Mock Draft 2.0

* * 1. Carolina Panthers- Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
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I think Newton is the ultimate boom or bust candidate. He's not ready to play right now in the NFL but he will play right now. Players don't get that much money to sit on the bench, rookie or not. I think Newton is the pick here due to his athletic ability. Especially with the emergence of Vick this past season. Plus he has the size of Rothlesberger and will be tough to bring down if you can catch him. He has the ability, if he can figure out the position he could be the type of player to dominate games by himself.
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2. Denver Broncos- Marcel Dareus, DT, Alabama
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The Broncos are praying that Carolina takes a QB with the first pick. That will allow them to get a much needed top defensive lineman on the board. The Broncos are switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense and do not have the right personnel. Their defense was atrocious last season. Dareus will give them that presense on the interior of that line, plus he has the versatility to play pretty much anywhere on the line and will create favorable match ups for himself by moving inside on passing downs and to DE on running downs. That also will confuse opposing offenses because you don't know where he's going to line up on any given play.
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3. Buffalo Bills- Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M
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The Bills have Tom Brady on their schedule twice a year, NUFF SAID! Seriously though the Bills lack that elite pass rusher and are now running a 3-4 defense. They drafted Aaron Maybin a few years ago to be that pass rusher, but that was under the previous regime and Maybin doesn't fit the new system on defense in Buffalo. Plus he hasn't quite lived up to expectations as a pass rusher. Miller is an athletic freak, with his size and speed. He's a LB that can run a forty in the 4.4's. He can do it all, rush the passer, drop into coverage, and play sideline to sideline against the run.
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4. Cincinnati Bengals- Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
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I know everyone and their brother has AJ Green mocked to the Bengals and I have for a long time. I'm making a switch though a week before the draft and here's why. I'm a firm believer in taking the best player on the board, especially in the first round. I know WR is the bigger need going into next season, but you don't draft players to play for you for one season. You take them for careers or atleast a good portion of their careers. That's why all the top drafting teams draft the best player available and not for need. Right now Peterson is my top overall player not just best available. While it's true the bigger need is at WR, right now we don't even know who the QB is going to be. I don't think the offense is going to be very good next year anyway, so it's time to build the defense into a 2000 Ravens type of defense. Peterson is going to be a lock down CB in the NFL for a long time. He has great size for a CB at 6-2 and has 4.3 speed. He can cover the bigger WR's and he has the speed to keep up with the speed WR's. He has fluid hips and great athleticism. He is simply the best player in this draft. Another reason to take him is Jonathon Joseph's contract is up and he has been injured often lately as well. I'm still for the Bengals resigning J Jo. That would give them three first round CB's and four if they get back Adam Jones. In today's NFL you can't have too many good cover CB's with all the pass happy teams. With those 3/4 back there in coverage, if they can get any decent pass rush (Carlos Dunlap) it's going to be next to impossible to throw on this defense. Also they'll be able to bring extra pass rushers often with that many guys that can shut down WR's. Imagine Leon Hall covering a teams number 3 WR. This pick could vault the Bengals into the best defense in the NFL, if they can step up their run defense to what it was in 2009. Also Peterson is an excellent return man so he brings something extra to the team. He is exciting to watch returning and would give the Bengals a returner that is a threat to take it to the house every time like Hester, Cribbs, Dez Bryant, and Desean Jackson. Having that on special teams would give the Bengals an edge on everyone in the division. It's time to build the D into a dominant one like the one Marvin won a Super Bowl with as D coordinator in Baltimore. And their QB was Trent Dilfer and I can't even remember who their WR's were. You can still win championships in the NFL by having a dominant defense. Plus Simpson started to emerge and there will be another stud WR next year, Alshon Jeffery from South Carolina. So my pick here would be the best player in this draft, Patrick Peterson.
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5. Arizona Cardinals- Robert Quinn, DE/OLB, North Carolina
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The Cardinals need to upgrade about the entire defense. They brought in Joey Porter last year at OLB which was almost laughable. The Cards need someone who can get after the QB desprately. They also need a QB, but I don't think Wisenhunt or Larry Fitzgerald wants a rookie QB. They will go after a veteran once there's a new CBA in place.
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6. Cleveland Browns- AJ Green, WR, Georgia
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This would be a negative of taking Peterson for the Bengals. The Browns will likely get AJ Green unless someone trades ahead of them. Green is also a special prospect, and if the Bengals take him I won't be upset one bit, but who do u want the WR or the CB that can shut down that WR. Especially with who the Bengals CB's would be I wouldn't be worried about Green being in Cleveland quite as much. But if the Bengals take Green, Peterson very likely could be the pick here.
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7. San Francisco 49ers- Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri *
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Maybe the Niners tank the season so they can get Andrew Luck next year and reunite Harbaugh with Luck. I doubt it though, the Niners have talent and a good QB could give them that weak division next season. Gabbert is probably the best QB in this draft and if he's available he's likely the pick.
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8. Tennessee Titans- Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn
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Not too long ago Fairley was being mocked number one overall by lots of so called experts. He has some character questions though and can take over right where Albert Haynesworth left off when he left Tennessee. Every since then the Titans have needed a replacement at DT and Fairley is very talented and could dominate games and give opposing offenses headaches.
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9. Dallas Cowboys- Tyron Smith, OT, USC
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The Cowboys offensive line struggled starting week one last year when they had a game winning TD called back on an obvious holding penalty. It continued with them getting Tony Romo a broken collarbone. The Cowboys need serious upgrades along that offensive line and they can start with the best prospective Left Tackle in this draft. Smith has all the measurables to be a dominant LT in the NFL for years to come.
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10. Washington Redskins- Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
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The Redskins need help all over on offense. They probably would like to get Newton or Gabbert at QB, but neither will likely be available. They also don't have any real playmakers at the WR position. Jones will give them a legit number one WR as he has great size and speed. He reminds me of Anquan Boldin in his prime.
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11. Houston Texans- Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
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This draft should be easy for the Texans. DEFENSE, DEFENSE, and more DEFENSE! They brought Wade Phillips in to be the defensive coordinator and now need to get players to fit his system. They also need to do something to help their terrible pass defense. They can start with one of the two elite CB's in this draft since they have to play against Peyton Manning twice a year.
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12. Minnesota Vikings- DaQuan Bowers, DE, Clemson
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The Vikings need a QB as do a ton of other teams. However there's not one that is worth this high of a pick. People are saying Locker here, but teams are just throwing out smoke screens so don't believe everything you hear. Bowers knee has supposedly checked out and if that's the case he could be a steal here. This would give them an unbelievable pass rushing duo with Bowers and Jared Allen. Something they'll need with Aaron Rodgers in their division.
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13. Detroit Lions- Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
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Lions fans should hope the top two CB's are taken by the time they pick. The Lions do need a CB, but they need offensive line upgrades more than that. The face of their franchise is Matthew Stafford and he can't stay on the field. He gets injured easily, so he's going to need a dominant offensive line to live up to the hype.
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14. St. Louis Rams- Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois
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You know the Rams are keeping their fingers crossed one of the top two WR's fall to them here. Not going to happen. They also need LB's, but none are worthy of this pick. The Rams head coach won a Super Bowl with the Giants by having a dominant defensive line that pummeled QB's. He can try to do the same thing here as the Rams already do have some quality defensive lineman.
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15. Miami Dolphins- Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
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The Dolphins likely won't have Ronnie Brown any longer and Ricky Williams is too old to shoulder the load. Teams don't value RB's anymore, but Miami should as they love running the ball. Plus Ingram is a special talent at RB that can carry an entire workload. He's by far the best RB in this draft.
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16. Jacksonville Jaguars- JJ Watt, DE, Wisconsin
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The Jaguars brought in Aaron Kampman to be their top pass rusher before last season. He blew his knee out before the season started. Now they need a pass rusher again. With this draft being stocked full of defensive lineman this is set up well for Jacksonville. When you have pass happy teams like the Texans and Colts in your division you have to be able to rush the passer if you want to have a chance to win.
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17. New England Patriots- Cameron Jordan, DE, California
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Jordan is the perfect fit at DE in a 3-4 defense. The Patriots got this pick from Oakland for Richard Seymour. They basically traded an aging Seymour who cost a lot of money for a younger cheaper, quality defensive end. Typical Belicheck manipulating the system to keep the Patriots dominant.
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18. San Diego Chargers- Aldon Smith, DE/OLB, Missouri
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The Chargers have needed a quality pass rusher since they made Shawn Merriman stop taking steroids. They drafted Larry English a couple years ago but he hasn't lived up to expectations. The Chargers have a talented offense, but their defense is horrid. With the amount of points they put up opponents are forced to throw the ball so having a quality pass rusher is a must.
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19. New York Giants- Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
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Eli Manning did not trust his offensive line last season. You could tell from the hurried throws and all the interceptions. That line is getting a little long in the tooth. Carimi may be the most NFL ready player in this draft and looks like he'll be a quality RT for a decade. Carimi is the type of player you need to win, a nasty blocker that pushes people around. It seems like Wisconsin just keeps turning out one good offensive lineman after another. When in doubt just draft an O lineman from Wisconsin.
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20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado
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Smith is right up there with Peterson and Amukamara as far as talent goes. TB currently has an old CB in Ronde Barber and another in Talib that is a multi time felon. I wouldn't be suprised if they go CB in the first. It seems they're trying to build that defense with the first two picks going to DT's in last year's draft.
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21. Kansas City Chiefs- Titus Young, WR, Boise State
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This is my suprise pick in the first round. Many would consider this a reach, but they also would've considered Desean Jackson a reach a few years ago had he gone in the first round. Young is the same type of player as Jackson and would be a perfect compliment to Dwayne Bowe. They have to get Bowe some help or he will always be double and triple teamed and it'll be tough for Cassell to throw the ball.
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22. Indianapolis Colts- Mike Pouncey, OC, Florida
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The Colts need offensive line help pretty much across the board. Especially on the interior of that line. The Colts have a good Center in Jeff Saturday so Pouncey can come in and play Guard until Saturday decides to retire. This will also help them with their anemic running game. When you have Peyton Manning you need to keep the O line stocked with depth and talent. If you do that you will have a chance to win the Super Bowl every year. If I'm running the Colts I'm using a high draft pick on the offensive line about every year.
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23. Philadelphia Eagles- Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College
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The Eagles have the most illusive QB in the history of the NFL with Mike Vick. He was still sacked a ton last year. Andy Reid loves to draft offensive lineman early and often and this year it also fits one of their biggest needs. If Vick has a good athletic offensive line the Eagles offense could be scary good.
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24. New Orleans Saints- Muhammad Wilkerson, DT/DE, Temple
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The Saints could use an upgrade across from Will Smith at DE and at DT next to Sedric Ellis. Wilkerson is a big guy who is versatile and could play both spots. With the amount of points the Saints offense is going to score, getting a defensive lineman that can get pressure would be a huge plus for the Saints.
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25. Seattle Seahawks- Jake Locker, QB, Washington
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This pick would be a fan favorite in Seattle, getting a hometown guy at QB. Locker may have been the top pick last year and still has the tools to be a very good QB in the NFL. This would be a good situation for Locker if Seattle can resign Hasselback and let Locker sit and learn for a year or two. I honestly wouldn't mind if the Bengals trade back into the first round and land Locker. He has tools to be a top overall pick and with Carson Palmer saying he's not coming back Locker could be our QB of the future.
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26. Baltimore Ravens- Cameron Heyward, DE/DT, Ohio State
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Heyward's best fit is probably in a 3-4 at defensive end. He does have the versatility to play DT in a 4-3 though. This would be a good fit for him in Baltimore at DE in their 3-4 playing across from Ngata. That would help the Ravens get back to stuffing the run unfortunately for Bengals fans.
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27. Atlanta Falcons- Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue
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In the playoffs against the Packers John Abraham looked exhausted. The Falcons need to get someone across from him to keep him from being doubled on every snap. Kerrigan has a motor that doesn't stop and will be a good pass rusher in the NFL.
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28. New England Patriots- Justin Houston, DE/OLB, Georgia
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Obviously the weak side of the ball was the defense for the Patriots last season. So don't be suprised if they go heavy on defense early in this draft. Houston is one of those tweeners that will come off the edge in the Pats 3-4 and give them another much needed pass rusher.
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29. Chicago Bears- Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State
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The Bears haven't had a first round pick in a couple years thanks to the Cutler trade. Their offensive line was the most inconsistent in the NFL last year. This is a bit of a reach for Sherrod in my opinion, but there's a significant drop off after Sherrod.
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30. New York Jets- Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor
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Good Nose Tackles are hard to find and the Jets have had injury problems with Kris Jenkins the past few seasons. If Taylor's foot checks out he should be a first round pick due to the lack of good NT's available almost every year.
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31. Pittsburgh Steelers- Brandon Harris, CB, Miami
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The Steelers secondary was beaten often by the Packers in the Super Bowl. Had they caught the ball the Steelers would've been blown out of that game. Harris would be an upgrade over either of their current CB's.
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32. Green Bay Packers- Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA
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The Packers are pretty solid pretty much everywhere. I think if Harris is available they'll take the CB, due to the age of Woodson. However he isn't, so they can go with another pass rusher across from Clay Matthews. When you have Aaron Rodgers you will score a lot and teams will be forced to throw on you so you need pass rushers.
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2nd Round
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33. New England Patriots- Mikel Leshoure, RB, Illinois
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The Patriots have probably been mocked a RB in the first couple of rounds for the past five years. They have yet to take one, but I think this is the year. The could use a big bruising back to be their short yardage back and shoulder a lot of the carries.
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34. Buffalo Bills- Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame
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Everyone thinks Buffalo is going to take a QB early this year. I'm not so sure, Fitzpatrick played well last season and the Bills have stated he's the QB this year. Plus before you bring in a young QB you need to build a line and have weapons in place and Buffalo needs to add those weapons and that line.
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35. Cincinnati Bengals- Danny Watkins, OG, Baylor
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To win in the NFL you have to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The Bengals can start by getting the best Guard in this draft. They need an upgrade at the LG position and Bobbie Williams is getting old and won't be at RG very much longer. Watkins is a well rounded Guard that can pass protect and run block very well. This should help get Benson back to form. A lot of fans will be calling for the Bengals to take a QB here, but I think they should get the line solidified first and worry about the QB next year. Maybe it's a rough season and they win the Andrew Luck sweepstakes.
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36. Denver Broncos- Aaron Williams, CB, Texas
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Champ Bailey's contract is up and he's not getting any younger. The Broncos defense was horrid last year. If they go defensive line in the first round they may do something to help shore up that secondary in the second round.
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37. Cleveland Browns- Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
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If the Browns go WR in the first round they almost certainly will take someone in the front seven on their defense in the second. Or if they take a defensive lineman in the first it'll be a WR in the second. Clayborn is a good player and could be a steal here in the second. This draft is loaded with quality defensive lineman so you may see some bigger named players fall at this position as teams will think that they can fill another spot and still get a good defensive lineman in the second or even third rounds.
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38. Arizona Cardinals- Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
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While I do think that the Cardinals will opt for a veteran free agent to be their starting QB this year, if there's someone they like sitting there when they pick in the second they may pull the trigger. Mallett could develop into a top ten QB in the NFL.
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39. Tennessee Titans- Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State
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The Titans are kind of in the same boat as the Bengals as far as question marks at the QB position. Ponder is an accurate QB but doesn't have a huge arm. In my opinion the accuracy is much more important than having the cannon for the arm. Especially for a rookie QB who won't be asked to do much more than make short passes.
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40. Dallas Cowboys- Ras I Dowling, CB, Virginia
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Most people have the Cowboys figured for an offensive lineman and a CB for their first two picks and that sounds about right as that's their two biggest needs. Especially when one of your CB's moved out of the way of a tackle on national TV last season against the Redskins. That's embarrasing and if i'm that coach he's (Jenkins) never playing for me again. Their other CB is getting old and his biggest attribute was his track star speed which he is losing.
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41. Washington Redskins- Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
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