Draft Grade: BS!

I get it:  the NFL draft is a big deal, but enough is enough.  We analyze the picks and talk about the intriguing possibilities that's all fine.  But I'm calling B.S. on the practice of declaring which teams drafted well and which didn't the dreaded draft "grades."  Why am I throwing the B.S. card?  

Because NOBODY KNOWS IF THE PLAYERS PICKED ARE GOING TO BE GOOD.  REPEAT:  NOBODY!  Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens BELIEVE they drafted well and HOPE their players pan out.  Sergio Kindle MIGHT be healthy, Terrance Cody MAY keep his weight down and be a contributor, and Ed Dickson COULD be an effective NFL tight end.  There's reason to believe MAYBE they'll all be good, but again NOBODY KNOWS, not even draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. Mel grades the Ravens 2010 draft an "A" (as have many other experts) and Ravens fans are ready for a "we won the draft" parade.  But before you start cutting up confetti, let me enlighten you about draft "grades."

The day after the 2005 NFL draft, the Ravens received an "A" from Kiper.  The draft class included Mark Clayton ("a perfect fit'), Dan Cody ("a nice pass rusher"), Adam Terry ("a good athlete"),  Jason Brown, Justin Green ("the best fullback in the draft"), and Derrek Anderson.  Again, grade A. Clearly wrong.  C at best, maybe a D.  YOU JUST DON'T KNOW HOW THESE GUYS WILL BE IN THE NFL.

The Cincinnati Bengals got an "A" from Mel for their 2005 draft, too.   Cincy's draft from 5 years ago is mostly out of the league or deceased (Chris Henry).  A?  Uh, no.  Incomplete or F, as it turns out.  Wait, I used the phrase "as it turns out," which implies you actually have to WAIT a few years to actually know just how good a draft class is- NOT THE NEXT DAY.

Which teams had a lesser grade in 2005?  The poor New England Patriots got a "C" grade because Logan Mankins "was a reach in the first round", Ellis Hobbs "has good size but not enough skill to be more than a nickel back", and Nick Kaczur "came off the board a little early."  Since all of them became regular starters (including multiple playoff games and a Super Bowl) can we maybe say they were better than a "C"?  Well, you could but only if you let the process play out.

Draft grades:  BS.  I'm sorry, make that TOTAL BS.  Just stop it, please.