Regrading the 2018 NFL Draft

[Ann]

Pete Prisco over at CBS Sports regraded the 2018 draft.
 

For the Bills his original draft grade was a B+. He regraded to an A. He regraded Indy and Tampa Bay to A+. The only other team he regraded to an "A" was Baltimore.
 

Buffalo Bills
 

2018 Grade: B+
 

The Skinny: They traded up to get quarterback Josh Allen, which was a move that was ripped by many. It's now one of the best moves of that draft. They then took Tremaine Edmunds with their other first-round pick, and he's developed into a good linebacker. Third-round defensive tackle Harrison Phillips is a rotational guy who has played just 15 games the past two seasons, while fourth-round corner Taron Johnson is their nickel corner.  Fifth-round guard Wyatt Teller is now a starter in Cleveland after being traded to the Browns in what can now be deemed a mistake by the Bills.  Fifth-round safety Siran Neal is a backup.
 

How I did: I loved the decision to go up and get Allen. He was my top quarterback in that draft. I also liked the pick of Edmunds in the first round, saying they had a great first round, which they did. I thought Phillips would be a steal, and that hasn't quite been the case.
 

New Grade: A
 

Buffalo Bills 2018 draft:
 

Round 1
Pick 7: Josh Allen, quarterback from Wyoming
Pick 16: Tremaine Edmunds, linebacker from Virginia Tech
 

Round 2
no pick
 

Round 3
Pick 96: Harrison Phillips, defensive tackle from Stanford
 

Round 4
Pick 121: Taron Johnson, cornerback from Weber State
 

Round 5
Pick 154: Siran Neal, safety from Jacksonville State
Pick 166: Wyatt Teller, offensive guard from Virginia Tech
Currently on the Browns 😢
 

Round 6
Pick 187: Ray-Ray McLoud, wide receiver from Clemson
Currently on Steelers
 

Round 7
Pick 255: Austin Proehl, wide receiver from North Carolina
Currently on the 49ers

How would you regrade the 2018 draft?

 

[Ann]

I would regrade the Bills 2018 draft as a solid A+. The Bills got their franchise QB, and he's pretty darned good. That alone makes it a solid A+.  Now look at having this defensive QB, Taron Johnson made a play that advanced them to the AFC Championship game, Horrible Harry and Siran Neal are still with the Bills and everyone drafted is still playing in the NFL..

[Boyst]

The bills drafted well and that they traded Teller isn't a sign of a bad draft at all.  

[GG1]

There's 3 ProBowl caliber players in that draft.  

[B-Man]

 

 

The Bills had the best draft in my opinion.

 

For the pick of Josh Allen alone..................I know I'm a homer

 

Prisco states that the Bucs are an A+, because they got 4 starters in that draft and won the Super Bowl,

Well, they certainly didn't win due to those players.  Should have stayed at an A

 

Indy's picks as well are solid, but I don't see why he went from A to A+.

 

 

I guess when we win the Super Bowl and he re-evaluates the '18 draft again in a few years we will go up again.  

 

😇

 

 

[Hedge]

I agree with @B-Man. Assuming Josh follows up last season with a similar performance, landing a true franchise QB, who will lead the team for 10+ years, can be nothing short of an A+. Anything else from the draft you find your franchise QB in, is gravy.

 

 

[Deranged Rhino]

I had personal connections to the former front office, so in 2018 even though I knew it was best to see the Whaley regime go, I wasn't ready to jump on board the Beane train. I liked the hire, but wasn't going to get worked up defending or attacking a new regime until I saw what they did to address QB with their first pick, knowing that their ultimate success or failure would rest on picking the right guy. On draft night of 2018, I had no idea if Josh was the right guy. I didn't know much about him on or off the field.  

 

Three years in, it's clear they not only picked the right Josh, they not only picked the best QB in that draft, but they picked the absolute best possible QB for Buffalo that they could have. In a QB driven league, landing a stud at the position for a team that hadn't had a star signal caller since Bledsoe (and even that was at the end of his prime) in and of itself would be cause for an A draft - even if the rest of the picks didn't stick. But Beane and company didn't just get the right QB, they got studs with arguably their first six picks (I'm higher on Harry than most). If Edmunds can put it all together, and he's shown flashes he can (still SO young), I can't imagine how the draft could have gone better for this specific club, area, and fanbase.  

 

2018 was an A++ draft because it shifted the fate of an entire franchise, not just "a team".  

[TakeYouToTasker 2.0]

To be honest, not only is it an A+, not only is it the best draft in Bills history, but it may just be one of the best drafts in NFL history once everything come out in the wash.

 

Allen is a top 3 NFL quarterback. Edmunds, while he has his criticisms, is young enough to have been drafted this year, has two pro-bowls under his belt, is the signal caller of the defense, and has impressed the Bills brass enough that they’ve decided they want to make a long term commitment to him. Teller is one of the best guards in the league. Phillips, Johnson, and Neal are starters on most teams, play huge roles here, and still haven’t reached their ceilings. McCloud and Proehl have stuck in the league for three seasons, and both, especially McCloud could push into a larger role, Ray-Ray having caught 20 passes last year.

[Joe]

the fact they bailed on teller still baffles me

[Koko]

2 hours ago, TakeYouToTasker 2.0 said:

 Edmunds, while he has his criticisms, is young enough to have been drafted this year, has two pro-bowls under his belt, is the signal caller of the defense, and has impressed the Bills brass enough that they’ve decided they want to make a long term commitment to him.

 

Still blows my mind that rookies drafted this year by the Bills are older than Edmunds.

[GG1]

18 hours ago, TakeYouToTasker 2.0 said:

To be honest, not only is it an A+, not only is it the best draft in Bills history, but it may just be one of the best drafts in NFL history once everything come out in the wash.

 

 

Your young age may be showing.  Still too early to call this draft the best in team history let alone in NFL history.

 

Tough to beat this one

 

1985	1	1	1	1	Bruce Smith	DE	Virginia Tech
	2	1	14	14	Derrick Burroughs	DB	Memphis State
	3	2	1	29	Mark Traynowicz	G	Nebraska
	4	2	14	42	Chris Burkett	WR	Jackson State
	5	3	1	57	Frank Reich	QB	Maryland
	6	3	7	63	Hal Garner	LB	Utah State
	7	4	2	86	Andre Reed	WR	Kutztown (PA)
	8	4	28	112	Dale Hellestrae	T	Southern Methodist
	9	5	18	130	Jimmy Teal	WR	Texas A&M
	10	6	1	141	Mike Hamby	DT	Utah State
	11	7	1	169	Ron Pitts	DB	UCLA

 

 

 

[TakeYouToTasker 2.0]

1 hour ago, GG1 said:

 

Your young age may be showing.  Still too early to call this draft the best in team history let alone in NFL history.

 

Tough to beat this one

 

1985	1	1	1	1	Bruce Smith	DE	Virginia Tech
	2	1	14	14	Derrick Burroughs	DB	Memphis State
	3	2	1	29	Mark Traynowicz	G	Nebraska
	4	2	14	42	Chris Burkett	WR	Jackson State
	5	3	1	57	Frank Reich	QB	Maryland
	6	3	7	63	Hal Garner	LB	Utah State
	7	4	2	86	Andre Reed	WR	Kutztown (PA)
	8	4	28	112	Dale Hellestrae	T	Southern Methodist
	9	5	18	130	Jimmy Teal	WR	Texas A&M
	10	6	1	141	Mike Hamby	DT	Utah State
	11	7	1	169	Ron Pitts	DB	UCLA

 

 

 

Heh, I remember this one. This was only a couple years after I began following the team. I considered this class. Admittedly I am making a very optimistic projection here. It presumes that Allen has a HOF career, and wins us a Super Bowl. Both things that are unknowable at this point. Please allow me to get caught up in Allen Mania without disturbing me with things like actual history.

[Ann]

3 hours ago, TakeYouToTasker 2.0 said:

Heh, I remember this one. This was only a couple years after I began following the team. I considered this class. Admittedly I am making a very optimistic projection here. It presumes that Allen has a HOF career, and wins us a Super Bowl. Both things that are unknowable at this point. Please allow me to get caught up in Allen Mania without disturbing me with things like actual history.

The Bills win a Super Bowl with Josh Allen, and no one will care about the prior teams - drafts, losses, front office messes, nuthin'. It will be like as if none of it ever mattered. And if they win two (or more)!?!?!

 

[Ann]

Short blurb from a few days ago...
 

 

[Ann]

PFF regrade:
 

Regrading the 2018 NFL Draft classes: Ravens, Bills and Buccaneers among NFL's biggest winners
 

Buffalo after the draft: average
Buffalo after 3 years: elite
 

BUFFALO BILLS

Round 1 (7): QB Josh Allen, Wyoming
Round 1 (16): LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech
Round 3 (96): DI Harrison Phillips, Stanford
Round 4 (121): CB Taron Johnson, Weber State
Round 5 (154): CB Siran Neal, Jacksonville State
Round 5 (166): OG Wyatt Teller, Virginia Tech
Round 6 (187): WR Ray-Ray McCloud III, Clemson
Round 7 (255): WR Austin Proehl, North Carolina

 

While linebacker Tremaine Edmunds has never graded higher than 59.4 overall for a single season, I’m sure Bills fans couldn’t care less, given how Josh Allen played in 2020. That makes this easily an elite class. Sadly, it would have been on another level had they not dealt fifth-rounder Wyatt Teller to the Browns back in 2019, as the former Virginia Tech star became an elite guard this past year.

 

 

[Ann]

This was on The Athletic (paid site) a few days ago. They re-ranked based on the entire team draft, not a specific individual. They listed the Bills third (Ravens #1, Indy #2)

 

The Baker Mayfield-Josh Allen-Lamar Jackson NFL Draft: Ranking the classes, 3 years later
 

Grades immediately after the NFL Draft are generally self-serving and reflect pre-draft bias on prospects and their projections. However, the more interesting exercise is to revisit past NFL Draft classes and use on-field evidence to reflect on how teams made out.
 

Now three years removed from the 2018 draft, we have a much better sample size to accurately judge which teams nailed their picks and the organizations that wish they had a mulligan. These power rankings are based on the quality of players selected and overall value.
 

3. Buffalo Bills
 

Best player: Josh Allen

While Tremaine Edmunds (355 total tackles and two Pro Bowl appearances) has been terrific, Allen has emerged as one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL. Although he was a polarizing prospect because of his inconsistent play at Wyoming, the Bills traded up and bet on his exciting physical traits and imperturbable demeanor. Allen has gradually improved, leading the Bills to 13 wins last season and a spot in the AFC Championship Game. He was named second-team All-Pro with 45 total touchdowns (37 passing, eight rushing) and a completion percentage that jumped more than 10 points from the previous year to 69.2 percent.
 

Best value (outside the first round): Wyatt Teller

The good news for the Bills is they found an All-Pro talent in the fifth round. The bad news is he plays for the Browns. Teller started seven games as a rookie for Buffalo before former Cleveland general manager John Dorsey traded two late-round picks for him just days prior to the 2019 season. Teller became a starter midway through the 2019 season and was named an All-Pro guard in 2020. Some might argue that Taron Johnson was the best value of the Bills’ 2018 class. Johnson has been up-and-down at times as Buffalo’s nickel defender, but he played well down the stretch last season, including a 101-yard pick-six against Jackson and the Ravens in the playoffs. Undrafted free agent cornerback Levi Wallace also deserves mention.

Biggest miss: Harrison Phillips

Buffalo’s nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year, Phillips has made a commendable impact off the field. Unfortunately, he has not quite lived up to expectations on the field. After a solid rookie season as a backup, Phillips missed most of the 2019 season due to a torn ACL and he struggled to put consistent play on the 2020 tape. He has work to do if he hopes to stay in Buffalo.

[Hedge]

2 hours ago, Ann said:

Biggest miss: Harrison Phillips

Buffalo’s nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year, Phillips has made a commendable impact off the field. Unfortunately, he has not quite lived up to expectations on the field. After a solid rookie season as a backup, Phillips missed most of the 2019 season due to a torn ACL and he struggled to put consistent play on the 2020 tape. He has work to do if he hopes to stay in Buffalo.

I have high hopes that when that draft class gets regraded again next offseason, Harrison is seen on the plus side of the equation. It sounds like he is now fully recovered and hungry to be a difference maker on the field. Hard work doesn’t always equate to success when you are surrounded by NFL caliber athletes, but I think we are all pulling for this kid to find his footing.

[KD in CA]

30 minutes ago, Hedge said:

I have high hopes that when that draft class gets regraded again next offseason, Harrison is seen on the plus side of the equation. It sounds like he is now fully recovered and hungry to be a difference maker on the field. Hard work doesn’t always equate to success when you are surrounded by NFL caliber athletes, but I think we are all pulling for this kid to find his footing.

 

I remember how well he played at Stanford against ND so was very excited when they drafted him, but yeah, this year is his last shot at becoming an impact player in Buffalo.  Let's hope it happens.

[Alaska Darin]

On 5/12/2021 at 2:25 PM, TakeYouToTasker 2.0 said:

To be honest, not only is it an A+, not only is it the best draft in Bills history, but it may just be one of the best drafts in NFL history once everything come out in the wash.

 

Allen is a top 3 NFL quarterback. Edmunds, while he has his criticisms, is young enough to have been drafted this year, has two pro-bowls under his belt, is the signal caller of the defense, and has impressed the Bills brass enough that they’ve decided they want to make a long term commitment to him. Teller is one of the best guards in the league. Phillips, Johnson, and Neal are starters on most teams, play huge roles here, and still haven’t reached their ceilings. McCloud and Proehl have stuck in the league for three seasons, and both, especially McCloud could push into a larger role, Ray-Ray having caught 20 passes last year.

My biggest complaint at this point is trading assets to move up to get Edmunds when Darius Leonard was going to be available and was (is) a better player.  I'll give Edmunds yet another mulligan because of his age but he REALLY needs to play much better/more consistently this season.

 

Beane and company are as good as there is at finding late round guys who can really play.  It's almost unreal at this point.

[RochesterRob]

On 5/13/2021 at 9:42 AM, GG1 said:

 

Your young age may be showing.  Still too early to call this draft the best in team history let alone in NFL history.

 

Tough to beat this one

 

1985	1	1	1	1	Bruce Smith	DE	Virginia Tech
	2	1	14	14	Derrick Burroughs	DB	Memphis State
	3	2	1	29	Mark Traynowicz	G	Nebraska
	4	2	14	42	Chris Burkett	WR	Jackson State
	5	3	1	57	Frank Reich	QB	Maryland
	6	3	7	63	Hal Garner	LB	Utah State
	7	4	2	86	Andre Reed	WR	Kutztown (PA)
	8	4	28	112	Dale Hellestrae	T	Southern Methodist
	9	5	18	130	Jimmy Teal	WR	Texas A&M
	10	6	1	141	Mike Hamby	DT	Utah State
	11	7	1	169	Ron Pitts	DB	UCLA

 

 

 

  I'd argue that the '87 was even better.  Conlan (from Frewsburg, NY), Nate Odomes, and a Pro Bowler in the 11th round with Howard Ballard.  Key reserves in Leon Seals (started in place of B Smith while he was serving a suspension), Jamie Mueller, and Roland Mitchell.  Contributors David Brandon and Kerry Porter.  Also, the inspiration for the name of the K-gun Keith McKeller.

Edited June 13, 2021 by RochesterRob