Mel Kiper regrades the 2011 NFL Draft

I'll just post the AFC South section:


Houston Texans
Post-draft grade: B
Summary: In April, I wrote that Wade Phillips "got a lot of new toys to work with, and I think Houston did a solid job of addressing what was simply a bad defense in 2010." I probably didn't make a strong enough case because the first two picks, J.J. Watt and Brooks Reed, have played huge roles this season. Watt is arguably one of the top rookies in football, and Reed really came on, particularly after Mario Williams was lost for the year. If you consider that Houston got 11 sacks out of a combo of Williams and Reed, the injury to Super Mario doesn't seem so terrible. Of course, the big steal here was to find T.J. Yates in the fifth round after he wasn't even invited to the combine. After the draft, I wrote, "Yates could be a good one if given time to develop." I wouldn't exactly call his current experience a nice incubation period, but he has made what was already a good draft look somewhere closer to exceptional, at least in the short term. Good draft for Houston right now and for the future, which deserves a bump.
New grade: A-


Indianapolis Colts
Post-draft grade: B+
Summary: The utter disaster that was the Colts' season takes some shine off this class, but let's consider what they got. Anthony Castonzo was supposed to be the future blindside protector for Peyton Manning. He hasn't been spectacular, but at least he has made it to the left side and looks like the future there. What can he be? Well, if he does a good job of protecting Andrew Luck, the grade certainly will get a bump. But we don't know yet. Ben Ijalana hasn't shown a lot. Drake Nevis has had moments but mostly got good reps for a bad defense. Delone Carter got 101 carries but didn't show a lot as a rookie. Chris Rucker got some time in the secondary but needs to develop. All in all, Castonzo is what we thought he might be, but there isn't a lot to like here at this stage, especially considering how bad this team was. It's fair to say I liked this class better in April.
New grade: C


Jacksonville Jaguars
Post-draft grade: C-
Summary: I gave this draft a low grade in April because, at that point, a lot of it had to do with value juxtaposed against need. If you get great value relative to the other teams on the board, you get some points for maximizing the board and the order. I wrote, "Bottom line: This draft will be viewed through the prism of [Blaine] Gabbert and whether he succeeds. I think he has a shot but needs time to develop." Suffice to say, I don't think throwing Gabbert in there with a lack of legit passing targets was a great idea given his developmental needs. I still think Gabbert has a shot because he has a lot of good physical tools and can be very accurate, but I hope the experience of this season is something he grows from and isn't a developmental setback. Elsewhere, there isn't much. Will Rackley looks like a keeper after getting 14 starts at left guard, but you expect to get some guard value at No. 76. Cecil Shorts has a chance to develop, but it's hard to evaluate him given the lack of other options in the passing game this season. Overall, if this draft came down to Gabbert, it doesn't look great so far.
New grade: D


Tennessee Titans
Post-draft grade: C
Summary: The pick of Jake Locker was one I described then as the first true shock of the draft, even more so than the deal that got Atlanta in position to take Julio Jones. Remember, Locker has an immense skill set but still faces big questions about how accurate he'll be, and I thought he easily could have fallen into the 20s. On that front, although I couldn't fault the Titans for targeting a need, the value proposition wasn't in their favor. However, their plan for Locker has been superb; adding Matt Hasselbeck as a starter and mentor was a great idea. Elsewhere, the Titans got some really good early returns and value. Jurrell Casey and Karl Klug, picked in the third and fifth rounds, respectively, have been very good (Klug really got after quarterbacks), as has Akeem Ayers, which wasn't much of a surprise. It's hard to raise the grade too much until we know whether Locker is indeed the future, but, a year out, it looks as if the Titans planned and scouted well overall.
New grade: B