Quote
jemach
2012 - Brockers - solid
2013 - Austin - bust and Olgetree traded
2014 - Robinson - bust
2015 - Gurley - hit
2016 - Goff - hit

You have 2013 and 2014 where we have little to no impact from 3 first round picks.

Now...I think you have to look at the whole draft but people often look at what happens with that first pick (me included).

I think Snead has done a good job...but his free agent pickups and trades have been instrumental in his success as well...and as it should be to considered a good GM.

"traded" doesn't count against a pick, that's regime change. A GM can't anticipate future regime changes.

Robinson is still in the league. Right now he's the Browns starting LOT. He did not have a bad season last year. Still, he counts as a Rams zero because he could not become starting caliber stable with them.

I separate hit percentage and grades. They are different aspects of judging this kind of thing.

So for example, from the grading standpoint, it is NOT just that Donald, Gurley, and Goff are "hits." Donald was the defensive rookie of the year, then a defensive player of the year, and a 5 time pro bowler and a 4 time all pro. Only 2 other DTs in the entire history of the game were 5 time pro bowlers in their first 5 seasons---Merlin Olson and Joe Greene. Of those other 2, 1 was an all pro once in his first 5 seasons and the other twice.

That's a once in a generation pick. In terms of grading that counts absolutely for a LOT.

Then Gurley was offensive rookie of the year then offensive player of the year.

Goff has been to 2 pro bows.

How many times in the history of the NFL draft do you have a cluster of consecutive first round picks like that?

It ain't every day.

Anyone calling their drafting mediocre or even average is just way off the mark

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