ShutDown24
02-05-2012, 12:26 PM
I usually don't do pieces so close together, but I really wanted to get an updated mock out there in early February. After the Super Bowl, the community tends to go a little nuts with character issues/hidden injuries/reevaluation. I really used my free time to delve into the class this past week; and have already changed my opinions on some prospects vastly. This is my favorite time of the process because it is the most pure: opinions based on how the player executes in-game.
Also, if I could make a plea to anyone who has some good links to any games/extended highlights they would like to share I'd greatly appreciate it. I wasn't able to record as many Saturdays as I have in seasons past this year and Youtube deletes a lot of the good stuff shortly after it gets posted...
1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, Quarterback, Stanford
Well, that was easy. Jim Irsay has been flirting with this selection via Twitter since October. Barring a late change of heart, the Stanford Quarterback should be the selection here. Robert Griffin will make a late push to be the first overall pick at some point, but Luck should sustain his rank in the end.
2. St. Louis Rams - Morris Claiborne, Defensive Back, Louisiana State
Would the Rams be better off giving Sam Bradford some first round assistance on offense? Maybe. But I think Claiborne would have a major impact on the team's defensive performance. Coming off a season where Ron Bartell, Bradley Fletcher and Jerome Murphy all landed on injured reserve, having a league-ready defensive back like Claiborne could prove to be invaluable.
3. Minnesota Vikings - Riley Reiff, Offensive Line, Iowa
The Vikings tried to make Charlie Johnson their franchise left tackle after stealing him away from the Colts last off-season, but it isn't going to happen. Johnson can hold down the fort on the blind side, but he is more of a guard pretending to play tackle than anything else. Reiff would give the team a smart young player who could grow with Christian Ponder & Percy Harvin.
4. Cleveland Browns - Justin Blackmon, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma State
The Browns like what they see out of Greg Little on the practice field, but it didn't quite translate to in-game production until the latter portion of his rookie season. There are hardly whispers of Little being a Travis Wilson doppleganger, but I don't think he is a #1 option. Adding Blackmon to the mix would improve Colt McCoy's mediocre game and give Cleveland a respectable offensive threat.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - David DeCastro, Offensive Line, Stanford
Donald Penn and Jeremy Trueblood are good tackles. But the Buccaneer's offensive line struggled mightily last season. The interior could not hold up and foiled any plans Josh Freeman had of improving upon his 2010 campaign. Dave DeCastro would add strength up the middle.
6. Washington D.C. Redskins - Robert Griffin, Quarterback, Baylor
If the Redskins are able to snag Robert Griffin, the team's offense should take off. RGIII is the type of player that Mike Shanahan knows how to coach. He is perfect for that offense. His feet and polished deep ball could make throwing off the play action nearly unstoppable.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Michael Floyd, Wide Receiver, Notre Dame
The Jaguars are in serious need of help offensively. New Head Coach Mike Mularkey will have Maurice Jones-Drew pounding away with the running game, which should in turn help Blaine Gabbert. But Gabbert had a miserable rookie season. If there is any hope of turning his young career around the team needs to get him a legit weapon on the outside. Mercedes Lewis was Jacksonville's leading receiver last season with 460 yards.
8. Carolina Panthers - Matt Kalil, Offensive Line, Southern California
The Panthers desperately need help at all levels of their defense. But I don't think the team would pass up center Ryan Kalil's brother, who also happens to be a rock solid prospect at left tackle. Kalil could start at right tackle immediately, replacing the undrafted free agent Carolina had shoved into the position last year. Jordan Gross is still one of the best on the left side, but he is in his thirties now and the rookie could slide into that spot once Gross can no longer handle it.
9. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, Quarterback, Texas A&M
Ryan Tannehill is one of the more perplexing athletes to come out in some time. Has a better arm than people give him credit for, is a smart guy and can run like other quarterbacks only wish they could. A guy who would probably still be a mid-round pick if he was entering the draft as a receiver, maybe the biggest knock on him is that he is so enigmatic. As a quarterback, it can be really hard to distinguish his strengths from his weaknesses. His physical gifts seem to be the best thing going for him, but at the same time he is a good character kid who by all accounts practices hard and is smart enough to pick up most offensive systems. His pocket presence scares me a little, I have seen it work both ways. Sometimes he senses pressure very well and other times he is completely oblivious. With Tannehill, you are taking a big risk. But the reward could be huge.
The Dolphins are a team I could see taking that risk. A team that has lacked a presence at quarterback for years, Joe Philbin and Mike Sherman have already expressed signs of interest in locking down the position. Sherman, who coached Tannehill in college, should give positive input about the player to the organization.
10. Buffalo Bills - Quinton Coples, Pass Rusher, North Carolina
The Buffalo Bills are changing defensive schemes... Again. And new Defensive Coordinator Dave Wannstedt should want to improve the team's edge rushers. With Kyle Williams and Marcel Dareus giving the team fantastic pass rush from the middle of the defensive line, Quinton Coples could be the answer the Bills are looking for at end.
11. Kansas City Chiefs - Johnathan Martin, Offensive Line, Stanford
The Chiefs have a good young roster. Unfortunately, a lot of those young players ended up on injured reserve last season. With many skill pieces already in place, Kansas City should begin building an offensive line to support whoever winds up under center next year.
12. Seattle Seahawks - Devon Still, Defensive Line, Penn State
Seattle somewhat surprisingly has few pressing needs. The Seahawks' roster is a solid one. A defensive line headlined by Brandon Mebane and Chris Clemons; adding a stud defensive tackle to the team would make their already potent front one of the best in football.
13. Arizona Cardinals - Mike Adams, Offensive Line, Ohio State
The Cardinals offensive line situation is dire. The front office just can't seem to get the position right. It seems everyone has given up on Levi Brown, and with good reason. He has played poorly on both the left and right sides of the line. Mike Adams is a mauler in the run game who has legitimate pass blocking skills. And at 6'8 he'd at least look good in a Cardinals uniform.
14. Dallas Cowboys - Melvin Ingram, Pass Rusher, South Carolina
Anthony Spencer has disappointed Jerry Jones. And Dallas needs more pass rushing results from opposite DeMarcus Ware. Jones, who has talked much about his line backers since the end of the season, should love Ingram. The Gamecock plays much shorter than his 6-2 frame indicates. And is capable of getting the kind of leverage you might associate with James Harrison's game. He really has the best of both worlds with his long athleticism and stout power.
15. Philadelphia Eagles - Zach Brown, Line Backer, North Carolina
The Eagles Line Backers sucked last year. Sucked. The staff made a major personnel gaffe by starting rookie Casey Matthews in the middle; just assuming he would be fine because his brother had such a positive impact in Green Bay the year prior. Hopefully the team can learn from its mistakes and start treating line backer as if it's a real position, something they haven't done in years. Otherwise they might have to go out and sign a few more free agents. Then again, that didn't work out so well for the rest of the roster last season.
16. New York Jets - Courtney Upshaw, Pass Rusher, Alabama
The Jets roster is a disaster. Rex Ryan may know how to coach defense, but he certainly hasn't helped Gang Green put a good squad together. The team is old and slow or young and inexperienced at nearly every position. The defensive line should improve this year, with Muhammed Wilkerson and Kendrick Ellis having a year under their belts, but the line backers look as poor as they did last year. And the pass rush is abysmal. Upshaw would give the team a good young prospect who could help rush the passer immediately. They need it.
17. Cincinnati Bengals - Dre Kirkpatrick, Defensive Back, Alabama
Character issues? What character issues? The Bengals are the NFL's version of the honey badger when it comes to character issues. They don't care. And Kirkpatrick would give the team a talented corner to play opposite Leon Hall. With the new rookie salaries, paying Kirkpatrick & Hall is more reasonable than keeping both Hall and Joseph would have been for Cincinnati a year ago.
18. San Diego Chargers - Cordy Glenn, Offensive Line, Georgia
The Chargers could use some help along the offensive line. And with Kris Dielman contemplating retirement after his struggles with concussions, Cordy Glenn would be a suitable replacement.
19. Chicago Bears - Kendall Wright, Wide Receiver, Baylor
I'm not sure if the Bears will go this route, they seem to hate selecting receivers early, but they should. Wright is explosive. He can press a defense deep and isn't afraid to go over the middle. A good all around prospect. It would also give Jay Cutler a real receiver other than Earl Bennett. The team has been playing Devin Hester at the position for the past few years. Maybe this would end that experiment.
20. Tennessee Titans - Luke Kuechly, Line Backer, Boston College
Barrett Ruud was signed last year to be the answer inside for the Titans, but he is injury prone and isn't getting any younger. With Akeem Ayers already in place, another young line backer seems to be exactly what Tennessee needs. Will Witherspoon is the teams other starting outside backer and he is 32 years old. Kuechly could play outside as well, making him a valuable depth player.
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Trent Richardson, Running Back, Alabama
While I'm not a supporter of ever selecting a running back in the first round, Trent Richardson would give the Bengals a plethora of offensive talent. Andy Dalton, Jermaine Gresham, A.J. Green and Richardson would give defenses headaches and help Cincinnati move closer to thwarting the defenses of Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
22. Cleveland Browns - Whitney Mercilus, Pass Rusher, Illinois
Jabaal Sheard played excellent football for the Browns last season. As did fellow rookie Phil Taylor. Adding another pass rusher to the mix could really make Cleveland's defensive front a special group. Mercilus could be that guy.
23. Detroit Lions - Peter Konz, Offensive Line, Wisconsin
The interior offensive line for the Detroit Lions is getting old. A team that already has the offensive skill players many teams wish for, getting stronger in the trenches would help Detroit take the next step in their future.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers - Dont'a Hightower, Line Backer, Alabama
James Farrior and Larry Foote are on their way out of Pittsburgh. If not this year, in the near future. Lawrence Timmons has become a strong player inside but the team will need another presence next to him if it wants to continue its run stopping dominance. Hightower seems like the kind of player the Steelers would target. He should be able to sit for a season or two before taking over - as is customary in Pittsburgh.
25. Denver Broncos - Jerel Worthy, Defensive Line, Michigan State
The Broncos defense made great strides of improvement last season under Coach John Fox. Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil paved the road to opposing quarterbacks; and Robert Ayers is finally showing some of the promise Denver expected to see when he was drafted in the first round out of Tennessee a few years back. Adding a prospect like Worthy to the mix could only be a good thing.
26. Houston Texans - Mohamed Sanu, Wide Receiver, Rutgers
The Texans need to address wide receiver. The team simply can't rely on Andre Johnson to be the only real pass catching threat anymore. With awesome depth at nearly every other offensive position I can't imagine the Texans coming out of the first round without addressing this need. Sanu has the potential to catch a ton of balls at the next level and would be a great compliment to Johnson.
27. New England Patriots - Dontari Poe, Defensive Line, Memphis
The Patriots have become masters of playing multiple fronts the past few season. 34, 43, 5 down, enigma... All have been added to Bill Belichick's repertoire. Poe would give New England a huge and talented player who could play on most defensive downs.
28. Green Bay Packers - Nick Perry, Pass Rusher, Southern California
Green Bay had an awful defense last year. And what little defense they did play showed even less ability to rush the passer. Teams shut down Clay Matthews; then and had nothing to worry about from the other side of the field as the Packers were starting players with names like Walden, Jones and Zombo. With A.J. Hawk being the liability he is, and an unimpressive slew of pass rushers aside from Matthews, the Packers need to address their second line of defense badly. Nick Perry out of USC looks like a great fit in the team's 34 front.
29. Baltimore Ravens - Vontaze Burfict, Line Backer, Arizona State
Ray Lewis isn't going to last forever. He should have been seeing limited action the last two or three years to be honest, even though saying so is the equivalent of football blasphemy. Burfict, a loud mouthed, intimidating, reckless inside line backer out of Arizona State is the typical Raven. He could learn from Lewis and replace him on passing downs.
Also, if I could make a plea to anyone who has some good links to any games/extended highlights they would like to share I'd greatly appreciate it. I wasn't able to record as many Saturdays as I have in seasons past this year and Youtube deletes a lot of the good stuff shortly after it gets posted...
1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, Quarterback, Stanford
Well, that was easy. Jim Irsay has been flirting with this selection via Twitter since October. Barring a late change of heart, the Stanford Quarterback should be the selection here. Robert Griffin will make a late push to be the first overall pick at some point, but Luck should sustain his rank in the end.
2. St. Louis Rams - Morris Claiborne, Defensive Back, Louisiana State
Would the Rams be better off giving Sam Bradford some first round assistance on offense? Maybe. But I think Claiborne would have a major impact on the team's defensive performance. Coming off a season where Ron Bartell, Bradley Fletcher and Jerome Murphy all landed on injured reserve, having a league-ready defensive back like Claiborne could prove to be invaluable.
3. Minnesota Vikings - Riley Reiff, Offensive Line, Iowa
The Vikings tried to make Charlie Johnson their franchise left tackle after stealing him away from the Colts last off-season, but it isn't going to happen. Johnson can hold down the fort on the blind side, but he is more of a guard pretending to play tackle than anything else. Reiff would give the team a smart young player who could grow with Christian Ponder & Percy Harvin.
4. Cleveland Browns - Justin Blackmon, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma State
The Browns like what they see out of Greg Little on the practice field, but it didn't quite translate to in-game production until the latter portion of his rookie season. There are hardly whispers of Little being a Travis Wilson doppleganger, but I don't think he is a #1 option. Adding Blackmon to the mix would improve Colt McCoy's mediocre game and give Cleveland a respectable offensive threat.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - David DeCastro, Offensive Line, Stanford
Donald Penn and Jeremy Trueblood are good tackles. But the Buccaneer's offensive line struggled mightily last season. The interior could not hold up and foiled any plans Josh Freeman had of improving upon his 2010 campaign. Dave DeCastro would add strength up the middle.
6. Washington D.C. Redskins - Robert Griffin, Quarterback, Baylor
If the Redskins are able to snag Robert Griffin, the team's offense should take off. RGIII is the type of player that Mike Shanahan knows how to coach. He is perfect for that offense. His feet and polished deep ball could make throwing off the play action nearly unstoppable.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Michael Floyd, Wide Receiver, Notre Dame
The Jaguars are in serious need of help offensively. New Head Coach Mike Mularkey will have Maurice Jones-Drew pounding away with the running game, which should in turn help Blaine Gabbert. But Gabbert had a miserable rookie season. If there is any hope of turning his young career around the team needs to get him a legit weapon on the outside. Mercedes Lewis was Jacksonville's leading receiver last season with 460 yards.
8. Carolina Panthers - Matt Kalil, Offensive Line, Southern California
The Panthers desperately need help at all levels of their defense. But I don't think the team would pass up center Ryan Kalil's brother, who also happens to be a rock solid prospect at left tackle. Kalil could start at right tackle immediately, replacing the undrafted free agent Carolina had shoved into the position last year. Jordan Gross is still one of the best on the left side, but he is in his thirties now and the rookie could slide into that spot once Gross can no longer handle it.
9. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, Quarterback, Texas A&M
Ryan Tannehill is one of the more perplexing athletes to come out in some time. Has a better arm than people give him credit for, is a smart guy and can run like other quarterbacks only wish they could. A guy who would probably still be a mid-round pick if he was entering the draft as a receiver, maybe the biggest knock on him is that he is so enigmatic. As a quarterback, it can be really hard to distinguish his strengths from his weaknesses. His physical gifts seem to be the best thing going for him, but at the same time he is a good character kid who by all accounts practices hard and is smart enough to pick up most offensive systems. His pocket presence scares me a little, I have seen it work both ways. Sometimes he senses pressure very well and other times he is completely oblivious. With Tannehill, you are taking a big risk. But the reward could be huge.
The Dolphins are a team I could see taking that risk. A team that has lacked a presence at quarterback for years, Joe Philbin and Mike Sherman have already expressed signs of interest in locking down the position. Sherman, who coached Tannehill in college, should give positive input about the player to the organization.
10. Buffalo Bills - Quinton Coples, Pass Rusher, North Carolina
The Buffalo Bills are changing defensive schemes... Again. And new Defensive Coordinator Dave Wannstedt should want to improve the team's edge rushers. With Kyle Williams and Marcel Dareus giving the team fantastic pass rush from the middle of the defensive line, Quinton Coples could be the answer the Bills are looking for at end.
11. Kansas City Chiefs - Johnathan Martin, Offensive Line, Stanford
The Chiefs have a good young roster. Unfortunately, a lot of those young players ended up on injured reserve last season. With many skill pieces already in place, Kansas City should begin building an offensive line to support whoever winds up under center next year.
12. Seattle Seahawks - Devon Still, Defensive Line, Penn State
Seattle somewhat surprisingly has few pressing needs. The Seahawks' roster is a solid one. A defensive line headlined by Brandon Mebane and Chris Clemons; adding a stud defensive tackle to the team would make their already potent front one of the best in football.
13. Arizona Cardinals - Mike Adams, Offensive Line, Ohio State
The Cardinals offensive line situation is dire. The front office just can't seem to get the position right. It seems everyone has given up on Levi Brown, and with good reason. He has played poorly on both the left and right sides of the line. Mike Adams is a mauler in the run game who has legitimate pass blocking skills. And at 6'8 he'd at least look good in a Cardinals uniform.
14. Dallas Cowboys - Melvin Ingram, Pass Rusher, South Carolina
Anthony Spencer has disappointed Jerry Jones. And Dallas needs more pass rushing results from opposite DeMarcus Ware. Jones, who has talked much about his line backers since the end of the season, should love Ingram. The Gamecock plays much shorter than his 6-2 frame indicates. And is capable of getting the kind of leverage you might associate with James Harrison's game. He really has the best of both worlds with his long athleticism and stout power.
15. Philadelphia Eagles - Zach Brown, Line Backer, North Carolina
The Eagles Line Backers sucked last year. Sucked. The staff made a major personnel gaffe by starting rookie Casey Matthews in the middle; just assuming he would be fine because his brother had such a positive impact in Green Bay the year prior. Hopefully the team can learn from its mistakes and start treating line backer as if it's a real position, something they haven't done in years. Otherwise they might have to go out and sign a few more free agents. Then again, that didn't work out so well for the rest of the roster last season.
16. New York Jets - Courtney Upshaw, Pass Rusher, Alabama
The Jets roster is a disaster. Rex Ryan may know how to coach defense, but he certainly hasn't helped Gang Green put a good squad together. The team is old and slow or young and inexperienced at nearly every position. The defensive line should improve this year, with Muhammed Wilkerson and Kendrick Ellis having a year under their belts, but the line backers look as poor as they did last year. And the pass rush is abysmal. Upshaw would give the team a good young prospect who could help rush the passer immediately. They need it.
17. Cincinnati Bengals - Dre Kirkpatrick, Defensive Back, Alabama
Character issues? What character issues? The Bengals are the NFL's version of the honey badger when it comes to character issues. They don't care. And Kirkpatrick would give the team a talented corner to play opposite Leon Hall. With the new rookie salaries, paying Kirkpatrick & Hall is more reasonable than keeping both Hall and Joseph would have been for Cincinnati a year ago.
18. San Diego Chargers - Cordy Glenn, Offensive Line, Georgia
The Chargers could use some help along the offensive line. And with Kris Dielman contemplating retirement after his struggles with concussions, Cordy Glenn would be a suitable replacement.
19. Chicago Bears - Kendall Wright, Wide Receiver, Baylor
I'm not sure if the Bears will go this route, they seem to hate selecting receivers early, but they should. Wright is explosive. He can press a defense deep and isn't afraid to go over the middle. A good all around prospect. It would also give Jay Cutler a real receiver other than Earl Bennett. The team has been playing Devin Hester at the position for the past few years. Maybe this would end that experiment.
20. Tennessee Titans - Luke Kuechly, Line Backer, Boston College
Barrett Ruud was signed last year to be the answer inside for the Titans, but he is injury prone and isn't getting any younger. With Akeem Ayers already in place, another young line backer seems to be exactly what Tennessee needs. Will Witherspoon is the teams other starting outside backer and he is 32 years old. Kuechly could play outside as well, making him a valuable depth player.
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Trent Richardson, Running Back, Alabama
While I'm not a supporter of ever selecting a running back in the first round, Trent Richardson would give the Bengals a plethora of offensive talent. Andy Dalton, Jermaine Gresham, A.J. Green and Richardson would give defenses headaches and help Cincinnati move closer to thwarting the defenses of Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
22. Cleveland Browns - Whitney Mercilus, Pass Rusher, Illinois
Jabaal Sheard played excellent football for the Browns last season. As did fellow rookie Phil Taylor. Adding another pass rusher to the mix could really make Cleveland's defensive front a special group. Mercilus could be that guy.
23. Detroit Lions - Peter Konz, Offensive Line, Wisconsin
The interior offensive line for the Detroit Lions is getting old. A team that already has the offensive skill players many teams wish for, getting stronger in the trenches would help Detroit take the next step in their future.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers - Dont'a Hightower, Line Backer, Alabama
James Farrior and Larry Foote are on their way out of Pittsburgh. If not this year, in the near future. Lawrence Timmons has become a strong player inside but the team will need another presence next to him if it wants to continue its run stopping dominance. Hightower seems like the kind of player the Steelers would target. He should be able to sit for a season or two before taking over - as is customary in Pittsburgh.
25. Denver Broncos - Jerel Worthy, Defensive Line, Michigan State
The Broncos defense made great strides of improvement last season under Coach John Fox. Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil paved the road to opposing quarterbacks; and Robert Ayers is finally showing some of the promise Denver expected to see when he was drafted in the first round out of Tennessee a few years back. Adding a prospect like Worthy to the mix could only be a good thing.
26. Houston Texans - Mohamed Sanu, Wide Receiver, Rutgers
The Texans need to address wide receiver. The team simply can't rely on Andre Johnson to be the only real pass catching threat anymore. With awesome depth at nearly every other offensive position I can't imagine the Texans coming out of the first round without addressing this need. Sanu has the potential to catch a ton of balls at the next level and would be a great compliment to Johnson.
27. New England Patriots - Dontari Poe, Defensive Line, Memphis
The Patriots have become masters of playing multiple fronts the past few season. 34, 43, 5 down, enigma... All have been added to Bill Belichick's repertoire. Poe would give New England a huge and talented player who could play on most defensive downs.
28. Green Bay Packers - Nick Perry, Pass Rusher, Southern California
Green Bay had an awful defense last year. And what little defense they did play showed even less ability to rush the passer. Teams shut down Clay Matthews; then and had nothing to worry about from the other side of the field as the Packers were starting players with names like Walden, Jones and Zombo. With A.J. Hawk being the liability he is, and an unimpressive slew of pass rushers aside from Matthews, the Packers need to address their second line of defense badly. Nick Perry out of USC looks like a great fit in the team's 34 front.
29. Baltimore Ravens - Vontaze Burfict, Line Backer, Arizona State
Ray Lewis isn't going to last forever. He should have been seeing limited action the last two or three years to be honest, even though saying so is the equivalent of football blasphemy. Burfict, a loud mouthed, intimidating, reckless inside line backer out of Arizona State is the typical Raven. He could learn from Lewis and replace him on passing downs.