2011 NFL Draft Grades: 5 Winners and 5 Losers from Rounds 2 and 3 of the Draft
2011 NFL Draft Grades: Detroit Lions, Houston Texans Among Winners; San Diego Chargers and Fans Among the Losers
Day two of the 2011 NFL draft was officially ended Friday night when the Carolina Panthers drafted DT Sione Fua 97th overall.
With the second and third rounds in the books, it's time to start handing out grades for the winners and losers of day two.
Here are the grades for the five winners and five losers of the draft's second day. And don't forget, these grades are based only on what happened during day two.
Winner: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1 of 10
Who They Picked
Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers, No. 51 overall
Washington linebacker Mason Foster, No. 84 overall
Why They Won
In two consecutive drafts, the Buccaneers have completely shifted the dynamic of their defensive front. They've found Gerald McCoy, Brian Price, Adrian Clayborn and now Bowers.
Despite his knee issues, Bowers can give them a talented situational pass rusher and was a great value at No. 51. Foster can step in right away and be a starting linebacker.
Grade
A
Loser: Washington Redskins
2 of 10
Who They Picked
Clemson defensive end Jarvis Jenkins, No. 41 overall
Miami receiver Leonard Hankerson, No. 79 overall
Why They Lost
I understand wanting more picks in the draft, but no team passed up more good players in favoring of trading down than the Redskins.
They might be able to find some hidden gems with their 10 (yes, 10) day three picks, but that's just an outrageous number.
Washington is going to find a bunch of players with special teams as their NFL ceiling too. Hankerson was a solid pick in the third round, however.
Grade
C-
Winner: Detroit Lions
3 of 10
Who They Picked
Boise State receiver Titus Young, No. 44 overall
Illinois running back Mikel Leshoure, No. 57 overall
Why They Won
The Lions just continue to find talented players to augment their ever-improving roster.
The credit has to go to GM Martin Mayhew—he understands that the best drafters use this time to find the best players, not fill immediate needs.
Young turns receiver into a major strength, and Leshoure should complement Jahvid Best in the backfield. Leshoure especially was a great value at No. 57.
Grade
A
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Loser: Beanie Wells
4 of 10
Who They Picked
Arizona takes Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams, No. 38 overall
Why He Lost
Wells was the Cardinals first-round pick just two years ago, and Williams is talented enough to take significant carries away from him.
But what does this say overall about the Cardinals thinking of Wells?
Tim Hightower will likely lose the most out of this deal, but teams just don't take running backs this high if they are comfortable with the guys currently on their roster.
Grade
C-
Winner: New York Giants
5 of 10
Who They Picked
North Carolina defensive tackle Marvin Austin, No. 52 overall
Troy receiver Jerrel Jernigan, No. 83 overall
Why They Won
For the second time in two days, the Giants got a top-25 talent.
Austin quieted many of the concerns about missing a year with a dominating showing throughout the draft process. He'll only add to the Giants strength along the defensive line.
Jernigan is an electric slot receiver who should see time in the passing offense right away.
Grade
A
Loser: San Diego Chargers
6 of 10
Who They Picked
Clemson defensive back Marcus Gilchrist, No. 50 overall
Michigan linebacker Jonas Mouton, No. 61 overall
San Diego State receiver Vincent Brown, No. 82 overall
USC cornerback Shareece Wright, No. 89 overall
Why They Lost
The Chargers had plenty of picks to make a splash, but you could argue they reached on each of their four second-day picks.
Gilchrist is a versatile player without a set position, Mouton was picked by most to be a fifth-rounder, Brown is steady but better receivers were available and Wright is only the 10th or 12th best corner.
Chargers fans have to be scratching their heads.
Grade
C+
Winner: Cincinnati Bengals
7 of 10
Who They Picked
TCU quarterback Andy Dalton, No. 35 overall
Nevada linebacker Dontay Moch, No. 66 overall
Why They Won
The Bengals needed to rebuild their offense this offseason, and they've taken the necessary steps to do so.
They didn't reach for a quarterback in Round 1, but they got a guy with first-round value at the top of the second in Dalton.
Moch is a project linebacker with tremendous speed and athleticism.
Grade
B+
Loser: Justin Houston
8 of 10
Who They Picked
Kansas City takes Georgia linebacker Justin Houston, No. 70 overall
Why He Lost
How many mocks this offseason did you see Houston as a first-round pick? Turns out a failed drug test can drop you from the top 30 into the 70s.
Houston has some pass-rushing skills, but those character concerns lost him millions of dollars. Can he turn it around in Kansas City? He certainly has a lot to prove.
Grade
C+
Winner: Ryan Mallett
9 of 10
Who They Picked
New England takes Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, No. 74 overall.
Why He Won
Mallett lost millions of dollars as well, but he couldn't have landed in a better situation.
While he's not likely to ever play in New England (barring a Tom Brady injury), Mallett will benefit from being in Patriots camp. He can clean up his image, hone his passing skills and hopefully find himself in a similar trade situation as Matt Cassel down the road.
He'll get the chance to earn back those millions.
Grade
B+
Loser: The Fans, NFL, NFL Players
10 of 10
What Happened
The Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in St. Louis chose to give the NFL a temporary stay.
Why They Lost
Everyone loses in this situation. The court's decision means no transactions can happen until next week, but it will likely be much longer than that.
That means no trades (Kevin Kolb), no free-agent signings (Nnamdi Asomugha) and team can't sign undrafted free agents (Packers GM Ted Thompson). Also, players won't be allowed to work out at NFL facilities, rookies won't get their playbooks and the lockout will technically resume.
Fans have to deal with yet another twist in a saga most are thoroughly sick of.
"We want football, we want football, we want football..."
Grade
F
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