To try to find out, I looked back at the 2005 and 2006 drafts and looked at the draft grades that he handed out the day after the draft by a variety of draft experts. To get the grades from 2005 and 2006, I used the Football Outsiders’ draft grade report cards posts which pulled together all of the rankings from around the web. Evaluating the drafts is made possible/easy because of Pro Football Reference’s draft history. PFR is an indispensable resource for any football fan. They not only list every draft pick, but also tally how many first-team All-Pro selections, Pro Bowl appearances, seasons as a starter and games played each draftee has.
Because of that, we don’t have to be subjective in slapping grades on drafts now. Instead to try to be objective, I used a simple formula that awards points for ranking best in: the number of seasons started amongst drafted players, the number of games played and career approximate value (a formula developed by Pro Football Reference), with bonuses for Pro Bowl appearances (five points per appearance) and first-team All-Pro appearances (10 points). So first, we’ll look at whether instant post-draft grades mean anything, and then we’ll follow up Wednesday with a much simpler way to more accurately grade drafts immediately.
Their grades match up pretty well with my eye balled grades. Note that the Colts got Cs both years, and now would pull down a B- and a A-.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
