TMG DraftZone Final 2014 Mock Draft

It's Draft Day. Finally. Now it is time to get the last mock drafts out there for all to see and for draftniks like myself to put out money where our keyboards are. I have Jadeveon Clowney going #1 Overall to Houston, and I have to laugh when I hear the big reason why the Texans will not pick him. He doesn't fit their 3-4 defensive scheme. Give me a break. When you have a player with that much talent, you change your scheme to fit Clowney. It's as simple as that, and I cannot believe that a Defensive Coordinator like Romeo Crennel can't change his ways find the best fit for Clowney on his defense. Can you imagine a Texans 4-3 defense, with Clowney on the right side and J.J. Watt on the left. Teams might be able to get away with double teaming just one, but I don't see that happening for long. So you have to put two blockers on the star pass rushers. A tight end on one, and a running back to get a chip block on the other. Do the math. How many receivers does that leave? Three. That's it. Houston would be able to bring a blitzer on every play and still have double coverage in the secondary. If I were a Texans fan, I'd take those odds every play. But I think back to two examples in the 80's that tell me the shortsighted would pass on Clowney now, and those with vision would take him and change their scheme to fit his abilities. In 1983, when the Miami Dolphins selected Dan marino, Paul Zimmerman was famously caught on the draft coverage making the comment 'Who is going to coach him?' Then Chris Berman came back with the correct response-Don Shula is a pretty good coach. Shula admitted later in making a mistake with Marino. The mistake was that he did not start him right away. Up until then, the Dolphins under Don Shula were what we now call a Ground and Pound team. Run the ball, then run it some more. In Marino's second season, the Dolphins threw the ball on 76% of their plays, and Marino set records for passing yards and touchdowns while leading Miami to the Super Bowl. Shula had the vision to change his scheme to fit his quarterback, and Miami enjoyed success for the next decade with a hall of Fame Quarterback leading the way. The next year, an example of shortsightedness came into play in the NBA. Everyone knows the story of Portland passing on Michael Jordan and selecting Sam Bowie. But before the draft, a conversation between Bob Knight and a member of the Blazers front office was recounted in John Feinstein's book A Season on the Brink. Knight was coaching the US Olympic Team, and Jordan was the star of the team. He was asked by a friend who worked for Portland about Jordan. Knight told him to take Jordan. The reply was 'we already have Clyde Drexler, and we need a center.' Knight told him 'Play Jordan at center. No one can stop him.' The rest of the story is what can happen when you draft to fit your scheme and pass on the once in a generation talent like Jadeveon Clowney. So here is the Final TMG DraftZone Mock Draft for 2014. I have these picked posted on NFL.com under the entry sycamore88. I'd like to see just how I am going to do against everyone else, but with this draft year you just never know. 1) Houston Jadeveon Clowney 2) St. Louis Jake Matthews 3) Jacksonville Khalil Mack 4) Cleveland Sammy Watkins 5) Oakland Blake Bortles 6) Atlanta Greg Robinson 7) Tampa Bay Mike Evans 8) Minnesota Johnny Manziel 9) Buffalo Eric Ebron 10) Detroit Darqueze Dennard 11) Tennessee Anthony Barr 12) NY Giants Taylor Lewan 13) St. Louis Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix 14) Chicago Aaron Donald 15) Pittsburgh Calvin Pryor 16) Dallas Tim Jernigan 17) Baltimore C.J. Mosley 18) NY Jets Marqise Lee 19) Miami Zack Martin 20) Arizona Ryan Shazier 21) Green Bay Justin Gilbert 22) Philadelphia Brandin Cooks 23) Kansas City Odell Beckham 24) Cincinnati Kyle Fuller 25) San Diego Jason Verrett 26) Cleveland Teddy Bridgewater 27) New Orleans Kony Ealy 28) Carolina Morgan Moses 29) New England Ra'Shade Hageman 30) San Francisco Bradley Roby 31) Denver Xavier Su'a-Filo 32) Seattle David Yankey I have St. Louis taking Jake Matthews at #2, but I could have very well put Greg Robinson there. And even though reports earlier in the week said the Raiders would not take Blake Bortles of Johnny Manziel at #5, I can still see them taking the big signal caller from Central Florida who can give them their version of Ben Roethlisberger. I see Minnesota taking Manziel at #8 because new head coach Mike Zimmer has seen first hand what an average, vanilla quarterback can do after watching Andy Dalton the last three seasons in Cincinnati. Don't forget that the Vikings are moving into a new stadium in a couple of seasons. Just think what a quarterback like Manziel can do to energize the fan base in Minnesota. It's four hours until the start of Round 1 of the 2014 NFL Draft. Let's get it's going. It has been a long draft season.

TMG DraftZone Final DSA Player Rankings 2014

The 2014 NFL Draft is tomorrow. Finally. The extra two weeks this year has made it feel like an extra two months. But the time has come for Commissioner Roger Goddell to step up to the podium at Radio City Music Hall and make the announcement that the Houston Texans are on the clock. Mock Drafters have had their say, and the final DSA Player Rankings show that there is not much change in who looks to go where. But one thing it is showing is that what may be termed 'The Safe Pick' is coming back in vogue for 2014. Last year, offensive lineman went with three of the first four picks, and six of the top 11. Now this year, Taylor Lewan looks to be the safest pick garnering the most interest at the top of the draft. Lewan moved up 6 spots in the DSA Rankings, going from 14 to 8 in the Final Rankings. Eric Ebron could be considered the safest pick of the skill players at the top of the draft, and he moved up four positions to #9. The quarterbacks at the top, Johnny Manziel and Blake Bortles, fell 2 and 4 positions respectively as it is beginning to look like teams may take their top position prospects first, then trade back into the end of Round 1 to get the quarterback they want. But for the most part, there was very little movement in the Final DSA Player Rankings. The biggest riser was Kony Ealy, who moved up 8 positions to #20. But two rankings ago he was #21, so Ealy got back the positions he lost previously. Bradley Roby did the same thing, only in reverse. Roby fell seven spots to #28, which is where he was two rankings ago. Louis Nix fell seven spots to #30, which is far and away his lowest position in this years rankings. But the biggest overall fall was completed by Teddy Bridgewater. A horrendous pro day workout has led the one-time top quarterback prospect to fall from #2 in the first rankings, with a score of 3.00, to #3/3.40, then #11/11.40, and the fall was completed in the last two rankings at #17/17.70 and finally #22/24.40. Bridgewater is the leading candidate for the Stone Drop Award for 2014, but it could easily go to Manziel or Bortles, depending on which quarterback falls the furthest in the 2014 NFL Draft. But with the end of the 2014 Mock Draft Season now upon us, it is time to reveal the final TMG DraftZone DSA Player Rankings for 2014, with average score and position up or down from the previous rankings: 1) Jadeveon Clowney 1.20 0 2) Sammy Watkins 3.20 0 3) Greg Robinson 3.90 0 4) Khalil Mack 5.00 1 5) Jake Matthews 5.50 3 6) Johnny Manziel 6.80 -2 7) Mike Evans 7.40 0 8) Taylor Lewan 11.20 6 9) Eric Ebron 12.10 4 10) Blake Bortles 12.60 -4 11) Anthony Barr 12.90 0 12) Justin Gilbert 12.90 -3 13) Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix 13.10 -3 14) Aaron Donald 13.40 -2 15) Darqueze Dennard 16.40 0 16) Calvin Pryor 16.70 0 17) Zack Martin 17.00 1 18) Odell Beckham 18.40 2 19) C. J. Mosley 19.40 0 20) Kony Ealy 22.30 8 21) Brandin Cooks 22.80 1 22) Teddy Bridgewater 24.40 -5 23) Marqise Lee 24.80 2 24) Kyle Fuller 25.10 0 25) Ryan Shazier 25.90 1 26) Derek Carr 28.50 5 27) Tim Jernigan 28.60 0 28) Bradley Roby 28.70 -7 29) Ra'Shade Hageman 29.60 0 30) Louis Nix 29.90 -7 31) Dee Ford 30.10 2 32) Xavier Su'a-Filo 30.50 0 33) Jason Verrett 30.60 -3 34) Morgan Moses 32.00 1 35) Jimmie Ward 33.20 3 If you look at the previous DSA Player Rankings and the Final Rankings, you are going to see a lot of familiar names. 34 in fact. The only player to fall out of the DSA Rankings this time was Cyrus Kouandjio, who could easily go #28 to Carolina, a team in need of offensive line help. But draftniks see the top players being the ones that are most likely going in Round 1, and we will find out tomorrow night. I will be posting my Final Mock Draft right before the Round 1, and tonight I will have my annual Twas The Night Before The NFL Draft. It's been a long draft season, and like everyone else I am anxious to see The Commissh walk up the the podium. Let The 2014 NFL Draft Begin.

TMG DraftZone 2014 DSA Player Rankings 4.0

The 2014 NFL Draft is 2 weeks away, and if it had not been moved into May the first round would be underway right now. As it is, the draft experts now have extra time to overanalyze prospects and make change after change to their mock drafts. But for the most part, the changes are happening after the first 8 picks. The top of the draft is looking to be pretty solid at this time. I mentioned in an earlier posting you could take the top players, put them in a hat, and draw out a mock draft that wouldn't get too many arguments. Take a look at the top eight players in my latest DSA Player Rankings. Jadaveon Clowney, Sammy Watkins, Greg Robinson, Johnny Manziel, Khalil Mack, Blake Bortles, Mike Evans, and Jake Matthews. It would be a surprise if Clowney was picked eighth, but would anyone be shocked if the other 7 players were picked in any order at this time? I'd say no. This is the reason that there can be so much flux in where players are going in mock drafts at this time. One mock had Teddy Bridgewater going #1. Two others did not have him going in Round 1 at all. One mock draft had Derek Carr going at #4 and another going at #8. Seven others did not have him going in the first round. Charles Davis on NFL.com has Carr going as the first quarterback taken, this time by Tennessee at #11. Blake Bortles was a Top 8 pick in nine out of 10, but the tenth had him going to Cleveland at #26. Amazingly, Johnny Manziel was placed no lower then 8th Overall, after a number of mock drafts early in the process had him going to Cleveland at #26 or not in Round 1 at all. Bridgewater is now the leading candidate to win The Stone Drop Award for 2014. The first DSA Player Rankings had Bridgewater at #2. The second at #3. Then a bad pro day dropped the one time presumptive #1 Overall Pick to #11, and now he has fallen all the way to #17. I don't see Bridgewater falling out of the first round for the reason that someone who passed on him earlier will trade back up to get him late in Round 1. Other than Bridgewater, the biggest drops in the DSA Player Rankings was found to be Tim Jernigan and Kony Ealy. Jernigan was placed at #14 in one mock draft, #16 in three others, and not in Round 1 at all in five others, but he fell 10 spots to #27. Ealy fell seven spots to #28 in spite of being listed as high as #16 in one draft and #20 in another. But Jernigan looks to be the second best defensive tackle in the draft behind Aaron Donald, and I don't see him falling out of Round 1. Ealy needs to find a team that needs a pass rusher, and the prevailing thought is that Ealy may fall to round 2. There really wasn't too many big jumps up in the DSA Player Rankings this time. Calvin Pryor, C.J. Mosley, Ryan Shazier,and Kyle Fuller moved up four spots, and Morgan Moses makes his first appearance in the rankings. Eric Ebron gained three positions, and I still see the big tight end as a possible top 10 pick. Brandin Cooks gained three spots as well, moving up to #22. But the biggest jump came near the bottom, as Bradley Roby gained seven spots to #21. Roby took a hit earlier in the draft process but now it looks like the player who was a dominant cornerback in 2012 is the one being judged now instead of the one who seemed to have a setback last year. The extra two weeks before the draft is giving everyone a chance to take a look at players like Roby a little more closely. Why were they not as productive in 2013 as they were in 2012? Why did their production jump so much last year? The extra analysis is going to have players going all over the draft boards. I will post one more mock draft and DSA Player Rankings the week of the draft, and I'm going to have a Hat Draw Mock Draft as well. I'm going to draw out the top 8 players, then 9-18, and 19-32, according to how the players are ranked in the DSA Player Rankings. But for now, here are the TMG DraftZone DSA Player Rankings 4.0 for 2014, with their average score and positions moved up or down in the rankings: 1) Jadaveon Clowney 1.50 0 2) Sammy Watkins 4.00 2 3) Greg Robinson 4.00 -1 4) Johnny Manziel 4.70 3 5) Khalil Mack 5.20 0 6) Blake Bortles 6.50 -3 7) Mike Evans 7.40 1 8) Jake Matthews 7.90 -2 9) Justin Gilbert 11.50 1 10) Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix 12.40 2 11) Anthony Barr 12.90 -2 12) Aaron Donald 13.10 2 13) Eric Ebron 13.90 3 14) Taylor Lewan 15.00 -1 15) Darqueze Dennard 15.70 0 16) Calvin Pryor 17.40 4 17) Teddy Bridgewater 17.70 -6 18) Zach Martin 19.90 0 19) C.J. Mosley 20.30 4 20) Odell Beckham 21.50 -1 21) Bradley Roby 23.20 7 22) Brandin Cooks 24.90 3 23) Louis Nix 25.40 -1 24) Kyle Fuller 25.50 3 25) Marqise Lee 25.60 -1 26) Ryan Shazier 25.70 4 27) Tim Jernigan 27.10 -10 28) Kony Ealy 27.70 -7 29) Ra'Shade Hageman 27.80 4 30) Jason Verrett 30.00 1 31) Derek Carr 30.50 -5 32) Xavier Su'a-Filo 30.50 2 33) Dee Ford 30.60 -4 34) Cyrus Kouandjio 32.30 1 35) Morgan Moses 32.90 3 Every year there is at least one player who is a late riser into the bottom of Round. On the defensive side, I said that Jeremiah Attaochu could be one of the late risers, and now you can add Morgan Moses to the list. Offensive tackles have always been a valuable asset, and the big tackle from Virginia looks to be becoming more valuable as the draft nears. Round 1 is two weeks away on May 8th. The rollercoaster rides through the mock draft season will soon be coming to an end, and who knows where the ride will stop for the prospects going into the 2014 NFL Draft.

TMG DraftZone 2014 NFL Mock Draft 2.0

When the 2014 NFL Draft season started, all the talk was 'Which quarterback will the Houston Texans take at #1 Overall?' Now it has become 'Which team is going to take a chance on a quarterback in the 1st Round?' But it makes me wonder just how certain a quarterback going first would be if it were not for the presence of Jadaveon Clowney at the top of everyone's draft boards. Clowney has moved to the top of my mock draft, even though I have touted Teddy Bridgewater since Day 1 to be that top pick. But it is beginning to look like Bridgewater will be the quarterback who drops the most this year. My last post was Trades To Be Made. If Bridgewater gets past Minnesota at #8, I wonder which team that passed on a quarterback at the top will make the trade to move up and get the one time potential top pick. In my mock draft, in regards to the teams looking to take a quarterback, I have Clowney going #1 to Houston, Blake Bortles #3 to Jacksonville, Sammy Watkins #4 to Cleveland, Jake Matthews #5 to Oakland, Mike Evans #7 to Tampa Bay, and Johnny Manziel #8 to Minnesota. From there it is a free fall down to Cleveland again at #26 to find a team looking to draft a quarterback. Arizona may be looking to find a future replacement for Carson Palmer, and the same for the Cincinnati Bengals with Andy Dalton, but if they take a quarterback I see it happening in Round 2, depending on the availability of A.J. McCarron, Zack Mettenberger, Derek Carr and Aaron Murray. So let's say that Bridgewater falls to the 20's on draft night. You are the Houston Texans. You just picked up Jadaveon Clowney. Now the quarterback you have taken a long look at is there for the taking, but you have to move up to the #21 to #25 positions to get him. What do you offer? You have the first pick in each round the rest of the way. #33 Overall would yield a very good player. Perhaps throw in your 4th and 5th Rounders as well. That might be pretty tempting. Or your 2nd Rounder this year and your #1 next year. A price to pay, but if the Texans make the playoffs that pick will be no sooner than #21 in 2015, and you keep the rest of your picks this year in a very deep class. Now you need a trading partner. Take a look at Kansas City. Andy Reid has a history of draft trades. And for now I have the Chiefs taking Xavier Su'a-Filo to shore up their offensive line. I have previously had KC taking a receiver at #23. In either case, they might be able to get a top player at either position at #33, and you can pick up an additional #1 next year. I can see the deal happening, but if Cleveland finds out and they want Bridgewater, there is going to be a very lucky team in that 21-25 range that will reap the reward of a draft day bidding war. Of course it could be that Bridgewater goes in the Top 8, but there are starting to be too many questions about him to make me think that will happen. But until the trades start to roll in, I'm going to put up my mock draft for where teams are drafting now, and who I think they will select. So here is the TMG DraftZone 2014 NFL Mock Draft 2.0: 1) Houston Jadaveon Clowney 2) St. Louis Greg Robinson 3) Jacksonville Blake Bortles 4) Cleveland Sammy Watkins 5) Oakland Jake Matthews 6) Atlanta Khalil Mack 7) Tampa Bay Mike Evans 8) Minnesota Johnny Manziel 9) Buffalo Eric Ebron 10) Detroit Justin Gilbert 11) Tennessee Anthony Barr 12) NY Giants Zach Martin 13) St. Louis Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix 14) Chicago Tim Jernigan 15) Pittsburgh Calvin Pryor 16) Dallas Aaron Donald 17) Baltimore C.J. Mosley 18) NY Jets Marqise Lee 19) Miami Taylor Lewan 20) Arizona Cyrus Kouandjio 21) Green Bay Darqueze Dennard 22) Philadelphia Brandin Cooks 23) Kansas City Xavier Su'a-Filo 24) Cincinnati Ryan Shazier 25) San Diego Louis Nix 26) Cleveland Teddy Bridgewater 27) New Orleans Dee Ford 28) Carolina Allen Robinson 29) New England Kyle Fuller 30) San Francisco Kelvin Benjamin 31) Denver Bradley Roby 32) Seattle David Yankey If the schedule was not changed, the first day of the NFL Draft would be in 12 days. But we get an extra two weeks to analyze who will be going where, and the moves teams are making to get the players they want. The Houston Texans are on the clock. I can't wait for May 8th to see Commissioner Goddell to walk to the podium. It's going to be a great draft for the NFL in 2014.

TMG DraftZone2014 DSA Player Rankings 3.0

We are a little over one month away from the 2014 NFL Draft, but with the draft now in May it still feels like it is just a couple of weeks away. In compiling the latest edition of the DSA Player Rankings, the top of the draft is settling into place very nicely, with the exception of one player. With the majority of Pro Days completed, the overanalysation of players is in full swing. And no position get the treatment than quarterback. It is starting to remind me of a presidential primary season. When a candidate makes the announcement that they are running, there is excitement aplenty. The early poll numbers go up, and everything looks great. Then all the pundits start to dissect the candidate and all the flaws become exposed. Now take a look at what has happened to Teddy Bridgewater this draft season. To a degree, it started against Central Florida last season for Teddy. He was an early Heisman candidate, then Louisville lost to UCF. His numbers were never as spectacular as Blake Bortles or Johnny Manziel, but he kept winning. A 12-1 season was capped off with a great performance against Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl, and the full spectrum of his play in college put Bridgewater at the top of the draft charts for quarterbacks going into the 2014 NFL Draft. Then the questions started. He didn't have a big enough body frame. At the combine, his hands weren't big enough and he didn't throw on the field. He had a lousy pro day. Now the doubters are piling on. Bridgewater has taken one of the biggest drops I've ever recorded this late in the draft process with the DSA Player Rankings for a player at or near the top. Other top name prospects have had bigger drops, but those started early, most notably Da'Quan Bowers. Bridgewater dropped eight positions, from #3 to #11, as one mock draft had him at #26 to Cleveland and another had him at #32 in a possible trade scenario. I have written of my support for Bridgewater, and I still believe that he will be the best quarterback of this class. But what I'm seeing is almost a Panic In The Draft Room In Reverse. It's gone from We Need A Quarterback, We Need A Quarterback, to Maybe We Don't Need This Quarterback. If Bridgewater falls past Minnesota at #8 in the upcoming draft, I wonder who will make the move up to get him and I will discuss these possibilities in my next posting. For now, there are two big movers. Mike Evans has moved into the Top 10, moving up five spots to #8, and Tim Jernigan is getting a lot of attention in the middle of the draft as well. Jernigan jumped up nine slots from #26 to #17 as teams are possibly looking to snare the next Geno Atkins for the middle of their defense. Besides Bridgewater, the biggest drops were taken by Jason Verrett, falling eight spots to #31, and Marqise Lee, who dropped seven positions from #17 to #24. Verrett is seen as undersized, and the drop by Lee can be seen as a result of the rise of both Odell Beckham and Brandin Cooks. The player at the top has been there all along this year, and that is Jadaveon Clowney. The St. Louis Rams, in a way, have to be hoping that the Houston Texans take a quarterback at #1 Overall. If Clowney is still there when the Rams pick, they could very easily make a trade along the lines for what they got in 2012 for Robert Griffin III from Washington, and they would still be able to get the offensive lineman they covet to give Sam Bradford some protection. Clowney is far and away the top talent in a very good draft class, and someone is going to break the bank to get him. So here is the 2014 TMG DraftZone DSA Player Rankings 3.0, with the average score and movement up or down from the previous rankings: 1) Jadaveon Clowney 2.10 0 2) Greg Robinson 3.00 2 3) Blake Bortles 4.40 (1) 4) Sammy Watkins 4.80 1 5) Khalil Mack 5.20 1 6) Jake Matthews 6.70 1 7) Johnny Manziel 7.30 1 8) Mike Evans 9.90 5 9) Anthony Barr 11.00 0 10) Justin Gilbert 11.30 0 11) Teddy Bridgewater 11.40 (8) 12) Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix 13.30 (1) 13) Taylor Lewan 14.90 (1) 14) Aaron Donald 15.20 0 15) Darqueze Dennard 16.40 0 16) Eric Ebron 16.70 0 17) Tim Jernigan 19.50 9 18) Zack Martin 19.90 0 19) Odell Beckham 21.70 3 20) Calvin Pryor 21.80 (1) 21) Kony Ealy 22.40 3 22) Louis Nix 22.50 (2) 23) C.J. Mosley 23.10 (2) 24) Marqise Lee 23.70 (7) 25) Brandin Cooks 24.80 3 26) Derek Carr 24.80 0 27) Kyle Fuller 25.50 2 28) Bradley Roby 25.60 4 29) Dee Ford 27.40 5 30) Ryan Shazier 29.00 1 31) Jason Varrett 29.10 (8) 32) Kelvin Benjamin 31.30 3 33) Ra'Shade Hageman 33.00 (6) 34) Xavier Su'a-Filo 33.90 0 35) Cyrus Kouandijo 34.00 (5) 36) David Yankey 35.00 0 37) Jimmie Ward 36.20 0 It will be interesting to see if Tim Jernigan can continue to climb up the draft charts as he has, and if you are looking for a player outside of the Top 32, keep an eye on Jeremiah Attaochu, the talented but raw linebacker from Georgia Tech. He looks to be a solid 2nd Rounder, but a team like New England or Seattle, who can afford to develop a talent like his, might grab him in Round 1. It is 1 month until the 2014 NFL Draft. I should be able to post at least two more DSA Player Rankings, and it will be interesting to see who the late risers are for 2014.

TMG Draft Zone 2014 Mock Draft 1.0

I've been so busy with other things in life that posting my first Mock Draft of 2014 has kept been getting put off. And now after The Scouting Combine and free agency, about all I can say is that you could take Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel, Jadaveon Clowney, Jake Matthews, Greg Robinson, Sammy Watkins and Khalil Mack, put their names in a hat, and draw out the first 8 blindly and not go wrong. I might just have to try it out and see what happens. In spite of his less than stellar showing at his pro day, I'm sticking with Bridgewater at the 1st Overall position. Bortles looked very good and Gus Bradley is going to have some sleepless nights wondering about the up and coming quarterback or the best player in the draft in Clowney. The Rams made a haul off of trading the pick that Washington made for Robert Griffin III, and I wonder if they feel like they can make a similar deal this time. They re-signed Roger Saffold after his deal with the Raiders fell through, and adding a bookend tackle would make life that much easier for Sam Bradford. Until the trade is made, I have the Rams taking the more athletic Robinson over the polished Matthews (for now). As for Matthews, I have him going 8th to Minnesota. The Vikings could use a franchise quarterback, but they re-signed Matt Cassell and have Christian Ponder as well. Say what you want about both quarterbacks, but they have both recently led teams to the playoffs. And how do you make an average signal caller better? Give him a great running back. The Vikings have the best in the game in Adrian Peterson. Give him targets to throw to. Minnesota has Corderrelle Patterson and Kyle Rudolph. Put a wall of an offensive line in front of him. Put Jake Matthews opposite Matt Kalil, and you have a tackle combination that most teams would love to have. Think this could work in Minnesota? Look what it did for Alex Smith in San Francisco. So here is the first mock draft from the TMG Draft Zone for 2014, with a 110% certainty to change in the next 2 months: 1) Houston Teddy Bridgewater 2) St. Louis Greg Robinson 3) Jacksonville Jadaveon Clowney 4) Cleveland Sammy Watkins 5) Oakland Blake Bortles 6) Atlanta Khalil Mack 7) Tampa Bay Justin Gilbert 8) Minnesota Jake Matthews 9) Buffalo Eric Ebron 10) Detroit Darqueze Dennard 11) Tennessee Anthony Barr 12) NY Giants Taylor Lewan 13) St. Louis Calvin Pryor 14) Chicago Louis Nix 15) Pittsburgh Ha'Sean Clinton Dix 16) Dallas C.J. Mosley 17) Baltimore Mike Evans 18) NY Jets Marqise Lee 19) Miami Zack Martin 20) Arizona Cyrus Kouandjio 21) Green Bay Jace Amaro 22) Philadelphia Jason Verrett 23) Kansas City Odell Beckham 24) Cincinnati Kyle Fuller 25) San Diego Tim Jernigan 26) Cleveland Johnny Manziel 27) New Orleans Ryan Shazier 28) Carolina Kelvin Benjamin 29) New England Aaron Donald 30) San Francisco Brandin Cooks 31) Denver Ra'Shade Hageman 32) Seattle Kony Ealy As you can see, I do not have Johnny Manziel going in the top 8 of the draft. I just feel that teams are going to get a little jittery in regards to Manziel, either the potential for injury for a running quarterback or that the risk won't match the reward. I do have Justin Gilbert going #7 to Tampa Bay as the replacement for Darrelle Revis. Buffalo needs some playmakers on offense, and Eric Ebron is too tempting to pass on at #9. Mike Evans would be a good choice for the Bills, but a physical monster like Ebron would be a great target for E.J. Manuel down the middle and in the red zone. However the first round of the draft falls out, there is talent aplenty from top to bottom. If you can find full 7 round mocks out there, or even just two rounders, look at the players in the 60's and 70's and you can probably make an argument that they could go in Round 1. I do know this: some GM is REALLY going to have to screw up his early picks to get a C grade or worse this year. But it always happens. I just wonder who it will be in 2014.

2014 DSA Player Rankings 2.0

The TMG Draft Zone has returned after a time on sick leave. I wasn't just under the weather. I was buried about 3 feet down before digging my way out. I was hoping to post the second DSA Player Rankings of 2014 right after the NFL Scouting Combine and before the start of free agency. But unable to do so, my mock draft research spans both events, so in a way it is an average of the Draft Slot Average. Jadaveon Clowney is once again a solid pick at #1 Overall, and the tide of the first quarterback to go has shifted from Teddy Bridgewater to Blake Bortles. But barely. The surprise among the quarterbacks is that Johnny Manziel is not feeling the love as he once did. Johnny Football dropped 4 spots down to #8, and in a way he has flipped positions with Greg Robinson. The athletic tackle, who wowed at the Combine, looks to be the first lineman to go off the boards instead of Jake Matthews. Robinson made a strong leap up 3 spots to #4, and is a mere three tenths of a point away from #2. Justin Gilbert also made a strong move, leaping 7 positions into the top 10 at #10. The top of the pack has started to separate from the rest, as there is already a nearly 3 point margin between #8 and #9. But the research I performed showed that the first round is getting to be a solid block of players. 20 players were listed in each mock draft I researched, 4 others were left out of one, and 4 others were left out of two of the mocks. Overall, there were 34 players who averaged 30 or better. Teams will be getting first round talent well into the third round of the draft this year. It's going to take a monumental screw-up for a team to get a bad grade on Draft Day this year. The biggest gainer was by far Aaron Donald, who jumped an incredible 17 positions. Odell Beckham was also a double digit gainer, moving up 10 spots. Justin Gilbert also made a strong move, leaping 7 positions into the top 10 at #10. Dropping hard were C.J. Mosley and Cyrus Kouandjio, who both fell 11 spots. I don't see Mosley staying down too long, but the concerns over the knee troubles of Kouandjio could cause him to be the winner of the Stone Drop Award of 2014, the player who started out the highest and who falls the farthest. Another candidate could be Kelvin Benjamin, the highest slotted player in the first DSA's who fell out completely the next time. Benjamin will not fall too far out of Round 2. He is too freakishly talented for someone to let him go too long, even if he has trouble catching the ball. So here is the 2nd 2014 DSA Player Rankings, with the average score and the positions gained or lost from the last DSA Rankings, and I promise to do better to keep my draft postings coming here to the TMG Draft Zone: 1) Jadaveon Clowney 2.10 0 2) Blake Bortles 3.10 1 3) Teddy Bridgewater 3.40 (1) 4) Greg Robinson 3.50 3 5) Sammy Watkins 5.00 0 6) Khalil Mack 6.20 2 7) Jake Matthews 7.90 (1) 8) Johnny Manziel 9.30 (4) 9) Anthony Barr 12.00 0 10) Justin Gilbert 13.00 7 11) Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix 13.40 3 12) Taylor Lewan 14.10 (1) 13) Mike Evans 14.40 0 14) Aaron Donald 15.70 17 15) Darqueze Dennard 15.70 (3) 16) Eric Ebron 16.50 (1) 17) Marquise Lee 19.10 (1) 18) Zack Martin 19.40 5 19) Calvin Pryor 19.70 3 20) Louis Nix 20.80 1 21) C.J. Mosley 21.60 (11) 22) Odell Beckham 22.20 10 23) Jason Varrett 24.60 5 24) Kony Ealy 25.10 0 25) Derek Carr 25.40 (7) 26) Tim Jernigan 25.90 0 27) Ra'Shade Hageman 27.00 (7) 28) Brandin Cooks 27.80 5 29) Kyle Fuller 27.80 5 30) Cyrus Kouandijo 28.90 (11) 31) Ryan Shazier 29.50 4 32) Bradley Roby 29.60 4 33) Xavier Su'a-Filo 29.70 4 34) Dee Ford 30.60 4

TMG DraftZone NFL Draft Grades: AFC West

The Denver Broncos moved on from Tim Tebow to Peyton Manning, and pulled away from the rest of the AFC West to claim their second straight division title. The Broncos had the best record in the AFC, then let the playoffs slip through their fingers with one poorly timed jump by Rahim Moore in the final minute of regulation against the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Playoff game. The Broncos are stil the class of the West, and are reloading for a return trip to the playoffs. San Diego, Oakland and Kansas City all fell on hard times in 2012, and are hoping that off season changes can move them back up to playoff contention. The Chiefs brought in Andy Reid as their new head coach, and with the first overall pick they selected Eric Fisher, the athletic offensive tackle from Central Michigan. Their second round pick went to San Francisco to acquire Alex Smith, and there is enough talent on both sides of the ball in Kansas City to return the Chiefs to their division winning level of 2010. San Diego brought in Mike McCoy to coach, and the Chargers still have Phillip Rivers at quarterback. But the Chargers still have holes to fill, and protecting Rivers has been a concern. D.J. Fluker was taken at #11 to shore up the offensive line, and Manti Te'o looks to be the leader on defense for years to come. The Oakland Raiders continue to cause people to scratch their heads. They traded Carson Palmer for a late round pick, after acquiring him from Cincinnati for a 1st and 2nd round pick. Doing this 10 years down the road is one thing. But this happened two years after Mike Brown fleeced the Raiders. It's tough to build through the draft when you keep trading your top draft picks. This year, the Raiders traded down from #3 to #12 to add a second rounder, and with those two picks they selected D.J. Hayden to play corner and Menelik Watson to play tackle. Hayden is coming back from a near fatal chest injury, and Watson is talented but raw. If they pan out, the Raides will reap the rewards. If not, one has to wonder what is going on with the Silver and Black. So here are the TMG DraftZone 2012 NFL Draft Grades for the AFC West, including key selections and sleeper picks: Denver: B Montee Ball (RB) Kayvon Webster (CB) The Broncos seelcted Sylvester Williams in Round 1, and he can move into the middle of the defensive line right away. If Ball can provide a consistent, healthy running game for Manning then the passing game will be even more dangerous. Champ Bailey probably won't play forever, so Webster might get a chance to prove himself sooner rather than later. Kansas City: B Eric Fisher (T) Nico Johnson (LB) Fisher will eventually be the Chiefs left tackle, and if Brandon Albert keeps pouting about his situation in Kansas City then he might be anchoring the blind side soon. Fisher has all the tools to be a star in the NFL, and I look for him to do just that. Travis Kelce can add another dimension to the offense by teaming with Tony Moeaki to set up a dangerous pass catching two tight tnd set. Knile Davis can give Jamaal Charles a break from all the wear and tear, and Johnson will add to a strong linebacking corps. Oakland: Sio Moore (LB) Tyler Wilson (QB) Hayden and Watson have the talent, but the injury and experience concerns need to be ironed out. Moore is a fast, athletic linebacker and the Raiders need help on defense. It will be interesting to see if Wilson gets a chance to play quarterback. Matt Flynn is first on the depth chart, and Terrelle Pyror is second, but when you have been going through quarterbacks like they are stuck in a revolving door then Wilson might a chance. San Diego: A- D.J. Fluker (T) Keenan Allen (WR) Fluker played right tackle in college, and if the Chargers keep him there he can flourish. If a move is made to the left side, it will be interesting to see if he can handle to change. Te'o is in the nearly perfect setting for him to flourish. Away from the large media markets, and on a team that really needs him to take charge and lead the defense. Allen was a surprise drop to Round 3. He gives Rivers a target on the outside that he has nto had since Vincent Jackson moved to Tampy Bay.

TMG DraftZone 2013 NFL Draft Grades: NFC West

Two years ago, the NFC West was a joke. The Seattle Seahawks won the division with a 7-9 record, and it did not look like things would get any better any time soon. But the arrival of Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco sparked a rebirth by the bay, Jeff Fisher is turning the St. Louis Rams around, Pete Carroll has one of the toughest defenses in the league in Seattle, along with a quarterback playing with a chip on his shoulder as big as all outdoors, and the Arizona Cardinals have brought in Bruce Arians to see if he can work the same magic in the desert that he did as interim coach in Indianapolis last year. Looking at the draft this year, all four teams hit it out of the park. The grade Seattle gets may not look like a reflection of that, but their first round pick went to Minnesota to bring in Percy Harvin, the explosive playmaker that gives Russell Wilson another weapon and who can loosen up the defense and open holes for Marshawn Lynch. St. Louis is reaping the bounty of their picks from the Robert Griffin III trade, and used the first rounder they acquired in that trade to move down for more picks and then add Alec Ogletree to the defense. San Francisco may have the best and deepest roster in the NFL, and the 49ers went into the draft with the most picks. That depth shows in the fact that they drafted two players very high who are coming off of knee injuries in college, Cornelious Carradine and Marcus Lattimore, who can essentially redshirt, get healty and make an impact in 2014. But the draft pick who is going to get the most attention was a third rounder in Arizona. Tyrann Mattieu was suspended in 2012 at LSU for a number of team rules violations, and whether he gets it now and can act like a professional or if he doesn't and still thinks he is the Big Man on Campus who can do what he wants because he is a football player remains to be seen. So here are the TMG DraftZone 2013 NFL Draft Grades for the NFC West, with key selections and sleeper picks: Arizona: A- Jonathon Cooper (G) Stephan Taylor/Andre Ellington (RB) The selection of Matthieu raised some eyebrows, but the hope is that Patrick Peterson can be his mentor much in the way that Cris Carter was for Randy Moss. But the fact that Matthieu say out last year is going to affect him more than anything. Arizona is strong at cornerback, and Matthieu looks to move into a safety slot if he is going to have an impact. But the trade for Carson Palmer is what has the fans in Arizona excited. Larry Fitzgerald finally has a quarterback who can get him the ball, but having watched Palmer since his elbow injury in 2008 with Cincinnati, it reamins to be seen if he can regain his Pro Bowl form. Palmer was at his best in cincinnati when he had a powerful offensive line in front of him, and a strong running game behind him. The Cardinals wanted one of the top tackles, but they were gone after the first 4 picks. They then went after the most athletic guard in the draft in Cooper. He can pass and run block, and the running game got an infusion of talent late in the draft with Taylor and Ellington. The defense got a shot in the arm when Kevin Minter fell to the middle of the second round. Minter will have an immediate impact shoring up the defense for the Cardinals. St. Louis: A Tavon Austin (WR) Barrett Jones (C) Having two first round picks gives a team the flexibility to move up, and the Rams made the move up to #8 and gave Sam Bradford the playmaker he really needs. The Rams then recouped the picks they traded to Buffalo to move up when the moved down and got Alec Ogletree at the end of the first round. If Ogletree can put his checkered past behind, he will be a steal of the draft. But the Rams great draft did not stop there. T.J. McDonald is a strong, physical safety who will help to stop the run game, and Austin's running mate at West Virginia, Stedman Bailey, adds to the passing game. But the Rams got the biggest steal of the draft when they got Barrett Jones in Round 4. Jones can play anywhere on the line, is tough, physical and very nasty. He even got in a shouting match with his quarterback late in the BCS Championship Game last year. Basically, he don't take crap from no one. He will anchor the Rams line for years to come. San Francisco: A Eric Reid (S) Quinton Patton (WR) The 49ers had the ammunition to move up to #18 and trade with Dallas to get Reid. This move shows the difference in management of the two franchises. San Francisco really knows what they are doing. Reid will move into the starting spot vacated by Dashon Goldson when he moved to Tampa Bay. But the biggest problem with the 49ers draft is that most of the players they selected won't make the team. Patton has a chance to move into the spot once occupied by Randy Moss, an dsecond round pick Vance McDonald gives San Francisco versatility in setting up two tight end sets. But this draft will be made when Carradine and Lattimore are fully healthy and can get on the field. Carradine looks to be the eventual replacement for Justin Smith, and Lattimore will relieve Frank Gore and then take over the role in the future. Seattle: B- Christine Michael (RB) Jesse Williams (DT) Michael has the talent, but he needs to get his head screwed on straight if he is going to make an impact. As good as Lynch has been, he could use some relief before he gets completely worn down from the wear and tear of the NFL. And along with Barrett Jones, his teammate at Alabama, Jesse Williams will be another steal of the draft. I'm still trying to figure out how he fell to the 5th Round. The Seahawks defense as become one of the toughest and most physical in the league, and Williams will only add to that. Russell Wilson gets a couple of potential targets to pass to in Chris Harper and Luke Wilson.

TMG DraftZone 2013 NFL Draft Grades: AFC South

The Houston Texans were able to repeat as AFC South division champs in 2012, but the arrival of the 1st Overall pick in the 2012 Draft, Andrew Luck, put the Indianapolis Colts back on the map. Luck was everything he was advertised to be and even more. It looks like the AFC South is going to be a two team race for a long time. The Tennessee Titans are hoping that their first round pick in 2011, Jake Locker, can develop as well at the quarterback position and make the Titans a contender once again. The fourth team in the AFC South, Jacksonville, is not nearly as settled at quarterback as they would like to be. Blaine Gabbert was picked two spots after Locker, but he has the look of a journeyman signal caller. Chad Henne was brought in from Miami, but not many see him as the long term answer. I've been an advocate for the Jaguars bringing in Tim Tebow, but he needs to get a fair chance of winning the quarterback job instead of being the sideshow he was in New York with the Jets. I'd make the case right now that the best quarterback the Jaguars have is their 5th round pick this year, a player they selected to play running back, and that is Denard Robinson from Michigan. Any way you slice it, it could be a long year in Jacksonville. So here are the TMG DraftZone 2013 NFL Draft Grades for the AFC South, along with key selections and sleeper picks. Houston: B DeAndre Hopkins (WR) Sam Montgomery (DE) Hopkins is seen as the answer to giving Andre Johnson a running mate on the opposite side of the field, and if he can develop as teh Texans think he can, then it will open up the middle of the field even more for Arian Foster. The second round brought a tough, physical safety in D.J Swearinger, who should be able to make an impact right away in a secondary that still gives up too many yards. Montgomery fell down the draft boards after blurting out he took plays off in college, but he has the ability to be a very good edge rusher. With J.J. Watt on one side, Montgomery could be very effective for the Tecans. Indianapolis: B Hugh Thornton (G) Khaled Holmes (C) Bjoern Werner fell all the way to the Colts at #24, and he has a chance to thrive as the replacement to Dwight Freeney. Thornton was seen as a bit of a stretch pick, but the first priority for the Colts is to protect the franchise, and that is Andrew Luck. Thornton was the player the Colts pegged to do just that, and Holmes could eventually move into the center position. Holmes played most of last year injured, and even in the fourth round he will be a value pick. Jacksonville: B+ Luke Joeckel (T) Denard Robinson (QB) Whoever the Jaguars play at qaurterback, they will have the best player in the draft protecting his left side. Joeckel will be the anchor that the offensive line will build around, just as Jacksonville did when they were formed in 1995 when their very first pick was Tony Boselli. Johnathon Cyprien and Dwayne Gratz can form the foundation for a revamped secondary, and Ace Sanders is the speedy playmaker on the outside for the future. But it will be interesting to see if Robinson gets a chance to play quarterback. If he is seen as too small, then those critics should look at Russell Wilson. I watched Robinson play in college, and he isn't the prototypical quarterback, but he is a playmaker, and I would love to see him get a chance. Tennessee: B+ Justin Hunter (WR) Brian Schwenke (C) The Titans went to shore up their offensive line, and the found their man in Chance Warmack. They got the best guard in the draft, and for a protector for Locker and a road grater for Chris Johnson. Hunter will be a key pick. The Titans traded up to get him, and now Locker has an outside target to develop the passing game with. Blidi Wreh-Wilson was a value pick in Round 3, and Schwenke was as well in Round 4. Schwenke can team with Warmack to solidify the center of the offensive line for years to come.

TMG DraftZone 2013 NFL Draft Grades: NFC South

The revolving door of NFC South Champions swung back to Atlanta, as the Falcons came up just short in the NFC title game against San Francisco. Their deal in 2011 to acquire Julio Jones for a truckload of draft picks is looking to be very wise. Jones has become one of the league's most dangerous deep threats, and the Falcons look to make another run at the Super Bowl with Matt Ryan at the helm. The New Orleans Saints are coming off of a lost season following the sactions imposed due to the bounty scandal. But coach Sean Payton returns, and he still has Drew Brees at quarterback. But the Saints defense fell flat on their face last year, and the hope is that first round pick Kenny Vaccaro can shore up the secondary. Tampa Bay made a move back last year, but I look for the Bucs to have a rebound season. They traded their first round pick for Darrelle Revis, and in Round 2 they selected Johnathon Banks to play corner as well. If Josh Freeman can work his way back to his 2011 form the Bucs will give the Falcons and Saints a run for the top spot in the NFC South. The Carolina Panthers are also looking to their young quarterback to lead them up the ladder. Cam Newton started slow, and there were issues with maturity, but the Panthers finished well in the last half of the season. A long term replacement for WR Steve Smith was not found in the draft, and Carolina could have trouble scoring unless the veteran wideout can keep playing as he has the last few years. So here is the TMG DraftZone 2013 NFL Draft Grades for the NFC South, with key selections and sleeper picks listed as well: Atlanta: B Desmond Trufant (CB) Zeke Motta (S) Atlanta traded up again, but not nearly as far this year as they did in 2011. They will be looking for Trufant to move into a starting corner spot right away, and if he can handle the responsibility then the Falcons will reap the rewards. Atlanta went defense for all but two picks, taking a tight end in Round 4 and a quarterback in Round 7, and with the focus on defense the Falcons may have found another impact player for the secondary in Zeke Motta. A physical safety, Motta will be able to help stop the run cover the middle for Atlanta. Carolina: B+ Star Lotulelei (DT) Kenjon Balmer (RB) The Panthers went defensive tackle in Round 1 and 2, and picked up Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short. Lotulelei was seen by many as perhaps the best player in the draft, and he fell all the way to #14 because of health concerns. But Lotulelei received a clean bill of health, and he will team with Short to build a formidable front wall for the Panthers. Balmer may be a bit undersized, but get him in the open field and he is a top flight playmaker. One scouting report stated that Balmer needs to work on his pass protection. He may, but if Balmer is in the game I don't see him in the backfield to block. If he is lined up in the backfield, he will be in space in no time at all to get his hands on the ball. New Orleans: B+ Terron Armstead (OT) Jon Jenkins (DT) The Saints had to forfeit their second round pick due to the bounty scandal, but they made their picks count. Vaccaro will be a starter right away, and the secondary will be better for it. But the Saints lost Jarrod Bushrod in free agency, and Armstead may be called on to play earlier than Nwe Orleans might like. He is physically gifted, but played against lower level competition in college. Can he meet the challenge of left tackle in the NFL? The Saints are hoping so. New Orleans got one of the steals of the draft in Jenkins, being able to select him in Round 3. His weight may have ballooned up, bu the has gotten back in better shape, and Jenkins is a prototype nose tackle in a 3-4 who can plug up the middle and snuff out the run game. Tampa Bay: B- Johnathon Banks (CB) William Gholston (DE) Banks didn't measure out well at the NFL Scouting Combine, but his play did on the field. Banks is a ball hawk who is always a threat to pick off a pass. The Bucs have invested a lot of high draft picks in defensive lineman the last three years, and Gholston may get a chance due to a lack of production and injury concerns. Josh Freeman is coming to the end of his contract, and if he does not produce this year, Mike Glennon may get his chance lat in the season if the Bucs are out of contention.

TMG DraftZone 2013 NFL Draft Grades: AFC North

The Baltimore Ravens captured their second consecutive AFC North title in 2012, then got hot when it was needed. The dispatched the Colts at home, then went on the road to knock off Peyton Manning in Denver and Tom Brady in New England. The Ray Lewis Retirement Ride ended with a Super Bowl title in New Orleans against the San Francisco 49ers. Joe Flacco was named Super Bowl MVP, then signed a huge contract befitting his status as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. But the Ravens took personnel hits all winter. Lewis retired, Ed Reed signed with Houston and Paul Kruger moved to Cleveland. They were just the beginning, but the Ravens have the best GM in the business with Ozzie Newsome, and he proved that yet again in the 2013 Draft. There were holes to fill, and Ozzie hit the mark all three days. Matt Elam was selected in Round 1 to replace either Reed or Bernard Pollard at safety, and Arthur Brown was a steal late in Round 2 to fill the Hall of Fame shoes of Ray Lewis. But Baltimore was not the only AFC North team to hit the mark on draft weekend. Cincinnati continued their draft hot streak with Tyler Eifert and Giovani Bernard to add firepower to the offense, and Margus Hunt gives the defensive front the look of The Great Wall Of Cincinnati. At 6'8, Hunt teams with 6'7 Michael Johnson and 6'6 Carlos Dunlap to give the Bengals an imposing look. Pittsburgh lost James Harrison to the Bengals, but found his replacement with one of the biggest draft steals by selecting Jarvis Jones at #17 overall. Cleveland added to their pass rush with Barkevious Mingo at #6 overall, and he can team with Kruger to make the Browns new 3-4 defense very formidable. So here are the draft grades for the AFC North for 2013, with key selections and sleeper picks: Baltimore: A- Arthur Brown (LB) Kyle Juszczyk (FB) Matt Elam will always be seen as the replacement to Ed Reed, but the ball hawking skills of the future Hall of Famer is not the game that Elam plays. He will slip into the physical role of strong safety, but he has the talent to star in the NFL. But Brown has a load to carry at linebacker. Lewis on the field is tough to replace, but his leadership cannot. But if Brown can play his game and not try to be the next Ray Lewis he will be a second round steal. John Simon will also be a contributor at the linebacker position. Juszczyk looks to eventually take over the fullback role, and be the road grater for Ray Rice and provide protection for Flacco. Cincinnati: A Giovani Bernard (RB) Shawn Williams (S) Andy Dalton can now look out over a lineup of A.J. Green on one side, Mohammed Sanu on the other, and a two tight end set of Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert. And what this lineup can do is create holes by spreading out the defense so that Bernard can run to daylight. Bernard also gives Dalton another target in the passing game. Williams will be able to compete for the starting strogn safety spot, and how he handles pass coverage will determine if he can bet out Taylor Mays. Cleveland: C+ Barkevious Mingo (DE) Leon McFadden (CB) Mingo will need to add some strength to work against NFL tackles, but he has to speed to get to the backfield. Many thought that the Browns would go after Dee Milliner to pair with Joe Haden to form a bookend corner set, but now McFadden has a chance to fill that role. Cleveland forfeit its second round pick to that Josh Gordon in the Supplemental Draft, and traded picks to load up on future picks. It's a Win Now If We Can But We're Going To Be Great Later philosophy, but I will give the Browns credit for not drafting a quarterback. Give Brandon Weeden a chance without looking over his shoulder and he can develop into a good quarterback, especially with Trent Richardson to keep defenses honest in the running game. Pittsburgh: B+ Shamarko Thomas (S) Landry Jones (QB) Jones was a steal at #17. But it shows that the Steelers know what they are doing by not looking at the measureables from the Combine and Pro Days and by looking at the player on the field. There was a concern about Jones' spinal stenosis condition, but two seasons at Georgia and medical clearance should have put just about all those fears to rest. Replacements for Rashard Mendanhall at running back and Mike Wallace at wide receiver were picked next by selecting Le'Veon Bell and Markus Wheaton. The eventual replacement to Troy Polamalu may have been found in Sharmako Thomas. But one position you might not think is a need is backup quarterback, with Ben Roethlisberger calling the plays. But as tough as Big Ben is, he has been getting banged up. Landry Jones is in a good position to fill that backup role and keep the Steelers on track is need be.

TMG DraftZone 2013 NFL Draft Grades: NFC North

The Green Bay Packers followed up their 15-1 regular season record in 2011 with another division title, but the Vikings, Bears and Lions are all making moves to put them on top this coming season. With Aaron Rodgers, the Packers have the best quarterback in the league and they appear to have added that missing dimension with the selection of both Eddie Lacy and Jonathon Franklin to carry the ball. Chicago has a history of problems protecting Jay Cutler, and they made the earliest reach in Round 1 by going after Kyle Long, a guard from Oregon. Many saw Long as a mid-second rounder, but the top flight offensive lineman already gone, the Bears had to make the move on Long. The Detroit Lions fell apart in 2012, following up a playoff appearance the previous year with a 4-12 season. The defense was offensive, and the pass rush got an upgrade with the selection of potentially the most talented pass rusher in Ezekiel Ansah. Ansah is a very raw player, but he has all the physical skills to put the heat on quarterbacks. The biggest surprise in 2012 was the rise of the Minnesota Vikings from a 3-13 team to the playoffs. Adrian Peterson nearly broke the single season rushing record, and he along with quarterback Christian Ponder must love the fact that Matt Kalil is manning the left side of the offensive line. The Vikings traded Percy Harvin to get a second pick in Round 1, then traded up again to get a third. The additions of Sharrif Floyd, Xavier Rhodes and Cordarrelle Patterson will strengthen both sides of the ball in Minnesota. So here are the TMG DraftZone NFL Draft Grades for 2013 for the NFC North, with key selections and sleeper picks: Chicago: B- Jon Bostic (LB) Jordan Mills (T) The Bears need a replacement for Brian Urlacher, and it looks like they found their guy in Bostic. The second round pick should team with third rounder Khaseem Greene to anchor the Bears linebacker corps for a long time. If Long does not pan out as a first round pick should, it will taint this draft in Chicago for years. With the struggles the offensive line has had, Mills might get a chance to play sooner than later. Detroit: B+ Darius Slay (CB) Theo Reddick (RB) Detroit passed on Dee Milliner to anchor the corner on defense, and the pick of Slay puts a lot of pressure on the second rounder. But Slay appears to have all the tools to be a star, and lucky for him he doesn't have to cover Calvin Johnson twice a year, only in practice. Larry Warford should add depth to the offensive line, and keeping Matthew Stafford upright and healthy is a priority for the Lions. But what Detriot needs is a running game, and Reddick could be next runner up to fill the void. Green Bay: A- David Bakhtiari (OT) Jonathon Franklin (RB) With the pick of Datone Jones in Round 1, Green Bay shores up the defensive line as a 3-4 end. If Jones can get pressure on the quarterback and draw double teams, it frees up Nick Perry and Clay Matthews to get into the backfield. Bakhtiari can be counted on to protect Rodgers and to open holes for the new dynamic duo in the backfield. Lacy is the higher profile pick, but he is more of a downhill runner. Franklin can add to the passing game coming out of the backfield and will be a good change of pace doubled with Lacy. Minnesota: A- Cordarrelle Patterson (WR) Jeff Baca (G) Floys falling all the way to #23 was a big surprise, and he will anchor the defensive line for a long time. Rhodes is a big, physical corner who can match up with Megatron and Brandon Marshall four times a year. But Patterson needs to work on the mechanics of the wide receiver position, and it will help to have Greg Jennings on the other side. If Patterson pans out, he will stretch the field, and open up the middle for Jennings, Kyle Rudolph and the running game even more for Peterson. Baca can help protect Ponder and open up holes in the running game.

TMG DraftZone 2013 NFL Draft Grades: AFC East

The New England Patriots continued their dominance of the AFC East, and as long as Bill Belichick is calling the shots and Tom Brady is calling the plays, things don't look to change any time soon. The Patriots also continued their tradition of trading down in the draft, while Buffalo, Miami and the Jets were making moves to catch up. Free agency was very good for the Dolphins, and they made the biggest splash in the draft to trade up to #3 and select Dion Jordan third overall. The Jets made their big move before the draft by trading Darrelle Revis to Tampa Bay for the 13th overall pick, and the Bills made their move by trading down from #8 to #16 with the Rams. On a side note, I'd like to pat myself on the back just a bit by being one of the first mock drafters to have Tavon Austin going eighth in the draft. Playmakers are at a premium, and Austin was a player the Bills could use. So could the Rams, and they wanted him more and made the move up to get him. Buffalo then made the shocking move of the entire draft by selecting E.J. Manuel at #16 with the pick they got from St. Louis. Many see Manuel as needing work and seasoning, but with the Bills quarterback situation, he could very well be Day 1 starter for Buffalo. So here is the TMG DraftZone grades for the AFC East, with key selections and sleeper picks for each team: Buffalo: B E.J. Manuel (QB)/Robert Woods (WR) Marquise Goodwin (WR) The Bills immediate future is tied to Manuel, who has all the physical gifts to star in the NFL, his game is going to need some time to adjust, and the future of Manuel is tied to Woods. I don't put as much stock in workouts as game film, but just watch Woods catching balls from Matt Barkley at the USC Pro Day. He caught everything. Manuel and Woods could very well be the QB/WR combo to build around. Goodwin can find his place in the league because you can coach a player to play the game, but you can't coach them to be fast. As in what one analyst called him at the Senior Bowl practice as Spaceballs fast, because Goodwin has Ludicrous Speed. Players with that kind of speed can always make an inpact. Miami: B+ Jamar Taylor (CB) Jelani Jenkins (LB) The Dolphins made the bold move to move up and get their next Jason Taylor by selecting Dion Jordan at #3 overall, and they did it by not breaking the bank and only giving Oakland the #12 and #42 picks. Miami then got the cornerback that many looked for them to take at #12 in Round 2 by picking Jamar Taylor, who was seen as a late riser to the bottom of Round 1. Dallas Thomas could be the eventual replacement to Jake Long at right tackle. Jenkins needs to add some strength and bulk up just a bit, but he is a smart player who, if Jordan is Jason Taylor, Jenkins could be Zach Thomas. New England B- Jamie Collins (LB) Logan Ryan (CB) The proudest person coming out of the draft has to be the defensive coordinator at Rutgers, as just about all of his players now play for the Patriots. Ryan could have an immediate impact depending on what kind of punishment the league gives to Alfonzo Dennard, and Jamie Collins was overlooked by many just because he played on a team that went winless in 2012 at Southern Mississippi. But the previous year, they were conference champions and Collins is a talent that Belichick can mold into a solid pro. NY Jets: C+ Sheldon Richardson (DT) Oday Aboushi (OT) The Jets filled re-occupied Revis Island with Dee Milliner, the top rated cornerback in the draft. The pick of Richardson had many scratcing their heads, with Muhammad Wilkerson and Quinton Coples already in place, but you can never have too many athletic defensive lineman who can get after the quarterback, and Richardson might be able to work his way into the starting rotation. The Jets only made their quarterback situation murkier by taking Geno Smith in Round 2, but now that Tim Tebow is out of the picture, Smith could also eventually become the starter. But the Jets did not address their need to get playmakers on offense, but Aboushi and Brian Winters can help solidify the offensive line.

TMG DraftZone 2013 NFL Draft Grades: NFC East

The 2013 NFL Draft has come and gone, my vacation is over and it's time to hand out grades to the teams. I posted in a blog earlier this draft season that without the big names at the top, with loads of depth and with players at 15-35-55 that would wind up having similar talent and value, that it would be tough for any team to really screw up their draft. I was right on that point. I was wrong on my very early prediction that 5 quarterbacks would go in the first round. For this year, Panic In The Draft Room did not take over. But it did hit in Round 4. The quarterbacks in this draft may end up being quality players, but teams went for what they saw as the moer sure thing and waited to take the signal callers. When Round 4 came around, the quarterbacks went off the board. But 2013 was all about The Big Uglies. 6 offensive lineman taken in the first 11 picks. 3 defensive lineman in the first 6 picks. Even Travis Frederick, seen by many as a third round pick, went in Round 1 to Dallas. No running backs selected in the first round, and only one quarterback. What in the name of Russell Erxlaben is going on here? My team draft grades will be followed by key selections and sleeper picks. So here is the TMG DraftZone team grades for the 2013 NFL Draft, starting with the NFC East: NFC East Dallas: C Gavin Escobar (TE) Joseph Randle (RB) Frederick will move into the center position and plug up the revolving door there, but he could have been gotten in late Round 2 or even Round 3. Escobar will give Tony Romo an excellent target, and Randle could get his chance to carry the ball if the Dallas backs keep getting injured. NY Giants: B+ Johnathon Hankins (DT) Damontre Moore (DE) New York looked to shore up their offensive line with the pick of Justin Pugh. His running mate from Syracuse, quarterback Ryan Nassib, may not get much of a chance to play but he gives the Giants a solid backup to Eli Manning. Hankins is a load who can tie up the middle of the defensive line and free up the Giants pass rush from the ends. And if Moore plays like the one who racked up 12 sacks last year at Texas A&M instead of the player who looked like he took his future for granted at the combine, he could have a big impact down the road. Philadelphia: A- Matt Barkley (QB) Jordan Poyer (CB) The Chip Kelly Era starts with the building block of the most athletic tackle in the draft with Lane Johnson. Zack Ertz will give the Eagles quarterback a big target down the middle, and I believe that the quarterback who will be throwing the ball to Ertz, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and others will be Barkley. I don't believe he will begni the year as the starter, but I can see Barkley finishing the year taking snaps. Jordan Poyer was seen as an early round pick, and he fell all the way to the seventh round. With the Eagles porous pass defense, Poyer could get a chance early. Washington: B David Amerson (CB) Phillip Thomas (S) Washington surrendered their first round pick last year to move up and take Robert Griffin III, and that move worked out very well as the Redskins won the NFC East. Washington beefed up their pass defense early and often with the picks of David Amerson in Round 2 and later on with Phillip Thomas in Round 4. Jordan Reed gives Griffin another target to throw to when he finally learns that he will last a lot longer in the NFL by not running as much as he did last year.

TMG DraftZone Final Mock Draft for 2013

As I posted in my final DSA Player Rankings, I am putting out my final 2013 NFL Mock Draft. I'm heading on vacation and leaving the computer behind. Looking at the upcoming draft, about the only certainty is that nothing is for certain. Will Luke Joeckel go #1? Or will it be Eric Fisher, Sharrif Floyd, or Star Lotulelei. Will a quarterback even be selected in Round 1? Or will there be up to 5? This is a crazy year because you just don't know what is going to happen. I made a bold prediction earlier in the draft season that there will be 5 quarterbacks go in Round 1. And as you look down my Mock Draft, you will not find any at all. But that does not mean that I do not forsee any signal callers going on Thursday. Teams will trade up, and I can see Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Buffalo and possibly Arizona making the moves. It will be a long night for the pretty boys if Geno Snmith does not go in the Top 10. They may as well bring a deck of cards and start up a game of Texas Hold 'Em. They could be there a long time. So here is the Final NFL Mock Draft from the TMG DraftZone for 2013: 1) Kansas City Luke Joeckel 2) Jacksonville Dion Jordan 3) Oakland Sharrif Floyd 4) Philadelphia Lane Johnson 5) Detroit Eric Fisher 6) Cleveland Dee Milliner 7) Arizona Chance Warmack 8) Buffalo Tavon Austin 9) NY Jets Jarvis Jones 10) Tennessee Star Lotulelei 11) San Diego Jonathon Cooper 12) Miami Xavier Rhodes 13) Tampa Bay Ezekiel Ansah 14) Carolina Sheldon Richardson 15) New Orleans Barkevious Mingo 16) St. Louis Kenny Vaccaro 17) Pittsburgh Cordarrelle Patterson 18) Dallas Matt Elam 19) NY Giants Alec Ogletree 20) Chicago D.J. Fluker 21) Cincinnati Eric Reid 22) St. Louis Keenan Allen 23) Minnesota Sylvester Williams 24) Indianapolis Johnathon Hankins 25) Minnesota Manti Te'o 26) Green Bay Tyler Eifert 27) Houston Robert Woods 28) Denver Bjoern Werner 29) New England Desmond Trufant 30) Atlanta Cornelius Carradine 31) San Francisco Jonathon Cyprien 32) Baltimore Justin Hunter Tavon Austin is the most exciting playmaker in the draft, and I can easily see Buffalo making the pick to give Kevin Kolb another threat to go along with C.J. Spiller and Stevie Johnson. If the Bills pass, don't overlook Jerry Jones moving in front of St. Louis to take Austin. Tony Romo needs to start earning that big contract, and putting Austin in the slot with Dez Bryant, Miles Austin and Jason Witten would give the Cowboys the most exciting receiving corps in the NFL. I'm going to be putting my final mock draft selections on NFL.com in their Predict The Pick Contest. It will be interesting to see the winning scores against the last few years, when there were locks at the top of the draft every year. I'll be back with my team draft grades after the draft. Good luck to all of you in your mock drafts, and with the 1st Pick of the 2013 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select...(unless they trade down, of course).

DSA Player Rankings 6.0--2013 Final Edition

It is time for the final edition of the TMG DraftZone DSA Player Rankings for 2013. I normally post this the day of the draft, but this year I'm going on vacation and leaving my computer and research behind. There may be a surprise player move up, but I don't see the top of the draft changing much at all. Geno Smith is the biggest drop at the top, falling four spots down to #9. With a clean bill of health, Star Lotulelei looks to be a near certain Top Ten pick, and he moved up 3 positions in the final DSA's. Tavon Austin is the premier playmaker on offense in the draft, and he jumped up 4 spots to #14. Safety is one position that is deep with very talented players, and I can see a run on the top players at the position come Thursday night. Kenny Vaccaro is the top rated safety at #17, but Matt Elam jumped 9 spots to #21, and Eric Reid and Jonathon Cyprien but made a huge move up the charts. Both players gained 16 positions in the DSA's, up to #28 and #29, respectively. And it seems that the fall of Damontre Moore is nearly complete. Once seen as a possible #3 overall pick to Oakland, Moore was shut out of all the mock drafts I researched for the final DSA's. In all the time I've done this, I've never seen that happen. Moore might still get a surprise call in Round 1, but if not I do not see him lasting too long in Round 2. There is too much talent there for teams to pass him by for too long on Day 2. So here is the final TMG DraftZone DSA Player Rankings for 2013: 1) Luke Joeckel 1.60 2) Dion Jordan 3.10 3) Eric Fisher 3.90 4) Sharrif Floyd 5.50 5) Dee Milliner 6.40 6) Lane Johnson 6.60 7) Ezekiel Ansah 7.20 8) Star Lotulelei 8.80 9) Geno Smith 11.30 10) Chance Warmack 11.30 11) Barkevious Mingo 11.80 12) Jonathon Cooper 12.30 13) Xavier Rhodes 13.80 14) Tavon Austin 14.30 15) Sheldon Richardson 14.80 16) Jarvis Jones 15.90 17) Kenny Vaccaro 16.60 18) Cordarrelle Patterson 20.50 19) D.J. Fluker 22.00 20) Alec Ogletree 22.60 21) Matt Elam 24.10 22) Bjoern Werner 24.30 23) Tyler Eifert 24.50 24) Sylvester Williams 24.50 25) Keenan Allen 25.90 26) Desmond Trufant 26.00 27) Manti Te'o 27.00 28) Eric Reid 30.10 29) Jonathon Cyprien 30.50 30) Cornelius Carradine 31.40 31) Datone Jones 31.40 32) Justin Hunter 31.40 33) Robert Woods 31.90 34) Menelik Watson 32.60 35) Kevin Minter 32.60 36) Zach Ertz 34.40 37) DeAndre Hopkins 34.50 38) Jamar Taylor 35.40 39) Margus Hunt 36.40 40) Eddie Lacy 36.80 41) D.J. Hayden 37.80 I look forward to the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft on Thursday. Without a sure fire lock at the top, is could very well be one that people will be debating for a long, long time.

The Backless TMG DraftZone Mock Draft

The 2013 NFL Draft is now jsut two weeks away. All the buzz is surrounding players on both sides of the ball down in the trenches, as Luke Joeckel, Eric Fisher, Sharrif Floyd and Dion Jordan are looking to be the surest bets to go first overall to Kansas City. The Big Uglies are going to be filing out one by one to shake hands with Commissioner Goddell and bear hug him half to death, and at this point one has to wonder just how long the quarterbacks and running backs are going to be waiting in the wings to hear their names called. This edition of the TMG DraftZone is unique, as it may be one of the few mock drafts without a quarterback or running back in the top 32 picks. I made a bold prediction earlier in this draft season that there would be 5 quarterbacks taken in the first round. There might still be that many selected, but that will depend on how many teams are willing to trade back up into Round 1 and take a chance on their perceived franchise signal caller. Thinking back to 2005 with Aaron Rodgers and 2007 with Brady Quinn, I wonder just how far Geno Smith could drop if he goes past the New York Jets at #9, and how uncomfortable he will look the longer he stays in the Green Room at Radio City Music Hall. I believe Smith will go in the Top 10, and I also believe that Matt Barkley and Ryan Nassib will go late in Round 1, but after that who really knows. But I'm pretty sure now that there will not be any running backs going in the first round. Eddie Lacy was seen as the back with the best chance to go in the Top 32, but after his workot today he will be lucky to go in the first half of Round 2. Lacy did not get to work out at the NFL Scouting Combine or at the Alabama Pro Day, and when he does get his chance at his personal workout today, he looks slow and out of shape. Not the proper way to impress your future employers. It is hard to believe that none of the first round draft picks are going to be taken from the two glamour positions of the NFL, but it might happen. So here is the Backless TMG DraftZone Mock Draft: 1) Kansas City--Luke Joeckel 2) Jacksonville--Dion Jordan 3) Oakland--Sharrif Floyd 4) Philadelphia--Dee Milliner 5) Detroit--Eric Fisher 6) Cleveland--Ezekiel Ansah 7) Arizona--Lane Johnson 8) Buffalo--Tavon Austin 9) NY Jets--Barkevious Mingo 10) Tennessee--Chance Warmack 11) San Diego--Jonathon Cooper 12) Miami--Xavier Rhodes 13) Tampa Bay--Bjoern Werner 14) Carolina--Sheldon Richardson 15) New Orleans--Jarvis Jones 16) St. Louis--Kenny Vaccaro 17) Pittsburgh--Alec Ogletree 18) Dallas--Star Lotulelei 19) NY Giants--Damontre Moore 20) Chicago--Cordarrelle Patterson 21) Cincinnati--D.J. Fluker 22) St. Louis--Keenan Allen 23) Minnesota--Justin Hunter 24) Indianapolis--Datone Jones 25) Minnesota--Sylvester Williams 26) Green Bay--Tyler Eifert 27) Houston--Matt Elam 28) Denver--Jesse Williams 29) New England--Robert Woods 30) Atlanta--Johnathon Hankins 31) San Francisco--Jonathon Cyprien 32) Baltimore--Eric Reid The lineman in the draft are going to be the story in two weeks on Draft Day. I have 19 offensive and defensive lineman combined going in Round 1. The Pretty Boys are representated well with 5 wide receivers and 1 tight end going in Round 1, and I have a feeling that Tavon Austin is going to be picked early. Austin is the most dynamic playmaker in the draft, and if he can go to Buffalo at #8 then Kevin Kolb will be one happy journeyman quarterback. The 2013 NFL Draft is in two weeks. Mock Drafts are flying around fast and furious. This is one year that just about anything could happen on Day 1. It's going to make for a fun and entertaining NFL Draft this year.

2013 DSA Player Rankings 4.0--Settling In/Bottoming Out Edition

We are just over a week removed from the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine, and Pro Days are starting up at universities and colleges all across the nation. Free agancy begins in less than a week, and mock drafts are starting to reflect the moves already made and those that may be made. The players at the top of the mock drafts appear to be pretty much set, and those at the bottom half of Round 1 look like they could be listed in any order and no one would be surprised. I call this the Settling In/Bottoming Out Edition of the 2013 DSA Player Rankings, version 4.0. Luke Joeckel and Eric Fisher are still in the top 2 slots, Dee Milliner and Dion Jordan are still #4 and #5 respectively, Ezekiel Ansah is #7 and Barkevious Mingo is #9. Geno Smith and Sharrif Floyd exchanged positions at #3 and #6, with Floyd moving up behind Joeckel and Fisher in the top three. The biggest move up in the top half was Jarvis Jones, now at #11, and the largest drop at the top was Bjoern Werner, falling six moer positions to #14. Looking at the top 18 players, there isn't that big of a talent gap among the group. A player like Kenny Vaccaro or Xavier Rhodes could easily move up to the top 10 if a team values their talent enough, and Dion Jordan or Ezekiel Ansah could fall to the middle of Round 1 if they are seen as too raw or unpolished. But for now I do not see anyone making the jump up into the top group. The reason is that the gap between player ratings I mentioned in the previous DSA's is getting even larger. Vaccaro is stuck in the middle, but there is now a nearly 6 point gap between Jonathon Cooper at #17 and Keenan Allen at #19. The players at the bottom are bunched up ratings points wise. Less than 3 points separate six players from #20 to #25, and the last seven spots are less than 2 points apart. The biggest risers and fallers are found in the lower half. Sylvester Williams makes his first appearance at #27, and Sam Montgomery is back in at #34. Montgomery at the same position as the first DSA's this year, but his score is a full three points less. Arthur Brown also makes his first appearance, and he nearly surpassed Manti Te'o. If Te'o does not impress during his Pro Day at Notre Dame, look for the Heisman Trophy runner-up to start showing up in Round 2 of mock drafts everywhere. So here is the 2013 DSA Player Rankings 4.0--The Settling In/Bottoming Out Edition: 1) Luke Joeckel 1.40 2) Eric Fisher 4.30 3) Sharrif Floyd 4.70 4) Dee Milliner 5.00 5) Dion Jordan 5.10 6) Geno Smith 6.30 7) Ezekiel Ansah 8.40 8) Lane Johnson 10.60 9) Barkevious Mingo 10.70 10) Cordarrelle Patterson 11.90 11) Jarvis Jones 13.00 12) Star Lotulelei 13.10 13) Chance Warmack 13.30 14) Bjoern Werner 14.30 15) Xavier Rhodes 14.60 16) Sheldon Richardson 14.70 17) Jonathon Cooper 15.90 18) Kenny Vaccaro 18.30 19) Keenan Allen 21.40 20) Damontre Moore 22.70 21) Tyler Eifert 22.70 22) D.J. Fluker 23.80 23) Alec Ogletree 24.30 24) Desmond Trufant 25.40 25) Tavon Austin 25.50 26) Datone Jones 28.90 27) Sylvester Williams 29.30 28) Johnathon Hankins 30.40 29) DeAndre Hopkins 33.00 30) Kawann Short 33.40 31) Manti Te'o 33.50 32) Arthur Brown 33.90 33) Cornelius Carradine 34.30 34) Sam Montgomery 34.60 35) Matt Elam 34.90 In case you are wondering what has happened to Matt Barkley, of the ten mock drafts I compiled for this DSA, he was at #9 in one and out of the other 9. In fact, Tyler Wilson had a higher grade, as he was at #8 in one and out of the other 9 as well. The rumors coming out of the Scouting Combine about the Cardinals taking Barkley at #7 seem to be fading. I have made the bold prediction that 5 quarterbacks will be selected in the 1st Round, and right now I can say that there will need to be a severe case of Panic In The Draft Room for it to happen. Geno Smith looks to go in either the seventh, eighth, or ninth picks, and any other quarterbacks will most likely go at the bottom of Round 1 via teams trading up to get their quarterback of the future. Considering how deep and balanced this draft is, who goes where and when is not going to surprise me at all. So far, I have listed 56 players from various mock drafts that have gotten a first round grade. That is nearly enough to fill the first 2 rounds. I will say this: someone is really going to have to screw up their picks to get a draft grade below a C this year. Let the Pro Days commence, and let's see who is moving up and down for the next edition of the TMG DraftZone DSA Player Rankings.

TMG DraftZone 2013 NFL Mock Draft 1.0

My first DSA Player Rankings showed a nearly even result as to who the #1 pick in the upcoming 2013 NFL Draft will be. Will Kansas City go with a quarterback, presumeably Geno Smith, or the top rated player in most eyes with tackle Luke Joeckel? With my first mock draft for 2013, and as I have stated previously, I believe that the player the Chiefs will take #1 is going to be Geno Smith. If that is the case, then Joeckel should go off the board next, but Jacksonville and Oakland need help on the defensive side of the ball, especially getting to the quarterback. So Philadelphia looks to get a gift and the left tackle they need with the 4th overall selection. Normally, I would only be releasing one or two mock drafts a year, but this isn't a normal year. No true standouts at the top of the draft and a host of good, solid talent that could very easily go anywhere in Round 1. I have also posted before that I believe 5 quarterbacks will go in the first round, and you will notice that I only have two listed. I look for the bottom of Round 1 to be dominated by trades on draft day, and since there is no way of guessing who will be trading with who I'll hold off guessing where the quarterbacks will be drafted. So here is the first TMG DraftZone mock draft for 2013: 1) Kansas City--Geno Smith (Quarterback) 2) Jacksonville--Jarvis Jones (Outside Linebacker) 3) Oakland--Damontre Moore (Defensive End) 4) Philadelphia--Luke Joeckel (Tackle) 5) Detroit--Dee Milliner (Cornerback) 6) Cleveland--Bjoern Werner (Defensive End) 7) Arizona--Eric Fisher (Tackle) 8) Buffalo--Tyler Wilson (Quarterback) 9) NY Jets--Barkevious Mingo (Defensive End) 10) Tennessee--Star Lotulelei (Defensive Tackle) 11) San Diego--Dion Jordan (Defensive End) 12) Miami--Cordarrelle Patterson (Wide Receiver) 13) Tampa Bay--Xavier Rhodes (Cornerback) 14) Carolina--Sheldon Richardson (Defensive Tackle) 15) New Orleans--Ezekiel Ansah (Defensive End) 16) St. Louis--Chance Warmack (Guard) 17) Pittsburgh--Kenny Vaccaro (Safety) 18) Dallas--Manti Te'o (Middle Linebacker) 19) NY Giants--Lane Johnson (Tackle) 20) Chicago--Jonathon Cooper (Guard) 21) Cincinnati--Sam Montgomery (Defensive End) 22) St. Louis--Keenan Allen (Wide Receiver) 23) Minnesota--Sharrif Floyd (Defensive Tackle) 24) Indianapolis--Johnathon Hankins (Defensive Tackle) 25) Seattle--Tavon Austin (Wide Receiver) 26) Green Bay--Eddie Lacy (Running Back) 27) Houston--Kevin Minter (Middle Linebacker) 28) Denver--Tyler Eifert (Tight End) 29) New England--Robert Woods (Wide Receiver) 30) Atlanta--Kawann Short (Defensive Tackle) 31) San Francisco--Matt Elam (Safety) 32) Baltimore--Barrett Jones (Center) One player I did not have in my mock draft was Alec Ogletree, the talented middle linebacker. His off the field problems continue this weekend, and a player with the talent to go in the top 10 looks to be falling a long way down the draft boards. A lot of people will tell you that to succeed in the NFL you need a quarterback and to get to the quarterback. I can see defense ruling the day at the draft. My mock draft has 18 defensive players going in Round 1, and of those 12 are lineman or linebackers whose job it is to get the quarterback and put him on the ground. Last year Seattle made quite a reach in Round 1 to get Bruce Irvin to do just that, and we will have to wait and see if a team will risk doing that this year. But there is a lot of talent to go around, and I for one will not be surprised to see a player that gets overlooked suddenly pop up out of nowhere to go in the first round. With the NFL Scouting Combine next week, the stage is there for a player to shine and move his way up. We shall see.