Mock Draft 1.0
by Alex Swift on Feb 27, 2011 10:32 PM CST
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Well, the combine has started, which means every team is in full-on draft mode. Here's my first mock of the year.
1. Carolina Panthers- Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson.
Ron Rivera is a defensive coach. The Panthers built there success on Julius Peppers, and they could be extremely tempted to take Bowers as their new Peppers.
2. Denver Broncos- Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina.
John Fox is another defensive-minded coach. Patrick Peterson is a possibility here, but Quinn could provide a spark to a pass rush that only had 23 sacks last year.
3. Buffalo Bills- Cam Newton, QB, Auburn.
Chan Gailey passed over Tim Tebow last year, but Newton and C.J. Spiller in the same backfield? That's got to be too much for Gailey to pass up.
4. Cincinnati Bengals- Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU.
Jonathon Joseph could be gone this year, and Leon Hall is a free agent next year. Peterson is the most athletically gifted player in this year's draft, and the Bengals aren't biting on Carson Palmer skipping town.
5. Arizona Cardinals- Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn.
A 6'5 300 lb monster, Fairley had 11.5 sacks last year. No DT on the Cardinals roster had a single sack last year.
6. Cleveland Browns- A.J. Green, WR, Georgia.
Peyton Hillis showed last year the Browns can run the ball. It should only get better with Montario Hardesty being healthy this year. While Josh Cribbs is electric, the Browns need a true #1 receiver. Green will help Colt McCoy get better.
7. San Fransisco 49er's- Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri.
Neither Alex Smith nor Troy Smith could do anything with the offense last year. With the weapons at his disposal, Gabbert could be the 49er's QB for years.
8. Tennessee Titans- Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama.
New Coach Mike Munchak knows how important the battle of the trenches is. I do see a possibility of them trading back and taking Mike Pouncey.
9. Dallas Cowboys- Adrian Clayborne, DE, Iowa.
He's an upgrade over both of their starting defensive ends.
10. Washington Redskins- Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M.
Too much talent to pass up at 10. Should help Brian Orakpo get back to his rookie numbers.
11. Houston Texans- Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA.
He should help Wade Phillips transition to the 3-4.
12. Minnesota- Julio Jones, WR, Alabama.
With the news that Sidney Rice will test free agency, and the top 2 QB's already taken, the VIkings will draft his replacement. And then sign Donovan McNabb.
13. Detroit Lions- Cameron Jordan, DE, California.
Question marks at DE. An outside rush could be the last piece Detroit needs to make a real push for the playoffs.
14. St. Louis Rams- Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska.
The Rams need to improve their defense. Amukamara can help solidify the back end.
15. Miami Dolphins- J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin.
Mark Ingram is a possibility here, but Randy Starks is currently their best DE.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars- Nate Solder, OT, Colorado.
That offensive line is a wreck. They need to keep whoever is in the backfield upright.
17. New England Patriots- Mike Pouncey, OG, Florida.
I doubt the Patriots even stay here, but if they do, Bill Belichek goes to his favourite school and takes the best interior lineman in the draft. Logan Mankins might not be there for much longer, so Pouncey could replace him.
18. San Diego Chargers- Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri.
The Chargers seemed to do everything but win last year. They don't have much at DE right now, and Smith is the best prospect left.
19. New York Giants- Muhammad Wilkerson, DT, Temple.
A really big presence at DT, can help shore up the inside of that defense.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin.
This pick is more me wanting Tampa to pass on Ryan Kerrigan. Plus, Donald Penn is the only starting quality OT on that team.
21. Kansas City Chiefs- Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor.
Probably their biggest need is the inside of their defensive line. Taylor is massive and should be a great NT in their 3-4.
22. Indianapolis Colts- Cam Heyward, DT, Ohio State.
25th ranked rush defense. Heyward's a big body in the middle.
23. Philadelphia Eagles- Jimmy Smith, DB, Colorado.
Will line up beside Nate Allen for years to come.
24. New Orleans Saints- Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue.
I'll pass on both running backs. Alex Brown was invisible this year, and Will Smith could move to LE and improve his efficiency. Should help our rush defense.
25. Seattle Seahawks- Jack Locker, QB, Washington.
He could have been the number one pick last year. Seattle needs an upgrade at QB and Locker is very athletically gifted.
26. Baltimore Ravens- Rahim Moore, DB, UCLA.
Ed Reed is falling apart at the seams. Their back end is horrid.
27. Atlanta Falcons- Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland.
They miss out on Moore by one pick, so they get an explosive receiver to take some pressure off of Roddy White.
28. New England Patriots- Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh.
Wes Welker is a great slot receiver. Baldwin can be the outside receiver they need.
29. Chicago Bears- Aaron Williams, DB, Texas.
Charles Tillman is their best DB.
30. New York Jets- Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama.
LaDainian Tomlinson played well through the start of last year, but he's old. Shonn Greene didn't do much on his own.
31. Pittsburgh Steelers- Ryan Mallet, QB, Arkansas.
Ben Roethlisberger will be traded before the draft.
32. Green Bay Packers- Mikel Leshoure, RB, Illinois.
Ryan Grant missed most of this year, and they saw how tough it was to win without a running game. Leshoure can fix that.
What do you think?
This FanPost was written by a reader and member of Canal Street Chronicles. It does not necessarily reflect the views of CSC and its staff or editors.
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Some random thoughts.
11. Houston Texans- Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA.
He should help Wade Phillips transition to the 3-4.
Just to help you out, Kubiak has already implied that if Prince Akumara is still there on the board at 11, the Texans are taking him.
13. Detroit Lions- Cameron Jordan, DE, California.
Question marks at DE. An outside rush could be the last piece Detroit needs to make a real push for the playoffs.
I’d argue that their poor secondary and putrid O-line is what’s doing it.
22. Indianapolis Colts- Cam Heyward, DT, Ohio State.
25th ranked rush defense. Heyward’s a big body in the middle.
From talking to Colts fans, he is not a scheme fit. The Colts are lean and quick, not big and slow. As well, their O-line has deteriorated and needs some young talent.
30. New York Jets- Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama.
LaDainian Tomlinson played well through the start of last year, but he’s old. Shonn Greene didn’t do much on his own.
This may just be a helpful hint, but from what I’ve heard the Jets have a poor pass rush. Considering the depth in the front 7 this year, they may take a D-lineman or a Linebacker.
31. Pittsburgh Steelers- Ryan Mallet, QB, Arkansas.
Ben Roethlisberger will be traded before the draft.
That is so bold a statement, I’m going to ask Stu to put that on his list. Is this just a bold prediction to be bold or do you have some inside source?
Overall you did a very good job. You put in some homework instead of just looking at other mocks. You gave good reasons as to why they didn’t draft on need, and why some very good players dropped out of the top 10 or even top 20. Enjoy your rec.
Offseason Motto: Burn the damn black pants.
Canal Street Chronicles-you know you want to
Thanks Jon. Hadn’t heard that about Akumara. For Detroit, looking at their roster, I’d say Vanden Bosch and Avril are weaker at DE than their secondary. I guess Anthony Castonzo could be a possibility there. The Colts could have been another landing spot for Castonzo. No inside source on Big Ben, just a bold prediction
"Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we kick the Vikings from the Dome to the foot of Canal Street!" - MtnExile
Cincinnati will probably be looking at QB...
because Carson Palmer will not play there any more. He has enough money to reitre comfortably if they don’t move him.
by BlackandGold4ever on Feb 28, 2011 7:27 AM CST reply actions
I like Kerrigan just fine
But I haven’t seen any other mocks showing that the Saints take him.
I’ve got 4 for Justin Houston
4 for Adrian Clayborn
and 3 for Cory Liuget
several others at 1 and 2
Not that it means anything beyond measuring others’ perspectives.
Give me hope, help me cope with this heavy load
by perspective….how many of those mocks didn’t have the Saints picking Kerrigan because he was already gone?
"Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself.' And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked 'em up."
And of the ones where he wasn’t, how many had us taking a RB?
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
Cameron Jordan – 2
Mikel LeShoure -1 GAA!!!
J J Watt – 2
Muhammad Wilkerson – 2
Cameron Heyward – 1
Stephen Paea -1
Give me hope, help me cope with this heavy load
Then, I disagree on all but one. Can you guess which?
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
I’m hoping all of them. Considering 3 are 3-4 DEs, one’s a running back who’ll be available in the second round and the other is a DT who will also be available in the second round.
"Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself.' And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked 'em up."
Nor will Paea make it to the 2nd round. Not that I have a strong interest in him.
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
Never claimed he’d be available to the Saints in the second round. But if a guy grades out as a top 10 pick in the second round….and you draft him at 24…you’ve severely over reached and hurt your team imo.
"Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself.' And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked 'em up."
You also have to consider the players ranked in between. If they’re all 3-4 DEs, QBs, OGs, etc., like you pointed out, then you haven’t severely over reached at all.
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
But you have. Your best option would be to attempt to trade down and pick him up a little later while securing an extra pick or two. To not do so, and you wind up in the AluAlu situation. Jags picked him way too high when they could have traded down and picked him up 10 picks later. They cost themselves both draft picks and a lot of money by not doing so.
"Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself.' And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked 'em up."
Trades require two or more interested parties and you’re only given 10 minutes to make a selection. It’s not like having the 1st or 2nd pick in the draft, where you can explore an indefinite amount of scenarios ahead of time. If the player that’s sitting atop your Big Board fills a need and you don’t pick again prior to where he’s projected to be picked, I think you’re foolish if you don’t take him. Take last draft, for example. Had I known Toby Gerhart would definitely be gone by the next time the Saints picked, I would have had no problem whatsoever with them reaching for him at 32. Not saying I had a problem with Patrick Robinson pick. He was obviously rated higher than Gerhart and they had experienced a ton of injuries in the secondary the season prior. That’s basically how I view the RB position this year. No different than I (personally) did last year, but I do think it’s of much greater priority in Loomis’s mind this go round, based on those same injury concerns. I’m hoping they don’t have to reach, i.e., Ingram’s still around. At the same time, I’d much rather see them reach than to once again not properly address the position.
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
Had I known Toby Gerhart would definitely be gone by the next time the Saints picked, I would have had no problem whatsoever with them reaching for him at 32.
That in light of Indianapolis snatching up Hughes, btw. I wasn’t deadset on Gerhart as a 1st rounder going in. I just wanted him. Badly.
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
It’s also going to be extremely difficult for teams to trade down (or up) without player involvement. The vast majority of draft day trades involve known (unwanted) commodities, not faceless selection slots. With as many DEs and DTs projected to go in the first two rounds, what impetus does a team have to surrender two later round picks to move up to 24? Maybe if there’s a stud OT on the board. In that case, we’re more likely to make him our own pick (much to my own RB biased chagrin) than we are to trade down.
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
I do agree with you, btw. Ideally, in a situation like that, you would trade down to EXACTLY where the player was projected to be picked, he would still be there and you would collect additional picks in the process. Too bad the real world doesn’t operate that flawlessly. Hence, the reason Cleveland had to trade back UP for Brady Quinn, after trading down.
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
The problem i see isn’t finding a willing participant to trade…it’s people over valuing what the trade should be so it never takes place to begin with. Too often it seems people stay pat at say 18 instead of trading down to 25 and picking up a 4th round pick, and consequently still getting the guy they would draft at 18, because they’re ridiculously adamant that trading down to 25 is worth a 3rd and a 6th.
"Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself.' And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked 'em up."
Whatever the sticking point, it’s not likely to iron itself out in 9 minutes + however fast our rep can hightail it to the podium. Maybe we should assign that job to Reggie. Nevermind, he’d probably get hurt.
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
4. Cincinnati Bengals- Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU.
As hard as it would be to pass on Peterson here, I think the Bengals will look at either QB or receiver here. With Julio Jones’ combine and AJ Green on the board, as well as Gabbert who is the #1 QB prospect, I think they would go there.
5. Arizona Cardinals- Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn.
Same thing here. Hard to pass on a guy like Fairley if he’s still there, but Gabbert is still there as well.
Cameron Heyward is a bit of a reach at this point. A lot of people are backing off of him due to an arm injury, but if somebody likes him enough, I could see it.
Also, I don’t see a way that Mark Ingram falls to 30. I would like to see him fall to 24, but I just don’t see it at this point.
The Roethlisberger thing is kind of far fetched, but what the heck, just go with it right?
Great post and one of the better mocks I’ve seen. Good work
Peyton, I can eat Oreos faster than you!!!!
And I'm pretty sure
Stephen Paea is going in the 1st round after that ridiculous workout at the combine. 49 reps of 225. Crazy. I thought he was a borderline 1-2 round guy, but after that, he’s going in the first.
Peyton, I can eat Oreos faster than you!!!!
He’ll still go second round. Again, most everyone who was listening from the coaches and scouts already knew he was going to potentially break the record. Only thing the combine did was show what they already knew.
"Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself.' And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked 'em up."
Tyson Alualu went in the 1st last year because 1 team fell in love with him
Paea is better than Alualu imo. It only takes one team to fall in love with his strength. Wouldn’t surprise me if he went in the 1st
Peyton, I can eat Oreos faster than you!!!!
especially if
there’s a run on D-linemen, which is bound to happen considering the talent at the position this year.
Peyton, I can eat Oreos faster than you!!!!
If the Cardinals don't do something about quarterback
…Larry Fitzgerald is gone. I’m not saying Gabbert is the answer at quarterback, but Fairley certainly isn’t. So if they go with the defensive line in the first round, they’d better have a really good backup plan, or next year is going to be Fitzgerald’s last in Arizona.
It was worth the wait.
I’d be more inclined to take a shot at Kaepernick in the 2nd, than throw away a Top 10 pick on any QB coming out this year. There will obviously be a few GMs that think otherwise.
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
I would have thought Kaepernick would be available in the third if not the fourth?
"Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself.' And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked 'em up."
I don't see Mark Ingram falling all the way to the Jets.
I would bet someone may trade up for him, if he’s falling that far. I also think the Cardinals need to make a QB move and not being able to trade starting Thursday puts the pressure on them to draft someone – I agree with M-E. I also think Dareus is going to end up going before Fairley.
"I want to hand this trophy to the MVP of the Super Bowl -- and the MVP of the entire league, Drew Brees.''
-- Sean Payton
by DeuceisLoose926 on Feb 28, 2011 1:50 PM CST reply actions
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