2013 NFL Draft Grades: How Each Team Did over the First Two Days

With the first three rounds of the NFL draft in the books, it’s the perfect time to evaluate how each team performed over the two most important days of the event.

It’s tough to properly evaluate draft classes until a few years down the line, but we’re here to give some quick-hitting analysis on how the prospects fit the needs for each franchise that selected them.

A low grade doesn’t necessarily mean the franchise screwed up, but rather that it ignored the most glaring issues in favor of addressing another area or picked a prospect we felt wasn't worth it at that selection.

Conversely, organizations with a high grade aren’t guaranteed to get top-notch production out of their picks.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at all 32 teams and dole out some grades.

*Draft order, picks and trades courtesy of NFL.com

Arizona Cardinals

1 (7): Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina. 2 (45): Kevin Minter, ILB, LSU. 3 (69): Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU.

The Cardinals did well by fixing up the offensive line with their top pick, snagging an elite talent at a position of value in the second round and taking a gamble on a high-risk, high-reward prospect in the third.

This team may not be in the Super Bowl next season, but Arizona is well on its way to rebuilding into a contender.

Grade: A-

Atlanta Falcons

1 (22): Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington. 2 (28): Robert Alford, CB, Southeastern Louisiana.

The Falcons knew they needed to address the cornerback situation, which is something they definitely accomplished with these two picks.

Unfortunately, there were other needs on this team, including upgrading the pass rush, which simply weren't addressed in the first two days.

Grade: B                        

Baltimore Ravens

1 (32): Matt Elam, S, Florida. 2 (56) Arthur Brown, ILB, Kansas St. 3 (94): Brandon Williams, DT, Missouri Southern St.

The Ravens needed to retool the defense, which is what they did by taking Elam, Brown and Williams with their first three picks in 2013.

While there were arguably better players on the board at No. 32 when the team took Elam, the front office atoned by pulling off a steal at No. 56 with Brown. Williams has some upside, but he’s unproven and raw.

Grade: B-

Buffalo Bills

1 (16): EJ Manuel, QB, Florida St. 2 (41): Robert Woods, WR, USC. 2 (46): Kiko Alonso, ILB, Oregon. 3 (78): Marquise Goodwin, WR, Texas

Manuel may take some time to develop, and it wasn’t likely Buffalo had any competition for him early in the draft. The Bills did their best to surround him with talented young wideouts, but the only pick we like here is Alonso at No. 46.

Grade: C-

Carolina Panthers

1 (14): Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah. 2 (44): Kawann Short, DT, Purdue.

Carolina decided to get serious about its defensive line, taking two highly rated tackles to stuff the run and help create pressure on the QB. Unfortunately this team has too many other needs to focus on one area of concern, leading to this poor grade for the Panthers first three rounds.

Grade: C

Chicago Bears

1 (20): Kyle Long, OG, Oregon. 2 (50): Jon Bostic, ILB, Florida.

For a team with only a handful of selections, the Bears managed to address their two biggest needs with their pair of picks on Thursday and Friday.

Long will bolster the offensive line—even if he wasn’t anything close to a value at No. 20—while Bostic could be a future star at linebacker in the Windy City.

Grade: B

Cincinnati Bengals  

1 (21): Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame. 2 (37): Giovanni Bernard, RB, North Carolina. 2 (53): Margus Hunt, DE, SMU. 3 (84): Shawn Williams, S, Georgia.

The Bengals did well so far, nabbing a great pass-catcher and solid, quick back to aid Andy Dalton’s continued development.

Hunt is a bit of a boom-or-bust prospect, which is fine for No. 53, and Williams is a special-teamer with upside as a platoon safety.

Grade: B+

Cleveland Browns

1 (6): Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU. 3 (68): Leon McFadden, CB, San Diego St.

Browns GM Mike Lombardi came into this draft with a number of holes on his roster, but he elected to take a luxury pick in Mingo early on. He’s an elite pass-rushing prospect, but is he the type of player that will take this franchise to the next level? We’ll find out soon.

McFadden is a nice pickup at No. 68, as his only major issue is size.

Grade: C+

Dallas Cowboys

1 (31): Travis Frederick, C, Wisconsin. 2 (47): Gavin Escobar, TE, San Diego St. 3 (74): Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor. 3 (80): J.J. Wilcox, S, Georgia Southern.

Jerry Jones is continuing his awful stretch as the Cowboys GM, this time trading down to acquire Frederick out of Wisconsin—a major reach in the first round. Escobar is a nice option at the TE spot, but Jason Witten will still be the main pass-catcher there.

Williams is raw and has some issues, making Wilcox the only truly solid pick this team made thus far. The Georgia Southern product may wind up being a starting safety in Week 1.

Grade: C-

Denver Broncos

1 (28): Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina. 2 (58): Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin. 3 (90): Kayvon Webster, CB, South Florida.

Denver did a nice job staying home and filling needs in this draft. Ball is the most intriguing pick the organization made, as the tailback isn’t much of a pass protector or athlete, but he catches balls and scores regularly.

Grade: B-

Detroit Lions

1 (5): Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU. 2 (36): Darius Slay, CB, Mississippi St. 3 (65): Larry Warford, OG, Kentucky.

The Lions got an elite prospect in Ansah at No. 5, an extreme value in Slay at No. 36 and an even bigger bargain on Warford at No. 65.

Considering all these players met crucial needs, this was an incredible draft for Detroit.

Grade: A

Green Bay Packers

1 (26): Datone Jones, DE, UCLA. 2 (61): Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama.

The Packers nabbed a top-notch defensive end for their 3-4 scheme and finally found themselves an elite running back.

Lacy may not find the same success he did as a standout at ‘Bama, but this big prospect has the speed and size to make an impact for a team that has severely lacked production out of the backfield.

Grade: A-

Houston Texans 

1 (27): DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson. 2 (57): D.J. Swearinger, S, South Carolina. 3 (89): Brennan Williams, OT, North Carolina. 3 (95): Sam Montgomery, DE, LSU.

Hopkins is going to stretch defenses and take pressure of Andre Johnson, Swearinger is going to make an impact and eventually start when Ed Reed hangs it up, Williams will compete for the right tackle gig and Montgomery is a standout on the field that was a steal at No. 95.

Amazingly enough, the Texans drafted a handful of productive, high-rated players at a position of value and will be much better for it in 2013.

Grade: A

 

Indianapolis Colts

1 (24): Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida St. 3 (86): Hugh Thornton, OG, Illinois

Werner is going to make plays all over the field for Indy, but Thornton needs to improve to make an impact in the NFL.

The Colts should have tried swinging a deal to bring in more picks to improve their defense, but considering what they had to work with, they did okay.

Grade: B

Jacksonville Jaguars

1 (2): Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M. 2 (33): John Cyprien, S, Florida International. 3 (64): Dwayne Gratz, CB, UConn.

The Jags snapped up the best available player after Fisher went No. 1, took the best prospect on the board at the top of the second round and added a playmaker in Gratz later in the third.

With such a poor performance in 2012, the Jags could have practically selected players at any position and upgraded, but this front office made smart moves to maximize value.

Grade: A

Kansas City Chiefs 

1 (1): Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan. 3 (63): Travis Kelce, TE, Cincinnati. 3 (96): Knile Davis, RB, Arkansas.

The Chiefs took their top prospect, added a nice pass-catcher to compliment Alex Smith and added a running back with immense upside that couldn’t stay healthy.

That’s a solid draft if I say so, but we’re not sure Kelce and Davis fill major needs for such an organization that was truly abysmal in 2012.

Grade: B

 

Miami Dolphins

1 (3): Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon. 2 (54): Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise St. 3 (77): Dallas Thomas, OT, Tennessee. 3 (93): Will Davis, CB, Utah St.

The 'Phins wisely traded up to get Jordan—an elite pass-rushing prospect in a draft that saw many offensive lineman come off the board early. However, their best pick was Taylor at 54, as he should become a starter in the near future.

Davis and Thomas should provide depth at their respective positions, with the Tennessee product potentially seeing some time at a number of different spots on the O-line.

Grade: B+

Minnesota Vikings 

1 (23): Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida. 1 (25): Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida St. 1 (29): Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee.

Minnesota went crazy to land Patterson at No. 29, which may as well have invalidated the rest of its smart drafting decisions.

Floyd and Rhodes were incredible values and will make an immediate impact next year, but Patterson cost the team an arm and a leg and may never pan out as a raw prospect.

Grade: B

New England Patriots

2 (52): Jamie Collins, OLB, Southern Miss. 2 (59): Aaron Dobson, WR, Marshall. 3 (83): Logan Ryan, CB, Rutgers. 3 (91): Duron Harmon, S, Rutgers.

It’s mildly surprising that the Patriots traded down again, especially considering Tom Brady isn’t getting any younger.

However, when teams like the Vikings come calling and are willing to give up four valuable picks to take a late first-rounder off Bill Belichick’s hands, he’s going to have to accept.

Collins will make an impact off the edge, Dobson should definitely see some snaps at WR and Ryan and Harmon are two Rutgers defensive backs that should both get time in the secondary. Not a bad haul for a team that will be a favorite to win it all next season.

Grade: B+

New Orleans Saints

1 (15): Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas. 3 (75): Terron Armstead, OT, Arkansas-Pine Bluff. 3 (82): John Jenkins, DT, Georgia.

The Saints’ historically bad defense needed a playmaker, so Vaccaro made perfect sense here.

Armstead is a raw prospect with high upside, and Jenkins could wind up making a major impact down the line.

Grade: B

New York Giants

1 (19): Justin Pugh, OT, Syracuse. 2 (49): Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio St. 3 (81): Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M.

For a guy that doesn’t have a defined position, Pugh came off the board too early. It was a questionable pick with a number of solid prospects on the O-line still available.

Hankins made up for the pick a bit, as this guy can simply stop the run—an area the G-Men struggled in last year. Moore is pure value at No. 81, as he was a first-round prospect on many big boards before dropping late.

Grade: C+

New York Jets

1 (9): Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama. 1 (13): Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri. 2 (39): Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia. 3 (72): Brian Winters, OG, Kent St.

Gang Green traded away Darrelle Revis prior to the draft, creating an opportunity for the best corner in the class, Milliner, to get selected and make an impact here.

Richardson, the team’s other first-rounder, is an absolute nightmare for offensive lineman, but he has to prove he can swallow up blockers and get into the backfield at the next level.

The most interesting pick for the Jets is Geno Smith, the top-rated quarterback who fell to them in the second round. He’s going to immediately push Mark Sanchez for the starting job and could wind up being under center in Week 1. If he’s an upgrade over the man who committed the “Butt Fumble,” this will be an excellent draft for New York.

Grade: A

Oakland Raiders

1 (12): D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston. 2 (42): Menelik Watson, OT, Florida St. 3 (66): Sio Moore, OLB, UConn.

The Raiders drafted a player they would have taken earlier at No. 12, a high-upside, freakishly talented tackle in the second round and an intriguing, versatile talent in the third.

These are the types of drafts that help teams get better in the near future.

Grade: B+

Philadelphia Eagles 

1 (4): Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma. 2 (35): Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford. 3 (67): Bennie Logan, DT, LSU.

The Eagles addressed their offensive line—which was the biggest area of concern going into this event and a reason for their failures in 2012. Ertz is an elite pass-catching TE with immense athleticism who fits right into Chip Kelly’s system, while Logan should be able to see some snaps in both passing and rushing situations.

Grade: B+

 

Pittsburgh Steelers  

1 (17): Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia. 2 (48): Le’Veon Bell, RB, Michigan State. 3 (79): Markus Wheaton, WR, Oregon St.

Jones is a top-tier linebacker prospect who landed in the perfect situation with the Steelers. He’s my early pick for Rookie of the Year, as he’s able to get off the edge and into the backfield for sacks while being extremely stout against the run.

Bell is going to help bring Pittsburgh back to its fearsome, smashmouth running roots, and Wheaton could help replace Mike Wallace’s production.

Grade: B

 

San Diego Chargers  

1 (11): D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama. 2 (38): Manti Te’o, ILB, Notre Dame. 3 (76): Keenan Allen, WR, California.

The Chargers nabbed three elite prospects in a row, although Fluker at No. 11 was a bit of a stretch. If he can develop into a starting LT in short order, the gamble will have paid off.

Te’o was a brilliant selection, as he could immediately slide in and play three downs for San Diego’s defense. Allen slipped into the third round, but he has first-round talent and should be able to help Philip Rivers in the passing game.

Grade: A-

 

San Francisco 49ers  

1 (18): Eric Reid, S, LSU. 2 (40): Tank Carradine, DE, Florida St. 2 (55): Vance McDonald, TE, Rice. 3 (88): Corey Lemonier, DE, Auburn.

Reid will come in and take over the safety spot Dashon Goldson used to occupy, which makes San Fran’s trade up with Dallas completely worthwhile.

This Super Bowl runner-up also helped its chances to get back to the big game, as Carradine is an excellent edge-rusher who can be a nightmare for quarterbacks to deal with.

McDonald may not form a Rob Gronkowski-Aaron Hernandez-type combination at the TE spot with Vernon Davis, but he’ll take some pressure off the veteran.

Grade: A-

Seattle Seahawks

2 (62): Christine Michael, RB, Texas A&M. 3 (87): Jordan Hill, DT, Penn St.

The Seahawks made some head-scratching decisions in this draft, nabbing luxury picks that this organization simply shouldn’t be comfortable making yet.

Remember, they are in year two of the Russell Wilson era and have plenty of room for improvement. A backup RB and mediocre defensive tackle aren’t going to push this team into the Super Bowl.

Grade: C-

St. Louis Rams 

1 (8): Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia. 1 (30): Alec Ogletree, ILB, Georgia. 3 (71): T.J. McDonald, S, USC. 3 (92): Steadman Bailey, WR, West Virginia.

St. Louis brought in a playmaker that will add another dimension to their offensive and return game, which is all you can ask for with the No. 8 pick in the draft.

The Rams were even more fortunate when Ogletree slipped to No. 30, as he’ll be able to start and bolster this team’s rush defense. The third-rounder, McDonald, has an NFL pedigree and immense size for the safety position, opening the door him to be a potential stud in the future.

Bailey’s pick is interesting, as it recreates the Mountaineers' passing attack in St. Louis. 

Grade: A

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

2 (43): Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi St. 3 (73): Mike Glennon, QB, N.C. State.

Banks may not have been the biggest need for a team that acquired Revis prior to the draft, but he’ll bolster the depth at the cornerback position. Considering the Bucs couldn’t stop anyone in the passing game last year, it was a worthwhile selection.

Glennon will push QB Josh Freeman to either make the leap to elite QB career or reveal he’s nothing more than mediocre. If the latter is the case, the third-rounder could eventually take over in Tampa due to his cannon arm.

Grade: B-

Tennessee Titans

1 (10): Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama. 2 (34): Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee. 3 (70): Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB, UConn. 3 (97): Zaviar Gooden, OLB, Missouri.

The Titans nabbed the top player on my big board at No. 10, selecting what should be an All-Pro guard in Warmack. He immediately makes the team better in the rushing game and will aid Jake Locker’s development by giving him more time to throw.

Hunter and Wreh-Wilson will both impact this team in a positive manner at their positions, while Gooden could eventually get snaps as a pass-rusher with his insane speed.

Grade: A

Washington Redskins

2 (51): David Amerson, CB, N.C. State. 3 (85): Jordan Reed, TE, Florida.

With hardly any picks in this draft, the Redskins had to go all out. Amerson is a player that could become the top corner in Washington or find himself without a team in a few seasons.

Reed is a hyper-athletic player who can make plays all over the field, but his 6’2”, 236-pound stature is a bit concerning.

Grade: B-