The most anticipated part of the off-season is officially in the rearview mirror, as the 2019 NFL Draft has officially passed. Every team in the league added young talent to their squad, but which teams made the biggest improvements? This installment of the 2019 NFL Draft Grades features an in-depth breakdown of every team in the NFC West.
Divisional Draft Grades: AFC East – AFC West – NFC South – AFC North – AFC South – NFC East – NFC North
2019 NFC West NFL Draft Grades
Arizona Cardinals: A
Players Added: Kyler Murray, Byron Murphy, Andy Isabella, Zach Allen, Hakeem Butler, Deionte Thompson, Keesean Johnson, Lamont Gaillard, Joshua Miles, Michael Dogbe
The Arizona Cardinals had perhaps the best draft of any team in the NFL. Losing Josh Rosen for a second-round pick hurts, but Kyler Murray is a significantly better fit for Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. Murray is a dangerous dual-threat quarterback who could take the league by storm with his ability to win on the ground and through the air.
Byron Murphy is the best zone cornerback in the draft and was an absolute steal in the second round. Assuming Patrick Peterson sticks around, this could be the best cornerback duo in all of football. Just like Murray, Murphy should be a Day One starter on a much-improved defense.
Andy Isabella is another perfect fit for this offense. Kingsbury will want to go deep early and often, and Isabella’s breakneck speed fits perfectly within this scheme. The UMass wide receiver was one of the most effective deep ball receivers in college football and should be Arizona’s top option behind Larry Fitzgerald. Zach Allen is another steal in the third round who could start opposite Chandler Jones in Week One.
Hakeem Butler lacks polish, but the physical upside is undeniable. He’s borderline unstoppable with contested catches but lacks the route running ability to be a starter. At the very least, he’s a great red zone threat. Deionte Thompson has a degenerative knee condition, but he’s a starting-caliber safety for as long as his knees hold up.
Keesean Johnson will have a hard time finding the field but projects as a perfect backup to Isabella and Fitzgerald. He can play the slot and line up out wide and has decent speed. The Cardinals desperately need offensive line help and adding Lamont Gaillard and Joshua Miles can’t possibly hurt the situation. Michael Dogbe will have a tough time cracking the Opening Day roster at defensive end.
Los Angeles Rams: C+
Players Added: Taylor Rapp, Darrell Henderson, David Long, Bobby Evans, Greg Gaines, David Edwards, Nick Scott, Dakota Allen
The Rams kept trading down before eventually getting their guy in Washington safety Taylor Rapp. Rapp isn’t a typical free safety in the Eric Weddle mold but he could develop into a pseudo-linebacker a la New England’s Patrick Chung. Rapp has the skills to cover tight ends, running backs, and slot receivers while providing strong support in the run game.
The Rams selected Darrell Henderson in order to try to lighten the workload on Todd Gurley. On its own, this selection makes a lot of sense. However, with so few early picks, it’s surprising to see Los Angeles use a top-70 pick on a position as fungible as running back. C.J. Anderson proved that just about anyone could run behind that line last year. This pick would have been better used to grab a guard or defensive depth.
David Long is a great selection who should start the season as the Rams’ third cornerback. Marcus Peters struggled last season and both he and Aqib Talib are entering the final years of their contracts. If Long performs well as a rookie, he could be starting in 2020.
Bobby Evans could be forced to start the season at guard before taking over at tackle in 2020. Andrew Whitworth isn’t getting any younger, but he has at least one more year in his tank. Greg Gaines isn’t as good as Ndamukong Suh, but he can fill that role along a star-studded defensive line.
If Bobby Evans starts on the inside, David Edwards should be the top depth option at tackle. Edwards isn’t anyone’s idea of a Day One starter, but he could develop into one if he cleans up his fundamentals. Still, that’s a longshot and he’ll probably remain a backup. Nick Scott is a special teamer who probably won’t bring anything to the defense. Dakota Allen has a troubling past with a burglary arrest but cleaned up his act over the past few years. He’s a depth linebacker who will probably spend most of his time on special teams.
Seattle Seahawks: B
Players Added: L.J. Collier, Marquise Blair, DK Metcalf, Cody Barton, Gary Jennings Jr, Phil Haynes, Ugochukwu Amadi, Ben Burr-Kirven, Travis Homer, Demarcus Christmas, John Ursua
Not many people had L.J. Collier as a first-round pick, so this is something of a reach. However, Collier and his 6’2”, 283-pound frame can immediately fill the void left by the departed Frank Clark. He’s good off the edge and can bring pressure to the quarterback. What’s most impressive is that they got a player like this while still trading back to accumulate draft picks.
Marquise Blair can immediately come in and play a poor mans’ version of the Earl Thomas role. Thomas was one of the best safeties in the game and expecting Blair to do everything Thomas could is just ridiculous. That said, he’s more than capable of being a solid starter and at both safety positions.
DK Metcalf is something of a one-trick pony, but he does that one trick incredibly well. He’s not the best route runner and has poor lateral agility, but he can take the top off a defense like no other. Russell Wilson is one of the best deep ball throwers in the league, so this could be a match made in heaven.
Cody Barton won’t have a big role in 2019, but the linebacker could see some time in 2020. This was a pick for the future. The Seahawks continued to get big at receiver with Gary Jennings Jr. in the fourth round. He’s not a Doug Baldwin clone by any means, but Seattle needs receivers with their star wideout’s fate uncertain. Seattle always needs to protect Russell Wilson, so the Phil Haynes selection is a fantastic move.
Ugochukwu Amadi has experience at cornerback and free safety and can be all around the secondary. He’ll come off the bench situationally in clear passing downs. Similarly, Ben Burr-Kirven is a versatile linebacker capable of doing an adequate job at all three linebacker spots. However, the depth in front of him ensures that he’ll primarily be a special teams player in 2019.
Travis Homer should take over the Mike Davis role as the team’s third running back. He also has the ability to fill in as a third-down specialist. Demarcus Christmas is a solid run defender who could earn a spot on the roster thanks to Seattle’s pressing need at the position. John Ursua has the closest build to Doug Baldwin, but doesn’t possess the ball skills or route running prowess to replicate his production. Maybe in time he could develop those skills, but it’s hard to see him making the roster at this point in time.
San Francisco 49ers: B-
Players Added: Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel, Jalen Hurd, Mitch Wishnowsky, Dee Greenlaw, Kaden Smith, Justin Skule, Tim Harris
Nick Bosa could be the best all-around player in the 2019 NFL Draft, so taking him was an easy decision. While Quinnen Williams would have also been a great choice, it’s impossible to deny Bosa’s game-altering impact. Pairing him along with Dee Ford should give nightmares to NFC West quarterbacks throughout the 2019 season.
Deebo Samuel is exactly the type of player Jimmy Garoppolo needs. Samuel does most of his work in the short and intermediate portions of the field, and Garppolo is at his best when he has a reliable target in the quick passing game. Samuel has battled injuries throughout his career but should be a great weapon when healthy.
Jalen Hurd is a significantly different receiver than Deebo Samuel. At 6’5”, Hurd has the ability to line up wide and win at the point of attack. Combining his size, Samuel’s quickness, and Marquise Goodwin’s speed makes a complete, talented group of wide receivers.
There is no way to defend taking a punter in the fourth round. Mitch Wishnowsky could be the best punter of all time and this would be a reach. Dee Greenlaw is a strange choice as well, as he’s battled injuries and doesn’t have the size to be an every-down linebacker. Still, he can contribute on special teams when called upon.
Kaden Smith is a fantastic grab in the sixth round. He’s a good blocker who has the raw ability to be a pass catcher, although he never used said ability while in college. Justin Skule can play both tackle positions, which should help him compete for a depth spot. Tim Harris struggles to stay healthy but has ideal NFL build. He’ll need to contribute on special teams and stay out of harm’s way to even crack the roster.
Divisional Draft Grades: AFC East – AFC West – NFC South – AFC North – AFC South – NFC East – NFC North
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