We are almost there, the 2013 NFL Draft is just days away
First Round:
1. Kansas City Chiefs- Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M: Joeckel has been rated as the top player on the board, and he definitely deserves to be. Kansas City takes him to be the future left tackle if Brandon Albert decides to leave after this season. For now, Joeckel allows the Chiefs to do many things with the offensive line and make it a strength.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars- Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon: Jacksonville is in a rough part to pick this year, no top of the line pick, no quarterback, so they end up with the athletic and versatile Jordan. Jordan can rush the passer as a defensive end, or he could stand up and play linebacker, whichever new head coach Gus Bradley decides. Pass rush has been a problem for the last few years for the Jaguars, so they need to try and find one.
3. Oakland Raiders- Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida: The Raiders do not have any defensive tackles that can help them win, so they take the top one with their pick. The Raiders had trouble being good last year at the position with Tommy Kelly and Desmond Bryant just not being very good last year, and they are both gone this season anyways. So Floyd would be the perfect choice for the Raiders.
4. Philadelphia Eagles- Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan: The Eagles have a lot of holes on this team, mainly among the offensive line. The Eagles had a tough time protecting the quarterback last season due to a plethora or injuries, most notably star left tackle Jason Peters missing the season due to a torn Achilles tendon. Philadelphia cannot depend on Peters being back completely healthy, so Fisher is the pick here.
5. Detroit Lions- Ezekial Ansah, DE, BYU: The Lions struggled last season when hopes were high in Detroit. At the center of the struggle was a poor pass rush. Ansah hasn't shown much on tape and has little on the stat sheet, but there is no doubt about his athletic ability. BYU used him wrong as a 3-4 DE and even had him in the 3 technique and nose tackle. Very hard to pick if he is more of a boom pick or a bust pick, but Detroit will give him the best chance to succeed with the defensive tackle duo of Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley.
6. Cleveland Browns- Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama: Cleveland is such an enigma. Every other year seems like they start over at square one. Well, they are starting over again and rumors suggest they want Milliner to go on the other side of Joe Haden to potentially make a top tandem. Could go with another quarterback here, but the writing is on the wall with how much they do want Milliner.
7. Arizona Cardinals- Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma: Arizona has perhaps the worst offensive line in the NFL. So to fix that, they take Johnson. Levi Brown isn't very good and must be upgraded for the Cardinals to have slight success. Could go Chance Warmack, but tackle holds more value than a guard, so that is the tie-breaker.
8. Buffalo Bills- Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia: The Bills have made it very clear this offseason that they will look for a franchise quarterback. Where they take one is a different story. There is no Andrew Luck/Robert Griffin can't miss QBs in this draft, but that doesn't eliminate the possibility of one being taken top 10. Smith can sure sling it, but his accuracy and decision making is highly questionable. Like all rookie QBs, he is a project.
9. New York Jets- Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB: The Jets are by far the weakest team in the NFL. But at least they have two first round picks, right? Well, with a lot of holes on a team, baby steps is the only route to take. Rex Ryan sure does like defense, but he hasn't had much of a legitimate pass rush from one individual player, he has had to scheme overload blitzes to get a rush. Mingo seems like another boom-or-bust in this draft. He can get to the quarterback on some plays, but can be absent. But still, he is the best fit for the 3-4 scheme as a pass rusher.
10. Tennessee Titans- Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama: The Titans have wanted a top cornerback the last two drafts and have missed out both times. Tennessee shouldn't really complain in this scenario. Warmack is by far the best player in the draft and makes a pretty good offensive line with left tackle Micheal Roos and newly signed right guard Andy Levitre. Chris Johnson better not have any troubles with the offensive line in front of him or else there will be a big problem for him.
11. San Diego Chargers- Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia: San Diego is able to land the most explosive player in the draft in Austin. In bringing in two offensive minded guys in head coach Mike McCoy and offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, it is pretty difficult for them to not add explosion to the offense. Austin is very comparable to Percy Harvin talent-wise, so look for anyone in this draft to take him.
12. Miami Dolphins- Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina: The Dolphins are working to make a deal for Chiefs LT Brandon Albert. If they do not land him and fail to trade up for the top tackles in the draft, the versatile Cooper could be the pick. Cooper will most definitely solidify the interior of Miami's offensive line, and can be moved to LT if need be. Pass protection is excellent, and is very quick and athletic off the ball.
13. New York Jets*- Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida St.: Sorry Xavier, you are going to have some big shoes to fill. The Jets acquired this pick from the Buccaneers for Darelle Revis, who is the top cornerback in the draft. On that note, Rhodes isn't anywhere on Revis' scale, but will fill in nicely if he decides to make tackles and not be scared to.
14. Carolina Panthers-Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri: The front four has been a weakness for the Panthers the last couple years. Carolina needs to make a more stout front to aid star linebackers Luke Keuchly and Jon Beason. Richardson is pretty stout and will be an upgrade over anyone the Panthers already have.
15. New Orleans Saints- Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah: Lotulelei should not fall this far, he is a very talented and stout defensive tackle. However, due to a heart condition (which he has been cleared to play from doctors) might draw attention on him away on many boards. Lotulelei can fit at either nose or defensive end in the Saints' new 3-4 scheme.
16. St. Louis Rams- Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas: The Rams would most definitely like to use a couple of their extra picks the next couple years to build around Sam Bradford, but they will gladly take the best player on the board that helps their team. I think the Rams have the best defensive line in the NFL and have a star linebacker in James Laurinaitis. The Rams also improved the secondary with cornerbacks Cortland Finnegan and Jannoris Jenkins, and continue that improvement with star safety Vaccaro. Vaccaro is just the player Jeff Fisher likes, hard nosed and can make plays.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers- Cordarelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee: A new need for a wide receiver has occurred in Pittsburgh recently. The departure of Mike Wallace (as overrated as he is) is a loss and although the Steelers really like Antonio Brown, they need to find Big Ben another target. Patterson is the top receiver (as a potential #1 receiver, Austin is a slot) on the board, so the fit is pretty perfect.
18. Dallas Cowboys- DJ Fluker, OT, Alabama: Say what you want about Romo, but it isn't fair to fully judge him when he can't have any time to throw it. Dallas might trade up to take one of the top guards, but they will gladly stay and take Fluker to aid on the offensive line. Fluker was part of the Alabama offensive line last year that was among the best in history, so the Cowboys will gladly take him.
19. New York Giants- Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia: Off-field issues won't deter the Giants from taking this talented linebacker who was converted from a safety. The Giants could use a good star to fill in at linebacker, and Ogletree can fit in all three places. Being a converted safety, that makes it easier for him to be a three down linebacker.
20. Chicago Bears- Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas St.: An era ended in Chicago this winter, as star linebacker Brian Urlacher went a separate way. So it is time to replace him, and Brown will fit in nicely. Might be eased into a starting role to start with, but will eventually be the stalwart in the middle.
21. Cincinnati Bengals- Manti Teo, LB, Notre Dame: Teo is going to fall to the Bengals. Apparently only one bad game and a fake girlfriend hoax is supposed to drop your stock completely and you have off-field issues. Well, if there are issues, then the Bengals don't care because they always take a chance on a player. Teo brings athleticism and good ball skills to any defense, so he should be a three down linebacker. Will be a great addition with Vontaze Burfict.
22. St. Louis Rams**- Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee: Now the Rams start building around Bradford. Hunter brings a good size-speed combination that would greatly help Bradford with intangibles like that. Hunter will battle it out as the number one receiver with last year's second round pick Brian Quick, but both will be in the mix to start.
23. Minnesota Vikings- Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina: Williams is a high riser with great performances at the combine and his pro day. The Vikings will be looking to create a new "Williams Wall" next to Kevin Williams. Sylvester Williams is very quick off the ball and has shown athleticism that will make it difficult for the Vikings to not take him if he falls, especially since the team has another pick in this round.
24. Indianapolis Colts- Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington: The Colts were burnt all season, even with the mid-season addition of Vontae Davis. The other side of Davis needs to be upgraded, and Trufant is a guy whose value fits around this area. Would like to place a pass rusher here that fits the 3-4, but there really are none, so cornerback it is.
25. Minnesota Vikings***- Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise St.: Taylor is a very high riser in this draft, and the Vikings use their second pick from the Percy Harvin deal on him. The secondary did see an improvement with safety Harrison Smith, and now go with Taylor to bring good speed and more toughness into the secondary. Wide receiver is a strong possibility in this spot to replace Harvin, but there is no receiver that the Vikings would find to be more valuable at this position, might have to trade up to get Tavon Austin in this situation.
26. Green Bay Packers- Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame: The Packers might take a running back or just trade back, but Eiffert would give Aaron Rodgers another target that can be consistent. Jermicheal Finley has been inconsistent in catching the ball and hasn't stayed completely healthy either, so taking another tight end is logical.
27. Houston Texans- DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson: Houston wants to find a number two receiver across from Andre Johnson. Hopkins doesn't have blazing speed, but is a prototypical number two. Houston needs to find more balance on offense to make the run game even more deadly by taking away eight man fronts.
28. Denver Broncos- Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida St.: The Broncos apparently don't know how to work a fax machine, because they lost Elvis Dumervil in the fax machine gaffe trying to restructure his contract. So now the Broncos will be looking for a new pass rusher opposite Von Miller. Werner has been in free fall lately, but the Broncos will still likely take him.
29. New England Patriots- Alex Okafor. DE/OLB, Texas: New England would like to find another pass rusher to continue the youth movement on defense. Okafor is very athletic that he can have his hand in the dirt and can stand up and be an outside linebacker. Belichik will easily find a niche for Okafor.
30. Atlanta Falcons- Tank Carradine, De, Florida St.: Werner may be falling, but Carradine is on the rise on draft boards. Atlanta has already boosted the pass rush by signing Osi Umenyiora, but may want to add more because you can never have too many pass rushers, especially when you have to face Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees.
31. San Francisco 49ers- Datone Jones, DE, UCLA: The 49ers have a very stout defense. But the stud in the middle Justin Smith isn't getting any younger, so with the 49ers may want to draft and develop with the many picks that they have. Jones is another high-riser and can fit in nicely to learn how to play defensive end in the 3-4 position.
32. Baltimore Ravens- Jonathan Cyprien, S, Florida International: I have had many different go to the Super Bowl champs. Baltimore goes with the small school safety to fill in at the back end of the secondary that has no Ed Reed or Bernard Pollard anymore. Cyprien impressed at the Senior Bowl and should be a very good pro.
Second Round:
33. Jacksonville Jaguars- Matt Barkley, QB, USC
34. San Francisco 49ers***#- Eric Reid, S, LSU
35. Philadelphia Eagles- EJ Manuel, QB, Florida St.
36. Detroit Lions- Larry Warford, OG, Kentucky
37. Cincinnati Bengals****#-Matt Elam, S, Florida
38. Arizona Cardinals- Kyle Long, OT/OG, Oregon
39. New York Jets- Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse
40. Tennessee Titans- Jonthan Banks, CB, Mississippi St.
41. Buffalo Bills- Kawann Short, DT, Purdue
42. Miami Dolphins- Robert Woods, WR, USC
43. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Jonathan Hankins, DT, Ohio St.
44. Carolina Panthers- Keenan Allen. WR, California
45. San Diego Chargers- Justin Pugh, OL, Syracuse
46. St. Louis Rams- Eddi Lacy, RB, Alabama
47. Dallas Cowboys- Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia
48. Pittsburgh Steelers- Margus Hunt, DE, SMU
49. New York Giants- Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford
50. Chicago Bears- Dallas Thomas, OL, Tennessee
51. Washington Redskins- Markus Wheaton, WR, Oregon St.
52. Minnesota Vikings- Terrence Williams, WR, Baylor
53. Cincinnati Bengals- Giovani Bernard, RB, North Carolina
54. Miami Dolphins*****#- Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB, Connecticut
55. Green Bay Packers- Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama
56. Seattle Seahawks- Menelik Watson, OT, Florida St.
57. Houston Texans- Kevin Minter, LB, LSU
58. Denver Broncos- DJ Hayden, CB, Houston
59. New England Patriots- David Amerson, CB, North Carolina St.
60. Atlanta Falcons- Gavin Escobar, TE, San Diego St.
61. San Francisco 49ers- Jaime Collins, DE/OLB, Southern Mississippi
62. Baltimore Ravens- Khaseem Greene, LB, Rutgers
*Jets receive Buccaneers 1st round pick in the Darelle Revis trade
**Rams receive Redskins 1st round pick in the Robert Griffin trade
***Vikings receive Seahawks 1st round pick in the Percy Harvin trade
***#49ers receive Chiefs 2nd round pick in the Alex Smith trade
****#Bengals receive Raiders 2nd round pick in the Carson Palmer trade
*****#Dolphins receive Colts 2nd round pick in the Vontae Davis trade
Browns
and Saints do not have 2nd round pick. Browns gave it up by drafting WR
Josh Gordon in supplemental draft. Saints lose their 2nd round pick as
punishment for the bounty allegations.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
Post Free Agency Mock Draft- 2 Rounds
Free agency has been a very active time for many teams early this offseason, and it appears things are slowing down a bit now. So the next thing on the schedule for the NFL is the draft. Many moves have forced me to tweak this mock from the last one I did, as expected though. This time I will include a mock of the second round as well. This is the second of three mocks I will put together for this upcoming draft. The last will be posted mid-April.
1. Kansas City Chiefs- Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M: Although the Chiefs brought back LT Branden Albert, the team might still want to draft Joeckel, as he is the top player in this year's draft. Two scenarios could occur in this situation: either the Chiefs make Joeckel the LT and move Albert to guard where he played in college, or keep Albert at LT and move Joeckel to RT. Either way, the Chiefs will find improvement in this pick.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars- Bjoern Werner, De, Florida St.: The Jaguars must find a pass rush. They can't go through every season finishing in the bottom five in sacks. They finished last season with 20 sacks and leading sacker was DT Tyson Alualu with 3.5 sacks. Werner will give a large boost in the pass rush.
3. Oakland Raiders- Shariff Floyd, DT, Florida: The Raiders are perhaps the toughest team to mock for, as they have hinted towards selecting Geno Smith. However, the DT position is a very weak spot on a weak roster. Floyd is also a high-riser on the draft boards, and may be too difficult to pass on for a defensive minded coach like Dennis Allen.
4. Philadelphia Eagles- Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan: The Eagles had difficulties protecting the quarterback last season. It wasn't necessarily a talent issue, it was an injury issue. Jason Peters is considered one of the best LT's in the league, however, he may need to be replaced after suffering an Achilles Tendon tear. Fisher is another high-riser on draft boards and may be selected on talent alone to give relief in pass protection.
5. Detroit Lions- Ezekial Ansah, DE, BYU: The pass rush for Detroit is very poor on the edge. Cliff Avril going to Seattle in free agency is a loss. The current DE's on the Lions' roster had a combined 3 sacks last season (all by new acquisition Jason Jones). Ansah only had 4.5 sacks last season for BYU and is a very raw prospect, bu his athleticism is very intriguing to develop him next to the good tandem at DT in Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley.
6. Cleveland Browns- Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon: The Cleveland Browns are starting over (again). Now switching back to a 3-4 from a 4-3 defense. Jordan is the best fit for the 3-4 in this draft. Very athletic to play either defensive end or outside linebacker. The Browns already added one pass rusher in free agency in Paul Kruger, now they add another one with Jordan, who could end up being better than Kruger.
7. Arizona Cardinals- Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama: For the first time in over 30 years, an interior offensive lineman goes in the top 10. Not taking anything away from Warmack, because he is an excellent guard, but a guard in the top 10 tells you how bad this draft is. However, the Cardinals help themselves with this pick, as the current offensive line is perhaps the worst in the NFL. Warmack was a road-grader at Alabama and should fit in just fine on an NFL team.
8. Buffalo Bills- Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia: It is very unlikely that Smith falls to the Bills at #8. In fact, Buffalo will probably have to trade up to be able to select him. However, I don't mock trades, so the Bills get lucky in my scenario. Cutting Ryan Fitzpatrick, along with GM Buddy Nix making it public for a franchise QB, makes it inevitable for a quarterback to be selected by this team whether at #8 or earlier.
9. New York Jets- Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma: The Jets have many holes to fill, but the draft is set up to fix those holes one pick at a time. Lane Johnson is another high-rising offensive lineman and can help fill the hole at tackle for New York. QB Mark Sanchez only had success when his offensive line and running game was excellent, so filling the wide open gap at RT should be priority #1. But, I don't make the decisions, so I wouldn't be surprised if the Jets want to grab a pass rusher.
10. Tennessee Titans- Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama: The Titans were in the market for a top rated CB in last year's draft. The top corners were taken before Tennessee selected, so they went WR with Kendall Wright. This year, they are in position to take the top corner on the board. Milliner may not be as talented as the CBs that were drafted last season, but he is still athletic to play corner in this league and the Titans will look into that.
11. San Diego Chargers- Johnathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina: The Chargers protection has broken down considerably the last couple of seasons, so to aid in that standpoint, the Chargers will take the best available lineman in Cooper. Might be a tad high to select him, but Cooper will definitely help in both the run game and pass game.
12. Miami Dolphins- Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah: Shouldn't fall this far, but might due to an issue with his heart. The issue is only a potential problem, but he has been cleared and is very talented and will be a great addition to the overhaul the Dolphins have already done this season through free agency. Lotulelei will be a force in the middle of this defense such as Haloti Ngata and Ndamukong Suh.
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida St.: The Buccaneers are in the process of overhauling their secondary. They added Dashon Goldson in free agency to pair with Mark Barron at safety and have shown major interest in trading for Darelle Revis. Regardless of whether or not Revis is added (reports are out that Tampa Bay has backed out of the trade), the Bucs may still add Rhodes to finish the overhaul.
14. Carolina Panthers- Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri: The Panthers found a star last year in LB Luke Keuchly. There still remains a hole on the interior defensive line. Richardson will fill that void and can help the defense in many ways. First, he can help make it so opponents can't blast through the middle of the defense and make it to the second level. Secondly, he would help open up opportunities in the pass rush for Charles Johnson and allow Keuchly and Jon Beason make easier tackles.
15. New Orleans Saints- Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB, LSU: New Orleans is now switching to a 3-4 defense with new coordinator Rob Ryan. The Saints will need to bring in players that Ryan's previous teams could not provide, pass rushers (He did have DeMarcus Ware in Dallas, but no one else). Mingo fits perfectly with what the Saints are trying to do and will aid in the pass rush.
16. St. Louis Rams- Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia: A slight surprise, as expectations are that the Rams will use both first round picks to upgrade the offense around Sam Bradford. Adding Jake Long to be the LT in St. Louis might open up the possibility of selecting a top player like Jones. Jones, like Lotulelei, has a potential life-altering condition with his spine that could end his career. Another similarity from Lotulelei, Jones has been cleared by doctors and is a top pass rushing linebacker in this draft. He resembles Denver's Von Miller in his ability to rush the passer in a 4-3. Jones would make the pass rush very scary along with DEs Chris Long and Robert Quinn.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers- Margus Hunt, DE, SMU: Hunt has been up and down on mock drafts thus far this draft process. Pittsburgh is going to look to keep getting younger on defense. Might have to try Hunt at OLB, but there will be a niche for him on this team.
18. Dallas Cowboys- DJ Fluker, OT, Alabama: Dallas has had problems on the offensive line for a few years now. I am sure the Cowboys would really like to have North Carolina's Jonathan Cooper, but since I have him going higher to San Diego, the Cowboys will gladly take Fluker. Fluker was part of a dominant offensive line at Alabama and should be a fixture at right tackle for the Cowboys.
19. New York Giants- Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia: Ogletree has had a couple off-field issues in college, as he did have a suspension last season. However, Ogletree is a fine athlete. Has great speed from being a converted safety, and has a toughness to him that the Giants need in their LB corps. Would be among the best picks in the draft in this situation.
20. Chicago Bears- Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas St.: The Brian Urlacher era is over in Chicago. Now only one thing left to do and find his replacement. Brown has risen on some boards. DJ Williams was signed from Denver to fill the void at MLB, for now that is. Williams is expected to eventually go to strong side LB and Brown would fill in at MLB.
21. Cincinnati Bengals- Manti Teo, LB, Notre Dame: A little run on LBs ends with the controversial Teo. I really don't care about the whole "fake girlfriend is dead" fiasco, and it shouldn't drop his stock. Neither should his poor performance in the National Championship against Alabama, but of course, both instances have affected his stock drastically. You play defense against that offensive line in Alabama and tell me how it goes. Teo hasn't helped himself in his workouts, but Cincinnati would gladly take a chance on him. The Bengals always take chances on players who are in the news negatively.
22. St. Louis Rams*- Cordarelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee: Now the Rams start building around Sam Bradford, and they manage to land the best receiver in the draft. The Rams will like the young receiving corps they have with Patterson and last year's second round pick Brian Quick. Now Bradford will have to use these young talents to his advantage to develop them quicker.
23. Minnesota Vikings- Jonathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State: Hankins has fallen recently, but the talent is there. The Vikings are looking for another interior lineman to pair with Kevin Williams and Jared Allen. Hankins can eat up blockers and get nice penetration, so he would fit in this spot nicely.
24. Indianapolis Colts- Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi St.: The Colts traded for Vontae Davis last season, but they are still looking for another CB on the other side. Banks would fill that gap so nickel corners aren't starting.
25. Minnesota Vikings**- Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia: The Vikings use their second pick they got in the Percy Harvin trade by selecting his replacement. Austin is built in the mold of Austin, as he has great speed that can take the top off the defense. Austin along with Greg Jennings would give QB Christian Ponder legitimate receivers that are healthy to help out in the passing game.
26. Green Bay Packers- Tyler Eiffert, TE, Notre Dame: Jermicheal Finley will return to the Packers this year, but he is running out of the team's favor with all the injuries and all the drops. Regardless, Eiffert is an excellent TE that would give yet another weapon to Aaron Rodgers, and this weapon would be a red zone target.
27. Houston Texans- Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee: The Texans just missed out on Tavon Austin, but they will still go receiver to try and find that number two next to Andre Johnson. Houston has been looking for a number two receiver Johnson's entire career, and it is getting to be too late since Johnson is nearing the end of his career. If the Texans want to have a chance to compete, they need to build more of a down-field offense to compliment the defense.
28. Denver Broncos- Tank Carradine, DE, Florida St.: Guess what? The Broncos now need a DE since they apparently don't know how to use a fax machine. Carradine might be a reach, but like many other players in this draft, he is a high riser. Was a top pass rusher in college and should give a consistent rush opposite Von Miller.
29. New England Patriots- Damontre Moore, DE/OLB, Texas A&M: Moore is in free fall. He had an awful combine and hasn't helped himself in workouts. The Patriots might not even look towards him. Or they might to help their pass rush. Moore has had bad workouts, but the tape doesn't lie, and he had a great year at A&M.
30. Atlanta Falcons- Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford: Tony Gonzalez is coming back for one last season. Doesn't mean the Falcons should stray away from looking for his replacement for another year. Ertz is a very talented TE, and to have him learn from one of the best in NFL history would do wonders.
31. San Francisco 49ers- Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas: The 49ers lost Dashon Goldson in free agency. So they replace him with the best safety in the draft. Vaccaro would make it feel like Goldson never left. The 49ers have plenty of picks in this draft to get younger on the defensive line, so Vaccaro makes the most sense.
32. Baltimore Ravens- Keenan Allen, WR, California: I have had pass rusher mocked here in the past, but with Anquan Boldin being traded away, the Ravens may want to replace him to give the Super Bowl MVP another target to throw to. Allen has very good speed and to match his with Torrey Smith's would be a scary receiving corps.
2nd Round:
33. Jacksonville Jaguars- E.J. Manuel, QB, Florida St.
34. San Francisco 49ers***- Kawann Short, DL, Purdue
35. Philadelphia Eagles- Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
36. Detroit Lions- Larry Warford, OG, Kentucky
37. Cincinnati Bengals****- DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson
38. Arizona Cardinals- Mike Glennon, QB, North Carolina St.
39. New York Jets- Kevin Minter, LB, LSU
40. Tennessee Titans- Kyle Long, OL, Oregon
41. Buffalo Bills- Quinton Patten, WR, Louisiana Tech
42. Miami Dolphins- Eric Reid, S, LSU
43. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina
44. Carolina Panthers- Matt Elam, S, Florida
45. San Diego Chargers- Alex Okafor, DE/OLB, Texas
46. St. Louis Rams- Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama
47. Dallas Cowboys- Bennie Logan, DT, LSU
48. Pittsburgh Steelers- Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise St.
49. New York Giants- Justin Pugh, OL, Syracuse
50. Chicago Bears- Menelik Watson, OT, Florida St.
51. Washington Redskins- Datone Jones, DL, UCLA
52. Minnesota Vikings- Corey Lemonier, DE, Auburn
53. Cincinnati Bengals- Giovani Benard, RB, North Carolina
54. Miami Dolphins*****- Robert Woods, WR, USC
55. Green Bay Packers- Jonathan Cyprien, S, Florida International
56. Seattle Seahawks- Khaseem Greene, LB, Rutgers
57. Houston Texans- Stedman Bailey, WR, West Virginia
58. Denver Broncos- Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB, Connecticut
59. New England Patriots- Terrence Williams, WR, Baylor
60. Atlanta Falcons- DJ Hayden, CB, Houston
61. San Francisco 49ers- Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama
62. Baltimore Ravens- Jamie Collins, DE/OLB, Southern Mississippi
*Rams receive Redskins 1st round pick in the Robert Griffin trade
**Vikings receive Seahawks 1st round pick in the Percy Harvin trade
***49ers receive Chiefs 2nd round pick in the Alex Smith trade
****Bengals receive Raiders 2nd round pick in the Carson Palmer trade
*****Dolphins receive Colts 2nd round pick in the Vontae Davis trade
Browns and Saints do not have 2nd round pick. Browns gave it up by drafting WR Josh Gordon in supplemental draft. Saints lose their 2nd round pick as punishment for the bounty allegations.
1. Kansas City Chiefs- Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M: Although the Chiefs brought back LT Branden Albert, the team might still want to draft Joeckel, as he is the top player in this year's draft. Two scenarios could occur in this situation: either the Chiefs make Joeckel the LT and move Albert to guard where he played in college, or keep Albert at LT and move Joeckel to RT. Either way, the Chiefs will find improvement in this pick.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars- Bjoern Werner, De, Florida St.: The Jaguars must find a pass rush. They can't go through every season finishing in the bottom five in sacks. They finished last season with 20 sacks and leading sacker was DT Tyson Alualu with 3.5 sacks. Werner will give a large boost in the pass rush.
3. Oakland Raiders- Shariff Floyd, DT, Florida: The Raiders are perhaps the toughest team to mock for, as they have hinted towards selecting Geno Smith. However, the DT position is a very weak spot on a weak roster. Floyd is also a high-riser on the draft boards, and may be too difficult to pass on for a defensive minded coach like Dennis Allen.
4. Philadelphia Eagles- Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan: The Eagles had difficulties protecting the quarterback last season. It wasn't necessarily a talent issue, it was an injury issue. Jason Peters is considered one of the best LT's in the league, however, he may need to be replaced after suffering an Achilles Tendon tear. Fisher is another high-riser on draft boards and may be selected on talent alone to give relief in pass protection.
5. Detroit Lions- Ezekial Ansah, DE, BYU: The pass rush for Detroit is very poor on the edge. Cliff Avril going to Seattle in free agency is a loss. The current DE's on the Lions' roster had a combined 3 sacks last season (all by new acquisition Jason Jones). Ansah only had 4.5 sacks last season for BYU and is a very raw prospect, bu his athleticism is very intriguing to develop him next to the good tandem at DT in Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley.
6. Cleveland Browns- Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon: The Cleveland Browns are starting over (again). Now switching back to a 3-4 from a 4-3 defense. Jordan is the best fit for the 3-4 in this draft. Very athletic to play either defensive end or outside linebacker. The Browns already added one pass rusher in free agency in Paul Kruger, now they add another one with Jordan, who could end up being better than Kruger.
7. Arizona Cardinals- Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama: For the first time in over 30 years, an interior offensive lineman goes in the top 10. Not taking anything away from Warmack, because he is an excellent guard, but a guard in the top 10 tells you how bad this draft is. However, the Cardinals help themselves with this pick, as the current offensive line is perhaps the worst in the NFL. Warmack was a road-grader at Alabama and should fit in just fine on an NFL team.
8. Buffalo Bills- Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia: It is very unlikely that Smith falls to the Bills at #8. In fact, Buffalo will probably have to trade up to be able to select him. However, I don't mock trades, so the Bills get lucky in my scenario. Cutting Ryan Fitzpatrick, along with GM Buddy Nix making it public for a franchise QB, makes it inevitable for a quarterback to be selected by this team whether at #8 or earlier.
9. New York Jets- Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma: The Jets have many holes to fill, but the draft is set up to fix those holes one pick at a time. Lane Johnson is another high-rising offensive lineman and can help fill the hole at tackle for New York. QB Mark Sanchez only had success when his offensive line and running game was excellent, so filling the wide open gap at RT should be priority #1. But, I don't make the decisions, so I wouldn't be surprised if the Jets want to grab a pass rusher.
10. Tennessee Titans- Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama: The Titans were in the market for a top rated CB in last year's draft. The top corners were taken before Tennessee selected, so they went WR with Kendall Wright. This year, they are in position to take the top corner on the board. Milliner may not be as talented as the CBs that were drafted last season, but he is still athletic to play corner in this league and the Titans will look into that.
11. San Diego Chargers- Johnathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina: The Chargers protection has broken down considerably the last couple of seasons, so to aid in that standpoint, the Chargers will take the best available lineman in Cooper. Might be a tad high to select him, but Cooper will definitely help in both the run game and pass game.
12. Miami Dolphins- Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah: Shouldn't fall this far, but might due to an issue with his heart. The issue is only a potential problem, but he has been cleared and is very talented and will be a great addition to the overhaul the Dolphins have already done this season through free agency. Lotulelei will be a force in the middle of this defense such as Haloti Ngata and Ndamukong Suh.
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida St.: The Buccaneers are in the process of overhauling their secondary. They added Dashon Goldson in free agency to pair with Mark Barron at safety and have shown major interest in trading for Darelle Revis. Regardless of whether or not Revis is added (reports are out that Tampa Bay has backed out of the trade), the Bucs may still add Rhodes to finish the overhaul.
14. Carolina Panthers- Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri: The Panthers found a star last year in LB Luke Keuchly. There still remains a hole on the interior defensive line. Richardson will fill that void and can help the defense in many ways. First, he can help make it so opponents can't blast through the middle of the defense and make it to the second level. Secondly, he would help open up opportunities in the pass rush for Charles Johnson and allow Keuchly and Jon Beason make easier tackles.
15. New Orleans Saints- Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB, LSU: New Orleans is now switching to a 3-4 defense with new coordinator Rob Ryan. The Saints will need to bring in players that Ryan's previous teams could not provide, pass rushers (He did have DeMarcus Ware in Dallas, but no one else). Mingo fits perfectly with what the Saints are trying to do and will aid in the pass rush.
16. St. Louis Rams- Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia: A slight surprise, as expectations are that the Rams will use both first round picks to upgrade the offense around Sam Bradford. Adding Jake Long to be the LT in St. Louis might open up the possibility of selecting a top player like Jones. Jones, like Lotulelei, has a potential life-altering condition with his spine that could end his career. Another similarity from Lotulelei, Jones has been cleared by doctors and is a top pass rushing linebacker in this draft. He resembles Denver's Von Miller in his ability to rush the passer in a 4-3. Jones would make the pass rush very scary along with DEs Chris Long and Robert Quinn.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers- Margus Hunt, DE, SMU: Hunt has been up and down on mock drafts thus far this draft process. Pittsburgh is going to look to keep getting younger on defense. Might have to try Hunt at OLB, but there will be a niche for him on this team.
18. Dallas Cowboys- DJ Fluker, OT, Alabama: Dallas has had problems on the offensive line for a few years now. I am sure the Cowboys would really like to have North Carolina's Jonathan Cooper, but since I have him going higher to San Diego, the Cowboys will gladly take Fluker. Fluker was part of a dominant offensive line at Alabama and should be a fixture at right tackle for the Cowboys.
19. New York Giants- Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia: Ogletree has had a couple off-field issues in college, as he did have a suspension last season. However, Ogletree is a fine athlete. Has great speed from being a converted safety, and has a toughness to him that the Giants need in their LB corps. Would be among the best picks in the draft in this situation.
20. Chicago Bears- Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas St.: The Brian Urlacher era is over in Chicago. Now only one thing left to do and find his replacement. Brown has risen on some boards. DJ Williams was signed from Denver to fill the void at MLB, for now that is. Williams is expected to eventually go to strong side LB and Brown would fill in at MLB.
21. Cincinnati Bengals- Manti Teo, LB, Notre Dame: A little run on LBs ends with the controversial Teo. I really don't care about the whole "fake girlfriend is dead" fiasco, and it shouldn't drop his stock. Neither should his poor performance in the National Championship against Alabama, but of course, both instances have affected his stock drastically. You play defense against that offensive line in Alabama and tell me how it goes. Teo hasn't helped himself in his workouts, but Cincinnati would gladly take a chance on him. The Bengals always take chances on players who are in the news negatively.
22. St. Louis Rams*- Cordarelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee: Now the Rams start building around Sam Bradford, and they manage to land the best receiver in the draft. The Rams will like the young receiving corps they have with Patterson and last year's second round pick Brian Quick. Now Bradford will have to use these young talents to his advantage to develop them quicker.
23. Minnesota Vikings- Jonathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State: Hankins has fallen recently, but the talent is there. The Vikings are looking for another interior lineman to pair with Kevin Williams and Jared Allen. Hankins can eat up blockers and get nice penetration, so he would fit in this spot nicely.
24. Indianapolis Colts- Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi St.: The Colts traded for Vontae Davis last season, but they are still looking for another CB on the other side. Banks would fill that gap so nickel corners aren't starting.
25. Minnesota Vikings**- Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia: The Vikings use their second pick they got in the Percy Harvin trade by selecting his replacement. Austin is built in the mold of Austin, as he has great speed that can take the top off the defense. Austin along with Greg Jennings would give QB Christian Ponder legitimate receivers that are healthy to help out in the passing game.
26. Green Bay Packers- Tyler Eiffert, TE, Notre Dame: Jermicheal Finley will return to the Packers this year, but he is running out of the team's favor with all the injuries and all the drops. Regardless, Eiffert is an excellent TE that would give yet another weapon to Aaron Rodgers, and this weapon would be a red zone target.
27. Houston Texans- Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee: The Texans just missed out on Tavon Austin, but they will still go receiver to try and find that number two next to Andre Johnson. Houston has been looking for a number two receiver Johnson's entire career, and it is getting to be too late since Johnson is nearing the end of his career. If the Texans want to have a chance to compete, they need to build more of a down-field offense to compliment the defense.
28. Denver Broncos- Tank Carradine, DE, Florida St.: Guess what? The Broncos now need a DE since they apparently don't know how to use a fax machine. Carradine might be a reach, but like many other players in this draft, he is a high riser. Was a top pass rusher in college and should give a consistent rush opposite Von Miller.
29. New England Patriots- Damontre Moore, DE/OLB, Texas A&M: Moore is in free fall. He had an awful combine and hasn't helped himself in workouts. The Patriots might not even look towards him. Or they might to help their pass rush. Moore has had bad workouts, but the tape doesn't lie, and he had a great year at A&M.
30. Atlanta Falcons- Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford: Tony Gonzalez is coming back for one last season. Doesn't mean the Falcons should stray away from looking for his replacement for another year. Ertz is a very talented TE, and to have him learn from one of the best in NFL history would do wonders.
31. San Francisco 49ers- Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas: The 49ers lost Dashon Goldson in free agency. So they replace him with the best safety in the draft. Vaccaro would make it feel like Goldson never left. The 49ers have plenty of picks in this draft to get younger on the defensive line, so Vaccaro makes the most sense.
32. Baltimore Ravens- Keenan Allen, WR, California: I have had pass rusher mocked here in the past, but with Anquan Boldin being traded away, the Ravens may want to replace him to give the Super Bowl MVP another target to throw to. Allen has very good speed and to match his with Torrey Smith's would be a scary receiving corps.
2nd Round:
33. Jacksonville Jaguars- E.J. Manuel, QB, Florida St.
34. San Francisco 49ers***- Kawann Short, DL, Purdue
35. Philadelphia Eagles- Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
36. Detroit Lions- Larry Warford, OG, Kentucky
37. Cincinnati Bengals****- DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson
38. Arizona Cardinals- Mike Glennon, QB, North Carolina St.
39. New York Jets- Kevin Minter, LB, LSU
40. Tennessee Titans- Kyle Long, OL, Oregon
41. Buffalo Bills- Quinton Patten, WR, Louisiana Tech
42. Miami Dolphins- Eric Reid, S, LSU
43. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina
44. Carolina Panthers- Matt Elam, S, Florida
45. San Diego Chargers- Alex Okafor, DE/OLB, Texas
46. St. Louis Rams- Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama
47. Dallas Cowboys- Bennie Logan, DT, LSU
48. Pittsburgh Steelers- Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise St.
49. New York Giants- Justin Pugh, OL, Syracuse
50. Chicago Bears- Menelik Watson, OT, Florida St.
51. Washington Redskins- Datone Jones, DL, UCLA
52. Minnesota Vikings- Corey Lemonier, DE, Auburn
53. Cincinnati Bengals- Giovani Benard, RB, North Carolina
54. Miami Dolphins*****- Robert Woods, WR, USC
55. Green Bay Packers- Jonathan Cyprien, S, Florida International
56. Seattle Seahawks- Khaseem Greene, LB, Rutgers
57. Houston Texans- Stedman Bailey, WR, West Virginia
58. Denver Broncos- Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB, Connecticut
59. New England Patriots- Terrence Williams, WR, Baylor
60. Atlanta Falcons- DJ Hayden, CB, Houston
61. San Francisco 49ers- Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama
62. Baltimore Ravens- Jamie Collins, DE/OLB, Southern Mississippi
*Rams receive Redskins 1st round pick in the Robert Griffin trade
**Vikings receive Seahawks 1st round pick in the Percy Harvin trade
***49ers receive Chiefs 2nd round pick in the Alex Smith trade
****Bengals receive Raiders 2nd round pick in the Carson Palmer trade
*****Dolphins receive Colts 2nd round pick in the Vontae Davis trade
Browns and Saints do not have 2nd round pick. Browns gave it up by drafting WR Josh Gordon in supplemental draft. Saints lose their 2nd round pick as punishment for the bounty allegations.
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