Live grades and analysis throughout Saturday at the NFL Draft - SB Nation

Below are observations and updates during the last day of the NFL Draft. Here's a tracker with every pick, and SB Nation staff will chime in below in this post with observations throughout. At this point, for selected picks, we'll assign a grade of good, bad, or fine.

Round 6, pick 29: Jaguars take Nebraska QB Tanner Lee

Grade: Bad. At this point, any pick of a football-playing human is hard to criticize too harshly, but Lee had a ROUGH college career. He was mostly known in 2017 for throwing pick-sixes, but is a good athlete.

Round 6, pick 25: Titans take Washington State QB Luke Falk

Grade: Good. If you want a respectable backup QB who can either fill the air with footballs or just take about 100 hits, he's your man.

Round 6, pick 23: Washington takes Alabama LB Shaun Dion Hamilton

Grade: Fine. He's either a steal, due to his injury history, or just a flier. Mainly just noting the Skins continue to assemble Alabama's 2016 defense.

Round 6, pick 20: Falcons take LSU WR Russell Gage

Grade: Good. Always draft the athletic LSU receiver. You don't even have to look him up to know he's raw and barely had any catches in college, because, as noted, he played WR at LSU.

Round 6, pick 16: Ravens take Texas S Deshon Elliott

Grade: Good: A quality athlete and team leader whom some considered among the draft's best safeties.

Round 6, pick 11: Colts take Clemson WR Deon Cain.

Grade: Fine. A promising deep threat who struggled with drops in his final college season.

Round 6, pick 7: Bears take Utah edge Kylie Fitts.

Grade: Good. The talented Californian played in the front seven under Kyle Whittingham in college, which is about all I need to hear.

Round 6, pick 5: Jets take Tulane CB Parry Nickerson

Grade: Good. He's fast as hell, peeling off a 4.32 at the Combine, tied for this year's fastest.

Round 6, pick 2: Rams take Tennessee RB John Kelly

Grade: Good. Kelly was almost literally the only good thing about the Vols' entire 2017.

Round 5, pick 36: Raiders take Florida P Johnny Townsend
Round 5, pick 35: Packers take Alabama P JK Scott

Grade: Good. Back-to-back punters! The run on punters has begun. I support punters, and I hope the run on long snappers begins soon.

Round 5, pick 34: Cowboys take WKU QB Mike White

Grade: Fine. The guy put up hilariously prolific numbers in Conference USA.

NCAA Football: Senior Bowl-South PracticeGlenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports

Round 5, pick 28: Steelers take NC State WR/RB/TE Jaylen Samuels

Grade: Good. He's the draft's most versatile player and one of the most efficient. He'll save the Steelers some roster spots by being able to play so many positions.

Round 5, pick 26: Washington takes Virginia Tech DT Tim Settle

Grade: Good. Settle could've been a third-round pick, maybe a second-rounder.

Round 5, pick 23: Rams take Oklahoma DE/LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo

Grade: Good. I think Okoronkwo fell because he ran a 4.77-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. That wasn't good, and there's no need to pretend it was. But he was a bulwark for Oklahoma, and he has the strength and size to play end or outside backer. (He's maybe a little small for an OLB at 6'2, but no so much that he can't do it.)

Round 5, pick 20: Vikings take Central Michigan TE Tyler Conklin

Grade: Good.

Round 5, pick 19: Broncos take Wisconsin TE Troy Fumagalli

Grade: Good. Fumagalli is probably a blocking tight end first at the professional level, but he has the skill to get downfield and make some catches. He had more than 500 receiver yards each of the last two seasons at Wisconsin, where the Badgers loved him for his leadership. He feels like a player fans are going to love.

Round 5, pick 16: Lions take Oregon OT Tyrell Crosby

Grade: Good, with the potential to be great. Crosby could've been a second round pick or so, and it seems like injury concerns dropped him. He's nimble and big.

NCAA Football: Senior Bowl-North PracticeGlenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports

Round 5, pick 12: Seahawks take Texas P Michael Dickson

Grade: Good. The best punting prospect in years.

Round 5, pick 11: Steelers take Penn State S Marcus Allen

Grade: Fine. Allen is an impressive athlete, and everyone thought he'd go sooner than his co-starting safety at PSU, Troy Apke. He didn't, but he's good value here for the Steelers. The thing I wonder about is need; the Steelers took safety Terrell Edmunds in the first round, signed safety Morgan Burnett and free agency, and are two years removed from taking safety Sean Davis in the second round. They could've used a linebacker.

NCAA Football: Georgia State at Penn StateGregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Round 5, pick 6: Patriots take Purdue LB Ja'whaun Bentley

Grade: Good. Bentley is a classic thumper of a middle linebacker, kind of in the Dont'a Hightower mold that's served the Patriots so well over the years. Bentley isn't fast, but he's a 260-pounder who can play against the run.

Round 5, pick 4: Seahawks take UCF LB Shaquem Griffin

Grade: Amazing. I love it. Griffin, the draft's best story by far and one of its best athletes, gets to join his twin brother, cornerback Shaquill, in Seattle.

Round 5, pick 3: Raiders trade up and take Michigan DT Maurice Hurst

Grade: Potentially off the charts. Hurst has first-round talent, but he fell in the draft because of concerns over a heart condition the league uncovered at the NFL Combine. If Hurst can stay on the field, he represents unbelievable value at this spot.

NCAA Football: Michigan at MarylandBrad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Round 5, pick 1: Packers take Washington State G Cole Madison

Grade: Fine, because that is an extremely Wisconsinite name. He'll fit right in!

Round 4, pick 34: Cardinals take Fordham RB Chase Edmonds

Grade: Good. I really like this one. Edmonds was a great FCS player. He's kind of a bowling-ball RB at 5'9 and 205 pounds, but he's strong and explosive. The NFL Network's Mike Mayock likened him to a Branden Oliver type, and I could see that.

Round 4, pick 32: Ravens take New Mexico State WR Jaleel Scott

Grade: Good, because look at this freaking catch.

Live grades and analysis throughout Saturday at the NFL Draft - SB NationLive grades and analysis throughout Saturday at the NFL Draft - SB Nation

Round 4, pick 31: Dolphins take Arizona State RB Kalen Ballage

Grade: Fine. Ballage isn't that big or that strong, but I can't give a bad grade to a dude who once scored eight touchdowns in one game.

Round 4, pick 30: Eagles take Florida State DE Josh Sweat

Grade: Good. I default to assuming all Eagles defensive line picks are good. Also, this:

NCAA Football: Charleston Southern at Florida StateGlenn Beil-USA TODAY Sports

Round 4, pick 28: 49ers take NC State DE Kentavius Street

Grade: Good. Street's been injured, but he's a terrific talent. He's agile and strong, and the 49ers had R2-D2 from Star Wars announce the pick. All about it.

Round 4, pick 27: Saints take Florida State OT Rick Leonard

Grade: Bad.

It's a deeply unpopular selection in the court of public opinion.

Round 4, pick 26: Falcons take Southern Miss RB Ito Smith

Grade: Fine. Not an urgent need, but he's an explosive athlete.

Round 4, pick 25: Eagles take Pitt CB Avonte Maddox

Grade: Good. Maddox is a physical, athletic corner. He's also got a sense of humor about him, and it's good when football players are fun.

NCAA Football: Pittsburgh at DukeJeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Round 4, pick 24: Chiefs take Texas A&M S Armani Watts

Grade: Good. Armani Watts? That's the most electric man in fashion. He's also got a knack for being in the right spot at the right moment.

Round 4, pick 23: Ravens take Notre Dame TE Durham Smythe

Grade: Good. Smythe's a big, physical tight end who can contribute as an H-back or flex out and catch a few passes. He can help in a lot of different formations.

Round 4, pick 18: Ravens take Alabama CB Anthony Averett

Grade: Good. Averett has gotten a more comprehensive education in DB play than anyone else in this draft. That's what you get when you're a Nick Saban corner for five years.

Round 4, pick 14: Lions take Alabama DL Da'Shawn Hand

Grade: Fine. Hand never really put it together after he was the No. 1 recruit in the country at one point three years ago, but he still won two national titles and started on Bama's championship team last season. He probably still has some untapped potential.

Round 4, pick 13: Broncos take Penn State WR DaeSean Hamilton

Grade: Good. I love what the Broncos are doing with receivers in this draft. They got a first-round talent in SMU's Courtland Sutton in the second round, and Hamilton is a reliable, athletic target.

Round 4, pick 12: Bengals take Miami RB Mark Walton

Grade: Good. Walton is a brutal, physical runner. He's good enough to bowl over NFL linebackers right now and could contribute immediately.

Round 4, pick 9: Washington takes Penn State S Troy Apke

Grade: Great, because this kid went to my high school in Pittsburgh. Shout out to the Mount Lebanon Blue Devils. Also he's really fast.

Round 4, pick 8: Giants take Richmond QB Kyle Lauletta

Grade: Fine. Every QB at this point in the draft is a lottery ticket, especially someone from an FCS program. But he might be good, right?

Round 4, pick 4: Colts take NC State RB Nyheim Hines

Grade: Bad. They took the wrong NC State running back. They should've taken Jaylen Samuels, a do-everything Swiss Army knife who's one of the draft's most efficient players at either running backor receiver. It's wild that he's still on the board.

NCAA Football: Sun Bowl-Arizona State vs North Carolina StateIvan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports

Round 4, pick 3: Texans take Texas Tech WR Keke Coutee

Grade: Good. How cool is that the Texas are taking a dude who played college ball in Texas and, more notably, had 1,400 yards last year? And they had Andre Johnson announce it!

Round 4, pick 1: Panthers take Indiana TE Ian Thomas

Grade: Good. Thomas is a fluid athlete with good hands who made some excellent plays over the years at Indiana. He could've easily been a third-round pick.


The 2018 NFL Draft concludes with the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds on Saturday. The draft moves more quickly and is less dramatic on its last day, but plenty of contributors remain on the board. The league's 32 teams will find future starters here. Above, we'll post updates as the draft moves along.

Here's a list of winners and losers from Friday's second and third rounds, because there's nothing more American than leaping to conclusions in the immediate wake of the draft. Throughout Saturday's rounds, SB Nation staff will chime i

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