You grade a team's draft by looking at how many players are still with the club and in a starting role with the team. We have a high percentage of guys over all rounds that made the team and evolved into starting roles. I would say we draft above average, especially in later rounds. Many of our first rounders became starters, most turned into solid journeyman players and a couple of busts. We failed to hit the home run picks though in the first.

You also have to look at the success of the team as a whole. We've become a Super Bowl Champion and have been a consistent post season team over the past 5 years. I think our drafting has complemented things quite well. The only glaring disaster pick to me right now is Sullivan. I can accept every other pick as we saw respectable results. You can't look at drafts from 7 years ago and say we made the wrong pick on someone because a future pro bowler went in the 4th round. 32 people smarter than all of us didn't see it at that time. And people paid to be smarter than us have consistently graded our drafts no worse than average every year as they transpire with some being excellent grades.

I've been confident in Loomis and Payton over their tenure. They have shown no reason to make me lack confidence in their scouting. At the time I have been happy with each pick in the first round since 2006 without question. Sure in hindsight some could have been better spent, but at the time I was in agreement that the fit was right.