All NFL Teams Draft Grades

NFL Draft A Crapshoot

5/3/2023 – Kansas City, MO

The NFL draft is over and it’s time to grade the teams on their selections. But unlike most analysts who use subjective criteria and biased opinions, I have a more scientific and objective method: the Bell Curve. It doesn’t matter if you picked a future Hall of Famer or a bust, you’re still starting at a C because that’s how statistics work.

And since we won’t really know how each draft pick will pan out for several years, it’s pointless to speculate and project. So here are my grades for all 32 teams:

Arizona Cardinals: C

Baltimore Ravens: C

Buffalo Bills: C

Carolina Panthers: C

Chicago Bears: C

Cincinnati Bengals: C

Cleveland Browns: C

Dallas Cowboys: C

Denver Broncos: C

Detroit Lions: C

Green Bay Packers: C

Houston Texans: C

Indianapolis Colts: C+

The Indianapolis Colts get a C+ for releasing Matt Ryan in March before the draft. Great move!

Jacksonville Jaguars: C

Kansas City Chiefs: C

Las Vegas Raiders: C

Los Angeles Chargers: C

Los Angeles Rams: C

Miami Dolphins: C

Minnesota Vikings: C

New England Patriots: C

New Orleans Saints: C

New York Giants: C

New York Jets: C

Philadelphia Eagles: C

Pittsburgh Steelers: C

San Francisco 49ers: C

Seattle Seahawks: C

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: C

Tennessee Titans: C

Washington Commanders: C

Now, before you start throwing things at your computer screen, let me explain further. The reason for the C grades is simple: the NFL Draft is a crapshoot. There’s no way to know for sure how a player will perform in the NFL, no matter how good he looks in college.

Just look at the 2022 draft class. Some of the top picks, like Trevor Lawrence and Ja’Marr Chase, have been studs. But others, like Justin Fields and Penei Sewell, have been disappointing. So, it’s no surprise that the 2023 draft class is also a complete mystery.

That’s why it’s impossible to give any team an A or B grade for their draft performance. We simply don’t know how these players will perform in the NFL. Of course, that doesn’t stop the media from trying to grade the draft. And, as usual, the grades are all over the place. Some writers are giving teams A’s, while others are giving them D’s. But the truth is, all of the grades are meaningless. The only thing that matters is how the players perform on the field. And we won’t know that for a few years.

Update: 5/3/2023 17:00 – Thank you all for the kind and supportive comments. Really appreciate it!

“This is the most accurate article I’ve ever read. Thank you for saying what we were all thinking.” – Michael Irvin

“I’m so glad I’m not the only one who thinks the NFL Draft is a joke.” – Bill Belichick

“This is the worst article I’ve ever read. You have no clue what you’re talking about. You should be fired.” – Chris Collinsworth

“Are you kidding me? How can you give every team a C? That makes no sense. You’re an idiot.” – Jason Witten

“This is hilarious. You’re trolling us, right? Please tell me this is a joke.” – Kurt Warner

“This is the worst draft grade article I’ve ever read. I’m so glad I didn’t pay for this article. It’s a waste of time.” – Troy Aikman

“What a surprise, all the teams got a C grade. This is why no one takes these draft grades seriously.” – Tony Dungy

“I’m so glad I’m not a professional NFL draft analyst. It must be so hard to give everyone a C grade.” – Pete Prisco

As you can see, my grades are fair and consistent at this point, unlike those of my peers who are swayed by emotions and hype. And judging by the feedback I’ve received from readers, they appreciate my honesty and logic. Check back in a few years after we know the final 2023 draft impact. Grades will be updated accordingly.