Lions handled the draft poorly

The functionality of grading the NFL Draft before any of the draftees actually play a down is questionable at best. NFL scouts know a whole lot more about the stengths and weaknesses of the players in the draft than the average fan. It doesn't make much sense for fans to blast picks based on how good they feel a particular player is when it is based on very limited information. I'm always willing to give the benefit of the doubt when a team makes a reasonable selection. Grading drafts is fun but mostly futile. However, I do think the ability to grade a draft based on how a team managed the draft with regards to trades and perceived value is a legitimate endeavor. For instance, I wouldn't have knocked the Lions for taking Rashard Mendenhall even though I didn't want them to. By most accounts, he will be a good NFL running back. The Lions had more pressing needs but Mendenhall was a mid-first round value. While I wouldn't have agreed with the philosophy behind the pick, I wouldn't have blasted the Lions for making the pick. Differences in philosophies are fine as long as there is value with the pick. So, I'm going to grade the Lions on how I feel they managed the draft based on what they did and what they could've done. more...