4ML's April Mock Draft (trade down)

Draft:

Rd. 1
1. Panthers: Cam Newton, QB - Best QB in the draft and a top 5 player.
2. Cardinals (via DEN): Blaine Gabbert, QB - Jump ahead to take their QB of the future and to keep Fitz happy.
3. Bills: Marcel Dareus, DE/DT - Can play anywhere on their DL.
4. Bengals: Nick Fairley, DT - DL needs major upgrades, plus Fairley satisfy their "must have character issues" requirement.
5. Broncos (via Cardinals): Patrick Peterson, CB - This worked out perfectly for them
6. Browns: AJ Green, WR - Wanted a WR for McCoy, and they got the best one. Find themselves lucky.

7. Patriots (via Niners): Von Miller, OLB - Pats trade their 17th and 1st pick in the 2nd round to nab Miller. Niners wanted Miller, but couldn't refuse Pats offer. I know I'll get some heat for this, but getting a mid-1st and the 1st pick of 2nd round is very enticing.

8. Titans: Robert Quinn, DE - They hope he can be the Freak 2.0
9. Cowboys: Tyron Smith, OT - They can't afford Romo to get injured again
10. 'Skins: Prince Amukamara, CB - They are pretty happy to see Cowboys passing up Amukamara
11. Texans: Aldon Smith, OLB - New 3-4 D will need some pass-rushers.
12. Vikings: Da'Quan Bowers, DE - At one point, he was a lock to go in top 3. Vikings are thrilled to get him at 12.
13. Lions: Anthony Castonzo, OT - Protecting Stafford is the highest priority
14. Rams: J.J. Watt, DT- Rams continue to build that DL into a powerhouse.
15. Dolphins: Jake Locker, QB - They need a QB and they take a shot on Locker
16. Jaguars: Ryan Kerrigan, DE - Pass-rush, Pass-rush, Pass-rush

17. Niners: Cameron Jordan, DE - Has experience in 3-4, relentless and hard-worker, and fills a major need opposite Smith and any other year would have gone in top 10. At 6-4 290, he is a perfect 3-4 End.

Rd. 2
1. (via Pats): Andy Dalton, QB - Harbaugh wanted Dalton all along and he got it. A perfect West-Coast offense QB who will learn from one of the top QB coaches. Dalton is just as happy to be drafted by the Niners. End of Alex Smith Era.

13. Brooks Reed, OLB - Another relentless player, who create havoc and sacks QBs on a regular basis. Niners finally address this weakness for the next 10 years. Reed will make people forget that Niners passed on Von Miller.

31. Trade up (via Pittsburg): Curtis Brown, CB - Niners trade their 3rd and one of their 4th rounder for Brown. He is a perfect Harbaugh type of player. Will hit hard, and a smart player.


Rd. 4
11. Owen Marecic, FB - Harbaugh drafts one of the toughest players in the draft, who is also his former player at Stanford. Harbaugh wants power running game, and everything is in place for that, except a FB.


Rd. 5
11. Sione Fua, NT - Harbaugh again drafts his former player to round up the defense. Franklin won't return, and we have little behind him. Fua is another very smart player. He is not the most talented, but works hard and plays smarter than other players.


Rd. 6
9. Cecil Shorts, WR - A very successful small school prospect. Very good route runner, a must in West Coast offense.

With the remaining picks, we add another DB, and couple of offensive linemen, and a running back. In my opinion, this will be a mostly defensive draft except for a QB and a FB. We have talent at other positions, but defense has huge holes and Harbaugh will look to fill them with early picks. He will use later picks to build up depth on offensive line and running game.


FA will likely starter after the draft, so here we go:

Alex Smith - signs somewhere else
Franklin - signs somewhere else
Manny Lawson - signs somewhere else (RFA will be ineligible after CBA)
David Carr - released
Takeo - re-signed
David Baas - re-signed
Nate Clements - restructures his contract

Free Agency:
Trent Edwards, QB - If someone can help him, it's Harbaugh. Talented enough to start if needed.
Another backup QB - probably an experienced vet
James Jones, WR - He wants to start somewhere, and he will at Candlestick
Mathias Kiwanuka, OLB - Niners big signing in FA. Super-talented pass-rusher who will pair up with Reed to give up two relentless rushers. With Justin Smith and Jordan at ends - we will have 2 high motor rushers on each side.

Oops

Oops

I like.

Oops

Oops

I really like your draft.

I hope this doesn't come true.

swap the dalton- with the reed-pick and i will call it "realistic"

Patrick Peterson and Von Miller are the only two players that I would never trade down. These are play makers, so if one is available, you take them and trade up if need be later on.

If the aforementioned two are not on the board, I would take that trade down in a heartbeat, have Jordan play DE and sopoaga movt to NT.

Im Not a big fan of this trade down maybe if they give up 17 and 28. I know its to much but they want to move up to 7, with Miller, Quinn and Amukamara all still there I could see trading back to pick 10 and getting a 2nd or 3rd then use that pick and a 4th to move up in the second round.

pats don't trade up.

Outside of the need to switch the Reed and Dalton picks (Reed will get taken by 13th of 2nd round), I like this draft.

Get an experienced athletic 3-4 DE to pair with Smith, a pass rushing specialist with off-the-edge moves, a QB to develop (and also not feel bad about drafting a QB next year), a decent nickel back, and a FB who knows the system

Originally posted by communist:
swap the dalton- with the reed-pick and i will call it "realistic"

I really thought about it, but I feel there will be a lot of teams looking for a QB early in the 2nd round, and if Harbaugh has a top pick in the 2nd round, he won't take a chance.

But yea, I really like Reed - He is just as quick as Von Miller and has all the talent in the World.

Originally posted by 9erred:
Patrick Peterson and Von Miller are the only two players that I would never trade down. These are play makers, so if one is available, you take them and trade up if need be later on.

If the aforementioned two are not on the board, I would take that trade down in a heartbeat, have Jordan play DE and sopoaga movt to NT.

It's a choice between having Reed + Jordan or just Von Miller. Reed is highly under-rated player in this year's draft, and Jordan is a top 10 caliber player who can play DE in 3-4 and slide inside on passing downs.