2nd Round Grades
33. Cleveland Browns - Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA
Grade: B+
Cleveland continues to punt on their long-term QB question, and I am in major support of it. And it seems like it could be an organizational aspiration to have as many punts as possible. Carson Schwesinger is an instinctual and athletic linebacker who only has one true year of playing experience at the position. This defense keeps getting better and better, but without any help on the other side of the ball, we might be looking at the Iowa Hawkeyes of the NFL (don’t be surprised if this defense carried them to 7+ wins).
34. Houston Texans - Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State
Grade: C
Why? Why are the Texans doing this? They completely blew up their offensive line and have made an active decision to not address it every step along the way in this draft. The offensive lineman cliff has already occurred, and the next cliff is fast approaching. That all being said, Higgins is an unbelievable player who will most likely step right into the #2 spot for the Texans, but the marginal gains over there current players leave me scratching my head.
35. Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans trade
Seattle receives: 35th
Tennessee receives: 52nd, and 82nd
Seattle grade: A
There are still a few elite players left on my board as the rest of the draft starts to flatten out. Go get one of them.
Tennessee grade: B
While the Titans could use some elite talent, they could just use more talent. Grabbing another top 100 pick will help this team’s developmental path.
35. Seattle Seahawks - Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
Grade: A
The coach who helped make Kyle Hamilton into the freak he is just got another insane safety to work with. The way Mike MacDonald already deploys Devon Witherspoon, he has another player with the ability to do that with Nick Emmanwori. He is an absolute freak athletically and a big man at that. He plays mean and explodes to the ball and will make big plays that might start to make people think the Legion of Boom 2.0 is in town.
36. Cleveland Browns - Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State
Grade: A-
YES! HAHA, YES! This team is truly for the sickos. They went and grabbed the most powerful remaining running back in the draft, who, even though he worked in a committee last year at Ohio State, he proved that he could be an every-down bellcow. And he will need to be that as he stands as the only RB on the Browns roster currently, and I do not think the passing attack will be that great. Judkins is also a better receiver than he gets credit for, but his tape shows a quick, big back who lacks breakaway ability but makes consistently great decisions to find yards.
37. Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders trade
Miami receives: 37th, 2025 5th
Las Vegas receives: 48th, 2025 3rd, 2025 4th
Grade: B
Grade: A
37. Miami Dolphins - Jonah Savaiinea, OG, Arizona
Grade: A-
The Dolphins have desperately needed interior offensive line help since losing Robert Hunt to free agency last year. And they do not like smaller linemen, and while I had another guard still available as a higher-rated one, Savaiinea will fit the Dolphins’ scheme better. In the combine and his tape, you see what Savaiinea can do in the run game, and he will open up some massive holes for DeVon Achane to run through next year.
38. New England Patriots - TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
Grade: B-
The Patriots desperately need playmakers and TreVeyon Henderson is one of the better ones to grab. I think I would have preferred a wide receiver, but Henderson just thrived in a thunder and lightning role at Ohio State last year, and I can imagine he will be the lightning again in the Patriots offense.
39. Chicago Bears - Luther Burden, WR, Mizzou
Grade: C
And who won the Bryce Young trade? Still probably the Bears, but this being the last pick they had as a part of that blockbuster package from two years ago, brings it more into question. The only thing I can think of with these Bears picks to start is that Ben Johnson wants out with some of the old and in with the new. The question is, who is being shown the door? Burden was 24th on my big board because of his ability with the ball in his hands. His ball carrier vision is something you cannot teach, and when you combine that with the edge he runs with, and his breakaway speed, you have a receiver with the best highlights in the draft. Just need it to be shown more consistently.
40. New Orleans Saints - Tyler Shough, QB, Louisville
Grade: A+
I love this pick; it might just be the best process in the entire draft. At worst, in my opinion, Tyler Shough is a backup QB, and his 5th percentile outcome is a top 12 QB. Now go let him play for a year and find out where he is. It probably won’t be pretty, which works because then the Saints lose a lot and get a chance to pick high next year, and convert Shough’s 2 million and change contract to a cheap backup to a better starter. Or, he is good, and the Saints found their QB of the future. Playing both ways, so no matter what happens, you come out on top, brilliant.
41. Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears trade
Buffalo receives: 41st, 72nd, 2025 7th rounder
Chicago receives: 56th, 62nd, 2025 4th
Chicago grade: B+
I like adding that extra 4th rounder.
Grade: C
Feels like solid enough process if you really like this guy.
41. Buffalo Bills - TJ Sanders, DT, South Carolina
Grade: A
The Bills have one very good tackle in Ed Oliver, but they need another. TJ Sanders is that other. I am a sucker for DTs who can win quickly, but that might be the most disruptive play in all of defense, so why shouldn’t I like them. And that play is one of TJ Sanders’ specialties. His get off is so fast for a man his size, and even if he doesn’t win quick, he leverages his foot speed and strength to put guards into QBs laps.
42. New York Jets - Mason Taylor, TE, LSU
Grade: B+
Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall can do a lot for an offense, but not everything. They need defenses to have to key in on someone else when plays are happening. Mason Taylor is a good bet to accomplish that. He moves well with the ball in his hands and is surprisingly quick for his size as well. Although, he definitely needs to add effective weight to his frame to become a plus blocker, and is not the most consistently sure handed, but his gauntlet drill at the combine says that he may already have been putting in the work.
43. San Francisco 49ers - Alfred Collins, DT, Texas
Grade: B
San Francisco is another one of those teams that likes big athletic freaks for defensive tackles, and sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t. Alfred Collins has no business being as athletic as he is at 6’5.5” and 330lbs. He can often be found closing in on running backs or other ball carriers in a flash. It might look like an offensive lineman is winning the rep, but in an instant, he sheds the block and makes a tackle. For a DT picked this high, I would have hoped to see better pass rushing ability. He has the tools necessary to be able to learn to do it, its up to him and the coaches to figure out how to make it happen.
44. Dallas Cowboys - Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College
Grade: A+
28th on my big board, picked at 44 in a position of need. That’s a big win. Ezeiruaku does not have the ideal size that most teams look for, but he makes up for it with incredible agility and great bend. He can get a bit off balance in his rush and needs better run discipline. Has my favorite trait of any defensive lineman: he hates getting blocked.
45. Indianapolis Colts - JT Tuimoloau, EDGE, Ohio State
Grade: C-
The Colts needed an edge rusher, but I do not know if Tuimoloau is the answer they are looking for. Tuimoloau has the size that some teams look for, but that’s all I see. I did not see a ton of flash on his film, which makes you believe in any major level upside. Other players on the board still fit that criteria.
46. Los Angeles Rams - Terrance Ferguson, TE, Oregon
Grade: C+
I am conflicted by this pick. Sean McVay prioritizes TEs in his offense, but the type of TEs that he uses the most are quite common. So if he is looking for a player to fit that mold, why waste a second-round pick on that? Hopefully, it’s because the TE role is going to change and get more involved in the offense to take advantage of Ferguson’s strengths. There were also other similar TEs still on the board that do what Ferguson does, but better.
47. Arizona Cardinals - Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
Grade: TBD
If he is healthy, this is a home run pick. A top 10 talent who has production to match. There are some scary rumors around his longevity, though, and his ability to ever be the athlete he once was, which was never his strength.
48. Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders trade
Houston receives: 48th
Las Vegas receives: 58th, 99th
Houston grade: B
They think they are really close.
Las Vegas grade: B+
You must speculate to accumulate.
48. Houston Texans - Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota
Grade: A-
FINALLY. FINALLY THEY DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE. I do not care that Ersery is my OT7 but closer to my OT12 than OT5 (who was available at 25) they just desperately needed tackle. Ersery is a project though, and with all of their other moves signaling how close they must think they are, I am not sure that adds up.
49. Cincinnati Bengals - Demetrius Knight Jr, LB, South Carolina
Grade: B+
The Bengals decided to make an identity shift this offseason when they Lou Anaroumo, who consistently did more with less than most other DCs in the league, and brought in Al Golden who they think is a much better developer of talent. Knight fits as one of those players who can use a bit of development. His highlights pop of the film and show a mean, tenacious, and instinctual linebacker. In the rest of his tape, you see some mistakes in coverage and run gap discipline. He has the athleticism and smarts to fix both, and the Bengals are betting Golden and his staff will quickly facilitate that.
50. Seattle Seahawks - Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami
Grade: B
TEs usually take a year or two to get up to speed in the NFL. They probably take more time to adjust on average than any other position. So it makes a lot of sense that if the Seahawks like their current TE, Noah Fant, why not get the newer, younger version of him to be there when Fant’s contract expires next year? And yes, that’s why the Seahawks get a B, it’s Noah Fant
51. Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos trade
Carolina receives: 51st, 85th, 2025 4th, 2025 6th
Denver receives: 57th, 74th, 2025 4th, 2025 7th
Carolina & Denver grade: B
Onesy twosies.
51. Carolina Panthers - Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
Grade: A+
The Panthers spent big to try to shore up their defense in the offseason, but they still had a glaring hole at EDGE. Scourton will do a fine job of patching that up. I had Scourton rated higher than his usually more vaunted teammate Shemar Stewart, who went 17th overall in the first round. To get a top 30 player this late is phenomenal. I really like his bull rush, and think that if he drops a bit off weight to something more similar to his Purdue playing weight, that will be better, and his other moves will be easier to pull off as well.
52. Tennessee Titans - Oluwafemi Oludejo, EDGE, UCLA
Grade: B+
Watching the UCLA tape was fun because two players consistently jumped off the screen, Carson Schwesinger, who went at the start of this round, and Oluwafemi Oludejo. He never stops moving, rallying back to tackle and hitting linemen with his diverse move package every play. He also has very good play recognition, which stops him from overcommitting on plays.
53. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
Grade: C+
Morrison has a lot going for him. He played at a major school, that was very successful, which played on the side of the ball that was the engine of their team, and he was a team captain. The tape looks really solid, too. I am TERRIFIED of 21 a 21-year-old CB who has already had two hip surgeries. For him to be picked here, the Bucs’ medical staff must feel comfortable with the injuries, but I am not sure I would.
54. Green Bay Packers - Anthony Belton, OT, NC State
Grade: A
Packers love their big maulers, and Anthony Belton unsurprisingly fits that criteria. And I will defer to them on their continued success in drafting said maulers (not to say I didn’t like him, I had him right around here).
55. Los Angeles Chargers - Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss
Grade: B+
Tre Harris was a hell of an evaluation, because you have to extrapolate and imagine a lot. Wanting him to be your alpha X WR just didn’t make sense to me when you just don’t know if he can run all of those routes because he only shows 4 or 5 types of routes consistently on tape. However, him coming in as a #2 option, I can see him in my minds eye as the old Robert Woods role for the Rams. That fits him well, and what the Chargers need very well too.
56. Chicago Bears - Ozzy Trapilo, OT, Boston College
Grade: D-
This might make me look dumb one day, but I do not get the Ozzy Trapilo hype. I have him as my OT16, the type of player you’d expect to be picked two or three rounds after this. Not a good pick.
57. Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers trade
Detroit receives: 57th, 2025 7th
Carolina receives: 60th, 2025 4th
Detroit grade: C
That’s a decent amount to pay to move up four spots.
Carolina grade: B+
That’s a handsome return to move down four slots.
57. Detroit Lions - Tate Ratledge, OG, UgA
Grade: A+
YES, YES, YES, YES! This fit is perfect. A self-proclaimed dirtbag who loves football under Dan Campbell, amazing. I had Ratledge as my IOL3 in the draft because of his crazy athleticism and great movement skills. Ratledge out in space in front of Jahmyr Gibbs is going to cause many a DB to make a business decision, and many a LB to end up on the turf.
58. Las Vegas Raiders - Jack Bech, WR, TCU
Grade: B+
I was lucky enough to watch Bech in person this year in Dallas when SMU blew out TCU 66 - 42 and made Sonny Dykes run away like the traitor he is (I had to mention it somewhere right?). Bech was absolutely dominant in that game. He was probably the sole player responsible for 20ish points for TCU that day, and was comfortably their best player. Bech is also a great trivia question answer for who led the 2021 LSU Tigers in receptions. Not Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr, Trey Palmer, or Kayshon Boutte.
59. Baltimore Ravens - Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
Grade: A
Baltimore has a history of taking players with off-the-field questions surrounding them and finding a way to make it work (I will leave it at that and am not trying to minimize anything here, I do not know any details). If they can, Green’s skill is undeniable. I had him as my 19th overall prospect in the draft, and the Ravens got him at a 40 pick discount. They do this over and over, and there is a reason that the Ravens have been so consistently successful.
60. Denver Broncos - RJ Harvey, RB, UCF
Grade: B+
Sean Payton had no faith in the Broncos’ remaining running back options, and it was being signaled for months that they would draft a RB in the first few rounds of the draft. RJ Harvey is coming off six seasons in college, and his development arc is much further along because of that. He exhibits patience and nuance in his rushes that other younger backs have not learned yet. That makes him sound like a plodding LeVeon Bell type, but he is not; he is also a home run hitter with breakaway speed. Watching him within Sean Payton’s offense is going to be fun.
61. Washington Commanders - Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss
Grade: B+
Yeah, the Commanders appear to be a competent franchise now. Amos loves to play his position physically, and you can see that this defense loves corners like that. He gets his hands in even on players well above his size, and is a very good tackler for the position. He fights receivers every play and wears them down over time.
62. Chicago Bears - Shemar Turner, DT, Texas A&M
Grade: C+
One of the players I am more out on then most players. He has a very quick get off, but besides that I really did not see much on tape. He did not show much in pass rush, and was an average player in rush defense. Cannot say I agree with this pick.
63. Kansas City Chiefs - Omarr Norman-Lott, DT, Tennessee
Grade: B
If availability is the best ability (it’s not), then what do you make of a player who only played 225 snaps last year, and only 86 were on first down? And he wasn’t hurt! I understand Tennessee rotated their DL a ton, but why did he not play more? His get-off is quick, but I would hope so with him being on the bench most of the time. He won at an insane rate when he was on the field, especially as a pass rusher, and the Chiefs need someone besides Chris Jones to do that consistently.
64. Philadelphia Eagles - Andrew Mukuba, S, Texas
Grade: A-
Two “non-premium” positions for Howie? This really is a new era. This pick also screams, “We have CJ Gardner-Johnson at home”. They play very similarly. Undersized ball hawk safeties who play with their hair on fire, and love coming from super deep to make a play. Going to be a great fit for Vic Fangio’s defense.
