Biggest Winners: Baltimore Ravens
Addressing needs while consistently getting good value over the course of 7 rounds is an exceptionally difficult task in any draft, but Eric DeCosta pulled it off. He managed to secure players (super athlete inside linebacker Patrick Queen, versatile running back J.K. Dobbins, slot YAC machine Devin Duvernay, people-moving defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, road-grating guard Ben Bredeson, disciplined cover safety Geno Stone) that perfectly fit their scheme on both sides of the ball without overpaying in trades or reaching for questionable talent. Considering the current vacancies the Ravens have in their starting lineup along the offensive line and front 7, these guys should get more of a chance to prove their worth right away than most rookies traditionally do.
Honorable Mentions: Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns
Biggest Losers: Green Bay Packers
I'm having a hard time remembering a more head-scratching draft approach than the one Brian Gutekunst utilized this year. He glossed over just about all of the team's biggest immediate needs (wide receiver, defensive line, offensive line-where they took 3 interior guys in the 6th round that might not even make the roster) in favor of taking huge swings at positions that didn't really need to be addressed. Josiah Deguara is a blocking specialist tight end that probably could've been taken at least 2 rounds later than he was, A.J. Dillon received an insane workload at Boston College that could quickly diminish the smashmouth power running skill set that makes up the bulk of his value and regardless of how you feel about Jordan Love as a QB prospect (his erratic decisionmaking and mechanical issues make me believe that he's a strong bust candidate) or the potential positive motivation it could give Aaron Rodgers, his selection is a move that makes little sense for a team coming off an NFC Championship Game appearance.
Dishonorable Mentions: Las Vegas Raiders, Houston Texans, New England Patriots
Best Value Pick: CeeDee Lamb, wide receiver (Selected 17th overall by the Dallas Cowboys)
Was this the most sensible pick considering the several holes the Cowboys currently have on defense? Of course not. However, getting a chance to add a potential gamebreaker in Lamb to a receiving corps that already has Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup is the rare luxury selection that can be justified. Lamb possesses the type of deep, refined skill set (route running, hands, speed, elusiveness/tackle-breaking after the catch) that you rarely see out of a receiver prospect and if he lives up to his massive potential, the Cowboys could have one of the most explosive passing attacks in the league for the foreseeable future.
Honorable Mentions: Jerry Jeudy, wide receiver (Selected 15th overall by the Denver Broncos), Kristian Fulton, cornerback (Selected 61st overall by the Tennessee Titans), Josh Jones, tackle (Selected 72nd overall by the Arizona Cardinals)
Worst Value Pick: Isaiah Wilson, tackle (Selected 29th overall by the Tennessee Titans)
Teams selecting outside the top 15 were bound to start reaching for tackles with the most lauded prospects (Andrew Thomas, Jedrick Wills Jr., Mekhi Becton, Tristian Wirfs) all flying off the board by pick 13. The fact that the Titans ended up being among those teams throwing darts was downright shocking. Wilson is an all size, no finesse tackle with limited college reps who could get overwhelmed in the Titans old-school, pound the rock offense and might not even get a chance to start right away as the team re-signed veteran Dennis Kelly, who has 31 career starts, to a 3-year deal to conceivably take over for the departed Jack Conklin at right tackle.
Dishonorable Mentions: Austin Jackson, tackle (Selected 18th overall by the Miami Dolphins) Damon Arnette, cornerback (Selected 19th overall by the Las Vegas Raiders), Jordan Love, quarterback (Selected 27th overall by the Green Bay Packers)
Most Absurd Home of a Coach/Executive: Kliff Kingsbury (Cardinals)
Getting a glimpse inside the living areas of the houses of these NFL coaches proved to be one of the biggest treats of having a remote draft. From Jerry Jones having a revolving door of women hold his phone while sitting on his $250 million yacht to Mike Zimmer looking pissed that he was forced to use newfangled technology in what appeared to be a backwoods hunting lodge to Mike Vrabel's teenage son possibly shitting with the door open, fans were treated of an array of bizarre sights that gave this draft a distinctly intimate, almost surreal feeling. Despite lacking the lively secondary players that many of his peers had, Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury commanded a lot of attention with his insane mega mansion that doesn't appear to be located in the greater Phoenix area. Drafting alone from his comically large living room that had a pristine view of his pool/firepit was just an absurd flex that made a lot of viewers question whether or not he was a football coach or a high-profile cocaine dealer.
Honorable Mentions: Mike Zimmer (Vikings), Jerry Jones (Cowboys), Bill Belichick (Patriots)
Premature Grades (Full Draft Classes Can be Viewed Here: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001111711/article/2020-nfl-draft-final-quicksnap-grades-for-all-32-teams):
Arizona Cardinals: A
Atlanta Falcons: B+
Baltimore Ravens: A
Buffalo Bills: A
Carolina Panthers: B-
Chicago Bears: B-
Cincinnati Bengals: B+
Cleveland Browns: A
Dallas Cowboys: A
Denver Broncos: A-
Detroit Lions: A-
Green Bay Packers: D+
Houston Texans: C-
Indianapolis Colts: A-
Jacksonville Jaguars: B
Kansas City Chiefs: B+
Las Vegas Raiders: C-
Los Angeles Chargers: C+
Los Angeles Rams: B
Miami Dolphins: B-
Minnesota Vikings: A-
New England Patriots: C
New Orleans Saints: B+
New York Giants: B+
New York Jets: A-
Philadelphia Eagles: B
Pittsburgh Steelers: B
San Francisco 49ers: B+
Seattle Seahawks: B
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B+
Tennessee Titans: B
Washington Redskins: B-
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