My 2011 2 Round Patriots Mock Draft W/ Trades

[serifyn]

From what ive read, not only did they get sent home with playbooks and workout plans, Jerrod mayo is suppose to be in charge of organizing team workouts outside of Gillette.

 

[manxman2601]

I like Amukamara as a trade up pick too. The benfits of grabbing another potential shut down corner, for me, outweighs the risk of converting a DE to an OLB as a first round pick.

Having said that, my knowledge of secondary schemes is poor and I'd really appreciate some insight from those with more knowledge on this forum as to whether or not Amukamara is a fit in our secondary.

1. Amukamara has almost all his experience as a press corner. Does that fit with our secondary?

2. If Amukamara took the RCB slot, how suited is Bodden as a safety or nickel back?

3. I realise that drafting a top corner like Amukamara and plugging him in at safety would most likely be a waste. However, I found it very frustrating watching Meriweather lay a hit on a receiver last year after giving up an 11 yard catch on 3rd and 10. Would playing Amukamara (or Bodden) at safety allow Meriweather to get up in run support more often so that he can do what he does best, whack opponents?

I'd appreciate any insights, even better, a primer on how the Pats play their secondary.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

The reason why you dont want to do this is because the offseason WILL BE shortened, it already has been. talent evaluation should have already begun from within, but because teams and players cant legally meet or talk, this process will start much later and it gives Belichick and his coaching staff less wiggle room when it comes to getting these players in.

your own players is one thing, you have tape on them, you have coached them before and you know what they needed to improve on, you can see if they have in training camp, and then come to the conclusion whether they have come far enough to keep them around.

for drafted players, they have no background with your organization, when a new CBA is signed the players will then also have to be signed, then will then need to be taught the ways, the playbook and everything else than goes with it.

when the roster cutdown comes, these players will need to have made a big enough impact in a significantly smaller amount of time to merit kicking someone else who was on your team last year off the roster.

i think when you are a team like the patriots, and you have very few glaring needs, you trade up get the players you like the most at the positions which are the most vulnerable where change would be made regardless though free agency or otherwise.

By doing this, you limit the self inflicted damage that comes from drafting a player and then kicking another player off your team who maybe only needed more time to develop into what you envisioned of him.

That 14-2 team no longer exists. For example, you have two starters penciled in on the O-line. It's that way at nearly every position.

Not to single you out for this, but as fans we can't spend months crabbing about a player and then turn around and expect no change in the line-up for 2011. Since the season ended NE's coaches have broken down the game tapes and assigned grades to each player. BB has already reshuffled the coaching staff, three major changes on defense and two more in Strength & Conditioning; a minor one on offense. NE has already lost several players off that 14-2 team, RB will look completely different, starters like Crumpler and Hernandez are not working with NE trainers to rehab after surgery, and in a normal year they may start on PUP anyway.

I can't look at the NE roster and say a projected 4-5th round OT like Jah Reid couldn't prove to be better than LeVoir and Maneri. They know the playbook and the system, they have an advantage, it may be enough for them, it may not, you only find out in camp. Besides, if things really go to pot, the 2012 off-season could begin in November - your 2011 draft is just a head start.

And while you're speculating that NE's coaches won't know their new prospects, I've seen nothing in the lockout rules to prevent the private trainers working with these kids during the lockout from taping practices and selling them to the club, or offering online streaming video of the workouts if tapes are too direct a contact for the NFL. I have little doubt there aren't 32 separate monitoring programs in place for assessing the newbies readiness for football.

 

[serifyn]

I dont think the 2011 Patriots Roster will be all that different from the 2010 roster. you make some valid points about players like Hernandez and Crumpler, but unless these players are hurt enough to be IRed at the beginning of the year, they will still be taking up a roster spot.

there is definitely room for expansion and improvement at some positions, most of which have been mentioned as need spots for the patriots. RB for instance has a couple of slots open, G, C, OT, DE and OLB all have room for fresh blood.

my only concern is that the patriots will try to take too many longshots with all their draft picks instead of moving up where they can acquire the players they rank the highest, who have the highest chance of helping out a team most people agree is close to championship caliber.

This is a good problem to have, mind you.

 

[Metaphors]

- The Patriots Use #12 to Select Prince Amukamara CB from Nebraska.

Assuming Peterson went before #11 (almost a certainty), there is a high probability (again, almost a certainty) that Amukamara doesn't make it past the Texans. So unless you are projecting the Texans traded up to get Peterson, the Pats would need to get to #10 to get the Prince.

Other than that, not a bad effort.

 

[mcsully]

Horrible picks.. Just horrible.. Basically fills in spots were we have young talent (except OL and your picking a guy almost as old as Mankins)..

Quick thoughts (posted this to many times)

Think Quality and Not Quantity

BPA only brings you so far, need to get over that hump and win a playoff game.. Need some play makers on Defense.. PLayers who get the opponents off the field on 3rd down..

Sacks- blah.. We need guys that push the pocket and throw off the offense.. that is a true bend don't break..

The fear of Trading up..

Part A Shouldn't be.. Read the link below and statistically you average the same %.. But now you get a premiere player in a premiere position
NFLDraft101: NFL Draft Slot Analysis: Do First Round Draft Slots Matter by Fran Duffy

PART B - the thinking other teams have failed or taken steps back because they moved up and selected the wrong person SHOULD not weigh on the Pats decision on trading up. Pats have hit on every #1 pick except 1 (and he wasn't bad.. just wasnt the value where they picked him.. LM).. Pats are a Better ORGANIZATION with a longer history of proven results

WHY A CB? When we won 3 SB's with a JAG playing opposite of LAW or Samuel.. Whats the big difference now? Talent at OLB and RDE.. Not the scheme or the DB's.. The front 7 needs to get addressed..

Lastly -NO GUARDS, please. We can bring in a Vet or draft someone lower.. Looking back at how we had JAG Guards all those years and now people want to draft them in the 2nd round. We're not a running team and Brady gets rid of the ball quickly.. Waste of resources.. In todays NFL you have to put your chips into the premiere positions..

 

[MaineMan]

The Style of defense the patriots play has always been im sure you've heard, bend but don't break, this means they are willing to give up yardage and first downs as long as it doesn't equate to points at the end of the drive.

there is no way to have extreme pressure from one point of attack throughout the game, pressure can be picked up by tight ends and Runningbacks from a single presence.

Clay Matthews im sure everyone would agree is a great player and hugely disruptive presence, but look at what Rob Gronkowski did to him in his game against the patriots. pretty much neutralized, Clay Matthews is there for one thing, rushing the passer, its the same with james harrison in pittsburgh, but if you force these players to play coverage, they get destroyed, look at the pittsburgh game this year where they forced steeler linebackers to pick up Gronkowski and Hernandez.

in understanding Bill Belichicks defense, we must believe that that the following things are most important in this order.

1. Stop the Run; if a team can run on you they will and they eventually tire out your defense to the point where they are unstoppable.

2. Play Coverage; If a team can make big pass plays on you or pick up easy first downs though the air, you will never stop them on 3rd down.

3. Rush the Passer: Lower the amount of time your coverage has to take their man out of the play.

Although vastly improved later in the year, at times the patriots couldn't even accomplished #1 or #2, #3 becomes a luxury at this point, as if #1 is possible, they will almost always exploit it.


Amukamara and Heyward alone heavily help out #1 and #2, particularly in dime packages to draft a player specifically for #3 is a waste of a draft pick in belichicks system.

everyone wants more pressure around here, i know, but Belichick gets pressure from his front 3 and drops everyone else into coverage, the best case scenario is that you get someone who can stop the run and also eat up blockers.

It would be much harder to pick apart the patriots defense with Amukamara even if the patriots had the exact same team from last year, coming back with bodden, and warren will help out significantly, but i dont think say Watt or Cameron Jordan is a big enough upgrade over Cameron Heyward to pick them 17, but that is of course my opinion alone.

Actually, I agree with pretty much everything you wrote.

I'd only add that being able to stop the run (or severely constrain its effectiveness) with a strong front three alone (most of the time) quickly makes play-action a much less viable tactical option for your opponent and makes coverage that much easier, if for no other reason than you can drop a least one more guy into coverage with minimal risk (or, use him to rush the passer with abandon).

And, as I've said before, it may be a "passing league", but every year it seems the Pats end up playing about half their games versus top ten running teams - including two in our own division. If we don't configure our roster to address the strengths of our actual regular season opponents, but configure it to match some "passing league" standard instead, it won't matter what the rest of the league does, because we'll never see them in the playoffs or the Superbowl.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I dont think the 2011 Patriots Roster will be all that different from the 2010 roster. you make some valid points about players like Hernandez and Crumpler, but unless these players are hurt enough to be IRed at the beginning of the year, they will still be taking up a roster spot.

there is definitely room for expansion and improvement at some positions, most of which have been mentioned as need spots for the patriots. RB for instance has a couple of slots open, G, C, OT, DE and OLB all have room for fresh blood.

my only concern is that the patriots will try to take too many longshots with all their draft picks instead of moving up where they can acquire the players they rank the highest, who have the highest chance of helping out a team most people agree is close to championship caliber.

This is a good problem to have, mind you.

The areas you listed, taken individually, would equate to six picks. With no trades, no movement up or down, NE has nine picks total right now - I forecast 10-12, and speculate that as many as 16 might be in order if you wanted to acquire & expend some late round picks to fill the roles UDFAs normally fill. Let's reexamine your position analysis and maybe expand it a bit more:
-- RB: We agree, even without factoring in injuries in camp and camp bodies, there is room for a couple RBs. Kettani might be one, then again he might opt to stay in the Navy another year and try again once the CBA mess is more settled. NE needs a minimum two more bodies after B-Jeepers (who still has to address his RFA tender), Woody, and Clayton. Room for at least two picks.
-- G: In the worst case scenario department, Neal is retired, Mankins is gone. A minimum two openings to fill, and the lads currently on roster who might be best positioned to challenge for a job may also be in contention for LT too. Again worst case scenario, wouldn't you want two prospects, and maybe a third contending with the current roster? If you filled one G with a draftee and one with someone from the current roster, you still may require a reserve (or two). I can see up to three kids just for G if we adopted a pessimistic worst case.
-- C: I'm not expecting Koppen to lose his job in 2011. I think Connolly and Wendell are both as good as Hochstein in the day. It might be necessary to draft another camp body, but I'd rather combine C and G into one draft profile, that way when we talk about three G slots, we are really talking about three interior OL candidates.
-- OT: Again adopting the most pessimistic outlook, NE needs a LT, and competition with LeVoir and Maneri for reserve OT. A minimum of two OT, but we can crossover with G/C and look for a T/G combination, so call it plus one for sure.
-- DE: In terms of most pessimistic scenarios, it's hard to argue the return of a healthy Warren, Wright, and Richard from IR won't give NE a boost as far as talent and back end competition. Stroud replaces G.Warren. Deadrick is a year wiser, we hope. Brace returns healthy and with more experience. Love will hopefully make a major step forward. Pryor is hopefully past whatever sophomore jinx slowed him. Cohen, Favorite, maybe Moore all bring some value to the table. As draft needs go, it's actually a low priority ... but as talent pools go, there's some prime beef to be branded. I'd like two DL in the first two days, and at least one more on day three.
-- OLB: Like DL, it's not the "need" (despite screams of woe over the pass rush), it's the beef. Cunningham should make a second year leap. Ninkovich made a huge leap in his second year with NE, I expect him to take it up another notch or two. Moore averaged 3.3 TT, .5 sack, .5 FF, and .25 PD in his brief regular season stint with a team dealing with DL injury woes - seems hopeful. TBC is what he is, but he can get to the QB if NE can increase the pressure from the other pass rushers coming (a healthy Wright and Pryor, the other three OLBs, etc.) Murrell is back with the team, I was surprised it took so long as he seemed to be competitive last season. I'd like at least one kid to compete, but I can wait for Karl Klug (binky alert!) in the seventh.

Using just your identified areas: RB - 2, G/C - 3, OT - 1, DE - 0, OLB - 0 = a minimum of six, and we can see the value for targets of opportunity at DE, OLB, OT for an adjusted minimum of 9 (or so).

-- ILB: Casey White is UFA. This may not be a strong draft for talent fit to challenge NE's starting trio of Mayo, Guyton, and Spikes, but it's a good class to shop for one or more coverage LBs with size to be depth at 3-4 ILB if needed. +1, at least - competition is always good.
-- CB: Your own badself did advocate a move up for Amukamara to increase the talent and competition at CB. I'll add that whatever NE does at CB in this draft, impacts S depth too. +1, at least - competition is always good.
-- QB: It's the NE way under BB, Tuesday night (8 p.m. ESPN) Tommy Brady will remind us to 'stick with what bring you.' There's room for one more camp arm with Cassel-like hopes as Brady is just out of his walking boot. +1
-- TE: Let's again take the most pessimistic outlook, both Crumpler and Hernandez go on PUP and aren't available until game seven at the earliest. Gronk does his thing. Butler off the PSquad is a decent blocker. A veteran or journeyman hoping to use NE for a career boost is probably the easiest and safest option, but what if NE could get a Virgil Green or D.J. Williams at a draft discount the way Hernandez and Gronkowski both arrived? Greed is good, in draft terms anyway.
-- WR: Can_O_Worms time! Most pessimistic, Tate is a returner, Edelman is a bust, Branch is a fragile old twig, Welker is looking for a room next to Muhammad Ali, Price is a redshirt rookie "longshot," Farnham, Jenkins, and the two Navy kids are camp fodder. Damn NE sucks! Okay, two proven guys, and some interesting talent trying to put it all together and get game reps. Even the most optimistic of us would welcome one or two draft picks for the competition and (hopefully) complementary skill sets. Whether you argue for size, speed, duplication of existing strengths or targeting perceived weakness, it's all in play. +1, at least - competition is always good.
-- P, PK, LS: Camp bodies, especially at PK to give the trainers and Coach O'Brien room to pace Gostkowski's return to duty (or even PUP him). It would be okay by me to use a 7th on a kid who can then go hang with that Kicking coach in Vegas or with Gost, Zoltan, and Katula.

That's another four picks, which brings the presumptive minimum, as I tally it, to 10. You can argue waiting to sign a QB or STs LB or PK makes as much sense as any move, and it does, I'm just proposing a more radical approach to get some late round talent into NE's playbook and under the wing of veteran leaders as early as possible in a topsy turvy year. I can't say your argument for veteran free agents to fill holes is wrong, I just contend NE is denied trade or free agent signings, so use the tools which aren't as constrained to get some kind of start - damn the litigation, full speed ahead!

Quality over quantity? (Hello McSully! :rocker: ) Not an issue, if NE gets a green light to pool both first and grab one of the two kids I consider elite NE prospects, or one of the borderline ones, it's good, they can still trade down from #33 for additional trade ammo. I don't care if NE uses six or sixteen picks, the number doesn't matter at the end of the day, neither do the where will they fit arguments, what matters is the kids drafted all make their prospective position(s) on the roster more competitive.

 

[Fencer]

The negatives on Amukamara on the scouting reports boils down to "Needs to recognize double moves better" and "Needs time with the Juggs machine".

If BB thinks greatness awaits him, I'm OK with pushing that many chips onto a CB. You need 3 CBs half the time or so anyway, and of course there are injuries too.

And I'm certainly OK w/ BB picking Heyward if he thinks he's the guy, although he could require a small trade up from 28 just for fear of him getting sniped. I'd say that trade-up part with more definitiveness if BB hadn't shown such nerves trading down for McCourty last year.

 

[serifyn]

To simplify, i hope the draft strategy this year is to move around and get exactly who they want, not trade around and take chances on guys who may or may not outplay someone currently on the roster.

without a rookie salary structure there is no reason not to do this, it doesn't nessesarily mean, lets trade 12 picks for 6.

Box_O_Rocks- I agree with your suggestion that belichick will take chances on guys late in the draft and also bring more guys into camp through free agency and otherwise, but belichick has an opportunity here to bring in some starters who will make a tremendous impact on this team almost immediately, the question is whether he gambles and waits for them to come to him or he goes after who he likes the best aggressively, i think this is the year where if he likes someone high, and it can be anyone, he is in a better position to go get them this year than he has been in the past, what with all the draft picks and questions of the existence of a draft after this one.

Horrible picks.. Just horrible.. Basically fills in spots were we have young talent (except OL and your picking a guy almost as old as Mankins)..

im sorry you feel that way, but i selected 4 spots on the roster where guys could come in and if they pan out, almost immediately make an impact on the roster, these are also 4 spots where, although you disagree, there isnt great depth.

CB: Butler, Wilhite and Arrington are players who would have to compete for a roster spot over amukamara, Wilhite and Butler have been pretty disappointing, you dont know what you are going to get with leigh bodden either, he may come back half the player he was from being away from the game for so long and this not being a contract year like it was in 2009.

DL: A true 5-technique DL is something this team has been missing since seymour was traded, the plug-ins since havent fit the mold, they dont have the speed or build to play the position as well any any of the many DL prospects the Patriots have an opportunity to get in this draft.

RB: This may seem like it isnt a big deal, but it is the position the patriots have an opportunity to improve the most, taylor and morris probably wont be back in 2011, this means the team needs a RB and FB. Leshoure or Ingram here may turn out to be a huge upgrade and bring great competition into camp.

G: I cant believe you dont think guard is an issue. Mankins wants way too much money, and there is a possibility the patriots will trade him as soon as he signs his tender to get that money off of the books. Watkins is a first round draft pick who may fall because of his age, i cant believe people look at 27 and think he is ready to retire. you should be happy if you get 4 years out of him, let alone 8 and he surely isnt going to be ready for retirement at 31, Danny Watkins is the perfect patriot pick, value picking on a prospect because of some insignificant issue. keep in mind sebastian vollmer was 25 when he was drafted.

NO GUARDS? NO CORNERBACKS? NO DL?

i suppose if we had it your way we would draft 2 wide receivers 2 running backs and a long snapper.

 

[mcsully]

im sorry you feel that way, but i selected 4 spots on the roster where guys could come in and if they pan out, almost immediately make an impact on the roster, these are also 4 spots where, although you disagree, there isnt great depth.


NO GUARDS? NO CORNERBACKS? NO DL?

i suppose if we had it your way we would draft 2 wide receivers 2 running backs and a long snapper.

You should definitely reread what I posted.. I'm all for drafting a RDE (said that in my post) and OLB..

Guards?? Not a premium position.. We have Mankins for 1 more year and we can bring in a free agent like D. Woodey to fill the other spot (just an example)

CB? Like I said, we always had a JAG player playing opposite of Law Or Samuel. Why change that now? And why allocate more resources to a position were we have a vet coming back and an all pro rookie and arrington and butler competeting over the slot



I'm actually up for a huge upgrade at RB..Take the pressure off Tommy when teams key on him.. I'm more game for going the route of bringing in a Vet.. Brown, D. Williams, M Barber and sprinkle that in with a 3rd or 4th rounder on a rookie RB.

 

[serifyn]

You should definitely reread what I posted.. I'm all for drafting a RDE (said that in my post) and OLB..

Guards?? Not a premium position.. We have Mankins for 1 more year and we can bring in a free agent like D. Woodey to fill the other spot (just an example)

CB? Like I said, we always had a JAG player playing opposite of Law Or Samuel. Why change that now? And why allocate more resources to a position were we have a vet coming back and an all pro rookie and arrington and butler competeting over the slot



I'm actually up for a huge upgrade at RB..Take the pressure off Tommy when teams key on him.. I'm more game for going the route of bringing in a Vet.. Brown, D. Williams, M Barber and sprinkle that in with a 3rd or 4th rounder on a rookie RB.

Amukamara is potentially elite talent who would have slipped to get to the 12th pick, we dont know what bodden is going to give this team since he has been away from the game for a whole year and wont be in a contract year.

nothing Arrington or butler have shown me is particularly satisfying.

you say 'we've always just had some guy who can barely play a lick" be our second corner. well that may have been the case, but the league changes it is more of a passing league now with more threats through the air. Mccourty is a great starter, and will be for some time. but the patriots have an opportunity to lock down the CB position for a long time with a move like this.

As for the running game, you should know that a good O-line makes the biggest difference in the running game. Belichick is of the notion that you can plug practically anyone in there and gain yardage if you have a good O-line.

i cant see Mankins being around much longer, maybe he plays through the year with a huge franchise tag, maybe they trade him, either way you need a quality guard to replace him, you want to fill that role with some 5th round JAG or someone who is first round talent slipping to the second?

p.s. remind me again which round Mankins was drafted in?

 

[State]

Well thought out mock, serifyn. I just don't see us going after a corner. While we've been rolling the dice on CB's in a lot of past drafts, our lines are beginning to become threadbare--and our OLB corps is arguably the weakest in the league, which I hope we also rectify by free agent acquisition.

We're experiencing a hollowing out of our interior in both lines. I think our defensive line needs to be shored up, and our OT position needs an upgrade.

Here's my mock:

17--ANTHONY CASTONZO, OT, BC. I don't think Watt will be available here. If he is, fine. Great prospect who uses his hands really well. He's Matt Light 2.0.

21--(Move up in trade with Chiefs. We go against our whole MO and give them next year's second and our #28, shocking a lot of people.)--MUHAMMAD WILKERSON, DT, Temple. Athletic 5-gapper. I'm assuming the Bolts go for RT help, instead of what many mocks have them doing, taking Wilkerson with their pick at 18. The Chiefs will take the gamble that the giant Mr. PHIL Taylor will still be available at 28. He's the player they want all along, though taking him at 21 is too high. This gives us depth at the D-line to allow for more substitution, which is necessary for the end of the game pressure we didn't have in the playoffs.

33--I really want to say Rudolph, the Notre Dame TE, who will be a Gronkowski doppelganger and legit 1st round talent. But I think TORREY SMITH, WR, Maryland, is a great fit, also. Both candidates should be great football players that can immediately make contributions.

60--CLINT BOLING, OG, Georgia. If he's good enough for Ochmed, he's good enough for me. Must. Go. Boling.

74--SAM ACHO, OLB, Texas. I can see him shedding a few pounds and becoming a blitzing LBer we haven't had since Tedy did it for us so effectively. He's got a body like Adalius Thomas but intelligence and an attitude like Deion Branch.

 

[mcsully]

Amukamara is potentially elite talent who would have slipped to get to the 12th pick, we dont know what bodden is going to give this team since he has been away from the game for a whole year and wont be in a contract year.

Amukamara could be an elite talent but if we're going to move up in the draft, we should target Quinn. We have a limited amt of resources, why peg them all in one position..
BTW, 2 years ago, People thought Butler was a steal..

you say 'we've always just had some guy who can barely play a lick" be our second corner. well that may have been the case,

actually i never said "can barely play a lick.. I said a JAG.. Huge difference.. You can have Deon Sanders, Woodson and Law back there.. Corners can only cover for so much time.. You need a pass rush to assist the back 4.. The point I made is our JAG who played OPPOSITE of Law/Samuel was assisted by a front 7 that pushed the pocket and forced 3 and outs..

As for the running game, you should know that a good O-line makes the biggest difference in the running game. Belichick is of the notion that you can plug practically anyone in there and gain yardage if you have a good O-line.

I see a real chance of s bringing back the same line as we had last year.. 1000 yd rusher, Brady was clean most of the year.. And like I mentioned before, Guards is not a valuable position

i cant see Mankins being around much longer, maybe he plays through the year with a huge franchise tag, maybe they trade him, either way you need a quality guard to replace him, you want to fill that role with some 5th round JAG or someone who is first round talent slipping to the second?

I actually see Mankins here for longer.. I don't think they will trade him.. And again, between finding someone later in the draft to develop, a free agent (when the cba is signed) or connelly, its not a premiere positions

p.s. remind me again which round Mankins was drafted in?

Hey we drafted Eugene Chung in the 1st round..

But seriously.. Different time my friend.. Pats had a strong core and using a #1 pick on a guard was the safe play.. With how this team is build now and how BB has turned the roster over in two short years,we have a few holes.. Lets address those with the ammunition we have..

 

[mcsully]

33--I really want to say Rudolph, the Notre Dame TE, who will be a Gronkowski doppelganger and legit 1st round talent. But I think TORREY SMITH, WR, Maryland, is a great fit, also. Both candidates should be great football players that can immediately make contributions.

.

So we should run a 3 and 4 TE offense? EEK!

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Well thought out mock, serifyn. I just don't see us going after a corner. While we've been rolling the dice on CB's in a lot of past drafts, our lines are beginning to become threadbare--and our OLB corps is arguably the weakest in the league, which I hope we also rectify by free agent acquisition.

We're experiencing a hollowing out of our interior in both lines. I think our defensive line needs to be shored up, and our OT position needs an upgrade.

Here's my mock:

17--ANTHONY CASTONZO, OT, BC. I don't think Watt will be available here. If he is, fine. Great prospect who uses his hands really well. He's Matt Light 2.0.

21--(Move up in trade with Chiefs. We go against our whole MO and give them next year's second and our #28, shocking a lot of people.)--MUHAMMAD WILKERSON, DT, Temple. Athletic 5-gapper. I'm assuming the Bolts go for RT help, instead of what many mocks have them doing, taking Wilkerson with their pick at 18. The Chiefs will take the gamble that the giant Mr. PHIL Taylor will still be available at 28. He's the player they want all along, though taking him at 21 is too high. This gives us depth at the D-line to allow for more substitution, which is necessary for the end of the game pressure we didn't have in the playoffs.

33--I really want to say Rudolph, the Notre Dame TE, who will be a Gronkowski doppelganger and legit 1st round talent. But I think TORREY SMITH, WR, Maryland, is a great fit, also. Both candidates should be great football players that can immediately make contributions.

60--CLINT BOLING, OG, Georgia. If he's good enough for Ochmed, he's good enough for me. Must. Go. Boling.

74--SAM ACHO, OLB, Texas. I can see him shedding a few pounds and becoming a blitzing LBer we haven't had since Tedy did it for us so effectively. He's got a body like Adalius Thomas but intelligence and an attitude like Deion Branch.

This is a very impressive mock. I thought Rudolph had a decent pro day and even if we red shirt him on IR for a year, he could step in the year after and take over Crumpler's spot.

 

[serifyn]

i like that mock as well. you can never have too many gronks running around.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

i like that mock as well. you can never have too many gronks running around.

A big fast TE catching a pass while running the deep seam is the scariest sight a Safety will ever see.

 

[tricktak]

I agree with the Amukumara pick, if the Patriots do trade up, he would be the type of player they would value that high. If they really want him though, they'll have to leapfrog Houston and get the #10 pick from Washington. It makes a lot of sense, the Redskins have been shopping the #10 pick for more draft picks and thepats simply don't need all the selections they have (2 first rounders, 2 second rounders, 2 third rounders). They were 14-2 last year, they don't need a ton of players, just a few great players. To get #10, they would probably have to give up pick 17, 33 and possibly 92. I say they still sit tight at 28 and take one of the best defensive linemen or linebackers available, Muhammed Wilkerson would be best case scenario. Ryan Williams at pick 60 would be great as well and taking Allen Bailey as a possible conversion outside linebacker at 74 would also be a solid pick.

 

[TealSox]

- The Vikings Trade pick #12 to the Patriots in exchange for #17, #91, #125 and #159 round pick.

- The Patriots Use #12 to Select Prince Amukamara CB from Nebraska.

With the Texans being a wild card in the CB market, I'm wondering if the Redskins are a more likely trading partner at 10. Redskins would pass on Julio Jones and Coach Mike would get his running back in Mark Ingram later in the first round, whether its 17 or 28.