Grade this draft

[sschind]

When you get right down to it, grading your draft before a player even plays is kind of asinine, LOL.

I used to think so but lately I've come to realize it isn't as bad as most people think. Part of how we think players will do in the future has to do with how they did in the past. We grade drafts based on whether we think the team addressed the needs as we see them (which we all know may no be how the GM sees them) with players that we think can get the job done. If that happened we give it a high grade, if not we give it a low grade. I don't think there is anything wrong with that.

Its a little like predicting injuries. People will predict a particular team (lets say the Panthers) will win it all and inevitably someone will chime in with "No way. Newton might tear his ACL in the first week and Kuechly might get hit by a bus and Benjamin might get abducted by aliens so how can you say they will win it all? No one knows what will happen" Its a given that most predictions are based on that stuff not happening. Obviously if the team plane crashes on the way to the first game and everyone dies that team probably won't win the SB but does that mean no one should pick them to win it? Of course not.

Specific predictions like a defense going from bottom half to top 10 based on a particular pick or a teams passing game rising 20 spots because they got the best WR in the draft is a bit more iffy because that's where the "he hasn't even taken a snap in the pros yet" comes into play. Even so, I don't think its wrong to think the Jaguars defense will get better because they drafted Ramsey and Jack or the vikings receiving game will improve because they drafted Treadwell. Granted there are other factors but as far as the draft goes, on the surface, at face value those seem like pretty good picks in areas of need and would warrant a high grade.

Refusing to grade a draft for 3 years has become the in thing to do. Its as if we think we are somehow better than those who hand out the earlier grades because we "get it" and they don't. The thing is if you are a writer and you are contemplating an article grading the 2013 draft don't bother. You may be able to hold your head up high because you understand that you can't truly grade a draft class for 3 years but you won't have to bother writing anything because everyone will be reading the 2016 draft grades and no one will be paying attention to your journalistic integrity.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I've heard that Wolf was heavily involved in deciding who was taken. He was widely interviewed in terms of what he thought of the players.

I guess it´s true that Wolf, as director of football operations, was heavily involved in the draft but there´s absolutely no doubt Thompson was the one making the final decisions.

 

[PFanCan]

When you get right down to it, grading your draft before a player even plays is kind of asinine, LOL.

As Mark Twain once said, "It is difficult to make predictions, particularly about the future."

 

[armand34]

will revisit in 3 years

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

I guess it´s true that Wolf, as director of football operations, was heavily involved in the draft but there´s absolutely no doubt Thompson was the one making the final decisions.

I for one really like having Wolf's input regarding players. I agree that ultimately TT is pulling the trigger, but Wolf does have his ear. Let's hope for the best.
I would grade this draft as a "B+". 9 times out of 10 the Packers can make lemonade out of the lemons.
DS

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I for one really like having Wolf's input regarding players. I agree that ultimately TT is pulling the trigger, but Wolf does have his ear. Let's hope for the best.

I think that it´s close to impossible to evaluate Eliot Wolf´s work during his tenure with the Packers so far as he has mostly worked in the pro personnel department and Thompson has mostly ignored other team´s veterans to upgrade the team.