May 01, 2016
The NFL Draft has come and gone, which means one thing and one thing only over the next few days: DRAFT GRADES. Well, that and Mel Kiper’s first mock draft looking ahead next year, which might as well be a national holiday.
Yes, immediately judging something that we won’t have a handle on for at least a few years is part of what’s wrong with our sports culture. Still, it’s kind of fun!
"It may take a few years for us to figure out exactly what we did this weekend, but we're excited about the additions that we made, " Howie Roseman said on Saturday night.
The Eagles had a polarizing draft. Nobody is handing Roseman and co. an A after the trade to move up for Carson Wentz, but the Eagles did receive a bunch of Bs:
2016 NFL draft grades: How all 32 teams fared: Chris Burke and Doug Farrar, Sports Illustrated
Grade: B
Philly's strategy after Wentz in this draft was... interesting. Oregon State interior lineman Isaac Seumalo could be a guard or center at the next level. West Virginia running back Wendell Smallwood is a decent player with pass-blocking ability. TCU offensive tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai is a powerful player with limited athleticism who will probably have to kick inside to guard. The steals came in the later rounds: sixth-round cornerback Blake Countess is an efficient and underrated defender, and LSU cornerback/safety Jalen Mills should have gone a lot higher than the seventh round. It was most likely Mills’s injury history that scared teams off.
PFF’s 2016 NFL draft grades for all 32 teams: Steve Palazzolo, Pro Football Focus
Grade: B
Smallwood is a good zone runner and he posted the 11th-best run grade in the class. Vaitai had the 16th-best grade in the tackle class in 2014, posting positives in pass protection and the run game, but his work in the run game took a step back in 2015. McCalister is a pass-rush specialist that picked up pressure to the outside at the seventh-best rate in the class, but he has no power to his game as a rusher or against the run.
NFL Draft grades 2016: Which teams won the draft? Dan Kadar, SB Nation
Grade: C+
If Wentz pays off, the Eagles have a franchise quarterback. If he doesn't, it's the type of pick that guts the roster because of what Philadelphia gave up to get him. Isaac Suemalo isn't a sexy choice in the third round, but don't be surprised if he becomes a dependable starter for years, whether it's at guard or center. Wendell Smallwood is an elusive back who will make defenders miss. He'll be a solid third-down player for the Eagles and may work on special teams. In the sixth round, the Eagles added an experienced dime corner in Blake Countess. The Eagles followed that up with a nice pick in Jalen Mills, an experienced defensive back who can play safety and cornerback.
2016 NFL draft team grades: Jaguars roar, Eagles whiff: Lindsay Jones, USA Today
Grade: D
The Eagles got the quarterback they wanted in North Dakota State QB Carson Wentz, but how much better are the Eagles now? Starter Sam Bradford reportedly is unhappy after the team traded up so that it could draft Wentz, who doesn’t arrive in the NFL without questions.
2016 NFL Draft: Quick-snap grades for NFC teams: Chad Reuter, NFL.com
Grade: C+
The Eagles are gambling big (gave up CB Byron Maxwell, LB Kiko Alonso, 2017 first-round pick, two top-100 picks this year, 2018 second-rounder) on the ability of Carson Wentz to become a legitimate top-tier starter. We'll see. Howie Roseman had just one pick in the third round after the trade for Wentz. Seumalo is an athletic guard prospect who should play well for them.
I like Smallwood as a complement to Ryan Mathews, and Countess was a solid pick for depth in the secondary. Countess, Mills, and McCalister will make a difference.
NFC East Grades for 2016 NFL Draft: Giants lag behind division rivals: Rob Rang, The Sports Xchange
Grade: B
Like many, I was skeptical of Wentz's production against FCS competition until watching him in person at the Senior Bowl. Durability was an issue for Wentz at NDSU as it was for the Eagles' next pick, blocker Isaac Seumalo.
Like Wentz, however, the talent with Seumalo is obvious, with his best fit in the NFL inside at guard rather than left tackle as he was asked to play, at times, for the Beavers. Of the Eagles' six Day 3 selections, I'm highest on former LSU defensive back Jalen Mills and TCU offensive lineman Halapoulivaati Vaitai. Running back Wendell Smallwood could also surprise.
Draft 2016: NFC Draft Grades: Evan Silva, Rotoworld
Grade: C
Eagles GM Howie Roseman made a YOLO aggressive pre-draft move to land Wentz, sending Cleveland third- (77) and fourth-round picks (100), Philly's 2017 first-rounder, and its 2018 second-round pick in exchange for just a six-spot jump in round one. That left the Eagles with two selections inside the top 150, and prevented Roseman from acquiring a starting-caliber cornerback, which was very much needed. Seumalo could get an early look for snaps at left guard, while fifth-round sleeper Smallwood combines 4.47 speed with an above-average running back build (5'11/208). Vaitai, McCalister, and Walker are day-three long shots. Countess is a 184-pound slot corner, while Mills is a 'tweener safety/corner.
Best draft pick for all 32 NFL teams: Todd McShay, ESPN Insider
Carson Wentz
This was a slam-dunk pick. Wentz is an absolute stud, and now he goes to Philadelphia, where he'll learn from QB guru Doug Pederson. Wentz has the football intelligence to quickly absorb the playbook and the intricacies of the position at the NFL level. On tape, he shows the best anticipatory accuracy of any quarterback in this class. Plus, he has ideal measurables for the position (6-foot-5, 237 pounds, 10-inch hands). Assuming the Eagles don't trade QB Sam Bradford, Wentz will have the luxury of being developed properly.
Jaguars, Robert Griffin III and Eagles among NFL Draft's winners and losers: Will Brinson, CBS Sports
The Birds are losers according to Brinson:
But here's my biggest issue with Philly's decision to sacrifice lots of picks and get Wentz: he won't play next year! Best case is Sam Bradford's willing to play ball for his $22 million guaranteed, the Eagles are better than anyone expects and are a playoff contender. Worst case is Bradford holds out/is traded/gets hurt and then Chase Daniel/Wentz have to carry the load for Philly. If that happens and things go south, then they've got to worry about giving up a high pick in next year's first-round pick to the Browns.
How Jeff Fisher, L.A. Rams decided on Jared Goff with No. 1 pick: Michael Silver, NFL.com
The piece focuses on Goff, but it’s interesting that unlike the Eagles (and Rams), Hue Jackson wanted no part of Wentz:
Once the Rams made the trade on April 13 (it was announced the following morning), Jackson and the Browns -- who had no intention of selecting Wentz, and correctly surmised that Goff was the Rams' target -- began shopping the second overall pick, ultimately trading down with the Eagles, who were also sure the Rams would draft Goff but would nonetheless have been thrilled with either quarterback.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
