Now that the 2011 NFL Draft is in the books, it is time for instant overreaction with grades for each draft class. The general belief is that draft classes are best evaluated at least five years after the Draft. That gives players time to work their way into the starting lineup or work their way off the roster. Part of that five year period comes courtesy of the longer contracts we see for top picks. And part of that is that it just takes some guys a little longer to figure out where they fit on the team.
Over the next few days, sports writers and bloggers across the land will be providing their instant takes on the 2011 NFL Draft. I'd imagine five years from now we'll look back at some of these assessments and laugh our heads off. Accordingly, this stream will be used to compile a rundown of the numerous draft grades we'll see.
Below is a rundown of each teams picks and trades over the course of the three-day NFL Draft. As people grade out drafts some will look at just the picks, while others will factor in the picks and the in-draft trades.
Oakland Raiders
PICKS
1. Stefen Wisniewski, OL, Penn State
2. Demarcus Van Dyke, DB, Miami, FL
3. Joseph Barksdale, OL, LSU
4. Chimdi Chekwa, DB, Ohio State
5. Taiwan Jones, RB, Eastern Washington
6. Denarius Moore, WR, Tennessee
7. Richard Gordon, TE, Miami, FL
8. David Ausberry, WR, USC
TRADES
w/New England: Raiders 7th (No. 219), 2012 2nd for Patriots 3rd (No. 92 - Barksdale) and 4th (No. 125 - Jones)
San Francisco 49ers
PICKS
1. Aldon Smith, OLB, Missouri
2. Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada
3. Chris Culliver, CB, South Carolina
4. Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma State
5. Daniel Kilgore, OL, Appalachian State
6. Ronald Johnson, WR, USC
7. Colin Jones, S, TCU
8. Bruce Miller, DL/FB, Central Florida
9. Michael Person, OL, Montana State
10. Curtis Holcomb, CB, Florida A&M
TRADES
w/Denver: 49ers 2nd (No. 45), 4th (No. 108), 5th (No. 141) for Broncos 2nd (No. 36 - Kaepernick)
w/Jacksonville: 49ers 3rd (No. 76) for Jaguars 3rd (No. 80 - Culliver) and 6th (No. 182 - Johnson)
w/Green Bay: 49ers 6th (No. 174) and 7th (No. 231) for Packers 5th (No. 163 - Kilgore)