The Rams’ 2016 Draft will hinge on the success of QB Jared Goff
How did your team do in the NFL draft? FantasyPros expert Brian Riedmiller has the review on all 32 NFL teams, complete with winners, losers, and draft grades. All teams are graded on an A through F scale, where “C” is average. So what are the grades? Read on to find out!
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Grading the NFC West
- Winners – Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers
- Losers – Los Angeles Rams
Arizona Cardinals
Immediate Needs – CB / C
Long-Term Needs – DT / OG
Depth Possibilities – LB / FS
Third-round selection, center Evan Boehm, set the tone for this entire draft for the Cardinals. In that round, he’s a good enough value, for a player that will be a fine starter for them, but not a Pro-Bowl player. When you look at the rest of their picks, including first-round defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche from Mississippi all the way to sixth round cornerback Harlan Miller, they hit all the necessary notes and got players that will compete for jobs in each selection.
FantasyPros Draft Grade: B
Los Angeles Rams
Immediate Needs – QB / WR / FS / TE
Long-Term Needs – C
Depth Possibilities – LB / CB
The talk of the entire draft was the Rams and their trading up to select Jared Goff No. 1 overall. They, and the Eagles, are both in similar baskets – they decimated most of their draft, leaving one high pick and a few other wild cards. The success therein will be whether or not Goff works out, but they do have one distinct advantage, at least in the way of how successful their draft will have been – they will see more of Goff in 2016 than the Eagles will of Wentz. Their other picks were, to paraphrase the Rams, specifically chosen to develop alongside Goff. I don’t love the pick of tight end Tyler Higbee in round four, although I do like the value they got from tight end Temarrick Hemmingway in round six; so much so that he could turn out to be the one of the two that actually sticks.
FantasyPros Draft Grade: C
San Francisco 49ers
Immediate Needs – OLB / WR
Long-Term Needs – QB / OG
Depth Possibilities – OT / TE / RB
In taking defensive end DeForest Buckner and guard Joshua Garnett in the first round, the Niners have proven that they know how to correctly build a team – from the inside out. Cornerbacks Will Redmond and Rashard Robinson, who were picked in rounds three and four, both graded out a round higher than they were selected. Fahn Cooper, an offensive tackle selected in round five, was also a good pick that could contribute right away. Overall, San Francisco had a solid draft. Although they couldn’t check off a lot of the skill positions they might have wanted to, perhaps a new coach plus a better supporting cast can reinvigorate their veterans.
FantasyPros Draft Grade: B+
Seattle Seahawks
Immediate Needs – OT / NT
Long-Term Needs – C / OG / OLB
Depth Possibilities – RB / TE
Germain Ifedi will eventually be a good pick for them, although he will need time to grow into his role. Some say he will also require a position change to truly shine. Much like the Niners, Seattle used a whole bunch of picks to build from the inside out, selecting either offensive or defensive linemen in five of their 10 picks. Taking a tight end in Nick Vannett in round three is just as indicative of their concern for Jimmy Graham as it is a necessity. Fifth round selection Alex Collins, a running back from Arkansas, could be a vulture for some touches sooner rather than later. Moving picks around in this draft definitely aided them in getting both value and need.
FantasyPros Draft Grade: A
Here are Brian’s draft grades for other divisions:
Brian Riedmiller is a fantasy correspondent for FantasyPros.com. He has been playing fantasy football for over a decade and is an avid Eagles fan. You can catch him on Twitter under the handle @FantasyCouncil.
