Which NFL teams did the best and worst jobs? The 2021 NFL Draft team rankings of all 32 teams, from the college perspective.
2021 NFL Draft Team Rankings, All 32 From The College Perspective
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No NFL team has ever said it didn’t like its draft class.
It might be awful, it might have been disappointing, and it might have been full of random guesses, but they get who they get and they don’t get upset.
And now everyone makes the attempt to grade draft classes and project how good they’ll be. Here’s how we do it.
1. Assume that every pick after the fourth round was a waste of time, because historically and statistically, it almost certainly was. More credit is given to teams who had a ton of picks – more picks, more spins of the wheel to possibly get a contributor.
2. How many great college football players were selected who also have the freakish NFL tools? If that sounds totally obvious it’s because it is, but after all the hoo-ha you’ve probably heard over the last few days and months, the simplicity of that gets swarmed over by the paralyzing overload of analytical bull-muffins.
3. Value. That’s all relative – your worth is what the NFL draft says it is – but this weird little world of draft analysts all have the same 150ish guys in the same general pecking order. Whether or not the pick actually works is almost all random luck – believe me, it truly is – but what’s skill and art is the ability to draft a player you need before where everyone else thinks he should go.
And finally …
4. Were the needs and holes filled? Did the teams get the position guys they needed with top prospects at the right value? Duh, that’s what drafting is, but again, a lot of teams make it way harder than that.
So from the college football perspective, the 2021 NFL Draft Team Rankings are …
32. Seattle Seahawks
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 28, 2019: 14, 2018: 19
Three picks. Western Michigan WR D’Wayne Eskridge in the second, Oklahoma CB Tre Brown in the fourth, and Florida OT Stone Forsythe in the sixth. They’re all decent prospects – the Brown pick wasn’t great, but it’s Seattle. It drafts guys it wants no matter what – let everyone else be about value.
–Seattle Seahawks 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
31. New Orleans Saints
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 31, 2019: 31, 2018: 28
This franchise does just fine for itself despite being really, really mediocre at this whole drafting thing when it comes to value. The first three selections aren’t bad – Stanford CB Paulson Adebo was a steal in the third – but the Saints once again wasted a pick on a quarterback who won’t work. Last year it was Tommy Stevens in the seventh, and this time around it’s Ian Book – and it was in the fourth round.
–New Orleans Saints 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
30. Indianapolis Colts
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 5, 2019: 6, 2018: 7
To be kind, the Colts needed pass rushers, and they got them with Kwity Paye out of Michigan at the 21 and Vanderbilt’s Dayo Odeyingbo with a massive reach at the 54. There were some nice ideas after that, but … blah. They needed offensive tackles, and in a draft rich with them, they failed to get one who’ll stick.
– Indianapolis Colts 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
29. Los Angeles Rams
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 17, 2019: 11, 2018: 15
To be fair, the Rams did what they could with what they had to work with. They didn’t pick until the 57, and smallish-speedy Louisville WR Tutu Atwell fits the system. Even with nine picks, considering they’re all late, maybe three of them will do anything meaningful – at best.
– Los Angeles Rams 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
28. Houston Texans
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 26, 2019: 25, 2018: 11
Let’s give the Texans a break here by grading on a curve. They had absolutely nothing to work with, and yet they got a guy in Davis Mills in the third round who might just be one of the best quarterbacks in this draft if he can stay healthy. Of course, that pick screamed how the franchise feels about Deshaun Watson, but they kept on going with some nice targets for whoever plays quarterback for them this year.
– Houston 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
27. Washington Football Team
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 15, 2019: 5, 2018: 9
Washington took a long snapper in the sixth round. Washington isn’t good enough to be taking a long snapper in the sixth round. It was an okay draft full of random guys – there are a whole lot of big projections. The Football Team 1) didn’t take a quarterback, 2) no, really, it didn’t take a quarterback and it desperately needs one to develop, and 3) … they took a long snapper in the sixth round.
– Washington Football Team 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
26. Philadelphia Eagles
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 27, 2019: 7, 2018: 32
Wide receivers taken in the top ten rarely play up to their draft status, but DeVonta Smith at the ten absolutely had to be done. It would’ve been nice, though, to get Jalen Hurts some more weapons, and it would’ve been even nicer if the second pick – OG/C Landon Dickerson out of Alabama – wasn’t coming off a torn ACL. Basically, the Eagles drafted the The Slim Reaper, and a bunch of guys who likely won’t do much in 2021.
– Philadelphia Eagles 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
NEXT: 2021 NFL Draft Team Rankings Top 25
2021 NFL Draft Team Rankings Top 25
25. Green Bay Packers
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 22, 2019: 20, 2018: 17
Just when it seemed like Aaron Rodgers was being whiny, this draft showed he might be right. There were a whole lot of blah picks that aren’t going to move the needle. The Packers had nine selections, and they took a random collection of prospects with almost no value for their respective spots. It started with the giant reach of Georgia CB Eric Stokes about 30 picks too early in the first and went on from there.
– Green Bay Packers 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
24. New York Giants
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 19, 2019: 9, 2018: 1
The Giants caught a huge break with Georgia edge rusher Azeez Ojulari sliding to the 50 – he could’ve gone top 20 and no one would’ve blinked – and UCF CB Aaron Robinson in the third was nice, and that’s about it. Florida WR Kaderius Toney isn’t going to take Daniel Jones to another level by himself, and there’s one bigger, glaring problem – the team did absolutely nothing for the offensive line depth.
–New York Giants 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
23. Las Vegas Raiders
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 12, 2019: 17, 2018: 13
This franchise is hell-bent on taking its guys where it takes its guys – value be damned. There’s no real arguing with an Alabama starting left tackle like Alex Leatherwood in the first round, but the 17 was way rich. TCU S Trevon Moehrig was who the Raiders should’ve taken, and they got him at the 43. The rest of the draft was about the secondary and helping the defensive side, but it’s a mediocre group of talents.
– Las Vegas Raiders 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
22. Los Angeles Chargers
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 11, 2019: 22, 2018: 6
Considering the franchise is all about helping Justin Herbert, it’s an okay draft, but he needs more weapons. The picks for the offensive line were solid – getting Rashawn Slater at the 13 changed up the draft a bit – but Tennessee’s Josh Palmer doesn’t change around the receiving corps.
– Los Angeles Chargers 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
21. Baltimore Ravens
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 9, 2019: 12, 2018: 16
It’s a strange draft. The Ravens filled needs with positions, but the guys they got weren’t all that great for the value. Taking Minnesota WR Rashod Bateman over Elijah Moore from Ole Miss was the big call, but that’s fine – landing Oklahoma State’s Tylan Wallace in the fourth made up for it.
There aren’t a whole lot of sure-thing, obvious NFL starters in this bunch, but it’s not a bad class. It just might not be quite as effective as some will like.
– Baltimore Ravens 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
NEXT: 2021 NFL Draft Team Rankings Top 20
2021 NFL Draft Team Rankings Top 20
20. Cleveland Browns
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 7, 2019: 19, 2018: 26
Ehhhhhhh, it’s not awful, but it’s all on the first two picks, and Northwestern CB Greg Newsome has durability concerns. However, getting Notre Dame LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah at the 52 was among the draft’s biggest steals. After that it’s all random fliers. Auburn WR Anthony Schwartz will be the guy you pick up in your fantasy league after a 3-119, 2 TD game, and then he’ll give you a bunch of zeros.
–Cleveland Browns 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
19. Atlanta Falcons
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 21, 2019: 24, 2018: 22
Okay, fine … I’ll be the one to say it. At the end of the day, Kyle Pitts is still a tight end. He might be a really, really great one, but if Justin Fields or Mac Jones turns out to be just that good, not going QB at the 4 might turn out to be a massive miss a few years from now – even if Pitts has All-Pro talent.
Whatever – there’s no real beefing about the Pitts pick. However, there wasn’t a whole ton to love after that. The Falcons didn’t take a quarterback, could’ve used a flier on a running back, and reached big on Michigan OT Jaylen Mayfield at the 68.
– Atlanta Falcons 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 18, 2019: 13, 2018: 10
The party line was that Tampa Bay didn’t need a whole lot of instant talent with just about everyone back, but it actually did need to go after more options, and did. The draft is all about Florida QB Kyle Trask in the second round. If he’s the 2023 starter, this draft worked. If he’s not – assuming that Tom Brady is done – and/or Kellen Mond or Davis Mills turn out to be special, this draft will be seen as a big misfire.
–Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
17. San Francisco 49ers
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 29, 2019: 29, 2018: 20
It’s a sneaky-good draft considering all the attention will be on the Trey Lance call at the 3 – and rightly so. If Lance is outstanding, then fine – the draft is a success. If he’s not Pro Bowl-caliber going into the 2023 season, this draft is a problem – that means the franchise isn’t going to a Super Bowl partly because they blew the call.
However, he’s the shot for the stars get, the running backs are interesting – if not entirely necessary – and the O line got itself some blasters. Basically, the idea seems to be to grind it out to take the pressure off the new guy under center.
– San Francisco 49ers 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
16. Buffalo Bills
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 13, 2019: 4, 2018: 8
It’s not the sexiest class, but it’s effective. Give the Bills this – they needed pass rushers, and they got pass rushers. It was a weak draft for them, but Miami’s Gregory Rousseau at the 30 and Wake Forest’s Carlos “Boogie” Basham at the 61 was nice. They beefed up the O line, and they took some solid late shots to help the secondary.
– Buffalo Bills 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
NEXT: 2021 NFL Draft Team Rankings Top 15
2021 NFL Draft Team Rankings Top 15
15. Cincinnati Bengals
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 14, 2019: 2, 2018: 21
Apparently, Cincinnati has everything it needs. It’s so good and so loaded that it could afford to take a kicker in the fifth round.
Okay, so the Bengals had a ton of picks and that’s fine, but 1) they needed an OT and took Ja’Marr Chase over Penei Sewell. That had better be the right call, and 2) they took a whole lot of guys who are just okay NFL prospects. Florida PK Evan McPherson can’t be the best pro of the bunch after the third round.
– Cincinnati Bengals 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
14. Tennessee Titans
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 24, 2019: 10, 2018: 14
The Titans threw Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley and Washington’s Elijah Molden at the cornerback problem. Start there and don’t get too hung up on anything else.
There were a slew of strong flier picks late, and landing OT Dillon Radunz in the second round will help, but it would’ve been nice to get one of the better wide receivers in a deep draft – Dez Fitzpatrick in the fourth round is okay, but that’s not fixing the glitch.
– Tennessee Titans 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
13. Miami Dolphins
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 4, 2019: 27, 2018: 30
It’s close. They could’ve used another flier of a wide receiver to go along with the Jaylen Waddle pick at the 6, and Miami edge rusher Jaelan Phillips didn’t fit a glaring need at the 18, but they got real players with their first five picks. They should have – they were all in the top 81. However, if Waddle isn’t amazing – taking wide receivers in the top ten has lately been a bad, bad call – this class looks very ordinary very fast.
– Miami Dolphins 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
12. Kansas City Chiefs
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 23, 2019: 32, 2018: 18
For Kansas City, the draft was actually … normal? The franchise doesn’t do anything by the drafting book – and everything has worked out just fine thanks to that one very, very big pick at the 10 in 2017 – but this time it actually took great prospects at the right times. The late round fliers were fantastic, particularly Tennessee OG Trey Smith in the sixth. If the medical concerns turn out to be okay, kaboom.
– Kansas City Chiefs 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
11. Denver Broncos
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 16, 2019: 3, 2018: 3
YOU HAD ONE JOB. Okay, so maybe Denver likes Drew Lock, or maybe it’s about to get Aaron Rodgers, but to come out of a quarterback-loaded draft without a quarterback was puzzling.
However, forgetting that glaring decision, it was a really good haul of other positions, especially for the secondary. Always like the strength-in-numbers picks – take the same position a few times late and hope for one to hit. The Broncos did that.
–Denver Broncos 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
NEXT: 2021 NFL Draft Team Rankings Top 10
2021 NFL Draft Team Rankings Top 10
10. Arizona Cardinals
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 1, 2019: 18, 2018: 5
You want to set a tone? You want to be the fastest team in a division – and a league – loaded with speed? Then after grabbing Kyler Murray at quarterback in 2019 and picking Isaiah Simmons last year, you take Tulsa’s Zaven Collins at the 16. That might be a we bit of a reach – it wasn’t a need – but that group of Cardinal linebackers can fly.
And then you take the 4.29 wheels of Rondale Moore for your receiving corps. The last four picks were all on Day 3, and they’re not awful attempts to find something that sticks.
–Arizona Cardinals 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
9. New York Jets
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 3, 2019: 28, 2018: 25
It’s a really, really good draft – it helps to have ten picks – however, are you really that sure that Zach Wilson is actually the second-best quarterback? He was a lock for this spot for months, but that’s a massive call considering the upside of Trey Lance and the potential of Justin Fields and Mac Jones.
Forgetting Wilson, getting USC OG Alijah Vera-Tucker at the 14, the steal of Ole Miss WR Elijah Moore at the 34, the nice get of North Carolina RB Michael Carter in the fourth round, and a whole slew of good late picks made this a strong weekend no matter how good Wilson is.
–New York Jets 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
8. New England Patriots
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 32, 2019: 1, 2018: 27
Nailed it. Hated Mac Jones at the 3 to San Francisco, love him at the 15 as the fifth quarterback off the board. Love Alabama’s Christian Barmore – the best defensive tackle in the draft – at the 38, and it’s ridiculous that Oklahoma hybrid Ronnie Perkins lasted until late in the third round.
It’s New England on draft weekend so things fell off the rails late, and there should’ve been a receiver off the board earlier, but the franchise got a shot of energy from this.
– New England Patriots 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
7. Minnesota Vikings
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 6, 2019: 16, 2018: 31
It’s a fantastic draft considering ten of the 11 picks came after the first round, and that first rounder filled a gaping hole – getting Virginia Tech OT Christian Darrisaw at the 23 was big after trading down. The Vikings took guys who can just play – even if several are the imperfect fruits in the stand, by NFL prototype standards.
However, the spotlight will quickly be on the Kellen Mond call at QB in the third round, especially if he’s not better than Davis Mills. The Stanford quarterback went one pick later to Houston.
– Minnesota Vikings 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
6. Carolina Panthers
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 20, 2019: 26, 2018: 30
After going all defense last year, the Panthers found real value prospects without paying retail. They took South Carolina CB Jaycee Horn at the 8 – a HUGE call over Patrick Surtain – but they landed some nice receivers later and got a sneaky-good value-get in Oklahoma State RB Chuba Hubbard in the fourth.
There was silly-season time with a long snapper drafted in the sixth, but it’s forgiven after getting Alabama OG Deonte Brown and South Carolina WR Shi Smith in the round.
– Carolina Panthers 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
NEXT: 2021 NFL Draft Team Rankings Top 5
2021 NFL Draft Team Rankings Top 5
5. Detroit Lions
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 10, 2019: 21, 2018: 24
They got OT Penei Sewell at the 7. Start there, and the Lions – who know all too well the perils of falling for the shiny wide receiver objects in the top ten – had a great draft. But it kept going with great options for the defensive interior, some nice late skill guy fliers, and a whole lot of really good college players who should set a nasty tone for the new regime.
–Detroit Lions 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
4. Dallas Cowboys
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 2, 2019: 15, 2018: 29
You think Dallas wants to fix the defense? Being able to get Penn State LB Micah Parsons at the 12 was ridiculous – sometimes teams overthink it and don’t take the almost-sure-thing prospects.
The Cowboys kept taking good defensive player after good defensive player, with the run stopping after landing another crazy-value LB in LSU’s Jabril Cox in the fourth. Even the late defensive picks in the sixth round were wonderful calls.
– Dallas Cowboys 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 30, 2019: 8, 2018: 2
It’s Pittsburgh, so it all seems to make crystal clear sense when it drafts a guy. 30 seconds after every pick there’s a collective, “yeah, that should work.” Najee Harris at the 24 is a franchise-changer – if ever there was a perfect back for the perfect team at the perfect time, there he is.
This draft also seemed to crush it with the two O line picks and the linebackers – watch out for Miami’s Quincy Roche in the sixth. Although most of the late picks obviously won’t stick, there’s no real argument with any of them.
–Pittsburgh Steelers 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
2. Chicago Bears
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 25, 2019: 30, 2018: 12
Whether or not the Justin Fields call works – especially if it ends up looking bad to move up and take him instead of Mac Jones – that’s exactly what the franchise needed to do. It had to wake this thing up from the doldrums, and at least Fields is a bold shot at greatness at a reasonable value. Moving up to get Oklahoma State OT Tevin Jenkins at the 39 – he could’ve easily been a first rounder – was wonderful, and there are a whole slew of sixth round chances that really could become factors.
–Chicago Bears 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
CFN Draft Rankings
2020: 8, 2019: 23, 2018: 23
It’s so crazy it just might work – take awesome college football players who also have big-time NFL tools.
What? The madness.
It’s shocking how few teams combine both of those concepts, but Urban Meyer made it simple. For the most part, he went after guys who were huge high school recruits with the raw skills to go along with the production.
Basically, Jacksonville took a slew of guys who have always been superstar prospects, or grew into one like 3-star recruit Travis Etienne. There weren’t a slew of try-hard Johnny Walk-On types in this group.
Combine that with the talent and potential, and you have a draft that should be the cornerstone of a massive turnaround. Oh yeah, and they got Trevor Lawrence.
– Jacksonville Jaguars 2021 NFL Draft Analysis
2021 NFL Draft: Team Analysis Picks
AFC East Buffalo | Miami | NY Jets | New England
AFC North Baltimore | Cincinnati | Cleveland | Pitt
AFC South Houston | Indy | Jacksonville | Tenn
AFC West Denver | KC | Las Vegas | LA Chargers
NFC East Dallas | NY Giants | Phil | Washington
NFC North Chicago | Detroit | Green Bay | Minn
NFC South Atlanta | Carolina | New Orleans | TB
NFC West Arizona | LA Rams | San Fran | Seattle
CFN 2021 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
from the college perspective …
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE & Edge | DT | LB | CB | Safeties
Top 105 2021 NFL Draft Prospects
