Early 3 Round 2014 Mock after Underlcassmen Declarations Complete

[mayoclinic]

Mock drafts are generally not very useful. But with the underclassmen declarations pretty much set, I find it helpful to do a mock to get a sense of the depth and quality of talent in a draft, and to get a feel for what other teams need and what directions they could go in. None of this is meant to be “predictive” in any sense, and there are multiple other good picks for each team.

This is a very deep and solid draft. Lots of talent. It’s very hard to fit everyone in, and some good players will slip. I’ve thrown in a few trades for fun, just to shake things up and suggest some possibilities.

Note: Team needs are from Daniel Jeremiah at NFL.com.


Round 1:

1. Houston: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina. 6’5” 274#. Needs: QB, OT, S. There will be a debate between Bill O’Brien, who either wants Bortles or to trade #33 for Ryan Mallett, and the FO/ownership, who likes Johnny Manziel. Manziel will sell tickets, but doesn’t fit the pro style scheme O’Brien wants to run. I’m guessing O’Brien will win the FO over in the end. Houston tries to trade back but wants too much, so they go with the BPA on their board. South Carolina alum Bob McNair things that Clowney is a “unique talent” like Mario Williams was in 2006, and has talked to JJ Watt about upgrading Clowney’s work ethic. I’m guessing they have a deal in place with the Pats depending on how things fall.

***Trade: Houston trades #33 to New England for QB Ryan Mallett. O’Brien will bring in competition at the QB position, but it’s Mallett’s to lose.

***Trade: Oakland trades #5 and #37 to St. Louis for #2. St. Louis can afford to take a slight discount, as they are already loaded.

2. Oakland: Teddy Bridgwater, QB, Louisville. 6’3” 205#. Needs: QB, WR, OT. Oakland is desperate to get a franchise QB, and not afraid to trade up.

3. Jacksonville: Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida. 6’3” 218#. Needs: QB, DE, OT. Blake Gabbert and Chad Henne aren’t the answer.

***Trade: Minnesota trades up from #8 and 72 (1630 points) to Cleveland for #4 (1800 points).

4. Minnesota: Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M. 6’ 210#. Needs: QB, DE, OG. Manziel will bring back memories of Fran Tarkenton, who has openly lobbied for his selection.

5. St. Louis: Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn. 6’5” 320#. Needs: OL, WR, S. Robinson and Anthony Barr are atop the Rams’ board. Robinson could be another Orlando Pace.

6. Atlanta Falcons: Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA. 6’4” 248#. Needs: DE, OL, TE. With Clowney and Robinson both off the board, this is fairly easy, and comes down to Barr vs. Jake Matthews. Atlanta thinks they need a pass rusher more.

***Trade: Detroit trades #10 and 76 (1510 points) to Tampa Bay for number 7 (1500 points). Lions trade up to get a player they have rated in the top 5. TB moves back a couple of spots knowing they can either get Jake Matthews or Khalil Mack.

7. Detroit: Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson. 6’1” 205#. Needs: CB, WR, S. Detroit loves Watkins’ speed opposite Calvin Johnson. CJ Mosley could be the pick here as well.

8. Cleveland: Derek Carr, QB, Fresno St. 6’3” 218. Needs: QB, RB, OG. Mike Lombardi can’t sell Joe Banner on trading for Ryan Mallett, so this comes down to Manziel vs. Carr. They’ve been hinting interest in Manziel, but I’m guessing that’s a smoke screen. Carr is more of a pro-style QB, and the Browns will groom him for a year behind Brian Hoyer. They trade back to pick up a high 3rd round pick and still get their man.

9. Buffalo: Khalil Mack, DE/OLB, Buffalo. 6’3” 248#. Needs: OT, S, DE. The local boy will be a popular pick, and will elevate an already good defense.

10. Tampa Bay. Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M. 6’5” 305#. Needs: DE, TE, OT. Lovie Smith learned the hard way that you need to protect your QB. Matthews is very solid.

11. Tennessee: Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan St. 5’11” 197#. Needs: S, DE, QB. Tennessee surprises by going DB here. Dennard and Alterraun Verner will be a terrific pair of CBs. Kony Ealy could also be the pick.

12. NY Giants: Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri. 6’5” 275#. Needs: LB, CB, interior OL. Justin Tuck is nearing the end, and the Giants need to reload on the DL. Ealy has a ton of athleticism and talent, and will make a nice bookend to JPP. If the Titans go with Ealy, the Giants go with Dennard.

***Trade: Baltimore trades #16 and 78 (1200 points) to St. Louis for #13 and 141 (1185.5 points).

13. Baltimore: Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M. 6’5” 225#. Needs: WR, OT, DB. The Ravens trade up to get the big, reliable receiver that Ozzie Newsome covets. Kelvin Benjamin is too raw, and the Ravens stay out of the annual FA WR feeding frenzy. Marquis Lee could be the choice here, but the Ravens already have a deep threat in Torey Smith.

14. Chicago: CJ Mosley, ILB, Alabama. 6’2” 232#. Needs: DL, S, interior OL. Chicago hopes Mosley will be the next Brian Urlacher to rebuild their D around.

15. Pittsburgh: Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame. 6’2” 340#. Needs: OT, DB. The Steelers need to protect Ben Rothlisberger, but can’t pass up Nix, who will become the anchor for their DL just as Casey Hampton once was. Taylor Lewan could be the pick here if they opt to go OL.

16. St. Louis: Marquis Lee, WR, USC. 6’0” 195#. Needs: OL, WR, S. The Rams trade back and are elated to get a WR they have rated as a top 10 prospect. Lee and Tavon Austin will give the Rams a ton of speed and playmaking capability.

17. Dallas: Ra’Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota. Needs: DL, CB, S. Dallas badly needs help on the DL. Hageman is an explosive playmaker who will shine at the Combine and make a big jump up draft boards.

18. NY Jets: Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina. Needs: WR, OG, CB. The Jets need dynamic playmakers on offense. They could go with Kelvin Benjamin here, but Ebron is less risky and is a big play machine. Rex wanted Darqueze Dennard, who he thinks could be the next Revis.

19. Miami: Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan. 6’7” 315#. Needs: OT, OG, RB. The Dolphins go back to Michigan for their successor to Jake Long. David Yankey could also get consideration.

20. Arizona: Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama. 6’5” 310#. Needs: OT, CB, OLB. The Cardinals like big, physical tackles. With Kouandjio and the return of Jonathan Cooper, the Cardinals’ OL should be vastly improved.

21. Green Bay: Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville. 6’2” 208#. Needs: OLB, S, CB. The Packers need a ton of help on defense. Calvin Pryor is rising fast, and could leapfrog Ha-ha Clinton Dix as the top-rated safety prospect. A CB like Justin Gilbert could be the pick here as well, but there is more depth at CB in this draft than at S.

22. Philadelphia: Ha-ha Clinton Dix, S, Alabama. 6’1” 208#. Needs: OLB, S, CB. A CB like Justin Gilbert could be the choice here as well, but the Eagles need secondary help badly.

23. Kansas City: Jace Amaro, TE, Texas Tech. 6’5” 260#. Needs: WR, DL, ILB. The Chief’s offense needs to open up more. Amaro will pay off big time.

24. Cincinnati: Jason Gilbert, CB. 6’ 200#. Needs: CB, OLB, S. Cincinnati’s secondary was the weak point of their defense. Leon Hall should be back, and he, Gilbert and Dre Kirkpatrick would make a nice combination.

***Trade: St. Louis trades #36 and 78 (740 points) to San Diego for #25 and 185 (737.4 points). The Rams are loaded with picks.

25. St. Louis: Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida St. 6’2” 298#. After going offense twice, the Rams trade up to get an impact defender. Jernigan can be a disruptive interior presence next to Michael Brockers.

26. Cleveland (from Indianapolis): David Yankey, OL, Stanford. 6’5” 311#. Yankey at LG next to Joe Thomas and Alex Mack would be beastly.

27. New Orleans: Jason Verett, CB, TCU. 5’10” 182#. Needs: OT, OLB, CB. Rob Ryan has revitalized the Saint’s defense. He could go for an OLB, but grabs a DB instead. Verett is undersized, but a very good cover corner.

28. Carolina: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida St.. 6’5” 234#. Needs: WR, CB, OL. Cam Newton needs more weapons. Kelvin Benjamin will provide a big move-the-chains and red zone target to complement Steve Smith.

29. San Francisco: Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame. 6’5” 306#. Needs: WR, DL, CB. Justin Smith will be 35 next fall. Tuitt would be a great long-term replacement. WR could be an option, but this is a deep class, and the 49ers have multiple day 2 picks.

30. Denver: Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio St. 6’2” 230#. Needs: OT, CB, DL. Denver needs help on defense. They love quick, athletic LBs, and Shazier is as quick as they get.

31. Seattle: Cyril Richardson, OG, Baylor. 6’5” 335#. Needs: WR, CB, OL. Seattle could go for a pass rusher, but a massive OG like Richardson to protect Russell Wilson and boost their power running game would be a good option.

32. New England: Trent Murphy, DE, Stanford. Needs: DL, OL, TE. BB will love Murphy’s intelligence, motor, intensity, physicality and versatility. You can never have enough good linemen, and Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich played too many snaps in 2013.

(continued due to length restrictions)

 

[mayoclinic]

(continued from previous post)

Round 2:

***Trade: Jacksonville trades #39 and 102 (606 points) to New England for #33 (580 points).

33. Jacksonville: Carl Bradford, DE/OLB, Arizona St. 6’1” 240#. With his franchise QB in the bag, Gus Bradley goes after a pass rusher. Bradford played a hybrid “devil” position at ASU, and will fit perfectly in the “leo” role that Bradley prizes.

34. Washington: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington. 6’6” 276#. Needs: DL, S, OL. Washington’s red zone offense was atrocious in 2013. Seferian-Jenkins will fix that, and help protect RGIII. He’s not as explosive as Gronk, but he’ll move the chains.

35. Cleveland: Odell Beckham, WR, LSU. 5’11” 193#. Beckham is a great all-purpose play maker who slips out of the 1st round because of the depth of talent in this draft. He will complement JoshGordon With Justin Blackmon a question mark moving forward, Jacksonville moves up to secure a playmaker.Carlos Hyde, RB, Ohio St. 6’ 235#. Some will view this as a reach, but Hyde is a pounding pack who will move the chains and wear down defenses. It doesn’t hurt that he’s an Ohio St. product.

36. San Diego: Scott Crichton, DE, Oregon St. 6’3” 265#. Needs: CB, OG, OLB. Crichton has a great motor and hands. He projects to an OLB in the Chargers’ defense.

37. Atlanta: Antonio Richardson, OT, Tennessee. 6’6” 327#. The Falcons need to keep Matt Ryan upright. Richardson is a massive OT in the DJ Fluker mold.

38. Tampa Bay: Dee Ford, DE/OLB, Auburn. 6’2” 240. After getting their franchise LT the Bucs address the pass rush. Ford is a very disruptive edge rusher.

39. New England: Kyle Van Noy, OLB, BYU. 6’3” 245#. Van Noy has tremendous range and coverage ability, and is a good blitzed. He will give the Pats another athletic LB along with Jamie Collins, who is emerging as a potential star. Travis Swanson is a tempting option.

40. Minnesota: Chris Smith, DE, Arkansas. 6’2” 268#. This could be Jared Allen’s last year with the Vikings. In any case, Minnesota needs to groom a successor.

41. Buffalo: Zach Martin, OG, Notre Dame. 6’4” 308#. Buffalo needs to replace to loss of Andy Levitre. Martin can play both tackle and guard.

42. Tennessee: Ka’Deem Carey, RB, Arizona St. 5’10” 207#. With Chris Johnson a possible cap cut, the Titans reload with the explosive Carey.

43. NY Giants: Allen Robinson, WR, Penn St. 6’3" 210#. With Hakeem Nicks a FA, the Giants grab a big, physical WR to replace him.

45. Detroit: Shayne Skov, ILB, Stanford. 6’2” 245#. Skov will give the lions a blue-collar, hard-nosed presence in their defense and will provide a ton of leadership. Skov behind Suh and Fairly is scary.

46. Pittsburgh: Lamarcus Joyner, DB, Florida St. 5’9” 190#. Troy Polamalu will be 33, Ryan Clark 34. Joyner can play slot CB as well as safety, and will make plays all over the field. He’s a smaller Polamalu.

47. Baltimore: Travis Swanson, OC, Arkansas. 6’4” 318#. The Ravens badly need an upgrade at center. Swanson will be a revelation.

48. Dallas: Anthony Steen, OG, Alabama. 6’2” 310#. Steen is limited athletically, but very solid and technically sound. He will fit nicely between Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick.

49. NY Jets: Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon St. 5’10” 186#. Jets add another playmaker, and Rex brags that they have better playmakers than the Patriots.

50. Miami: Xavier Sua-Filo, OG, UCLA. 6’3” 305#. More OL help for the Dolphins.

51. Chicago: Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh. 6’ 285#. Chicago needs to rebuild its DL, and Henry Melton is coming off of IR and is a FA. Donald is an incredibly quick pass-rusher who will provide insurance.

52. Arizona: Jackson Jeffcoat, DE/OLB, Texas. 6’4” 250#. John Abraham will be 36. The Cardinals will groom Jeffcoat as his successor.

53. Green Bay: Bradley Robey, CB, Ohio St. 5’11” 192#. Packers get a CB to continue to bolster their secondary.

54. Philadelphia: Trevor Reilly, DE/OLB, Utah. 6’5” 255#. Eagles get a 3-4 pass rushing OLB. Reilly has nice versatility.

55. San Francisco (from Kansas City): Jordan Matthews, WR, Vanderbilt. 6’3” 206#. The 49ers would be elated if Matthews fell to this pick. He is the most polished route runner in the draft, and would bring back memories of his cousin Jerry Rice. Michael Crabtree, Matthews and Anquan Boldin would be a nice trio of receivers, along with TE Vernon Davis.

56. Cincinnati: Ego Ferguson, DT, LSU. 6’3” 308#. Ferguson will solidify the Bengals’ interior run defense.

57. San Diego: Kelcy Quarles, DT/DE, North Carolina. 6’3” 298#. Quarles will complement Corey Liguet nicely.

58. Indianapolis: Kyle Fuller, DB, Virginia Tech. 6’0” 195#. Needs: OL, WR, LB. Fuller is a versatile defensive back who should add some bite to the Colts’ secondary.

59. New Orleans: Jarvis Landry, WR, LSU. 6’ 195#. Drew Brees needs a few more playmakers. Saints go with a local guy.

60. Carolina: Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington. 5’10” 203#. Carolina loves its running game. DeAngelo Williams will be 31 in April. Sankey offers a skill set reminiscent of Ray Rice, and should be an additional receiving option for Cam Newton as well as an elusive runner.

61. San Francisco: Marcus Roberson, CB, Florida. 6’ 195#. Carlos Rodgers will be a FA, and is on the wrong side of 30.

62. Denver: Louichez Purifoy, CB, Florida. 6’ 190#. Champ Bailey is on his last legs and Chris Harris is coming off a post-season ACL tear. Purifoy has tons of talent, but is inconsistent.

63. Seattle: Martavis Bryant, WR, Clemson. 6’4” 200#. Sidney Rice is a FA and will have an $8M cap hit. The Seahawks could use a big, lanky WR like Bryant to stretch the field and open things up for Percy Harvin. I expect Bryant to make a post-season rise much as Stephen Hill did 2 years ago. Devonta Adams could also be an option at WR.

64. New England: Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame. 6’6” 270#. “Hercules” is beast who will combine with Rob Gronkowski to make an unstoppable duo. He will be a monster for their power running game, and a tremendous red zone threat.

(continued due to length restrictions)

 

[mayoclinic]

(continued from previous post)

Round 3:

65. Houston: Joe Bitonio, OT, Nevada. 6’4” 315#. The Texans will move Bitonio to RT opposite Duane Brown.

66. Washington: Gabe Jackson, OG, Mississippi St. 6’3” 340#. Jackson will be a steal this late.

67. Oakland: Davonte Adams, WR, Fresno St. 6’2” 216#. There are so many talented WRs, someone has to slip. Adams has a huge catch radius and is at times reminiscent of Alshon Jeffrey.

68. Atlanta: Carlos Hyde, RB, Ohio St. 6’ 235#. With Steven Jackson nearing the end of his career, the Falcons need to groom a successor.

69. Tampa Bay: Jake Mewhort, OT, Ohio St. 6’6” 308#. Bucs are thrilled that Mewhort slips this far.

70. Jacksonville: Tre Mason, RB, Auburn, 5’8” 208#. Maurice Jones-Drew is a FA and will walk. Mason will be a workhorse for them.

71. Cleveland: Jeremy Hill, RB, LSU. 6’ 235#. Hill is a big, physical back who averaged 7 YPC and who is also a receiving option.

72. Cleveland (from Minnesota): Devonta Freeman, RB, Florida St. 5’8” 203#. Freeman will complement Jeremy Hill nicely. Cleveland suddenly has a QB to build around and a bunch of offensive weapons.

73. Buffalo: Deone Buchannon, SS, Washington St. 6’1” 215#. Buchannon will remind some of Donte Whitner, and would complement Jarius Byrd nicely if Byrd can be retained.

74. NY Giants: Morgan Moses, OT, West Virginia. 6’6” 325#. The Giants need OL help badly.

75. St. Louis: Lache Sestrunk, RB, Baylor. 5’10” 210#. Sestrunk slips in a deep draft. He is an explosive weapon who will complement Zac Stacy and give the Rams a solid running game.

76. Tampa Bay (from Detroit): Will Sutton, DE, Arizona. 6’ 305#. Sutton will provide depth and a disruptive pass rush behind Gerald McCoy and Akeem Spence.

77. San Francisco (from Tennessee): Christian Jones, ILB, Florida St. 6’3” 235#. The 49ers will groom Jones as depth behind Willis and Bowman.

78. San Diego (from St. Louis from Baltimore): Donte Moncrief, WR, Mississippi. 6’2” 226#. Moncrief will give Philip Rivers another weapon in addition to Keenan Allen.

79. Dallas: EJ Gaines, CB, Missouri. 5’10” 195#. Cowboys need secondary help. Gaines is very underrated, and a well rounded DB.

80. NY Jets: Michael Sam, DE/OLB, Missouri. Rex begs Idzik to draft a defensive player for a change. Sam will be a disruptive weakside presence behind their excellent DL.

81. Miami: CJ Fiedorowicz, TE, Iowa. 6’6” 265#. Charles Clay has developed nicely as an H-Back. Dolphins need an in-line TE to compliment him.

82. Chicago: Ahmad Dixon, S, Baylor. 6’ 205#. Dixon fits nicely into a need for the Bears.

83. Cleveland (from Pittsburgh): Ed Reynolds, FS, Stanford. 6’2” 205#. Reynolds will make a nice complement to TJ Ward.

84. Arizona: Brent Smith, QB, Wyoming. 6’ 2 1/2” 208#. The Cardinals need a long term successor to Carson Palmer. Smith has hints of Russell Wilson in his game.

85. Green Bay: Adrian Hubbard, OLB, Alabama. 6’5” 248#. The Packers spin the wheel again on a OLB opposite Clay Matthews. Nic Perry hasn’t been the answer.

86. Philadelphia: Terrance Mitchell, CB, Oregon. 6’ 190#. Chip Kelly grabs a former Duck to help shore up the secondary.

87. Kansas City: Chris Borland, ILB, Wisconsin. 5’11” 246#. Borland will anchor the middle of an excellent defense.

88. Cincinnati: Anthony Johnson, DT, LSU. 6’2” 295#. Johnson will provide another disruptive interior presence on an already superb DL.

89. San Diego: Da’Quan Jones, DT, Penn St. 6’3” 318#. Jones will provide a strong interior presence on the DL.

90. Indianapolis: Weston Richburg, C, Colorado St. 6’4” 300#. The Colts need to upgrade their OL, and Samson Satele is a particularly weak link.

91. New Orleans: Jeremiah Attaochu, DE/OLB, Georgia Tech. 6’2” 242#. Junior Gallette had a great year, but the Saints could use an upgrade from Parys Harrelson.

92. Carolina: Aaron Colvin, CB, Oklahoma. 6’ 192#. The secondary is the weakest link in Carolina’s superb defense.

93. San Francisco: Paul Richardson, WR, Colorado. 6’1” 170#. The 49ers double up at the WR position to give Colin Kaepernick more weapons.

94. Denver: Bruce Ellington, WR, South Carolina. 5’9” 196#. With Wes Welker 33 and in the last year of his contract (and a possible cap cut), the Broncos draft a long-term replacement.

95. Minnesota (from Seattle): James Hurst, OT, North Carolina. 6’6” 308#. Minnesota needs guard help. Hurst is injured, or he might have gone higher.

***Trade: Chicago trades 4th and 5th round picks to New England for #96 (116 points).

96. Chicago: Aaron Lynch, DE, USF. 6’6” 250##. Julius Peppers is a likely cap casualty. Lynch is immature, but has 1st round talent and upside.



Just missed:

- Bryan Stork, OC, Florida St.
- Cameron Fleming, OL, Stanford
- Morgan Breslin, DE/OLB, USC
- Mike Davis, WR, Texas
- Dion Bailey, S, USC
- Craig Loston, S, LSU
- Dominique Easley, DT/DE, Florida
- Daniel McCullers, DT, Tennessee
- Marcus Smith, DE, Louisville
- Arthur Lynch, TE, Georgia
- Zack Mettenberger, QB, LSU



Pats picks in all 7 rounds:

1(32). Trent Murphy, DE, Stanford. 6’6” 265#.
2(39). Kyle Van Noy, OLB, BYU. 6’3” 245#.
2(64). Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame. 6’7” 270#.
4(101). Bryan Stork, OC, Florida St.
4(from Chicago). Billy Turner, OL, North Dakota St. 6’ 5/12” 314#.
4(128). Richard Rodgers, TE/H-Back, Cal. 6’4” 245#.
(Pats trade their 4th from Chicago for a late 5th and 6th round picks.)
5. Cody Hoffman, WR, BYU. 6’3” 210#.
6a. DeAndre Coleman, DT, Cal. 6’5” 315#.
6b. Jonathan Dowling, DB, Western Kentucky. 6’ 2 1/2” 198#.
6c. Trey Millard, FB/H-Back, Oklahoma. 6’3” 253#.
6 (comp). Larry Webster, DE, Bloomsburg. 6’6” 249#.
6 (comp). Jeff Matthews, QB, Cornell. 6’3” 224#.
7. Zach Bauman, XB, Northern Arizona. 5’ 9” 200#.

 

[Drewski]

Mayo - I'm not a regular contributor on this sub forum but you do fantastic work - always look forward to what you put up here.

Big props to you, Manx and OTG and other regulars who put in the time on these mocks. As someone who doesn't follow the college game as much as you all... I certain enjoy it.

D

 

[mayoclinic]

Mayo - I'm not a regular contributor on this sub forum but you do fantastic work - always look forward to what you put up here.

Big props to you, Manx and OTG and other regulars who put in the time on these mocks. As someone who doesn't follow the college game as much as you all... I certain enjoy it.

D

Very kind of you, but really not deserved in this case. I haven't been around much - Manx deserves all the credit for doing the heavy lifting on the draft forum. Grid, of course, is in a class (universe?) of his own.

 

[everlong]

I cannot believe the traction Bortles has gotten.

Van Noy, Collins, Hightower and Mayo would be a really versatile group with good depth. If they had the DE's you could make the case for adding Jones and Nink and having a six man rotation for the LBs that would have a great skill set.

I really like Coleman in the 6th.

Not that it means anything because Bill had never taken players from Kent St or Ohio until he did but you have a lot of schools he hasn't drafted from or ones he has once.

Good job.

 

[mayoclinic]

Van Noy, Collins, Hightower and Mayo would be a really versatile group with good depth. If they had the DE's you could make the case for adding Jones and Nink and having a six man rotation for the LBs that would have a great skill set.

That group of players would certainly allow you to play an "ameboid" approach from time to time, or a 2-4-5. Put Wilfork/Joseph and Siliga/Coleman at DT and you would have enough heft in the middle.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Pats picks in all 7 rounds:

1(32). Trent Murphy, DE, Stanford. 6’6” 265#.
2(39). Kyle Van Noy, OLB, BYU. 6’3” 245#.
2(64). Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame. 6’7” 270#.
4(101). Bryan Stork, OC, Florida St.
4(from Chicago). Billy Turner, OL, North Dakota St. 6’ 5/12” 314#.
4(128). Richard Rodgers, TE/H-Back, Cal. 6’4” 245#.
(Pats trade their 4th from Chicago for a late 5th and 6th round picks.)
5. Cody Hoffman, WR, BYU. 6’3” 210#.
6a. DeAndre Coleman, DT, Cal. 6’5” 315#.
6b. Jonathan Dowling, DB, Western Kentucky. 6’ 2 1/2” 198#.
6c. Trey Millard, FB/H-Back, Oklahoma. 6’3” 253#.
6 (comp). Larry Webster, DE, Bloomsburg. 6’6” 249#.
6 (comp). Jeff Matthews, QB, Cornell. 6’3” 224#.
7. Zach Bauman, XB, Northern Arizona. 5’ 9” 200#.

My biggest issue is sheer quantity here; I suspect that if the Pats draft 13 players, at least 3 or 4 of them are going to end up on other teams. I honestly think that, in a scenario like this, the Pats would be more likely to trade up in later rounds than trade down.

 

[I.M. Fletcher]

My biggest issue is sheer quantity here; I suspect that if the Pats draft 13 players, at least 3 or 4 of them are going to end up on other teams. I honestly think that, in a scenario like this, the Pats would be more likely to trade up in later rounds than trade down.

I agree. Last year was an anomoly as far as how many new players stuck, and were added over one off season. With the amount of players coming back, I would guess we are more likely to move up than move back, especially with the two 6th round projected comps.

Outside of that, its incredible work as always Mayo. I would probably be more inclined to jump on Swanson than Van Noy, although Stork is not a bad backup plan if it shook out that way. I feel like both have great mobility, while Swanson seems to be the tough SOB mankins type as an added bonus.

 

[ZoisKing]

It seems that every mock I'm seeing of late when I come here has Mallett being traded for a 2nd round pick. Has there been any talk about this happening, or a team showing interest?

 

[ZoisKing]

I like who you have St. Louis picking in their draft. They've become a fun team to keep track of during draft time, because of the outstanding trades they've managed to make and the excellent talent they've accumulated.

I'd take your first round mock a step further for them, and have them trade back with Detroit (from the 5th pick) for the tenth pick. They add another 2nd round pick and they still get their OT in Matthews.

That team is close to being very good very quick.

 

[I.M. Fletcher]

I like what you have St. Louis picking in their draft. They've become a fun team to keep track of during draft time, because of the outstanding trades they've managed to make and the excellent talent they've accumulated.

I'd take your first round mock a step further for them, and have them trade back with Detroit for the tenth pick. They add another pick and they still get their OT in Matthews.

That team is close to being very good very quick.

That division is about to become absurd. You could make a case for all 4 teams making the playoffs next year. If Zona gets anything from their O-line, and Palmer can stay square in the pocket, they can beat anyone. If Bradford shows any of that original shine to go with all those pieces, they could be the next seattle.

Not to mention San Fran keeps reloading with more and more picks in the draft and Seattle hasnt outspent themselves yet, and that division is going to be an absolute dogfight next year.

 

[ZoisKing]

That division is about to become absurd. You could make a case for all 4 teams making the playoffs next year. If Zona gets anything from their O-line, and Palmer can stay square in the pocket, they can beat anyone. If Bradford shows any of that original shine to go with all those pieces, they could be the next seattle.

Not to mention San Fran keeps reloading with more and more picks in the draft and Seattle hasnt outspent themselves yet, and that division is going to be an absolute dogfight next year.

You're right about that. I had forgotten that both SF and Seattle were in the same division. Wow.

I feel that Bradford will get his ish together when he finally gets some players to pass to. If mayo's draft happened (with my further trade down, of course) then they'd have added Matthews and Lee (two monumentally huge additions) to an evolving offense. That would be a night and day shift in production IMO.

 

[ZoisKing]

(continued from previous post)

Round 2:

***Trade: Jacksonville trades #39 and 102 (606 points) to New England for #33 (580 points).

33. Jacksonville: Carl Bradford, DE/OLB, Arizona St. 6’1” 240#. With his franchise QB in the bag, Gus Bradley goes after a pass rusher. Bradford played a hybrid “devil” position at ASU, and will fit perfectly in the “leo” role that Bradley prizes.

34. Washington: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington. 6’6” 276#. Needs: DL, S, OL. Washington’s red zone offense was atrocious in 2013. Seferian-Jenkins will fix that, and help protect RGIII. He’s not as explosive as Gronk, but he’ll move the chains.

35. Cleveland: Odell Beckham, WR, LSU. 5’11” 193#. Beckham is a great all-purpose play maker who slips out of the 1st round because of the depth of talent in this draft. He will complement JoshGordon With Justin Blackmon a question mark moving forward, Jacksonville moves up to secure a playmaker.Carlos Hyde, RB, Ohio St. 6’ 235#. Some will view this as a reach, but Hyde is a pounding pack who will move the chains and wear down defenses. It doesn’t hurt that he’s an Ohio St. product.

36. San Diego: Scott Crichton, DE, Oregon St. 6’3” 265#. Needs: CB, OG, OLB. Crichton has a great motor and hands. He projects to an OLB in the Chargers’ defense.

37. Atlanta: Antonio Richardson, OT, Tennessee. 6’6” 327#. The Falcons need to keep Matt Ryan upright. Richardson is a massive OT in the DJ Fluker mold.

38. Tampa Bay: Dee Ford, DE/OLB, Auburn. 6’2” 240. After getting their franchise LT the Bucs address the pass rush. Ford is a very disruptive edge rusher.

39. New England: Kyle Van Noy, OLB, BYU. 6’3” 245#. Van Noy has tremendous range and coverage ability, and is a good blitzed. He will give the Pats another athletic LB along with Jamie Collins, who is emerging as a potential star. Travis Swanson is a tempting option.

40. Minnesota: Chris Smith, DE, Arkansas. 6’2” 268#. This could be Jared Allen’s last year with the Vikings. In any case, Minnesota needs to groom a successor.

41. Buffalo: Zach Martin, OG, Notre Dame. 6’4” 308#. Buffalo needs to replace to loss of Andy Levitre. Martin can play both tackle and guard.

42. Tennessee: Ka’Deem Carey, RB, Arizona St. 5’10” 207#. With Chris Johnson a possible cap cut, the Titans reload with the explosive Carey.

43. NY Giants: Allen Robinson, WR, Penn St. 6’3" 210#. With Hakeem Nicks a FA, the Giants grab a big, physical WR to replace him.

45. Detroit: Shayne Skov, ILB, Stanford. 6’2” 245#. Skov will give the lions a blue-collar, hard-nosed presence in their defense and will provide a ton of leadership. Skov behind Suh and Fairly is scary.

46. Pittsburgh: Lamarcus Joyner, DB, Florida St. 5’9” 190#. Troy Polamalu will be 33, Ryan Clark 34. Joyner can play slot CB as well as safety, and will make plays all over the field. He’s a smaller Polamalu.

47. Baltimore: Travis Swanson, OC, Arkansas. 6’4” 318#. The Ravens badly need an upgrade at center. Swanson will be a revelation.

48. Dallas: Anthony Steen, OG, Alabama. 6’2” 310#. Steen is limited athletically, but very solid and technically sound. He will fit nicely between Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick.

49. NY Jets: Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon St. 5’10” 186#. Jets add another playmaker, and Rex brags that they have better playmakers than the Patriots.

50. Miami: Xavier Sua-Filo, OG, UCLA. 6’3” 305#. More OL help for the Dolphins.

51. Chicago: Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh. 6’ 285#. Chicago needs to rebuild its DL, and Henry Melton is coming off of IR and is a FA. Donald is an incredibly quick pass-rusher who will provide insurance.

52. Arizona: Jackson Jeffcoat, DE/OLB, Texas. 6’4” 250#. John Abraham will be 36. The Cardinals will groom Jeffcoat as his successor.

53. Green Bay: Bradley Robey, CB, Ohio St. 5’11” 192#. Packers get a CB to continue to bolster their secondary.

54. Philadelphia: Trevor Reilly, DE/OLB, Utah. 6’5” 255#. Eagles get a 3-4 pass rushing OLB. Reilly has nice versatility.

55. San Francisco (from Kansas City): Jordan Matthews, WR, Vanderbilt. 6’3” 206#. The 49ers would be elated if Matthews fell to this pick. He is the most polished route runner in the draft, and would bring back memories of his cousin Jerry Rice. Michael Crabtree, Matthews and Anquan Boldin would be a nice trio of receivers, along with TE Vernon Davis.

56. Cincinnati: Ego Ferguson, DT, LSU. 6’3” 308#. Ferguson will solidify the Bengals’ interior run defense.

57. San Diego: Kelcy Quarles, DT/DE, North Carolina. 6’3” 298#. Quarles will complement Corey Liguet nicely.

58. Indianapolis: Kyle Fuller, DB, Virginia Tech. 6’0” 195#. Needs: OL, WR, LB. Fuller is a versatile defensive back who should add some bite to the Colts’ secondary.

59. New Orleans: Jarvis Landry, WR, LSU. 6’ 195#. Drew Brees needs a few more playmakers. Saints go with a local guy.

60. Carolina: Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington. 5’10” 203#. Carolina loves its running game. DeAngelo Williams will be 31 in April. Sankey offers a skill set reminiscent of Ray Rice, and should be an additional receiving option for Cam Newton as well as an elusive runner.

61. San Francisco: Marcus Roberson, CB, Florida. 6’ 195#. Carlos Rodgers will be a FA, and is on the wrong side of 30.

62. Denver: Louichez Purifoy, CB, Florida. 6’ 190#. Champ Bailey is on his last legs and Chris Harris is coming off a post-season ACL tear. Purifoy has tons of talent, but is inconsistent.

63. Seattle: Martavis Bryant, WR, Clemson. 6’4” 200#. Sidney Rice is a FA and will have an $8M cap hit. The Seahawks could use a big, lanky WR like Bryant to stretch the field and open things up for Percy Harvin. I expect Bryant to make a post-season rise much as Stephen Hill did 2 years ago. Devonta Adams could also be an option at WR.

64. New England: Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame. 6’6” 270#. “Hercules” is beast who will combine with Rob Gronkowski to make an unstoppable duo. He will be a monster for their power running game, and a tremendous red zone threat.

(continued due to length restrictions)

Who do you have St Louis drafting at 44? Hope I didn't just destroy your mock

 

[mayoclinic]

I like who you have St. Louis picking in their draft. They've become a fun team to keep track of during draft time, because of the outstanding trades they've managed to make and the excellent talent they've accumulated.

I'd take your first round mock a step further for them, and have them trade back with Detroit (from the 5th pick) for the tenth pick. They add another 2nd round pick and they still get their OT in Matthews.

That team is close to being very good very quick.

It's all a crap shoot right now, but I predict that Greg Robinson will end up being the top OT off the board, and a top 5 pick. Matt Miller says that scouts have told him they have a higher grade on Robinson than they did on Eric Fisher, who went #1 overall last year, and I believe it. I haven't done enough evaluation of the top QBs to make sure if they're worth a top 3 pick, but I'm fairly sure Robinson is. Robinson needs to refine his pass protection technique, but he has a very wide base, good lateral agility for his size, and is incredibly powerful. He's only a RS sophomore. Jake Matthews has a much lower ceiling, but a higher floor - but I'm not convinced it's high enough to merit a top 5 pick. But that's just my guess at the moment - we'll learn a lot more in the next 3 months.

As I mentioned in the OP, it's totally ridiculous to try and accurately "predict" picks. The main reasons I did this mock were (1) to get a better sense of the depth and distribution of talent, and (2) to get a better familiarity with team needs and possible directions. St. Louis has a bunch of talent in place, and a ton of picks in a very deep and talented draft. They should make out like gangbusters if their personnel evaluation is any good.

 

[mayoclinic]

Who do you have St Louis drafting at 44? Hope I didn't just destroy your mock

Sorry. Brain fart.

Vic Beasley not coming out messed me up. Originally I had Tampa Bay trading up to 25 with San Diego to snag Beasley, and the Rams taking Jernigan at 36 and Dee Ford at 44. But with Beasley deciding to stay in school, I bumped Ford up in my pass rushing DE/OLB rankings. I didn't think he was worth TB trading up for, and some predict Jernigan would easily go 1st round and possibly top 20, so I had the Rams trade up instead. That's why #44 was missing.

As things currently stand, I think the logical need to address at 44 would be safety. Ed Reynolds, Ahmed Dix or Deone Buchannon could move up. Another guy to keep an eye on is USC S Dion Bailey. 6'2" 210#, played LB before moving to S this year, can play SS/FS. The Rams currently have USC alum TJ McDonald. Bailey and McDonald would be a solid tandem. Bailey is more of a 3rd round pick right now, but there have been some suggestions that he could be a riser. I'll pencil him in at 44 for now for lack of a better solution. Sorry.

 

[ZoisKing]

Sorry. Brain fart. I had the Rams going safety at #44, with a bit of a "reach": USC S Dion Bailey. 6'2" 210#, played LB before moving to S this year, can play SS/FS. The Rams currently have USC alum TJ McDonald. Bailey and McDonald would be a solid tandem.

It happens. Especially, when you write a thesis statement like that.

What are your thoughts on trading Gronkowski for a pick? My view is that he is injured too often. When healthy, he's amazing. Unfortunately, he's been bitten by the injury bug a lot. I love the guy, but his injury history and immaturity aren't winning games for us right now.

I'm thinking his trade value is still very high, and a team like Green Bay might be willing to part with a first rounder for him. They have a need for a TE and Gronk might fit the bill. He's certainly talented enough.

Take Green Bay's draft pick and trade back into the 2nd for ASJ while adding a pick?

 

[kennyb]

It happens. Especially, when you write a thesis statement like that.

What are your thoughts on trading Gronkowski for a pick? My view is that he is injured too often. When healthy, he's amazing. Unfortunately, he's been bitten by the injury bug a lot. I love the guy, but his injury history and immaturity aren't winning games for us right now.

I'm thinking his trade value is still very high, and a team like Green Bay might be willing to part with a first rounder for him. They have a need for a TE and Gronk might fit the bill. He's certainly talented enough.

Take Green Bay's draft pick and trade back into the 2nd for ASJ while adding a pick?

Gronkowski is a unique talent don't think asj could replace him. You are thinking outside the box though.

 

[ZoisKing]

It happens. Especially, when you write a thesis statement like that.

What are your thoughts on trading Gronkowski for a pick? My view is that he is injured too often. When healthy, he's amazing. Unfortunately, he's been bitten by the injury bug a lot. I love the guy, but his injury history and immaturity aren't winning games for us right now.

I'm thinking his trade value is still very high, and a team like Green Bay might be willing to part with a first rounder for him. They have a need for a TE and Gronk might fit the bill. He's certainly talented enough.

Take Green Bay's draft pick and trade back into the 2nd for ASJ while adding a pick?

As the gears are still moving in my mind, I'll continue with the Gronk trade. We trade the 21st we receive from GB for Gronk and trade it, along with our 3rd round pick, for St. Louis' newly acquired 37th pick (courtesy of mayo's trade with Oak) and their 44th. That's 1000 value points received with 916 leaving.

That leaves us with 32, 37, 44, and 64 in the first couple rounds, and a newly acquired hole at TE.

 

[I.M. Fletcher]

A healthy gronk is a top ten player in the game. His contract is reasonable, and he should come back healthy.

You can't sell low on a top 10 player, ever