NFL Draft Grades 2018: Round 1 Results and Scores for Each Team

Providing NFL draft grades feels like walking on eggshells: You never want to be the person that gives a future Hall of Famer an F and have that live in eternity on the internet forever.

Besides, giving any team a failing grade at this juncture seems harsh (unless a team decides to take a punter or long snapper on Day 1, then all bets are off). The new player hasn't even met his team yet, let alone played with them in a regular-season game.

That's why you see no failing grades below (and mostly sunny-side-up A's or B's), as it's impossible to project any tenure as an outright failure before it has started.

But a few teams did make some interesting decisions, whether it was eschewing a serious need to pick another player or perhaps reaching for someone who may not have been as high on some draft boards.

We'll take a look at all the grades categories below alongside analysis for some of the teams. You can also find an NFL draft tracker at the top.

NFL Draft Tracker

A Grades

Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins

With the rush to take quarterbacks in the top 10, a few of the draft's best non-quarterbacks fell into some teams' laps. For example, how could the Denver Broncos say no to the opportunity to pair defensive superstar Von Miller with North Carolina State edge-rusher Bradley Chubb?

The same could be said for the Indianapolis Colts and Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson, who will be a mauler in the run game and help keep franchise quarterback Andrew Luck upright.

Florida State safety Derwin James somehow slipped to the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 17, and he instantly makes an already tough defense one of the best units in the league.

The Miami Dolphins also got a huge boost when Alabama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick landed to them at No. 11. He should instantly start in the Fins' secondary and help improve a pass defense that allowed 64.2 percent of passes completed against them.

B Grades      

Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Jacksonville Jaguars made what seems like a luxury pick when they took Florida defensive lineman Taven Bryan in the first round. Bryan should be an excellent addition to an already stacked Jags defense, but Jacksonville has some needs on offense—notably another pass-catcher or two to round out the skill-position core.

Somewhat similarly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took what looks to be a fantastic player on paper (Washington defensive lineman Vita Vea), but they have more important needs in the secondary. Derwin James may have been the better pick here, especially with Gerald McCoy already manning the defensive line.

The New England Patriots added two excellent Georgia Bulldogs in offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn and running back Sony Michel, but this is a team that just gave up 41 points in the Super Bowl. The defense fared well after a rough September but could not contain the Philadelphia Eagles' offense on the championship stage.

A double-dip for two defensive players may have been the better move, although Wynn and Michel should be important pieces next year.

C Grades

Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers

These two teams fall in the C category for opposite reasons. For Minnesota, UCF cornerback Mike Hughes is a first-round talent (he's 26th on Matt Miller of Bleacher Report's big board), but the Vikings have a more pressing need on the offensive line and could have picked up a player such as UTEP offensive guard Will Hernandez or Connor Williams.

The Pittsburgh Steelers need help in their linebacking core following the tragic December on-field spinal injury suffered by Ryan Shazier (who provided one of the more inspiring moments in a long time when he walked out and announced Pittsburgh's pick Thursday), but Virginia Tech linebacker Terrell Edmunds seemed like a reach in the first round. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com projected him as a third- or fourth-round pick, for instance.

That being said, Edmunds' athleticism could be key for him on the next level: Notably, he's a fantastic athlete who registered a 41.5-inch vertical jump at the NFL Scouting Combine.

D Grades

New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks

At No. 14, UTSA edge-rusher Marcus Davenport went perhaps a little bit higher than many analysts projected him to go, but the New Orleans Saints gave up a first-rounder next year and a fifth-rounder this year to swap places with the Green Bay Packers.

Giving up an extra first-rounder seems like a steep price at first blush, hence the grade, but if Davenport forms a dynamic pass-rushing duo with Cameron Jordan, no one will care.

The Oakland Raiders took UCLA offensive tackle Kolton Miller with the 15th overall pick. Oakland has more pressing needs (pass-catcher, defense) than offensive line, and Miller was drafted higher than many projections (Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network did not have him in his top-50 big board).

Miller did impress at the NFL Scouting Combine, notably setting the offensive line broad jump record.

As for the Seattle Seahawks, the following comment is prefaced by the fact that general manager John Schneider has a Super Bowl trophy and has made far more good decisions than bad ones. But one of the more puzzling ones over the past few years has been the lack of investment in the offensive line, especially with a franchise quarterback (Russell Wilson) calling signals.

Seattle took a running back (San Diego State's Rashaad Penny), but the team's offense sputtered last year in part because of a struggling offensive line, to the point where it seems like spending early draft resources would be the team's best bet. Seattle does have a need at running back, but the line outweighs it.

N/A Grades

Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles

This quartet of teams decided to skip the fun on Thursday night and trade out of their first-round picks during last year's draft (the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs), this year's offseason (the Los Angeles Rams) and this year's draft (the Philadelphia Eagles).