2011 NFL Draft Results: The 5 Teams Whose Drafts Left Us Wanting More

NFL Draft Results Continue to Roll in, But Whose Picks Left Us Wanting More?

As the 2011 NFL draft moves slowly and steadily towards its conclusion, the overall picture of each team's draft haul is coming more and more into focus. We're beginning to draw conclusions about whose drafts managed to improve their standing in the league's hierarchy, whose drafts netted the best value picks, and, perhaps most importantly, which drafts missed the mark. 

It happens every season; teams simply fail to recognize some of their biggest needs, or start off well but can't quite finish the job. They might not miss the mark completely, or leave us angry, but we definitely come away from the draft feeling as if those teams could have done more to address their needs. 

While there's still plenty of time in this year's draft to fill holes, the fact of the matter is that if a team was going to prevent fans from wanting more, they would have likely filled the needs the fans wanted them to fill by now. Therefore, it's fairly safe to begin drawing conclusions, and determining which teams really could have done more to impress in this draft. 

To qualify for this list, a team had to deliver at least one colossally disappointing pick (preferably in the first round) or ignore a prominent need throughout the course of the draft. They could also deliver generally lacking picks or fail to make the most out of their position on the board. 

So, after careful analysis of teams' picks thus far, these five leave us wanting the most: 

Honorable Mention: New England Patriots: Look, I get the offensive line pick, and grabbing Mallett was a real steal, while Ras-I Dowling could become a real star at some point. But did no one tell Bill Belichick that his team's pass-rush stunk out loud last season?

It seemed as though the draft was setting up to give the Patriots the players they would need to improve their quarterback pressuring skills, and yet, each time their name came up, Belichick opted for someone else. While none of the Patriots picks have been bad thus far (although Steven Ridley was a reach), the fact that they managed to overlook one of their most glaring needs means they need a place on this list. 

5. Jacksonville Jaguars: This wasn't terrible; Jacksonville pulled a surprise in Round 1, trading up to get Blaine Gabbert and had a largely unremarkable draft after that. But, the Jags didn't need a quarterback, they needed pass-rushers and defensive backs, and after all five of their picks were exhausted, they only had one corner, out of Middle Tennessee State, one corner out of Wyoming and no defensive linemen. They didn't need a quarterback; they have a solid one in David Garrard. But seriously? You get smoked by Peyton Manning twice a season and get smoked by Matt Schaub twice a year, and it never occurs to you to maybe try and get more pressure on them? 

Not a terrible draft, but not quite what fans were hoping for here. 

4. Minnesota Vikings: "With the 12th overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft, the Minnesota Vikings select Christian Ponder, quarterback, Florida State". At that moment, the Vikings guaranteed a place on this list.They failed to grab a single pass-rushing defensive end, an offensive lineman or the safety they need. Instead, they grabbed a tight end (sure, he's talented, but did they forget about Visanthe Shiancoe?), a cover corner (who could actually help) and Ponder, a guy who couldn't stay healthy at Florida State.

On top of that, there were plenty of other passers still on the board. Don't want to wait on a Ryan Mallett or a Colin Kaepernick to be ready? Then take Andy Dalton, who might not have the upside but looked a lot better than Ponder last season. 

There were some good values, in Christian Ballard and Brandon Burton, but the fact is, by taking Ponder, they left fans going "what in the name of Fran Tarkenton was that?!"

3. Atlanta Falcons: It's not that the Falcons traded up that left us wanting here, and Julio Jones combining with Roddy White in Atlanta's passing game has me drooling. But, giving up five picks for the price of one and failing to notice that your team is in dire need of pass-rushers or cornerbacks, in a draft heavy on defensive ends? That's just poor draft strategy. Did they not see the way Aaron Rodgers picked them apart in the division finals last year?

It feels kind of like Atlanta left themselves hamstrung after trading up for Jones, but missing out on the entire pool of defensive end talent, in a year when it was deeper than any year in recent memory is just stupid. Hopefully, Atlanta can actually sign a pass-rusher on the free-agent market, because if they can't, Falcons fans could get a strange feeling of deja vu next year. 

2. Washington Redskins: Once again, the Redskins managed to improve certain areas of their squad, while completely neglecting one key area. They boosted their pass-rush and defense with defensive end/linebacker Ryan Kerrigan and safety Dejon Gomes, fixed the run defense with defensive tackle Jarvis Jenkins and may have found enough wideouts and running backs to finally have an offense. But, where's the quarterback?

We saw six taken in two rounds and seven taken in three rounds, but none of those players wound up in Washington. If the Donovan McNabb trade we've heard so much about actually happens, that means Washington's starting quarterback is Rex Grossman. If that doesn't leave fans wanting, I don't know what will. 

1. Seattle Seahawks: Seattle has had the most disappointing draft out of any team in the NFL. Few teams managed to combine questionable picks (Kris Durham? Really?) with a complete inability to fill their roster's holes. Did Pete Carroll forget how bad Charlie Whitehurst looked last season as quarterback? Or about the fact that the defensive line was unable to generate much of anything in the way of a pass-rush? Or even that the secondary was as porous as any in the NFL? 

Instead, he bolstered the offensive line, linebacking corps, and eventually, the secondary, while failing to grab one of the incredibly promising quarterbacks on the board. I know the offensive line was a bit shaky last season...but seriously? You couldn't take Andy Dalton or Colin Kaepernick? You couldn't even manage to grab Ricky Stanzi in the fourth round? 

It was without a doubt the Seahawks' biggest need this season, and by completely ignoring it, Carroll's draft strategy is sure to leave fans with a rotten feeling in their stomach. But, on the plus side, it looks like the Seahawks will get a full season of Charlie Whitehurst's sweet hair at starting quarterback.