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It shouldn't be too surprising that the San Francisco 49ers decision to select OLB Aldon Smith in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft has received some head-shaking and raised eyebrows. In a very unscientific look around the Internet, the pick received a D over at CBS Sportsline, where they think Smith is overrated and the 49ers should have looked at the quarterback position. Over at SB Nation, the 49ers received a B, but the write-up makes me think they meant to give him a C at best, as they don't think he'll struggle moving to OLB in the 3-4.
I realize that grades now border somewhere between meaningless and pointless. But I like the idea of establishing a bench-mark grade a day after the pick. After all, in five years if he has turned out awesome or turned into a bust, it'd be nice to know what people were thinking a day into the Aldon Smith era. I've attached a poll with a basic A through F grading school. It doesn't include pluses and minuses, so feel free to round up or round down as you see fit.
At this point I'd give the first round a B. Smith is not even remotely a "sexy" pick, but there is upside to this pick, and even number two pick Von Miller likes the pick. I think I can live with that. Can you?
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