It’s round two of my many mock drafts. The standings have changed somewhat and the values of players have also changed based on their performances. As always please comment with your own questions or suggestions for picks of your favorite team. Also a second round will be added around Christmas when the regular season is over for college football.
ROUND 1
1) Colts- ANDREW LUCK, QB STANFORD
Don’t believe the talk, Andrew Luck is THAT good. Jim Irsay has stated that Peyton Manning is fine with the team taking a Quarterback with its first round selection. Despite this, there’s once again a monkey wrench in this pick. Peyton is recovering better of late (so say the media) and he has stated he should be fine for the 2012 season. Andrew Luck has stated that he doesn’t want to sit. He will request a trade or go back for a fifth season, which he is eligible to do. This could present a problem for the Colts as the draft gets closer. If they don’t trade Peyton or the pick, Trent Richardson is becoming more and more likely.
2) Rams- MATT KALIL, OT USC
Yes the Rams do need some defense, but when the next Walter Jones/ Orlando Pace/ Jake Long is coming out at tackle when you desperately need to protect your franchise quarterback, the obvious pick is Kalil.
3) Vikings- MORRIS CLAIBORNE, CB LSU
So despite the dominant front four the Vikings have, their defense is still not up to snuff. There 28th in the league against the pass and as I stated in my last mock the wide receiving talent is so deep that I see Claiborne the pick over Blackmon.
4) Panthers- QUENTIN COPLES, DE NORTH CAROLINA
The Panthers need any defense they can get and Coples is the best defensive lineman by far in this draft. Coples is the pick.
5) Jaguars- JUSTIN BLACKMON, WR OKLAHOMA ST
Well Jacksonville I have caved. All I have heard is how the plan is to let Gabbert throw the ball more and become their next Brunell. Well if that’s the plan, you need a true number one receiver. Blackmon may not be the most skilled physically as Michael Floyd is taking scouts by storm, but he’s the best route runner and the pick here for the Jags.
6) Seahawks- MATT BARKLEY, QB USC
USC connection strikes again for Pete Carrol. The Seahawks need a quarterback desperately to provide balance to their offense and take it back to the level it was at in the mid 2000’s. Barkley has proven to me that he is clearly the second best QB in the draft rather than Landry Jones. His accuracy is very good and he has shown great command over his offense. The question with Barkley, which is the question with most of the USC QB’s to come out lately, is his arm strength and the ability to make tough NFL throws. We’ll have to wait and see but I think he can.
7) Cardinals- RILEY REIFF, OT IOWA
The Cardinals next year will need to protect Kevin Kolb, or whoever is quarterbacking, much better than they have this year. I love every lineman out of Stanford this year and Reiff is no different. Not only can he pass block, but he can provide stability at the tackle position for a team that struggles to block the better pass rushers in the NFC.
8) Redskins- LANDRY JONES, QB OKLAHOMA
This is a tough decision here for Washington. Trent Richardson is available, which would definitely be the feature back Shanahan is looking for, but Jones could be the quarterback they desperately need. I right now think Jones would be the pick but I see some obvious flaws. For starters he needs to improve his accuracy. Jones has a tendency to miss throws that in the NFL he must make. Two he has obvious Brett Favre-itis, if you will. He forces too many throws to his number one read on a play rather than going to his second and third reads. I currently say Jones is the pick, but that could change fast.
9) Browns- TRENT RICHARDSON, RB ALABAMA
Cleveland has decided that they will not resign Peyton Hillis, which means they need a feature back. There’s nothing Richardson can’t do well at the running back position so this is a no brainer.
10) Chargers- DRE KIRKPATRICK, CB ALABAMA
The Chargers need secondary so badly. They can’t stop anyone who can pass even a little. Kirkpatrick good man coverage will go a long way towards improving their back seven.
11) Dolphins- LUKE KEUCHLY, MLB BOSTON COLLEGE
Based on the top three quarterbacks being gone I don’t see the fish reaching for Ryan Tannehill or anyone like that. Keuchly is flying up draft boards and could make the front seven of the Dolphins one of the best in the league. Truthfully in this scenario, I see the Dolphins trading the pick, but in this case where there are no trades, I see Keuchly as a great fit.
12) Buccaneers- JONATHAN MARTIN, OT STANFORD
Just from watching the Bucs o-line this season they appear to be both inconsistent and not very talented. Martin is a good run blocking offensive lineman, the question is whether he can protect Freeman at a high level. But for a team that wants to get back to pounding the rock and playing defense, Martin makes sense.
13) Bills- MICHAEL FLOYD, WR NOTRE DAME
Anybody heard of a guy named Randy Moss? Terrell Owens? Well meet the next of freak wide receivers. Floyd is an absolute monster, incredible body control, great hands, ridiculous leaping ability and a great blocker. Best part, he’s currently not rated as the best wide out. What a steal here for the Bills.
14) Eagles- VONTAZE BURFECT, MLB ARIZONA ST
Obviously the Eagles need linebackers and since Burfect is a walking clone of some of the best linebackers to play the position in terms of his sideline to sideline speed and tackling ability, he’s the obvious choice.
15) Titans- DAVID DECASTRO, OG STANFORD
Giving CJ2K the benefit of the doubt for his poor season, the Titans need to block better for Johnson. DeCastro is a phenomenal guard and one of the best offensive linemen in a good offensive line draft. Another one of my underrated players in this draft, I like this fit.
16) Chiefs- DEVON STILL, DT PENN ST
Here’s a test. How do you fix a run defense that’s 28th in the league? By picking the best 3-4 defensive tackle in the draft to sure up your defensive line. Still, despite his last game, has flown up draft boards because of his great pursuit to the ball on running plays. Another option here is Manti Te’o, the MLB for Notre Dame, but because of Derrick Johnson’s strong play I like Still.
17) Broncos- RYAN TANNEHILL, QB TEXAS A&M
I don’t care what Tim Tebow has done. No team can win a super bowl in this era with the 31st rank passing offense. Tannehill is the next best quarterback and must be the pick, no questions asked, no other options, unless it’s another quarterback.
18) Bears- COURTNEY UPSHAW, OLB ALABAMA
Whether the Bears resign Lance Briggs or not, they still need an outside linebacker and still need linebacking depth. Upshaw’s pass rushing ability with Julius Peppers would make this front seven absolutely incredible.
19) Jets- MARK BARRON, S ALABAMA
Eric Smith, while he has been good, makes too many mental mistakes to be the long term option. Barron is a beast, good against the pass, ridiculous against the run and a great tackler. Rex Ryan, here’s your Troy Polamalu.
20) Giants- MANTI TE’O MLB, NOTRE DAME
Another easy pick. Te’o is the best MLB on the board and the Giants need a dominant linebacker. Michael Boley, while playing middle, is actually an outside linebacker. Te’o has incredible sideline to sideline speed as do the other two middle linebackers mentioned.
21) Bengals- ALSHON JEFFREY, WR SOUTH CAROLINA
Do the Bengals have more pressing needs? Sure. But remember, they have two first round picks due to the Carson Palmer deal. Jeffrey is a monster 6’4 230 lbs. He’s not the fastest guy, but he is a great possession receiver and a phenomenal red zone target. Lining him up opposite AJ Green and with Dalton at quarterback would make that offense something incredible to watch in a few years.
22) Lions- ALFONZO DENNARD, CB NEBRASKA
I’ve watched Dennard play a few times this year because I’m a Michigan fan. He is really good. He plays terrific press coverage and has a great nose for the ball. I think he needs to become a better tackler, but he is another one of my underrated first rounder’s and a great fit for the Lions.
23) Browns via Falcons- CORDY GLENN, OG GEORGIA
Glenn hasn’t been great this year, but he’s much better then he’s played. He’s a terrific run blocker and for a team that likes to pound the football, he should fit right in. The question mark is his pass blocking. He’s given up a ton of sacks and has struggled to pick up assignments when teams run blitzes at Georgia’s offensive line, but Alex Mack and Joe Thomas should be able to help him learn.
24) Texans- BRANDON THOMPSON, DT CLEMSON
The Texans have completely revamped their defense and made it one of the best in the league. Shaun Cody has played well, but he’s not the long term answer at nose tackle. Thompson gives then a big nose tackle that plays the run very well. Thompson is a great fit for Houston.
25) Bengals via Raiders- LAMAR MILLER, RB MIAMI FLORIDA
No change here. The Bengals know Cedric Benson is not the guy for the future and Miller is the second best running back in the draft.
26) Cowboys- JANORIS JENKINS, CB NORTHERN ALABAMA
As I said in my last mock draft, Jenkins can fall to the late first round, early second round because of his character flaws and off the field issues. He is incredibly talented and a god cover corner with supreme ball hawking skill and athleticism, but his comparisons to Adam “Pacman” Jones has scouts and teams worried. One team that generally doesn’t worry about character flaws is Dallas, so I see Dallas jumping on his talent and ignoring the issues.
27) Steelers- MELVIN INGRAM, DE SOUTH CAROLINA
The Steelers do need to sure up their defensive lineman and Ingram has top 15 talent. He’s a great pass rusher, solid against the run, and for a team aging in the front seven, Ingram makes sense here.
28) 49ers- JAYRON HOSLEY, CB VIRGINIA TECH
The 49ers need secondary help, but the question will become whether this pick will be Hosley or Brandon Boykin. Boykin is playing extremely well of late and Hosley gives up too many big plays for me to say without question he’s a first round pick. I’ll give the edge to Hosley for now, but look for Boykin to potentially move ahead of him if Hosley doesn’t step up.
29) Patriots via Saints- KEVIN RIDDICK OLB NORTH CAROLINA
DE-FENSE (clap clap). THE PATRIOTS STILL DON’T HAVE IT!!!!!! I don’t care how “well” they have looked against offensively challenged teams of late, when Julian Edelman, A WIDE RECEIVER, is playing nickel back for your team, you have issues.
30) Patriots- BRANDON BOYKIN, CB GEORGIA
Guess what has changed for their last pick? Nothing. They’re still picking defense.
31) Ravens- ZEBRIE SANDERS, OT FLORIDA STATE
With the uncertainty of losing Ben Grubbs to free agency, I think the Ravens will look to bolster their offensive line. I like Sanders’s size and run blocking ability and I think he would fit in well with the Ravens.
32) Packers- ALAMENDA TA’AMU, DT WASHINGTON
While B.J Raji has played well, they still look like they’re missing Cullen Jenkins. The Pack haven’t been the best defensive team despite being 11-0 this year. Ta’amu (6’2 334 lbs) can add attitude and another big, physical presence to a defensive line that always gets hurt. Plus he could play an end for the Packers because they play a 3-4 defense. Is he quick? No. However, as long as he takes up space, he can create lanes for the pass rushers that the Packers have, similar to what the Ravens did in the late 90’s, early 2000’s with Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams.







Usually I don’t write-up on blogs, but I desire to say that this article really forced me to do so! Thanks, quite nice article.
I’m gone to inform my little brother, that he should also visit this website on regular basis to obtain updated from most up-to-date news.