Grading the NFL Draft (so far): Rounds 3-7

A few weeks ago, I took a look at how all the first-overall picks in last year's NFL Draft were faring so far in the National Football League (something I will be doing again real soon). Someone mentioned to me that I should also take a look at how the late-round draft picks are doing because when you get right down to it, these are the guys that are REALLY important in the NFL. NFL teams are built through the NFL Draft and contrary to popular belief, the teams that can find value in rounds 2-7 are the ones that you see dominating on television every week. Some of the most dominating players in the NFL were taken in the later rounds of the NFL Draft (Tom Brady, Justin Houston, etc) and if you can hit on one of these guys, it can produce outstanding results for your football team. 

Grading Scale:

A - Definitely An NFL Starter/Potential To Be Elite

B - Looks Like An NFL Starter

C - Average So Far

D - Poor Play

F - Can We Get A Redo?
Incomplete - Exactly What It Means

Round 3 NFL Draft Grades

C.J. Fiedorowicz - TE (Houston Texans): D+

Morgan Moses - OT (Washington Redskins): Incomplete

Billy Turner - OT (Miami Dolphins): Incomplete

Dezmen Southward - S (Atlanta Falcons): B-

Charles Sims - RB (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Incomplete

Marcus Martin - C (San Francisco 49ers): Incomplete

Christian Kirksey - LB (Cleveland Browns): C-

Scott Crichton - DE (Minnesota Vikings): C

Preston Brown - LB (Buffalo Bills): B-

Jay Bromley - DT (New York Giants): Incomplete

Tre Mason - RB (St. Louis Rams): C

Travis Swanson - C (Detroit Lions): C

Chris Borland - LB (San Francisco 49ers): C

Spencer Long - G (Washington Redskins): Incomplete

Terrence Brooks - S (Baltimore Ravens): C-

Dexter McDougle - CB (New York Jets): Incomplete

Gabe Jackson - G (Oakland Raiders): B-

Will Sutton - DT (Chicago Bears): C-

Louis Nix - DT (Houston Texans): Incomplete

Kareem Martin - DE (Arizona Cardinals): C-

Khyri Thornton - DT (Green Bay Packers): Incomplete

Josh Huff - WR (Philadelphia Eagles): C-

Phillip Gaines - CB (Kansas City Chiefs): B-

Will Clarke - DE (Cincinnati Bengals): Incomplete

Chris Watt - G (San Diego Chargers): B-

Donte Moncrief - WR (Indianapolis Colts): B+

John Brown - WR (Arizona Cardinals): C+

Trai Turner - G (Carolina Panthers): B

Brandon Linder - G (Jacksonville Jaguars): A-

Terrance West - RB (Cleveland Browns): C+

Michael Schofield - OT (Denver Broncos): Incomplete

Jerick McKinnon - RB (Minnesota Vikings): B-

Dri Archer - RB (Pittsburgh Steelers): C

Richard Rodgers - TE (Green Bay Packers): D

Crockett Gillmore - TE (Baltimore Ravens): B-

Brandon Thomas - G (San Francisco 49ers): Incomplete

Round 4 NFL Draft Grades:

Jaylen Watkins - CB (Philadelphia Eagles): Incomplete

Bashaud Breeland - CB (Washington Redskins): B-

Devonta Freeman - RB (Atlanta Falcons): C+

Jalen Saunders - WR (New York Jets): Incomplete

Bryan Stork - C (New England Patriots): D

Bruce Ellington - WR (San Francisco 49ers): B-

Justin Ellis - DT (Oakland Raiders): B-

Cassius Marsh - DE (Seattle Seahawks): C+

Ross Cockrell - CB (Buffalo Bills): Incomplete

Maurice Alexander - S (St. Louis Rams): Incomplete

Russell Bodine - C (Cincinnati Bengals): C

DaQuan Jones - DT (Tennessee Titans): C

Andre Williams - RB (New York Giants): B-

Aaron Colvin - CB (Jacksonville Jaguars): Incomplete

Shaq Evans - WR (New York Jets): Incomplete

Keith McGill - CB (Oakland Raiders): Incomplete

Ka'Deem Carey - RB (Chicago Bears): C

Martavis Bryant - WR (Pittsburgh Steelers): C+

Anthony Hitchens - LB (Dallas Cowboys): C-

Logan Thomas - QB (Arizona Cardinals): Incomplete

Carl Bradford - LB (Green Bay Packers): Incomplete

Marqueston Huff - S (Tennessee Titans): B-

Kevin Norwood - WR (Seattle Seahawks): Incomplete

De'Anthony Thomas - RB (Kansas City Chiefs): C+

Walt Aikens - CB (Miami Dolphins): Incomplete

Khairi Fortt - LB (New Orleans Saints): Incomplete

Pierre Desir - CB (Cleveland Browns): Incomplete

Tre Boston - S (Carolina Panthers): B-

Dontae Johnson - CB (San Francisco 49ers): B

James White - RB (New England Patriots): C-

Brock Vereen - S (Chicago Bears): C+

Kevin Pierre-Louis - LB (Seattle Seahawks): C

Nevin Lawson - CB (Detroit Lions): D+

Brent Urban - DT (Baltimore Ravens): Incomplete

Tom Savage - QB (Houston Texans): Incomplete

Larry Webster - DE (Detroit Lions): Incomplete

Dakota Dozier - G (New York Jets): Incomplete

Lorenzo Taliaferro - RB (Baltimore Ravens): B-

Prince Shembo - LB (Atlanta Falcons): B

Cameron Fleming - OT (New England Patriots): C-

Round 5 NFL Draft Grades:

Taylor Hart - DE (Philadelphia Eagles): Incomplete

Ryan Grant - WR (Washington Redskins): C

Kadeem Edwards - G (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Incomplete

Telvin Smith - LB (Jacksonville Jaguars): B-

David Yankey - G (Minnesota Vikings): Incomplete

Ricardo Allen - WR (Atlanta Falcons): Incomplete

Bene Benwikere - CB (Carolina Panthers): D+

Kevin Pamphile - OT (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Incomplete

Aaron Lynch - DE (San Francisco 49ers): B-

Avery Williamson - LB (Tennessee Titans): C+

Nat Berhe - S (New York Giants): C

Cyril Richardson - G (Buffalo Bills): D

Jeremiah George - LB (New York Jets): Incomplete

Arthur Lynch - TE (Miami Dolphins): Incomplete

Lamin Barrow - LB (Denver Broncos): C+

Shaquille Richardson - CB (Pittsburgh Steelers): Incomplete

Caraun Reid - DT (Detroit Lions): C+

Ed Stinson - DE (Arizona Cardinals): D+

Corey Linsley - C (Green Bay Packers): B

Ed Reynolds - S (Philadelphia Eagles): Incomplete

Aaron Murray - QB (Kansas City Chiefs): Incomplete

A.J. McCarron - QB (Cincinnati Bengals): Incomplete

Ryan Carrethers - DT (San Diego Chargers): C+

Jonathan Newsome - DE (Indianapolis Colts): C+

Vinnie Sunseri - S (New Orleans Saints): Incomplete

Marquis Spruill - LB (Atlanta Falcons): Incomplete

Ronald Powell - OL (New Orleans Saints): Incomplete

Keith Reaser - CB (San Francisco 49ers): Incomplete

Jordan Tripp - LB (Miami Dolphins): Incomplete

Jimmy Staten - DT (Seattle Seahawks): Incomplete

Wesley Johnson - C (Pittsburgh Steelers): Incomplete

Devon Kennard - OL (New York Giants): C

John Urschel - G (Baltimore Ravens): C+


Jared Abbrederis - WR (Green Bay Packers): Incomplete

Rounds 6-7 (Only grading players who have played)

Jeoffrey Pagan - DE (Houston Texans): C-

Zach Mettenberger - QB (Tennessee Titans): D-

Alfred Blue - RB (Houston Texans): C-

Robert Herron - WR (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): C-

E.J. Gaines - CB (St. Louis Rams): B-

Pat O'Donnell - P (Chicago Bears): B-

Zach Fulton - G (Kansas City Chiefs): D+

Brandon Dixon - CB (New York Jets): D+

Zach Moore - DE (New England Patriots): C

Luke Bowanko - C (Jacksonville Jaguars): C+

Jay Prosch - FB (Houston Texans): C-

Marquis Flowers - LB (Cincinnati Bengals): D

Daniel McCullers - DT (Pittsburgh Steelers): C

Andre Hal - CB (Houston Texans): C

Michael Campanaro - WR (Baltimore Ravens): B-

Shamar Stephen - DT (Minnesota Vikings): D+

Storm Johnson - RB (Jacksonville Jaguars): C-

Beau Allen - DT (Philadelphia Eagles): C+

Jabari Price - CB (Minnesota Vikings): D+

Kiero Small - RB (Seattle Seahawks): D-

Trevor Reilly - LB (New York Jets): C

Terrence Fede - DE (Miami Dolphins): C-

Seantrel Henderson - OT (Buffalo Bills): D-

James Wright - WR (Cincinnati Bengals): C-

Corey Nelson - LB (Denver Broncos): C+


Ken Bishop - DT (Dallas Cowboys): C-