Grading first-round draft picks: Offense

[Alan]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000441055/article/grading-firstround-draft-picks-offense
Grading first-round draft picks: Offense
Welcome to Around The NFL's "Rookie Watch" series, a week-by-week journey ranking this year's promising collection of first-year players.

Between now and the end of the regular season, we'll chart the 2014 rookie class in an effort to predict which young players have the best chance at long careers in our nation's finest sport.

In recent weeks, we've unveiled our early picks for Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year, examined this year's top undrafted players, dropped the boom on a batch of first-year disappointments and made our list of late-round draft gems.

Now it's time to grade this year's first-round picks. We'll start below with this year's offensive players and take a look next week at the first-rounders on defense:

First-round grades: Offense

Greg Robinson, Rams: (2nd overall pick) The Rams have surged down the stretch, but Robinson has endured his share of troubles. Forced to switch from left guard to bookend, the draft's No. 2 overall pick currently ranks 74th out of 78 qualifying tackles, per Pro Football Focus. We've seen more promise from Ja'Wuan James and Taylor Lewan, but Robinson probably had too much thrown on his plate heading into the season. I put that on the Rams. Grade: C-

Blake Bortles, Jaguars: (3rd pick) The preseason rockstar has looked human this autumn. Leading the league with 16 interceptions, Bortles has been knocked around behind Jacksonville's shaky offensive line. Coach Gus Bradley, though, acknowledged that some of those takedowns have to do with the rookie holding the ball too long. Bortles has outstanding size and a powerful arm, leaving us encouraged about his future if the Jaguars surround him with more talent. Grade: C+

Sammy Watkins, Bills: (4th pick) Watkins would earn a higher grade here if it weren't for stretches of streaky play. After piling up 12 catches for 279 yards and three scores over Weeks 7 and 8, theBills pass-catcher was held to 35 or fewer yards in his next four games. Part of that channels back to the wildly inconsistent play of Kyle Orton. We also know that Watkins has spent most of the year dealing with rib and groin injuries. He has all the tools to be a star. Grade: B+

Jake Matthews, Falcons: (6th pick) As part of Atlanta's banged-up, Swiss-cheese line, no tackle in the league is grading out worse than Matthews, per PFF. Hobbled early by a high ankle sprain, the rookie has played through pain and was forced to adjust on the fly in a preseason switch to left tackle. Only four players at his position have allowed more quarterback hurries, but Matthews -- once healthy -- deserves a fresh look at the position in Year 2. Grade: C

Mike Evans, Bucs: (7th pick) One of the biggest playmakers from this year's draft class, Evans leads all rookies with 19 catches of 20-plus yards. The Bucs receiver has grown over the second half of the season, ranking fourth among all NFL wideoutsin the third quarter of the NFL season with 430 yards through the air. Evans has the size and strength to dominate cornerbacks, making plays every week despite the absence of a reliable quarterback. Grade: A-

Eric Ebron, Lions: (10th pick) Drafted to operate as a playmaking force in Detroit's offense, Ebron has yet to top four catches or 38 yards in any game this season. Eighteen rookies have more catches and 19 have more receiving yards. Ebron has yet to post a catch beyond 17 yards, but we do believe he'll make strides with another full offseason. Grade: C-

Taylor Lewan, Titans: (11th pick)Starting since Week 6 in place of the injured Michael Roos, Lewan is grading out as the best rookie at his position. He's currently dealing with a high ankle sprain, but hasn't been afraid to rattle cages while sidelined, telling reporters last week that he wouldn't have stood for J.J. Watt squashing quarterback Zach Mettenberger. "I probably would have tried to do something if I was out there," said Lewan. The rookie gives the floating Titans a desperately needed dash of attitude. Grade: B-

Odell Beckham, Giants: (12th pick) Beckham is the most fascinating athlete to enter the NFL in years, drawing comparisons from our own Chris Wesseling to Michael Jordan for his "vice-grip hands, easy leaping ability, graceful athleticism, mid-air dexterity and improvisational creativity." NFL Media's Mike Mayock called the Giants star the best of this year's stellar class of first-year wideouts, citing Beckham's ability to line up all over the field after missing most of August and September with a hamstring injury. Perhaps we all should take a month or two off from work? Grade: A+

Zack Martin, Cowboys: (16th pick) Martin has been a beast since the early days of summer, immediately stepping into a starting role and not missing a snap all season. The reliable guard has been an outstanding pass protector and part of a road-grading unit that has unleashed DeMarco Murray weekly. Not allowing a sack all year, Martin looms as an annual Pro Bowl selection in Dallas."The man's a monster," said Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant. "When I watch the film, I pay attention to him and the man is dynamic." Grade: A+

Ja'Wuan James, Dolphins: (19th pick) James deserves credit for seamlessly shifting from right tackle to left after Branden Albert was lost for the year. Only Samson Satele has played more snaps along Miami's line, where James has allowed just one sack since taking over the bookend spot. "Most people don't know how difficult it really is (switching from right to left tackle)," guard Daryn Colledge told the team's official website. "For him to step up and play at a high level at that is awesome." Grade: B+

Brandin Cooks, Saints: (20th pick) The Saints have done a poor job of using their offensive talent this season, but New Orleans can't be blamed for Cooks being shipped to injured reserve with a thumb injury after just 10 games. Despite missing three weeks, he still ranks seventh among rookies in catches after showing rare moments of explosiveness. We'd like to see more consistency, but we could say that about everyone in New Orleans this season. There's plenty to look forward to. Grade: B+

Johnny Manziel, Browns: (22nd pick) It's telling that Cleveland stuck with a plummeting Brian Hoyer in recent weeks instead of handing the reins over to Johnny. No player on this list, though, is in better position to make a massive impact down the stretch. Assuming the Browns anoint him in time for Sunday's must-win showdown with the Bengals, Manziel has a chance to guide the franchise to its first playoff berth in over a decade. His physical talents far exceed Hoyer's, but we're talking about a player with just 18 snaps on the year. Just play him already! Grade: Incomplete

Kelvin Benjamin, Panthers: (28th pick) I'm not sure what more can be asked from the fifth wideout taken off the board. Beckham has stolen the headlines, but Benjamin was a Rookie of the Year frontrunner for much of the season. Setting franchise rookie records for catches, yards receiving and touchdowns in a season, the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Benjamin has more targets than Carolina's next two wideouts combined. Stuck inside an ugly Panthers offense, Benjamin's size and strength at the point of catch has been a bright spot. Grade: A-

Teddy Bridgewater, Vikings: (32nd pick) As we mentioned on the latest podcast, Bridgewater is showing signs of growth. In Sunday's overtime win against the Jets, the Vikings passer spotted New York in a no-deep-safety look and audibled into a wide-receiver screen to unleash Jarius Wright for the winning score. Teddy hasn't been perfect, but Sunday was another example of the first-year signal-caller making strides in Norv Turner's scheme. "This franchise is Teddy's," coach Mike Zimmersaid after the game. "I know that was a good headline for you." Grade: B

 

[Jumava1968]

Damm I wanted Z.Martin and apparently so did Fisher can you imagine our line with him in there.We couldn't swing a trade with Dallas in the middle of the 1st is what I've read and Fisher wanted Martin.We don't draft Joyner if the trade happens but I could live with that.

 

[DaveFan'51]

What about Defensive Rookie's Taken in the 1st round?

 

[Alan]

Jumava1968 looking back at what could have been:
Damm I wanted Z.Martin and apparently so did Fisher can you imagine our line with him in there.We couldn't swing a trade with Dallas in the middle of the 1st is what I've read and Fisher wanted Martin.We don't draft Joyner if the trade happens but I could live with that.

Imagine where we'd be if he was playing RG instead of Joseph.

 

[Faceplant]

Meh. GRob will be fine....or he won't......who knows. I haven't noticed him getting beaten too obviously recently, but I will go back and watch more tape....

 

[Alan]

DaveFan'51 Looking for more:
What about Defensive Rookie's Taken in the 1st round?

Check back at that same site in a few days and you'll probably find one. Until then here's this. I almost didn't post this because I disagreed with his take on Donald so much.

http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/98140656/2014-nfl-draft-first-round-pick-rookie-progress-report
FIRST-ROUND ROOKIE RANKINGS

It's never too early to start evaluating how first-round picks like Brandin Cooks, Teddy Bridgewater and Kelvin Benjamin are playing. (USA TODAY Sports)
NFL personnel people often like to remind outside observers that it takes three years to properly judge a draft class.

Sometimes, that's just their way of begging for patience from their fan bases (or even their bosses). But in most cases, it's what they really believe.


Having acknowledged that, it never hurts to take stock of how rookies are progressing. Below are all of this year's first-round picks divided into four different tiers.

The lowest tier has guys who have done little or nothing through the first five weeks. The next tier is comprised of players whose stock appears to be rising. The third tier is reserved for rookies who are already contributing. And the top tier is for players who are doing more than just contributing (GMs who picked these guys can go ahead and start patting themselves on the back).

Rankings are based on a combination of contributions so far and draft slot (expectations).

Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet
32. Greg Robinson, St. Louis Rams (No. 2)

The tackle out of Auburn has yet to crack the starting lineup and has played 10 offensive snaps overall. The Rams' offensive line did not perform well last week against the Eagles and really has not been a strength all season long. But at this point, there don't appear to be any plans to get Robinson on the field.

31. Dee Ford, Kansas City Chiefs (No. 23)

Another Auburn product, Ford is having a tough time transitioning to outside linebacker in the Chiefs' 3-4. And he had the embarrassing moment last week where he mistakenly appeared to be running away from the ball-carrier. Ford has played only 32 snaps on the season.

30. Marcus Smith, Philadelphia Eagles (No. 26)

Smith has already undergone a position change. He was drafted to play outside linebacker in the Eagles' 3-4, but because of injuries, Smith is playing inside LB in a rotational role. His strengths are his length and athleticism, but he has a ways to go as a pass-rusher. He has played 34 total snaps.

29. Justin Gilbert, Cleveland Browns (No. 8)

Having a coach describe your performance as getting "slapped in the face" is probably not a good thing. However, it's not a huge surprise that Gilbert needs some time for his technique to catch up to his measurables. His playing time has decreased in each of the Browns' first four games, and Gilbert played only eight snaps last week.

28. Darqueze Dennard, Cincinnati Bengals (No. 24)

Playing on a team with a veteran-laden secondary, Dennard has been unable to get on the field, having played only 16 defensive snaps on the season. Barring an injury to someone ahead of him, Dennard might not play meaningful snaps as a rookie.

27. Johnny Manziel, Cleveland Browns (No. 22)

Some thought he'd win the starting job in the summer. Others were convinced he'd at least have wrestled it away from Brian Hoyer by now. But that hasn't happened. Manziel has played only five snaps, and unless Hoyer suffers an injury or the Browns go in the tank, he's likely to remain on the sideline.

26. Jadeveon Clowney, Houston Texans (No. 1)

He falls into this category only because of injury. And in a few weeks, we could be talking about Clowney as one of the more impactful first-rounders in the league. But he suffered a knee injury in Week 1 against Washington that required surgery. Reports indicate that he could return in Week 7.

25. Ryan Shazier, Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 15)

He had some ups and downs early on, but Shazier suffered a sprained MCL in Week 3 and has been sidelined. He'll likely move up this list once he gets healthy.

On The Rise
24. Taylor Lewan, Tennessee Titans (No. 11)

He has played only 33 snaps so far in a rotational role, but Lewan is slated to make his first career start Sunday at left tackle because of an injury to Michael Roos.

23. Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants (No. 12)

Beckham's another guy who could shoot up this list in the next few weeks, but he's played in only one game so far. The LSU product had four catches for 44 yards and a TD in his debut last week after being sidelined with a hamstring injury. Don't be surprised if he feasts on the Eagles' secondary Sunday night.

22. Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 3)

He's started two games and completed 67 percent of his passes. Bortles is averaging 6.9 YPA and has three touchdowns compared to six interceptions. He'll continue to get work behind arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL.

21. Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings (No. 32)

In his lone start, Bridgewater completed 19 of 30 passes for 317 yards. He also ran it five times for 27 yards and a score. Vikings fans have not had a lot to cheer about so far, but Bridgewater is expected to start going forward and could provide some excitement.

20. Dominique Easley, New England Patriots (No. 29)

It's a stretch to say Easley's on the rise considering he reportedly suffered a shoulder injury last week vs. the Bengals. But he fits better here than in the other categories. The defensive tackle out of Florida has been a rotational player, having been on the field for 38.5 percent of the snaps.

19. Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions (No. 10)

He has eight catches for 80 yards and a touchdown on 16 targets. Ebron has played more the past two weeks and has been on the field for 49.3 percent of the snaps overall. If Calvin Johnson misses some time, the tight end could see more balls thrown his way.

The Contributors
18. Aaron Donald, St. Louis Rams (No. 13)

He's been a rotational defensive tackle, on the field for 43.4 percent of the snaps. Donald is living up to his reputation as a one-gap penetrator with four tackles for loss, tied for a team-high.

17. Jimmie Ward, San Francisco 49ers (No. 30)

He was a safety at Northern Illinois, but Ward has been tasked with lining up against opposing teams' slot receivers as the 49ers' nickel corner. There have been ups and downs, but Ward is contributing. Despite being without some key players, San Francisco ranks seventh against the pass, per Football Outsiders. Ward has played 56.8 percent of the snaps.

16. Calvin Pryor, New York Jets (No. 18)

He has not been great, but Pryor has been a major contributor. He has been a starter at safety all season long, having played 82.9 percent of the Jets' defensive snaps.

15. Deone Bucannon, Arizona Cardinals (No. 27)

The key with Bucannon is recognizing his strengths and weaknesses. He has plus size and physicality, but was not known for great cover skills coming out of Washington State. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles seems to have found a nice LB/S hybrid role for him, and Bucannon has been on the field for 64.8 percent of the snaps.

14. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Green Bay Packers (No. 21)

He's had some bumps in the road, but Clinton-Dix appears to be gaining the trust of the Packers' coaching staff. He's played 67.8 percent of Green Bay's snaps and will be counted on to be a playmaker in the back end.

13. Bradley Roby, Denver Broncos (No. 31)

He has played 75.1 percent of the Broncos' snaps. Roby has the versatility to play inside and outside. There will be some growing pains, but he's allowed for some flexibility on the NFL's fourth-ranked pass defense.

12. Jason Verrett, San Diego Chargers (No. 25)

He's part of the cornerback rotation and has played 61.4 percent of the Chargers' defensive snaps. San Diego finished 31st against the pass last year; that ranking is up to No. 12 so far this year. And Verrett deserves at least some credit for the overall improvement.

11. Ja'Wuan James, Miami Dolphins (No. 19)

On draft day, he went earlier than many anticipated, but James has started every game and played every snap at right tackle. He seems to be holding his own for the most part.

10. Jake Matthews, Atlanta Falcons (No. 6)

He's started four games at left tackle. Matthews had a rough go against the Giants last week, although he was dealing with an ankle injury. The Falcons have the third-best passing attack in the NFL.

The Difference-Makers
9. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Bucs (No. 7)

He's working through a groin injury that sidelined him in Week 5, but Evans had four catches or more in each of the Bucs' first four games. Overall, he's caught 17 balls for 203 yards and a touchdown. Evans knows how to use his size and physicality. He doesn't need to create big separation to pick up chunks of yardage downfield on plays like this:


8. Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints (No. 20)

Asshole Face's plan has been to get the ball in Cooks' hands as much as possible. His 32 catches lead all rookies and are tied for ninth overall. But Cooks has generated just one explosive play (20+ yards) as a receiver, and he's averaging only 8.0 YPR (255 yards overall). Payton will continue to feed him throughout the season.

7. Anthony Barr, Minnesota Vikings (No. 9)

Barr had 23 sacks in his last two seasons at UCLA, but he's not being used as much to rush the passer in Minnesota. Per Pro Football Focus, Barr is dropping into coverage 72.6 percent of the time on passing downs and rushing the passer 27.4 percent of the time. Still, he's got a pair of sacks on 48 pass-rushing opportunities and is tied for second on the team in tackles. Barr has been on the field for 97 percent of the Vikings' defensive snaps.

6. Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys (No. 16)

As we wrote about last week, he's been a starter on arguably the best offensive lines in the NFL. The Cowboys are built to run the ball effectively, and Martin is getting it done at right guard. He hasn't missed a snap all season.

5. Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders (No. 5)

He's played 88.9 percent of the Raiders' snaps and has 19 tackles (three for loss). On a team without a lot of bright spots, he looks like the type of player the Raiders should be able to build around.

At outside linebacker, Mack shows here that he can slip past defenders, diagnose and get to the ball-carrier:


Even though he doesn't have a sack yet, Mack can also get around the edge and provide some pass-rush:


4. Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills (No. 4)

He has gotten inconsistent quarterback play, but he has still managed 24 catches for 284 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Watkins can do it all. He can make catches in traffic. He can hit on big plays downfield. And he's explosive with the ball in his hands. Watkins is capable of making "wow" plays whenever the ball is near him:


3. C.J. Mosley, Baltimore Ravens (No. 17)

He's started every game and played all but two snaps on the season. Mosley has the sixth-most tackles in the NFL. Defenses (especially defenses like the Ravens) want to be tough up the middle.

Here, Mosley takes on a lead blocker and then finds the ball-carrier.


He's already made a lot of big plays and appears to be a cornerstone player for the Ravens.

2. Kyle Fuller, Chicago Bears (No. 14)

Fuller is probably the early favorite for Defensive Rookie Of the Year. There will be growing pains for all young corners, but he's shown good ball skills and is tied for the league lead in the NFL with three interceptions. Fuller appears to be the most NFL-ready of the defensive backs taken in the first round.

1. Kelvin Benjamin, Carolina Panthers (No. 28)

He leads all rookie receivers with 367 yards and six catches of 20+ yards. Benjamin has been terrific at providing the Panthers' offense with explosive plays in the passing game. He knows how to use his size and has made some simply spectacular catches:


In what was a loaded draft class at wide receiver, he's been the most prolific pass-catcher early on.

Note: Snap counts courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

 

[Akrasian]

The overall rankings was obviously done early in the season. Since then Robinson has been starting as has Donald - and Donald is clearly one of the top rookies this year. That's the problem with doing a rookie analysis after 4 games or so - some teams are less likely to play rookies than others. Fisher wants them to force their way into the lineup.

 

[TexasRam]

Not worried about Grob at all.

He shows massive potential and is dominant for stretches.

Can't ask a guy to move to tackle from guard and be an automatic PFF master.

Long term he will be the best of
The tackles from the draft.

Martin has been awesome but let's face it, he is playing guard.

 

[Rams and Gators]

Crazy idea, doubt it would ever work, but how about giving a player, oh I don't know, maybe half a season playing a position before handing out a grade on them?

 

[Jumava1968]

What about Defensive Rookie's Taken in the 1st round?

You know A.Donald will be at top of that class,he might get Droy.

 

[CGI_Ram]

I give GRob a C+.

He's playing left tackle! That's not an easy position for a rookie. I think on that scale, he's done pretty well.

 

[Merlin]

Imagine where we'd be if he was playing RG instead of Joseph.

Well it would mean we didn't draft GRob so we'd be suckin bad. Martin is amazing, no doubt, but long term I do think GRob will be right there with him. And LT is > OG from a pure value perspective.

 

[jjab360]

Damm I wanted Z.Martin and apparently so did Fisher can you imagine our line with him in there.We couldn't swing a trade with Dallas in the middle of the 1st is what I've read and Fisher wanted Martin.We don't draft Joyner if the trade happens but I could live with that.

I would've wanted the trade up for Martin, but iirc we would've been giving up a second, third, and future second. I would hate to give up Tre Mason, he's looking pretty good. Joyner is a future contributor too, and the way we've been drafting that second round next year is almost guaranteed to be at least another solid player. That's a costly trade, 3 solid players for one stud. Maybe too steep for me, personally.

 

[FRO]

I think Robinson has played well at LT. I doubt these guys have watched all the rookies. They probably look at stats, and since there aren't any for linemen they look at PFF and who knows how they come up with their stuff.

 

[Jumava1968]

I would've wanted the trade up for Martin, but iirc we would've been giving up a second, third, and future second. I would hate to give up Tre Mason, he's looking pretty good. Joyner is a future contributor too, and the way we've been drafting that second round next year is almost guaranteed to be at least another solid player. That's a costly trade, 3 solid players for one stud. Maybe too steep for me, personally.

I don't know the specifics of the trade proposal that Fisher put out there.But if that was what Dallas was asking for yeah a little steep.

 

[Alan]

Merlin having trouble with his memory:
Well it would mean we didn't draft GRob so we'd be suckin bad. Martin is amazing, no doubt, but long term I do think GRob will be right there with him. And LT is > OG from a pure value perspective.

You're not remembering the sequence of events correctly. It was AFTER we drafted both CRob AND Donald that Snisher wanted to trade up to get Martin but Dallas pulled the trigger before we could arrange a trade with someone lower in the first round. So imagine that we had drafted all three of those players! It would probably have cost us Joyner (maybe even Mason) and maybe our first round pick this year. Maybe less or more but in any case I'd have pulled that trigger. As it is, I'm all for drafting a guard in the first round THIS year. A QB in the 2nd or 3rd round depending on if we see something we like.