Caleb Harris
In March, shortly after the first wave of free agency, CBSSports.com explored how much and how little draft capital was controlled by each team. Using SportsLine’s RJ White trade value chart, we ranked teams based on accumulated value of each team’s choices.
It’s time to remember how the teams used this initial capital and what they were able to accomplish strategically.
Top five
1,364.16 points on March 13 (entered draft with four picks)
- QB Caleb Williams, USC (Round 1, No. 1 overall)
- WR Rome Odunze, Washington (Round 1, No. 9 overall)
- OT Kiran Amegadjie, Yale (Round 3, No. 75 overall)
- P Tory Taylor, Iowa (Round 4, No. 122 overall)
- EDGE Austin Booker, Kansas (Round 5, No. 144 overall)
Chicago finished the draft with 1,375.69 total points after adding the No. 144 overall selection in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick. The Bears took advantage of future assets to add developing pass rusher Austin Booker. The organization’s plan was simple, adding pieces to the offense in support of new rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
1,236.73 points on March 13 (entered the draft with nine picks)
- QB Jayden Daniels, LSU (Round 1, No. 2 overall)
- DT Johnny Newton, Illinois (Round 2, No. 36 overall)
- CB Mike Sainristil, Michigan (Round 2, No. 50 overall)
- TE Ben Sinnott, Kansas State (Round 2, No. 53 overall)
- OT Brandon Coleman, TCU (Round 3, No. 67 overall)
- WR Luke McCaffrey, Rice (Round 3, No. 100 overall)
- LB Jordan Magee, Temple (Round 5, No. 139 overall)
- S Dominique Hampton, Washington (5th round, #161 overall)
- EDGE Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Notre Dame (Round 7, No. 222 overall)
Washington bounced back from No. 40 overall, but gained No. 50 and No. 53 overall in the process. Ultimately, the Commanders scored 1,250.62 points. The draft results were a scatter plot, hitting nine different positions with their nine selections. In a separate columnexplored what new general manager Adam Peters accomplished in his first draft.
1,149.57 points on March 13 (entered the draft with 11 picks)
- WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State (Round 1, No. 4 overall)
- EDGE Darius Robinson, Missouri (Round 1, No. 27 overall)
- CB Max Melton, Rutgers (Round 2, No. 43 overall)
- RB Trey Benson, Florida State (Round 3, No. 66 overall)
- OL Isaiah Adams, Illinois (Round 3, No. 71 overall)
- TE Tip Reiman, Illinois (Round 3, No. 82 overall)
- CB Elijah Jones, Boston College (Round 3, No. 90 overall)
- S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Texas Tech (Round 4, No. 104 overall)
- EDGE Xavier Thomas, Clemson (Round 5, No. 138 overall)
- OT Christian Jones, Texas (Round 5, No. 162 overall)
- WR Tejhaun Palmer, UAB (Round 6, No. 191 overall)
- CB Jaden Davis, Miami (Florida) (Round 7, No. 226 overall)
It would have been wise to bet that Arizona wouldn’t make all 11 selections, but it made even more. The Cardinals traded up twice and got an additional sixth-round pick. Switching from 35th overall allowed them to add another selection in the top 100 overall. The team scored 1,169.47 points in value. Eight positions were addressed as the team doubled down on premium positions such as edge rusher, wide receiver and cornerback.
935.25 points on March 13 (entered the draft with eight picks)
- QB Drake Maye, North Carolina (Round 1, No. 3 overall)
- WR Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington (Round 2, No. 37 overall)
- OT Caedan Wallace, Penn State (Round 3, No. 68 overall)
- OG Layden Robinson, Texas A&M (Round 4, No. 103 overall)
- WR Javon Baker, UCF (Round 4, No. 110 overall)
- CB Marcellas Dial, South Carolina (Round 6, No. 180 overall)
- QB Joe Milton III, Tennessee (Round 6, No. 193 overall)
- TE Jaheim Bell, Florida State (7th round, No. 231 overall)
New England traded three spots in the second round and the difference was negligible. The Patriots had eight picks worth 934.74 points. Seven of New England’s eight selections, including the top five, were used on the offensive side of the ball to help quarterbacks Drake Maye and Jacoby Brissett.
803.20 on March 13 (entered draft with nine picks)
- OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame (Round 1, No. 5 overall)
- WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia (Round 2, No. 34 overall)
- LB Junior Colson, Michigan (Round 3, No. 69 overall)
- DT Justin Eboigbe, Alabama (Round 4, No. 105 overall)
- CB Tarheeb Still, Maryland (Round 5, No. 137 overall)
- CB Cam Hart, Notre Dame (Round 5, No. 140 overall)
- RB Kimani Vidal, Troy (Round 6, No. 181 overall)
- WR Brenden Rice, USC (Round 7, No. 225 overall)
- WR Cornelius Johnson, Michigan (Round 7, No. 253 overall)
Outside of offensive tackle Joe Alt and defensive tackle Justin Eboigbe, Los Angeles’ draft class was pretty flashy. Five of the team’s nine draft picks were used at the cornerback and wide receiver positions as the Chargers look to rebuild both units. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are no longer around to make plays in this offense. New general manager Joe Hortiz made just one trade: He moved up three spots to 34th overall. The final point total was 803.72.
Last five
334.65 points on March 13 (entered the draft with six picks)
- EDGE Chop Robinson, Penn State (Round 1, No. 21 overall)
- OT Patrick Paul, Houston (Round 2, No. 55 overall)
- RB Jaylen Wright, Tennessee (Round 4, No. 120 overall)
- EDGE Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State (Round 5, No. 158 overall)
- WR Malik Washington, Virginia (Round 6, No. 184 overall)
- S Patrick McMorris, California (Round 6, No. 198 overall)
- WR Tahj Washington, USC (Round 7, No. 241 overall)
Miami racked up points throughout the weekend, but it wasn’t as impressive as it might seem. A 2025 third-round pick was collateral damage in a trade with the Eagles, as the Dolphins took sole possession of the No. 120 overall selection, which was worn by Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright. This suggests the franchise has big plans for Wright, though the vision may be short-sighted as next year’s running back class looks even stronger. The franchise had 353.29 total points.
332.90 points on March 13 (entered the draft with 11 picks)
- WR Keon Coleman, Florida State (Round 2, No. 33 overall)
- S Cole Bishop, Utah (Round 2, No. 60 overall)
- DT DeWayne Carter, Duke (Round 3, No. 95 overall)
- RB Ray Davis, Kentucky (Round 4, No. 128 overall)
- C Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Georgia (5th round, 141st overall)
- LB Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington (Round 5, No. 160 overall)
- EDGE Javon Solomon, Troy (Round 5, No. 168 overall)
- OT Tylan Grable, UCF (Round 6, No. 204 overall)
- CB Daequan Hardy, Penn State (Round 6, No. 219 overall)
- OL Travis Clayton, England (7th round, 221st overall)
Buffalo’s draft strategy was similar to Chris Berman’s call to MLB All-Star Home Run Derby – back, back, back. The Bills traded up three times and sent a fifth-round pick to the Bears in exchange for a fourth-round selection in 2025. They were wide receiver traders, allowing two other teams to take players at the position before taking them 33rd overall . General manager Brandon Beane finished with 328.44 points of value, plus the pick in next year’s draft.
309.27 points on March 13 (entered the draft with seven picks)
- WR Xavier Worthy, Texas (Round 1, No. 28 overall)
- OT Kingsley Suamataia, BYU (Round 2, No. 63 overall)
- TE Jared Wiley, TCU (Round 4, No. 131 overall)
- S Jaden Hicks, Washington State (Round 4, No. 133 overall)
- C Hunter Nourzad, Penn State (Round 5, No. 159 overall)
- CB Kamal Hadden, Tennessee (Round 6, No. 211 overall)
- OG CJ Hanson, Holy Cross (Round 7, No. 248 overall)
Kansas City traded each of its two early draft picks to select specific players. None of the trades were lopsided, however, as the Chiefs had as many points (309.27) as they had nearly two months earlier.
296.74 picks on March 13 (entered draft with eight picks)
- CB Kamari Lassiter, Georgia (2nd round, 42nd overall)
- OT Blake Fisher, Notre Dame (Round 2, No. 59 overall)
- S Calen Bullock, USC (Round 3, No. 78 overall)
- TE Cade Stover, Ohio State (Round 4, No. 123 overall)
- LB Jamal Hill, Oregon (Round 6, No. 188 overall)
- RB Jawhar Jordan, Louisville (Round 6, No. 205 overall)
- EDGE Solomon Byrd, USC (Round 7, No. 238 overall)
- DT Marcus Harris, Auburn (Round 7, No. 247 overall)
- OG LaDarius Henderson, Michigan (Round 7, No. 249 overall)
Houston gained a selection but lost less than two points in value. The Texans traded up twice and traded back once before securing a monopoly on seventh-round selections. Three of the final 19 picks belonged to the defending AFC South champions.
153.37 points on March 13 (entered the draft with five picks)
- DT Michael Hall Jr., Ohio State (Round 2, No. 54 overall)
- OG Zak Zinter, Michigan (Round 3, No. 85 overall)
- WR Jamari Thrash, Louisville (Round 5, No. 156 overall)
- LB Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State (Round 6, No. 206 overall)
- CB Myles Harden, South Dakota (Round 7, No. 227 overall)
- DT Jowon Briggs, Cincinnati (Round 7, No. 243 overall)
Cleveland didn’t make any trades throughout the draft, but sent reserve forward Leroy Watson to the Titans weeks earlier in exchange for a seventh-round selection, which became Myles Harden. The Browns took Michael Hall Jr. and Zak Zinter on Day 2 of the NFL Draft as they look to get younger and cheaper in these positions. The final score value was 155.60.
