NFL Draft 2016: Team-by-Team Analysis and Grades for Rounds 1-3 Results

No NFL draft has done more to discredit the practice of mock drafts.

Laremy Tunsil, a prominent No. 1-pick candidate before the Los Angeles acquired the top slot, slid to No. 13. One flap of a butterfly's wings or a horribly timed hacking on social media can change everything. Just like that, everyone's predictions became moot before escaping the top 10.

Several first-day candidates, led by Myles Jack, fell past the opening round, instead finding landing spots on Friday night. Four rounds remain before wrapping up the lengthy selection process, but most notable prospects are off the board.

The lesson of mocking could also extend to immediately grading a team's draft before any of the players suit up, but NFL fans haven't waited this long to then wait another few months. Let's take out the red pen and allocate marks for each team.

Results

Grades

Team	Grade
Arizona Cardinals	B+
Atlanta Falcons	B
Baltimore Ravens	B-
Buffalo Bills	A-
Carolina Panthers	C+
Chicago Bears	B
Cincinnati Bengals	B
Cleveland Browns	B
Dallas Cowboys	C+
Denver Broncos	B-
Detroit Lions	B+
Green Bay Packers	B
Houston Texans	B-
Indianapolis Colts	B-
Jacksonville Jaguars	A
Kansas City Chiefs	C+
Los Angeles Rams	C
Miami Dolphins	A-
Minnesota Vikings	A-
New England Patriots	C+
New Orleans Saints	B
New York Giants	B-
New York Jets	C+
Oakland Raiders	B
Philadelphia Eagles	C+
Pittsburgh Steelers	B-
San Diego Chargers	B
San Francisco 49ers	B+
Seattle Seahawks	B+
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	B-
Tennessee Titans	B-
Washington	B+

Questionable Starts

Dallas Cowboys

As long as he stays healthy, Ezekiel Elliott is going to put up massive numbers for the Dallas Cowboys.

When he eclipses 1,000 rushing yards and wins Offensive Rookie of the Year, supporters will gloat to anyone wary of investing a top-five pick on a running back. Just remember Darren McFadden compiled 1,089 rushing yards on 239 carries last season.

The Ohio State rusher couldn't have asked for a better landing spot. As noted by Pro Football Focus, he'll start his career with superb blocking:

Dallas, who averaged 4.6 yards per carry last year, also signed free agent Alfred Morris in March. Elliott offers a flashy upgrade but not the optimum utilization of the No. 4 pick. Another Buckeye, cornerback Jalen Ramsey, would have helped a defense that yielded 7.6 yards per pass attempt last season.

After unsuccessfully trying to acquire a late first-round pick for Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, per the Dallas Morning News' Brandon George, the Cowboys instead swung for the fences with injured linebacker Jaylon Smith. While Elliott will contribute immediately, Smith's health will determine Dallas' 2016 draft success.

New York Giants

Anyone who plays fantasy football knows how the New York Giants felt on Thursday night. The Baltimore Ravens grabbed offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley over Tunsil, whom the G-Men shied away from as well. Then, the Tennessee Titans jumped them to snag Jack Conklin before the Chicago Bears moved up to corral pass-rusher Leonard Floyd.

With their top targets sniped right before them, they panicked and reached for Eli Apple with the No. 10 overall pick. 

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller ranked the Ohio State cornerback No. 35 overall and No. 4 at his position. Meanwhile, Vernon Hargreaves (No. 10 overall and No. 2 corner behind Ramsey) was there for the taking.

Giants general manager Jerry Reese valued the corners differently, as he told NJ.com's Jordan Raanan.

"We thought [Apple] was a better player, that's all you need to know," Reese said. "We thought he was a better player.  We had him ranked higher, we thought he was a better player. We think Hargreaves is a good player, we thought this guy was a better player."

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Reese could have traded down and picked Apple later, but he might not know that's an option. According to Steve Politi of NJ.com, the Giants have never moved down in a draft under Reese's watch, which began in 2007.

Apple, a 6'1" prospect who ran a 4.40 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, is a fine defensive back who adds depth to a New York's secondary fresh off relinquishing a league-worst 4,783 passing yards last season. Yet he wasn't the best value available at his position.

Luckily for Reese, he bumped up his grade by making two intriguing picks on Friday night, selecting playmaking wide receiver Sterling Shepard and ball-hawk safety Darian Thompson. Is it even worth mentioning they could use a linebacker?

Houston Texans

In one of the draft's oddest trades, the Houston Texans moved up one spot in the first round, sacrificing a sixth-rounder to trade spaces with Washington.

The deal allowed Houston to jump ahead of a wide receiver run and select Notre Dame's Will Fuller. Perhaps the Texans had insight indicating Washington liked him or the Minnesota Vikings would trade up if they didn't.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com, however, pointed out the unlikelihood of either scenario:

"

It's also hard to imagine Fuller coming off the board at 21. Washington already has DeSean Jackson under contract for another year, and while the team used its own first-round pick on a wideout in TCU's Josh Doctson, he's more likely a replacement for Pierre Garcon than he is for Jackson. And while the Vikings needed a wideout, Fuller is not really a strong fit, given he's primarily a deep burner and Teddy Bridgewater is not a great downfield passer, to which Mike Wallace and Cordarrelle Patterson can attest.

"

Fuller, who registered the fastest 40 time among receivers (4.32), gives Brock Osweiler a deep threat to capitalize on all the attention devoted to DeAndre Hopkins. Outside of breakaway speed, he's an unpolished prospect. As noted by Pro Football Focus's Jeff Dooley, Fuller submitted a 14 percent drop rate with the Fighting Irish.

In a draft without a standout wide receiver, Houston could have saved a pick by exuding patience. It's far from a disastrous choice, and it will be fun watching a revamped offense loading up on speed by the signing running back Lamar Miller and drafting Ohio State's Braxton Miller in Round 3. 

Houston moved up again on Friday night to secure offensive lineman Nick Martin, proving the organization's commitment to revitalizing last year's No. 19 offense.

Height and combine information obtained from NFL.com.