Well, that takes us to the end of the first round. My second ruond mock will hopefully be up by tomorrow afternoon and I will also have a little shorter analysis of about every five picks or so. As for my final results, I had ten correct on my mock draft but eleven if you want to accept my Mark Ingram selection to the Saints at 24 (he was selected at 27). Goodnight everybody!
With the final selection of the first round, my Green Bay Packers select Derek Sherrod, an offensive tackle from Mississippi State. Is this a sexy or flashy pick? No. Do I love this pick? Yes. Sherrod is an athletic tackle and his strength is in the pass blocking game, which is exactly what the Packers like to do. 366 days ago, the Packers had pressing needs at both tackle slots with Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher getting old. Now, however, it looks like the Packers are set at tackle for the next decade after spending their last two first round picks on Bulaga and Sherod. Those of you that were calling for Bowers...why? Bowers is a great talent but there is a reason he fell out of the first round. He has major knee issues that teams are worried about. No doubt, he is a great talent, but can he maximize that talent on a bad knee? Also, Bowers in no way fits in a 3-4 defense. He is strictly a 4-3 defensive end rusher and would be worthless to the Packers opposite of Clay Matthews because he has never rushed standing up. He would be a little undersized at 280 to fit in as the 5-technique in the Packers defense and would not take up many blockers. Sherod is called by some scouts at the best all around offensive tackle in this draft because he has few weaknesses. According so Scott Wright on NFL Draft Countdown, Sherrod's few weaknesses are that he is not dominant in the run game and he lacks a killer instinct. However, this selection ensures that the Packers have their left tackle of the future and can keep Bulaga at right tackle, where he was very solid in his rookie season last year.
And the Steelers make a quick pick and select Cameron Heyward, another great pick for a 3-4 scheme. As a Packer fan, this is a blow because I was sure one of Heyward and Wilkerson would be there when the Packers picked. Good pick for Pittsburgh, but now it will be interesting to see what Green Bay does. Do they go offensive tackle with Derek Sherod or take a 3-4 OLB like Reed or Ayers? Here we go.
A good pick for the Jets this late in the first round. I am a huge fan of Wilkerson and really wanted to Packers to select him. Wilkerson is a perfect fit in a 3-4 scheme like the Jets and Rex Ryan will certainly be pleased.
And the Bears luck from last season still continues. Gabe Carimi somehow drops to the Bears where they have a major need at right tackle. They get the number 3 and 19th player on my board in the draft with the 29th pick in the first round. Carimi could instantly step in to protect Jay Cutler and play right away. Kind of a bummer as a Wisconsin fan to see Carimi going to the Bears.
The Saints appear set on taking Mark Ingram. As a Packer fan, I am ok with this. Would I have liked Ingram? Yes. Do we really need him? No. The Packers biggest need is on the interior and there are still many really good defensive lineman available for Thompson to select. I am also higher on James Starks than most people and Ryan Grant will also be back. I had Ingram mocked at 24 to the Saints so I partially got this one right. They really needed a running back as it appears Reggie Bush will not be back and they also revolved through Mike Bell, Julius Jones, Chris Ivory, and Pierre Thomas last year. Many of them got injured and none of them stood out. The Saints really gave up a lot however. The Patriots get richer again, where they aquire a first rounder next year and the Saints second rounder this year. However, this is a great first round for the Saints getting Cameron Jordan and Mark Ingram.
Great pick for the Ravens getting a top 15 talent towards the end of the first round. Smith has a lot of character issues but they Ravens really need a corner back and are the kind of team with strong leadership that will shape Smith up. You think Ray Lewis is going to allow this kid act like an idiot? Great value for the Ravens. Now a trade by the Patriots to the Saints.
So it looks like the Ravens passed on their pick allowing the Chiefs to jump in front of them. Well, we dont see that one every day. So the Chiefs have the 26th pick and the 27th pick goes to the Ravens it appears. The Chiefs select Jonathan Baldwin, the wide receiver from Pittsburgh. Is it a reach? Yes. But I like Baldwin and his size. He just has some immaturity issues, but that will come with time. The Chiefs need someone to prevent defenses from focusing entirely on Dwayne Bowe, so I have no problem with this pick although it may be a small reach. So now the Ravens on the clock?
A quick Packers update. I don't expect Ted Thompson to trade up like the Packers blogs are hoping for. There are many good players sitting on the draft board that would certainly fill a need for the Packers. If Ingram makes it past the Patriots, he could certainly be there when the Packers pick. Also, a good defensive lineman should make its way down to Green Bay like Bowers, Wilkerson, or Heyward. There are also some good defensive backs such as Jimmy Smith, Brandon Harris, and Aaron Williams. We may even see Thompson trade back and select tomorrow with so many good players still on the board.
So the Seahawks were trying to trade down and obviously couldn't find any takers. so they take their guy James Carpenter...who I have projected as a 3rd or 4th round pick. This in my opinion is the worst pick in the draft so far by a long shot. Carpenter is the 101st ranked prospect on my board and I felt the Seahawks could have gotten him in the 2nd round at the earliest. Also, you reach for a tackle with Carimi (a right tackle like Carpenter) or Sherrod on the board? Just a pick that makes no sense to me. Baltimore on the clock. I have Cameron Heyward mocked here but could they take the risk on Bowers?
A great pick for the Saints because not many people had Jordan dropping that far. Some mocks had him going as early as 10 to the Skins, so this is great value for the Saints considering defensive end was their biggest need. This is another A grade for me, as Jordan had a monster Senior Bowl where he proved to be unblockable. Seattle on the clock. Talk on the JS blog is that the Packers may trade up around here with Ingram still onthe board. The Seahawks have been rumored to be interested in trading down.
In a bit of a surprising move, the Eagles pass on a tackle and corner and take a 26 year old guard. No disrespect to Watkins, but I do not think this is the right pick for the Eagles. Dmitri Patterson is simply not starting corner caliber material for a team not far away from a Super Bowl. Also, Jason Peters is good on one side, but they have no right tackle. Winston Justice was completely dominated by Clay Matthews in the Wild Card game and Carimi projected to be a very solid right tackle. The Eagles did need a guard and will start right away, which doesn't make it a horrible pick. However, corner and tackle were more desperate needs, which they need to address in the later rounds now. I would grade this a C-. The Saints on the clock...Mark Ingram or D'Quan Bowers are possibilites. I also can't believe Cameron Jordan is still on the board.
Well, Polian made the obvious pick and took Anthony Castonzo. The Colts dream scenario was for Castonzo to fall to 22, and that indeed happened. Castonzo was the 2nd best tackle on my board behind Tyron Smith. Not much need for analysis here other than it was a good pick for the Colts, who stupidly passed on Roger Saffold last year for Jerry Hughes. Philadelphia on the clock...this could be Carimi or my mock draft selection Jimmy Smith.
Trade Alert! The Browns have acquired the Chiefs 21st pick in the draft. And it looks like this pick will be Phil Taylor. I really think this is a reach, especially trading back into the first round for him. I felt the Browns could have waited a few more spots instead of trading all the way up the 21. Taylor will replace Shaun Rodgers in the 3-4 defense for Cleveland, but I am still not as impressed with him as a prospect. He had a dominant Senior Bowl, but he still has large stamina issues and he takes plays off. Not my favorite pick of the first round here by Mike Holmgren after a good trade made earlier tonight. I fully expect this next pick by the Colts to be Castonzo.
And no, the Bucs do not select Da'Quan Bowers or Cameron Jordan, but instead go off what many reports were saying. Many reports last week said Clayborn is high on the Bucs draft board and that statement looks like it was true. After a monster junior year where he was considered a top ten pick, Clayborn had an up and down senior year causing his stock to drop a bit. However, being the 20th pick in the draft is no small feat either. Tampa was obviously going defensive end with this pick, and they obviously felt concenred about the knee injury of Bowers or that Jordan did not fit the system. A solid pick for the Bucs, except I only felt it was a little high.
If I had to grade the first round so far, I would give the Giants an A. Not many people predicted Prince Amukumra falling this far, but the Giants were certainly happy. Amukumara is the second best corner in this draft and the 8th rated prospect on my big board so to get him at 19 is a steal. Terrell Thomas and Corey Webster are nothing special and even Aaron Ross struggled a little last year. The Giants had many games last year where they gave up big passing games (aka Aaron Rodgers) so this is definitely a great pick and a need. The Bucs on the clock...is this Bowers territory?
Well, I would like to personally thank ESPN for breaking the news early again and showing us Corey Liuget celebrating. Liguet helps bolster a defensive line that is probably the biggest question mark for the Chargers entering next season. Between Liguet and Cameron Jordan, the Chargers had some good options available to them. A need at good value for the Chargers works out well for them. The Giants up next, who I have mocked Anthony Costanzo to.
Wow, that was a surprise. Solder being the 2nd tackle selected in this draft is a big surprise to me especially considering how interested I heard the Pats were in Cameron Jordan. Solder was the 5th rated tackle in my board, as I was not impressed with his footwork and he plays high. The former converted tight end is still really raw and had a rough Senior Bowl on top of that. The Patriots needed help on their offensive line and a team like New England can also take a sort of project like Solder. Chargers on the clock.
Well, good thing I was wrong. The selection of Ryan Kerrigan to the Skins gives me my tenth pick right in 16 tries, definitely the best I have ever done thusfar. We still have half the first round left! Kerrigan makes sense, as it looked like the Skins were going defensive line. I just expected him this pick to be Jordan, as rumors were that the Skins were very interested in him. However, I really like Kerrigan too, who I have ranked just one spot lower on my defensive end rankings. Good pick for the Redskins. I have Jordan going to the Patriots on my mock...let's see if I am right.
The Dolphins selection of Pouncey makes me 9/15 on my mock. My goal was getting 10 right for this draft, so I am one pick away. Of course, I probably just jynxed it. A decent pick for the Dolphins, but I am still convinced they should have went with Mallett here. I mocked Pouncey because I believed Sporano was going to take a lineman in a year where this may be his last with the Dolphins. However, Mike Pouncey is not better than his twin brother Maurkice who went 18th last year (and as soon as I type that, Mel Kiper says that exactly). I believe he is slightly overrated based on his brother's success, but its not a terrible pick. Just not a great one. Washington on the clock for the second time tonight. It will be interesting to see where they go. My prediction is Cameron Jordan.
The Rams make a little bit of a surprising pick taking Robert Quinn. However, they had a large need on the defensive line. I just expected to go them interior with Liuget instead of at the end. Quinn is a freak athlete, probably the best among defensive ends in this draft. Quinn could have been the top pick in this draft with Andrew Luck staying had he not been suspended for dealing with an agent. The Rams get very good value here at pick 14 as Quinn will team up opposite Chris Long. They will still need to get some help at defensive tackle in the later rounds. The Dolphins on the clock.
And the Detroit defensive line becomes even better. Nick Fairley, the third best player on my board goes to Detroit a year after the selection of Ndamukong Suh. Detroit now has one of the top defensive lines in football, which is a scary thoguht as a Packer fan considering their offensive line was completely dominated by the Lions in that game in Detroit last December. The Lions really didn't have a need a defensive tackle, but he was the top player on the board so it made sense for Detroit. Vanden Bosch and Suh with Fairley is a scary thought. One pick after a laugher, this pick makes me worried as a Packer fan. St. Louis next.
Well, it looks like the Vikings could not trade back. And they make a major reach for Christian Ponder. Look, I like Ponder, but 12th overall? Minnesota really was despereate for a quarterback and they showed it by reaching here. I had Ponder as a 2nd to 3rd round grade and he goes 12th? I am just in shock and am also laughing at the same time as all Vikings fans around me are still cursing. I liked Mallett and Dalton much better than Ponder, who just looked terrible in his bowl game against South Carolina. He had a great Senior Bowl to bring his stock back up, but I will say it again. Minnesota really reached here. Ponder is a good fit for the West Coast offense, but that is the only plus Minnesota has going for this pick.
The Houston Texans selecte my boy JJ Watt with the 11th overall pick. However, I feel like Amukumara would have been the better pick as Houston's pass defense was absolutely attrocious. Watt will still definitely help the pass defense with his pass rushing skills, so its still a good pick. Watt was a complete stud this year with my Wisconsin Badgers and he is definitely a good fit in Houston, where they need a 5-technique opposite of Mario Williams. Watt has the best motor in this draft and I will never forget the Northwestern game I went to this year at Camp Randall where he had 2 forced fumbles and a pick in the same game. Good but not a great pick for Houston and good luck JJ. We will miss you at Wisconsin. My nemesis the Vikings are on the clock. Is this an option for Nick Fairley?
Well, the Redskins and Mike Shanahan obviously did not like Blaine Gabbert and have traded the 10th pick in the draft to the Jaguars. The Jaguars instead take Gabbert with the 10th pick in the draft, which makes me very happy. I definitely agree with this decision as opposed to what some of you may think. Gabbert is the best quarterback in the draft and I have never been a big David Garrard fan. The Jaguars can start Garrard and let Gabbert ease into the offense until he is ready. Best of all, the Vikings will not be getting Gabbert. This rounds out the first round for me and makes me 8/10. Houston on the clock...is this Prince Amukumara territory?
Props to you Jerry Jones. I've had Tryon Smith as my top tackle before he people started putting him up in this range and Jones made me look good. Smith is a superior athlete from the tackle position and will definitely help keep Tony Romo upright. I thought Jones may lean towards Amukumara, but he made the right decision in this case. There is a lot of depth at corner in this draft that they can get later. Washington on the clock...please let the rumors be true and take Gabbert.
And the Titans love for Jake Locker was not a secret. This makes me 7/8, but I assumed Gabbert was going to the 49ers. To select Locker over Gabbert is really telling and says that the Titans were really set on taking Locker regardless of whoever was there. I have said it before and will say it again. I have Locker as a 2nd round grade as I have not been impressed with him in his college days. Locker definitely is dangerous and has a cannon and some athletic ability and definitely fills a need for the Titans. Locker has a lot of accuracy issues and had only a 54% completion percentage in his career. And I LOVE how Gruden is saying this guy is a winner when Washington was about .500 every seasin with Locker. I feel Gabbert will be the better player, and now I am getting nervous that he may fall to the Vikings at 12. Come on Washington!
Aldon Smith is the first semi "reach" of this draft. Smith definitely has the ability and has unbelievable speed for a defensive end. However, I feel like the 49ers could have definitely traded back a few spots here for a team that needed a quarterback and wanted Blaine Gabbert. The earliest I saw Smith going was 11 to the Texans. This tells me that Gabbert or Locker could slide a bit now. Titans already with the pick in!
Wow, what a move by the Falcons. They trade up for the clear cut second best receiver in this draft and will have Jones on the other side of Roddy White. This makes Atlanta significantly better and as a Packer fan, this makes me worried. It will be interesting to see how much Atlanta gave up in order to move up 21 spots in the first round. Luckily, I still had Julio Jones mocked number 6, so this makes me 6/6 to begin this draft. And the details for the trade were just released. Wow, Atlanta has to give up their number one, two, and fourth round picks in this draft in addition to their first and fourth next year. Julio Jones better be what Dmitrov imagined because five picks for one guy is really a risk, especially to move up 21 spots for a wide receiver. Now on the flipside, Jones and White with Turner at running back and Gonzalez at tight end should give Matt Ryan many weapons to work with and make the Falcons one of the top offenses in the league. That defense is still a question however, and I definitely remember Aaron Rodgers shredding that Falcons defense for 48 points in the Divisional round on a January Saturday night.
Thanks ESPN and Coleen Dominguez for breaking the news early. Anyway, great pick by the Cardinals! Peterson is without a doubt the top player in this draft and is going to be a complete stud in the NFL. He weights 220 pounds for a corner back and yet still runs a 4.3 40. Peterson still has some coverage issues and sometimes is slow to breaking to the ball but that is nitpicking and is his only small weakness. Peterson going to Arizona gives them one of the best corner tandems in the NFL paired up with Dominique Rodgers- Cromartie. And I will stop talking about how great Peterson is because our first trade just happened! Browns trade the 6th pick to Atlanta!
A.J. Green, the second overall player on my board goes with the 2nd overall pick. Green in my opinion is the best wide receiver to come out since Calvin Johnson in 2007 and its really not even close. Green is a freak athlete with freak hands and I have been following him since his freshman year at Georgia. He really single handedly kept Georgia in games this past season. Now, the question is what is next in Cincinnati? Is this selection enough to convince Carson Palmer to come back? Or will the Bengals trade back into the first round and select Andy Dalton or Christian Palmer? Arizona on the clock with Patrick Peterson still on the clock.
It looks like the reports were true that Marcell Dareus would not make it past the Bills. Dareus blew up at the combine and many moved him over Nick Fairley as the top defensive tackle in the NFL Draft. I believe that is false, but that is taking nothing away from Dareus. I just think Fairley is a better and dominant player. However, in this scenario, Dareus is a better fit in a 3-4 where he can be the nose tackle, whereas I see Fairely as making more of an impact as a 1 or 2 technique in a 4-3. Good pick by Buffalo. Cincinnati taking AJ Green next?
The Broncos do indeed select Von Miller with the second pick in the draft. I completely agree with Miller as a "rare explosive athlete." Before the season, Miller was a a projected late first round pick, and I was hoping Green Bay would have a chance at him to pair up with Matthews. However, as the year went on, it showed Miller was definitely going to be drafted at a higher range. After a monster Senior Bowl and NFL Combine, Miller shot up teams' draft boards and is now the second overall pick. Miller is so explosive off the edge and the comparisons to Derrick Thomas are legit. A 4.4 40 coming off the edge is indeed scary and it will be even scarier for teams playing Denver if Elvis Dumervil can remain healthy. Buffalo next on the clock.
Here we go. The Panthers are on the clock...and the pick is already in.
As expected, the Panthers go with Cam Newton with the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft amongst many boos in Radio Music City Hall. Now, if I were the Panthers, I would have taken Patrick Peterson, but I definitely understand why they went this direction. As I said in my mock, Jimmy Claussen may not have had a fair shot in Carolina last year, but it just looks like he doesn't have it. Newton is a really high risk, but I felt like Carolina had to do this. He has a lot of potential and not many people are gifted with that size and athletic ability while also having a cannon for an arm. If I were Carolina, I wouldn't start him right away, but they may have no choice. Jimmy Claussen was that bad last season. On to Denver, where it looks like this pick will be Von Miller.
The NFL Draft is finally here! I will have my thoughts for every pick in the first round of the draft. Here is my final mock again right here to see how many I get right once the 32nd selection is made:
http://www.fftoolbox.com/nfl_draft/user_mock_drafts.cfm?mock_id=23283
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