2011 NFL Draft Grades
Giving out these grades is always weird because no one really knows how some of these players will pan out. A few years ago, I could’ve told you that the Texans passing on Vince Young was a horrible idea because they needed a quarterback and he was a hometown hero. Fast forward five or six years and the Texans have a pretty good defense, led by Mario Williams. That being said, I can only comment on what I know in the moment and as of right now, this is what I think.
Arizona Cardinals – The Cards needed a quarterback as much as anyone in the NFL and didn’t take one. I like what they did at running back even though they already had two quality guys at the position but they did get some talent in Ryan Williams. It still remains to be seen how much playing time he’ll actually get. Grade: B
Atlanta Falcons – They traded a lot to get Julio Jones but it would take a lot to get a player of his talents. While I like what they did in the third and fifth rounds by taking Akeem Dent and Jacquizz Rodgers they didn’t address their needs at cornerback and tight end. With Tony Gonzalez moving toward the twilight of his career, they should have looked to bring someone in. Grade: C-
Baltimore Ravens – I like what they did in the draft. They always go into the draft knowing what they’re going to do, getting the guys they want and getting the best available player that fits into their system. Thats why Ozzie Newsome continues to be one of my favorite front office guys. Jimmy Smith is extremely versatile and has the ability to play both cornerback and safety, they brought in some talent at wide receiver, a position they lacked depth in, and they took Tyrod Taylor who can give them depth at quarterback. Grade: A
Buffalo Bills – I say this every single year. If you have an opportunity to take a guy that can be a franchise quarterback, you take it. Quarterbacks can save franchises and save jobs. Look at last year’s Rams. They finished with the worst record the prior season, drafted Sam Bradford and were in the playoff hunt right down to the last few weeks of the season. The Bills didn’t address their needs at quarterback. That being said, I think they addressed their defensive needs and got a lot of talent on that side of the ball. Grade: B-
Carolina Panthers – The Panthers did everything they needed to do. They filled a lot of positions of need and brought the best possible college football player they could get. Cam Newton scares me because as great as he was last year, you never know what can happen once he takes an NFL snap. But there’s a saying. “Scared money don’t make money.” And you can’t be afraid to hit a home run with a guy like him. Grade: A
Chicago Bears – I can’t knock them too much because they didn’t have much to work with. They got a talented player in Stephen Paea in the second round. As long as he’s healthy, he’ll be productive. They could’ve taken a wide receiver and need help at safety but again, they only had five picks to work with. Grade: B-
Cincinnati Bengals – These guys are looking to rebuild and their first two picks were indicative of that. AJ Green and Andy Dalton could be the replacements for Chad Ochocinco and Carson Palmer. I also like the selection of Ryan Whalen out of Stanford. Grade: B+
Cleveland Browns – I’ll be honest. I wasn’t too impressed with what they did in the draft. They got a few guys that could pan out but its hard to tell this early. I think they got a steal with Greg Little, who slipped in the draft because of his NCAA suspension. Grade: C+
Dallas Cowboys – Their biggest concern coming into the draft was offensive line and as much as it pains me to say it, they got some decent guys to plug into the line. My favorite pick was taking DeMarco Murray in the third round. How he fell that far is beyond me. Grade: B+
Denver Broncos – They got some quality athletes in the draft even though I thought they should have taken a interior defensive lineman rather than go with Von Miller. Also, John Fox probably had it in his head that he’d try to sign a running back via free agency rather than draft one but I still would have liked to see them take someone in the draft. I thought they got excellent value very late in Jeremy Beal. And anytime a team takes a player from the U, I’m happy. Grade: A
Detroit Lions – People are going to call me crazy but I think the Lions will be a force in the NFL very soon. Its amazing how things can turn around with a better general manager. Working with only five picks, they still could’ve taken a cornerback and safety but drafting guy like Nick Fairley to put beside Suh makes that defensive line scary. They also drafted an offensive lineman to help protect Matthew Stafford, which can go a long way in their development as a team. Grade: B
Green Bay Packers – The defending champions had a great draft. They filled every questionable position on the roster, they got a lot of talent and added depth to an already explosive team. Watch out for Alex Green. He WILL play. Grade: A
Houston Texans – I was extremely disappointed in what the Texans did in the draft. They had eight picks and still managed to not take a linebacker or safety, two positions of need. They took some questionable guys late in the draft and I get the feeling that after taking decent players in the first four rounds, they took their foot off the gas and coasted the rest of the way. Its reasons like this that will keep them behind the Colts in the AFC South. Grade: C (They got extra points for drafting a Miami guy)
Indianapolis Colts – With only five picks to work with, they didn’t address their needs in the secondary, but they did make moves to protect the team’s most important player in Peyton Manning. They also added some depth to their backfield. If I were a Colts fan, I wouldn’t be concerned. Grade: B+
Jacksonville Jaguars – They really shocked me by taking Blaine Gabbert in the first round. I didn’t think quarterback was even on their radar. That tells people that they’re ready to move on from David Garrard and this kid is the future. Unfortunately they didn’t do much else in the draft, leaving several holes open on all three levels of the defense. Grade: C
Kansas City Chiefs – Here’s another example of good drafting. Acquiring quality talent at every position of need while adding depth to positions where you’re already strong. Adding Jon Baldwin helps them stretch the field. I love the Justin Houston pick in the third round followed by Allen Bailey (another Miami Hurricane) a few picks later. I don’t know how well Ricky Stanzi will develop but I did like him in college. Grade: A-
Miami Dolphins – They didn’t pull the trigger on a quarterback and didn’t wow anyone with their picks on defense either. I think that Mike Pouncey is a solid selection in the first round but clearly this wasn’t a war room that Bill Parcells ran and its very evident. Grade: C-
Minnesota Vikings – I’m still in shock. I understand why they took Christian Ponder but he’s not a first round pick. At least not in the top 20. They could have traded down, acquired more picks and still drafted him later in the round. Still, he has all the ability to be an NFL quarterback even he has a weak arm and some health issues. Taking Kyle Rudolph in the second round is a solid pick because a lot of scouts had him as a first rounder. Grade: B
New England Patriots – I’m not going to say the Pats had a bad draft, but they could have bolstered their defensive line and receiving corps. Still, I like their first five picks a lot. Their backfield is a lot better than it was before the draft and I love Ryan Mallett as a backup quarterback in this system.
New Orleans Saints – The Saints did a good job of adding some depth to their roster even though they didn’t address their needs at secondary or offensive line. I like the idea of taking a chance on Mark Ingram. He comes from a good football pedigree and having two former Heisman Trophy winners in the same backfield is interesting. Grade: B
New York Giants – Before I continue, I will admit to being a little biased. As a Giants fan I do see everything through rose colored glasses. However, I’ll try my best to be fair. That being said, I think they had a great draft. They addressed all their needs and added to their strengths. Prince Amukamara coming into the draft was the second best cornerback available and no one thought he’d be on the board at 19 so he’s a steal for them. If they got a steal in the first round then Marvin Austin in the second round is absolute armed robbery. This is a guy who was supposed to be a top 10 pick before his suspension landing in the second round. Jerrel Jernigan will contribute right away in special teams, James Brewer will help them along the offensive line right away, Greg Jones is an absolute monster at linebacker and Da’Rel Scott will get an opportunity to play if they lose either Ahmad Bradshaw or Brandon Jacobs. Jerry Reese always manages to draft guys that can play right away. Grade: A
New York Jets – I don’t love what they did in the draft at all. Muhammad Wilkerson is a solid pick but they didn’t address their needs at linebacker, safety or offensive line. I like that they brought in receivers in case Santonio Holmes leaves via free agency and I realize that they didn’t have a second round pick but I think they could/should have acquired one in a trade. Grade: B-
Oakland Raiders – I’m not going to kill the Raiders too much. They do that enough on their own. They could have taken a quarterback, if even as a backup, but they seem content with Jason Campbell. They will likely lose Nnamdi Asomugha to free agency and they brought in a Miami guy in Demarcus Van Dyke who could be a pretty good player if he can work on his technique rather than rely on his speed. They get extra points for taking two Miami guys. Grade: B
Philadelphia Eagles – With 11 picks, I thought they would have done a better job of addressing their needs along the defensive line. Still, they did a good job and added a lot of explosive talent. They took more than a few linebackers, which is indicative of what they thought of their linebacking corps last season. My favorite pick of theirs was Dion Lewis. Think of him as LeSean McCoy 2.0. Grade: B+
Pittsburgh Steelers – After last season, the Steelers were exposed a little. They didn’t look at healthy and they didn’t look as deep. They didn’t address their needs much in the secondary, especially at safety but they brought in some talent at cornerback, which I felt was a more pressing need. Cameron Heyward is a solid pick for them. He’s got great instincts and plays through the whistle, just the way the Steelers play. Grade: A-
San Diego Chargers – With their fair share of potential free agency departures, I thought they did a good job of bringing some guys in. Getting a talent like Jordan Todman is a little questionable because they just drafted Ryan Matthews last year. The pick shouldn’t suggest anything, I just find it interesting. I loved all their picks, especially Jonas Mouton and Shareece Wright. The future of this defense looks bright. Grade: B+
San Francisco 49ers – They confused with their first round pick. I thought Jim Harbaugh was going to take a page out of his brother’s playbook and draft a quarterback to change the culture of the team a bit. I also thought that Aldon Smith was taken too high. I was never a huge fan of Colin Kaepernick but there’s no reason he can’t be a decent backup. I like the selection of Ronald Johnson. I didn’t realize he was as small as he is, which shows what kind of player he is. Grade: C+
Seattle Seahawks – For the second year in a row, they didn’t address their need for a quarterback of the future. They didn’t blow anyone away with their picks but they grabbed some solid players that should help contribute down the road, especially along the offensive line. Kris Durham will surprise people. His talents were overshadowed because he played with AJ Green but the kid can ball. Grade: C
St. Louis Rams – They didn’t draft a quality backup for Stephen Jackson and that may be a problem because he’s been quite a workhorse for a few years now. I like what they did at wide receiver and tight end so Sam Bradford will have some quality targets to throw to. Obviously their best pick was Robert Quinn. He’s a very good defensive end and other teams in the NFC West should be afraid of that defensive line now with Quinn, Chris Long and Adam Carriker. Grade: B-
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – I didn’t like what they did in the first round but they followed it up with a great pick in the second round. Da’Quan Bowers is a great player. Its unfortunate that a knee injury made people forget that. Their backfield will be very good with Blount coming back and Allen Bradford coming into camp. Grade: B
Tennessee Titans – Once again, they get a bump for taking a Miami guy in Colin McCarthy but lose points for taking Jake Locker so high. I won’t say he isn’t a first round pick but he’s certainly not a top ten pick, especially not over Blaine Gabbert. I think the Titans took care of business in the rest of the draft and if this doesn’t work out, it could blow up in their face. Grade: B+
Washington Redskins – The Skins are really hit or miss in the draft and free agency at times but I think they did a good job this time around. Ryan Kerrigan should help them right away as their pass rush was among the worst in the league last season. Needless to say, I like that they drafted Leonard Hankerson out of Miami, and I think Evan Royster could be exactly what their backfield needs. Grade: B
Questions or comments? Email me at s_talouis@yahoo.com or hit me up on twitter @FunnyManStan
