Why Draft day grades are stupid

The first round of the NFL Draft is done and over with. Hats were worn, hugs with family were placed. All 32 picks were put in and players are on their way to their respective teams today to do the round of press conferences and photos that come with being an NFL Draft selection.

And then come the analysts. The sports writers that not only will talk about their teams' picks but will assign a letter grade to them. "Did the Browns get the steal of the draft? - A+", "The Ravens picked a player that I don't like - C", "The Seahawks traded their first round pick in exchange for Jimmy Graham - A+"... It's all stupid if you ask me.

While people can judge players based on their previous game tape and they can speculate on how a player might fit into a team's plans, ultimately no one knows exactly how a player will pan out. Players have yet to even wear a professional football uniform yet and absolutely no one has gotten time to read the playbooks or sit in a huddle with their teammates yet.

The Ravens' own Breshad Perriman could be a dud or a stud. If you knew that going into your draft grade, would that change it? Of course it would, so why do writers seem so eager to assign a grade to a player that no one knows as a pro yet.

Yet, here we are. CBSSports.com Pete Prisco gives the Ravens a B grade for taking Perriman at number 26.

Prisco called Perriman a "boom or bust pick" and said that "I think he booms." Key phrase is "I think". Prisco has no idea here and neither does any other analyst. Hell, the players themselves have no clue. At this stage, every draft pick is a boom or bust type of pick simply because no one has seen them play yet. Let's at least let the prospects put on a uniform, hit some people in practice and play a preseason game before we anoint any team any type of grade for their draft please.

If you need any more evidence, look at players that have been selected later in the draft that turned out to be perennial All-Pros. Tom Brady, Jerry Rice are both perfect examples. Baltimore's own Ray Lewis was knocked for his size in the draft and some analysts called it a bad pick by the Ravens. Two Super Bowls later and an eventual Hall of Fame induction should stand out as the only evidence against draft grades this early.

.... That being said, solid A+ by the Ravens and Ozzie Newsome. #InOzzieWeTrust