Beat writers mock - 4/23/11

[Seneschal2]

A lot on the line in this draft - Sacramento Living - Sacramento Food and Wine, Home, Health | Sacramento Bee

LOS ANGELES -- Are NFL teams ready to be on the defensive? To piece together this mock draft, I called - in order - 32 writers who cover the teams on a daily basis and asked them to predict the individual first-round picks. Twenty selected defensive players, including 14 linemen.

17. PATRIOTS - T Anthony Castonzo, Boston College: (Shalise Manza Young, Boston Globe) "If the top pass rushers are already gone, the Patriots will look to add talent to their offensive line."

28. PATRIOTS - RB Mark Ingram, Alabama: (Christopher Gasper, Boston Globe) "If Ingram is still on the board at this point, his value is too good for the Patriots to pass on."

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Notice that Jordan/Watt/Kerrigan are off the board by #17, and both Wilkerson and Heyward are gone by #28. In this scenario, if NE wanted one of the DEs, trading up or down from #17 would be necessary. Trading up from #28 is also possible.

 

[jmt57]

There could be a major meltdown within Patriots Nation if this scenario were to play out, where at the end of the first day of the draft the Pats had selected neither a defensive end nor an outside linebacker.

 

[rookBoston]

meh, this wouldn't be the end of the world. We can still get a solid DL at 33. Christian Ballard is legit. And I'm still high on Jeremy Beal at OLB in the 3rd. So spending two picks on offense in the first round if a pretty great luxury.

 

[VJCPatriot]

meh, this wouldn't be the end of the world. We can still get a solid DL at 33. Christian Ballard is legit. And I'm still high on Jeremy Beal at OLB in the 3rd. So spending two picks on offense in the first round if a pretty great luxury.

That reminds me too much of the 2006 draft. No thanks! I think the Pats trade down from 17 if Watt and Jordan are gone and take Wilkerson.

 

[Patriot Missile]

There could be a major meltdown within Patriots Nation if this scenario were to play out, where at the end of the first day of the draft the Pats had selected neither a defensive end nor an outside linebacker.

Depends what they do with the rest of their draft.

 

[patchick]

In this draft, any mock that doesn't project trades just seems like wasted effort to me. There are too many trade trigger points; a trade-free round 1 is wildly unrealistic. (Anybody think that all of the teams picking 15-20 let Robert Quinn fall that far?)

 

[patfanken]

It only proves what we all already know. Most people here know more about the draft that the so called "beat writers".

 

[jmt57]

Depends what they do with the rest of their draft.

True, but fans will have 24 hours of panic and distress while overanalyzing the first round before the first pick of the second round is announced.

 

[captain stone]

It only proves what we all already know. Most people here know more about the draft that the so called "beat writers".

No arguement here.

BTW, I feel that Kerrigan is absolutey worth #17 for us. But if he, Jordan & Watt are all gone by 17, then I would trade down 4/5 spots & pick up an extra 4th-rounder. Either Heywood or Wilkerson should still be available then, one of Houston/Sheard/Reed at 28, and one of the remaining top 7 OLmen at 33.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Agree with SMYs selection of Costanzo at #17

I think most fans don't think OL is as big of a concern as some other areas....I think it is and I would be floored if an OL is not selected by #33

 

[mgteich]

There is a big difference between Costanzo at 17 and an OL by 33.

Agree with SMYs selection of Costanzo at #17

I think most fans don't think OL is as big of a concern as some other areas....I think it is and I would be floored if an OL is not selected by #33

 

[RayClay]

Best DL depth according to BB and we pick an OL and a RB with a bad knee.

We've picked one OL in the 1st and he thinks he's worth QB money. We've got the LT of the future IMO, I think we could get some OL in the 2nd, 3rd FA or whatever, but we're not getting top 3-4 DL or pass rushers there.

Neal's been on and off for years, and Mankins left us cold and i didn't see a huge drop off. Just stock the pond and let Dante do his thing. We're not going to spemd a huge portion of our cap on the OL, we're going to develop most of them as we already have and having a talented bargain LT in Vollmer (my opinion) means we mix in a couple guards and a right tackle, maybe a cente prospect.

If Light stays another year at LT, then we don't even need a RT.

On the other hand, we were scrambling for waiver fodder at DL right into the playoffs and i don't think anyone's happy with our pass rush.

If we address those concerns, I'm fine with getting a value elsewhere, but i just don't think there are huge differences in OL after the first few and if you want all top OL, you need to go cheap somewhere else and I want defense.

A lot of technique and playing together overcomes a lot on the line IMO.

 

[RayClay]

I guess Watt and Cameron are gone in that mock, but scouting reports on the BC lineman are underwhelming, to say the least. I'd trade down and take Wilkerson or Heyward, maybe try to pack a bunch of second round picks again.

 

[RayClay]

lol. I swear i just looked up Castonzo and this was the first vid.

There's a guy in play 2 we could probably use, but it's not him. Man, if we lay out big first round LT money for him I'll puke.

YouTube - Robert Quinn vs. Anthony Castonzo

Whether there's a rookie salary structure or not, I don't see that guy playing LT in the NFL.

He must have a hell of a pr man.

 

[State]

Watching the whole video, RayClay, makes Castonzo look better.

I think he had no idea of Quinn's athleticism and was able to compensate fairly well.

Esp. on running plays he was able to take Quinn to places where the ballcarrier wasn't.

Yeah, but the 2nd play looks like Lawrence Taylor blowing past Baby Grimm for Theisman's leg. (I still haven't been able to watch that video.)

 

[Ochmed Jones]

There could be a major meltdown within Patriots Nation if this scenario were to play out, where at the end of the first day of the draft the Pats had selected neither a defensive end nor an outside linebacker.

But yet we all know that Dante personally worked out Costanza, so he is probably very high on the Patriots board and

no one can deny the Saban/BB connection. So if anybody is going to get inside information on an Alabama player; it is BB.

This first round does seem bland, but mostly due to the lack of a trade. But it is possible that BB might not get another team to pull the trigger on a deal at #28, especially if their is an early QB run.

Costanza
Ingram
Sheard
Boling

could be a good two days of picking.

 

[RayClay]

Watching the whole video, RayClay, makes Castonzo look better.

I think he had no idea of Quinn's athleticism and was able to compensate fairly well.

Esp. on running plays he was able to take Quinn to places where the ballcarrier wasn't.

Yeah, but the 2nd play looks like Lawrence Taylor blowing past Baby Grimm for Theisman's leg. (I still haven't been able to watch that video.)

We're talking a mid first round pick? Why?

Can't see you need to make excuses for a pick that high, you just move on IMO. In a very different spot, his playing every game, wonderful guy Rhodes scholar etc. would kick in, but I'm not paying a mid 1st for any OL unless he's a smooth strong LT or a road grader, neither of which he is.

"Needs to work on footwork, not real strong, not a good run blocker" (scouting report paraphrase) really? Why do we need him in the 1st then?

When he has help, he performs well, he's obviously smart and dedicated, but if I'm spending a mid first (or any first, how many of our OL required a 1st?) I don't want to settle, I want a first round athlete.

 

[captain stone]

Costanzo
Heyward/Wilkerson
Sheard
Boling

could be a good two days of picking.

Fixed it for ya.

BTW, Brian Baldinger (Fox, NFLN) agrees with RayClay in that Costanzo isn't close to being
a mid-first-round talent. As for me, I have the top 7 OLmen ranked pretty much the same,
so I would rather wait until at least 28 (or whatever pick in the 20s Bill ends up keeping)
before choosing one of them.