NFL Mock Draft in Andre's Eyes

4/8 update – QB shake ups! McNabb traded and Bulger released! Mistakes for both teams!

Here is a Mock Draft of sorts where I use my not so humble opinion on who should be taken and who will be taken. The should be taken at that spot will be based on who I think is going to be taken by the previous teams (So that is why pick 1 and 2 is Russell Okung)

1. Rams – Should be taken: Russell Okung – Bradford is not worthy of the first overall pick, the most talented player in the world can’t play if they are hurt. Okung will be a building block for the offensive line. I am also a firm believer with building lines first.
Who they will pick: Sam Bradford.

2. Lions – Should take: Can I say Russell Okung again? Well assuming that the Rams take Bradford they should take Okung for the same reason, and they will take Okung so it works out well. Another choice would be Suh but the Lions have enough players in this spot that it does not quite make sense

3. Buccaneers – Should take: Ndamukong Suh. Suh is the best player in this draft and will be good for a long time. Everybody envisions that the bucs will take McCoy (Possibly the bucs themselves) because they see Sapp in McCoy. I don’t. I think that McCoy is a little too soft, a lot softer than Sapp ever was, and I don’t typically believe in Oklahoma players. Suh could be the center of the defense for a decade. In the end they will not listen to me (Because the Bucaneers are reading this blog) and take McCoy.

4. Redskins – McNabb instantly changed this situation and that trade could have saved a lot of heartache in the capital. Not because McNabb is going to dominate, though he will be decent, but because it saved them from drafting Claussen. They already have one primadonna in Colt Brennan and they do not need another. The Redskins are a bit of a mess so there are a lot of needs. Again, I believe in building a team from the line out. I would say Suh for them but they have Haynesworth even if he is a big fat bust he still has talent and draws a double team. Despite the fact that I do not think he is worthy of this high of a pick and that he is going to be very average the safest OT is Bulaga and that is who they are going to take. Personally, I think that the best offensive lineman at this position is Lupati or Pouncey but this seems to be too high to draft either. So basically if I could not trade out I would go for the best player available which at this point is Suh so take him.

5. Chiefs – The Chiefs are going to take Eric Berry and they should. They have some pieces in place and Berry is the best player on the board that fits them. While they may be tempted to take Suh if he is available they need to take a step back with their DL.

6. Seahawks – If Suh is still available at this point the Seahawks should take about 3 seconds to make their pick. If everything falls the way that it does then he will be there and they will take him. So Suh and Suh

7. Browns – With Eric Berry being taken two slots ahead of them they are going to be disappointed but Holmgren is unphased about these kinds of things to a fault (Oh no Daniel Graham I will just reach for Jerramy Stevens). Holmgren will have to think long and hard about Claussen here but I don’t think he will go that direction for two reasons, the fans probably do not want another ND QB and I think that Holmgren is in love with Tebow and will take him in the second round. Holmgren will also think long and hard about Earl Thomas. When all is said and done they will probably go with Derrick Morgan to help their pass rush. I am a little torn as to who he should take because there is a need for a playmaker on both sides of the ball. But gun to the head I would bite the bullet and take Earl Thomas or Derrick Morgan…let’s just go with Morgan.

8. Raiders – If everything falls the way I predict they will take Bruce Campbell because they need an offensive lineman and Al Davis loves measurables. He may also take Pierre-Paul but I think that they want a new offensive lineman. This will be another awful pick. If I was the raiders I would take Rolando McClain to lead the defense. Alternatively I would also think about Earl Thomas at this point.

9. Bills – The Bills will take Jimmy Claussen because they forced themselves to take him. What I mean is that they have convinced themselves that they need a quarterback more than anything else. If I was the Bills I would take CJ Spiller and dump Marshawn Lynch. Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller could make an explosive combination. Forget about Brohm, who is a spoiled child apparently, Fitzpatrick and Edwards are good enough to lead this team. They may also want to think about OL and take Lupati (Again, I like this kid and do not like the any of the OT’s at this point).

10. Jaguars – The Jags may fall into a panic and there is a lot of thought that they may still crave a pass rusher, though I am not sure of that. Many are projecting Pierre-Paul but I think that the Jags are going to avoid taking another pass rusher in the first round. I think that they are going to grab Dez Bryant at this spot. While I am wary of Dez Bryant it makes sense here. While it may seem a little odd here, I would take Maurkice Pouncy. Meester is old and I think that a good center makes a line ten times better. Pouncy seems to be a very rare center who could play anywhere on the line but is smart and savvy enough to play center. The fact that he can sit behind Meester or push to start should help him. I really actually think the Jags have almost everything in place to succeed this year.

11. Broncos – The fact that the Bronco’s have this pick is a testament to how savvy they were in trading Cutler. With this pick they can take the best player available which is probably Lupati or Haden. Considering that Andre Goodman is listed as their starting corner I think that there is a good bet that they are going to take Haden here and they should. Haden will be solid for the next 5-10 years and will have an excellent mentor in Champ Bailey.

12. Dolphins – Not a good spot for the Dolphins but they are a franchise on the rise so they should be happy with grabbing Rolando McClain at this point and that is what they should do. However, I think that they are going to gamble a little bit and go with Pierre-Paul to bolster their pass-rush which is in a little bit of disarray. I think I am a little conservative so I would go with the safer pick in McClain.

13. 49ers – The 49ers have another pick at 17 so there is no need to reach for anybody here. Really it is a chess game for them because they have to decide who do they want that the Seahawks Giants, and Titans might take. Looking at their needs and those teams needs they may have some interesting decisions to make. The best player on the board that the 49ers can use is going to be Lupati, the other tackles available are too big of a gamble and Lupati is a tough guy and there is a chance that he would not be available with their next pick, particularly with the Seahawks picking next.

14. Seahawks – While the Seahawks need some OL help they need a legit running back and the OL help available at this point is nothing special and CJ Spiller is far too talented to pass up. While they already have smaller quick running backs on the team there is no way that they can pass up CJ Spiller at this point. So once again, with the way that the draft has fallen the Seahawks will take Spiller and should take Spiller.

15. Giants – The Giants could not be happier at this point with how the draft has fallen. Their biggest need is going to be linebacker and McClain is still available. Some were concerned with him being tired at his last workout due to his Crones disease but this kid is the real deal and will lead the team. So the Giants will take McClain and they should take him at this point.

16. Titans – The Titans will look at who has fallen and who they could use. Ultimately though the player that they wanted all along will be available in Maurkice Pouncey. Mawae is getting a little long in the tooth and dominating centers rarely fall into your lap like this. The titans will pull the trigger on him and they should.

17. 49ers – The 49ers will find themselves in an interesting position here because there are three or four players that they can seriously consider. The niners will be happy with Anthony Davis, Earl Thomas, Brandon Graham, and Kyle Wilson. Since they just drafted Lupati, who may be a OT but is more likely a guard, they will not take Davis. Graham could boost their pass rush but they have enough on their team that they ultimately will go for a DB. Earl Thomas is a bit of a mystery because he may be able to play CB as well as safety and the niners need both. Because of his versatility I think that the Niners will go with Thomas because Wilson is not a sure thing and Thomas is a bigger playmaker. I love Thomas and I am not that hot on Wilson so I would take him as well.

18. Steelers – Their hearts were cracked when Pouncey was taken by the titans but not broken. The Steelers need help in a few areas. While I just said that I am not the biggest fan of Kyle Wilson, this is who they are going to take because they have a need at CB. I agree with the position but I would instead go with Patrick Robinson because I think Robinson will be the better player in the long run and he will get the coaching he needs. I am happy that he is not taken here though.

19. Falcons – The Falcons have a few needs but they are in pretty good shape overall. What that means is that they can afford to take the best player on the board. Depending on who you are you might say that it is Anthony Davis or Kyle Williams, but I do not like either of them. Both players fill a need for them so I am going to venture to say that they will take Williams so they have two shorter but tough corners on their roster who will cause coverage sacks. Personally I would be tempted to take Gresham here. I know they have Tony Gonzalez but the question is will they next year? Another option would be Sergio Kindle because they could use another playmaking linebacker.

20. Texans – The Texans are going to feel like two CB’s were stolen from them by the Falcons at this point. With that said they will take the next CB in line who could be McCourty, Patrick Robinson, or Perrish Cox depending on who you listen to. I have a feeling that they are going to be intrigued with McCourty’s skills and attitude but I may be wrong. They may also take a flier on another Scarlett Knight in Anthony Davis because their offensive line has never really been steady. If I had to pick though I would say that they will take McCourty. If I was them I would take Patrick Robinson but again I am happy if they do not take him.

21. Bengals – The Bengals will probably take who they perceive to be the best target for Palmer. Just because they have been stockpiling WR does not mean that they will not take one here. They have an interesting choice here because there are varying opinions on the guys available at this spot. I think that they may take the most explosive player at the position which would be Golden Tate. If they want a wideout though, I would take either Arrelious Benn or Demaryius Thomas. They could also take Gresham here which would probably be the smartest pick. But to separate myself a bit I think that they are going to take Golden Tate here.

22. Patriots – The Patriots usually surprise us with their picks—if he is a bust they say, “We don’t need to rely on the draft anyways.” If he is a good player they say, “Look how smart we are!”. Not that I am done with that, they will take Brandon Graham and use him as an outside linebacker and as much as I hate the Patriots, it is the right pick for them and they should draft him here.

23. Packers – Like I said I really like Patrick Robinson and if the draft falls the way that I think it will I want them to take him. No hesitation grab him. Are you listening Ted? Take him. Please do not take Anthony Davis. Don’t even think about Taylor Mays either. Take Robinson! Wait, aren’t you listening to me? Okay, we agree then? Okay, let’s do it. Robinson and Robinson.

24. Eagles – My mind is blown that PFW (I love you guys by the way) think that the Eagles will take Tebow here. No, they won’t and they should not. I think that the Eagles will look at this spot and they will be happy to draft Anthony Davis here, which is probably where he should actually go, and I cannot argue too much with that pick. However, Sean Weatherspoon may be the best pick here because their other LB either cannot stay on the field or are just not good enough to start and Weatherspoon is versatile

25. Ravens – The Ravens are going to be extremely happy with taking Demaryius Thomas at this spot. This is what they should do and this is what they will do. The Ravens will finally have a WR that is big and can play.

26. Cardinals – The Cardinals need help at linebacker and at DE. Sean Weatherspoon is the best player between those two positions and they will take him and should take him. The End

27. Cowboys – The Cowboys learned their lesson with Roy Williams and will steer clear of Taylor Mays and take Jerome Murphy and move him to free safety. With their team needs this is a bit of a reach but they really could use him so I will agree with this pick.

28. Chargers – The Chargers may have traded away their starting cornerback (and with him all of his illegitimit children and headaches) but they have Caeson in to step in) but they also lost their big guy in the middle in Jamal Williams (Who was perhaps on his last set of knees anyways). So that leaves a glaring need and a 3-4 nose tackle is the most valued position so it makes sense to take the top nose tackle here in Dan Williams. The Chargers have been known to surprise in the past but I think that this is to straightforward to ignore at this point so this is what they will do and this is what they should do.

29. Jets – The Jets are a fairly solid team overall. They could use a bit of help at the safety spot so I think that they may go for TJ Ward at this spot. It is a bit of a reach though. Personally I would go after Vladimir Ducasse as he will fill a need down the road and they can be patient with him. It is so hard to read teams in these types of spots though, I am still going to go with Ward.

30. Vikings – The Vikings are stupid. So they will take Taylor Mays here because they are dumb enough to fall into this trap. He will start for them and Aaron Rodgers will pick him apart. Then I will laugh at them. I hope they pick Mays because I hate them so much and he will fail with them.

31. Colts – The Colts are going to look at their draft board and decide that they will listen to Andre Smith and draft Brian Price. Price is a quick powerful high motor type of DT that fits the Colts defense. While Odrick is higher on many teams boards Price just fits their system better and he is probably the best player on their board at this point. So Price and Price.

32. Saints – The Saints will be jumping for joy at this point. The top bellcow type running back will still be on the board in Ryan Matthews and they need one of those types of backs to compliment Reggie Bush. I could not agree more. So Matthews and Matthews.



As I said, the Browns will take Tebow in round 2. Beyond that your guess is as good as mine!