The NFL off-season is well into free agency, and with a month before the draft the teams have been filling holes in their rosters with veterans before they get the chance to select their future rookies. The mock draft season has been going on even longer, and I waited to see who would sign where before putting my first mock out here. I've also been way too busy with work, but I've been able to piece together where the picks are going to fall. So here is the TMG DraftZone Mock Draft 1.0 for 2012:
1) Indianapolis Andrew Luck
2) Washington Robert Griffin III
3) Minnesota Matt Kalil
4) Cleveland Trent Richardson
5) Tampa Bay Morris Claiborne
6) St. Louis Justin Blackmon
7) Jacksonville Quinton Coples
8) Miami Ryan Tannehill
9) Carolina Melvin Ingram
10) Buffalo Riley Reiff
11) Kansas City David DeCastro
12) Seattle Luke Kuechly
13) Arizona Jonathon Martin
14) Dallas Janoris Jenkins
15) Philadelphia Courtney Upshaw
16) NY Jets Michael Floyd
17) Cincinnati Dre Kirkpatrick
18) San Diego Dontari Poe
19) Chicago Stephen Hill
20) Tennessee Whitney Mercilus
21) Cincinnati Cordy Glenn
22) Cleveland Stephon Gilmore
23) Detroit Mike Adams
24) Pittsburgh Nick Perry
25) Denver Fletcher Cox
26) Houston Kendall Wright
27) New England Michael Brockers
28) Green Bay Peter Konz
29) Baltimore Mark Barron
30) San Francisco Coby Flenner
31) New England Lamar Miller
32) NY Giants David Wilson
The top three picks appear to be set. Cleveland holds the key to the rest of the first round. Although many mock draft have Ryan Tannehill going there, I believe the Browns will look to continue their tradition of power running and select Trent Richardson. The smart pick for Cleveland might be Justin Blackmon, but I see them going after the replacement for Peyton Hillis instead. I also have the Browns selecting Stephon Gilmore with their second pick in Round 1, and the pairing of him with Joe Haden could become the premier cornerback pair in the NFL.
St. Louis has had Blackmon on their radar since before the trade with Washington, and if he is still there at #6 then they will make out like bandits. The pick they acquired from Washington along with their own will go a long way to filling holes on their defense after getting the playmaking receiver for Sam Bradford to throw to in Round 1.
The NFL Draft is in four weeks. There are going to be many more mock drafts hitting the net in that time. I'll be putting one more out before my final mock draft the day before the NFL Draft. If Ryan Tannehill has a stellar pro day, I wonder if Cleveland will be looking to take him at #4. If so, then there will be more shuffling in mock drafts than with cards at a blackjack table in Vegas. We shall see.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Panic in the Draft Rooms-Version 2012
The panic is starting to settle into the NFL Draft Rooms. Perhaps not quite as badly as it did last year, but is back. It's the panic to draft a quarterback.
In 2011, the early mock drafts had Jake Locker going late in Round 1, and Christian Ponder not at all in the first 32 picks. But then you started to see the signs that something was going to change. And on draft day it did. Locker went #8 to Tennessee, and Ponder four picks later to Minnesota. San Francisco then traded up early into Round 2 to select Colin Kaepernick. The need to get your franchise quarterback is a strong one, and it is starting to look like the same thing is happening again in 2012.
Washington showed just how much they wanted Robert Griffin III by trading 3 first round picks and a second to select the Heisman Trophy winner in the second slot. After that things are getting interesting. Ryan Tannehill has all the tools to be a solid starter, but he was seen as someone who needed seasoning to reach his potential. PANIC!!! Now it's not whether or not he will go in Round 1, but how high.
As I have been compiling data for my latest DSA Player Rankings, Tannehill is making a move up the charts like I've never seen. Miami is looking to be the likely landing spot, but there is a question out there that only Mike Holmgren can answer: Will the Cleveland Browns take Ryan Tannehill with the 4th Overall Pick of the 2012 NFL Draft?
Cleveland lost out on Griffin, and I have previously posted that I thought it might work out best for the Browns as they could get Tannehill at #22. He won't last that long. After not being able to get Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn in free agency, Cleveland is going into the season with Colt McCoy at quarterback in a division with three playoff teams. With two first round picks, there is a possibility that they might trade up with the pick they acquired last year from Atlanta to get Tannehill, but that cost would be just as great as the Falcons paid to the Browns.
If that is the case, Tannehill better pan out, or Cleveland will be crying PANIC!!! in the Draft Room again, looking to find their franchise quarterback.
In 2011, the early mock drafts had Jake Locker going late in Round 1, and Christian Ponder not at all in the first 32 picks. But then you started to see the signs that something was going to change. And on draft day it did. Locker went #8 to Tennessee, and Ponder four picks later to Minnesota. San Francisco then traded up early into Round 2 to select Colin Kaepernick. The need to get your franchise quarterback is a strong one, and it is starting to look like the same thing is happening again in 2012.
Washington showed just how much they wanted Robert Griffin III by trading 3 first round picks and a second to select the Heisman Trophy winner in the second slot. After that things are getting interesting. Ryan Tannehill has all the tools to be a solid starter, but he was seen as someone who needed seasoning to reach his potential. PANIC!!! Now it's not whether or not he will go in Round 1, but how high.
As I have been compiling data for my latest DSA Player Rankings, Tannehill is making a move up the charts like I've never seen. Miami is looking to be the likely landing spot, but there is a question out there that only Mike Holmgren can answer: Will the Cleveland Browns take Ryan Tannehill with the 4th Overall Pick of the 2012 NFL Draft?
Cleveland lost out on Griffin, and I have previously posted that I thought it might work out best for the Browns as they could get Tannehill at #22. He won't last that long. After not being able to get Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn in free agency, Cleveland is going into the season with Colt McCoy at quarterback in a division with three playoff teams. With two first round picks, there is a possibility that they might trade up with the pick they acquired last year from Atlanta to get Tannehill, but that cost would be just as great as the Falcons paid to the Browns.
If that is the case, Tannehill better pan out, or Cleveland will be crying PANIC!!! in the Draft Room again, looking to find their franchise quarterback.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
The Big Trade
It will become official next week when the NFL business years begins, but the Washington Redskins are the ones who will be making the trade up to #2 in the upcoming NFL Draft. Robert Griffin III will be making his way to the nation's capital courtesy of a blockbuster trade with the St. Louis Rams.
The trade is one that people will be talking for a long time. To move up four spots and most likely select the Heisman Trophy winner, Washington will be sending to St. Louis the #6 pick in the draft this year, their second round pick this year (39th overall), plus #1 picks the next two seasons. To say the least, it is a hefty ransom to pay for the reigning king of college football.
If Griffin can live up to his potential and make the Redskins winners again, then Washington will be seen as making a good deal in the long run. But for now, the two teams I see as reaping the biggest rewards are St. Louis and Cleveland.
The Rams are targeting Justin Blackmon so that Sam Bradford can have a playmaking target on the outside. At #6, there is a good chance he will still be there when they pick in the slot formerly held by Washington. Now they have their own pick at the top of the second round as well as the one just acquired by trade. That give them three picks in which to select building blocks for the future. Wide receiver to throw to, offensive lineman to block for Bradford and Steven Jackson, and a cornerback to shore up a secondary that was devastated by injury in 2011. With Jeff Fisher running the show in St. Louis, if the Rams can stay somewhat healthy, they may be able to make another dramatic turnaround just as they did in 2010.
I thought that Cleveland would be the team that would make the trade to move up and acquire Griffin. But by not trading they are a winner as well. They hold their own pick at #4 overall, and the #22 pick they acquired from Atlanta in the Julio Jones trade from last year. And with the 37th overall pick, they also hold three high draft picks this year. Running back is going to be a focal point with Peyton Hillis hitting the free agent market, and Trent Richardson is the prototypical power back that Cleveland has featured for years. His ability to catch passes out of the backfield makes him a valuable asset for the Browns and their West Coast offense.
At #22, they could select a top flight receiver for Colt McCoy to throw to, perhaps Michael Floyd or Kendall Wright. Or even another cornerback to play opposite Joe Haden or an offensive lineman to compliment Joe Thomas and Eric Steinbach. Taking one here and another in Round 2 will strengthen Cleveland, and in the AFC North they are going to need a lot of help in this draft. But one player they could get with either one of these picks could be Ryan Tannehill, the strong armed quarterback fro Texas A&M.
Any team that does not get Peyton Manning and who does not already have a solid quarterback situation will look at Tannehill. The team outside of the top 10 who fills this bill is Seattle. Tavaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst were both seen as the answer, but both have only brought about questions about their ability to lead the Seahawks past the resurgent San Francisco 49ers. If they do not take Tannehill at #12, they may want to trade up and get him late in the first round. Or Cleveland could land him at #22. Colt McCoy has shown flashes of talent, but has suffered enough concussions to make one worry about his long term viability. If Cleveland gets Richardson, Tannehill and perhaps Alshon Jeffrey, their offense will become very formidable in the years to come.
The two biggest offseason questions were who was trading for Robert Griffin III and where will Peyton Manning land. One has been answered. The other will come about soon enough. The landscape of the 2012 NFL Draft is starting to blossom. The picture will become much more clear in the next few days.
The trade is one that people will be talking for a long time. To move up four spots and most likely select the Heisman Trophy winner, Washington will be sending to St. Louis the #6 pick in the draft this year, their second round pick this year (39th overall), plus #1 picks the next two seasons. To say the least, it is a hefty ransom to pay for the reigning king of college football.
If Griffin can live up to his potential and make the Redskins winners again, then Washington will be seen as making a good deal in the long run. But for now, the two teams I see as reaping the biggest rewards are St. Louis and Cleveland.
The Rams are targeting Justin Blackmon so that Sam Bradford can have a playmaking target on the outside. At #6, there is a good chance he will still be there when they pick in the slot formerly held by Washington. Now they have their own pick at the top of the second round as well as the one just acquired by trade. That give them three picks in which to select building blocks for the future. Wide receiver to throw to, offensive lineman to block for Bradford and Steven Jackson, and a cornerback to shore up a secondary that was devastated by injury in 2011. With Jeff Fisher running the show in St. Louis, if the Rams can stay somewhat healthy, they may be able to make another dramatic turnaround just as they did in 2010.
I thought that Cleveland would be the team that would make the trade to move up and acquire Griffin. But by not trading they are a winner as well. They hold their own pick at #4 overall, and the #22 pick they acquired from Atlanta in the Julio Jones trade from last year. And with the 37th overall pick, they also hold three high draft picks this year. Running back is going to be a focal point with Peyton Hillis hitting the free agent market, and Trent Richardson is the prototypical power back that Cleveland has featured for years. His ability to catch passes out of the backfield makes him a valuable asset for the Browns and their West Coast offense.
At #22, they could select a top flight receiver for Colt McCoy to throw to, perhaps Michael Floyd or Kendall Wright. Or even another cornerback to play opposite Joe Haden or an offensive lineman to compliment Joe Thomas and Eric Steinbach. Taking one here and another in Round 2 will strengthen Cleveland, and in the AFC North they are going to need a lot of help in this draft. But one player they could get with either one of these picks could be Ryan Tannehill, the strong armed quarterback fro Texas A&M.
Any team that does not get Peyton Manning and who does not already have a solid quarterback situation will look at Tannehill. The team outside of the top 10 who fills this bill is Seattle. Tavaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst were both seen as the answer, but both have only brought about questions about their ability to lead the Seahawks past the resurgent San Francisco 49ers. If they do not take Tannehill at #12, they may want to trade up and get him late in the first round. Or Cleveland could land him at #22. Colt McCoy has shown flashes of talent, but has suffered enough concussions to make one worry about his long term viability. If Cleveland gets Richardson, Tannehill and perhaps Alshon Jeffrey, their offense will become very formidable in the years to come.
The two biggest offseason questions were who was trading for Robert Griffin III and where will Peyton Manning land. One has been answered. The other will come about soon enough. The landscape of the 2012 NFL Draft is starting to blossom. The picture will become much more clear in the next few days.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
2012 DSA Player Rankings 1.0
After working way too much at my bill paying job, it is finally time to put forth the first DSA Player Rankings for the 2012 NFL Draft. After collecting data from mock drafts of all kinds, there are a number of things that are as certain as you are going to see this early in any draft year:
Andrew Luck is going #1 Overall to the Indianapolis Colts. With the announcement today of Peyton Manning and the Colts parting ways, there is no doubt now that Luck will be the first player taken in the draft.
Robert Griffin III is going #2 Overall, but to whom no one is certain yet. The St. Louis Rams are openly shopping the pick, and who makes the deal will be influenced by who signs the newly free agented Manning. I see the Cleveland Browns trading up to take Griffin, not just because they want the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback but also because the Rams are targeting Justin Blackmon, the dynamic playmaking wide receiver, and going any further down the draft board than 4th puts Tampa Bay into play in possibly selecting Blackmon. The Rams had problems on the offensive line, but that was mostly due to injuries. With a healthy Rodger Saffold and Jason Smith to provide time for Sam Bradford, St. Louis sees Blackmon as this years' A.J. Green, and after seeing how well Green and Andy Dalton worked together in Cincinnati they can only hope for similar results in St. Louis.
Matt Kalil is going to Minnesota with the #3 Overall pick. Christian Ponder showed promise at the end of the 2011 season for the Vikings, and putting Kalil at left tackle will only make him better. Plus, with Adrian Peterson coming back from knee surgery, Minnesota will need the anchor on the left side to protect their young quarterback and to open holes for their all-pro running back.
There are players who are already widely ranging up and down the mock draft boards. Trent Richardson is as high as #4 and as low as #17. Riley Reiff can be found up at #6 and down at #29. Janoris Jenkins is listed at #9 in one mock draft and not even in the first round in two others. While the top of the draft is what I call an Ivory Soap Lock (99 44/100%), the rest of the first round looks to be as unpredictable as ever. So here is the 2012 DSA Player Rankings 1.0:
1) Andrew Luck 1.0
2) Robert Griffin III 2.0
3) Matt Kalil 3.0
4) Justin Blackmon 4.60
5) Morris Claiborne 5.10
6) Quinton Coples 8.00
7) Melvin Ingram 9.60
8) Trent Richardson 10.00
9) Riley Reiff 11.20
10) Courtney Upshaw 13.80
11) Luke Kuechly 14.10
12) David DeCastro 14.80
13) Dre Kirkpatrick 15.60
14) Jonathon Martin 16.00
15) Dontari Poe 16.30
16) Michael Floyd 16.40
17) Michael Brockers 17.90
18) Cordy Glenn 19.10
19) Nick Perry 20.00
20) Ryan Tannehill 20.40
21) Janoris Jenkins 21.10
22) Whitney Mercilus 21.40
23) Fletcher Cox 23.20
24) Devon Still 23.30
25) Mark Barron 24.70
26) Mike Adams 25.90
27) Kendall Wright 26.10
28) Peter Konz 29.50
29) Dont'a Hightower 30.20
30) Jerel Worthy 30.30
31) Zach Brown 30.30
32) Coby Fleener 31.10
33) Stephen Gilmore 31.80
34) Andre Branch 32.70
35) Stephen Hill 34.40
In the next few days, it will be interesting to see what happens to the draft stock of Ryan Tannehill. Where Peyton Manning lands and who trades for the second pick to take Robert Griffin III will determine where Tannehill might land. I see the Browns moving up to take Griffin, and Manning going to a team with a better chance to win now. In the top 10, that would be Miami more than any other team, and I'm starting to get that gut feeling that the team he will land at in San Francisco. Great defense, weapons on offense and one of the best offensive lines in the league. I currently have Tannehill going #6 to Washington, and if everything falls into place the Redskins may be his new home simply because they could not get the other quarterbacks they wanted.
The 2012 NFL Draft season is starting to warm up. I for one am looking forward to it.
Andrew Luck is going #1 Overall to the Indianapolis Colts. With the announcement today of Peyton Manning and the Colts parting ways, there is no doubt now that Luck will be the first player taken in the draft.
Robert Griffin III is going #2 Overall, but to whom no one is certain yet. The St. Louis Rams are openly shopping the pick, and who makes the deal will be influenced by who signs the newly free agented Manning. I see the Cleveland Browns trading up to take Griffin, not just because they want the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback but also because the Rams are targeting Justin Blackmon, the dynamic playmaking wide receiver, and going any further down the draft board than 4th puts Tampa Bay into play in possibly selecting Blackmon. The Rams had problems on the offensive line, but that was mostly due to injuries. With a healthy Rodger Saffold and Jason Smith to provide time for Sam Bradford, St. Louis sees Blackmon as this years' A.J. Green, and after seeing how well Green and Andy Dalton worked together in Cincinnati they can only hope for similar results in St. Louis.
Matt Kalil is going to Minnesota with the #3 Overall pick. Christian Ponder showed promise at the end of the 2011 season for the Vikings, and putting Kalil at left tackle will only make him better. Plus, with Adrian Peterson coming back from knee surgery, Minnesota will need the anchor on the left side to protect their young quarterback and to open holes for their all-pro running back.
There are players who are already widely ranging up and down the mock draft boards. Trent Richardson is as high as #4 and as low as #17. Riley Reiff can be found up at #6 and down at #29. Janoris Jenkins is listed at #9 in one mock draft and not even in the first round in two others. While the top of the draft is what I call an Ivory Soap Lock (99 44/100%), the rest of the first round looks to be as unpredictable as ever. So here is the 2012 DSA Player Rankings 1.0:
1) Andrew Luck 1.0
2) Robert Griffin III 2.0
3) Matt Kalil 3.0
4) Justin Blackmon 4.60
5) Morris Claiborne 5.10
6) Quinton Coples 8.00
7) Melvin Ingram 9.60
8) Trent Richardson 10.00
9) Riley Reiff 11.20
10) Courtney Upshaw 13.80
11) Luke Kuechly 14.10
12) David DeCastro 14.80
13) Dre Kirkpatrick 15.60
14) Jonathon Martin 16.00
15) Dontari Poe 16.30
16) Michael Floyd 16.40
17) Michael Brockers 17.90
18) Cordy Glenn 19.10
19) Nick Perry 20.00
20) Ryan Tannehill 20.40
21) Janoris Jenkins 21.10
22) Whitney Mercilus 21.40
23) Fletcher Cox 23.20
24) Devon Still 23.30
25) Mark Barron 24.70
26) Mike Adams 25.90
27) Kendall Wright 26.10
28) Peter Konz 29.50
29) Dont'a Hightower 30.20
30) Jerel Worthy 30.30
31) Zach Brown 30.30
32) Coby Fleener 31.10
33) Stephen Gilmore 31.80
34) Andre Branch 32.70
35) Stephen Hill 34.40
In the next few days, it will be interesting to see what happens to the draft stock of Ryan Tannehill. Where Peyton Manning lands and who trades for the second pick to take Robert Griffin III will determine where Tannehill might land. I see the Browns moving up to take Griffin, and Manning going to a team with a better chance to win now. In the top 10, that would be Miami more than any other team, and I'm starting to get that gut feeling that the team he will land at in San Francisco. Great defense, weapons on offense and one of the best offensive lines in the league. I currently have Tannehill going #6 to Washington, and if everything falls into place the Redskins may be his new home simply because they could not get the other quarterbacks they wanted.
The 2012 NFL Draft season is starting to warm up. I for one am looking forward to it.
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