On a recent radio appearance, I was asked an intriguing question.
“Who was the best prospect you’ve ever graded?”
I’ve been evaluating prospects and covering the NFL draft professionally since 2004, which meant the 2023 draft was my 20th. The question and the timeframe was a nice catalyst to go back and examine some of the older evaluations.
To answer the question directly, my highest-graded player ever was Wisconsin OT Joe Thomas in 2007. The grading scales and systems I use have changed over the years, but Thomas topped any iteration.
Here are the top-graded players from my evaluations at each position since the 2004 NFL draft.
Quarterback - Cam Newton
In his one season at Auburn, Newton displayed traits that blew me away. His arm strength, accuracy on outside and deep throws, running ability and charismatic leadership equated to a 7.78 grade which remains the highest since 2004.
Newton was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft by the Panthers. It wasn’t always pretty, but along the way, Newton won an MVP and led Carolina to a Super Bowl berth.
His grade barely edges out two others: Joe Burrow in 2020 and Trevor Lawrence in 2021. The scale changed to a 10-point system, but Newton wound up closer to the top available score.
Running back - Bijan Robinson
No, it’s not recency bias. Robinson, the No. 8 overall pick in 2023 by the Falcons, earned the highest running back grade of the last 20 years. His blend of speed, vision, elusiveness, receiving ability and freshness (I’m a stickler against overworked college RBs) earned Robinson a grade of 9.55.
We’ll see what comes of the Texas standout in the NFL in the coming years, but his grade reflects a prospect who should be an All-Pro-caliber player every year.
Prior to Robinson in 2023, the highest RB grade belonged to Reggie Bush back in 2005.
Tight end - Kellen Winslow II
I had to go all the way back to the first season for the tight end. Kellen Winslow II came out of Miami as someone I thought was a can’t-miss prospect. On the 8-point scale I used initially, Winslow earned a 7.7. That’s a score indicative of a perennial All-Pro candidate.
Alas, injuries (he missed 2005 after knee surgery) and off-field/attitude issues got in the way for Winslow. He did manage to a couple of very strong seasons with the Browns, who made “K2” the No. 6 overall pick of the 2004 draft.
Wide receiver - 3-way tie
The only position where there is more than one player earning the highest grade is wide receiver. And there are three players who all earned 7.8 grades:
A.J. Green in 2011
Michael Crabtree in 2009
Calvin Johnson in 2007
Green came out of Georgia as the No. 4 pick by the Bengals and proved worthy. Crabtree went 10th overall to the 49ers and is one of the few players listed here who wasn’t the first player at his position selected in the class (Darrius Heyward-Bey was No. 7). Johnson is already in the Hall of Fame after being taken No. 2 overall by the Lions.
The highest grade since I moved to a 10-point scale goes to Ja’Marr Chase in 2021, with a 9.45.
Offensive tackle - Joe Thomas
In looking back on the report on Thomas coming out of Wisconsin, the only real flaws I noted were that he didn’t have outstanding agility in testing and his arms weren’t super long. Beyond that, he was the perfect tackle prospect, something reflected in his 7.98 grade.
Thomas certainly backed it up for the Browns. He’s already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a no-brainer, first-ballot enshrinee. For my money, he’s the best football player of the 21st century regardless of position.
Offensive guard - Quenton Nelson
Nelson effectively runs away with the top guard evaluation. On the 10-point scale, Nelson earned a 9.65. No other guard earned over a 9.35 (Brandon Scherff) or a 7.5 on the 8-point scale (Danny Watkins, one of my biggest whiffs).
The No. 6 overall pick in 2018 by the Colts, Nelson proved his Notre Dame dominance translates to the NFL. He’s been a first-team All-Pro three times and second-team twice.
Center - Alex Mack
Mack came out of California in 2009 with a fantastic combination of exceptional game tape and high-end athletic traits. He cemented his 7.85 grade (on an 8-point scale) by wowing me in a Senior Bowl warm-up, where Mack did a complete split and proceeded to get up without using his hands. Interior offensive linemen weighing 311 pounds aren’t supposed to be able to do that.
His play largely backed it up. The No. 21 overall pick in 2009 by the Browns, Mack was a 7-time Pro Bowler who was consistently one of the top players at his position until he retired in 2021.
Defensive tackle - Ndamukong Suh
Suh entered the NFL from Nebraska as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft with the Detroit Lions. He also earned what remains the highest grade I’ve ever given to a defensive player, a 7.88. His blend of power, explosiveness, closing speed and nastiness to play against are still the standard by which I comparatively judge defensive tackles.
Suh’s career might have peaked early. He was a first-team All-Pro three times in his first five seasons but hasn’t even made a Pro Bowl since 2016. Even so, Suh is a good Hall of Fame candidate once he decides to hang up his sizeable cleats.
EDGE - Khalil Mack
Back in the 2013 college season, I had the good fortune of seeing Mack play for Buffalo twice in three weeks. In games at Kent State (in a freezing rainstorm with about 250 people in attendance) and Toledo, I saw Mack win reps in every imaginable way: speed, strength, technical prowess, savvy and effort.
It culminated in Mack earning a 7.8 grade for the 2014 NFL draft. He edged out South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney, who earned a 7.65, in that draft despite going No. 5 to the Raiders while Clowney was the No. 1 overall pick. Mack has been the better pro, too.
Off-ball LB: A.J. Hawk
I was a huge Hawk fan when he hit the NFL in 2006 after a stellar career at Ohio State. His instincts appeared off-the-charts and he was an explosive athlete, which earned him a 7.75 grade.
As the No. 5 overall pick by the Packers, Hawk had a good 11-year NFL career and was a key piece of some very good Green Bay defenses. But Hawk never emerged as a difference-making force like I expected he would.
Cornerback - Jalen Ramsey
The No. 5 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft by the Jaguars was my No. 1 overall prospect that year. He vaulted up from 2nd when Laremy Tunsil broke out the gas mask, with Ramsey’s 9.72 the highest mark I’ve ever given a cornerback. The playmaking panache Ramsey showed at Florida State with his athletic profile elevated him above all others.
Ramsey has had some ups and downs in his seven years, but his high points emphatically outweigh the lows. He’s been a worthy Pro Bowler every year and a first-team All-Pro thrice.
Safety - Kyle Hamilton
Hamilton’s rangy, impactful play at Notre Dame earned him an exemplary 9.65 grade in the 2022 NFL draft. The Ravens made him the No. 14 overall pick.
It’s far too early to judge Hamilton after just one season.
