Charles Cross falling to the Seahawks is one of the biggest surprises of the first round, considering his total was set at 6.5 at FanDuel. The Cardinals trading for Marquise stole the attention from this division and adds some juice to a division that will be competitive again in 2022.
The NFL Draft provides hope for fans and gives us a good outlook on what teams value and where they think they are in the league hierarchy. Here are my draft grades and odds for each team to win the division. All odds are courtesy of FanDuel.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals traded the 23rd, and 100th picks for Marquise Brown, which is a ton considering his production. He had a 1000-yard season last year, but he is undersized and has been very inconsistent. The Eagles got A.J. Brown for essentially the same price. Drafting Trey McBride in the second round when Zach Ertz is already on the roster is puzzling. That’s not good positional value.
Grade: C
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams did not have a selection until pick 104 but made eight selections overall. Logan Bruss, who they took at 104, has a chance to start at guard for them this season. Watch out for Kyren Williams this year, who they took in the fifth round. He could be a day one contributor.
Grade: B
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers had nine selections and got a couple of my draft crushes. Drake Jackson in the second round is a great pick. He is only 21 years old and has plenty of upside. The 49ers breed pass rushers and should be able to turn him into a great player. With the last pick in the third round, the 49ers took Danny Gray, one of my favorite players in the draft. He is a great player and will contribute right away. The 49ers had a solid draft.
Grade: B+
Seattle Seahawks
Charles Cross at nine was a home run for a team in desperate need of offensive tackle help. Boye Mafe is an exciting prospect and is another crucial position filled with top picks. Now a running back at pick 41 is not ideal, but Kenneth Walker has exciting upside and will help pick up the fan base from the Russell Wilson departure. I like what the Seahawks did.
Grade: B+
NFC West Draft Grades article from 2021 – May 4 2021
Oddsmakers are being very tough on the Seattle Seahawks heading into the 2021 season. They are +300 to win the division, which is crazy to think about considering Russell Wilson is still on the roster.
The NFL Draft provides hope for fans and gives us a good outlook on what teams value, and where they think they are in the league hierarchy. Here are my draft grades and odds for each team to win the division. All odds are courtesy of BetRivers:
[ NFC East | NFC West | NFC South | NFC North ]
NFC West 2021 Draft Grades
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals clearly went with the best player available in the first round considering they selected linebacker Zaven Collins. Linebacker was not an immediate need, but he is an exciting young talent that should anchor their defense for years to come.
Rondale Moore in the second round is a risk considering his injury history. However, he arguably has the most exciting highlight tape in the draft. Marco Wilson should be able to compete for playing time right away. The Cardinals are currently +600 to win the NFC West next season according to BetRivers
Grade: B
L.A Rams
The Rams didn’t pick until 57, which put them in a tough spot. They landed Tutu Atwell with their first pick, which is a huge risk. He can absolutely fly, but he is listed at 5’8 155 pounds. If he succeeds in the NFL, he will be an outlier.
The Rams did not spend a single pick on their offensive line and decided to take three wide receivers. I was not a fan of their strategy. The Rams are tied with the 49ers as the favorites to win the division at +180 according to BetRivers
Grade: C
San Francisco 49ers
Taking Trey Lance was 100% the right decision. I never bought into the Mac Jones hype. Sky’s the limit for Lance, however, he only threw 318 passes in college. The 49ers are instantly one of the most intriguing teams in 2021 with the addition of Lance.
They solidified their offensive line in the second round and added RB Trey Sermon who brings some juice to the 49ers’ backfield. They also selected Deommodore Lenoir, one of my favorite names in the draft.
Grade: B+
Seattle Seahawks
This is a really tough evaluation as the Seahawks only made three picks. I thought they reached for D’Wayne Eskridge in the second round. He is already 24 years old and didn’t have more than 38 catches in a season at Western Michigan.
Stone Forsythe in the 6th could be the steal of the draft considering his upside. I would have looked to trade back more and gather more ammo. The Seahawks are +300 to win the division according to BetRivers
Grade: C