NFL Mock Draft Database

My NFL Mock Draft is only one opinion, so here’s a ton more that I have found on the internet. To get your mock draft listed here, put a link to this page with the words “NFL Mock Draft Database” somewhere on your site, preferably on your mock draft, and then send me an emailevery time you update your mock draft and I’ll put up.

 

Football Fan Spot Updated 4/24/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

New NFL Draft (Omar) Updated 4/24/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

New NFL Draft (Blake) Updated 4/24/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

New NFL Draft (Spenser) Updated 4/24/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

The NFL Draft Guru Updated 4/23/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

New Sport Draft Updated 4/23/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

New NFL Draft Updated 4/23/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

New NFL Draft (Mac) Updated 4/23/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

New NFL Draft (Dave) Updated 4/23/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

New NFL Draft (Santos) Updated 4/22/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

Those Football Guys Updated 4/21/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

QI Sports Updated 4/21/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

Your NFL Draft Updated 4/21/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

New NFL Draft (Josh) Updated 4/21/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

New NFL Draft (Matt) Updated 4/21/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

Red Mieni Updated 4/21/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

Sideline Scouting Updated 4/20/12

1st pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

New NFL Draft (Alistair) Updated 4/20/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

New NFL Draft (Tyler) Updated 4/19/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

New NFL Draft (Patrick) Updated 4/18/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

New NFL Draft (Rob) Updated 4/18/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

Terennab Updated 4/17/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

FF Toolbox (Matt De Lima) Updated 4/14/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

FF Toolbox (Jeff Christiansen) Updated 4/14/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

FF Toolbox (Ben Standig) Updated 4/13/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

Sports Masher Updated 4/12/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

FF Toolbox (Ricky Dimon) Updated 4/11/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

FF Toolbox (Matt Binstock) Updated 4/10/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

FF Toolbox (Rob Warner) Updated 4/8/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

Titan Sized Updated 3/27/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

New NFL Draft (CJ) Updated 3/26/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

Eat Drink and Sleep Football 3/24/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

New NFL Draft (Kenny) Updated 3/23/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

The Sports Hound Updated 3/21/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

Expert Mock Draft Updated 3/10/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

49ers Web Zone Updated 3/10/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

New NFL Draft (Twitter) Updated 3/9/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

Sports Agent Blog Updated 3/7/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

New NFL Draft (Austin) Updated 2/29/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

Titans NFL Draft Updated 2/28/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Matt Kalil 3rd Pick: Morris Claiborne

New NFL Draft (Writers) Updated 2/23/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Justin Blackmon 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

NFL Pro Zach (The Professor) Updated 2/15/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Justin Blackmon

NFL Pro Zach (BrianHeat) Updated 2/15/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Robert Griffin 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

The Hazean Updated 2/13/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Riley Reiff 3rd Pick: Matt Kalil

Randy Inman Updated 2/13/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Matt Kalil 3rd Pick: Robert Griffin

Jason Davis Updated 2/8/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Matt Kalil 3rd Pick: Riley Reiff

New NFL Draft (Eman) Updated 2/6/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Matt Kalil 3rd Pick: Robert Griffin

New NFL Draft (Jason) Updated 2/6/12

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Matt Kalil 3rd Pick: Morris Claiborne

Pro Computer Gambler Updated 1/24/12

1st Pick: Robert Griffin 2nd Pick: Matt Kalil 3rd Pick: Andrew Luck

Blogging Dirty Updated 10/28/11

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Landry Jones 3rd Pick: Justin Blackmon

NFL Mocks Updated 10/4/11

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Alshon Jeffery 3rd Pick: Matt Barkley

Randy Inman Updated 10/3/11

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Matt Barkley 3rd Pick: Alshon Jeffery

Mock Draft HQ Updated 5/19/11

1st Pick: Andrew Luck 2nd Pick: Matt Barkley 3rd Pick: Alshon Jeffery

 

 

 

NFL Draft Strategy

 

I am not an NFL GM, obviously, but I thought it would be interesting to post here exactly what strategy I use to fill out my “Should” Mock.

If a quarterback is needed in the first round, and there is one who I have given a first round grade to available, I take him. Good quarterbacks win games. 20 of the last 21 Super Bowls were won by teams starting former Pro Bowl quarterbacks. The one that wasn’t was in 2008, by the New York Giants, who had Eli Manning at quarterback. Manning made the Pro Bowl the very next year. 9 of the 12 starting quarterbacks that made the playoffs in 2011 were drafted in the first 32 picks (Drew Brees was drafted 32nd overall, which was the 1st pick of the 2nd round at the time he was drafted).

Of the 26 quarterbacks drafted in the 2nd or 3rd round since 2002, 6 still have less than 3 years experience and cannot be counted as statistical evidence, but of the other 20, only two have made the Pro Bowl, with one of those being Drew Brees, who, as I said before, was drafted with the 32 ndoverall pick, even though he was actually a 2nd round pick.

Only one of those 20 have won the Super Bowl as a starter, and, of course, that was Brees. Only 5 of those 20 quarterbacks have thrown 1000 passes in their career. Only 4 have thrown more touchdowns than interceptions in their career. Only 5 have career completions percentages of higher than 60% (minimum 100 throws). Historically, quarterbacks drafted in the 2nd or 3rd are no more likely to pan out than quarterbacks drafted in the 4th through 7th. For more on that, read this.

If a quarterback isn’t needed, but a left tackle or defensive end is needed, I address that need before anything unless it’s a major reach. If I have a franchise quarterback and I don’t protect him, I might as well not have a franchise quarterback. There is no such thing as a sure pick in the NFL Draft. Pretty much every position, except, oddly enough offensive tackle, has an fairly equal chance of busting as any other position, for more on that, read this.

Let me say this again. There is no such thing as a sure thing. We can scout for months and months and months and we still wouldn’t know shit relative to what we’ve convinced ourselves we know. Every pick is a risk. Take a college kid and put him in the NFL with millions and there are just so many things that could go wrong, let alone all the possible career ruining injuries he could face.

If I’m going to make a risk, which, by it’s very nature, a draft pick is, especially a first round pick, I would rather take a risk on a quarterback, a left tackle, or a defensive end, because of how important those positions are, than taking a risk on a defensive tackle, linebacker, or wide receiver.

Have a draft board. Just because there are so many things that could go wrong with a prospect, doesn’t mean the draft is a complete crap shoot. Obviously, if a guy has more talent to begin with than another, it helps. Unless it’s for a position like quarterback, left tackle, or defensive end, or unless none of the players on top of my board at the present moment fill a need, I would never make a huge reach against my draft board. I would actually prefer to take best available at a position of need than reach ten or so spots against my Draft Board. You never know when you’ll need talent at a position. 

 

NFL Draft Live Blog 2012

All times pacific

Day 2

6:37: Done with this. Too fast. Follow me @stevenlourie

6:34: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA a punter in the 3rd round. Cleveland’s off the hook. Jacksonville is now the laughing stock of the NFL. Mike Mayock said of Anger “he’s draftable.” Yeah, not this high. But I guess their offense does revolve around the punter. 

6:31: TJ Graham to the Bills. High upside, only one year starter at wide receiver, return man, which they don’t need. Major reach. Mayock had him in the 7th. So did I. 

6:30: DeVier Posey to the Texans. Someone will have to wake him up and tell him someone actually drafted him. 

6:27: By the time the Browns draft Brandon Weeden a wide receiver, he’ll have to retire.

6:25: Ronnie Hillman to Broncos, who trade up. Did Lamar Miller die? Browns still don’t have a WR.

6:23: Another DB to St. Louis. Trumaine Johnson will probably be a safety for them. Josh Robinson to Vikings. This is why you don’t take Claiborne in the first. Deep CB class. 

6:20: Allen to Colts. Love this. Luck loves tight ends. Best receiver left on the board. 

6:19: But Randle still a good value for the Giants. 

6:17: Not as high on Randle as most. Thought he was a year away and really struggled against both Brandon Boykin and Dre Kirkpatrick. Very inconsistent too. Also, had inconsistent quarterback play though and he has all the tools. 

6:16: Value pick for the Giants, Rueben Randle. They needed another receiver to keep Victor Cruz in the slot where he’s best. 

6:14: The good news with LaMichael James, he won’t drop two punt returns in the same game. 

6:11: Packers know what they’re doing. Casey Hayward out of Vanderbilt. They needed another defensive back. Hayward has phenomenal ball skills and tackled Trent Richardson for a loss twice by himself. Had a 1st round grade on him. Mayock had him in his top 40. Packers traded up to get him. All the smart people love him. 

6:10: What the hell did the 49ers need another running back for? Who plays guard? 

6:08: 49ers take random guy. LaMichael James.

6:07: Patriots only got a 5th round pick for trading down 30 spots. Desperation move. 

6:06: Will 49ers rescue Rueben Randle? Another wide receiver? They did work him out and they don’t have a lot of needs. Or will they go for need and take Brandon Brooks? Or random guy?

6:04: 49ers on the clock. Then the Packers. Patriots trade down like 30 spots. Needed to do it. Didn’t have any picks left. 

6:03: Nope. Kelechi Osemele to the Ravens. They get their offensive lineman. Solid value. 

6:02: Has to be Randle to the Ravens right? 

6:00: Looks like the Eagles untied Andy Reid. Defensive lineman: Vinny Curry. 

5:58: Talking about the Brock Osweiler pick with a friend.

Him: Would you have gone Rueben Randle there?

Me: Holy crap! That guy is still on the board?! 

5:56: Bucs take Lavonte David. Day 1 starter at a position of huge need and a great scheme fit. Love it. 

5:55: I love Brock Osweiler and he’s going to the perfect situation for him, but the Broncos need to win now. 

5:53: Peyton Manning will be thrilled that the Broncos got him a quarterback to throw to. Oh wait… 

5:51: Osweiler to the Broncos. Buccaneers on the clock after trading up again with Houston. 

5:49: Both Lombardi and Schefter think it’ll be Osweiler to the Broncos. Peyton Manning will love that… 

5:47: Mike Adams to the Steelers. Worth a shot in the 2nd for a team like Pittsburgh. Suspended twice, failed a drug test, arrested, didn’t interview well, didn’t workout well, underachieved at Ohio State. But he has more talent than any offensive lineman in this draft class. A big athletic 6-7 320 pounder when he tries. 

5:46: The Falcons announced Konz as a guard. They might have just replaced Harvey Dahl. 

5:43: Falcons take Peter Konz. Steal. Mike Lombardi thinks Steelers will take Mike Adams. Can’t argue. Broncos afterwards. They spent a lot of time with Brock Osweiler. Makes a lot of sense. 

5:39: Broyles will be the steal of the draft. Lions didn’t need a wide receiver, but who cares. Value pick. Rich get richer. 

5:35: Lions and Falcons have next two picks. One of them will take Peter Konz and get a steal. Rich will get richer. 

5:33: Still to the Bengals. Value pick for a team that likes rotation on the line. 

5:32: Rueben Randle is my pick to the Bengals. Trumaine Johnson is a 2nd name. 

5:28: Titans take Zach Brown. Very good player with high upside. Well worth the risk at 52. But did Peter Konz die? 

5:27: Nice by Mayock mentioning that one of the only times Ted Thompson has ever drafted up was for Clay Matthews. Worked out pretty well. 

5:25: Tennessee on the clock. Had Devon Still here originally in my re-mock. Maybe I’ll get one of those right. 

5:23: Schefter saying Worthy to the Packers. The rich get richer once more. 

5:21: Interested to see who the Packers take. They never trade up. They must love someone. Jerel Worthy? Devon Still? Trumaine Johnson? Lamar Miller? 

5:19: Pead to the Rams. Reach. Sub 200, not a lead back, 3rd down (catcher/blocker), change of pace, kick return, something else.

5:18: Rams pick is in. Guessing Lamar Miller. Green Bay traded up with Philadelphia after that. Must be someone they LOVE. They never move. 

5:16: Value pick for the Chargers on the defensive line. Kendall Reyes. Luis Castillo and Antonio Garay getting older. Had Still and Worthy rated slightly higher though. 

5:15: Just remember the Patriots only have one pick left. Now I REALLY hate that pick. Will probably be an F. Sorry Belichick. Gotta go by my board. 

5:13: A lot of buzz around Tavon Wilson leading up to the draft, but never saw him in the 2nd round. Tweener without a real position. In Bill we trust I guess. 

5:11: Pats take Tavon Wilson. WTF. 

5:07: Surprised I’m not surprised by the Seahawks’ pick. They worked him out. Bobby Wagner, linebacker, Utah State. 

5:05: Could also be Kendall Reyes to the Patriots, but they’ve already taken 2 front 7 guys. They love him though. 

5:04: Will make a guess for the Seahawks. Zach Brown. They love high upside guys. Patriots on the clock afterwards. If they pick and don’t trade down, expect Trumaine Johnson out of Montana. 

5:03: Seahawks on the clock. Time to draw a name out of a hat. 

5:00: Eagles take Mychal Kendricks. Was Andy Reid distracted by food? He never takes linebackers.

4:58: Hearing Alshon Jeffery to the Bears at 45. Is Konz still hurt? 

4:56: Rams picked up a 5th to move down 5 spots. My theory about the Rams trying to draft an entirely new roster sounds pretty good right now. 

4:54: My guess is Peter Konz to the Bears. Should have gone to the Chiefs. Allen isn’t a pure guard. Neither is Konz, but he could have played center and kept Rodney Hudson at his natural position. Oh, and Konz is a better player. 

4:53: Chiefs took Jeff Allen. Heh? 

4:52: Hmm…the Jets took a triple option receiver. But I’m sure Tim Tebow will just be a punt protector… 

4:50: Rams traded down again. Bears move up. Their pick is after whoever Kansas City takes. Guessing Kansas City passed on Konz. Would be a steal for Chicago.

4:48: Kansas City is on the clock. Can get this draft class’ best center Peter Konz if they’re smart.  

4:46: Jets trade up to get Stephen Hill. Forgot he was on the board. Great pick in the 2nd round. Could be the best wide receiver out of this draft class if he pans out. 

4:45: Martin fell to the 2nd round because he’s doesn’t have elite feet or elite power. However, he’s a good football player. Can play left or right side. Will play right side in Miami. 

4:43: Could be a right tackle for the Dolphins. Mike Adams and Jonathan Martin available, but they’ve worked out Bobby Massie. 

4:42: Bills get their tackle and take Cordy Glenn. 

4:41: Bills’ and Dolphins’ picks are in, but a logjam. Jets on the clock after moving up 5 spots with Seattle. Lamar Miller? Unless someone else took him.

4:39: Bills have their choice between Cordy Glenn and Jonathan Martin here. 

4:38: Silatolu only had 20 starts at Midwestern State? 40th pick? Huh? 

4:37: Or Silatolu. Guard from Midwestern State. Needed guard help makes sense. 

4:36: Expect Jerel Worthy, Kendall Reyes, or Rueben Randle to the Panthers.

4:33: Back to the Schwartz pick. What the hell are the Browns doing? Who is Brandon Weeden going to throw to? And why would you take Mitchell Schwartz over Jonathan Martin and Cordy Glenn. Worst pick of the 2nd round so far. Branch and Jenkins picks are fine. These picks are going too fast though. 

4:32: Jenkins to the Rams. He’ll be fine. There’s nothing to do in St. Louis. 

4:30: By the time Brandon Weeden has any capable receivers to throw to he’ll be 45.

4:29: Browns take Mitchell Schwartz. Jaguars take Andre Branch. 

4:25: Each team has legends announcing their 2nd round picks. The Browns had some 70 year old white guy. 

4:23: Expect Stephen Hill here to the Browns. 

4:21: Derek Wolfe to the Broncos. Defensive Tackle. Had it between Jerel Worthy and Kendall Reyes with Devon Still as an outside option. Wasn’t any of the 3. Slight reach, but a good football player at a position of need. 

4:18: Had Upshaw rated slightly higher than Melvin Ingram. Not an ideal fit anywhere like Ingram, but a pure football player. Mature pass rusher with great size and excellent motor, average first step though. 

4:15: The Ravens picked Courtney Upshaw. They love Alabama kids, but they also love Paul Kruger, a similar player they already have, which is why I thought this would be offensive line. This pick makes sense though. Great football player. Another solid pick by the Ravens, 

4:12: My interview with the newest Colt: Coby Fleener 

4:09: Coby Fleener stays with Andrew Luck, 34th pick to Indianapolis. 

4:05: Coby Fleener makes too much sense for the Colts here. Andrew Luck will love it and he fills a need at tight end because Brody Eldridge has 26 combined catches in the NFL and college. He’s currently tops on their depth chart. 

4:04: Rams pick is in: Brian Quick. 

4:00: Sticking with Fleener to the Colts, Glenn to the Ravens, Worthy to the Broncos, and then the Browns taking Stephen Hill, who they reportedly have 3rd on their board. They wanted to get Richardson, Wright, and Weeden out of the first round (via trade up), but Wright went 2 picks earlier so they took Weeden early. Now they need a receiver.

3:57:  Hearing this first pick will be Brian Quick out of Appalachian State, with Rueben Randle as a long shot option. Stephen Hill, my original pick last night in my Re-Draft, is another long shot.

Day 1 

8:14: Will have 2nd round/3rd round mock tonight.

8:09: Best available remaining: Zach Brown, Courtney Upshaw, Jonathan Martin, Stephon Gilmore, Devon Still, Cordy Glenn, Stephen Hill, Coby Fleener, Peter Konz, Brock Osweiler.

8:05: 3 backs in the first? Wow. Compared David Wilson to Ahmad Bradshaw in his scouting report. Now they have two. 

7:54: Final prediction of the 1st is Cordy Glenn to Giants. 

7:52: Tampa Bay taking Martin. 

7:51: AJ Jenkins to 49ers. Over Stephen Hill. Looks like I was dead wrong when I said they loved him. Had Jenkins to 49ers in the 2nd round.

7:49: Never mind, Broncos trade down again. Tampa Bay to 31. Maybe Worthy for them? They need help all over the depth chart. 

7:48: That leaves Cordy Glenn to Giants. 

7:46: Original pick still stands: predicting Amini Silatolu to 49ers. Same with Jerel Worthy to Broncos. 

7:45: Harrison Smith is the pick. Good pick. The safety class has officially fallen off a cliff. 

7:42: Vikings hop up back into the 2nd round. They love Harrison Smith. 

7:39: Perry it is. I had McClellin in my mock, but he’s not available. 

7:38: Whoa! Down time? I guess, gun to my head, it’s Perry for the Packers. 

7:34: Zeitler to the Bengals. Packers on the clock. Nick Perry? Courtney Upshaw? Harrison Smith? 

7:33: Schefter saying o-line to Bengals. Glenn? 

7:31: I think in 3 years we’ll see Mercilus as the best pass rusher in this draft class. Can have an Aldon Smith like impact as a rookie. Mercilus, Connor Barwin, Brooks Reed, look out AFC South quarterbacks. 

7:30: Courtney Upshaw to Bengals? They reportedly love him. 

7:28: Mercilus to the Texans. Their pass rush was fine, but I had Mercilus 6th on my board so I can’t complain. 

7:27: Looks like I have time to talk about the Lions pick. Reiff falling to 23 reminds me of Bulaga falling to 23 in 2010. The Packers got a steal. Same thing with the Lions. The rich get richer. Had this pick in my mock before I overthought things and put him higher. 

7:25: Houston on the clock. Hill? 

7:23: Patriots traded up again, giving up 4th rounder to take Hightower at 25. Edge rusher in a 4-3? 

7:22: My interview with the newest Steeler, David DeCastro.

7:21: DeCastro to the Steelers. Once again, the best teams get the best players. 

7:19: Good news for Detroit, they get their left tackle of the future and Calvin Johnson didn’t tear his ACL on the way up the podium. 

7:18: Schefter saying Reiff to Detroit, DeCastro to Steelers. 

7:17: Hate the Weeden pick for Cleveland. He’s career is guaranteed to be 6 years shorter than a normal pick. Plus by the time Cleveland is good, he’ll be like 31-32 at the youngest and needing a new contract. Much better value with a developmental guy like Osweiler in the 2nd. 

7:16: Detroit loves BPA. They have to take DeCastro right? Had Martin to them originally. 

7:15: USA! USA! USA! 

7:13: Weeden not attending the draft because he goes to sleep every night before 9. 

7:12: Schefter saying Weeden to Cleveland at 22. I said Richardson, Wright, Weeden to Cleveland. 2/3 not bad. 

7:11: Does Cleveland take a value pick and take DeCastro? They have to right? 

7:07: Wright to Tennessee. Jones unofficially to New England. Cleveland’s pick is in too.

7:06: 3 picks in the queue. Get your shit together Goodell. 

7:03: Patriots give up 3rd rounder to move up 6 spots and take Chandler Jones. Still no idea who Tennessee took at 20. Mercilus? 

7:01: The Patriots moved up. The Bengals moved (first draft day trade since 2004) This is a weird year. 

7:00: Original pick for Titans, Whitney Mercilus. Sticking with that. Not confident. 

6:58: Schefter saying McClellin for Bears. Somewhere Jay Cutler just announced he’s missing the entire 2012 season with a knee injury. 

6:57: BTW, 3rd in Huddle. #HumbleBrag #YourNotOnTwitterStopUsingHashTags

6:55: Original pick for the Bears was Chandler Jones so I’m sticking with him. But how can you pass on DeCastro? 

6:54: Chargers take Ingram. I’m surprised I’m not surprised. 

6:53: There has been only 1 offensive lineman drafted so far (Kalil). 

6:49: Chargers have options of pass rushers at 18, but they never do what you think. David DeCastro? Harrison Smith? Bruce Irvin? Oh wait… 

6:46: Bengals take Kirkpatrick. Can’t remember when I didn’t mock them a cornerback in the first round. Had him at 21. Makes sense at 17. Good pick. 

6:45: With the 17th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders select Carson Palmer, washed up quarterback, Cincinnati. 

6:43: Kirkpatrick, Upshaw, DeCastro options for the Bengals here. Would be surprised if it was anyone else. Bengals don’t make surprise picks. 

6:40: Jets take Coples. I’ve mocked him to them before and I had him going 16th (to the Panthers by trade). I’m counting that. I like the fit. Coples is an ideal fit as a 3-4 end and he can play some rush linebacker. Rex Ryan asked Coples to do linebacker drills at his Pro Day. They needed a pass rusher and I like him better than Jones and Ingram. 

6:38: First James Carpenter and then Bruce Irvin. Note to self, when mocking a player to the Seahawks next year, draw a name out of a hat. 

6:35: I had a 3rd/4th round grade on Irvin. The dude is Aaron Maybin. 

6:34: Jets now have choice between Chandler Jones, Melvin Ingram, and Quinton Coples. Thinking Ingram, but they like all 3. 

6:31: I’m going to say that counts. That’s the closest anyone got to getting that pick right. WTF. I knew the Seahawks liked Irvin, but making him the first pass rusher off the board. He’s like 235 pounds. He’s a situational player with off the field issues. WTF. 

6:30: I had Bruce Irvin to the Seahawks in the 2nd round in the mock draft I did in my head in the shower this morning. Does that count? 

6:29: I had Brockers at 14 to the Cowboys, does that count? 

6:27: With the 14th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams select Michael Brockers. Somewhere Sam Bradford just retired. 

6:22: Love the fit of Floyd to Cardinals. Better prospect than Reiff and will help Arizona recreate Fitzgerald/Boldin. 

6:19: I had Floyd at 13 before I mocked a trade there. For what it’s worth I said “If they stay put, I think they’ll take Floyd.” Does that count? No? Oh well. At least I’m tied for 4th in Huddle.

6:18: Cardinals take Michael Floyd at the urging of GM Larry Fitzgerald. 

6:17: Next 4 mock, Floyd, DeCastro, Chandler Jones, Melvin Ingram. 

6:14: My next guess, Floyd to Arizona. 

6:12: Love the fit of Fletcher Cox to Philadelphia. An ideal fit in the wide 9 scheme, Philly needs youth on the line. Cox is a much better player than Poe, better pass rusher, higher level of competition, faster, quick, more agile, not just a straight line athlete. Great pick. 

6:11: Schefter reporting Cox to Philadelphia. In Schefter we trust.

6:10: Eagles give up a 4th and a 56h to move up to 12.

6:08: Skip Bayless on Twitter about Tannehill. “A month ago, I’d have told you he’d be a 3rd or 4th-round pick. Goes 8 overall?” My response: “That’s because you’re a moron.” Seriously, no one had Tannehill in the 3rd or 4th round a month ago. He’s been in the top 10 since Washington moved up for Griffin and maybe even before that.

6:06: Eagles trading up to 12, presumably to grab Cox (though you never know with Andy Reid). I had them moving up to 7, but I’ve loved that fit for weeks. Much better player than Poe is Cox. 

6:05: Major reach by the Chiefs taking Dontari Poe. Tape doesn’t match up. Straight line athlete.  

6:01: Gilmore to the Bills won’t be a bad grade. He’s a little bit lower on my board than 10, but not outrageous or anything.

6:00: Sticking with DeCastro to Chiefs. 

5:58: I’ll always remember the 2012 draft as the one with all the trades and the one where Roger Goodell announced every pick 10 minutes after it happened.

5:57: Expecting Gilmore here to the Bills. Barron and Kuechly off the board.

5:54: Carolina on the clock. They take Kuechly. I think he was a better pick than Cox. Better player. One of the cleanest players in this draft class. Had him 7th on my board.

5:52: My friend texted me asking “What in the fuck is STL doing?” My answer: “They plan on drafting an entirely new 53 man roster.” 

5:50: Dolphins take Tannehill. Yes, a reach, but there wasn’t a better fit for him. They desperately need a long term savior. He won’t need to play right away. They have a solid defense to support him. And their offensive coordinator is his former coach so he won’t have to learn a new system. Probably a B or C.

5:48: Dolphins and Panthers have already made picks. Tannehill and Cox are my guesses. 

5:47: Will Miami take Tannehill? The more important question: will Giselle marry Tannehill? (so her husband can fucking throw and catch the ball at the same time) 

5:42: So far, I’ve liked all of the picks that have been made. I’ll have my official grades after the draft, but they’ll probably all be A’s with one B to the Browns for being duped into trading up. However, Tampa Bay trading down to take Barron will probably be a C or a D. Hmm…Morris Claiborne and a 4th or Mark Barron? Easy question, only one right answer. They didn’t pick it. 

5:38: The NFL Network has promised not to reveal picks early. It seems Schefter has made no such promise. 

5:37: Schefter reporting Buccaneers will take Barron. 

5:35: Schefter reporting Dallas will take Claiborne. 

5:33: Jacksonville takes Justin Blackmon. Blaine Gabbert must be thrilled. Justin Blackmon must be crying. 

5:32: St. Louis picks up another 2nd round pick moving down from 6 to 14 with Dallas. 

5:31: Or make that Claiborne to Dallas. Wow. Schefter reporting a trade up.

5:29: Jacksonville will take Blackmon. Expect St. Louis to take Claiborne. Tampa Bay will then take Kuechly, I expect, who they love. 

5:28: Tampa Bay picks up a 4th in the deal to move down 2 spots. 

5:27: Matt Kalil to Vikings. A. Obviously. I’ll argue they never had interest in anyone else. They just wanted to get him lower. Very shrewd. 

5:26: St. Louis will take either Claiborne or Kalil at 6, but I expect Kalil to go 4th. Schefter already tweeted it. Claiborne to St. Louis. 

5:24: NFL Network confirms Jacksonville/Tampa Bay trade. Expect Jacksonville to take Blackmon. Tampa Bay could be looking at Kuechly or Cox at 7. 

5:22: Schefter reporting Vikings take Kalil and Buccaneers trade their pick, presumably to Jacksonville. Damnit this is going too fast!!! 

5:21: Richardson to the Browns. Kalil to the Vikings? 

5:20: This is going too fast. Browns and Vikings have already made their picks. 

5:13: Logjam with the picks. The Browns have already turned in their pick before the Redskins could announce theirs. Richardson? Or are they trying to turn in a card with Griffin’s name on it and hoping the Redskins won’t notice?

5:11: Jason LaCanfora reports the Vikings don’t want to trade down any further than 5th. This makes sense and it solidifies my belief that they want Kalil. Tampa Bay doesn’t want Kalil. They want Claiborne. Minnesota could still take Kalil at 5. Still not confident enough to risk having to name my kids Peyton and Eli…

5:09: And the Redskins take Griffin. 

5:08: One of my friends just texted me asking me if I wanted to bet that the Vikings would take Matt Kalil. I asked him what the terms were. He said that if I lost I’d have to name my first two kids Peyton and Eli regardless of gender. No deal. Can’t do it. 

5:05: With the first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts select Andrew Luck. NOOOOOOOOOO my mock draft is ruined!!! 

5:04: The Indianapolis Colts are no longer on the clock. 

5:01: The NFL Draft should start the same way overtime starts. With a confused Ed Hochuli taking 5 minutes to explain the rules. 

5:00: The Indianapolis Colts are now on the clock. 

4:55: Twitter exchange (@stevenlourie)

@TheBurkeReport: how many pick do they (Minnesota) need!?!? 

Me: The Vikings intend to have every pick in rounds 4-7 

4:54: I wish NFL Network would show the Saints’ draft room so we could see everyone sleeping. 

4:49: Chris Mortenson reporting the Vikings would be willing to be trade partners with the Jaguars for Blackmon. That doesn’t make any sense. Minnesota wants Claiborne, Blackmon, and Kalil. All 3 of those guys will probably be gone at 7 unless someone reaches for Fletcher Cox. 

4:45: Jaguars trying to move up to take Justin Blackmon. Poor Blackmon. 

4:44: Been privileged to participate in various partnerships with various draftniks this year. I’m working with a draft game sponsored by Mel Kiper. I’m participating in Huddle Report’s mock draft contest (the standard for mock draft ranking on the internet). I’m did a draft debate with fanspeak’s Steve Shoup (@steveospeak) and others. That can be found here.

4:34: I love that NFL Network won’t be revealing the pick this year. The last time I did a live blog, I would try to predict the picks on the fly and literally 5 seconds after I predicted them, I’d find out it was already announced by Schefter or someone. Not this year. 

4:30: If Richardson is, in fact, the pick at 3, he’ll join Ronnie Brown and Reggie Bush as the only backs to go in the top 3 since 1998. For more, click here.

4:26: Even with Minnesota moving down, I think Kalil will be the pick for them. They would be absolute morons to pick Morris Claiborne and I don’t believe they’re that stupid. For why that would be a terrible idea, see my Mock Draft.

4:21: Belichick looks weird in a suit.  

4:18: Might as well grade the Luck and Griffin picks since we already know them. A. A. Pretty straight forward. These are two of the best quarterbacks prospect I’ve ever scouted.

4:16: Adam Schefter reports the Browns aren’t done dealing. He said he could see them making another move up to grab a 3rd first round pick towards the end of the round. I’m feeling VERY good about mocking Weeden at 31, with the Patriots moving down and Cleveland moving up. I’m also more confident now about mocking Kendall Wright to them at 22. Quote me on this: The Browns will end up with Richardson, Wright/Hill, and Weeden in some form before the draft is over. 

4:11: Minnesota has traded the #3 overall pick to Cleveland for the #4 overall pick and 3 other picks (4th, 5th, 7th). I love this pick for Minnesota. The Vikings had no use for Richardson so there’s nothing wrong with moving down one spot. They’ll still have their choice between their 3 guys, Kalil, Blackmon, and Claiborne. For Cleveland, they make sure they get their guy and they don’t give up a whole lot (they had like 13 or 14 drafts to begin with). Richardson would have gotten an A grade from me at 4. I’ll give it a B at 3 just because, even if they did miss out on Richardson at 4, there were other talented prospects at positions of major needs. Blackmon would have been a fine pick there. But, again, they didn’t give up much. Minnesota gets an obvious A. Now let’s just hope they don’t screw it up and take Claiborne or Blackmon.

1:03: I did this in 2010, but not last year because I was travelling. I’m bringing it back for this year. It will be updated frequently during the draft with all my thoughts. Everything will also be tweeted out (@stevenlourie). I’ll be back around 4 pacific time. All times pacific, updated posted in reverse order (earliest at the top). Feel free to comment at the bottom.

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NFL Draft Live Blog

All times, pacific time 

Day 2

7:18: After day 2, My top 10 BPA, OT Bruce Campbell (17), DE Everson Griffen (25), CB Donovan Warren (32), DE/OLB Eric Norwood (34), OT Jason Fox (49), OLB Roddrick Muckelroy (50), TE Dennis Pitta (55), RB Jonathan Dwyer (60), WR Dezmon Briscoe (61), OT Ciron Black (62)

7:11: Falcons get some guard depth, offensive guard Mike Johnson, Alabama, good value, good pick. 

7:10: Titans take Rennie Curran, outside linebacker from Georgia, fills a need, solid scheme fit, solid value pick, this is why this team wins games. They draft well. 

7:07: Brandon Ghee finally out of the green room. He made a mistake by attending. He’ll be a solid player in the future. Though he has future #2 cornerback written all over him. The Bengals just get deeper at an important position, solid selection. 

7:05: Will ESPN ever bash a pick? 

7:02: Saints take Jimmy Graham. Most loaded tight end team in the league? I think so. That’s not as good as it sounds though. They needed some defensive line help and haven’t gotten that. 

6:58: Kevin Thomas before Everson Griffen? Is there something I missed? Why do teams hate him? 

6:57: Colts take Kevin Thomas, CB, USC 

6:56: Chiefs move up to take Tony Moeacki. He could be a steal if he stays healthy, but whatever happened to positional value. They needed to address QB, LT, RLB, and NT this year. They haven’t done any of that. 

6:55: Andy Reid looks like Uncle Vernon Dursley. 

6:52: Browns reach for another offensive lineman, Shawn Lauvao, guard/tackle, out of Arizona State. Is Mike Holmgren running the show here or Eric Mangini? My guess is Mangini. 

6:51: Andy Reid on ESPN to talk about eating cheeseburgers.  

6:50: Interesting fact, Andre Roberts had 6 career drops in college. He’s a real small school sleeper.

6:47: Wow, stuff moving fast, Patriots take a high upside wide receiver, Taylor Price and the Niners take a good player, Navarro Bowman, but I’m not sure he fits their scheme.  

6:46: Head scratcher here. Panthers take Armanti Edwards, a wildcat quarterback. I’m assuming they’ll move him to wide receiver and try to use him like a Josh Cribbs type guy. But he is a huge reach here and they didn’t need to trade up to get him. 

6:43: Patriots trade down again. Surprise. Panthers move up. They could probably take another great player here. If they take Everson Griffen. This is an amazing draft.  

6:42: They’ll go with another receiver, Andre Roberts. Hard to argue with this. Roberts is a solid wide receiver with good hands and great character.  

6:41: Cardinals on the board. They need a left tackle. Jason Fox is a solid guy to protect Matt Leinart’s blindside. He’ll need that badly. 

6:40: Denver takes a receiver who can actually run routes, Eric Decker. He’s a good player and fills a need, but what are they going to do about that run defense. Josh McDaniels must not think his conservative offense will need to control field positions and stop short downs.

6:39: Or their 2nd defensive end of the draft. That works too. They already brought in one defensive end in Darryl Tapp this offseason. Now they bring in two more through the draft. Washington DE Daniel Te’o-Neshiem. I guess that’s why they were stockpiling all of those picks. To make stupid trades up and draft the same position repeatedly. Who is going to replace Sheldon Brown?

6:36: Eagles on the clock. They like fat offensive linemen. Maybe Ciron Black. 

6:35: Browns better hope McCoy is better than I think. If not, they’ll be needing a quarterback in 2013 or 2014. 

6:34: But when Mack Brown walked up there to announce the pick, it was pretty obvious. I count this as a win for me. I had this in my mock, just like 40 picks earlier. 

6:33: Is it time for Colt McCoy? I doubt it. Why would Holmgren take him here if he didn’t take him before? Cleveland might actually take another QB (Kafka, LeFevour). Holmgren is a bold man.  

6:31: 2 of my top 25 players are still available. Brandon Ghee is still somewhere in a green room crying. 

6:30: Bengals take Jordan Shipley out of Texas. Good. They need to take some more weapons for Palmer. Shipley can also be a punt returner type guy. Think Brandon Stokley. 

6:29: Bengals need a nickelback/kick returner type guy. Is it AOA’s time to shine. 

6:27: Or they can take another defensive tackle. Corey Peters, Kentucky. What is with all of these defensive tackles? This is like the 14th DT or something like that. 

6:26: Falcons need a defensive end. I know they don’t like project guys, but they have to take Everson Griffen here.  

6:25: Annoying voice over lady once again, mixed with some “New York, New York, New York” no pick analysis.  

6:23: Steelers take Emmanuel Sanders 3 rounds too early. 

6:22: So far ESPN’s 3rd round coverage has been them talking about Colt McCoy and showing beer commercials (not the funny kind) and not analyzing any draft picks. Do these people realize this is their job?

6:20: Houston takes Earl Mitchell, defensive tackle, Arizona, good motor guy, overacheiver, under athletic, but I don’t know when they’ll take a replacement for Dunta Robinson (which they need to stop Peyton Manning). This CB class isn’t that deep.

6:19: Josh McDaniels has drafted one front 7 defensive player in his tenure in Denver (Robert Ayers). Not a good idea when they were one of the worst run stopping teams in the league the year before.

6:18: I’m Josh McDaniels! I don’t need defense! Broncos take a center, JD Walton, Baylor. He’s a good center, but he’s not really what the Broncos need. 

6:17: Broncos on the board. Maybe they’ll actually take a defensive player. 3-4 DE Arthur Jones Syracuse. 

6:16: Chargers take Donald Butler. He’s a bit of a reach and doesn’t fit the scheme well as a 3-4 MLB. Chargers can never draft well. I don’t know why they still win games.  

6:15: Chargers move up. They have a ton of needs and are extremely unpredictable. I won’t even try this one. 

6:14: On the money exactly, LaFell to Panthers at 78. Great draft. This is going to be a crazy offense next year. I had LaFell going to Carolina in the 2nd several times this year. I count this as a win.  

6:13: I have a good feeling the Panthers will take a WR to compliment Steve Smith and help out Jimmy Clausen. Either a big guy (Brandon LaFell) or a speed guy (Marshawn Gilyard). 

6:12: Bold prediction: Damian Williams is a future Pro Bowler. 

6:11: But I can’t argue with them taking the best available (in my mind). Damian Williams was my #1 WR and my #13th overall player. He’s everything you look for in a #1 WR. Humble, good route runner, good production, great hands, decent size, decent speed, gets open, gets YAC, love him. Titans are having the best draft so far according to my Big Board with Derrick Morgan (8) and Damian Williams (13) and they didn’t even have a 2nd rounder. Vince Young should be thrilled. 

6:08: Titans are going to be looking at DT, CB, OLB 

6:07: Chad Jones to Giants. There goes my one in a row streak. Chad Jones is a good player, but doesn’t fill an obvious need. They’ve brought in 2 safeties already this offseason. 

6:05: Giants up next. I think they may be the one to take a shot on Jonathan Dwyer, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they took a guy like Damian Williams. This is a smart organization. 

6:04: Damn I am clutch. That one was on the money. 

6:03: Major Wright to Chicago? Makes sense. They need upside and athleticism in the secondary. 

6:01: So the Jags took a 3rd round caliber DT in the 1st and a 3rd round caliber DT in the 3rd. At least they’re consistent. Jack Del Rio is so lazy he can’t think of new positions. They have not helped themselves at all this year. 

6:00: Shouldn’t have even tried, D’Anthony Smith, DT, Louisiana Tech 

5:59: Ok, I can’t resist, Everson Griffen or Riley Cooper. 

5:58: Jags on the board. I’m not even going to try to predict this one. 

5:57: Miami takes John Jerry and gets their future replacement for Justin Smiley.  

5:56: Bills don’t take a quarterback or a left tackle. Those positions aren’t important anyway. Alex Carrington to Bills. He’s a good player, 3-4 DE from Arkansas State, but he doesn’t fill a need or have positional value. 

5:55: Packers move up for Morgan Burnett. Once again the Packers get a good player. They do this every year. If Atari Bigby does down again this year, they have a replacement. 

5:53: Taylor Mays is pissed at Pete Carroll. Niners/Seahawks just got a little bit more interesting. Mays might “accidentally” fall out of bounds and hit Carroll. 

5:52: Colleen Dominquez fell asleep.

5:50: Ravens take Ed Dickson, tight end, Oregon. Good pick. He’s better than Todd Heap. 

5:49: Raiders are making some decent picks. Veldheer looks like a LT of the future. If they can get the QB situation sorted out somehow, they could win 8 games in a few years. 

5:48: The Raiders have finally taken a great athlete (the world makes sense). Not Bruce Campbell, but Jared Veldheer, Hillsdale, 6-8 312 5.05. 

5:47: Jon Gruden has a name fetish. 

5:45: Scott Pioli has completely abandoned the Patriot way. S, RB, CB, G with his first 4 picks, Jon Asamoah, guard, Illinois 

5:44: Chris Berman takes forever to read. Does he know how? 

5:42: KC looking NT here probably. Cam Thomas out of North Carolina makes sense.

5:40: Bucs take a defensive back, Myron Lewis, tweener CB/S guy, Raheem Morris will love working with him and his upside. 3rd round starts with CB-CB-CB. 

5:39: Spievey it is. I got one right! 

5:38: Lions need to go LT here (Jason Fox), though I wouldn’t be surprised if they went CB (Amari Spievey) 

5:37: Jimmy Clausen’s connection broke up. I blame Todd McShay.

5:36: Jerome Murphy is the pick. Steve Spagnuolo obviously thinks he can make good players out of 4th-7th round d-linemen and I don’t blame him. 

5:35: Rams pick is in. Everson Griffen? I predicted it last round and I’ll count it as a win if it happens. Rams fans should too. 

5:33: Three of my top 25 players still available, Damian Williams (13), Bruce Campbell (17), Everson Griffen (25). 

5:32: Someone will get a hell of a steal in Damian Williams in the 3rd. 

5:31: Saints take Charles Brown. My a favorite sleeper of mine. He’s a hell of a player. Jamaal Brown could be on the move.

5:30: Jerry Jones is on ESPN. Hopefully, he’s not drunk. 

5:28: Pat Angerer is the pick. It’s not as smart as I thought it would be. It’s Angrier though. 

5:26: Colts are a smart team and that’s why they’ll probably take Charles Brown. If not him, someone smart. They always draft smart. 

5:25: BB takes his BFFL Urban Meyer’s MLB, Brandon Spikes, upside, but slow, interesting pick. In BB we trust.

5:24: Pats might finally take Alex Carrington here. Actually, I’d be surprised if they didn’t trade back again. 

5:23: Here we go finally, Vlad Ducaase, big upside kid on the O-Line. Makes sense since they are a run heavy team. 

5:22: ESPN too busy showing Jets fans to tell us the pick. 

5:19: Mel Kiper thinks it’s a bad thing that Golden Tate can make catches in traffic. I normally agree with him, but in my book, that’s a good thing. 

5:17: Jets need to get pass rushers. That’s really their only remaining need. Corey Wootton and Alex Carrington are solid options. No good rush linebackers here though unfortunately. 

5:15: I was just shot in the head again. Golden Tate to Seattle. Good pick. Getting an immediate starting WR caliber player in the 2nd round. Solid value. Pete Carroll is making some nice picks. 

5:14: Mel Kiper just sounds smart. 

5:11: Seattle Seahawks on the board. Do they take a USC guy (Damian Williams, Everson Griffen, Joe McKnight) or a quarterback (Colt McCoy)? Gun to my head (I promised I wouldn’t say this tonight, but I have to) I’d say Everson Griffen. 

5:08: Browns take…some random guy. Montario Hardesty, RB, Tennessee. Mike Holmgren is holding out for Mike Kafka or Dan LeFevour. I’m calling it right now.

5:07: Does Steve Young ever listen to himself and think, what am I saying? 

5:06: Cleveland moves up to 59. Colt McCoy makes a lot of sense, but there are no guarantees. 

5:04: Ben Tate, RB, Auburn to Texans. 

5:03: 5 minutes between picks in 3rd round. Good thing I type 75 WPM (assuming my thumbs don’t get in the way), but I may have to cut out the witty/stupid comments.

5:02: Make that 19. Pats trade down again. Wow. 

5:01: 40 seconds still on clock. I can get something to eat/drink. Yes. 

5:00: How many picks do the Pats have? Like 18?

4:59: Pats picking again. I still say Alex Carrington. They reportedly love him. 

4:57: Great value pick for Baltimore. They run a 3-4 without a true run stopping NT. Now they have a true NT. Cody won’t play a ton (low stamina), but he is a great pick here. They need someone like them

4:55: Baltimore’s pick is in. Terrence Cody? 

4:54: Packers take Mike Neal, 3-4 defensive end, Purdue, great underrated quick player. I don’t know what team he fills, but he’s a good player and the Packers always take good players. That is why this is always a good team. 

4:53: Packers will take BPA. Bruce Campbell? Chad Jones? 

4:50: Cowboys take Sean Lee, MLB, Penn State great solid leader, great pick, fills a position of need, Cowboys having a great draft 

4:48: Bruce Campbell is Cowboys is my prediction. That would be a stacked offense. 

4:47: I like the Dunlap pick too. Upside. Upside. Upside. But, so predictable. The Bengals love guys who have character issues. 

4:46: I love the Cunningham pick. Great motor, great athleticism, great player, consistent, this is why I love being a Pats fan. They know how to draft. 

4:45: And Bengals take his teammate, Carlos Dunlap, I had them taking him in the first, so I’ll count this as a win.

4:44: Patriots take Jermaine Cunningham, rush linebacker, Florida 

4:41: Patriots on the clock, pick is in, ESPN goes to commercial. My prediction: Alex Carrington 

4:40: Worilds has upside, but he’s inconsistent. I think the Steelers can bring it out of him though and he won’t have to play right away. Solid selection. 

4:39: Steelers pick Jason Worilds, rush linebacker, Virginia Tech 

4:38: I know they say thumbs are the result of evolution, but my left thumb keeps hitting my mouse pad and clicking me to random places on the screen. Damn it. 

4:37: Yep, it’s Gerhart. Good pick. The Vikings needed another RB to spell Peterson in the backfield and get back to that power running game and there isn’t a better power runner in this draft class.

4:35: Gerhart looks happy. Minnesota moves up to take Gerhart. 

4:32: Did Chris Mortensen just compare McCluster to “Wesley Welker?” They barely even play the same position!

4:31: Houston on board. They’ll be looking at a running back. They’ve made it clear they want an RB. Montario Hardesty. Joe McKnight. Toby Gerhart. Or a CB, Brandon Ghee (the last man left in the green room). 

4:29: Javier Arenas to Chiefs. Interesting pick. I like their 3 kick returner offense. It could work. 

4:28: Taylor Mays lost a ton of money by going back to school. He was a lock to be the 7th pick last year. Now he goes 48th. Wow.

4:27: According to Todd McShay and his magical football field board, Jonathan Stewart is James Stewart. You’d think for the money he gets paid, he’d remember names.  

4:25: Chiefs on board. My prediction (I can start making these with confidence again after 2 in a row right) is Terrence Cody. 

4:24: Finally got one. Mays to Niners. Great upside pick. I had him going to them at 13, so I’ll count this as a win for me, definitely one for the Niners. 

4:21: Mays to Niners? That’s my prediction.  

4:18: Finally. Finally. This Panthers team is going to be a good team. Clausen to Panthers at 48. Wow. Him with that line and that running game. They need another receiver and some d-line help, but, as teams will soon learn, when you have a quarterback, you can mask some needs. 

4:17: Will Panthers take Jimmy Clausen at 48? I won’t even answer, but I have no idea. 

4:16: Clausen is somewhere crying. Cardinals take Daryl Washington. Doesn’t fit their 3-4 at all at 227 pounds.

4:15: While ESPN was showing me random people on the street in New York, the Giants took Linval Joseph, defensive tackle, East Carolina. 

4:14: Arizona trades up to 47. Clausen? Finally? 

4:13: Another thing I haven’t gotten to say, but want to, Mike Holmgren said they were looking for a quarterback if there was one they liked available. I think it’s safe to say Clausen he does not like. McCoy? Maybe. Sleeper name for Browns at QB, Mike Kafka. Mel Kiper said he could be a 3rd round pick and he seems like the type of guy Holmgren would like. Reminds me a bit of Hasselbeck.

4:12: Btw, I love the Gronkowski pick for the Patriots. Finally got a chance to say this. Great big target. Great upside. Great big blocker. 

4:11: Beadles will probably move to guard. He could be a decent player, but why pick him here? 

4:10: With the 45th in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select Zane Beadles, offensive tackle, Utah 

4:09: Raiders are making good picks. If they put Gradkowski at QB, they could win some good games. 

4:08: Broncos on clock? Will they take Jimmy Clausen and use a 4 quarterback offense? Maybe. 

4:07: One of the best picks the Raiders could have made (other than Clausen).

4:06: LaMarr Houston to Raiders. Who is making these picks? It’s not Al Davis.

4:05: Sergio Kindle is an underachieving, injury prone player, but he has a ton of upside. He’ll push Terrell Suggs and maybe the Ravens veteran leadership (Lewis, Reed) will push Kindle to best as possible.

4:04: Kindle to Ravens.

4:02: Baltimore on clock? Terrence Cody here? At least that’s what I’m hearing. 

4:01: I have never been so happy to see the commish, the Pats take Rob Gronkowski. Love it. 

4:00: And now I have to change to ESPN 2. Seriously, what is the pick? I’m hearing different things from everywhere, changing channels, hearing NEW YORK again, not seeing the commish. 

3:59: Oakland trades down, Pats trade up. Pick has been in for like 5 minutes, but ESPN hasn’t announced it. 

3:58: NFL Network is getting teams wrong, ESPN is showing commercials, I officially have no idea, what is going on? Where is Roger Goddell?

3:55: My NFL draft grades should be fun. I wonder how many Cs Ds and Fs I’ll give for teams passing on Clausen. 

3:54: Torrell Troup pick is interesting for Bills, fills a need, but not a huge needs, but he’s also not even BPA at his positions (Terrence Cody, Linval Joseph, Cam Thomas) 

3:53: Will Oakland be the one who finally takes Clausen? Or will they take Taylor Mays or Bruce Campbell (athletic guys)? Or will they take some random guy? My bet is on random guy. 

3:52: Still 11 of my top 34 available. I think I may start a team and buy a 2nd round pick and take Clausen and then sign a bunch of undrafted guys. That team might actually win some games. 

3:51: Bills take Torrell Troup. 

3:49: Bills on the clock, do they go quarterback (McCoy, Clausen) or left tackle (Charles Brown).

3:47: Sources told me they liked Sergio Kindle, but I guess those were wrong. The Dolphins take Koa Misi, rush linebacker, Utah. Misi is a very raw player, who looked good at Senior Bowl, but how will he convert to a new position. He is an overachiever and a great locker room guy though.  

3:46: Miami on clock, Sergio Kindle makes a lot of sense 

3:45: Not an awful pick. I like guys like Damian Williams and Golden Tate more, but Benn has more upside than either of those guys. The Buccaneers need a #1 receiver. Solid B.

3:44: Benn puts on the hat. He’ll be the pick. I had him going to the Bucs at 35, so I’ll count this as a win for me. Finally. 

3:43: Benn on phone, looks like he’ll be the pick. 

3:42: Bucs move up, Arrelious Benn makes sense, remember Raheem Morris said his #1 need this offseason was getting help for Josh Freeman and I don’t think he was referring to Reggie Brown. 

3:41: A little scouting report on TJ Ward since you’ve probably never heard of him. Undersized, aggressive, but not fundamentally sound hitter, lack of speed, lack of ball skilling, injury issues. 

3:38: Hmm, quarterback that can help us win games, or a 5th round prospect at safety. Let’s go with TJ Ward Oregon. Will Jimmy Clausen ever be drafted? 

3:36: Let’s see what Mike Holmgren meant when he said he wishes he liked Jimmy Clausen more. This pick will probably either be Jimmy Clausen or Colt McCoy.

3:33: Good pick. Nate Allen is a better fit than Taylor Mays at free safety and he’s a safer pick. He has those Brian Dawkins comparisons.

3:32: Could Andy Reid take Jimmy Clausen? Weirder things have happened, but I doubt it. Taylor Mays makes sense here, fills a need at safety, has the speed Reid likes, or he may take Terrence Cody as his hamburger eating buddy. 

3:31: This is one of the stupidest picks of the draft. Matt Cassel is decent, but not great. Clausen has the potential to be great. He probably knows their offense already better than Matt Cassel does. He could have gone in and mentored Cassel on the offense and then taken over in 2011 and they would have been competitive in the weak AFC West for years. But now they have a cool option in Dexter McCluster that doesn’t fill a need.

3:28: Or we could go with another running back. Thomas Jones. Jamaal Charles. Dexter McCluster. No o-line, mediocre QB, but a lot of cool RBs. YAY

3:27: Shut up Steve Young. I want to know the pick.

3:23: Will Charlie Weis bail out Jimmy Clausen? He should. Matt Cassel is a one year stop gap, but Clausen could be the longterm answer. If this draft made any sense, they’d take Clausen. But it doesn’t, so I don’t really know. 

3:22: I actually don’t mind this pick. Brian Price was one of the BPA and the Buccaneers were awful against the run last year. i just didn’t think they’d actually go DT-DT. Price is perfect for their scheme. Solid B+ pick. 

3:21: Or take another defensive tackle, that’s cool. Brian Price out of UCLA. 

3:20: Annoying voiceover lady is back. 

3:19: Living on the west coast, seeing these commercials for Raiders’ tickets every commercial break is pretty funny.

3:17: Bucs on the board. Positions of need: CB, DE, S, WR Will they actually take one of these positions? Who knows? My prediction is Arrelious Benn. Everson Griffen, Brandon Ghee, Taylor Mays all make sense though, as does Golden Tate. 

3:16: Chris Cook is a good player, but what happens when Favre retires? Tarvaris Jackson? Sage Chokesenfels?  

3:15: Chris Cook?! Wow. I don’t think Jimmy Clausen will ever be drafted. Will his former coach (Charlie Weis) and the Chiefs bail him out? He better hope so. 

3:14: Let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York (seriously, this song again, I had to listen to it all night last night, seriously) 

3:12: If the Vikings don’t take Jimmy Clausen, I will literally pull my hair out. The Vikings have a chance to take a guy who is regarded as a consensus top 10 prospect quarterback at 34. Favre won’t be around forever and I really don’t think Favre will be offended if the Vikings take Clausen. He wasn’t offended when the Packers took Aaron Rodgers in 2005.

3:11: I didn’t predict it, but I like it. Some teams know the importance of protecting your QB. Jason Smith and Roger Saffold will be bookend tackles for Bradford for many years.  

3:10: With the 33rd pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams, select Roger Saffold, offensive tackle, Indiana 

3:07: ESPN polls say 54% think McCoy is the best quarterback available, 46% say Jimmy Clausen. People are stupid. 

3:05: Steve Young says the Lions have been doing a good job getting help for Matt Stafford over the past 2-3 years. So many things wrong here. First, he has no left tackle. Second, Stafford hasn’t even been town an entire year. If Stafford doesn’t get better protection soon, he may sound like Steve Young when he retires. 

3:03: Rams on the clock. If they don’t trade down, they’ll be looking for a pass rusher (Everson Griffen, Carlos Dunlap) or wide receiver (Arrelious Benn, Golden Tate)

3:01: 12 of my top 34 players on my Big Board are still available, plenty of good talent left 

3:00: Jon Gruden predicts trades will be made. There’s a risky prediction. 

2:59: My Top 12 BPA, Jimmy Clausen, Charles Brown, Damian Williams, Bruce Campbell, Terrence Cody, Brian Price, Everson Griffen, Brandon Ghee, Golden Tate, Donovan Warren, Taylor Mays, Eric Norwood

2:55: Rams are reportedly fielding offers for the #33rd pick. The Bills and Browns are in the mix. If I was the Rams, I would call up the Raiders, Bills, Chiefs, Vikings, and Browns, all of whom are probably targeting either Jimmy Clausen or Colt McCoy here, put them on speaker phone, or video conference, and let them go at it auction style.

2:40: While we wait, let’s have a little mini (fake) interview with Raiders’ owner Al Davis.

Me: So Al, every year before this year, you have only taken players based on 40 times, but this year you took Rolando McClain. What changed?

Al Davis: I…hate…everyone…..All NFL Mock Drafts……have me taking Bruce Campbell……I wanted to take Bruce Campbell…..because he is fast….and big…..but if I had taken Bruce Campbell……all of those mock drafters would have been right…and they would have been happy…and I hate everyone…..but if I had taken Jimmy Clausen…..Raidah fans would have been happy…..and I hate everyone…..so I took Rolando McClain…..he is not fast….and makes all of those mock draft fans….but still pisses off the fans……I…hate…everyone

In all seriousness, I actually think something like that is what happened. Either that or that rumor I heard about Raiders’ scouts giving Al Davis fake 40 times is true. Or Al Davis secretly died and the Raiders didn’t tell anyone.

2:28: One more thing about the Tebow pick, I think this proves that Josh McDaniels is living in his own world. It’s one thing to prefer players over other players (Demaryius Thomas over Brandon Marshall, Matt Cassel/Kyle Orton over Jay Cutler, Tim Tebow over Jimmy Clausen), but another thing to think other teams feel that way too. Why did he have to move up to 25 to take Tebow? How many other teams would have taken Tebow over Clausen? 1? 2? none? What was the point of trading up?

2:25: First while I have some time, I want to speak some more on Tebow to the Broncos. I really think the Broncos are trying to run an option spread offense in the NFL, or at least some form of one. Why else would they be drafting this many option spread players (Tebow, Thomas). I would not be surprised if they drafted an option spread running back (Jonathan Dwyer) in the 3rd round range. As for Tebow, I think he has to be happy with where he is going. He went in the first round, which was a bit of a stretch for him, especially over Jimmy Clausen. He goes to a team with a coach known for good work with quarterbacks (Matt Cassel, Tom Brady). He goes to a team where he won’t have to play right away and a team that runs a spread offense like he did at Florida. 

2:20: Yesterday was embarrassing. My mock drafts make too much sense. I look at team needs, find best available at those positions of need, take into account team drafting strategy, and scheme, and then make a pick. I don’t even know what it is most NFL teams do, but it’s definitely not that, at least not based what we saw yesterday. Don’t get me wrong some picks made a lot of sense (Gerald McCoy to Buccaneers, Russell Okung to Seahawks, Derrick Morgan to Titans, Sean Weatherspoon to Falcons, Bryan Bulaga to Packers, Dez Bryant to Cowboys, Jerry Hughes to Colts), but not anywhere near enough. Hopefully I get more picks today. Check out my Day 2 Mock Draft.

 

Day 1 

8:11: Maybe Jimmy Clausen will actually be drafted tomorrow too. 

8:09: Be back tomorrow. Hopefully with some better picks and not just a weird combination of ESPN bashing and self loathing. 

8:08: The Saints already have Jabari Greer, Tracy Porter (my favorite underrated player in the league) at cornerback. They also have Malcolm Jenkins, who could play safety, but considering they used the 14th pick on him last year, that wouldn’t make a lot of sense. Now they have added another cornerback. I don’t get it. Plus, Patrick Robinson doesn’t have a good work ethic. He reportedly took plays off in college to prevent injuries so he wouldn’t get hurt before the pros.  

8:05: Gun to my head, I would have died multiple times tonight. 

8:03: Patrick Robinson defensive back Florida State. He was my fourth choice. Not really. Weird day. 

8:01: Alright gun to my head, I’ll stick with Everson Griffen my original pick. 

8:00: My dad saw cheering Saints’ fans and asked me who they were. I wanted to say “who dat” but he wouldn’t have gotten it. 

7:58: Everson Griffen, Carlos Dunlap, Sergio Kindle are the most likely picks in my mind. Of course, with the way this draft has been going, it’ll probably be done on those players. 

7:57: I do like the pick. Both Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis will be free agents in 2011. Hughes is a value pick. He can be a solid nickel rusher in the 4th quarter when the Colts are playing with the lead. Hughes is undersized, but plays with a great motor which the Colts like. He fits the scheme well.

7:54: Berman was right. I was wrong. Jerry Hughes. 

7:53: Chris Berman says Jerry Hughes. Interesting idea. 

7:50: Colts on board. Charles Brown makes sense here and the Colts like to make sense. 

7:49: Left tackles be damned. Running backs, defensive tackles, safeties, awesome. In fact, let’s trade up for a running back. It’ll be awesome. Jahvid Best is a great player, but he doesn’t help the Lions in a way they need.

7:47: Lions take Jahvid Best, running back, California 

7:45: Pick traded to Lions. Jahvid Best will be the pick.

7:39: Jimmy Clausen to Vikings is my prediction. If that means anything any more. 

7:37: Interesting pick for Jets. Antonio Cromartie will be their #2 corner next year, but Wilson is a solid nickel corner and is a great punt returner. He has huge upside and if he pans out, the Jets have two shutdown corners. Wow. 

7:35: Jets take Kyle Wilson. Today is not my day.

7:33: As for the Odrick pick, I don’t get it. He doesn’t fill a need, but it’s hard to argue when Odrick is one of the best available and is a perfect fit for the scheme. 

7:31: Do I even want to make a prediction? Jets on the board. I’ll go with Jerry Hughes just because I had him in my actual mock draft. Yeah, remember that thing.  

7:29: Or I could be wrong again. That’s cool. Jared Odrick to Dolphins. Not sure where he fits, but he does fit the scheme. 

7:26: Dolphins on the clock. I know I’ve been wrong a lot, but Sergio Kindle makes a lot of sense here. They reportedly love him. 

7:24: Patriots take Devin McCourty, cornerback, Rutgers, interesting, not sure how I feel about this yet, but I don’t hate it. In BB we trust.

7:23: I didn’t think Jimmy Clausen would have this many parallels to Aaron Rodgers, but it’s looking like Clausen will end up as Favre’s backup. I doubt the Vikings pass on him at 30 if he’s there. 

7:22: Broncos/Ravens trade details, Ravens get 2nd and 3rd, Broncos get 1st (Tebow), teams swap 4th rounders (5 spots) 

7:21: If Pats pick, it will be either Jared Odrick, Sergio Kindle, or Taylor Mays. 

7:20: Patriots on the board. Will they finally pick? 

7:19: The Cardinals needed a nose tackle, they could have won the division if they had taken Clausen. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. 

7:17: Cardinals pick finally, Dan Williams, nose tackle, Tennessee, have fun with Matt Leinart and Derek Anderson 

7:16: Cardinals pick is in, but ESPN is busy being in love with Tebow. 

7:12: If the Cardinals pass on Jimmy Clausen they are pretty stupid. 

7:10: I love Tim Tebow and I thought I would be happy when he was drafted. Josh McDaniels had to ruin that. 

7:07: Still congrats to Tebow.  

7:05: Denver moves up and takes Tim Tebow. NOOOOOOOOOOOO. I love Tebow. Josh McDaniels will destroy him. 

7:04: Ravens will either take Jared Odrick, Kyle Wilson, or Dan Williams. 

7:04: USA USA USA USA USA USA  

7:03: Dez Bryant is a stereotypical Jerry Jones pick, flashy, big 12. He has some baggage, but he’s a good pick.  

7:02: Ravens on the board. Jared Odrick makes sense. 

7:01: Dez Bryant is a Cowboy. Again. 

7:00: Roy Williams = bye bye. This is what happens when you don’t catch the ball or get open. 

6:59: Looks like Cowboys are taking Dez.  

6:58: ESPN is reporting the Patriots have traded their pick to Dallas at the same time Todd McShay is saying the Pats will pick Dez Bryant. Wow. 

6:56: Adam Schefter is saying this pick could be Mays. Hmm… As a Pats fan, I wouldn’t mind. 

6:55: Bryan Bulaga just looks like a Packer. 

6:53: Pats on the board. Don’t rule out a trade. If not a trade, probably Dez Bryant. 

6:51: And it is Bryan Bulaga. If Chad Clifton goes down this year, Aaron Rodgers won’t die. 

6:50: Packers could take Dez Bryant. He may be BPA in their eyes. However, he might be way lower than that. He’s that polarizing. If not Bryant, probably Bryan Bulaga. 

6:49: Josh McDaniels is stupid. The final package for Jay Cutler, a 3rd rounder, Richard Quinn, Kyle Orton, Robert Ayers, Demaryius Thomas. WOWOWOWOW 

6:48: Demaryius Thomas was the first receiver taken in the 2010 NFL Draft. WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW 

6:47: Or they could just take some guy who doesn’t know how to run routes.  

6:46: With the 22nd pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Broncos take Demaryius Thomas, wide receiver, Georgia Tech 

6:45: This pick could be Dez Bryant, but why would the Pats trade down if they thought the Broncos would take Bryant. The Pats want him too. 

6:44: While I have some time, I like the Bengals pick. Carson Palmer needs a guy like Jermaine Gresham to throw to. Two thumbs up.

6:43: Patriots trade down, there’s a surprise. Broncos move up to 22. Jimmy Clausen? 

6:42: Bengals took someone without character flaws. What is going on this year?Bengals take Gresham out of Oklahoma. 

6:41: Jimmy Clausen has Erin Andrews following him around. He is so lucky!

6:40: Bengals will probably be looking for criminals here. Carlos Dunlap and Jared Odrick make sense. If they want to go with someone who hasn’t been arrested, Dez Bryant, Taylor Mays, and Jermaine Gresham. Gun to my head, I’d say Carlos Dunlap.

6:37: Right position, wrong player, but they could have done worse. Kareem Jackson is a decent pick. 

6:36: With the 20th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans select Kareem Jackson, cornerback, Alabama 

6:35: Houston is probably looking at Kyle Wilson here at 20. They need to replace Dunta Robinson. 

6:34: Hard to argue with the Falcons taking BPA. They know how to draft. 

6:33: I’m glad Jimmy Clausen did not choose to attend. This would have been embarrassing for him. He will probably go to Denver at 24, Arizona at 26, Minnesota at 30, or a team who moves up, but wherever he goes he will be an impact player.

6:32: With the 19th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons take Sean Weatherspoon, outside linebacker, Missouri 

6:30: Falcons probably looking at Sean Weatherspoon and Kyle Wilson here. 

6:29: Here’s my deal with Maurkice Pouncey. He was a 3rd round pick in January. He has not played since January. You always have to be weary of late risers like him. Pouncey never played up to his potential at Florida. 

6:28: Steelers take Pouncey, the center out of Florida, this was pretty predictable. 

6:27: Will the Steelers take Jimmy Clausen? Not likely, but possible. 

6:26: As much as I can like a guard over a quarterback, I do like this pick. Iupati is a huge upside guy and it’s obvious the Niners want to get back to their run blocking ways. He has Larry Allen esque upside.

6:25: I guess the Niners are staying put. Mike Iupati from Idaho. 

6:22: I’ll go more in depth in my draft grades next week, but I love this pick for the Titans because Morgan doesn’t need a lot of work. A lot of the high upside defensive ends have been busting in recent years. Defensive ends have to hit guys and wrestle with fat guys. It’s not hard to see why when players at that position get a huge signing bonus, they stop putting in as much work as you’d like. Morgan doesn’t need a lot of work.

6:21: Great pick. Morgan was the best DE in college football last year, good size, good speed, good motor, most proven defensive end.

6:20: A pick that makes sense, no way. The Titans take Derrick Morgan out of Georgia Tech. 

6:19: Sources tell me the Niners have made another trade, likely down from 17. Will Jimmy Clausen ever be drafted?

6:17: Commercials. Ugh. Time to eat food. 

6:15: The Titans should take Derrick Morgan. I say should because I’m done trying to predict stuff. If the world makes sense, Morgan will be the pick. He was the most dominant DE in college last year.

6:14: Yeah, let’s go with the raw kid who didn’t dominate at all in college over the proven defensive end who lived in the backfield last year.

6:13: With the 15th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Giants select Jason Pierre Paul, defensive end, South Florida 

6:09: I can’t hate the Seahawks pick too much, at least relatively so, but they may really regret letting Jimmy Clausen fall to their division rival Niners at 17. Assuming the Niners actually take him. 

6:07: Giants on the board. Derrick Morgan is my guess, but it could be Sean Weatherspoon or Dan Williams. 

6:05: Maybe Thomas just is incapable of showing emotion. Or maybe he really didn’t want to go to Seattle. Come on, you’re going to the NFL. Be a little happier. 

6:05: With the 14th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Earl Thomas, safety, Texas.

6:04: Earl Thomas on the phone, but he doesn’t look too happy. 

6:02: I know I was complaining about how fast the action was moving, but I haven’t had to say anything in 4 minutes. What is going on? 

5:58: Seahawks on the board. For the love of all that makes sense, they better take Jimmy Clausen. 

5:57: I think the whole draft being on a Thursday thing is confusing people to make bad picks. 

5:56: Eagles take Brandon Graham. He is not the best player available. He is not the best player at his position. He doesn’t fill a big need. They did not have to move up for him. Want me to keep going. 

5:53: Chargers/Dolphins trade details. Chargers get 12th. Dolphins get 28th, 40th, a 4th round pick, and Tim Dobbins. 

5:52: Philly moves up to 13. Broncos move back down. The pick will be Earl Thomas. 

5:51: Matthews at the highest would have gone 20. Why did the Chargers have to move up to 12 to get him? Plus, why even take a running back in the first anyway? This is a deep running back class. Bad pick. Bad pick. 

5:50: Chris Mortensen got something right? Matthews to Chargers. Chargers did something stupid again in the draft. Why am I not surprised?

5:48: Chris Mortensen thinks the pick will be Ryan Matthews. Therefore, the pick will not be Ryan Matthews.

5:47: Chargers move up, most likely to take Dan Williams. Chris Berman says he thinks it’ll be Ryan Matthews. At this rate, it’ll probably be some random guy. Details of Dolphins trade forthcoming.

5:44: Anthony Davis = Andre Smith 2.0. Why would the Niners move up?

5:43: With the 11th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers take a big fat guy from Rutgers 

5:41: Josh McDaniels obviously does not know what a draft trade value chart is. The Niners are likely to take Jimmy Clausen here. 

5:40: Niners moving up. Broncos moves down to 13 and pick up a 4th.

5:39: Alualu is not a top 10 player. The Jaguars probably took him because he won’t demand a lot of money. Their financial issues may be worse than we though. He won’t help them a ton though. Bad pick. Plus, he won’t sell anymore NFL Tickets for the Jaguars, which is something they needed to do here.

5:38: Some random player it is. Tyson Alualu. WTFWTFWTFWTFWTFWTFWTFWTF 

5:37: Jacksonville has a few options here. They can take a QB, Jimmy Clausen. They could trade down (not sure who they’d trade with). They could take Dez Bryant or Derrick Morgan. Or they could take some random player. 

5:36: Stuff on my mind. I wish Rolando McClain had attended the draft so I could see him cry (sad tears, not happy tears) when his name was called.

Bye bye Marshawn Lynch, he’ll probably be traded, most likely to the Chargers was the 28th pick, and the Bills will take Tim Tebow and go left tackle in the 2nd. If they do that, I don’t think it’s a bad pick. But that’s a big if. 

5:34: Oh good, crappy commercials. I have time to say stuff that’s on my mind. 

5:33: So the Raiders don’t take a fast player, but instead take a guy who doesn’t fit the scheme, doesn’t have good positional value, and fills a position that’s not a need at all (Kirk Morrison is their 3rd best defensive player) and now the Bills take the one position they don’t need. No QB in town. No Left Tackle in town. 

5:32: I don’t understand anything anymore. 

5:31: Bills move fast, take CJ Spiller.  

5:30: I think Al Davis was tried of being made fun of for just picking fast players so he took some random guy. 

5:29: Raiders take McClain. WTF. 

5:28: This pick should be Jimmy Clausen. I will be some crazy athlete. Most likely Bruce Campbell. 

5:27: With the 8th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders select Darrius Heyward Bey, wide receiver, Maryland…o wait 

5:26: Yikes, that picture even scares me. 

5:25: Next on the board

5:24: I don’t hate the Browns pick. I would have taken Clausen, but they could have done worse. 

5:23: With the 7th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns take Joe Haden, cornerback, Florida 

5:20: Michael Smith says it’ll be between Joe Haden and Kyle Wilson. I guess I was wrong. Haden it is.

5:19: ESPN has cameras at Tim Tebow’s house? That’s not creepy.

5:18: Gun to my head, I’d say this pick would be Earl Thomas. 

5:17: Mike Holmgren said he wishes he loved Jimmy Clausen more. I guess we’ll finally find out what that means. I would take Clausen, but I think they could take either Joe Haden, Earl Thomas, Derrick Morgan.

5:16: Gotta love the Okung pick. Matt Hasselbeck might not be killed next year again. 

5:15: With the 6th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Russell Okung, offensive tackle, Oklahoma State

5:10: Russell Okung will be going to the Seahawks. Pete Carroll has to love all of the stupid draft rooms ahead of him.

5:08: Eric Berry is a great player, but this means he will be by far the highest paid safety in the league next year. That’s not right. The Chiefs aren’t a good team. They need more than a safety. Safeties also run huge risks of injuries because they have to hit like linebackers at cornerback size. 

5:06: Eric Berry says he’s always wanted to be a Chief. He did not pass the stupidity test.

5:05: ESPN snooping on Eric Berry. I guess he’ll be the 5th pick. Scott Pioli must have been kidnapped by ninjas. This is not the Patriot way.  

5:04: NFL Draft commercials are like the opposite of Super Bowl commercials. They all suck. 

5:02: Trent Williams was asked by the Redskins if he was committed to be great. Well, he passed the stupidity test. I’ll say that much for him.

5:01: Russell Okung makes too much sense for the Chiefs here at 5. Matt Cassel has the slowest release in the NFL. He needs better protection. Okung is an NFL ready LT and a guy who can anchor a line for years.

5:00: Trent Williams is not a left tackle. He is a fast right tackle with athleticism. He is not an elite pass protector. He will not able to make an immediate impact. This is not a good pick. Think Chris Williams out of Vanderbilt in 2008. 

4:58: With the 4th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins select Trent Williams, offensive tackle, Oklahoma 

4:55: The next pick will, with 85% certainly by Russell Okung. Okung is the best available player, but rumors are out there at the ‘Skins like Trent Williams more. Okung would definitely be the right pick. They need to protect McNabb and Okung is that Ryan Clady type player like Mike Shanahan had in Dallas, er, I mean Denver. Dallas is not in Denver.

4:54: Hard to argue with the Bucs taking McCoy. They sucked against the run last year. Good pick. 

4:53: With the 3rd pick in the 2010 NFL Mock Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Gerald McCoy, defensive tackle, Oklahoma

4:48: Ndamukong Suh’s head looks like a house of spears. I bet that’s how his parents named him. 

4:47: Will the Buccaneers take Gerald McCoy? Will the Redskins select Russell Okung? Will this annoying voiceover lady ever shut up? 

4:46: The next pick will be Gerald McCoy. If there are any more guarantees tonight, that’s it. 

4:45: Obviously I don’t like this pick, unless they make a trade for a veteran left tackle (Jared Gaither). Have fun protecting your 73 million dollar investment. 

4:43: With the second pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Ndamukong Suh, defensive tackle, Nebraska. 

4:42: Ndamukong Suh on the phone. I’m guessing that’s not his mom. Somewhere Matt Stafford is crying.

4:40: 50/50 chance this pick is Okung. 50/50 this is Suh. Okung would be the smart pick though. 

4:38: Overall the Rams could have done worse, but at least they drafted a guy with upside at the right position. Bradford isn’t ready to be a week 1 starter though. I’d give the pick a solid B. 

4:37: With the 1st pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams select Sam Bradford, quarterback, Oklahoma. 

4:35: Chris Berman: The Rams went 1-15 last year so there’s nowhere to go but up. I’m guessing Chris Berman did not do well in math.

4:34: Gotta love the one dude sitting in New York with the Patriots hat. 

4:31: Oh crap. It’s Chucky. Oh wait, that’s just Jon Gruden. 

4:30: Browns reportedly willing to trade almost their entire draft and some of their picks next year for Sam Bradford. Talk about putting all of your eggs in one basket. Not a good idea when that basket is a spread QB who is coming off of shoulder surgery. 

4:28: According to ESPN, Dallas is in Denver. Who knew. 

4:26: 99% chance that Sam Bradford goes #1. The Rams have not announced the pick yet which looks a little concerning. They could put a hole in everyone’s mock and take Jimmy Clausen #1 overall. It’s doubtful though. 

4:23: The wise words of Steve Young. Everyone is open in college. No one is open in the pros. It all makes sense now. All of this work I have done scouting quarterbacks has been pointless. 

4:21: Drew Brees has been announced as the Madden cover athlete. Drew Brees will separate his shoulder week 1 next season and be out for the year.

4:18: Note to Demaryius Thomas, LaMarr Houston, Rob Gronkowski, Jahvid Best, and Brandon Ghee, you will not be drafted today. You’re just setting yourself up to look stupid.

4:16: Bryan Bulaga just looks like he wants to beat someone over the head with a big stick.

4:12: Today is like Christmas for NFL Draft fans. Unless you’re a Raiders fan. 

4:07: This is my NFL Draft Live Blog. There are very few guarantees on draft day, but I can guarantee that my draft coverage will be better than Matt Millen’s.

 

NFL Draft Consensus

 

These consensus NFL draft rankings are based off of Play the Draft’s formula, which takes into account big boards and mock drafts from across the DraftNik community. See players you think are underrated? Then sign up for Play the Draft for free and compete against me and other draft experts for the chance to win a chance to meet Mel Kiper. You can sign up at the following link. http://game.playthedraft.com/fbdraft/setup/affiliate_league_accept.asp?affiliateID=7

Quarterbacks

Andrew Luck 1st

Robert Griffin 2nd

Ryan Tannehill Top 10

Brandon Weeden Mid 2nd round

Kirk Cousins Mid 3rd round

Brock Osweiler Mid 3rd round

Running backs

Trent Richardson Top 10

Lamar Miller 1st/2nd round

Doug Martin Early 2nd round

David Wilson Mid 2nd round

Chris Polk Late 2nd round

LaMichael James Early 3rd round

Wide receivers

Justin Blackmon Top 10

Michael Floyd Top 15

Kendall Wright Top 25

Stephen Hill 1st/2nd round

Alshon Jeffery 1st/2nd round

Reuben Randle Early 2nd round

Mohamed Sanu Mid 2nd round

Brian Quick Early 3rd round

Nick Toon Late 3rd round

Tight ends

Coby Fleener 1st/2nd round

Dwayne Allen Mid 2nd round

Orson Charles Late 2nd round

Offensive Tackles

Matt Kalil Top 3

Riley Reiff Top 15

Jonathan Martin Top 20

Mike Adams Late 1st round

Zebrie Sanders Late 2nd round

Bobby Massie Late 2nd round

Brandon Washington Early 3rd round

Mitchell Schwartz Late 3rd round

Guards

David DeCastro Top 15

Cordy Glenn Top 25

Kevin Zeitler Early 2nd round

Kelechi Osemele Mid 2nd round

Amini Silatolu 2nd/3rd round

Centers

Peter Konz 1st/2nd round

 

Defensive Ends

Quinton Coples Top 15

Melvin Ingram Top 15

Andre Branch 1st/2nd round

Vinny Curry Mid 2nd round

Ronnell Lewis Late 2nd round

Jared Crick Late 2nd round

Chandler Jones Late 2nd round

Bruce Irvin Mid 3rd round

Cam Johnson Mid 3rd round

Defensive Tackles

Dontari Poe Top 15

Fletcher Cox Top 15

Michael Brockers Top 20

Devon Still Late 1st round

Jerel Worthy Early 2nd round

Kendall Reyes Mid 2nd round

Brandon Thompson Mid 2nd round

Alameda Ta’amu Late 3rd round

Mike Martin Mid 3rd round

Josh Chapman Late 3rd round

Outside Linebackers

Courtney Upshaw Top 20

Nick Perry Top 25

Whitney Mercilus Late 1st round

Zach Brown Early 2nd round

Lavonte David Mid 2nd round

Bobby Wagner Late 2nd round

Shea McClellin Mid 3rd round

Middle Linebackers

Luke Kuechly Top 15

Dont’a Hightower 1st/2nd round

Mychal Kendricks Early 3rd round  

Cornerbacks

Morris Claiborne Top 10

Dre Kirkpatrick Top 20

Stephon Gilmore Late 1st round

Janoris Jenkins Late 1st round

Alfonzo Dennard Mid 2nd round

Jayron Hosley Late 2nd round

Brandon Boykin Late 2nd round

Josh Robinson Late 2nd round

Chase Minnifield Late 2nd round

Trumaine Johnson 2nd/3rd round

Jamell Fleming Early 3rd round

Casey Hayward Late 3rd round

Dwight Bentley Late 3rd round

Safeties

Mark Barron Late 1st

Harrison Smith Late 2nd

Markelle Martin Late 3rd

George Iloka Late 3rd

 

NFL Draft Big Board (2010)

100 Once in a decade prospect
95-99 Elite talent
90-95 Solid top 10 pick
85-90 Solid first round pick
80-85 Late 1st-early 2nd
75-80 Solid 2nd round pick
70-75 Solid 3rd round pick
65-70 3rd-4th round pick
60-65 4th-5th round pick
55-60 5th round pick
50-55 6th round pick
45-50 7th round pick
40-45 Undrafted, invite to training camp
30-40 Career practice squader
20-30 No NFL future
0-20 No football future 

 

1-25 26-50 51-75 76-100 101-125 126-150 151-175 176-200 201-250 251-300

Updated: 4/13/10

 

1. DT/3-4 DE Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska) 99

People who love stats get high off of Suh’s stat card. Over the last two years, Suh has 158 tackles, 19 sacks, 3 picks, and 2 touchdowns all as a 6-4 300 pound defensive tackle. He also led his team in pass breakups this year with 10. There’s a reason he received the most Heisman votes of any defensive lineman in NCAA Football history. Almost the size of some entertainment centers, he may be the most dominant defensive lineman of the decade. He can play both the 3-4 defensive end position and the 4-3 defensive tackle position. He will make a huge impact on the huge from the moment he enters the NFL. I can’t see him falling past the Lions at #2 and he could be the first defensive tackle to go #1 overall since Dan Wilkinson in 1994.

2. QB Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame) 98

Didn’t step up clutch in close games last year, but still had a hell of a statistical year for a mere junior throwing 28 touchdowns to 4 picks and averaging 8.8 YPA out of a pro style offense. It’s safe to say that while he lost a lot of close games, all 6 of his losses were by a touchdown or less, Notre Dame would have gotten destroyed without him. He played his best in big games and got absolutely no help from his defense. He has experience playing behind a poor offensively line, which he’ll likely have to do in the NFL if he goes top 5 as he’s projected, and he played most of last season through an injured foot, showing his toughness. He’s the top quarterback prospect in this draft class and gets a 98 rating. For the record, Matt Stafford got a 97 last year.

3. OT Russell Okung (Oklahoma State) 98

He’s got excellent footwork and good zone versatility. He has the agility, athleticism, and footwork to be an elite zone blocking left tackle, but he also has good strength, though not elite, and can take down defensive ends one-on-one. His footwork is his best attribute and he is strong as a run blocker and as a pass blocker.

4. S Eric Berry (Tennessee) 98

3/2/10: Of all the good things we could say about Berry, freakish athleticism was not one of them. That is no longer the case as he ran a 4.40 at 6-0 211, benching 19 reps, and flying 43 inches into the air. He’s still a risk in the top 3 because of his position. If he were drafted in the top 3, he’d absolutely have to be a perennial Pro Bowler, otherwise it was a waste of a pick. That being said, he’s one of the few safeties I’d say is deserving of a top 5 pick and if the Chiefs didn’t need a left tackle so badly, he’d be a lock to go 5th overall. He still could if Russell Okung is off the board at 5.

Berry didn’t have as many picks this year, 2, as he had in his first 2 years at Tennessee, 12, but that barely will effect his stock. He’s a real ballhawk in the defensive backfield and patrols zone very well with excellent instincts, but he also has above average coverage skills for a safety and has spent some time at cornerback, in addition to free safety and strong safety. He hits hard, but because of his size, 5-11 200, he projects as a free safety at the next level. In his NFL career he is going to break up plenty of passes, get plenty of tackles, picks, etc and could be the first defensive back to go in the top 3 the last 13 years this year if Tampa Bay falls in love with him.

5. DT/3-4 DE Gerald McCoy (Oklahoma) 96

If it weren’t for Suh, we’d all be singing McCoy’s praises right now. He would have been a lock first round pick last year and he came back and followed up his 6.5 sacks in 2008 with a repeat performance this year of 6.5 sacks. He is a top ten pick lock and could go in the top 3, along with Suh, the first time a defensive tackle has gone in the top 3 since 2000. He would be an ideal fit as a 4-3 one gap penetrator in a zone scheme defense but he can play the 3-4 as a defensive end and all 4-3 schemes.

6. QB Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) 92

4/9/10: Bradford looked great in his Pro Day, showing the stronger arm that it was predicted he would have when he showed up 15-20 pounds heavier to The Combine. The Rams have not announced him as the #1 pick, saying they are going to wait until his private workout with them on the 19th, but I would be very surprised if he wasn’t the pick and they didn’t have a contract in place with him before draft day on the 22nd.

2/26/10: It is reported that Bradford’s shoulder examination went excellent. I am also hearing that a dozen or possibly more NFL GMs were asked about Clausen and Bradford and all of them liked Bradford more. I still like Clausen more, but that won’t matter, if the Rams like him more. I haven’t made this decision final, but I think I could have Bradford atop my mock next week. He also bulked up from 218 to 236, a very impressive feat and necessary for someone whose arm strength was a question mark.

Quite the opposite of Clausen, he’s a proven winner with very mature decision making, but he doesn’t have Clausen’s arm or experience in a pro style offense. There’s no denying the season he had in 2008, but the fact that when Bradford got hurt this year, his freshman backup was actually able to put up close to similar numbers may show that Bradford is just a system quarterback. Then of course there’s his injured shoulder which is a red flag. He has a better arm than about 90% of the quarterbacks in this draft class, and his decision making is great, but there are some red flags here.

7. MLB Rolando McClain (Alabama) 92

3-4 middle linebackers prospects rarely go top 10, but McClain might be an exception. At age 21, McClain is drawing some pretty warranted, though still premature, comparisons to Ray Lewis. In 3 years, McClain has 270 tackles, 5 picks, and 8 sacks. Beyond the numbers, I haven’t seen a linebacker as big as him move as well as he does. At 258 pounds, he was able to chase Tim Tebow down from behind and he could run a low 4.6 40. He’s a huge thumper and a great fundamental tackler. 270 tackles in 3 years doesn’t seem like much for a middle linebacker, but when you consider he’s a 3-4 middle linebacker and those 3 years were freshman-junior and not sophomore-senior, that’s impressive. Of all I have seen of him, he hasn’t done one thing one. He drops back into coverage with great skill already at his young age and he’s a former defensive end so he’ll be excellent on blitz packages in the NFL. Because he already has experience in a 3-4, there will be no major learning curve for him when a 3-4 team drafts him, but I do have some concerns about which positions he can play in a 4-3. I’m pretty sure he’ll fit as a 4-3 middle linebacker, but not sure about 4-3 strong outside linebacker.

8. DE Derrick Morgan (Georgia Tech) 91

Great combination of size and speed, and more important an excellent motor and initial explosiveness. He had 12 sacks this year and was also strong against the run at 275 pounds. The only thing stopping him from being a top ten pick lock is the fact that he won’t transition well to a 3-4 scheme, though I wouldn’t be surprised if a team tried to convert him to a 3-4 rush linebacker, though that’d be a mistake. He still has a good shot of going in the top ten and I think he has top ten talent at a possession of huge value in the NFL.

9. CB Joe Haden (Florida) 91

4/9/10: Turns out that 4.57 40 from his Combine was a result of a sore back. Haden ran a 4.43 40 at his Pro Day, in the rain nonetheless, so I’ll move him back to his Pre-Combine status. He’s still, by far, my top cornerback.

3/2/10: Not going to knock him down too much, but the 4.57 at 5-11 193 hurts his chances to go in the top 10 as he competes with Derrick Morgan, Rolando McClain, and Jason Pierre Paul to go 7th to Cleveland. I do expect him to run a little better at his Pro Day, but really his lack of speed today can be attributed to his running style, which shouldn’t hurt him on the football field. He doesn’t have good track speed, but he has football speed.

A former quarterback and wide receiver, Haden has all of the physical tools necessary for the NFL and he showed this year that he can be an amazing shutdown corner. He plays with great physicality and strength and uses those to shutdown the opposing wide receiver. He doesn’t scream #1 corner at me just yet, but he’s only 20 and in his 3rd year playing the position so if his development continues as it should, the sky is the limit for him. He is good against the run and as a blitzer which are rare, but useful skills for a cornerback to have.

10. OT Charles Brown (USC) 88

2/25/10: He needed to measure in at over 300 to get drafted in the first round and after measuring in at 303, the former blocking tight end looks like a future franchise left tackle. The Seahawks may consider him at 14. He also had 35 ¼ inch arms which is good and I think, in terms of pure footwork, he’s the best left tackle in the draft class.

A former blocking tight end, who I believe will need to weigh in at least at 300 pounds to get drafted in the first round. Very few offensive tackles ever get drafted in the 1st round at less than 300 pounds. His first weigh in will be at the Senior Bowl next week so we’ll see how he weighs in. If he can bulk up to 305-310 pounds he could be a dominant left tackle at the next level. He has amazing footwork for his age and experience in a zone style blocking scheme at USC so he is going to be one of the more coveted left tackles by teams who use zone blocking schemes.

11. OLB/MLB Sean Weatherspoon (Missouri) 88

3/1/10: A very good day for him, shaving about .1 second off of his projected 40 time with a 4.57, and also recording a 40 inch vertical leap and 34 reps on the bench press.

1/30/10: If there were a co-MVP, it would be Weatherspoon. He played middle linebacker for most of the game and that was where he indicated in an interview that he has best fit, but he really can play any 4-3 linebacker position, in addition to 3-4 middle linebacker, because hustle and vocal leadership don’t necessarily have a position and those are his signature traits. His coaching staff was raving ability his leadership ability all week and his hustle showed through on the field. On one play, Weatherspoon, a 241 pound linebacker, ran step for step with Mississippi’s Dexter McCluster, a 5-8 165 running back/wide receiver who is projected to run a 40 in the 4.3s, and trapped him in the corner of the end zone and broke up and almost intercepted the pass. He also had a late interception. His efforts were a huge part of the North’s front 7 domination and I think he has solidified himself as a 1st round prospect.

12. QB Tim Tebow (Florida) 88

4/9/10: He didn’t look great in terms of throwing delivery at his Pro Day, but he certainly, mechanically looked a ton better than he did in the Senior Bowl and all last season. In fact, the work he has made on his throw is a huge testament to his amazing work ethic and love of the sport. He’s still a project and far from a finished project, but he has good upside and I think he has the work ethic to fulfill it. I don’t see why some places regard him as less than a 2nd round prospect.

1/30/10: Contrary to what the media is saying, Tebow did not struggle in the Senior Bowl, in fact, his Senior Bowl was painfully neutral. I say painfully because I wanted him to either show me he’s not a true quarterback or that he is, but he did neither. He didn’t make a ton of tough throws, although he threw one impressive curl, and he completed 8 (should have been 9 if it weren’t for an easy drop) out of his 12 throws, but he was operating with Miami’s playbook which is one of the most college esque playbooks in the NFL. Basically, he was playing with the same Florida playbook he was comfortable and we didn’t get to see him be challenged by a pro style offense. So, basically, I learned nothing about Tebow in his Senior Bowl.

Showed in the Sugar Bowl his ability to throw the football and step up in big games by throwing more touchdowns than incompletions, but his mechanics are still poor. However, I don’t believe he has a single mechanical issue that can’t be fixed at the next level and he’s an extremely hard worker. His intangibles are off the chart. Right now the #10 pick is his to lose, based off of the comments Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver made about him earlier this season, so he’ll need to step it up once again in the Senior Bowl.

 

 

 

13. WR Damian Williams (USC) 87

Doesn’t get the big hype of guys like Dez Bryant and Golden Tate, but I think he’s the best overall wide receiver in this draft class because he possesses two traits, in addition to his natural athleticism, that very few wide receivers his age do, good route running, and a humble personality. He really knows how to get open and catch the ball at the best possible point and he’s not one to complain if a quarterback doesn’t throw to him. He’d be a perfect fit for a west coast offense and he can also return punts. He hasn’t been off the charts in terms of production, but he’s led the Trojans in catches and receiving yards in each of the last two years and had 70 catches for 1010 yards and 6 touchdowns this year in a pro style offense, despite having a true freshman at quarterback.

14. DE/RLB Brandon Graham (Michigan) 87

3/1/10: Graham wasn’t expected to run well but a 4.69 40 at 6-1 268 showing some surprisingly athleticism. He also put up 31 reps of 225 pounds.

1/30/10: Graham had a huge Senior Bowl week. It started out bad when he measured up at just over 6 feet and with the shortest arms of any defensive lineman, but he really impressed in practice and even more so in the game. He won Senior Bowl MVP with 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, a tackle for a loss, and 5 tackles. He was disruptive on almost every play and had more signature plays than any other player. He really hustled and earned a lot of praise from the commentators. He chased down Jarrett Brown, the fastest quarterback on either roster, from behind, something that will only show up on the stat sheet as a tackle. He’s a former linebacker, with an excellent motor and an excellent pass rushing repertoire, but he’s also extremely stout and disruptive against the run. He can play both 4-3 left end and 4-3 right end, in addition to rush linebacker. The commentators compared him to LaMarr Woodley of the Pittsburgh Steelers and I think that comparison is dead on. I think he cemented himself as a 1st round pick.

1/27/10: Measuring in at just over 6 feet at his weigh in isn’t good, but he’s making scouts forget about his lack of height, with his play at practice this week. He has a very solid base and looks like a legitimate defensive line player in the NFL. His form against the run needs to be improved, but he has shown great speed rushing moves in addition to being one of the best young bull rushers at the Senior Bowl. If he can impress in coverage, he could be a 1st round pick as either a defensive end or rush linebacker.

With 29 sacks in the last 3 years against Big 10 competition, Graham is a pass rushing machine, but despite his size, he isn’t great against the run. He’s best fit as a rush linebacker at the next level and I can’t see him fitting all schemes. His 40 time isn’t great either so he’ll be viewed as a bit of a tweener by the scouts and that could drop him down in the 3rd round. He has first round upside as a rush linebacker though despite his lack of height and timed speed, assuming he can transition to a new position well and hold up in pass coverage.

15. RB Jahvid Best (California) 87

2/28/10: Jahvid Best just ran faster than CJ Spiller (4.35 compared to 4.37). Now what is Spiller better at? Best is the more complete back of the two, the only thing that Spiller could really say was that his speed was on another level. Now that doesn’t appear to be the case. Best is a better between the tackles runner, he’s more explosive. The only real thing Spiller does better is catch passes. I have compared Spiller to a gimmick weapon type guy like Reggie Bush all along and Best to a speed feature back like Jamaal Charles. In a few years, when Best is the better runner, you heard it here. Yet despite all this, Spiller is getting more hype because of his “unofficial” 4.27. It’s unofficial for a reason.

He could fall below CJ Spiller in the draft because of his concussion late in the season, but he’s a more complete player than Spiller. He’s got more explosive legs, he’s a better runner in between the tackles, and his 40 time is probably going to be faster. They are comparable players in terms of pure speed, but Spiller is more of a straight line runner while Best has better running back skills like initial explosion and good change of direction.

16. S Earl Thomas (Texas) 87

Undersized and has poor tackling form, but he hits hard and his fundamental tackling issues can be corrected. He’s only 20 years old, but he had 8 picks this year showing his ballhawking abilities as a free safety. He has decent coverage skills too and could be looked at as a cornerback, though he has more value as a safety. His only issue will be at 5-11 190, fighting through the physicality at the line of scrimmage on running plays, and also, as is the case for someone who plays as wildly as he does at a small size, injuries in the future could be a concern.

17. OT Bruce Campbell (Maryland) 87

2/27/10: The 6-6 314 pound left tackle just ran a 4.78. In all honesty, this barely moves him up in my book, but after running a 4.78, measuring in with 36 inch arms, jumping 38 inches, and benching 225 pounds 34 times, Campbell has been the star of the combine. He should buy his house in Oakland now because I know somewhere Al Davis just shit his diaper.

2/25/10: After measuring in at 6-6 314 with 36 ¼ inch arms and benching 225 pounds 34 times, Campbell is making his case as the most athletic NFL draft prospect. If he runs a sub 5 at the combine, Al Davis could pull the trigger on him at 8. He still has questions about inconsistency and injuries in his past, but I think he’s shedding the label of “soft.”

If scouts can look past his history of injuries, he could get drafted in the top ten, but I don’t think they will be able to, so he could slip. He’d be best fit in a zone blocking scheme and he has amazing athleticism, but I haven’t seen it brought out of him enough yet for me to consider him a top ten pick. However, that 4.95 40 at 6-7 315 could turn heads, especially Al Davis’ head, unless he can’t turn his head without it falling off.

18. NT Terrence Cody (Alabama) 87

2/27/10: Cody weighed in at 370 at his Senior Bowl weigh in after promising he’d be at 355 and his stock lowered. Cody weighed in at 354 today at the combine. He still needs to lose some weight, but I think I can move him back up a little after dropping him following the Senior Bowl. If you’ve ever seen this guy play, he might be the most agile 354 pound man you’ve ever seen.

1/26/10: He is a large man. One can only hope he keeps his shirt on when he runs the 40 at the combine.

He may only be a two down nose tackle in the NFL, but so are Kris Jenkins and Jamal Williams and most are hugely important to their teams success. With so many teams switching to the 3-4 defense and so few of them having true 3-4 nose tackles, Cody could be a hot commodity this year going as high as 5 to the Chiefs and I think no lower than #29 to the Chargers.

19. WR Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State) 86

4/9/10: Bryant’s measurables and workout in the positional drills, especially after basically a year off of football, were really impressive considering he was wearing brand new cleats that had not been broken in before. However, when you consider that the reason he did not have cleats is because he “forgot,” it’s hard to consider this pro day a success. He is known for having mental lapses on the field, and dropped a few catchable balls today, so forgetting something as important as your cleats cancels out the good that the strong workout did, especially when it’s something as important of your Pro Day after being suspended a whole year for something stupid. He really did not seem to get the importance of this day.

Suspended for something bizarre, but that shouldn’t hurt his draft stock too much. The character red flags are there and he doesn’t always seem to have his head in the game. He drops way too many passes and isn’t a good route runner, but he’s going to be an excellent #2 deep threat at the next level at worst. He has an amazing size, speed combination and is extremely dangerous in the open field.

20. NT/DT Dan Williams (Tennessee) 86

1/30/10: Williams was a big disruptive force all game and really pushed the defensive line back in a big way. However, what really impressed me is, at 325 pounds, how mobile he is. He moved around great and actually covered a running back and prevented him from catching the ball out of the backfield. He also had a pass deflection. He can play any scheme, unlike Terrence Cody. He’s big enough to play 3-4, but also fast and agile enough to play defensive tackle in a 4-3, and he actually has experience in a cover 2 scheme at Tennessee so, despite his size, he can play that scheme at the next level. I can’t see him falling past Tennessee at 16, who needs a big defensive tackle to play in their cover 2 defense. I currently have him ranked as the top nose tackle ahead of Terrence Cody because of his scheme versatility, even though Cody is a better natural run stopper. Cody also weighed in at 15 pounds higher than expected at his weigh in which is not good.

Williams is the more versatile of the two elite nose tackle prospects this year as he can also play 4-3 defensive tackle and is a true 3 down nose tackle. He moves extremely well for his size and gets a great push up front, but he is nowhere near as physically dominant as Cody.

21. TE Jermaine Gresham (Oklahoma) 86

2/27/10: After his 4.76 40, questions about the health of his knee have resurfaced. That’s the last thing Gresham wants to happen at this point. 4.76 isn’t awful, but he was expected to run at least .1 to .15 seconds faster so this is a bit concerning.

Despite being injured all season, he’s still an elite tight end at the next level. Assuming his knee holds up strong through the combine and in team workouts, he’s a lock to be the first tight end off the board and a first round pick. He’s big, 6-6 260, and fast mid 4.6 40, and has amazingly soft hands. He’s not afraid to go over the middle and he’d be a welcome target for any quarterback in the league. He put together one of the greatest statistical seasons ever by a tight end in 2008 with 66 catches for 950 yards and 14 touchdowns and would have been the first tight end off the board in 2008 had he declared.

22. OT Bryan Bulaga (Iowa) 86

A very athletic offensive tackle who has had some trouble with injuries in the past, but he has the ability to play both left and right tackle at the next level. He moves well for his size and has big upside, but too often gets knocked over and doesn’t use his size with good leverage.

23. DT/3-4 DE  Jared Odrick (Penn State) 85

1/27/10: After Suh and McCoy go off the board early, Odrick makes a great case to be the next 3-4 defensive end chosen by displaying great agility, size, and hand use this week. He could also push Brian Price to be the 3rd defensive tackle chosen as well.

Very good agility for his size and good use of his hands to shed blockers, but a DUI back in March of 2009 could hurt his stock. He fits one gap penetrating schemes and also as a 3-4 defensive end. I think he actually would be better at the next level as a 3-4 defensive end which is good because a ton of teams have switched to the 3-4 lately creating a bigger need for natural 3-4 defensive ends like Odrick.

24. DT/3-4 Brian Price (UCLA) 85

Burst onto the scene with 7 sacks as a junior this year and should be able to turn that into a first round selection. He may be a bit of a one hit wonder, but if he continues his physical dominance at the next level, he will be a very solid player in the NFL as either a 4-3 defensive tackle or 3-4 defensive end.

25. DE/RLB Everson Griffen (USC) 85

3/1/10: Griffen put on about 10 pounds this season bulking up to 273 and there were some concerns about how he would carry the weight. After he ran a 4.64 40 today, those concerns should be gone. He also put up 32 reps of 225 pounds.

It’ll be interesting to see what he runs at the combine. He’s rumored to be able to run a 4.5 40, but he also put on 10 pounds of muscle this season so I’m not sure he can still run that fast. If he can, his stock could soar even though he never really did anything of note at USC in 3 seasons. 7 sacks this year after 9 combined in his first two years show good improvement and his run blocking form got a lot better this season with the added weight, but if his 40 time suffers, he may only be looked at as a left end, rather than a right end or rush linebacker. He’s still a major project either way.

 

Go on to 26-50