2011 NFL Draft Grades: Initial Grades for All 32 1st Round Picks

The first round of the 2011 NFL Draft is officially in the books. One of the most entertaining first rounds did not disappoint when it came to surprise picks, heavy movement, blunders, reaches and busts.

The Titans shocked us by taking Jake Locker at No. 8 with Blaine Gabbert still on the board.

The Ravens missed their pick but still landed their man.

Jerry Jones of all people played it safe with an offensive tackle.

Cam Newton heads to Carolina, as expected, to resurrect the Panthers.

Atlanta traded all the way up for Julio Jones.

These are just some of the noteworthy selections from the most eventful first round in the history of the draft. Yet what matters most is how these players project for each team. Here are your initial draft grades for all 32 1st round picks.

1. Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton, Auburn QB

Draft Grade: A+

Carolina Panthers grab Cam Newton, the No. 1 superstar in the draft. He is the franchise, jersey and ticket selling QB the Panthers desperately needed. 

2. Denver Broncos: Von Miller, Texas A&M OLB

Draft Grade: A+

Those who say Von doesn't fit John Fox's 4-3 defense are severely underestimating his elite talent, dedication, maturity and work ethic. He will be a superstar with a returning Elvis Dumervil. 

3. Buffalo Bills: Marcell Dareus, Alabama DT

Draft Grade: A+

Bills land an elite defensive player who can fit their new hybrid 3-4 4-3 defense. He will be the anchor in Buffalo. 

4. Cincinnati Bengals: A.J. Green, Georgia WR

Draft Grade: A+

Bengals land a player who could possibly convince Carson Palmer to stay. More importantly, he has elite receiving abilities and is unlike the other divas in the league. He will be the heir apparent to Chad Ochocinco. 

5. Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Peterson, LSU CB

Draft Grade: A+

Cardinals land my No. 1 overall prospect in the class to solidify an extremely talented secondary. He could be the next Deion Sanders. 

6. Atlanta Falcons (from Cleveland): Julio Jones, Alabama WR

Draft Grade: A+

Atlanta makes a great move to trade up to Cleveland to complete their offense. They didn't give up too much for the second most elite playmaker in the draft. He is a perfect fit for the Falcons' offense and will be with Matt Ryan for the next decade. 

7. San Francisco 49ers: Aldon Smith, Missouri DE/OLB

Draft Grade: A-

49ers pass on Blaine Gabbert, which was a great move. Smith appears to be a reach to some, but he has been compared to DeMarcus Ware, one of the elite pass-rushers in the league. Patrick Willis and Smith could become the next Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs. 

8. Tennessee Titans: Jake Locker, Washington QB

Draft Grade: B-

Locker was not a great pick for the Titans. He does not have the accuracy or great decision-making needed to manage this team. Gabbert was a better choice. 

9. Dallas Cowboys: Tyron Smith, USC OT

Draft Grade: A

Cowboys land the most athletic offensive tackle in the draft. He will be needed to play left tackle, which remains to be seen if he can truly excel at. He is the best pass-blocking tackle in the draft, though. 

10. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Washington): Blaine Gabbert, Missouri QB

Draft Grade: B-

I like this move more for Gabbert than for Jacksonville. He needs to sit and the Jaguars can afford to let him sit. Still, there are better QB's coming out next year. 

11. Houston Texans: J.J. Watt, Wisconsin DE

Draft Grade: A

Watt is a powerhouse of a DE with a fantastic motor. This was a surprise pick to me, but a great pick nonetheless. Mario Williams and Watt will be a great duo. 

12. Minnesota Vikings: Christian Ponder, Florida State QB

Draft Grade: B

I predicted in a few mocks that the Vikings would do this, as Ponder is the game-manager the Vikings need. Still, they could have traded down and still landed Ponder. 

13. Detroit Lions: Nick Fairley, Auburn DT

Draft Grade: A+

The Lions land one of the steals in the first round. Fairley didn't look too happy to head to Detroit, but this is the best landing spot in the entire league as he gets to dominate with Ndamukong Suh. Suh and Fairley will create the most beastly defensive tackle duo in league history. 

14. St. Louis Rams: Robert Quinn, North Carolina DE/OLB

Draft Grade: A

Rams needed to upgrade their defense with an elite pass rusher and Quinn falls in their lap. He can play defensive end or outside linebacker and should be a superstar with inside linebacker James Laurinaitis. 

15. Miami Dolphins: Mike Pouncey, Florida OG/C

Draft Grade: A

Dolphins land the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the draft. He will help solidify the Miami's line in both run- and pass-blocking. 

16. Washington Redskins (from Jacksonville): Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue DE

Draft Grade: B+

Kerrigan is better on the field than off. He is simply a football player and has a knack for attacking quarterbacks. 

17. New England Patriots (from Oakland): Nate Solder, Colorado OT

Draft Grade: B-

Belichick managed to mess this pick up with two superior offensive lineman still on the board and better defensive lineman. Solder is a converted tight end, so he is clearly one of the most athletic tackles in the draft. Still, there were better players on the board. 

18. San Diego Chargers: Corey Liuget, Illinois DT

Draft Grade: A

Chargers land a fantastic player, my No. 18 overall player in the draft, in Liuget. He is one of the hardest working players in the draft and will become an instant fan favorite in San Diego. 

19. New York Giants: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska CB

Draft Grade: A

General manager Jerry Reese takes the best player available despite needs on the offensive line. They can still find an offensive guard in the second round and land a fantastic cornerback who was my No. 7 overall player in the entire draft. 

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Adrian Clayborn, Iowa DE

Draft Grade: B+

A popular mock pick for the entire offseason, the Bucs land a great pass-rusher and motivational leader for their locker room. It would be an "A," but they passed on my No. 2 defensive end, Cameron Jordan. 

21. Cleveland Browns (from Kansas City): Phil Taylor, Baylor DT

Draft Grade: B

Browns trade up, for some reason, to land the best 3-4 nose tackle in the draft. Oddly enough, the Browns are switching to the 4-3. They need to land a strong defense end (Da'Quan Bowers?) to solidify this pick. 

22. Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Castonzo, Boston College OT

Draft Grade: A+

Colts land the No. 1 need this offseason in an offensive tackle to protect Peyton Manning. Castonzo is my No. 3 offensive tackle and will be an excellent addition to the entire team. 

23. Philadelphia Eagles: Danny Watkins, Baylor OG

Draft Grade: B-

Eagles pass on the top corner on the board in Jimmy Smith. They also pass on Gabe Carimi, my No. 1 offensive lineman in the entire draft. Watkins is a fine, athletic, hard-working player nonetheless. 

24. New Orleans Saints: Cameron Jordan, California DE

Draft Grade: A+

Cameron Jordan is my No. 2 defensive end in the draft. This is a fantastic selection for a team that needed a defensive end. Jordan may be the most NFL-ready defensive end in the entire draft.

25. Seattle Seahawks: James Carpenter, Alabama OG

Draft Grade: C-

Nothing against Carpenter, who is a top-five offensive guard in the draft, but he could have been had in the second round. This is a reach for Seattle.

26. Kansas City Chiefs (from Cleveland via Atlanta): Jonathan Baldwin, Pittsburgh WR

Draft Grade: C

Chiefs swoop in to Baltimore's spot after their blunder and trading down with Cleveland to No. 27... to land Jonathan Baldwin? This is a poor selection for the Chiefs who could have grabbed Gabe Carimi or a quality outside linebacker. Chiefs could have taken a receiver in the second round.

27. Baltimore Ravens: Jimmy Smith, Colorado CB

Draft Grade: A+

We should give the Ravens an "F" for failing to make this pick at No. 26, but they still land their man. Smith is the best fit for the Ravens and could develop into the very best cornerback in the draft. 

28. New Orleans Saints (from New England): Mark Ingram, Alabama RB

Draft Grade: A+

I know the Saints already have Chris Ivory and just signed Pierre Thomas to an extension, and it remains to be seen if Reggie Bush will remain with the team, but all three backs were injured last season. The Saints add a Heisman winner who may be the angriest runner in the history of running. He will be a fantastic compliment for Drew Brees and he can catch.

29. Chicago Bears: Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin OT

Draft Grade: A+

Somehow, Gabe Carimi, my No. 1 offensive tackle and elite run-blocker, falls all the way to No. 29 for a Chicago team that desperately needed to upgrade its offensive line more than any other team in the league.  

30. New York Jets: Muhammad Wilkerson, Temple DE/DT

Draft Grade: A+

Jets land a potential top-10 player who fits their system. Wilkerson is an absolute steal at No. 30. 

31. Pittsburgh Steelers: Cameron Heyward, Ohio State DE

Steelers need to upgrade their offensive line and cornerback positions, but Cam Heyward is too good to pass up for a 3-4 defense that also needed depth on the D-line. 

32. Green Bay Packers: Derek Sherrod, Mississippi State OT

Draft Grade: B+

Packers needed to protect Aaron Rodgers after he was beat up last season.