This is a fun idea I saw in other places on the internet, a dream draft. The point is, to give myself the 16.5^th pick (right in the middle of the round) in every round, and take the best available player on my board, not paying any attention to team need, and knowing who would be available in the next round. Let’s see some results.

1^st round: CB Prince Amukamara (Nebraska)

Amukamara inexplicably fell on draft day, but he was a consensus top 10 prospect among draftniks (though obvious not among NFL teams). I had him 7^th so I snatch him up here at pick 16.5 before he can go to the Giants at 19.

2^nd round: CB Brandon Harris (Miami)

Two cornerbacks? Why not? I don’t have anyone on my team. Harris went late 2^nd to the Texans, but I was a huge fan of his abilities and had him ranked 12^th. He’s short, lacks elite speed and elite ball skills, but he shuts guys down. Until Michael Floyd (a first round talent) burned him in Miami’s bowl game, he held his own with every receiver he faced, until Jonathan Baldwin, the 26^th pick in the first round, who has at least 6 or 7 inches on him.

3^rd round: DT Drake Nevis (LSU)

I had a borderline first round grade on Nevis as a 4-3 player, but he doesn’t fit a 3-4 at all. The Colts took him in the 3^rd, but I don’t give them a chance to do so by taking him ahead of him. He’s a little small, but he fits the 4-3 under tackle role like a glove. He’s a good pass rusher and has a great motor.

4^th round: MLB Casey Matthews (Oregon)

I had a 2^nd round grade on Casey Matthews. Casey Matthews is Clay Matthews’ younger brother and he’s essentially Clay without Clay’s athleticism. He’s undersized and slow, but he’s got great instincts, he’s intelligent, and he’s extremely hard working. He won’t let you cut him. At the very least, he’s a strong special teamer and I think he can start at middle linebacker in this league for a long time. Middle linebacker is the one position on a defense where hustle and instincts are more valuable than 40 times, size, and leaping ability.

5^th round: OLB Greg Jones (Michigan State)

Jones technically would have been available when I picked in the 6^th, but Jerrell Powe would have been as well as he’s the 2^nd best available at this point according to my board (of all players that wouldn’t be available in the 7^th). I was shocked when Jones fell to the late 6^th. Leave it to the Giants to snatch him up. I had a low first round grade on him and thought he was a lock for the first 3 rounds (and I wasn’t alone in that). I think he’s a future above average starter at any of the 3 linebacker positions.

6^th round: DT Jerrell Powe (Mississippi)

Given the premium on nose tackles, I was surprised that Powe fell to round 6. I had a 3^rd round grade on him and thought he wouldn’t get out of the first 4 rounds. He moves like 330 pounders shouldn’t be able to. He’s got character issues in his past, but he’s had a clean record for a couple years.

7^th round: S Deunta Williams (North Carolina)

Williams presumably went undrafted because his leg injury. I’m not a doctor and I don’t have the x-rays or the medical on him, but at full health I had a 2^nd round grade on the North Carolina safety so he’s worth the risk in the 7^th round. I find it ridiculous he didn’t get drafted.

3 undrafted:

S DeAndre McDaniel (Clemson)

I don’t understand how McDaniel went undrafted. He probably would have been a 2^nd round pick had he come out after his 9 interception junior season in 2010. He definitely had a down year as a senior, but I thought he was at least a 4^th round value. The upside is definitely there. It just needs to be coached out him.

MLB Josh Bynes (Auburn)

What Casey Matthews was to Oregon, Bynes was to Auburn’s defense. He was the emotional leader of that defense, a very instinctual and hard working player that lacks elite athleticism. I’m not surprised he went undrafted. He didn’t even get invited to The Combine, but plenty of starters in the NFL today didn’t get invited to The Combine either and I think Bynes can be the next in that line.

CB Kendric Burney (North Carolina)

Short and slow is bad for cornerbacks so when Burney ran in the 4.7s at 5-9, I had him dropping out of day 2 into the 4^th and 5^th round. But undrafted? Anyone who watched the Senior Bowl knows this was the best defensive back there. Size and speed is important, but this guy has phenomenal technique and ball skills and figures to start as a Tampa 2 cornerback in the future.

6. WR Julio Jones A

I’m not hating the Falcons move to move up as much as everyone seems to be. After Jones, this wide receiver class falls off a cliff and what did they really give up? They gave up the 27^th pick, a future first which will probably be in the late 20s again, their 2^nd, and 2 4ths. That’s worth it in my book and Jones fills a huge need for the Falcons, getting a receiver opposite Roddy White.

91. MLB Akeem Dent F

A middle linebacker? That wasn’t a need. I had a 7^th round grade on Dent too. How about a pass rusher? Some offensive line help. Really anything over this one.

145. RB Jacquizz Rodgers A

Rodgers was a great value here and fits their needs like a glove. Michael Turner can’t pass catch and he’s wearing down. Rodgers has the speed and pass catching ability to compliment Michael Turner and Jason Snelling.

192. P Matt Bosher D

I didn’t have Bosher as my top rated punter. He wasn’t even close. He was the only punter drafted, so it’s ridiculous they would take a punter before a single tight end, defensive end, or offensive lineman.

210. G Andrew Jackson A

Both of their starting guards are free agents so depth was definitely needed here. Jackson fits the scheme like a glove and he is a good value at this point.

230. DE Casey Matthews A

Defensive end was one of their biggest needs after wide receiver and Matthews is a good value at this point. I wish they would have addressed this earlier.

Overall:

I actually really like their decision to move up for Julio Jones. They did give up a lot, but they didn’t need 5 players. They needed one really good player and Jones, my 4^th overall prospect, fits that description. Jones is well coached and NFL ready coming out of Nick Saban’s Alabama program. He gives them speed in their receiving corps to compliment Roddy White, arguably the best pure possession receiver in the league. Remember, they didn’t complete a pass longer than 46 yards last year and that lack of big play ability made to tough for them to come back against Green Bay and Philadelphia, two teams with big time big play ability. He’s also going to help their running game as a blocker and this offense is built on the run. That’s worth what they gave up, which was two late first rounders, a 2^nd, and 2 4ths. However, after giving up their 2^nd rounder, they really needed to get an impact defensive end in the 3^rd round. I think that was their last chance to do so, to give them a pass rusher opposite John Abraham. They didn’t do that. Instead, they reached big time for a middle linebacker that they didn’t need. They made up for that with some nice picks late. I think Jacquizz Rodgers fits their needs like a glove and gives their offense a much needed extra dimension as a breakaway back with pass catching abilities. Andrew Jackson gives them valuable depth at guard and Casey Matthews, as an end, was a good value in the 7^th. However, I don’t think they got a future starter at end out of this class, someone to spell Kroy Bierrmann on passing downs and to take over for John Abraham when his time comes. I also don’t understand the Matt Bosher pick. Only one punter was drafted this year and there’s a reason for that. With the lockout postponing free agency, teams had so many other things to worry about. I also didn’t think Bosher was even close to being the top punter in this class.

Grade: B

Frank Gore is a similar player to DeAngelo Williams. They’re the same age. Neither can stay healthy. Gore averages 4.7 yards per carry for his career. Williams averages 5.0. Both are listed at 5-9 217. They have similar skill sets. Relatively, this 3 year deal worth 21 million with 13.5 million guaranteed looks a lot better than DeAngelo Williams’ 5 years 43 million with 21 million guaranteed. This deal is worth less guaranteed, less per year, and goes for less years than Williams’ deal. However, Williams’ deal was ridiculous so I think this is still a little rich. Gore is still an injury prone player who will be making 7 million per year at a position that just isn’t that valuable in this league anymore.

Grade: C

By Matthews Frank 

The New York Giants take the Tennessee Titans this Sunday at the new Giants Stadium.  The Giants seek to bounce back from their misserable performance Sunday night.

The key to the defensive game plan will be to bottle up dynamic play-maker Chris Johnson.  The Giants had all sorts of problems with the Colts running game, but that was largely because they put in nickel and dime packages as well as three or four defensive ends at a time to slow down the passing attack.  The Titans hardly have fearsome offense through the air, so expect much more of a base lineup.  They like to run Johnson out of a lot of screens and draws, so they have to be vigilent about that.  A real source of concern is when they check-down to their running backs.  The Giants have had a tendency in recent years to not get a lot of pressure on 3rd & longs and to leave running backs open.  This can’t be the case here.

The offense needs to get the running game going.  The offensive line has simply not looked good and the possible loss of Shaun O’Hara doesn’t help matters much.  Diehl and McKenzie really have to get their act together if this team is going to start rolling.  I also hope the coaching staff can put together a plan where opposing teams aren’t running full speed at Eli Manning every play.  Tennessee has had a fairly well rated defense this year, but they have not exactly played the hardest schedule up to this point.

We definitely need to start to see some consistent play from the Giants if this is going to be a successful season.

http://www.bigbluefootballreview.com/ 

DT Michael Brockers (LSU)

DT Ronnie Cameron (Old Dominion)

WR Toney Clemons (Colorado)

DE Tyrone Crawford (Boise State)

OLB Ryan Davis (Bethune-Cookman)

S Chad Faulcon (Montclair State)

G Gino Gradkowski (Delaware)

CB Chris Greenwood (Albion)

WR TY Hilton (Florida International)

CB Jayron Hosley (Virginia Tech)

DE Chandler Jones (Syracuse)

CB Dre Kirkpatrick (Alabama)

G Ronald Leary (Memphis)

DE Nick Perry (USC)

TE Adrien Robinson (Cincinnati)

CB Keith Tandy (West Virginia)

TE Matt Veldman (North Dakota State)

OLB Tahir Whitehead (Temple)

Center

Baylor

6-3 300

40 time (projected): 5.24

Draft board overall prospect rank: #66

Draft board center rank: #1

Overall rating: 75*

            3/20/10: JD Walton was the best of the best in terms of center last year making the All-American first team. The only issue is that center is not a very necessary position in the NFL and he doesn’t have the athleticism to play another position. In fact, his athleticism, especially his natural athleticism, aren’t great. He makes up for this with a brilliant work ethic, an excellent motor, and smart technique on the field. He is one of those guys who truly loves the game of football and blocks big defensive linemen like he were someone 15-20 pounds heavier because of how he uses his weight. He’s a three year starter at Baylor and really was the leader of that offensive line last year. One of the most important thing for centers is the smooth snap and the conformability factor with the quarterback because if the quarterback is uncomfortable from the moment he gets the ball, bad thing will happen. Walton showed great chemistry and a smooth snap with his quarterback since the day he stepped on the field as a starter in 2007. He doesn’t have huge upside but he’s a 10+ year starter guy at the center position and a guy who can anchor an offensive line, especially a zone blocking offensive line, from the inside out for many years with his toughness, leadership, footwork and leverage.  

NFL Comparison: Jeff Saturday

*=For a breakdown of what this means, click here

Tight End 

Oklahoma

6-5 259

40 time: 4.76

Draft board overall prospect rank: #21

Draft board tight end rank: #1

Overall rating: 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.

1/18/10: 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.

Injury update (9/14/09): Gresham is out for the year after having knee surgery. He’ll have to prove a lot in the combine, in his pro day, and during his individual workouts, but I fully expect him to be the first tight end off the board in 2010.  

            5/21/09: Jermaine Gresham is probably the highest rated tight end prospect to come out of college football since Kellen Winslow and he has a good chance to be an even better pro than Winslow. Like many tight ends, Gresham started out as a basketball player, but after displaying unusually soft hands for someone of his size, his high school coach thought he would stand out more on the football field, as he did. At 6-6, he’s an amazing red zone target. He isn’t going to run a 40 in the 4.4s like Vernon Davis. He isn’t as good of a run blocker as Brandon Pettigrew. However, he has an amazing combination of great size, speed, and great hands. He rarely drops a pass. He is not even 21 yet so he has a ton of upside and room for improvement. He’s only been playing football for 6 years, but he is just a naturally gifted athlete with a love of the game and a great work ethic and those type of players normally succeed at the next level. He doesn’t have great speed, but he should run in the 4.6s and that will be able to cause some matchup problems in the NFL, though not too many. He’ll be more of a threat in the red zone with his 6-6 height, great vertical leap, and long arms. He has experience both playing on teams surrounded with talented wide receivers, as he did at Oklahoma, and also he played against some of the nation’s best defenses in the Big 12, so the NFL should be as much of a transition for him as it would for some other tight end. He needs to get stronger and become a better run blocker before you can truly call him an all around great tight end. However, I have no reason to believe that he can’t do that with a few years more experience.

 NFL Comparison: Jeremy Shockey

 *=For a breakdown of what this means, click here

Jim Keller is a sports professional, and a lifelong Cowboys fan going back to the days of Tom Landry and Roger Staubach. I look forward to covering the Cowboys for Footballfanspot.com. I also maintain Respect The Star, Pirates Property and Memphis Blue Bears for Fanball. You can reach me at kenttekulve29@yahoo.com, follow me on Facebook or Twitter @PiratesProperty.

RB Cedric Benson UP

Benson reportedly will not be suspended by the league following his recent arrest. This is a big surprise for me, but nonetheless it does move Benson back up my board. He’s still an injury risk, but he’s a talented running back, motivated in a contract year.

RB Bernard Scott DOWN

Scott still has some value because of Benson’s injury history, but with Benson not getting suspended, Scott’s chances to start at some point this year got a lot slimmer.  

WR Brandon Marshall UP

Marshall has been cleared to go full strength for training camp. This is huge for him as he is joining a new team, a new scheme, and pairs with a new quarterback. There’s also a much slimmer chance of any early season struggles for Marshall, who is coming off of a hip injury (you know, the one Josh McDaniels thought he was making up).  

WR Donald Driver DOWN

Driver is still not practicing after having surgery on both of his knees. That’s bad for a 35 year old receiver. He already started to deteriorate late last season. In the Packers last 9 games, including playoffs, he had 37 receptions for 491 yards and 2 scores. Over 16 games, that’s 66 catches for 873 yards and 4 touchdowns. Whether that was age, or the breakout play of Greg Jennings across from him, or simply the fact that a revamped offensive line gave Rodgers more time in the pocket to hit his downfield targets, over Driver the possession type guy. Whatever the issue, it’s not getting better for him this year. He’s older, Jennings is better, and so is the offensive line, and he’s hurt and may not be ready to start the season. Avoid.

WR James Jones UP

Every game Driver misses, Jones will be a starter and thus fantasy valuable. That’s how explosive the Packers offense is.

WR Greg Jennings UP

In his last 9 games, including the playoffs, he had 42 catches for 745 yards and 3 scores. Over 16 games, that’s 75 catches for 1324 yards and 6 scores. Whether it be him breaking out, or Driver getting older, or the improvement of the Packers line, allowing Rodgers to hit him deep, he was much better in the 2nd half last year. It will only continue this season. Their line improved in the offseason, Jennings is moving into the prime of his career as he turns age 27 in September, and Driver is not only old, but badly hurt. Those 75 catches for 1324 yards and 6 scores seem pretty realistic right now, possibly with even more touchdowns because of how explosive the Packers’ offense is. Expect 70-80 catches 1300-1400 yards and 6-8 scores. 

TE Jermichael Finley UP

With Driver hurt, Finley also stands to improve. He’s a tight end and will get a lot of the possession receptions that Driver won’t. He’s also healthy despite there being some questions about his health in the offseason. 

WR Marques Colston DOWN

Colston has been placed on the PUP/Active list after failing his conditioning test, following offseason knee surgery. This is his 3rd straight offseason with knee issues so there are concerns here. 

WR Dez Bryant UP

Yep, this guy again. Bryant suffered a high ankle sprain in practice and will be out 4-6 weeks, meaning all of training camp, probably all the of the preseason, and potentially putting his season opener in doubt. This not only means he could miss a game, but it makes it a lot tougher for him to make the starting lineup, get in sync with his new quarterback, and overall get into game speed. Remember, this guy hasn’t played a game in months thanks to a stupid NCAA suspension last year so those preseason games could have been huge for him. He should still be an explosive player for you by mid season, but he could have some trouble helping you early on.  

Updated 4/4/12

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