Ranking every NFL draft class off of 2021 performance

Usually, NFL draft grades are handed out the minute the event concludes on Saturday. However, the results will never be known until the players are able to hit the field and prove what they will bring to the franchise long term.

NFL.com decided to rerank all 32 draft classes now that the 2021 season is over. They took into consideration how many games each draft pick played in, while also projecting how they will fit into the team’s plan long-term.

Check out the full list below.

1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. Denver Broncos
3. Miami Dolphins
4. Detroit Lions
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. New England Patriots
7. Dallas Cowboys
8. Cleveland Browns
9. Philadelphia Eagles
10. Houston Texans
11. Las Vegas Radiers
12. Pittsburgh Steelrs
13. Los Angeles Chargers
14. Green Bay Packers
15. Atlanta Falcons
16. New Orleans Saints
17. Baltimore Ravens
18. Chicago Bears
19. Carolina Panthers
20. New York Giants
21. New York Jets
22. Washington Commanders
23. San Francisco 49ers
24. Minnesota Vikings
25. Buffalo Bills
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27. Arizona Cardinals
28. Jacksonville Jaguars
29. Los Angeles Rams
30. Indanapolis Colts
31. Tennessee Titans
32. Seattle Seahawks

The Kansas City Chiefs take the top spot, with a lot of it due to their work on the offensive line. After watching quarterback Patrick Mahomes scramble for his life in Super Bowl 55, two interior offensive linemen were taken by the Chiefs in Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith. They played in and started all 17 games this season after being selected in the second and sixth rounds, respectively. Linebacker Nick Bolton became an important part of the defense as well, being the franchise’s first selection in 2021.

Despite having the first overall pick and selecting quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the Jacksonville Jaguars find themselves in the bottom five of the rerank. Cornerback Tyson Campbell was the only other player to become a significant starter, while offensive tackle Walker Little contributed. Running back Travis Etienne, who was a first-round pick, never took a snap for Jacksonville this season due to an injury. Former head coach Urban Meyer did not help himself in the draft.

Two other AFC South teams are toward the bottom in the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans. NFL.com points out that Kwity Paye played 80 more snaps than the rest of the Colts’ draft class combined, playing in and starting 15 games this season. As for the Titans, first-round pick Caleb Farley tore his ACL after returning from a back injury. Elijah Molden was the only other player to get considerable playing time for head coach Mike Vrabel.