A nice 2 round mock

[mayoclinic]

This out today from Football Draft Analysis, whoever they are:

FootballDraftAnalysis.webs.com - Mock Draft

They have the Pats taking:

22. Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
44. Jahvid Best, RB, Cal
45. Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB, TCU
51. Rob Gronkiwski, TE, Arizona

There order is slightly off, but I don't think it matters. Vladimir Ducasse goes #59 in this mock to Dallas, so if you substitute Ducasse for our 3rd pick in round 2 it's a darn good draft. I prefer Austen Lane to Hughes, but at least they have us taking a strongside and weakside pass rusher, and an offensive playmaker. For those who prefer a WR to an RB, Golden Tate and Damien Williams are both available in the second round with our earlier picks.

 

[Nonentity]

Clausen going first, thank God. This is how I choose between unknown mocks I rate and those I don't. The Rams need a QB!


EDIT: I kept reading down. Tebow in the 1st round and Bowman over Weatherspoon to the Saints. Oh dear. But I like Benn to the Ravens, I'll remember that one for my own.

 

[Patsmaniac]

I think Gronkowski is injured or missed a good part of the season. I say pass on him and i agree we take someone to help with the trenches.

 

[upstater1]

Dunlap, Hughes, Golden Tate and Ducasse.

Where do I sign up?

 

[BelichickFan]

Clausen going first, thank God. This is how I choose between unknown mocks I rate and those I don't. The Rams need a QB!

If the Rams make the pick, it will be Suh. There's no #1 pick QB out there but plenty of depth, they can get a QB at 2.1 just like when the Chargers got Tomlinson (after a trade down from Vick) then took Brees in the second.

 

[NePatriots]

Clausen going first, thank God. This is how I choose between unknown mocks I rate and those I don't. The Rams need a QB!


EDIT: I kept reading down. Tebow in the 1st round and Bowman over Weatherspoon to the Saints. Oh dear. But I like Benn to the Ravens, I'll remember that one for my own.

The fact that the Rams don't have a good QB doesn't mean that they should set their franchise back ANOTHER three or four years by over-drafting one.

Take the BPA in Suh and build your defense... there will be 3 or 4 decent QB prospects available at #33 (McCoy, Lefevour, Pike, etc...), or they could even wait for 2011 and Jake Locker/Ryan Mallet.

Jimmy C or Bradford isn't going to make St. Louis a contender next year... they need to be patient.

 

[NePatriots]

This out today from Football Draft Analysis, whoever they are:

FootballDraftAnalysis.webs.com - Mock Draft

They have the Pats taking:

22. Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
44. Jahvid Best, RB, Cal
45. Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB, TCU
51. Rob Gronkiwski, TE, Arizona

There order is slightly off, but I don't think it matters. Vladimir Ducasse goes #59 in this mock to Dallas, so if you substitute Ducasse for our 3rd pick in round 2 it's a darn good draft. I prefer Austen Lane to Hughes, but at least they have us taking a strongside and weakside pass rusher, and an offensive playmaker. For those who prefer a WR to an RB, Golden Tate and Damien Williams are both available in the second round with our earlier picks.

That would be quite a haul, but it seems a bit rosy. Dunlap will be gone by the teens in my opinion, and Best/Hughes would have to drop a bit to make it to the 40's.

 

[Defsoul]

or they could even wait for 2011 and Jake Locker/Ryan Mallet.

I don't agree with that. Many people were bashing the '09 QB-class and thought that this years crop would be way better. Look how that turned out.

 

[Nonentity]

A few people have said Suh over the available QBs now, people whose opinions I respect.

I find it a tricky one. Top quarterbacks are very hard to find and I feel that if you're in position to take one that you rate, you're compelled to take them. They are bigger game changers than any other position on the field.

But there we hit my main problem: no access to college football. I have never seen Clausen, Bradford or Suh play, aside from Youtube clips. I only know what I read, and I read a lot. So we'll see. If either Clausen or Bradford look good at the Combine in their passing workouts, I'm still inclined to take one of them. I will be a bit more reserved on the subject though.

 

[mayoclinic]

Clausen going first, thank God. This is how I choose between unknown mocks I rate and those I don't. The Rams need a QB!


EDIT: I kept reading down. Tebow in the 1st round and Bowman over Weatherspoon to the Saints. Oh dear. But I like Benn to the Ravens, I'll remember that one for my own.

I strongly disagree with you on that, and obviously you'll toss my mock, since I had Suh going 1st to the Rams.

Obviously the Rams need a QB badly. But that doesn't mean they should reach for one. The 49ers reached for Alex Smith in 2005, and how did that turn out? Not so hot, as I recall.

I just don't consider Jimmy Clausen or Sam Bradford remotely close to #1 material. If Jake Locker had come out, I had him pencilled in to the Rams as a sure thing. But I think it would be incredibly stupid to pass up a 5 star DT like Suh who could make a huge difference to your defense (imagine how much better Chris Long would be, for example) in favor of reaching for a QB because of the need.

Take Tony Pike or Colt McCoy at 33. They have just as good a chance of succeeding as Bradford or Clausen.

 

[dryheat44]

I strongly disagree with you on that, and obviously you'll toss my mock, since I had Suh going 1st to the Rams.

Obviously the Rams need a QB badly. But that doesn't mean they should reach for one. The 49ers reached for Alex Smith in 2005, and how did that turn out? Not so hot, as I recall.

I just don't consider Jimmy Clausen or Sam Bradford remotely close to #1 material. If Jake Locker had come out, I had him pencilled in to the Rams as a sure thing. But I think it would be incredibly stupid to pass up a 5 star DT like Suh who could make a huge difference to your defense (imagine how much better Chris Long would be, for example) in favor of reaching for a QB because of the need.

Take Tony Pike or Colt McCoy at 33. They have just as good a chance of succeeding as Bradford or Clausen.

Heck, sign a guy like Pennington or Kellen Clemens for a year or two and draft a QB high next year. McNabb could also be in play. Trade back and take Okung and/or Campbell to a team that desperately wants Suh.

Why draft a guy like Clausen when there's nobody to protect him? The Rams have gone defensive line with their last two first round picks. Meanwhile their QB gets killed every year and their stud RB looks very ordinary.

Can I dream and suggest the Patriots trade #22, next year's Raiders pick, and Matt Light for the #1?

I can't imagine how highly Belichick would have to rate Suh to make that trade. Probably would have to be a Lawrence Taylor talent.

 

[Defsoul]

I just don't consider Jimmy Clausen or Sam Bradford remotely close to #1 material.

QBs usually aren't the best player in the draft. Still they get drafted #1 overall. You probably have to go way back to Peyton Manning, if you're looking for a QB who was actually #1 material.

 

[patriotscpfc]

Why draft a guy like Clausen when there's nobody to protect him? The Rams have gone defensive line with their last two first round picks. Meanwhile their QB gets killed every year and their stud RB looks very ordinary.

Didn't they take Jason Smith with the 2nd pick last year?

 

[mayoclinic]

Didn't they take Jason Smith with the 2nd pick last year?

Yes, they did. Uncle Heatster seems to have been on the sauce again.

 

[Kontradiction]

I gotta say, if our draft panned out like that then I would be a happy camper. Only, I'd substitute Best for Tate (who can play both RB on third down and WR).

 

[mayoclinic]

QBs usually aren't the best player in the draft. Still they get drafted #1 overall. You probably have to go way back to Peyton Manning, if you're looking for a QB who was actually #1 material.

Carson Palmer.

And there wasn't an obvious #1 last year. Matt Stafford was as qualified as Jason Smith or Aaron Curry. This year there's a once in a generation DT prospect. It would be like picking Sam Bowie ahead of Michael Jordan.

 

[BradyMossWelker]

I have a question, I don't follow college football a lot, but, why are the heisman trophy candidates so underated??

I mean, Toby Gerhart finished second behind Mark Ingram, shouldn't he be the best RB in the draft, shouldn't he be a top 10 prospect or something??
I understand Tebow, because he can't throw, but how can a great running back in college be so low in the NFL???
I would like someone to answer me.

 

[Kontradiction]

I have a question, I don't follow college football a lot, but, why are the heisman trophy candidates so underated??

I mean, Toby Gerhart finished second behind Mark Ingram, shouldn't he be the best RB in the draft, shouldn't he be a top 10 prospect or something??
I understand Tebow, because he can't throw, but how can a great running back in college be so low in the NFL???
I would like someone to answer me.

The only thing that I can think of is that Gerhart has a bad habit of running completely upright sometimes, even between the tackles. That works at the college level, but he's going to have to be taught to lower the shoulderpads at the pro level or he'll get killed. But that's the only thing I can think of. I do agree that Gerhart is underrated.

 

[carolinatony]

This out today from Football Draft Analysis, whoever they are:

FootballDraftAnalysis.webs.com - Mock Draft

They have the Pats taking:

22. Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
44. Jahvid Best, RB, Cal
45. Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB, TCU
51. Rob Gronkiwski, TE, Arizona

There order is slightly off, but I don't think it matters. Vladimir Ducasse goes #59 in this mock to Dallas, so if you substitute Ducasse for our 3rd pick in round 2 it's a darn good draft. I prefer Austen Lane to Hughes, but at least they have us taking a strongside and weakside pass rusher, and an offensive playmaker. For those who prefer a WR to an RB, Golden Tate and Damien Williams are both available in the second round with our earlier picks.

I don't like it. OG is a much bigger need than TE.
We don't use our TE's anyway.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I don't like it. OG is a much bigger need than TE.
We don't use our TE's anyway.

In terms of improving the competition, OG may be more important, but NE's two TEs both were used on better than 60% of the offensive snaps, and I'd bet nearly 100% of the Special Teams' snaps - that translates into critical when you scan the depth chart. This does not lead me to advocate a first round, or even a Day Two TE in the draft, but it does make me very aware of TE prospects and how they might fit on NE's offense and Special Teams.