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Chidi29
03-23-2012, 04:07 PM
As I have done every year, I like to post my first round mock before beginning the rest of the rounds to get the Universe's thoughts on the most important selections and to make sure I'm on the right track. The mock isn't perfect and I can definitely see where I may make changes, but let me know what you guys think! Thanks!

Round 1

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck/QB Stanford – The obvious choice as the first overall pick. Needless to say, the Colts don’t have a quarterback. Luck is an elite prospect and while no prospect is ever a “lock”, he has with very few flaws. He has a good arm, reads the entire field, and handled a pro offense at Stanford. Even with an overall poor supporting cast, Luck will have plenty of success at the next level.

2. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III/QB Baylor – The Redskins get a good consolation prize. Griffin has drawn comparisons to Vick, but the two are only similar in their athletic ability. Griffin is a far superior passer than Vick. Capable of keeping his eyes downfield while on the move, he has the best arm in this year’s class. The Redskins know you have to have a franchise player under center, like the rest of the NFC East, and Griffin will give them an excellent chance of obtaining that.

3. Minnesota Vikings: Morris Claiborne/CB LSU – Tough pick between Claiborne and Matt Kalil. Ultimately, the team chooses Claiborne. While depth is just as important in today’s NFL, it’s extremely valuable to have a #1 CB to face off against Calvin Johnson, Greg Jennings, and Brandon Marshall. Cedric Griffin and Antoine Winfield is coming off a broken collarbone at 35 years old.

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson/RB Alabama – Another toss-up between three players: Richardson, Justin Blackmon, and Quinton Coples. Ultimately, the team must follow BPA and Richardson edges out the rest of the group. He’s well put together and runs low to the ground with excellent balance. Even in an NFL and draft system that has recently devalued running backs, Richardson is worthy of a top five selection.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Justin Blackmon/WR Oklahoma St – Perhaps a surprise pick to some, Blackmon makes sense. The team did sign Vincent Jackson and still have hopes for Mike Williams despite coming off a poor year, but it’s never a bad thing to have too many weapons. The ability to vary sets, from traditional I-Form to being able to spread out the field or effectively use bunch sets creates havoc on defenses. Blackmon’s talent is too difficult to pass up. The team rolled the dice hiring Greg Schiano, they do the same with the 5th pick. Value can’t be ignored especially this early.

6. St. Louis Rams: Matt Kalil/OT USC – The Rams get really good value with the sixth pick at Kalil is my top offensive tackle. Jason Smith has struggled the few times he’s been on the field and has already suffered multiple concussions. Kalil could stand to grow into his frame but is explosive out of his stance and shows the ability to mirror. He also gets good bend for a tackle as tall as he is. With the pick, the team has some flexibility along the line. Rodger Saffold could kick inside to guard, where he was projected to play coming out of Indiana or move to RT if Jason Smith suffers another injury.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Quinton Coples/DE North Carolina – The Jaguars have done this song and dance before, drafting players such as Quentin Groves and Derrick Harvey along with the free agent signing of Aaron Kampman not working out. Hopefully for their sake, things will be different this time. Coples is a big body at 284 and has a premier skillset. He does need to show a better repertoire but it is a minor issue given his overall talent. Jacksonville’s pass rush was anemic last season with just 31 sacks.

8 .Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill/QB Texas A&M – One of the more common picks that will be seen in mock drafts. The Dolphins lost out on Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn so they turn to the draft to attempt to gain stability under center. Tannehill is a smart kid who reads defenses well, shows good ball placement and while his arm may not be the strongest, it could be improved by mechanical tweaks.

9. Carolina Panthers: Michael Brockers/DT LSU – Carolina struck gold with Cam Newton last year. They stick with an SEC player again in Brockers. The team did draft Terrell McClain and Sione Fua last year but it’s still difficult to pass up on Brockers for a team who got run all over last season. Brockers is not a one-gap pass rusher but has great short area quickness and sheds blocks well. He’ll be a great asset vs the run.

10. Buffalo Bills: Kendall Wright/WR Baylor – Tough to figure out what to do with Buffalo at ten. Even though Buddy Nix tried to dispel the idea of the team not looking at any more receivers, the team did show interest in Robert Meachem for the vertical threat he brings. Meachem wound up in a Chargers’ uniform but there’s speed to be had in the draft. Wright plays much faster than he timed at the Combine and he and Robert Griffin hooked up on many chunk plays. He’ll give the Bills the vertical threat they’re looking for whether or not they want to admit it.

11. Kansas City Chiefs: Cordy Glenn/OT Georgia – Some may consider this a reach, but Glenn is my #2 OT. Brandon Albert has done an overall ok job at left tackle but there is a gaping hole at right tackle. Glenn is very light on his feet for a 330 pounder who can maul in the run game. With the Chiefs anxious to get back to the ground game with a healthy Jamaal Charles and newly acquired Peyton Hillis, Glenn gives the team stability on the strong side.

12. Seattle Seahawks: David DeCastro/OG Stanford – It’s rare to see a guard taken this high but DeCastro is the best player available while also filling a need for the team. Seattle has worked hard to improve their line, drafting Russell Okung, John Moffitt, and James Carpenter the past few seasons and continue to upgrade the trenches with DeCastro. A smart kid in blitz pickup who has the combination of being a good run blocker and can move in space, the Seahawks hope their line can be set for years.

13. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin/OT Stanford – Back-to-back Cardinal players are picked. The team did re-sign Levi Brown but he’s struggled mightily in his career. Martin moves well laterally and does a nice job getting his arms extended. He’ll be an asset at left tackle, allowing the team to move Brown to the right side.

14. Dallas Cowboys: Fletcher Cox/DE Mississippi St – He was a DT in college but will kick out to play five tech. He could even play NT at times considering the team’s unusual 3-4 front that has a smaller, quicker nose in Jay Ratliff. Cox finished his college career with 22.5 TFL and 7.5 sacks.

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Devon Still/DT Penn St – Luke Kuechly is the popular pick at this spot but Andy Reid simply does not draft linebackers in the early rounds. The team doesn’t have many glaring needs but loves to stock up on the defensive line, the heart and soul of their pass rush. Still is a heck of an athlete who can get to the QB and get penetration against the run though he will need to be more consistent against it. Still gives Jim Washburn another athletic lineman to play around with.

16. New York Jets: Courtney Upshaw/OLB Alabama – The Jets are sorely lacking at OLB. Players such as Jamaal Westerman should not have been playing as much as they did, and former bust Aaron Maybin actually led the team in sacks last season. Upshaw is the first of the two talented Bama linebackers off the board. He’s had 15.5 sacks in the past two seasons for the Crimson Tide.

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Janoris Jenkins/CB North Alabama – It just wouldn’t be a mock if the Bengals didn’t select a kid with character issues. Nate Clements resurged his career with the Bengals and they still have Leon Hall but depth is always key and outside of those two, the Bengals don’t have much else. Jenkins has claimed to have changed his life for the better. That remains to be seen but if there’s a team that’ll take a chance on him, it’s the Bengals.

18. San Diego Chargers: Dre Kirpatrick/CB Alabama – Back to back cornerbacks. The team lacks depth at cornerback. Kirpatrick did have a minor drug incident, though ultimately the charge was dropped, but is a talented player coming out of one of the few pro style defenses in college football.

19. Chicago Bears: Luke Kuechly/LB Boston College – Kuechly fell further than he’s projected in a lot of mocks so this is good value for the Bears. He can start out filling the void at weakside LB and be an heir apparent to either Brian Urlacher or Lance Briggs. He had a mind-boggling 532 tackles in just three years.

20. Tennessee Titans: Andre Branch/DE Clemson – I’m higher than Branch than most others. He can be a premier pass rusher in this league. Branch possesses a really good first step and excellent change of direction ability. He’ll ease the pain of losing Jason Jones who left the Titans for Seattle in free agency.

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Mark Barron/SS Alabama – The Bengals use their second pick of the first round to continue to shore up the secondary. Chris Crocker is 32 and a free agent after the 2012 season. Barron had a great career with Alabama and is already the third player from there to be taken in the first 21 picks.

22. Cleveland Browns: Michael Floyd/WR Notre Dame – The Browns’ continue to improve their skill positions with the pickup of Floyd. He doesn’t have blistering speed but is quick to get up to his top speed and gets yards after the catch, perfect for a West Coast offense. It would be wise to get a receiver in the first round instead of waiting as they’ve unsuccessfully tried that in the past with players like Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiske. Giving Colt McCoy more weapons would obviously be a benefit.

23. Detroit Lions: Riley Reiff/OT Iowa – This is too high for even me. Jeff Backus does seem to always find a way to stick at left tackle and to his credit, has started every game for the Lions. But he is 36 and eventually, his successor must be found. Reiff has shown flashes of good lateral movement and pass protection but is inconsistent and definitely lacking in functional strength. His only chance to stick is at left tackle, and I don’t see him doing it.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Dont’a Hightower/ILB Alabama – The popular pick for Pittsburgh. He may only be a two down thumper but is extremely competent in that role. He’s a big kid who can wrap up as well as deliver a big hit. He also sheds blocks well, important for an ILB. Hightower can compete with Larry Foote for a starting job right away.

25. Denver Broncos: Dontari Poe/NT Memphis – Some may think this is good value but I’m not a fan of Poe. While he is one of the most interesting triangle players in this year’s draft, it didn’t match up on tape. He runs hot and cold, doesn’t dominate one-on-ones the way you’d expect, and is on the ground way too much. Still, the Broncos still lack a true zero technique in their odd defense.

26. Houston Texans: Coby Fleener/TE Stanford – Owen Daniels did bounce back nicely from his torn ACL. But James Casey is likely going to remain at fullback with Lawrence Vickers signing with the Cowboys. The Texans don’t have a ton of needs so they can afford to take a bit of a luxury in the first round. Fleener is lanky but a huge red zone threat as he proved his senior year with Stanford. Today’s NFL is all about offense and defense in the red zone and Fleener will give Matt Schaub a big target down the seam.

27. New England Patriots: Melvin Ingram/OLB South Carolina – Another player I don’t like who will probably go higher than 27 but should go even lower. He does offer versatility in the Patriots’ hybrid defense; he’ll be a weakside rush ‘backer but could put his hand on the ground in obvious passing situations. However, he has little experience in coverage and positioning at LB and is awful against the run. He also doesn’t have the lower body strength players like James Harrison have. To me, he’s a one-trick pony.

28. Green Bay Packers: Peter Konz/C Wisconsin – The team lost Scott Wells to the Rams in free agency and need a new pivot player. Konz is another highly decorated Badger who has enough athletic ability to get to and engage at the second level in the Packers’ zone blocking scheme.

29. Baltimore Ravens: Kevin Zeitler/OG Wisconsin – Zeitler is just what the doctor ordered after the Ravens lost Ben Grubbs to the Saints. Zeitler, the second straight Badger to be selected, is another throwback kid who works really well in a phone booth and will be an asset on trap blocks. The Ravens are getting a player who may not be flashy, but will be a consistent starter on their line for the next ten years.

30. San Francisco 49ers: Josh Chapman/NT Alabama – The 49ers don’t have a lot of needs after being active in free agency signing receivers Randy Moss and Mario Manningham and cornerback Carlos Rogers. In these situations, I fall back on my BPA. Chapman is my top player remaining on the board and fits the 49ers odd defense. Isaac Sopoaga did a tremendous job last season to lead the 49ers to one of the most stout run defenses in recent history but is entering the last year of his contract. Price tags on nose tackles are growing so there’s no guarantee he’ll stay any longer. Chapman is the true definition of a zero technique. He plays with excellent leverage, has the strength of an ox, and insane pain tolerance. The fact that he missed just one game after tearing his ACL mid-way through last season speaks volumes.

31. New England Patriots: Stephen Gilmore/CB South Carolina – Don’t see a lot of choices for the Patriots at 31. They will be getting Ras-I Dowling back but are still thin at corner, constantly rotating players on and off the practice squad. Kyle Arrington and Dowling will likely start but Gilmore can slide into the slot.

32. New York Giants: Dwayne Allen/TE Clemson – One of the few positions the Giants “need”. Travis Beckum and Jake Ballard both suffered serious knee injuries. Martellus Bennett, who the team recently signed, has always been an interesting move TE but isn’t the complete package. Allen is. He may not have timed well at the Combine but plays much faster on tape and is a willing, competent blocker.

Galax Steeler
03-23-2012, 07:34 PM
I like it nice job Chidi. The only question I would have is Glenn going that soon with the talent that is in this years draft. I am pretty sure that some one will go after Poe early with the combine he had. All and all nice job.

steelerdude15
03-23-2012, 09:25 PM
I know I'm going to get some heat for this, but I really haven't seen anything that impresses me about Hightower. I like the fact that he can penetrate through the line pretty easily, but there isn't enough speed to get to the quarterback and when he does get to the quarterback, he's already thrown the ball. He can penetrate and get some pressure on the quarterback, but that's not enough.

Chidi29
03-23-2012, 09:52 PM
[QUOTE=Galax Steeler;274346]I like it nice job Chidi. The only question I would have is Glenn going that soon with the talent that is in this years draft. I am pretty sure that some one will go after Poe early with the combine he had. All and all nice job.[/QUOTE

Thanks. I really like Glenn, he's my #2 OT. Maybe it is a little higher than he'll actually go but it's worth it.