2nd Round Live Blog

Alright, everyone. Day 2 is under way. I will be covering the 2^nd round only tonight as part of the live blog.  

After failing to get Justin Blackmon yesterday, the Rams begin day 2 with the selection of Brian Quick. Quick is a supreme athlete who plays physical, but drops have plagued him throughout his career. If he can figure it out, he gives Sam Bradford an additional weapon.

The Colts select Colby Fleener, the first tight end to be taken in the 2012Draft. Fleener was Andrew Luck’s favorite target at Stanford and will now enjoy having the number one pick throwing his way at the pro level. Just like Luck will replace the best quarterback in franchise history, Fleener will arguably replace one of the best tight ends in franchise history, Dallas Clark. The Ravens almost have to take Courtney Upshaw here right? 

Yes they do. The Ravens get a steal in the second round who they likely could have taken in the first round at 29. Gutsy move to hold out a few more picks and avoid a team from trading up to nab Upshaw. Upshaw is very aggressive and fits the Raven’s mentality well. He was the best player on the field in the national championship and as Mel Kiper says, “A Warrior”. Denver set for their first pick of the draft. 

Best players available up to this point are Jerel Worthy, Cordy Glenn, Stephen Hill, Jonathan Martin and Peter Konz. All of them could have easily been first round selections. 

Derek Wolfe is a bit of a reach by the Broncos in my opinion. Wolfe is one of the best pass rushers from the defensive tackle position in the draft. However, is he a better player than Jerel Worthy, Devon Still, or Kendall Reyes. I don’t think so. 

I know one thing, the Packers will not be selecting Janoris Jenkins. 


Bill Polian, please get off the camera. 


Wide receiver here from Cleveland? Possibly Rueben Randle or Stephen Hill. A lot of people said the Browns were locked in on Kendall Wright before he went two slots before the Browns pick last night. This pick has to be a wide receiver. 

Guess not. The Browns get their right tackle, but I don’t understand the reach for Mitchell Schwartz with Bobbie Massie, Jonathan Martin, and Mike Adams still on the board. I love the Richardson pick but the last two picks were obvious reaches for the Browns. 

Ok pick here for the Jaguars. I really like Andre Branch as a 3-4 OLB prospect, but I just don’t see him as a 4-3 defensive end. The Jaguars have one of the worst pass rushes in the league, so they better hope Branch can contribute more than what Derrick Harvey has, the first round pick from a few years ago. 

And here is is! The Rams take the chance and select probably the second best corner in the draft based on talent alone. Jenkins is a huge character risk with off the field concerns. He easily could have come out last year and been a first round pick, which looking back may have been the right decision.

Also a big fan of the former players announcing the draft picks. Love seeing the likes of Terrell Davis, Torry Holt, and Terrell Davis again.  

Amini Silotolu goes to the Panthers, and I frankly love this pick. Silotolu is my favorite non Division 1A player as he has great athleticism to go with his huge frame. He was frankly a man amongst boys playing at the Division II level. 

The Bills get the best player available with Cordy Glenn. Glenn was as high as the late teens in some mocks, so this is without a doubt great value. 

Again, the best player available is selected. Martin goes to the Dolphins and will start immediately and pair with Jake Long to from a solid tackle duo. Martin needs to get in the weight room, but remember he was considered a top ten pick around this time last year so the talent is there. 


Almost certain the Jets are selecting Stephen Hill here. He is the best player available and would fill a huge need. This probably prompted why the Jets traded up. 


The Jets do in fact select Stephen Hill, a player that I am enthralled by. Hill is a freak athlete with gifted size. The only worry is that the game film doesn't really speak for itself, due to the offense that the Yellow Jackets ran. 49 catches? I just don't understand how when you have an athlete like that even if your offense isn't designed for that. 

Chiefs go with guard Jeff Allen. Love the stat Boomer just threw out. Third Illinois player to be selected, whereas at this point no Michigan or Ohio State players have been selected.Chiefs go with guard Jeff Allen. Love the stat Boomer just threw out. Third Illinois player to be selected, whereas at this point no Michigan or Ohio State players have been selected.

Alshon Jeffrey to the Bears is a scary thought as a Packer fan. Jeffrey will pair with Brandon Marshall and Earl Bennett in what suddenly looks like a very dangerous offense. Based on talent alone, Jeffrey would have to rank third behind Floyd and Blackmon. This is a really good pick for the Bears if Jeffrey can keep his head on straight. 

Mychael Kendricks to the Eagles. The Eagles were horrible at inside linebacker last year, so this definitely will upgrade a position of need. He is really good going sideline to sideline with a 4.41 40, which is what you want from an inside linebacker.  

  

It is beginning to become a trend in Seattle as they make another reach with Bobby Wagner. I had him as a third round grade, with Kendricks being the superior prospect between the two, why would they trade back and lose out on him.


I didn't even have Tavon Wilson in my list of top ten safeties, so I don't have much of an idea about him. New England badly needed a safety after the Brandon Merriweather fiasco. 


One of the best players available, Kendall Reyes to the Chargers. Packers just traded up with the Eagles to pick 51. 

Isiah Pead to the Rams. Very physical runner for a guy his size who is undervalued. Packers on the clock. 


Jerel Worthy to the Packers and I absolutely love the pick. Worthy has an unbelievable first step and will start instantly for the Packers due to the suspension of Mike Neal. The Packers really missed Cullen Jenkins last season and have really improved their pass rush after last season's debacle. 

Zach Brown to the Titans. Quality pick for the Titans as they keep improving their team speed after the selection of Kendall Wright yesterday. 


Bengals continue to have a good draft with the selection of Devon Still. Kirkpatrick, Still, and Zeitler gives them probably my favorite draft of any team thusfar. 


Barry Sanders sighting! Broyles would have been a first round pick in my opinion had he not torn his ACL. Might not have the best workout numbers, but he is the type of player where the game film really stands out. 


Peter Konz to the Falcons. This is a great value pick, as Konz easily could have gone in the first round. He unquestionably fell due to durability concerns. 


Mike Adams has a checkered past, but this is a great landing spot for him in Pittsburgh as Adams will need a few years to develop. Love the story too about deferring his signing bonus a year and a half until he earns it. 


Osweiler to the Broncos makes perfect sense as Manning will probably be there for about 3-4 years and give Oswelier a chance to sit back and learn the system ala Aaron Rodgers/ Brett Favre. 


Lavonte David will give Bucs fans the closest thing they've had to a stud linebacker since Derrick Brooks.


Another defensive player for the Eagles as they select Vinny Curry with the 59th overall pick. Curry is a stout pass rusher but may have projected better as a 3-4OLB than a 4-3 defensive end. However, already with Babin and Cole, Curry could be a situational 3rd down rusher. 


Kelechi Osemele to the Ravens. Osemele seems more of a project, but he was once valued as a top ten pick about this time last year. 


Packers trade up again! 49ers on the clock. 


49ers take LaMichael James to give them a speedster to complement Frank Gore. Another updgrade for the porous San Francisco offense.


Green Bay trades up and takes Casey Heyward, With big receivers like Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall, and now Alshon Jeffrey in the division, the Packers needed a bigger corner and get that with the 5-11 195 pound Heyward. Another good value pick for the Packers as all three of their selections will start or get substantial playing time. Worthy and Perry should start and Heyward will probably be the nickel corner, with Woodson playing his hybrid role. 


To wrap up the 2nd round, the Giants select Ruben Randle to replace Mario Manningham. With the Giants first two picks they refill their two free agency losses on offense. 


That is the end of the second round folks! Thanks for following, if you did. I am going to sit back and enjoy the third round. 

First Round Draft Analysis and Grades

1.      Indianapolis- Andrew Luck/ QB Stanford. The Colts finally made it official tonight and took the Stanford product with the first pick of the 2012 NFL draft. Peyton Manning picked the right year to have a season ending injury as the Colts became the front runners in the “Suck for Luck” sweepstakes when it was clear Manning wasn't returning. Luck will have a lot of pressure to take over from the greatest player in franchise history. However, Luck has all the qualities you look for in the quarterback - the arm, leadership, and athleticism. He is the best quarterback prospect to come out of the draft since Manning in 1998. And remember, Luck could easily had landed in Carolina last year had he decided to declare for the Draft after his sophomore season (he redshirted his freshman year). The Colts definitely had a little “Luck” going for them based on how this all shook out. Grade: A

2.       Washington-Robert Griffin III/ QB Baylor. The Redskins gave up three first round picks in order to acquire RGIII but when a team like the Redskins hasn't had a solid quarterback in the last few decades, it sometimes requires desperate measures. There was a lot of talk about RGIII possibly supplanting Luck as the number one overall pick, as he possesses speed that no one in the NFL will see from that position aside from maybe Michael Vick. However, RGIII has the accuracy that Vick has usually struggled with throughout his career. After three college football games last season, RGIII had as many incompletions as touchdown passes. Grade: A

3.       Cleveland- Trent Richardson/ RB Alabama. The Browns moved up one slot fearful that the Buccaneers would trade into the Vikings’ third slot and take the Doak Walker award winner. It proved to be the right choice, as Tampa Bay made it evident they were targeting a running back when they traded back into the first round to select Doug Martin. Richardson is the best running back prospect to come out since Adrian Peterson and will instantly improve a Browns rushing attack that hasn't been relevant in recent years aside from a fluke season out of Peyton Hillis. Grade: A

4.       Minnesota- Matt Kalil/ T USC. The Vikings made the right choice and selected the best tackle prospect since Jake Long went number one overall in 2008. Kalil will be a cornerstone on the Vikings offensive line for the next decade and will help protect the Vikings long-term investment in Christian Ponder. It just did not make sense for the Vikings to take a supreme man-to-man cover corner in Morris Claibourne when they run cover two base scheme. Grade: A

5.       Jacksonville- Justin Blackmon/ WR Oklahoma State. Blackmon is a big winner here as he will get the money slotted in the 5 spot rather than the 6. However, the Jags also should be feeling good about themselves as they now have their most explosive playmaker at wide receiver since the Jimmy Smith era. Blackmon completely dominated Big 12 competition the last two years and had a monster Fiesta Bowl against Stanford to prove his worth. The only question I have of him is his speed, but he still has the phyiscal size to out-man NFL cornerbacks.  Grade: A-

6.       Dallas- Morris Claiborne/ CB LSU. We expected there to be six premium prospects in this draft and they all went within the first six as expected, with Claiborne wrapping them up. However, of the six elite prospects, Claiborne might be the one that I like the least. He is outstanding in man to man coverage, but there were times last season where he did seem lost in zone. Thankfully for Dallas, their defense is a base man to man and Claiborne will be an instant impact player opposite of Mike Jenkins. Grade: A-

7.       Tampa Bay- Mark Barron/ S Alabama. Tampa Bay was severely lacking in the secondary and obviously needed a boost considering they have to face Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, and Cam Newton each twice a year. Many thought the player they were targeting if they were unable to trade up and take Trent Richardson was Morris Claiborne. However, with Claiborne staring the Bucs in the face at number five, the Bucs opted to trade down and select the top safety in the draft in Barron. Barron is a supreme tackler who is not afraid to stick his face into contact. However, I believe it is a bit of a reach at seven. Barron isn’t the type of prospect that Eric Berry or Laron Landry (recent top ten picks) were. Grade: B-

8.       Miami- Ryan Tannehill/ QB Texas A&M. As I stated in my mock draft, I am not a big of Tannehill going this high. I wonder if Miami considered trading back a few slots and trying to get some extra picks out of this, because some of the teams below them are in no need of a quarterback. Tannehill didn’t really rise on to the scene until his Junior year at A&M and he struggled at times to make throws consistently. I like him more as a prospect than Blaine Gabbert who went tenth overall last year, but that isn’t saying much after Gabbert's dreadful rookie season. Miami showed they were desperate after whiffing on Matt Flynn in free agency, and made a slight reach here. Grade: C

9.       Carolina- Luke Kuechly/ LB Boston College. Excellent pick by the Panthers here. Kuechly is my number seven overall rated player behind the “Big 6” of this draft and is one of my favorite prospects in this class. He was one of those players where if you watched a Boston College game, he would stand out over anyone else, making plays all over the field. He is a ferocious tackler and will be a leader of the Panthers defense for years to come. Grade: A

10.   Buffalo- Stephon Gilmore/ CB South Carolina. I love Stephon Gilmore as a prospect almost more than Morris Claiborne. I believe he will be that good as he started 40 games in college going back to his freshman year. However, I did not believe his landing spot would be with the Bills. The Bills have had hit or misses in the top ten in the secondary the last few years hitting on Donte Whitner and missing on Leodis McKelvin. It wasn’t what I expected (was thinking Michael Floyd or Fletcher Cox), but the more I think about it, the more I like the pick. Grade: B+

11.   Kansas City- Dontari Poe/ DT Memphis. Scott Pioli is known for grabbing the players he loves, no matter if some may consider it a reach (see Tyson Jackson, Eric Berry). This year was no different as he nabbed the workout warrior Poe with the 11^th pick overall. Kansas City was in desperate need of a 3-4 nose tackle and now believe they have their man with Poe. I like the thinking, but I don’t like the prospect. Poe had 44 reps on bench at the combine to go with sub-five 40, but his talent has not translated on the field (2^nd team All-Conference USA). The Chiefs are going to need to find a way to light a fire under his belt, because Poe screams bust potential to me. Grade: C-

12.   Philadelphia- Fletcher Cox/ DT Mississippi State. Great move by Andy Reid to trade up and nab the top defensive tackle in the draft. It was obvious Cox was the target from the beginning and when Kansas City nabbed a fellow defensive tackle in Poe, it was important for the Eagles to get on the phone and move up three spots to get their man. Grade: B+

13.   Arizona- Michael Floyd- WR Notre Dame. The Cardinals wanted to take some of the pressure off their top playmaker Larry Fitzgerald and did that with the selection of Floyd. Floyd is a game-changer himself who simply out-mans opposing cornerbacks with his size and ball skills. The Cardinals saw what the Falcons did last year by pairing two physical wide receivers together with Julio Jones and Roddy White. However, this one-two version from Arizona may compete with them as the top wide receiving duo in the NFL in a few years. Life is definitely made easier on Kevin Kolb. Grade: B+

14.   St. Louis- Michael Brockers/ DT LSU. When Jacksonville leapfrogged the Rams and took Justin Blackmon one pick in front of them, St. Louis really had no other choice than to trade down. After just acquiring Courtland Finnegan in free agency, Morris Claiborne would have made little sense and no other team needs for the Rams was worth the sixth pick overall. I wonder if they tried trading down even further as the only upcoming team that really would have considered Brockers would have been Tennessee at 20. It might have been a little of a reach but with the short run on defensive tackles only a few picks earlier it may have been the right decision. Solid pick. Grade: B-

15.   Seattle- Bruce Irvin/ LB West Virginia. Let’s make that two years in a row now that Seattle has reached for a prospect that they could have most likely gotten on day 2. After selecting a borderline second rounder last year with James Carpenter, Seattle desperately reached again and took the raw 245 pounder Bruce Irvin. Irvin definitely has talent, but he even admitted after the selection that he didn’t think he’d be selected until around the 30’s. It will be up to Pete Carroll to groom Irvin and make him a dominant pass rusher, but it hard to look past the fact that the more polished Melvin Ingram was still on the board. Grade: F

16.   New York Jets- Quinton Coples/ DE North Carolina. I have a hard time comprehending this pick also. The Jets really needed a true 3-4 OLB as a pass rusher and Coples is the prototypical 4-3 defensive end. Melvin Ingram was still on the board and although he may not be the better talent, he fits the Jets system better and carries less baggage. I don’t really like Coples as a prospect as he did not wow me or look like he was really even trying whenever I saw North Carolina play last fall. This pick doesn’t do a lot for me. Grade: D+

17.   Cincinnati- Dre Kirkpatrick/ CB Alabama. This is a great pick for the Bengals as Kirkpatrick was one of the top remaining players on the board that filled a huge need for the Bengals. The Bengals have still not recovered since Jonathan Joseph departed in free agency last offseason, and Leon Hall is coming off a season ending injury from last season. Corner was the top need for the Bengals and they got their man. Grade: A

18.   San Diego- Melvin Ingram/DE South Carolina. This is another case where the best player available fills a position of need. The Chargers were either going to draft an offensive lineman or a 3-4 OLB. Larry English hasn’t really panned out, and the team desperately needed someone to rush opposite of Shaun Phillips. Ingram is arguably the top pass rusher in the draft so to get him at 18 is ridiculously good value for the Bolts. Grade: A

19.   Chicago- Shea McClellan/ LB Boise State. Ok, Packer fans. Enough with the conspiracy theories that the Bears just took McClellan so that the Packers couldn’t draft him. McClellan had been shooting up draft boards the last month and it was very unlikely he would even make his way to 28 in the first place. My question is where he fits in the Bears defense. He seemed like a prototypical 3-4 OLB, but now he may be forced to play with his hand down. Or will the Bears put him at linebacker and have Urlacher and Briggs teach him? I think McClellan will be a great football player, but I just don’t see the logic behind the pick. Grade: C

20.   Tennessee-Kendall Wright/ WR Baylor. The Titans needed a true complement to Kenny Britt to help stretch the field and Wright is the perfect player to do that. Kelly Washington isn't an ideal number two and remember Britt will also be coming off of ACL surgery. The Titans may have slightly reached, but that is my only qualm with this pick. Grade: B

21.   New England- Chandler Jones/ DE Syracuse. I was kind of surprised Jones lasted as long as he did, giving the recent surge in his stock the last few weeks. Jones is a superior athlete and may challenge Melvin Ingram as the best pass rusher in the draft from the 3-4 OLB position. This just screams a Belichek pick, and with Jones still one the board at 21, the Patriots couldn’t help but trade up and nab him. New England was likely going to use one of their picks on a 3-4 linebacker, so this should come as no surprise. Grade: B+

22.    Cleveland- Brandon Weeden/QB Oklahoma State. I mocked this one as my last change on the morning of the draft because it just made sense. We knew the Browns were interested in Weeden, and chances were they probably didn’t want to take the risk and hope he fell to them on day 2. However, I still have doubts about taking a guy who is older than Aaron Rodgers in the first round of the draft. Grade: C+

23.   Detroit-Riley Reiff/ T Iowa. Good scenario for the Lions as they obviously needed help on the offensive line with Jeff Backus nearing the end of the line. There always seems to be a tackle that falls about ten spots on draft day (Derrick Sherrod, Brian Bulaga) and become a good value pick towards the end of the first round. Reiff is not the same prospect that fellow Iowa first round tackle Brian Bulaga was two years ago. However, he will still be a solid pro player and makes a lot of sense for Detroit in this position. Grade: B

24.   Pittsburgh- David DeCastro/ G Stanford. This just screams like a Steeler pick. DeCastro is a nasty and gritty player who may be the most highly regarded guard to come out since Steve Hutchinson. DeCastro has drawn similar comparisons to former Steeler All-Pro Allen Faneca, and will have a good shot from starting from day one for the black and yellow. Just a little surprised they passed on Hightower, but still love the pick. Grade: A-   

25.   New England- Donta’a Hightower/ LB Alabama. Wow, instead of trading down, the Patriots actually traded up not once, but twice! The Patriots drafted a heck of a football player in Hightower who is very aggressive and will lay the wood. He will make a formidable middle of the 3-4 defense pairing with Jerod Mayo for years to come and will improve one of the worst defensive units in the league last year. Grade: A

26.   Houston- Whitney Mercilus/ DE Illinois. JJ Watt showed how great of a player he is going to be in that Wild Card game verses Cincinnati last season, but they are going to need someone opposite generating some fear in opponents too. With Mario Williams gone, Mercilus can fill in and join actually a deep group of 3-4 rushers that include Brooks Reid (second round pick from last year) and the emerging Connor Barwin. The question remains though if Mercilus is a one year wonder, as he has had no true production prior to last season. And is he a better player than the backers previously mentioned? Grade: B-

27.   Cincinnati- Kevin Zeitler/G Wisconsin. I heard the Bengals were really interested in Zeitler, which is why I mocked him there when the Bengals had the 21^st pick. A great move by the Bengals to trade down and still get their man. The Bengals have a huge hole at guard and Zeitler could be a Pro Bowl player for years to come. He is one tough football player. Grade: B+

28.   Green Bay- Nick Perry/ OLB USC. The Packers struck gold taking USC outside linebacker Clay Matthews three years ago toward the back end of the first round. They are hoping to do the same with Nick Perry. Perry has long arms and is very athletic for a man his size. He is likely the third best pass rusher in this draft behind Ingram and Chandler Jones, and that is definitely an area that the Packers are lacking. Perry does have questions about work ethic and being soft, but there is a good chance that playing across from Matthews and being coached up by Kevin Greene will dispel that notion. Courtney Upshaw is more talented, but Perry is a better fit to the Packers system and is the superior pass rusher. Grade: B+

29.   Minnesota Vikings- Harrison Smith/ S Notre Dame. The Vikings opted to trade back into the first round after acquiring some additional picks from Cleveland prior to the draft starting. Smith is smart player who is the clear cut number two safety in the draft behind Mark Barron. He has good ball skills and will instantly upgrade a porous Vikings secondary that has to face three of the game’s best quarterbacks twice a year. Very solid pick. Grade: B

30.   San Francisco- AJ Jenkins/ WR Illinois. This pick doesn’t do a whole lot for me when there are better prospects such as Stephen Hill and Rueben Randle still on the board. Jenkins is a talent, don’t get me wrong, but is it really necessary to spend a first round pick on someone when he will likely start the season as the number five option in the offense? I know this team went 13-3 and didn't have many needs, but they already invested a top 10 pick a few years ago on Michael Crabtree. They also recently signed Randy Moss and Mario Manningham to stretch the field ,and Vernon Davis is still the primary option. A bit of a reach by San Francisco in my opinion. Grade: C-

31.   Tampa Bay- Doug Martin/ RB Boise State. One of my favorite picks in the first round because Martin is one of my favorite players in the draft. Martin has been compared by many scouts to Ray Rice for many reasons: his size, his pass catching ability, and his vision. New Bucs head coach Greg Schiano coached Rice at Rutgers, so he obviously must have also seen the same comparisons. Tampa Bay may have missed on Trent Richardson early in the draft, but this is the next best thing they could have done regarding the running back situation. LaGarrette Blount might not be happy, but the rest of Tampa nation should be. Grade: A

32.   New York Giants- David Wilson/ RB Virginia Tech. No one really knew what the Giants were going to do because they had such few needs. However, drafting Wilson makes sense because the team needs someone to complement Ahmad Bradshaw with the departure of Brandon Jacobs. Wilson obviously has no similarities to Jacobs, as he is a small and very fast back, but he should be able to come in and spell Bradshaw from time to time and help the Giants offense without missing a beat. Grade: B+

NFL Draft Player Rankings

Quarterbacks (Overall: Strong)

1.       Andrew Luck- Stanford

2.       Robert Griffin III- Baylor

3.       Ryan Tannehill- Texas A&M

4.       Brandon Weeden- Oklahoma State

5.       Kirk Cousins- Michigan State

6.       Russell Wilson- Wisconsin

7.       Brock Osweiler- Arizona State

8.       Nick Foles- Arizona

9.       Kellen Moore- Boise State

10.   Ryan Lindley- San Diego State

11.   BJ Coleman- Chatanooga

12.   Case Keenum- Houston

13.   Austin Davis- Southern Miss

14.   Chandler Harnish- Northern Illinois

Running Backs (Overall: Average)

1.       Trent Richardson- Alabama

2.       Doug Martin- Boise State

3.       David Wilson- Virginia Tech

4.       Lamar Miller- Miami

5.       Chris Polk- Washington

6.       LaMichael James- Oregon

7.       Isaiah Pead- Cincinnati

8.       Robert Turbin- Utah State

9.       Bernard Pierce- Temple

10.   Cyrus Gray- Texas A&M

11.   Ronnie Hillman- San Diego State

12.   Vick Ballard- Mississippi State

13.   Dan Herron- Ohio State

14.   Terrence Ganaway- Baylor

15.   Tauren Poole- Tennessee

16.   Chris Rainey- Florida

17.   Edwin Baker- Michigan State

18.   Brandon Bolden- Mississippi

19.   Jeff Demps- Florida

Fullbacks (Overall: Average)

1.       Brady Ewing- Wisconsin

2.       Chad Diehl- Clemson

3.       Alfred Morris- Florida Atlantaic

4.       Cody Johnson- Texas

5.       Evan Rodriguez- Temple

Wide Receivers (Overall: Very Strong)

1.       Justin Blackmon- Oklahoma State

2.       Michael Floyd- Notre Dame

3.       Stephen Hill- Georgia Tech

4.       Kendall Wright- Baylor

5.       Alshon Jeffery- South Carolina

6.       Rueben Randle- LSU

7.       Mohamed Sanu- Rutgers

8.       Ryan Broyles- Oklahoma

9.       A.J. Jenkins- Illinois

10.   T.Y. Hilton- Florida International

11.   Nick Toon- Wisconsin

12.   Brian Quick- Appalachian State

13.   Keshawn Martin- Michigan State

14.   Joe Adams-Arkansas

15.   Chris Givens- Wake Forest

16.   Jeff Fuller- Texas A&M

17.   Tommy Streeter- Miami

18.   Marvin McNutt- Iowa

19.   Devier Posey-Ohio State

20.   Dwight Jones- North Carolina

21.   Juron Criner- Arizona

22.   Jarius Wright- Arkansas

23.   Chris Owosu- Stanford

Tight Ends (Overall: Weak)

1.       Coby Fleener- Stanford

2.       Dwayne Allen- Clemson

3.       Tyler Eifert- Notre Dame

4.       Orson Charles- Georgia

5.       Michael Egnew- Missouri

6.       Ladarius  Green- UL-Lafayette

7.       James Hanna- Oklahoma

8.       Taylor Thompson- SMU

9.       Rhett Ellison- USC

10.   Deangelo Peterson- LSU

11.   Brian Linthicum- Michigan State

Offensive Linemen (Overall: Average)

1.       Matt Kalil- USC

2.       David DeCastro- Stanford

3.       Riley Reiff- Iowa

4.       Kevin Zeitler- Wisconsin

5.       Peter Konz- Wisconsin

6.       Cordy Glenn- Georgia

7.       Jonathan Martin- Stanford

8.       Mike Adams- Ohio State

9.       Amini Silatolu-Midwestern State

10.   Bobbie Massie- Ole Miss

11.   Jeff Allen- Illinois

12.   Kelechi Osemele- Iowa State

13.   Brandon Brooks- Miami OH

14.   Mitchell Schwartz- California

15.   Zebrie Sanders- Florida State

16.   James Brown- Troy

17.   Joe Looney- Wake Forest

18.   Donald Stephenson- Oklahoma

19.   Ben Jones- Georgia

20.   Adam Gettis- Iowa

Defensive Ends (Overall: Very Strong)

1.       Melvin Ingram- South Carolina

2.       Chandler Jones- Syracuse

3.       Quinton Coples- North Carolina

4.       Courtney Upshaw- Alabama

5.       Whitney Mercilus- Illinois

6.       Nick Perry- USC

7.       Andre Branch- Clemson

8.       Vinny Curry- Marshall

9.       Jared Crick- Nebraska

10.   Oliver Vernon- Miami

11.   Tyrone Crawford- Boise State

12.   Cam Johnson- Virginia

13.   Trevor Guyton- California

14.   Jonathan Massoquoio – Troy

15.   Jake Bequette- Arkansas

Defensive Tackles (Overall: Strong)

1.       Fletcher Cox- Mississippi State

2.       Michael Brockers- LSU

3.       Jerel Worthy- Michigan State

4.       Dontari Poe- Memphis

5.       Devon Still- Penn State

6.       Kendall Reyes- Connecticut

7.       Alameda Ta’amu- Washington

8.       Brandon Thompson- Clemson

9.       Derek Wolfe- Cincinnati

10.   Mike Martin- Michigan

11.   Billy Winn- Boise State

12.   Josh Chapman- Alabama

13.   Mike Daniels- Iowa

14.   DaJohn Harris- USC

15.   Jaye Howard- Florida

Outside Linebackers (Overall: Average)

1.       Courtney Upshaw- Alabama

2.       LaVonte David- Nebraska

3.       Shea McClellin- Boise State

4.       Zach Brown- North Carolina

5.       Sean Spence- Miami

6.       Bruce Irvin- West Virginia

7.       Ronnell Lewis- Oklahoma

8.       Nigel Bradham- Florida State

9.       Audie Cole- NC State

10.   Keenan Robinson- Texas

11.   Kyle Wilbur- Wake Forest

12.   Terrell Manning- NC State

13.   Darius Fleming- Notre Dame

Middle Linebackers (Overall: Below Average)

1.       Luke Kuechly- Boston College

2.       Donta’a Hightower- Alabama

3.       Mychal Kendricks- California

4.       Bobby Wagner- Utah State

5.       Travis Lewis- Oklahoma

6.       Emmanuel Acho- Texas

7.       Tank Carder- TCU

8.       Michael James-Johnson- Nevada

9.       Najee Goode- West Virginia

10.   Vontaze Burclift- Arizona State

Cornerbacks (Overall: Strong)

1.       Morris Claiborne- LSU

2.       Stephon Gilmore- South Carolina

3.       Dre Kirkpatrick- Alabama

4.       Janoris Jenkins- North Alabama

5.       Trumaine Johnson- Montana

6.       Josh Robinson- Central Florida

7.       Brandon Boykin- Georgia

8.       Casey Heyward- Vanderbilt

9.       Jamell Fleming- Oklahoma

10.   Dwight Bentley- LA-Lafayette

11.   Jayron Hosely- Virginia Tech

12.   Alfonso Denard- Nebraska

13.   Shaun Prater- Iowa

14.   Josh Norman- Coastal Carolina

15.   Ron Brooks- LSU

16.   Chase Minnifield- Virginia

Safeties (Overall: Weak)

1.       Mark Barron- Alabama

2.       Harrison Smith- Notre Dame

3.       Brandon Taylor- LSU

4.       Markelle Martin- Oklahoma State

5.       Antonio Allen- South Carolina

6.       George Ioka- Boise State

7.       Brandon Hardin- Oregon State

8.       Trenton Robinson- Michigan State

9.       DeQuan Menzie- Alabama

10.   Janzen Jackson- McNeese State

Final 2012 NFL Mock Draft

Hope everyone enjoys the final mock until one of my favorite events of the year.

1.       Indianapolis- Andrew Luck/ QB Stanford. It was the right year for Peyton Manning to get hurt and give the Colts the number one pick in the NFL Draft. With the Colts letting go of Manning, they are now in position to select what may be the best quarterback prospect to come out of since Manning did in 1998. Lucky them.

2.       Washington- Robert Griffin/ QB Baylor. The Redskins didn’t give up three first round picks to take anyone but RGIII. Washington hasn’t had an established quarterback in the last decade and RGIII has a skill set that no quarterback coming out has had since Mike Vick in 2001.

3.       Minnesota- Matt Kalil/ T USC. Enough with the smokescreens. Vikings GM Rick Speilman was recently on the air and talking about how talks are heating up. Well, Rick, you have one of the worst offensive lines in football and have a chance to be taking an All-Pro to protect Christian Ponder’s blindside for years to come. Don’t be a moron.

4.       Cleveland – Trent Richardson/ RB Alabama. With the departure of Peyton Hillis to Denver and the oft-injury prone Montario Hardesty now the temporary starter, Richardson becomes an easy choice for the Browns. Richardson is the best running back prospect to come out of the draft since Adrian Peterson back in 2007 and is completely worthy of this selection.

5.       Tampa Bay- Morris Claiborne/ CB LSU. Aquib Talib is trouble and there really isn’t much behind him, even though the Bucs just signed Eric Wright. The Bucs took a chance on LaGarrette Blount so it’s not like they will be scared by Claiborne’s Wonderlic score of a 5.

6.       St. Louis- Justin Blackmon/ WR Oklahoma State. I know they really hope the Vikings do pass on Kalil to upgrade that abysmal offensive line. However, they can take the top playmaker at wide receiver to give Bradford an additional weapon  especially after the departure of Brandon Lloyd in free agency.

7.       Jacksonville- Fletcher Cox/ DT Mississippi State. And this is where things could get interesting. I could definitely see a team trading up to Jacksonville’s spot and taking someone like Fletcher Cox. However, Jacksonville could end up taking him altogether as GM Geno Smith follows the best player available philosophy. The Draft Advisory Committee gave Cox a second round grade, but his workouts at the combine and his pro day have shot him up to being an almost lock to go in the top 10. Either way, I expect Cox to be taken in the 7 spot whether it is by Jacksonville or a team trading up for him.

8.       Miami- Ryan Tannehill/ QB Texas A&M. Really not a fan of Tannehill going this high as I see many flaws to his game. However, the Dolphins made a big swing and a miss in their offseason pursuits for Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn and really have no other choice than to take Tannehill. Dolphins fans really cannot go through another year of Chad Henne can they?

9.       Carolina- Luke Kuechly/ LB Boston College. Kuechly may be my favorite player in the draft. He is very smart, his nose is always around the ball, and he can really bring the wood. The future for Thomas Davis is uncertain in Carolina, so a need is definitely there for the Panthers.  

10.   Buffalo- Mark Barron/ S Alabama. Reports are surfing out of Buffalo that the Bills are seriously looking to trade up to select Matt Kalil. However, if they are unable to do so, and it is unlikely that the team will select Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff this high. Barron gives the Bills a player that can help cover the Aaron Hernandez/Rob Gronkowski duo in New England. However, the Bills could also draft Michael Floyd and give Ryan Fitzpatrick another explosive target to pair with Stevie Johnson.

11.   Kansas City. David DeCastro/ G Stanford. Kansas City will hope that Kuechly falls to them, but with him off the board they decide to opt for DeCastro.  DeCastro is considered a very safe pick that has been compared to by many scouts as the best guard prospect to come out since next Steve Hutchinson.

12.   Seattle- Chandler Jones/ DE Syracuse . Pete Carroll covets players with versatility and Jones defines the role well. The Seahawks were the worst team in the league last year at getting to the quarterback so if a pass rusher isn’t the pick here, I would be shocked. Thought of as a 3^rd round prospect a few months ago, Jones has made a dramatic rise where he will now likely go in the top 20.

13.   Arizona- Michael Floyd/ WR Notre Dame. This pick will be a toss-up between DeCastro and Floyd if both are still on the board. Both are big needs and are arguably the two best available players. However, much like the Rams did earlier, Arizona will opt to go with the playmaker and draft offensive linemen deeper in the draft.

14.   Dallas- Dontari Poe/ DT Memphis. Dallas would love to have Barron fall to them, but chances are more than likely he will be unavailable. The alternative is the 44 bench, 4.98 40 specimen from Memphis. Questions linger about Poe’s work ethic and his ability to underperform on the field (2^nd Team All-Conference USA), but he is the most athletic defensive tackle in the draft, and it really isn’t close.

15.   Philadelphia Eagles- Stephon Gilmore/ CB South Carolina. With Asante Samuel headed to Atlanta and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the final year of his contract, the Eagles elect to go with the best player available. Gilmore could be taken by the Jaguars at 7, but if they Jaguars pass and take Cox, Gilmore likely would fall to 15.

16.   New York Jets-Melvin Ingram/ DE/OLB South Carolina. Ingram has been falling down mock drafts lately, but no way he makes it past the Jets at 16. They have an obvious need rushing the passer from the 3-4 OLB spot. The guy they drafted number overall a few years ago that was expected to fill that role is no longer with the team. I am talking to you Vernon Gholston.

17.   Cincinnati- Dre Kirkpatrick/ CB Alabama. The Bengals biggest needs are corner and guard. They will most likely opt for Kirkpatrick if DeCastro is gone by this time and take an offensive lineman at pick 17. Kirkpatrick may have some off-field issues, but nothing compared to Janoris Jenkins.

18.   San Diego- Riley Reiff/ T Iowa The draft is deep in pass rushers so I expect the Chargers to take the best offensive lineman on the board and then draft a pass rusher in round two. Protecting Phillip Rivers is a must and Reiff is a clear upgrade over Jeremy Clarey.

19.   Chicago Bears- Quinton Coples/ DE North Carolina. The Bears already have one defensive end from North Carolina manning their defensive line. Coples compared himself to Julius Peppers and now could end up playing alongside him as the Bears finally find someone to complement the All-Pro.

20.   Tennessee Titans- Whitney Mercilus/ LB Illinois. One of the toughest picks for me to mock in this draft, the Titans could go several different ways here from linebacker to corner to defensive tackle. However, a wide receiver to complement Kenny Bitt is also not out of the realm of possibilities. Mercilus gets the nod over Brockers and Poe because of his pass rushing capabilities, and the fact that the Titans picked two defensive tackles in the draft last year.

21.   Cincinnati- Kevin Zeitler- G Wisconsin. The Bengals really want to go offensive lineman at one of their picks in the first round. With Glenn and DeCastro off the board, the Bengals opt for the Wisconsin product. Zeitler is a 320 pound mammoth who has a very high work ethic and would likely start from day one for the Bengals.

22.   Cleveland- Brandon Weeden/ QB Oklahoma State. The Browns would love to have Weeden fall to them at their pick early in the second round, but chances are they cannot afford the risk. A wide receiver would also make sense here whether that is Kendall Wright or Stephen Hill. However, the Browns can likely pick one up on day 2 with the deepest class of wide-outs in recent memory.

23.   Detroit- Cordy Glenn/ T/G Lions. The team will hope that Kirkpatrick falls, and likely will not take Janoris Jenkins due to already having some drug issues (Mike Leshoure, Nick Fairley) on the team. Detroit may reach for corner Trumaine Johnson, but will likely go with the other team need of tackle. Jeff Backus does not have many years left and Glenn also has the versatility to play guard and tackle in the NFL.  

24.   Pittsburgh-- Dont’a Hightower/ LB Alabama. The Steelers will not hesitate to make Hightower the replacement to James Farrior if he is still around at 24. Hightower just seems to fit as the perfect Steeler and would fit right into Dick Labeau’s scheme with the athleticism to play many different positions among the 3-4 linebackers.

25.   Denver- Michael Brockers/ DT LSU. The Broncos need an immediate impact at defensive tackle now that Broderick Bunkley departed via  free agency. Brockers could have stayed in school and likely would have been a top ten pick in the 2013 Draft.

26.   Houston- Stephen Hill/ WR Georgia Tech. Enough of Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones complementing Andre Johnson. This team needs a true threat. Georgia Tech continues to produce receivers of first round talent with Demariyus Thomas in 2010 and Calvin Johnson in 2007.

27.   New England- Shea McClellan/ OLB Boise State. The Patriots really need a pass rusher as the development of Jermaine Cunningham has not come along as expected, while Andre Carter will be coming off of a major injury. McClellan has really risen up draft boards and seems like the kind of player Belichek will love: nasty, gritty, and gets to the quarterback.

28.   Green Bay- Courtney Upshaw/ OLB Alabama. This pick has to be defense, but Thompson will still stick to his draft board and pick the best player available. The Packers really want McClellan to fall to them, but instead are down to Upshaw, Nick Perry and Jerel Worthy. Thompson will likely stick to his philosophy of drafting the best player available and take Upshaw. Upshaw likely could be long gone at this point, but if he were here it would hard to not see Thompson pull the trigger. Upshaw was the best player on the field in the National Championship game and is one of the top pass rushers in the draft, something the Packers are seriously lacking.

29.   Baltimore- Peter Konz/ C Wisconsin. Many people expect the Ravens to go with the Wisconsin offensive lineman Peter Konz, since Matt Birk is not getting any younger. Peter King may not think so, but given the options left for the Ravens, Konz seems like the only logical option. The Ravens would love for Hightower to fall to them, and would hate to see the Steelers snatch him up only five picks before them.

30.   San Francisco- Coby Fleener/ TE Stanford. Harbaugh will draft his college tight tend and pair him with Vernon Davis to try and rival Hernandez and Gronkowski in New England. Fleener becomes the fourth offensive player from Stanford to be taken in the first round. The 49ers also got deeper at wide receiver in free agency with Randy Moss and Mario Manningham, but one cannot rule out Kendall Wright as another possible upgrade.

31.   New England- Harrison Smith/ S Notre Dame. Smith has flied up many draft boards due to his smarts and would man and improve a very weak New England secondary. New England had one of the worst pass defenses in the league and could use a headsy player after the Brandon Merriweather debacle.

32.   New York Giants- Jonathan Martin/ T Stanford. Martin was once considered the top tackle in this draft class around this time last year and would be a great value pick for the Super Bowl Champions. Will Beatty can man the tackle position in the short term, but he is not the long term answer for the Giants.