around in space, but he can man up a receiver and has upside.
Pittsburgh stayed on defense by taking defensive tackle Javon Hargrave at No. 89 overall. A squat nose tackle, he was practically built to be a Steeler. Hargrave made a name for himself in the offseason all-star circuit where he showed he can't be pushed while occupying blockers.
Overall grade: C+
San Diego Chargers
With the departure of Ladarius Green, the Chargers came into the draft needing a tight end. That's especially true considering star Antonio Gates is nearing the end of his career. Getting Henry, the consensus top tight end in the draft, was a smart pickup. Henry should be productive early in his career.
I loved the pick of center Max Tuerk in the third round for the Chargers. He's a highly athletic center who can get out on the move. He needs to get stronger, though, because some defensive linemen will knock him around. Tuerk should be a starter for the Chargers early in his career.
Overall grade: B
San Francisco 49ers
After trading back into the first round, the 49ers had to wait all the way until the No. 68 overall pick to take cornerback Will Redmond. If he can stay healthy, Redmond is the starting cornerback the 49ers needed to find in this draft. Redmond isn't a great tackler, but he can make plays.
Overall grade: B-
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks jumped up in the second round moving all the way from 56 to No. 49 to jump in and steal Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed. He is arguably the best run stopper in the draft this year and slots into a specific role on the defense.
In the third round, the Seahawks grabbed running back C.J. Prosise. He's a very good all-around running back who can run and catch the ball better than most backs in the draft. Although I had a higher grade on a few running backs, Prosise is a good system fit. The Seahawks got a steal with tight end Nick Vannett at No. 94 overall. He's the draft's second-best tight end who was underused in college. The Seahawks closed things out with Rees Odhiambo of Boise State. He's a solid athlete whose versatility will allow him to play tackle or guard.
Overall grade: A-
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay was able to sit back with the 39th pick and get a player that would have gotten praise had they taken him with the 11th pick in the first round. Assuming Noah Spence has no more off-field issues, he can be a superstar pass rusher. He's got an incredible first burst which helps him get around the edge and into the backfield. Spence is the closest player to Von Miller in this year's draft. He's obviously not on the same level, but he has a similar playing style. After scoring with Spence, the Buccaneers moved up to pick No. 59 to take kicker Robert Aguayo. It was expected that Aguayo would be a top 100 pick, but maybe not this highly.
Overall grade: B-
Tennessee Titans
In the second round, the Titans had a bunch of options along the defensive line and opted for arguably the best pass rusher available in Clemson end Kevin Dodd. He really only had one good season at Clemson, and closed strong in the team's biggest games. He can play the run and the pass equally well. The Titans followed that pick up at No. 43 to grab Penn State defensive tackle Austin Johnson. It was a surprise to see him get drafted before Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed. Johnson is a high-motor player who can plug the middle. I just had a higher grade on Reed and A'Shawn Robinson. Shortly after getting Johnson at 43, the Titans turned to the offense to grab Alabama running back Derrick Henry. He fits exactly what they want to do on offense. Even with DeMarco Murray in Tennessee, Henry is going to get a lot of carries. It just makes the deal for Murray a head scratcher.
Tennessee was back up at No. 64, the first pick of the third round. There they selected safety Kevin Byard. That was a little puzzling because Darian Thompson of Boise State was available, but he fills a need.
Overall grade: B
Washington
Everyone is looking for another Deone Bucannon, and Washington got that with Su'a Cravens. He's a true hybrid safety/linebacker who can match up with tight end, drop into deep coverage, come up against the run and even rush the passer. At USC he was probably asked to do too much, so he never really stood out in one area. If Washington can use him smartly, he can make a big impact.
Washington followed that pick by taking cornerback Kendall Fuller at No. 84 overall. Had Fuller not injured his knee last season, he potentially would have been a first-round pick. Fuller has starting skills thanks to his instincts. If his knee is healthy, Washington got a steal.
Overall grade: A-
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