NFL Draft Results 2014: Final Grades for How Every Team Fared

The 2014 NFL draft featured plenty of twists and turns as expected, but the true impact of what occurred from Thursday through Saturday may not be felt for several years.

Some selections will undoubtedly be instant impact players while others will take a few years to develop or may not ever develop at all. Grading a class immediately after the draft is obviously an inexact science in terms of projecting players out, but so is the draft itself.

Along with a full listing of post-draft grades for every team, here is a closer look at three organizations that performed well despite the fact that nobody is talking about them.

Full Draft Grades

Team	Notable Picks	Grade
Arizona Cardinals	SS Deone Bucannon (27), TE Troy Niklas (52), QB Logan Thomas (120)	C+
Atlanta Falcons	OT Jake Matthews (6), DL Ra'Shede Hageman (37)	B+
Baltimore Ravens	ILB C.J. Mosley (17), DT Tim Jernigan (48)	B
Buffalo Bills	WR Sammy Watkins (4), OT Cyrus Kouandjio (44), Cyril Richardson (153)	B+
Carolina Panthers	WR Kelvin Benjamin (28), DL Kony Ealy (60)	B-
Chicago Bears	CB Kyle Fuller (14), DT Ego Ferguson (51), RB Ka'Deem Carey (117)	C
Cincinnati Bengals	CB Darqueze Dennard (24), RB Jeremy Hill (55), QB A.J. McCarron (164)	C+
Cleveland Browns	CB Justin Gilbert (8), QB Johnny Manziel (22), OL Joel Bitonio (35)	A-
Dallas Cowboys	OT Zack Martin (16), DE Demarcus Lawrence (34)	B
Denver Broncos	CB Bradley Roby (31), WR Cody Latimer (56)	C+
Detroit Lions	TE Eric Ebron (10), OLB Kyle Van Noy (40)	B
Green Bay Packers	FS Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (21), WR Davante Adams (53)	B
Houston Texans	DE Jadeveon Clowney (1), OG Xavier Su'a-Filo (33), TE C.J. Fiedorowicz (65), DT Louis Nix (83), QB Tom Savage (135)	A
Indianapolis Colts	OL Jack Mewhort (59), WR Donte Moncrief (90)	D+
Jacksonville Jaguars	QB Blake Bortles (3), WR Marqise Lee (39), WR Allen Robinson (61), LB Telvin Smith (144)	A-
Kansas City Chiefs	DE Dee Ford (23), CB Phillip Gaines (87), RB De'Anthony Thomas (124), QB Aaron Murray (163)	C-
Miami Dolphins	OT Ja'Wuan James (19), WR Jarvis Landry (63), TE Arthur Lynch (155)	D+
Minnesota Vikings	OLB Anthony Barr (9), QB Teddy Bridgewater (32), DE Scott Crichton (72), OG David Yankey (145)	B+
New England Patriots	DT Dominique Easley (29), QB Jimmy Garoppolo (62)	D+
New Orleans Saints	WR Brandin Cooks (20), CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste (58)	B
New York Giants	WR Odell Beckham (12), C Weston Richburg (43), RB Andre Williams (113)	B
New York Jets	FS Calvin Pryor (18), TE Jace Amaro (49), QB Tajh Boyd (213)	B+
Oakland Raiders	OLB Khalil Mack (5), QB Derek Carr (36), OG Gabe Jackson (81)	B+
Philadelphia Eagles	DE Marcus Smith (26), WR Jordan Matthews (42)	D+
Pittsburgh Steelers	OLB Ryan Shazier (15), DL Stephon Tuitt (46), WR Martavis Bryant (118)	A-
San Diego Chargers	CB Jason Verrett (25), OLB Jeremy Attaochu (50)	B-
San Francisco 49ers	SS Jimmie Ward (30), RB Carlos Hyde (57), OG Marcus Martin (70), ILB Chris Borland (77), WR Bruce Ellington (106)	A
Seattle Seahawks	WR Paul Richardson (45), OL Justin Britt (64)	D
St. Louis Rams	OT Greg Robinson (2), DT Aaron Donald (13), CB Lamarcus Joyner (41), RB Tre Mason (75), DE Michael Sam (249)	A
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	WR Mike Evans (7), TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins (38)	B+
Tennessee Titans	OT Taylor Lewan (11), RB Bishop Sankey (54), QB Zach Mettenberger (178)	B-
Washington Redskins	LB Trent Murphy (47), OT Morgan Moses (66), RB Lache Seastrunk (186)	B-

Top Under-the-Radar Performers

Pittsburgh Steelers

There certainly isn't anything particularly flashy about the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2014 draft class, but it is tough to argue with the talent that they ultimately accrued. The Steelers have long been known as a defensive juggernaut; however, their key players are starting to get up there in age, so they had to reload to some degree.

Pittsburgh did precisely that with its first two picks, as it selected Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier at No. 15 and stole Notre Dame defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt in the second round. Shazier gives the Steelers a big-time playmaker and athlete at the linebacker position while Tuitt's versatility along the defensive line is a perfect fit for defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's scheme.

The Steelers' strong draft didn't stop there, as they nabbed Kent State running back Dri Archer in the third round. The diminutive speedster could potentially add another dimension to Pittsburgh's offense, as he posted the best 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

Additionally, Pittsburgh picked up Clemson wide receiver Martavis Bryant in the fourth round. Bryant has all the tools necessary to be an excellent receiver in the NFL, and it will be interesting to see how quarterback Ben Roethlisberger meshes with him.

Perhaps the one thing that prevents this from being a perfect draft is the fact that the Steelers didn't address their huge need at cornerback in the first few rounds, as pointed out by Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

An entire team can't be built in one draft, though, so it's tough to give the Steelers too much flak. They addressed several needs throughout the draft and got fantastic value with most of their selections, so they most definitely deserve a strong grade.

Minnesota Vikings

From top to bottom, it can be argued that the Minnesota Vikings picked up more talent and overall value than any other team in the 2014 NFL draft. The Vikes' first pick was somewhat controversial, as they nabbed UCLA pass-rusher Anthony Barr with the No. 9 selection in the opening round, but he was considered a potential top-five pick following the 2013 season, so he definitely has the ability to be a star.

After losing defensive end Jared Allen this offseason, getting a player who can pressure the quarterback was an absolute must. Perhaps an even bigger need, though, was at quarterback. Minnesota targeted its man and got him by trading back into the first round with the Seattle Seahawks at No. 32. The Vikings took Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and ended his precipitous fall with the final pick in the first round.

Bridgewater's ability to translate to the NFL is a major point of contention among experts, but Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times views it as a huge steal:

Bridgewater is already saying the right things, and he doesn't seem to be worried about outside perception, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today:

"

While I'm here, I'll just continue to develop the traits to be the face of a franchise or have the qualities to play quarterback on the National Football (League) level. ... When people say those things, it doesn't bother me, because each day I'm learning, and every day, life is about different learning experiences. That's my mindset – just being able to learn from no matter who it may be, from a waterboy to the owner of this organization.

"

The Vikings could be a force to be reckoned with if Bridgewater pans out with running back Adrian Peterson already in the fold. Minnesota didn't have a second-round pick after trading up to get Bridgewater, but that didn't stop it from making a couple more solid selections.

Oregon State defensive end Scott Crichton made a lot of sense in the third round as a do-everything player who can complement Barr well. Minnesota also selected another potential future starter in the fifth round when it got Stanford guard David Yankey.

The Vikes really seemed to thrive from start to finish, and they did an excellent job in terms of addressing needs over all three days of the draft.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have an offensive-minded head coach in Lovie Smith, but that didn't stop them from making massive improvements to the offense in the draft's first few rounds. The Bucs had to be thrilled when Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans was available at No. 7, as they now have another huge target to put opposite Vincent Jackson.

It is unclear whether Tampa's starting quarterback will be Josh McCown or Mike Glennon, but both likely loved that selection. Things got even better for the Buccaneers' quarterbacks, though, as Tampa then took Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins in the second round.

Although Seferian-Jenkins didn't receive as much hype as first-round tight end Eric Ebron during the lead-up to the draft, it can be argued that he is a better all-around player due to his ability to block as well as his efficiency in the red zone.

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports gave the Buccaneers high marks for their selection of Seferian-Jenkins:

ESPN's Chris Mortensen also chimed in and pointed out that the Buccaneers added a great deal of talent to their offense:

Tampa's remaining four selections were somewhat unassuming, although picking West Virginia running back Charles Sims in the third round is good insurance for Doug Martin if he doesn't bounce back from injury as well as expected.

The Bucs clearly made the most of their first two picks and now boast an offense that could potentially be very dynamic. The quarterbacks have to produce in order for that to happen, but they have been put in position to succeed at the very least.

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