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Lessons from the 2011 Draft

Related Topics: Gabe Carimi, Ryan Pace

Ryan Pace is earning praise for his savvy and most of the experts think the Bears did well. Of course, it's tough to evaluate a draft class until enough time has passed. Fans might be wondering how much stock to place in expert opinion, and so it's useful to look back at an earlier draft with the benefit of perspective.

As Bears fans bask in the glow of a praised draft (or shrug their shoulders and second-guess the experts), I thought it might be worthwhile to consider the 2011 draft class. Five years is enough time to take a step back and to evaluate a draft class, and it's also a long enough time that Pro Football Reference's Career Average Value metric can give some guidance.