While most all of us agree that draft grades don't have much value immediately following a draft, they are still intriguing to consider for general discussion purposes. While it is all entirely opinion-based, I find it interesting to see how outsiders view the teams moves. The 49ers had a very distinct philosophy in their moves, and it is safe to say many people did not agree with the choices.
The folks at Football Outsiders put together a 2012 NFL Draft report card report and I have posted the 49ers specific grades after the jump. The 49ers high grades were a pair of Bs, with a low of D, courtesy of SI.com. The 49ers ended up with a GPA of 2.19, which ties them with the Atlanta Falcons at seventh worst.
The Cincinnati Bengals led the way by a significant margin, scoring an A+ from four different analysts and Kiper's A- bringing up the rear for them. The Saints bring up the rear thanks to two Fs and three C-minuses. That's what happens when you've dealt away a first round pick and lose another pick thanks to Bounty business.
For those wondering, in the immediate aftermath of the draft, the largest chunk of NN readers gave the 49ers a B for their performance. B+ and B- were next in the voting.
Mel Kiper - C+ (Needs: C+, Value: B-)
Rob Rang - C
Pete Prisco - C-
Vinnie Iyer - B
Evan Silva - C+
John Czarnecki - C+
SI.com - D
Jason Cole - B
Nate Davis - 23/32 (ranked by teams)
Matt Miller - C+