Yardbarker

May 30th, 2013

Grading the Draft: San Francisco 49ers

Blessed with double-digit draft picks and roster depth that will make it impossible for more than a handful of rookies to make their Week 1 roster, the 49ers masterfully maneuvered their way through the draft by trading up for three of their first four picks. Even after using their later picks to move up for their main targets, San Francisco still managed to make 11 picks and the players they drafted should help the team either this year or in the future. Chris Tripodi breaks down one of this year’s best draft classes...

Grading the Draft: Arizona Cardinals
Held back by pathetic quarterback play last season, the Cardinals decided to trade for Carson Palmer rather than take a chance on any of this year’s QB prospects in the first two rounds. For a team with plenty of holes on both sides of the ball and a star receiver going to waste this was probably a wise move, especially after Arizona used their first pick to provide some protection for Palmer and whoever winds up succeeding him. Chris Tripodi breaks down the Arizona draft class...
Grading the Draft: New Orleans Saints
The Saints were a bit pick deficient entering the draft and came to the event with several needs on defense. Moving to a 3-4 next season, the team needed scheme specific players and did a good job drafting value most of the way through...
Grading the Draft: Atlanta Falcons
With a secondary that struggled in 2013 and Pro Bowl quarterbacks on two of the other three rosters in the NFC South, Atlanta decided to focus on upgrading their defensive backfield with their first two picks. They did just that with two cornerbacks who could be their starting tandem within a year or two but as Chris Tripodi reports below, the rest of their draft left something to be desired...
Grading the Draft: Carolina Panthers
With a new general manager, a head coach hanging on by a thread and holes on both sides of the ball, this was a critical draft for the Carolina Panthers. The bad news was the franchise had just five picks and needed maximum effect from all their selections...
Updated 4/23
RankRndNamePosYear
11stLuke Joeckel
Texas A&M
T3Jr
21stDion Jordan
Oregon
OLB5Sr
31stEric Fisher
Central Michigan
T4Sr
41stStar Lotulelei
Utah
DT5Sr
51stShariff Floyd
Florida
DT3Jr
61stEzekiel Ansah
BYU
DE5Sr
71stDee Milliner
Alabama
CB3Jr
81stBarkevious Mingo
LSU
OLB4Jr
91stChance Warmack
Alabama
G5Sr
101stJonathan Cooper
North Carolina
G5Sr
111stLane Johnson
Oklahoma
T5Sr
121stBjoern Werner
Florida State
DE3Jr
131stSheldon Richardson
Missouri
DT4Jr
141stXavier Rhodes
Florida State
CB4Jr
151stJarvis Jones
Georgia
OLB4Jr
161stD.J. Fluker
Alabama
T4Jr
171stKenny Vaccaro
Texas
S4Sr
181stCordarrelle Patterson
Tennessee
WR3Jr
191stTavon Austin
West Virginia
WR4Sr
201stCornellius Carradine
Florida State
DE4Sr
211stTyler Eifert
Notre Dame
TE4Jr
221stSylvester Williams
North Carolina
DT4Sr
231stDatone Jones
UCLA
DE5Sr
241stGeno Smith
West Virginia
QB4Sr
251stDesmond Trufant
Washington
CB4Sr