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| My guess is that Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff will be the first Big Ten player drafted |
1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck - QB - Stanford
The Colts have already told Luck that he'll be the choice, and I think Luck is the most Peyton Manning-like quarterback to come out of college since . . . Peyton Manning. He's an extremely intelligent player.
2. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III - QB - Baylor
I hate the potential because I don't like the Redskins and they tend to mess up everybody they pick in the draft, so this is the beginning of the end of Griffin's career.
3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil - OT - USC
The Vikings need to rebuild, and that has to happen at quarterback and on the offensive and defensive lines. With both of the top quarterbacks gone, they need a blindside tackle to take the spot long held by Bryant McKinnie.
4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson - RB - Alabama
The Browns have been building their offensive line a little bit, but with Peyton Hillis gone to the Chiefs, they need a horse to run the ball. Running the ball is still extremely important in the AFC North.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne - CB - LSU
With Bill Sheridan as the new defensive coordinator in Tampa Bay, he needs a cornerback who can make some plays. Claiborne is the top corner in the class.
6. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon - WR - Oklahoma State
Sam Bradford has proven that he can throw the ball around the field, but he needs a good receiver if he wants to get the Rams back to being "The Greatest Show on Turf."
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Melvin Ingram - DE - South Carolina
I really like Ingram, and the Jaguars need a pass rush since they drafted a couple defensive end busts a few years ago (Derrick Harvey, Quentin Groves).
8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill - QB - Texas A&M
The 2012 Jake Locker/Christian Ponder Award goes to the Miami Dolphins, who reach for a quarterback in the first round. Ugh.
9. Carolina Panthers: Fletcher Cox - DT - Mississippi State
Cox is a good defensive tackle, but I don't know if he's deserving of this high a pick. I'm not extremely impressed with any of this year's defensive tackles, really.
10. Buffalo Bills: Riley Reiff - OT - Iowa
I really liked Reiff when he was at Iowa. He seems like the type of guy who will start his career at left tackle but eventually move inside or flip to the right side.
11. Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Kuechly - LB - Boston College
The Chiefs need a tackling machine in the middle of their defense. They could also use an anchor in the middle of the defensive line, but nobody's worth taking at #11.
12. Seattle Seahawks: Quentin Coples - DE - North Carolina
This seems to be the typical range for teams to start loading up on defensive ends. Coples was pretty productive at UNC and the Seahawks could use an edge rusher.
13. Arizona Cardinals: David Decastro - OG - Stanford
The Cardinals need to shore up their offensive line now that their offense seems to be sputtering a little bit.
14. Dallas Cowboys: Mark Barron - SS - Alabama
Barron reminds me of former Cowboys safety Roy Williams, who was overrated. And what better team to take an overrated player than the Dallas Cowboys?
15. Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Brockers - DT - LSU
I don't think Brockers is a future superstar, but he is a solid run stopper.
16. New York Jets: Nick Perry - DE/OLB - USC
Ah, if only the Detroit King product had come to Michigan . . . Anyway, he seems like an active run stopper at outside linebacker for a 3-4 team. I think he would get lost as a true defensive end in a 4-3.
17. Cincinnati Bengals: Chandler Jones - DE - Syracuse
I'm torn between picking an offensive lineman or Jones here, but offense line doesn't look very deep this year. Maybe they can get one with their next pick.
18. San Diego Chargers: Whitney Mercilus - DE - Illinois
The Bengals took Cory Liuget out of Illinois at #18 last year, so I'm just doing this for the hell of it.
19. Chicago Bears: Dontari Poe - DT - Memphis
The Bears have a lot of parts to create a great defense, but what they lack is good anchor play in the middle. Poe is overrated, but the Bears will probably take him here and then watch him turn into a bust.
20. Tennessee Titans: Stephon Gilmore - CB - South Carolina
Since Cortland Finnegan signed with the Rams in the off-season, Gilmore could fill his spot at cornerback.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Michael Floyd - WR - Notre Dame
The Bengals have A.J. Green, but Floyd could be the big possession guy opposite him. This would give quarterback Andy Dalton two very good targets on the outside.
22. Cleveland Browns: Stephen Hill - WR - Georgia Tech
The Browns need lots of help on offense, and Hill would be a big play threat almost immediately. Hill didn't catch a lot of balls at Georgia Tech, but he's an athletic freak in the same mold as a couple of his Yellowjacket predecessors.
23. Detroit Lions: Dre Kirkpatrick - CB - Alabama
The Lions desperately need a cornerback and they haven't had a really solid one for several years. The games against Green Bay and New Orleans last season really exposed the secondary.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jonathan Martin - OT - Stanford
The Steelers have been fielding a patchwork offensive line for the past few seasons and it shows.
25. Denver Broncos: Jerel Worthy - DT - Michigan State
I hope he fails.
26. Houston Texans: Rueben Randle - WR - LSU
I really like the Texans and think they're a pretty solid overall team. Randle would help make this offense virtually unstoppable.
27. New England Patriots: Courtney Upshaw - DE/OLB - Alabama
The Patriots need an edge rusher and haven't had a solid one for the last several years. Defense wins championships, but Bill Belichick's defense has been struggling recently.
28. Green Bay Packers: Shea McClellin - DE - Boise State
The Packers offense seems to be chugging along just fine, so I think they need to upgrade the front seven. McClellin seems like a guy who would fit in well there.
29. Baltimore Ravens: Peter Konz - C - Wisconsin
Matt Birk is probably about to retire, and the Ravens are a run-heavy football team.
30. San Francisco 49ers: Kevin Zeitler - OG - Wisconsin
The 49ers are solid on defense, and since they love to run the ball, they could use a big and powerful run blocker on the interior.
31. New England Patriots: Dont'a Hightower - LB - Alabama
Just like with the Upshaw pick, Hightower could make their front seven quite formidable.
32. New York Giants: David Wilson - RB - Virginia Tech
Wilson is a tough inside runner with a little bit of burst, and they could use an upgrade in the backfield.
More than expose the secondary, the Saints and Packers exposed the folly of the Lions DL-oriented philosophy. Teams like that can easily neutralize the DL.
ReplyDeleteI'll be happy if either a CB or OT rated in the top 20 is still around for the Lions to grab.
Konz to Balt is a perfect fit.
Wilson seems like a legit talent.
Agreed about the Lions. CB and OL are the two biggest needs. I wish they would have grabbed an OL or CB last year instead of taking Fairley. That pick pissed me off.
DeleteDitto here. I realize they saw a value, and generally that is fine, but Fairly wasn't a player I much liked going into the draft anyway.
DeleteThere is a cost to taking someone who isn't going to contribute immediately. I hope the Lions don't go that route this year, especially with the team looking like a legitimate playoff team and potential contender.
Any reason for the hate on Worthy besides the fact that he's a sparty? (I agree with you by the way, just curious).
ReplyDeleteNope, that's pretty much it. And he's a cocky Sparty, too.
DeleteNo way Floyd falls past the Bears.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this.. No way the Bears select Poe and if Floyd is there, he will be the pick.
DeleteYou could be right. We'll see. I have Floyd going kind of late because of his off-the-field issues.
DeleteIf your predictions are correct, it's no wonder Bama won the MNC this year: 5 first round draft picks from one team?!?
ReplyDeleteYeah...they've got some legitimate talent down there.
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