2014 NFL Draft – Complete Draft Grades
C+’s
Carolina Panthers:
Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin. Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
The Panthers filled a huge need and got good value on their first round pick of WR Kelvin Benjamin. They also got good value from their second round pick of Kony Ealy, but they didn’t need a DE. OG Trai Turner was a good pick in the third, but Safety Tre Boston and CB Bene Bewikere were both reaches in the fourth and fifth rounds. However, Stanford running back Tyler Gaffney was good value in the sixth.
Grade: C+
Chicago Bears:
In the first round the Bears draft what may have been the best cover corner in the draft in Kyle Fuller, and they filled a definite need. However, in the second round they lost value, but taking LSU DT Ego Ferguson about a full round ahead of where he was projected. They got good value in their round with DT Will Sutton. And in the fourth they got good value in running back Kadeem Carey. The Bears didn’t have a great draft, but it was solid.
Grade: C+
Dallas Cowboys:
The Cowboys had a very good first round pick in guard Zack Martin, and then traded a third round pick to move up and draft DE Demarcus Lawrence, but losing that third rounder may have been too big of a price to pay. The fourth round Anthony Hitchens pick was too high, although they got good value in the fifth with WR Devin Street. This grade will go up or down depending on how Lawrence turns out.
Grade: C+
Miami Dolphins:
The Dolphins first round pick of Tennessee OT Ja’Wuan James filled a huge need, but it was also a huge reach. James was projected to go about a full round lower than where the Dolphins took him. However, the rest of the Dolphins draft made up for that questionable pick. WR Jarvis Landry was great value in the second round, as was OT Billy Turner in the third round. CB Walt Aikens is a sleeper pick in the fourth, and Arthur Lynch is a nice TE prospect in the fifth.
Grade: C+
New Orleans Saints:
I liked the pick of WR Brandin Cooks itself, but giving up a third round pick to move up to take him was too much value lost. The second round pick of Stanley Jen-Baptiste filled a need and was good value. They filled needs and got good value in the fourth round with picks of OLB Khairi Fortt and Safety Vinnie Sunseri. But they lost value in the fifth round with the pick of OLB Ronald Powell. The pick of Cooks will determine the success of this draft.
Grade: C+
New York Giants:
The Giants got a great first round pick in WR Odell Beckham, but I thought they had greater needs than a receiver. Weston Richburg in the second round is good value, but how badly did they need a center? They reached in the third for DT Jay Bromley, but they did fill a need with the pick. They filed a need and got good value with RB Andre Williams in the fourth, and filled needs with their last two picks as well.
Grade: C+
Philadelphia Eagles:
The Eagles first pick filled a need but they lost a lot of value by taking OLB Marcus Smith about one round too early. They also filled a need and got good value in the second round with WR Jordan Matthews, but lost value in the third by picking WR Josh Huff about one round too high. Jaylen Watkins was a good pick in the fourth and they got good value with the rest of their picks filling needs. Ed Reynolds the safety from Stanford could be a sleeper in the fifth.
Grade: C+
San Diego Chargers:
The Chargers filled needs and got great value with their first two picks with CB Jason Verrett in round one and OLB Jeremiah Attaochu in round 2. But they lost value in the third round by reaching for Notre Dame guard Chris Wyatt. They also reached in the fifth round with DT Ryan Carrethers.
Grade: C+
Washington Redskins:
The Redskins got good value with their first pick in the second round with OLB Trent Murphy, but he doesn’t really fill a need. Their next pick in the third round Morgan Moses the OT from Virginia was for great value and it filled a need. They lost value with their second third round pick, as Nebraska OG Spencer Long was projected to go a few rounds lower. They got the value back with great picks in the fourth and sixth rounds by picking Clemson corner Bashaud Breeland, and Baylor RB Lache Seastrunk.
Grade: C+