WWE Draft 2011 Results: A Thorough Analysis of Every Single Draft Pick

What's up, ladies and gentlemen? My name is Eric Kanes and as you all know, this is the time of the week where I usually write up my RAW Review, which happens to be the most electrifying RAW Review on the net.

However, this is a special week as all of the matches on RAW were quick matches for a draft pick or involved two old dudes whipping each other. As delighted as I would be to review those matches, the main story on Monday night was clearly the draft.

The matches were mostly irrelevant. Therefore, instead of reviewing the entire show, I will review the entire draft (including the supplemental draft), thoroughly evaluating every draft pick.

Without any further ado, let's get started.

1. John Cena to SmackDown...and back to RAW in less than two hours

This move made absolutely no sense. I get that they were trying to make a buzz but that would've worked better if Cena was traded back this Friday on SmackDown. Doing this isn't going to increase ratings. It's only going to piss people off.

It's also going to make future draft picks seem less legitimate. I'm fine with it because I knew that there was no way Cena was going to SmackDown, but they would've been better off squeezing two of the supplemental draft picks on the show.

Grade: D

2. Rey Mysterio to RAW

This move makes sense because it's best to have Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara on separate shows. This was done mostly for Sin Cara and we'll get to that in a little bit, but this also opens up some fresh feuds for Mysterio.

The Miz is starting to run out of challengers and Rey Mysterio can afford a clean loss, so this would be the perfect way to elevate Miz. Mysterio can also be used to elevate R-Truth as well as both of them are real-life friends.

The story basically writes itself with Mysterio being upset with how Truth has been acting. Either way, I have absolutely no complaints with this pick.

Grade: A

3. Randy Orton to SmackDown

In the column that I wrote about the draft picks that would benefit WWE the most, the first person I named for SmackDown was Randy Orton.

However, there is a bit of a dilemma now. It's not that this is a bad pick as SmackDown desperately needed some main event talent but I don't quite see who Orton can work with, with the way everyone has been moved around.

Orton vs. Sheamus has been done to death. Orton vs. Barrett could definitely work but WWE would have to book Barrett and The Corre to look strong.

If they have Orton destroy The Corre like he did with The New Nexus, there's no point in doing it at all. Only time will tell whether or not this is a beneficial draft pick.

Grade: B+

4. Mark Henry to SmackDown

On Monday Night RAW, Mark Henry was not only drafted to SmackDown but his monster heel character returned as well. After two years of watching him chilling in hot tubs with Hornswoggle, dressing up as a leprechaun, and participating in dance competitions, it's definitely a relief to see.

He's not going to be the top heel on SmackDown but he is definitely an asset in this role. Hopefully, we don't see the dreaded feuds against The Great Khali or Kane, though.

Grade: B

5. Sin Cara to SmackDown

As soon as Rey Mysterio was drafted to RAW, you pretty much knew this one was coming. Rey Mysterio can handle RAW as he is a veteran performer who is accustomed to the WWE style. Sin Cara is still learning, though.

He's been a bit anxious during his previous RAW appearances so he's botched quite a bit. Since SmackDown is an edited show, WWE will be able to edit out the botches in case it happens again.

There are a few potential programs for Sin Cara on SmackDown. He's been going after the big guys lately so he can continue that trend by going after Mark Henry. He can feud with Cody Rhodes, whose character seems irritated by people with masks.

Another interesting feud would be one against Tyson Kidd. Tyson Kidd does not have much momentum so he would have nothing to lose by taking a few losses but together, these two could put on some fantastic matches. Either way, Sin Cara is a much better fit for SmackDown than he is for RAW.

Grade: A

6. Big Show to RAW

I have no particular reaction to this move as it seems like Big Show moves around every year. I guess this was done to have somebody to work with each of the heels.

The top five heels in the company (The Miz, Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk, Jack Swagger, & R-Truth) are all on RAW and there are not many faces so this move makes sense.

He'll still probably appear on SmackDown as he's the WWE Tag Team Champion along with Kane.

Grade: B

7. Alberto Del Rio to RAW

I'm not too sure about this move. A lot of people are questioning it because they don't think that he'll remain in the main event scene. I don't think that's true.

He's the No. 2 heel behind The Miz and there are a lot of fresh feuds for him. Feuds against the likes of John Cena, Triple H and John Morrison have a lot of potential and would do wonders for him.

The reason I question this move is because this leaves SmackDown without a main event heel. Sheamus and Wade Barrett can be built up over time but they're not at that level quite yet.

Therefore, while moving Del Rio to RAW isn't necessarily a bad move, I would've preferred it if he stayed on SmackDown and had a nice, long World title reign.

Grade: C+

8. John Cena to RAW

We've already covered this. This move did more harm than good.

Grade: D

9. Daniel Bryan to SmackDown

This is, by far, one of the best moves in the draft. I talked about this in the column on which draft picks would be the most beneficial. Daniel Bryan is arguably the best pure wrestler in the company and SmackDown is the wrestling-heavy show so this pick makes sense.

Maybe we'll finally see a match of decent length between Daniel Bryan and Sheamus. On top of that, if we get a 15-minute match between Daniel Bryan and Tyson Kidd, I'll be a very happy man.

Grade: A

10. Jack Swagger to RAW

This is another pick that I wanted to see happen but with the way things turned out, I'm not so sure. Had he remained on SmackDown, Swagger would've been the No. 1 heel. On RAW, he's the No. 5 heel. He'll have to take a backseat to the likes of The Miz, CM Punk, Alberto Del Rio, and R-Truth.

It wouldn't make a difference if he turned face, either, as then he'd be behind John Cena, Rey Mysterio, and possibly John Morrison. It's a shame too, considering how over he's been getting with Michael Cole in his corner.

Grade: D

11. The Great Khali to SmackDown

This move doesn't make much of a difference as The Great Khali makes sporadic appearances and isn't a serious character anyway. Hopefully, they keep him away from Hornswoggle and Mark Henry. You just know this is coming!

Grade: C

12. Jimmy Uso to SmackDown

According to the WWE.com moderator, the general managers were choosing the supplemental draft picks. You heard that right.

Out of all the talent on RAW, one of the first people the SmackDown GM chose was Jimmy Uso. So the SmackDown GM is an idiot? There I go using logic.

Anyway, his partner was drafted later on and we'll get to that in a bit.

Grade: C

13. Kelly Kelly to RAW

I'm fine with this move. Most of the face divas (Natalya, Rosa Mendes, Kaitlyn, Layla, Tamina) are now on SmackDown so it makes sense to move Kelly to RAW.

Since she's one of the more over divas, Kharma should squash her before she goes after The Bellas or Eve. That would get her a lot more heat.

Grade: A-

14. JTG to RAW

This move won't make much of a difference. He'll either go back to Superstars or get released. It doesn't look like he has much of a future with the company.

Grade: C

15. Alicia Fox to SmackDown

I think I heard dancing on the streets when this one was announced. I mean, after all, this is the technical master and brilliant innovator behind the greatest match in history: Melina vs. Alicia Fox. OK, maybe not, but this was a good call.

With Kharma set to debut on RAW soon, Alicia Fox would have no chance. On SmackDown, the only other heel diva is Michelle McCool. Perhaps they can team up. Or Alicia Fox can plan her honeymoon with the Undertaker. One or the other.

Grade: B+

16. William Regal to SmackDown

I suggested this move in my previous column and I'm glad this happened. Regal is on the brink of retirement. If he plans on wrestling for a few more months, a program against Daniel Bryan could be fun.

I think the main reason behind moving him, though, is to place him on commentary. He's been doing a great job on NXT so it has to happen. There is a chance that Booker T could return to the ring, so having Regal as his replacement would be perfect.

Grade: A

17. Yoshi Tatsu to SmackDown

I don't think he'll make any more of an impact on SmackDown than he did on RAW. He'll probably just be fed to Sheamus and Cody Rhodes, and that's fine. He's a decent wrestler so having him on the wrestling-heavy show makes sense.

Grade: B

18. Drew McIntyre to RAW

Drew McIntyre was low enough on the radar as it was. Now, he's in the lowest echelon on RAW. The Miz, Alberto Del Rio, and CM Punk are main eventers. R-Truth and Jack Swagger are upper mid-carders. Dolph Ziggler is at the next level.

Drew McIntyre is not as over as any of them so he's in the lower mid-card, along with Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder, which means he's the new Superstars guy. I don't see how this move benefits him at all.

Grade: C-

19. Natalya to SmackDown

I approve. She's one of the better divas on the roster so I'm glad that she's on the wrestling-heavy show.

Grade: A-

20. Curt Hawkins to RAW

I can't say that I'm thrilled about this or anything but this is a step in the right direction. Other than his 2-3 appearances with Vance Archer and 2-3 appearances in battle royals, I don't think Curt Hawkins appeared on SmackDown at all.

A reunion with his old partner, Zack Ryder, would be nice. Now that they have more developed characters, the team could be a lot more entertaining.

Either way, a chance of scenery is not a bad thing for Curt Hawkins. It's not like it can get any worse for him.

Grade: B+

21. Chris Masters to RAW

He was the veteran performer who worked house shows on SmackDown and now he's the veteran performer who works house shows on RAW.

With RAW losing Mark Henry, William Regal, and possibly Goldust (due to retirement), this one was inevitable. Don't expect to see him released any time soon, as he now has a role to fill.

Grade: B

22. Jey Uso to SmackDown

Alright, so both Usos are now on SmackDown. I don't see how this will be any different from their stay on RAW as the tag team division is pretty much dead. At least they'll probably get some TV time by taking losses to The Corre every week.

Grade: C

23. Kofi Kingston to RAW

This is actually a really good move. Kofi was going nowhere on SmackDown as he basically just floundered around for a year. Right now, he's in luck as there are five upper-level heels that he could work with.

If built up right, he could even be a potential challenger for The Miz's WWE title. It definitely looks like Kofi will be a lot more successful on RAW than he was on SmackDown.

Grade: A-

24. Ted DiBiase to SmackDown

This is a pretty good thing for Ted DiBiase. A change of scenery is just what he needed. There's no way he would survive on RAW as he'd be the No. 8 heel. As of now, there's no top heel on SmackDown.

Could DiBiase step up and be the top heel? I don't think so. However, he could definitely find some success in the mid-card, possibly even having a reign as the U.S. or Intercontinental champion. Even if things remain bad for him, there's no way that they can get any worse.

Grade: B+

25. Tyson Kidd to SmackDown

Tyson Kidd may never become a main eventer but he's one of the best workers that WWE has right now. As long as he gets consistent in-ring time on SmackDown and as long as that match with Daniel Bryan happens, I've got no complaints.

Grade: B

26. Tamina to SmackDown

Unless WWE pairs Tamina up with The Usos, this was a pretty pointless draft pick. At least the whole thing with Santino is over with now.

Grade: C

27. Tyler Reks to Superstars

The WWE website claims that Tyler Reks has been drafted to RAW. I think that's a typo.

Grade: C

28. Alex Riley to SmackDown

How can Alex Riley be drafted? Isn't he The Miz's Vice President of Corporate Communications, which means that he works for The Miz? There I go again using logic.

It would be pretty cool if WWE just drafted random people off the street to SmackDown, though. Nobody's safe!

In all seriousness, this is a horrible move. The only thing keeping Alex Riley relevant was his alliance with The Miz. Without The Miz, he's just another generic heel.

Grade: D

29. Beth Phoenix to RAW

I'm fine with this. An interesting scenario for Beth Phoenix would be having her save Kelly Kelly or Eve or whoever from Kharma.

At that point, she can try to take Kharma down only to get squashed. They can then do a thing where if Beth Phoenix can't take her down, nobody can.

Grade: B+

30. Sheamus to SmackDown

This is probably the best pick of the supplemental draft. With SmackDown lacking a main event heel, this is just who they need. I think Sheamus needs to be given one more push.

Except this time (this might be a bit irrational but bear with me) don't book him like the average chickensh*t heel, don't have him lose every match, don't have him run away from everybody, and for the love of god don't dress him up like Batman!

Just have him do what Umaga did in 2006 or what Kozlov did in 2008. Have him come out, kick ass, and leave. An undefeated streak would be nice as well.

Let him go undefeated for four or five months and at that point, you have a legit world title contender. Just, please, don't drop the ball with him this time!

Grade: A

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think this draft accomplished what it should have: giving SmackDown a more beefed-up roster. SmackDown looks a lot better now than it did last week.

There are only two major problems with this draft. The first is that SmackDown is left without a main event heel. That means that either Sheamus or Wade Barrett has to be pushed like crazy. Considering the potential that they have, it's not hard to book them right.

However, WWE has dropped the ball with each one of their pushes. I've almost completely lost faith and this is one of those times where I'd love to be proven wrong.

On the other end of the spectrum, RAW is now home to the top five heels in the company. This is quite a dilemma as one or two of them won't be in the top five anymore. There simply isn’t enough upper-level babyface talent to match the upper-level heel talent.

Hopefully, WWE realizes that and sends R-Truth over to SmackDown. If not, this is bad news for either him or Jack Swagger.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading. I will be right back here later this week with my official Extreme Rules predictions, but until then, I'm out!

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