2011 NFL Draft Results: The 5 Worst Picks of the 2011 NFL Draft

Some 2011 NFL Draft Results Leave You Shaking Your Head

The 2011 NFL draft is nearly over. I don't know how you feel about that, but I'm personally a little relieved. Suffice it to say it's been a long weekend.

Of course, this is not to say that this has been a bad weekend. There has been all sorts of drama, and it's always fun to see teams plan out their futures.

Then again, not every team did a good job of planning. Some of the picks that were made fairly boggled the mind. Here are five that I think were particularly bad:

5) Christian Ponder, QB, Minnesota Vikings

I have no problem with Christian Ponder. If he can stay healthy (a big if), I think he'll be a fine pro quarterback. And because he's surrounded by Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin, he has everything he needs to succeed. That said, we all know he was a reach for the No. 12 pick. Given what they've been through over the last couple years, the Vikings were the one team I thought needed to make a safe pick. Instead, they rolled the dice. For their sake, I hope this pick works out.

4) Colin Kaepernick, QB, San Francisco 49ers

  I'm really on the fence about this pick. As much as I love Kaepernick's athleticism and intangibles, I didn't have him pegged as a good fit for the 49ers. He's a huge project, and I think he would have been better suited to go to a team that could afford to stash him behind a veteran for a few years. Sure, he's probably going to be behind Alex Smith for a year, but I don't think we should kid ourselves by thinking that Smith is a wily veteran. On balance, I sure hope Harbaugh knows what he's doing.

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3) Jon Baldwin, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

 I just didn't get this one. I thought for sure that the Chiefs would either go for a tackle like Gabe Carimi or another pass-rushing linebacker to complement Tamba Hali. Sure, they needed a wide receiver too, but I think Baldwin is a little too similar to Dwayne Bowe. Besides, Baldwin is supposed to be a diva, and the Chiefs don't need that. No team does.

2) Marvin Austin, DT, New York Giants

 In a draft class fairly teeming with talented defensive linemen, Marvin Austin sticks out like a sore thumb. The size and talent you look for in an NFL lineman is there, but Austin is very raw and he comes with serious character concerns. The fact that he was ruled ineligible for the 2010 season would have been bad enough, but there are also serious questions about his commitment to football. And here he is paired with Tom Coughlin. Mark my words, this will not end well.

1) DeMarcus Van Dyke, CB, Oakland Raiders 

As soon as DeMarcus Van Dyke ran the 40-yard dash in 4.25 seconds at the combine, he was an Oakland Raider. It didn't matter that he only started three games last season or that he's really too skinny to survive at the next level. All that matters to Al Davis is that Van Dyke is fast. That would be all well and good, but Davis wasted a third-round pick on him. Such things should not be thrown away so lightly.