It’s been a month since the 2023 NFL draft and although we still don’t have a better idea of how the Rams’ class will turn out, it looks encouraging on paper. With 14 players selected, it was one shy of the largest in NFL history and by far the biggest of the Sean McVay era.
Each year, Rene Bugner compiles draft grades from a large number of experts and comes up with a GPA for each team. This year, he collected grades from 29 different outlets, some of which graded easier than others.
The Rams’ grades ranged from a D+ to an A, with a whole bunch of B-level grades in between. The result was a 2.78 GPA for Los Angeles, which ranked 19th in the NFL. It was third among NFC West teams. The Seahawks ranked fourth with a 3.61 ERA, followed by the Cardinals at No. 5 with a 3.41 ERA. Fans will be pleased to know the 49ers had the lowest GPA by a wide margin, finishing with a 1.78 – the only team lower than a 2.22.
🏈🧑🏻🎓 I´ve compiled 29 evaluations of the 2023 NFL draft and totaled the team grades.
Here is the spreadsheet. Sorted by GPA for all 32 teams.
I also sorted the 29 evaluations by GPA. From left (soft graders) to right (hard graders).
Thanks to all who give out grades every year! pic.twitter.com/lEvqCkViCT— René Bugner (@RNBWCV) May 25, 2023
The Eagles unsurprisingly earned the highest GPA with a 4.12, receiving grades that ranged from A- to A+. They were the only team with all A’s.
What hurt the Rams a bit was the fact that they only received three grades above a B+. Those were from NFL.com, the San Diego Union-Tribune and Pro Football Focus.
Draft grades are subjective and we don’t know the true success or failure of a class until three years down the line, but these experts are essentially sharing how they view the value of each class compared to their pre-draft rankings. That at least provides a little bit of value a month after the draft.
