Because a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and there is nothing more spectacularly futile than analyzing draft picks before they've even taken the field:
St Louis - They were locked in on Bradford, and it almost doesn't matter who they take with the rest of their picks. I don't think he's worth a first overall pick though.
Detroit - Had a great day. Suh was a no-brainer, but jumping up to grab Jahvid Best at the end of the first round was a smart move.
Tampa Bay - again, no surprise with McCoy, who won't be Warren Sapp but should be good.
Washington - I'm not sure Trent Williams over Russell Okung was the right call, but you have to think Shanahan knows his blocking scheme well enough to recognize who will work in it and who won't.
Kansas City - Eric Berry will be very, very good, and that's not just the Knoxville in me talking.
Seattle - Okung dropping to them was a nice surprise for Pete Carroll, and adding Earl Thomas was solid too. People expecting sexy skill picks like Jimmy Clausen or Dez Bryant might have been disppointed, but those are two nice building blocks.
Cleveland - I'm not sure Joe Haden will be the shutdown corner the Browns need. Can't really put my finger on why... every time I've seen him I've just got the impression that he won't really stand out in the NFL.
Oakland - McClain's another guy I think is over-rated, simply because he's the best inside LB in the pool. Makes sense the Raiders would bite on him, but he's not top 10 value.
Buffalo - This is where the draft started to get crazy. Spiller's got some serious skills and home run potential, not unlike Felix Jones in Dallas (or, for that matter, Reggie Bush) and will look great in a RB tandem with Fred Jackson. Marshawn Lynch should probably start packing his bags though.
Jacksonville - Alualu looked like a strange pick at the time, and looked even worse after everyone behind them was able to trade down. Jared Odrick fell all the way to 28; it's hard to imagine the Jags couldn't have traded down to somewhere in the 20s, still gotten Alualu, and added some value later in the draft.
San Fran - Hello, new offensive line. Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati are Frank Gore's new best friends.
San Diego - They gave up way too much to jump up and take Ryan Mathews. I've heard the talk that Houston was looking at him at #20, and maybe the Chargers couldn't find a trading partner further down in the teens, but Mathews is not going to be a replacement for Tomlinson. He's solid and will be a good stopgap in a tandem with Sproles until they get a franchise guy, but I don't think he'll be a difference maker.
Philadelphia - Adding to the pass rush was a definite need, and if Graham was the guy they liked the best it's hard to argue too much with moving up to get him, especially with Morgan and Pierre-Paul going just a few picks later. Again, though, I think they gave up too much for the move up, in terms of pure value.
NY Giants - Pierre-Paul's a project, but it's one they can afford to wait on. Solid pick.
Tennessee - Morgan will have a more immediate impact than Pierre-Paul, although he doesn't have JPP's upside. Another solid pick, both for value and need.
Pittsburgh - No surprise here. Pouncey is a born Steeler.
Atlanta - I like Weatherspoon at 19 better than I like McClain at 8 in terms of value, but neither one is Patrick Willis.
Houston - There wasn't much to separate the corners behind Haden, so Kareen Jackson is as good a pick as any.
Cincinnati - Gresham was the pick predicted in most mocks, but I'm still not sure the Bengals will even know what to do with a real tight end.
Denver - Demaryius Thomas over Dez Bryant? Hell yes. They just chased Brandon Marshall out of town; character matters now for the Broncos. As witnessed by their next pick, Tim Tebow. This is the draft that will determine Josh McDainels' future in Denver - if the choir boys pan out, he's in for the long haul. If Tebow can't handle anything but the Wildcat and Thomas gets outperformed by Bryant, the team will be looking for a new coach in 2013 or so.
Green Bay - Bulaga is great value at this point, and fits a need. Score.
Dallas - Jerry Jones lives in the past too much. They jumped up a few picks to grab the best wide receiver in the draft, in an effort to redress the 'wrong' of passing on Randy Moss way back when. Bryant doesn't really fit a huge need though, and if they don't find )-line help (of which there was plenty still on the board) and a safety (granted, there's no one available I would have rated as worth picking at the end of the first round) this pick will end up being a big mistake.
Arizona - Dan Williams dropping to them was a nice gift.
New England - McCourty is a classic Belichick first round pick, a guy who will be on the field a lot and play both on defense (nickel corner at worst, but he could end up being better than that) and as a force on special teams.
Miami - Jared Odrick is another good value pick at this point, and a nice reward for Parcells for trading down.
NY Jets - Just what Rex Ryan needed, more toys on defense. I think Wilson could end up being just about as good as Haden.
Indianapolis - With Freeney and Mathis getting older, adding another pass rush specialist in the form of Jerry Hughes was a nice get.
New Orleans - Patrick Robinson may not be special, but he should be solid.
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