2021 NFL Draft Grades: NFC West Overall Grades
The series continues as we now review the 2021 NFL Draft Grades of the NFC West Division.
Two Divisions down, six more to go as we continue to get one step closer to completing our full 2021 NFL Draft Coverage. Today we’ll review arguably the best and most competitive division in the NFL, the NFC West Division, and rank how each team did in the 2021 NFL Draft.
As always, the grading system will remain the same and the grading scale for this review will be 1–10 (10 being the best and 1 being the worst). Each Franchise in this article will be ranked from best to worst.
Be sure to check out the other articles in this series of 8 if you missed it down below:
1. Arizona Cardinals:
Draft Picks:
Tulsa LB Zaven Collins (16th Overall), Purdue WR Rodale Moore (49th Overall), Florida CB Marco Wilson (136th Overall), Duke DE Victor Dimukeje (210th Overall), UCF CB Tay Gowan (223rd Overall), Cincinnati S James Wiggins (243rd Overall), Penn State C Michal Menet (247th Overall)
Overall Draft Grade: 9/10
Summary:
The Cardinals addressed a lot of needs for their roster. Rondale Moore was a steal in the 2nd Round and he fits in perfectly with Quarterback Kyler Murray. Moore is one of the fastest Receivers in this Draft and can get open down the field. He can return kickoffs and punts as well.
Marco Wilson and Tay Gowan add depth to the Corner position that was depleted when Patrick Peterson left for free agency to Minnesota. James Wiggins fell to the 7th Round and could be a late-round gem. At the very least, he will contribute early and often on special teams.
2. San Francisco 49ers:
Draft Picks:
North Dakota State QB Trey Lance (3rd Overall), Notre Dame OG Aaron Banks (48th Overall), Ohio State RB Trey Sermon (88th Overall), Michigan CB Ambry Thomas (102nd Overall), Western Michigan OG Jaylon Moore (155th Overall), Oregon CB Deommodore Lenoir (172nd Overall), USC S Talanoa Hufanga (180th Overall), Louisiana RB Elijah Mitchell (194th Overall)
Overall Draft Grade: 7.5/10
Summary:
Trey Lance is the Quarterback that Kyle Shanahan wanted all along and he’ll be able to sit back and watch Jimmy Garoppolo in year one. Lance is the prototypical Quarterback that Shanahan was looking for. A Quarterback that can slide out the pocket, feel the pressure coming and, make plays off-script.
The 49ers added some nice pieces to complement Lance and added a solid inside Lineman in Aaron Banks. However, there were better options at the Offensive Guard position. Running Back Trey Sermon was a good value pick who had a breakout 2020 College Football Season.
3. Seattle Seahawks:
Draft Picks:
Western Michigan WR D’Wayne Eskridge (56th Overall), Oklahoma CB Tre Brown (137th Overall), Florida OT Stone Forsythe (208th Overall)
Overall Draft Grade: 6/10
Summary:
As you can see, Seattle was one of the least active teams in the 2021 NFL Draft. The picks they made weren’t great though. That being said, the pick of Draft for Seattle goes to Stone Forsythe, who was a steal in the 6th Round.
Forsythe is a 6'8 mammoth Tackle who is still raw but has natural physical and athletic strength to power off Edge Rushers. If he can learn to finish off blocks and get his pad level lower to combat speedy Edge rushers, he’ll develop into a starter.
4. Los Angeles Rams:
Draft Picks:
Louisville WR Tutu Atwell (57th Overall), South Carolina LB Ernest Jones (103rd Overall), Texas A&M DT Bobby Brown III (117th Overall), Central Arkansas CB Robert Rochell (130th Overall), UCF WR Jacob Harris (141st Overall), Northwestern DE Earnest Brown IV (174th Overall), Maryland RB Jake Funk (233rd Overall), Notre Dame WR Ben Skowronek (249th Overall), Concordia University St. Paul DE Chris Garrett (252nd Overall)
Overall Draft Grade: 5/10
Summary:
The Rams were very active in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, as the saying goes “quality over quantity”. Los Angeles accumulated a bunch of mediocre and marginal talent. Most of their draft selections were all reaches as there were much better players on the board.
The one pick they did get right was Tutu Atwell. Atwell can contribute in a variety of ways on offense. He can return kicks, run the Wide Receiver end-around, and play the Slot.
Jeffrey Genao is a Writer and Contributor for Top Level Sports, Basketball University, and Kitchen Tales. You can read more of his Content at Top Level Sports, Basketball University, Kitchen Tales, and the Official Basketball University website https://officialbballuniversity.com/author/jeffrey-genao/.
