Way too early to say Balmer was a bad pick. Trench guys in the 3 - 4 can take a few years to come around.
Honestly I've always hoped he'd add some size and turn into a nose tackle, like Ted Washington did back in the day......another guy who people called a bust before turning into a quality player. Balmer's huge, and might be able to get up to 350 without being a fatty.