Mock Draft 2.0

To the surprise of no one, the Colts have come out and said that they are taking Andrew Luck at #1. Almost fourteen years ago to the day, Indianapolis took Peyton Manning #1 overall and Luck could be the best thing to happen in Indy since his predecessor.

As soon as the Colts made their pick "official" the second pick essentially became just as official. The Redskins threw everything they had at St. Louis to move up to #2 and don't think for a second they did that to take anyone other than Robert Griffin III. RG3 has incredible upside and for the first time in a long time, Washington won't have to pay $50 million guaranteed to get their franchise QB. The Redskins will have themselves in the playoff picture for several years to come with Griffin and the NFC East will get even more interesting.

Rick Spielman has said the the Vikings are now listening to offers for the #3 pick and are very open to trading back. Even though that may be the best thing for them, I still think Minnesota stays put and takes Matt Kalil out of USC. Kalil could be a mainstay on the Vikings O-Line for the next ten years and one thing every successful team has in common is a good offensive line. Kalil would be a huge step in the right direction. Justin Blackmon and Morris Claiborne are other players being discussed as possibilities at this pick, but Kalil is without a doubt the safest.

Over the past couple weeks, several different players have been pegged as the guy Cleveland will take. Being that they have most selections in this year's draft, including 3 in the first 37, I think the Browns will give Colt McCoy some help in the backfield and go with Trent Richardson out of Alabama. Cleveland will have the chance to pick up plenty of other quality talent at 22 and 37 and address their needs at WR. Richardson is far and above the best RB in this draft class and is too good to pass up.

If Trent Richardson does indeed go to Clevelend, Morris Claiborne will be the pick at #5 to Tampa Bay. Aqib Talib is likely headed to jail and Ronde Barber isn't getting any younger, so drafting a CB in Claiborne makes a ton of sense. A lot has been made of Claiborne's poor Wonderlic score, but I don't think it will scare Tampa Bay. This kid can flat out play and has an incredible nose for the ball.

St. Louis has a HUGE need for a wideout and after Sam Bradford's sophomore slump, the Rams have to look to get him an elite receiver. St. Louis is without a true #1 receiver (they are without a #2 or #3 as well for that matter) and Justin Blackmon could immediately become that guy. Blackmon plays much bigger than his 6'1" frame and is the kind of player who loves the spotlight. Personally, I think Michael Floyd will be the better pro receiver, but only time will tell.

Jacksonville took Blaine Gabbert #10 overall last year and if they are going to commit to him long term, they have to surround him with some weapons. In my opinion, drafting Michael Floyd would give them the most talented receiver in the draft. Floyd is huge at 6'4" and 220 pounds and coupled with his sub 4.4 speed, he can be the just the threat Gabbert would love to target for a long time. Floyd reminds me in every way of Terrell Owens. They are are the exact same size and Floyd plays a similarly physical game.

The Dolphins struck out on signing Peyton Manning, Alex Smith and Matt Flynn. This leaves them looking for a quarterback of the future and Ryan Tannehill might just be that guy. Every year one guy shoots up everyone's draft board unexpectedly and this year it's been Tannehill. The Dolphins were supposedly interested even before they brought in his former head coach Mike Sherman from Texas A&M to be their new Offensive Coordinator. Sherman knows exactly what Tannehill is capable of, and the Dolphins are in dire need of a QB.

The Panthers have left it up to the draft to fill their biggest need, an entire defense. Cam Newton and the offense played well and competed in a lot of games no one expected them to be in at all, but most of their loses can be attributed to their defense. The most gaping hole is on the Defensive Line and the Panthers could take a huge step drafting Fletcher Cox, a DT out of Mississippi State. Cox is, big, explosive, and gets into the backfield in a hurry.

After paying Ryan Fitzpatrick a ton of money last year and addressing their need on D-Line by signing Mario Williams to the biggest contract for a defensive player in the league's history, the Bills next priority has to be to beef up their offensive line. Although I wouldn't be surprised to see them trade back at this position because drafting an offensive lineman this early seems illogical. If they do hang on to it, look for them to take Riley Reiff out of Iowa. Reiff's quick feet and ability to switch to sides from left tackle to right tackle provides the Bills with options, which is exactly what they are looking for.

Putting Luke Kuechly directly across from Derrick Johnson would instantly make the Chief's linebacking core one of the scariest in the NFL. Kuechly was really successful in Boston College's 4-3 scheme, and is the kind of player versatile enough to make the switch to Kansas City's 3-4. The big wig football analysts are drooling over this guy and he's got a nose for the ball.

The Seahawks are in need of another DE to line up across from their leading sack getter Chris Clemmons. Quinton Coples could make Seattle's defensive line a nightmare for NFC West QBs. An elite pass rusher, Coples is going to draw comparisons to Jullius Peppers and the only reason teams will pass on Coples is because of his questionable work ethic, which even he has admitted to.

Being pegged as the best guard to come out of college since Steve Hutchinson, David DeCastro is the real deal. He deserves some credit for Andrew Luck's success. Luck was rarely forced out of the pocket while at Stanford and DeCastro was very much responsible for that. DeCastro's skills will translate quickly to the big leagues and he will be around for a long time. Kevin Kolb could benefit from some Andrew Luck protection and this pick could have a trickle down effect all the way to Larry Fitzgerald if it means the Cardinal's QB will have more time to find him.

Jerry Jones has confessed his love for this kid and everybody knows, what Jerry says goes. The Cowboys owner may be on to something though as Mark Barron is no joke. Barron is an SEC guy who won't have an issue adjusting to the NFL and could fill a huge need for Dallas. Barron could make an immediate impact on their ailing secondary.

Andy Reid's philosophy is if you own the line, both offensively and defensively, you own the game and he's always been a fan of drafting lineman. I think history will repeat itself at the #15 pick and the Eagles will take the highly talented Michael Brockers out of LSU. Philly's line isn't exactly hurting, but as the Giants just proved when they won their second SuperBowl in five years, defensive line rotation is key. Michael Brockers brings both size and athleticism to the table and is a nightmare for offensive lineman to keep out of the backfield. Not to mention he is probably the best player available at this point in the draft.

The New York Jets will have the option of taking one of two standout Alabama linebackers. Courtney Upshaw and Dont'a Hightower were arguably the two best players in January's National Championship game and I think the Jets will take Upshaw with the 16th pick. Upshaw has huge upside and is probably the safest pick outside of the top 10. Rex Ryan still claims to have the best defense in the AFC, although statistics would beg to differ, but bringing in Upshaw would certainly be a step back in the direction towards defensive prominence.

Cincinnati could really use some help in the secondary and Gilmore could be just what they are looking for. Gilmore is big and played against the best of the best in SEC and seems to have recently jumped Dre Kirkpatrick on most draft boards. The South Carolina Gamecock can stick with anybody in coverage, but is willing and able to step up and help in run coverage as well. Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer tends to play favorites and Gilmore has a legit chance at becoming his new favorite.

Another reason why Andrew Luck was as successful as he was, Jonathan Martin will follow his fellow Stanford teammates by just a few picks. Martin is incredibly quick for his size and would provide Philip Rivers with the blind side protection that will keep him healthy. Marcus McNeill is gone and San Diego would love to bring in this hometown kid to solidify their offensive line again.

Julius Peppers is getting old and probably only has a couple more good years left in the tank. Those years can be maximized though if the Bears get him some help on the other side. Every year one or two guys fall further than anyone imagined and I think Ingram will be one of those guys this year. Ingram would be the steal of the draft at #19, and I think his poor outing at the combine will have him still available. Anyone will tell you that the key to beating Aaron Rodgers is getting pressure on him and lots of it. If the Bears are going to have any shot at winning the NFC North, they have to do it with defense.

Dontari Poe seemed to defy physics when he ran a 4.8 second 40 yard dash at the combine. At 6'4″ and 350 pounds, Poe is the kind of guy that can reek havoc at DT. The feeling on him lately though is that if you draft him, he's the kind of guy who will require quite a bit of development. Thats why I see him falling to at least #20, but if he pans out, Matt Schaub and Andrew Luck will have to see him bearing down on them at least twice a year.

Andy Dalton had a spectacular rookie season and that was due in large part to the protection he had. The Bengals lost OT Bobbie Williams to free agency and Cordy Glenn could be a great replacement. Many people think the Bengals need to give Dalton more weapons at so called "skilled positions" like WR or RB, but those positions are essentially worthless without a healthy QB. Protecting Dalton should take priority and Cordy Glenn has experience playing at multiple positions, so his versatility will help him fit in quickly.

Assuming Cleveland will take Trent Richardson #4 overall, the Browns need to take the next step in protecting Colt McCoy and providing Trent Richardson with some gaps to run through. Mike Adams, a BIG offensive tackle out of Ohio State could be a perfect fit in Cleveland. At 6'7" and 300 pounds, Adams has experience at multiple positions and could make an immediate impact.

The Lions offense is lethal and they will probably draft a RB in the later rounds, but the holes that really need to be adressed are on defense. Dre Kirkpatrick's size coupled with his tremendous talent as a tackler make him incredibly appealing and the Lions would be overjoyed to see him fall to them at 23.

The Steelers have a history of drafting the best player on the board and they will be licking their chops when Dont'a Hightower falls to them. Hightower seems to be a perfect fit for the Steelers defense and lining him up next to Lawrence Timmons would make Pittsburgh's defense even more frightening.

There will be alot of speculation over the next week on whether or not the Broncos will provide Peyton Manning with more weapons by drafting a WR or maybe RB Lamar Miller out of Miami. Even though that would make sense, I think John Fox's defense first attitude will prevail and the Broncos will take DT Jerel Worthy out of Michigan State. The Broncos were thin at the position to start with, but losing Broderick Bunkley to Free Agency only made it worse. Worthy would provide Denver with much needed depth.

Houston would love to add another dynamic receiver to line up opposite of Andre Johnson. Kendall Wright could help to take double teams off of Johnson as well as keeping the Texans offense a threat when Johnson gets hurt. Wright's explosiveness and down the field threat could have the Texans atop the division come season's end. If he falls this far, it would make a ton of sense.

Shea McClellin is quickly climbing up the draft boards and he fits exactly what Bill Belichick looks for in a D-Lineman. The Patriots have to upgrade their pass rush and McClellin would do that quickly. New England's defense was awful last year, but with two first round picks, they can greatly improve on day one of the draft.

If there's one thing Wisconsin produces, besides great cheese, it's offensive lineman. Peter Konz is just another product of the Badger farm system and if he's still available the Packers will keep him in state and fill the big hole in their offensive line. That hole was blown open when Scott Wells left for St. Louis and Konz could be a perfect replacement. Look for Green Bay to embarrass everyone else again this year with their drafting skills and find a couple diamonds in the rough.

Baltimore has one of the strongest locker rooms in the NFL, so bringing a troubled Alshon Jeffery in would probably work out. Jeffery's size would compliment Torrey Smith's speed really well and when you throw Anquan Boldin in the mix, you get one dangerous receiving core.

Jim Harbaugh loves to use multiple tight end sets and would love to bring in a guy that played for him at Stanford. An extremely athletic TE, Coby Fleener has the ability to line up on the line or in the slot which would create major headaches for any defense. Fleener is hands down the best at his position in the draft and would give Alex Smith another much needed weapon.

Assuming they don't trade back at this slot, New England will stick with defense and get a hard nosed safety in Harrison Smith out of Notre Dame. The Patriots are in need at the safety position and Smith has the athletic ability to help in coverage and step up to help stop the run. Some will argue that this is a reach, but coming from someone that watched every game Smith played in college, it's not.

After Brandon Jacobs headed out of town, the Giants will have to find Ahmad Bradshaw a new partner in crime. Lamar Miller accelerates out of the backfield about as good as anyone and would compliment the running style of Ahmad Bradshaw really well.