PFF awards team NFL draft grades every year based on our evaluations of the prospects, but it's only after those players get a taste of NFL action that we truly get to see which draft classes were the best.
The 2021 cycle included a record number of opt-outs, so we had less information on the players than in any other class we’ve evaluated. But after a full season of action, we now have preliminary knowledge of the rookies' prowess and usage.
Here’s how I’d regrade each class after another year of information on them. It’s important to remember that the rookie season is far from the end all be all for long-term success, but a player is far more likely to have a successful NFL career should they already have shown quality play as a rookie — and the opposite is true, as well.
JUMP TO A TEAM:
ARZ | ATL | BLT | BUF | CAR | CIN | CHI | CLE | DEN | DAL | DET | GB | HOU | IND | JAX | KC | LVR | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF | SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
ARIZONA CARDINALS
R1 (16): LB Zaven Collins, Tulsa
R2 (49): WR Rondale Moore, Purdue
R4 (136): CB Marco Wilson, Florida
R6 (210): EDGE Victor Dimukeje, Duke
R6 (223): CB Tay Gowan, UCF
R7 (243): S James Wiggins, Cincinnati
R7 (247): C Michal Menet, Penn State
Initial Draft Grade: B-
1-year Re-Grade: C-
This is easily one of the harshest regrades in the entire draft. When your first- and second-rounders barely even see the field on a roster filled with holes, that’s an issue. Zaven Collins and Rondale Moore managed 220 and 431 snaps, respectively, last fall. While Marco Wilson exceeded expectations from a playing time perspective for a fourth-rounder, that was out of necessity, not competency, as he earned a 52.9 overall grade.
ATLANTA FALCONS
R1 (4): TE Kyle Pitts, Florida
R2 (40): S Richie Grant, UCF
R3 (68): OT Jalen Mayfield, Michigan
R4 (108): CB Darren Hall, San Diego State
R4 (114): C Drew Dalman, Stanford
R5 (148): DI Ta'Quon Graham, Texas
R5 (182): EDGE Adetokunbo Ogundeji, Notre Dame
R5 (183): CB Avery Williams, Boise State
R6 (187): WR Frank Darby, Arizona State
Initial Draft Grade: B
1-year Re-Grade: C+
While Kyle Pitts went for over 1,000 yards as a rookie, it's hard to say how much credit the Falcons should get for the pick considering he was arguably outperformed by the next three picks in the draft. From there, Richie Grant saw only 276 snaps despite the safety position being fairly wide open for Atlanta. Third-rounder Jalen Mayfield wasn’t any more encouraging despite seeing the field more, recording a 49.2 overall grade on 989 snaps.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
R1 (27): WR Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
R1 (31): EDGE Odafe Oweh, Penn State
R3 (94): G Ben Cleveland, Georgia
R3 (104): CB Brandon Stephens, SMU
R4 (131): WR Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State
R5 (160): CB Shaun Wade, Ohio State
R5 (171): EDGE Daelin Hayes, Notre Dame
R5 (184): TE Ben Mason, Michigan
Initial Draft Grade: B+
1-year Re-Grade: B+
This grade stays the same, as both first-rounders provided encouraging play out the gate. Rashod Bateman was behind the eight-ball after a preseason groin injury yet still finished with 515 yards in 12 games — the majority of which came without quarterback Lamar Jackson. Odafe Oweh was billed as a project but produced immediately with 49 pressures to lead the Ravens.
BUFFALO BILLS
R1 (30): EDGE Gregory Rousseau, Miami (FL)
R2 (61): EDGE Carlos Basham Jr., Wake Forest
R3 (93): OT Spencer Brown, Northern Iowa
R5 (161): OT Tommy Doyle, Miami (OH)
R6 (203): WR Marquez Stevenson, Houston
R6 (212): S Damar Hamlin, Pittsburgh
R6 (213): CB Rachad Wildgoose, Wisconsin
R7 (236): OG Jack Anderson, Texas Tech
Initial Draft Grade: B
1-year Re-Grade: B
This grade stays the same, with Gregory Rousseau showing enough flashes to justify his draft selection en route to a 70.2 overall grade. He still disappeared a lot as a pass-rusher, and 13 of his 30 pressures came against the hapless Dolphins offensive line. Carlos Basham struggled to see the field as a second-rounder, playing only 200 snaps on the year, and that isn’t likely to change in 2022 with the additions of Shaq Lawson and Von Miller.
The wildcard is still the freaky right tackle Spencer Brown, who was forced to make 10 starts after a full year off and jumping up from Northern Iowa to the NFL. While he earned only a 51.0 pass-blocking grade and allowed 30 pressures, the fact the Bills were even comfortable with him starting is encouraging.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
R1 (8): CB Jaycee Horn, South Carolina
R2 (59): WR Terrace Marshall Jr., LSU
R3 (70): OT Brady Christensen, BYU
R3 (83): TE Tommy Tremble, Notre Dame
R4 (126): RB Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State
R5 (158): DI Daviyon Nixon, Iowa
R5 (166): CB Keith Taylor, Washington
R6 (193): G Deonte Brown, Alabama
R6 (204): WR Shi Smith, South Carolina
R6 (222): LS Thomas Fletcher, Alabama
R7 (232): DI Phil Hoskins, Kentucky
Initial Draft Grade: B-
1-year Re-Grade: B-
This one could easily have been higher had we seen Jaycee Horn play more than 142 snaps before he broke his foot and missed the remainder of the season. He was tremendous over that span, allowing only one catch on five targets for eight yards (admittedly against some weak passing offenses in the Jets, Saints and Texans). Second-rounder Terrace Marshall Jr. had a bit of a disappointing rookie season, but that wasn’t unique to him in the Panthers' receiving corps. He’s also still only 21 years old and younger than rookie first-rounders such as Jahan Dotson and Treylon Burks.
CHICAGO BEARS
R1 (11): QB Justin Fields, Ohio State
R2 (39): OT Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma State
R5 (151): OT Larry Borom, Missouri
R6 (217): RB Khalil Herbert, Virginia Tech
R6 (221): WR Dazz Newsome, North Carolina
R6 (228): CB Thomas Graham Jr., Oregon
R7 (250): DI Khyiris Tonga, BYU
Initial Draft Grade: A+
1-year Re-Grade: A-
This grade will always revolve around Justin Fields, and because of that, it’s still far too early to come off our high pre-draft ranking of him — especially considering the situation he was dropped into as a rookie. Despite his ups and downs, he finished with the fourth-highest big-time throw rate of any quarterback in the league. Teven Jenkins barely got to see the field in an injury-plagued rookie season. It was Larry Borom who exceeded expectations as a fifth-rounder, locking down the starting right tackle job en route to a 61.4 overall grade.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
R1 (5): WR Ja’Marr Chase, LSU
R2 (46): OT Jackson Carman, Clemson
R3 (69): EDGE Joseph Ossai, Texas
R4 (111): EDGE Cameron Sample, Tulane
R4 (122): DI Tyler Shelvin, LSU
R4 (139): T D'Ante Smith, East Carolina
R5 (149): K Evan McPherson, Florida
R6 (190): C Trey Hill, Georgia
R6 (202): RB Chris Evans, Michigan
R7 (235): EDGE Wyatt Hubert, Kansas State
Initial Draft Grade: B
1-year Re-Grade: B+
This grade is solely carried by Ja’Marr Chase along with a stellar kicker selection in Evan McPherson. Chase exceeded any and all expectations, even for a No. 5 overall pick, as he broke the rookie receiving yards record with 1,455. Joseph Ossai is the one to watch in 2022. He looked good in the preseason before suffering a season-ending wrist injury.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
R1 (26): CB Greg Newsome II, Northwestern
R2 (52): LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
R3 (91): WR Anthony Schwartz, Auburn
R4 (110): OT James Hudson, Cincinnati
R4 (132): DI Tommy Togiai, Ohio State
R5 (153): LB Tony Fields II, West Virginia
R5 (169): S Richard LeCounte, Georgia
R6 (211): RB Demetric Felton, UCLA
Initial Draft Grade: A+
1-year Re-Grade: A+
If you knock your first two picks out of the park each draft, you’ll have an elite roster. That’s precisely what the Browns did in 2021. Greg Newsome finished with the highest coverage grade (70.6) of any starting rookie outside cornerback, while Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah finished as the sixth-highest-graded linebacker in the NFL (76.5 overall).
DALLAS COWBOYS
R1 (12): LB Micah Parsons, Penn State
R2 (44): CB Kelvin Joseph, Kentucky
R3 (75): DI Osa Odighizuwa, UCLA
R3 (84): EDGE Chauncey Golston, Iowa
R3 (99): CB Nahshon Wright, Oregon State
R4 (115): LB Jabril Cox, LSU
R4 (138): OT Josh Ball, Marshall
R5 (179): WR Simi Fehoko, Stanford
R6 (192): DI Quinton Bohanna, Kentucky
R6 (227): CB Israel Mukuamu, South Carolina
R7 (238): OG Matt Farniok, Nebraska
Initial Draft Grade: B
1-year Re-Grade: A
When you drafted the single most dynamic pass-rushing threat in the NFL at Pick No. 12, an “A” grade is justified. We loved that selection initially — Parsons was a top-10 player on our board — and like it even more now after his 93.0 pass-rushing grade. The other player of note from this class is Osa Odighizuwa, who flashed as an interior rusher with 37 pressures. He struggled mightily against the run with a 37.6 grade in that regard, but he could be a prime Year 2 breakout candidate.
DENVER BRONCOS
R1 (9): CB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
R2 (35): RB Javonte Williams, North Carolina
R3 (98): iOL Quinn Meinerz, Wisconsin-Whitewater
R3 (105): LB Baron Browning, Ohio State
R5 (152): S Caden Sterns, Texas
R5 (164): S Jamar Johnson, Indiana
R6 (219): WR Seth Williams, Auburn
R7 (237): CB Kary Vincent Jr., LSU
R7 (239): EDGE Jonathon Cooper, Ohio State
R7 (253): EDGE Marquiss Spencer, Mississippi State
Initial Draft Grade: A-
1-year Re-Grade: A
The Broncos ticked the box wholesale with each of their first three picks. Patrick Surtain II is already a true No. 1 type of corner in the league after allowing only 49 catches on 85 targets for 560 yards as a rookie. Javonte Williams finished with the second-most broken tackles in the league (63) despite splitting time with Melvin Gordon III in the backfield. Finally, Quinn Meinerz put forth a solid 67.4 overall grade despite a massive competition level leap.
DETROIT LIONS
R1 (7): OT Penei Sewell, Oregon
R2 (41): DI Levi Onwuzurike, Washington
R3 (72): DI Alim McNeill, NC State
R3 (101): CB Ifeatu Melifonwu, Syracuse
R4 (112): WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, USC
R4 (113): LB Derrick Barnes, Purdue
R7 (257): RB Jermar Jefferson, Oregon State
Initial Draft Grade: A-
1-year Re-Grade: A
No team got more snaps out of its rookie class than the Detroit Lions. That being said, there are still a good deal of question marks in the mix. That doesn’t include Penei Sewell nor Amon-Ra St. Brown, though. Sewell is going to be a stud at right tackle and quite literally already was down the stretch in 2021. He was the ninth-highest-graded tackle in the league from Week 6 on. St. Brown is going to be a reliable slot for the foreseeable future after hauling in eight-plus catches in each of his final six games last season.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
R1 (29): CB Eric Stokes, Georgia
R2 (62): C Josh Myers, Ohio State
R3 (85): WR Amari Rodgers, Clemson
R4 (142): T Royce Newman, Ole Miss
R5 (173): DI Tedarrell Slaton, Florida
R5 (178): CB Shemar Jean-Charles, App State
R6 (214): T Cole Van Lanen, Wisconsin
R6 (220): LB Isaiah McDuffie, Boston College
R7 (256): RB Kylin Hill, Mississippi State
Initial Draft Grade: C-
1-year Re-Grade: B-
The PFF draft board was considerably lower on each of the Packers' first four selections than where they got drafted, hence the initial grade. The only player to really change that opinion after one season is Eric Stokes, who had a strong first campaign. He allowed just a 51.0% completion percentage in his coverage en route to a 67.6 coverage grade.
HOUSTON TEXANS
R3 (67): QB Davis Mills, Stanford
R3 (89): WR Nico Collins, Michigan
R5 (147): TE Brevin Jordan, Miami (FL.)
R5 (170): Garett Wallow, TCU
R6 (195): Roy Lopez, Arizona
Initial Draft Grade: C-
1-year Re-Grade: B-
The Davis Mills pick saves the Texans to a degree, as he flashed in enough games that he’d go considerably higher in a re-draft today. He earned overall grades of 85.9, 76.3 and 78.0 in three separate starts last season despite finishing with a 58.8 overall grade. That was enough to make him the starter this season and bump this re-grade up a touch.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
R1 (21): EDGE Kwity Paye, Michigan
R2 (54): EDGE Dayo Odeyingbo, Vanderbilt
R4 (127): TE Kylen Granson, SMU
R5 (165): Shawn Davis, Florida
R6 (218): Sam Ehlinger, Texas
R7 (229): Michael Strachan, Indianapolis
R7 (248): Will Fries, Penn State
Initial Draft Grade: C+
1-year Re-Grade: C+
This draft class was never meant to make a Year 1 impact. Kwity Paye was billed as a project, and Dayo Odeyingbo was coming off a torn Achilles. Still, Paye had some solid stretches to encourage Colts fans and finished with a 69.9 overall grade to keep this re-grade unchanged.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
R1 (1): QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
R1 (25): RB Travis Etienne, Clemson
R2 (33): CB Tyson Campbell, Georgia
R2 (45): OT Walker Little, Stanford
R3 (65): S Andre Cisco, Syracuse
R4 (106): DI Jay Tufele, USC
R4 (121): Edge Jordan Smith, UAB
R5 (145): TE Luke Farrell, Ohio State
R6 (209): WR Jalen Camp, Georgia Tech
Initial Draft Grade: B+
1-year Re-Grade: B+
With so many selections, the evaluation of this draft is all over the map. Trevor Lawrence is still a big TBD even though his Week 18 performance against the Colts, in which he earned an 83.8 grade, showed why he was the no-brainer at No. 1 overall. Travis Etienne missed the entire season with injury, Walker Little was always drafted to be a backup as a rookie and former head coach Urban Meyer forgot Andre Cisco even existed. Tyson Campbell had an inconsistent rookie campaign but made a handful of high-end plays, finishing with two picks and eight pass breakups.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
R2 (58): LB Nick Bolton, Missouri
R2 (63): C Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma
R4 (144): Edge Joshua Kaindoh, Florida State
R5 (162): TE Noah Gray, Duke
R5 (181): WR Cornell Powell, Clemson
R6 (226): G Trey Smith, Tennessee
Initial Draft Grade: B+
1-year Re-Grade: A+
For not having a first-round pick and not drafting particularly valuable positions, the Chiefs still knocked it out of the park. Creed Humphrey was the highest-graded center in the NFL as a rookie. Nick Bolton was the 13th-highest-graded linebacker. Finally, Trey Smith was one of the steals of the draft in the sixth round after he earned a 72.3 overall grade at right guard in 2021.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
R1 (17): T Alex Leatherwood, Alabama
R2 (43): S Trevon Moehrig, TCU
R3 (79): EDGE Malcolm Koonce, Buffalo
R3 (80): S Divine Deablo, Virginia Tech
R4 (143): S Tyree Gillespie, Missouri
R5 (167): CB Nate Hobbs, Illinois
R7 (130): C Jimmy Morrissey, Pittsburgh
Initial Draft Grade: C
1-year Re-Grade: B-
Trevon Moehrig was always a PFF favorite, and he hit the ground running as such with a 77.7 coverage grade as a rookie. The one we didn’t see coming, however, was Nate Hobbs, who was tremendous out of the slot en route to a 78.4 overall grade. This class is still weighed down by first-rounder Alex Leatherwood, who finished as the second-lowest-graded starting guard in the NFL.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
R1 (13): T Rashawn Slater, Northwestern
R2 (47): CB Asante Samuel Jr., Florida State
R3 (77): WR Josh Palmer, Tennessee
R3 (97): TE Tre’ McKitty, Georgia
R4 (118): EDGE Chris Rumph II, Duke
R5 (159): T Brenden Jaimes, Nebraska
R6: (185): LB Nick Niemann, Iowa
R6 (198): RB Larry Rountree III, Missouri
R7 (241): CB Mark Webb, Georgia
Initial Draft Grade: A+
1-year Re-Grade: A+
This was as good a first two picks as you’ll see from any team in the draft. Rashawn Slater was the eighth-highest-graded tackle in the league as a rookie, while Asante Samuel Jr. had a solid rookie campaign that saw him pick off two passes and break up seven more.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
R2 (57): WR Tutu Atwell, Louisville
R3 (103): LB Ernest Jones, South Carolina
R4 (117): DI Bobby Brown III, Texas A&M
R4 (130): CB Robert Rochell, Central Arkansas
R4 (141): WR Jacob Harris, UCF
R5 (174): EDGE Earnest Brown IV, Northwestern
R7 (233): RB Jake Funk, Maryland
Initial Draft Grade: C
1-year Re-Grade: C+
Ernest Jones saves this one from going even lower. The Tutu Atwell selection looks especially rough after he managed all of 10 snaps in seven games before the Rams placed him on injured reserve. Jones was a steadying presence in the middle of the Los Angeles defense down the stretch and finished with a 67.9 coverage grade. Not bad for the 103rd pick.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
R1 (6): WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
R1 (18): EDGE Jaelen Phillips, Miami (FL)
R2 (36): S Jevon Holland, Oregon
R2 (42): OT Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame
R3 (81): TE Hunter Long, Boston College
R7 (231): OT Larnel Coleman, Massachusetts
R7 (244): RB Gerrid Doaks, Cincinnati
Initial Draft Grade: B+
1-year Re-Grade: A+
The Dolphins were always going to come away with some talent due to how many picks they had, but they even went above and beyond that. Jaylen Waddle is a true game-breaker who just needs an offensive line that can give him time to run down the field. Jaelan Phillips was the most disappointing of the team's first three picks, and even he managed 39 pressures as a rookie. Jevon Holland is the crown jewel of their class at Pick No. 36, as he’s already a top-10 safety in the NFL after an 84.7 overall grade last season.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
R1 (23): T Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech
R3 (66): QB Kellen Mond, Texas A&M
R3 (78): LB Chazz Surratt, North Carolina
R3 (86): G Wyatt Davis, Ohio State
R3 (90): EDGE Patrick Jones II, Pittsburgh
R4 (119): RB Kene Nwangwu, Iowa State
R4 (125): CB Camryn Bynum, California
R4 (134): EDGE Janarius Robinson, Florida State
R5 (157): WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Iowa
R5 (168): TE Zach Davidson, Central Missouri State
R6 (199): EDGE Jaylen Twyman, Pittsburgh
Initial Draft Grade: B+
1-year Re-Grade: B
Christian Darrisaw was always what carried this class in our eyes, and that's still the case a year later. He earned a 71.9 overall grade as a rookie at left tackle. No one else in this class played more than 211 snaps.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
R1 (15): QB Mac Jones, Alabama
R2 (38): DI Christian Barmore, Alabama
R3 (96): EDGE Ronnie Perkins, Oklahoma
R4 (120): RB Rhamondre Stevenson, Oklahoma
R5 (177): LB Cameron McGrone, Michigan
R6 (188): CB Joshuah Bledsoe, Missouri
R6 (197): OT William Sherman, Colorado
R7 (242): WR Tre Nixon, UCF
Initial Draft Grade: A+
1-year Re-Grade: A+
This was a draft that came right off the PFF board when it happened and may look even better now. Mac Jones was far and away the highest-graded rookie quarterback (80.4 overall). Christian Barmore was the real steal, though, as he had one of the best pass-rushing seasons we’ve seen from a rookie defensive tackle. He finished with 48 pressures on the year — the most from a rookie defensive tackle since DeForest Buckner in 2016.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
R1 (28): EDGE Payton Turner, Houston
R2 (60): LB Pete Werner, Ohio State
R3 (76): CB Paulson Adebo, Stanford
R4 (133): QB Ian Book, Notre Dame
R6 (206): OT Landon Young, Kentucky
R7 (255): WR Kawaan Baker, South Alabama
Initial Draft Grade: C
1-year Re-Grade: C
With the Saints' first two picks playing a grand total of 538 snaps, it’s difficult to call this anything other than incomplete. It was always a draft looking toward the future, with those players penciled in as backups. Paulson Adebo was forced to start, however, and didn’t show too much to change our pre-draft opinion on him after a 60.0 overall grade.
NEW YORK GIANTS
R1 (20): WR Kadarius Toney, Florida
R2 (50): EDGE Azeez Ojulari, Georgia
R3 (71): CB Aaron Robinson, UCF
R4 (116): EDGE Elerson Smith, Northern Iowa
R6 (196): RB Gary Brightwell, Arizona
R6 (201): CB Rodarius Williams, Oklahoma State
Initial Draft Grade: B+
1-year Re-Grade: B+
The trade the Giants executed to get a top-10 pick in this year’s draft has to be factored in here. That netted them Evan Neal, which should quell the sting of passing on Rashawn Slater. From a talent perspective, Toney looked like he could make this class an A-plus when on the field. Unfortunately, he was hurt for most of the year and the new staff is already reportedly shopping him.
NEW YORK JETS
R1 (2): QB Zach Wilson, BYU
R1 (14): iOL Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC
R2 (34): WR Elijah Moore, Ole Miss
R4 (107): RB Michael Carter, North Carolina
R5 (146): S Jamien Sherwood, Auburn
R5 (154): CB Michael Carter II, Duke
R5 (175): CB Jason Pinnock, Pittsburgh
R6 (186): S Hamsah Nasirildeen, Florida State
R6 (200): CB Brandin Echols, Kentucky
R6 (207): DI Jonathan Marshall, Arkansas
Initial Draft Grade: A
1-year Re-Grade: A-
Alijah Vera-Tucker, Elijah Moore and Michael Carter were all as advertised in 2021 after PFF was very high on each during the pre-draft process. Unfortunately, this class is still inextricably linked to Zach Wilson’s success and failure. As the No. 2 overall pick, he had the most disappointing rookie season of any of the top quarterbacks. He never earned a passing grade higher than 71.9.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
R1 (10): WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama
R2 (37): iOL Landon Dickerson, Alabama
R3 (73): DI Milton Williams, Louisiana Tech
R4 (123): CB Zech McPhearson, Texas Tech
R5 (150): RB Kenneth Gainwell, Memphis
R6 (189): DI Marlon Tuipulotu, USC
R6 (191): EDGE Tarron Jackson, Coastal Carolina
R6 (224): S JaCoby Stevens, LSU
R7 (234): EDGE Patrick Johnson, Tulane
Initial Draft Grade: B-
1-year Re-Grade: A-
It should be noted that not only did the Eagles come away with DeVonta Smith here, but the draft capital they netted from moving back also became enough for them to secure A.J. Brown this year. Turning that No. 6 overall pick into both Smith and Brown is why the re-grade is so high. The jury is still out on the rest of their picks, as Landon Dickerson (69.6 grade) was the most encouraging of the bunch.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
R1 (24): RB Najee Harris, Alabama
R2 (55): TE Pat Freiermuth, Penn State
R3 (87): C Kendrick Green, Illinois
R4 (128): OT Dan Moore Jr., Texas A&M
R4 (140): LB Buddy Johnson, Texas A&M
R5 (156): DI Isaiahh Loudermilk, Wisconsin
R6 (216): EDGE Quincy Roche, Miami (FL)
R7 (245): S Tre Norwood, Oklahoma
R7 (254): P Pressley Harvin III, Georgia Tech
Initial Draft Grade: C
1-year Re-Grade: C
The Steelers' 2021 draft class hasn’t had any major duds as of yet, but it also hasn’t really had any needle-movers. Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth may have tallied impressive yardage totals in 2021, but that’s because they were both high-usage players. Harris averaged only 3.9 yards per carry, while Freiermuth managed 8.2 yards per reception.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
R1 (3): QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State
R2 (48): G Aaron Banks, Notre Dame
R3 (88): RB Trey Sermon, Ohio State
R3 (102): CB Ambry Thomas, Michigan
R5 (155): OT Jaylon Moore, Western Michigan
R5 (172): CB Deommodore Lenoir, Oregon
R5 (180): S Talanoa Hufanga, USC
R6 (194): RB Elijah Mitchell, Louisiana
Initial Draft Grade: B
1-year Re-Grade: C+
With Trey Lance still embroiled in a quarterback … something … with Jimmy Garoppolo, this draft is looking shakier now than it did at the time. It doesn’t help that both Aaron Banks and Trey Sermon couldn’t see the field at lesser value positions despite every opportunity to do so.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
R2 (56): WR D’Wayne Eskridge, Western Michigan
R4 (137): CB Tre Brown, Oklahoma
R6 (208): OT Stone Forsythe, Florida
Initial Draft Grade: C
1-year Re-Grade: C
With Tre Brown leading this rookie class with 255 snaps, there’s not much in the way of big takeaways here.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
R1 (32): EDGE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Washington
R2 (64): QB Kyle Trask, Florida
R3 (95): iOL Robert Hainsey, Notre Dame
R4 (129): WR Jaelon Darden, North Texas
R5 (176): LB K.J. Britt, Auburn
R7 (251): CB Chris Wilcox, BYU
R7 (259): LB Grant Stuard, Houston
Initial Draft Grade: B-
1-year Re-Grade: B-
There’s not much to write home about here. The Bucs went for a forward-thinking draft with no real starting spots available. Tryon-Shoyinka flashed in the preseason but managed only a 51.9 overall grade on 560 regular-season snaps.
TENNESSEE TITANS
R1 (22): CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech
R2 (53): OT Dillon Radunz, North Dakota State
R3 (92): LB Monty Rice, Georgia
R3 (100): SCB Elijah Molden, Washington
R4 (109): WR Dez Fitzpatrick, Louisville
R4 (135): EDGE Rashad Weaver, Pittsburgh
R6 (205): WR Racey McMath, LSU
R6 (215): S Brady Breeze, Oregon
Initial Draft Grade: A
1-year Re-Grade: B-
This is the only A or A-plus grade to really stumble out of the gate. The injury-plagued Caleb Farley managed only 60 snaps before tearing his ACL. Dillon Radunz could barely see the field for only 124 snaps despite ample opportunity to do so via injuries. The only player keeping this draft class afloat is Elijah Molden, who earned a solid 64.1 overall grade.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
R1 (19): LB Jamin Davis, Kentucky
R2 (51): OT Samuel Cosmi, Texas
R3 (74): CB Benjamin St-Juste, Minnesota
R3 (82): WR Dyami Brown, North Carolina
R4 (124): TE John Bates, Boise State
R4 (163): S Darrick Forrest, Cincinnati
R6 (225): LS Camaron Cheeseman, Michigan
R7 (240): EDGE William Bradley-King, Baylor
R7 (246): EDGE Shaka Toney, Penn State
R7 (258): WR Dax Milne, BYU
Initial Draft Grade: A-
1-year Re-Grade: B
If you flip the Commanders' first two picks, it looks considerably better. Jamin Davis was a complete non-factor as a rookie, taking home a 46.8 overall grade and only 21 stops. Cosmi, on the other hand, was one of the best rookie tackles when healthy, earning a 74.9 overall grade on 474 snaps.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.