It is important to remember, when it comes to the draft, we, the online pontificators, are largely idiots. There is a reason we are just posting on a sports blog and not actually employed to run teams. Running a team is hard. Draft evaluation is hard. And no matter how sure you are about whether a draft prospect is going to bust big or blow the league away the reality is that you are just guessing. Everyone is.

To illustrate this I present the actual comments made on the draft day thread right here at Niners Nation (also from this thread) when they drafted Aldon Smith back in 2011. I've removed the names to protect those who made some mightily embarrassing comments and are still among us.

aldon smith

facepalm

Aldon Smith eh?

Really gunning for Luck next year

LMAO ALDON SMITH

ummmmm OK

Wow, what a let down.

WHO THE F*** IS THIS....KENTAWN BALMER STATUS

0-16 is what we are shooting for I guess

Quinn is a better player, but he is a 4-3 DE, not a 3-4

KENTAWN BALMER is laughing at this reach

F*** THIS DRAFT I AM OUT!

WORST. DRAFT. EVER.

Kill me, now.

TRADE THIS PICK NOW!!!!!!!!!!

Aaron Maybin part 2

terrible pick

What a massive reach

seriously

why did we not take prince, at least then my rage would be strill directed at Arizona nd not at the 49ers.

Harbaugh Not Ready for the NFL perhaps?

I HATE THE ALDON SMITH PICK

I WAITED 3 MONTHS FOR ALDON SMITH

THEY BETTER KNOW SOMETHING WE DONT

Prince was a better pick and its easier to find a OLB in free agency then a young studly CB

You can like it but it was not the best pick they could have made.

PRINCE AMUKAMARA WAS ON THE BOARD

AND WE GOT ALDON SMITH,

I am so pissed off right now.

WTF kind of pick is that? Aldon Smith. We need a DB worse than anything. By far. God damnit.

This pick may cost Baalke his job

I hope he knows something we don’t

I like Aldon Smith, but that was a mega reach

Only one 3-4 OLB was worth a top 15 pick in this draft

We've all been fooled...

Weren’t things supposed to be different under Harbaugh??

Clearly Baalke had full say.

I’m done with this crap.

Dear Jim Harbaugh,

Nobody is a big enough "QB guru" to pass on Gabbert there.

I didn’t think it was going to be possible for me to be let down in the 49ers pick. I shouldv’e known better.

Aldon Smith????????

This draft is a big F&@KIN kick in the balls Aldon @ 7 WTF. This guy is a Manny Lawson Clone. This whole Draft is shot. Waiting hoping praying & we end up w/ this guy. F this sh!t. Why couldn’t we have traded down.

Aldon Smith

this pick is up there with picking Kentwan Balmer a few years back. He’s not worth #7. watch STL will get Prince and then both corners we wanted will be kicking Crabtree’s ass for the next 15 years!!!!

I want Kaepernick

that will maybe salvage this s****y first rounder.

49ers should have fired Baalke and promoted Singletary

I already like his drafts better.

Noooooo....Another wasted pick

I guess trading down wasn’t an option, this was the best we could do at 7…….What a load of crap…

_____

So there you go people. Keep that in mind when you react on Thursday. Just because you think you know what is and isn't a good draft pick doesn't mean you actually do. I know I don't which is why I'll hold off on judging a draft until after the selected players actually get some playing time. And God help you if you spout a bunch of stupid on draft day because the internet is forever and someone like me will eventually mine your comments.