Advertisement
football Edit

NFL Draft Live: First-round grades, high school memories

The opening round of the NFL Draft is in the books. Recruiting director Adam Gorney offers his grade for each pick, along with looking back on their high school ranking and recruitment.

1. Carolina Panthers: QB Bryce Young (Alabama)

Advertisement

Gorney's Take: Bryce Young has been a pro since he’s been in high school. The way he trained, the way he prepared, the way he performed on the field, his mental makeup and his character, the five-star quarterback and No. 2 overall prospect in the 2020 class has done everything picture perfect throughout his career.

An early USC commit, Young flipped to Alabama and he was phenomenal in Tuscaloosa. He has franchise quarterback written all over him and Russell Wilson 2.0 is proof height hardly matters at the position any longer.

Grade: A+

*****

2. Houston Texans: QB C.J. Stroud (Ohio State)

Gorney's Take: I love this pick because Stroud is the second-best quarterback in the draft after Young. He was a late bloomer in high school at Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and smartly went to Ohio State over Georgia, Michigan, Oregon, USC and others, and he was surrounded by elite first-round receivers in Columbus.

He has tremendous accuracy and the ball pops for him although he's not going to be very mobile in the NFL. There was talk of Will Levis with this pick and I didn't get it.

Stroud should have been more in the five-star discussion and I regret not moving him up there especially now. The other thing is he had better receivers at Ohio State than he will with the Texans from the start. How will he adjust to that?

Grade: A

*****

3. Houston Texans: LB Will Anderson (Alabama)

Gorney's Take: I love the aggressiveness to trade up for Anderson because he is the best edge rusher/outside linebacker in this draft class. I will never forget how violent and physical Anderson was at the All-American Bowl, just completely blowing through five-star offensive linemen and dominating that event.

That only carried over at Alabama as he finished his career with 204 tackles and an insane 34.5 sacks. He’s so quick, so physical and so dominant and I’m thrilled we moved him up to five-star status after the all-star games but wished he was even higher than No. 22 nationally.

It’s incredible that Georgia didn’t recruit him as hard or he probably would’ve ended up in Athens since the Bulldogs were his dream team but he excelled at Alabama.

Grade: A+

*****

4. Indianapolis Colts: QB Anthony RIchardson (Florida)

Gorney's Take: I understand why people have fallen in love with Richardson – he’s a physical freak show with tremendous upside, maybe the best arm in the draft and he looks like Adonis. But I just don’t love this pick because it’s also a tremendous risk.

The former low four-star, who was inside the Rivals250, started only 13 games at Florida, completed just 54.7 percent of his passes and had a 24/15 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

In terms of fit this could make a lot of sense with the new staff in Indianapolis. The Gators’ receivers were certainly not up to par for the SEC but Will Levis made a lot more sense to me here. This is a huge risk/reward selection especially if accuracy is most important for quarterbacks.

Grade: C+

*****

5. Seattle Seahawks: CB Devon Witherspoon (Illinois)

Gorney's Take: Witherspoon is a talented defensive back and could even make an argument as the top one in this draft but fifth overall is crazy high for him, especially with so much other talent still out there.

Maybe Seattle was incredibly desperate for defensive backs but they liked Witherspoon more than Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez? No way. He is a come-from-behind story as he landed at Illinois, not JUCO, just a few weeks before fall camp. He was unranked in the 2019 class because he wasn’t going to sign. He’s a tough, physical kid but this is way too high.

Grade: C

*****

6. Arizona Cardinals: OT Paris Johnson (Ohio State)

Gorney's Take: I love an offensive lineman who can excel at right guard one season at Ohio State and then move to left tackle and be just as good – if not better. Versatility was one of the big reasons why Johnson finished as a five-star prospect for us and it’s also a reminder in future years that offensive linemen under 300 pounds should give us absolutely no concern in rankings.

Johnson has always been focused, he was always no-nonsense. He committed early to the Buckeyes and they held off a serious late push from other teams. While he needs to get stronger and have better technique from time to time, this is a fantastic pick this early.

Grade: A-

*****

7. Las Vegas Raiders: DE Tyree Wilson (Texas Tech)

Gorney's Take: I do wonder why it never worked out for Wilson at Texas A&M but then he got to Texas Tech and really excelled, especially this past season. If you’re in a lab and designing an elite NFL edge rusher, it looks like Wilson. He was a high three-star prospect in high school because he was tucked out there in East Texas. We didn’t see a ton of him in person and he was still considered a project at that point.

It took him even a few years in college to blossom into what he is today – and that’s the difficult part of this job, being able to predict someone four or five years out and what they can become.

Wilson has all the tools. He’s maybe the best-looking prospect in this entire draft and he does play with an edge. Could he have had that level of success in the SEC and not the Big 12? Almost definitely because he’s an elite player.

Grade: A-

*****

8. Atlanta Falcons: RB Bijan Robinson (Texas)

Gorney's Take: A running back this high? That’s incredibly courageous at No. 8 but if anyone is deserving of that risk it’s Robinson, who is not only an outstanding between-the-tackles runner but he can bounce it outside, runs with incredible patience and vision and would have been considered high in the rankings as a wide receiver, too.

He really emerged as a five-star prospect at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge on the field where he’s going to be a pro – Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta – because he dominated the elite of the elite. Texas pulled off a stunner by getting Robinson to commit because it looked like he was a lock to USC. He was phenomenal for the Longhorns.

This is very high for a position that’s losing value but I still like it because Robinson is so good.

Grade: A-

*****

9. Philadelphia Eagles: DT Jalen Carter (Georgia)

Gorney's Take: When Carter wants to turn it on, when he wants to focus and dominate, there was no stopping him at Georgia. It’s just keeping him in line and keeping him hungry and that’s been the book on Carter since he was at Apopka, Fla.

He showed up to a Rivals Camp and played tight end and then developed physically into an interior defensive lineman. The off-field issues are well-documented and I’m not going to get into them here.

But there are also a few questions about whether he has that constant focus to dominate and crush offensive linemen. When it’s on, it’s on, but it always has to be on in the pros. As far as interior defensive linemen in this draft there’s no one better when Carter wants it.

Grade: B+

*****

10. Chicago Bears: OT Darnell Wright (Tennessee)

Gorney's Take: There was a time even late in Wright’s recruitment where we wondered if the Huntington, W. Va., offensive tackle could stay in good enough shape to be a five-star prospect and whether he wanted it badly enough to be elite. It took years but those questions have now been answered as Wright has backed up his five-star ranking by being a first-round draft pick.

Dealing with speed off the edge was Wright’s issue in high school as he was always massive and powerful. At Tennessee he proved to NFL decision-makers he is worthy of such a high grade. From my perspective, I’m thrilled Wright developed into a first-round pick because if we’re being honest that one was not a slam dunk through the recruiting process as it looked like the Vols were always one of the favorites.

Grade: B+

*****

11. Tennessee Titans: OT Peter Skoronski (Northwestern)

Gorney's Take: This is another learning lesson for us in recruiting rankings – that offensive tackles don’t have to be 6-foot-6 freak shows. Skoronski is 6-foot-4 and he has shorter arms but he excelled at the All-American Bowl playing offensive tackle. He was awesome at Northwestern at tackle and while he could move inside in the NFL and be great, he has proven multiple times he can hang on the edge as well.

Skoronski didn’t do many events, didn’t really partake much in the recruiting process and he decided on the Wildcats without much fanfare. He’s just a Midwest guy who’s going to battle and open holes and grind defensive linemen down even if he’s not the prettiest thing to ever play offensive line.

If Tennessee wanted an offensive tackle, though, and not someone who moves inside, then Broderick Jones wouldn’t have been a bad option.

Grade: B

*****

12. Detroit Lions: RB Jahmyr Gibbs (Alabama)

Gorney's Take: I’m going to pat the Rivals rankings on the back a little bit here because we had Bijan Robinson and then Gibbs as the top two all-purpose backs in the 2020 class and now both are first-round NFL Draft picks. OK, enough of that self-promotion. While I liked Gibbs a lot – actually felt bad for him because he had no help at Georgia Tech and then he shined at Alabama – this is really a stretch pick and might have only been done because the Lions can’t trust D’Andre Swift because he’s hurt a lot.

Gibbs is talented and versatile and fits that offense that’s loaded with young receivers but two running backs this early? That seems questionable. It is important to note, though, that Robinson first and now Gibbs were both all-purpose backs which is a consideration in value for future rankings purposes.

Grade: B-

*****

13. Green Bay Packers: DE Lukas Van Ness (Iowa)

Gorney's Take: I really like Van Ness and for numerous reasons I think he’s going to excel in the NFL. He’s a violent and aggressive defensive lineman who can play inside or outside. He gives max effort all the time and wins the neutral zone, just overpowering offensive linemen with his size and speed.

He does need to develop more exotic moves to win in the NFL but no one can argue with 13.5 sacks over the last two seasons at Iowa. He’s tough, focused, determined and aggressive – some things you cannot teach. Plus, he has the physical readiness to contribute early. He tested well at the Rivals Combine Series but didn’t show up to a Rivals Camp in St. Louis. With his size, if he showed up there I’d think his ranking would have been higher than a three-star.

Grade: A-

*****

14. Pittsburgh Steelers: OT Broderick Jones (Georgia)

Gorney's Take: This is a great pick for the Steelers and I’m not shocked they traded to get it done. There is a very real argument that he’s the best offensive tackle in this entire draft class. He was a former basketball player, he’s big and athletic, and has also gotten much more physical at Georgia. I’m just not going to bet against someone who’s been in the limelight since early in his high school career and has answered the bell every single time.

The five-star was the top-rated offensive tackle in the 2020 class and he’s done nothing to disprove that is still the case. He only started 19 games in high school but that just means he’s fresh.

Jones was better than Wright, Skoronski and Johnson Jr., and an argument could be made that’s still the case.

Grade: A

*****

15. New York Jets: LB Will McDonald (Iowa State)

Gorney's Take: McDonald is a very talented player who had two outstanding seasons at Iowa State coming off the edge. He's got a big motor, was a late bloomer and was only a mid-three-star prospect coming out of high school who really didn't have a ton going on in his recruitment.

Big credit goes to the Cyclones coaching staff for ID'ing him and getting him to Ames. I'm just not overly thrilled that his best work at Iowa State came earlier in his career and this past season was something of a disappointment.

With Myles Murphy, Nolan Smith, BJ Ojulari and others on the board, this was a stretch.

Grade: B-

*****

16. Washington Commanders: CB Emmanuel Forbes (Mississippi State)

Gorney's Take: Forbes ran 4.35 at the NFL Combine and he has tremendous ball skills and awesome instincts that he showed off at Mississippi State. The small-town Mississippi prospect was also a four-star inside the Rivals250 coming out of high school but his grade is getting a little reduced because there are better cornerbacks in my estimation still on the board. Christian Gonzalez, Deonte Banks and Cam Smith should have been taken ahead of Forbes.

Grade: B-

*****

17. New England Patriots: CB Christian Gonzalez (Oregon)

Gorney's Take: What a shock - New England did something smart in the draft. Gonzalez is the best cornerback in this draft, proved it during his time at Colorado where no one threw his way and then he transferred to Oregon and had four interceptions this past season.

He's an athletic freak, he's so smooth in coverage, he can run with any receiver in the league and then he has the length to make plays. Gonzalez plays with confidence and trusts his eyes. He should have been the first corner taken. The Patriots made the smart play here.

Grade: A-

*****

18. Detroit Lions: LB Jack Campbell (Iowa)

Gorney's Take: On high school film, Campbell looked like a big wide receiver playing linebacker as he was flying all over the field, making plays and most importantly getting people on the ground nearly every time the ball was snapped. He was lightly recruited as Iowa, Iowa State and Minnesota were the only Power Five schools involved with the three-star prospect. He didn’t do any events or I wonder if he would have been much higher in the rankings if he had.

What I love most about Campbell is that he’s a tackling machine who had 265 stops the last two seasons. Will speed be an issue for the Iowa linebacker in the NFL? That will be seen but if the Lions need another productive defensive player who communicates well at linebacker, then Campbell is your guy even if this is a little high in the first round.

Grade: B+

*****

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DT Calijah Kancey (Pitt)

Gorney's Take: I don’t hate this pick because Kancey has been proving people wrong for years and having that chip on his shoulder will be a good thing in the NFL. He was a three-star prospect out of Miami (Fla.) Northwestern that was not offered by any of the big in-state schools so he went to Pitt and was really productive there.

Kancey had 27.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks the last two seasons and his motor up the middle is great. But when healthy, former five-star Bryan Bresee is a more talented defensive tackle who would have been worth the risk here.

Grade: B

*****

20. Seattle Seahawks: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Ohio State)

Gorney's Take: At the All-American Bowl, Smith-Njigba did not come off as a freak receiver with all the measurables and the physical tools to be elite but he just got open against every single defensive back there and caught every pass thrown his way. He earned his five-star status from that event and then backed it up at Ohio State and now into the first round of the NFL Draft.

I am slightly concerned that almost all of his college production came in one season but it was a heck of a year with 95 catches for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore. If he can stay away from injuries then Smith-Njigba is the most-talented receiver in this draft and a smart pick here.

Grade: A-

*****

21. Los Angeles Chargers: WR Quentin Johnston (TCU)

Gorney's Take: An argument could easily be made that Johnston is the best receiver in this draft. He’s certainly more physically impressive and dominant than Smith-Njigba and proved that since his high school days in Temple, Texas.

The interesting thing about Johnston’s recruitment was that he showed little interest in leaving home as TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma were the frontrunners and he went to the school just two hours away.

Production was never a problem as Johnston, who is big and runs with purpose, caught 115 passes for 2,190 yards but curiously only had 14 touchdowns in three seasons. The NFL isn’t the Big 12 anymore where shootouts are common and Johnston is really away from home for the first time but Los Angeles should suffice.

Grade: A-

*****

22. Baltimore Ravens: WR Zay Flowers (Boston College)

Gorney's Take: Flowers was one of those prospects who was being recruited as a wide receiver by some schools and a defensive back by others – and a lot of teams passed on him coming out of high school. Miami was one of those programs even though he played at Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) University School and probably would have committed on the spot if the Hurricanes offered.

Either way, Flowers was a star at Boston College and used his dynamic speed and route-running ability to burn so many ACC defensive backs on his way to 200 career receptions for 3,056 yards and 29 touchdowns.

I could have seen how some NFL execs would’ve preferred Josh Downs here if a smaller receiver was the pick but for QB Lamar Jackson in Baltimore, Flowers will stretch the field and be a deep threat like Hollywood Brown used to be.

Grade: B+

*****

23. Minnesota Vikings: WR Jordan Addison (USC)

Gorney's Take: Things get really interesting with Addison on the same field as Justin Jefferson as the Vikings now have two elite receivers. The former high three-star receiver picked Pitt out of high school over Notre Dame and Maryland. No one could have predicted the insane production Addison would have with QB Kenny Pickett at Pitt where he caught 100 passes for 1,563 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2021.

He then transferred to USC, where he actually had the fewest catches in his three-year college career. Being a three-star was clearly a miss on Addison, who was productive every single year with the Trojans or the Panthers and is now the fourth receiver to be taken in the first round.

Grade: B+

*****

24. New York Giants: CB Deonte Banks (Maryland)

Gorney's Take: Banks was definitely a miss as a two-star prospect but Maryland was really the only Power Five school to get involved with the local prospect as Buffalo, Kent State and Delaware State were his only other offers.

That’s no excuse for the rankings miss, though, because Banks was a two-way player in high school and incredibly dominant at running back and cornerback. He’s also highly competitive and we saw that at Maryland. He’s going to go into the NFL with a chip on his shoulder and the speed to back it up because he ran 4.35 at the combine.

Passing on the length that Joey Porter Jr. would give you is a tough call, but Banks has the athletic ability to be special.

Grade: B

*****

25. Buffalo Bills: TE Dalton Kincaid (Utah)

Gorney's Take: This is why recruiting rankings are sometimes so mind-boggling tough to figure out because a guy like Kincaid was an impossible projection. I’m not making excuses for a miss on my part – well, sort of – but hear me out. He played one year of high school football at Las Vegas (Nev.) Faith Lutheran and then went to San Diego as a walk-on. Then he transfers from there to Utah and explodes on the scene, especially this past season with 70 catches for 890 yards and eight touchdowns. He had eight scores the previous year as well.

Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer was more of a sure thing – although he doesn’t have the athleticism of Kincaid – and Georgia’s Darnell Washington was more of a risk but his physical prowess is off the charts. A very solid pick here if a team is going to take a tight end in Round 1 but not my first preference.

Grade: B

*****

26. Dallas Cowboys: DT Mazi Smith (Michigan)

Gorney's Take: Smith is an athletic player who was a Rivals250 four-star prospect and was actually under-ranked if he ended up in the first round. But this is a real stretch to me to take the Michigan defensive lineman this high.

He did very little in the backfield and why would I believe that changes now at an even higher level of football? I believe he was credited with one sack in his entire college career and for someone with athleticism and length, that is unacceptable.

Smith is a talented kid but with Clemson’s Bryan Bresee still on the board not to mention Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adebawore, I just don’t see why the rush on Smith. He’ll clog up the middle but that’s about it.

Grade: C-

*****

27. Jacksonville Jaguars: OT Anton Harrison (Oklahoma)

Gorney's Take: NFL decision-makers always love offensive tackles who play multiple sports but there seems to be a major emphasis on former basketball players in the first round and Harrison is one of those guys as he actually trimmed weight when he got to Oklahoma. The Sooners beat out Michigan, Penn State and others for the Washington (D.C.) Archbishop Carroll standout.

I remember him having to anchor better in high school especially at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge but he was massive and still looks the part. Four offensive tackles came off the board before him but Harrison is definitely in that conversation as well as none of them are clearly better than the others.

Grade: B

*****

28. Cincinnati Bengals: DE Myles Murphy (Clemson)

Gorney's Take: I love this pick by the Cincinnati Bengals because Murphy has always been a phenomenal talent, backed it up in high school, backed up his five-star ranking at Clemson and is now a first-round pick.

This is a steal because Murphy is not only one of the best-looking prospects in this draft class but he was also highly productive at Clemson with 18.5 sacks and a bundle of quarterback pressures as well. Georgia and Auburn were battling hard for the five-star defensive end from Powder Springs (Ga.) Hillgrove but he chose Clemson and he had a phenomenal career. He’s more than worthy of a first-round pick.

Grade: A

*****

29. New Orleans Saints: DT Bryan Bresee (Clemson)

Gorney's Take: New Orleans deserves a ton of credit because Bresee is phenomenally talented and has been for years – and that’s why he was the No. 1 player in the 2020 class. Hindsight being 20/20 that was a little high considering Bryce Young was No. 2 but he is highly competitive, he’s versatile and tough up the middle.

What’s great about Bresee is he’s a high motor kid who hasn’t reached his full potential yet because injuries have sidelined him a little bit. He dealt with the death of his sister which is unthinkable but now he’s back to football. When he’s fully focused, Bresee is incredibly special. Love this pick as well.

Grade: A

*****

30. Philadelphia Eagles: LB Nolan Smith (Georgia)

Gorney's Take: The end of this first round is shaping up incredibly well because it’s loaded with former five-stars including Smith, who is another great fit here and absolutely worthy of a first-round pick. What I love most about Smith other than his relentlessness and production is that he’s a great teammate as well.

I always remember him being on the sidelines at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy picking up teammates and talking them up. That carried over to Georgia and now the NFL as he’s not this long edge rusher but he’s tough and has a motor that won’t stop.

Plus, it’s another Georgia defender going to Philadelphia and it certainly cannot hurt that Smith, who chose the Bulldogs over Alabama trying to flip him and many others, can keep an eye on teammate Jalen Carter in the City of Brotherly Love.

Grade: A-

*****

31. Kansas City Chiefs: DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah (K-State)

Gorney's Take: This was a miss in the 2020 class as Anudike was a two-star prospect coming out of the Kansas City area (Lee's Summit, Mo.), but to be fair pretty much everybody missed on him. Kansas State landed his commitment but only Tulsa and Northern Iowa were also involved in his recruitment.

He has athleticism and suddenness and there’s absolutely no arguing with 20.5 sacks, many of them coming over the last two seasons, but I had other edge rushers higher than Anudike-Uzomah at the end of the first round. I preferred Auburn’s Derick Hall, LSU’s BJ Ojulari and Notre Dame’s Isaiah Foskey, so this is a little stretch but he's a hometown kid for the Chiefs.

Grade: B-

Advertisement