NFL Draft Grades 2016: Final Results and Team-by-Team Letter Chart

While it's a time of strong optimism for each of the NFL's 32 franchises, not every team can emerge from the draft a winner. 

Sometimes, the draft plan just falls apart (Atlanta Falcons). Other times, a team cannot or won't strike a deal and misses on prospects by a few picks round after round (Pittsburgh Steelers).

Regardless, the aftermath of the 2016 class is a strong case study in how the draft can play out and where the league is headed. With teams like the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars emerging as big winners, a review of the entire event is in order.

Here's a look at every pick and grades for each class before zooming on a trio of classes to know—good and bad.

2016 NFL Draft Grades

Team	Grade	Notes
Arizona Cardinals	B	Bruce Arians and Arizona were one of the few teams that could properly handle the risk-reward that is Robert Nkemdiche. The rest of the class was odd, though.
Atlanta Falcons	D	There was plenty of better value on the board when Atlanta took Keanu Neal. A narrative which applies to all of Atlanta's picks, really.
Baltimore Ravens	B-	Baltimore stood tall and got its guy (Ronnie Stanley), which should help Joe Flacco stay healthy. A deep class bolsters depth at key spots.
Buffalo Bills	B	Shaq Lawson in a Rex Ryan front speaks for itself. Good value. Reggie Ragland was great value, too.
Carolina Panthers	C	Vernon Butler is a great player, but he is nowhere close to an important need. James Bradberry seemed like a reach.
Chicago Bears	B	No. 9 seems a bit high for Leonard Floyd, but nobody can argue the fit or need. Cody Whitehair is a steal.
Cincinnati Bengals	A	Cincinnati stuck with its board for better or worse and got William Jackson III, a guy who could be the best corner from the class in time. The mid-round picks were either bad value or unnecessary. Andrew Billings was the steal of the draft.
Cleveland Browns	A	It feels weird not to type a "D" next to Cleveland, but the Browns traded down twice and still got the best wideout in the draft, Corey Coleman. Landing Emmanuel Ogbah is a boon to the grade. Cody Kessler doesn't make any sense. Overall, a wildly important, solid class.
Dallas Cowboys	C+	Is DeMarco Murray that bad? Cowboys didn't need to splurge but did on Ezekiel Elliott. Better hope Tony Romo can stay healthy. Taking a risk on Jaylon Smith instead of hitting a big need hurts.
Denver Broncos	C	Moving up for a project player reeks of desperation, even if it does possibly escape a Mark Sanchez era. Adam Gotsis so high didn't make sense.
Detroit Lions	B	Detroit hit offensive line with Taylor Decker. Now the Lions have to hope it's not too late for Matthew Stafford.
Green Bay Packers	B	Right need, wrong player, as Kenny Clark seemed more like a second-round value. Jason Spriggs in the second round was a silly steal.
Houston Texans	B	Houston wanted speed and got it with Will Fuller, though he's a drop machine. Offense the priority, though, Houston knocked it out of the park.
Indianapolis Colts	A	Perhaps the surest lineman in the draft, Ryan Kelly, is just what Andrew Luck needed. T.J. Green and Le'Raven Clark are high upside guys with bright futures.
Jacksonville Jaguars	A+	Jalen Ramsey was the best player in the draft and joins Dante Fowler Jr. to create a solid young core. Two more words: Myles Jack.
Kansas City Chiefs	A	Getting Chris Jones in the second round is as good as having a pick in the first. The rest of the class was decent value.
Miami Dolphins	A+	Not much to say here. Laremy Tunsil was in the conversation for the top pick, and Miami got him at No. 13.
Minnesota Vikings	A+	Minnesota needed to get Teddy Bridgewater some help and hit it out of the park with Laquon Treadwell. The team then got one of the steals of the draft with Mackensie Alexander.
New England Patriots	C	New England didn't make a notable pick at all in the mid-rounds.
New Orleans Saints	B	Geno Atkins-lite Sheldon Rankins should have come off the board higher. Huge win. Bolstering offense in the second round didn't make a lick of sense.
New York Giants	B	New York gets docked a full letter grade for Eli Apple-Big Apple puns. Kidding. Solid pick. Ditto for Sterling Shepard.
New York Jets	D	Darron Lee slots right in with the Jets and improves a good unit. Christian Hackenberg is a major whiff with Ryan Fitzpatrick on the market.
Oakland Raiders	B-	No. 14 is a bit high for Karl Joseph, but he's certainly in the right hands with that great Oakland coaching staff. Jihad Ward and Shilique Calhoun just make the defense even scarier.
Philadelphia Eagles	C	Moving up to draft Carson Wentz in a weak quarterback class isn't worth it. The rest of the class wasn't more encouraging.
Pittsburgh Steelers	B-	Pittsburgh got robbed by Cincinnati, but Artie Burns will have a role for a long time. Most picks, though, seems out of line with value.
San Diego Chargers	C+	Joey Bosa creates a mean rush with Melvin Ingram. Surprise, but not a bad pick. Taking a tight end? Odd.
San Francisco 49ers	A	Getting one of the draft's best players, DeForest Buckner, at No. 7 is a massive win. Many considered Joshua Garnett the best run-blocking guard in the draft.
Seattle Seahawks	C	Gaining assets and better protecting Russell Wilson with Germain Ifedi is hard to complain about. Going defense in the second round hurts the grade. Tripling up on running back? Yikes.
Los Angeles Rams	C	Jared Goff might be a potential franchise quarterback, but it's a weak class and feels more like a PR move.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	B	Smartly not content with existing secondary, Tampa Bay gets a big-play guy in Vernon Hargreaves and made a smart gamble on Noah Spence.
Tennessee Titans	B-	Jack Conklin might be the best tackle in the draft, and it's good to see Tennessee put an emphasis on Marcus Mariota's health. Odd run on defenders after, though.
Washington	A	Josh Doctson at No. 22 is a silly steal, and he pairs well with DeSean Jackson. Su'a Cravens is an impact player, as is Kendall Fuller.

Best Class: Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings put on a clinic over three days, hitting major needs and grabbing ridiculous value. 

Head coach Mike Zimmer and the front office got young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater some serious help in the form of Ole Miss wideout Laquon Treadwell at No. 23. He's a big-bodied target who can help move the chains and take pressure off Stefon Diggs, so the days of worrying about whether Cordarrelle Patterson will pan out are over.

Many like the fit, including Michael Irvin, as captured by ESPN's Adam Schefter:

It got even better in the second round, with the Vikings grabbing Clemson corner Mackensie Alexander at No. 54. Viewed as a first-round pick by some, Alexander enters the league with a chip on his shoulder and joins an already-stout secondary featuring young guns such as Harrison Smith, Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes and Captain Munnerlyn.

The rest of the class followed the same trends. Willie Beavers might have a future as a starter at offensive tackle, linebacker Kentrell Brothers can contribute right away, and even seventh-round safety Jayron Kearse has a serious shot at making the roster.

Walking the need-value tightrope to perfection, there's no doubt the Vikings will remain a mainstay in NFC title contention for years. 

Oddest Class: Seattle Seahawks 

This is an odd slot for the Seattle Seahawks, but so it goes when any team decides to grab three running backs in one class. 

To be fair, Seattle hit on important needs in each of the first two rounds. With the team in need of a replacement in the offensive trenches, first-rounder Germain Ifedi out of Texas A&M helps shore things up.

That said, Ifedi doesn't blow anyone away on paper, as Sports Illustrated's Doug Farrar points out:

The second round was better, with the Seahawks grabbing Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed to help replace Brandon Mebane.

It was all downhill from there.

Grabbing Notre Dame running back C.J. Prosise in the third round made sense. But the Seahawks went on to add another back in the fifth (Alex Collins) and one more in the seventh (Zac Brooks), which was an odd set of decisions with Thomas Rawls and Christine Michael still on the roster.

Seattle also tripled up with offensive linemen, something it has now done two drafts in a row. While prioritizing needs is a must, the Seahawks now have to hope the other positions hold up well without an infusion of talent. 

This isn't the worst draft class. Far, far from it. But there was better value on the board, especially after tripling down on a running back position that isn't a top priority anymore.

Don't Sleep on It: San Francisco 49ers 

Meanwhile in the NFC West, the San Francisco 49ers quietly put on a show. 

Value, value and value. Oregon defensive lineman DeForest Buckner at No. 7 was one of the best picks of the draft and immediately makes the entire unit better. Ditto for Stanford guard Joshua Garnett, who many considered the best run-blocking guard in the draft.

The hits kept coming in the third round with Mississippi State corner Will Redmond, who NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah summed up best: "If healthy, he could have snuck into the back end of the first round. He has a big-time burst, but was unable to put a time down on paper due to injury."

That's not all, folks. San Francisco went back to the corner well in the fourth round with LSU's Rashard Robinson, another homer of a pick, as Bleacher Report's Matt Miller explained:

Then it was back to the trenches with Appalachian State run-stuffing monster Ronald Blair, a pick summed up in succinct fashion by Pro Football Focus' Jeff Deeney:

Sprinkle in some offensive line depth and a quarterback in Jeff Driskel who looks the part of a pro passer with a high ceiling, and it's easy to praise the 49ers. 

Facing one of the league's most significant rebuilds after a huge talent exodus over the past few seasons, the 49ers put on a value clinic that should jump-start the process and give the organization something to build on for years.

Now all the team has to do is coach up the talent well.

Stats are courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of May 1. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.