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2011 NFL Draft Grades: Have Some Perspective And Wait To Judge Broncos Draft

The NFL is a win-now league, so with the 2011 NFL Draft entering its last day everyone wants to figure out how right now these players fit in with the team and how well a team did at helping itself out. But then there's always that voice that says, "Wait, wait, wait. We can't really judge a draft class for another year or two or three from now." There isn't enough historical perspective for people to take because too often those "lessons of history" are poorly understood.

But how do the Broncos' Day 2 picks look right now? Well, safety Rahim Moore helps secure an aging secondary. He'll receive tutelage from Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins, two of his favorite defensive backs. The selection of Orlando Franklin might make some scratch their heads, but Franklin, who considers himself the "nasty" offensive lineman in the draft, will play right tackle for the team, indicating that Ryan Harris is as good as gone. In the third round, the teams took linebacker Nate Irving. He's a good bet to play in the middle of Von Miller (strong side) and D.J. Williams (weak side). But that is the optimistic approach.

Others will look at the draft picks so far and say, "Well, Miller is a great pick up, but they didn't draft a defensive tackle." That's a good point, but it would appear that the Broncos actually stuck with their "best player available" mantra and decided not to reach for one. Free agency will be where the team improves in that area.

But if one does want a draft grade so far: B/B+. I would have preferred a "reach" or "risk" pick, but it's a solid effort by John Fox so far.