Not a surprise to anyone, I am sure, but the Patriots with two picks at the end of round 1 are considering both moving up and moving down. Feel free to PM my war room.
BTW I was busy at the time of the pick, so I didn’t explain Claiborne. I think Heckert, the GM, may be leaning that way simply because corners are one of the few positions he feels entirely comfortable investing a high pick in. I have my doubts he’ll be enthusiastic about putting it into an RB or WR if they’re not AJ Green caliber or better.
From a needs angle, it’s pretty crappy. Would it be nice to have 2 elite young corners on what’s already a top 10 pass defense? Sure. But at the cost of not upgrading your absolutely useless offense? The Browns would seriously be trying to win games 6-3 this year, and probably would snatch a couple that way.
But what are you going to do? Blackmon isn’t a top 5 guy, Richardson may be, on talent, but you can get someone good later. If Kahlil ends up dropping - it’d be kind of silly to play him at right tackle and have him leave for left tackle money in 4 years. Tannehill at 4 would be a crazy desperate reach.
I’m warming up to the idea of Richardson, but I think there’s about an equal chance they end up actually drafting Claiborne.
To sum up so far:
1. Indianapolis Colts - garygnu:
Andrew Luck QB, Stanford
2. Washington Redskins - DCnDC:
Robert Griffin III QB, Baylor
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Oakminster *(from Minnesota)**:
Trent Richardson RB, Alabama
4. Cleveland Browns - SenorBeef:
Morris Claiborne CB, LSU
5. Minnesota Vikings - Hamlet *(from Tampa Bay)**:
Matt Kalil OT, USC
6. St. Louis Rams - RetroVertigo:
Justin Blackmon WR, Oklahoma State
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - furt:
Michael Floyd WR, Notre Dame
8. Miami Dolphins - Omniscient:
Melvin Ingram OLB, South Carolina
9. Carolina Panthers - Jules Andre:
Fletcher Cox DT, Mississippi St.
- Tampa trades their 2012 1st and 2nd round picks to the Vikings, in exchange for the Vikings 2012 1st and 6th.
10. Buffalo Bills
Riley Reiff
OT, Iowa
The Bills have one area of need that everyone seems to agree on. This pick is pretty much universal across all mock drafts. I’m not absolutely sold on Reiff as being worth a top 10 pick, but there seems to be a little bit of a drop off in talent right around here. Looking at BPA I don’t see a clear step up at another position. Getting a WR would be great but the top tier is already gone. Need some help at CB but I’m really down on the options there and I think Buffalo will trust the pass rushing additions to help their back end coverage. The only player that I really considered instead of Reiff is Kuechly at LB but LB isn’t a high value position. Reiff has the versatility to play either inside or outside and while he doesn’t have the arm length or bulk to be a prototypical LT he’s athletic enough to hold his own.
- Kansas City Chiefs
Dontari Poe
DT, Memphis
Most mock drafts have them going with Kuechly here, but I don’t think the chiefs are in much need of an ILB, whereas they are in need of a nose tackle with Kelly Gregg getting really old. Crennel influenced Savage once to pass on Ngata for Wimbley, and I don’t think he’s going to pass on the physical freak NT again. That’s the core of that defense, and while Poe has been dropping in stock lately after a great combine, I still think the Chiefs decide to take a gamble at their most important defensive position.
I had my eye on two guys for the Seahawks here. One a huge upside play-maker with outstanding measurables and amazing talent who has issues with his work ethic and professionalism. The other a highly productive football player with great instincts and apparently solid mental makeup and desire, but not the jaw dropping physical talent. And both fit nicely in areas of need for the Seahawks.
I was kinda hoping that the decision would be made for me by the teams selecting ahead of me, but both are still on the board.
So which to choose? Talent v. Production? Great Upside/High Bust potential v. A Damn Good Football Player?
In the end, I think it’s a matter of knowing the game of football. And in today’s game if a team wants to succeed on defense, they need to put pressure on the quarterback. So while I love Luke Kuechly and think he’s got a great NFL career ahead of him, he is still just an interior linebacker and the Seahawks need a pass rush. Though I don’t like him, and think he may be a bust, he’s got immense talent and upside and it’s a important position. So, here we go:
- Seattle Seahawks
Quinton Coples
DE, North Carolina
I think Coples will be a bust, and I think Kuelchy will be a ProBowler. I took both off my board for the 49ers, though because we’ve got the best two ILBs already, and wouldn’t want to use a first round pick on a backup.
Man, for all the talk about RBs getting screwed because of their perceived value people forget that ILBs/MLBs are treated like they are a dime a dozen. Kuechly might fall all the way to the bottom of the round even though a lot of people like him as a top 10 prospect.
Coples has high bust potential, but when he wants to play, he’s pretty special. He’s got the size (6’6", 284), 80 inch wingspan), quick first step and speed, nice moves and body control to go around blocks and the power to go through them. He could be Julius Peppers. It all depends on what is going on in his head (and how he’s coached). I’d never pick him without doing the interviews, talking to the people, and getting a better idea about what is going on in his head, but I think North Carolina is a bad place to be and, if the light goes on for this guy, he could easily be a pro bowler.
Was Coples thought of more or less highly than Robert Quinn, the guy who played DE at N.C. the year before?
Quinn ended up getting drafted, IIRC, 14th overall by the Rams and had 5.0 sacks, 1 FF, and 2 passes defensed. I’m not sure if I should be impressed by those numbers for the 14th overall pick, but that could just be due to the overall ineptitude of the Rams last year.
That’s the one thing we have to rely on second hand opinions about, motivation. I’d imagine a native N.C. guy who’s never lived anywhere else would experience serious culture shock going to a place like Seattle. I could cause him to shut down, but could get him to focus on his game.
**13.Arizona Cardinals **
**Kendall Wright
Wr, Baylor **
The Cardinals really need help at OT, they gave up the 2nd most sacks in the league last season. But Omni went and took Reiff a couple picks ahead, and there isn’t another OT worthy of being picked here.
The next biggest need they have is a WR who can stretch the field and take some over coverage offf Larry. Wright fits this category and can spell Peterson at KR to let him concentrate on becoming that shutdown corner he can become.
Who knows? In the draft, a lot of discussion is about 40 times, bench presses, production, and other things that can be numbered and compared. But sometimes it’s hard to tell if a 21 year old kid will be “driven”, “coachable”, “dedicated”, or “competitive” enough to get better once the NFL checks start coming. Stuff like interviews with the kid and talking with coaches, family, friends, co-workers and hangers on can be huge. And that’s stuff you’ll never get doing online research.
For Coples, I have no idea. I know that North Carolina was a crappy place to play football the last couple years, and he hasn’t exactly answered all the questions about his motivation level. But if he can, if the light does come on, he could be very special.
Quinn didn’t play his last year at N. Carolina because he was suspended for improprieties. That’s why Coples has a couple years at North Carolina. Quinn is also 2 inches shorter, 20 pounds lighter, and not as strong as Coples (although he is faster and maybe quicker). I think Quinn is much more of a pass rush specialist and Coples is a 3 down guy who can hold up much better against the run as well as get to the QB. I’m not sure I’d say they are comparable.
Quinn had the usual rookie growing pains last year, but really turned it on the last half. Those numbers you had on him all game from the last 8 games (iirc). He also had a couple blocked kicks as well.
If the actual draft had gone down the same way, Arizona probably would have traded back and grabbed an additional 4th or 5th round. No teams until Chicago have a need at WR, and even then they might have needs they’d address first. Someone like the Jets would’ve swapped picks to get the DE or OLB they need, and Wright would’ve still been there.
I don’t see any real talent (especially Kendall Wright, he is not a first round talent) at that spot for anyone to trade up to get. There’s plenty of options for the Jets (Brockers, Kuechly, Perry, Upshaw) and other teams that I think the Cards would have a tough time trading back. Unless someone drops or a team falls in love with a guy (Tannehill maybe?) I don’t think there’s much there.
I disagree agree about Wright, while he might not be worthy of a #13 pick, he is for sure 1st round talent. Besides Stephan Hill he has the most upside of any WR in the draft.
I disagree agree too. I think Wright does one thing well, run downfield and have his stud QB throw it to him. He’s too short, not that impressive after the catch, he doesn’t run very good routes, and he’s coming from a spread offense. He does absolutely nothing for me.
You know how many bench press reps he did at his pro day? 4. You know his reported body fat? 16%. He’s let himself all but completely go this offseason, which, like with Andre Smith before him, shows me he’s not all that concerned with being an elite player.
I’m just not seeing it with him. We will, of course, see what happens. But I wouldn’t go near him in the first round.
Wright’s stock is dropping pretty fast. One of the mock draft sites considered dropping him to the third round.
I agree completely, but unfortunately a lot of people are talking up him going to the Bears because he and Lovie had dinner together after the Pro Day. Wouldn’t be excited about that outcome at all.