Grading the first 32 picks

When nearly every mock draft in the universe started out 3-for-3 Thursday night I thought this might be the first draft to actually follow the script that ESPN formulates and spoon feeds us 24/7 from mid-February to late April.

Boy, was I wrong.

After Sam Bradford, Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy flew off the board, mock drafts were doomed. It was so crazy that Tim Tebow not only went in the first round, someone actually TRADED UP in the first round to get him!

Jimmy Clausen never got picked. Ditto for Taylor Mays. And I guarantee that a solid 90 percent of the people who follow the NFL didn't have Cal DT Tyson Alualu on their radar screen as a first-round pick, let alone the 10th OVERALL pick.

As I wrote in the kill-a-tree edition today, it usually takes about three years to determine winners and losers. But who's got that kind of time. The second round doesn't start until 5, so with nothing to do until then, let's go ahead and hand out grades on the first 32 picks. Hey, it's been almost nine hours or so since the last player was selected. That's like 16 months in 1985 time.

1. Rams: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma. Grade: B. Not the best player, but the Rams had no choice but to go QB.

2. Lions: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska. Grade: A. Best player in the draft.

3. Bucs: Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma: Grade: A. Just what the Bucs needed.

4. Redskins: Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma: Grade: B. We'll see if he's better than OT Russell Okung.

5. Chiefs: Eric Berry, S, Tennessee. Grade: A. The safety position has changed. A No. 5 isn't paying too much.

6. Seahawks: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State. Grade: A. Might have gotten the best LT to replace Walter Jones.

7. Browns: Joe Haden, CB, Florida. Grade: B. They needed Berry.

8. Raiders: Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama. Grade: C-minus. JaMarcus Russell needed help. Plus, it's impossible to trust the Raiders made a good decision.

9. Bills: C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson. Grade: D. This isn't a knock on Spiller. It's a knock on a Bills team spending this pick and a 12th overall pick in 2007 (Marshawn Lynch) on a position that's easiest to find in later rounds. This is an example of why Buffalo hasn't been to the playoffs since the 90s.

10. Jaguars: Tyson Alualu, DT, Cal. Grade: D. The Jags seem to really struggle on draft day. Maybe Alualu will prove some of us wrong, but Jacksonville lacks the credibility to believe that.

11. 49ers: Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers. Grade: A. It cost San Fran a fourth-rounder to move up two spots and get a bookend tackle to put opposite Joe Staley.

12. Chargers: Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State. Grade: B. Trading up in the first round (28 to 12) to get a RB is risky. But the end of the LaDainian Tomlinson era in San Diego called for a bold move.

13. Eagles: Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan. Grade: B. It cost Philly their two third-rounders to move up from 24 and take a pass rusher. But they kept their two No. 2s, and they got someone to get after new Skins QB Donovan McNabb twice a year. The Eagles do not want McNabb having time to throw against them.

14. Seahawks: Earl Thomas, S, Texas. Grade: B. Seemed like a safe, solid pick for a playmaker.

15. Giants: Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida. Grade: B. One of the few picks that went the way people thought it would.

16. Titans: Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech. Grade: B. Tennessee needed to rebuild at DE.

17. 49ers: Mike Iupati, G, Idaho. Grade: A. I could be dead wrong, but I love this pick. Maybe it's the fact a guy from Idaho can make it into the top 17. But he looks like a mauler, and this gives the 49ers three recent No. 1 picks to protect QB Alex Smith, the 2005 first overall pick who is being given every opportunity to prove himself in San Fran.

18. Steelers: Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida. Grade: A. If there's one thing the Steelers know -- and they know many -- it's centers.

19. Falcons: Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri. Grade: C. Fills a need.

20. Texans: Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama. Grade: C. Ditto.

21. Bengals: Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma. Grade: C-minus. I'm somewhat surprised the Bengals didn't take Dez Bryant here. Maybe they've grown tired of character risks and receivers who draw a lot of attention to themselves. Tight end seems too high at No. 21, although the position is becoming increasingly valuable.

22. Broncos: DeMaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech. Grade: D. I'm struggling with the Broncos' moves the last two years. To accomodate an unproven young head coach in Josh McDaniels, Denver got rid of a young Pro Bowl QB in Jay Cutler and a young Pro Bowl receiver in Brandon Marshall. Granted, both Cutler and Marshall acted up in ways that weren't best for the team. But maybe a more experienced coach would have been able to handle them. All I know is they ditched Cutler and Marshall and now have Tim Tebow, Brady Quinn and Kyle Orton at QB, and DeMaryius Thomas at WR. And the Broncos had to pass on Dez Bryant because McDaniels has proven he can't handle players with character red flags.

23. Packers: Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa. Grade: A. I could be wrong, but it feels like the Pack filled a near-future need at a position that normally takes a top-10 pick to fill. And they did it without having to trade up.

24. Cowboys: Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State. Grade: A. I tend not to follow the hysteria when public opinion and, frankly, the media stamps a player as a problem. Bryant is a top-10 talent who made a mistake in dealing with an agent while still in school. It doesn't appear there are any other serious issues. Jerry Jones traded up to get a great but red-flagged receiver. He's been kicking himself for 12 years for not taking Randy Moss in 1998.

25. Broncos: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida. Grade: D-minus. Tebow has the makeup to prove a lot of people wrong. But for now I just can't buy into him as a guy worthy of the first round, let alone a guy worthy of TRADING UP for in the first round. The Broncos could afford the price because they netted extra picks with two earlier trades in the first round. But in a deal with Baltimore, they still gave up a second-rounder, a third-rounder and moved down five spots in an exchange of fourth-rounders.

26. Cardinals: Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee. Grade: C. Cards obviously need a top defender.

27. Patriots: Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers. Grade: B-plus. It's hard to second-guess Bill Belichick.

28. Dolphins: Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State. Grade: C. Good value at the end of the round.

29. Jets: Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State. Grade: A. Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and now Kyle Wilson. Something tells me Rex Ryan is gearing up for another fight with Peyton Manning.

30. Lions: Jahvid Best, RB, Cal. Grade: A. Like I wrote today, it's always dangerous to pat the Lions on the back. I've done it before. Heck, I did it in training camp ... the summer before they went 0-16! But trading with the Vikings to get back into the first round and take an exciting RB is another good move for the Leos.

31. Colts: Jerry Hughes, DE, TCU. Grade: B. It's always tempting to get Manning another weapon, but the Colts paid attention to their defense.

32. Saints: Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State. Grade: B. The Saints needed help in the secondary.

As for the Vikings, I'd give them a solid B for their trade. While they helped the Lions, they also helped themselves. In agreeing to move down only four spots to No. 34, the Vikings still get a player they wanted while adding a seventh round pick and switching fourth-rounders with the Lions.

We'll see what happens today and Saturday, but the Vikings could be the first team to take advantage of the new three-day format. The trade gives them the Lions spot in the second and fourth rounds, which means they pick second overall today and Saturday. With nine picks in six rounds, the Vikings probably will acquire more picks and come out of this weekend as a much deeper team.