Ranking the Top 10 NFL Draft Classes

 As we wind down from draft time, there is a ton of post-draft content to get to. We talked already about grading the first round picks along with spotlighted the best picks from rounds 2-7. Now here we are, ranking the top 10 team draft classes from this year's NFL draft.

Honorable Mention: Seattle Seahawks

To start off, I wanted to give the Seahawks an honorable mention. They had a league low 3 draft picks but I think each of them were home run picks for where they were selecting along with the fact that they killed it in undrafted free agency. 2nd round WR D'Wayne Eskridge was a huge pickup for an already dynamic offense and will be a problem to remember in an offense already with DK and Lockett. Tre Brown and Stone Forsythe were also two picks that were steals and will contribute right away. UDFA WR Cade Johnson also figures to have an impact in 2021 in Seattle, some had him as a round 3 talent.

10. Miami Dolphins

Best Picks: Jaylen Waddle (WR, Bama), Jaelan Phillips (EDGE, Miami), Jevon Holland (S, Oregon), Liam Eichenberg (OT, Notre Dame)

The Dolphins were so close to making the playoffs in 2020 and just barely missed out, however with a ton of draft capital going into this year's event, they really maximized it and came away with some studs. Jaylen Waddle (6th overall pick in the draft) is going to be an immediate stud in Miami. He likely slots in as the teams WR1 right away and has a previous connection with Tua Tagovailoa from their days at Bama together. Jaelan Phillips was the best rusher in the draft and would not have been available for them if he didn't have some health concerns. Jevon Holland is a do it all defensive back that Brian Flores will love to use and Liam Eichenberg figures to be a solid piece in a young and promising O-line. The Fins had a really good draft.

9. Denver Broncos

Best Picks: Patrick Surtain II (CB, Bama), Javonte Williams (RB, UNC), Quinn Meinerz (OG, Wisc-Whitewater), Jamar Johnson (S, Indiana), Seth Williams (WR, Auburn)

With this stacked draft class that Denver racked in, you wouldn't be able to tell they had a rookie GM. I didn't love the round 1 pick of Surtain, he's an amazing player but wasn't a big need for the team but still a great get. Javonte Williams was my no. 2 running back in the class and the team made sure to get him by moving up. He will bring another dimension of running to this offense. Quinn Meinerz was my favorite player in the draft and the spot they got him in was an absolute steal, he could be a Pro Bowl guard or center pretty quickly. The other picks were notable as well but I'm not sure will play as much right away. Either way, Denver had a really nice draft and is on the cusp of contending.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars

Best Picks: Trevor Lawrence (QB, Clemson), Travis Etienne (RB, Clemson), Tyson Campbell (CB, Georgia), Walker Little (OT, Stanford), Andre Cisco (S, Syracuse), Jay Tufele (DT, USC)

If this draft class was just Trevor Lawrence alone, it still would have cracked my top 10. Obviously they added a generational talent with the no. 1 pick in the draft. Aside from that though, the team still had a really nice class. Travis Etienne was a bit of a reac
h in round 1 at a position they didn't really need but I like the player and know they will find a good role for him on the team. Tyson Campbell is an elite athlete and can be coached up into a really good corner, he makes their secondary a lot better. Walker Little has injury problems but when healthy, is an easy first round talent and could make Lawrence's life a lot easier. Cisco and Tufele are steals for where the Jags got them and could also be day 1 starters. The Jags could be the most improved team coming out of the draft.

7. Los Angeles Chargers

Best Picks: Rashawn Slater (OT, Northwestern), Asante Samuel Jr. (CB, FSU), Josh Palmer (WR, Tennessee), Tre McKitty (TE, Georgia), Chris Rumph (EDGE, Duke), 

If this list was just off the first couple of picks, the Chargers might be no. 1. Their first 2 picks literally could not have gotten much better. In desperate need of a franchise tackle to block for Justin Herbert, the Chargers were gifted stud tackle Slater falling to them at 13. Their next biggest need was a really good CB to play a ton for them and somehow Asante Samuel Jr. fell to them in the mid second round. The team then went on to snag Palmer and McKitty who are two pass catchers that are going to be impact players year 1 (especially McKitty who could start at TE). Chris Rumph was also great value where they got him and if developed well could be a 10+ sack guy per season guy. Under a new coaching staff in LA, the Chargers got some great work done in this draft.

6. Minnesota Vikings

Best Picks: Christian Darrisaw (OT, Virginia Tech), Kellen Mond (QB, Texas A&M), Chazz Surratt (LB, UNC), Wyatt Davis (OG, Ohio State), Patrick Jones II (EDGE, Pitt), Janarius Robinson (EDGE, Florida)

The Vikings played this draft so well I was tempted to put them even higher on this list, but I decided to put them here at 6. They navigated the first round so well, moving back from 14 to 20 with the Jets and somehow still getting Christian Darrisaw who they might have taken at 14. Darrisaw will be the Vikings left tackle for a decade, he is such a good pass blocker. Kellen Mond in round 2 might seem like a weird pick, but if they develop him well behind Kirk Cousins, he could easily become their franchise QB in a year or 2. He was one of my favorite players in the class due to his upside at the glamorous QB position. Patrick Jones and Janarius Robinson were both steals in their spots and can play big time roles right away for the purple and gold. Wyatt Davis was also a major steal, he should start day 1 also, he excels in both run and pass blocking. The Vikings may have gotten the most day 1 starters out of this draft than anyone.

5. Detroit Lions

Best Picks: Penei Sewell (OT, Oregon), Levi Onwuzurike (DT, Washington), Alim McNeill (DT, NC State), Ifeatu Melifonwu (CB, Syracuse), Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR, USC), Derrick Barnes (OLB, Purdue)

I think everyone can agree that the Lions are one of the worst, if not the worst, teams in the league. The same can't be said about the draft they had. Under new GM Brad Holmes from the Rams and new HC Dan Campbell, the Lions enjoyed maybe their best draft of the last decade. They lucked out that Penei Sewell who is considered a generational offensive line talent was passed on by the Falcons, Bengals, and Dolphins. He is locked into their offensive line for probably the next 10 years. Amon-Ra St. Brown in the 4th round might be the steal of the draft. They need stud receivers so bad and St. Brown was a second round guy. He may be their WR1 right away. The 2 DTs they took are studs and will also be early contributors. Melifonwu is a long corner who has great potential and was yet another steal. Finally Derrick Barnes was super productive this past season at Purdue and showed he could rush the passer very well, he will be a rotational guy with tremendous upside as well. The Lions killed it in the draft with their new regime leading the way.

4. Chicago Bears

Best Picks: Justin Fields (QB, Ohio State), Teven Jenkins (OT, Oklahoma State), Larry Borom (OT, Missouri), Dazz Newsome (WR, UNC)

Along with the Lions, going into the draft, the Bears were also one of the leagues biggest laughingstocks. With seemingly no future and the team's HC and GM soon to be on their way out, this seemed like a year coming with no potential with things ready to be torn down. This draft changed the course of the Bears future forever. The team that has been in search of a franchise QB since the 1950s just drafted a guy that has the best chance to be that in 60
years. Justin Fields somehow fell out of the top 10 and the Bears made the gutsy call to move up using a first round pick next year that could be super valuable to make the jump. Fields is a stud. He is a dual threat weapon with pinpoint accuracy and a cannon for an arm. He will be a pro bowl QB. The Bears then traded up in the second round as well and got the tackle many projected that they would take in the first round. Jenkins is a beast of an o-lineman and has been one of the best pass blocking o-lineman in college football for the past 2 seasons. Larry Borom was another nice pick to add quality young depth to a weak O-line and then they stole Dazz Newsome far later than he should have gone. The Bears offense of the future could look something like Fields-Montgomery-Robinson-Mooney-Newsome-Kmet. I really like that and this draft was so good.

3. New York Jets

Best Picks: Zach Wilson (QB, BYU), Alijah Vera-Tucker (OG, USC), Elijah Moore (WR, Ole Miss), Michael Carter (RB, UNC), Hamsah Nasirildeen (S, FSU)

The Jets continued their stellar off-season period with an incredible draft. They were big spenders in FA and brought in some big name talent to come play for new HC Robert Saleh, and then this draft class was the icing on the cake. They got their new clear cut franchise QB at pick no. 2 overall in Zach Wilson. Wilson has the makings of an All-Pro QB. Mahomes-like arm talent, mobility, and just the overall 'it' factor that you cannot teach. They then traded up from 20 to 14 to make sure that their new QB would be well protected in getting the best interior O-lineman in the class in AVT. In the early second round they got Elijah Moore the ultra talented weapon out of Ole Miss which was such a steal as Moore was an easy first round talent. If this all wasn't enough, the Jets who lacked a true really good RB on the roster somehow were able to get UNC RB Michael Carter at the top of round 4. He could be the team's workhorse back from day 1. After loading the defense in FA, the Jets built their offense up during the draft and now have an absolute squad around Zach Wilson. What an effort. I think we finally see the Jets as a competitive team this year or next year.

2. Carolina Panthers

Best Picks: Jaycee Horn (CB, South Carolina), Terrace Marshall Jr. (WR, LSU), Brady Christensen (OT, BYU), Tommy Tremble (TE, Notre Dame), Chuba Hubbard (RB, OK State), Daviyon Nixon (DT, Iowa), Keith Taylor (CB, Washington), Deonte Brown (OG, Alabama)

For first year GM Scott Fitterer, what a job. The Panthers decided a few weeks before the draft to trade for Sam Darnold to be their franchise QB and with this draft class, he is so set up for success. Jaycee Horn was the first CB and defensive player off the board and the Panthers are getting a future pro bowler in him. He talks trash and plays mean sticky coverage. A guy I really liked to go in the late first round in Terrace Marshall fell to the late second round where the Panthers pounced on him. The 6'3-6'4 target with track speed and production to back it up will give Darnold a 3rd amazing receiver to throw to. Chuba Hubbard who took the nation by storm in 2019 and garnered Heisman consideration was a steal in the 4th round to fill the Mike Davis role in the offense. The Panthers also got other crazy value steals in the massive pass blocking stud Deonte Brown, a corner with great measureables and potential in Keith Taylor, and maybe the best DT in the draft in Daviyon Nixon. I also haven't mentioned Brady Christensen who the team stole in round 3. I had him going late round 1 as he is one of the best athletes I've ever seen at the OT position and should start right away. If you look through the draft picks summary, so many players that were steals all were steals to the Carolina Panthers. Any player falling seemed to end up in Carolina's hands.

1. Cleveland Browns

Best Picks: Greg Newsome II (CB, Northwestern), Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (LB, Notre Dame), Anthony Schwartz (WR, Auburn), Demetric Felton (RB/WR, UCLA)

The team whose city hosted the big event was also the team that ultimately won the draft. I give them the no. 1 spot in my draft rankings. They killed it from start to finish. Greg Newsome was rising up draft boards heading into draft night and seemed like a lock to go top 20, he fell to the late first where Cleveland rushed the card to the podium. Next to Denzel Ward, the Browns now have their CB duo of the future locked up. Somehow another top 20 talent in JOK fell to the mid second round where the Browns again did not waste any time as they moved up to snag him. Not only was he a steal but he was at a position of need and was someone I thought they were going to take with their first round pick. Somehow they ended up with Newsome and JOK. Then the Browns went on to get the fastest player in the draft in Anthony Schwartz who gives them another dangerous weapon in the receiving core and is a guy that can be their consistent WR3 instead of it alternating around between Higgins or Peoples-Jones or even Harrison Bryant the TE at times. As if this all wasn't enough, a second/third round talent in do it all RB/WR Demetric Felton fell into their laps all the way down in round SIX. The Browns got 4 pieces that can be major contributors from the get-go in this class along with some other good depth picks that I didn't mention. They won this draft and have a loaded team that I think is the favorite to win their division and possibly make a Super Bowl push this coming season.