NFL Draft Results 2018: Full Grades for Event and Biggest Late-Round Steals
It took three days, a boatload of trades and countless hours of prep work, but the 2018 NFL draft is in the books.
All 256 picks of it, from No. 1 choice Baker Mayfield (Cleveland Browns) to Mr. Irrelevant, Trey Quinn (Washington Redskins).
Initial assessments can't be properly gauged until at least this coming season, and it will take years to fully grasp which teams guessed right and which choices went horribly wrong.
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But who has that much time to wait? After assigning letter grades to all 32 teams, we'll spotlight three of our favorite late-round thefts.
Full Draft Results
2018 NFL Draft Grades
Arizona Cardinals—A-
Atlanta Falcons—B
Baltimore Ravens—A-
Buffalo Bills—B+
Carolina Panthers—A-
Chicago Bears—B+
Cincinnati Bengals—B
Cleveland Browns—B-
Dallas Cowboys—B+
Denver Broncos—A-
Detroit Lions—B-
Green Bay Packers—B+
Houston Texans—C+
Indianapolis Colts—B+
Jacksonville Jaguars—B
Kansas City Chiefs—C
Los Angeles Chargers—B+
Los Angeles Rams—B-
Miami Dolphins—B+
Minnesota Vikings—B+
New England Patriots—B+
New Orleans Saints—C+
New York Giants—A-
New York Jets—B
Oakland Raiders—D+
Philadelphia Eagles—A-
Pittsburgh Steelers—C+
San Francisco 49ers—B-
Seattle Seahawks—D+
Tampa Bay Buccaneers—B
Tennessee Titans—B
Washington Redskins—B+
Late-Round Steals
Maurice Hurst, DT, to Oakland Raiders at No. 140
There's a reason Hurst slid down the draft board (which we'll get to in a minute) but have fun marrying his draft position with the following quotes.
ESPN.com's Paul Gutierrez referred to Hurst as both "an absolute steal" and "arguably the premier pass-rushing defensive tackle in the draft." Oh, and Gutierrez passed along this delicious nugget, too—"Pro Football Focus had Hurst ranked as the third-best player in the draft."
How does the third-best player become a fifth-rounder? Well, Hurst was flagged with a heart condition at the combine, which seemingly dropped him from a number of draft boards altogether. He was subsequently cleared to resume playing by cardiologists at Michigan and Harvard, per Gutierrez.
At this price point, the potential reward outweighs the risk by a massive amount. Hurst, who had double-digit tackles for loss and five-plus sacks for Michigan the past two seasons, should come into Oakland with a boulder-sized chip on his shoulder and plenty of potential.
"Just upset and disappointed in the teams that decided not to pick me, but one [team] got a great [player] later for very little," Hurst said, per Gutierrez.
Shaquem Griffin, OLB, to Seattle Seahawks at No. 141
Some years, the feel-good story of the draft could be up for debate.
This was not one of those years.
Shaquem Griffin ran away with that honor by becoming the first one-handed player taken in the NFL draft, a selection that reunited him with his twin brother, Shaquill. Shaquem's left hand was amputated at age four stemming from a pre-birth condition called Amniotic Band Syndrome.
That said, draft decisions aren't made for sentimental reasons. This was no exception. As Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox wrote, Griffin is a force on the football field:
"This didn't stop him from joining the Central Florida football team with his twin brother, Shaquill, or from becoming the AAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and an All-American in 2017.
"Being one-handed probably won't prevent Griffin from being a productive pro either. He is a supremely talented football player with elite athleticism—he ran a 4.38-second 40 at the combine—with great instincts and a nose for the ball."
Count Seahawks star quarterback Russell Wilson among the many fans of this selection:
Over his final two seasons at UCF, Griffin totaled 166 tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss, 18.5 sacks and one interception.
Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, to Green Bay Packers at No. 207
NFL.com grades draft prospects on a scale of zero to 10 with the resulting number meant to indicate that player's potential. Equanimeous St. Brown scored a 5.69, which equates to having the chance to become an NFL starter.
That already gets the juices flowing about a potential steal.
It gets better.
St. Brown has size, length, quickness and speed, all attributes that are now at the disposal of six-time Pro Bowl quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Without Rodgers, St. Brown had 91 receptions for 1,476 yards and 13 touchdowns his last two seasons at Notre Dame. He averaged 16.2 yards per catch.
This is as good a place as any to mention Rodgers just lost Jordy Nelson to free agency this offseason, who was one of Rodgers' preferred targets over the last nine years.
In other words, St. Brown's opportunity looks as appealing as his skill set.
"Equanimeous St. Brown has the ideal height and length to be an issue for most cornerbacks in the league," Bleacher Report's Matt Miller wrote. "Throw in his downfield speed, and it's hard not to be intrigued by what he can offer in the NFL."
Statistics used courtesy of ESPN and Sports-Reference.com.
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