Jacksonville Jaguars: B
Best Pick: Devin Lloyd ; Worst Pick: Gregory Junior
This draft ultimately will be graded upon how good Travon Walker was. We know he’s a freak athlete from a testing standpoint. However, he was often overshadowed by teammates at Georgia. He became the first No. 1 Overall pick to never be an All-Conference performer nor an All-American during college. We love the Devin Lloyd pick at the end of the first round. He’ll be a terrific playmaking replacement for Myles Jack. Chad Muma can also really play as a potential starting-level linebacker. However, when it’s all said and done, this class will sink or swim with the selection of Walker.
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Detroit Lions: B+
Best Pick: Aidan Hutchinson ; Worst Pick: James Mitchell
Detroit did the smart thing by standing pat and taking local Michigan product Aidan Hutchinson. His ceiling might not be as high as Travon Walker’s, but he’s certainly got a higher floor as a more proven entity. He should compete immediately as a guy capable of notching 8-to-10 sacks. From there, the Lions moved up roughly 20 spots in the first to get Jameson Williams. There’s some risk with Williams coming off a knee injury. However when healthy, he’s arguably the most explosive player in this draft. We like Malcolm Rodriguez as a culture guy later in the draft. Josh Paschal and Kerby Joseph should contribute early, also. Though this isn’t a feeling felt by many Lions’ fans traditionally, those in Detroit should feel optimistic about the direction of this team.
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Houston Texans: B-
Best Pick: Jalen Pitre ; Worst Pick: Dameon Pierce
Houston certainly rolled the dice with Stingley. He was an elite corner as a freshman, and tailed off significantly after that. If Stingley can stay healthy and revert back to the form he had previously, he’ll be an All-Pro. Kenyon Green was a bit of a reach midway through the first round, but he’s certainly capable of being a Day 1 starter. We do like the middle-round picks by Houston. Both Alabama picks (John Metchie III, Christian Harris) have the potential to be starters. We also like the sneaky get of Stanford DT Thomas Booker. We could ultimately look back at this draft and peg it as being much better than it looks today.
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Arizona Cardinals: B+
Best Pick: Myjai Sanders; Worst Pick: N/A
The Cards did a couple of nice things here. In order to appease Kyler Murray, they nabbed the draft’s top-rated TE (Trey McBride) in the second round. With Zach Ertz getting older, it made sense to add a younger option to the receivers’ room. From there, the Cardinals aimed to account for losing Chandler Jones by nabbing two defensive ends (Cameron Thomas, Myjai Sanders) on Day 2. Thomas plays like his hair is on fire, and Sanders is a very high-upside player off the edge. USC running back Keontay Ingram should also add a change-of-pace to the roster with his speed and suddenness.
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Chicago Bears: B
Best Pick: Kyler Gordon ; Worst Pick: Dominique Robinson
The Bears didn’t do poorly in this draft. Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker figure to be Day 1 starters in the secondary. Gordon in particular was a very nice value pick. However, Chicago opted to pass over some of the better WRs in the process. Velus Jones was taken in the third round. However, is he really a game-changer? We do like the OL picks of Braxton Jones and Zach Thomas. With that said, we aren’t sure that franchise QB Justin Fields enjoyed this draft.
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Carolina Panthers: B+
Best Pick: Ickey Ekwonu ; Worst Pick: Brandon Smith
Ickey Ekwonu was a perfect fit. Some viewed him as the best tackle in the draft. He played at North Carolina State, grew up in Charlotte, and was a Panthers fan growing up. Some thought Matt Corral would be a late first-round pick. Instead, Carolina patiently waited and was able to get him in the third round. He’ll have time to develop properly — and potentially fight for a starting job down the line. Despite losing considerable draft capital in the Sam Darnold trade, the Panthers did relative well in this draft.
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New York Giants: A-
Best Pick: Evan Neal ; Worst Pick: Wan’Dale Robinson
The Giants…made smart decisions? It truly is the dawn of a new age in New York, as the G-Men nailed both of their first-round picks on Thursday. It wasn’t too long ago that Oregon’s Thibodeaux was projected to be the first overall pick. Concerns over his off-field interests caused him to slip a bit, and the New York Giants reaped the benefits. Alabama’s Evan Neal was in contention for the No. 1 draft pick, and the Giants were able to swoop him with the No. 7 pick. Neal is enormous — 6-foot-8, 340-pounds — and uses his size to dominate defenders in pass protection. This is a home run pair of picks for the new Giants’ front office. While using a second-round pick on Kentucky WR Wan’Dale Robinson was a bit of reach, there’s no doubting the Giants have become a significantly stronger football team over the last week.
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Atlanta Falcons: A-
Best Pick: Troy Andersen ; Worst Pick: Tyler Allgeier
With the option of taking a tackle or an edge rusher, Atlanta instead doubled-down on creating a gigantic receiver corps. USC WR Drake London was taken No. 8 overall. He’s got terrific hands, a gigantic catch radius, and is tough as nails. You can throw the ball up on a fly pattern, in traffic across the middle, or virtually anywhere on the field…and London will make the catch. Arnold Ebiketie was great value in the second round — as was former QB-turned-LB Troy Andersen. We also love the addition of Desmond Ridder in the third round. This was a terrific draft for the Falcons.
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Seattle Seahawks: B+
Best Pick: Coby Bryant ; Worst Pick: Kenneth Walker
The Seahawks started off strong. Seattle opted to pass on all of the QB prospects in favor of bolstering the offensive line. That’s perfectly fine — there’s no reason to reach for a quarterback if none of the available options are appealing. Charles Cross is a solid talent with intriguing athletic traits. Picking up Boye Mafe in the second round will help bolster a pass rush which lacked explosiveness off the edge last season. Seattle missed the mark with their No. 41 selection, taking RB Kenneth Walker III over one of the QB prospects. Though Walker is talented, it was a bit of puzzling pick given the current state of Seattle’s roster. The Seahawks did find strong value with a pair of defensive backs outside of the top-100 — Cincinnati’s Coby Bryant (No. 109) and UTSA’s Tariq Woolen (No. 153).
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Cleveland Browns: C
Best Pick: Jerome Ford ; Worst Pick: Cade York
Cleveland gave up a ton of draft capital (three first-round picks) to get Deshaun Watson. That could pay off — though it could be a disaster if he never plays. Without a first-day pick, Cleveland had to piece together some picks at positions of need. We aren’t sure if the Browns picked any true game-changers. Martin Emerson is a solid yet unspectacular corner taken in the second round out of Mississippi State. Taking a kicker (Cade York) in the fourth round is always a gamble. Interestingly, the Browns took three former Oklahoma players in this draft. DT Perrion Winfrey might end up the best player of this group (though don’t discount Cinci RB Jerome Ford, either).
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New Orleans Saints: B
Best Pick: Alontae Taylor ; Worst Pick: Chris Olave
Now, let’s make this perfectly clear: Chris Olave is a very good football player. He posted strong production at Ohio State, collecting 35 touchdowns over his four years as a Buckeye. However, we have to knock the process in which the Saints employed. New Orleans essentially traded up twice to snag Olave with the No. 11 pick. Giving up excess draft capital for a non-QB is a puzzling decision. New Orleans made up some that value by snagging Trevor Penning — a suitable replacement at tackle for the departing Terron Armstead. With their final three picks, the Saints added to its defensive arsenal with the versatile DB Alontae Taylor in addition to LB D’Marco Jackson and Jordan Jackson. Expanding on their draft selections, New Orleans came to an agreement with free agent safety Tyrann Mathieu, bolstering an already strong defensive group.
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Denver Broncos: A-
Best Pick: Luke Wattenberg ; Worst Pick: Matt Henningsen
Denver’s strong offseason continued with a good draft class. Oklahoma’s Nik Bonitto will add some athleticism and pass-rushing capabilities to the defense. UCLA’s Greg Dulcich is arguably the best TE in this draft. Think Dallas Clark in terms of getting open downfield and punishing smaller defenders. In fact, Dulcich should thrive with Russell Wilson under-center. We also love the selection of Washington center Luke Wattenberg in the sixth round. He’s got a chance to stick around the NFL for a long time.
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Philadelphia Eagles: A
Best Pick: Jordan Davis ; Worst Pick: Grant Calcaterra
Those pesky Eagles did it again. No GM in the NFL has a better understanding of other team’s draft boards than Howie Roseman. A year after leaping the Giants for DeVonta Smith, the Eagles jumped Baltimore to snag a player the Ravens highly-coveted. That player was Georgia defender Jordan Davis — by far the best interior defensive lineman prospect in the draft. Davis is a game-changing run stopper with uncanny athleticism for a player of his stature (6-foot-6, 340-pounds). While Davis will be an immediate contributor, Philly’s draft may hinge on the following two picks they made — C Cam Jurgens and LB Nakobe Dean. Jurgens is set to eventually become Jason Kelce’s replacement, and the Nebraska product was reportedly handpicked by the veteran center. Dean slipped all the way until the third round due to injury concerns. If he’s able to shake off any ailments, the Eagles will have grabbed an absolute steal in the Georgia LB.
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Baltimore Ravens: A
Best Pick: Kyle Hamilton ; Worst Pick: Jordan Stout
The Ravens hit this draft out of the ballpark. The most Ravensesque player — Kyle Hamilton — fell into their laps at No. 14. The jumbo safety out of Notre Dame is highly versatile, and totally fits the scheme employed by Baltimore’s defense. Tyler Linderbaum is as tough as nails, and will further fortify the offensive line. David Ojabo was a mid-first round talent taken in the second round. He could be a major steal once he fully recovers from an Achilles injury. With six fourth-round picks, Baltimore did terrifically well in filling some major needs depth-wise.
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Las Vegas Raiders: B+
Best Pick: Thayer Munford ; Worst Pick: Brittain Brown
Raider fans weren’t too disappointed about having to wait until pick No. 90 for their team to be on the clock. Of course, Vegas traded away their first two picks in the Davante Adams deal. The team was set to draft at No. 86, but opted to trade down with the Titans and recoup a few late-round picks. Between Vegas’ six picks, just three positions were targeted — offensive line, defensive tackle, and running back. The pair of offensive lineman will likely decide the impact of this draft from the Raiders. Memphis’ Dylan Parham could be a Day 1 starter at center while seventh-round Ohio State OT Thayer Munford could prove to be a steal. Given the news that the Raiders opted to decline Josh Jacobs’ fifth-year option, look out for Georgia RB Zamir White as a potential long-term replacement.
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Washington Commanders: B+
Best Pick: Sam Howell ; Worst Pick: Brian Robinson
After some rumblings of potentially taking a QB at No. 11, the Commanders opted to trade down five picks in a deal with the Saints. In the trade, Washington collected picks No. 98 and 120 which helped them reload following the Carson Wentz trade. With pick No. 16, Washington selected Penn State WR Jahan Dotson. Dotson had the best pair of hands in the pool and will instantly be one of the team’s best receiver options next to Terry McLaurin. After a picking up a pair of Alabama standouts in the second round — DT Phidarian Mathis and RB Brian Robinson — Washington enjoyed an eventful Day 3. With the first pick in the fifth round, Washington took QB Sam Howell, a gutsy gunslinger who could be an NFL starter one day. Five picks later, the Commanders made TE Cole Turner their pick. Turner — a 6-foot-6 converted-WR — could be an instant factor in the passing attack.
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Los Angeles Chargers: A
Best Pick: Zion Johnson ; Worst Pick: Isaiah Spiller
It was another strong draft from a Chargers team figuring to be in the hunt for a postseason berth this year. LA kicked off the festivities by selecting OL Zion Johnson with the No. 17 pick. Johnson figures to be a Day 1 starter for a Chargers offensive line tasked with protecting one of the best young QB’s in the league in Justin Herbert. It was a bit curious Los Angeles didn’t use any of their picks on a wideout, but you cannot argue with the value they got in the later rounds. Safety JT Woods was one of the most versatile defensive backs in the pool, and Georgia’s Jamaree Salyer could be a starting guard as a rookie.
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Tennessee Titans: B+
Best Pick: Malik Willis ; Worst Pick: Hassan Haskins
The Titans may have not had the best overall draft of any team, but they certainly had one of the most intriguing. Tennessee started off with a bang, trading 24-year-old Pro Bowl wideout A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles for a first-round pick. With pick No. 18, Tennessee selected Brown’s replacement in Arkansas WR Treylon Burks. At some point, Burks projects to be catching passes from Tennessee’s third-round pick, QB Malik Willis. The dual-threat from Liberty has the potential to be the draft’s biggest steal given his immense physical tools. A year of tutelage under Ryan Tannehill should do wonders for his development.
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Miami Dolphins: C
Best Pick: Channing Tindall ; Worst Pick: Erik Ezukanma
Miami attempted to make the best of its four draft selections following the massive haul it sent to Kansas City in the Tyreek Hill trade. The Dolphins managed to salvage some value despite their lack of resources. Their first selection was used on LB Channing Tindall. The Georgia defender is an explosive athlete who will find an early role defensively thanks to his 4.47 speed. Perhaps Miami’s most interesting pick came in the seventh-round with Kansas State QB Skylar Thompson. The selection of a mobile quarterback could indicate Miami’s full-fledged commitment to a zone-read offense. Thompson would be a viable backup in such an attack.
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Pittsburgh Steelers: B
Best Pick: George Pickens ; Worst Pick: Calvin Austin
Pittsburgh shocked everyone by making QB Kenny Pickett the first passer taken off the board. All of the talk leading up to the draft was about the Steelers’ perceived infatuation with Liberty QB Malik Willis. It turns out that Pickett was their guy, and he will have a chance to earn the starting role in a battle with Mitch Trubisky. The team did well in adding weapons for their potential franchise QB. George Pickens provided tremendous value at pick No. 52 as a physical wideout who frequently wins at the point of attack. Memphis WR Calvin Austin will be a speed threat who can be used in a multitude of ways. Adding these two options to an offense which already includes Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and Najee Harris is a surefire way to ensure Pickett will succeed in the long run.
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Kansas City Chiefs: A
Best Pick: Trent McDuffie ; Worst Pick: N/A
We love what Kansas City did with its first four picks. You knew the Chiefs were going to target the defensive side of the ball, and that’s exactly what they did with three of their first four picks. Trent McDuffie is one of the best cover corners in this draft. He’s super smart and has great ball skills. Safety Bryan Cook was extremely well-coached at Cincinnati, and should see time as a rookie. Defensive end George Karlaftis is known for bringing constant pressure off the edge. He plays with terrific energy, and profiles eerily similar to Jared Allen. Lastly, WR Skyy Moore helps to fill a WR need created with the loss of Tyreek Hill.
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Green Bay Packers: A
Best Pick: Christian Watson ; Worst Pick: Romeo Doubs
Green Bay accomplished two things with this draft: It got better defensively, and it provided Aaron Rodgers with a real weapon. Dipping into the ridiculous draft class from Georgia, the Packers struck in the first round with active LB Quay Walker and uber-talented DT Devonte Wyatt. Wyatt is a perfect fit next to All-Pro Kenny Clark, and Walker should walk into a starting spot immediately. From there, Christian Watson — a 6-foot-4 receiver with versatility and 4.3 speed — fell into their laps in the second round. In the third round, Green Bay nabbed a player with first-round ability in UCLA’s Sean Rhyan (who would’ve gone higher had Chip Kelly not played him out of position for three-straight years). We have to admit…the Packers did quite well in this draft.
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Buffalo Bills: A-
Best Pick: James Cook ; Worst Pick: Matt Araiza
Buffalo’s already-loaded roster got even better with two high-upside picks early in the draft. Kaiir Elam is a long corner with terrific physical traits. James Cook — the brother of Dalvin — was selected to bolster a somewhat underwhelming RB group. Don’t be surprised if he eventually becomes the starter there. When you’re a team as good as the Bills, and you nab at least two potential starters in the draft, you’ve got to feel good.
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Dallas Cowboys: D
Best Pick: Damone Clark ; Worst Pick: Sam Williams
Dallas made some curious moves within this draft. The Cowboys passed up taking a perfect Randy Gregory replacement in Jermaine Johnson. Instead, Tulsa OL Tyler Smith was taken to fill a need along the offensive line. He is a mauler in the run game, and likely will slot in at LG. At the same time, despite his enormous potential, he’s a bit raw — and has a strong propensity for committing penalties. Then in the second, Dallas did take a pass rusher from Ole Miss (Sam Williams). Williams has a great get-off from the edge as a rusher, though is rather limited in virtually all other categories. Many had a third-to-fourth round grade on him. Plus, he has a history of off-the-field issues — something we thought the Cowboys wanted to avoid going forward with their picks. Damone Clark was a solid pick later in the draft (despite his spine injury), and WR Jalen Tolbert does have some talent. However, this was a stinker of a draft for the Cowboys.
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Los Angeles Rams: B
Best Pick: Decobie Durant ; Worst Pick: N/A
The Rams traded away their first and second round picks for Matthew Stafford and Von Miller. It’s safe to say they would do both of those trades again. With their first selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, LA took Wisconsin interior lineman Logan Bruss with the No. 104 overall pick. CB Decobie Durant excels in the slot, and will be a viable replacement for the departing Darious Williams. It was interesting to see LA spend a mid-round pick on Notre Dame RB Kyren Williams. What Williams lacks in size he makes up for in vision, patience and balance. The diminutive runner could be LA’s lead back in due time.
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New York Jets: A
Best Pick: Jermaine Johnson ; Worst Pick: Breece Hall
We knew that the Jets would look to bolster their secondary one way or another, and they accomplished that in a big way by selecting Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner with the No. 4 pick. Gardner could potentially transform a defense that ranked dead last in the NFL last year. After securing a lockdown corner with their first pick, the Jets snagged an exciting pass catcher for their young quarterback. Garrett Wilson is a dynamic wideout who has all the tools to be one of the league’s best in short order. The Jets capped off their strong day by trading up to snag Jermaine Johnson (who was free-falling into the backend of the round). New York had considered taking Johnson at picks No. 4 and 10, so being able to select him at No. 26 provided enormous value. These aren’t the same ol’ Jets…this team had a plan and it executed it to a tee.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B
Best Pick: Luke Goedeke ; Worst Pick: N/A
It was another strong draft for a Buccaneers team that projects to be in the hunt for a Lombardi Trophy in 2023. Tampa Bay shrewdly traded out of the first round before picking up Houston’s Logan Hall. Hall has the versatility to play off the edge or kick inside, granting the Bucs even more flexibility on the defensive side of the ball. Tampa Bay used their next three picks to help out Tom Brady on the other side of the ball. Central Michigan’s Luke Goedeke will likely be a Day 1 starter, while RB Rachaad White and TE Cade Otton figure to make immediate impacts at their respective positions.
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San Francisco 49ers: B
Best Pick: Kaila Davis ; Worst Pick: Samuel Womack
The 49ers traded away their first-round pick to move up for Trey Lance last year. Though they were working with a deficit, San Francisco’s front office managed another successful draft class. It starts with second-round pick Drake Jackson, who boasts all of the physical tools of a potential game-breaking pass rusher. Their next two selections were a clear sign that the team isn’t so sure Deebo Samuel will be returning. The 49ers took LSU RB Tyrion David-Price (No. 93) and SMU WR Danny Gray (No. 105). David-Price is a prototypical 49ers back — powerful and decisive — while Gray adds a necessary speed element to the offense (ran a 4.33 at the NFL Combine).
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New England Patriots: F
Best Pick: Tyquan Thornton ; Worst Pick: Chasen Hines
While nobody will argue Bill Belichick’s impeccable resume as a coach, his track record as a drafter hasn’t been nearly as strong. This was one of the more peculiar drafts to date for the six-time Super Bowl champion. It started off in typical New England fashion, with a trade down before selecting a lesser-known prospect from a small school. The Patriots took guard Cole Strange from UT-Chattanooga with their first pick. While Strange projects to be a fine player, it’s New England’s complete disregard for draft value that has us concerned about the direction they are headed. Second-round pick Tyquan Thornton was another reach, and the Patriots traded a pick to move up for him. Belichick has proven us all wrong before, but this was one of his weakest drafts to date.
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Indianapolis Colts: B
Best Pick: Bernhard Raimann ; Worst Pick: Andrew Ogletree
Indianapolis continues to smartly build its roster in the wake of losing picks via the Carson Wentz trade. WR Alec Pierce out of Cincinnati is a freak athlete. He ran a 4.33 40 at 6-foot-3, 208 pounds. This deep speed should play up on the turf in Indy (as the Colts hope he’s the second coming of Jordy Nelson). Nick Cross is a thumping safety. Former tight end-turned-OT Bernhard Raimann has some very nice upside. Lastly, TE Jelani Woods is a potential big-time steal. The former quarterback is a very good athlete at 6-foot-7, 260 pounds.
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Cincinnati Bengals: B
Best Pick: Daxton Hill ; Worst Pick: Cordell Volson
Cincinnati needed to upgrade its secondary. Despite having only six picks, the Bengals did well to nab Daxton HIll and Cam Taylor-Britt. Hill was a dynamo for Michigan as a roaming safety. You could line him up in the slot, close to the line of scrimmage, and in a traditional two-deep look. His ability to close on ball carriers makes him highly intriguing. Taylor-Britt likely will be fighting for a starting spot from the jump as well.
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Minnesota Vikings: B+
Best Pick: Andrew Booth ; Worst Pick: Brian Asamoah
It was clear the Vikings needed a boost in the secondary, and the team wasted no time addressing that position. With their first two selections, Minnesota drafted Georgia safety Lewis Cine and Clemson corner Andrew Booth. Given the current state of the Vikings’ roster, both prospects project to be Day 1 starters for Ed Donatell’s defense. While the Vikings did a great job of filling their most obvious holes, making multiple trades with division rivals was a bit puzzling. Minnesota made deals with both the Lions and Packers, who in turn each drafted WR’s with the picks they acquired. The Vikings better hope Jameson Williams and Christian Watson don’t turn out to be studs.
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