My 1st-Round Mock w/ us making the playoffs (12/20)

So, I now expect us to make the playoffs. We will probably beat STL and Arizona, while Seattle loses either to Tampa OR STL. So with that, we're picking 21st. At that spot, I have us taking CB Jimmy Smith from Colorado. Its either him or Akeem Ayers at that spot, and Smith is a super-safe pick that fits a need.


1 - CAR - QB Andrew Luck, Stanford - Best Player Available
2 - DEN - CB Patrick Peterson, LSU - Biggest Need by far; Champ Bailey is Leaving
3 - CIN - DE Da-Quan Bowers, Clemson - Biggest Need, Beast of a Pass-Rusher
4 - ARI - WR AJ Green, Georgia - Arizona Wants to Win Now, and the Bolden loss has been very bad for them. Fitz wants pressure off of him, and whatever Vet QB they have in 2011 will be very happy with Fitz-Green at WR.
5 - DET - CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska - Biggest Need, Huge Talent -- Will join fellow Husker Suh in Detriot. Great Pick
6 - BUF - DL Nick Fairley, Auburn - Versatile D-Lineman, can play in either a 4-3 or 3-4
7 - WAS - QB Jake Locker, Washington - Shanahan gets a QB to Develop after his relationship with McNabb has fallen Apart. Excellent fit for the WCO
8 - CLE - DL Marcell Dareus, Alabama - DL and WR are the two biggest needs, but Green is off the board and Dareus is higher on the big board than Julio Jones
9 - SEA - QB Cam Newton, Auburn - A QB of the future is their biggest need, and Cam Newton fits the bill; better fit for their system than Mallett
10 - TEN - DE Robert Quinn, UNC - Jason Babin is probably leaving -- Tennessee will have boken DEs with Quinn and Morgan for a LONG time; they could get rid of Vince Young and take Mallett, but ownership will keep him
11 - MIN - QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas - QB of the Future
12 - DAL - OT Derek Sherrod, Miss State - (Not a reach). He will be the #1 OT by draft time, and has great footwork for a Left Tackle at the NFL Level
13 - STL - WR Julio Jones, Alabama - Massive need, Sam Bradford does celebratory backflips
14 - NE - RB Ryan Williams, VA Tech - Williams > Ingram -- we'll see which way they go. New England could opt for another CB, but I don't think they're ready to give up on Butler
15 - HOU - CB Brandon Harris, Miami - Hoping he would fall to us, but the awful awful Houston secondary needs a major upgrade
16 - MIA - RB Mark Ingram, Alabama - Both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are Free Agents -- expect them to re-sign ronnie brown and draft Ingram
17 - JAX - CB Ras I-Dowling, Virginia - Big need at Cornerback -- DE seems like a need, but Campman will be back in 2011
18 - TB - DE Allen Bailey, Miami - Awful D-line -- will get better
19 - SD - DE/OLB Von Miller, Texas A&M - Pass Rush gets better
20 - NYG - OLB Travis Lewis, Oklahoma - Stud 4-3 OLB
21 - SF - CB Jimmy Smith, Colorado - Low-risk, High-talent Smith will be a solid starting CB for years to come. There is nothing about Smith that raises alarm bells. OLB Akeem Ayers from UCLA is also possible, but he has bust written all over him.
22 - GB - DE/OLB Akeem Ayers, UCLA - If he pans out, Green Bay will have dominant, I mean dominant, pass-rushers. Teams without many holes can take a risk on a guy like Ayers
23 - IND - DT Stephen Paea, Oregon State - Classic run-stuffing 4-3 DT. Will fit great there.
24 - CHI - Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College - Awful O-line, big fix
25 - KC - Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State - Dwayne Bowe is VERY happy that he won't be doubled-up every play
26 - NO - DT Jurrell Casey, USC - Depth on the O-line
27 - NYJ - DE/OLB Cam Jordan, Cal - Nice Upgrade here 28 - BAL - Janoris Jenkins, CB, Florida - Very weak in the secondary compared to the front seven -- nice pick here
29 - PIT - Mike Pouncey, G, Florida - The Pouncey Brothers will be reunited on the O-line in Pittsburgh
30 - PHI - Joseph Barksdale, OT, LSU - Weak on the O-line, Philly gets a nice player with great technique here.
31 - ATL - TE Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame - Tony Gonzalez is a free agent. One-year extension and draft a replacement?
32 - NE - DL Jared Crick, Nebraska - Has Patriot Written all over him

I can live with our CB pick. But it still doesn't answer our QB question, biggest need of all. Do you think we trade up late in first round or early 2nd round for a QB then? If so, who is left that's worth drafting since Luck, Locker, Newton and Mallet are all gone?

Originally posted by mcbaes72:
I can live with our CB pick. But it still doesn't answer our QB question, biggest need of all. Do you think we trade up late in first round or early 2nd round for a QB then? If so, who is left that's worth drafting since Luck, Locker, Newton and Mallet are all gone?

Draft Stanzi in the 2nd

Originally posted by valrod33:

Originally posted by mcbaes72:
I can live with our CB pick. But it still doesn't answer our QB question, biggest need of all. Do you think we trade up late in first round or early 2nd round for a QB then? If so, who is left that's worth drafting since Luck, Locker, Newton and Mallet are all gone?

Draft Stanzi in the 2nd

Ponder or Devlin in the 2nd, Sanzi in the 3rd or 4th. Stanzi is lacking arm strength. Ponder can make every throw and is very mobile.

I worry that Ponder may even end up being a 1st rounder. But he'd be a GREAT pick at #53.

Originally posted by mcbaes72:
I can live with our CB pick. But it still doesn't answer our QB question, biggest need of all. Do you think we trade up late in first round or early 2nd round for a QB then? If so, who is left that's worth drafting since Luck, Locker, Newton and Mallet are all gone?

Ponder in the 2nd.

A lot of those guys will not go in the first, in example; Ras I Dowling is def second rounder.

We won't be able to get Luck or Mallett so I wouldn't waste my time with a QB in this draft, I would look into free agency for that.

At that point in the draft, I would take the best player available and that is Justin Blackmon. Put him in the starting lineup and our WR's will finally be a true threat.

Originally posted by 24plus25er:
A lot of those guys will not go in the first, in example; Ras I Dowling is def second rounder.

bets

Originally posted by 24plus25er:
A lot of those guys will not go in the first, in example; Ras I Dowling is def second rounder.

He'll have an amazing pro day and go in the 1st or 2nd. In this mock, he's probably higher than he should be -- a lot of teams need corners this year.

wouldnt mind it at all, would rather go OLB with Ayers, dude will be a beast at the next level.

Then go QB Stanzi or Devlin in rd 2, then rd 3, get a CB like Dowling or Curtis Brown.

Or trade up into rd 2, get a CB like Aaron Williams if he were to fall.

Originally posted by AB83Rules:
wouldnt mind it at all, would rather go OLB with Ayers, dude will be a beast at the next level.

Then go QB Stanzi or Devlin in rd 2, then rd 3, get a CB like Dowling or Curtis Brown.

Or trade up into rd 2, get a CB like Aaron Williams if he were to fall.

I think he is way to small at the next level

Originally posted by valrod33:

Originally posted by mcbaes72:
I can live with our CB pick. But it still doesn't answer our QB question, biggest need of all. Do you think we trade up late in first round or early 2nd round for a QB then? If so, who is left that's worth drafting since Luck, Locker, Newton and Mallet are all gone?

Draft Stanzi in the 2nd

Yeah, Stanzi or Ponder in the 2nd.

I'd rather take Ryan Kerrigan if we were picking at #21.

Like the draft, definitely showed you put effort into it and that's always appreciated on the Zone


Only have two knocks:

1. I like the Tampa pick, but I don't necessarily think their DLine is awful, especially with all the investments they put into it last season (first two picks). Before this season started, I would've said they needed a WR or RB, but since Blount and Williams showed up, they do need to improve their pass rush, so I like the pick

2. As much as Jimmy Smith is a safe pick, if we're drafting that late, it's about talent vs need, and can't see passing up a top notch receiver in Blackmon if he falls to us. Whomever we doom to play at QB is gonna need a speed receiver to stretch the field (Ginn could've been this IF he could hold onto the ball) and get guys like VD and Crabtree open.


Overall, I think it's realistic and pretty well done, so great job