1. Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
Luck won’t throw at the Combine, but will demonstrate enough athletic ability, crush the interview, and look like the face of a franchise needing to move on. Colt’s man-crush keeps Luck the number 1 overall.
- Browns: Robert Griffin, QB, Baylor
TRADE! There is no way the Rams keep this pick. They love Bradford and have numerous needs. Fisher knows the Rams are closer than we think. He needs to fill in the blanks. He can fill in more of those blanks by moving down. The Professor believes, when the dust settles, the Browns will have most interest and the most chips to trade.
- Ravens: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
TRADE! Ravens win the Peyton sweepstakes. The Ravens have been close but no cigar. Ozzie knows, the Ravens as presently constructed, have an expiration date equal to a quart of milk. Without a couple of bold moves, the Ravens will incrementally fade out of contention. “All in”. “Once more into the breach”. You get the idea, its do or die for the Ravens.
- Rams (from Browns): Matt Kalil, OT, USC
Fisher’s excellent adventure begins with OL. Kalil is the best of this draft class.
- Buccaneers: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
Butch Davis gets another bite of the apple. Coples is a talented 4-3 DE. Sheridan played 4-3 with the Giants, and will need to attack from the edge.
- Cowboys: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
TRADE! When the dust settles, I believe the Skins will have inked a new starting QB. Since the Ravens will have won the services of Peyton Manning, that QB will be Joe Flacco. With Clairborne still on the board and with Jerry dropping Kirkpatrick down, the Cowboys are motivated to get the best CB in the Draft. The Skins will want to upgrade both OL and WR. They can find quality down the board. Skins see it as a 2 for 1.
- Jaguars: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
Everyone has written off Blaine, but the Jaguars. The Jaguars are a work in progress and so is Gabbert. Check back with me in 3 years and we will see how it all worked out. Reiff is a corner piece in a big puzzle.
- Dolphins: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
I expect the Dolphins to sign Matt Flynn. As usual, there is an early run at OT. Kendall Wright’s explosive play is tempting. Wright’s speed would help clear the mid-range zones for Marshall. Caveat Emptor, Flynn could be the second coming of Kevin Kolb. OT is one of the cornerstones to an NFL franchise.
- Panthers: David DeCastro, G, Stanford
Cam now DeCastro. They hit last year with the riskiest pick, now they make the safest.
- Bills: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
Brockers is a man-child. He will be ready when the Bills are. Perfect timing and not too soon. Bills are close.
- Chiefs: Devon Still , DE/DT, Penn State
Defenses must attack. Still helps stiffen the Chiefs front for a good group of LB’s to work off of.
- Seahawks: Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama
Pete Carroll feels lucky and everyone loves speed on the edge. Upshaw falls to the Trojans, I mean the Seahawks.
- Cardinals: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
Best player on their board. They add to last year’s standout Patrick Peterson.
- Redskins: (from Cowboys) Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State
Redskins add protection for my predicted acquisition of Joe Flacco. Shanahan knows Flacco will fit with his run first offense. Redskins will sign a top free agent WR, and draft one in the later rounds. Shanahan has visions of Elway. “A man’s greatest strength is his greatest weakness”. Adams is a road-grader.
- Eagles: Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College
If the Eagles don’t over-think the pick, it will be Kuechly. Andy loves to look smarter than the rest of the room. That understated stuff is a front. The first round OTs are off the board.
- Jets: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
Pound and ground. LT retires. They stick with Sanchez for another year, so they must effectively run the ball. Sanchez regressed this year. So did Matt Ryan, with greater set of tools to work with! Play action is chicken soup for QBs.
- Bengals: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama
Jenkins has too much talent to pass because of past personal issues. He checks out.
- Chargers: Kendall Wright, WR/KR, Baylor
Need an injection of speed. Never replaced Sproles.
- Bears: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
Cutler has proven the Bears got the best of the deal. Now it’s time to commit to him. This is Cutler’s team. It needs to look like it. A proud defensive franchise must transition the focus to their gunslinger. They will find a TE later in the draft.
- Titans: Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina
Big, strong, possession receiver. Could be the steal of the draft at 20.
- Bengals: Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska
I know! The Bengals double dip. They miss Jonathan Joseph that much.
- Rams: (from Browns) Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC
Prototypical edge rusher. High risk, high reward.
- Lions: Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois
Lions want to attack on defense. Mercilus fits the program.
- Steelers: Don’t’a Hightower, ILB, Alabama
The proud Steelers got old quick. They correctly moved the focus to Big Ben. Now it appears they are having second thoughts. Hightower quiets the critics for a week.
- Broncos: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
Defensive player personnel groups must respond to multiple receiver groupings and the evolution of the spread attack. Recent rules regarding the defenseless receiver have compounded the issue, and contributed to elevating the value for DBs. Broncos need to add new blood to an old group of DBs.
- Texans: Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis
The Texans need a WR to compliment Johnson. Professor believes they will resolve the issue in Free Agency. The Texans are ready now! They can’t wait for a rookie to learn the route tree. They will draft a project in the later rounds. For now, there is too much value in a bigger nose. They add Poe to an excellent 3 – 4.
- Pats: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
Giants, as expected, crowded the box. Brady must do more than run the football through the air. That being said, the Pats go with BPA. That player is Ingram. If Sanu runs a great 40, I may restore him to this spot.
- Packers: Jerel Worthy, DE/DT, Michigan State
- Vikings: (from Ravens), Cordy Glenn, G, Georgia
Young QB running the show in 2012. AP coming back from knee surgery. Adding to the core at 29.
- 49ers: Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers
They have very few options, but to re-sign Smith. Crabtree is a disappointment. It’s that simple.
- Pats: Mark Barron, SS, Alabama
The 6th player from Alabama taken in the first round. Roll tide. Barron’s a steal at 31.
- Giants: Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina
Zach Brown already has Pro Bowl coverage skills. Needs to improve at the point of attack. If the Giants don’t resign Deon Grant, then either Jones or Sash must step up. The other option is to play less 3 safety. Kiwanuka, Boley, Williams, and Brown would make for the fastest LB group in the league and mitigate the loss of Grant. Rolle can step out of the box and into Grant’s slot. If Barron falls, he could be an option. OL and TE are needed. Reese will take the player that falls to him, with Brown being the first choice.
