Here is a secret about analysts and their post-draft grades: Nobody knows what they’re talking about. Saying today that a player was a great pick or a bad one is just a guess, as studies have shown that NFL teams with the most picks and not the highest ones get the most players that they can use on Sundays.
Another secret: Hot teams get the benefit of the doubt. Three years ago, if the Raiders had taken a player like defensive end Jihad Ward in the second round, with his lack of big plays at Illinois, they would have been ripped to shreds.