Quote:Eric Fisher

Lane Johnson

Ezekiel Ansah

Sheldon Richardson

Star Lotulelei

Kenny Vaccaro

Eric Reid

Justin Pugh

Kyle Long

Tyler Eifert

Desmond Trufant

Xavier Rhodes

Deandre Hopkins

Alec Ogletree

Travis Fredrick

Darius Slay

Gio Bernard

Manti T'eo

Menelik Watson

Kawann Short

Kiko Alonso 

Leveon Bell

Jonathan Hankins

David Amerson

Jamie Collins

Vance McDonald

DJ Swearinger

Robert Alford

Eddie Lacy

Travis Kelce

Larry Warford

Tyrann Mattieu

TJ McDonald

Brian Winters

Terron Armstead

Keenan Allen

Logan Ryan

Jordan Reed

Duron Harmon

Brandon Williams

David Bakhtiari

Kyle Juszczyk

Latavius Murray

 

Just because Dave royally screwed up the draft doesn't mean it was a terrible draft. Pro bowlers into the third round and beyond...

Let's not pretend we're talking revisionist history here.

 

Here is an article dated April 13, 2013-BEFORE that draft.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000...-exec-says

 

This quote from the article is of particular interest...

 

Quote: 

The criticism of the 2013 NFL Draft continues. John Elway, Denver Broncos executive vice president of football operations, said it's not top-heavy. Some have said there isn't a single quarterback worthy of a first-round pick.

 

One high-ranking team executive told CBS Sports' Mike Freeman this is the worst draft in a decade.

"Worst draft in past 10 years or longer," the executive said. "When we look back at this draft in five or 10 years we might view it as one of the worst we've seen in some time."

 

 

"There will be 13-15 players picked in the first round that are true first-rounders," the executive said. "That's a fairly low number."

In comparison, the executive said there were 20-23 players with first-round talent in 2012, which is average.

Every draft has those who outperform expectations and become cornerstone players. Right now, there doesn't seem to be many who will be in that category this year.

(Emphasis added)

 

 

 

Here is an article from three years later.

 

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/nfl-d...kel-050316

 

Quote: 

<b>The top five picks in 2011 have as many Pro Bowl appearances as the entire 2013 class combined.</b> Newton, Miller, Marcell Dareus, A.J. Green and Patrick Peterson have made 19 Pro Bowls as a group. By comparison, the entire 2013 draft has made 19 Pro Bowls <i>combined</i>. Newton and Miller have been named first-team All-Pros three times together, which is as many as the 2013 class, too. Of course, they have two more years of experience, but there’s no reason to believe the 2013 draft will surpass 2011, or any recent draft for that matter.

 

 

While it is a GM's mandate to separate the wheat from the chaff-even in poor draft classes-it's harder to do that in a poor draft class.

 

At the time of the draft, many NFL observers thought it was a poor quality class.  Over time, reality has borne that out.

 

Unfortunately, Caldwell could not escape or transcend the realities of that draft class.

 

But that doesn't make him a poor drafter overall.

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