Alright fellas... time to weigh in with your Browns Draft Grade

[DeadWombat]

NFLDraftScout's Rob Rang put it nicely: "Grading a draft immediately after it concludes is akin to giving your compliments to the chef before the meal has been served. Sure, the food might sound good (or bad) based on the ingredients listed on the menu, but the true evaluation won't come until after the product has been tested."

However, we can't fast forward three years to get a good evaluation, so it's time to speculate the SHIT out of our new players and grade Heckert and Co. on this year's draft.

Feel free to copy this little format I used for your own post... I stole it from WalterFootball.com, haha.
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Overall Draft Grade:
I think Heckert had a really good draft. The trade down with the Falcons was epic. We fleeced a team in a desperate look for that one last puzzle piece that will take them to the superbowl. We added what should be two starters on our thin D-line. Great. And we still have 1st and 4th round picks from Atlanta for next year! Talk about preparing for the future...

On the other had, a lot of our mid-round picks were steps into the unknown: we got a lot of very raw, unproven guys with huge upside... big-boom or bust type projects. And seeing our need for talent, I think its a great idea to look for someone who could be 1st round talent in the 3rd and 4th rounds, as opposed to a guy with a lower ceiling that you know can contribute... but like I said, its not always going to pay off. I also didn't like that we went searching for a fullback and a tight end when we had more pressing needs, but I like who we DID get for those positions. Hey.... those guys are players with high potential and on another team I'd say they were nice picks. As of right now, I'd say we're looking at 3 starters (Taylor, Sheard, Marecic) at game 1. I can see a couple more guys getting playing time in rotation, too.

Overall 2011 NFL Draft Grade: B



Individual Grades:

21. Phil Taylor, NT, Baylor
Not a flashy pick... he has (had?) some character issues... but he's a big, strong man and will command double teams. Taylor and Rubin seem like they'd be a formidable force. Kudos to Heckert for addressing our weakness against the run. We're usually like around 27th among teams since the return, which is abysmal. I didn't like trading up but apparently the Chiefs or Redskins or somebody were gonna take this guy. (Pick Grade: B)

37. Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh
Great pick, nice guy... except for the whole defenestration thing. Seems like he'll be a great, great add. He's a huge, strong guy and will be rushing the edges all day, which is what I like to see. Fills a great need for us, and he's a bit underrated IMO as well. Could have gone in the 1st round. (Pick Grade: A)

59. Greg Little, WR, North Carolina
A third guy with character issues... though this one seems a bit more serious. He comes off as something of a braggart... a diva type, but I wont argue that watching him on video got me REALLY pumped up. This guy can produce. He makes the play, catches the ball, and once he's on the ground, punishes you like a bruiser running back. Wow. Only thing is that he's incredibly raw... Yet, he has clear potential to be a No. 1. He could fall flat or become a star. Looking at where we were, with what other WRs were on the board, it seems like an intriguing and exciting pick. Here's hoping he can produce. (Pick Grade: B)

102. Jordan Cameron, TE, USC
I'm not crazy about this pick. TE was not a need. Ben Watson is a solid, effective weapon, and I really like Moore and hope to see him improve. However, Cameron could be the second coming of Antonio Gates. Seriously. Gates was a basketball player that never played a snap in college, and look at him now. Cameron's an athletic freak and has all the tools to become a star, just none of the experience. He COULD be great but it's a long shot. Also, I would have liked to see us pick at a position where we needed it. (Pick Grade: C)

124. Owen Marecic, FB, Stanford
A Fullback? Really? I like Vickers... a lot. I was pissed about this. However, Marecic is a footballer, plain and simple. A lot of analysists are saying he's a great fit for Cleveland, and I agree. He seems like he'll be the Jelly for Hillis's Peanutbutter... both are gonna bust some heads. I'll rage for cutting Vickers loose, but this guy WILL start for us. (Pick Grade: B)

137. Buster Skrine, CB, Tennessee-Chattanooga
Another pick that's really raw, but he's a freakin' speed demon. I think he ran something like a 4.37 40 at the combine? And he's been clocked in the 4.2 range at school. Shit. However, like I said, this guy is raw and unpolished as a football player, like a lot of other picks we took. He will need to be coached up... a lot. He's also small. He could become a starter or he could bring back memories of the hype Larry Asante got before being cut. (Pick Grade: B)

150. Jason Pinkston, OT/G, Pittsburgh
This pick was great, great value at this point in the draft, I think. Some speculated that he could have gone far earlier in the draft. Hopefully he won't turn out to be another Geathers (another late round pick who got a lot of hype last year then was cut). We had to trade both our 6th rounders to get him, but his talent and versatility will hopefully make him worth it. He definitely has more experience and polish than Geathers did. He should get his feet wet early. Pinkston is a Steelers fan, but he said he'd donate all his memorabilia to Goodwill. Nice. (Pick Grade: A)

248. Eric Hagg, S, Nebraska
Hagg is not a huge talent, but where we got him, it's a nice pick. He's slow, which I don't like. Hagg will have to push to see playing time... but we were weak on saftey, so maybe it could happen. He's another guy that had some analysists saying he could have gone several rounds earlier. (Pick Grade: B)

[Brown Warrior]

Gave it a B. I came to like the Atlanta trade but not so much on the trade up to get Taylor. He better be freaking dominant to rationalize that.

LOVED the Sheard and Little picks a lot. Vickers doesn't fit the offense so I get the Marecic pick and I think he'll become another fan favorite type. Missed the linebacker and that might have been what we got with the third we traded away (Mason Foster).

Overall... I think I like it. Eager to see what we do in free agency.

[OconRecon]

A-

Mainly because I did not want to take a WR high, so Greg Little, who Gruden & Kiper gushed about at the time of the pick, PLUS all those draft choices was fabulous. Most Atlanta fans are ticked and feel they overpaid.

I'm betting Little works out (a strong, talented kid with Tarheel basketball quality hands, RB size, and a chip on his shoulder) , as will the USC TE and the Stanford FB. But all of those drafted DL's won't all work out, so the success of this draft will be based on if we picked the rights ones.

[PlaygroundLegend]

B+
the trade up for Phil Taylor is still a head scratcher (I guess Washington was going to take him), and the fact that we took him over a few other guys (*cough*Wilkerson*cough*Austin*cough*) is also a bit of a question with me, but hey Greg Little is a great pick (as long as he has the speed to get behind corners or separate) and was great value, Sheard is underrated and very good (hopefully we play Benard at DE as well). The TE pick may be the next Antonio Gates (Im surprised more basketball prospects aren't taken in the draft, they translate VERY well to WR/TE)/ The FB seems like a brown at heart. I also simply LOVE the two Defensive backs, I think BOTH may be on our team for a WHILE, one of them becoming our FS.

[Enigmatic Evil]

Overall Draft Grade:

I really liked the draft as a whole. I thought the first round trade with Atlanta was masterful to the point that I am wondering if Atlanta really realized WHAT they gave away. "Sure throw some picks at Cleveland, we need to get another play maker on our offense. Who gives a crap?" With one trade, we gave not only this draft some insurance but next years draft as well. I think this draft was better than last years and we addressed needs at pretty much every key position that was needing it, and I have to say the outlook of having two first round picks in next years draft to look forward to is pretty

Overall 2011 NFL Draft Grade: B+


Individual Grades:


Phil Taylor, NT, Baylor
I love this pick, there's some good video on him and I like his attitude. I wanted us to take a D-lineman and that's exactly what Heckert did. He's strong and he should be a pillar on our D-line against the run and I think he'll surprise some people in the pass rush as well. We have had a PATHETIC run-D... pretty much since re-entering the league and if we ever want to escape the bottom 20 of the NFL in that regard, I think Phil Taylor's emergence into the NFL and establishing himself as a starter on our D will be a big part of that.

Pick Grade: A


Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh
I think he will be this years TJ Ward, until he proves otherwise. I really like what video's I've seen of Sheard and I get excited at the thought of Taylor and Sheard playing side by side. He's got good skill and I think he will be able to produce right away. He has good speed and strength and he's got more than 'one move' (something we've criticized failed pass rushers of the past) I wonder how many sacks he should be able to net as a rookie but regardless I think he's an immediate upgrade to our pass-rush.

Pick Grade: A


Greg Little, WR, North Carolina
I really loved the interview I watched of Greg Little. He strikes me as more level headed than a lot of the 'hype' seems and you know what. The whole punting the football into the crowd TD celebration, if he did that in Heinz Field against the Stoolers, I would fall in love with this guy and I am sure the rest of the Browns fandom would as well. He is like a ball magnet. He's quick, he jumps to make the catch well. The thing that I wonder is that he's only had one full season playing WR? He is determined and hungry to make an impact, that's what I like to see and he's got raw athleticism but he's not a false projection like Braylon "Basket-Hands" Edwards. He WILL be a play maker in the NFL.

Pick Grade: A


Jordan Cameron, TE, USC
He's got a lot of athleticism and a high up side. I see him as a Evan Moore with more athleticism and potential. It's this potental that makes me excited though. We needed explosive play making options and this guy has the potential to be just that. We've talked around here about Athletes vs Football Players and I see this guy as an Athlete at this point and time, if he evolves into a Football Player... the Browns and Browns Fans could be smiling VERY widely about this pick.

Pick Grade: C+

Owen Marecic, FB, Stanford
The "Most versatile player in the draft" is an intriguing option. He played FB and LB in college and there's the clip where he scored an offensive AND defensive TD in the same game vs Notre Dame. I was critical of this draft because we didn't take a pure LB but I like the versatility that Marecic brings to the table and I can see why Heckert did as well. The fact that he is familiar with the WCO as well is something that appeals to me. The versatility is something that I question as well. What is he better at? For where we got him though I think that's great value.

Pick Grade: B

Buster Skrine, CB, Tennessee-Chattanooga
This is the one pick I'm not sure about. He's fast as hell and a potential KR/PR which is always nice. He apparently hits like a truck and is strong as hell as well but he is a definite 'project'. His size is worrisome to me, but that's a small thing. He's a player who should be able to contribute on special teams while he earns a place in the bigger picture.

Pick Grade: C


Jason Pinkston, OT/G, Pittsburgh
I wanted a lineman and boom, here he is. I love this pick and I think the value for where we got him will be worth it. I don't think he will be a Geathers because Geathers had a great deal of 'experimental' with his value. The thing with Pinkston is he started over 40 games for PITT (38 at LT) which is something that I like to see. That experience will be something good to fall back on and I hope that he will at least be able to provide depth to an O-Line that has been beat up, and has numerous bandaids on it.

Pick Grade: B


Eric Hagg, S, Nebraska
Another player who has experience starting at his position. I think Hagg should definately be able to provide depth at this position and I think he has more up-side than Asante who we took last year. Does Hagg have potential to start? I don't know... I wouldn't expect it but he's got a reputation as a play making safety and there's nothing wrong with that in my books. I think this pick's got great value for the late round pick.

Pick Grade: A

[Sez.EJ]

I'll go B.. I would have gone a different route on day 3 (rounds 4-7)It's not that I don't like the picks, but I would have taken a different route.
I love the top 2 picks going to solidify the defensive line. I like the Little pick to offset not getting Green or Julio. He seems like a Julio Clone to me, except with better hands. May need a little more work, but tremendous upside.

Really it's the day 3 picks that don't make it an A draft for me. We addressed our 2 biggest needs. DL and WR.. with obtaining a #1 and #4 next year..this team seems to be getting some pieces of the puzzle. We still have a long way to go to contend.

[PlaygroundLegend]

lol speaking of austin, I just found this.. lol

YouTube - Marvin Austin

[plumcrazy73]

Not that is did not like taylor just I would have just waited to see if he fell to us. and I think he would have but I will trust the FO on this.
Would have liked to get a Linebacker too not going to lie, I wanted Matthews, not saying he is as good as his dad or brother or uncle but football is in the bloodline.

So I gave it a B, but will say that being I can expound on it a B+

[damajuki]

I graded it a B, given my choices, but I'd say it's more a B+ for two reasons:

1. Taylor was #1 in size/speed at his position, a truly unique talent whose impact could not be replicated by the other DTs. I understood the initial reluctance/uncertainty on this pick, but no longer. As soon as I saw him and read up on him a bit, I was hooked. I'll keep saying it: size don't lie on a football field and this guy WILL impact game plans. Love the pick.

(Side note and final comment on this: I don't give a damn about the 3rd rounder we gave up because Taylor is a unique specimen and there is NO DOUBT he would have been gone at 27. How do we know? KC told us so by demanding a third for him. Clearly, they knew his value and asked for it; we complied because we decided, hopefully correctly, that no one could have the same impact in our division as Taylor. We got our Ngata, 5 years later. Let's try to remember what happened when we missed Ngata the first time, shall we?)

2. I love the unorthodox picks of Cameron and Marecic because it clearly indicates we drafted off The Big Board this year. No Colt McCoy picks mucking up the works; it seems that they took the guy they rated highest, regardless of position of "need" at the moment.

I think this is the best and fastest way to build your football team and roster depth. If you are reaching for guys because you think they'll be good and not because they are the BEST player at your spot, you will end up wasting too many draft picks to progress. (Veikune, anyone?)

So taking a TE and FB, while definitely unusual, indicates they were the guys we wanted for OUR football team. And it's not hard to see why you'd want big, athletic FOOTBALL PLAYERS to help establish your football core.

As for the rest, they are in the "hope for the best" department for me. It's all gravy after the 4th.

[Brown Warrior]

Dama... let me ask this: Why wasn't Phil Taylor a top 10 pick? The guy you're describing sounds like Suh.

[Sez.EJ]

Players get picked apart. You could as the same quesiton about hundreds of successful guys. There are no perfect draftees

[Brown Warrior]

Honest question. Someone with that size who's as good as Dama was saying, that's usually a top 10 pick. Like Suh, or at least Ngata.