Every year I give my stab at the 1st round of the NFL draft. For Saints fans this one isn’t particularly exciting because the team doesn’t have a first round pick. Still, I’m excited to see how it all unfolds. And who knows, Mickey Loomis has been known to make moves in the past… if the Saints find someone they have to have, they may just go get him.
Let me know what you think of the picks!
1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
Every year the 1st pick overall is a foregone conclusion long before draft day, and of course this year is no different. We’ve all known Luck is the heir apparent to Peyton Manning the very second the Colts locked up the 1st overall pick. That pick solidified itself once the Colts released Manning. I’m sold on Luck, and so are most. Very few disagree that he’s about as solid of a guarantee and you can find in a rookie quarterback. He’ll have a young and unproven squad around him to start, though. By the way, I was blown away by how fast Luck was at the combine. I knew he had a little escapability, but he’s as fast as Cam Newton!
2. Washington Redskins:
Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
What they gave up to get this guy is astronomical, so it better be worth it. If RG3 doesn’t work out, it will send the Redskins back for quite some time. While in past years the 2nd pick tends to be much less predictable than the 1st, this one is a foregone conclusion as well. The Redskins gave up 3 first round picks and a second to get their franchise quarterback that they hope will transform their horrible performances for most of the last decade. This guy has Vick like explosiveness without the attitude and maturity problems. I’m never a fan of giving up three firsts for any player, but I do think RG3 will be a good NFL quarterback.
3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, T, USC
The Vikings are desperate to get their young QB Christian Ponder adequate protection to ensure his durability. Kalil is a can’t miss prospect at tackle and one of the highest graded players in the entire draft. The need for a quality left tackle is high on this team and Kalil is the best player available, so considering both need and talent it’s a no brainer. I’ll be shocked if the Vikings pass him up.
4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
In my opinion the Browns are torn between three players here, the draft’s top receiver Justin Blackmon, the draft’s top running back Trent Richardson, or the best remaining quarterback Ryan Tannehill. I can see why the Browns would like to replace Colt McCoy, but personally I think it would be insane to pass up on explosive offensive prospects like Richardson/Blackmon for the third best quarterback in the draft. I just think the talent and odds of Tannehill working out are much lower than the other two. I hope the Browns, for their own sake, make the smart move here. Peyton Hillis is gone and they were 28th in the NFL in rushing last year. They have to go Richardson.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
LSU star Morris Claiborne was a lock here until the Wonderlic score was leaked. Having seen this kid play a significant amount I would have zero hesitation taking him regardless of that score, but you wonder if this scares the Bucs. People downplay this score but you have to question the guy’s intelligence if he did THAT poorly. Still, he’s the best defensive prospect in the draft and the Bucs are going young an revamping that unit. Don’t forget Aqib Talib may be jailed/suspended and Ronde Barber is a fossil. You have to think the Bucs love having Barber around, though, to groom this superstar young corner.
6. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma St.
The Rams are desperate to give Sam Bradford something to work with on offense, and honestly, they would have thought long and hard about taking Blackmon second overall if they had hung on to that pick instead of trading it to the Redskins. Blackmon is the best receiver in the draft by far. He’s no guarantee to help the Rams out of the offensive doormat status they currently hold, but he certainly won’t hurt.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
The Jags had to snatch up Blaine Gabbert when he fell to them last year, but defensive end was a desperate need then and it still is now. The Jags face a tough decision here. Do they reach to get Gabbert some help, like perhaps WR Malcolm Floyd, or do they take the best player on their board? I think Melvin Ingram, in the end, gives them a defensive end they can rely on to team up with Jeremy Mincey.
8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
The Dolphins will be sweating hard when the Browns pick because they are the biggest threat to the Dolphins landing Tannehill 8th. The Dolphins need a good young QB and Tannehill is the only QB left in the draft that’s top 10 quality, and that may even be a stretch. There is no way the Dolphins signed David Garrard to settle for him being their trigger guy long term.
9. Carolina Panthers: Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College
The consensus on most mock drafts is the Panthers will go with a defensive player here. Most suggest defensive tackle, where any one of three players, depending on who you talk to, grade out as the best. Dontari Poe of Memphis, Fletcher Cox of Miss St. and Michael Brockers of LSU are all possible picks here. But as bad as the Panthers were defensively last season, I feel like they could really go anywhere, and interior linebacker Luke Kuechly certainly represents an upgrade and a quality player to help fix a woeful defense. Personally, I think it comes down to Poe and Kuechly and I think it could go either way. In the end I went with Kuechly because while they have yet to perform, the Panthers have already invested high draft picks at DT with Terrell McCain and Sione Fua.
10. Buffalo Bills: Riley Reiff, T, Iowa
The Bills have been desperate to upgrade their pass rush, but they more than took care of that in free agency with Mario Williams and Mark Anderson. Now they can focus on protecting the inprudent investment they made in Ryan Fitzpatrick. The best way to protect him is to land the best lineman on the board. Most mocks agree on this one and I’m not one to go in a different direction here.
11. Kansas City Chiefs: Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis
The Chiefs need a monster NT to anchor their 3-4 scheme and with Kelly Gregg aging by the second and not sure to come back, this pick is a must. The Chiefs will be thrilled if a prospect of Poe’s ability falls to them.
12. Seattle Seahawks: Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama
This is higher than most people have him going, but I’ve seen this guy play a good deal and I can tell you he is a complete stud. Not only that, but he certainly didn’t hurt his stock with an oustanding performance at the Alabama Pro Day where he outshined all his teammates. The Seahawks lost David Hawthorne, too, so linebacker is a need. Can’t remember where Hawthorne is headed… any idea?
13. Arizona Cardinals: David DeCastro, G, Stanford
Kevin Kolb’s health is what the Cards will blame for a dismal season a year ago. I’m not sold on him, even if healthy, but the Cardinals have made that investment and they need to protect it. This is high for a guard to go, but everyone seems to agree that DeCastro is the best guard prospect seen in years and many believe he is a can’t miss player. He not only helps Kolb stay healthy, he’s also a huge boost in the interior running game.
14. Dallas Cowboys: Quinton Coples, DE, UNC
The Cowboys’ defense was a disaster last year and at this point I think Jerry Jones just goes after the best defensive player available. DT Fletcher Cox is another possibility here but in the end they settle on Coples who they believe is the best DE in the draft.
15. Philadelphia Eagles: Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi St.
The Eagles are thrilled that Cox, arguably the best DT in the draft, fell all the way down to 15th. At this value they have to take him. DT isn’t a huge position of need, but Cox offers them a nice rotation and an upgrade. He could easily crack the starting lineup too, the guy is a very good player.
16. New York Jets: Malcolm Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
The Jets are desperate to find someone that can get to the quarterback consistently and they’re really hoping Coples falls to them. That appears very unlikely, though. They will debate long in hard between finding someone that can improve their pass rush and giving Mark Sanchez some help. In the end I think with Plaxico Burress gone and Santonio Holmes as explosive to the locker room as always, the Jets need to upgrade the receiver position. Floyd is good value here, and the Jets need to extend an olive branch to Mark Sanchez after the insul
ting Tim Tebow pick up.
17. Cincinnati Bengals: Stephen Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
Losing out on Floyd is a tough blow to the Bengals who would love to give Andy Dalton some help. Running back is another position they’d love to upgrade but there’s just no one in this draft worth taking in the first round after Richardson who will be long gone. There’s a number of ways the Bengals could go here and ultimately I think they settle for the best player left on their board. That could be Brockers, Courtney Upshaw or Stephen Gilmore. I think the Bengals would love to take Dre’ Kirkpatrick because he’s probably the best CB after Claiborne, but his off the field antics are just way too big of a risk and the Bengals can’t afford to keep bringing poor character guys into their locker room.
18. San Diego Chargers: Cordy Glenn, G/T, Georgia
For me this pick is between Cordy Glenn of Georgia and Courtney Upshaw of Alabama. The question is whether the Chargers decide to bolster the offensive line, which was positively atrocious a year ago, or if they improve their struggling ability to get to the quarterback. Glenn is a tackle/guard tweener and people disagree one where he belongs, but either way the Chargers hope he can lower the ridiculous high number of interceptions Phillip Rivers threw a year ago.
19. Chicago Bears: Jonathan Martin, T, Stanford
The Bears’ offensive line is still a joke, but drafting Gabe Carimi last year was a start in helping fix the “Jay Culter sitting duck” model. Martin is excellent value at this point and he’s by far the best offensive lineman remaining. The Bears have made a big effort to revamp their offense this offseason and Martin will give them a good character player in the locker room that can help pass protection and run support alike. If Glenn doesn’t go the pick before, this is a possible destination for him too.
20. Tennessee Titans: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
Some theorize that Brockers could be a top 10 pick and the first DT to go. The Titans will be thrilled if he drops this far and it’s just too good to pass up on at this point. He’s the highest player on their board and the believe he can step in and make an impact immediately with his superior athleticism.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
The Bengals went CB with their first pick above and they still need to help Andy Dalton. With A.J. Green on board as Dalton’s go-to possession guy with downfield ability too, Wright offers the perfect complement as a small explosive receiver that can help stretch the field. The Bengals will look forward to seeing what Wright can do to help improve their run game, and Dalton will enjoy having RG3’s favorite target in college.
22. Cleveland Browns: Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech
After getting Richardson with the 4th pick, the Browns turn their attention to their offensive line. Center Peter Konz of Wisconsin is perhaps the best player on the board, but the Browns have a reliable and durable 3 year starter in Alex Mack. Konz’ teammate Kevin Zeitler is another possibility but his poor Senior Bowl performance has scared people. Mike Adams of Ohio State is a possibility here but he needs time in the weight room. In the end there’s just not a guy they like value wise. If one of the aforementioned o-lineman fall to this point, they’ll take him, but otherwise, they’ll just settle for the top guy on their board. This pick along with Richardson gives McCoy every chance to succeed.
23. Detroit Lions: Dre’ Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
The Lions desperately need to improve their defensive backfield and I think this pick is between Janoris Jenkins, Dre’ Kirkpatrick and safety Mark Barron. In the end, despite the major off the field concerns attached with Kirkpatrick, I think he’s the best talent of the three and the Lions take a gamble on him. Nick Fairley’s questionable background didn’t prevent them from taking him, and it’s been clear that this team completely lacks discipline partly due to their coach’s lack of insistance for maturity. There’s no doubt that Kirkpatrick can be a fantastic player if his head is on straight, but he could also be a Pacman Jones type.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Courtney Upshaw, DE/LB, Alabama
Almost every mock draft under the sun has Donta’ Hightower going here, but I’m obviously not going this route since I sent him at 12 to the Seahawks. Again, that’s absolutely a stretch and high for him, but I feel like Pete Carroll will surprise us and I feel like Hightower’s ability has been underestimated by many mock drafters. So instead, I have Hightower’s teammate Upshaw going here as the Steelers draft true to their board and he’s the best player left. Upshaw would have gone much higher if he performed better at the combine.
25. Denver Broncos: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
The Broncos pursued Jeff Saturday hard in free agency but he went to the Packers. They need a player to snap the ball to Peyton Manning that can keep him clean. Conz is the best center in this draft by far.
26. Houston Texans: Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois
Many have Reuben Randle of LSU going to the Texans here and I could see it happening, but I think the Texans will go defense to help replace the pass rushing they’ll lose with Mario Williams gone. Plus, the Texans have shown a tedency to draft d-line heavy in past drafts fairly consistently, so this year will be no different.
27. New England Patriots: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama
Most mock drafts have the Patriots going with a pass rusher here, but clearly they forgot the Patriots often ran out a receiver at defensive back last year and their pass defense was an atrocity. For me this pick is between Janoris Jenkins, the best cornerback remaining, and Mark Barron, the best safety in the draft. This is the pick the Saints originally owned before trading for Mark Ingram, by the way.
28. Green Bay Packers: Devon Stills, DE/DT, Penn St.
If any of the aforementioned corners drops to this point, I think the Packers will consider them. Otherwise, there’s no one behind them with a grade high enough to qualify for this slot. At that point the Packers must upgrade their front four which was clearly the biggest weakness on the team last season and arguably cost them a Super Bowl title. I think this pick either comes down to Devon Stills of PSU or Nick Perry of USC. In the end I think Stills works better in this defense as a 3-4 DE.
29. Baltimore Ravens: Kevin Zeitler, G, Wisconsin
Most have Konz falling to the Ravens here, and I agree they take him if he falls this far. Since he didn’t in my mock, I’m picking them to reach a little bit for the best offensive lineman remaining in the draft.
30. San Francisco 49ers: Nick Perry, DE, USC
Call me crazy but I would not be shocked to see QB Brandon Weeden picked here. It probably won’t happen but the run at Peyton Manning made it clear to me that Harbaugh isn’t at all sold on Alex Smith. Coby Fleener is a popular mock pick here because he played for Harbaugh at Stanford and he’d be the perfect compliment in a dual tight end system to Vernon Davis. I’m not buying that, though. I think they build on the scary defense they had last year and add another scary pass rusher.
31. New England Patriots: Kendell Reyes, DE/DT, UConn
With BenJarvus Green-Ellis likely gone the Patriots feel good about Woodhead and Ridley, but I could see them reaching for a running back. Still, their offense needs no help, it’s the defense that needs to be improved.
32. New York Giants: Mark Barron, SS, Alabama
Like the Pats, the Giants would l
ove a running back here if there was a guy worth taking. Barron is by far the best safety in the draft and if safety was a more valued position he could easily be a top 15 pick. This one is a no brainer if he is still around.
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