NFL
MOCK DRAFT
There
have been probably 3-4 million mock drafts this year, especially with
the extension of the NFL Draft due to the fact someone forgot to look
at the Radio City Music Hall calendar to see if it was booked for the
weekend the NFL was planning to have the draft. Therefore, we've
been given an extra couple of weeks, and as such, I decided to do my
own Mock Draft for the first 2 rounds including some potential trades
that could bring chaos to New York in 2 weeks.
ROUND
1
1.
Houston Texans - Jadeveon Clowney DE – South Carolina
The
Atlanta Falcons have called every team in the top 5 trying to
mortgage their future again
to take who they feel is the the best player in the draft, but
Houston didn't bite. Everyone in Houston is screaming for the
Texans to take a QB, but the Texans can't pass on a guaranteed pass
rushing machine that tag teamed with J.J. Watt just made Andrew Luck,
Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady start working on their agility drills.
Clowney obviously had a down year in 2013, but no one wants to be
the guy who let a potential future Hall of Famer go when they
decided to reach on a QB.
2. Oakland
Raiders (from the Washington Redskins) swap 1st
Round Picks with the St. Louis Rams and the St. Louis Rams acquire
Oakland's 2nd and 4th
Round Picks - Sammy Watkins WR – Clemson
St.
Louis got an absolute gift from the horrible season the Redskins had
this past year. They
trade away the No. 2 pick for RGIII and 2 years later wind up right
back with the No. 2 pick again, plus the No. 13 pick. Rather than
take a player with the No. 2 pick, St. Louis patiently waits for
the phone to ring and keeps stock piling draft picks. Oakland can't
help themselves with Watkins. They know he won't be there when they
pick at No. 5 and they have one legitimate WR (James Jones), who
Schaub can throw to. The Raiders now have MJD and McFadden in
backfield along with Jones and Watkins on the outside, and this
Raiders team just got a whole lot better.
3.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Khalil
Mack DE/OLB – Buffalo
Jacksonville
needs a lot of help in a lot of areas. They finally cut ties with
Blaine Gabbert and the rumors are that they aren't taking a QB
early. Normally, they'd take a WR here, but this draft is loaded
with at the position, so they take the best player available and sure
up their Defense against Andrew Luck.
4.
Cleveland
Browns – Greg Robinson OT - Auburn
Cleveland's
drafting at the QB position has been abysmal to say the least, and
Brian Hoyer
played pretty well until he was injured last year. Cleveland has 7
draft picks in the
first 4 rounds of this draft, so they can load up at WR and take a
chance at QB in the 2nd
or 3rd
round if need be. Everyone is screaming for Johnny Football or
Bortles, but the
safe play is to sure up your O-Line and let the hometown kid have
another crack at it.
5.
St.
Louis Rams (from Oakland Raiders) – Jake Matthews OT – Texas A&M
St.
Louis picks again at No. 13 and Matthews is the best Offensive
Lineman available, a
position of need for the Rams if they want to give Sam Bradford any
time to throw. St. Louis
was wise to trade down and acquire more picks, because if they want
to win the NFC
West they are going to need them.
6.
Atlanta Falcons – Aaron Donald
DT - Pittsburgh
The
Falcons tried so hard to take Clowney with the No. 1 overall pick and
they almost got him,
but Houston wouldn't deal. They need help on the D-Line getting to
Brees and Newton,
which was something they just couldn't get done over last season.
The Falcons Defense
was near the bottom of the league in 2013, and the quickest way to
bounce back is
to get better up front. Donald has great speed and can play DE as
well as DT. Smart move
Atlanta.
7.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Mike Evans WR
– Texas A&M
With
Mike Williams moving on, the Bucs have Vincent Jackson as their sole
reliable WR. Lovie
Smith brought over Josh McCown who will immediately compete with Mike Glennon
for the starting job. No matter what QB suits up against Carolina
for the
season opener (Spoiler Alert: it's going to be McCown) he will need
more than one WR to throw to. Lovie Smith loves defense, but it's
hard to pass up a talent like this and Mike Evans finds a home in
Tampa Bay.
And Twitter just exploded! The Dallas Cowboys have officially parted ways with Tony Romo for Johnny Football. Overnight, jersey sales skyrocket, and Jerry Jones just paid for renovations to Cowboy Stadium through 2050. Romo has won 1 playoff game since coming to Dallas and that doesn't cut it in Big D. Romo and Garrett are close, but Jerry doesn't care. Garrett's likely gone after this year anyways, and with Romo being 34 and coming off back surgery, he's likely only to decline. The Cowboys Defense is a mess and it's not likely they're going to win big this year anyways. Jerry knows what he gets with Tony and that's 8-8. Manziel is as exciting a player as anyone can remember and his Pro-Day was off the charts. The Cowboys make a bold move and pull the trigger and give Skip Bayless a heart attack in the process. You're welcome ESPN and NFL Network. Meanwhile, the move makes a lot of sense for the Vikings. They get a Top 10 QB to pair with Adrian Peterson and both of them know they have a limited window to win. The Vikings don't have time to wait another 3 years to develop a QB, Peterson needs someone now who can help take the burden off him, and he gets that with Romo.
9.
Buffalo Bills – Taylor Lewan OT - Michigan
Buffalo
needs to protect their 1st
round pick from 2013, E.J. Manuel. Lewan is the best
OT still available and arguably the best in the draft, though he is
still raw. The Bills need someone who can start on day 1, and Lewan
is that guy. He's physical, strong, aggressive, and at 6'7 and
300lbs won't be intimidated by pass rushers.
10.
Detroit Lions – Odell Beckham,
Jr. WR - LSU
Detroit
wanted Sammy Watkins bad, and they were willing to do a lot to get
him, but Oakland
had more chips and Watkins is now a Raider. Mike Evans would have
been a nice
fit as well, but Tampa Bay wasn't going to let that happen. So, the
Lions take Beckham
out of the bayou and into the Motor City. Along with Megatron and
newly acquired
Golden Tate (wonder why the Seahawks let him go....hmmm) the Lions
now have a legitimate receiving corps and along with Beckham's
ability to return kicks and punts,
Jim Caldwell has a lot to be happy with on Offense in Detroit.
11. Tennessee
Titans – Anthony Barr OLB – UCLA
Barr's
a good player, plain and simple. He can fit a 3-4, a 4-3, or a
hybrid, which it
looks more and more like Tennessee will go hybrid. Titans fans are
willing to give Locker one more season, but don't be surprised if
they take a QB in the 2nd or 3rd
round.
12.
New York Giants – Eric Ebron TE – North Carolina
Eli
Manning needs help with Hakeem Nicks gone, and a good pass catching
TE can be
very helpful to a QB. The Giants go with another Tar Heel in Ebron
who has been rumored
to be heading to New York since the end of the season. The current
Giants roster
has Kellen Davis, Adrien Robinson, Larry Donnell, and Daniel Fells
listed as a TE. So, ummm yea, they're taking Eric Ebron.
13.
St. Louis Rams – Justin Gilbert CB – Oklahoma State
The
Rams secondary needs help, and Justin Gilbert is the best CB in the
draft. They'll need to improve the defense against Russell Wilson,
Colin Kaepernick, and Carson Palmer. They make a good move on this
pick and get a player who starts immediately.
14.
Chicago Bears – Darqueze
Denard CB – Michigan State
The Bears need a CB to help out their secondary on a defense that
was 30th in the NFL in team defense. You read that right, the Chicago Bears had the
30th best defense. The Bears have made huge strides on Offense and with Marshall and
Jeffery they are set at WR. However, if they had a decent defense they might
have won an NFC North last year that was ripe for the taking. The Bears go
across the lake to Sparty and get a solid shutdown CB.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers – Louis
Nix NT – Notre Dame
The Steelers love defense, and with a draft that is heavy at WR
they'll wait to replace Emmanuel Sanders and Jericho Cotchery. Nix moves well for a big
guy and if they can keep his weight down he should be a strong force in the AFC
North.
16. Minnesota Vikings (from Dallas
Cowboys) – Ha Ha Clinton-Dix S - Alabama
The Vikings trade with Dallas, get a QB to help out Adrian
Peterson, and get the player they wanted in the first place in Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. He
had a ton of expectations at Bama and while he had a good career in college
never fully lived up to the hype, but he's still a very good safety and should start
immediately for the Vikings.
17.
Baltimore Ravens – Zack Martin
OT – Notre Dame
Baltimore needs a RT, actually they need a whole new Offensive
Line and that's being kind to how well the Ravens protected
Joe Flacco last year. They lost Michael Oher to the Titans
and with Ray Rice having a sub-par year and let's just say some
“gambling/relationship issues” they need a sturdy long-term
solution to the O-line. Zack Martin comes in and provides
Flacco with more time to find Steve Smith, Tory Smith, and Owen Daniels, as well as giving the backfield a
better shot at running the football.
18. New
York Jets – Marquis Lee WR - USC
I'm not a big absolute guarantee guy, but if I was a
betting man, I'd let it ride on this pick. The Jets have
Eric Decker, a No. 2 WR at best, Stephen Hill, who can't catch
the ball, Josh Cribbs, who in the last two years has caught 9
passes, and Jeremy Kerley. The Jets will unequivocally go
WR in the 1st
round and Marquis Lee fits in well moving from
Southern Cal to NYC.
19.
Miami Dolphins – Cyrus
Kouandjio OT - Alabama
After
the Offense Line bullying circus that happened last year, you can
believe Miami wants someone new in the locker room and they need
someone who can take
a beating and protect Ryan Tannehill while allowing the RB tandem of
Miller and Thomas to improve. Kouandjio has been on the rise in
recent weeks, and this should
be a good pick for the franchise that wants to challenge New England.
20.
Arizona Cardinals –
Ra'Shede Hageman DT - Minnesota
Arizona
was going to go with the best player available and a position of need
at CB by taking Bradley Roby with the 20th
pick, but the recent arrest nixed that choice and
Roby continues to fall. Instead they go with the DT out of Minnesota
also a spot they can improve on. The Cardinals have apparently
met with Hageman multiple
times and love him. DT is vital in a division that houses opponents
who love
to run the football.
21.
Green Bay Packers – Kony Ealy
DE - Missouri
The
Packers need a pass rusher opposite Julius Peppers, who may have 2
years at best
left in the league. A lot of people are projecting they take C.J.
Mosley out of Bama
with this pick, and they may very well do so, especially with the
success they had with Eddie Lacy last year. But they already have
two very good players at LB in Hawk and Matthews. Kony Ealy was a
huge part of that fierce Mizzou defense that sent them to the SEC
Championship game and he's a legit 1st
rounder.
22.
Philadelphia Eagles – Brandin Cooks
WR – Oregon State
The
smart decision here is to take a CB or defensive player on a defense
that was
29th in the league last year. Chip Kelly
didn't get to the NFL by playing it safe though.
With the dismissal of DeSean Jackson Philadelphia's best receiver is
Riley Cooper,
Riley Cooper. Brandin Cooks was the Biletnikoff Award winner. He
may be
small, but he's a younger DeSean Jackson without the problems. Kelly
having come
from Oregon coached against Cooks last year and knows how good he can
be.
23.
Kansas City Chiefs –
Kelvin Benjamin WR - FSU
Kelvin
Benjamin is an absolute boss of a receiver. This guy is a jump ball touchdown
machine. All Alex Smith has to do is throw the ball up in the air
and let
Benjamin go and get it. He's a mismatch nightmare for cornerbacks in
the red zone.
He may not have the speed or route running ability but when you're
6'5 with
an 83” wingspan it doesn't matter.
24.
Cincinnati Bengals –
Brandon Roby CB – Ohio State
If
there ever was a team that gives people second chances it is the
Cincinnati Bengals.
Regardless of the recent arrest, hell they brought Pacman Jones
back, the
Bengals need to take a CB in this draft and Roby should have been
long gone by
now. They take an in-state kid who is too good to pass on at No. 24
and hope it
works out.
25.
San Diego Chargers – Tim
Jernigan DT - FSU
Jernigan's
weight caused him to fall to No. 25 but if John Pagano and Mike McCoy can
trim him down and get a strength and conditioning program in place
(which I guarantee
you no matter which team takes him will be a priority) then San Diego could
have just made the phenomenal move in this draft for a player that
many people
had in the top 15.
26.
Cleveland Browns (from the Indianapolis
Colts) – Allen Robinson WR – Penn State
The
Browns need depth at WR for whomever their QB is to throw to. Allen Robinson
was highly underrated but he's a big physical receiver who led the
Big Ten
in catches and yards last season. According to scouts he isn't
afraid to be hit, which
is good considering he plays in the AFC North, and catches the ball
well in traffic.
With Josh Gordon on the other side, this should make for a good
tandem in Cleveland.
27.
New Orleans Saints – Jason Verrett CB - TCU
The
Saints need some help at WR, but as long as you have Drew Brees, you
can pretty much put furniture movers out there and he'll still
throw for 5,000 yards.
Rob Ryan (aka Kenny Powers in 15 years, if you haven't seen the
picture please
look up Rob Ryan Kenny Powers, it is absolutely frightening) is
thrilled that Mickey
Loomis agreed to help out his secondary in the 1st
round with this pick. Verrett's
ball skills are phenomenal and he routinely cuts off receivers
resulting in interceptions.
28.
Carolina Panthers – Morgan Moses OT -
Virginia
The
Carolinas had a come-apart this off-season when Steve Smith was let
go. Then when
Dave Gettleman failed to sign a No. 1 or even arguably a No. 2
receiver as a replacement,
things got pretty nasty pretty fast. That having been said, Jordan
Gross retired, and Byron Bell is not a LT. Gettleman's a firm
believer that you build your team from the lines out, and
fortunately this draft is deep at WR. The fans will hate this
move at first, but it's the smart play and it ensures protection for
Cam for the foreseeable future.
29.
New England Patriots –
C.J. Mosley LB - Alabama
Bill
Belichick must be ecstatic that Mosley falls to him at No. 29. The
Pats Defense
needs help and Mosley is a 3 down linebacker who can play a number of roles.
He's fast, smart, and an excellent tackler.
30.
San
Francisco 49ers – Dee Ford DE - Auburn
This
pick probably would not have been made 2 months ago, but times
change. Aldon
Smith wins the 2014 Darwin Airport Award and subsequently is sent packing
from San Fran. That leaves a void at DE and San Francisco goes and fills
it with Dee Ford out of Auburn. Ford had a great Senior Bowl and San
Fran will
be thrilled they don't have to pay Smith a huge contract that would
have been a
lock 12 months ago.
31.
Denver Broncos – Kyle Fuller
CB – Virginia Tech
The
Broncos have pretty much gone all in on the next two years. It's do
or die time as
Peyton Manning gets another year older. They went nuts in free
agency signing T.J.
Ward, Aqib “Ice Up Son” Talib, and Emmanuel Sanders. Fuller
gives them depth
at CB and he will eventually be the No. 1 corner after Talib moves
on.
32.
Seattle
Seahawks – Jace Amaro TE – Texas Tech
Amaro
gives Russell Wilson a security blanket to throw to in a 6'5 receiver
who can
also get down the field in a hurry. Seattle is going to run the
football, that's their
game, and Wilson is probably never going to be a pure vertical
passing QB. However,
a running game often works best when you have a good two tandem TE set
and Amaro along with Miller provides that for Wilson. Amaro caught
over 100 balls
last year, even in Ryan Gosling's Offense, that's pretty impressive.
First
Round Recap: There was some action early, but obviously the story of
the Draft
is Dallas trading away Tony Romo for Johnny Manziel. Oakland
goes after Sammy Watkins and it should be a fun show in
The Black Hole. Tampa Bay gets a No. 1 WR, while the Eagles get
a younger problem-free DeSean Jackson. It's a long night for
Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater as they sit there only to
watch as
teams pass on them. Only 1 QB goes in the first round. All that
talk about how deep this QB draft is and only one goes in the
1st round. We'll see how interesting
things get in Round 2 with a boat load of players at QB and WR
still available.
ROUND
2
33.
Cleveland Browns swap 2nd
Round picks with the Houston Texans and trade Houston
their 4th Round pick – Blake Bortles QB -
UCF
Apparently,
the Browns don't trust Brian Hoyer that much. They take Blake Bortles
with the No. 33 pick, which many people would consider a steal.
Bortles is
the most prototypical of those at the QB position. Many say he
reminds them of
Big Ben in Pittsburgh. The Browns get an OT, a WR, and a QB with
their first 3
picks, all before Washington even gets on the board. Not bad at all.
34.
Washington
Redskins – Xavier Su'a-Filo G - UCLA
The Redskins finally get to pick after trading away the world for
RGIII 2 years ago.
They obviously need to be able to make sure RGIII can throw the ball
to his new
dynamic duo of Garcon and Jackson and I'm sure Alfred Morris would
like some
blocking help as well, which is why they go with the Guard out of
UCLA. He's
got great feet and can play Guard as well as Tackle if needed. It's
not a sexy pick,
but the Skins already got that with DeSean Jackson in free agency.
35.
Jacksonville
Jaguars swap 2nd
Round picks with Houston Texans and trade their
4th Round pick – Teddy Bridgewater QB -
Louisville
The
Jaguars know that Chad Henne isn't the future in Jacksonville. They
see that Cleveland
made a play for Bortles and don't want to miss out on a QB for themselves.
Bridgewater had a rough Pro-Day but he had a great regular season and
most teams would love to develop him into their starter.
36.
St. Louis Rams – Calvin Pryor S –
Louisville
St.
Louis uses the pick from the Raiders to upgrade their secondary again
with Pryor.
He's a hard hitting safety who has great instincts and can make
adjustments on
the fly. St. Louis picks again at No. 44 we'll see where they go
then.
37.
Atlanta Falcons – Joel
Bitonio OT - Nevada
Atlanta
has to make sure Matt Ryan can get the ball to Julio Jones and Roddy White.
Tony Gonzalez is gone, so he doesn't have a short outlet anymore,
and Steven
Jackson is on the wrong side of 30, so he needs some help. Bitonio
is a ferocious pass blocker and is a versatile player who can play
multiple positions along the line.
38.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers –
Demarcus Lawrence DE/OLB – Boise State
Lovie
Smith isn't going to let 2 rounds of top draft picks go by without
improving his
defense. Lawrence is an elite tackler and had 20 sacks in his last
two seasons at Boise
State. He lacks considerable strength but some time with a trainer
can fix
that.
39. New
England Patriots trade Ryan Mallett to the Houston Texans swap 2nd Round pics and take Davante Adams WR - Fresno State
Houston
gets their QB, as Mallett is reunited with Bill O'Brien in Houston,
and they get Clowney. Mallett is in the last year of his contract
and if he's a bust Houston can simply cut him without much loss.
The Pats realize Brady can't play forever and he needs weapons.
They picked up LaFell in the off-season, but he's a possession
receiver at best and Brady needs weapons to get them back to the
Super Bowl. This was a sound move as Adams has great ball skills
and elite jumping ability.
40.
Minnesota Vikings – Ryan Shazier OLB
– Ohio State
Shazier
surprisingly falls to the 2nd Round and
Minnesota pounces on him. He was a
projected mid-late first round pick, but another team's loss is the
Vikings' gain. He
can play very well off the edge and has explosive speed. Shazier is
also seen as a team
leader in the locker room and should be a good fit for the Vikings.
41.
Buffalo Bills – Troy
Niklas TE – Notre Dame
The
Bills add another pass-catching threat for E.J. Manuel. Notre Dame
gives the
NFL another play-making TE after Tyler Eifert went to the Bengals
last year. He's
a 6'6 270lbs TE, who has both the hands and the blocking ability to
succeed in the
NFL.
42.
Tennessee Titans – Tre Mason RB -
Auburn
The
first RB is finally taken with the 42nd pick
by the Titans. Mason has ridiculous speed
and cutting ability. With Chris Johnson off to the Jets, the Titans
get a younger
cheaper upgrade who along with Dexter McCluster should make the Titans
backfield lightning quick.
43.
New York Giants – Stephen Tuitt DE – Notre Dame
The
Giants get that upfront pressure that in the past got them 2 Super
Bowl rings. With RGIII, Manziel, and Chip Kelly's offense, they
need their defensive front to be effective. Tuitt can play
multiple positions and should be a nightmare for opposing
offensive linemen.
44.
St. Louis Rams – Jimmy Garoppolo QB –
Eastern Illinois
Sam
Bradford just got put on notice. He was the last QB to get a massive
deal on his rookie contract, and has been mediocre at best. With
the number of picks St. Louis has this is a gutsy but not unwise
pick. If Bradford doesn't deliver this year, you
can let him go and move on to Garoppolo, and if he does you keep
Garoppolo as
your back-up, develop him, then trade him away for more picks. The
bigger issue is that Garoppolo may have to sit in Radio City Music
Hall for the entire 1st night without
hearing his name called, then watch as other teams let him fall to
the mid 2nd round of the draft. We'll see
how he handles the pressure.
45.
Detroit
Lions – Jimmy Ward SS – Northern Illinois
Ward
gives the Lions an immediate upgrade at the Safety position,
especially with having
to face Rodgers, Cutler, and now Romo twice a year. He's got very
good hands
and does a great job ball-hawking. He had a 38'' vertical at the
Combine and
does a good job supporting the run defense.
46.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Cody Latimer WR - Indiana
Latimer
has been shooting up draft boards lately. The Steelers have a huge
need at WR
after the vast majority of their corps departed. He beats press
coverage well and
is a good run blocker (Hines Ward 2.0?). Pittsburgh has to get
better on Offense
and that means giving Big Ben effective targets, with this pick they
address a major issue at WR.
47.
Dallas Cowboys – Scott
Crichton DE – Oregon State
The
Cowboys broke the Internet with the signing of Manziel, but now they
need to address
the need at the Defensive line, as their best pass rusher Ware is now
a Bronco.
They do that with Crichton out of Oregon State. Crichton has good closing
speed with a knack for forcing fumbles. He's a raw player but some attention
could do wonders and this Defense isn't getting fixed overnight.
48.
Baltimore Ravens –
Donte Moncrief WR – Ole Miss
Baltimore
goes to Oxford for a WR to eventually replace newly acquired Steve
Smith. Moncrief had a great Combine running one of the fastest
times for a WR. He has a good frame and is able to create
separation. With some time he can be a No. 1 WR and teamed with
Steve and Tory Smith, it should give Joe Flacco plenty of options.
49.
New York Jets – Dion Bailey S - USC
The
Jets go back out to Southern Cal with their 2nd
Round pick for a safety. Bailey is
known for his hands and he's a big safety who converted from
linebacker, so you know
he can hit. Rex Ryan should be thrilled he gets to bulk up his
defense after going
with a WR in the 1st round.
50.
Miami Dolphins – Chris Borland
ILB - Wisconsin
Borland
has a great work ethic and plays every play to the whistle. He's got decent
pass coverage skills and has forced 14 fumbles in his career at Camp Randall.
Miami needs more pass coverage assistance as the league develops
into a
pure passing league.
51.
Carolina Panthers swap
2nd
Round picks with the Chicago Bears and trade their
4th round pick to Chicago – Jordan
Matthews WR - Vanderbilt
Panther
nation rejoices as the heir to Steve Smith has been named. Jordan Matthews
out of Vandy is an stud. He's a 1st round
pick most years and how he managed to fall the 2nd
Round is nothing short of fortuitous for Carolina. He's got great
hands, good size, and can beat double teams on a regular basis. Dave Gettleman
might have quietly pulled off a better receiving corps than a 12-4
team had
last year with Matthews as a No. 1, Cotchery as a No. 2, Avant as a
No. 3, and Underwood
as a No. 4. Carolina wasn't going to wait to see if he fell any
further and
they move up to get their future franchise WR.
52.
Arizona Cardinals – Marcus Roberson
CB - Florida
This
was a tough pick for Arizona with Terrance Brooks the Safety out of
FSU still on the board, but CB is a bigger need for the Cardinals.
Roberson has long arms and
good instincts. He can be a little aggressive, so watch the
interference penalties but
he should be a good compliment to Patrick Peterson.
53.
Green Bay Packers – Terrance Brooks S
- FSU
Green
Bay knew Arizona was going to take one of the two players out of the Sunshine
State, and they are glad Brooks wasn't it. He will have to adjust to
the NFL
quick with Stafford, Cutler, and Romo throwing against him twice a
year. He has
some issues wrapping up, yet his hitting ability can't be denied.
54.
Philadelphia Eagles – Keith McGill CB - Utah
McGill
is a tall corner, and that seems to be the way the league is going
with bigger taller
corners who can fight for the jump balls against receivers. The
Eagles have other
needs at Defense but facing RGIII, Eli, and now Johnny Football twice
a year mandates
that they improve their secondary.
55.
Cincinnati Bengals – Weston Richburg C – Colorado State
The
Bengals don't quite pull the trigger on a QB yet, as Andy Dalton has
only had 3
years, all in which the Bengals have made the playoffs. They may do
so though in the
3rd round, but for now they sure up the O-line with
Richburg who is largely considered
to be the best Center in the draft. He's been the starting Center
for the
last 3 years and started 12 games on the O-line in 2010 so he's got
plenty of experience
and should provide stability for Dalton and the running backs.
56.
San Francisco 49ers – Martavis Bryant
WR - Clemson
San
Francisco has to get better in the passing game. They came out of
the gate hot
last year, but Kaep didn't put up big numbers consistently throughout
the season. Brandon Lloyd is a one year player at best, and
Boldon is on the downswing
of his career, but this is a team that has been to at least the NFC Championship
game each of the past 3 seasons, and doesn't intend to stop anytime soon.
Crabtree and Bryant will be the future for Kaep and Clemson sends
both of their wide receivers to the Bay Area.
57.
San Diego Chargers – Jeremiah
Attaochu DE/OLB – Georgia Tech
The
Chargers need help on the Defensive Line and at the Linebacker
Position. Attaochu
can fill either of those needs if he can bounce back from a poor
Senior Bowl
performance. He's good at stopping the run but can sometimes get
lost in pass
coverage. He still fits a position of need for the Chargers and they
sure-up their
Defense in the 1st and 2nd round.
58.
New Orleans Saints – Jarvis Landry WR - LSU
It
may be a reach but NOLA loves local talent and they go with Landry
out of LSU at
No. 58. If Odell Beckham would have been available they'd have taken
him in the
1st round, but he was gone long before they had a chance.
They get LSU's No. 2 WR
in Landry who is a little thin, but is hard to bring down after
contact. He also has
Special Teams experience, something the Saints will love with Sproles
gone.
59.
Indianapolis Colts – David Yankey
G/OT - Stanford
You
can never have enough Offensive Linemen and Andrew Luck lobbies for
Indy to
go after another Stanford player in Yankey. He was the Pac 12's top
lineman in 2012
and was the Team Captain so he should fit right in in Indy. Being
versatile enough
to move along the O-line will also be a major asset to a team that is
primed for
another playoff run.
60.
Chicago Bears (from the Carolina
Panthers) – Kyle Van Noy OLB - BYU
The
Bears go Defense again with Van Noy out of a BYU. Van Noy had a good
year at
BYU, especially against big competition. He's got good size at 6'3
244lbs, and has
the ability to be disruptive to the passing game while being a big
sack threat.
61.
San
Francisco 49ers – Bashaud Breeland CB - Clemson
Another
Clemson player heads out west. Breeland would probably have been a 1st
round pick if he came out in 2015. He had 74 tackles, broke up 10
passes, and had
4 picks last year. San Fran has major questions at CB and they
answer it with Breeland,
who may have had a bad Combine but had a great season in the ACC.
62.
New
England Patriots – Carlos Hyde RB – Ohio State
With
Blount gone to Steeler Country the Pats need to add to their RB by committee
backfield. It was a tough call between Hyde and LSU's Jeremy Hill but
the Pats head to C-BUS, Ohio and take an explosive bruising RB. He's
not a home
run-hitting RB but that's not the Patriots style and he'll be great
in the red zone.
63.
Denver
Broncos – Trent Murphy DE/OLB - Stanford
John
Elway's a Stanford man, and the Broncos go and get a pass rusher who
can also
play LB in Murphy out of Palo Alto. Murphy is about as physical as
they get, the
guy is a former steer-wrestler (I'm not making that up). People
obviously compare
him to new Chicago Bear, Jared Allen, and that's a pretty good player
to be
compared to when entering the NFL Draft.
64.
Seattle
Seahawks – Kareem Martin DE – North Carolina
Pete
Carroll isn't going to let this draft go by without making the
league's best Defense
even better. Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril anchor the ends right
now, but
Avril could easily be gone in a year and this allows Martin to move
right in. This
position may not be of vital concern this year, but Seattle is
looking at 2015 and
beyond and they want to make sure they are in the playoffs for
years to come.
Second
Round Recap: Houston gives their fans a scare by trading down three times
in the 2nd round, only to get themselves a QB and
Clowney, and they look like geniuses. Cleveland has a legit QB
competition between Hoyer and Bortles. The Jags can't
believe they got Teddy Bridgewater in the 2nd round. Tennessee
takes a chance on the speedster from Auburn, while
Pittsburgh
gives Big Ben a new receiver to throw to. Lastly, the
Panthers calm their fan base by trading up to take Jordan Matthews,
while the Saints take their own WR from just down the
road.
I
hope y'all enjoyed this post, and the analysis. I enjoyed doing the
research and writing it. I could have gone the boring route and just
picked all 32 teams in order with them taking exactly what every
major analyst has been predicting they'd take for the last 3 months,
but there's no fun or excitement in that. The NFL Draft begins on
Thursday May 8th
and ends on Saturday May 10th.
If you don't believe football is the No. 1 sport in America, watch
as the NFL Draft
gets higher ratings than the NBA Playoffs.
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