Draft Grades = Dumb, Dumb, Dumb.

Alex Leatherwood
Apr 29, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Alex Leatherwood (Alabama) with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell over video call after being selected by the Las Vegas Raiders as the number 17 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft at First Energy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The draft is over, and now we have to wait another four months for the NFL season to start. So what are we supposed to do in the meantime? I know — we should grade every NFL team’s picks before they even have a chance to touch the turf.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am just like any other delusional football fan and have been raving over my team’s picks for the last week. If you don’t know by now, I am a Vikings fan, and they drafted Kellen Mond, a quarterback from Texas A&M. Chris Simms had Mond graded as his fourth-best quarterback in the draft, which in my small football fan brain means that he will be the next Patrick Mahomes.

Obviously, this isn’t true. Or is it? Who knows. That is the point, NOBODY KNOWS. A great example of this is the infamous draft grade of the 2012 Seahawks. In the first three rounds of the 2012 draft, the Seahawks took Bruce Irvin, Bobby Wagner, and Russell Wilson. These are three pro-bowlers who led their team to two Super Bowl appearances and one Lombardi Trophy. The Seahawks had one of the best drafts in 2012, but NFL analysts all over Los Angeles, California gave the Seahawks draft grades of D’s and F’s.

NFL Draft Expert (yes, his official title is NFL Draft Expert), Matt McGee had this notable and hilarious quote regarding the Russell Wilson pick, “You don’t spend a pick on a guy who will be lucky to be Seneca Wallace. You also don’t do that after signing Matt Flynn as a free agent.”

Was this guy serious? He compared Russell Wilson to two lifelong backups. McGee finished by saying, “The Seahawks are no closer to solving their quarterback situation now than they were in 2011.” NFL Draft Expert Matt McGee everyone.

On the other side of the spectrum, I recently read an article posted on ESPN that graded all 32 NFL team’s drafts. Out of all 32 teams, there was only one team that was given a grade under a B-. Statistically, that is impossible. According to PFR, in the first round, it was determined that 53% of draft picks are busts, and only 37% of them make a pro bowl. That is just the first round.

I’m not asking you to boycott all draft grade articles or anything like that. Go on cheering for the sixth-round cornerback your team took who was compared to Darrelle Revis. Just make sure you do your own research, watch every highlight video available, and then come to the same conclusion that every other football fan comes to in May.

“We’re winning the Super Bowl this year.”