NFL Draft Grades: AFC East
With the 2020 NFL Draft officially complete, theScore's NFL editors hand out their initial grades for how teams fared over the course of the three-day event.
NFC
EAST | NORTH | SOUTH | WEST
AFC
EAST | NORTH | SOUTH | WEST
Buffalo Bills
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 54 | DE A.J. Epenesa |
| 3 | 86 | RB Zack Moss |
| 4 | 128 | WR Gabriel Davis |
| 5 | 167 | QB Jake Fromm |
| 6 | 188 | K Tyler Bass |
| 6 | 207 | WR Isaiah Hodgins |
| 7 | 239 | CB Dane Jackson |
Grade: B+
Without a first-round pick following the Stefon Diggs trade, the Bills still managed to come out of the draft with good value. Epenesa, Moss, and Davis could all contribute immediately as rotational players on what's suddenly one of the deepest rosters in the NFL. Moss should serve as a formidable complement to Devin Singletary, as both are excellent tackle-breakers. Fromm has a chance to develop into a suitable backup, which would be a nice outcome considering he was drafted in the fifth round.
Miami Dolphins
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | QB Tua Tagovailoa |
| 1 | 18 | OT Austin Jackson |
| 1 | 30 | CB Noah Igbinoghene |
| 2 | 39 | OT Robert Hunt |
| 2 | 56 | DT Raekwon Davis |
| 3 | 70 | S Brandon Jones |
| 4 | 111 | OL Solomon Kindley |
| 5 | 154 | DE Jason Strowbridge |
| 5 | 164 | DE Curtis Weaver |
| 6 | 185 | LS Blake Ferguson |
| 7 | 246 | WR Malcolm Perry |
Grade: B+
All the smokescreens the Dolphins put up ahead of the draft allowed them to snatch their preferred quarterback without moving up. Durability concerns may follow Tagovailoa to the NFL, but his supreme talent and polish is well worth the risk. The rest of this class isn't as exciting: Jackson is raw and has ways to go to develop into the star left tackle Laremy Tunsil was, while Igbinoghene lacks the ball skills that most top corners possess. Nobody selected on Day 2 or Day 3 screams "impact," but with 11 selections, one of those darts is bound to hit. At the end of the day, the Dolphins got the quarterback they began setting their sights on over a year ago, and that makes this draft an automatic win.
New England Patriots
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 37 | S Kyle Dugger |
| 2 | 60 | LB Josh Uche |
| 3 | 87 | LB Anfernee Jennings |
| 3 | 91 | TE Devin Asiasi |
| 3 | 101 | TE Dalton Keene |
| 5 | 159 | K Justin Rohrwasser |
| 6 | 182 | G Michael Onwenu |
| 6 | 195 | G Justin Herron |
| 6 | 204 | LB Cassh Maluia |
| 7 | 230 | C Dustin Woodard |
Grade: C
A bizarre draft for the Patriots saw them double-dip at multiple positions while ignoring needs at quarterback and wide receiver. The last time they chose two tight ends in one draft, the Patriots came away with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, but this was a notably weak tight end class and the players they picked don't have the on-field accolades that Gronkowski and Hernandez had coming out of college. New England appears to be banking its future on Jarrett Stidham - the presumed Tom Brady successor - but with such abysmal skill talent around him, it'll be hard to get an accurate evaluation on him in 2020.
New York Jets
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | OT Mekhi Becton |
| 2 | 59 | WR Denzel Mims |
| 3 | 68 | S Ashtyn Davis |
| 3 | 79 | DE Jabari Zuniga |
| 4 | 120 | RB Lamical Perine |
| 4 | 125 | QB James Morgan |
| 4 | 129 | G Cameron Clarke |
| 5 | 158 | CB Bryce Hall |
| 6 | 191 | P Braden Mann |
Grade: B+
There were four elite offensive tackle prospects in this draft, and the Jets landed one, as they desperately needed to do. New York addressed its second-greatest need early in Day 2, selecting a potential plug-and-play receiver in Mims. Davis, Zuniga, Perine, and Hall may not be immediate starters, but all four should secure legitimate roles as rookies. Joe Douglas' first draft with the Jets may not have been flashy, but it was certainly productive.