OFFICIAL 2011 NFL Draft Thead.

[Elite]

Just saw an article on ESPN that the Jets 7th rounder is Sanchez's best friend, pretty cool I guess

 

[bosoxlover12]

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2011-04-30/nfl-draft-grades-lions-patriots-ace-their-tests-jets-swing-and-miss

Lions: A +

With Nick Fairley joining Ndamukong Suh, the Lions’ defensive line will give quarterbacks nightmares. Titus Young and Mikel Leshoure are both offensive playmakers.

Patriots: A+

No pass rusher, but a slew of talented players led by Nate Solder, Ras-I Dowling, Shane Vereen and Ryan Mallett. Plus they have two picks next year in both the first and second rounds.

Buccaneers: A

They got a huge gift when Da’Quan Bowers fell to them at No. 51 to join Adrian Clayborn on the defensive line. Their draft is loaded with talented players.

Bengals: A

Getting quarterback Andy Dalton in Round 2 was critical and wide receiver A. J. Green should be a star. Maybe Carson Palmer will change his mind?

Packers : A–

Batted from the last spot in the draft, yet still hit a home run. Getting Derek Sherrod and Randall Cobb adds depth to a team already stacked.

Broncos: B +

Von Miller and Rahim Moore will upgrade a defense that desperately needs it, and Orlando Franklin will help the offensive line.

Texans: B +

Love those defensive players with their first five picks. If J.J. Watt, Brooks Reed and Brandon Harris are all legit, they could finally make the playoffs.

Titans: B +

Taking Jake Locker eighth took guts, but they like him and getting a quarterback is crucial. Then the Titans followed with two quality picks - Akeem Ayers and Jurrell Casey.

Ravens: B +

Jimmy Smith should step in as a starting corner, and wide receivers Torrey Smith and Tandon Doss give Joe Flacco speed receivers.

Browns: B +

Landed a boatload of picks in a trade with the Falcons, plus two defensive linemen (Phil Taylor, Jabaal Sheard) and an intriguing wide receiver (Greg Little).

Saints: B

Cameron Jordan upgrades the pass rush and Mark Ingram joins a potent offense in which he could become the featured back.

Bills: B

Counting on Ryan Fitzpatrick as their quarterback, they went heavy on defense. Tackle Marcell Dareus could be a star.

Cardinals: B

Patrick Peterson gives them a quality corner and Ryan Williams adds backfield depth. Now they need a quarterback.

Panthers: B

Taking Cam Newton was the right move for a team needing new direction. Terrell McClain and Sione Fua will help the defensive line.

Steelers: B

They continue to pick well from the bottom of the board. Cam Hewyard, Marcus Gilbert and Curtis Brown all look NFL-ready.

Rams: B

The Detroit Lions were big winners in the NFL Draft, in part because of their first-round pick of Nick Fairley. (AP Photo)
Two wide receiver prospects to help quarterback Sam Bradford, plus a pass-rushing defensive end in Robert Quinn made it a good weekend.

Bears: B-

An offensive lineman they needed (Gabe Carimi) fell to them, and defensive tackle Stephen Paea was good value in Round 2.

Colts: B-

They got two offensive linemen, Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana, to protect the franchise, Peyton Manning.

Chiefs: B-

Two third-round picks could be steals, linebacker Justin Houston and defensive end Allen Bailey. WR Jonathan Baldwin can get deep.

Giants: B-

Getting defensive tackle Marvin Austin in the second round could be huge, and they were fortunate to have cornerback Prince Amukamara fall to them.

Vikings: C+

Their draft depends on Christian Ponder developing into a starting quarterback they can win with. If he doesn’t pan out, they will regret not taking Nick Fairley or Robert Quinn.

Falcons: C+

You could argue that they gave up too much for Julio Jones. You could also argue his playmaking skill as a receiver was worth it. We’ll see.

Chargers: C+

Tackle Corey Liuget should help the defensive line, and general manager A.J. Smith’s history suggests that some of his other picks will pan out.

49ers: C+

They got a pass rusher (Aldon Smith) and smartly traded up to get quarterback (Colin Kaepernick). Problem is, he’s not ready to start right away. Maybe Blaine Gabbert would have been.

Redskins: C+

Instead of trading picks, they acquired some and the philosophy worked. Ryan Kerrigan will aid the pass rush. But they still need a quarterback.

Cowboys: C

They got offensive tackle Tyron Smith in the first round, but a pass rusher out of this draft would have been nice.

Dolphins: C-

Mike Pouncey will help the offensive line, but can Daniel Thomas take over at running back if they lose both Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown? There is also no quarterback to push Chad Henne.

Eagles: C-

Danny Watkins will help the offensive line, but they could have used a pass rusher, and some of their defensive picks may have been reaches.

Jaguars: D

Blaine Gabbert is their quarterback of the future, but in the present, they still need more help to become a playoff team.

Jets: D

Not having a second-round pick hurt them, and they took a major risk on third-rounder Kenrick Ellis, who has serious legal issues.

Raiders: D

All of their first three picks looked like reaches. Perhaps running back Taiwan Jones (fourth round), the Combine’s fastest player, will provide a few big plays.

Seahawks: D

Their decision not to pick quarterback Andy Dalton could haunt them, especially if Matt Hasselbeck leaves. Could go from first to worst in NFC West.

 

[Mooche]

B- for the Colts? That's a little shocking.. Castonzo and Ijalana are excellent value picks, and from down the board we added nice depth in positions we could use it.

Delone Carter is finally a guy that can be key to get the yard, in 3rd and 1 situations for us.

 

[Mooche]

Didn't really like this Jets draft at all. We didn't address OLB or FS and we aren't gonna have a whole lot of money to throw around in FA if we wanna keep our important players.

Little confused about Bilal Powell though, Mooche said he was a speed guy, NFL.com says he's a power running back.

Kinda like the McElroy pick though, he'll help Sanchez so much, it's like having another QB coach on the team.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKERqz7G3UU

He does fight damn well for extra yards, and this is a highlight tape, so you'll have to actually see him play.

But look at the speed he presents..

 

[Elite]

Yeah, that dude can definitely haul ass

 

[Falcons11497]

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2011-04-30/nfl-draft-grades-lions-patriots-ace-their-tests-jets-swing-and-miss

C+?
everything I've read has falcons as a solid B
heh...I didnt think we did THAT bad

 

[Rice18]

I think we did way better then a C+

Ponder - Maybe the best QB coming out of the draft for the Vikings. Perfect for our offense and has KILLER accuracy.

Rudolph - I like it, solid pick and BPA. Shiancoe isn't there for much longer and Kleinsasser isn't going to be in Minnesota after this year. Rudolph and Ponder will start getting starter time at the same time.

Ballard - 2nd rounder in the 4th. BPA and will be replacing Pat Williams.

Burton - Helping us with our defensive secondary and still picking BPA. Probably my 5th favorite CB in this years draft.

Love - What a steal ? This guy is a pure ANIMAL. One year behind McKinnie he should improve even more.

Fusco - Small college center/guard. Should be the 6th man of our line.

The rest I still need to look into.

 

[elcheato]

You gave up 2 1sts, a 2nd, and 2 4ths for Julio Jones, a WR who has never played a down in the NFL. For comparison sakes, Brandon Marshall was traded for a 2nd round pick, and Anquan Boldin was traded for a 3rd and 4th round pick.

Taking WR's in the first round is risky business by itself, but trading so much to get one in the first round, is even worse.

 

[Falcons11497]

You gave up 2 1sts, a 2nd, and 2 4ths for Julio Jones, a WR who has never played a down in the NFL. For comparison sakes, Brandon Marshall was traded for a 2nd round pick, and Anquan Boldin was traded for a 3rd and 4th round pick.

Taking WR's in the first round is risky business by itself, but trading so much to get one in the first round, is even worse.

I know, but I still dont think we deserved a C+
and we werent allowed to trade any players for the pick
I know it was a stupid move regardless, but I still have hope, and I still think our draft picks are gonna do some damage on the offensive side of the ball

 

[kam.]

LOL @ giving Jags a D.

It must be because we have small school players (WHO ARE ALL BOSS) that nobody heard of.

Typical Gene Smith draft, they'll all eat their words in the coming years.

 

[bestkeptsecret13]

I'd say A for our first two picks, F for our last three picks.

 

[VC15]

Giants: B-

Getting defensive tackle Marvin Austin in the second round could be huge, and they were fortunate to have cornerback Prince Amukamara fall to them.

This fails for so many reasons...

 

[elcheato]

I thought Prince went right around where he should have, but most didn't. Not really a fan of is, and Marvin Austin is a pretty big risk in the 2nd round.

 

[Yankees2772]

The Giants had one of the best drafts... At least an A-, maybe an A. They didn't address OL early enough, but they got amazing value with almost every pick.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

I think we did way better then a C+

Ponder - Maybe the best QB coming out of the draft for the Vikings. Perfect for our offense and has KILLER accuracy.

Rudolph - I like it, solid pick and BPA. Shiancoe isn't there for much longer and Kleinsasser isn't going to be in Minnesota after this year. Rudolph and Ponder will start getting starter time at the same time.

Ballard - 2nd rounder in the 4th. BPA and will be replacing Pat Williams.

Burton - Helping us with our defensive secondary and still picking BPA. Probably my 5th favorite CB in this years draft.

Love - What a steal ? This guy is a pure ANIMAL. One year behind McKinnie he should improve even more.

Fusco - Small college center/guard. Should be the 6th man of our line.

The rest I still need to look into.

Christian Ponder was a TERRIBLE Pick

 

[Yankees2772]

There is no way to spin it - Ponder was an awful pick at that spot. If you really liked him (and I doubt the Vikings liked him THAT much) then you could have traded down and added a 2nd or 3rd rounder on top of your shitty QB.

 

[TTN2810]

Ponder was a good pick.
I just now don't realize why I was laughed at when I said he was awesome..

 

[RipCity32]

Glad the consensus is that the Lions had one of the better drafts.
Two years in a row.

 

[bosoxlover12]

lol this is why kiper is awful.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/28628/kiper-gives-out-team-draft-grades

 

[footballplaya52]

i dont know how they can say we needed a pass rusher. we drafted one in the first round last year.