Nov 12, 2011; Stanford CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard David DeCastro (52) blocks Oregon Ducks defensive end Terrell Turner (45) during the fourth quarter at Stanford Stadium. Oregon defeated Stanford 53-30. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

One of my favorite draftwebsite (other than this one of course) is www.mockingthedraft.com run by the terrific Dan Kadar. I reached out to Dan to see if he would be interested in a weekly Q an A and he happily obliged. For this week’s topics we chatted about the value of interior guard David DeCastro, the Senior Bowl, and who to expect a breakout season from in 2012.

David DeCastro is pretty high up on a lot of big boards, number four on National Football Post’s Wes Bunting’s big board for instance. How high can you justify a guard prospect being drafted…and what are some teams you think DeCastro might be a good fit for in the first round?
With a player like DeCastro it’s easier to justify because he’s that good. He’s the Andrew Luck of guard prospects. The Saints’ offensive line is a good example of how important good guard play can be. Their tackles are decent, but their best players on offense after Drew Brees are guards Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans. Although they were later-round picks, the value of good guard play shouldn’t be as understated as it is. In my most recent mock, I had the Chiefs taking him at pick 11. The Cowboys at 14 and the Bengals at 17 could also be landing spots. It’s hard to see DeCastro last beyond Cincinnati’s second first-round pick at No. 22.

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NFL Mocks Conversation With Mocking the Draft - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

Nov 5, 2011; Fayetteville, AR, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive end Melvin Ingram (6) prior to the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Arkansas defeated South Carolina 44-28. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-US PRESSWIRE

1. Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama

Upshaw reminds me a lot of a Terrell Suggs type of player, a relentless pass rusher who is always making plays in the backfield. I think he has top 5 talent potential and if he’s not a top 10 pick after his performance this week, I’ll be pretty shocked. He might not be the highest drafted player from this game, but it’ll be close.

2. Quinton Coples, DE/DT, North Carolina

Coples needs to be more consistent with his motor, but he has the talent and size that NFL GMs drool over and he could be an absolute star if he dedicates himself. He is not quick off the ball but he has great moves from both end positions as well as the inside. He has intriguing upside in both 4-3 and 3-4 schemes.

3. Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

Jenkins was reportedly the best corner by far at practices this week at the Senior Bowl, and to me, his talent has never been a question. If his character off the field will check out, there is no doubt he should be one of the top corners in the league someday and a top 10 pick. However, the red flags that he carries will cause him to be drafted between picks 16-32 and if he gets to the right program, he could be a steal.

4. Melvin Ingram, DL/OLB, South Carolina

Ingram is a jack of all trades, master of none. If you haven’t heard that about him yet, you’re not reading the right publications. Recruited as a linebacker, finished his career as one of the most ferocious pass rushing DE/DTs in all of college football. He looks like he could start in a 3-4 or 4-3 defense.

5. Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

Adams had an inconsistent week of practice, but by many accounts, he was one of the best players there. He has great size and length, and has potential to be a starting left tackle in the NFL.

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Top 10 Prospects at the 2012 Senior Bowl - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

MIke Adams Was One of the Biggest Winners of Day One

Today is one of the biggest weeks in Football for draft fans. This week at the Senior Bowl can seperate man from the boys (or some other less cheesy line). Unfortunately I was not able to make it down to Mobile this year and neither was Sayre, but that doesn’t mean we won’t provide you with great coverage via the television. I’m going to scour the web looking for the best and most fascinating Senior Bowl story lines out there. 

Today’s biggest even was the weigh-ins.

The weighs are important for a few positions, but the most important is Offensive linemen. Large Hands, big wingspans, and thick, not fat are what teams are looking for.

Weigh in Winners:

Mike Adams OT Ohio State

I’ve been writing this for awhile-Mike Adams will likely end up in the top 20 of the N.F.L. draft after he returned from his suspension from the Ohio State scandal he played well. He’s a massive man and has the athletic ability to play LT in the N.F.L. Now he’ll have to prove throughout this week, but he got off to a good start. Mike Adams measured in at 6’7 323 pounds an arm length of 33 3/4 long, 11 inch hands. He has an 82 1/2 inch wing span. He is a massive man. He reportedly carried his weight very well.

Adams also performed well at practice.

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Senior Bowl Winners and Losers Day one - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

1. Indianapolis Colts

2. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
. I think the Rams ultimately trade this pick to the team that is willing to give up the most to get Robert Griffin III, which I think could be the Browns. Blackmon would be an ideal selection but the Rams could target three different guys with a traded pick (Blackmon, Kalil, Claiborne).

3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC
. Kalil is probably the second best player in this draft, and the Vikings really hope he falls there. He would be an ideal addition for a team looking to protect their new investment, quarterback Christian Ponder.

4. Cleveland Browns: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
.The Browns could look to deal up to get the Heisman trophy winner, who would be a good fit for their offense. The question then becomes, what do they do with Colt McCoy?

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
. The Bucs really can’t go wrong with this pick. They could upgrade their secondary significantly with Claiborne, or they could add a dynamic running back in Trent Richardson. If Richardson doesn’t go here, though, he could really fall.

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Updated 2012 NFL Mock Draft, Senior Bowl Edition - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

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2012 Senior Bowl Quarterback Class the Best Yet? - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

It was surprising to see the North get beat up in the trenches, which was their strong point coming into the game. Offensive tackles Nate Solder and Anthony Costanzo, who are considered first-rounders by some, really struggled. Solder continued to show that he can not handle an inside move and had one of the worst performances in the game. DeMarcus Love on the South team was equally as bad. He was beat on a regular basis and looked like he was on a mission to get his quarterback killed.

Kendric Burney of the North had a fantastic game, as did defensive end Ryan Kerrigan. Both players got better as the week went on and they peaked in today’s game. Leonard Hankerson also had a spectacular performance after a great week of practice. Linebacker Von Miller was all the rave from the talking heads on TV this week, and he didn’t disappoint.
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2011 Senior Bowl; South Beats North, 24-10 - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

The North squad’s biggest advantage will be in the trenches. On defensive line, Cameron Jordan and Christian Ballard should have a field day against the South offensive line who failed to impress all week. Mississippi State tackle Derrick Sherrod is the best hope the South has at containing Jordan, but the match up still favors the Cal defensive end. The South should be able to hold up along the interior line with Danny Watkins and Rodney Hudson, but if Lee Ziemba struggles like he did during practice the quarterbacks are in trouble.
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Senior Bowl: Who Will Win? - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

Locker had a chance to shine and look like the top fifteen pick that some expected him to be, however, Locker struggled and was horrible with his accuracy. Locker has the mechanics, but you never know where the ball is going to do and accuracy is one of the hardest things to teach a quarterback — if not impossible. There was no excuse for Locker to not completely outshine the rest of the quarterbacks in this game if he was that top caliber pick and he failed to take advantage of the opportunity. I see him now graded as a second or third-round pick

A quarterback who did exceed expectations was Colin Kaepernick of Nevada. It was going to be interesting to see how he adapted from the Pistol Offense to a pro-style offense, but he seemed to handle the change well. According to Kaepernick, the biggest difference between the two offensive styles was not taking snaps from under center, but the terminology. Kaepernick showed off a strong arm and was the only quarterback on Wednesday not to throw an interception. He had moments where his long, awkward delivery stood out, but he continued to make the throws you want to see.
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2011 Senior Bowl: Quarterback Analysis - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football