Interesting Mock Drafts on NFL.com

Bucky Brooks from the NFL Network released an updated mock draft yesterday, and I found picks 20-32 to be pretty interesting. Nothing that I've seen from other sites, which proves that this year's draft is going to be all over the place. The placement of the players in the last 12 picks in this mock shows me, that if we really wanted a player that was in striking distance, we have enough picks to make a move up. See the picks below:

20: Chicago - Zach Ertz, TE
21: Cincinnati - Alec Ogletree, LB
22. St. Louis - Keenan Allen, WR
23: Minnesota - Sheldon Richardson, DT/DE
24: Indianapolis - Jonathan Banks, CB
25: Seattle - Ezekiel Ansah, DE/OLB
26: Green Bay - Manti Te'o, LB
27: Houston - Robert Woods, WR
28: Denver - Kevin Minter, LB
29: New England - Tavon Austin, WR
30: Atlanta - Tyler Eifert, TE
31: San Francisco - Johnathan Hankins, DT/NT
32: Baltimore - Eric Reid, S

Honestly, I'd be happy with Hankins, who IMO, can play DT and NT on our line. But if we really wanted someone, Sheldon Richardson and Jonathan Banks, two top prospects in their positions, would play very well in our defense as well. And we'd have the pieces to move up. I'd like to say the same about Keenan Allen, but we'd have to move ahead of STL to get him.

Would love to get Sheldon Richardson, but I'd happily settle for Hankins.

Originally posted by JamesGatz83:
Would love to get Sheldon Richardson, but I'd happily settle for Hankins.

I agree. Hankins could be our anchor at NT and occasionally slide over to DT if Justin or Ray needed a breather. Sheldon Richardson, on the other hand, has the potential to be so dominant at the DT position.

Hankins would be a better bet. He would be immediately impactful. We wouldn't have to resign sopoago. This guy has also flashed moments of brilliance and tomsula could bring thw beat out of him. I like Richardson but trading uo for a rotational player doesn't seem ideal. Ive also heard he is more suited inside at 3 tec. Don't get me wrong i enjoy watching.Richardson a lot but i see more value in Hankins and i would feel more comfortable with that pick. Also wouldn't want to trade any of our first 3 round picks for essentially a rotational player especially since we could get the same value out of any of those picks ie bowman, mcdonald, kaepernick.

I like Hankins. However, if we loose D. Walker to FA and if Zach Ertz is in striking distance I would trade up for him. He'd be a big red-zone target.

Originally posted by blm7754:

I like Hankins. However, if we loose D. Walker to FA and if Zach Ertz is in striking distance I would trade up for him. He'd be a big red-zone target.

I disagree. Replacing Sopoago should be more important. You can find great talent at TE in 2 -4 rds so using a 1st rd pick would be kind of a waste of a valuable 1st rd pick. Your not maximizing the potential of the pick by choosing a talent at a position when you could wait till 2nd or 3rd without a substantially drop off.

Originally posted by eonblue:

Originally posted by blm7754:
I like Hankins. However, if we loose D. Walker to FA and if Zach Ertz is in striking distance I would trade up for him. He'd be a big red-zone target.

I disagree. Replacing Sopoago should be more important. You can find great talent at TE in 2 -4 rds so using a 1st rd pick would be kind of a waste of a valuable 1st rd pick. Your not maximizing the potential of the pick by choosing a talent at a position when you could wait till 2nd or 3rd without a substantially drop off.

Agreed. If the draft were to fall the way it did above from picks 20-32, Richardson, Hankins, or Banks are worth selecting or trading up for. Maybe even Keenan Allen if he has an unbelievable pro day.

There are good tight ends to be had in the second day, and Dion Sims seems to be one that I'll keep my eye on.

I'm betting on Hankins being available at 31. The 49ers should take him, too - he can be an opening day starter. My wife is an OSU fan, so I get to see him a LOT the last 2 years. HUGE motor, and a pretty good wingspan. He got a lot of double teams in college, and was still pretty effective at making plays.

Originally posted by Beeker:
I'm betting on Hankins being available at 31. The 49ers should take him, too - he can be an opening day starter. My wife is an OSU fan, so I get to see him a LOT the last 2 years. HUGE motor, and a pretty good wingspan. He got a lot of double teams in college, and was still pretty effective at making plays.

That's exactly what I wanted to hear. I didn't get to watch as many OSU games this season so I couldn't make an intelligent decision on whether Hankins would be a good pick or not. I really wanted to know how his conditioning was and his motor. Having Tomsula and guys like Justin Smith will surely help any d-line rookie develop.

Originally posted by SF69ers:
That's exactly what I wanted to hear. I didn't get to watch as many OSU games this season so I couldn't make an intelligent decision on whether Hankins would be a good pick or not. I really wanted to know how his conditioning was and his motor. Having Tomsula and guys like Justin Smith will surely help any d-line rookie develop.

He can be a rock in the center of the defensive line for years to come.

Here's the write up on him from NFL.com:

DT Johnathan Hankins Ohio St. Big Ten

Grade 88.6 ?
6'3" Height
335LBS. Weight

Overview
Similar to Vernon Gholston a few years back, Hankins was a three-star high school recruit out of Michigan who the Buckeyes lured to Columbus. His size, power, and athleticism made him a two-time all-state pick at Southeastern High School, but his hustle in combination with those physical attributes is what gives him a chance to be a first round prospect in much the same way Dan "Big Daddy" Wilkinson was with the Buckeyes before he became the last defensive tackle selected No. 1 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1994.



Ohio State coaches liked what they saw from "Big Hank" as a true freshman in 2010 (16 tackles, 1.5 for loss) so much that they played him in every game and named him the team's most outstanding first-year defender. As a sophomore, he was the Buckeyes' most outstanding defensive player and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors (by coaches and media) after making 68 stops, 11 for loss and three sacks. Hankins still decided to slim down a bit after the 2011 season to add increased stamina and quickness. He started all 12 games for the Buckeyes as a junior again and earned First Team All-Big Ten honors with 55 tackles, 4 for loss and one sack. Knowing his combination of size, strength and quickness would be attractive at the next level, Hankins decided to skip his senior year in Columbus and go pro.

Analysis
Strengths
Nice job against the run, tracking the play with his eyes and using his body to force the issue. Taller nose tackle prospect with thick upper body and extra girth in the middle. Plays all over the line, often outside the tackle despite his build because of his rare agility. Extends to shrug off blocks and uses his hands to bully blockers, controlling the POA and setting the edge when playing outside. Has extremely strong hands to secure tackles and finish plays once he gets his hands on the ballcarrier. Comes off the ball hard and quick for his size, will win a gap and blow up plays in the backfield if linemen don't get to the reach-block. Drives back NFL-caliber guards into the backfield and holds up doubles, does not give ground even against better players. Works down the line to get to ballcarriers while engaged, and hustles downfield and to the sideline if needed. Three-down player, on the field for a lot of snaps considering his bulk.

Weaknesses
Lacks the burst to be an elite pass rusher, though he can make quarterbacks uncomfortable in the pocket. Can play with high pads, giving better linemen a chance to stand him up. Relies too much on his upper body strength at times and needs to play with consistent leverage. He uses his body too much and needs to consistently utilize his hands and limbs. Must keep his weight under control to maximize his athleticism, and make sure he doesn't lose his strength and hustle at the end of games. He tends to wear down throughout the course of a game, looking fatigued and noticeably taking plays off. Hankins battled a minor knee sprain the past two seasons, wearing a brace much of the time. NFL Comparison Dontari Poe

Bottom Line
Hankins, who carried the nickname "Big John" or "Big Hank" around Ohio State's campus, is a load to handle on the defensive line with impressive fluidity and coordination skills for a big man, playing with an active motor. He played all over the defense line in college, lining up both outside at DE and inside at DT. Hankins rarely left the field and his coaches talk positively about his football character, but he often looked fatigued and worn down throughout games, meaning his snaps (and weight) will need to be monitored at the next level. Hankins has a rare combination of size, strength and foot quickness for a defensive lineman to be a force against both the run and the pass. Although he only looks half-speed at times when his tank isn't full, Hankins can tear through blocks like paper -– a potential top-12 pick with the versatility to line up as a traditional 3-technique DT in a four-man front or an effective two-gapping 0-technique NT for a 3-4 defense.

Originally posted by eonblue:

Originally posted by blm7754:
I like Hankins. However, if we loose D. Walker to FA and if Zach Ertz is in striking distance I would trade up for him. He'd be a big red-zone target.

I disagree. Replacing Sopoago should be more important. You can find great talent at TE in 2 -4 rds so using a 1st rd pick would be kind of a waste of a valuable 1st rd pick. Your not maximizing the potential of the pick by choosing a talent at a position when you could wait till 2nd or 3rd without a substantially drop off.

Agree. I don't think there's any reason to draft TE in the top 5 rounds. We have a talented TE in Davis, while Celek showed promise and could step up should a deal with Walker not be reached.

Question for the group: Willis was a sure fire Pro Bowl level player from Day One and it was obvious at the draft to me. Is there anyone in that 10-15 range this year that fits the bill of slam dunk (regardless of position)?

Originally posted by guillotine31:
Question for the group: Willis was a sure fire Pro Bowl level player from Day One and it was obvious at the draft to me. Is there anyone in that 10-15 range this year that fits the bill of slam dunk (regardless of position)?

Really tough to say. I feel like Damontre Moore can really be a terror off the edge and be a consistent Pro Bowl player. Alec Ogletree has that potential as well if he stays out of trouble.

Originally posted by SF69ers:

Originally posted by guillotine31:
Question for the group: Willis was a sure fire Pro Bowl level player from Day One and it was obvious at the draft to me. Is there anyone in that 10-15 range this year that fits the bill of slam dunk (regardless of position)?

Really tough to say. I feel like Damontre Moore can really be a terror off the edge and be a consistent Pro Bowl player. Alec Ogletree has that potential as well if he stays out of trouble.

I'm of the BPA opinion about the draft. Get the best guy where you can get him. If there is a stud out there, regardless of position, you grab that guy. If there is a year to trade up and get guys that have multiple pro-bowl potential, this is the year to do it.

We can fill needs later by relying on your scouting department. I say be aggressive to keep the depth of the roster strong for 10 years. We didn't need LaMichael James when we drafted him, but he became significant as the year wore on.

Originally posted by blm7754:
I like Hankins. However, if we loose D. Walker to FA and if Zach Ertz is in striking distance I would trade up for him. He'd be a big red-zone target.

Screw that. If Hankins is on the board, and I heavily doubt he will be, you take him, no questions asked, period.