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How a franchise approaches the NFL Draft can make or break its future outlook. The teams that whiff on their selections remain talent-starved, while those who maximize their opportunities add value through the cheapest and most-reliable means available. Those who did the best in April often see those results a couple of Decembers down the line, with NFL Playoffs and dreams of a championship still alive, a stark contrast from those who lament on what could have been a few springs ago.
Weighted Approximate Value (wAV) is a statistic concocted by Pro Football Reference founder Doug Drinen. It measures “the seasonal value of a player at any position from any year,” according to PFR. I used this metric to determine the worst NFL Draft teams of the last five years earlier this week, and now I’m enlisting it to uncover the opposite: the five-best NFL Draft teams of the last five years.
Of course, this isn’t the only way to evaluate how well a team drafted. If a franchise wins a lot and therefore has later picks, it should theoretically be picking worse players on the whole. If a franchise trades away draft picks for other assets and makes fewer selections, its total wAV amount will be impacted. There is nuance involved here.
Still, this stat is meaningful. Regardless of how a team manages its assets, it must still deal with the reality of drafts that don’t replenish the talent pool like they could. If you’re not adding high-value players through the draft, then you’re not having good drafts. Comparing wAV totals allows a snapshot into the sort of an impact a team’s last five draft classes have had on the league, and that’s an insight worth sharing.
5 Best NFL Draft Teams of the Last 5 Years
5: Dallas Cowboys – 375 wAV
The Cowboys have gotten some good mileage out of every draft in the last five years, with those classes collectively producing nine Pro Bowl-caliber seasons among them. Five of those came from the 2020 draftees, with CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs already earning the distinction twice each in their careers and fourth-round pick Tyler Biadasz responsible for the fifth.
But it was the 2018 group that produced the most wAV for Dallas. Leighton Vander Esch (first round), Michael Gallup (third round), Connor Williams (second round), Dorance Armstrong Jr. (fourth round), and Dalton Schultz (fourth round) have all excelled in roles for late Cowboys teams. Even sixth-rounder Cedrick Wilson Jr. has played in 53 games for the franchise. Dallas also acquired Micah Parsons with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and that’s already paid off to the tune of two First-Team All-Pro recognitions, a Defensive Rookie of the Year award, and 26.5 sacks.
Dallas has selected shrewdly in the past half-decade, and if its 20 prospects from the 2021 and 2022 drafts do as well as the classes that preceded them, then the Cowboys are likely to remain a playoff-caliber club.
4: San Francisco 49ers – 379 wAV
San Francisco has hit on a number of its picks from the last five years. Both the 2018 and 2019 drafts went well for the 49ers, with the team adding players such as Mike McGlinchey (2018 first round), Fred Warner (2018 third round), Nick Bosa (2019 first round), Deebo Samuel (2019 second round), and Dre Greenlaw (2019 fifth round) to their roster via those two drafts, among others. Combined, those two years make up 267 of the team’s 379 cumulative wAV from its last five draft classes.
In all, the 49ers have already had their recent draftees reach NFL First-Team All-Pro distinctions five times – two for Warner, one each for Bosa and Samuel, and another for 2021 fifth-round pick Talanoa Hufanga. San Francisco is also reaping rewards for its selection of Brandon Aiyuk late in 2020’s first round.
This franchise has done well with most of its picks dating back to 2018, and it’s a key reason why it has reached three of the last four NFC Championship Games. If San Francisco continues to draft this way, it should remain in the hunt in the NFC for years to come.
3: Buffalo Bills – 405 wAV
With the No. 7 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Bills selected Josh Allen. Given that the next QB off the board was Josh Rosen three picks later, I think we can say that Buffalo made a good decision. The three Pro Bowls that Allen has already earned also help make that statement safe, along with 138 passing touchdowns and more than 18,000 passing yards. Allen makes up 68 of the 405-total wAV that Buffalo draftees have accrued since the 2018 class.
Allen was the headliner, but that 2018 group was great all-around. Later in the first round, Buffalo added two-time Pro Bowler Tremaine Edmunds with the No. 16 pick. The Bills struck gold again in the fifth round, selecting two-time Pro Bowler Wyatt Teller with the No. 166 overall pick. Unfortunately for Buffalo, it shipped Teller out to Cleveland in 2019 along with a 2021 seventh-rounder in exchange for a 2020 fifth-rounder and 2020 sixth-rounder, accidentally accepting crumbs for a future offensive-line stalwart. But this list isn’t about how these franchises manage their assets after they draft them, so the Bills still get the credit.
Buffalo has received decent productions from a handful of its 2020 and 2021 selections as well. Six players from those drafts have become primary starters at their positions, including late-round gems Gabriel Davis (2020 fourth-rounder), Tyler Bass (2020 sixth-rounder), Dane Jackson (2020 seventh-rounder), and Damar Hamlin (2021 sixth-rounder). The Bills have found great value in the back stages of the draft, and it’s a big reason behind their accumulation of the NFL’s third-highest wAV among their draftees from the last five years.
2: Indianapolis Colts – 411 wAV
Indianapolis’s 2018 draft was absurd. Seven of its 11 picks from that year have produced a wAV of 10 or more, with the team’s first three picks from that draft, Quenton Nelson (55 wAV), Shaquille Leonard (56 wAV), and Braden Smith (32 wAV) leading the way. Nelson and Leonard have especially been impressive, both earning First-Team All-Pro selections thrice each. The Colts also added Nyheim Hines in the fourth round and two eventual primary starters in Zaire Franklin and Matthew Adams, who is now with the Bears, in the seventh round. Five years later, Indy’s 2018 class has amassed 220-total wAV, the second-most of any NFL team’s single draft class in the last half-decade.
The franchise’s other classes have produced some helpful players, too. The Colts got Bobby Okereke in 2019’s third round, and he’s been a primary starter at linebacker for them for four seasons. Michael Pittman Jr. and Jonathan Taylor, both found in the 2020 second round, have made huge impacts since their introductions. Kwity Paye, the team’s first-round pick in 2021, has been a primary starter in both of his pro seasons and stacked 10.0 sacks so far.
The draftees from 2018 are why Indianapolis is second on this list, but it’s not the only reason why this franchise occupies an above-average spot. Outside of 2018, the Colts have still generally added value with their top picks, and 2020 was a good year for them as well. But unless something drastic happens this season, you probably wouldn’t see Indianapolis in the top five again next year with 2018 no longer fitting into the five-year time window.
1: Baltimore Ravens – 481 wAV
The only class that has a higher wAV than the 2018 Indianapolis one is what the Ravens wrangled that same year.
The players Baltimore drafted in 2018 have put together 263-total wAV, the most among all of the league’s individual team draft classes in the previous five years. Its 20-seasons worth of primary starters is second among all NFL draft classes in that span, too. Lamar Jackson is the biggest name and wAV contributor to come out of that draft for Baltimore, with the late first-round pick becoming one of the most explosive players in the NFL and racking up 69 wAV so far in his career. Third-rounder Orlando Brown Jr. (52 wAV), third-rounder Mark Andrews (39 wAV), and sixth-rounder Bradley Bozeman (27 wAV) were the next-biggest hits in the group.
The Ravens had a good 2020, too. Their first five picks from that draft all have double-digit wAV totals, with the No. 28 overall pick Patrick Queen leading the way at 26 wAV. Hitting on late first-round picks has been a theme for Baltimore the last handful of years, with the franchise scooping up Jackson, Queen, and Marquise Brown (No. 25 overall in 2019) all in that period of the draft. The team’s drafts have not translated to deep playoff runs in the last five years, but they have been an element that explains Baltimore’s ability to qualify for four of the last five NFL Playoffs and regularly remain among the top-half of the league.
The 481 wAV that the Ravens’ draft picks from 2018 until now have gathered is a testament to just how well this franchise has done on draft day. Baltimore is the NFL’s best drafting team of the last five years.
NFL FAQs
How do you play football survival pool?
Players pick one team each week they think will win the game outright. They may only pick a team ONCE per season, meaning you can't pick the same team twice in one season. If their pick is correct, the player survives another week and continues to play. An incorrect pick eliminates the player from the contest entirely. This is sometimes called an elimination or suicide pool. The last person standing wins.
How to make a football pool?
A football pool generally requires the creation of a shareable spreadsheet (like Google Sheets) so that members may pick teams. Then depending on the game type, creators must use several kinds of formulas (e.g. CountIF), data validation, and conditional formatting. Or, you can just use football pool hosting service like RunYourPool where we do all the work for you!
How to run a weekly football pool?
In order to run a football pool, you must first crown yourself as Pool Commissioner. Begin by picking a game type like Survivor or Pick'Em. You'll want to establish rules before inviting friends, family, and colleagues to join. As commissioner, you make the rules and also need to enforce them equally and fairly.
What is a football survivor pool?
In a Football Survivor Pool, players choose one team weekly they think will win. Usually, a team can be picked one time per season. Picks are made "straight up," no spreads necessary. If a pick is correct, members survive another week. An incorrect pick eliminates the player, unless a mulligan is used.
How does a football pool work?
Football pools are games of skill played among a group of people. There are a variety of pool types to fit every players needs, from casual to competitive. Pool commissioners can set up pools manually, or use a hosting service like RunYourPool whiel still customizing your own settings. Some examples include NFL Squares, NFL Survivor, NFL Pick 'Em, and Playoff Brackets.
What is an NFL pickem pool?
In an NFL pick’em pool, simply pick the outcome of each NFL game throughout the season. You can pick straight up winners or losers, or pick each game against the spread.
How to play a football pool?
The way one plays a football pool varies on the game type. For example, in Survivor, you pick one team to win each week and can't pick that team again. Guess wrong and you lose. Another example is Pick'em Pools in which you simply pick every game each week.
How does a fantasy football pool work?
Fantasy football pools don’t involve a traditional fantasy football draft. You can have as many members in your pool as you’d like, meaning no more 12 or 14 team limits! You pick a new lineup of players each week, and once you use a player once, you can’t use them again for the rest of the season.
What is a fantasy football pool?
A fantasy football pool is similar to a traditional fantasy football league but without the draft. Pick a new lineup each week, and once you use a player, you can’t use them for the rest of the season. Your players will receive points based on their in-game stats, and the member with the most points at the end of the season is the winner.
What is a football pool?
"Football Pool" is a broad term for a group of people competitively guessing the outcome of one or more football games. There are many types of formats, each assigning winners differently. They can be played informally between friends or through a more formalized system. They are often considered a great alternative to fantasy football given the ease of playing, although there are fantasy football pools as well.
How do football pool squares work?
There are different kinds of football square pools. Most have a 10x10 grid with one team for the rows and columns. In an attempt to win, participants select a square where they believe the last digit number of each team's score will intersect at the end of each quarter, and the game's end.
How do you play football squares pools?
To play a football squares pool, you're going to want to pick the squares with the best odds. As winners are determined by the point totals at the end of each quarter, try to consider options where scores are most common. Some of the most popular squares include 7-3, 7-0, 7-7, and 0-0. Numbers divisible by seven are good starting points.
How many squares in a football pool?
In a traditional football squares pool, a grid is sectioned off into 100 squares with 10 columns and 10 rows. This accounts for a direct relationship between each possible digit from 0 to 9 on both the X and Y axis. For smaller square grids like 5x5, multiple numbers can be assigned to each column and row.
How to play squares football pools?
Football squares are played by creating a grid, in which Team 1 takes the column and Team 2 the rows. In some cases, participants may claim as many squares as they like. In others, commissioners limit them to one. At the quarter times and end of the game, the winner is decided at the point the scores final digit intersect.
What is a football squares pool?
Also called Grid, Block, or Box Pools, Football Squares Pools can be played with any single game, but are most popular during the Super Bowl. Pool members claim squares on a 25, 50, or 100-square grid by putting their information in the square. Game scores are matched to the winning square(s), usually with winners being determined every quarter.
How to read a football pool sheet?
In Squares formats, football pool sheets include a grid, where one team is the column and one is the row. Winners are determined at the end of each quarter when the last number in the team’s score (on each side) is matched to the numbers on the grid, and the intersecting square wins.
How do you play football credits pool?
In the credits format, all players start with the same number of credits. Players make picks each week by risking a certain number of credits on games, assigning more credits to the picks with a higher confidence level. Members receive double the credits risked for each win. The member with the most credits at the end of the season wins.
What is a football credits pool?
In Football Credits Pools, players start with the same number of credits. They then make picks each week by risking a number of credits on games, assigning more to the picks they have more confidence in getting right. Members double credits risked for each win. The member with the highest credits at the end of the season wins.
How to run a football pool?
How you decide to run a football pool varies greatly depending on the game type. In each case, however, you'll want to determine the rules and settings before you begin inviting members to join you. You'll want to clearly establish how score will be kept, how tiebreakers work, and how winners are decided before anything else.
How do you play football confidence pool?
A football confidence pool is played straight up, not with a point spread. Not only do members pick the winning teams, they must back up their picks by giving them a relative confidence ranking. Your score reflects the number of confidence points given to winning teams. So if your confidence for a team winning is '1', then you can only win one point at most. If your confidence for a team winning is '5', then you can win five points for a win. The member with the most credits at the end wins.
What is a football confidence pool?
"Football Confidence Pool" refers to how you rank the teams that you think will win each week. For example, in the NFL, there are often 16 games weekly. In this scenario, you would rank each game from 16 to 1, based on the your confidence in that team winning.
How do you play football margin pool?
Margin pools are an NFL pool format that rewards members for picking a winning team each week. Pool commissioners can decide whether they award points equal to a winning teams margin of victory or the point spread for that game. When a commissioner chooses the point spread option, this format is often referred to as an NFL Underdog Pool.
What is a football margin pool?
In a Football Margin Pool, you are awarded points for picking a winning team. Pool commissioners get to decide whether they award points equal to a winning teams margin of victory or the point spread for that game. The player with the most points at the end of the season wins.
How do you play football 33 point pool?
The football 33 pool format is a casual pool where members are each assigned an NFL team (these pools are 32 members max, as there are 32 NFL teams). Members win when their team scores 33 points. Options for changing the target score, or having the closest to the target win each week is also available.
What is a football 33 point pool?
In the football 33 pool format, each member is assigned a unique NFL team (32 members max). A member will win when their team scores 33 points. This is a casual pool where you can change the target score or the option to have the closest to the target that week win.
How to run a weekly football pool?
In order to run a football pool, you must first crown yourself as Pool Commissioner. Begin by picking a game type like Survivor or Pick'Em. You'll want to establish rules before inviting friends, family, and colleagues to join. As commissioner, you make the rules and also need to enforce them equally and fairly.
What is an NFL Playoff bracket pool?
NFL Playoff Bracket pools are simple NFL pool formats where members pick every round of the playoffs before they start in an attempt to predict every match up correctly. It's optional to configure a multiplier for each round, or add a tiebreaker option of total points in the Super Bowl.
How to make a football pool?
A football pool generally requires the creation of a shareable spreadsheet (like Google Sheets) so that members may pick teams. Then depending on the game type, creators must use several kinds of formulas (e.g. CountIF), data validation, and conditional formatting. Or, you can just use football pool hosting service like RunYourPool where we do all the work for you!
How to set up a football pool?
To set up a football pool, you'll need to first choose a pool type like Survivor or Pick'em. Then, you'll need to set the ground rules. As pool commissioner, you'll enforce these rules and make sure the game runs smoothly throughout the season. Many commissioners use pool hosting sites like RunYourPool to make it easier and more engaging.
What is a football power ranking playoff pool?
In a power ranking playoff pool, members rank all 12 NFL teams competing in the playoffs from strongest (12 points) to weakest (1 point). Picks are made only ONCE before any games begin. Members are awarded the number of points assigned to a team when they win. Commissioners can optionally set up a point multiplier for each playoff round.
What is a football confidence pool?
"Football Confidence Pool" refers to how you rank the teams that you think will win each week. For example, in the NFL, there are often 16 games weekly. In this scenario, you would rank each game from 16 to 1, based on the your confidence in that team winning. This is similar to the Playoff Pool Power Ranking, just less teams.
How to run a football pool?
How you decide to run a football pool varies greatly depending on the game type. In each case, however, you'll want to determine the rules and settings before you begin inviting members to join you. You'll want to clearly establish how score will be kept, how tiebreakers work, and how winners are decided before anything else.
What is a football playoff precision pool?
In a playoff precision pool, members attempt to pick the winner of every playoff game each week. You can decide if it’s straight up or on a point spread picks, but point totals are also added. Points are awarded for correct picks AND for how close to the correct combined point total they were.
How to read a football pool sheet?
In Squares formats, football pool sheets include a grid, where one team is the column and one is the row. Winners are determined at the end of each quarter when the last number in the team’s score (on each side) is matched to the numbers on the grid, and the intersecting square wins.
What is a Super Bowl Prop Bets Pool?
A Super Bowl Prop Bet Pool is a fun and thrilling way to compete against friends and family during the big game! It's a simple questionaire of prop betting questions revolving around the Super Bowl, and whoever earns the most points based off correct answers wins!
How does a Super Bowl Prop Bets Pool work?
Pool members simply fill out a wide range of prop questions, each question worth a different value. Commissioners decide on the point value for each question, along with the amount of questions. Whichever member earns the most points based on corret answers wins the pool.
What is a football Super Bowl Squares pool?
Also called Grid, Block, or Box Pools, Football Squares Pools can be played with any single game, but are most popular during the Super Bowl. Pool members claim squares on a 25, 50, or 100-square grid by putting their information in the square. Game scores are matched to the winning square(s), usually with winners being determined every quarter.
What is a prop bet?
Prop bets are any sort of pick or wager on a game that has nothing to do with the score or the final score outcome. Props can range from game types, to team types and even player types - such as who will score the game's first and last touchdowns? Other props, such as novelty or exotic, feature bets on things such as the coin flip or the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
How to read a football pool sheet?
In Squares formats, football pool sheets include a grid, where one team is the column and one is the row. Winners are determined at the end of each quarter when the last number in the team’s score (on each side) is matched to the numbers on the grid, and the intersecting square wins.
