2011 NFL Draft Grades: How Did Each Team Do in the First Round?

1. Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn; The Panthers needed a quarterback, and they drafted the most dominant one in all of college football. Now, all we can do is wait and see how his game transitions to the NFL. Grade: B

2. Denver Broncos: Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M; The Broncos wanted to address the defensive side of the ball, and in Miller, they got the best pure pass rusher in this year's draft class. Grade: A

3. Buffalo Bills: Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama; Buffalo ranked dead last in opponents rushing yards, giving up 170 yards-per-game on the ground. With that said, this pick couldn't have worked out better for the Bills. Grade: A

4. Cincinnati Bengals: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia; Who knows if T.O. or Chad Ochocinco will be back in 2011? Either way, the Bengals now have a top-notch playmaker who is one of the best pure pass-catching talents to come through the draft in over a decade. Grade: A

5. Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU; Defensive back might not have been the top need for Arizona, but by drafting Peterson, the Cardinals land the top talent in this year's draft class, regardless of position. Grade: A+

6. Atlanta Falcons (From Cleveland Browns): Julio Jones, WR, Alabama; The Falcons sure gave up an awful lot to land Jones, but with him and Roddy White catching passes, Atlanta now has one of the elite passing games in the NFL. Grade: A

7. San Francisco 49ers: Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri; San Francisco needed to address the defensive side of the ball, and while Smith offers hope for the future, there were better defensive ends on the board at this point. Grade: C+

8. Tennessee Titans: Jake Locker, QB, Washington; This was the first true surprise of the draft here, but Tennessee has a need for a quarterback, and by drafting Locker, they get a guy that is going to do everything he can to succeed at the next level. Grade: B

9. Dallas Cowboys: Tyron Smith, OT, USC; Dallas wanted to add depth to their offensive line, and in Smith, they get the top offensive tackle in this year's draft class. If he can add some more bulk, this has the potential to be a home run. Grade: B+

10. Jacksonville Jaguars (From Washington Redskins); Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri: Jacksonville traded up in order to land their quarterback of the future in Gabbert. He will have the chance to learn behind David Garrard, who is a proven NFL veteran. Looks like a perfect situation for the former Missouri standout. Grade: A-

11. Houston Texans: J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin; It was a given that Houston was going to go after a defensive player with this pick, and in Watt, they get a top-notch defensive end with a non-stop motor and a will to win. Grade: A-

12. Minnesota Vikings: Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State; This was the biggest surprise of the first round, as well as the biggest reach. After Locker was gone, Minnesota panicked and took a guy with a second-round grade far too early. Grade: D

13. Detroit Lions: Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn; Defensive tackle wasn't a top need for Detroit, but with this pick, the Lions landed a top-five talent to pair up with ROY Ndamukong Suh. Detroit needed a true strength, and now they certainly have one here. Grade: A-

14. St. Louis Rams: Robert Quinn, DE, UNC; Perhaps not the top need for St. Louis, but in Quinn, this team gets an athletic freak who is going to make a living in the NFL rushing opposing quarterbacks. Grade: A-

15. Miami Dolphins: Mike Pouncey, OG, Florida; The Dolphins filled a need here with a guy who can play either guard or center. His brother Maurkice was a standout rookie for Pittsburgh this year, and Mike should be much the same for Miami. Grade: A-

16. Washington Redskins (From Jacksonville): Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue; The Redskins traded out of their earlier pick, and now, they land a guy who has a non-stop motor off the end. Kerrigan isn't the flashiest player, but he does all the little things right. Grade: A-

17. New England Patriots: Nate Solder, OT, Colorado; It's tough to question the New England Patriots with all the success they have had in past drafts. In Solder, New England gets a guy who has potential, but right now, he is a bit of a project and probably wasn't the top offensive tackle available at this point. Grade: C+

18. San Diego Chargers: Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois; The Chargers were hoping they could land a defensive tackle to complete their defensive line, and in Liuget, they got a good one who slipped a little from where he was projected to go. Grade: B+

19. New York Giants: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska; This was one of the top steals in this year's draft. New York really don't have a huge need for a cornerback, but Amukamara is the second best corner in this year's draft and a top-10 talent, which made him impossible to pass up at this point. Grade: A

20. Tampa Bay Bucs: Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa; Adrian Clayborn was a dominant force in the Big Ten for the past three years. He has some health issues, but non-the-less, this is one of the top defensive ends in this year's draft. Grade: B

21. Cleveland Browns: Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor; Cleveland traded out of their earlier pick, and they land a guy here who is a mirror image of Shaun Rogers. Looks like a bit of a reach here for the Browns. Grade: C-

22. Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College; The Colts were hoping that one of the top-four offensive tackles would drop to them with this pick. In Castonzo, they get the second best offensive tackle and the most NFL-ready lineman in this year's draft class. Grade: A+

23. Philadelphia Eagles: Danny Watkins, OG, Baylor; It looked like the Eagles were either going to address their defensive backfield or their offensive line. They went with Danny Watkins who might not be the most talented offensive lineman, but he has an ideal work ethic and will get better in time. Grade: B-

24. New Orleans Saints: Cameron Jordan, DE, Cal; Cameron Jordan is an experienced defensive end who is going to be a true professional. He will help the Saints with their pass rush and will fill an immediate need on that defensive line. Grade: B

25. Seattle Seahawks: James Carpenter, OT/G, Alabama; The Seahawks were hoping that Jake Locker would be here with this pick, but when he wasn't, they looked to get out of the pick. Instead, Seattle settles on James Carpenter, who is a good lineman but seemed like a real stretch here this early on. Grade: C-

26. Kansas City Chiefs: Jon Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh; We know that Kansas City was looking for a receiver to complement Dwayne Bowe, but this was way too early to grab a guy who would have likely been there at this pick in the second round. Grade: D

27. Baltimore Ravens: Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado; This pick right here has to be in the running for the best pick of this year's draft. Smith is a lockdown corner who looks like a top-15 talent. He will only help a defense that is consistently one of the best in the league. Grade: A+

28. New Orleans Saints: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama; This was another great pick in the first round. New Orleans needed to improve their backfield, and with Mark Ingram, they get the best back in the draft and a guy who fills a huge need for this team. Grade: A

29. Chicago Bears: Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin; Jay Cutler should be jumping for joy with this pick. In Carimi, Chicago gets a top-three offensive tackle who can step in and fill that offensive tackle spot for the next 10 years. Grade: A+

30. New York Jets: Muhammad Wilkerson, DT, Temple; The Jets probably didn't think that Wilkerson would drop to this point, but now that he did, Rex Ryan gets a guy who he can't wait to plug into that defensive tackle position. Grade: B+

31. Pittsburgh Steelers: Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State; The Steelers add another pass rusher to what already is a feared defensive front. Heyward should spend a year learning and then be a impact pass rusher in year two. Grade: B

32. Green Bay Packers: Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State; The defending Super Bowl Champs land a top-five offensive tackle prospect who will be expected to fill the void left by Chad Clifton when he retires from the NFL. Grade: A-