NFL Teams That Improved the Most Through the 2018 NFL Draft

Every team entered the 2018 NFL draft on Friday in Arlington, Texas, looking to improve. 

Only a few left able to claim such a feat. 

The draft was a fickle beast for 32 teams with moving parts and a board of 300-plus prospects. Following Saturday's conclusion, we'll look at six teams that improved the most based on a combination of short- and long-term value.

Teams who were able to hit on big needs with prospects ready to start right away certainly improved. But so did teams who made upside picks with long-term development in mind.

Green Bay Packers

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Draft Picks: 

• Round 1 (18):  Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville
• Round 2 (45): Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa
• Round 3 (88): Oren Burks, LB, Vanderbilt
• Round 4 (133): J'Mon Moore, WR, Missouri
• Round 5 (No. 138): Cole Madison, OG, Washington State
• Round 5 (No. 172): JK Scott, P, Alabama
• Round 5 (No. 174):  Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, South Florida
• Round 6 (No. 207): Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame
• Round 7 (232): James Looney, DE, California 
• Round 7 (239): Hunter Bradley, LS, Mississippi State 
• Round 7 (248): Kendall Donnerson, EDGE, Southeast Missouri 

These aren't the Green Bay Packers of old. 

No, these Packers got off to a hot start by convincing the New Orleans Saints to cough up a 2019 first-round pick to move up 13 spots for an edge-rusher like Marcus Davenport. 

Picking up a first-round pick next year might be the biggest nod toward improvement of all. 

Not that they stopped there. The Packers used their first-round pick on Louisville corner Jaire Alexander, one of the top names in the class. They then turned around and used their second-round pick on Iowa corner Josh Jackson, a guy some had pegged as a first-round talent. It's a good all-around way to escape the eventual Tramon Williams purgatory and build for the future, not to mention a great way to help the edge-rushers look superb. 

Trading up for Burks was interesting, but adding a sub-package chess piece is never a bad idea. Assaulting the wideout depth chart while the playbook changes is a good move as well, especially after the loss of a notable like Jordy Nelson. Moore (6'3"), Valdes-Scantling (6'4") and a major steal in St. Brown (6'5") add some size. 

In short, the Packers used most of their picks on upside at premium spots. There's a new emphasis for the receiver room, and the defense just got another huge injection of talent to add to risers like Vince Biegel, Kevin King and others. The Packers put on a clinic while doubling down at a position to start their draft, which is impressive. 

Chicago Bears

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Draft Picks:

• Round 1 (8): Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia 
• Round 2 (39): James Daniels, OL, Iowa
• Round 2 (51): Anthony Miller, WR, Memphis
• Round 4 (115): Joel Iyiegbuniwe, LB, Western Kentucky
• Round 5 (145): Bilal Nichols, DL, Delaware
• Round 6 (181): Kylie Fitts, EDGE, Utah
• Round 7 (224): Javon Wims, WR, Georgia

The Chicago Bears took control of their fate a year ago with the trade up for Mitchell Trubisky. 

This year, they were (somewhat) more reserved by sitting at No. 8 overall and landing one of the best linebackers to enter the draft in a long time, Roquan Smith. 

Granted, such a description gets thrown around all too often. But the 6'1", 236-pound Georgia product is the new-age linebacker—a guy who can fly around the field after intelligently diagnosing the play and even drop into coverage. 

Content to sit around some more, the Bears added James Daniels to the offensive line, a potential first-round prospect who can play either center or guard. He'll help bolster the interior of the line alongside Cody Whitehair and Kyle Long right away. 

It took Memphis wideout Anthony Miller' slide down the board to encourage the Bears to make a move. They coughed up a 2019 second-round pick to jump back into the second round, but they get a receiver who puts the final nail in the coffin of the Kevin White experiment and pairs well on the field with Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel. 

The Bears went athletic upside the rest of the way, with edge players like Iyiegbuniwe and Fitts posting intriguing numbers throughout the process, while defensive tackle Bilal Nichols might be one of the fastest 300-plus-pounders on the planet (4.95 40-yard dash). 

Notice a theme? Like one team still to come, the Bears seized superb value at most spots, getting instant production from Day 1 and Day 2, with eyebrow-raising upside coming on Day 3—not to mention the next possible great Bears linebacker since Brian Urlacher. 

Cleveland Browns

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Draft Picks:

• Round 1 (1): Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
• Round 1 (4): Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
• Round 2 (33): Austin Corbett, OL, Nevada
• Round 2 (35): Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia
• Round 3 (67): Chad Thomas, DE/EDGE, Miami
• Round 4 (105): Antonio Callaway, WR, Florida
• Round 5 (150): Genard Avery, LB, Memphis
• Round 6 (175): Damion Ratley, WR, Texas A&M
• Round 6 (188): Simeon Thomas, DB, Louisiana-Lafayette

The Cleveland Browns were bound to be one of the most polarizing teams in the draft, which is what happens when a franchise walks in with a pair of top-five picks. 

The Browns and new general manager John Dorsey emerged looking great, though. They got the guy they wanted at No. 1 with Baker Mayfield, who doesn't need an introduction. He's a potential franchise quarterback who doesn't even have to start right away thanks to the presence of Tyrod Taylor. 

At No. 4, the Browns turned some heads with Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward. While a bit of a surprise, the top prospect at a premium position is nothing short of a smart get—especially in a division featuring A.J. Green and Antonio Brown. 

The rest of the draft turned out great as well. Austin Corbett is a versatile lineman who can help block for Mayfield, and running back Nick Chubb is a bruiser who can complement Duke Johnson Jr.. It's even hard to complain about Miami's Chad Thomas, who makes a deep rotation led by Myles Garrett even nastier. 

Then there's Antonio Callaway, one of the draft's biggest outright fallers. Callaway took a dive thanks to character issues, but getting a first-round talent who adds to a wideout group already featuring Josh Gordon and Jarvis Landry is an excellent move. 

This class will be judged harder than most by the time the dust settles, which the Browns shouldn't complain about.

Denver Broncos

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Draft Picks:

• Round 1 (5): Bradley Chubb, EDGE, North Carolina State
• Round 2 (40): Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
• Round 3 (71): Royce Freeman, RB, Oregon
• Round 3 (99): Isaac Yiadom, CB, Boston College
• Round 4 (106): Josey Jewell, LB, Iowa
• Round 5 (113): DaeSean Hamilton, WR, Penn State
• Round 5 (156): Troy Fumagalli, TE, Wisconsin
• Round 6 (183): Sam Jones, OL, Arizona State
• Round 6 (217): Keishawn Bierria, LB, Washington
• Round 7 (226): David Williams, RB, Arkansas

The Denver Broncos faded from the spotlight quickly after picking in the top five. 

It doesn't mean they were picking poorly. Bradley Chubb at No. 5 to pair with Von Miller should have the entire NFL shaking with fear as the Broncos get a shot at returning to their old defensive dominance. 

The Broncos kept the great value going in the second round with SMU wideout Courtland Sutton, a 6'3", 218-pound weapon who can start right away, putting his sure hands and slick routes to use while helping to make sure the Case Keenum experiment is a success. 

And the third round was even more help for Keenum in the form of Oregon running back Royce Freeman, a 6'0", 229-pound bruiser who can help make C.J. Anderson an afterthought, if not carry the load on his own right away. 

They stole DaeSean Hamilton in the fourth round; the 6'1", 203-pounder was a four-year starter at Penn State and can help Keenum out from day one if necessary. Mid-round defensive adds like Josey Jewell and Isaac Yiadom could make an impact on special teams, if not carve out some nice work for themselves in sub-packages. 

So goes the luxury of figuring out the quarterback situation well before the draft. Maybe Keenum wasn't the most popular name, but his arrival helped John Elway and the front office land one of the best classes of the draft. 

New England Patriots

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Draft Picks:

• Round 1 (23): Isaiah Wynn, OL, Georgia
• Round 1 (31): Sony Michel, RB, Georgia
• Round 2 (56): Duke Dawson, CB, Florida
• Round 5 (143): Ja'Whaun Bentley, LB, Purdue
• Round 6 (178): Christian Sam, LB, Arizona State
• Round 6 (210): Braxton Berrios, WR, Miami (FL)
• Round 7 (219): Danny Etling, QB, LSU
• Round 7 (243): Keion Crossen, CB, Western Carolina
• Round 7 (250): Ryan Izzo, TE, Florida State

The rich keep getting richer, folks. 

While the plan isn't always visible right away, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots know what they're doing come draft time. 

Case in point, the team standing strong with a pair of Georgia prospects in the first round with offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn and running back Sony Michel. The former is a smaller (6'3") offensive tackle with versatility who could help ease the loss of Nate Solder, while the latter is a versatile running back who can replace Dion Lewis. 

And that's just the first round. Duke Dawson out of the fourth round can make an impact right away in the slot. Doubling up on linebackers Ja'Whaun Bentley and Christian Sam in the fifth and sixth rounds filled a major need, and Braxton Berrios is a typical Patriots slot wideout whom Tom Brady could turn into a household name. 

Don't forget LSU quarterback Danny Etling, an unpopular pick but by a team that seems to know a thing or two about quarterbacks. Also keep an eye on seventh-round pick Ryan Izzo, who's a quality inline-blocking tight end who can naturally absorb some passes at 6'5". 

All things considered, this was a quieter draft than usual for the Patriots. But they're the type of organization that is fine avoiding a ton of noise while putting together a strong roster. 

Arizona Cardinals

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Draft Picks:

• Round 1 (10): Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
• Round 2 (47): Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M
• Round 3 (97): Mason Cole, OL, Michigan
• Round 4 (134): Chase Edmonds, RB, Fordam
• Round 6 (182): Christian Campbell, CB, Penn State
• Round 7 (254): Korey Cunningham, OT, Cincinnati

The Arizona Cardinals' emergence as one of the most improved teams from the draft isn't just about finding a potential franchise quarterback. 

It sure doesn't hurt, though. 

Josh Rosen is obviously going to be the main talking point here. The UCLA product arrives polished mechanically with a good head on his shoulders at 6'4", 226 pounds. He might not start right away, but it's hard not to love a leader who gets drafted 10th and immediately says, "There were nine mistakes ahead of me," according to Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. 

Sam Bradford will start, but the Cardinals will get to groom Rosen as he eventually works with guys like Larry Fitzgerald—an easy recipe for success. 

But the rest of the draft class isn't too shabby either. Christian Kirk is a quality slot presence with reliable hands who not only helps to replace John Brown but can help on returns. Mason Cole is about as versatile as it gets for a productive offensive lineman from a major program. 

Why stop there? Chase Edmonds is a nice sleeper back for depth after the brief Adrian Peterson experiment, and Christian Campbell is a long corner at 6'1" who could develop into a rotational player. 

This is what a quality, balanced class looks like. The Cardinals didn't pay much to go up and get Rosen. He, along with the other Day 2 selections, can help right away, while the Day 3 picks offer hints of a bright future for the roster.