Mock My Mock: 1st Round

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One thing I’ve been really trying to do since I became editor here is increasing reader and writer interaction…so after you read this leave your thoughts and let me know how much of an idiot/genius I am.  I have responded to every comment that’s been made on my posts.

Let me hear your thoughts.

My last mock I titled unique mock draft 1.0 and that’s really my style. I enjoy thinking a bit outside of the box in my mock drafts. My last mock before the April draft will be used as an actual predictor of what I think will happen, but until then I”ll try different mocks to provide some different insights….why read the same mocks everywhere?

We have four other writers offering you their good solid fundamental more conventional mocks.

I’m sure I’ll be more wrong then right on this particular mock, but I like different.

I’ll try to be at least plausible and adventerous so come join me on my newest mock draft!

#1 Carolina Panthers-Daquan Bowers, DE, Clemson

I went to walterfootball.com and then went to their mock draft database and found this: the first 25 mocks in their database (the morning of Feb 15th)selected Nick Fairley with the first pick overall. The 26th was not Fairley, but A.J. Green.

While it seems that Bowers would not necessarily be an out-of-the box pick, it has now become such. What happened between the end of the college football season when half or more mocks had Bowers as a possibility for the #1 pick to now very few mock drafts consider Bowers as a real possibility?

Beats me? Bowers was a highly recruited player attending Clemson and always thought of has super talented without the production, this year he was super productive. Fairley is also a one year wonder, but plays a less important position (pass rushing DE or OLB most important position on defense in the modern N.F.L.)…why he is the overwhelming choice?

#2 Denver Broncos: Marcel Dareus, DL, Alabama

Dareus is our #1 DE and DT for the 3-4 and 4-3 respectively.  While at this moment the odd’s on favorite to be the first DL chosen is Nick Fairley I”ll go the alternative route and pencil in Dareus here at #2

#3 Buffalo Bills: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia

A.J. Green is our #1 overall player and is a real talent. The Buffalo Bills could use an upgrade at EVERY single position on the field to be brutally honest. Why not take the best player available in the draft at #3. Steve Johnson played well year, but Lee Evans will be a free agent soon and Johnson has immaturity issues. Also, the Bills have ZERO at tight end so they could use another pass catcher. Fairley, Peterson, Von Miller, Cam Newton are all possibilities here.

#4 Cincinnati Bengals Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn

I really believe an OT is going off the board earlier then people think and strongly consider that here at #4 overall to the Bengals. In the A.F.C. north to beat the Steelers and Ravens you have to be able to out muscle and out physical them year in and year out. Two years ago the Bengals did behind the power running of Cedric Benson. Last year, they couldn’t run right at all and could use some upgrading along their offensive line, but with all that being said, the Bengals could stand to try and continue to build up their defensive line though DE is more needed here Fairley is the better value (as a conesnus).

#5 Arizona Cardinals-Tyron Smith, OT, Wisconsin

Although on our big board there are three tackles ahead of Tyron Smith, word around town is that people love Tyron’s Smith ceiling and ability. There are also reports out that Tyron Smith has already gained twenty pounds, and if he still looks chiseled with an additional twenty or more pounds and has made it over that 300 pound threshold, then some team is going to consider Smith well into the first half of first round. The Cardinals have reached for talent before, and need to upgrade their offensive line.

#6 Cleveland Browns Julio Jones, WR, Alabama

Jones is not very far behind A.J. Green at all (#9 on our Big Board, #4 on NFP Big Board). In fact, I think Jones is fantastic. Jones to me plays like Hakeem Nicks except 3 or 4 inches taller. Nicks has better hands, but they have similar straight line speed. Jones is a terror with the ball in his hands. Jones would fit great with the Browns and Colt McCoy’s quick read decision making. Jones will have a few plays this year that will make McCoy’s state line look great (five yard pass taken 40 yards down the field…much like Nicks did a few times his rookie year).

#7 San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU

Peterson will probably go earlier in this draft (though I think two might be a little high, cornerbacks rarely go as high as #2 overall) then #7, but how could the 49ers possibly pass him up if he makes it this far down the draft.  49ers fans will tell you that the team needs to upgrade their CB position and this is the steal of the draft so far.

#8 Tennesee Titans, Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri

Gabbert seems to be the draftnik’s prospect most likely to go first (as he was in our informal poll) and makes sense here.  The Titans have a new coach and new coaches almost always equal-new quarterbacks. Coaches want a QB who can fit their system. I don’t know enough about Munchak to have an understanding of what kind of offense he will want to run, so let’s assume it’ s not a fast paced offense with a mobile Quarterback.

#9 Dallas Cowboys, Von Miller, LB, Texas Tech

The Dallas Cowboys have Demarcus Ware whom is a top 10 defensive player in the league, on the other side Anthony Spencer has been dissapointing. Last year despite liking their WR corps the Cowboys drafted their best player on the board, this year they may consider the same thing. Schefter, and many others believe that Von Miller is a top 5 pick because of his elite first step to get to the Quarterback. Von Miller would provide excellent depth and could be a starter for the Cowboys (either for Ware or pushing Ware to the other side to have two lethal pass rushers).

#10 Washington Redskins, Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska

This is actually a pick I could see happened that hasn’t been discussed anywhere at all. Amukamara is expect to run a less than blazing 40 yard dash time at the combine and could be moved to safety at the next level. I still think Amukamara is a good solid player, where they don’t really have anyone to play next to Laron Landry, but they face a ton of good WR in the N.F.C. East. If Amukamara can play Cornerback that also works because their is no talented youth at cornerback for the Redskins as DeAngelo Hall, Carlos Rodgers, and Phillip Buchanon are all aging.

#11 Houston Texans Robert Quinn North Carolina

The Texans really need a nose tackle in order for this 3-4 defense to be successful, but unless they are going to reach for one here, or try to convert Stephen Paea to Nose tackle their best bet is to try and get a dominating pass rusher. Where is Mario Williams going to play in the 3-4 this year? They need a pass rushing OLB Quinn could be their man.

#12 Minnesota Vikings-Aldon Smith DE Missouri

Aldon Smith is a J.P.P clone without the backflips. The Vikings could give Joe Webb a chance this year or they could go after a veteran quarterback. The Vikings offense has weapons (Rice, Harvin, Peterson), but their pass rushers were not as productive last year as they were the year before and their overall defense suffered. Smith is going to blow up at the combine and benefit from JPP’s solid play last year, plus unlike JPP Smith has been very productive in college.

#13 Detroit Lions Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama

Both Wes Bunting and myself believe that Mark Ingram is a top five player in this draft. The Lions new front office has shown that they believe in a strict Best Player Available philosophy and in this scenario Ingram is that man. Lions fans want to see the Lions draft a cornerback or a linebacker here, but Akeem ayers isn’t worth it. The Lions also seem to be enfatuated with Jeff Backus and Gosder Cherilus so they will not pursue an OL upgrade. However an offense of Jahvid Best, Calvin Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew, and Mark Ingram might keep enough pressure off of Matthew Stafford to keep him healthy and allow the Lions to make a playoff push.

#14 St. Louis Rams Brandon Harris, CB, Miami

Another surprise, yet completely possible pick (in my demented mind at least).  Spags likes to play an agressive defense that puts a lot of pressure on the corernbacks, no corerback might fit that mold better than Brandon Harris who has the agressive style and confidence to handle man on man coverage in the N.F.L. with his great speed and fluid hips. At this point in the draft there might not be any WR or TE worth drafting so the Rams look defense. They are like the Lions and need a linebacker so Ayers is possible, but they choose to take the superior prospect (to me) Brandon Harris to allow Spags and his staff a little more confidence to call the blitz.

#15 Miami Dolphins, Gabe Carimi, T, Wisconsin

The Dolphins want to improve their run game and there is no way better to do that then to add a dominating run blocking offensive linemen to their team. Carimi is the best run blocking tackle in the draft and would instantly give the Dolphins one of the best run blocking right sides in the entire NFL (John Jerry with Gabe Carimi) and the Dolphins a ton of young talent on the offensive line. I considered Kyle Rudolph here, but looked at their roster and realize they have three TE’s on their roster under the age of 24 already (see I am taking into account the roster).

#16 Jacksonville Jaguars, Cam Newton, QB Auburn

I know the Jaguars have shown a penchant recently to draft “high character guys” and that isn’t exactly Cam Newton’s greatest strength, but he would fit perfectly with the Jaguars because the Jaguars have spent the last two seasons building up their trenches on offense and defense and sure they could use some WR help and CB help, but with Newton they get clearly the best talent left and they don’t have to start him right away,w hich would  benefit both Newton and the Jaguars.  Also, Cam Newton is a huge name and could help them with some of the ticket woes they’ve had the past two seasons.

#17 New England Patriots Cameron Jordan, DE, California

With so many picks in the first few rounds the New England Patriots are going to leave this draft with major talent and fill all of their needs. They should focus on selecting the best player available when they pick and in this instance it might be Cameron Jordan, a player many think can as high as 9 to the Dallas Cowboys. CB Jimmy Smith out of Colordao was the other player I considered here.

#18 San Diego Chargers J.J. Watt Wisconsin

I just read that both Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. have projected J.J. Watt to go in the top 10. Maybe they are hearing something around the league that I’m not aware of, and J.J. Watt is going to come off the board much higher than I expect. The Chargers improve their defensive line, one of the few positions of needs they have on their team.

#19 New York Giants Kyle Rudolph TE, Norte Dame

The popular pick here is an offensive linemen like Derrick Sherrod, but this pick is possible. The Giants like to go with a Best Player Available philosophy and it could be Rudolph. This pick is completely contingent on Rudolph passing all of the medical tests he’s going to have to pass to be considered this high, but he is talented and the Giants need an all around TE. Kevin Boss has three concussions the last two year and regressed last season.

#20 Tampa Bay Bucaneers Rahim Moore Safety UCLA

This comes directly from Patrick Nohe the lead writer for the Buccaneers fansided webpage: “The Bucs best safety will miss the start of the season finishing up a year-long suspension. Cody Grimm is recovering from injury, Corey Lynch is still raw and Sean Jones could be upgraded”. Moore is the best safety in this class and could be a first round pick. The odds on favorite pick here is a pass rushing RDE (like Ryan Kerrigan) and that would probably make the most sense here, but Moore would also be a possibility if he was impressive.

#21 Kansas City Chiefs Martez Wilson, OLB Illinois

The Chiefs really need an upgrade at Outside linebacker across from Tamba Hali and there is an underground movement of Martez Wilson has a player that could make a real impact as a 3-4 OLB in the draft. The problem with this pick is most likely going to come from possible character concerns with Wilson as he was involved in a stabbing , but he seems to be hitting the interviewing trail hard to discuss that and quell those fears.

#22 Indinapolis Colts Derrick Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State

I’ve been trying to make different picks in this mock draft for all of the teams, but the only other possible pick I can see the Colts going at this point is with a cornerback, or defensive tackle. Since I’ve already mocked them Brandon Harris before I’ll go to offensive tackle a pick I haven’t made for them, but a pick that seems very likely

#23 Philadelphia Eagles Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA

The Eagles, like the Giants, don’t draft linebackers in the first round, but in this instance they have the best 4-3 pure OLB on the board here and perhaps the best player available (not on our big board, but on some big boards). The Eagles could use help at linebacker.

#24 New Orleans Saints, Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State

The Saints must improve their defense. you can’t give up more than 40 points to the Seahawks and be considered as a serious threat for the Superbowl. The Saints could really considerd Rahim moore here, but in this mock he’s already gone. Paea is a good fit for a 4-3 defensive tackle to me and would pair up with Sedrick Ellis nicely. The Saints tried to pry Barry Coefield from the Giants during last year’s draft so this is a position they still wish to upgrade.

#25 Seattle Seahawks, Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado

I like Jimmy Smith a lot as he is currently #10 on our big board, but for whatever reason he fell in this mock. The Seahawks have a lot of different needs despite being a playoff team. Smith is tall and fast and was only targeted 25 times the entire season according to information gathered by profootballtalk.com Smith’s stock is going to soar after the combine, but in this mock Seattle gets a steal.

#26 Baltimore Ravens Justin Houston, OLB, Georgia

The Ravens could use someone to play with Terrell Suggs as an OLB, and someone to replace Suggs when he retires which is coming sooner rather then later. Houston is high on some people’s boards, much lower on others, but he’s a productive good solid player who could do well with the Ravens.

#27 Atlanta Falcons Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue

The Falcons front office comes from the Patriots which likes productive college players with winning attitudes that player is Ryan Kerrigan. Kerrigan can be a situational pass rusher now and replace Abraham for the future.

#28 New England Patriots, Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh

The Patriots are not afraid to take a risk on talented players with character issues because of the leadership of B.B. and Tom Brady. Jon Baldwin (reportedly) can run a sub 4.4 40 yard dash and he’s huge. The Patriots need a deep threat and could use a guy with true #1 WR potential. Baldwin could be a Dwayne Bowe type player and really versify their offense. Baldwin is also the Best talent available here.

#29 Chicago Bears, Stefen Wisniewski, C/G Penn State

Olin Kruetz and Roberto Garza are going to be 34 and 32 respectively this year. Wisniewski is the best center in this draft class and can provide instant depth there this year and also be the future replacement at center when Kruetz decides to hang it up which can be sooner or later. The Bears are probably going to address their OL, DL, or WR with their first pick. Tackle is most likely and Nate Solder would be good value here, but Wisniewski is our higher rated player available and everyone projects a tackle to the Bears.

#30 New York Jets Phil Taylor, NT, Baylor

Kris Jenkins has gotten hurt the past two seasons at Nose Tackle and the Jets could use a nose tackle to be their future Nose tackle. Taylor is going to be selected higher than his big board ranking because he’s one of the few nose tackle talents in this class (the Texans might even have to reach for them if they can’t find a nose tackle). The Jets need to find some way to get after the passer and maybe a good Nose tackle will help with that.

#31 Pittsburgh Steelers, Nate Solder, OT, Colorado

Yuck my third boring and predictable pick of the round (Gabbert to titans, Sherrod to Colts, OL to Steelers). This pick is only unique because Solderhas fallen so far in this draft, but OT seems like an obvious way to go for the Steelers though I wouldn’t rule out a Safety or cornerback here either.

#32 Green Bay Packers, Mike Pouncey, G/C

While I don’t think Pouncey is in the same breath as his brother last year, there are those out there who feel he is a similar player and could go in the first round. The Packers have a ton of talent, and a lot of players coming back from injury. They could consider a DL here to add depth here, but I’ll go with Pouncey.

Leave your thoughts.

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Tags: 2011 NFL Draft, Buffalo Bills, Da'Quan Bowers, Denver Broncos, Draft, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Mock, Mock Draft, New York, New York Giants, New York Jets, NFL, Patrick Peterson, Pittsburgh Steelers