NFL Draft Grades 2016: Round 1 Results and Scores for Each Team
It will take years to know which prospects from the 2016 NFL draft are stars and which are busts, but you can still judge the winners and losers immediately.
Throughout an entertaining first round, a number of teams greatly improved their rosters by adding a talented player at a position of need. On the other hand, some squads will fall behind after reaching in the first round or failing to provide immediate help to their lineups.
Here is a recap from the first round as well as grades for each pick from Day 1.
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| Los Angeles Rams | Jared Goff (1) | A+ | The Rams were a quarterback away from contending and they added a player who could help out immediately. |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Carson Wentz (2) | B | Unlike the Rams, the Eagles gave up too much to get to No. 2 and still have a lot of needs. Carson Wentz could be good, but the risk is very high. |
| San Diego Chargers | Joey Bosa (3) | B+ | Joey Bosa could be a great player, but the question is fit. He is best as a 4-3 DE but will likely be shifted to OLB in the 3-4. He will help, but there might have been better options. |
| Dallas Cowboys | Ezekiel Elliott (4) | A- | Many will question positional value, but Ezekiel Elliott is a big-time playmaker who will put up incredible numbers behind that offensive line. |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Jalen Ramsey (5) | A+ | The Jaguars get great value and fill a major need, upgrading a secondary that was one of the worst in the NFL last season. |
| Baltimore Ravens | Ronnie Stanley (6) | A- | The Ravens probably wanted Joey Bosa, but they will be in good shape after adding a safe prospect in Ronnie Stanley. |
| San Francisco 49ers | DeForest Buckner (7), Joshua Garnett (28) | A+ | After a miserable year, the 49ers got back to solidifying the offensive and defensive lines, which were the strength of the contending teams from recent years. |
| Tennessee Titans | Jack Conklin (8) | A- | The Titans add a player who will help protect Marcus Mariota, although the trade up might not have been necessary. |
| Chicago Bears | Leonard Floyd (9) | B | Boom-or-bust prospect with the speed to get around the edge but needs to add a lot of strength. High risk in top 10. |
| New York Giants | Eli Apple (10) | C+ | At 6'1", Eli Apple has the size teams like but is still relatively raw. Cornerback is also not a major need after free agency. |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Vernon Hargreaves III (11) | A | The Buccaneers get an elite cover cornerback while also gaining an extra pick in a trade. Fills a need and gets a quality player. |
| New Orleans Saints | Sheldon Rankins (12) | A | Versatile defender who can play multiple positions along the defensive line and will help improve Saints defense no matter where he ends up. |
| Miami Dolphins | Laremy Tunsil (13) | A+ | His off-field issues might be a problem, but on the field Laremy Tunsil is as good as anyone in this class. Dolphins get a steal at this stage. |
| Oakland Raiders | Karl Joseph (14) | B+ | A bit of a reach, especially considering injury issues, but Karl Joseph does have plenty of upside and could provide a major boost to this defense. |
| Cleveland Browns | Corey Coleman (15) | B- | Trading back made sense to acquire more picks, but Corey Coleman is not the answer to an offense that needs a lot more than a slot receiver. |
| Detroit Lions | Taylor Decker (16) | B+ | The Lions had a bunch of needs and filled one of them with Taylor Decker. Not a sexy pick, but will be a productive player. |
| Atlanta Falcons | Keanu Neal (17) | B | While this helps solidify the secondary, Falcons miss an opportunity to add a much-needed pass-rusher to the defense. |
| Indianapolis Colts | Ryan Kelly (18) | A- | Colts were probably hoping one of the top tackles would still be available, but Ryan Kelly is clearly the best center in the class and provides a necessary upgrade to the offensive line. |
| Buffalo Bills | Shaq Lawson (19) | A | Rex Ryan likes to build through his defense. Shaq Lawson is the perfect player to improve the pass rush and make things easier for everyone around him. |
| New York Jets | Darron Lee (20) | A | It all comes down to how he is used, but Darron Lee has tons of potential as an explosive athlete capable playing multiple positions on the field. Then again, the team still needs a quarterback. |
| Houston Texans | Will Fuller (21) | A- | While Will Fuller wouldn't be a great pick for every team, he works perfectly for the Texans where he can be a complement to DeAndre Hopkins and a burner to improve the offense. |
| Washington Redskins | Josh Doctson (22) | A | Josh Doctson is the type of player who can win one-on-one battles and will be a new favorite target for Kirk Cousins. |
| Minnesota Vikings | Laquon Treadwell (23) | A+ | Although he lacks top-end speed, Laquon Treadwell could be the best receiver in this class and a true game-changer down the field. Will help add a new dimension to the Vikings attack. |
| Cincinnati Bengals | William Jackson III (24) | B | Cincinnati missed out on the run of receivers and ended up getting another cornerback. It might be the best player available, but it doesn't help the team contend. |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Artie Burns (25) | B+ | The Steelers add more athleticism to their defense with another high-upside player who could be a big-time playmaker down the line. The problem is Burns might take some time to develop. |
| Denver Broncos | Paxton Lynch (26) | A | Paxton Lynch probably won't be the starter in Week 1, but the Broncos did what they needed to grab the quarterback of the future and fill a gaping hole. |
| Green Bay Packers | Kenny Clark (27) | A- | Kenny Clark will provide some much-needed help against the run as he fills a major need in the middle of the defense. |
| Arizona Cardinals | Robert Nkemdiche (29) | B | This will either end up being a great pick or a major bust. Robert Nkemdiche has as much upside as almost anyone in the class, but problems both on and off the field make him a major question mark. |
| Carolina Panthers | Vernon Butler (30) | B- | There were other needs as well as better players available at the position, but Vernon Butler is a versatile player who can help in multiple ways. |
| Seattle Seahawks | Germain Ifedi (31) | A | Pass protection has been a major weakness on this team in recent years but Germain Ifedi will help right away either at guard or tackle. |
Top Picks
Los Angeles Rams: Jared Goff, QB, California
The Los Angeles Rams made a huge trade for the No. 1 pick, mortgaging a great deal of the future in order to get one player. This is a major risk that will be debated for years to come.
While this type of move doesn't always make sense, the Rams made the right call by getting Jared Goff. Mike Mayock of NFL Network explained why he was so appealing for the franchise:
His ability to transition quickly to the NFL will give the organization a new star in its new location in Los Angeles. Of course, this is more than just selling jerseys. The quarterback can be a huge upgrade over the current choices at the position and be a leader that carries the squad into contention.
The Rams currently have a loaded roster with talent on both sides of the ball. After adding Todd Gurley last season to carry the offense, the squad is truly a quarterback away from being a dangerous team. By drafting Goff, this automatically becomes a team to beat in the NFC.
Selecting at No. 1 usually comes with a lot of pressure, especially when there isn't an obvious pick on the board. However, the Rams did the right thing to acquire the pick and went with the right choice with Goff.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Jalen Ramsey, CB, Florida State
There is often a debate about whether to draft for value or need. Lucky for the Jacksonville Jaguars, they were able to do both when they got Jalen Ramsey.
The Florida State product is simply a playmaker in the defensive backfield, capable of being a star at either cornerback or safety. In fact, his versatility is a reason he believed he should have gone No. 1 overall, per Clay Skipper of GQ:
"I should go number one because I'm the best player in the draft. There's not a player in this draft class who started every single game since they been in college; won a national championship; won two conference championships; played safety, got All-American; played nickel, got All-American; played corner, got consensus All-American. Every single year, I've gotten All-American.
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Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports discussed Ramsey's ability and his value:
This was also an easy pick for Jacksonville due to its struggles against the pass in recent years. The squad ranked just 29th in the NFL in passing yards allowed, which contributed to allowing the second-most points in football. Anyone who could have helped in this area would have been considered a smart pick.
With Ramsey, the Jaguars will get immediate help on defense with a player who will make an impact for many years to come.
Miami Dolphins: Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
This was certainly a unique situation.
A video was released shortly before the draft of Laremy Tunsil smoking marijuana, causing a number of teams to pass on the tackle with the first few picks. The player explained his Twitter account was hacked, but the image was already there and did its damage.
Despite the concern, the Miami Dolphins clearly are perfectly fine with drafting the talented player, per ESPN's Trey Wingo:
Strictly considering his play on the field, the Dolphins got a major steal at No. 13. Tunsil is as athletic as they come on the offensive line with the agility to excel both on pass plays and runs. Mike Mayock of NFL Network gave the Ole Miss player the highest grade of anyone in the class.
As long as there are no suspensions attached, Tunsil could be a Week 1 starter for the Dolphins and should be able to stick there for many years.
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