Consensus: worst draft in AFCN
 

Surfing the web, that is what I am seeing. Most
have Cle, Balt and Cinci all with better drafts than we had.

Not saying it means a thing. But it is interesting. Consensus is meaningless
right now. I have little problem with the positions they drafted for, but some
problem with the players they chose. They left better talent out there for
many of their picks.

Re: Consensus: worst draft in AFCN
 

AFC North draft analysis
By James Walker
http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/po...aft-analysis-3

The 2011 NFL draft has reached its conclusion, and this is the time of year when every coach and general manager feels great about their selections.

The AFC North is annually one of the toughest divisions in football, with two powerhouse teams in the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals are trying to close the gap by acquiring good talent in this draft.

With that in mind, here is a look at the draft decisions made within the division:

BEST MOVE

The biggest draft trade this week was made by the Browns, who gained five draft picks from the Atlanta Falcons for the No. 6 overall pick. The trade eliminated the chance the Browns would make a huge splash in the first round but sets the team up well to add talent gradually to a thin roster.

Atlanta took Alabama receiver Julio Jones with the sixth pick, while the Browns added Baylor defensive tackle Phil Taylor in the first round after a trade back up to No. 21 with the Kansas City Chiefs. Cleveland also drafted North Carolina receiver Greg Little with Atlanta's second-round pick and Stanford fullback Owen Marecic with the Falcons' fourth-round pick.

Next year Cleveland will have three additional picks from the Falcons -- including their first-rounder -- and nine draft picks total. That should help the Browns continue to build a solid foundation.

"Because of how the draft fell, we did absolutely the right thing," Browns president Mike Holmgren said of the trade.

Ironically, the Falcons made a similar offer to the Bengals, who passed because they didn't believe equal value was there at No. 4. So the Bengals took Georgia receiver A.J. Green, and Cleveland was more than happy to trade with Atlanta at No. 6.

RISKIEST MOVE

The Ravens decided to take a risk on Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith in the first round.
The Ravens went all in with a player many teams refused to touch.

Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith, one of the most talented players in the draft, was taken by Baltimore with the No. 27 overall pick. Smith has a lengthy track record of off-the-field issues, which reportedly include three failed drug tests, two alcohol-related violations and an arrest for third-degree assault.

But the Ravens went through a lengthy research and interview process with Smith to dig into his background and personality. They felt comfortable with the selection.

"Every pick, there is some bit of a gamble in it," Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said. "But we trust our process. We trust the people that got the opportunity to spend time with him, and there was a number of people that had that opportunity to spend some time with him."

There is no questioning Smith's ability. Baltimore's pass defense has been inconsistent the past few seasons, and the team believes Smith has the potential to be a shutdown corner.

Some around the league have compared Smith to Nnamdi Asomugha in terms of pure talent. That is very high praise. But the Ravens have to make sure they keep Smith on the field to reach his potential.

"This guy, he's a special player," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. "He's exactly the type of corner that we're looking for. He fits our defense just the way we need him to fit our defense."

MOST SURPRISING MOVE

The most surprising move in the AFC North could be considered a non-move early in the draft by the Steelers. The team didn't address its biggest need -- cornerback -- until the middle rounds.

The Steelers are known for drafting developmental players at that position. But because the Steelers were so thin there this year, they were expected to go against that trend and get one of the top prospects in the first two rounds.

Instead, the Steelers stayed true to form by drafting Texas corner Curtis Brown in the third round and Cortez Allen from the Citadel in the fourth round. Perhaps these players can make an immediate impact, but it's rare that third- and fourth-round picks become starting corners for a playoff team as rookies.

No. 1 corner Ike Taylor and top reserve William Gay are both free agents, and there's no guarantee either player will return. The Green Bay Packers' passing game torched the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. Pittsburgh didn't do enough in the draft to ease those concerns.

FILE IT AWAY

Second-round pick Andy Dalton became the ninth quarterback the Cincinnati Bengals have drafted in the past 20 years. Cincinnati has very high hopes for Dalton, but its track record hasn't been good.

Since 1991, the Bengals have had a series of misses that include David Klingler, Akili Smith and Donald Hollas. The one hit was Carson Palmer, which wasn't difficult to scout because he was the No. 1 overall pick in 2003. Some would even argue that Palmer was a bust -- at least relative to the expectations that came with his lofty draft status.

Because Palmer is expected to be traded or retire, the Bengals hope Dalton can buck their trend of quarterback misses and develop into a quality starter.

Re: Consensus: worst draft in AFCN
 

Bro, are you really taking the opinion of random internet people over one of the best GMs in the NFL who consistently fields one of the most competitive teams in football with the players he has drafted?

Re: Consensus: worst draft in AFCN
 

I remember last year when everyone was praising the Ravens for the amazing draft they had and the Steelers just got an average grade.

At the end of the season it was the other way around.

Re: Consensus: worst draft in AFCN
 

Because we know the best way to judge a draft is to have sportswriters and (now) bloggers who are so talented they do not have jobs with NFL teams assess who "won" the draft on the same day it is completed

If a player's ranking going into the draft meant squat first round busts would be in the Hall of Fame

Given that the Steelers had the lowest draft position of any AFC North team I suppose they should be regarded as having drafted the least talent if the system works as it is supposed to

Re: Consensus: worst draft in AFCN
 

Stop surfing the web and reading too much into what Joe Schmo says about our draft. Like any other draft before us, we are always on the "average" side of things. Okay with me. Point is, we will not know the value of this 2011 draft until the 3 year range where all the players could be evaluated accordingly.

An hour after? Not so much. Givin the last couple drafts and where we drafted with best available at where we've been picking consistently and always drafting needs in mid-late round picks, I'm confident in our own philosophy to think we did our job and we did it well.

Re: Consensus: worst draft in AFCN
 

From what I have experienced you can't really grade a draft at least for a couple of years...to see who from this draft class are solid starters and who are gone.

Re: Consensus: worst draft in AFCN
 

Seems like the consensus around here is that the Steelers had the worst draft in the league, never mind the division.

Re: Consensus: worst draft in AFCN
 

You can't make everyone happy. This draft grade today doesn't mean anything. Great players will have natural abilities, but they are made through great coaching, work ethic and motivation.

Re: Consensus: worst draft in AFCN
 

i guess its better to have an "averege"( or even below average) drafts and be a contender each year
than to have a "great" draft and suck ass each year :noidea: