Until recently, the AFC East had a reputation for being a one-horse race, with the Patriots winning the division in 16 of the 17 seasons from 2003 to 2019. Things began to change last year and it looks set to get even more competitive in 2021. Each of the teams now has a young quarterback on a rookie deal to build around they made some interesting moves in this year’s draft. Here are my grades for each team.
Buffalo Bills
1.30 – EDGE Gregory Rousseau, Miamia
2.61 – EDGE Carlos Basham Jr., Wake Forest
3.93 – OT Spencer Brown, Northern Iowa
5.161 – OT Tommy Doyle, Miami (OH)
6.203 – WR Marquez Stevenson, Houston
6.212 – S Damar Hamlin, Pittsburgh
6.213 – CB Rachad Wildgoose, Wisconsin
7.236 – IOL Jack Anderson, Texas Tech
The Bills’ picks in the 2021 Draft seem to be characterised by a single word – upside. None embody that more than Gregory Rousseau, who they took at No. 30 overall. Rousseau made headlines as a redshirt freshman when he racked up 16 sacks, the second most in college football that year. Whilst the stat sheet was impressive, his technique on the field was lacking and most of his production came along the interior. Rousseau lacks the ability to win consistently off the edge and his 17.2 per cent win rate ranked just 69th at the position in 2019. He is the embodiment of a developmental prospect.
The rest of their draft class felt largely the same. Spencer Brown is one of the most athletic players you will ever find along the offensive line, but he struggled to be a consistent pass protector even in the FCS. Tommy Doyle and Marquez Stevenson both have interesting traits but need a lot more work before hitting the NFL field. The two picks of theirs that I really liked were Carlos Basham in the second and Rashad Wildgoose in the sixth. Basham has the rare combination of size and explosiveness and was consistently productive in college, with 137 pressures and 23 sacks over the last three years. Wildgoose comes with limited experience but has the traits you want in a corner.
Grade: C+
Miami Dolphins
1.6 – WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
1.18 – EDGE Jaelan Phillips, Miami
2.36 – S Jevon Holland, Oregon
2.42 – OT Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame
3.81 – TE Hunter Long, Boston College
7.231 – OT Larnel Coleman, Massachusetts
7.244 – RB Gerrid Doaks, Cincinnati
The Dolphins had four picks inside the top 50 in this year’s draft so it always had the making of a quality class. Jaylen Waddle is the headline pick and he gives the Dolphins another talented receiver to work with. The pick was solid, but in hindsight their decision to trade up to No. 6 and give up a future first rounder seems questionable to say the least. Jaelan Phillips at No. 18 was another good pick, although that will hinge on his ability to stay healthy and put him medical concerns behind him.
In truth I felt the rest of the draft was pretty underwhelming. Jevon Holland at No. 36 felt a little early, particularly with the likes of Trevon Moehrig still on the board. The same can be said for taking Notre Dame offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg at No. 42 with Samuel Cosmi and Dillon Radunz still available. Grabbing Hunter Long to be their in-line tight end in the third round is a solid enough pick, but I feel like Tommy Tremble would have been a substantially better move. Only time will tell whether or not the Dolphins were right.
Grade: B-
New England Patriots
1.15 – QB Mac Jones, Alabama
2.38 – IDL Christian Barmore, Alabama
3.96 – EDGE Ronnie Perkins, Oklahoma
4.120 – RB Rhamondre Stevenson, Oklahoma
5.177 – LB Cameron McGrone, Michigan
6.188 – CB Joshuah Bledsoe, Missouri
7.242 – WR Tre Nixon, UCF
The Patriots haven’t exactly had much luck with their recent draft class. That said, their haul in 2021 looks to be amongst the league’s best. The Mac Jones pick at No. 15 was decent and things got better from there. On day two they were able to get two of the biggest steals of the 2021 Draft. They picked up Alabama defensive tackle Christian Barmore at No. 38 overall. Barmore was easily the most talented interior lineman in the class and accounted for an astonishing 65 pressures on just 492 pass rushing snaps in college.
They then pulled off another steal by taking Ronnie Perkins at No. 96 overall. Perkins had a breakout 2020 season, with 32 pressures through just six games. His 24.7 per cent pass rush win rate ranked second in the entire class and he has the potential to be an impact starter from day one. They made another of my favourite moves in the fifth round, picking up Michigan linebacker Cameron McGrone. McGrone lacks ideal instincts in coverage, but his combination of athletic ability and reliable run defense makes him well worthy of the selection.
Grade: A
New York Jets
1.2 – QB Zach Wilson, BYU
1.14 – IOL Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC
2.34 – WR Elijah Moore, Ole Miss
4.107 – RB Michael Carter, North Carolina
5.146 – S Jamien Sherwood, Auburn
5.154 – CB Michael Carter II, Duke
5.175 – CB Jason Pinnock, Pittsburgh
6.186 – S Hamsah Nasirildeen, Florida State
6.200 – CB Brandin Echols, Kentucky
6.207 – IDL Jonathan Marshall, Arkansas
This was always going to be a transformational draft for the Jets and it couldn’t have gone much better. Zach Wilson has all of the tools to develop into a franchise quarterback, with elite accuracy and arm talent. They then made a point of protecting their new quarterback with a trade up for Alijah Vera-Tucker. Whilst I like Vera-Tucker as a prospect, there will be legitimate questions about the wisdom of trading two third rounders for a guard.
The rest of their draft was really impressive though. Getting a player like Elijah Moore in the second round represents exceptional value and he can be an immediate impact player in the slot. Contrary to many expectations, the Jets didn’t force a running back in the early rounds and that approach paid dividends, with Michael Carter all the way down in the fourth round. Carter was one of the best backs in college football last season, averaging 7.9 yards per carry at UNC. They even picked up some interesting developmental options in the sixth round in safety Hamsah Nasirildeen and defensive tackle Jonathan Marshall. It will be interesting to see how they fare in 2021.
Grade: A
The Dolphins trade from #12 to #6 looks bad in isolation, but it was done really as more of a three team trade. San Fran overpaid to move up to #3 and Dolphins passed some of that on to Philly. They picked up an extra first and still got a top level target for Tua.
I think scouts were down on Holland because of his opt out. He looks like a star in the making.
I can’t believe Barmore fell to the Patriots in the 2nd. That was a steal. I’m not sold on Mac Jones, but they did have a glaring need at QB.
I can’t help but think Wilson will perform on the same level as Darnold. That late-season meaningless Jets win last year might turn out to be the most significant game in league history.
Buffalo didn’t really need to do anything to stay on top in the east. Allen and Diggs are still going to shred opposing defenses.
Yeah I just feel like the smart move would have been sticking at 12 and getting Smith or Waddle, even if that meant a small trade up. I’m guessing they went up to six because they figured Pitts or Chase would be there.
I don’t mind Holland but I definitely wasn’t as high on him as others. He still should be a solid player though!
Interesting point on Wilson. I really like him but I can see how he would struggle. He’s a high ceiling/low floor guy to me
The Dolphins had Waddle rated higher than Chase. He was their #1 ranked WR. Philosophically, they don’t think a tight end should ever be taken that high. If they hadn’t found a trade partner, rumor is they would have taken Waddle at #3. Hard to believe that with as high as everyone is on Pitts. Brian Flores said they had “excellent intel” that Waddle would have been gone by 10. Two firsts for Waddle is a steep price though.
The Jets in general are facing an uphill battle. Bills, Dolphins, and Patriots will all be over .500 this year. Wilson playing almost 25% of his games vs. Patriots/Dolphins defenses won’t be easy.