Mel Kiper 2018 NFL Draft Grades: Bills, Panthers Top ESPN Guru's Rankings

ESPN insider Mel Kiper Jr. has released his grades following the NFL draft, giving his top two marks to the Buffalo Bills (A) and Carolina Panthers (A-). 

Kiper, who grades teams on two criteria—"How effectively did a team address key personnel voids?" and "How efficient were they in maneuvering on the draft board?"—noted that he doesn't believe any other team added the "kind of high-upside talent" the Bills brought aboard by drafting players like quarterback Josh Allen, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and defensive lineman Harrison Phillips, among others.

Buffalo's entire draft will be based upon the decision to trade up for Allen. The Bills traded three picks—Nos. 12, 53 and 56—in exchange for Nos. 7 and 255, using the No. 7 pick to nab Allen. As Kiper noted, "if he reaches his upside, you change the direction of the franchise. He could be a perfect fit in Buffalo. As it always goes with big bets on quarterbacks, time will tell the story."

Kiper also praised the selection of Edmunds with the No. 16 pick after the Bills traded the Nos. 22 and 65 picks to the Baltimore Ravens to move up to No. 16, calling him one of his top 11 prospects in the draft.

As for the rest of the haul, Kiper noted that Phillips is an "interior disruptor who can jump into the mix in Week 1" and believes cornerback Taron Johnson can also play immediately.

In his analysis of the Panthers' draft class, Kiper praised the selection of Maryland wide receiver D.J. Moore in the first round:

"I'm a big fan of Moore, who is more than a workout warrior, though he put up freakish numbers at the combine with a 4.42 40 time and 39.5-inch vertical. He was productive for the Terps, and he's great after the catch. He runs through arm tackles, and he's built like a tailback. The Panthers needed a guy like that for Cam Newton, and it wasn't going to be veteran Torrey Smith (another Terp), who was brought in last month. Moore could be Newton's favorite target in a hurry."

He also praised the selections of cornerbacks Donte Jackson and Rashaan Gaulden and tight end Ian Thomas in the later rounds. Kiper added that he liked the depth of Carolina's draft class but was surprised the team didn't address a need at defensive tackle.

"Are they really going to rely on 38-year-old Julius Peppers to play almost 500 snaps again?" Kiper wrote. "Mario Addison is also going to be 31 by Week 1, and you face Matt Ryan, Drew Brees and Jameis Winston six times a year in that division."