NFL Draft 2016: Round 1 Results, Grades and Top Selections for 1st 31 Picks

Chris RolingApr 29, 2016

The pervading sense of relief around the NFL after the conclusion of Round 1 feels good, doesn't it?

Nobody did anything too silly. Well, maybe except for the Dallas Cowboys. But Jerry Jones will do Jerry Jones.

But think about it—only three quarterbacks came off the board, which is a win. Florida teams crushed it. Even the Cleveland Browns knocked it out of the park. The odd saga with Laremy Tunsil didn't drag on too long and become an ESPN 30 for 30.

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Below, let's outline the entire Round 1 results with grades before focusing on some of the top moments, which isn't as easy to break down as in past years. And that's a good thing, folks.

2016 NFL Draft Grades

Team	Grade	Notes
Arizona Cardinals	A+	Bruce Arians and Arizona were one of the few teams who could properly handle the risk-reward that is Robert Nkemdiche.
Atlanta Falcons	D	There was plenty of better value on the board when Atlanta took Keanu Neal.
Baltimore Ravens	B	Baltimore stood tall and got its guy (Ronnie Stanley), which should help Joe Flacco stay healthy.
Buffalo Bills	B	Shaq Lawson in a Rex Ryan front speaks for itself. Good value.
Carolina Panthers	C	Vernon Butler is a great player, but he is nowhere close to an important need.
Chicago Bears	B	No. 9 seems a bit high for Leonard Floyd, but nobody can argue the fit or need.
Cincinnati Bengals	B	Cincinnati stuck with its board for better or worse and got William Jackson III, a guy who could be the best corner from the class in time.
Cleveland Browns	A+	It feels weird not to type a "D" next to Cleveland, but the Browns traded down twice and still got the best wideout in the draft, Corey Coleman.
Dallas Cowboys	B-	Is DeMarco Murray that bad? Cowboys didn't need to splurge but did on Ezekiel Elliott. Better hope Tony Romo can stay healthy.
Denver Broncos	C	Moving up for a project player reeks of desperation, even if it does possibly escape a Mark Sanchez era.
Detroit Lions	B	Detroit hit offensive line with Taylor Decker. Now the Lions have to hope it's not too late for Matthew Stafford.
Green Bay Packers	C	Right need, wrong player, as Kenny Clark seemed more like a second-round value.
Houston Texans	C	Houston wanted speed and got it with Will Fuller, though he's a drop machine.
Indianapolis Colts	A	Perhaps the surest lineman in the draft, Ryan Kelly is just what Andrew Luck needed.
Jacksonville Jaguars	A+	Jalen Ramsey was the best player in the draft and joins Dante Fowler to create a solid young core.
Kansas City Chiefs	N/A	N/A
Miami Dolphins	A+	Not much to say here. Laremy Tunsil was in the conversation for the top pick, and Miami got him at No. 13.
Minnesota Vikings	A+	Minnesota needed to get Teddy Bridgewater some help and hit it out of the park with Laquon Treadwell.
New England Patriots	N/A	N/A
New Orleans Saints	A+	Geno Atkins lite, Sheldon Rankins, should have come off the board higher. Huge win.
New York Giants	B	New York gets docked a full letter grade for Eli Apple-Big Apple puns. Kidding. Solid pick.
New York Jets	B+	Darron Lee slots right in with the Jets and improves a good unit.
Oakland Raiders	B-	No. 14 is a bit high for Karl Joseph, but he's certainly in the right hands with that great Oakland coaching staff.
Philadelphia Eagles	C	Moving up to draft Carson Wentz in a weak quarterback class isn't worth it.
Pittsburgh Steelers	B	Pittsburgh got robbed by Cincinnati, but Artie Burns will have a role for a long time.
San Diego Chargers	B	Joey Bosa creates a mean rush with Melvin Ingram. Surprise, but not a bad pick.
San Francisco 49ers	A	Getting one of the draft's best players, DeForest Buckner, at No. 7, is a massive win. Many considered Joshua Garnett the best run-blocking guard in the draft.
Seattle Seahawks	B	Gaining assets and better protecting Russell Wilson with Germain Ifedi is hard to complain about.
Los Angeles Rams	C	Jared Goff might be a potential franchise quarterback, but it's a weak class and feels more like a PR move.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	B	Smartly not content with the current secondary, Tampa Bay gets a big-play guy in Vernon Hargreaves.
Tennessee Titans	A	Jack Conklin might be the best tackle in the draft, and it's good to see Tennessee put an emphasis on Marcus Mariota's health.
Washington	A	Josh Doctson at No. 22 is a silly steal, and he pairs well with DeSean Jackson.

Top Selections for First 31 Picks

No. 5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jalen Ramsey, DB, Florida State

Well, look at this.

The Jacksonville Jaguars wound up having a laughable decision at the podium Thursday, making the easiest pick of the night with Florida State's Jalen Ramsey.

The board couldn't have fallen better. It's debatable there has been a better, more versatile defensive back prospect to enter the league than Ramsey over the past five years or more.

A quote from Jacksonville general manager Dave Caldwell, according to Mark Long of the Associated Press, put it best: "We didn't think he would get to us. He's got some rare athleticism, speed combined with size and range. He's a very good competitor, and he fits our style of play. It was an easy decision."

Ramsey slots right in as a starter on a defense that ranked 29th against the pass last year while coughing up an average of 28 points per game.

This needs context, too—the Jaguars get two first-round picks added to the fray this year. Last year's No. 3 pick, defensive end Dante Fowler Jr., returns from an injury to accompany Ramsey. Andrew Luck and the rest of the AFC South better be ready.

No. 12. New Orleans Saints: Sheldon Rankins, DL, Louisville

The New Orleans Saints just got a whole lot scarier.

Everyone seemed to know the Saints wanted to hit on the defensive side of the ball Thursday no matter what smokescreens made the rounds.

Sheldon Rankins out of Louisville was the perfect target, too, and it just so happens he fell to No. 12.

Rankins is a low-to-the-ground bully in the trenches at 6'1" and 299 pounds, a guy with unbeatable leverage and an elite burst off the snap, allowing him to rush passers every down. A post-draft summary by NFL Network's Mike Mayock (via NFL.com), hits every point on the checklist:

"
The Saints have been awful on defense, so this is not a surprise pick here for me. Rankins is the best three-technique, which is a defensive tackle in a four-man front. He will be a sub-package interior pass rusher and one of the better ones in this league. What he does best is pick a gap and go. He's one of the quicker defensive tackles we've seen in the last several years.
"

New Orleans managed just 31 sacks last year, with defensive end Cameron Jordan leading the way with 10. It's not good when one guy makes up almost a third of the production, and it showed, as the Saints ranked 31st against the pass while allowing 29.8 points per game.

Now, Rankins joins Jordan in the trenches to craft what is now one of the league's scarier defensive lines.

No. 15. Cleveland Browns: Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor

You can tell something has changed in Cleveland when you see the Browns make an appearance on a list summing up the best moves of the first round.

Cleveland seems a long way removed from previous draft endeavors, that's for sure.

Maybe new head coach Hue Jackson is the cause of the reversal. A disciple of Cincinnati's best player available approach, Jackson and Co. managed a pair of downward trades and still got the draft's best wideout, Corey Coleman.

Look at the haul, as summed up by ESPN's Adam Schefter:

Not only does Cleveland have a stockpile of picks to help with the rebuild, but Jackson's offense has a legit No. 1 receiver to help along the quarterback (Robert Griffin III?).

Remember the hint about Cincinnati? Those Bengals did a good job of beefing up around the quarterback. The Coleman pick suggests it's Cleveland's turn to do the same.