ESPN's Mel Kiper has released his grades (In$ider) for how he thinks each NFL team did in the 2011 NFL Draft. Let me say from the start that it is ridiculous to grade a draft class a day after the draft. It will probably take about four years to actually grade this class, and in the end, the grade for this class will be determined by how Jake Locker does. The 2011 draft class is an A if he ends up being a franchise quarterback.
Kiper gave the Titans a C. Here is what he had to say:
Summary: Tennessee provided the first true shock of the draft. The Atlanta-Cleveland trade wasn't really a shock -- it was more about the compensation. But the Titans took the first major value shot that didn't involve the No. 1 pick. The story of this draft will be how they use Locker. Will they have the patience not to rush him? Will he become more accurate in the NFL than he was in college? The guy has a remarkable skill-set, but productivity is the question. As a pick, you can say the value perhaps wasn't too poor because he wouldn't have lasted past No. 12, but even then he's still a bit of a project. All these quarterbacks taken early were reaches in terms of value, but those are the risks teams feel they need to take to find an answer. After Locker, I do like the Ayers pick. He has Round 1 tape and was taken at No. 39. Casey is also a talented kid who needs to mature. Another wide receiver would have been nice, but so would an idea of who will be throwing the ball in 2011.
Like I said, it is all about Locker. I do find it funny that he criticizes the Titans for not taking a wide receiver. The Titans don't have the best receivers in the world, but receiver wasn't a top 3 need for this team heading into the draft.
I really like what the Titans did, but I am not willing to put a letter grade on it at this point.