| Selection |
Team |
Player |
Position |
College |
| 1 |
Kansas City Chiefs |
Luke Joeckel |
OT |
Texas A&M |
|
In a year where you simply cannot identify a
clear-cut top prospect, it seems a toss-up |
|
between OT's Fisher or Joeckel; being that it's
50-50, let's go with the SEC-proven left tackle. |
| 2 |
Jacksonville Jaguars |
Dion Jordan |
DE/OLB |
Oregon |
|
Fantastic pass-rusher w/ great versatility should
enthuse new coach Gus Bradley. Popular thought |
|
involves the two OT's going off the board 1, 2, but
here's believing that the defensive guru in Gus |
|
Bradley means Jordan is a natural fit… if this pick
doesn't happen at the #2-slot, we can still match- |
|
up this player w/ this team… just possibly at the #4
or #5 spot w/ Phil/Det coming up for Fisher. |
| 3 |
Detroit Lions **from Oakland** |
Eric Fisher |
OT |
Central Michigan |
|
**TRADE** Detroit/Oakland swap -- Lions get: #3/#100(4th); Raiders get:
#5/#36(2nd)/#137(5th) |
|
Tackle was already a need when Cherilus left (free
agency), and then LT Jeff Backus retired! |
| 4 |
Philadelphia Eagles |
Star Lotulelei |
DT |
Utah |
|
It's a wide-open and diverse list of prospects the
Eagles seem interested in, and QB Smith |
|
is tempting, but in the end Star might be the best
overall player in this draft class! |
| 5 |
Oakland Raiders **from Detroit** |
Sharrif Floyd |
DT |
Florida |
|
Al Davis is gone (but never forgotten in comment
sections), and we can start to make |
|
meaningful transactions/common-sense projections -
at least for now. Smart trade-down! |
| 6 |
Cleveland Browns |
Barkevious Mingo |
OLB |
LSU |
|
If Mingo weren't on the board, the Browns would
easily let any of a handful of teams move |
|
up to get OT Johnson, but Mingo is a special player
that will make the 3-4 defense buzz! |
| 7 |
Arizona Cardinals |
Lane Johnson |
OT |
Oklahoma |
|
Like the Browns, the Cardinals could trade-down, but
that's more under the mind-set that |
|
L.J. isn't on the board; in this scenario they get
one of their most highly coveted prospects. |
| 8 |
Buffalo Bills |
Tavon Austin |
WR |
West Virginia |
|
It's so tempting to put QB Geno Smith here, but in
the end we just have to remember how |
|
poor this QB class really is; I expect just one QB
to go in Rd. 1 and it's possibe that doesn't |
|
happen until the tail-end of the round… here they
get an awesome spark-plug w/ Austin! |
| 9 |
New York Jets |
Ezekiel Ansah |
DE |
BYU |
|
It feels goofy to not gravitate towards a pass
rusher or dynamic defender of some sort when |
|
considering the Rex Ryan… Ansah's size and
versatility has Rex Ryan written all over him. |
| 10 |
Tennessee Titans |
Chance Warmack |
OG |
Alabama |
|
Tremendously un-sexy pick, yet a guy that the former
OL and current HC has to love! |
| 11 |
San Diego Chargers |
Jonathan Cooper |
OG |
North Carolina |
|
If Mingo were available (assuming all the OT's are
gone), he would be the first choice, but |
|
interior offenisve line help is as much a need as
any and Cooper represents great value. |
| 12 |
Miami Dolphins |
Dee Milliner |
CB |
Alabama |
|
After signing 3 wideouts plus a TE in free agency,
including super speedy Mike Wallace, it |
|
appears the team will go a different direction than
receiver w/ this selection… rumors have |
|
circulated that Rhodes is the guy they want, but did
they even think Milliner would be here? |
| 13 |
New York Jets (from T.B.) |
D.J. Hayden |
CB |
Houston |
|
With the extra selection achieved from the deal for
Revis, the Jets will hang around and see |
|
what's available…After going w/ a pass-rusher first,
I can see Hayden here or in a trade-down. |
| 14 |
Carolina Panthers |
Sheldon Richardson |
DT |
Missouri |
|
Need meets-up with the reality of the draft board
here, as beefy Richardson = a great fit. |
|
With massive size (6'4"/ 300) and incredible
motor, Richardson padded his stats in 2012 w/ |
|
75 tackles (10.5 for loss) and graded out
particularly well against great SEC competition. |
| 15 |
New Orleans Saints |
Jarvis Jones |
OLB |
Georgia |
|
With the transition to the 3-4 defense also comes
the need for play-making and pass-rush |
|
on the outside. The Saints should go w/ their
highest rated defender, in this case Jones. |
| 16 |
St. Louis Rams |
Kenny Vaccaro |
S |
Texas |
|
If Tavon Austin is not taken earlier (presumably by
the Jets), then he completely should be |
|
slotted to this spot. Here, the Saints tab the top guy on their
board and it fits a large need. |
| 17 |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
Xavier Rhodes |
CB |
Florida State |
|
Of the Steelers top needs (RB, WR, pass-rush,
eventual starter at ILB, and O-line depth), the |
|
position of CB is not present. Ike Taylor and Cortez
Allen are the starters w/ free agent |
|
signee William Gay as the slot guy. However, this is
a franchise that won't pass up a top |
|
10-12 player on their board, much in the mantra of
"catching a falling star." The Colbert- |
|
Tomlin regime has rotated back and forth between
offense and defense in every single |
|
draft since their marriage (Timmons-D; Mendenhall-O;
Hood-D; Pouncey-O; Heyward-D and |
|
OG DeCastro last year)--With the luck of how the
first round unfolds, this pick is likely to |
|
boil down to OLB Jones, Safety Vaccaro, or CB
Rhodes. The team likes to draft juniors |
|
(check) and players that aren't of significant age
(Rhodes is 22 / will turn 23 this summer). |
|
Xavier was also a visitor at the Steeler Facility on
April 9th and will be an easy pick if he |
|
remains on the draftboard at pick 17. Tampa trading
for Revis increases the likelihood |
|
that Rhodes could fall a little further back;
although Miami could very well take him at 12. |
| 18 |
Dallas Cowboys |
D.J. Fluker |
OG/OT |
Alabama |
|
One can expect the Cowboys to expend multiple
selections on fixing their offensive line |
|
during this draft; with Fluker, you get a starting
RT with the versatility to play guard as well. |
| 19 |
N.Y. Giants |
Bjoern Werner |
DE |
Florida State |
|
The Giants are a smart organization that do things
"the Giants way." They have need at both |
|
OL and LB, but they just don't tend to do that. History says… take the value, the DE
Werner! |
| 20 |
St. Louis Rams (fr Wash.)**fr Chi** |
Alec Ogletree |
LB |
Georgia |
|
**TRADE** The Rams want Ogletree badly; here's
believing they'll go get him and make |
|
sure the Bengals don't get him at 21 (nor the Bears
here at 20). Chicago could very well |
|
want to trade down a few slots because they start
the draft w/ only 5 selections(1,2,4,5,&6). |
| 21 |
Cincinnati Bengals |
Matt Elam |
S |
Florida |
|
The Bengals grab a true strong safety to pair-up
with free safety Reggie Nelson. It can be |
|
noted that the team spent time with him at the
Florida Pro Day, where Bengals DB Coach |
|
Mark Carrier actually conducted the work-out of
Elam. This is value. RB/LB needs come later. |
| 22 |
Chicago Bears **from
Rams** |
Tyler Eifert |
TE |
Notre Dame |
|
The Bears, w/ only 5 selections, now pick up a 6th
selection, #113 overall (a 4th rounder) for |
|
moving down 2 slots. With Eifert, they continue to
diversify the offense to help out Cutler. |
| 23 |
Minnesota Vikings |
Sylvester Williams |
DT |
North Carolina |
|
There's three players that can be linked/identified
to these two selections that the Vikings have |
|
at # 23 & #25… Williams, along with WR Patterson
and ILB Te'o. Williams is of the
highest |
|
draftboard value and stands the greatest risk of
going off the board at 24, so go there first. |
| 24 |
Phil. Eagles **from Indy** |
Geno Smith |
QB |
West Virginia |
|
**TRADE** The Eagles slot Geno as their franchise QB
and will look like brilliant for passing |
|
at #4 and moving back into the first round to nab
him at just th right time - the key is to know |
|
when to move! Deal details w/ the Colts: [#24/#121(4th) to Phil; #35(2nd)/#67(3rd) to Ind. |
| 25 |
Minnesota Vikings (from Sea.) |
Manti Te'o |
ILB |
Notre Dame |
|
Vikes are back up & pick another ripe fruit from
their small wish-list, fortifying the defense. |
| 26 |
Green Bay Packers |
Cordarrelle Patterson |
WR |
Tennessee |
|
The Pack get tremendous value, yet a semi-unknown
commodity because Patterson only had |
|
1 year of big-school statistics to demonstrate--not
an immediate need or popularly thought- |
|
of prospect that matches w/ G.B., but consider this
a surprise "value" pick for Aaron Rodgers. |
| 27 |
Houston Texans |
DeAndre Hopkins |
WR |
Clemson |
|
Mission: Alleviate Andre Johnson double-teams and watch the offensive fireworks
explode! |
| 28 |
Denver Broncos |
Datone Jones |
DE |
UCLA |
|
Fall-out from the Dumervil debacle might lead the
Broncos to move forward w/ a DE here. |
| 29 |
Cincinnati Bengals **from N.E.** |
Eddie Lacy |
RB |
Alabama |
|
**TRADE** Alas, it's time for New England's pick…..
err, umm, TRADE in the first round. |
|
Trader-Bill, always the pick accumulator negotiates
a deal w/ the Bengals, as Cincy doubles- |
|
down on 1st Rd. talent by going after the falling RB
Lacy to fill a big need. They could have |
|
taken the chance to wait for #37 (2nd Rd.), but
here's a chance to be proactive and get him. |
|
The Patriots get: #37(2nd)/#118(4th)/#156(5th); whereas the Bengals get a starting RB at
29. |
| 30 |
Atlanta Falcons |
Desmond Trufant |
CB |
Washington |
|
They must improve their pass defense in every way
and put less pressure on the offense to |
|
consistently score in the 30's to win games. While
the value at DE/pass-rusher has somewhat |
|
dried up at this point, there are still reach DB
gems to be had. Trufant = highest rated left. |
| 31 |
San Francisco 49ers |
Eric Reid |
S |
LSU |
|
A third and fourth safety are going to come off the
draftboard towards the tail-end of round |
|
one, with these last two selections. Even though two
have been taken (Vaccaro & Elam), I |
|
believe there are two others (Reid/Cyprien) that are
first-round worthy. Even good teams |
|
such as SF & Balt can upgrade in this area… whom
comes off first between Reid/Cyprien? |
| 32 |
Baltimore Ravens |
Jonathan Cyprien |
S |
Florida International |
|
The world champs have some offensive line
deficiency, but that is not where the value is |
|
at this moment, and Ozzie Newsome doesn't make those
types of mistakes… nor will he |
|
force the issue with an ILB choice when the position
will still be very ripe in Rd's 2/3. Cyprien, on |
|
the other hand, is a hard-hitting, AFC North type of
player than helps fill the DB void of Ed Reed. |
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