My final mock draft

FreshPrinceofEC — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:41:33 -0000

I'm a contributor over at www.snotap.com which is a sports blog written by some college kids around Wisconsin. If you around that age it is a great blog to follow. I just wrote up a mock draft for them, so I figured I would share. Enjoy!

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford No need for explanation. He will be a Pro Bowler in 3 years.
2. Washington Redskins – Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor They got their man, but their best DB is still Deangelo Hall. Besides RG3, they will have 3 players who I would consider above average football players (Trent Williams, Brian Orakpo, Ryan Kerrigan). They simply weren’t good enough to throw the kitchen sink to get Young Griff.
3. Minnesota Vikings – Matt Kalil, OT, USC Rick Spielman is throwing up a smoke screen here trying to act like Kalil isn’t the pick. Smart move GM wise, and maybe he can get the Bucs to move up to get TRich or someone to overpay for Tannehill. If someone doesn’t, the Vikes be very happy with Kalil.
4. Cleveland Browns – Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama I feel a little proud of myself for calling this early. TRich is a monster, and will finally give the Browns offense some identity. Like I said on my last mock, this guy will be the #1 pick on your fantasy teams in the near future.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU Ronde Barber bones are turning to dust, and Aqib Talib is going to jail. Claiborne is a true cover corner and will be a stud in the league.
6. St. Louis Rams – Justin Blackmon, WR, USC I hear that some GM’s are giving Blackmon a second round grade, which I don’t get. There are some guys you just watch and they jump off the tape, and Blackmon is one of them. He may not be AJ Green, but he will be a solid starter in the league. Think Dwayne Bowe/Hakeem Nicks.
7. New York Jets (Trade via Jacksonville Jaguars) – Melvin Ingram, OLB, South Carolina The only trade I have in a draft that I think will be filled with them. The Jets are desperate for a pass rusher, and will give up 2 firsts to get one. I read that the Jaguars are throwing smoke sending their big wigs to see Ingram to boost his stock, which makes perfect sense to me. Ingram is NOT a 43 DE, he’s a 34 OLB, so he doesn’t make sense to me for Jacksonville.
8. Miami Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M I really don’t know how I feel about Tannehill. On one hand, his numbers are very ho hum, 29 TDs 15 INTs. On the other, he does have the ability to throw on the run and has a good frame. Wait… did I just use ability to throw on the run and size as the two defining qualities of a top 10 QB? Yeah, nevermind, he’s being ridiculously overhyped.
9. Carolina Panthers - Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State He will get some blockers off Beason, which should really help their run defense. His pad level scares me a bit, but he has an incredible motor. An unrelated bold prediction: The Panthers will win the NFC South this year.
10. Buffalo Bills - Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa I really wanted to put Michael Floyd here, but I think if Reiff is on the board they don’t pass him up. I don’t know if he is an elite LT, but I think he will be very serviceable. I would rather see him at RT, and he may play there if the Bills pick him. Either way, this is a good value pick for the Bills.
11. Kansas City Chiefs – Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis A Glenn Dorsey, Dontari Poe, Tyson Jackson front line? That would be pretty unbelievable. Like my man Bomani Jones says, you gotta get good at something. I don’t think many teams will be running on that line. With Brandon Flowers and Eric Berry being the beneficiaries in the secondary, the Chiefs will be sitting pretty on D. Bold prediction #2, the Chiefs will win the AFC West over the Manning led Broncos this year.
12. Seattle Seahawks –Luke Kuechly, MLB, Boston College Their pass rush needs help, but I think they pick between DeCastro and Kuechly here. It boils down to where they need the most help, and the Barrett Ruud led linebacking core isn’t cutting it. Kuechly is a high floor prospect that will be a starter in the league for a decade.
13. Arizona Cardinals – David DeCastro, OG, Stanford Arizona’s OL needs major help, and DeCastro is the foundation for that overhaul. DeCastro is the best guard prospect since Steve Hutchinson, and will be Kevin Kolb’s main man for as long as Kolb has the job.
14. Dallas Cowboys - Mark Barron, S, Alabama As a Cowboy fan, I’m starting to come to terms with this pick. The Cowboys safeties are awful, and Barron will come in and compete for the starting job with the recent pickup Brodney Poole day one. The thought of Roy Williams is still leaves a sour taste in my mouth, though. When Charley Casserly ranked him the #7 overall prospect, it made me feel A LOT better. I would be happy with DeCastro here too, but I’m not sure if Jerruh wants to pick another O-Lineman in the first round. If both Barron and DeCastro are gone, go Poe. If all 3 are gone, I’ll kill myself.
15. Philadelphia Eagles - Michael Brockers, DT, LSU The Iggles sure up their Run D with Brockers and the DeMeco Ryans trade. Look for them to try to move Asante Samuel during the draft to pick up some extra picks, too. As much as I hate to admit it, they are going to be a really scary team next year.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars (trade via New York Jets) – Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame The Jags move back and still get a franchise WR. As I said in previous Mocks, Gabbert has no one to throw to. Then again, this may be because he throws with his eyes closed .
17. Cincinnati Bengals – Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama It’s funny how the draft process works. I was praying for this guy to drop to Dallas 3 months ago but didn’t think there was a chance, and now he’s being picked at 17. The self proclaimed "Swag Animal" will fit right in with the Bengals.
18. San Diego Chargers – Whitney Mercilus, OLB, Illinois This guy is flying up draft boards. He is a very smooth, fluid player and will be a great fit as a 34 OLB. I’m not sure how he will be on first and second down, but the Chargers may use him for pass rush only, sort of like the Niners did with Aldon Smith.
19. Chicago Bears - Quinton Coples, DE, UNC The more tape people are watching, the further he is falling down draft boards. The guy didn’t give a lick of effort last year, after he was projected to be a top 5 pick. The Bears had interest in adding a pass rusher opposite Peppers in Free agency, but didn’t find a fit. They grab Coples to make a Tarheel tandem at DE.
20. Tennessee Titans – Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina They could go with a DE here, but I think they try to replace Cortland Finnegan at CB. Gilmore is a big, physical CB who would hold his own in a fight against Andre Johnson, something Finnegan couldn’t do.
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech Am I crazy to think that Hill may turn out to be the best WR in this draft? Maybe, but at 6’ 4" and running a 4.36 oozes potential. Word out of his pro days was he was also explosive out of his cuts and was a crisp route runner. It may take 2-3 years, but I think he is going to be a stud. Perfect compliment to AJ Green, because a guy at his size and speed demands safety help over the top and he won’t see it.
22. Cleveland Browns – Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford I haven’t seen Fleener mocked here, but I would really like the pick here. I think he will be a bigger impact player in the league than Kendall Wright, who I’m seeing as a consistent pick here. Wright is a complimentary WR at best. Fleener is 6’ 5" and ran a 4.45 at his pro day, which was faster than Wright, Michael Floyd, and Justin Blackmon. I know they need a WR, but they could still grab Mohammed Sanu or Alshon Jeffery in the 2nd round. And did I mention their starting TE is Ben Watson? Yes, that Ben Watson.
23. Detroit Lions – Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State The Lions need OL help. Adams would push Gosder Cherilus (great name BTW) at RT in year one, and eventually would be able to take over LT for Jeff Backus’ old ass.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers - Dont'a Hightower, ILB, Alabama This makes too much sense not to happen. Hightower is a stud, and will fill the hole that James Farrior left. That being said, the Steelers liking Hightower is probably the worst kept secret in the draft, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the Ravens leapt them and grabbed him.
25. Denver Broncos – Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State The Broncos need a mammoth human being in the middle of the field to stop the run, and Worthy is just that. Badger fans may remember him tearing up the Wisconsin O-Line before that ridiculous Hail Mary that is scorn in my memory.
26. Houston Texans – Rueben Randle, WR, LSU I sort of, kind of stole this pick from Charley Casserly. He was the GM for the Texans when they took Mario Willaims over Reggie Bush, and works for the NFL Network now. He is pretty tight with Gary Kubiak, and says he wants a big receiver to compliment Andre Johnson in the 1st round. Randle is a bigger X-type receiver and Kendall Wright is a slot, so Casserly thinks Kubiak is leaning towards Randle.
27. New England Patriots – Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama Along with Coples, I think Upshaw will drop down the boards next Thursday. He is hard to give a true position to, a true mix of a 43 DE and 34 OLB. The Pats play a hybrid system, so I think Upshaw would be a great fit. Also, Belichick is butt buddies with Saban, so I’m sure he will get some insider info.
28. Green Bay Packers – Shea McClellin, OLB, Boise State The third OLB I’ve mocked to the Pack. Everyone knows they have to improve their pass rush, and McClellin gives them this with a little extra. He is the type of player that can be on the field for all three downs because he plays great against the run. He also moves well laterally, and has a great motor. Who knows, maybe he will eclipse Clay Matthew’s Pro Bowl worthy 6 sack season he had last year.
29. Baltimore Ravens – Peter Konz, OG/C, Wisconsin I thought it was a huge mistake for the Ravens to let Ben Grubbs go in Free Agency. It left a huge void in the middle of an O-Line that Ray Rice relies on to open holes. In any case, it works out well for the kid out of Neenah. He could fill in at guard this year, and then move to Center once Matt Birk, who is somehow still playing, retires.
30. San Francisco 49ers – Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia Glenn slips a bit, but I’m sure he would be damn happy to land in San Fran. He would be an instant upgrade at RG over Appalachian State grad Daniel Killgore, and would make the Niners O Line the most talented in the league. If they picked up a 2nd or 3rd round center, maybe Philip Blake out of Baylor, they wouldn’t have to worry about their O Line for the next 5 years.
31. New England Patriots – Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse This is one of the hottest names of the last week. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Pats went DB here, but Jones could fill the void Andre Carter left. Then again, we all know the Pats will move at least one of these picks.
32. New York Giants – Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford The G-men need a solid RT and Martin would be a nice addition for them at that position. He doesn’t have good enough feet to play LT, which will cause him to slide. I worry about his strength, but he is big enough at 6’5" and 312 to hold his own against NFL competition.

SBNation.com User Blog: FreshPrinceofEC

I know this isn't Cowboy related BUT...

I know this isn't Cowboy related BUT...

My final mock draft