Tag: mock draft

2013 Mock NFL Draft

Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher

I do this every year, even though pretty much every mock draft ever is terrible and full of failed prognostications.  By Friday morning this will be horrible and embarrassing, but right now, everyone thinks he’s a genius, including yours truly.

1. Kansas City Chiefs: Eric Fisher – OT – Central Michigan
There aren’t any skill players worth taking this high, and I think Joeckel is superior to Central Michigan’s Eric Fisher. UPDATE: It appears that the Chiefs will take Fisher, so I’m changing my pick here.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Luke Joeckel – OT – Texas A&M
I thought about putting Ezekiel Ansah here, but the Jaguaras have whiffed on a couple first round defensive ends in recent years, so perhaps they’ll be a little more cautious.

3. Oakland Raiders: Sharrif Floyd – DT – Florida
The ghost of Al Davis will cause the Raiders to pick Floyd. It seems like the Raiders have always liked gargantuan defensive tackles, and Floyd fits the mold.

4. Philadelphia Eagles: Lane Johnson – OT – Oklahoma
For Chip Kelly to get his offense rolling in Philly, I think he needs to strengthen the offensive line. People are going to get frustrated with him quickly if his offense sputters.

5. Detroit Lions: Ezekiel Ansah – DE – Brigham Young University
The sensible thing to do with the three offensive tackles gone would be to go for a cornerback, where the Lions are sorely lacking; they will probably mess it up and spend another high pick on a defensive lineman, kind of like Matt Millen did with the wide receiver position.

6. Cleveland Browns: Dee Milliner – CB – Alabama
Geno Smith is a possibility here, but taking Smith a year after taking Weeden would be a bad idea; I think they have some of the same strengths and come from similar offenses. Go with a physical corner instead.

7. Arizona Cardinals: Geno Smith – QB – West Virginia
This seems to be how things go: teams get an aging quarterback, then bring in a young gun to get tutored. Carson Palmer will feel the heat from Smith.

8. Buffalo Bills: Chance Warmack – OG – Alabama
The best thing to do in Buffalo is to shore up the run game.

9. New York Jets: Dion Jordan – OLB – Oregon
The Jets love to pick “front five” guys for their 3-4 defense.

10. Tennessee Titans: Tavon Austin – WR – West Virginia
Austin could be a nice complement to the run game they have in Tennessee.

11. San Diego Chargers: Jonathan Cooper – OG – North Carolina
The Chargers need help on the offensive line, and Cooper would be a decent pickup with the top three tackles off the board.

12. Miami Dolphins: D.J. Fluker – OT – Alabama
Fluker is a big, road-grading right tackle.

13. New York Jets: Tyler Eifert – TE – Notre Dame
Even Rex Ryan isn’t dumb enough to take Cordarrelle Patterson this high and Austin is off the board, so they’ll take a tight end to try to help out Mark Sanchez.

14. Carolina Panthers: Sheldon Richardson – DT – Missouri
I really like Richardson and he would fit as a 3-tech DT.

15. New Orleans Saints: Barkevious Mingo – DE – LSU
The Saints go with the hometown pass rusher.

16. St. Louis Rams: Kenny Vaccaro – S – Texas
The Rams really need a safety, and he looks like the best one in the draft class.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jarvis Jones – OLB – Georgia
Perhaps Jones can be James Harrison’s replacement.

18. Dallas Cowboys: Manti Te’o – LB – Notre Dame
Jerry Jones likes to make a splash, and taking Te’o here would definitely get people talking.

19. New York Giants: Bjoern Werner – DE – Florida State
The Giants have made a pretty nice habit of terrorizing opposing defenses with their versatile defensive line. I don’t see many other guys who would make sense here, either.

20. Chicago Bears: Johnathan Cyprien – S – Florida International
I think an offensive lineman would be a good choice here, but there aren’t any worth taking at #20, in my opinion.

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Eddie Lacy – RB – Alabama
I have a hard time believing that no running backs will be taken in the first round, so I’ll put Lacy here.

22. St. Louis Rams: DeAndre Hopkins – WR – Clemson
I almost put Cordarrelle Patterson here, but the Rams are a young team, and I think Patterson could get distracted or be distracting.

23. Minnesota Vikings: Sylvester Williams – DT – North Carolina
From Pat Williams to Kevin Williams to Sylvester Williams.

24. Indianapolis Colts: Xavier Rhodes – CB – Florida State
The Colts need a cornerback, and some people think Rhodes is the top corner in the Draft.

25. Minnesota Vikings: Cordarrelle Patterson – WR – Tennessee
Patterson might be able to help replace Percy Harvin, who was traded to the Seahawks.

26. Green Bay Packers: Desmond Trufant – CB – Washington
Trufant can help to replace Charles Woodson.

27. Houston Texans: Keenan Allen – WR – California
I’m not sold on Allen, but I think the Texans might like a wide receiver because their passing offense can become a little Andre Johnson-centric.

28. Denver Broncos: Eric Reid – S – LSU
Safety isn’t a huge need for the Broncos, but Reid is a talented kid who’s one of the best available this late in the first round.

29. New England Patriots: D.J. Hayden – CB – Houston
The Patriots need a wide receiver, but there aren’t many great options here – Justin Hunter is a little bit soft, Terrance Williams is just okay, etc. They might as well try to shore up the pass defense.

30. Atlanta Falcons: Star Lotulelei – DT – Utah
I have a difficult time believing Lotulelei will fall this far, but he’s more of a 4-3 defensive tackle, in my opinion, and there are a few teams who don’t need him just ahead of the Falcons.  Maybe somebody will make a trade.

31. San Francisco 49ers: Matt Elam – S – Florida
Elam could help replace Dashon Goldson.

32. Baltimore Ravens: Alec Ogletree – LB – Georgia
Ogletree might drop a little bit due to some character issues, and Baltimore has lost quite a bit from its linebacker corps in recent years.  He could play the weakside inside linebacker position for the Ravens and help mitigate the loss of Ray Lewis.

Discuss.

2012 NFL Mock Draft Review

Dontari Poe is probably going to be a bust

I didn’t do that great with my mock draft, but who does?  Thirteen picks were swapped after I wrote up my mock draft, and there were some head-scratchers in there (Dontari Poe? Bruce Irvin?.  I still got the first four picks right (pretty much), along with the eighth pick and the 32nd pick.

1. Indianapolis Colts
My pick: Andrew Luck
Actual pick: Andrew Luck.
Hooray for the obvious selection!

2. Washington Redskins
My pick: Robert Griffin III
Actual pick: Robert Griffin III
Hooray for a second obvious selection!

3. Cleveland Browns (from Minnesota Vikings)
My pick: Matt Kalil
Actual pick: Trent Richardson
The Browns moved up one spot to get the guy they probably could have gotten at #4, although it was rumored that Minnesota was shopping the pick to other teams who were interested in slipping in there to get Richardson.  I think that was probably all smoke and mirrors, which turned out to be good for the Vikings.  Good for them, bad for the stupid Browns.  But the Browns did need a running back.  It’s a good pick, but they gave up too much.

4. Minnesota Vikings (from Cleveland Browns)
My pick: Trent Richardson
Actual pick: Matt Kalil
The Vikings moved back one spot, got a few extra draft picks, and still got the left tackle they needed.  Good for them.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
My pick: Morris Claiborne
Actual pick: Justin Blackmon
I don’t think Blackmon is going to be a superstar at the next level, but he’s going to be a solid receiver for many years.  The Jaguars probably gave up a little too much to get him, but they needed an infusion of talent at wide receiver and Blackmon probably wouldn’t have lasted with the Rams next on the clock.

6. Dallas Cowboys (from St. Louis Rams)
My pick: Justin Blackmon
Actual pick: Morris Claiborne
The Cowboys needed a second corner to go along with Terence Newman, but they still need to shore up the middle of the defense, too.  I thought getting Alabama safety Mark Barron would be a smart choice here even though I think Barron was a little overrated.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Jacksonville Jaguars)
My pick: Melvin Ingram
Actual pick: Mark Barron
I like this pick by the Buccaneers.  It’s a new regime with Greg Schiano as head coach, but they seem to develop their safeties pretty well.

8. Miami Dolphins
My pick: Ryan Tannehill
Actual pick: Ryan Tannehill
I hate this pick, but I told a good friend who’s a good friend that it was going to happen.  I think he’s going to be a bust in the same vein as Ted Ginn was a few years ago.  What a waste.  They would have been better off picking a defensive back like Stephon Gilmore and grabbing a guy like Brock Osweiler later.

9. Carolina Panthers
My pick: Fletcher Cox
Actual pick: Luke Kuechly
I think the Panthers should have shored up their interior defensive line before picking a middle linebacker, but it’s still not a bad pick.

10. Buffalo Bills
My pick: Riley Reiff
Actual pick: Stephon Gilmore
I’ve never seen a top ten draft pick be more unhappy about being chosen, other than maybe Eli Manning by the Chargers.  Gilmore either hates the Bills or just hates the cold.  Or he’s just not a happy person.  It was weird to watch him approach the podium.

11. Kansas City Chiefs
My pick: Luke Kuechly
Actual pick: Dontari Poe
Bust.  Good grief, what a horrible pick.

12. Philadelphia Eagles (from Seattle Seahawks)
My pick: Quinton Coples
Actual pick: Fletcher Cox
This was a good pick.  Lots of people expected Cox to go higher, and the Eagles need help up the middle.

13. Arizona Cardinals
My pick: David Decastro
Actual pick: Michael Floyd
Floyd is a good possession receiver, but I’ve never been blown away by him.  I also thought he would drop due to his drunken driving issues, but apparently that didn’t sway the Cardinals.

14. St. Louis Rams (from Dallas Cowboys)
My pick: Mark Barron
Actual pick: Michael Brockers
Brockers seems to be a one-dimensional run-stopper without much of a pass rush, so I’m not a big fan of this pick.

15. Seattle Seahawks (from Philadelphia Eagles)
My pick: Michael Brockers
Actual pick: Bruce Irvin
This was a major reach by the Seahawks.  He might turn into a decent player, but they could have grabbed Irvin in the second or even third round.  This was the strangest pick of the evening.

16. New York Jets
My pick: Nick Perry
Actual pick: Quinton Coples
I didn’t really expect Coples to still be available, but this pick makes sense . . . because Rex Ryan is a moron.  He’s already got locker room problems, so he might as well add a guy who’s known for going hard only half the time.

17. Cincinnati Bengals
My pick: Chandler Jones
Actual pick: Dre Kirkpatrick
I like this pick for the Bengals.  I think Kirkpatrick is a solid player who won’t turn into a Hall of Famer but will be good for a long time.  He’s a physical corner with good coverage skills.  I was hoping he would be around for the Lions at #23.

18. San Diego Chargers
My pick: Whitney Mercilus
Actual pick: Melvin Ingram
Same position, but an upgrade in talent.  I thought Ingram would be gone in the top ten, so the Chargers got a little bit lucky here.  We probably won’t hear a whole lot about Ingram because he’ll play on the west coast, but I think he’ll develop into a Pro Bowl player.

19. Chicago Bears
My pick: Dontari Poe
Actual pick: Shea McClellin
Poe was gone (did I mention the Chiefs made a horrible pick?) and the Bears stayed on the defensive line.  I like the McClellin kid and he should fit in well there in Chicago opposite Julius Peppers.

20. Tennessee Titans
My pick: Stephon Gilmore
Actual pick: Kendall Wright
Wright is a second round talent, in my opinion.  Maybe even third.  I think he’s going to fade into oblivion and/or be a journeyman.

21. New England Patriots (from Cincinnati Bengals)
My pick: Michael Floyd
Actual pick: Chandler Jones
If Jones can stay healthy, he’ll be a good outside pass rusher for a team that’s been lacking an edge rusher.  I don’t think I would trade up for a guy who’s a little injury-prone, so it’s a bit of a gamble.

22. Cleveland Browns
My pick: Stephen Hill
Actual pick: Brandon Weeden
I actually like Weeden as a football player, but I don’t think he’s the type of quarterback you take when you’re rebuilding.  He’s the type of player a team should take when they’re just one or two players away from making a run at a title.  By the time the Browns get their entire franchise turned around, there will only be a short window for Weeden to play before the 28-year-old starts to go back downhill.  He’ll probably be 31 before the Browns are any good.

23. Detroit Lions
My pick: Dre Kirkpatrick
Actual pick: Riley Reiff
This was a great pick for the Lions.  Reiff could have gone in the top ten or fifteen, but he fell to them because other teams moved up to grab skill players.  I wanted the Lions to grab Kirkpatrick here, but that was before Reiff fell.  Given the choice between the two, I think cornerback was a bigger need . . . but Reiff is a good consolation prize.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers
My pick: Jonathan Martin
Actual pick: David DeCastro
This is a good pick for the Steelers, who need to get younger on the offensive line.  DeCastro is a better player than Martin, so it’s a good thing for the Steelers that he was still available here.

25. New England Patriots (from Denver Broncos)
My pick: Jerel Worthy
Actual pick: Dont’a Hightower
The Patriots seem to be taking their defensive woes seriously.  With Jones and then Hightower, the front seven issues are getting addressed.

26. Houston Texans
My pick: Rueben Randle
Actual pick: Whitney Mercilus
With Mario Williams heading to Buffalo in the off-season, the Texans needed another pass rusher.  Mercilus slipped a little bit, so this turned out well for the Texans.

27. Cincinnati Bengals (from New England Patriots)
My pick: Courtney Upshaw
Actual pick: Kevin Zeitler
This is another good pick by the Bengals, who need interior linemen to help their running game.

28. Green Bay Packers
My pick: Shea McClellin
Actual pick: Nick Perry
This is essentially the same position, but Perry is maybe a step down from McClellin.  I really like the way the Packers play defense, and I think Perry’s going to do well there.

29. Minnesota Vikings (from Baltimore Ravens)
My pick: Peter Konz
Actual pick: Harrison Smith
Based on recent history, Smith is going to fail in the NFL like virtually every other Golden Domer.  I don’t like this trade or the pick for the Vikings, but hey, they’re in the NFC North with the Lions, so what do I care if they suck?

30. San Francisco 49ers
My pick: Kevin Zeitler
Actual pick: A.J. Jenkins
This is a strange pick, because Jenkins isn’t a first round talent and the 49ers already have a couple decent wideouts.  It’s not a bad idea to plan for the future, but still a little bit of a reach.  I would have taken Rueben Randle over Jenkins, too.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from New England Patriots and Denver Broncos)
My pick: Don’ta Hightower
Actual pick: Doug Martin
Martin fits in well in Tampa Bay.  He’s a power runner with a little bit of burst, and I can see why Greg Schiano would want him – he’s a little bit like former Rutgers tailback Ray Rice.

32. New York Giants
My pick: David Wilson
Actual pick: David Wilson
After the draft, I saw a mock or two that had Wilson going to the Giants here.  But I’m going to pat myself on the back for this one, because I had no idea that he was projected by anyone to go in the first round.  It just seemed to me that he would fit in well with what they like to do and they had an opening at RB with Brandon Jacobs going to the 49ers.

2012 NFL Draft: Mock Draft

My guess is that Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff will be the first Big Ten player drafted

I’m not an NFL expert, but I like doing this anyway.  I did okay in 2011 and 2010 and here’s my mock 2012 NFL Draft.  Debate away!

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck – QB – Stanford
The Colts have already told Luck that he’ll be the choice, and I think Luck is the most Peyton Manning-like quarterback to come out of college since . . . Peyton Manning.  He’s an extremely intelligent player.

2. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III – QB – Baylor
I hate the potential because I don’t like the Redskins and they tend to mess up everybody they pick in the draft, so this is the beginning of the end of Griffin’s career.

3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil – OT – USC
The Vikings need to rebuild, and that has to happen at quarterback and on the offensive and defensive lines. With both of the top quarterbacks gone, they need a blindside tackle to take the spot long held by Bryant McKinnie.

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson – RB – Alabama
The Browns have been building their offensive line a little bit, but with Peyton Hillis gone to the Chiefs, they need a horse to run the ball.  Running the ball is still extremely important in the AFC North.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne – CB – LSU
With Bill Sheridan as the new defensive coordinator in Tampa Bay, he needs a cornerback who can make some plays.  Claiborne is the top corner in the class.

6. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon – WR – Oklahoma State
Sam Bradford has proven that he can throw the ball around the field, but he needs a good receiver if he wants to get the Rams back to being “The Greatest Show on Turf.”

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Melvin Ingram – DE – South Carolina
I really like Ingram, and the Jaguars need a pass rush since they drafted a couple defensive end busts a few years ago (Derrick Harvey, Quentin Groves).

8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill – QB – Texas A&M
The 2012 Jake Locker/Christian Ponder Award goes to the Miami Dolphins, who reach for a quarterback in the first round.  Ugh.

9. Carolina Panthers: Fletcher Cox – DT – Mississippi State
Cox is a good defensive tackle, but I don’t know if he’s deserving of this high a pick.  I’m not extremely impressed with any of this year’s defensive tackles, really.

10. Buffalo Bills: Riley Reiff – OT – Iowa
I really liked Reiff when he was at Iowa.  He seems like the type of guy who will start his career at left tackle but eventually move inside or flip to the right side.

11. Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Kuechly – LB – Boston College
The Chiefs need a tackling machine in the middle of their defense.  They could also use an anchor in the middle of the defensive line, but nobody’s worth taking at #11.

12. Seattle Seahawks: Quentin Coples – DE – North Carolina
This seems to be the typical range for teams to start loading up on defensive ends.  Coples was pretty productive at UNC and the Seahawks could use an edge rusher.

13. Arizona Cardinals: David Decastro – OG – Stanford
The Cardinals need to shore up their offensive line now that their offense seems to be sputtering a little bit.

14. Dallas Cowboys: Mark Barron – SS – Alabama
Barron reminds me of former Cowboys safety Roy Williams, who was overrated.  And what better team to take an overrated player than the Dallas Cowboys?

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Brockers – DT – LSU
I don’t think Brockers is a future superstar, but he is a solid run stopper.

16. New York Jets: Nick Perry – DE/OLB – USC
Ah, if only the Detroit King product had come to Michigan . . .  Anyway, he seems like an active run stopper at outside linebacker for a 3-4 team.  I think he would get lost as a true defensive end in a 4-3.

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Chandler Jones – DE – Syracuse
I’m torn between picking an offensive lineman or Jones here, but offense line doesn’t look very deep this year.  Maybe they can get one with their next pick.

18. San Diego Chargers: Whitney Mercilus – DE – Illinois
The Bengals took Cory Liuget out of Illinois at #18 last year, so I’m just doing this for the hell of it.

19. Chicago Bears: Dontari Poe – DT – Memphis
The Bears have a lot of parts to create a great defense, but what they lack is good anchor play in the middle.   Poe is overrated, but the Bears will probably take him here and then watch him turn into a bust.

20. Tennessee Titans: Stephon Gilmore – CB – South Carolina
Since Cortland Finnegan signed with the Rams in the off-season, Gilmore could fill his spot at cornerback.

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Michael Floyd – WR – Notre Dame
The Bengals have A.J. Green, but Floyd could be the big possession guy opposite him.  This would give quarterback Andy Dalton two very good targets on the outside.

22. Cleveland Browns: Stephen Hill – WR – Georgia Tech
The Browns need lots of help on offense, and Hill would be a big play threat almost immediately.  Hill didn’t catch a lot of balls at Georgia Tech, but he’s an athletic freak in the same mold as a couple of his Yellowjacket predecessors.

23. Detroit Lions: Dre Kirkpatrick – CB – Alabama
The Lions desperately need a cornerback and they haven’t had a really solid one for several years.  The games against Green Bay and New Orleans last season really exposed the secondary.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jonathan Martin – OT – Stanford
The Steelers have been fielding a patchwork offensive line for the past few seasons and it shows.

25. Denver Broncos: Jerel Worthy – DT – Michigan State
I hope he fails.

26. Houston Texans: Rueben Randle – WR – LSU
I really like the Texans and think they’re a pretty solid overall team.  Randle would help make this offense virtually unstoppable.

27. New England Patriots: Courtney Upshaw – DE/OLB – Alabama
The Patriots need an edge rusher and haven’t had a solid one for the last several years.  Defense wins championships, but Bill Belichick’s defense has been struggling recently.

28. Green Bay Packers: Shea McClellin – DE – Boise State
The Packers offense seems to be chugging along just fine, so I think they need to upgrade the front seven.  McClellin seems like a guy who would fit in well there.

29. Baltimore Ravens: Peter Konz – C – Wisconsin
Matt Birk is probably about to retire, and the Ravens are a run-heavy football team.

30. San Francisco 49ers: Kevin Zeitler – OG – Wisconsin
The 49ers are solid on defense, and since they love to run the ball, they could use a big and powerful run blocker on the interior.

31. New England Patriots: Dont’a Hightower – LB – Alabama
Just like with the Upshaw pick, Hightower could make their front seven quite formidable.

32. New York Giants: David Wilson – RB – Virginia Tech
Wilson is a tough inside runner with a little bit of burst, and they could use an upgrade in the backfield.

2011 Mock NFL Draft: Review

I can’t wait to see Patrick Peterson play in the NFL.

I put up a mock NFL draft last Thursday before the first round started, and of course I went back to see how I did.  For comparison’s sake, I also included Mel Kiper’s final mock draft picks.  I did not look at Kiper’s mock draft before I made my choices, so any similarities are completely coincidental.

SCORING:
1 point for the correct team and draft slot
.5 points for the correct team
.5 points for the correct draft slot

1. Carolina Panthers
Me: Cam Newton (1)
Kiper: Cam Newton (1)
Actual pick: Newton
I still don’t like this pick, but I thought it would happen.  The Panthers now have two douchebag quarterbacks.  I hope both of them fail in the NFL.

2. Denver Broncos
Me: Marcell Dareus
Kiper: Von Miller (1)
Actual pick: Miller
This is a good pick by the Broncos.  I seriously considered choosing Miller for this spot, but I figured the Broncos could still get a good edge rusher at the beginning of the second round.  Good nose tackles are harder to come by, which is why I put Dareus here.

3. Buffalo Bills
Me: Blaine Gabbert
Kiper: Marcell Dareus (1)
Actual pick: Dareus
The guys on the teevee keep saying that the Bills like Ryan Fitzpatrick, which is fine . . . but I don’t think Fitzpatrick is a Super Bowl quarterback.  They need to upgrade the position at some point, whether that comes in free agency or next year.

4. Cincinnati Bengals
Me: A.J. Green (1)
Kiper: A.J. Green (1)
Actual pick: Green
Hooray for choosing correctly!  If the Bengals are going to have any chance of winning in the near future, it will be with Carson Palmer at quarterback.  Green seems like a good guy, and his personality probably meshes with Palmer’s better than Chad Ochocinco’s.

5. Arizona Cardinals
Me: Patrick Peterson (1)
Kiper: Patrick Peterson (1)
Actual pick: Peterson
The Cardinals seem to dig talented defensive backs in the first round (Antrel Rolle, Domonique Rodgers-Cromartie) and that infatuation continues.  I’m a tiny bit surprised that the Cardinals didn’t pick Blaine Gabbert.  I didn’t expect Gabbert to still be available at #5, and it doesn’t seem like the Cardinals have a franchise quarterback on the roster.  Some suspect that Kevin Kolb will end up in Arizona before the next season starts, so maybe QB isn’t a need for them if that’s the case.

6. Cleveland Browns Atlanta Falcons
Me: Julio Jones (.5)
Kiper: Julio Jones (.5)
Actual pick: Jones
I don’t really understand this choice for the Falcons.  They could have picked a complementary receiver to Roddy White later in the draft, but they don’t really need two elite receivers.  I think Jones will be a good player in the NFL – if he can stay healthy – and he can help them run the ball, too, but I don’t really see him as pushing them over the hump and getting them to the Super Bowl.

7. San Francisco 49ers
Me: Prince Amukamara
Kiper: Blaine Gabbert
Actual pick: Aldon Smith
This is a little bit of conference/team bias, I guess, but I don’t trust a defensive lineman that comes out of Missouri.  The Big 12 isn’t exactly known for defense, and Missouri hasn’t been a powerhouse when it comes to producing NFL defensive talent.

8. Tennessee Titans
Me: Nick Fairley
Kiper: Nick Fairley
Actual pick: Jake Locker
The Titans got rid of a mentally unstable, mobile, inaccurate quarterback in Vince Young for a . . . mentally stable, mobile, inaccurate quarterback.  I think this was a huge reach for the Titans.  Locker seems like a quality individual, but I just don’t see him being successful there.  They need a lot of pieces around him.

9. Dallas Cowboys
Me: Tyron Smith (1)
Kiper: Cameron Jordan
Actual pick: Smith
I think Smith will be a good left tackle in the NFL, but he needs to add some weight and get a little stronger.  He reminds me a little bit of D’brickashaw Ferguson of the Jets, a skinny-ish guy with great mobility.

10. Washington Redskins Jacksonville Jaguars
Me: Von Miller
Kiper: Robert Quinn
Actual pick: Blaine Gabbert
I like the idea of the Jaguars drafting a quarterback in the first round, because I don’t think David Garrard will last much longer as a solid starter in the NFL.  But in my opinion, the Jaguars gave up a little too much to move up six spots; they might have been able to draft Christian Ponder or Andy Dalton at #16, but they obviously valued Gabbert quite a bit more than those other guys.

11. Houston Texans
Me: J.J. Watt (1)
Kiper: Aldon Smith
Actual pick: Watt
Suck it, Kiper.

12. Minnesota Vikings
Me: Jake Locker
Kiper: Jake Locker
Actual pick: Christian Ponder
Right position (quarterback), wrong guy.  I figured the Vikings would take a quarterback, but I didn’t think Ponder would go this high.  He’s probably a second round talent, but quarterbacks are overvalued right now because teams can’t win without good quarterbacks in today’s NFL.  He’s definitely a gamble this high.

13. Detroit Lions
Me: Anthony Castonzo
Kiper: Tyron Smith
Actual pick: Nick Fairley
There are literally four players I hate in this draft – Cam Newton, Fairley, Ryan Mallett, and Justin Boren – and of course my favorite NFL team had to pick one of them.  I guess I’ll root for him not to be a bust, because I’m still a big Lions fan.  But Fairley is a dick.  Ugh.

14. St. Louis Rams
Me: Corey Liuget
Kiper: Corey Liuget
Actual pick: Robert Quinn
I don’t have much to say about this one.  I’m not extremely familiar with Quinn, since he didn’t play in 2010.

15. Miami Dolphins
Me: Robert Quinn
Kiper: Mike Pouncey (1)
Actual pick: Pouncey
The Dolphins need offensive linemen.  I guess Pouncey counts.  I think he’s going to struggle against NFL nose tackles.  Jon Gruden and Mel Kiper were impressed with Pouncey’s mobility, but NFL centers don’t pull very often at all, unless they’re named Dermontti Dawson.  So what’s the point?  Bad first round pick, in my opinion.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars Washington Redskins
Me: Ryan Kerrigan (.5)
Kiper: Ryan Kerrigan (.5)
Actual pick: Kerrigan
Right player, right spot, wrong team.  To me the Redskins are perhaps the most boring team in the NFL with the ugliest uniforms, so any thoughts I have about this pick just disappear into the void.  Yawn.

17. New England Patriots
Me: Gabe Carimi
Kiper: Muhammad Wilkerson
Actual pick: Nate Solder
Right position (offensive tackle), wrong guy.  I think Solder’s a good pick, because he’s a little more athletic than a lot of the guys the Patriots have had on the offensive line.  If they’re going to continue to run their pro-style spread and protect Tom Brady, then they need a tackle who can move well and stay in front of some 3-4 outside linebackers.  Solder’s thin, though.  He needs to get a lot thicker.

18. San Diego Chargers
Me: Muhammad Wilkerson
Kiper: J.J. Watt
Actual pick: Corey Liuget
Right position (defensive tackle), wrong guy.  I didn’t think Liuget would still be on the board, so the Chargers got a little bit lucky here.  Good choice.

19. New York Giants
Me: Nate Solder
Kiper: Anthony Castonzo
Actual pick: Prince Amukamara
New York is where highly drafted cornerbacks go to die.  I thought Amukamara had some potential, but he will surely be cursed due to his selection by the Giants.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Me: Da’quan Bowers (.25)
Kiper: Prince Amukamara
Actual pick: Adrian Clayborn
Right position (defensive end), wrong guy.  Clayborn should be a good strongside end for the Buccaneers.  I like this choice for a good, young team.

21. Kansas City Chiefs Cleveland Browns
Me: Aldon Smith
Kiper: Gabe Carimi
Actual pick: Phil Taylor
Jon Gruden really loved saying “Phil Taylor from Baylor.”  Taylor plays a little soft, in my opinion.  I know he’s a huge guy and looks the part of a nose tackle, but he’s just not as stout as I would like to see in a nose man.

22. Indianapolis Colts
Me: Derek Sherrod
Kiper: Nate Solder
Actual pick: Anthony Castonzo
Castonzo was rated as maybe the #2 offensive tackle in the draft, so to get him at #22 is a pretty good deal for a team that really needs help on the offensive line.

23. Philadelphia Eagles
Me: Jimmy Smith
Kiper: Jimmy Smith
Actual pick: Danny Watkins
Watkins seems like a great kid, but I have to be honest . . . he just doesn’t look like a great football player.  He just looks a little bit raw, and I’m not a fan of drafting “raw” in the first round, especially when “raw” is already 26 years old.

24. New Orleans Saints
Me: Akeem Ayers
Kiper: Da’quan Bowers
Actual pick: Cameron Jordan
Jordan should be a very good player for the Saints, but we’ll probably never hear about him very much because he’s a 3-4 defensive end.

25. Seattle Seahawks
Me: Marvin Austin
Kiper: Andy Dalton
Actual pick: James Carpenter
To be honest, I wasn’t familiar with Carpenter prior to the draft.  But I know the Seahawks need offensive linemen, so at least it addresses a need.

26. Baltimore Ravens Kansas City Chiefs
Me: Cameron Heyward
Kiper: Akeem Ayers
Actual pick: Jonathan Baldwin
Baldwin is a very good talent, and he tested faster (4.49 in the forty) than I would have expected from watching him play at Pitt in college.  His size should be a great asset, but I’m not a big fan of Baldwin’s personality and character.  If he can keep his nose clean, the Chiefs have a really explosive offense.  Wow.

27. Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens
Me: Justin Houston
Kiper: Adrian Clayborn
Actual pick: Jimmy Smith
The original version of my mock NFL Draft actually had Smith going to the Ravens, but I gave Smith to the Eagles at the last minute and did some rearranging.  Smith just looks like a Baltimore Raven.  Hopefully his off-the-field issues don’t follow him to Maryland, because I think he could be a Pro Bowler for them.

28. New England Patriots New Orleans Saints
Me: Mark Ingram (.5)
Kiper: Mark Ingram (.5)
Actual pick: Ingram
I don’t share a lot of people’s optimism about Ingram.  I think he’s a fine pick for the Saints, who need a running back.  With their passing offense and Sean Payton calling the plays, Ingram should be very solid.  But I’m not expecting greatness from the kid.

29. Chicago Bears
Me: Danny Watkins
Kiper: Derek Sherrod
Actual pick: Gabe Carimi
The Bears are another team that I think is extremely boring, and I don’t really care what they do.  Carimi’s more of a run blocking right tackle, so I’m not sure he fits what Chicago is trying to do.  If they change offensive philosophies and get back to running the ball, he could fit very well.

30. New York Jets
Me: Adrian Clayborn
Kiper: Phil Taylor
Actual pick: Muhammad Wilkerson
Wilkerson slipped a little bit, too.  I figured he would get picked by the Chargers at #18, but Liuget slipping to #18 allowed the Jets to get Wilkerson here.  I like the pick, but I hate Rex Ryan, so I have mixed emotions.

31. Pittsburgh Steelers
Me: Aaron Williams
Kiper: Aaron Williams
Actual pick: Cameron Heyward
Heyward fits perfectly in Pittsburgh’s front seven, but this pick makes no sense to me.  Pittsburgh’s offensive line and secondary aren’t very good, but they picked a 3-4 defensive end, which to me is not a difficult position to fill.  I typically like what the Steelers do in the draft, and obviously, they’ve been one of the best teams in the NFL for the past couple decades.  So I guess I shouldn’t argue, but it’s just an odd choice.

32. Green Bay Packers
Me: Mikel Leshoure
Kiper: Danny Watkins
Actual pick: Derek Sherrod
The Packers offensive line is getting a little bit older, and it makes sense to protect the franchise quarterback.  I’m not a huge fan of Sherrod, but addressing the LT position isn’t a bad idea.

FINAL TALLY
Me: 6.75
Kiper: 7.5

I gave myself a .25 point boost because I said Da’quan Bowers would be picked by the Buccaneers.  Of course, he wasn’t chosen until the second round because of his knee injury, but it was still the Bucs who selected him.  Even without that little nudge, though, I was within a point of the NFL draft “expert.”  I had a few picks that were the right position but the wrong player, so I had some narrow misses there.  Oh well.  Not too shabby for being a random college football blogger . . .

. . . but not too good, either.

It was fun, though.

2010 Mock NFL Draft

Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh

I’m no NFL draft expert, but I wrote up a mock NFL draft a few years ago and got more picks right than Mel Kiper, Jr. That’s not to say that I know more than him; all it shows is that it’s a complete and utter crapshoot. He got two picks right; I got four.

So since I’m going to be plopping myself on the couch tonight to watch the draft, I figured I might as well toss a few picks out there and see how my random guesses stack up against the experts’.

1. St. Louis: Sam Bradford – QB – Oklahoma
2. Detroit: Ndamukong Suh – DT – Nebraska
3. Tampa Bay: Gerald McCoy – DT – Oklahoma
4. Washington: Trent Williams – OT – Oklahoma
5. Kansas City: Russell Okung – OT – Oklahoma State
6. Seattle: Eric Berry – FS – Tennessee
7. Cleveland: Rolando McClain – ILB – Alabama
8. Oakland: Anthony Davis – OT – Rutgers
9. Buffalo: Jimmy Clausen – QB – Notre Dame
10. Jacksonville: CJ Spiller – RB – Clemson
11. Denver: Dez Bryant – WR – Oklahoma State
12. Miami: Dan Williams – DT – Tennessee
13. San Francisco: Bryan Bulaga – OT – Iowa
14. Seattle: Derrick Morgan – DE – Georgia Tech
15. New York Giants: Earl Thomas – S – Texas
16. Tennessee: Joe Haden – CB – Florida
17. San Francisco: Sergio Kindle – OLB – Texas
18. Pittsburgh: Mike Iupati – OG – Idaho
19. Atlanta: Maurkice Pouncey – C/OG – Florida
20. Houston: Ryan Matthews – RB – Fresno State
21. Cincinnati: Jermaine Gresham – TE – Oklahoma
22. New England: Jerry Hughes – OLB – TCU
23. Green Bay: Brandon Graham – OLB – Michigan
24. Philadelphia: Taylor Mays – S – USC
25. Baltimore: Kyle Wilson – CB – Boise State
26. Arizona: Sean Weatherspoon – OLB – Missouri
27. Dallas: Charles Brown – OT – USC
28. San Diego: Devin McCourty – CB – Rutgers
29. New York Jets: Tyson Alualu – DE – California
30. Minnesota: Kareem Jackson – CB – Alabama
31. Indianapolis: Rodger Saffold – OT – Indiana
32. New Orleans: Daryl Washington – OLB – TCU