1. Indianapolis Colts - Drizzzy
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Andrew Luck | Quarterback | Stanford: Few things are as sure in the NFL draft than who the Colts are taking first overall. Andrew Luck is one of the better QB prospects seen in recent drafts. His game has very little weaknesses and has some really underrated athleticism. You don't need no stinkin' explanation here, Luck will be going first. Go Giants! |
2. Washington Redskins - Woogie 526
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Robert Griffin III | Quarterback | Baylor:Why would we trade 2 first round picks and this year's 2nd round pick to move up 4 spots? One abbreviation: RG3! We have been floundering at quarterback for seemingly decades at this point. We needed to do something and this is it. Trading up to draft a 10k passer, in essentially 3.25 seasons, 66% competition percentage plus over 2,000 yards rushing, is a no brainer. Now Heisman winners are always hit or miss, but RG3 seems to be a class act, and worth the gamble. As a Giants Fan: This worries me some, due to our historic difficulty defending against rushing quarterbacks, and now we have 4 division games a year against QB's that are a double threat. This is one of the biggest ways to negate our pass rush, and I really wanted anyone else to move up to draft RG3.
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3. Minnesota Vikings - Tito
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Matt Kalil | Offensive Tackle | USC: If you've never seen the movie The Blindside...go watch that movie. It will tell you all you need to know about why, when there's potentially two of the most electric offensive weapons in history available when this pick comes around, you draft Matt Kalil. Don't get me wrong, it's very clear the Minnesota Vikings have a lot of holes on their ever-worsening team, in a continually improving division. With Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford and Jay Cutler all tossing pigskins against them twice a year, having the 26th worst passing defense in the league could definitely use the most NFL ready corner in the draft. But in this years draft there's just a feeling of "sure things". You would be surely asinine to pass on Andrew Luck, in the same way you would surely be asinine to pass on someone who has been the most highly touted left tackle to come out since Jake Long. The Vikings will draft Matt Kalil, or someone will surely lose his job. |
4. Cleveland Browns - NYG 28
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Trent Richardson | Running Back | Alabama:This is where things get tricky. The Browns have a number of needs. They lost Hillis in free agency and haven't had a good receiving corps in years. Do they stick with Colt at QB? The Browns need a lot of help. I mean A LOT. They recently reported that they hope to not reach for a WR at #4, Holmgren has been saying he will provide Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace with offensive weapons to do their job, and Peyton Hillis left the team via free agency. So with this pick the Browns take TRENT RICHARDSON. The best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson was drafted.
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5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Carmine 5520
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Morris Claiborne | Cornerback | LSU: Although the Bucs had a dreadful 2011 season, they really don't appear to have many glaring needs, other than in the secondary. Talib is a parking ticket away from a suspension, Ronde Barber is nearly a senior citizen and Eric Wright is solid but unspectacular. When the best player on the board plays a position of need the pick is a no-brainer. Claiborne would be the selection here, even if Richardson hadn't been picked.
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6. St. Louis Rams (from Washington Redskins) - Pataroons
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Morris Claiborne | Cornerback | LSU: With a handful of picks from the Washington Redskins heist, the Rams will be looking to refuel their slow-motion offense and surround Sam Bradford with some playmakers (they might also like a Defensive Coordinator, but that's another story). Should the first five picks fall this way, the Rams would be wise to snag Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon with the 6th pick (or the "pick 6" for the Mark Sanchez fans). |
| 7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Ed Valentine |
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Riley Reiff | Offensive tackle | Iowa: This is not a sexy pick for Jacksonville. It won't sell any tickets, like trading for Tim Tebow would have, and it won't keep the franchise from moving. It might, however, help Blaine Gabbert stay upright and give him a chance to show he can be an NFL quarterback. Since the Jaguars are committed to giving Gabbert that opportunity, they might as well draft guys who can help protect him.
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8. Miami Dolphins - Ed Valentine
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Ryan Tannehill | Quarterback | Texas A&M: Simply because the Dolphins are still trying to figure out the quarterback spot. To be honest, I think the Dolphins will discover a couple of years down the road that they still haven't gotten this right. But, I think they will take Tannehill. |
9. Carolina Panthers - JINTSGM
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Quinton Coples | Defensive End | North Carolina: With the ninth selection Carolina Panthers select UNC DE Quinton Coples. While DT is arguably the bigger need and they likely want another weapon at WR for Cam Newton, there are no surefire value picks at those positions. Coples is the Bluest chip on the board and will combine with Charles Johnson for a fearsome pass rush.
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10. Buffalo Bills - bigbluethruandthru
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Michael Floyd | WR | Notre Dame: I had Riley Reiff targeted, but the Jags surprised with him instead of Coples or Ingram. I then looked at Martin, but the Bills brass are supposedly high on Chris Hairston at LT to replaceDemetrius Bell, so we're not going with the 3rd best tackle. My pick came down to Michael Floyd or Luke Kuechly. Floyd gives the Bills a big target receiver with good ball skills who can catch the passes from Fitzpatrick that would hang Stevie Johnson out to dry. Kuechly could pile up 150 tackles as a rook behind that potentially dominating line. In the end, Chan Gailey is an offensive mind, and he wants as many weapons as he can get his hands on. With the 10th pick in the BBV Community Draft the Buffalo Bills select Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame.
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11. Kansas City Chiefs - JasonPierrePwned
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David DeCastro | Guard | Stanford: After signing RT Eric Winston in free agency, the Chiefs took care of a major need on their offensive line. It may seem they still need a nose tackle and a pass rusher but these can always be added in later rounds. DeCastro is one of the best guard prospects of the last few years and will help the Chiefs offensive line get better as they hope to lock up the guard position for the long term. This is not a flashy pick by any means, but it is safe and will improve the Chiefs running game as Jamall Charles returns from his injury as well as the passing game as DeCastro will be called upon to protect Cassell. Expect DeCastro to start from day one as well as gain recognition as one of the best young guards in the NFL as his career grows.
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12. Seattle Seahawks - TNYFBG
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Melvin Ingram | Defensive End | South Carolina: I'm bummed that Coples and DeCastro got picked up and am almost glad Floyd did because I like him a lot and may have been my BPA, but we're still a few pieces away from true contention and he would have been a bit of a luxury. I've seen mocks giving us Brockers, but that would be even more of a luxury than Floyd with my stable of solid DTs and I have him as high as the 2 mentioned above. In the end, it comes down to grade and positional value more than need, even if our only pass rush comes from 30 year old Chris Clemons and no one else had more than 4 sacks. The pick is Melvin Ingram - DE - South Carolina over Kuechly, who I'm a bit concerned about lack of speed at the next level giving him a little lower grade and again, a bump down for positional value as well. I think his lack of height may actually be an advantage as his bread-n-butter is the bull rush and his quick step should enable him to get under a lot of OTs and drive them back into the QBs lap. The kid gets after the passer and that's what I want.
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13. Arizona Cardinals - ManningHam And Cheese
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Courtney Upshaw | Outside Linebacker | Alabama:The Cardinals could have gone a couple of ways with this pick, mainly a franchise tackle to help keep Kolb upright, or a premier pass rusher on what was one of the NFL's worst defenses at getting pressure on the QB. With the 2 clear cut best OTs gone in Kalil and Rieff, the Cardinals elect to help their anemic pass rush. Ingram would have been the pick here, as Arizona believes he is the better all around pass rusher, but Seattle swooping in at the last minute leaves them with Upshaw.
Upshaw has a relentless motor, great strength, can hold up extremely well against the run, is good at shedding blocks to get to the ball carrier, and has a knack for being in the right spot. At Alabama, he played the hybrid end/linebacker role, showing an ability to play standing up, and with his hand in the dirt. Because of his size (6'1", 273), many scouts are questioning whether he can be an end in the NFL. Luckily for Arizona, they employ the 3-4 defense, where the rush is expected to come from the OLB position, something Upshaw should excel at. Some have likened him to a Lamar Woodley type, and if it's accurate, the Cardinals have finally gotten the edge rusher they sorely need in their 3-4 scheme.
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14. Dallas Cowboys - Simms-McConkey
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Fletcher Cox | Defensive End | Mississippi State: This draft has played out terrible for poor Jerry Jones. We lusted after David DeCastro - gone. We wanted Melvin Ingram - gone. We hoped Coples would drop - didn't. We are forced to look at some players we hadn't considered much in the beginning: Luke Kuechly, Dre Kirkpatrick, and Fletcher Cox. Kuechly is the blue chipper, with an aggregate draft board value of 9. But the Cowboys have a glut at ILB right now, with Sean Lee, Bruce Carter, and Dan Connor recently signed as Carter insurance. None of these guys can play 4-3 outside. So we are forced to let Kuechly fall into the clutches of the evil Eagles. Dre Kirkpatrick would instantly solidify the Cowboys crappy secondary, along with Carr pushing Scandrick to his rightful #3 corner position on the depth chart. The ideal situation would be to trade back between 16-22 and get either Kirkpatrick or Janoris Jenkins. Alas, no trades. With the 14th pick in the draft, theDallas Cowboys select Fletcher Cox. His aggregate draft board value is 13.5, whereas Kirkpatrick's is closer to 20. So Cox is not a reach, and he will play 3-4 DE for us at probably around 310 pounds. He is drooled over by scouts and occasionally mocks in the top 10. He's pretty much a sure thing, and the only reasonable prospect remaining at the board at this point who is not a reach and fits the roster.
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15. Philadelphia Eagles - JimmyK
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Luke Kuechly | Middle Linebacker | Boston College: With Melvin Ingram, Fletcher Cox, and Luke Kuechly still on the board at pick #12, I knew there was a pretty good chance I'd get one of the three. I would have preferred Ingram or Cox to add an inside pass-rushing presence to the already impressive trio of Trent Cole,Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins. With those two guys gone, I turn to Kuechly.
A week ago, the Eagles added DeMeco Ryans from Houston for the low cost of a 4th round pick and a swap of draft positions in the 3rd round. He's now the Eagles' starting MLB. While the best fit for Kuechly would be as a 4-3 MLB, he'd also fit in nicely as a 4-3 SAM for a few years, before sliding over to MLB to take over for Ryans whenever he begins to slow down.
Kuechly is a tackling machine. His numbers in college were almost sort of comical.
2011: 191 tackles
2010: 183 tackles
2009: 158 tackles
3 years of college, 38 games, 532 tackles. That's just ridiculous. Nobody questions his instincts, his ability to wrap up, his leadership intangibles, or his eye-popping numbers. However, there were some people that suggested he didn't have good speed or strength. And then he ran a 4.50 40 at the Combine and put up 27 reps in the bench press. I guess those fears were put to bed to some degree.
The Eagles' linebackers were clearly the biggest weakness on the team last season. Now they're a strength
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16. New York Jets - Plaxico Burress
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Courtney Upshaw | Outside linebacker | Alabama: This was not easy. I wanted to bolster the O line or WR corp in the worst way, but I just couldn't pass up this athletic nightmare. Sione Pouha is 33 years old and Kendrick Ellis was a disappointment in his first year in the league. Poe will come in and compete for the starting job right off the bat. The Jets are hoping they found their own version of JPP with this pick. |
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17. Cincinnati Bengals (via Oakland Raiders) - GiantStep
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Stephon Gilmore | Cornerback | South Carolina: Bengals are in need of a cornerback with the departure of Jonathan Joseph last year and Leon Hall still hurt from an achilles injury last season. Gilmore brings big size and speed at the corner. 40 time of 4.4 which was second at the combine for cornerbacks. He can also be a return man and could move into the safety position if needed, He brings huge upside and is not a player with troubled past history. With the likes of Mike Wallace and Antwon Boldin twice a year each the bengals need to sure up their secondary to continue to compete in the AFC North. |
18. San Diego Chargers - CharlesL
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Whitney Mercilus | Defensive End | University of Illinois: Though I would have loved to pick Jonathan Martin, the Chargers have not taken an offensive lineman in the 1st round since James Fitzpatrick in 1986(!), and with the glut of OT prospects this year, I doubt that's changing. Mercilus is an extremely athletic player with blazing speed, incredible strength, a quick first step, and the agility to drop into coverage. His only knock is questions about his status as a one-year wonder. For a team like the Chargers that only had a single player with over 4 sacks, Whitney Mercilus, the nation's leader in sacks (16) and fumbles (9), is just way too good to pass up.
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19. Chicago Bears - Pat19
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Jonathan Martin| Offensive Tackle | Stanford: Since trades are not allowed, this pick came down between two players: Dre Kirkpatrick and Jonathan Martin. They strike me as similar prospects (or as similar as a tackle and a corner can be), because they each played in pro-style systems for very successful programs and have recently fallen a bit on draft boards. Each player was quite productive in college, although each has question marks (Is Martin strong/nasty enough? Is Kirkpatrick motivated/consistent?). So who do the Bears value more?
We can't put much stock into past draft history, seeing as Phil Emery is a first-year GM and presumably will operate differently than Jerry Angelo. However, he is known to value "football character" (per the article below). Thus, since Nick Saban reportedly has issues motivating Kirkpatrick (perhaps an indication of poor football character), the pick is Martin.He has a great opportunity to start at LT immediately, because the Bears just could not protect Cutler at all last season. Mike Tice, the OC, has an excellent reputation for developing linemen, so the onus is on Martin to succeed. He has the physical tools and the smarts... now he needs to put the whole package together.
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20. Tennessee Titans - apingicer
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Dre Kirkpatrick | Cornerback | Alabama: In the 2011-2012 season, the Tennessee Titans were the only team over .500 not to make the playoffs. They missed out on Peyton Manning this offseason, but still have a serviceable caretaker in Matt Hasselback, with Jake Locker waiting in the wings. They had to upgrade the OL in order to protect the QB's and open holes for Chris Johnson, and they did that by signing Steve Hutchinson. They had to upgrade the DL and their 31st overall sack ranking, and they brought in Kamerion Wimbley. Now as of this minute, they are talking to the Eagles about Asante Samuel to upgrade their 24th overall interception ranking. But our draft is happening right now, and I'm going under the assumption that they don't get him. Watching the picks in front of the Titans, I was hoping someone would fall just a few spots, and they did. With that being said, I'm going BPA, and that is Dre Kirkpatrick, CB from 'Bama. He was 1st team PFW All-American and 2nd team Associated Press All-American last season, and has been a mainstay in the 'Bama secondary for the past two years (Alabama had the No. 1 pass defense in the nation last year). The 2011 stats are definitely lacking, but only because teams basically never threw in his direction. Considered early on the second best CB in the draft, his stock has dropped a bit due to lackluster results at the combine, some motivation issues, and a marijuana possession charge that was eventually dropped. But if the Titans are serious about upgrading the secondary, you can't pass on Dre here.
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21. Cincinnati Bengals -
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Cordy Glenn | Offensive Line | Georgia: This pick came down to either wide receiver or offensive lineman. The wide receiver depth in the draft is much bigger than the offensive lineman. The BPA at this point for offensive lineman was Cordy Glenn. He is very versatile with being able to play OT or OG. He has a huge wingspan making him very hard player to run around. He did weigh in at the combine at 345lbs. He ran a 4.96 forty shows that for his size he is very athletic and quickness. This pick up will help the Bengals deal with the departure of Nate Livings to the Cowboys and Mike McGlynn to the Colts in the off season. He also adds depth to the roster which is must. He will probably start along side Bobbie Williams in 2012 regular season. He did play the majority of his career in college at guard before 2011 moving to tackle. |
22. Cleveland Browns (via Atlanta Falcons) - NYG 28
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Mike Adams | Offensive Tackle | Ohio State: The choice here comes down to three positions: right tackle, wide receiver, and quarterback. The Browns need a right tackle to replace Tony Pashos, after having been released due to two injury plagued seasons. Wide receiver seems to be a constant topic for the browns draft, but there are some decent second and third round prospects they could look into (Reuben Randle, Ryan Broyles, Mohamed Sanu, Brian Quick and if Stephen Hill, Alshon Jeffries, or Kendall Wright fall they would be incredible value). Brandon Weeden has apparently been on the Browns radar and could provide great competition for Colt McCoy (and vice versa). At pick 22 though the Browns must fill a sure need, and go with Mike Adams here. An Ohio State product, and a player with the skill set to succeed, this pick is fairly safe and allows them to address other, deeper positions later.
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23. Detroit Lions - CCE718
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Peter Konz | Center | Wisconsin: This draft really put the Lions into a tough spot. When Kirkpatrick fell, our War Room celebrated a bit too early. We began to get excited when Cordy Glenn was available, but was snagged just a few picks before. The discussion began with BPA and whether we could combine need and BPA. Our secondary and offensive line are in desperate need of upgrade. We have three targets: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alambama; Mark Barron, S, Alambama; and Peter Konz, C/OG, Wisconsin. Our corners really need the most upgrade, but Jenkins' stock has fallen recently. He is probably pro-ready, but the Lions already have one big trouble maker and are turned off by Jenkins. We like Barron, but question how he will handle the passing attacks of the Packers and soon to be Bears. The thought of trading back would come to mind here, to target one of the second round DBs or O-Linemen and get better value, but that cannot happen here. So, with the 23rd pick, the Detroit Lions select Peter Konz, C/OG, Wisconsin. A lot of draft boards, especially mine, have Konz right around the early to mid 20s pick. The interior o-line needs some help and Konz could be that upgrade. A big, strong, smart offensive lineman. He will most likely start at guard, but will be Raiola's eventual replacement at center
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24. Pittsburgh Steelers - NYG_Slater
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Don'ta Hightower |MIddle Linebacker | Alabama: Given the board, this would be an interesting pick. Mark Barron could be the BPA selection and he would also provide good depth behind Clark and Polamalu. But, given the state of the franchise, I doubt the Steelers make a pure BPA pick, especially at safety. They are in salary cap hell, and have holes to fill all over. In the 1st round, I'd imagine they'd like to address either: NT, ILB, OG/OT, CB.
They'd love a shot at Poe, Decastro, Glenn, or Jonathan Martin. But with all of them off the board, Hightower is their guy. The steelers released James Farrior and need a replacement buck linebacker. While they'll probably use Foote as a stopgap starter, they can't go wrong with taking Hightower. He's decent value, fills a significant need and is a good fit as a buck in lebeau's system.
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25. Denver Broncos - daddyzander
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Michael Brockers | DT | LSU: With their With their first round pick in the 2012 draft, Peyton Manning's team could go multiple directions. They are blessed with a duo of talented pass rushers, but lack in the interior of the D-Line, they could look for more toys for Peyton to throw too, or for big men to block for him. The truly amazing part is, that this is still factually accurate even though he changed teams. With the 25th pick, the Denver Broncos select, Michael Brockers, DT LSU. With the recent loss of Bernard Bunkley, the broncos could use an influx of talent in the middle of their D-Line to help take pressure off of Dumervil and Von Miller, with the way this draft fell Brockers was the highest rated player left, and at a position of need. Devon Still was also an option in play, but I consider Brockers the higher value at this spot. |
26. Houston Texans - #AHoustonGiant
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27. New England Patriots (via New Orleans Saints) - Ryan Valentine
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28. Green Bay Packers - Flynner
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29. Baltimore Ravens - Larry Soprano
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30. San Francisco 49ers - RealLT
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| 31. New England Patriots -- Ryan Valentine |
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32. New York Giants - Ed Valentine
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