The first day of the NFL Draft lived up to the hype. Possible QB1 Shedeur Sanders fell out of the first round entirely, while surprising picks popped up all evening. Between trade-ups and teams jumping back into Round 1, it was a wild night.
But out of all 32 teams, a couple had rough outings on April 24. Here are the two that earned the lowest grade from PFSN for their Round 1 performance.
Atlanta Falcons – James Pearce Jr., EDGE | Tennessee
The Falcons trading back into the first round was always going to stir debate, especially after last year’s drama around their pick of Michael Penix Jr. This time, it was Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. drawing criticism.
PFSN gave the Falcons credit for attacking the edge rusher spot, but the end result wasn’t great in their eyes, earning Atlanta a C grade. They liked the addition of Jalon Walker, but giving up assets to move back in for Pearce may not have been worth it.
“Outside of the pass-rush phase, however, and even within it, there are concerns. Pearce doesn’t have an elite bend component; his proportional length is closer to average than elite, and he’s lighter than preferred. His run-defense utility is minimal, and an EDGE duo of Walker and Pearce could be washed out more often than not.”
That doesn’t mean the pick was all bad. “Next to Abdul Carter, Pearce’s first-step explosiveness is the most dynamic in the class. Combined with that burst, he has elite agility and twitch, and he can channel speed-to-power with his explosiveness and length.”
Still, concerns about coachability, the availability of Mike Green at that spot, and the cost of a 2026 first-round pick make this move look like an unnecessary gamble.
Miami Dolphins – Kenneth Grant, DT | Michigan
In one of the night’s biggest surprises, the Dolphins addressed the defensive line instead of adding protection for Tua Tagovailoa, selecting Michigan’s Kenneth Grant. While Grant could turn into a disruptive force inside, Miami had more obvious needs, earning them another C grade.
“As a complete NFL player, Grant still has some development to undergo, as down-to-down consistency and conditioning can sometimes be an issue.” And with other more NFL-ready players still on the board, the pick felt like a reach for a team hoping to contend.
“On the draft board, in a very deep DT class with multiple nose tackle candidates, this was a reach.” But there’s still upside here. “Grant is a unique player in that he fills a specific niche very well in theory.
“At 6’3”, 330 pounds, he’s a block of rock on the interior, with ‘dancing bear’ athleticism and agility both in the pass-rush phase and in recovery as a run defender.”
Still, passing on pass protection for Tagovailoa — like Josh Simmons, Grey Zabel, Josh Conerly Jr., or Donovan Jackson, all tackles who went after — might come back to haunt them.