As a whole, the NFC West didn’t grade-out well in the 2011 NFL Draft. The Seattle Seahawks’ picks were almost universally panned, with plenty of analysts ripping Pete Carroll and John Schneider to shreds. The St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers fell into the middle of the pack, neither impressive or flopping with their own picks. It was, simply, a so-so, mediocre draft for the conference.
After the first two days, the Arizona Cardinals sat just above average, according to SB Nation’s Brian Galliford. Patrick Peterson is sure to be a playmaker and will anchor their draft, but the rest of Arizona’s picks don’t quite fill the needs and holes left on its roster.
The Cardinals have added three very solid prospects with their first three selections. What they have failed to do to this point is address either of their glaring weaknesses at quarterback and outside linebacker. This has been a slightly above-average weekend for Arizona, but their crippling weaknesses remain
The Rams had a solid first two days, but fizzled on Saturday. Still, St. Louis has a roster of young talent, including first round pick Robert Quinn.
All the Rams have done is add a potentially elite pass rusher and two consistent, underrated receiving targets for Sam Bradford. They’re flying under the radar, but the Rams are doing a great job.
The 49ers went for need, as well, choosing a 3-4 outside linebacker and young quarterback in the first two rounds. Colin Kaepernick needs time to develop, but gives San Francisco fans something to look forward to.
The 49ers have drafted for need, adding a high-upside pass rusher, a high-upside quarterback, and a high-upside cornerback. Solid work.
The Seahawks simply failed to impressive as pick-after-pick left fans and analysts scratching their heads. Seattle has already been called a loser and didn’t grade out well no matter how you slice it, though the Seahawks did fill needs in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Check out the rest of our 2011 NFL Draft grades to get caught up on all the picks. We'll be covering the latest news and rumors throughout the entire process in our 2011 NFL Draft StoryStream. Stay with us for more on the draft as it becomes available. Check out our 2011 NFL mock draft StoryStream for even more predictions and projections.