NFL Mocks FFL Draft Review – Thurnis Haley’s Golf Academy
By Editorial Staff
So some members of the staff at NFL Mocks participated in a fantasy football league draft the other night. I was not able to attend due to a prior commitment so I was forced to auto-rank about 100 players that I wanted and leave the fate of my team up to, uh, fate. Without any more bemoaning my unfortunate schedule, here were my (auto) picks.
First Round, 9th overall pick: Frank Gore, RB, SF
I like Frank Gore. I think he has a lot of talent and will get a lot of touches. However, I doubt very highly that he will be able to go the full slate without dying or something. Hopefully I can get 8-10 good weeks out of him. This is where auto-correct twisted me up. Had I been in control of this pick, I would’ve either chosen LaGarrette Blount or Calvin Johnson, but that’s basically irrelevant now.
Second Round, 16th overall pick: Roddy White, WR, ATL
This was a pleasant surprise. Only one receiver (Megatron) went in the first round so I was able to land one of the league’s best in Roddy White.
Third Round, 33rd overall pick: Jahvid Best, RB, DET
I ranked Best pretty high. Maybe too high, but he has a ton of explosiveness and with Mikel Leshoure out for the year he should get a lot of touches. Again, there’s an injury risk, but there’s an injury risk with anybody you pick. Getting best in the 3rd leaves me both nervous and excited.
Fourth Round, 40th overall pick: Brandon Lloyd, WR, DEN
No clue how or why Lloyd fell this far. He’s a clear #1 for Denver. He’s in a contract year. Kyle Orton loves him. I potentially got a WR1 in the fourth round, which not only provides hella value but fits into my strategy of RB-WR-RB-WR etc.
Fifth Round, 57th overall pick: Felix Jones, RB, DAL
With the departure of Marion Barber and the increasing irrelevance of Tashard Choice, Felix Jones has emerged as the feature back for the Cowboys. Despite my personal dislike of Tony Romo, Dallas has a good passing attack that should open up some running lanes. Jones seems like a solid RB2 and I’m happy I got him.
Sixth Round, 64th overall pick: Austin Collie, WR, IND
Unfortunately Stevie Johnson didn’t fall for me but Collie is a good consolation prize. I’m a little shaken by how fragile my team is. Collie has an elite quarterback throwing to him but Peyton’s health seems uncertain too. If Curtis Painter is taking snaps then Collie will basically be useless, but if Peyton is slinging then Collie will rack up the receptions.
Seventh Round, 81st overall pick: Jason Snelling, RB, ATL
Oh, my. Snelling is a good back but he’s stuck behind Michael Turner. Turner has led the league in carries the last few years so he may wear down, but watching him in Atlanta’s first preseason game, he looked lively, so Snelling may end up being fairly useless. We’ll see. I probably could have got better value here but it’s all good.
Eighth Round, 88th overall pick: Rob Gronkowski, TE, NE
I had Gronk for the second half of last year and if he can beat out Aaron Hernandez he could put up big numbers. He was the third tight end taken in a row (Jimmy Graham, Owen Daniels, Gronk) so I was fairly lucky to get him.
Ninth Round, 105th overall pick: Tim Tebow, QB, DEN
Whoops. QBs went a lot faster than I was expecting so while I was expecting to get Sam Bradford or Matt Stafford here, I ended up with the Mile High Christ. I love Tebow but he’s not going to start barring injury. Plus, two of my favorite sleepers (Danario Alexander and Jacoby Ford) were still on the board so this pick hurts that much more.
Tenth Round, 112th overall pick: Lance Moore, WR, NO
This is a solid pick. It fits the range and Lance Moore should get a fair share of targets from Drew Brees.
Eleventh Round, 129th overall pick: Chicago Bears Defense
This was stupid because I never draft defenses, and especially not in the eleventh round. I hate this pick. Moving on…
Twelfth Round, 136th overall pick: Jared Cook, TE, TEN
Cook is entering his third season and is the starter for the Titans. He could have a huge year so I’m really happy I got him, and acquiring a starter in the twelfth round is always good news.
Thirteenth Round, 153rd overall pick: Danny Amendola, WR, STL
If nothing else I will lead the league in slot receivers. Amendola is one of the few sure things the Rams have a WR and he should get quite a few receptions. He also tied for the league lead in red zone targets last year which bodes well for his TD count.
Fourteenth Round, 160th overall pick: Nate Burleson, WR, DET
If I was live picking here I would’ve drafted Davone Bess to fit in the theme of my team. I’m torn about this. Burleson will start across from Calvin Johnson. This is bad because Calvin Johnson is one of the best receivers in the league and will get targeted accordingly, but good because it means opposing teams will have to focus on him and leave Burleson to try and find space.
Fifteenth Round, 177th overall pick: Colt McCoy, QB, CLE
I got back to my dorm after the meeting and fired up my laptop immediately to survey the carnage. I was pleasantly surprised at everything but my quarterback situation. Kyle Orton went off the board at 175 so I was left with Colt McCoy. I think McCoy is a good quarterback, but he doesn’t have many viable targets. It’s safe to say I’ve pinpointed the weakness in my squad.
Sixteenth Round, 184th overall pick: Neil Rackers, K, HOU
My kicker. Houston has a big offense so he should get plenty of FG opportunities.
Projected Lineup, Week One
QB: Colt McCoy
RB: Frank Gore
RB: Jahvid Best
WR: Roddy White
WR: Brandon Lloyd
TE: Rob Gronkowski
RB/WR: Felix Jones
R/W/T: Jared Cook
DEF: Chicago Bears
K: Neil Rackers
BN: Tim Tebow
BN: Jason Snelling
BN: Danny Amendola
BN: Nate Burleson
BN: Austin Collie
BN: Lance Moore
Way too wide receiver heavy. No sure thing at quarterback. Shallow running backs. This is going to be a struggle. The good news is I have a few weeks to talk myself into Burleson being a starter. There is no doubt in my mind that Thurnis Haley’s Golf Academy will be a force to be reckoned with.