2012 NFL Mock Draft Weekly Update #11

USC Trojans Matt Barkley and Matt Kalil shocked the nation as USC defeated Oregon.  Colts owner Jim Isray believes Matt Barkley is the best player after Andrew Luck.  Could the Colts move down for Barkley like the Chargers did for Rivers after taking Eli in 2004?

This weeks mock draft will be the first mock draft where the actual NFL Standings are taken into account.  The previous mock drafts were based on where teams were in the standings and how high I had them ranked in the preseason.

This week’s mock draft will also be the first mock draft where potential trade predictions are taken into account as well.  Whenever I predict a trade the words TRADE ALERT! will appear in all caps in bold.

To interact with me on draft picks or to post your take on a pick you like or dislike in the comments page. You can also reach me at [email protected].

Round 1

TRADE ALERT! Washington Redskins Trade 2012 5th overall pick, 2012 2nd round pick, and 2013 a first round pick for the 2012 First Overall Pick.

Why it Makes Sense for Washington Redskins The Redskins have the NFL’s largest stadium.  Luck will fill seats at Fed Ex Field plus Snyder will play him right away.  Redskins Owner Dan Snyder has a tendency to be aggressive with free agency moves and draft picks.  Snyder will usually move up or down on draft day.  Plus Snyder makes bold moves every year hoping to boost the Redskins attendance.

Why it Makes Sense for Indianapolis Colts The Colts like 2 prospects better than anyone else.  Those two prospects are Andrew Luck and USC’s Matt Barkley.  Colts Owner Jim Isray believes Matt Barkley can be just as good as Luck because Barkley defeated Oregon something Luck didn’t do.  If the Colts drafted Luck there would be an urge to play him right away because he’s such a coveted franchise player.  There would not be that temptation to throw Matt Barkley into the fire right away even though I believe he could start right away for a team.

There was heavy speculation the last 2 weeks that Manning would be released and Luck would be the pick before a tweet posted by Colts owner Jim Isray on Sunday Afternoon.

@JimIrsay
Jim Irsay
Yea I saw Barkley n Luck last nite,and there’s others with big time potential..but we want 18 back under center soon/18 now-2012Class future

Isray’s tweet indicates that the Colts would want to start Manning in 2012.  Isray has a huge interest in having Luck or Barkley sit behind Manning for 2 to 5 years.  Luck is not going to wait to to three years to start in this league.  The Colts mentioned Barkley before Luck in Isray’s tweet.  Maybe it means the Colts realize the Colts know that Luck wants to start right away.  If that is the case than, the Colts may be opted to move down if they like Barkley that much.

Does anyone else think there is a chance the Colts could move down like the Chargers did and end up drafting Matt Barkley?  The Colts do not usually send smokescreens to the public when drafting folks.

The Colts expressed their interest in drafting a left tackle in 2011.  The Colts took one with Anthony Costanzo.  The Colts have expressed dire interest in a quarterback of the future that will sit behind Manning for 2 years.  Luck is good enough to play right away and Isray also likes Barkley possibly more than he is letting people to believe.  That may urge the Colts to give a team Luck if they have the Kings Ransom of draft picks that the Indianapolis Colts seek.  Washington would have a top 5 pick, a 2012 2nd rounder, and a 2013 first rounder.

The Colts would have the first pick in the 2nd round and a Redskins 2012 2nd round pick and could use both picks as bait to move back into the first round obtaining an offensive lineman like Alabama’s Barrett Jones or Iowa’s Riley Reiff.

1. Washington Redskins from Indianapolis Colts 0-10 Andrew Luck Quarterback Stanford Junior Redshirt The Redskins need a quarterback who can play right away.  Rex Grossman and John Beck are clearly not the long term solutions.  Adding Luck makes Washington a threat in the NFC East and the NFC as a whole for the next 15 years.

Despite what happens in the 2012 Election its pretty apparent that the nations capital is electing a new signal caller in 2012.  If the Redskins drafted a quarterback in 2010 or 2011 the timing for the joke would have been off.  One thing that isn’t a laughing matter is Washington’s desperate need to acquire a field general who can address glaring offensive concerns giving the Redskins followers a glimmer of hope moving forward.

2. Carolina Panthers 2-8 Quinton Coples 3-4 Right Outside Linebacker North Carolina Senior Carolina would get the 2nd pick because their opponents have combined for fewer wins than the Minnesota Vikings.  The Panthers also have the NFL’s most difficult schedule so that is another advantage here.

Carolina is giving an indication of interest that their going to go defense here.  Do the Panthers take the best defensive player available Quinton Coples who could play in a 4-3 or a 3-4?  Do the Panthers draft a defensive player that addresses a need like Morris Claiborne?

At the end of the day Carolina will answer one of these 2 million dollar draft questions in Carolina.  Looking at the success Julius Peppers had along with the fact that Rivera wants to run a 3-4 makes me believe Coples could be the pick.

There is a consensus at this point that Carolina would take Morris Claiborne.  Cornerbacks rarely get selected in the top 3 let alone the top 2 which is why I believe Carolina goes Coples here.

Rivera ran a 3-4 defense in San Diego when he was the Chargers defensive coordinator.  Rivera wants to run a 3-4 defense.  This makes sense because Carolina would have 2 4-3/3-4 middle linebackers with Jon Beason and Dan Conner who are both capable of starting.  Why keep one of your best defenders on the bench when you can play both in a 3-4 scheme?  Simone Fua one of the 2 rookie defensive tackles is a better fit for the 3-4 as he played nose tackle at Stanford.  Terrell McClain could play 3-4 left end in a 5 technique role against right guards and right tackles with his 6 foot 2 297 pound frame.  This would leave 2 3-4 outside linebackers, and a 3-4 right end as Carolina’s main needs for a 3-4 scheme.  Carolina would also need a cornerback and a wide receiver for the 2012 NFL Draft.

Coples can be used as a 4-3 defensive end, 4-3 defensive tackle, 3-4 end, and a 3-4 outside linebacker.  Coples has the versatility to translate to Ron Rivera’s 3-4 scheme.  Coples can be a pass rusher or a run stuffer.

The final player I could see Carolina taking is LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne.  Claiborne would really address a critical need on secondary at cornerback.  Claiborne could start right away as a boundary cornerback next to Chris Gamble.  Over time Claiborne could become the field corner who covers opponents #1 wide receivers.  Captain Munnerlyn is not equipped to be a boundary corner in this league.  Munnerlyn would be much more suited for a nickel or dime role.

Coples is a can’t miss prospect though so if Carolina switches to from a 4-3 to a 3-4 I think they go Coples here.

When John Fox brought his 4-3 defense to Carolina he drafted a 4-3 sack artist from North Carolina in Julius Peppers.  Coples can be just as talented plus Coples has the versatility to play in a 3-4 scheme which is why I think he’s a great fit for Carolina because Rivera could make him the 3-4 pass rusher for his scheme.

The Panthers pick was a tough pick to decide last week.  I doubt the Panthers pick 2nd.  There are still 6 weeks though so a lot could happen.

3. St. Louis Rams 2-8 Matt Kalil Left Tackle USC Junior Redshirt The Rams would pick 3rd if the season ended today.  The Rams need to get Bradford a blindside.  This enables Roger Saffold to slide into right tackle potentially kicking right tackle Jason Smith inside to left guard.  The Rams need better pass protection and Kalil is the best player available.  The Rams should select Kalil here.

Drafting Matt Kalil enables the St. Louis Rams to address a critical need on the offensive line.  Kalil has the versatility to play left tackle, left guard, center, right guard, or right tackle.  The last offensive line prospect who I thought could play all 5 of these positions on the offensive line was Maurkice Pouncey.

Even though I anticipated an instant impact year from Pouncey most people were surprised by his rookie campaign to a certain degree.

4. Minnesota Vikings 2-8 Morris Claiborne Cornerback LSU Junior Besides Matt Barkley and Robert Griffin III are top 5 talents.  The Vikings just drafted a quarterback in 2011 with Florida State’s Christian Ponder.  Neither Barkley or Griffin III will get selected here.

The only top 5 talent on my draft board that isn’t a quarterback is LSU corner Morris Claiborne.  Claiborne would help the Vikings upgrade their secondary.

I realize that Justin Blackmon and Jonathan Martin are available.  I don’t think either is worth spending a top 5 pick on at this point.  Minnesota could trade down to generate extra picks hoping to land either one.  Teams have to give up so much to get top 5 picks.  I cannot see a team giving up so much to trade into the top 5 unless they need a quarterback.  I cannot see a team giving the Vikings enough picks to force the Vikings hand by trading the pick.

Claiborne is a top 5 talent though.  Claiborne’s coverage ability as a sophomore gave 2011 quarterbacks Cam Newton and Ryan Mallett fits in the SEC.    That has to be a positive statement to a certain degree even though Claiborne played next to top 5 pick Patrick Peterson.

Antoine Winfield is good when healthy.  Winfield is starting to age and become an injury prone reliability.  Cedric Griffin is injury prone with durability issues.  Chris Cook has had some trouble staying out of trouble off the field.  Asher Allen just hasn’t been a good cornerback and its hard to believe he will become that type of corner.

Winfield used to be an elite field cornerback who could contain #1 flanker receivers who are a quarterbacks primary target.  Now he is more of a #2 boundary corner who covers opponents #2 wide receivers due to his age.  Claiborne is capable of stepping in and becoming the Vikings #1 corner.

Pairing up Winfield with Claiborne would make the Minnesota Vikings secondary much more effective long term.  The Vikings already have the pass rush and run stuffing defense on the front 7.  Adding a final element on defense at cornerback gives the Vikings a defense that can cover better while creating more turnovers.

This draft will be stacked at left tackle, wide receiver, and corner.  The Vikings can take the bet available player here.

5. Indianapolis Colts from Washington Redskins 3-7 Matt Barkley Quarterback USC Junior I personally think it would be really stupid if Isray passes on Luck pulling an Eli Manning assuming his tweet holds true.  I think the Colts could trade down like San Diego did in the 2004 NFL Draft in 2012.  The Colts could still end up with a quarterback of the future and can start Manning in 2012 if they draft Matt Barkley.  That appears to be Isray’s goal for the Colts because he wants Manning to start while grooming either Luck or Barkley as the Colts quarterback of the future.

Barkley is capable of playing right away.  At the same time, Manning is capable of starting and Barkley will not pose an immediate threat to Manning’s starting job like Luck would.

If both Andrew Luck and Matt Barkley declare this trade between the Colts and Redskins could happen.  If Barkley returns then I expect Andrew Luck to go to the Colts.

If the season ended today there would be a coin flip between Arizona and Washington for the 5th pick.  I gave the 5th pick to Washington because another quarterback besides Luck needs to go in the top 5.

I gave the Colts Washington’s pick as I had Washington move up for Luck in this mock draft. If the Colts take Luck in addition to seeing the Rams, Vikings, and Cardinals pick in the top 5 expect one of the teams to deal the 5th pick like the Browns did in 2009.

If you listened to a podcast where Matt Barkley is on the Dan Patrick Show, you the listener begin to generate an impression about Barkley being an entertainer as a quarterback.  He played the guitar to entertain viewers and then topped that off by leading the USC marching band as a conductor after USC’s signature upset win over the Oregon Ducks that stirred major BCS headlines thanks to Griffin’s upset as well.

Matt Barkley and Jimmy Clausen have a lot more in common than most people realize.  Their both 6 foot 2 220 pounds, both were highly recruited, both were considered really high draft picks as juniors, both played in NFL pro style offenses, both had former NFL head coaches as their universities head coach at the time, and both quarterbacks can give you the impression that they may be an entertainer at times.

Barkley is a sharp quarterback with a relentless work ethic in the mold of a Carson Palmer when it comes to intangibles.  I think that’s why Matt Barkley’s NFL career will trump Jimmy Clausen’s NFL career when all is said and done.

Some NFL scouts may be turned off by Barkley’s entertainer personality as a quarterback so it would not shock me if Barkley ended up being the 3rd quarterback selected.  At this point though its hard not to justify that Barkley is the #2 quarterback in this draft.  The Colts like Barkley and I think they’d be willing to take a chance on letting Matt Barkley sit behind Manning.

 6. Arizona Cardinals 3-7 Jonathan “Moose” Martin Left Tackle Stanford Junior Redshirt The Arizona Cardinals draft board for top 5 best players who address a need looks something like this.

1. Matt Kalil LT USC Top 5 Talent 2nd overall on top 50 draft board

2. Morris Claiborne CB LSU Top 5 Talent 6th overall on top 50 draft board

3. Jonathan “Moose” Martin LT Stanford Top 10 Talent 8th overall on top 50 draft board

4. Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma State Top 10 10th overall on top 50 draft board

5. David DeCastro RG Stanford 1st round Talent 11th overall on top 50 draft board

Jonathan Martin is nicknamed “Moose” Martin by some teammates at Stanford.

Despite the fact that Martin has struggled against speed rushers, Martin is a good pass protector.  Martin has outstanding run blocking and zone blocking ability.

I like Martin in the NFL.  He reminds of former Ravens left tackle Jonathan Odgen with that high character off the field getting involved around the community attending autograph sessions like Steelers left tackle Max Starks does.

Worst case scenario I believe you get a left tackle who plays like former Stanford left tackle Bob Whitfield.  Whitfield was a good pass blocker who protected Chris Chandler on the Atlanta Falcons while using tenacious run blocking ability to pave the way for Jamal Anderson en route leading the Falcons to Super Bowl 33 at left tackle.  That’s what Martin can bring to the table even if he struggles against speed rushers.

Some people believe Martin should slide over to right tackle or kick inside to guard due to a lack of footwork.  I think that’s just a ludicrous statement when looking at Stanford’s Jonathan Martin.

Martin is the best player available plus the Arizona Cardinals have to rebuild everywhere on the offensive line.  It all starts at left tackle.

If Kalil and Martin are gone don’t be surprised if Arizona spends a top 10 pick on Martin’s Stanford teammate David DeCastro.  DeCastro has been outstanding this season at right guard.  I really would not blame Arizona for taking DeCastro so high given all their woes on the offensive line at left tackle, left guard, center, right guard, and right tackle.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars 3-7 Justin Blackmon Wide Receiver Oklahoma State Junior Redshirt I have Blackmon graded out as my 10th best player.  I personally believe he is more of a secondary receiver in the mold of a Torry Holt or Anquan Boldin rather than a player who can step in right away becoming a quarterback’s primary receiving target like AJ Green.

Blackmon has the stats of a #1 target as Blackmon has had 2 consecutive seasons with over 100 receptions.  Blackmon also has back to back seasons of 1,200 receiving yards or more.  Blackmon also has the hardware of a #1 receiver as he won the 2010 Billetnikoff Award for the Nations best receiver in the NCAA.  Blackmon has the high character and tireless work ethic so maybe Blackmon is much better than I believe he is.

I think Jacksonville will be hoping for a #1 flanker receiver and ultimately wind up selecting a #2 secondary target because of Blackmon’s 6 foot 1 208 pound frame.  Blackmon’s stats kind of mask the physical tools Blackmon brings to the table as a wide receiver because GM’s and Scouts become enamored when they see a receiver produce in the NFL the way Blackmon has produced at Oklahoma State.

Still Blackmon poses the stats and hardware of a #1 receiver.  Blaine Gabbert needs a #1 receiver to throw to.  Your getting a secondary receiving target worst case scenario with Blackmon. Blackmon could be a #1 target in the NFL if he continues to post his college numbers in the NFL.

The Jaguars have to do something to make Blaine Gabbert more successful.  Blackmon may not succeed, but as the Jaguars GM you have an obligation to put Gabbert in the best position to succeed by giving him a potential #1 receiver to throw to down the road.

8. Miami Dolphins 3-7 Robert Griffin III Quarterback Baylor Junior Redshirt Robert Griffin III is a top 5 talent.  He should go 3 spots higher.  The problem is he could fall if teams set at quarterback are picking ahead of Miami.  Miami would take Robert Griffin III in this situation and keep Matt Moore in the wake of his winning to compete with Robert Griffin III for the starting job.  Even if Griffin fails to win the job, he can sit behind Matt Moore who is on a 3 game winning streak.

Robert Griffin III put on a clinic against a legit Oklahoma defense with 3 or 4 future NFL draft picks.  Griffin III did this despite having an inferior supporting cast compared to Landry Jones.

I could give myself all the credit for putting Griffin this high to begin with.  I could give praise to other draft analysts who are beginning to see the same thing I see.  The people who really deserve the credit were the players on that Baylor roster who took the field as a team to knock off Oklahoma in a major upset.

I really like Oklahoma backup Blake Bell.  People believe Bell has a better football IQ than Sam Bradford coming out of high school plus Bell kept Oklahoma in the game with his 4 rushing touchdowns.

Oklahoma knows Landry Jones is going pro after this year.  Why else would they be inserting Bell in these wildcat packages like Tim Tebow?

I’ve been saying that Jones isn’t worthy of a top 10 pick all year.  The Saturday game VS Baylor proved that.  I do think Jones will get pushed into the top 10 in the end because Matt Barkley or Robert Griffin III will likely lean towards returning for their senior season.  Right now I am leaning towards the latter because multiple draft outlets believe Robert Griffin III wants to pursue his first year of law school by returning to Baylor for his senior year.

I think it would be foolish for Robert Griffin III to return.  I think Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray could soar up draft boards like Stanford’s Andrew Luck did as a sophomore redshirt not that long ago if he declares as a junior plus Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson could guide the Razorbacks to a title game in a year from now if he returns to school.

Its way too early to speculate future first round picks beyond 2013 as far as Oklahoma’s Blake Bell goes.  Blake Bell may be in the 2014 or 2015 discussion down the line if he can play well at Oklahoma once Landry Jones leaves Oklahoma.  Until then just sit back and enjoy some Sooner Football folks.

9. Kansas City Chiefs 4-6 Luke Kuechly 3-4 Middle Linebacker Boston College Junior I probably will get some criticism here for putting Kuechly ahead of Trent Richardson here.  I simply believe Kuechly is a top 10 talent at middle linebacker in a 4-3 or a 3-4 plus he has the versatility to play anywhere in a 4-3 scheme at linebacker.

Jovan Belcher is a joke for a 3-4 middle linebacker and Derrick Johnson has absolutely no business starting for the Chiefs if he is going to blow zone coverage assignments that lead to potential touchdowns like the assignment he blew on the Rob Gronkowski play.

During Saturday’s Boston College VS Notre Dame game I managed to see some things.  The duel between 1st round middle linebackers Luke Kuechly of Boston College and Manti Teo of Notre Dame was on display in South Bend.

While the statistics say Kuechly could have played better, you had to have watched the game tape to gain a better glance at Kuechly on film.  Kuechly displayed outstanding coverage ability against the Fighting Irish.

There were plays where Kuechly would drop back in zone coverage taking away passing lanes for Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees.  Kuechly displayed very impressive play recognition skills and instincts when watching him on film.  There were plays where he was playing one on one man coverage against Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert who I have graded out as my top tight end if he declares.

Besides the Chiefs have one of the stronger run blocking units in the league despite being one of the most anemic teams when it comes to pass protection.  3 of their running backs had 8 carries for 30 yards Kuechley has registered 100+ tackles in each of his 3 seasons for Boston College.  Kuechly had 20 tackles in a single game against Florida State.

Kuechly currently has 182 tackles and is 12 tackles shy of setting a record for all time tackles within a single season.  Lawrence Flugence had 193 total tackles in one season that’s the high score.  Kuechly could be on pace that.

Luke Kuechly already got snubbed as a Chuck Bedarik Award Finalist for the Nations Best defender despite recording 182 total tackles in 2011.  This, and the fact that some project Kuechly to drop to the late first round is going to continue to motivate Kuechly to convince scouts he is worthy of a top 10 pick.

NFL Scouts will become enamored with Kuechly’s work ethic.  Mike Mayock a Boston College alum will be raving about Kuechly in the upcoming weeks leading up to the NFL Draft on NFL Network.  I can already forsee it now and were not even at Bowl Season yet in December folks.

In the end their will be a strong temptation for Scott Pioli to pass on Trent Richardson to draft Kuechly.  Besides Tamba Hali, the Chiefs lack a true blue chip linebacker on the inside or the outside that can aid Hali with anchoring this Chiefs linebacking core for Romeo Crennel’s 3-4 scheme.

Romeo Crennell’s play calling really managed to confuse Tom Brady on Monday Night early on in the game. Just imagine what Crennell could do with a player like Boston College’s Luke Kuechly at the inside linebacker spot for the Chiefs 3-4 defense.

Chiefs fans may boo this pick because Alabama’s Trent Richardson is available on draft day.  In the end, I am generating a strong belief that the Chiefs should pursue Luke Kuechly if they end up picking in the top 10.

10. Cleveland Browns 4-6 Trent Richardson Running Back Alabama Junior Trent Richardson is a slam dunk steal if he slides to #10.  The Madden Jinx has resulted in Peyton Hillis wanting to pull a Lebron James on the Cleveland Browns organization.

Time to pull the plug on Hillis and bring in a new bruiser.  Alabama’s Trent Richardson has recorded 236 carries, 1,380 rushing yards, and 20 rushing touchdowns with one of the best run blocking offensive lines in the country heading into Saturday’s Iron Bowl showdown against the Auburn Tigers.

Richardson currently ranks 4th in the nation in rushing yards.  The other 3 backs ahead of Richardson are Virginia Tech’s David Wilson, Wisconsin back Montee Ball, and Western Kentucky’s Bobby Rainey.   I believe Rainey is a huge sleeper in this upcoming NFL draft for the Hilltoppers

Richardson would be a perfect solution to the Cleveland Browns rushing attack.  With Richardson on the Browns, it would make Colt McCoy’s job a lot easier moving forward.

11. Philadelphia Eagles 4-6 Vontaze Bufict Middle Linebacker Arizona State Junior Looking at my draft board there are no top 10 players.  The top 4 players available on my draft board David DeCastro, Vontaze Burfict, Brandon Thompson, and Riley Reiff could all be intriguing options for the Eagles.

I could see the Eagles taking any of those 4 players.  I’m getting a headache just thinking about all the possibilities that Philadelphia may examine here.

First you got Stanford right guard David DeCastro who ranks 11th.  He’s the best player available, but the Eagles pulled a Plaxico Burress at the 2011 NFL Draft by drafting Danny Watkins with their first round pick.  I doubt they go with DeCastro here.

My 12th best player is Arizona State middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict.  Burfict plays with an aggressive tendency and has a tendency to take penalties.  Burfict is very effective in pass rushing, run support, getting to the quarterback, zone coverage, and interception.

If Philadelphia selects Burfict it could be an inept disaster waiting to occur down the road because Burfict needs to go to a team where a high profile coordinator can channel his discipline.  Philadelphia’s defensive coordinator is a former offensive line coach so Burfiict would be entering a very bad situation in Philadelphia. Kansas City and Pittsburgh would both be awesome fits for Burfict because both teams have top notch coordinators who can channel Burfict’s aggressive game properly.

Burfict has a tendency to commit penalties.  When he commits penalties he can enter a melt down mode sometimes as his production drops.  Knowing how the Eagles are with their draft picks as an organization under the new management over the past few years dating back to 2010, Burfict seems like an ideal group to their cast of characters in the city of brotherly love.

Burfict has pro bowl ability, but I think he has to be placed in the right system under the right defensive coordinator to maximize his unique abilities that stand out at Arizona State.  If Burfict goes to the Chiefs or Steelers he will be a pro bowler for years.  If he goes to the Eagles I think Burfict’s career is a disaster waiting to occur.

12. San Diego Chargers David DeCastro 4-6 Right Guard Stanford Junior Redshirt San Diego could afford an upgrade over Louis Vasquez.  Vasquez is more equipped to be a backup guard.  Kris Dielman is an valuable left guard when healthy.  It really sucks that Dielman’s out for the year.

Dielman could play left guard with DeCastro playing next to him on the right side.  In the event that Diehlman gets injured, DeCastro could move to left guard with Vasquez playing right guard as a plan B resort.  If DeCastro goes down Vasquez gets a chance to reclaim his job at right guard.

The good news with the Chargers guard getting injured is that Norv Turner may finally get the axe in San Diego.

David DeCastro has had an outstanding season for Stanford.  If Matt Kalil and Jonathan Martin are both gone I think David DeCastro could begin to make a case for being the Cardinals first round draft choice if Arizona is impressed with DeCastro at Stanford’s pro day.  The Cardinals taking a guard in the top 10 would be a very interesting and controversial draft choice.

13. Seattle Seahawks 4-6 Landry Jones Quarterback Oklahoma Junior Redshirt If all 4 quarterbacks declare you can really begin to justify a strong case for Landry Jones slipping to 13th overall.  Jones looked horrible against Baylor.  Despite Jones struggles, Seattle is a team that is in a dire need of a quarterback.

Watch out for Tyler Wilson in the Arkansas VS LSU game.  Wilson’s had a strong 2011 campaign with 3,215 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, and 5 interceptions.  If he can wrap up the season with a signature game VS LSU before exacting revenge against Alabama he could surge up draft boards.

Wilson is projected as a 2nd rounder on my draft board if he comes out this year.  Odds are that Wilson will return for his senior season.

I’m moving Tyler Wilson into this spot for next week’s mock draft if Arkansas defeats LSU this week.  I’ve really like what I’ve seen from Wilson.  I gained huge credibility when I said Griffin III would be a first rounder back in June.

I could see Wilson surging up draft boards with a strong finish if Arkansas wins out @ LSU and VS Alabama in the Title game.

What Wilson does against LSU will dictate whether he stays or returns to school.  I think Arkansas will be the favorite to win the National Title next season if Wilson returns to school.

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-6 Brandon Thompson Defensive Tackle Clemson Senior Gerald McCoy is out for the year.  Alfonzo Dennard performed like a 2nd round pick against Michigan and he’s a player the Buccaneers like.  I think their is a very realistic scenario where the Buccaneers could take the best player availabe here and move up for Dennard at a later point in the draft.

Gerald McCoy got put on IR, the defensive tackles Tampa Bay drafted after the first round have not translated yet, and Albert Haynesworth simply has no business starting in the NFL.

I may get some heat for this pick since Tampa has a ton of money invested at defensive tackle.  At the same time, Tampa Bay hasn’t gotten the results they expected out of their run stuffers after drafting 3 different run stuffers after the first round who all failed to pan out with Dre Moore, Roy Miller, and Brian Price not playing up to expectations at this point in their carers.  Maybe Tampa Bay coughs up a little extra dough to make sure they get a defensive tackle who could form a deadly tandem with Gerald McCoy.

I think Tampa Bay could take a page from the Lions playbook.  Detroit did this with Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley last year.  Don’t be surprised if Tampa Bay performs a similar tactic with this selection.

I wasn’t really high on Gerald McCoy coming out of Oklahoma a few years ago.  When I watch Brandon Thompson on film he reminds me more of Warren Sapp then current Bucs top 5 pick Gerald McCoy.

By adding both Thompson and McCoy it would be really difficult to stop the Buccaneers.  Bowers was Tampa Bay’s 2nd round pick and he was teammates with Thompson at Clemson on the Tigers defensive line.  Also Tampa Bay drafted defensive end Adrian Clayborne with a 2011 first round pick.

A defensive line consisting of Clayborne, Bowers, McCoy, and Thompson would be really difficult to stop.  You can critique the pick if you don’t like it.  I think we can all agree that this would be a pretty strange controversial pick to say the least though.

15. Tennessee Titans 5-5 Alshon Jeffery Wide Receiver South Carolina Junior The Titans are a pretty underrated team who has a lot of depth invested into different areas of their team.  The Titans are capable of carrying the distance when their whole team stays healthy.

The Titans will have their choice between South Carolina’s Alshon Jeffery, Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick, and Ohio State center Michael Brewster.

Jake Locker will need a 2nd receiver to throw to.  At the same time Nate Washington made a few big plays against the Falcons plus the Titans may still have faith in Britt.  Tennessee has 3 players on secondary with expiring contracts.  Michael Brewster would be a much needed upgrade for the Tennessee Titans offensive line.

I have Jeffery graded out as my highest player.  Realistically speaking, I could see the Titans pursue any of these 3 players.

Jeffery torched Kirkpatrick in last years South Carolina VS Alabama game even though he’s struggled this year.  That’s why I got Jeffery ahead of Kirkpatrick even though cornerback is a position of greater value than wide receiver.

16. Buffalo Bills 5-5 Michael Floyd Wide Receiver Notre Dame Senior I think the Bills are going to take a really huge liking to Michael Floyd over time even if he appears to be a bit of reach at this juncture in terms of draft value.

If Alshon Jeffery can go in the top 15 then I have no problem with Buffalo taking Floyd here with the 16th overall pick.  Some people actually like Floyd better than Jeffery based on Floyd’s production in 2011 for the Fighting Irish.

17. New York Jets 5-5 Riley Reiff Right Tackle Iowa Junior Redshirt Riley Reiff is the best player available player.  That player is Iowa left tackle Riley Reiff.  Reiff can also play right tackle or left guard.  The Jets already have an established blue chip left tackle with Debrickishaw Ferguson.

Ferguson is a main reason why Sanchez’s 4th quarter comebacks manage to compensate for Sanchez’s statistics sometimes.  Lots of Jets fans are throwing Sanchez under the bus.

In high school a Lions fan sitting next to me at a lunch table told me that Stafford would have a better career than Sanchez when both quarterbacks first came out of college in 2009.

I responded by saying that Sanchez would be the better quarterback early in his career due to the Jets strong supporting cast on the offensive line along with the wide receivers they had in place prior to drafting Sanchez, but that down the line that Stafford and Josh Freeman would end up becoming better quarterbacks.

Its too early to pass judgement on the 2009 NFL Draft class.  Its fair to say though that my assessment about the 2009 NFL Draft at that time looks pretty accurate at this juncture right now in 2011.

Adding another offensive tackle in the wake of Damien Woody’s retirement would really enable the New York Jets offense to start building their passing game around Mark Sanchez for the long term.

Sanchez isn’t going to win a Super Bowl unless they build around him. I feel like the Jets lack a right tackle plus I feel like they could use a secondary receiver to take away some coverages from flanker receiver Santonio Holmes.  This would enable tight end Dustin Keller to get some more looks too.

TRADE ALERT! Detroit Lions Trade 2012 26th overall pick and 2012 58th overall pick to Denver Broncos for the 18th overall pick

Why it Makes sense for Detroit Lions The Lions have a few needs.  Those needs are center, outside linebacker, and cornerback.  The Lions will be in a position to move up for a premium player who could provide amazing value at this point.

Why it Makes sense for Denver Broncos Denver obviously isn’t sold on Tebow yet.  Denver may opt to move down and stock up on draft picks so they can address numerous needs.

18. Detroit Lions from Denver Broncos 5-5 Michael Brewster Center Ohio State Senior The Lions could use a center who could help protect Stafford on the interior offensive line.  Brewster would be a great addition to Detroit.

19. New York Giants 6-4 Zach Brown Right Outside Linebacker North Carolina Senior Zach Brown is the best outside linebacker available.  The Giants need a right outside linebacker.

There are 3 areas the Giants need to focus on.  Right outside linebacker for their 4-3 defense to address the right side of the defense, adding more defensive tackle depth, and adding a left guard along with a center for the future to add some offensive line depth.  The Giants could also look to turn to right tackle or cornerback if upcoming free agents right tackle Kareem McKenzie and cornerback Aaron Ross both have expiring contracts in 2012.

20. Cleveland Browns from Atlanta Falcons 6-4 Dre Kirkpatrick Cornerback Alabama Junior Dre Kirkpatrick Cleveland already has one of the top ranked pass defenses.  This team could use a 2nd corner next to Joe Haden.  Pairing up Kirpatrick and Haden would really help take away the passing game.

21. Cincinnati Bengals 6-4 Chase Minnifield Cornerback Virginia Senior Redshirt Chase Minnifield would be a great addition to the Bengals.  The Bengals need more cornerback depth on their roster.

22. Chicago Bears 7-3 Audie Cole Left Outside Linebacker North Carolina State Senior Redshirt Audie Cole could be a 2nd round pick with the talent to surge up draft boards.  We always see a player make a huge splash during senior bowl weekend.  I think Cole could be that player this year.

23. Cincinnati Bengals from Oakland Raiders 6-4 DJ Fluker Right Tackle Alabama Sophomore Redshirt I think Fluker could be a late first rounder if he opts to declare as a sophomore redshirt.  Fluker would be a good pick at this point.  If Fluker returns he could be a 2013 or 2014 first rounder to keep an eye on moving forward.

24. Dallas Cowboys 6-4 Brandon Jenkins 3-4 Left Outside Linebacker Florida State Junior Brandon Jenkins could be a nice addition to pair up with DeMarcus Ware at 3-4 outside linebacker.  Jenkins could get by right tackles and make a big play.

25. Pittsburgh Steelers 7-3 Barrett Jones Right Guard Alabama Junior Barrett Jones has been excellent run blocking for Trent Richardson in 2011 as Alabama’s left tackle.  I believe Barrett Jones could be an option for Pittsburgh.  Jones played right guard in 2010 before switching over to left tackle in 2011.

The last time Pittsburgh drafted a defensive player in an even numbered draft year was 1988.  Pittsburgh went with offense in 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010.  Maybe 2012 the Steelers break the trend.  For now I will give the Steelers a right guard in the first round because its their biggest offensive need.

Barrett Jones is a 6 foot 5 313 pound offensive lineman who has experience at left tackle and right guard.  The only potential hole on Pittsburgh’s offensive line is right guard thanks to the return and emergence of Steelers left tackle Max Starks.  I think Jones could slide into left tackle down the line after Max Starks gets older.  This is a good pick for Pittsburgh here if Jones declares.

Two other offensive players to keep an eye on are Georgia’s Cordy Glenn and Ohio State’s Mike Adams.

26. Denver Broncos from Detroit Lions 7-3 Devon Still Defensive Tackle Senior Redshirt Penn State Denver could use a defensive tackle to start.  Still provides good late first round value.  I have Ryan Tannehill graded out as a 2nd round talent.  I could see Elway reaching for him here if he trades down.

Devon Still had an awesome game stopping Daniel “Boom” Herron a 3rd round pick flat on his tracks.  Still plays Montee Ball who is considered the best back after Trent Richardson.  A signature game against Ball could get Still into the top 20 of my draft board.

27. New England Patriots from New Orleans Saints 7-3 Brandon Jenkins Right End Florida State Junior Redshirt Brandon Jenkins looks like a late first round pick.  Jenkins is very effective in pass rushing and run stuffing.  Jenkins was very effective run stuffing.

Jenkins did very well keeping Miami running back Lamar Miller in check.

28. Houston Texans 7-3 Andre Branch 3-4 Right Outside Linebacker Clemson Senior Redshirt Branch is the best available player.  Maybe the Texans add another pass rusher.  Mario Williams is in a contract year.  If the Texans resign Williams I will change this pick down the line.  Until then, I will speculate the idea of Houston adding Branch.

29. Baltimore Ravens 7-3 Manti Teo 3-4 Middle Linebacker Notre Dame Junior Manti Teo is a steal at this point.  Literally if Teo falls to 29th overall this will be the pick of the draft.  I have Teo graded out as my 19th best player.  The Ravens need a successor to Ray Lewis.

30. San Francisco 49ers 8-1 Courtney Upshaw 3-4 Right Outside Linebacker Alabama Senior I really believe the 49ers have a legit pass rush.  They drafted Aldon Smith last year.  I have a bunch of 3-4 pass rushers and 4-3 ends graded out as my only first round talents remaining.  I figure I may mix up this mock draft by putting a lot of first round talent pass rushers who are still available on certain teams.

31. New England Patriots 7-3 Melvin Ingram Left End South Carolina Senior Redshirt Andre Carter and Mark Anderson have been amazing in 2011.  The Patriots still need to groom 2 pass rushers for the future.  I could see Belicheck using both picks on pass rushers or both picks on corners maybe mixing things up.  Jermaine Cunningham got bumped down to 3rd string on New England’s depth chart I think the Patriots have to draft 2 defensive ends for the future and I really could not blame Belicheck for taking two pass rushers with these first round picks.

32. Green Bay Packers 10-0 Tyler Eifert Tight End Notre Dame Junior Green Bay is stacked at tight end.  Jermichael Finley is a top 5 tight end, Quarless was well as rookie, and they got a draft steal in DJ Williams.  Eifert is really the only 1st round talent left.  Wisconsin center Peter Konz is a guy who I believe could be a first round talent.  He did get injured and missed some play time as of late so I’m kind of tempted to put Peter Konz outside of the first round for now.

Aaron Rodgers is already nearly unstoppable right now.  Adding Eifert to Aaron Rodgers awesome supporting cast only makes Rodgers look a quarterback who could take down Chuck Norris.

Round 2

33. Indianapolis Colts 0-10 Peter Konz Center Wisconsin Junior Redshirt Peter Konz would make a great successor to Jeff Saturday.  Peter Konz is my only first round talent left so Konz goes to the Colts here.  Mike Pollack was bad as a backup center and isn’t making much improvement over Ryan Lilja.  The Colts need a center for the future along with 2 guards.  Costanzo and Ijalana could be bookends

34. St. Louis Rams 2-8 Stephon Gilmore Cornerback South Carolina Junior Stephon Gilmore could be a huge cover corner addition to the St. Louis Rams.

TRADE ALERT! Tampa Bay Buccaneers trade 45th overall pick and 2012 3rd rounder to the Vikings for this pick.

Why it makes sense for Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay really seems to like Dennard.  With Gilmore gone, Dennard is my top cornerback available.

Why it makes sense for Minnesota Vikings Minnesota needs a wide receiver and an offensive tackle.  I gave the Vikings Morris Claiborne in the first round because I thought Martin and Blackmon were early reaches in terms of value.

35. Tampa Bay Buccaneers from Minnesota Vikings 2-8 Alfozno Dennard Cornerback Nebraska Senior Dennard would provide good value here.  Adding Dennard really solidifies a potential hole on the secondary.  The Buccaneers will need a new cornerback for when Ronde Barber retires.

36. Carolina Panthers 2-8 Cordy Glenn Left Guard Georgia Senior The Panthers could use a left guard to give Cam Newton more time throwing in the pocket.

37. Philadelphia Eagles from Arizona Cardinals 3-7 Dontari Poe Defensive Tackle Memphis Junior Dontari Poe struggled against Central Florida.  Poe does have a massive weight span at 6 foot 5 350 pounds.

38. Jacksonville Jaguars 3-7 Robert Lester Free Safety Alabama Junior Redshirt The Jaguars could afford to add some upgrades at safety.

39. Miami Dolphins 3-7 Nico Johnson 3-4 Middle Outside Linebacker Alabama Junior The Miami Dolphins could really use that 2nd 3-4 pass rusher next to Cameron Wake.  Nico Johnson can play anywhere at linebacker in a 3-4.

I’m giving Miami Vinny Curry with the 70th pick.  I’m not as high on Curry yet when it comes to the intangibles despite his amazing production and double digit sacks at Marshall.  I want to see what Curry does at Senior Bowl week before becoming a firm believer of his game.

40. Indianapolis Colts from Washington Redskins 3-7 Mark Barron Strong Safety Alabama Senior The Colts have to add someone to upgrade their secondary right?

41. Cleveland Browns 4-6 Mohammed Sanu Wide Receiver Rutgers Junior The Cleveland Browns use this pick to get Cleveland Brown’s a wide receiver for Colt McCoy to throw to.

42. Philadelphia Eagles 4-6 Nigel Bradham Right Outside Linebacker Florida State Senior Nigel Bradham can play a WILL, MIKE, or SAM role in a 4-3 scheme.  Bradham is one of the nations more underrated linebackers if you ask me because you can put him anywhere at linebacker.

43. San Diego Chargers 4-6 Chase Thomas 3-4 Right Outside Linebacker Stanford Junior Redshirt Thomas could become a 3-4 right outside linebacker starter down the road in San Diego.  San Diego needs a starter next to Shaun Phillips.

44. Seattle Seahawks 4-6 Montee Ball Running Back Wisconsin Junior Montee Ball could fill in as a starter after this season with Marshawn Lynch’s expring contract.

45. Minnesota Vikings from Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-6 Nick Toon Wide Receiver Wisconsin Senior Redshirt The son of Al Toon is projected to get selected by Minnesota with this pick. Ponder will now have Percy Harvin, Nick Toon, Visante Shancoe, and Kyle Rudolph to throw to.  This array of receiving targets should help Ponder in his development to become a franchise quarterback.

46. Kansas City Chiefs 4-6 Alameda Ta’amu Nose Tackle Washington Senior The Chiefs could use a nose tackle for when Kelly Gregg retires.  Ta’amu is practically a steal at this point.

47. Buffalo Bills 5-5 Jerry Franklin 3-4 Middle Linebacker Arkansas Senior Redshirt The Bills need another 3-4 middle linebacker for their defensive scheme.

48. New York Jets 5-5 Kevin Zeitler Right Guard Wisconsin Senior The Jets add another offensive lineman to solidify the right side for good by adding a right guard next to their 2012 first round pick at right tackle.

49. Denver Broncos 5-5 Chris Polk Running Back Washington Junior Redshirt Chris Polk has the ability to be Denver’s #1 back for the future.  Polk would provide amazing value here.

50. Tennessee Titans 5-5 TJ McDonald Strong Safety USC Junior The Titans need a strong safety to play next to Chris Hope.

51. Atlanta Falcons 6-4 Dwayne Allen Tight End Clemson Junior Redshirt Dwayne Allen has pro bowl potential down the line.  Allen could and should be a top 50 pick.  With an impressive NFL combine he could jump into the first round conversation.

52. New York Giants 6-4 Jerel Worthy Defensive Tackle Michigan State Junior Redshirt I really don’t understand all this Jerel Worthy love as people are moving Worthy back into the late first round conversation.  Worthy has played better as of late despite showcasing good and bad game tape against the Wisconsin Badgers offensive line.

Landry Jones, LaMichael James, Nate Potter, Jerel Worthy, and Eddie Whitley were my 5 most overrated players heading into the 2011 College Football season.  I’m sticking to my gut here hoping to see which players step up to the plate to prove me wrong and which players turn out to be flops like I expect.

Worthy entered the season as a potential top 10 pick.  His production in 2011 has really declined in 2011.

Worthy would be a good pickup here though.  The Giants need some defensive tackle depth to aid with run defense.  I feel like Worthy would do well in New York plus many people would praise Giants GM Jerry Reese for obtaining Worthy with this pick.

53. Cincinnati Bengals 6-4 LaMichael James Running Back Oregon Junior Redshirt I think the Bengals address running back here if they cannot get a back in the first round.  Despite some early struggles, LaMichael James has bounced back prior to the USC game.  I think James provides excellent value with the 53rd overall pick.

54. Chicago Bears 7-3 Desmond Trufant Cornerback Washington Junior Desmond Trufant appears to have a very uncertain draft status at this point.  I believe Trufant could go to Chicago with this pick.  The Bears could use another cornerback in the secondary.

55. Dallas Cowboys 6-4 Tyler Wilson Quarterback Arkansas Junior Redshirt Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones loves Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones purely on the physical tools he displays.  Jones brought in 2011 #1 overall pick Cam Newton for individual workouts prior to the 2011 NFL Draft last year.

Jerry Jones went to Arkansas when he attended college.  I think Jones would be open to taking Tyler Wilson here if he declares.  Wilson could make a quality successor to Tony Romo down the road.

Wilson has played really strong as of late with Arkansas.  I strongly believe that if Arkansas wins the title and Wilson comes out, we could see Wilson surge up draft boards the same way we saw Mark Sanchez or Tim Tebow surged up draft boards.  If Arkansas pulls off the upset I’m moving Wilson ahead of Landry Jones.

Its too early to speculate this, but I do think there is a slight possibility we see 6 quarterbacks go in the first round if all 5 underclassmen ranked ahead of Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill do end up declaring.  I highly doubt we see 6 quarterbacks go in the first round.  I believe you cannot rule that possibility out though due to teams and their track records of taking quarterbacks.

56. New England Patriots from Oakland Raiders 6-4 Ray Ray Armstrong Strong Safety Miami FL Junior Ray Ray Armstrong is a player who provides amazing draft value here if he comes out to declare.

57. Pittsburgh Steelers 7-3 Jayron Hosley Cornerback Virginia Tech Junior I wanted to give Pittsburgh a front 7 defensive player.  There is no one available at this point so I will give the Steelers Virginia Tech cornerback Jayron Hosley who could even add more depth to their top 5 pass defense at cornerback.

58. Denver Broncos from Detroit Lions 7-3 Ryan Tannehill Quarterback Texas A&M Senior Redshirt Am I the only one who decided to give Elway the nickname Shooter McGavin?  I think Elway wants to see Tebow fail the way Shooter McGavin wanted to see Happy Gilmore fail.  Like Happy, Tebow’s playing really well and bringing a lot of optimism to Denver.  I hope it continues for the Broncos moving forward.

Elway still isn’t sold on Tebow.  If Tannehill gets plays well in the senior bowl and all 5 underclassmen come out then I could see Elway pursuing Tyler Wilson or Ryan Tannehill in the second round.

Tannehill provides amazing value with the 58th pick so Elway capitalizes here and gets his quarterback for the future.

59. Houston Texans 7-3 Marvin McNutt Wide Receiver Iowa Senior Redshirt Marvin McNutt looks like he could be a great secondary receiver to pair up next to Andre Johnson.  Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones are effective.  I feel like McNutt could be a much need asset for the Texans moving forward.

60. New Orleans Saints 7-3 Ricky Wagner Right Tackle Wisconsin Junior Redshirt Wisconsin left tackle Ricky Wagner could make an excellent right tackle if he opts to declare.  The Saints need a right tackle.  Brees is throwing double digit picks in 2011.  I think the lack of a right tackle is one of the reasons this minor setback has taken place.

61. Baltimore Ravens 7-3 Mike Adams Right Tackle Ohio State Senior Mike Adams would make a great right tackle once Bryant McKennie leavies Baltimore.  Michael Oher will move back to left tackle when McKennie leaves so Baltimore needs to bring in a bookend or a potential left tackle replacement.

Adams would make a nice bookend to Oher down the road.

62. San Francisco 49ers 8-1 Leonard Johnson Cornerback Iowa State Senior Johnson had a fantastic season for Iowa State.  Johnson would make a great pick here.

63. New England Patriots 7-3 Chandler Harnish Quarterback Northern Illinois Senior Redshirt Brian Hoyer’s contract expires after this season.  I’m not sold on Mallett due to his character issues off the field.  New England may want to draft a 2nd quarterback of the future to compete with Mallett in case Mallett is involved in some incidents off the gridiron this offseason.

I really like what I see with Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish.  Harnish has 20 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns for the Northern Illinois Huskies.  With a win VS Eastern Michigan Northern Illinois faces the Ohio Bobcats for the MAC Championship.

Its going to take a huge miracle for Harnish to lose either game.  Harnish should perform well and get a senior bowl invite.

Belicheck was projected to get Tebow a few years ago.  I really would not be surprised if New Engladn went with another quarterback here because Belicheck has a tendency to take offensive players over defensive players in the draft.

64. Green Bay Packers 10-0 Whitney Mercilus 3-4 Right Outside Linebacker Illinois Junior Redshirt Mercilus leads the nation in sacks.  He’s a steal for Green Bay in the eyes of some fans if he falls to the end of the 2nd round.

Round 3

65. Indianapolis Colts 0-10 Ronnell Lewis Left Outside Linebacker Junior The Colts have a weak side linebacker at right outside linebacker with Pat Angerer.  You have a mike linebacker playing middle linebacker with Gary Bracket.  Now you just need a strong side linebacker at left outside linebacker.

Ronnell Lewis has already announced that he will declare.  This would be an awesome pick here.

66. Minnesota Vikings 2-8 Travis Lewis Right Outside Linebacker Oklahoma Senior Redshirt The Vikings add a right outside linebacker to solidify the front 7 here.  The Vikings have the extra 3rd round pick on Tampa Bay that they can use on a left tackle.

67. Chicago Bears from Carolina Panthers 2-8 Eddie Whitley Free Safety Virginia Tech Senior I feel like the Bears could upgrade the free safety spot.  Chris Conte is more of strong safety.  I really liked Major Wright coming out of Florida a few years ago.  The problem is Wright has been a real milk dud at free safety when it comes to coverage and executing hard hits.  Brandon Meriweather has also worn out his welcome in the Windy City of Chicago.

68. St. Louis Rams 2-8 Michael Egnew Tight End Missouri Senior Michael Egnew and Lance Kendricks an effective two tight end set for Sam Bradford to throw to.  As a disciple of Bill Belicheck maybe Josh McDaniels will get 2 tight ends for Bradford like BB did for Brady with Gronkowski and Hernandez.

I only have 3 players left graded out as 2nd round talents and I think Egnew is the best fit.

69. Jacksonville Jaguars 3-7 Elvis Fisher Left Tackle Missouri Senior Redshirt Gabbert hasn’t gotten any time in the pocket.  I feel like an offensive tackle for depth could really help the Jaguars out.  I have Missouri left tackle Elvis Fisher graded out as a 2nd round talent.  I love Fisher’s pass blocking and zone blocking.

Fisher is 6 foot 5 295 so the Jaguars could keep him as a backup left tackle to Eugene Monroe or they could have him bulk up before kicking inside to left guard.

Carolina took left tackle Lee Ziemba from Auburn in the 7th round.  Ziemba was Newton’s blindside at Auburn.  Maybe the Jaguars do the same thing with Elvis Fisher here.

70. Miami Dolphins 3-7 Vinny Curry 3-4 Left Outside Linebacker Marshall Senior I realize I just gave the Dolphins a pass rusher in the 2nd round.  Can you really blame me for putting Curry here though?  Some people have Curry 50 picks higher than this.  With Nico Johnson and Vinny Curry your guaranteed one premium pass rusher.  If both pan out than you can move Nico Johnson to inside linebacker next to Karlos Dansby.

I think Curry is a 3-4 left outside linebacker only at this point.  Curry has had a fantastic season in terms of production.  I want to see some intangibles from Curry at the Senior Bowl before I move him up my draft board.  I liked Mario Harvey better than Vinny Curry coming out of college a year ago.

71. Washington Redskins 3-7 Levi Adcock Right Guard Oklahoma State Senior Redshirt The Redskins need a right guard.  Adcock is the answer at guard.  Adcock started at right tackle in 2011.  Adcock’s struggles make him look like a guard rather than a tackle.

72. Arizona Cardinals 3-7 Matt Reynolds Right Tackle BYU Senior Redshirt I really like Matt Reynolds as a prospect for BYU.  I could see the Cardinals double dipping at offensive tackle with their first and 3rd round picks.

A bookend tandem featuring 2012 first round pick Jonathan Martin at left tackle and 2012 3rd round pick Matt Reynolds is a much more promising upgrade of offensive tackles than what the Cardinals currently have in place in 2011.

73. Philadelphia Eagles 4-6 Bobbie Massie Right Tackle Ole Miss Junior If Massie comes out and declares as a junior then I think he could go to the Eagles here.  Philadelphia seriously needs a right tackle upgrade.

74. San Diego Chargers 4-6 Janoris Jenkins Cornerback Northern Alabama Senior Janoris Jenkins may have some character issues, but he looks like a first round talent when he stays out of trouble.   A punching incident at Northern Alabama after Jenkins getting kicked off of Florida could cause Jenkins to slide to the 3rd round on draft day.

Quinton Jammer is getting older.  The Chargers can work on correcting Jenkins character until Jammer retires.  If everything works out than this draft pick would end up becoming a major draft day steal for the San Diego Chargers.

75. Seattle Seahawks 4-6 Ryan Steed Cornerback Furman Senior Doesn’t Ryan Steed sound like a corner that Pete Carroll would draft if he ends up keeping his job?

76. Minnesota Vikings from Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-6 Trevor Olson Left Tackle Northern Illinois Senior Redshirt Trevor Olsen is 6 foot 6 300 pounds.  Olsen has been outstanding with protecting Chandler Harnish’s blindside at Northern Illnois.  Olson could compete with Charlie Johnson for the left tackle job.

If Harnish fails to beat out Johnson then Minnesota addresses left tackle in the 2013 NFL Draft in a deep 2013 offensive tackle class.

 77. Kansas City Chiefs 4-6 Trumaine Johnson Free Safety Montana Senior Trumaine Johnson is a 6 foot 2 210 pound free safety.  Some NFL Scouts and NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks think Johnson could be the next Dominque Rodgers Cromartie.  Lots of people I hear from love Johnson’s size, speed, and coverage ability.

Johnson can play cornerback or safety.  Johnson would make the Chiefs secondary one of the best in the league when healthy.

If it wasn’t for Johnson’s off the field incident, I think Johnson would have made a push up draft boards competing to be a late first round pick.  Now Johnson falls to this spot in my mock draft.

78. Cleveland Browns 4-6 Bruce Irvin Right End West Virginia Senior The Browns need a sack artist 4-3 right end.  Jabaal Sheard is more of a 4-3 left end.

F79. New York Jets 5-5 Brian Quick Wide Receiver Appalachin State Senior Redshirt  Brian Quick provides amazing value and could even overtake Santonio Holmes as the flanker receiver at some point.  Holmes was a secondary receiver in Pittsburgh and a secondary receiver to Braylon Edwards during his first year in New York.

80. Denver Broncos 5-5 Dwight Jones Wide Receiver North Carolina Senior Dwight Jones would make a great secondary receiver.  I’m not sold on Jones as a primary flanker, but I love Jones as a secondary option.  Denver needs a true flanker along with another starter who can be a secondary receiver in Denver.  That’s why I go with Dwight Jones here.

Jones could work his way into the late first round discussion like former Tar Heel receiver Hakeem Nicks.  In order for Jones to do this he needs a dominant senior bowl week in Mobile Alabama.

81. Tennessee Titans 5-5 Vince Browne Right End Nortwestern Senior Redshirt I think Vince Browne has pro bowl ability and I expect him to have a monster senior bowl game if he gets an invite.  Browne goes up against Northwestern left tackle Al Netter a 2012 draft prospect every day in practice.  I realize Browne’s production has taken a hit with 3 sacks in 2011.  I realize Browne has never obtained more than 19 sacks in his career and more than 7 in a season.  That may opt teams to believe Browne is a day 3 late rounder at best.

I like Browne as a player and I wanted to make a bold pick here.  The Titans could use another pass rusher and taking a player on Vince Browne in the 3rd round really doesn’t hurt when you have so much money tied into Derrick Morgan.

82. Buffalo Bills 5-5 Brandon Lindsey 3-4 Right Outside Linebacker Pittsburgh Senior Redshirt The Bills got Michael Floyd and Jerry Franklin with my first 2 2012 draft picks.  The Bills need a pass rusher.  Lindsey is my top pass rusher and Bills inside linebacker coach Dave Wandstead coached Lindsey at Pittsburgh.  This is a perfect pick for the Buffalo Bills in the 3rd round if they don’t address pass rusher by this point.

83. New York Giants 6-4 Amini Silatalu Left Guard Midwestern State Senior Redshirt The Giants need a left guard to groom for the future behind the aging David Diehl.  Silatalu is a small school player who provides great value with this pick.

84. Atlanta Falcons 6-4 Daniel “Boom” Herron Running Back Ohio State Senior Redshirt The Falcons could use another back behind Michael Turner.  I love Herron and I’m not completely sold on Jacquizz Rodgers yet.

85. Cincinnati Bengals 6-4 Jared Crick Defensive Tackle Nebraska Senior Redshirt I feel like Jared Crick could become an effective 4-3 defensive tackle.  Crick should come off the board by now.

86. Chicago Bears 7-3 Juron Criner Wide Receiver Arizona Senior Criner could be a receiving option for the Chicago Bears at this point.  Criner is a good option here.

87. Dallas Cowboys 6-4 Ben Jones Center Georgia Senior The Dallas Cowboys need upgrades everywhere on the interior line.  Georgia center Ben Jones is a good value pick.  This would be a bargain to a certain degree because some draftniks like Georgia’s Ben Jones better than offensive line teammate Cordy Glenn who I have going to Carolina early in the 2nd round.

88. Pittsburgh Steelers 7-3 Kevin Reddick 3-4 Middle Linebacker North Carolina Junior Reddick has pro bowl ability.  The 2 current starters on the Steelers 3-4 inside linebacking core both attended ACC Schools.  James Farrior went to Virginia and Lawrence Timmons went to Florida State.  Reddick plays for the Tar Heels in the ACC.  Reddick fits the bill as a Steeler 3-4 inside linebacker who went to an ACC School.

The question is does Reddick declare or try to return to school by making a late first round bid with a strong 2013 Senior Bowl game.  That’s the decision Reddick has to make.

89. Detroit Lions 7-3 Omar Bolden Cornerback Arizona State Senior I am a huge Omar Bolden fan.  I like his coverage ability, run stuffing, hard hits, and footwork.  If it wasn’t for so many durability issues I’d be sold on Bolden as a pro bowl prospect.  The Lions could improve their pass defense in coverage despite being one of the leagues best teams when it comes to generating interceptions.

90. New Orleans Saints 7-3 Sean Spence Right Outside Linebacker Miami FL Senior Sean Spence is a great right outside linebacker prospect.  I feel like Spence could become a pro bowl weak side linebacker for the Saints.  He’d be playing next to former cane Jonathan Vilma who plays the Mike linebacker role.  The Saints added their mike linebacker for the future in the 2011 NFL Draft so they need to add a starter at right outside linebacker with this selection.

91. Houston Texans 7-3 Case Keenum Quarterback Houston Senior Redshirt Matt Schaub is the quarterback in Houston for the present and the future moving forward.  I feel like a backup would not hurt though.  Matt Leinart may get to compete for a starting gig in 2012.

If that happens the Houston Texans will need to bring in another quarterback to compete with Case Keenum for the backup job if Leinart opts to leave Houston.  Why not bring in hometown college phenom Case Keenum to fill the seats in Reliant Stadium?

I think ESPN will build up a lot of hype around Keenum the same way they built up hype about Colt McCoy in 2010 or Andy Dalton in 2011.  Both Colt McCoy and Andy Dalton had some relative rookie success.

Keenum won’t have that success as a rookie, but I think he’s a potential top 100 pick at this point if the season ends today.

92. Baltimore Ravens 7-3 Delano Howell Free Safety Stanford Senior Delano Howell is an excellent two way safety.  Howell could be a successor to Ed Reed down the road.

93. San Francisco 49ers 8-1 Aaron Henry Free Safety Wisconsin Senior Redshirt Aaron Henry would provide a decent backup at free safety on the 49ers depth chart.  He could compete for a starting gig down the road.

94. New England Patriots 7-3 Baker Steinkuhler Defensive Tackle Nebraska Junior Redshirt Steinkuhler has the versatility to play in 4-3 at defensive tackle or 3-4 in a 5 technique.  Belicheck loves versatile players so I could see Steinkuhler as the pick here.

95. Green Bay Packers 10-0 Cliff Harris Cornerback Oregon Junior Green Bay has the cornerback depth to take a flyer on Cliff Harris who I believe is a nickel corner at best.

Charles Woodson is a field cornerback.  Tramon Williams is a boundary cornerback who can be a field cornerback when Woodson retires.  Rookie Davon House is a nickel cornerback who I believe can become a boundary corner playing a #2 corner role who covers #2 receivers down the road.

Green Bay will need that nickel corner when Woodson’s gone.  Why not add Cliff Harris?  He may even be able to pass Davon House on the depth chart if he stays out of trouble.

 

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