Grading the NFL First-Round Picks (so far)

Here's a quick rundown of how every single first-round draft pick of the 2014 NFL Draft has played thus far through three games. You really shouldn't over-react to any grade you see here because for one, it's my own personal opinion. Also, there's only been three NFL games and these guy's are new to the game, so we really shouldn't get all crazy with our evaluations on them as of yet. It's not very often you see someone start a job and excel at it immediately. There's still plenty of time for these guys to grow as NFL players this season, but here's a good feel on how they've been doing thus far (as you'll tell, I really paid a lot of attention to how many snaps they've taken because that's the most important thing for a young player):


1. Jadeveon Clowney - DE (Houston Texans): Incomplete

(Injured in first game, but was effective in the 26 snaps he played, especially against the run)

2. Greg Robinson - OT (St. Louis Rams):  C+

(Has only played 10 snaps, been effective in pass blocking situations, need to see more of him)

3. Blake Bortles - QB (Jacksonville Jaguars):  D-

(Has played 42 snaps, has looked horrible in passing situations, plenty of room to grow though)

4. Sammy Watkins - WR (Buffalo Bills): C

(Has played 175 snaps, had a really good game against the Dolphins but followed that up with a horrible game against the Chargers, has been an average blocker, needs to cut down on penalties, would really benefit him more if his team had a better quarterback)

5. Khalil Mack - LB (Oakland Raiders):  A

(Played 196 snaps, been effective in both pass rush and run defense, has really excelled against the run)

6. Jake Matthews - OT (Atlanta Falcons): C

(Has played 84 snaps, has plenty of room to grow, especially in run blocking situations)

7. Mike Evans - WR (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): C-

(Played 145 snaps, hasn't done much in passing game, decent blocker)

8. Justin Gilbert - CB (Cleveland Browns): D+

(Has played 124 snaps, has looked questionable at times in pass coverage, didn't play good against Baltimore or Pittsburgh, but had a good game against New Orleans, plenty of room to grow though)

9. Anthony Barr - LB (Minnesota Vikings): A-

(Has played 199 snaps, has looked good against the run and rushing the passer, looks lost at times in pass coverage, has looked extremely impressive so far and there's lots to like from Barr)

10. Eric Ebron - TE (Detroit Lions): C-

(Has played 69 snaps, has been decent in blocking situations but has had little to no impact in the passing game)

11. Taylor Lewan - OT (Tennessee Titans): B-

(Has only played 23 snaps, but has been effective in the little time he's played, excels in run blocking)

12. Odell Beckham - WR (New York Giants): Incomplete

(Has yet to play a snap)

13. Aaron Donald - DT (St. Louis Rams): A

(Has played 83 snaps, absolutely excels in run defense, lots to like here and early signs show that Donald is going to be an impact player for years to come)

14. Kyle Fuller - CB (Chicago Bears): A-

(Has played 159 snaps, didn't have a good first game against Buffalo but has improved significantly since, had two really good games against the Niners and the Jets especially in pass coverage)

15. Ryan Shazier - LB (Pittsburgh Steelers): D+

(Has played 151 snaps, looked awful against Cleveland in the first game, did good against the run when the Steelers played the Ravens but has struggled in every other apsect, still has plenty of room to grow but hasn't looked like a first-round pick in his first 3 games)

16. Zack Martin - OG (Dallas Cowboys): C

(Has played 210 snaps, is an effective pass blocker, really needs to work on his run blocking though as he's grading out with a negative grade in every game, gets credit for having played every Dallas offensive snap so far)

17. C.J. Mosley - LB (Baltimore Ravens): C+

(Has played 186 snaps, has had one really good game (against Cleveland) and two average games, is effective against the run but needs to improve in pass coverage, excellent tackler)

18. Calvin Pryor - S (New York Jets): B

(Has played 190 snaps, plays extremely well against the run, struggles in pass coverage and in pass rushing, plenty to like here so far though)

19. Ja'Wuan James - OT (Miami Dolphins): B-

(Has played 228 snaps, has played every single offensive snap for the Dolphins, had an extremely good game against the Bills where he did everything right, struggled against the Chiefs though especially in pass blocking, has been consistently effective in run-blocking)

20. Brandin Cooks - WR (New Orleans Saints): C

(Has played 160 snaps, had a horrible game against the Browns but had decent games against the Falcons and the Vikings, gets pushed around in run-blocking, hasn't really done much to spark the Saints offense as of yet)

21. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix - S (Green Bay Packers): D+

(Has played 126 snaps, had two average games against the Seahawks and the Lions, had a horrible game against the Jets, has looked decent in pass coverage but has been incredibly ineffective against the run, has a lot of room to grow)

22. Johnny Manziel - QB (Cleveland Browns): Incomplete

(Has only played 5 offensive snaps, hasn't contributed anything as of yet, has been more effective as "Johnny Jamboogie")

23. Dee Ford - LB (Kansas City Chiefs): C+

(Has only played 22 snaps, didn't contribute much in the first two games of the season but played extremely well against the Dolphins, should get more snaps as the season progresses)

24. Darqueze Dennard - CB (Cincinnati Bengals): Incomplete

(Has only played 16 snaps, has only seen action in one NFL game but looked decent in the little amount that he's actually played)

25. Jason Verrett - CB (San Diego Chargers): B-

(Has played 112 snaps, had a really good first game against the Cardinals especially in pass coverage, has struggled at times in games against the Bills and the Seahawks, overall there is a lot to like from Verrett so far)

26. Marcus Smith - LB (Philadelphia Eagles): Incomplete

(Has only played 18 snaps in one game, looked decent against the run and in pass coverage but struggled to rush the passer, the jury is still out on this guy as we need to see more)

27. Deone Bucannon - S (Arizona Cardinals): D-

(Has played 119 snaps, you can definitely tell this guy is a rookie as he has struggled so far in the NFL, has looked decent in run defense but has been awful in pass coverage especially against the 49ers, looks to be a bust but it's only been 3 games so give him time)

28. Kelvin Benjamin - WR (Carolina Panthers): C+

(Has played 173 snaps, had a piss poor game against the Lions but has looked good in the other two games especially against the Bucs, has been average in blocking for the run)

29. Dominique Easley - DT (New England Patriots): D+

(Has played 73 snaps, had a horrible game against the Dolphins in week one and hasn't improved much since, is not good against the run but has showed promising signs in pass coverage, needs to improve in rushing the passer though)

30. Jimmie Ward - S (San Francisco 49ers): D-

(Has played 124 snaps, has been a huge bust in the first 3 games of his NFL career, got torched against the Cowboys and the Bears but improved in pass coverage against the Cardinals, has looked decent defending the run but other than that he doesn't look like a first-round pick so far)

31. Bradley Roby - CB (Denver Broncos): C-

(Has played 186 snaps, had a horrible game against the Chiefs were he was torched by Alex Smith, has looked good in run defense but inconsistent in pass coverage, good tackler)

32. Teddy Bridgewater - QB (Minnesota Vikings): Incomplete

(Has played 41 snaps, looked decent in his first game in both the passing and running games, we will know a lot more about Bridgewater in the coming weeks as he's now the starter for the Vikings)