The general refrain is you can't really fully grade a draft class for at least five years. There are some exceptions, but that's a fairly common phrase. Of course, that's not going to stop us from looking at draft grades the day after picks are made! The 2011 NFL Draft is not yet complete but that hasn't stopped the likes of CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco and others from providing their instant analysis. And we're here to peer into their twisted minds.
Additionally, I've attached a grading poll because as with yesterday, I'm curious to hear see how folks feel within a day of the picks. This grade will mean next to nothing five years from now, let alone five months from now, but I figure it will be useful for posterity purposes.
Late last night, Prisco provided his grades for the 49ers second and third round picks. He gave the Kaepernick trade and pick a B+:
They need a quarterback, but this kid might take some time to get on the field. He is a bit raw. But if they hit, they might get a real steal.
On the other end of the spectrum, he gave the selection of cornerback Chris Culliver a D, which was the lowest grade the third round. He also happened to give the 49ers first round pick, Aldon Smith, the only D of the first round:
[Culliver] is a reach. Does he play safety or corner? Most had him as a late-round guy. There were better options.
I started writing up this post late last night and as I searched around the Internet for some draft grades, all that was coming up for 2011 was Bleacher Report article after Bleacher Report article. Of course, maybe that's a sign I shouldn't be posting about grades. I guess I'll keep that in mind in the future.
For now, I'd say in trying to predict grades, for whatever that's worth, I think we'll see some consistency with Prisco's grades. I know not everybody likes the Kaepernick pick, but I think generally speaking there is a positive reaction to it. I would bet that most grades will be in the B to A- range for Kaepernick.
On the other hand, I doubt we'll see many positive grades at all for the Chris Culliver pick. There are people who are OK with this pick, but the general thought on this pick was either "Huh?" or "WTF?!?!" and I think that will carry over in to national grading. Whether you agree or disagree with the final grades, I think it's safe to say that enough of the national media doesn't know what they're talking about a lot of the time. Just like I only know so much about other NFL teams, non-Bay Area media knows only so much.