2011 Mock Drafts

[shepwrite]

I thought I'd started this already but couldn't find it. This one reads smart, like an Alo mock. Guy seems to know his shit:

 

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2011/1/10/1925...-blaine-gabbert

 

In an earlier version, they said Julio Jones is made for the WCO. Michael Floyd is rising after seeming to fall off the radar most of the season, slotted here for 14th to the Rams. Interestingly, a Rams draft site also had him there.

[shepwrite]

CBS mocks, Jan. 6 and today. Man, Blaine Gabbert should buy Luck a Benz, at least:

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/mock

[ClevelandBigDawg]

Could live with any of those 3 options.

 

Would also love this one

http://walterfootball.com/draft2011.php

 

It has:

Marcel Darius DE/DT, Alabama

Jonathan Baldwin WR, Pitt

Casey Matthews OLB, Oregon

Brandon Boykin CB, Georgia

 

I would not complain, it helps to potentially fill 4 needs while getting good value IMHO. Not thrilled with Darius, but the dude is an athletic freak, and if we could get Baldwin in round two that would also be nice. I think nearly everyone shares a feeling that we need one of Clay's boys. And a CB in round 4 could start, but we could develop him behind Sheldon Brown as well.

[The Gipper]

CBS mocks, Jan. 6 and today. Man, Blaine Gabbert should buy Luck a Benz, at least:

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/mock

 

 

I think I could live with this projected pick of Nick Fairly to the Browns.

[RugbyDawg]

Hi all, new to the board but long time Browns fan. I've been posting over on ClevelandBrowns.com, but I'm tired of how petty and personal everyone gets over there. So here's hoping for some good solid football discussion! Anyway, I've been writing my own mock draft for this year. It only covers the teams that are not in the playoffs; I'll probably update it after the Super Bowl so I have the complete draft order. It's also kinda long, but I've bolded the picks if you feel like just skimming through it. Anyways, hope you enjoy it!

 

 

1.) Carolina Panthers: Da’Quan Bowers- DE, Clemson. I’m sure there are plenty of Carolina fans out there cursing the name Andrew Luck, but let’s think back to when the Panthers were in their prime. Carolina made Super Bowl XXXVIII after their 9th season in existence. Being less than a decade old, they certainly didn’t make it on depth; rather, they made it with exceptionally skilled players at the top. And what was the best position on that team? It wasn’t quarterback, with Jake Delhomme completing less than 60% of his passes and having an average-at-best TD/INT ratio of 19/16. It was defensive end, with freaks Julius Peppers (7 sacks, 3 forced fumbles) and Mike Rucker (12 sacks, 1 interception) leading a fearsome defensive line that also included Kris Jenkins. Currently the Panthers are starting Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy at defensive end. Charles Johnson is a young pass rusher who came into his own this year with 11.5 sacks. Greg Hardy is a young pass rusher who did not, posting forgettable numbers (15 starts, 30 tackles, 3 sacks). Oh, and the Panthers have absolutely no depth at the position. So maybe Carolina is actually better off picking the local stud DE to team with Johnson and hoping Jimmy Clausen can reach the not-so-high standard left by Jake Delhomme. Hey, two years before Super Bowl XXXVIII the Panthers went 1-15. Just sayin...

 

2.) Denver Broncos: Patrick Peterson- CB, LSU. Opposing teams rushed for an average of 154.6 yards per game. Allowing 154.6 rushing yards was an average day for the Denver defense!!! Despite this, the Broncos also allowed 236.3 yards through the air, good for 25th in the league. That means that an offense putting up almost 400 yards of total offense was just par for the course against the crew from Mile High. With that said, there are a lot of ways to go with this pick. This is a draft that is heavy at the top with defensive lineman, and I can definitely see Denver going with either Nick Fairley or Marcell Dareus as the D-line of Vickerson, Williams and Bannan is downright depressing, but the fact of the matter is that both of Denver’s starting corners will be 33 next year and they had 3 picks combined in 2010. Yes- those corners are Champ Bailey and Andre’ Goodman, but it’s obvious these guys aren’t getting it done anymore. The Broncos top replacement, Perrish Cox, had just as many arrests for sexual assault as he did interceptions (1). That being the state of things, I think the Broncos bring in Peterson, who has tremendous size and speed for the position, to learn under the Broncos’ once-elite veterans and to help out on special teams.

 

3.) Buffalo Bills: Robert Quinn- DE/OLB, UNC. I had a really hard time figuring out which way the Bills were going to go with this pick. I see a lot of mocks out there having them take a QB. Listen, I don’t know if Ryan Fitzpatrick is the answer at QB. Here’s what I do know though: Fitzpatrick threw for 3000 yards (barely), had a respectable TD/INT ratio of 23/15, and finished the year with a quarterback rating of 81.8 (ahead of last year’s consensus overall #1 pick Sam Bradford). I also know that if the Bills pick a QB at 3, they still won’t know if they’re set at QB. I thought about A.J. Green here, but Steve Johnson put together a pretty decent year last year and Lee Evens isn’t 30 yet. I also think that last year’s disappointing pick of C.J. Spiller is going to scare Buffalo’s front office away from taking a skill position player this high. There aren’t any offensive lineman worth taking here, so that takes us to the defensive side of the ball.

The Bills had the worst rush defense in football last year- even worse than Denver’s. Statistically Buffalo’s pass defense ranked 3rd, although that was probably helped by their opponents focusing on the run game. I do think the Bills have some playmakers in the secondary, though, with McGee, Florence, McKelvin, Byrd, Whitner, Youboty... so that narrows our search to the front 7. Upon looking at the D-line, you wonder why Buffalo was so bad at stopping the run. Marcus Stroud is a household name, so long as it’s a football household. Kyle Williams was just added to the AFC Pro Bowl roster. Spencer Johnson is serviceable, with 55 tackles, 41 solo and a couple sacks last year. Still, something seems to be missing. You know what’s missing? Aaron Schobel. The Bills are missing Schobel’s 6’4” 250 lbs. frame quickly flying into opponents’ backfield for a guaranteed 8-12 sacks per year. Enter Robert Quinn, a 6’4” 250 lbs. monster that can play either 4-3 end or 3-4 rush linebacker, for whichever system the Bills settle on running. I understand that Quinn just sat out a year, but that’s why God invented the NFL combine and team workouts. If Quinn shows up and is the freak that he was at UNC, then he solidifies his place at the top of this draft. If not, he goes tumbling. Personally, after watching some of his interviews, I think he’s a guy that made some youthful mistakes but is focused on being the best athlete he can be. If it turns out that the year off took it’s toll, then I’ll adjust my mock. Until then, there’s no reason to think he can’t be the next Aaron Schobel.

 

4.) Cincinnati Bengals: Nick Fairley- DT/DE, Auburn. Mike Brown has been the de facto general manager for the Cincinnati Bengals since the death of his father, the iconic Paul Brown, in 1991. In the two decades since he took control of the team, do you know how many times he’s decided to take a wide receiver with his first overall pick? Once, in 2000, on Peter Freaking Warrick. Warrick spent 3 unremarkable years at Cincinnati before being released. He was briefly with the Seahawks before trying his hand in the Arena Football League and then the Canadian Football League. His most recent team? The Bloomington Extreme... of the Indoor Football League... which I guess is even more indoor than the Arena Football League. At any rate, not a fond memory for the Legend’s son.

This year Mike Brown has focused on keeping the status quo. He kept Marvin Lewis when all thought he was gone. He’s letting his coach keep Carson Palmer despite The Sports Guy Bill Simmons renaming interceptions returned for touchdowns “Carson Palmers.” And recently the Bengals just picked up Chad Ochocinco’s $6 million option. (Or it wasn’t an option? I’m a little confused on this. Marvin Lewis appeared on ESPN Radio to say that Chad was “just flat under contract.” Whatever.)

For those two reasons I depart from the masses that feel like A.J. Green is a lock here for Cincinnati. Quite the contrary, I see Mike Brown addressing the fact that the Bengals had only 27 sacks last year, tied for fourth worst in the NFL. Fairley is a big body that can plug the hole against the run, but his standout attribute is his ability to force his frame into the backfield and pressure the quarterback. He may be a “dirty” player of questionable character, but I don’t buy that. Moreover, character hasn’t exactly factored in to Cincinnati’s personnel decisions in the past. The Bengals do have some players on the D-line, but none of the caliber of Fairley. Additionally Fairley can play multiple positions down the line. As such, I think Nick’s the pick here.

 

5.) Arizona Cardinals: Cam Newton- QB, Auburn. You’re darn right I did. Cam Newton is unequivocally the most controversial character coming out in this year’s draft. I’ve read mocks that have him going #1 overall and I’ve read mocks that didn’t have him going in the first two rounds. While the more extreme predictions are probably based more on emotion than data, we can’t deny that he’s a guy that evokes opinions. We also can’t deny that Arizona needs a quarterback. Derek Anderson was terrible. Max Hall was worse. John Skelton was happy when he completed 50% of his passes. The only other quarterback on the roster is Richard Bartel. Someone told me that he was the quarterback from the movie The Replacements. I had to look it up to be sure he wasn’t.

Because Arizona needs a quarterback, I see them taking the best quarterback prospect in this year’s draft- and Newton is the best quarterback prospect this year. Here’s the field: Blaine Gabbert, Ryan Mallett, Jake Locker and Cam Newton. There may be someone in this year’s draft that ends up being a better quarterback, either due to situation or being a late-bloomer or everyone just not seeing the talent that was there. But as it stands right now, those four are the leading contenders. Jake Locker’s out of contention because he disappears in big games. This year against Nebraska (twice) and Stanford he completed 16 out of 50 passes for 191 yards, 1 TD and 3 Ints. He may have legs, but not like Newton. It also would have been nice to see Locker complete 60% of his passes in a year once... since he was in college for all 4 years. I’m taking Mallett out because, in the same conference, Newton was more accurate and threw for more yards per attempt. Mallett threw for more yards but he had about 160 more attempts than Newton. In his 411 attempts Mallett threw 32 TDs. In his 246 attempts Newton threw 28 TDs. Mallett also doubled the number of picks thrown on less than double the attempts. And I haven’t even talked about mobility yet. Fact is, Newton is growing into being a more complete passer and the metrics show that he’s already more efficient than a pure pocket passer like Mallett. That leaves Blaine Gabbert. Newton is bigger, faster, stronger, more accurate, WAY more yards per pass attempted, played in a better conference threw more TDs, blah blah blah. There is a fair amount to like in Blaine Gabbert, but there’s a reason that Newton won the Heisman.

I read a website that I like that made the argument that Arizona won’t draft a quarterback because “new regimes mean new quarterbacks and old ones don’t.” The website then suggested that Arizona would rather pick up a free agent... which to me would be a new quarterback. But whatever, let’s look at the free agent market for QBs. The best out there is probably going to be: Chad Pennington, Donovan McNabb and Matt Hasselbeck. Peyton and Brady aren’t leaving their respective teams and there’s no way Philly lets Kolb go with the age/injury concerns surrounding Vick. So in sum- ouch. No long term answers there- not even McNabb who is currently being thrown out of Washington for his average-at-best play. I do think Arizona will bring in a FA quarterback; but after seeing how bad the quarterback situation is, I also think the Cards are bringing in the best prospect available. That prospect is Newton, who has shown that he has the chance to be an exceptional passer at the next level if he continues to grow and he has the legs to buy him time while he learns.

 

6.) Cleveland Browns: A.J. Green- WR, Georgia. This is a no-brainer. The Browns do have other areas and other picks here would be legitimately good. Marcell Dareus would bolster a D-line that was so bad that Rob Ryan sometimes abandoned using a defensive line completely. Prince Amukamara would pair nicely opposite Joe Haden forming a formidable tandem for the future.

Ultimately though, the Browns are completely missing wide receivers. I’ll repeat that. The Browns are COMPLETELY missing wide receivers. Only on a team like the Browns would Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie get targets. At best, they’re a #3 option on a team with a decent passing game. At best! And I don’t mean the Patriots or the Colts- I mean teams like the Dolphins and Vikings. Cribbs could have some value as a possession receiver. We may see things out of the physically gifted Carlton Mitchell. But as it stands, Cleveland needs to overhaul their WR corps. to take men out of the box and to give Colt at least an option on the edges. The Browns do have some good things going: a run game that can be powerful, a young secondary that fuels an opportunistic defense, above-average special teams. At the end of the day, though, it is completely impossible in this league to be one dimensional. Adding A.J. Green helps Cleveland become a complete football team.

 

7.) San Francisco 49ers: Prince Amukamara- CB, Nebraska. Maybe I just like being different, but again I see the 49ers eschewing the logic of draft pundits who have them taking a quarterback in the first round. On their own roster they have two first overall draft picks in Alex Smith and David Carr. Their third quarterback is Heisman trophy winning quarterback Troy Smith. So ultimately, there is talent there. Even with being jerked around all year, Alex Smith was able to finish the season with a decent QB rating of 82.1. The 49ers have their new coach in Jim Harbaugh, a man who has a gift for getting the most out of quarterbacks. If he is able to bring some stability to the position, San Fran might not need another first round quarterback on their roster. If they do need a QB, maybe they'll be able to take Harbaugh's boy, Luck, next year.

One thing Mr. Harbaugh will not be able to abide is a pass defense ranked 24th in the league. The 49ers know how to stop the run, but that doesn’t help when you can’t cover. Prince Amukamara will solidify the edges with 31-year-old veteran Nate Clements while he’s still around. Prince is also physical enough to hang in a defense that features Patrick Willis.

 

8.) Tennessee Titans: Ryan Mallett- QB, Arkansas. Vince Young is gone. Kerry Collins is old. There are no real good answers in free agency. This is a draft that has several good quarterback prospects at the top. Throw it all in a bowl an what do you get? Ryan Mallett in Tennessee.

For me, this comes down to Mallett vs. Gabbert. Both are similar in that they both have ideal size, they both have a big arm, and they both are fairly accurate. Some might say that Gabbert has the edge in mobility and they’d be right about that. I don’t think Blaine’s mobility is so good that he’ll be a legitimate running threat at the next level though. Both Gabbert and Mallett are going to have to make their money in the pocket, and that’s where I give Mallett the edge. Mallett competed in the toughest conference in college football, so he’s seen the closest thing to NFL defenses without actually being there. Moreover, the system he ran was a more traditional system with progression reads, something Gabbert doesn’t have a lot of experience with. This is a close one, and it may very well come down to the interviews that the players have with the teams. I do think the Titans will be looking at quarterback though, and if they do, I like the chances of them taking Mallett.

 

9.) Dallas Cowboys: Marcell Dareus- DT/DE, Alabama. While Jerry Jones probably would like a more flashy name to take at number 9, things probably worked out as best as they could for the Cowboys. Dareus didn’t have the eye-popping year that many were expecting in 2010, but what he did do was his job. He was a day-in-day-out reliable force in the middle of Alabama’s stout defense. Additionally, he’s an athletic freak when you factor in his size, making him ideal for the 5-technique in Dallas’ 3-4 defense. Frankly, Dareus is the best player available on the board and he adds a name to the only position on the Cowboys roster where there isn’t a real “superstar.” Jerry might not be thrilled on draft day, but if it works out like this he should be.

 

10.) Washington Redskins: Blaine Gabbert- QB, Missouri. I’ve been watching sports for a very long time, and I must say that the relationship between Mike Shanahan and Donovan McNabb is one of the weirdest I’ve ever seen. If you would have asked me how those two would have gotten along prior to the start of the year, I would have said they’d work out tremendously. Here are two people that are well-respected in the NFL community. They’ve both been joined together in a relatively high-pressure situation in the nation’s capitol. They’re two people that needed each other: Shanahan to make it work in that high-pressure situation and McNabb to get back at the divisional foe that shut the door on him. When considering how much the Redskins gave up to get McNabb, you’d think they’d stick by him for a little while.

But they didn’t. The Redskins got off to an up and down start to the year and by week 10 were 4-5. In the five losses, McNabb completed 62.5% of his passes for 1,413 yards (282.6 ypg) with 6 TDs and 7 INTs. Not great but certainly not terrible. Meanwhile, do you know how many points the defense gave up in those games? 30, 30, 27, 37 and 59. Jeebus. Instead of getting tough on their defense, though, Shanahan got tough on his... veteran QB. Things spiraled out of control, yadda yadda, now the relationship between Shanahan and McNabb can’t be sustained. I actually read a report that Shanahan would be “willing” to bring McNabb back if McNabb redid his contract to make it more in line with what a back-up quarterback makes. Wow. Weird weird relationship.

At any rate, it appears that Washington is poised to go after a quarterback rather than fix the deficiencies on the defense. No real answers in FA and I’ve already explained why I don’t consider Jake Locker elite. The only person left is Mr. Gabbert. He should have a fine career in Washington, so long as his defense doesn’t give up 36.6 points per game. Then Shanahan will really be on his ass.

 

11.) Houston Texans: Janoris Jenkins- CB, Florida. Based on yardage, the Houston Texans had the 4th best passing attack and the 7th best rushing attack in the league. Their run defense was decent, giving up a little bit more than 109 yards per game. That was good enough for 13th in the league. And yet the Texans finished the season with double-digit losses. How? The worst pass defense in the league.

The Houston Texans gave up 267.5 yards through the air per game. Over the course of a 16 game season, that means opposing offenses completed 4,280 yards worth of passes. That’s almost 2 1/2 miles of completed passes. Here are a list of things that are 2 1/2 miles or less: the swimming leg of an ironman triathlon, the length of Central Park in Manhattan, the distance between Big Diomede island, the easternmost piece of Russian soil, and Little Diomede island, the closest piece of American soil.

Clearly, the Texans’ secondary needs to be addressed. Jenkins is my top corner prospect in this year’s draft. He’s got decent size, but the thing that sets him apart is his speed. He’s got great top-end speed and he’s quick in breaking on balls in the air. He’s also been playing against top-flight competition like Julio Jones and Alshon Jeffrey in the SEC, so he’s not going to be too shocked by the transition to the NFL.

 

12.) Minnesota Vikings: Julio Jones- WR, Alabama. Rick Spielman became the general manager for the Minnesota Vikings in 2004. In the drafts that have followed we’ve learned two things: 1.) Spielman loves to trade his picks, and 2.) Spielman loves to take offensive skill position players in the first round. Here are Spielman’s first round picks since 2005:

 

2005- #7 overall: Troy Williamson- WR, South Carolina

2005- #18 overall: Erasmus James- DE, Wisconsin

2006- #17 overall: Chad Greenway- LB, Iowa

2007- #7 overall: Adrian Peterson- RB, Oklahoma

2008- no pick

2009- #22 overall: Percy Harvin- WR, Florida

2010- no pick

 

So of the 5 first round selections Spielman has held on to, he’s used 3 of them on offensive skill positions. I can see him taking another this year for multiple reasons. First, the Vikings passing game was atrocious last year, ranking 26th in the league. While much of that stems from instability at the quarterback position, there isn’t much left in the draft to help you unless you’re enamored with Jake Locker, and once again, you shouldn’t be. Second, Sidney Rice is a free agent this year. There are enough teams out there in need of a #1 wide receiver such that Rice will command a fairly large contract from whatever team is willing to take a risk; however, he sat out almost all of 2010 making it hard for the Vikings to bring him back at that cost. These two facts give Speilman the excuse he needs to pick another first round offensive skill position player. Selecting Julio Jones will allow the Vikings to depart with Rice but have a wide-out with exceptional size opposite Harvin, that is, assuming Spielman keeps the pick.

 

13.) Detroit Lions: Ryan Kerrigan- DE, Purdue. Here we go again. Let me be clear, I do not think the Lions need help at defensive end. The Lions did rank 24th in the league against the run, but with Cliff Avril, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Turk McBride... they’ve got players there. Nonetheless, if the Detroit Lions have taught us anything it’s that they don’t draft for need- they just look for the best player available. With the board unfolding as it has, I think they go with Ryan Kerrigan here. This past season Kerrigan totaled 70 tackles (!) from the defensive end position (!!!) with 13 sacks, 26 tackles for loss, and five forced fumbles. He did all that despite being consistently double-teamed by some pretty good offensive lines in the Big Ten. There are a lot of different ways Detroit could go here, but they will go BPA and for me, that’s Kerrigan.

 

14.) St. Louis Rams: Akeem Ayers- OLB, UCLA. So everyone has the Rams taking a WR eh? It’s a no brainer, right? The thing the Rams are missing is a legitimate wide-out? Let me tell you the story of two teams this year:

 

Team A: The leading receiver for the team was a WR who caught 85 balls. Second was another wide receiver who caught 53 passes. Neither reached 1,000 yards receiving. The next two top pass-catchers on the team weren’t wide receivers. The rest of the main wide receivers caught 34, 23, and 20 passes.

 

Team B: The leading receiver for the team was a WR who caught 82 balls. Second was another wide receiver who caught 48 passes. These two wide-outs totaled a little more yardage than the leading receivers on Team A, but again neither of these receivers came close to getting 1,000 yards. The next two top pass-catchers were again not wide receivers. The rest of the WR corp. caught 24, 9 and 7 passes.

 

Who was Team A? The Rams. Who was Team B? The New England Patriots. What’s my point? The receiver situation in St. Louis isn’t nearly as bad as people are making it out to be, especially if they can manage to stay healthy. Of course the Patriots have Tom Brady, but isn’t that what the Rams are hoping Sam Bradford is going to be?

What is a problem in St. Louis is the linebacker situation. James Laurinaitis may be a good NFL linebacker or not, but it’s pretty hard to tell when he’s flanked by some of the worst OLBs in the game. The six players that have lined up at OLB in the Rams front seven amassed, together, a whopping 4 sacks. All six of them... 4 sacks. The best of the bunch is probably Na’l Diggs, but he’s going to be 33 and has already started to suffer from the injury bug. In his final two years at UCLA, Ayers tallied 137 tackles, 7 sacks, 6 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles. This level of production projects Ayers as an athletic 4-3 SAM linebacker that can tackle, rush the passer and cover- and that is something the Rams are missing.

 

15.) Miami Dolphins: Mark Ingram- RB, Alabama. The Dolphins are a running team, right? Then how come they were around the bottom third in rushing last year? Things are only going to get worse as both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are free agents next. If only there was some bruising, Heisman trophy-winning running back that came from a big-time college conference that the Phins could draft... that would be great. (To me, this is what a no-brain situation looks like.)

 

16.) Jacksonville Jaguars: Adrian Clayborn- DE, Iowa. The Jags are in the bottom ten in both pass and run defense. There are a lot of holes to fill, but none more glaring than at defensive end. Jacksonville currently has 6 DEs on roster. In 2010, they totaled 74 tackles, 9 sacks and no forced fumbles. That’s all 6 of them combined. In 2010, Adrian Clayborn had 52 tackles and 4 sacks in what was considered a down year for him. If he continues to have “down years” he’ll be the most productive DE on the Jags roster. If he lives up to what he did in 2009 (63 tackles, 11 sacks and a forced fumble), even better.

 

17.) New England Patriots: Von Miller- OLB, Texas A&M. I call not fair. I mean, let’s be honest- if Al Davis was in your fantasy football league, you wouldn’t feel bad about vetoing one of his trades. I guess we’re all lucky Oakland somewhat pulled it together and the Pats aren’t drafting in the top 10. Whatever, I still think Goodell should used his veto. Or suspend Al Davis for a year. Something.

At any rate, there are a lot of ways New England could go here. They could go get that flashy wide receiver to replace Randy Moss, but that’s not really their style. The Pats pass D was pretty awful at times this year, but what do you expect when your four starters in the secondary average 24 years old. They’ll grow together and get better. They could add some youth to their aging lines. That would make sense I guess. But how does adding the best 3-4 linebacking prospect in this year’s draft to Bill Belicheck’s crazy defense. Sounds good if you’re a Pats fan. For the rest of us... damn you Al Davis.

 

18.) San Diego Chargers: Stephen Paea- DT, Oregon State. Based on yardage, the Chargers had 15th best rushing offense, the 2nd best passing offense, the 4th best rush defense and the best pass defense. And yet they didn’t make the playoffs. Not even the wildcard. Weird.

So there’s talent on the team. In this situation, they could go in any direction and it probably wouldn’t be a bad one. Why Paea? 2 of their 3 starting defensive lineman are over 30 and the Chargers never really replaced Igor Olshansky. Paea is a gym rat with a ton of potential. A former rugby player, he hasn’t been playing the game that long but has already made great strides. Give Paea some time to grow behind that dominating defense (statistically at least) and Paea may be stepping in for the aged veterans sooner rather than later.

 

19.) New York Giants: Gabe Carimi- OT, Wisconsin. The Giants are very similar to the Chargers in that they do a lot of things well statistically but they still missed the playoffs. Unlike the Chargers, though, it’s no wonder why the Giants aren’t playing for the title; in fact, it’s hard to forget. We all remember Vick’s domination of the Giant’s secondary. The game that actually sticks out to me is when the Giants played the Packers. Big Blue’s secondary literally could not cover. The Giants have invested some higher draft picks to address their secondary, but those players (like Corey Webster, Aaron Ross) are more physical players than speedsters. If the Giants ever hope to contain people like DeSean Jackson or Greg Jennings, they’re going to need someone that can run with them.

So here comes Mr. Harris. I really wanted to put Brandon Harris here, but the fact of the matter is I don’t know if he’s the burner are people are making him out to be. I’ve read reports that he actually runs around 4.4+, which certainly isn’t slow, but it’s not going to keep you with DeSean. That’s especially true if you don’t have perfect technique and there’s a fair amount of bad tape out there on Harris. So that, and again the fact that there are a ton of high draft picks already on the roster, means I couldn’t talk myself into putting Harris here.

If not Harris, then who? Well we all know what Coughlin wants- a powerful running team. Last year David Diehl was not all that and a bag of chips. Kareem McKenzie isn’t going to be around forever either. If you’re looking for a prototypical people-mover on the offensive line, you can stop looking with Gabe Carimi. What he lacks for in technique he makes up with in brute force. He’s a huge guy who can start his career inside and then move outside to tackle when he’s needed. Carimi may not be the pick they need right now, but he’s a very good pick for the Giants.

 

20.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Justin Blackmon- WR, Oklahoma State. The good news for Tampa Bay: they had a great year that they can build on going forward in the NFC South. The bad news for Tampa Bay: they did so well they’re not in position to fix their biggest need, interior defensive lineman.

The Bucs would have loved to have been able to get a guy like Fairley or Dareus or even Paea, but at this point I have all of them being gone. The rest of the prospects fall into one of the two categories. One, they don’t fit the Tampa 2 scheme and are better 3-4 DEs (Cameron Jordan, Allen Bailey), or two, they haven’t lived up to being picked in the first round (Drake Nevis, Cory Liuget). The best thing the Bucs can hope to do is dress another area of need and try to find some playmakers on the D-line later in the draft.

Which brings me back to the story I told in the Rams pick. Imagine, if you will, there there was a Team C in that story. That team’s leading receiver was a tight end. The team’s third leading receiver was a running back. The team’s top wide-out was a 4th round rookie that caught 65 balls for just less than 1,000 yards. None of the other WRs on this team could manage to catch more than 25 passes or gain more than 400 yards. Shocker, I know, we’re talking about Tampa. I know that the Bucs just took Arrelious Benn in the second round last year, but he clearly hasn’t worked out. Factor in that Dez Bryant has proved to be a success at the next level and I think Tampa will want to get their own Oklahoma State product to pair with the up-and-coming Mike Williams.

[kshutchins]

6.) Cleveland Browns: A.J. Green- WR, Georgia. This is a no-brainer. The Browns do have other areas and other picks here would be legitimately good. Marcell Dareus would bolster a D-line that was so bad that Rob Ryan sometimes abandoned using a defensive line completely. Prince Amukamara would pair nicely opposite Joe Haden forming a formidable tandem for the future.

Ultimately though, the Browns are completely missing wide receivers. I’ll repeat that. The Browns are COMPLETELY missing wide receivers. Only on a team like the Browns would Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie get targets. At best, they’re a #3 option on a team with a decent passing game. At best! And I don’t mean the Patriots or the Colts- I mean teams like the Dolphins and Vikings. Cribbs could have some value as a possession receiver. We may see things out of the physically gifted Carlton Mitchell. But as it stands, Cleveland needs to overhaul their WR corps. to take men out of the box and to give Colt at least an option on the edges. The Browns do have some good things going: a run game that can be powerful, a young secondary that fuels an opportunistic defense, above-average special teams. At the end of the day, though, it is completely impossible in this league to be one dimensional. Adding A.J. Green helps Cleveland become a complete football team.

 

 

Welcome aboard. I agree with your assessment of the receivers but not everyone here does.

[ClevelandFanForLife]

Hi all, new to the board but long time Browns fan. I've been posting over on ClevelandBrowns.com, but I'm tired of how petty and personal everyone gets over there. So here's hoping for some good solid football discussion! Anyway, I've been writing my own mock draft for this year. It only covers the teams that are not in the playoffs; I'll probably update it after the Super Bowl so I have the complete draft order. It's also kinda long, but I've bolded the picks if you feel like just skimming through it. Anyways, hope you enjoy it!

 

Welcome aboard. Don't waste your time on the browns website. It's way better here.

[Nw220]

I like your mock draft but i think your being abit of a homer if you truly believe that AJ Green will be there when we pick i just dont see it happening but id love if it did

[ballpeen]

I think I could live with this projected pick of Nick Fairly to the Browns.

 

 

 

No doubt. I might even consider a trade up for that guy.

 

[shepwrite]

Nice mock, Rugy. GREAT insights, too. Love to have you post here more. Green is available in a few mocks, including Chad Reuter or whatever his name is at CBS. There are definitely some scenarios that drop him to us and then we use exactly as much clock as it takes to run to the podium.

 

I think we'd take Green or Julio Jones before we'd go to the next name on our board. I'd also go pass rusher (OLB in a 3-4) in round 2 before drafting a DE, not really a premium position in our two-gap 3-4. We could get some nice youth in round 3, I bet.

 

Pass receiver, then pass rusher. Other way around if we could get Breaston and then Baldwin. That'd be pretty sweet.

[shepwrite]

Here's an interesting name for round 2: Justin Houston of Georgia, already an OLB in Grantham's 3-4 at 6'3" and 258. He was a second team All-American and had 10 sacks. He's very quick off the edge and is likely a 25-40 pick to a 3-4 team and might require a trade-up into the late first round.

 

I don't think he's declared yet but most think he'll go. He'd be a great pick.

[RugbyDawg]

I like your mock draft but i think your being abit of a homer if you truly believe that AJ Green will be there when we pick i just dont see it happening but id love if it did

 

Thanks for the compliment! As for Green to the Browns, I would have agreed with you before we got our hands on the number 6 pick. But now there are only 5 teams in front of us- and each has very good reasons not to take Green.

 

Carolina- If my memory and lousy googling skills serve me correctly, there hasn't been a receiver taken #1 overall since 1964. There have been prospects at the position better than Green in the last half century and this draft is not so devoid of talent that they must resort to taking a wideout at the top.

 

Denver- If they take Green I will place money on them tearing down Mile High stadium. Their defense was historically bad and the only thing they COULD do last year was pass. No way Green lands here.

 

Buffalo- With the worst run defense in the NFL, are they really going to take an offensive skill position player in the top 10 again? It didn't work out so well for them last time.

 

Arizona- What, they need a receiver downfield to stand with Fitzgerald while neither catches the ball?

 

That leaves the Bengals. I could easily see them taking Green; however, I don't think it's likely. Like I said in the original post, Mike Brown doesn't take receivers in the first round. Instead the Bengals just added receivers in the second and third round (Andre Caldwell, Jerome Simpson and Jordan Shipley- all of whom looked pretty good in Cincy's last game). Additionally they just picked up Ochocinco's $6 million contract... I think. Read this: http://www.realgmfootball.com/src_wiretap_...#036;6m_option/ . I know that the article speculates that Chad could be cut or traded, but is penny pinching Mike Brown really going to let $6 million walk and cut the guy? No. And who exactly is going to give Cincy value for the aging receiver? No one.

 

So like I said, I COULD see the Bengals going after them, but is that likely when they're poised to go into the season with Ochocinco, Andre Caldwell, Jerome Simpson and Jordan Shipley? I don't think so. Especially not given Cincy's trouble rushing the passer and the Bengals bringing back a defensive minded coach.

 

So if the Bengals don't take him... and I don't think they will... and neither do the other 4... that leaves Green all to us. If he is there, then he's gotta be the pick.

[RugbyDawg]

Nice mock, Rugy. GREAT insights, too. Love to have you post here more. Green is available in a few mocks, including Chad Reuter or whatever his name is at CBS. There are definitely some scenarios that drop him to us and then we use exactly as much clock as it takes to run to the podium.

 

I think we'd take Green or Julio Jones before we'd go to the next name on our board. I'd also go pass rusher (OLB in a 3-4) in round 2 before drafting a DE, not really a premium position in our two-gap 3-4. We could get some nice youth in round 3, I bet.

 

Pass receiver, then pass rusher. Other way around if we could get Breaston and then Baldwin. That'd be pretty sweet.

 

Thanks for the compliment! I agree about taking Green ASAP if he's there, but if he is taken earlier I'd probably address another position. If Robert Quinn is still legit he'd look REAL good in Brown and Orange. Ditto for Nick Fairley. Chances are that if Green is taken one of those two will be available to us.

 

In the second round I do like Houston. There are a couple other names I like a little more though. If Jonathan Baldwin is still available he's as much a no brainer as Green is, even if we do go with a WR at 6. Imagine having Green on one side and Baldwin on the other. Bring 8 in the box!! Go ahead!! I dare you!!

 

Another name I really like in round 2 is Jared Crick. Played with Suh and held his own. In the year that Suh was in the NFL, Crick proved he was no fluke, posting even better numbers.

 

In round 3, I've got a gut pick I really like right here: Casey Matthews- ILB, Oregon. Just a good feeling around this guy. Hey, he has football in his blood!

[ClevelandFanForLife]

Thanks for the compliment! As for Green to the Browns, I would have agreed with you before we got our hands on the number 6 pick. But now there are only 5 teams in front of us- and each has very good reasons not to take Green.

 

Carolina- If my memory and lousy googling skills serve me correctly, there hasn't been a receiver taken #1 overall since 1964. There have been prospects at the position better than Green in the last half century and this draft is not so devoid of talent that they must resort to taking a wideout at the top.

Keyshawn Johnson was taken 1st overall by the Jets in 1996. Although it is very rare to see a WR taken that high.

[shepwrite]

I can only see us passing on Green and Jones if we really went large in free agency at WR, like Vincent Jackson. MAYBE if we got Breaston. I don't want any part of James Jones... that drop before the half was just dreadful.

 

If we got Breaston and made sure we got Baldwin (probably in a trade-up), I could buy that. But we need two serious guys this offseason. I think the only three guys from this year on next year's active roster are Massoquoi, Cribbs, and Robiskie... and none of them is better than a #3 on most teams.

[RugbyDawg]

Keyshawn Johnson was taken 1st overall by the Jets in 1996. Although it is very rare to see a WR taken that high.

 

Stupid google... thanks! I still don't think he goes #1 overall though.

[ClevelandFanForLife]

Stupid google... thanks! I still don't think he goes #1 overall though.

that's because he shouldn't have been. maybe the slowest first round receiver ever?

[RugbyDawg]

Stupid google... thanks! I still don't think he goes #1 overall though.

 

There was Irving Fryer too back in the '80s. Guess I shoulda looked a little harder on that. And it was '65 not '64 for the one before that. Still- 3 WRs in almost 50 years. I dunno, maybe Carolina really likes him. I don't see it happening though.

[ClevelandFanForLife]

I think I could live with this projected pick of Nick Fairly to the Browns.

i could before tonight. cheap shot artist. i don't want a cheap player who makes dumb moves in big games.

[ClevelandBigDawg]

Nick Fairly looked terrific. He looked like Ndamukung(sp?) Suh tonight. Any team would be lucky to have him, 3-4 or 4-3. Fairly may be the best option for us as I dont see Bowers being available, and Green could be gone too.

 

I like what I saw from Casey Matthews too. I wanted him on name alone, but tonights game showed he can play. He just needs to fine tune his game.

 

If LaMichael James decides to come out (which I doubt), he would be sweet, but we dont need a RB as high as he would go.

 

On a somewhat related note. I like the coaching move Chizic made sending the FG unit out there with 10 sec. making Oregon use(waste) their last timeout in attempts to "ice" the kicker, then sending the offense out there to set up a field goal for when time expired. When they sent the FG unit out I figured thats what they were doing, but I never would have thought to do that originally.

 

 

[calfoxwc]

Fairley dominated on defense for Auburn. But, the stupid facemask shove AFTER he made the tackle and was getting back up off the guy...

 

he doesn't seem to be very smart. Or disciplined. Maybe just needs to grow up. Darius would be a better fit, I think.

[hoorta]

Nick Fairly looked terrific. He looked like Ndamukung(sp?) Suh tonight. Any team would be lucky to have him, 3-4 or 4-3. Fairly may be the best option for us as I dont see Bowers being available, and Green could be gone too.

 

I like what I saw from Casey Matthews too. I wanted him on name alone, but tonights game showed he can play. He just needs to fine tune his game.

 

If LaMichael James decides to come out (which I doubt), he would be sweet, but we dont need a RB as high as he would go.

 

On a somewhat related note. I like the coaching move Chizic made sending the FG unit out there with 10 sec. making Oregon use(waste) their last timeout in attempts to "ice" the kicker, then sending the offense out there to set up a field goal for when time expired. When they sent the FG unit out I figured thats what they were doing, but I never would have thought to do that originally.

 

Farley definitely moved into the top five with that game against Oregon. Cam Newton played well enough the Cardinals may take a shot at him.

 

Now who won't take Green? That would be the Cardinals. Yeah I saw Walter's has Carolina taking Green @ #1, but who's going to get him the ball? Clausen? Har har. Denver's going to go D, but a CB @ #2? Even if Champ Bailey departs, I don't see it- not for a team that was dead last in defensive sacks.

 

With Stinko coming back to the Bengals, a #1 wr isn't a s big a priority as someone, anyone that can generate a pass rush.

 

So yeah, possibility Green might fall to the Browns, and if he does, it will take about 1\2 second for the Browns to claim him. If he's gone, and the other four picks going defense, I could see the Browns trying to trade back and get an extra second round pick.

 

 

 

[ballpeen]

Stupid google... thanks! I still don't think he goes #1 overall though.

 

 

I agree. Carolina has Steve Smith. Though getting older, he still gets it done. They also drafted Brandon LaFell last year. While he started slowly, he started to show signs of good things to come. I guess the only worry I might have is Athens, Ga isn't all that far from Charlotte so he would "play" in that market.

 

Between Green and Fairly, I take Fairly...though i think Fairly goes top 3.

 

 

Just ranting a bit, I like a running back and we might be able to get him at the top of round 4...Noel Devine.

 

He would be a really nice compliment to Hillis.

 

[ballpeen]

Also, in the end I think Carolina will trade down for extra selections...and who ever trades up, I seriously doubt Green will be the target.

 

I could see them dropping to 10 or lower.

[Nw220]

Ill come back on this board and eat my words if we do get Green at #6 but i really dont see it happening,

 

As far as Nick Fairley yeah he played well last night and moved himself into the top 5 no doubt i like him better due to Marceull Dareus both they both lack production constantly Dareus had 13 sacks last year and never played up to that potential this year totaling only 3, as well as Fairley last year was no were the season he had this year so you gotta ask yourself are they as good as they appear...I like Bowers who his a physical freak and think he wont be there for us ethier

 

So i say you have to go WR and if Green is gone which i believe he will be you trade back and take the next sure thing in Blackmon, Jones has hands issues even though his size and speed is very impressive

 

Heres to hoping Green falls in are lap

[ClevelandFanForLife]

Ill come back on this board and eat my words if we do get Green at #6 but i really dont see it happening,

 

As far as Nick Fairley yeah he played well last night and moved himself into the top 5 no doubt i like him better due to Marceull Dareus both they both lack production constantly Dareus had 13 sacks last year and never played up to that potential this year totaling only 3, as well as Fairley last year was no were the season he had this year so you gotta ask yourself are they as good as they appear...I like Bowers who his a physical freak and think he wont be there for us ethier

 

So i say you have to go WR and if Green is gone which i believe he will be you trade back and take the next sure thing in Blackmon, Jones has hands issues even though his size and speed is very impressive

 

Heres to hoping Green falls in are lap

blackmon may have great hands, but i still like jones more. he is a monster at 6-4, 220. yeah, he has problems with his hands but that can be coached. he's a beast.

[hammertime]

Farley definitely moved into the top five with that game against Oregon. Cam Newton played well enough the Cardinals may take a shot at him.

 

Now who won't take Green? That would be the Cardinals. Yeah I saw Walter's has Carolina taking Green @ #1, but who's going to get him the ball? Clausen? Har har. Denver's going to go D, but a CB @ #2? Even if Champ Bailey departs, I don't see it- not for a team that was dead last in defensive sacks.

 

With Stinko coming back to the Bengals, a #1 wr isn't a s big a priority as someone, anyone that can generate a pass rush.

 

So yeah, possibility Green might fall to the Browns, and if he does, it will take about 1\2 second for the Browns to claim him. If he's gone, and the other four picks going defense, I could see the Browns trying to trade back and get an extra second round pick.

 

We really need a scoring threat. Trading back is too risky. Alot of these projections will be tossed out after combines also.

[shepwrite]

Jones didn't show hands problems nearly as much last year, especially down the stretch. He's a great fit for the WCO.

 

Nick Fairley may have played himself into the conversation for #1 overall. He's a farging beast. If we stay in our two-gap 3-4, though, I'm not sure that's the best use of his talents. He might dominate as a one-gap in the 4-3. If we switch to a 4-3, he and Rubin (also very active) would be an incredible tandem. I have no clue what the plan is on defense.

 

For my money, I'd take either Green or Jones first, the Georgia 3-4 OLB second, and a 3-4 DE in round 3. Fourth is a right side blocker, because with Pashos, Lauvao, Yates, and Womack all returning, I'm not convinced we don't have an answer already on the team. I think Lauvao takes over at RG almost for sure. Free agency obviously figures in.

[Nw220]

Trade back in the first

 

1st.Blackmon or Jones

2nd. Insert best pash rusher whether its Justin Houston Georgia or whomever may drop (cam heyward) Laurnatis and Mualaga both dropped and were projected first round

3rd.Best RT available

4th. Casey Matthews!!! trade up if you have to grab him

 

That would be my best scerniao also if we trade back and grab Jones or Blackmon then we'd have another pick somewhere in there as well

 

Because honestly Jones or Blackmon could be had around Mid First round no need to take them with #6 overall unless of course AJ Green is there and then theres no need to have this conversation

[shepwrite]

If the Browns got A.J. Green and Justin Houston in rounds 1 and 2, it'd be an absolutely amazing draft addressing our two biggest issues at a very high level. I'd consider moving Fujita inside with Gocong and starting Benard and Houston on the outside. I'd also like to keep DQJ on the cheap for at least one year, see how he does.

 

Third round for a right tackle would be great, then. Like I said elsewhere, Pashos, Womack, Lauvao, and Yates will return and we can have the starting right side we never fielded last year (probably Lauvao and Pashos) while the rook gets his redshirt year like Lauvao did.