2018 NFL Draft Grades

Michael Chambers, Reporter

Every year during the NFL offseason, there is a draft held for college football’s most elite talent from around the country to be drafted and play for an NFL team.

This year, there were a lot of good players who were drafted by different teams, some essential to a championship, while others are keys to building a team for the future. Each team came into the draft with one goal: to make their team better. Here are some of the teams that had the best drafts.

The Baltimore Ravens probably got the most impactful player in the draft with Lamar Jackson.

Jackson is a former Heisman trophy winner and the most athletic dual threat quarterback since Michael Vick. He finished his college career with 13,175 all-purpose yards and 119 touchdowns. They also added two young tight ends with Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews to throw to. The Ravens added a lot of young talent to rebuild their offense while also getting their quarterback of the future.

In what might be the biggest steal of the draft, the Denver Broncos selected defensive end Bradley Chubb with the fifth pick. With very high praise from new teammate Von Miller, Chubb might be the most complete player in the draft. Chubb finished college with 55 tackles for loss and 25 sacks, as Denver looks to be a top defense once again.

The Cleveland Browns had the number one pick in this year’s draft, and they got their franchise quarterback in Baker Mayfield. Mayfield had an explosive career at the University of Oklahoma, passing for 14,607 yards and 130 touchdowns, while also winning the 2017 Heisman Trophy. Cleveland also had the number four pick in the draft, and they selected cornerback Denzel Ward, who is the highest rated corner in this year’s draft to provide more potential for the Browns’ young defense.

The Dallas Cowboys selected linebacker Leighton Vander Esch with the 19th pick in the draft, compared to Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher. The Cowboys had high praise for the young athlete and feel he can play multiple positions on the field. With their second pick, they selected guard Connor Williams, who was a potential top 10 pick before an injury, and he will start on an already top notch offensive line.

There were a lot of promising young rookies drafted, some will end up being called legends and some will be considered bust, but only time can tell.