Chicago Bears' 2017 NFL draft haul gets low grades from experts
The 2017 NFL draft started with a flurry of trades and some surprising selections in Round 1, but after three days, seven rounds and 253 new players in the league, it's finally over. Now, the analysis can begin.
You may think it is unfair to make snap judgments this early, but that has never, and will never, stop NFL pundits from handing out their draft grades based on how teams spent their draft capital. If you don't want to buy into just one person's view however, we've done you the favor of rolling together some of the NFL media's top minds to better gauge how teams did in 2017.
Below you'll find the consensus grades of the 2017 NFL draft, pulling together the marks of The Post's Mark Maske in addition to Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports, Nate Davis of USA Today, Dan Kadar of SB Nation and ESPN's Mel Kiper.
Winners
San Francisco 49ers
Consensus grade: A-
The clear winners of the draft, the lowest grade they received was from SB Nation, who awarded first-year General Manager John Lynch a B- for stockpiling several future picks along with one of the surest prospects in the draft, defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, at No. 3. Lynch also got great value with linebacker Reuben Foster, a player a third of the 202 mock drafts surveyed had in the top 10, at No. 31.
Thomas was the best run defender in college football last year per Pro Football Focus with an ability to rush the passer - 44 total sacks, hits and hurries last season - and Foster was considered one of the best values in the draft per PFF after becoming the nation's top-graded linebacker overall, including the top grade against the run and in coverage.
Los Angeles Chargers
Consensus grade: B+
Receiver Mike Williams, the team's first-round pick, gives the franchise a wideout who will win balls in the air - he caught 17 of 29 targets on contested catches, one of the highest percentages in the draft class, last season - and, according to NFL.com's Matt Harmon, Williams caught the ball on 26.2 percent of his routes run, which was the third-highest figure in his study of the receivers sampled from the draft class and 4.8 percent higher than average over the past two seasons.
The Chargers also got two of PFF's top 10 value picks from the 2017 draft: offensive lineman Forrest Lamp - highest-graded left tackle in the nation in 2014 and 2015 before finishing second in an injury-shortened 2016 - and defensive back Desmond King (20 pass breakups over his last two years in college).
Washington Redskins
Consensus grade: B+
The big story is the slide of Alabama defensive tackle Jonathan Allen. A top-10 pick on a majority of draft boards, Allen got to the quarterback 67 times last season per PFF while also earning its eighth-highest grade in run defense.
Washington followed that up with Allen's teammate, linebacker Ryan Anderson (22 sacks over three college seasons), giving the franchise much-needed defensive help.
Green Bay Packers
Consensus grade: B+
Green Bay allowed a 95.9 passer rating against last season, the seventh-highest in the NFL, and wisely used its first two picks on secondary help.
The Packers traded out of the first round, moving back from No. 29 to No. 33 to select cornerback Kevin King, who robbed Arizona State with this one-handed interception in the end zone in 2016. Yeah, it's just one play. But it's so pretty.
The Packers used their next pick on safety Josh Jones, who tied for eighth in the nation with six pass breakups last season. Defensive tackle Montravius Adams was the final selection on Day 2, giving Green Bay "one of the better interior pass-rushers in the class."
Buffalo Bills
Consensus grade: B+
Buffalo traded back to No. 27 in the first round and then selected cornerback Tre'Davious White, a potential replacement for the departed Stephon Gilmore, while also acquiring a 2018 first-round pick.
White had six interceptions and 34 pass breakups in 49 games at LSU, with at least one pass breakup in seven of 11 games last season.
Buffalo might also have a diamond in the rough with fifth-round quarterback Nathan Peterman. Peterman posted a completion percentage of 54.8 percent on deep passes once you adjust for dropped passes, throwaways, spiked balls, batted passes and passes where he was hit while they threw the ball, and he finished eighth in adjusted completion percentage under pressure (66.1 percent).
Losers
Chicago Bears
Consensus grade: C-
Many felt the Bears gave up too much to move up one spot and select quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, but the passer's 76.9 percent adjusted completion percentage against the blitz was third in the draft class. However, according to Football Outsiders' Quarterback-Adjusted-Stats-and-Experience projection system, Trubisky has almost a 50/50 chance of being an NFL bust.
Los Angeles Rams
Consensus grade: C-
The Rams ranked last for net yards per pass attempt in 2016 (5.0) behind an offensive line that allowed the fourth-highest sack rate after adjusting for down, distance and opponent (8.1 percent), so the theme around this year's draft needed to be getting help for second-year quarterback Jared Goff.
Los Angeles instead got tight end Gerald Everett and wide receiver Cooper Kupp with its first two picks; both are questionable to provide an immediate impact.
Everett transferred to South Alabama in 2015 and became a two-time All-Sun Belt selection, hauling in 90 passes in two seasons, 12 for touchdowns. The hope is Everett's leaping ability (37.5 inch vertical jump, third-highest among tight ends at the combine) will help him make plays in the red zone, but NFL.com's Lance Zierlein scouting report noted Everett's "touchdown production lower than expected."
Kupp is a slot receiver who, per Harmon, "struggles to beat tight man coverage," posting a 59.1 percent success rate vs. man coverage (23rd percentile among prospects charted the last two years) and 52.3 percent success rate vs. press coverage (27th percentile).
Detroit Lions
Consensus grade: C+
Detroit's defensive front posted the eighth-worst adjusted sack rate last season (5.4 percent) but the team didn't address the need until the sixth round with defensive lineman Jeremiah Ledbetter of Arkansas, who had six sacks on 316 rushes last season.
First-round pick Jarrad Davis (No. 21) is a three-down linebacker who can drop in coverage but Foster (No. 31) was still on the board, and would have been a better option to become the pass-rushing lineman the Lions sorely need.
To be fair, Foster was sent home from the combine after getting into an argument with a hospital worker and that was after he submitted a diluted urine sample, which are valid reasons for teams to pass on any prospect. But most of the Lions' other picks are underwhelming, at best.
Cornerback Teez Tabor (No. 53) ran a 4.62 40-yard dash at the NFL combine and ran even slower at his pro day (4.7 seconds). Linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin (No. 124) missed 37 tackles over the last three seasons. And quarterback Brad Kaaya (No. 215) had a 41.3 percent adjusted completion percentage under pressure in 2016, 43rd out of 44 draft-eligible quarterbacks.
Oakland Raiders
Consensus grade: C+
Gareon Conley, the team's first-round pick, is the top corner in the draft. He allowed a collegiate-best passer rating of just 13.6 when targeted in 2016, but he is facing rape accusations. While Conley may be innocent, that's a lot of risk to take with a first-round pick.
Safety Obi Melifonwu (No. 56) was a star at this year's combine - he ran a 4.40 40-yard dash with a 44-inch vertical jump and an 11-foot-9 broad jump - but the Raiders should have filled one of their other needs on defense rather than doubling down on the secondary.
Oakland was the third-worst pass-rushing team in the NFL last season but didn't get a single surefire impact player who could turn that around, and that includes defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes (No. 88).
"A really interesting selection coming off an ACL two years ago. I didn't think he played really well at all last year; he was heavy, out of shape and couldn't finish plays," said NFL.com's Mike Mayock. "All of a sudden at the Senior Bowl, there's quickness and explosion. Oakland is obviously hoping they get the slimmed-down, aggressive, quick version."
New York Giants
Consensus grade: C+
The Giants added a nice collection of players, but none of the team's offensive picks stands out in any meaningful way.
First-round pick Evan Engram, a tight end from Ole Miss, led the draft class with seven deep catches (20 or more yards) and also was No. 1 in production from the slot (44 catches and 685 yards). He'd be a good complement to star wideout Odell Beckham Jr., but New York's tight ends were targeted 113 times in 2016, fewer than Beckham (165) and only slightly more than second-year receiver Sterling Shephard (105). That should change with a more capable receiver, but wouldn't they have been better off adding a different pick and no taking away targets from their more accomplished receivers?
Quarterback Davis Webb (No. 87) has better than a 56 percent chance of being a bust after posting 7.3 adjusted passing yards per attempt last season, the lowest of eight prospects tracked by Football Outsiders. Running back Wayne Gallman (No. 140) is "a solid back who doesn't excel in any one area," per PFF. Most pundits didn't think that was enough for a team badly in need of a running back.
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Team Consensus Grade
San Francisco 49ers A-
Los Angeles Chargers B+
Washington Redskins B+
Green Bay Packers B+
Buffalo Bills B+
Arizona Cardinals B+
Cleveland Browns B+
New England Patriots B+
Indianapolis Colts B+
Tampa Bay Buccaneers B+
Tennessee Titans B+
Minnesota Vikings B+
Baltimore Ravens B+
New Orleans Saints B
Cincinnati Bengals B
Philadelphia Eagles B
Jacksonville Jaguars B
Denver Broncos B
Atlanta Falcons B-
Pittsburgh Steelers B-
Dallas Cowboys B-
Carolina Panthers B-
Houston Texans B-
Seattle Seahawks B-
Miami Dolphins C+
Kansas City Chiefs C +
New York Jets C+
New York Giants C+
Oakland Raiders C+
Detroit Lions C+
Los Angeles Rams C-
Chicago Bears C-