| 1 |
Indianapolis Colts |
Andrew Luck |
QB |
Stanford |
|
Let the new era begin with the surest high-level QB
to come out in a long, long time. |
| 2 |
Washington Redskins |
Robert Griffin III |
QB |
Baylor |
|
Redskins made a great trade to go get their
guy; now they must preserve the rest
of their |
|
picks over the next several years and build the
foundation around Griffin. |
| 3 |
Minnesota Vikings |
Matt Kalil |
OT |
USC |
|
Don't buy into the smoke being bloviated from
Vikingville about the wishes for a trade- |
|
down… they're trying to scare Clev/Tampa/St.Louis
into a panic and it won't work. |
| 4 |
Cleveland Browns |
Trent Richardson |
RB |
Alabama |
|
The best way to improve this team is to take the
pressure off the QB - the best way |
|
to do that is w/ a great RB. Reaching for a QB (Tannehill) is something
they could do, |
|
but it would be crazy because it's not going to help
them in 2012 at all. Holmgren will |
|
take the guaranteed value and address QB later in
the draft. (believing it will be Cousins) |
| 5 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Morris Claiborne |
CB |
LSU |
|
A natural fit, as Claiborne is both the highest
ranked player and biggest need. |
| 6 |
St. Louis Rams |
Justin Blackmon |
WR |
Oklahoma State |
|
Rams collected awesome value in trade-down - if
things fall this way, they will still |
|
get the player that makes most sense - a prospect to
couple-up with QB Bradford. |
| 7 |
Jacksonville Jaguars |
Melvin Ingram |
DE |
South Carolina |
|
Ingram fits a big need here - pass rush. He is a hard-worker w/ unique athleticism. |
|
Don't be surprised if they trade-down w. Phil./Jets
coming up, but if they pick, it's Ingram. |
| 8 |
Miami Dolphins |
Ryan Tannehill |
QB |
Texas A&M |
|
Riots could overwhelm the streets of the Miami if
they don't get the QB issue resolved… |
|
So long as some team doesn't move up to #7 and beat
them to it, Tanny is a Dolphin. |
| 9 |
Carolina Panthers |
Fletcher Cox |
DT |
Mississippi State |
|
This pick just seems like the right guy for the
right organization; I've been saying all along |
|
that Fletcher Cox is both the best defensive lineman
and a top 10 player in this draft. |
| 10 |
Buffalo Bills |
Michael Floyd |
WR |
Notre Dame |
|
Floyd could be best available prospect that fits a
specific need and giving QB Fitzgerald a |
|
2nd weapon to pair-up with Stevie Johnson makes all
the sense in the world. |
| 11 |
Dallas Cowboys (**projected trade**) |
Mark Barron |
SS |
Alabama |
|
Although Jerry Jones has slipped out rumors of
wanting to trade back, I say he does the |
|
opposite and moves up for Barron in order to assure
getting him. KC will most likely be a |
|
willing trade partner. In the swap, Chiefs get a 3rd
rounder (#81); Cowboys get #146 (5th). |
| 12 |
Seattle Seahawks |
Luke Kuechly |
LB |
Boston College |
|
In a year where Pete Carroll must produce wins or
face being fired, he is going to add to |
|
the defense with this selection and why not add the
top rated guy on the board?... Kuechly |
|
will add enthusiasm to a defense that needs it -
aka/ a play-maker! |
| 13 |
Arizona Cardinals |
David DeCastro |
OG |
Stanford |
|
This team has awful talent on the offensive line and
must address it… they must stop |
|
leaning on great O-line coach Russ Grimm to simply
"coach-up" turds on the line. |
| 14 |
K.C. Chiefs (**from trade-back**) |
Dontari Poe |
DT |
Memphis |
|
Poe is a bit of a projection because his work-outs
grade an A+ while production is up and down, |
|
but he's young and can be coached into a great fit
for Chiefs need at NT (& some 5-technique). |
| 15 |
Philadelphia Eagles |
Quinton Coples |
DE |
North Carolina |
|
Teams in the top 14 will question the effort and
on/off switch of Coples, but the slide stops |
|
here because one thing Andy Reid does is give a
disrespected prospect a chance to thrive. |
| 16 |
New York Jets |
Whitney Mercilus |
DE |
Illinois |
|
A major need is natural pass rushing ability and Rex
Ryan is letting it be known with a |
|
ton of DE/OLB visits and scouting trips. I'll go with a hunch here that Mercilus is
the |
|
preferred Jet prospect and is flying under the radar
of the more well-known names. |
| 17 |
Cincinnati Bengals |
Stephon Gilmore |
CB |
South Carolina |
|
Here the Bengals get the definitive #2 CB prospect
and this fills not only a major need, |
|
but also equals really good value at #17. Injuries and bad secondary play has hurt |
|
an otherwise really up-and-coming aggressive and
young team in Cincinnati. |
| 18 |
Cleveland (**projected trade**) |
Kendall Wright |
WR |
Baylor |
|
Some have the Browns reaching in desperation for QB
Weeden here, but I just believe this |
|
team isn't going to do that; they will build the
offense to give McCoy the best opportunity |
|
and try for Weeden, Cousins, or Osweiler in rd. 2 or
3…. OL is also a consideration, but |
|
I think the Browns covet Wright enough to move ahead
of Chicago to assure getting him. |
| 19 |
Chicago Bears |
Michael Brockers |
DT |
LSU |
|
Here's believing that the WR Wright is a major
target, but when he gets snatched-up at |
|
the pick before them, the Bears have no problem at
all taking Brockers, whom I consider a |
|
tremendous prospect - very consistent along w/ a
very high ceiling for potential! |
| 20 |
Tennessee Titans |
Chandler Jones |
DE |
Syracuse |
|
This team is headed towards the fortunate position
of drafting best player available after |
|
doing a nice job in F.A. to address needs; Chandler
translates to a great pick under this line of |
|
thinking… great value that will immensely help the
overall defense in all aspects. |
| 21 |
Cincinnati Bengals |
Courtney Upshaw |
OLB |
Alabama |
|
Here, the Bengals follow up the earlier selection of
CB Gilmore w/ the guy they would have |
|
taken if he wasn't available; if Gilmore is gone
when the Bengals pick @ 17 I believe they |
|
will take Upshaw at that point and then look at CB
Kirkpatrick or OL Glenn here @ 21. |
| 22 |
San Diego (**from trade-down**) |
Riley Reiff |
OT |
Iowa |
|
Due to the enormous injuries that hit the Chargers
O-line last year plus the loss of OT |
|
Marcus McNeill, Reiff should definitely fit into the
Chargers draft plans. Here, they were |
|
able to obtain pick #100 (4th rd.) from the Browns
in the small trade-back routine. |
| 23 |
Detroit Lions |
Dre Kirkpatrick |
CB |
Alabama |
|
The Lions might have made an even greater triumphant
return as "contender' last year if |
|
it weren't for secondary issues; this selection
matches top available talent w/ top need. |
| 24 |
New York Giants (**projected trade**) |
Coby Fleener |
TE |
Stanford |
|
While Jerry Reese could sit at 32, as the champs,
and allow talent to fall... some proactive |
|
approach to getting the coveted guy makes sense;
Fleener would finally add an A-class |
|
prospect that the team hasn't had since Shockey was
a Giant and also helps in two regards: |
|
1.) They're currently decimated at the position due
to ACL injuries (Beckum/Ballard) and 2.) |
|
…they've lost WR Mario Manningham in free agency.
One way to amend all these issues |
|
is to get the one consensus top-flight TE in this
draft class. To get him, the team must feel it |
|
necessary to move up above targeting teams of Den.,
Hou., and S.F. whom all could be |
|
targeting
him. Steelers/Giants have a
cooperative draft-day relationship traditionally… |
|
Trade details: The Steelers get #32/#94(3rd)/#127(4th); The Giants get #24/#159(5th). |
| 25 |
Denver Broncos |
Dont'a Hightower |
MLB |
Alabama |
|
While the Broncos have a glaring need at defensive
tackle, Elway has shown too much |
|
intelligence to pass up top talent for top
need. While they could try to plug the
hole up front |
|
at DT, they should take Dont'a here - an eventual
team captain and potential pro-bowler. |
| 26 |
Houston Texans |
Stephen Hill |
WR |
Georgia Tech |
|
Team is pegged as a favorite to win the AFC in 2012,
but although the team has shown nice |
|
offensive diversity and has superstar wideout Andre
Johnson, they lack any form of depth at |
|
the position; WR is an early-draft 'must' and
although the talent pool is deep enough to get |
|
one in round two, it won't be the 6'4" 4.36
explosive & dynamic play-maker that Hill can be. |
| 27 |
New England Patriots |
Shea McClellin |
DE/LB |
Boise State |
|
Prospect that will be able to take on the role of
"multiple-defenses" that Coach Bill deploys… |
|
McClellin will be suited to play 4-3 outside DE
rusher and, remarkably, both ILB/OLB in the 3-4. |
| 28 |
Green Bay Packers |
Nick Perry |
DE |
USC |
|
A team that finished 32nd in the league in defense
would be smart to take the value |
|
(probably best player available) that would help
with pass rush opposite of Clay Matthews. |
| 29 |
Baltimore Ravens |
Cordy Glenn |
OL |
Georgia |
|
Team has a decent starting line, but no depth. Glenn gives overall value, position
flexibility, |
|
and should be the pick if he slides to this spot;
many project Konz here, which would be an |
|
ideal way to transition from veteran center Matt
Birk, whom will likely play in his last year, |
|
but Glenn presents far more overall value, as he can
play LT/LG/RG/RT. Konz or Zeitler only |
|
present value as strict-interior linemen, but either
could be the pick if Glenn is off the board. |
| 30 |
Buffalo Bills (**projected trade**) |
Jonathan Martin |
OT |
Stanford |
|
With the 49ers targeting interior help on the
offensive line that they can fall back and get at |
|
#41, this is a trade that makes sense; the Bills
move up to get a guy they would consider even |
|
at #10 because they have obvious need at offensive
tackle. Bills give up two 4th
rounder's, |
|
(#105/#122) to move up; 49er targets @41: OL's: Konz/Silatolu/Osemele/RB Martin |
| 31 |
New England Patriots |
Kevin Zeitler |
OG |
Wisconsin |
|
Wouldn't be surprised if Trader-Bill trades down and
allows a team to come up into this slot… |
|
(actually, it might be shocking if he didn't do
that)... but in this projection the Patriots add |
|
interior OL talent and get great value here, as
Zeitler is a mauler that has an incredible work- |
|
ethic while also possessing the type of intelligence
(wonderlic = 33) that they covet in an OL. |
| 32 |
Pitts. Steelers (**from trade down**) |
Andre Branch |
OLB |
Clemson |
|
The Steelers were born on the emphasis of pass-rush
out of their 3-4 defense and that level |
|
of aggressiveness and explosion has been gradually
dying-out in the city formerly termed |
|
"Blitzburgh." Branch adds depth at the most important
position in the Steeler defense and |
|
helps to begin the phase-in of a semi-hybrid form of
the 3-4 scheme, where he will instantly |
|
add pass-rush credibility. James Harrison is aging, becoming injured
often, and is always prone |
|
to being on the naughty list of the Commish; Branch
projects well into learning coverage skill, |
|
but it's his closing speed, flexibility, 10.5 sacks
and 17 tackles-for-loss that makes this a match. |
The Steel City Insiders:
