Hey guys, we're moving to a new site, located at http://sporticoblog.blogspot.com. This site will continue on as it had previously with the occasional longer piece.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
New url
Hey guys, we're moving to a new site, located at http://sporticoblog.blogspot.com. This site will continue on as it had previously with the occasional longer piece.
Monday, June 13, 2011
June 13th update
Mavericks defeat Heat 105-95 to win First Title
- Their leader and best player Dirk Nowitzki struggled in the first half, when he missed 11 of his 12 shots and only scored 3 points, but came through in the end as he has so often in this series, finishing with 21 points and a number of key, last-second shots. Nowitzki was blamed by many for losing the 2006 NBA Finals, also to the Heat, but this title should quell that criticism for good.
- Jason Terry, who had a game high 27 points in the clincher (tied for the most ever for a player coming off the bench in a title-clinching game) looks like he could be Mrs. Cleo's protege.
- It was also the first title for Jason Kidd who is #2 all-time in assists, #3 all-time in 3-pointers made and was 0 for 2 in previous trips to the NBA Finals (both with the New Jersey Nets).
- The Mavericks are now one of only 8 franchises to have won a title since 1984.
Luongo Shines in Game 5 Victory, Putting Canucks within One Game of their First Stanley Cup Championships
- Friday night the Canucks won 1-0 as Luongo posted his second shut-out of the finals (Game 1 being the other) to give Vancouver a 3-2 series lead.
- Game 6 is tonight, with Vancouver looking to win the first Stanley Cup in their 41 year history.
- The Boston Bruins, who have scored 12 goals in the two games they have won while only scoring 2 in the three games they have lost, are back home hoping to avoid elimination and force a game 7.
Friday, June 10, 2011
June 10th update
Roberto Luongo shaky for a second straight game- Boston Ties up the Stanley Cup finals 2-2 with a 4-0 win behind a strong performance by star goaltender Tim Thomas.
- Both teams' goaltenders have won the Vezina Trophy, given annually to Hockey's best goalie, but over the past two games Vancouver Goalie Roberto Luongo has allowed 12 goals, a massive number for any two game span, let alone two in the finals.
- Luongo brought back memories of the Canucks first round series in which, after being up 3-0 to the Chicago Blackhawks, Luongo forgot how to stop the puck allowing in 11 goals over the next 2 games. He did not play an entire game again until game 7 which Vancouver won 2-1.
Mavs close to within 1 win of NBA title
- The Mavericks were on fire from the 3 point line, making 68% (13-19), which was one short of the record for 3 pointers made in the NBA Finals. Dirk Nowitzki only made 1 3 pointer but led the team with 29 points overall.
- Lebron James had a triple double (at least 10 points, rebounds and assists) but only scored 17. It was the second straight subpar scoring game for James, who has only 25 combined in his last 2 games, despite averaging 28 points per game in his playoff career. He hasn't scored more than 2 points in the 4th quarter since Game 1, when he scored 5.
- Dwayne Wade scored 23 points but suffered a hip injury in the first half that may make him less effective for the remainder of the series. Earlier Thursday afternoon, Wade and James poked fun at reports that Dirk Nowitzki had been sick during game 4.
Final Leg of Horse Racing Triple Crown to be held Saturday
- The race will be held at 6:30 EST but will not feature a Triple Crown winner, as different horses have already been victorious in the first 2 legs. There has not been a Triple Crown winner since 1978 when Affirmed won all 3.
- Animal Kingdom, the Kentucky Derby winner is listed as the favorite at 2-1. Nehro and Shackleford, the Preakness winner, are among the other front runners.
- Also called the "Run for Carnations," because the winning horse is blanketed in white carnations, the Belmont is among the biggest gambling events in the United States annually.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
June 8th update
Terrelle Pryor, the highly touted Ohio State Quarterback, has declared he will not return to school for his senior season as fallout over an NCAA investigation (and to a lesser extent badly timed traffic violations) continues to ravage one of the top collegiate football programs in the country
- The scandal, in which several OSU players used their popularity to get cheap or free goods and services from area businesses, has already led to the resignation of popular and successful coach Jim Tressel, who lied about knowledge of these incidents. Additionally, Pryor and 4 other teammates were already suspended for the first 5 games of the 2011-12 season.
- Pryor is expected to try and enter the NFL through its supplemental draft, a rarely-used secondary player selection process where players with sketchy histories have historically made their way into the professional football ranks.
- Despite being the quarterback at a major college program, a lot of NFL scouts feel that he will be a Wide Receiver in the NFL due to his athleticism and size.
The Dallas Mavericks tied the NBA Finals 2-2 with an 86-83 victory in what has become one of the most tightly contested series in recent memory.
- Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points including 10 in the 4th quarter despite having a high fever. He's drawing comparisons to Michael Jordan, who scored 37 points and led the Bulls to a win in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals despite playing with a 103 degree fever.
- Dwayne Wade came through with another big game but missed a potential game tying free throw with under a minute left and fumbled the inbounds pass on the final play of the game which led to a wild, missed 3 pointer by Mike Miller.
- Lebron James only scored 8 points, the first time he has failed to score in double digits in his playoff career.
- The last 26 times the NBA Finals has been tied at 2-2, the winner of game 5 has won the series 19 times.
The Boston Bruins finally broke through the Vancouver Canucks defense and continued to pound the back of the net, winning game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, 8-1, but in the process, they lost one of their best players for the rest of the series.
- A vicious, blindside hit on Bruins right wing Nathan Horton, the Bruins 4th leading scorer in the regular season, left him with a concussion and out of the rest of the Finals. Vancouver's Aaron Rome, who laid the hit, was suspended for 4 games which would cover the extent of the Finals as well. It's the first time a player has been suspended for more than 1 Stanley Cup Finals game.
- The Bruins finally broke through the Vancouver defense and continued to pound the back of the net, winning game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, 8-1. Vancouver still holds a series lead of 2-1, but this win was desperately needed by the Bruins as 3-0 series deficits are rarely overcome.
- In their past 5 Stanley Cup appearances, the Bruins have only won a total of 5 games, never winning more than 2 games in any one series.
Monday, June 6, 2011
June 6th update
The French Open concluded over the weekend with Rafael Nadal defeating Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1 and Li Na (pictured) beating Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 7-6.- Na is the first Chinese athlete, male or female, to win one of the four tennis majors (The Australian Open, Wimbledon, The French Open and the U.S. Open).
- According to a CBS news story, she received over 300'000 messages on her website within 4 minutes of her victory.
- With his victory, Nadal became the 7th man to win 10 majors, including 4 of the past 5. Federer has the most all-time with 16.
- Novak Djokovic lost in the semifinals to Federer ending his 43 match win streak. He had not lost since November of last year, also to Federer.
The Miami Heat barely survived another late rally by the Dallas Mavericks to win game 3 of the NBA Finals, 88-86. They now have a 2-1 lead in the best of seven series.
- Chris Bosh made the game-winning shot with 39.6 seconds left and Dirk Nowitzki had 2 chances to tie it, but threw a bad pass out of bounds the first time and missed a jump shot the second time as time expired.
- Dirk Nowitzki finished with 34 points and Dwayne Wade had 29, but Lebron James had an off night, only scoring 17 points.
- Under the current scheduling format, the team that wins game 3 when the NBA Finals are tied 1-1 has gone on to win the championship 11 out of 11 times.
Albert Pujols hit a game winning home run for the second straight game as the Cardinals beat the Cubs 3-2 on Sunday. Pujols now has 4 home runs in his last 3 games and looks to be getting back into form after a shaky first 2 months of the season.
- After his game on May 29th, the exact 1/3 point of the season, Pujols had only 8 home runs, 28 RBI's and a .257 batting average. All would be career lows by a significant amount.
- Rebounding is even more important than usual as Pujols is in his contract year, meaning that his contract expires after this season and he can become a free agent if he does not sign an extension before then. He has reportedly been asking for a new 10 year-$300 million dollar contract, but the Cardinals have balked and some have theorized that his poor start is due to distractions caused by the contract issues.
Friday, June 3, 2011
June 3rd update
Ricky Rubio (pictured), the highly touted pass-first point guard from Spain has announced that he will be joining the NBA next season. Despite being drafted in 2009 by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Rubio has been playing in Spain until now.
- Current Wolves superstar Kevin Love seems skeptical though, as he posted via Twitter: @kevinlove - Ricky Rubio huh? I'll believe it when I see it...
- His skepticism could be geared towards the fact that Rubio seemed not to want to play in Minnesota, and it's possible that he could change his mind or be traded to another team before the 2011 season begins.
In the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat seemed to be on their way to a comfortable 2-0 lead against the Dallas Mavericks when disaster struck and they fell victim to the resilient Dallas Mavericks 95-93.
- The Heat were winning 88-73 with a little over 7 minutes left but managed to lose after Dirk Nowitzki made a layup with 3 seconds remaining.
- The Mavericks had a similar comeback in the Western Conference Finals against Oklahoma City, when they trailed 99-84 late in the 4th quarter yet came back to win.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
2011 NFL Mock Draft
Who are you going to take?
The following is the result of a more than month-long 2011 NFL Mock Draft that I oversaw and took part in via Facebook. Every team had a "GM" although trades were not allowed. Individuals and their associated teams are listed at the bottom. The goal was to create a realistic guess at what the 2011 NFL Draft could look like mixed with individual opinions on where certain players deserved to be taken. The rationale posted below (unless in italics) was written by the person who made the pick.
*NOTE* Because of the length of this draft, some selections were made when individual players had different draft stocks (mid to late March) and the earlier picks may have been changed if they were made closer to the actual draft.
Round 1 - *COMPLETED*
1. Carolina (2-14) - Nick Fairley, DT - 1) I am not willing to give up on Jimmy Clausen, Troy Aikman went 1-14 or something his rookie year, ended up pretty decent.... and now that he has a coach that knows what a forward pass is he'll be better. 2) DT is a HUGE need for the team, this will allow Charles Johnson and Everett Brown to be a little more freed up(assuming they resign johnson) 3) You apparently cant take a WR or CB with the number one overall pick, and while I would love to have Peterson, DT is a more pressing need, and a more important position.
2. Denver (4-12) - Patrick Peterson, CB - Peterson's the most can't miss player in the draft and having him learn from champ bailey for a couple years is going to be great for him.
3. Buffalo (4-12) - Marcell Dareus, DT - When you have no chance to win anything that season, taking the most talented player should take precedence over filling a position of need, even though dareus accomplishes both.
4. Cincinnati (4-12) - AJ Green, WR - An offense of Green, Palmer, Benson, Grisham and Jerome Simpson could be pretty deadly if Palmer does show up (and this is assuming Ochocinco is traded or cut or something, cause with him that would be a WR core that would give the Saints a run for the best overall talent in a WR core)
5. Arizona (5-11) - Blaine Gabbert, QB - The Cardinals obviously need a quarterback unless they think that John Skelton is the answer. Unless they feel that they'd be better served trading for a QB in Free Agency, Gabbert is the guy for them.
6. Cleveland (5-11) - Von Miller, LB - Miller probably won't fall this far but if he does, the Browns would be thrilled to have his talents to hassle elite divisional rival QB's Flacco and Roethlesberger
7. San Francisco (6-10) - Robert Quinn, LB - Quinn is a elite physical talent and will be a blitzing 3-4 OLB that so many 3-4 teams covet. Justin Smith isn't getting younger and Manny Lawson is a free agent so this may be a position of need very soon.
8. Tennessee (6-10) - Da'Quan Bowers, DE - If the Titans don't take a QB, probably Gabbert, they'll almost certainly pick the best 4-3 DL. Bowers has a high upside, but injury concerns abound so this might be a bit of a reach despite Bowers' physical talents.
9. Dallas (6-10) - Prince Amukamara, CB - The Cowboys couldnt stop anyone on defense last year, in particular struggling against the pass. Their pass rush and D-Line is pretty solid, so that leaves the secondary, where Terrence Newman is a shadow of his former self. Prince is a great talent and a great fit.
10. Washington (6-10) - Julio Jones, WR - The Redskins have needs at every position besides safety, but because Santana Moss is a free agent, they're down to Anthony Armstrong and the perpetually injured Malcolm Kelly. Jones has a combo of size and speed the Redskins have always wanted.
11. Houston (6-10) - Cameron Jordan, DE - Houston's defense was simply awful last season. They have an OK linebacking corps but they need to improve their DL and secondary. If Amukamara is already gone, the choice will simply be the best DL available.
12. Minnesota (6-10) - Cam Newton, QB - The Vikings need a QB and not only do they get the probable #1 overall pick, the get a guy similar to the player they drafted a few years ago (Tarvaris Jackson). Realistically, there's no chance at all Newton will last this long.
13. Detroit (6-10) - Tyron Smith, OT - The Lions need to protect Matt Stafford, their #1 overall pick franchise QB from suffering any more injuries. The best way to do that is by taking an elite RT to cover his blind side.
14. St. Louis (7-9) - Aldon Smith, DE - Passing on Watt and gambling with the big time play ability of Smith.
15. Miami (7-9) - Mark Ingram, RB - RB is the biggest need but I wouldn't be shocked to see the Dolphins take a QB given they have no 2nd round pick and all the other QBs are projected early 2nd round.
16. Jacksonville (8-8) - Ryan Kerrigan, DE - Jacksonville loves guys like Kerrigan and they need a better DE to combat the Manning's and Schaub's of the world, both of whom they play twice a year.
17. New England (14-2) - JJ Watt, DE - The Patriots really lacked any potency in their pass rush last year and at times were vulnerable to the run. This pick hopefully goes some way to filling the enormous hole left when they traded Richard Seymour before last season. A 5-technique DE opposite a returning Ty Warren who can also hopefully provide something of a pass rush would be huge for the Pats, and all the reports suggest Watt has a lot of versatility which Belichick should love.
18. San Diego (9-7) - Brooks Reed, LB - In classic AJ Smith fashion, the Chargers select a pass rusher when they have big question marks in other areas (OL, WR, DL).
19. NY Giants (10-6) - Akeem Ayers, LB - Keith Bullock is coming off a decent season, but he's 34 and isn't the long-term answer. Ayers could play as a 3-4 outside linebacker as he pressures the quarterback w...ell, but has the coverage skills to contribute in the 4-3. The Giants could be looking to spend a high pick on a left tackle, but after Tyron Smith was taken by the Lions, I don't think Constanzo, Sherrod, or Carimi warrants a top 20 selection.
20. Tampa Bay (10-6) - Adrian Clayborn, DE - Most mock drafts have long had Clayborn locked in to this spot, and I see no reason to disagree. They finished 31st in the league in sacks, and desperately need an edge rusher. He has Top 10 talent but has fallen because of some legal concerns, and is worth a shot this low for the Bucs.
21. Kansas City (10-6) - Phil Taylor, NT - The Chiefs 3 main concerns are WR, rush OLB and NT. With no remaining WR being worthy of this high a selection and both Brooks Reed and Akeem Ayers going in the last 3 picks, Taylor is the easy choice here. Taylor is a monster in the middle who will consistently take on multiple blocks to free up Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali as well as clog up the inside run lanes.
22. Indianapolis (10-6) - Anthony Castonzo, OT - Indy has been skimping on OL for years and with Jeff Saturday near retirement, Ryan Lilja waived and their tackles underperforming, OL is the obvious direction they will be looking to go in.
23. Philadelphia (10-6) - Gabe Carimi, OT/G - The Eagles need to fill a position of need and Carimi might be the best run blocker in this year's class. Because even with Michael Vick starting, every once in a while the Eagles might want Lesean Mccoy to run the ball.
24. New Orleans (11-5) - Muhammad Wilkerson, DE - The Saints need a lot of help along their line, the only way they got pressure last year was endless blitzes. Wilkerson should help that a lot.
25. Seattle (7-9) - Christian Ponder, QB - Matt Hasselbeck's old and unless the Seahawks think Charlie Whitehurst is the answer, they could draft a QB here. Ponder is a mobile, strong-armed athlete who could become a good NFL starter.
26. Baltimore (12-4) - Jimmy Smith, CB - Smith is the best prospect, he's 6'2", and has the advantage of learning under RayRay, Ed Reed and T-sizzle. Also, I still believes Sergio Kindle will pan out at OLB.
27. Atlanta (13-3) - Justin Houston, DE - Strong, long-armed pass rusher built similar to the guy he could eventually replace, John Abraham.
28. New England (14-2) - Nate Solder, OT - Ideally this pick would be a 3-4 OLB pass rusher, but there really don't seem to be any here that would be appropriate value. The other weakness of the Pats ...last year was the offensive line. This pick may not be an immediate need, depending on whether Matt Light comes back at LT. However, we need a long term replacement for Light and maybe something can be done where one of Light, Vollmer, or Solder swings inside to Guard for a year or two until Light retires. Solder is just ahead of Mike Pouncey at guard. (Nice prediction!)
29. Chicago (11-5) - Mike Pouncey, G - Though the Bears offensive line played as a cohesive unit after the bye week last year, it still remains the weak point on an otherwise strong team. After seeing the success of Mike's brother Maurkice as a Steelers rookie and Pro Bowl selection last year, the younger Pouncey is the pick.
30. New York Jets (11-5) (delayed) - Benjamin Ijalana, G/OT - After a phenomenal run game in 2009 they took a step back, mostly due to decreased OL play. Ijalana is a monster who's quick enough to play guard but also big enough to play RT opposite from D'Brickashaw Ferguson.
31. Pittsburgh (12-4) - Aaron Williams, CB - With explosive receivers, a franchise quarterback, and a marquee runnin...g back, Pittsburgh is not lacking on the offensive side of the ball. Though it is tempting to stockpile another player that can rush the passer, the fact remains that it is a passing league, and in the secondary, the Steelers are pedestrian. Williams should provide instant help to a secondary that could have used a lift against Aaron Rodgers in this past year's Super Bowl.
32. Green Bay (10-6) - Cameron Heyward, DE - The Packers have a tremendous front 7 are Heyward would add yet another weapon to a unit that's already a strength and already contains a Buckeye, AJ Hawk.
Round 2 - *COMPLETED*
1. New England - Danny Watkins, G - Once again, ideally there would be a rush LB of value here but I just don't see it the way this shapes up. For the record I'm 90% sure either this pick or #28 gets traded to some qb-hungry team (redskins) for a 2012 1st rounder.
2. Buffalo - Jake Locker, QB - The Bills need a QB now but since they seem to think that Ryan Fitzpatrick qualifies, they'll settle for a QB of the future. Make no mistake, Jake Locker is not ready to start in the NFL
3. Cincinnati - Andy Dalton, QB - Carson Palmer has said he will never play for the Bengals again. At the moment the Bengals seem to be hiding their head in the sand regarding this issue, but if they do decide that having a QB on their roster who's willing to play for them is something they might be interested in, Dalton would be a solid pick.
4. Denver - Corey Liuget, DT - The Broncos front seven is abysmal. Upgrades need to be made at almost every position and since they're moving to the 4-3, they need to add guys who can play in that system. Liuget only fell this far because he's a 4-3 DT in a 3-4 world, so he's great value here.
5. Cleveland - Marvin Austin, DT - The Cleveland Browns select Marvin Austin, DT from possibly the greatest athletic university the world has ever seen. The man is giant and is simply terrifying on the defensive line.
6. Arizona - Jabaal Sheard, DE - The Cardinals need someone to rush the passer, if they don't pick up Quinn or Miller in Round 1, they'll look for one later on.
7. Tennessee - Colin Kaepernick, QB - Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada has volunteered his services to the Titans. Most pundits think Ryan Mallet will be picked higher, but K...aepernick and I agree that the Titans need someone with no character issues to be their QB of the future. He'll probably sit behind Collins for a full season while he acclimates to an NFL offense.
8. Dallas - Allen Bailey, DE - The cowboys love incredible athletes and Bailey will line up on the same side of the field as Demarcus Ware, which, if he pans out, should give opposing LT's nightmares.
9. Washington - Ryan Mallet, QB - McNabb is going to be gone, and the Redskins can't go into the season with Rex Grossman and John Beck as their only QBs. And this is their last pick until the 5th round. Mallet is a douchebag, but so is Jay Cutler, and Shanahan got good production out of him. God dammit, I hate this pick but the Skins can't wait to take Andrew Luck next year.
10. Houston - Brandon Harris, CB - How does a team led by Matt Schaub, Arian Foster and Andre johnson lose 8 of their last 10 games to finish 6-10? On the rare occasion that the Texans tried to stop someone, they still werent able to, because of a complete lack of talent on defense, especially in the secondary. Harris helps immediately.
11. Minnesota - Bruce Carter, LB - A pass rushing, bone crunching, ball-hawking monster.
12. Detroit - Martez Wilson, LB - Another athletic freak who can cover a lot of ground and hit you really hard.
13. San Francisco - Titus Young, WR - Playmaking WR who's moving up draft boards by the day. Michael Crabtree hasn't panned out yet and there's no promise that he ever will.
14. Denver - Stephen Paea, DT - Yes, he recently hurt his knee, but he's got lots of talent and he broke the bench press record at the combine. He's worth the risk at this point.
15. St. Louis - Torrey Smith, WR - Hopefully he turns into another Torry that STL once had...
16. Oakland - Jon Baldwin, WR - Baldwin's not flashy enough for the Raiders but if Al Davis has a heart attack and dies, the Raiders could make this pick. And they'd immediately be reinstated as an actual NFL team.
17. Jacksonville - Rahim Moore, FS - When you're in a division with Peyton Manning and Matt Schaub you need to be able to stop the pass... Jax can't so the #1 safety on the board this year should help.
18. San Diego - Derek Sherrod, OT - Sherrod won't last this long but if he does, this is an easy pick with an unsettled RT situation.
19. Tampa Bay - Davon House, CB - House is a cornerback with good height and outstanding speed (4.35 at his pro day). Ronde Barber remains a solid starting defensive back, but at 36, a replacement is needed sooner rather than later.
20. New York Giants - Mikel Leshoure, RB - Ahmad Bradshaw is a free-agent and may not be re-signed while Brandon Jacobs has had problems on and off the field. Leshoure is a powerful back..., with good speed for his big frame. He also has shown the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. After taking a linebacker in the first round, depth at tackle is probably a bigger need, but the Illinois back has too much value this late in the draft.
21. Indianapolis - Ras-I Dowling, CB - The Colts don't have many holes but a CB makes sense if they get an Offensive Lineman in the First Round.
22. Philadelphia - Mason Foster, LB - The Eagles need to replenish a linebacking corps that's been falling apart for a while.
23. Kansas City - Leonard Hankerson, WR - Pass rusher is a more pressing need but there's no one who deserves to be taken over Hankerson. Talent over need.
24. New Orleans - Christian Ballard, DL -The Saints need more big bodies on their defensive line, and with both these first 2 picks they address that need to the best of their ability.
25. Seattle - DeMarcus Van Dyke, CB - A quick, young player who can keep up Golden Tate on his donut runs... err... fly routes in practice.
26. Baltimore - Marcus Cannon, G - Bye-bye lazy Jared Gaither. Hello gigantic new right tackle prospect (I wouldn't list this guy as a guard). Baltimore is not shy about drafting big-frame guys who may be overweight (Mt. Cody, Ramon Harewood).
27. Atlanta - Randall Cobb, WR - With the Guard talent pool in the mid-rounds being fairly deep and no linebackers warranting selection at this point,... the Falcons will take the best player available at this point regardless of need. Even though they've worked out other quicker all-purpose players, Cobb is the most talented remaining
28. New England - Ryan Williams, RB - Once again, this would like to be a pass rushing OLB, but there aren't any appropriately valuable players who seem to fit in the rather strict mold the Pats like their 3-4 OLBs to fit into for size particularly. Instead they look to a position of some need to hopefully get the feature back Laurence Maroney never turned into.
29. San Diego - Quan Sturdivant, LB - Some people mock a CB here to replace Cromartie, but the linebacker position is such a big need for the Chargers that the most talented Inside Linebacker available needs to be taken here. That's Quan.
30. Chicago - Stefen Wisniewski, C - With Olin Kreutz in the twilight of his career, the Bears need someone that can step in for the former Pro Bowler. Wisniewski should fit the bill after more than holding his own in the rough-and-tumble Big Ten.
31. Pittsburgh - Sam Acho, LB - Acho endured a rare down year for the Longhorns in 2010, but proved throughout his career that he has the athleticism the St...eelers traditionally covet when looking for a pass rusher. Acho will bolster defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau's renowned blitz attack, while also helping to save the legs of high-motor linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley.
32. Green Bay - DeMarco Murray, RB - The Packers lack of a running game nearly derailed their playoff run before it even started. Despite their eventual success, they need someone besides Ryan Grant unless they plan on having Aaron Rodgers drop back on every play of every game in 2011.
Round 3 - *COMPLETED*
1. Carolina - Kyle Rudolph, TE - Panthers will again take a ND product who has for some reason plummeted in the draft and he'll reunite with his college teammate, Jimmy Clausen, and make sweet sweet music opposite Jeremy Shockey
2. Cincinnati - Marcus Gilbert, OT - The best offensive lineman from Florida this year, Gilbert will give Andy Dalton a good protector to go along with the fantastic offense he will have after drafting AJ Green as well.
3. Denver - Chris Carter, DE - While a linebacker would be nice, the Broncos need a pass rusher opposite the constantly injured Elvis Dumerville. The Broncos defensive line will kick ass now.
4. Buffalo - Jerrel Jernigan, WR/KR
5. Arizona - James Carpenter, OT - The Cardinals have a few holes and could go with a DB, LB, or QB of the future like Andy Dalton or Ricki Stanzi here as well.
6. Cleveland - Greg Little, WR - Fantastic athlete, he'll give Colt McCoy a NFL ready target right away.
7. Dallas - Rodney Hudson, G - With the first two picks on the defensive side of the ball, the Cowboys take an offensive lineman to add depth and help prevent Romo from getting hurt again.
8. New Orleans - Kelvin Sheppard, MLB - The Saints need some linebacking help and Kelvin Sheppard seems to be the best option left at this point to provide that.
9. Houston - Jarvis Jenkins, DE/DT - If the Texans use every pick they have this season on a DB or DL it won't be enough.
10. New England - Greg Romeus, DE - This pick is actually a projection for the pass rush OLB the Patriots need so badly. Belichick has a history of taking shots on players who slip because of missing the previous year due to injury like Romeus. He has the prototypical size the Patriots seem fixated on in their OLBs.
11. Detroit - Curtis Brown, CB - Alphonso Smith played possibly the worst game of any player in the NFL all season against the Patriots on Thanksgiving, highlighted by this embarassment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_WdxUWX760 They need another corner.
12. San Francisco - Shareece Wright, CB - Nate Clements is getting older and the Niners don't have much else at corner anyway. Value pick.
13. Tennessee - Edmund Gates, WR - Gates somehow was not taken by the Raiders despite his off the charts speed.
14. St. Louis - Orlando Franklin, T - After taking a QB with the #1 pick, it's never a bad idea to protect him. Hey Detroit, Matt Stafford hopes you're reading this.
15. Miami - Ricky Stanzi, QB - The Dolphins taking a QB in the 2nd-3rd round is the new "Lions draft a WR with a top 10 pick" running draft joke.
16. Jacksonville - Tanden Doss, WR - Doss has terrific hands, making him the ultimate possession receiver. The second coming of Keenan McCardell? David Garrard, cross your fingers!
17. Oakland - Johnny Patrick, CB - No more Nnamdi.
18. San Diego - DeAndre Mcdaniel, S - They have other needs but no one worth taking at this juncture is available. Plus San Diego has the habit of taking athletic secondary guys who never really pan out so they'd possibly take a little bit of a reach here to lock up the best Safety left.
19. New York Giants - Will Rackley, G/T - The left side of the Giants' offensive line is in need of an upgrade, and Rackley should provide depth at both the tackle and guard spots. There are concerns about a small school product adjusting to the NFL, but Rackley has the size and athleticism to contribute.
20. Tampa Bay - Taiwan Jones, RB - Another defensive end, an outside linebacker, and tackle are more pressing needs, but there is little value at those positions remaining, so the Bu...cs opt for a third down running back to complement LaGarrette Blount. Jones ran a sub 4.3 40 at his pro day and impressed in other drills as well. He is too slight to carry the load for an offense, but should be able to make some plays from the backfield. Think of him as a poor man's Jahvid Best.
21. Philadelphia - Joe Lefeged, S - Joe Lefeged, Rutgers University (via Northwest High School...where he was like 2 years behind me... GO JAGS)
22. Kansas City - James Brewer, OT - Brewer is 6'6", can play either tackle spot and KC is thrilled to have such a good prospect to fall to them after passing on OL in the first two rounds.
23. Indianapolis - Clint Boling, G - As mentioned earlier, the Colts have been skimping on the OL for years and need to get some protection for Manning.
24. New Orleans - Jah Reid, OT - The Saints have had some offensive line issues and questions, this should shore it up somewhat and provide hopefully a future starter.
25. San Diego - Greg Salas, WR - San Diego has been hurting at WR ever since Vincent Jackson decided not to show up for much of the season last year. His future with the team is still uncertain and other than Malcolm Floyd, the Chargers have no impact WR's to catch Philip Rivers' passes, Salas could start right away if Jackson isn't in the picture.
26. Baltimore - Niles Paul, WR - Ravens have to get a WR to stretch field. Niles is strong and fast, can stretch the field, and has good (but small) hands. Will complement more polished route runners in boldin and mason.
27. Atlanta - Kendall Hunter, RB - Need a RB to take the load off Turner.
28. New England - Jeremy Beal, OLB - The Pats really need to pick up a pass rush. Maybe 2 shots at it will give it to them finally.
29. Chicago - Marcus Gilchrist, CB - Gilchrist will add depth to a secondary that has been susceptible to injury in recent years, and the Bears will need help in shutting down divisional weapons such as Aaron Rodgers and Calvin Johnson.
30. New York Jets - Jurell Casey, DT - Jets will be taking Casey to stay young in the middle of the DL. He isn't just a run blocker, he's expected to get in the backfield and further improve the Jets pass rush.
31. Pittsburgh - John Moffitt, G - Pittsburgh realizes that its success is largely reliant on the health of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and the beating he has taken in recent years is troubling. Moffitt's time in Bret Bielema's bruising power running system will undoubtedly help him open holes for Rashard Mendenhall, too.
32. Green Bay - Greg Jones, LB - One of the few highly rated OLB's who's more of a run stopping/coverage type as opposed to a pass rusher. The Packers could use him to stop Peterson/Matt Forte
33. Carolina - Chimdi Chewka, CB - This will help add depth to a CB core that could be taken apart with FA and could help with kick/punt return duties. How he got past Al Davis is beyond me, he ran a sub 4.4 at the combine, and he has a strange name that would be the perfect replacement for Nnamdi
Currently taken teams as of March 24th:
Chiefs+Cowboys - Alex Basista
Patriots+Saints - Will Harvey
Panthers+Bengals - Anirudh Pratap
Jets+Jaguars - Jon Reynolds
Seahawks+Cardinals - Cody Johnson
Eagles+Lions - Dan Trojak
Ravens+Dolphins - Aaron Mercurio
Bears+Steelers - Terrance Jordan
Rams - Justin Hernandez
49ers+Bills - Bryan Schlieper
Titans+Texans - Andy Duvall
Broncos+Redskins - Omeed Ilchi
Chargers+Falcons - Dave West
Packers+Vikings - Paul Burke
Bucs+Giants - Doug Perry
Colts+Raiders - Brian Westneat
Browns - Andy Veasey
The following is the result of a more than month-long 2011 NFL Mock Draft that I oversaw and took part in via Facebook. Every team had a "GM" although trades were not allowed. Individuals and their associated teams are listed at the bottom. The goal was to create a realistic guess at what the 2011 NFL Draft could look like mixed with individual opinions on where certain players deserved to be taken. The rationale posted below (unless in italics) was written by the person who made the pick.
*NOTE* Because of the length of this draft, some selections were made when individual players had different draft stocks (mid to late March) and the earlier picks may have been changed if they were made closer to the actual draft.
Round 1 - *COMPLETED*
1. Carolina (2-14) - Nick Fairley, DT - 1) I am not willing to give up on Jimmy Clausen, Troy Aikman went 1-14 or something his rookie year, ended up pretty decent.... and now that he has a coach that knows what a forward pass is he'll be better. 2) DT is a HUGE need for the team, this will allow Charles Johnson and Everett Brown to be a little more freed up(assuming they resign johnson) 3) You apparently cant take a WR or CB with the number one overall pick, and while I would love to have Peterson, DT is a more pressing need, and a more important position.
2. Denver (4-12) - Patrick Peterson, CB - Peterson's the most can't miss player in the draft and having him learn from champ bailey for a couple years is going to be great for him.
3. Buffalo (4-12) - Marcell Dareus, DT - When you have no chance to win anything that season, taking the most talented player should take precedence over filling a position of need, even though dareus accomplishes both.
4. Cincinnati (4-12) - AJ Green, WR - An offense of Green, Palmer, Benson, Grisham and Jerome Simpson could be pretty deadly if Palmer does show up (and this is assuming Ochocinco is traded or cut or something, cause with him that would be a WR core that would give the Saints a run for the best overall talent in a WR core)
5. Arizona (5-11) - Blaine Gabbert, QB - The Cardinals obviously need a quarterback unless they think that John Skelton is the answer. Unless they feel that they'd be better served trading for a QB in Free Agency, Gabbert is the guy for them.
6. Cleveland (5-11) - Von Miller, LB - Miller probably won't fall this far but if he does, the Browns would be thrilled to have his talents to hassle elite divisional rival QB's Flacco and Roethlesberger
7. San Francisco (6-10) - Robert Quinn, LB - Quinn is a elite physical talent and will be a blitzing 3-4 OLB that so many 3-4 teams covet. Justin Smith isn't getting younger and Manny Lawson is a free agent so this may be a position of need very soon.
8. Tennessee (6-10) - Da'Quan Bowers, DE - If the Titans don't take a QB, probably Gabbert, they'll almost certainly pick the best 4-3 DL. Bowers has a high upside, but injury concerns abound so this might be a bit of a reach despite Bowers' physical talents.
9. Dallas (6-10) - Prince Amukamara, CB - The Cowboys couldnt stop anyone on defense last year, in particular struggling against the pass. Their pass rush and D-Line is pretty solid, so that leaves the secondary, where Terrence Newman is a shadow of his former self. Prince is a great talent and a great fit.
10. Washington (6-10) - Julio Jones, WR - The Redskins have needs at every position besides safety, but because Santana Moss is a free agent, they're down to Anthony Armstrong and the perpetually injured Malcolm Kelly. Jones has a combo of size and speed the Redskins have always wanted.
11. Houston (6-10) - Cameron Jordan, DE - Houston's defense was simply awful last season. They have an OK linebacking corps but they need to improve their DL and secondary. If Amukamara is already gone, the choice will simply be the best DL available.
12. Minnesota (6-10) - Cam Newton, QB - The Vikings need a QB and not only do they get the probable #1 overall pick, the get a guy similar to the player they drafted a few years ago (Tarvaris Jackson). Realistically, there's no chance at all Newton will last this long.
13. Detroit (6-10) - Tyron Smith, OT - The Lions need to protect Matt Stafford, their #1 overall pick franchise QB from suffering any more injuries. The best way to do that is by taking an elite RT to cover his blind side.
14. St. Louis (7-9) - Aldon Smith, DE - Passing on Watt and gambling with the big time play ability of Smith.
15. Miami (7-9) - Mark Ingram, RB - RB is the biggest need but I wouldn't be shocked to see the Dolphins take a QB given they have no 2nd round pick and all the other QBs are projected early 2nd round.
16. Jacksonville (8-8) - Ryan Kerrigan, DE - Jacksonville loves guys like Kerrigan and they need a better DE to combat the Manning's and Schaub's of the world, both of whom they play twice a year.
17. New England (14-2) - JJ Watt, DE - The Patriots really lacked any potency in their pass rush last year and at times were vulnerable to the run. This pick hopefully goes some way to filling the enormous hole left when they traded Richard Seymour before last season. A 5-technique DE opposite a returning Ty Warren who can also hopefully provide something of a pass rush would be huge for the Pats, and all the reports suggest Watt has a lot of versatility which Belichick should love.
18. San Diego (9-7) - Brooks Reed, LB - In classic AJ Smith fashion, the Chargers select a pass rusher when they have big question marks in other areas (OL, WR, DL).
19. NY Giants (10-6) - Akeem Ayers, LB - Keith Bullock is coming off a decent season, but he's 34 and isn't the long-term answer. Ayers could play as a 3-4 outside linebacker as he pressures the quarterback w...ell, but has the coverage skills to contribute in the 4-3. The Giants could be looking to spend a high pick on a left tackle, but after Tyron Smith was taken by the Lions, I don't think Constanzo, Sherrod, or Carimi warrants a top 20 selection.
20. Tampa Bay (10-6) - Adrian Clayborn, DE - Most mock drafts have long had Clayborn locked in to this spot, and I see no reason to disagree. They finished 31st in the league in sacks, and desperately need an edge rusher. He has Top 10 talent but has fallen because of some legal concerns, and is worth a shot this low for the Bucs.
21. Kansas City (10-6) - Phil Taylor, NT - The Chiefs 3 main concerns are WR, rush OLB and NT. With no remaining WR being worthy of this high a selection and both Brooks Reed and Akeem Ayers going in the last 3 picks, Taylor is the easy choice here. Taylor is a monster in the middle who will consistently take on multiple blocks to free up Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali as well as clog up the inside run lanes.
22. Indianapolis (10-6) - Anthony Castonzo, OT - Indy has been skimping on OL for years and with Jeff Saturday near retirement, Ryan Lilja waived and their tackles underperforming, OL is the obvious direction they will be looking to go in.
23. Philadelphia (10-6) - Gabe Carimi, OT/G - The Eagles need to fill a position of need and Carimi might be the best run blocker in this year's class. Because even with Michael Vick starting, every once in a while the Eagles might want Lesean Mccoy to run the ball.
24. New Orleans (11-5) - Muhammad Wilkerson, DE - The Saints need a lot of help along their line, the only way they got pressure last year was endless blitzes. Wilkerson should help that a lot.
25. Seattle (7-9) - Christian Ponder, QB - Matt Hasselbeck's old and unless the Seahawks think Charlie Whitehurst is the answer, they could draft a QB here. Ponder is a mobile, strong-armed athlete who could become a good NFL starter.
26. Baltimore (12-4) - Jimmy Smith, CB - Smith is the best prospect, he's 6'2", and has the advantage of learning under RayRay, Ed Reed and T-sizzle. Also, I still believes Sergio Kindle will pan out at OLB.
27. Atlanta (13-3) - Justin Houston, DE - Strong, long-armed pass rusher built similar to the guy he could eventually replace, John Abraham.
28. New England (14-2) - Nate Solder, OT - Ideally this pick would be a 3-4 OLB pass rusher, but there really don't seem to be any here that would be appropriate value. The other weakness of the Pats ...last year was the offensive line. This pick may not be an immediate need, depending on whether Matt Light comes back at LT. However, we need a long term replacement for Light and maybe something can be done where one of Light, Vollmer, or Solder swings inside to Guard for a year or two until Light retires. Solder is just ahead of Mike Pouncey at guard. (Nice prediction!)
29. Chicago (11-5) - Mike Pouncey, G - Though the Bears offensive line played as a cohesive unit after the bye week last year, it still remains the weak point on an otherwise strong team. After seeing the success of Mike's brother Maurkice as a Steelers rookie and Pro Bowl selection last year, the younger Pouncey is the pick.
30. New York Jets (11-5) (delayed) - Benjamin Ijalana, G/OT - After a phenomenal run game in 2009 they took a step back, mostly due to decreased OL play. Ijalana is a monster who's quick enough to play guard but also big enough to play RT opposite from D'Brickashaw Ferguson.
31. Pittsburgh (12-4) - Aaron Williams, CB - With explosive receivers, a franchise quarterback, and a marquee runnin...g back, Pittsburgh is not lacking on the offensive side of the ball. Though it is tempting to stockpile another player that can rush the passer, the fact remains that it is a passing league, and in the secondary, the Steelers are pedestrian. Williams should provide instant help to a secondary that could have used a lift against Aaron Rodgers in this past year's Super Bowl.
32. Green Bay (10-6) - Cameron Heyward, DE - The Packers have a tremendous front 7 are Heyward would add yet another weapon to a unit that's already a strength and already contains a Buckeye, AJ Hawk.
Round 2 - *COMPLETED*
1. New England - Danny Watkins, G - Once again, ideally there would be a rush LB of value here but I just don't see it the way this shapes up. For the record I'm 90% sure either this pick or #28 gets traded to some qb-hungry team (redskins) for a 2012 1st rounder.
2. Buffalo - Jake Locker, QB - The Bills need a QB now but since they seem to think that Ryan Fitzpatrick qualifies, they'll settle for a QB of the future. Make no mistake, Jake Locker is not ready to start in the NFL
3. Cincinnati - Andy Dalton, QB - Carson Palmer has said he will never play for the Bengals again. At the moment the Bengals seem to be hiding their head in the sand regarding this issue, but if they do decide that having a QB on their roster who's willing to play for them is something they might be interested in, Dalton would be a solid pick.
4. Denver - Corey Liuget, DT - The Broncos front seven is abysmal. Upgrades need to be made at almost every position and since they're moving to the 4-3, they need to add guys who can play in that system. Liuget only fell this far because he's a 4-3 DT in a 3-4 world, so he's great value here.
5. Cleveland - Marvin Austin, DT - The Cleveland Browns select Marvin Austin, DT from possibly the greatest athletic university the world has ever seen. The man is giant and is simply terrifying on the defensive line.
6. Arizona - Jabaal Sheard, DE - The Cardinals need someone to rush the passer, if they don't pick up Quinn or Miller in Round 1, they'll look for one later on.
7. Tennessee - Colin Kaepernick, QB - Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada has volunteered his services to the Titans. Most pundits think Ryan Mallet will be picked higher, but K...aepernick and I agree that the Titans need someone with no character issues to be their QB of the future. He'll probably sit behind Collins for a full season while he acclimates to an NFL offense.
8. Dallas - Allen Bailey, DE - The cowboys love incredible athletes and Bailey will line up on the same side of the field as Demarcus Ware, which, if he pans out, should give opposing LT's nightmares.
9. Washington - Ryan Mallet, QB - McNabb is going to be gone, and the Redskins can't go into the season with Rex Grossman and John Beck as their only QBs. And this is their last pick until the 5th round. Mallet is a douchebag, but so is Jay Cutler, and Shanahan got good production out of him. God dammit, I hate this pick but the Skins can't wait to take Andrew Luck next year.
10. Houston - Brandon Harris, CB - How does a team led by Matt Schaub, Arian Foster and Andre johnson lose 8 of their last 10 games to finish 6-10? On the rare occasion that the Texans tried to stop someone, they still werent able to, because of a complete lack of talent on defense, especially in the secondary. Harris helps immediately.
11. Minnesota - Bruce Carter, LB - A pass rushing, bone crunching, ball-hawking monster.
12. Detroit - Martez Wilson, LB - Another athletic freak who can cover a lot of ground and hit you really hard.
13. San Francisco - Titus Young, WR - Playmaking WR who's moving up draft boards by the day. Michael Crabtree hasn't panned out yet and there's no promise that he ever will.
14. Denver - Stephen Paea, DT - Yes, he recently hurt his knee, but he's got lots of talent and he broke the bench press record at the combine. He's worth the risk at this point.
15. St. Louis - Torrey Smith, WR - Hopefully he turns into another Torry that STL once had...
16. Oakland - Jon Baldwin, WR - Baldwin's not flashy enough for the Raiders but if Al Davis has a heart attack and dies, the Raiders could make this pick. And they'd immediately be reinstated as an actual NFL team.
17. Jacksonville - Rahim Moore, FS - When you're in a division with Peyton Manning and Matt Schaub you need to be able to stop the pass... Jax can't so the #1 safety on the board this year should help.
18. San Diego - Derek Sherrod, OT - Sherrod won't last this long but if he does, this is an easy pick with an unsettled RT situation.
19. Tampa Bay - Davon House, CB - House is a cornerback with good height and outstanding speed (4.35 at his pro day). Ronde Barber remains a solid starting defensive back, but at 36, a replacement is needed sooner rather than later.
20. New York Giants - Mikel Leshoure, RB - Ahmad Bradshaw is a free-agent and may not be re-signed while Brandon Jacobs has had problems on and off the field. Leshoure is a powerful back..., with good speed for his big frame. He also has shown the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. After taking a linebacker in the first round, depth at tackle is probably a bigger need, but the Illinois back has too much value this late in the draft.
21. Indianapolis - Ras-I Dowling, CB - The Colts don't have many holes but a CB makes sense if they get an Offensive Lineman in the First Round.
22. Philadelphia - Mason Foster, LB - The Eagles need to replenish a linebacking corps that's been falling apart for a while.
23. Kansas City - Leonard Hankerson, WR - Pass rusher is a more pressing need but there's no one who deserves to be taken over Hankerson. Talent over need.
24. New Orleans - Christian Ballard, DL -The Saints need more big bodies on their defensive line, and with both these first 2 picks they address that need to the best of their ability.
25. Seattle - DeMarcus Van Dyke, CB - A quick, young player who can keep up Golden Tate on his donut runs... err... fly routes in practice.
26. Baltimore - Marcus Cannon, G - Bye-bye lazy Jared Gaither. Hello gigantic new right tackle prospect (I wouldn't list this guy as a guard). Baltimore is not shy about drafting big-frame guys who may be overweight (Mt. Cody, Ramon Harewood).
27. Atlanta - Randall Cobb, WR - With the Guard talent pool in the mid-rounds being fairly deep and no linebackers warranting selection at this point,... the Falcons will take the best player available at this point regardless of need. Even though they've worked out other quicker all-purpose players, Cobb is the most talented remaining
28. New England - Ryan Williams, RB - Once again, this would like to be a pass rushing OLB, but there aren't any appropriately valuable players who seem to fit in the rather strict mold the Pats like their 3-4 OLBs to fit into for size particularly. Instead they look to a position of some need to hopefully get the feature back Laurence Maroney never turned into.
29. San Diego - Quan Sturdivant, LB - Some people mock a CB here to replace Cromartie, but the linebacker position is such a big need for the Chargers that the most talented Inside Linebacker available needs to be taken here. That's Quan.
30. Chicago - Stefen Wisniewski, C - With Olin Kreutz in the twilight of his career, the Bears need someone that can step in for the former Pro Bowler. Wisniewski should fit the bill after more than holding his own in the rough-and-tumble Big Ten.
31. Pittsburgh - Sam Acho, LB - Acho endured a rare down year for the Longhorns in 2010, but proved throughout his career that he has the athleticism the St...eelers traditionally covet when looking for a pass rusher. Acho will bolster defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau's renowned blitz attack, while also helping to save the legs of high-motor linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley.
32. Green Bay - DeMarco Murray, RB - The Packers lack of a running game nearly derailed their playoff run before it even started. Despite their eventual success, they need someone besides Ryan Grant unless they plan on having Aaron Rodgers drop back on every play of every game in 2011.
Round 3 - *COMPLETED*
1. Carolina - Kyle Rudolph, TE - Panthers will again take a ND product who has for some reason plummeted in the draft and he'll reunite with his college teammate, Jimmy Clausen, and make sweet sweet music opposite Jeremy Shockey
2. Cincinnati - Marcus Gilbert, OT - The best offensive lineman from Florida this year, Gilbert will give Andy Dalton a good protector to go along with the fantastic offense he will have after drafting AJ Green as well.
3. Denver - Chris Carter, DE - While a linebacker would be nice, the Broncos need a pass rusher opposite the constantly injured Elvis Dumerville. The Broncos defensive line will kick ass now.
4. Buffalo - Jerrel Jernigan, WR/KR
5. Arizona - James Carpenter, OT - The Cardinals have a few holes and could go with a DB, LB, or QB of the future like Andy Dalton or Ricki Stanzi here as well.
6. Cleveland - Greg Little, WR - Fantastic athlete, he'll give Colt McCoy a NFL ready target right away.
7. Dallas - Rodney Hudson, G - With the first two picks on the defensive side of the ball, the Cowboys take an offensive lineman to add depth and help prevent Romo from getting hurt again.
8. New Orleans - Kelvin Sheppard, MLB - The Saints need some linebacking help and Kelvin Sheppard seems to be the best option left at this point to provide that.
9. Houston - Jarvis Jenkins, DE/DT - If the Texans use every pick they have this season on a DB or DL it won't be enough.
10. New England - Greg Romeus, DE - This pick is actually a projection for the pass rush OLB the Patriots need so badly. Belichick has a history of taking shots on players who slip because of missing the previous year due to injury like Romeus. He has the prototypical size the Patriots seem fixated on in their OLBs.
11. Detroit - Curtis Brown, CB - Alphonso Smith played possibly the worst game of any player in the NFL all season against the Patriots on Thanksgiving, highlighted by this embarassment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_WdxUWX760 They need another corner.
12. San Francisco - Shareece Wright, CB - Nate Clements is getting older and the Niners don't have much else at corner anyway. Value pick.
13. Tennessee - Edmund Gates, WR - Gates somehow was not taken by the Raiders despite his off the charts speed.
14. St. Louis - Orlando Franklin, T - After taking a QB with the #1 pick, it's never a bad idea to protect him. Hey Detroit, Matt Stafford hopes you're reading this.
15. Miami - Ricky Stanzi, QB - The Dolphins taking a QB in the 2nd-3rd round is the new "Lions draft a WR with a top 10 pick" running draft joke.
16. Jacksonville - Tanden Doss, WR - Doss has terrific hands, making him the ultimate possession receiver. The second coming of Keenan McCardell? David Garrard, cross your fingers!
17. Oakland - Johnny Patrick, CB - No more Nnamdi.
18. San Diego - DeAndre Mcdaniel, S - They have other needs but no one worth taking at this juncture is available. Plus San Diego has the habit of taking athletic secondary guys who never really pan out so they'd possibly take a little bit of a reach here to lock up the best Safety left.
19. New York Giants - Will Rackley, G/T - The left side of the Giants' offensive line is in need of an upgrade, and Rackley should provide depth at both the tackle and guard spots. There are concerns about a small school product adjusting to the NFL, but Rackley has the size and athleticism to contribute.
20. Tampa Bay - Taiwan Jones, RB - Another defensive end, an outside linebacker, and tackle are more pressing needs, but there is little value at those positions remaining, so the Bu...cs opt for a third down running back to complement LaGarrette Blount. Jones ran a sub 4.3 40 at his pro day and impressed in other drills as well. He is too slight to carry the load for an offense, but should be able to make some plays from the backfield. Think of him as a poor man's Jahvid Best.
21. Philadelphia - Joe Lefeged, S - Joe Lefeged, Rutgers University (via Northwest High School...where he was like 2 years behind me... GO JAGS)
22. Kansas City - James Brewer, OT - Brewer is 6'6", can play either tackle spot and KC is thrilled to have such a good prospect to fall to them after passing on OL in the first two rounds.
23. Indianapolis - Clint Boling, G - As mentioned earlier, the Colts have been skimping on the OL for years and need to get some protection for Manning.
24. New Orleans - Jah Reid, OT - The Saints have had some offensive line issues and questions, this should shore it up somewhat and provide hopefully a future starter.
25. San Diego - Greg Salas, WR - San Diego has been hurting at WR ever since Vincent Jackson decided not to show up for much of the season last year. His future with the team is still uncertain and other than Malcolm Floyd, the Chargers have no impact WR's to catch Philip Rivers' passes, Salas could start right away if Jackson isn't in the picture.
26. Baltimore - Niles Paul, WR - Ravens have to get a WR to stretch field. Niles is strong and fast, can stretch the field, and has good (but small) hands. Will complement more polished route runners in boldin and mason.
27. Atlanta - Kendall Hunter, RB - Need a RB to take the load off Turner.
28. New England - Jeremy Beal, OLB - The Pats really need to pick up a pass rush. Maybe 2 shots at it will give it to them finally.
29. Chicago - Marcus Gilchrist, CB - Gilchrist will add depth to a secondary that has been susceptible to injury in recent years, and the Bears will need help in shutting down divisional weapons such as Aaron Rodgers and Calvin Johnson.
30. New York Jets - Jurell Casey, DT - Jets will be taking Casey to stay young in the middle of the DL. He isn't just a run blocker, he's expected to get in the backfield and further improve the Jets pass rush.
31. Pittsburgh - John Moffitt, G - Pittsburgh realizes that its success is largely reliant on the health of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and the beating he has taken in recent years is troubling. Moffitt's time in Bret Bielema's bruising power running system will undoubtedly help him open holes for Rashard Mendenhall, too.
32. Green Bay - Greg Jones, LB - One of the few highly rated OLB's who's more of a run stopping/coverage type as opposed to a pass rusher. The Packers could use him to stop Peterson/Matt Forte
33. Carolina - Chimdi Chewka, CB - This will help add depth to a CB core that could be taken apart with FA and could help with kick/punt return duties. How he got past Al Davis is beyond me, he ran a sub 4.4 at the combine, and he has a strange name that would be the perfect replacement for Nnamdi
Currently taken teams as of March 24th:
Chiefs+Cowboys - Alex Basista
Patriots+Saints - Will Harvey
Panthers+Bengals - Anirudh Pratap
Jets+Jaguars - Jon Reynolds
Seahawks+Cardinals - Cody Johnson
Eagles+Lions - Dan Trojak
Ravens+Dolphins - Aaron Mercurio
Bears+Steelers - Terrance Jordan
Rams - Justin Hernandez
49ers+Bills - Bryan Schlieper
Titans+Texans - Andy Duvall
Broncos+Redskins - Omeed Ilchi
Chargers+Falcons - Dave West
Packers+Vikings - Paul Burke
Bucs+Giants - Doug Perry
Colts+Raiders - Brian Westneat
Browns - Andy Veasey
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