NFL Draft Grades 2017: Round 1 Results and Scores for Each Team

Except for the zany trades up for quarterbacks, the first day of the 2017 NFL draft actually played out in a way many of us might have predicted in the weeks leading up to the action. 

It doesn't always shake out this way, but the teams that held first-round selections, for the most part, went after their consensus biggest needs and generally drafted relative to the value that analysts had placed on these prospects.

Some of the picks you could have seen coming from a mile away: Myles Garrett to the Cleveland Browns (despite all the late misdirection), Leonard Fournette to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Christian McCaffery to the Carolina Panthers. 

But there were still a few surprises along the way—Mitchell Trubisky to the Chicago Bears, anyone?

The full results from Round 1 are below, followed by grades and analysis for every selection. 

NFL Draft Round 1 Grades and Analysis

Pick	Team	Selection	Grade/Analysis
1	Cleveland Browns	Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M	A+: In the end, the Browns made the call every other team would have made and got the best player in this year's class.
2	Chicago Bears (via SF)	Mitchell Trubisky, QB, UNC	D+: The Bears gave up a ton to get their QB. You can admire GM Ryan Pace's aggression, but he's officially under the glass.
3	San Francisco 49ers (via CHI)	Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford	A+: The 49ers put on a masterful performance on Thursday. By any stretch of the imagination, Thomas is whom they wanted all along.
4	Jacksonville Jaguars	Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU	A: This pick was obvious heading into the draft, but it doesn't make it any less fantastic for Jacksonville.
5	Tennessee Titans	Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan	B: Everyone has their favorite WR prospect, but it's hard to argue Davis isn't the top in this year's class. He wasn't even able to work out at the combine, but his raw skills are out of this world.
6	New York Jets	Jamal Adams, S, LSU	A: It's crazy Adams was on the board here, until the Jets astutely stopped his fall. Adams is the second-best defensive player in this draft.
7	Los Angeles Chargers	Mike Williams, WR, Clemson	A: Some people think Williams is the best WR in this class, and perhaps the Chargers do, too. Now LA's store of weapons (Keenan Allen, Travis Benjamin, Melvin Gordon) is stacked.
8	Carolina Panthers	Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford	A: McCaffrey simply creates production, with his vision and with his yards after the catch. He's an excellent addition to Carolina's backfield.
9	Cincinnati Bengals	John Ross, WR, Washington	B: This felt a little high for Ross, whose stock was dropping ahead of the draft due to his medicals. But the Bengals want to help Andy Dalton win—now.
10	Kansas City Chiefs (via BUF)	Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech	B-: You don't often see a team move up to grab a franchise QB when their starter isn't out the door, but the Chiefs wanted to ensure there was no hitch after Alex Smith leaves.
11	New Orleans Saints	Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio St.	A: The Saints were probably going defense no matter what here, but how lucky for them that a top-10 talent in Lattimore fell to them.
12	Houston Texans (via CLE)	Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson	A-: Deshaun Watson is so clearly a perfect fit in Houston, and finally the Texans' stout defense gets some firepower on the other side of the ball.
13	Arizona Cardinals	Haason Reddick, LB, Temple	A-: Reddick, once a mid-draft prospect, was a hot commodity in Round 1. The Cardinals were smart to grab him here while they still could.
14	Philadelphia Eagles	Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee	A-: Barnett is another top-10 talent who fell a little bit, and the thousands of Eagles fans in attendance on Thursday night were in full support of the pick.
15	Indianapolis Colts	Malik Hooker, S, Ohio St.	A+: Just perfect. This is incredible value for Hooker, one of the best defenders in this year's class. He tied for second nationally with seven interceptions in 2016.
16	Baltimore Ravens	Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama	A-: Ozzie Newsome + Alabama defender=Ravens draft pick.
17	Washington Redskins	Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama	A: As long as Jonathan Allen's shoulder checks out, this is a steal.
18	Tennessee Titans	Adoree' Jackson, CB, USC	A+: Arguably the Titans' top need in this draft, cornerback Adoree' Jackson is a Week 1 starter who instantly upgrades their secondary.
19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama	A+: Tampa Bay has just a few key puzzle pieces missing, and an elite tight end prospect was a huge one. Howard also helps in the run game with his blocking ability.
20	Denver Broncos	Garett Bolles, T, Utah	A: Bolles is the best offensive lineman in this class, and the position was Denver's biggest need. Not a sexy move, but a smart one.
21	Detroit Lions	Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida	A-: Davis isn't the most explosive or productive linebacker in this year's class, but Davis has outstanding character, as NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote in his draft profile. The Lions were looking for the whole package here.
22	Miami Dolphins	Charles Harris, DE, Missouri	A-: The Dolphins are working with Cameron Wake and Andre Branch at pass-rusher, so inserting Harris into the rotation is definitely an upgrade.
23	New York Giants	Evan Engram, TE, Ole Miss	B: This was one of the more surprising moves in the first round. Their pass-catchers are that much more deadly now, but will the G-Men regret passing up an offensive lineman?
24	Oakland Raiders	Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio St.	B-: Clearly the Raiders did their research here and understand what they have gotten themselves into. Conley's talent is undisputable, but Oakland has to hope it is right about him.
25	Cleveland Browns (via HOU)	Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan	B: Cleveland's defense got a lot more ferocious, but with so many first-round picks not panning out, the Browns really have to hope Peppers' medicals check out.
26	Atlanta Falcons (via SEA)	Takkarist McKinley, DE, UCLA	B+: Now the Falcons have Vic Beasley and Takk McKinley playing opposite one another, so if their defense wasn't scaring opponents in 2016, it should now.
27	Buffalo Bills (via KC)	Tre'Davious White, CB, LSU	B+: White isn't the most highly touted corner in this draft, but he's a great fit in Buffalo's secondary.
28	Dallas Cowboys	Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan	A-: Dallas' offense is good to go, so the Cowboys upgraded their pass rush with Charlton.
29	Cleveland Browns (via GB)	David Njoku, TE, Miami	B+: If Cleveland was after a tight end, it had to have been thrilled that the Giants took Engram, leaving Njoku on the board. The Browns don't have a QB yet, but they have some weapons.
30	Pittsburgh Steelers	T.J. Watt, OLB, Wisconsin	A+: Watt is raw and doesn't have a lot of experience at linebacker, but the Steelers could have gotten one of the most dedicated players in this year's draft. Watt is perfect for Pittsburgh's scheme.
31	San Francisco 49ers (via SEA via ATL)	Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama	A+: Foster was a top-10 prospect heading into Thursday. The 49ers somehow left Day 1 with two top-10 prospects. A+ work, John Lynch.
32	New Orleans Saints	Ryan Ramczyk, T, Wisconsin	B+: Ramczyk played for just one year at the FBS level, and he projects as a right tackle for the Saints. This isn't a sexy pick, but it's solid.

Highest Grades

San Francisco 49ers: Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford—A+ 

This may be 49ers general manager John Lynch's first rodeo, but he's looking like a veteran out there.

Not only did San Francisco land the player it likely wanted all along in Stanford's Solomon Thomas, but it moved down one spot and acquired multiple picks in so doing.

Anyone who knew the backstory between Lynch and Thomas had an inkling that the pair might team up together in San Francisco.

As Jenny Vrentas of The MMQB shared on Twitter Thursday, Lynch and Thomas actually took a class together at Stanford, forging their relationship early on.

They also worked together on a project!

Now, there's a new project: winning a Super Bowl. 

Indianapolis Colts: Malik Hooker, S, OSU—A+

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Malik Hooker was a top-10 talent in this year's draft class, and, incredibly, he fell to the Colts at No. 15 overall. 

General manager Chris Ballard reportedly received a lot of trade interest, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star:

"There was a lot of attention for the pick," Ballard said. "But I just thought Malik was too unique. I've talked about this a few times. Unique skill sets, unique players, unique athletes that make plays. That's what we need to keep adding to our team, especially on defense right now."

The Colts averaged only 1.1 takeaways per game in 2016, per Team Rankings. That put them at 26th in the league.

Hooker, who had seven interceptions for the Buckeyes in 2016, is certainly the first step to addressing that problem. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama—A+

Another team that earns top marks for its astute draft selection in Round 1 is Tampa Bay, who saw perhaps the draft's most dynamic and talented pass-catcher in tight end O.J. Howard fall into its lap at No. 19 overall. 

There were scenarios in which Howard came off the board in the top 10 or lasted until the 20s; it all depended on which other players that teams were targeting and how badly they wanted to add a tight end.

But the great thing for the Bucs about Howard is that he doesn't just add to their pass-catching prowess; he also helps their run game. 

Howard is a multi-threat tight end. He can line up all over the field, but Alabama didn't seem to coax his full potential out of him.

And now the Bucs can pair him with Cameron Brate. Add Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson into the mix, and suddenly Tampa Bay's offense looks scary.