The 1st Round is Over... Thoughts?

[superfly69]

I give props to the teams that traded up. Cleveland, Jacksonville, Dallas, Philly and New England. I thought they all got great players, who filled needs.

I have no idea what Seattle was doing. Irvin was a mid-second rounder at best.

San Diego got the best value in any player given the fact most everyone thought Ingram was a top 10 guy. And he fills a major need.

Brandon Weedon. Not a shock, but I'm not sure about that one. Guess we'll find out sooner rather then later given he's almost 30.

Surprised DeCastro fell as far as he did, given everyone thought he was a top 15 guy. Great pick for Steelers.

Thought the G-Men could have done better at the bottom of round 1. But RB is a need area and Wilson was going to go Mid-2nd.

What do you guys think?

[Monomach]

I give props to the teams that traded up. Cleveland, Jacksonville, Dallas, Philly and New England. I thought they all got great players, who filled needs.

I have no idea what Seattle was doing. Irvin was a mid-second rounder at best.

San Diego got the best value in any player given the fact most everyone thought Ingram was a top 10 guy. And he fills a major need.

Brandon Weedon. Not a shock, but I'm not sure about that one. Guess we'll find out sooner rather then later given he's almost 30.

Surprised DeCastro fell as far as he did, given everyone thought he was a top 15 guy. Great pick for Steelers.

Thought the G-Men could have done better at the bottom of round 1. But RB is a need area and Wilson was going to go Mid-2nd.

What do you guys think?
I think FIRE PHIL EMERY.

I also think Jay Cutler is stupid for not demanding a trade.

[Smash28Dash34]

Lots of shocking picks. Irvin to the Seahawks is lol

[CDub]

How did we get DeCastro?!?!?!

Fanfreakingtastic!!!

[tjsunstein]

Irvin is a better pass rusher than everyone he was drafted over.

[vidae]

I wanted Tannehill but I'm really happy that we got Poe. Not a bad consolation prize.

[Notredameleo]

I hope the Lions go all in on the offensive line and try to get Konz or Martin in the second, as well as OL in round three.

[bigbuc]

Irvin is a better pass rusher than everyone he was drafted over.

Everyone is lol the pick? I don't get it... If he goes to jail then yeah it was a bad pick, but as just a 3rd down rusher for his first year or two the guy might put up 8 to 10 sacks a year.

[jblaze66]

I am really happy I thought we would have had to move up much higher to get Fletcher Cox

[wogitalia]

Steelers win as usual...

It's like they are Jedi Masters using their powers to guide the guys who fit best to them... DeCastro at their pick is just disgusting good.

[WT01]

Everyone is lol the pick? I don't get it... If he goes to jail then yeah it was a bad pick, but as just a 3rd down rusher for his first year or two the guy might put up 8 to 10 sacks a year.

Yep, agree. Aldon Smith had a similar role with the 49ers last year (he was also considered a huge reach at #7 overall) and ended up with 14 sacks and second in the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Not to mention that both the 49ers and Ravens (the 49ers made it all the way to where they promised to take Irvin with their first round pick if he made it there) were linked to Irvin in the first. From the sounds of that the Seahawks wouldn't have had a whiff of him at #43.

[jayceheathman]

I like the Texans pick with Mercilus but I would have picked Zeitler or Glenn at 26 instead. I would have considered trading up a few picks and getting DeCastro as well.

[killxswitch]

3 RBs in the 1st is silly.

Cleveland trading up for Weeden is hilarious but sad.

DeCastro was a steal at 24.

Pats moving up twice was a shock.

Irvin was massively overdrafted.

Lots of great prospects left for round two.

[gpngc]

Everyone is lol the pick? I don't get it... If he goes to jail then yeah it was a bad pick, but as just a 3rd down rusher for his first year or two the guy might put up 8 to 10 sacks a year.

And his ceiling is....................

With a coaching staff that helped develop Chris Clemons, Brandon Browner, and multiple late-round picks into very good players.

[Clarkw267]

Yep, agree. Aldon Smith had a similar role with the 49ers last year (he was also considered a huge reach at #7 overall) and ended up with 14 sacks and second in the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Not to mention that both the 49ers and Ravens (the 49ers made it all the way to where they promised to take Irvin with their first round pick if he made it there) were linked to Irvin in the first. From the sounds of that the Seahawks wouldn't have had a whiff of him at #43.

I don't think too many people were calling Aldon Smith a huge reach last year. Actually he was a consensus top 15 guy. Smith is also far superior to Irvin, so that really makes the comparison moot.

[XxXdragonXxX]

My thought is, I love how everyone looks at a bunch of mock drafts and then sees a guy go a round earlier than the mocks and thinks "They coulda got him in round 2!!!!!!"

Sorry guys, it doesn't work like that. Just because a bunch of amateur scouts think a guy is a 2nd rounder doesn't mean the pro scouts do.

[Pat Sims 90]

From the Bengals standpoint they had a solid 1st round nothing over the top. Filled their 2 biggest needs in Corner and Guard. Would have perferd they stay at 21 and take DeCastro, but Zeitler and extra 3rd is fine.

[XxXdragonXxX]

I don't think too many people were calling Aldon Smith a huge reach last year. Actually he was a consensus top 15 guy. Smith is also far superior to Irvin, so that really makes the comparison moot.

Yeah uh, there were definitely a lot of people calling Smith a reach.

[kalbears13]

Cleveland trading up for Weeden is hilarious but sad.

Didn't trade up but didn't make the pick any less of a waste.

http://tvoutlet.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/nph-gun.gif

[WT01]

I don't think too many people were calling Aldon Smith a huge reach last year. Actually he was a consensus top 15 guy. Smith is also far superior to Irvin, so that really makes the comparison moot.

I wasn't directly comparing the two, I was comparing how they were (will) be used. Smith was a pure pass rusher last year who didn't play much on rushing downs. Does that mean that he shouldn't have been a first round pick? Well no, since he had 14 sacks he was a good pick. Not saying that Irvin will have 14 sacks in his rookie year but if he can get a decent amount and produce and turn into a starter down the line then he'll have been worth a first rounder too. Honestly, grading picks after they first happen is stupid. It can be a few years before some of these guys click and that's the only time when you should actually grade a draft.

[stl9erfan]

Niners took a guy totally off my radar, although I'm not surprised with the position addressed. Never thought guard would be the way they'd go unless it was a trade up for DeCastro, and felt similarly about CB. Always seemed to me that a WR or Fleener was the most likely pick... just kind of surprised it was Jenkins. Given the Niners' recent draft history, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt for now, though. But definitely was surprised.

[lowlife]

My thought is, I love how everyone looks at a bunch of mock drafts and then sees a guy go a round earlier than the mocks and thinks "They coulda got him in round 2!!!!!!"

Sorry guys, it doesn't work like that. Just because a bunch of amateur scouts think a guy is a 2nd rounder doesn't mean the pro scouts do.

Hold on, so could you possibly be saying the term "reach" is over used? DON'T YOU ******* DARE

[lowlife]

I watched like 3 minutes of Youtube clips on the guy. BUST CITY ***** BUST BUST CITY *****

[mqtirishfan]

Winners

Colts and Redskins: Both franchises took guys that clearly appear to be potential franchise QBs. Even if Washington did give up a lot to move up, QB is the most important position in the NFL and if Griffin lives up to the hype, they'll gladly lose the other picks.

Vikings: The team essentially traded the 3rd, 35th and 98th picks for the 4th, 29th, 118th, 139th and 211th picks in the draft. Oh, and they got the player they wanted all along with the 4th pick and helped their secondary with the 29th pick. Gaining extra picks so that the team directly below you can take a guy you have absolutely no interest in taking is always a win.

Cowboys: Getting one of the elite prospects in the draft is always a win. I applaud the Cowboys on trading up for Claiborne.

Panthers/Chiefs/Cardinals: All three teams sat back and watched as top notch prospects fell right into their laps. In a draft where everyone ran around trying to trade up and make a splash, they stuck at their spot and drafted quality players.

Rams: I simply don't think there's any scenario where getting that many extra picks and still taking a guy that can impact your defense right away is anything but a big win.

Patriots: Had an embarrassment of riches yet again in the early rounds, and used that to their advantage by being aggressive for once. Both Jones and Hightower could be great for their defense, and they had picks to blow to move up.

Lions/Steelers: Both teams desperately needed help along the OL. Both teams had fantastic OL prospects fall to them and both teams pulled the trigger on those guys.

Losers

Browns: I like the idea of getting one of the best players available in Richardson. The price was about right, although I'm not sure a RB is possibly valuable enough to trade up to ensure you get him when a number of other players are around that can help the team out. Still, he is an elite talent and worth the pick. However, this is offset by drafting a 28-year-old QB in the first round. Indefensible decision, as far as I'm concerned.

Buccaneers: Not a fan of their moves at all. If they were so concerned with their secondary, why not just take the guy who can actually help in coverage? Giving up the chance to pick Claiborne for a 4th rounder is absurd to me. Picking Barron only makes things worse, as he's the type of safety that is being phased out in the league. A guy who is supposed to struggle in coverage is not the guy you take in the top 10. They also traded up in order to draft a RB, which is typically a no-no. Doug Martin had better be one hell of a runner to justify that decision.

Bears: Poor, poor Jay Cutler.

49ers: I just don't see any way that Jenkins was the best WR available, let alone the best player the 49ers could have had here.

[SF Dolphin Fan]

Niners took a guy totally off my radar, although I'm not surprised with the position addressed. Never thought guard would be the way they'd go unless it was a trade up for DeCastro, and felt similarly about CB. Always seemed to me that a WR or Fleener was the most likely pick... just kind of surprised it was Jenkins. Given the Niners' recent draft history, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt for now, though. But definitely was surprised.I thought Fleener as well. Can you imaging pairing him with Davis? SF is in a nice position, though, in that they don't have glaring needs. Might look for running back to eventually replace Gore, but can kind of sit back and take the best players that drop.

[SF Dolphin Fan]

Niners took a guy totally off my radar, although I'm not surprised with the position addressed. Never thought guard would be the way they'd go unless it was a trade up for DeCastro, and felt similarly about CB. Always seemed to me that a WR or Fleener was the most likely pick... just kind of surprised it was Jenkins. Given the Niners' recent draft history, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt for now, though. But definitely was surprised.I thought Fleener as well. Can you imagine pairing him with Davis? SF is in a nice position, though, in that they don't have glaring needs. Might look for running back to eventually replace Gore, but can kind of sit back and take the best players that drop.

[Hines]

Like:

Obviously, as a Steeler fan, I love the fact the Steelers landed DeCastro. He and Pouncey together for the next decade is going to be fun to watch.

I liked the Jets picking Coples. I know his motor is hot and cold, but I can only imagine the ways Rex is planning on using him in his defense. I had Ingram with that pick, but I like Coples more in that slot.

I liked what the Cowboys did to get Mo Claiborne. They now have four solid corners and Ryan is going to use them all. Great selection and great fit for Mo IMO.

I love how Belichick traded up instead of down and attacked his weaknesses hard in the first round. Jones and Hightower could be huge pieces for that defense in the very near future.



Disliked:

I like Bruce Irvin but the Seahawks reached bad on him. I wouldn't spend a mid-first round pick on a player who is only going to be a situational pass rusher.

Mark Barron going in the top 10 is a no-no for me. I love Barron, but I do not think he's that type of player.

As said for AJ Jenkins. I know he was rising very fast, but I do not think he was a first round prospect. The Niners were better off with Hill IMO.


There are a few more, but I'm actually OK with how most of the draft went.

[twiz]

Cleveland apparently thinks they have good offensive talent if they want to spend a pick on Weeden... just don't get it at all. You think you're a QB short of being playoff ready or something? You're not even close right now. Cleveland better have some hidden gems for the right side of that OL later on in the draft, because your 37th overall HAS to be a WR. HAS to be.

Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Arizona, and St. Louis probably are my top 5 for the first day.

[49erNation85]

Freaking San Francisco picking a round two guy in rouy nd one?I mean freaking really Sf. I know he was the guy but dang why in round one......I'm just ah ughhhhh over this Jenkins pick when he was ranked 9th in wide outs.

[XxXdragonXxX]

Hold on, so could you possibly be saying the term "reach" is over used? DON'T YOU ******* DARE

Haha, extreeemely.

I mean unless you take a guy that is clearly going to suck, if you're getting a good player who cares if he was taken 10 picks to before everyone thought he'd go?

[phlysac]

Freaking San Francisco picking a round two guy in rouy nd one?I mean freaking really Sf. I know he was the guy but dang why in round one......I'm just ah ughhhhh over this Jenkins pick when he was ranked 9th in wide outs.

Not to Trent Baalke.

[BaLLiN]

Was David Wilson a big reach? I think some team would've picked him in the next 10-15 picks

[Caddy]

Buccaneers: Not a fan of their moves at all. If they were so concerned with their secondary, why not just take the guy who can actually help in coverage? Giving up the chance to pick Claiborne for a 4th rounder is absurd to me. Picking Barron only makes things worse, as he's the type of safety that is being phased out in the league. A guy who is supposed to struggle in coverage is not the guy you take in the top 10. They also traded up in order to draft a RB, which is typically a no-no. Doug Martin had better be one hell of a runner to justify that decision.



Our DB coach is Ron Cooper (former LSU DB coach) so if he thought skipping Claiborne is the right move, I trust his judgment. I liked the Barron pick, but would have much rather we taken Kuechly.

As fort he Doug Martin trade, we gave up virtually nothing. We moved down like 15 spots in the 4th round, hardly a bad trade. Your comments make it sound like we gave up a future 1st or 2nd or something.

[mqtirishfan]

Was David Wilson a big reach? I think some team would've picked him in the next 10-15 picks

I didn't mind it. He gives that offense something it didn't have before and could be a great piece for the Giants.

[Diehard]

Cleveland apparently thinks they have good offensive talent if they want to spend a pick on Weeden... just don't get it at all. You think you're a QB short of being playoff ready or something? You're not even close right now. Cleveland better have some hidden gems for the right side of that OL later on in the draft, because your 37th overall HAS to be a WR. HAS to be.

I honestly thought they could just sit and pick Weeden at #37. Who was going to jump in there and grab him? It's not like you can really afford to stash him on the bench for a few years.

[twiz]

I honestly thought they could just sit and pick Weeden at #37. Who was going to jump in there and grab him? It's not like you can really afford to stash him on the bench for a few years.

Exactly. If Weeden can't beat out McCoy by (and I feel like this is generous because he should do it before the season starts) halfway through the season, then I can't look favorably at him. In three years you'll already talk about drafting his replacement! Come on. He doesn't even have receivers to throw to! There's Little, and... um... wait... I'm a Browns fan, I know this... hold on...

[mqtirishfan]

Our DB coach is Ron Cooper (former LSU DB coach) so if he thought skipping Claiborne is the right move, I trust his judgment. I liked the Barron pick, but would have much rather we taken Kuechly.

As fort he Doug Martin trade, we gave up virtually nothing. We moved down like 15 spots in the 4th round, hardly a bad trade. Your comments make it sound like we gave up a future 1st or 2nd or something.

I didn't intend to make it out like the Bucs gave up that much, so I apologize for that.

However, I still can't support the idea of taking a safety in the top 10 whose weakness is in coverage. Nor can I condone a team with as many needs as Tampa Bay has taking a RB from this draft not named Trent Richardson.

[MI_Buckeye]

I honestly can't remember a more enjoyable first round. Lots of trades, extremely unconventional picks and several premier players falling down the board; this first round had it all.

As far as specifics, the top six went in the top six, and I always knew they would, no matter how bizzarrely it happened. I was certainly shocked when Tampa traded out of Claiborne range for a mere fourth round pick, but Barron is a great player and safety is almost as important as corner in their scheme.

I would have been sickly amused to see how far Tannehill would have fallen if Miami passed on him, but they had no choice. Even though I had him ranked as the 29th best player, Miami had to take a shot at a guy who could develop into a legitimate franchise QB.

KC sort of went against the grain by drafting Poe. I demand an apology from everyone of the many Chief fans who jumped my throat whenever I would mock Poe to KC.

For about the past month I had a feeling in my gut that Fletcher Cox would end up and Eagle, and the fact that they were able to give up so little for him is doubly exciting.

The Bruce Irvin pick was just wacky. Please don't bring up the Aldon Smith comparisons. For one, the Niners play a base 3-4 and Smith will become a full-time player in their system, and Irvin probably won't. Also, Smith has phenomenal size and length, while Irvin is a runt without a true position.

The Jets taking Coples as a 5 tech is eye-popping. I just don't care for this marriage of team and player, especially with so many pure pass rushers left on the board.

Ingram to the Chargers was the value pick of the top 20. At one point, I was convinced the Chargers would trade up for Ingram. Lucky for them, he fell right into their lap.

McClellin to the Bears was an odd pick. I always thought he would go to a 3-4 team. My guess is he will probably be a Sam and an edge rusher in sub-packages.

The Pats made a long overdue shift in philosophy and traded up for two impact players, and I think it will pay big dividends. Jones and Hightower are both scheme-diverse and have elite traits that don't currently exist on that D.

Reiff and DeCastro were absolute bargains. Reiff will push Gosder out the door at RT and will supplant Backus some time in the next couple of years. Meanwhile, the Steelers got their next Alan Faneca to play next to their current Dermonti Dawson. Every year, the Steelers seem to get a player who perfectly fits their culture.

Mercilus was an intersting pick, given how well Brooks Reed and Connor Barwin played last year. I like Mercilus, but I just wonder is he'll be able to start or what packages the coaching staff has in mind for him.

Nobody should be allowed to criticize the Vikings' trade for Harrison Smith. The Vikes needed a safety, and there are NO safeties after Smith.


Great pick by the Niners. Jenkins is a better player than any other WR projected to possibly go in the first round. Finally, San Fran has a WR who can create after the catch.

The two backs were great picks, and should instantly upgrade their respective offenses. The Bucs made a shewd move jumping in front of the G Men, who I'm sure would have preferred Martin over Wilson.

It was somewhat of a delight to see two of my least favorite first round prospects fall out of the first. Cordy Glenn and Stephen Hill were both massively overrated through this process, and I think they could both be in for a longer than expected wait tomorrow. Neither Mike Adams or Jonathan Martin deserved to go in the first round, and neither did.

The top rated players on my board are Courtney Upshaw (14), Jacoby Fleener (18), Vinny Curry (21), Janoris Jenkins (22), Jerel Worthy (23) and Amini Silatolu (25). I love Upshaw as a player, but I can understand why he's still available. He just doesn't fit like a glove anywhere. Not many teams have a pressing need for tight end, so Fleener will be a great bargain. Curry is going 38th to Jacksonville (BOOK IT), Jenkins would be gone if he had any common sense. Worthy won't last long tomorrow, and Silatolu has to go ahead of Cordy Glenn.

Yep tonight was great!!!

[vidae]

Someone on twitter (who Deep has never heard of) said that the Chiefs were ready to move back up into the first for Weeden. I'm really glad that didn't happen.

[Diehard]

As fort he Doug Martin trade, we gave up virtually nothing. We moved down like 15 spots in the 4th round, hardly a bad trade. Your comments make it sound like we gave up a future 1st or 2nd or something.

It was 25 spots, because we had a late 4th from the Pats. Still a decent trade, though.

[LonghornsLegend]

- Cowboys trading up was a shock. You have no idea what it's like to go from watching Alan Ball and Terrance Newman get destroyed for years and to finally have 4 solid CB's. Claiborne can be brought a long slowly and to nab an elite player it wasn't too costly.


- I loved Reiff falling to Detroit. Great landing spot, you've got one of the best upcoming QB's in the game, weapons are there, just protect him and they got a great prospect to do it with.


- Mercilus. Scary, scary scary. Added to that defense, with the creativity of Wade Phillips, their going to be even better on that side of the ball.


- DeCastro to Pittsburgh. Really? So typical.


- I really love Kendall Wright to the Titans. That offense is going to be sick. Locker is a stud and athletic as hell, Britt is a soon to be top 5 WR when he stays healthy who Wright is a perfect compliment to, Jared Cook & Chris Johnson. Speed all over, I can't wait to see them in action. 1 of my favorite picks.


- I was actually really feeling what STL had going moving to 14 with all those extra 2nd round picks, then Floyd goes 1 pick before them. Ruined it for me. Bradford needs weapons, Floyd is a stud, and easily improves the play of Bradford. Brockers is a Fisher type pick though, maybe wanted him all a long.


- I love the Jags WR core now. Blackmon and Laurent Robinson is a very nice 1-2 punch for a team who was lacking WR's forever. Mike Thomas is back in the slot where he belongs. Too bad no one is there to throw them the ball, but their WR's are looking very nice.



- Not sure what TB was thinking early in the draft. Think they tried to get too cute.

[twiz]

I'm just gonna say that Hill, Randle or Quick better be gone at 37. I don't even want them to go with Glenn if he's there. You drafted Weeden, now get him some freakin' weapons to throw to, and add Guards later because apparently you think Cousins is a starting RT.

Is it clear I'm not pleased? Oy.

[LonghornsLegend]

Our DB coach is Ron Cooper (former LSU DB coach) so if he thought skipping Claiborne is the right move, I trust his judgment. I liked the Barron pick, but would have much rather we taken Kuechly.


I'm not trying to be a homer or anything, but for all you know Cooper wanted the team to draft Claiborne. He's the DB coach, I doubt he was the one who was pulling the strings on any of the trades they made.

[Iamcanadian]

Exactly. If Weeden can't beat out McCoy by (and I feel like this is generous because he should do it before the season starts) halfway through the season, then I can't look favorably at him. In three years you'll already talk about drafting his replacement! Come on. He doesn't even have receivers to throw to! There's Little, and... um... wait... I'm a Browns fan, I know this... hold on...

Call me crazy, but this was the worst scenario that could have taken place on day 1 of the draft. We paniced at #4 and gave up a boatload of picks to move up pne place for a RB and at #22, we showed the result of missing out on RG111 by taking Weedon. I have to wonder if Lerner ordered Holmgren and Heckert to draft a QB in round 1.
Holmgren and Heckert obviously paniced with the trade up to #3. I think the failure to obtain the second pick in the draft completely unhinged the management team and the results for Brown's fans was a complete disaster on day 1 of the draft.
I'm a Brown's fan, I know this...hold on...

[twiz]

Call me crazy, but this was the worst scenario that could have taken place on day 1 of the draft. We paniced at #4 and gave up a boatload of picks to move up pne place for a RB and at #22, we showed the result of missing out on RG111 by taking Weedon. I have to wonder if Lerner ordered Holmgren and Heckert to draft a QB in round 1.
Holmgren and Heckert obviously paniced with the trade up to #3. I think the failure to obtain the second pick in the draft completely unhinged the management team and the results for Brown's fans was a complete disaster on day 1 of the draft.
I'm a Brown's fan, I know this...hold on...

It certainly wasn't a good scenario, that's for certain...

[kalbears13]

Call me crazy, but this was the worst scenario that could have taken place on day 1 of the draft. We paniced at #4 and gave up a boatload of picks to move up pne place for a RB and at #22, we showed the result of missing out on RG111 by taking Weedon. I have to wonder if Lerner ordered Holmgren and Heckert to draft a QB in round 1.
Holmgren and Heckert obviously paniced with the trade up to #3. I think the failure to obtain the second pick in the draft completely unhinged the management team and the results for Brown's fans was a complete disaster on day 1 of the draft.
I'm a Brown's fan, I know this...hold on...

Gave up a 4th, 5th and 7th. With 13 picks, you can't expect 13 players because you're going to end up cutting half of them. Might as well use them to get better players.

You're definitely blowing everything way out of proportion but what else is new?

[Caddy]

I didn't intend to make it out like the Bucs gave up that much, so I apologize for that.

However, I still can't support the idea of taking a safety in the top 10 whose weakness is in coverage. Nor can I condone a team with as many needs as Tampa Bay has taking a RB from this draft not named Trent Richardson.

I agree the pick was a bit of a 'reach', although late reports suggest he was going early regardless. I just don't think it's a bad pick because we missed out on Claiborne. If we were sold on him, we would have stayed put. I think it's fairly obvious that there were some concerns. For what it's worth, I think we should have made Kuechly the pick.

[Vikes99ej]

The Vikings win everything, just shut it down.

[YAYareaRB]

baalke do what baalke do.. haters gon hate

[Vikes99ej]

Irvin is a better pass rusher than everyone he was drafted over.

Aren't you the dude who went to WVU, or am I thinking of someone else

[WCH]

Someone on twitter (who Deep has never heard of) said that the Chiefs were ready to move back up into the first for Weeden. I'm really glad that didn't happen.

You guys really dodged a bullet, eh?

I love the Packers pick of Nick Perry, given who was left on the board. I'm also confused by the Bears pick.

[Iamcanadian]

I think both Cleveland and the Rams were a complete failure on day 1 of the draft.
The Rams wanted a WR badly for Bradford but when they made the trade with Washington instead of Cleveland, they took the risk that Blackmon won't be there and that is exactly what happened. Then they traded back hoping to get Floyd at a better value and failed again to fill that need. Overall, I'd say round 1 didn't go too well for the Rams.

Cleveland was a complete disaster on day 1. Their failure to secure the Rams #2 overall pick proved too much for them. They paniced by giving up 3 picks to move up one spot in the draft to get Richardson when they could have gotten a solid RB with their #22 pick. Obviously, Minny didn't want to move down too far in fear of losing Kalil so they likely would have accepted just a 4th to trade back with Cleveland who should have stood pat and gotten Richardson for nothing.
They then, probably because their owner ordered it, took Weedon at #22 when they could have used their #37 pick plus one of the picks they gave Minny to move back up into round 1 to secure Weedon if they wanted him that badly.
Just an overall disaster for my Browns.

[Sven]

Given the talent drop off amongst the safeties after Harrison Smith (I think Scott has Iloka ranked next at 77) AND the Vikings massive need for a safety I can only give cudos to Spielman for trading up and grabbing their man.

And although it's been discussed by all, the trade of #3 for #4 and extra picks to the Browns was sheer brilliance.

[Iamcanadian]

Gave up a 4th, 5th and 7th. With 13 picks, you can't expect 13 players because you're going to end up cutting half of them. Might as well use them to get better players.

You're definitely blowing everything way out of proportion but what else is new?

The Browns are completely short on talent and could have used and retained the majority of their picks if they hadn't squandered them recklessly. With the rookie salary cap, retaining rookies is far easier to do today if you understood anything about the NFL. Just be glad your not a Brown's fan because I see another 4 win season in our immediate future and maybe longer.

[Saints-Tigers]

I like what the Rams have done. I wasn't huge on Brockers, but he's good value there, and if I were them, I'd try to grab Lamar Miller and Stephen Hill. They just have so much to work with in the coming years.

[Iamcanadian]

Given the talent drop off amongst the safeties after Harrison Smith (I think Scott has Iloka ranked next at 77) AND the Vikings massive need for a safety I can only give cudos to Spielman for trading up and grabbing their man.

And although it's been discussed by all, the trade of #3 for #4 and extra picks to the Browns was sheer brilliance.

I agree, Spielman took Cleveland to the cleaners and used the picks to further his team's chances for improvement.

[Leon Sandcastle]

ESPN still tipping off picks but doing it sneakier like Berman hinting at a player or Schefter breaking it on the ticker.

What's wrong with these asshats?

[descendency]

Pete Carroll puts the F in WTF.

[Lil Quip]

The first was weird but it sort of wasn't. People are questioning the brockers pick, but I think st louis is the HUGE winner of the draft. They didn't need rg3. They get a kings ransom. They don't see the guy they want, they trade back. They get brockers with a head coach who is very good at getting the best out of dls. Plus they can still get hill or maybe jeffrey in the second. It may not show dividends yet, but just decect drafting should get them into the primetime.

As for the draft trading, I like it. Other than the skins, who needed a kings ransom to get tg3, didn't give up too much. A fourth to secure richardson is not a huge price to pay.

[kalbears13]

The Browns are completely short on talent and could have used and retained the majority of their picks if they hadn't squandered them recklessly. With the rookie salary cap, retaining rookies is far easier to do today if you understood anything about the NFL. Just be glad your not a Brown's fan because I see another 4 win season in our immediate future and maybe longer.

Really? You think the Browns should save 13 roster spots?? 6 of which were in the last two rounds?

I am a Browns fan. Thanks for remembering.

[twiz]

Really? You think the Browns should save 13 roster spots?? 6 of which were in the last two rounds?

I am a Browns fan. Thanks for remembering.

I just really don't understand it. The picks they gave away, well, someone could've easily matched that if they wanted Richardson. I mostly didn't like seeing that early 4th rounder go.

[Iamcanadian]

Really? You think the Browns should save 13 roster spots?? 6 of which were in the last two rounds?

I am a Browns fan. Thanks for remembering.

I apologize for forgetting, the bears in your title fooled me but I get it now, kalbears.

I can understand why you thought I was too negative toward the Browns because I am. I just don't get their thought process and round 1 hasn't changed that one bit. IMO, a complete disaster unless Weedon turns out to be great right out of the shute which I doubt happens but who knows.

[LonghornsLegend]

I don't think the price was much for the Browns to get Richardson, but I kinda don't get the point. Seemed like a panic move. They moved up 1 spot with a team who didn't need a RB and was likely going to take Kalil where they were. You could have kept the 4th and 5th and just waited, I really don't think TB was that in love that they were going to trade up for him.



Then Weeden at 22 is the best they can do? Why not just continue to add weapons and draft a guy next year since your still not making the playoffs. I think missing Kendall Wright threw them off there, but I'd have shopped the pick hard for a future 1st if possible. I don't see a whole lot of franchise QB ability in Weeden, seems more like the current regime trying to buy some time.

[Iamcanadian]

I don't think the price was much for the Browns to get Richardson, but I kinda don't get the point. Seemed like a panic move. They moved up 1 spot with a team who didn't need a RB and was likely going to take Kalil where they were. You could have kept the 4th and 5th and just waited, I really don't think TB was that in love that they were going to trade up for him.



Then Weeden at 22 is the best they can do? Why not just continue to add weapons and draft a guy next year since your still not making the playoffs. I think missing Kendall Wright threw them off there, but I'd have shopped the pick hard for a future 1st if possible. I don't see a whole lot of franchise QB ability in Weeden, seems more like the current regime trying to buy some time.

I think the current regime just ran out of time. Looks like another 4 win season next year and then we will be going into Holmgren's 4th year of rebuilding with little future in sight. Don't think the owner will be too happy although Lerner is probably at fault.

[49ersfan_87]

I was surprised to hear that the Pats only have 2 more picks- both 2nd rounders. After that, none left in the 2012 draft. I doubt they trade it for a 2013 1st. I expect Bellichek to use both 2nd rounders and immediately bolster the team's depth.

[thule]

I don't think the price was much for the Browns to get Richardson, but I kinda don't get the point. Seemed like a panic move. They moved up 1 spot with a team who didn't need a RB and was likely going to take Kalil where they were. You could have kept the 4th and 5th and just waited, I really don't think TB was that in love that they were going to trade up for him.



Then Weeden at 22 is the best they can do? Why not just continue to add weapons and draft a guy next year since your still not making the playoffs. I think missing Kendall Wright threw them off there, but I'd have shopped the pick hard for a future 1st if possible. I don't see a whole lot of franchise QB ability in Weeden, seems more like the current regime trying to buy some time.

Maybe thats the same logic tampa had moving back from 5...whether they were sold on claiborne or not...i'm not sure but I find it hard to believe they really wanted Barron more. I think Cleveland moving up was smart...if they didnt' someone else coulda have...and he was clearly "their guy".

[Caddy]

Maybe thats the same logic tampa had moving back from 5...whether they were sold on claiborne or not...i'm not sure but I find it hard to believe they really wanted Barron more. I think Cleveland moving up was smart...if they didnt' someone else coulda have...and he was clearly "their guy".

For what it's worth Ron Cooper is our DB coach, so we probably knew more about Claiborne than any other team. Based on press conference comments, it sounds like Schiano absolutely loved Barron.

[Matthew Jones]

I'm very excited about the Patriots' draft picks; it's about time New England addressed the front seven. I'm cursing Pittsburgh for landing David DeCastro.

[Complex]

The Jets are going to have a very talented and young line if Kenrick Ellis, Wilkerson and Coples all pan out. I liked all 3 especially the latter 2.

[Rolling_Thunder]

Our DB coach is Ron Cooper (former LSU DB coach) so if he thought skipping Claiborne is the right move, I trust his judgment. I liked the Barron pick, but would have much rather we taken Kuechly.

As fort he Doug Martin trade, we gave up virtually nothing. We moved down like 15 spots in the 4th round, hardly a bad trade. Your comments make it sound like we gave up a future 1st or 2nd or something.

I could be wrong, but I think the Bucs may have gotten scared off on the news of Claiborne having a learning disability after his Wonderlich score. I would hope that's not the case, but it's the only reason that would explain it to me. I'm not too upset over Barron, but would have preferred Kuechly also. However, both are pretty clean, high floor prospects and neither probably have much higher of a ceiling. I think they are kind of both "what you see is what you get" types.

I was screaming when I heard they traded back into the first round, "It better be Doug Martin" over and over until I heard the pick. Needless to say, I was happy with that.

[TonyGfortheTD]

Props to Scott Wright for nailing the Chiefs pick.

Hope they made a hit there.

Someone on twitter (who Deep has never heard of) said that the Chiefs were ready to move back up into the first for Weeden. I'm really glad that didn't happen.
Thanks in advance Cleveland, if this actually is true.

[Asteinebach]

Here's my thoughts on round one...It was a great first round. Lots of good trades. I especially like Dallas being aggressive and moving up for one of the elite prospects. They needed it. The usual suspects won it, again. Pittsburgh and New England both had big day 1's. Minnesota and Tampa both did really well to improve their team too.

I think one of the most interesting things about round 1 is the number of really good players still available in round two. Coby Fleener, Jon Martin, Stephan Hill, Cordy Glenn, Courtney Upshaw, Janoris Jenkins, Jerel Worthy, Silatolu, Lavonte David, Ta'amu, Konz, and more. There's still a lot of teams that are going to improve their rosters in round 2.

St. Louis has such a huge role to play here. They need to just stay put and take BPA for each of the 2nd round picks. They have 3. Adding Lavonte David, Stephan Hill, and Trumaine Johnson falling to them would mean they have the best draft in 2012, hands down.

[Donnie D]

i think the Bucs were trying to work out a deal with the Vikings to get Richardson before the Browns finally caved in. TB then tried to be clever by trading down for picks to use to get back into the tail end of the draft while still getting the top CB. they should have stayed pat and took Claiborne, then packaged their own fourth rounder along with their second, rather than the 4th rounder they got from Jacksonville. just a major screw up. but at least the Bucs still got a great player in Barron, even if he wasnt the guy they wanted most.

Browns on the other hand, screwed up what was an easy draft. take Richardson, then grab the best wideout/o-lineman available at 22. Titans nabbed Wright, but Reily Reiff was somehow still on the board. they have a hole at RT, and Reiff is a perfect right tackle. it should have been a no-brainer. and even if they didnt want to take a lineman, they could have at the very least just punted the pick and traded it for a future first rounder. telling people "we wanted Wright, but he was gone, so we took Weeden" is probably the dumbest thing the Browns could do. the fans had already gotten past missing out on RG3, but taking Weeden at 22 is pretty much unforgivable. this is supposed to be the guy they traded away Julio Jones for in the last draft. its just mind-numbingly idiotic.

i also want to go against the grain on all the love for the Bengals draft. the Kirkpatrick pick was great, but i dont see how Zeitler and a late-third rounder was worth passing on David Decastro. not to mention that Decastro ended up going to a division rival instead. passing on him once made sense considering who they ended up taking, but the second time was just plain stupid. there isnt going to be any player they take at no.93 that makes the trade worth it.

and lastly, David Wilson to the Giants at 32 screams of desperation from missing out on Doug Martin. its highly uncharacteristic of Jerry Reese, who is supposed to be the cool cucumber who takes the BPA every time. i hope it works out, being a Giants fan and all, but my gut is telling me otherwise.

[Pat Sims 90]

Adam Schefter
If Tennessee hadn't taken Baylor WR Kendall Wright at No. 20, Cleveland would have taken him at 22. Browns bummed not to get Wright.

Looks like Cleveland paniced and took the guy they were targeting in the 2nd.

[Caddy]

i think the Bucs were trying to work out a deal with the Vikings to get Richardson before the Browns finally caved in. TB then tried to be clever by trading down for picks to use to get back into the tail end of the draft while still getting the top CB. they should have stayed pat and took Claiborne, then packaged their own fourth rounder along with their second, rather than the 4th rounder they got from Jacksonville. just a major screw up. but at least the Bucs still got a great player in Barron, even if he wasnt the guy they wanted most.

Browns on the other hand, screwed up what was an easy draft. take Richardson, then grab the best wideout/o-lineman available at 22. Titans nabbed Wright, but Reily Reiff was somehow still on the board. they have a hole at RT, and Reiff is a perfect right tackle. it should have been a no-brainer. and even if they didnt want to take a lineman, they could have at the very least just punted the pick and traded it for a future first rounder. telling people "we wanted Wright, but he was gone, so we took Weeden" is probably the dumbest thing the Browns could do. the fans had already gotten past missing out on RG3, but taking Weeden at 22 is pretty much unforgivable. this is supposed to be the guy they traded away Julio Jones for in the last draft. its just mind-numbingly idiotic.

i also want to go against the grain on all the love for the Bengals draft. the Kirkpatrick pick was great, but i dont see how Zeitler and a late-third rounder was worth passing on David Decastro. not to mention that Decastro ended up going to a division rival instead. passing on him once made sense considering who they ended up taking, but the second time was just plain stupid. there isnt going to be any player they take at no.93 that makes the trade worth it.

and lastly, David Wilson to the Giants at 32 screams of desperation from missing out on Doug Martin. its highly uncharacteristic of Jerry Reese, who is supposed to be the cool cucumber who takes the BPA every time. i hope it works out, being a Giants fan and all, but my gut is telling me otherwise.

This is false. We traded away our own 4th round pick last year to grab Luke Stocker.

[TornadoRex]

i think the Bucs were trying to work out a deal with the Vikings to get Richardson before the Browns finally caved in. TB then tried to be clever by trading down for picks to use to get back into the tail end of the draft while still getting the top CB. they should have stayed pat and took Claiborne, then packaged their own fourth rounder along with their second, rather than the 4th rounder they got from Jacksonville. just a major screw up. but at least the Bucs still got a great player in Barron, even if he wasnt the guy they wanted most.

The thing is... the Bucs didn't have a 4th round pick until the trade back. We used that 4th to move up last year for Luke Stocker.

Also probably the reason the Browns had better ammo for Richardson.

[Pat Sims 90]

i also want to go against the grain on all the love for the Bengals draft. the Kirkpatrick pick was great, but i dont see how Zeitler and a late-third rounder was worth passing on David Decastro. not to mention that Decastro ended up going to a division rival instead. passing on him once made sense considering who they ended up taking, but the second time was just plain stupid. there isnt going to be any player they take at no.93 that makes the trade worth it.

Whoever had Zeitler rated as a late 3rd rounder is dumb. I also don't know where you getting all this love for the Bengals i have yet to see anybody give them love for the draft so far.

[Sloopy]

My thought is, I love how everyone looks at a bunch of mock drafts and then sees a guy go a round earlier than the mocks and thinks "They coulda got him in round 2!!!!!!"

Sorry guys, it doesn't work like that. Just because a bunch of amateur scouts think a guy is a 2nd rounder doesn't mean the pro scouts do.

I get what your saying to a certain extent but it isn't like Mayock or Mel had him in round one either. I understand that they aren't with professional teams but they are hardly amateurs.

I get that this guy has serious pass rush ability but that is about all that he has. If they intend to use him at DE he will get 0 push in the run game and if they put him at LB he will be a severe liability in coverage. JMO

Obvious winners: Colts, Redskins

Winners:

Dolphins: They got there guy and didn't have to trade up to do so. Might be a reach talent-wise but this guy was going in the top 15 regardless.

Bengals: Got Dre, a former top 10 pick without moving up, moved back and still got the guard they were looking for

Rams: This might be a bit premature before seeing what all the picks turn in to but I have a feeling this will be a good draft for them

Steelers: I don't think this needs explanation

[irishbucsfan]

If people genuinely think that when Claiborne fell into our laps, with all the info we would have gleaned from Ron Cooper in the pre draft process, that we decided to get cute for a 4th rounder, then I don't know what to tell you.

For better or worse, we preferred Barron over Claiborne. I'm not saying he'll be better, although I think his impact on our defence will be more immediate than Claiborne's would have been. But to say we missed out on who we really wanted when we traded back two spots is asinine.

Re: the Doug Martin move, I'll just say this. He's in the mould of Rice/Forte in terms of being a back you never have to take off the field, and we secured him by moving back in a round we didn't even have a pick in when we started. Those saying it wasn't a need are totally wrong, a back who can catch and pass protect was a huge need, Blount's inability to do so last year led to catastrophic offensive predictability. Martin + Blount are intended to be Mike Sullivan's new Bradshaw + Jacobs. We'll see how it works out.

[SolidGold]

Winners:

Minnesota - all the pre draft posturing must of done something to scare Holmgren into trading up one spot. They Vikings being able to get additional picks and address their biggest need by drafting Kalil was great. Moving back up for Harrison Smith was also logical and made a ton of sense.

Steelers - DeCastro was a steal...so many teams that needed the guy pass right over him

Lions - Reiff was projected as a potential Top 10 pick and the Lions were able to have him fall into their lap

Bengals - addressed two needs with two quality players

Losers:
Seattle - reached for a second round talent
Cleveland - started off well by getting Richardson but hurt themselves overdrafting Weeden in the first.

[Beano]

Brockers, not a huge fan, LSU D lineman, not a fan. I do however, have a bit of trust that Fisher should be able to spot good D line talent. They seemed to have a conveyor belt over in Tennessee while he was there. That's the hope anyway.

I also have a biblical man crush on DeCastro, so I'm gutted the Rams passed on him.

[TheFinisher]

If people genuinely think that when Claiborne fell into our laps, with all the info we would have gleaned from Ron Cooper in the pre draft process, that we decided to get cute for a 4th rounder, then I don't know what to tell you.

For better or worse, we preferred Barron over Claiborne. I'm not saying he'll be better, although I think his impact on our defence will be more immediate than Claiborne's would have been. But to say we missed out on who we really wanted when we traded back two spots is asinine.

Re: the Doug Martin move, I'll just say this. He's in the mould of Rice/Forte in terms of being a back you never have to take off the field, and we secured him by moving back in a round we didn't even have a pick in when we started. Those saying it wasn't a need are totally wrong, a back who can catch and pass protect was a huge need, Blount's inability to do so last year led to catastrophic offensive predictability. Martin + Blount are intended to be Mike Sullivan's new Bradshaw + Jacobs. We'll see how it works out.

They could have easily assumed STL was zeroing in on Fletcher Cox, like they have been rumored to be for weeks, and figured they might as well pick up an extra 4th while still being able to land Mo.

It's hard to imagine a 4th + Mark Barron was really what they wanted instead of Claiborne. It just looks like they tried to get cute and wound up getting burned.

[SolidGold]

Also have to give credit to Dallas - they continued to address a huge need and they have really revamped their secondary.

[FUNBUNCHER]

Bruce Irvin is the middle class Von Miller. Same h/w/s. He doesn't have Milller's pass rush skillset, but I don't know that I'd call him a major reach for Seattle. He may have been wrongly evaluated.

Barron is so-so in coverage which is why I don't understand why he was so coveted. If a safety isn't an eraser in coverage nowadays, he's a liability.

[WCH]

I just about fell out of my chair when Irvin went that high, but I kind of like the pick. He's a good athlete with good production.

[ATLDirtyBirds]

I actually hated a good number of the picks. Irvin was not one of those picks. He'll do great in that Chris Clemons role.

[NorrinRadd12]

I think the Browns just set themselves back 5 years. Richardson and Weeden might do well this season but there's no long term value in either of them.

Teams will regret passing on Upshaw. The look on his face at the end when he was walking out of the green room wasn't sadness, it was rage.

[BeerBaron]

I don't completely hate the Bears pick as some do.

The Bears have been saying that they like their o-line as it is...I don't agree, but I knew we weren't going in that direction. When DeCastro was there, I did get my hopes up a little, but I still knew it wasn't going to be the pick.

I had a feeling it was either going to be Chandler Jones or McClellin. I think I would have preferred Jones, but McClellin wasn't a shock.

From the sounds of things, we may use him as a 2 down SAM LB and then move him up to DE in nickel situations. If that's the case, then I feel a little better about it since using a first on a one down player would have been terrible.

And he's not as big of reach as some are saying. I saw him being mocked with fair consistency in the late first to teams like the Packers and Patriots. A 10 pick reach isn't as the full round some are making it seem like.

All that said, I'm not in love with the pick, but I think it's getting **** on too much. I like high motor guys and he should have opportunities to get sacks across from Peppers.

[Donnie D]

This is false. We traded away our own 4th round pick last year to grab Luke Stocker.

ah my mistake then.

Whoever had Zeitler rated as a late 3rd rounder is dumb.

you misunderstood my post. im saying all the Bengals got from the Patriots trade is a third round pick and i dont see how that was worth passing on Decastro. not to mention that the Titans or the Bears could have easily taken Decastro, and the Steelers would have then taken Zeitler instead. where would that have left the Bengals?

Zietler still being there salvaged the trade, imo.

[Halsey]

Would the Browns have been better off doing what they did in the first round, or taking Tannehill at 4 and then their second rated RB at 22. That'll be an interesting question to debate in coming years.

[BeerBaron]

Also, if the Browns do trade McCoy now, one team who I think should throw a pick out there for him is Green Bay.

They have no backup on the roster right now, and McCoy would be ideal as a true backup to Rodgers. Send a 5th Cleveland's way for him...I bet they'd take it.

And in McCoy, you get a Rodgers-lite basically.

But, that probably makes too much sense to actually happen.

[Asteinebach]

I think the biggest problem with the Bears' pick is that he projects best to that OLB position in a 3-4 defense. They're going to end up playing him as a 4-3 defensive end, and he's kinda smallish for a 4-3 end in the NFL. I can't see this being a valuable pick for them. They have a lot of work to do to improve their overall draft.

[WCH]

Also, if the Browns do trade McCoy now, one team who I think should throw a pick out there for him is Green Bay.

They have no backup on the roster right now, and McCoy would be ideal as a true backup to Rodgers. Send a 5th Cleveland's way for him...I bet they'd take it.

And in McCoy, you get a Rodgers-lite basically.

But, that probably makes too much sense to actually happen.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but I really want GB to trade for McCoy. They're probably drafting their backup QB somewhere in the 3-5 round range anyway, and I'd rather have McCoy than any QB that they can get in that range.

[Asteinebach]

I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but I really want GB to trade for McCoy. They're probably drafting their backup QB somewhere in the 3-5 round range anyway, and I'd rather have McCoy than any QB that they can get in that range.

Unless Kirk Cousins slides to round three for you?

[BeerBaron]

I'd rather have McCoy than an honest to god rookie backup if I were them.

[Asteinebach]

I'd rather have McCoy than an honest to god rookie backup if I were them.

Maybe, but all Cousins would have to do is come in and start for Rodgers (if he's injured) and throw about 6-0 TD/INT ratio. Then you get a 1st-2nd round pick for him 2-3 years down the line.

[BeerBaron]

Maybe, but all Cousins would have to do is come in and start for Rodgers (if he's injured) and throw about 6-0 TD/INT ratio. Then you get a 1st-2nd round pick for him 2-3 years down the line.

Maybe, but that didn't exactly work out with Matt Flynn. Plus, QBs who never do anything are far more prevalent than ones who do end up being traded for good picks.

Better to have a guy you know could be an adequate backup than roll the dice on a rookie, especially if you can have the first guy for less. (Assuming 3rd for Cousins like you said and a 5th for McCoy like I said.)

[WCH]

Unless Kirk Cousins slides to round three for you?

I'd probably take Cousins and hope to God that he didn't have to play this year. That being said, McCoy was a 3rd pick in his own right, and he's already got experience in an NFL WCO.

And I would rather have McCoy for a 5th than Cousins for a 3rd.

[NorrinRadd12]

ESPN still tipping off picks but doing it sneakier like Berman hinting at a player or Schefter breaking it on the ticker.

What's wrong with these asshats?

Berman made the draft all about him. ESPN overall was a disaster. Too much Gruden, not enough Kiper and I didn't even see McShay. I could here the PA guy announcing trades in the background, but couldn't hear the whole thing, just bits and pieces and the ESPN guys were repeating the samethings about players they've been saying for 3 months.

[cmarq83]

you misunderstood my post. im saying all the Bengals got from the Patriots trade is a third round pick and i dont see how that was worth passing on Decastro. not to mention that the Titans or the Bears could have easily taken Decastro, and the Steelers would have then taken Zeitler instead. where would that have left the Bengals?

Zietler still being there salvaged the trade, imo.

Zeitler IMO is a more dominating run blocker than Decastro. It's not like he's a liability in pass pro either, he didn't give up a sack his last 3 seasons of college. He has issues in space and isn't the most mobile guy, but depending on scheme I think he could be better than DeCastro in certain situations. I'm not well versed enough in the Bengals scheme to know, but if it's run heavy with lots of traps Zeitler is the man.

[Asteinebach]

Berman made the draft all about him. ESPN overall was a disaster. Too much Gruden, not enough Kiper and I didn't even see McShay. I could here the PA guy announcing trades in the background, but couldn't hear the whole thing, just bits and pieces and the ESPN guys were repeating the samethings about players they've been saying for 3 months.

Yeah, the ESPN coverage is pretty ******* terrible. They weren't even discussing details of any of the trades that were happening. It's as if they are completely incapable of understanding what the fan base wants. Seriously, I know the Draftnik bunch pretty well, and if there's one thing that we are, it's opinionated. It just shouldn't be this hard to put forth a decent presentation.

[irishbucsfan]

They could have easily assumed STL was zeroing in on Fletcher Cox, like they have been rumored to be for weeks, and figured they might as well pick up an extra 4th while still being able to land Mo.

It's hard to imagine a 4th + Mark Barron was really what they wanted instead of Claiborne. It just looks like they tried to get cute and wound up getting burned.


You are kidding me if you don't think the Rams were identified as having a need at DB, and a major risk to take MC themselves. You need to separate thinking Barron was a reach from thinking we screwed ourselves over. I would bet my life on the fact that we had Barron > Claiborne, and acted accordingly. That may turn out to be a mistake, but this whole 'got cute' business is so far from Dominik's MO. He targets very specific players and go gets them, for better or worse.

[BeerBaron]

Yeah, apparently ESPN decided that it was ok to flat out state who the pick is going to be as long as a trade is involved.

It was really pissing people off in the chat last night weren't watching ESPN. "Tipping" in my mind is showing the guy in the green room on the phone or announcing it via twitter. ESPN was just flat out stating who it was going to be as soon as the trade went down.

The NFL should really chew them out but they won't...ESPN is paying way too much for MNF to risk pissing off.

And Berman needs to go. I'm sick of him. He's not entertaining in any way. He's so god damn full of himself and the stupid things he says...time for some new blood.

[Asteinebach]

And Berman needs to go. I'm sick of him. He's not entertaining in any way. He's so god damn full of himself and the stupid things he says...time for some new blood.

Kiper + McShay + Gruden + Scott Wright

Book it.

[BeerBaron]

The less McShay the better. He actually had the Bears taking Hightower in his last mock draft and even said on tv "this makes no sense but..."

That's no expert. That's a moron.

And you forgot Trent Dilfer. ESPN wedges Trent Dilfer into every damn thing.

[WCH]

Yeah, apparently ESPN decided that it was ok to flat out state who the pick is going to be as long as a trade is involved.

It was really pissing people off in the chat last night weren't watching ESPN. "Tipping" in my mind is showing the guy in the green room on the phone or announcing it via twitter. ESPN was just flat out stating who it was going to be as soon as the trade went down.

The NFL should really chew them out but they won't...ESPN is paying way too much for MNF to risk pissing off.

And Berman needs to go. I'm sick of him. He's not entertaining in any way. He's so god damn full of himself and the stupid things he says...time for some new blood.

Berman still pisses me off less than Gruden, with his "Every player is great because I might coach them someday, and Weeden is a good pick because Roger Staubach was 27" type of idiot logic.

Jaws and Steve Young look like they want to *****-smack Dilfer when he tries to school them on quarterbacking.

[NorrinRadd12]

I thought the crowd was an acting like idiots. It's the NFL Draft, not WWE Smackdown. Saying "WHAT?!?!" before every pick and chanting "Dolphins suck" while Claiborne was on stage with Goodell was trashy. It's his moment, let him have it.

[BeerBaron]

Berman still pisses me off less than Gruden, with his "Every player is great because I might coach them someday, and Weeden is a good pick because Roger Staubach was 27" type of idiot logic.

"I didn't get Rich Gannon til he was 34!" It's not like Gannon never played a down of NFL football before that or anything....

Seriously. Weeden is just a Graham Harrell who happened to be 28, so all of the talking heads decided to get behind him to show how open minded they are...or something. And because he's older, he's obviously more mature and pro ready. Clearly.

I don't see it in him. I've never seen it in him. Good luck Cleveland.

[b316]

So no more draft for the Pats after second round

Also where can i find all the trade info.

Love the rookie wage scale, it lead to more trading.

[BeerBaron]

So no more draft for the Pats after second round

Also where can i find all the trade info.

Love the rookie wage scale, it lead to more trading.

Yeah, this is the first year where the draft has happened with the scale in place. I think teams got to fully understand the implications of it and it led to more trading overall.

I forget who said it, but somewhere I read or heard someone say "teams were moving up to get the player that they wanted more than ever."

And I agree with that. Teams seemed to be targeting one particular guy that they wanted, and moved where they had to in order to get him.

[Asteinebach]

Teams seemed to be targeting one particular guy that they wanted, and moved where they had to in order to get him.

Call me conservative, but I'm not a big fan of giving up the barn (Riley Reiff) just because it won't cost me 65-million. I'd rather get 10-12 guys to really build the team.

But yes, the trades did make for a very interesting first round. And I don't think it slows down too much in round 2, as there are still a lot of starting caliber prospects on the board.

[b316]

Call me conservative, but I'm not a big fan of giving up the barn (Riley Reiff) just because it won't cost me 65-million. I'd rather get 10-12 guys to really build the team.

But yes, the trades did make for a very interesting first round. And I don't think it slows down too much in round 2, as there are still a lot of starting caliber prospects on the board.

But thats the thing nobody really gave up the barn to move up. Well other than the Browns with the Vikings.

[BeerBaron]

But thats the thing nobody really gave up the barn to move up. Well other than the Browns with the Vikings.

Even there, it was all 4th round and later picks.

We didn't see anyone giving up giving up future picks or anything like that. (During the draft at least, Washington did before.) And unless they were trading from the 2nd to get back into the first (like Tampa,) we didn't even see many teams giving up their 2nd rounders this year to do it. Dallas might be one of the few.

[K Train]

Steelers win as usual...

It's like they are Jedi Masters using their powers to guide the guys who fit best to them... DeCastro at their pick is just disgusting good.

i like this

[jbooshey]

Maybe, but that didn't exactly work out with Matt Flynn. Plus, QBs who never do anything are far more prevalent than ones who do end up being traded for good picks.

Better to have a guy you know could be an adequate backup than roll the dice on a rookie, especially if you can have the first guy for less. (Assuming 3rd for Cousins like you said and a 5th for McCoy like I said.)

This is all a moot point. Thompson loves Graham Harrell and Harrell will be the No. 2 next year. They will draft a late round guy like Austin Davis or something to be the No. 3 QB. No way do they draft a QB in round 3.

[K Train]

i was damn near in tears (trashed out of my mind) when decastro was on the board. so ******* happy lol

[b316]

Who Thompson loves and who McCarthy loves, big difference and you know how he preforms.

[BeerBaron]

i was damn near in tears (trashed out of my mind) when decastro was on the board. so ******* happy lol

The Steelers are bastards. Only they could have a stud pro bowl Alan Faneca 2.0 guard fall right to them about 10 picks after where his value fell.

Ridiculous. It's ridiculous. Heaps of praise will be piled onto their implacable front office but this time, all they really did was apply some common sense.

[WCH]

One of McGinn's sources said that he expects GB to draft a QB in the 3rd round, because they'll probably get a compensatory 3rd round pick for Flynn.

After watching Harrell in the preseason last year, I think that the "love" for him is because it's more polite than saying "dude sucks, we need to upgrade."

[K Train]

i would have been so furious if they passed on him.

i LOVE pouncey but this was a better pick than pouncey and it will turn pouncey into an all world player. Im so excited, i couldnt believe it. My friends know how much this means to me but they couldnt wrap their heads around how ******* happy i was lol

[JohnCandy]

I do not see how the Bears pick of Shea McClellin was a bad pick?

Mayoch had him as the 14th player in the draft.

ESPN had him as the 19th player in the draft.

And I am pretty sure that Patriots and Packers were eying him, so that should tell you something.

This was a good pick for the Bears and not that surprising of a pick considering how many picks the last regime wasted on freaks who could jump out of pools.

The Bears do not need more OGs [DeCastro] and they do not need more OT that will become OGs [Rieff].

[rockio42]

i would have been so furious if they passed on him.

i LOVE pouncey but this was a better pick than pouncey and it will turn pouncey into an all world player. Im so excited, i couldnt believe it. My friends know how much this means to me but they couldnt wrap their heads around how ******* happy i was lol

I hate you so much right now.

[BeerBaron]

I do not see how the Bears pick of Shea McClellin was a bad pick?

Mayoch had him as the 14th player in the draft.

ESPN had him as the 19th player in the draft.

And I am pretty sure that Patriots and Packers were eying him, so that should tell you something.

This was a good pick for the Bears and not that surprising of a pick considering how many picks the last regime wasted on freaks who could jump out of pools.

The Bears do not need more OGs [DeCastro] and they do not need more OT that will become OGs [Rieff].

Beat you by a page bro ;)

I don't completely hate the Bears pick as some do.

The Bears have been saying that they like their o-line as it is...I don't agree, but I knew we weren't going in that direction. When DeCastro was there, I did get my hopes up a little, but I still knew it wasn't going to be the pick.

I had a feeling it was either going to be Chandler Jones or McClellin. I think I would have preferred Jones, but McClellin wasn't a shock.

From the sounds of things, we may use him as a 2 down SAM LB and then move him up to DE in nickel situations. If that's the case, then I feel a little better about it since using a first on a one down player would have been terrible.

And he's not as big of reach as some are saying. I saw him being mocked with fair consistency in the late first to teams like the Packers and Patriots. A 10 pick reach isn't as the full round some are making it seem like.

All that said, I'm not in love with the pick, but I think it's getting **** on too much. I like high motor guys and he should have opportunities to get sacks across from Peppers.

[A Perfect Score]

I do not see how the Bears pick of Shea McClellin was a bad pick?

Mayoch had him as the 14th player in the draft.

ESPN had him as the 19th player in the draft.

And I am pretty sure that Patriots and Packers were eying him, so that should tell you something.

This was a good pick for the Bears and not that surprising of a pick considering how many picks the last regime wasted on freaks who could jump out of pools.

The Bears do not need more OGs [DeCastro] and they do not need more OT that will become OGs [Rieff].

Much less about the player, much more about the scheme fit. Where the hell do they play him in a 4-3? DE? SLB? I don't love either of those fits, plus you've already got an absolute ton of money invested in your LBers as it is. You've made a significant investment in Jay Cutler and now Brandon Marshall, keeping him upright is of premium importance. There is no way you can convince me that McClellin was a better pick for the Bears then DeCastro or Reiff could have been, and I really like McClellin.

[BeerBaron]

Much less about the player, much more about the scheme fit. Where the hell do they play him in a 4-3? DE? SLB? I don't love either of those fits, plus you've already got an absolute ton of money invested in your LBers as it is. You've made a significant investment in Jay Cutler and now Brandon Marshall, keeping him upright is of premium importance. There is no way you can convince me that McClellin was a better pick for the Bears then DeCastro or Reiff could have been, and I really like McClellin.

The Bears front office believes and has said multiple times that they like our o-line for whatever reason. I knew they weren't going o-line there no matter who fell.

And, from what I've read and mentioned before, the plan for McClellin is to play SAM for two downs and then move to DE in nickel situations.

It's not a great pick, but it's not nearly as bad as people make it out to be.

[A Perfect Score]

The Bears front office believes and has said multiple times that they like our o-line for whatever reason. I knew they weren't going o-line there no matter who fell.

And, from what I've read and mentioned before, the plan for McClellin is to play SAM for two downs and then move to DE in nickel situations.

It's not a great pick, but it's not nearly as bad as people make it out to be.

I don't think it's a terrible pick, it's just not the one I would have made, nor is it the one I think the Bears should have made. McClellin is a good football player, and he'll help that defense...I just don't know if that's the area you really need help.

[BeerBaron]

We do need youth on defense. Our top 4 defensive players are all over 30.

Knowing o-line wasn't an option (because I would have taken DeCastro no questions asked) I would have gone Chandler Jones. The Bears apparently wanted a more apparently versatile guy, so they went McClellin.

[K Train]

The Steelers are bastards..

ive heard a lot of this today, it turns me on lol

[jojo]

Berman made the draft all about him. ESPN overall was a disaster. Too much Gruden, not enough Kiper and I didn't even see McShay. I could here the PA guy announcing trades in the background, but couldn't hear the whole thing, just bits and pieces and the ESPN guys were repeating the samethings about players they've been saying for 3 months.

The ESPN coverage was as redundant & rehearsed with scripted lines as disco music. Nothing new or fresh, Kiper looked embarrassed all night.

By never harshly criticizing even the dumbest, most nonsensical team moves, ESPN looked like an NFL media house organ.... oh wait, isn't that what NFLN is? They were providing the versatile & entertaining coverage, for premium cable of course, quality ain't cheap is it?

But ESPN looked like what they essentially are as always: filling time between beer commercials with blather & prattle to max out that revenue stream, & never is heard a discouraging word about any team's FO or GM & his selections. They s/b pistol whipped for their Rd. 1 debacle coverage.

[BeerBaron]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/27/bears-plan-to-play-shea-mcclellin-at-defensive-end/

Or just forget everything I've been saying...McClellin will play defensive end.

Emery had been scouting him as a 3-4 OLB when he was with the Chiefs and liked him enough to bring him to the Bears.

He could possibly replace Urlacher down the line as well.

And if the Bears suck this year and the coaching staff gets gutted, he'd be a good versatile piece to have to possibly convert to a different defense.

[H.O.O.D]

Winners:

Minnesota - Move down one spot, pick up a couple of third day picks and still get your guy is a win.

Jacksonville - Moving up 2 spots to land Blackmon was a good deal for them. Had they stayed home they likely would have missed out on both Claiborne and Blackmon and been picking from the next tier.

Detroit - Stayed home and came away with the ability to choose from a variety of OL and took one.

Pittsburgh - Tremendous value. Smart pick.

Cincinnati - They wanted a corner and got one. Also got an OG who will start from day 1 and will be a Bengal for 10+ years...oh and they got an extra 3rd round pick.

In between:

Buffalo - Corner was a need. Gilmore isn't a bad pick, but they don't win or lose here. Disappointed to here Nix say they did not entertain offers to move down, and that is why I have them in between. With Kuechly and Barron gone, entertaining the idea of moving down and accumulating more picks would have been wise. Needs at CB, WR, OT, LB, and S could have allowed them to move down and still probably get a player at a position of need.

St.Louis - They won by grabbing an extra second rounder, they lost by taking Brockers. I am not as high on Brockers as others, and that pick would have been fine by me had it occured 10 picks later, but they passed on DeCastro and Reiff for a 2 down run stopper. Maybe he develops into more or maybe not. I just think OL is much more pressing need and DeCastro or Reiff would have been better picks and values for them. Wonder if they take Konz at 33 due to how thin that position is in this draft class, or go WR or somewhere else at 33.

Tampa Bay - Lost by trading out of 5 and losing out on Claiborne, then won going up and securing Martin at 31.

Losers :

Seattle - Do I need to explain this one ? Almost everyone agrees on the reach here.

Chicago - Headscratcher here. A lot of OL talent on the board and they let them slide by. Emery says that this was the highest rated guy on their board and I commend him for letting his board speak, but I think the pick should have went to filling a major need on the OL or a trade down.

Cleveland - They lost by taking Weeden at 22 even though they got it right with T-Rich. I think they could have moved down and got him or came up from 37 to nab him.

[Diehard]

And, from what I've read and mentioned before, the plan for McClellin is to play SAM for two downs and then move to DE in nickel situations.


Essentially the Von Miller role. If you play enough 4-3 under and nickel, it will work out just fine.

EDIT: Just saw that PFT article. If true, I'm not as fond of the pick.

[BeerBaron]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/27/report-browns-talking-colt-mccoy-trade-with-packers/

Aha! Called it.

[regoob2]

The Bears front office believes and has said multiple times that they like our o-line for whatever reason. I knew they weren't going o-line there no matter who fell.

And, from what I've read and mentioned before, the plan for McClellin is to play SAM for two downs and then move to DE in nickel situations.

It's not a great pick, but it's not nearly as bad as people make it out to be.

Emery himself said that McClellin will play DE and not LB. He said he's starting him out at LE.

I prefer that role as well but I dont think it's going to happen.

[BeerBaron]

That may be your plan for him but Emery himself said that McClellin will play DE and not LB. He said he's starting him out at LE.

I prefer that role as well but I dont think it's going to happen.

A couple posts up I posted the article where it says he'll be a DE.

[BuckeyeDan17]

Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert have single handedly destroyed my love for the Browns. I've been rooting for a ******* joke. The next best offensive linemen in the entire draft is sitting right there. You just made a huge investment in the top running back in the draft.

Common sense would tell you: You're putting a lot of money into getting the most out of his short shelf life, you should assure yourself, the team and the fans you're committed to doing all you can he, and the rest of his team mates will be successful. The logical pick? We have a shakey offensive line. The left side is solid, the right is dog ****. The best offensive linemen available is sitting right ******* there and you pass on him.

Mind you, I would have been cool with reaching for Reuben Randle, Stephen Hill or Alshon Jeffery there. I would have been okay with it.

Instead, we invest in a player with no ceiling. He's a guy I see being out of the NFL in a few years. We draft a 28 year old quarterback. I'm not even interested in the rest of the draft, or even next ******* season for that matter. I've devoted time and energy into hoping this team will be successful. We, as fans don't deserve this ****.

This was a huge draft for this franchise, and they swung and missed. They missed bad. He was the one, and I mean literally one ******* player I didn't want to hear being called to the Browns. And it happened. We had ample opportunity to improve - and we didn't. Richardson's going face 8 man fronts next year with a below average offensive line and he won't do ****. They'll be 3-13 or maybe get lucky and go 5-11 next year.

Why bother following next season when I know what's going to happen? What a ******* joke. And to top it off, they justify the selection by claiming it's because Kendall Wright was gone. ******* seriously dude? I cannot ******* believe they're being paid to run an NFL franchise.

Sorry I had to get this out. I'm beyond upset right now. Talk about an epic strikeout.

[tjsunstein]

I'm not sure how long I'm going to have to defend this Bruce Irvin pick. But the Seahawks certainly were not losers in this draft. They took the guy with the best pure pass rush ability. Hell, look where Upshaw is right now. Seattle wasn't the only team in love with Irvin, but everyone thought he'd go to a 3-4 team. He's more natural with his hand in the ground.

I love this pick.

[BeerBaron]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/27/mohamed-sanu-got-an-unpleasant-phone-call-during-the-first-round/

Sanu got trolled last night.

[kBuc5]

I don't get how you guys think the Buc's were losers. Casserly, Mayock and Cosell all had Barron as a top 7 guy. Did we get scooped by Dallas? No, if we were that high on Mo we would have just took him at 5 and not messed around. We wanted Richardson but were not going to give up the farm to get him, Barron was second on our board so we moved down picked up the 4th we lost last year in the process. We missed out on Richardson so what do we do, we make the best move of the draft getting the 2nd rated RB left on the board, basically trading a 2nd round pick for a 1st round pick. Sullivan knew that Martin was high on the Giants board and we went out and got our guy for nothing basically.

If any criticism it would be we only got a fourth out of Jax.

All the NFL network guys had us as big winners. FWIW.

[kBuc5]

Winners - Vikes, Patriots, Buc's

Losers - Seahawks, 49ers

[Grizzlegom]

Here's My First round Grades:

1. Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford – The Colts cut ties with long-time star Peyton Manning this off-season because they were poised to get the best QB prospect in decades. No surprises here, everyone loves this pick. Grade: A+

2. Washington Redskins (from St. Louis) – Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor – Trade details: Washington gives up #6, #39, 2013 1st round pick, 2014 first round pick – Washington hopes they finally found their franchise QB here. Like Luck, this pick was no surprise. I’m not as high on RGIII as most but I think he was worth being selected this high. That being said, I think Washington gave up WAY too much to get him. In my opinion, no unproven player is worth that price. If RGIII turns out to be a perennial All-Pro and leads them to a Super Bowl, most will forget the price they gave up and say it was justified but anything short of that and this could go down as one of the worst trades ever. Pick Grade: B+ Trade Grade: F

3. Cleveland Browns (from Minnesota) – Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama – Trade details: Cleveland gives up #4, #118, #139, and #211. Cleveland apparently felt the pressure that someone might jump them to take Trent Richardson as they give up three day 3 picks to move up one spot. Cleveland had 13 picks in this draft so they could certainly afford to get rid of a few but I don’t think Minnesota would have been able to find another trade partner and they were likely sold on Kalil so I do think the trade was pointless. That being said, Trent Richardson was my number two prospect and the clear-cut best non-QB in this class. Richardson will step in and replace the departed Peyton Hillis as the bell-cow. His addition should help take pressure off the QB and WRs. Pick Grade: A Trade Grade: C

4. Minnesota Vikings (from Cleveland) – Matt Kalil, OT, USC – Minnesota manages to pick up three extra picks and only moved down one slot and still draft the player they wanted. That sounds like a big-time win for them. Kalil fills the biggest need, allowing them to have a true blindside protector for their young QB in Christian Ponder. Pick Grade: A Trade Grade: A+

5. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Tampa Bay) – Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State – Trade details: Jacksonville gives #7 and #101. Jacksonville needed to get Blaine Gabbert some new toys to play with this off-season and after getting Laurent Robinson in free agency, they come back and get the top WR in the draft here. Only giving up a 4th round pick to move up these two slots, most importantly being jumping St. Louis, was a great deal for Jacksonville as well. Blackmon may not be on the level of a Calvin Johnson or even an A.J. Green, but I had a higher grade on him than Julio Jones and I think he’s great value here. Gabbert should have no excuse for failure next season. Pick Grade: A Trade Grade: A+

6. Dallas Cowboys (from Washington through St. Louis) – Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU – Trade Details: Dallas gives #14 and #45. Dallas desperately wanted to get some help for the secondary in this draft. Its very clear that Morris Claiborne and Mark Barron were the class of the draft in the secondary and they knew they wouldn’t be able to get either at 14 so they packaged their 2nd round pick to move up. After missing out on Blackmon, the Rams decided it was wise to simply move back instead of reaching on another player here. This is a great trade for both teams as Dallas only had to give up a second round pick to move up. Dallas comes away with the top CB in the draft and, while they still need a free safety, this really improves the secondary, giving them at least three quality, starting caliber CBs. Pick Grade: A+ Trade Grade: A+

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Jacksonville) – Mark Barron, SS, Alabama – I think Tampa got a little too cute here. After trading back with Jacksonville, they left themselves susceptible to not getting the player they wanted and Dallas swooped in and took advantage. On top of that, they only got a 4th round pick out of it. I’m all about getting more picks but a fourth round pick isn’t likely to be a starter and it wasn’t worth missing out on the top CB in this class for. Perhaps the Bucs felt they could convince someone to trade up ahead of Miami to take Tannehill but were rebuffed. Either way, the Bucs were left in no-man’s land where they had to either take a player that wasn’t at a position of need or reach. I like Barron and think he’s going to be a very good NFL player but I think his value lied in the mid-teens and he’s a reach here. That being said, he does fill a need and they could have done worse. Pick Grade: C+ Trade Grade: D

8. Miami Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M – Miami hasn’t taken a QB in the first round since Dan Marino in 1983. They’ve tried to replace Marino in every conceivable way, through trades, free agency, drafting in rounds 2-7 and nothing has worked out. They finally decided to take a QB in the first round and went with Tannehill. While some consider this a reach, I was pretty high on Tannehill and I like this fit. Being reunited with his college coach as well as learning under Joe Philbin, Tannehill has the tools to be developed and I like his chances here. Grade: B

9. Carolina Panthers – Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College – This was one of the first true surprises in this draft. Carolina desperately needed defensive help but I thought they were pretty set at linebacker and felt they had enough there to let Dan Connor walk. Kuechly was the best defensive player available though. I love Kuechly and think he’ll be a great player for them. While it is surprising they didn’t go with someone like Fletcher Cox, Kuechly would instantly upgrade any linebacking corps. Grade: B+

10. Buffalo Bills – Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina – After signing defensive ends Mario Williams and Mark Anderson in free agency, the Bills addressed their biggest need. In my opinion, offensive tackle became the top need after allowing Bell to exit in free agency. Buffalo decided to go elsewhere though, taking a cornerback to pair with last year’s second round pick, Aaron Williams. I felt that Gilmore was a reach here. While he’s got a lot of talent and upside, I think his technique and footwork are sloppy. The Bills are a nice fit for him though as he won’t be forced into a starting role day one as they have a few other players that can be competent starters while Gilmore is developed. Grade: B-

11. Kansas City Chiefs – Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis – Based on the rumors, the Chiefs seemed enamored with Ryan Tannehill and Luke Kuechly but weren’t willing to part with picks needed to move up and take either. As such, they missed out on both but Dontari Poe is a nice consolation prize. Nose tackle is arguably the top need the Chiefs had and Poe is a mammoth of a man. Poe had a freakish combine that had him shoot up boards and while its surprising he was the top DL taken, he was a solid value and filled a need. Grade: B

12. Philadelphia Eagles (from Seattle) – Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State – Trade details: Eagles give picks #15, #114, and #172. The Eagles moved up three spots to get the player that most believed they were targeting. Cox was the top DT on many people’s boards and he should provide an added pass rushing element to the middle of the Eagles defense. The Eagles struggled mightily to stop the run last year though and I’m not sure that they wouldn’t have been better off with someone like Michael Brockers, who is a much better run stuffer. I did have Cox rated significantly higher than Brockers though so at the end of the day, I can’t argue the value here. Grade: B+

13. Arizona Cardinals – Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame – Arizona apparently promised Larry Fitzgerald that they would draft him Michael Floyd should he be on the board. Wide receiver was down on the list of needs for Arizona and I think this pick was a mistake. Despite bringing back Levi Brown, the Cardinals’ biggest need was far and away at tackle and there is a significant drop in talent from the first five tackles to the rest of the class. Arizona had a chance to grab the consensus number two tackle here in Riley Reiff and I think they missed big-time in grabbing Floyd, who I don’t feel is a very good compliment to Fitz. How will the QBs have time to throw jump balls to these two guys when the line in front of them won’t be able to block long enough for them to get downfield? Grade: C

14. St. Louis Rams (from Dallas) – Michael Brockers, DT, LSU – The Rams really missed out in the first round. First, they move from 2 to 6, thinking they could still get Blackmon there and the Jaguars leapfrog them. Then, they move from 6 to 14, likely thinking they could get Michael Floyd here, and the Cardinals take him one pick ahead of them. The trade haul they got from Washington is historically great and they will reap the benefits from that trade for a few years. The deal with the Cowboys was less so but they really just wanted to move down after missing on Blackmon. With the two WRs off the board, the Rams probably looked to trade down again but after failing to find a partner, they decided to address their top defensive need. Personally, I’m not a Brockers fan and think this is a reach but the Rams have zero starting caliber DTs on the roster and Brockers will be able to play under DL guru Jeff Fisher now. I think this is a good fit for Brockers. Pick Grade: B- Trade Grades: Washington – A, Cowboys – C

15. Seattle Seahawks (from Philadelphia) – Bruce Irvin, OLB, West Virginia – Seattle knew that the player they were targeting would be available later so they picked up an extra 4th and 6th to move down a few spots. Not a bad move. Unfortunately, they followed that up by once again managing to surprise everyone in the first round by making, in my opinion, the worst pick I’ve ever seen. I thought Irvin was closer to undraftable than the first round. Irvin is a one-trick pony that’s afraid of contact, has consistently struggled to stay out of trouble off the field, and is undersized. His one trick happens to be that he can rush the passer but all he has is a speed rush and you don’t take one-down players in the first round. Irvin is a true boom or bust that I think would have been worth the risk in the 4th round but any earlier than that, I thought would be a mistake. Pick Grade: F Trade Grade: B+

16. New York Jets – Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina – The Jets had to be pretty excited when they got on the board and the only pass rusher gone was Bruce Irvin. I was surprised with the choice they made though. Coples will likely play the 5 tech for the Jets. While I like his fit there, I question whether he will want to play it. In addition, I felt the Jets had a bigger need at stand-up outside linebacker than defensive end but rumors have it that the choice was between Coples and Melvin Ingram in the minds of the Jets’ brass and to me that’s a no-brainer as Coples is MUCH higher on my board. At the end of the day, I think the Jets did well bringing in Coples and Rex Ryan will use him right. Grade: B+

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland) – Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama – The Bengals lost Jonathan Joseph in free agency last year and tried to bandage it with Nate Clements last year. Clements played okay but he’s up in age and they needed to find a more long-term replacement. They signed Terrence Newman and Jason Allen in free agency and brought back Adam Jones so I’m a little surprised they still went corner here but there are no safeties worth this pick. Many feel he may be better suited moving to safety at the next level so its possible that they may decide to have open competition at CB and whoever doesn’t cut it may be asked to transition to safety. Grade: B-

18. San Diego Chargers – Melvin Ingram, OLB, South Carolina – The Chargers wanted to get some defensive help here, with safety topping their list of wants but with Barron long gone, they decided to take a pass rusher instead. They signed Jarret Johnson in free agency but Johnson doesn’t provide pass rush. Larry English hasn’t panned out and the top three players in sacks last year are entering the contract years. Ingram can be moved all around as a rookie and be primarily used to spell Johnson in passing situations and then prepare to take over a starting job next season. I thought Ingram was a reach here and there are a few other players I would have taken over him but this was a much more reasonable spot than the top 10 many were making him out to be. Grade: B

19. Chicago Bears – Shea McClellin, DE, Boise State – After trading for Brandon Marshall, the Bears entered the draft with two major needs, offensive line and defensive end. While there are a few good offensive linemen on the board here, the Bears decided that, with three pass rushers in the previous four picks, they needed to take one now before they all went as offensive line is a deeper position than defensive end. The Bears selected Shea McClellin here. I felt McClellin would be best suited to play stand-up OLB but the Bears’ defense is also a great fit for him. I was much higher on McClellin than most and had him as my second favorite pass rusher so I’m a fan of this pick although it was a slight reach. McClellin should step in and start opposite Julius Peppers from day one. Grade: A-

20. Tennessee Titans – Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor – This is one pick that I didn’t see coming. I had considered wide receiver to the Titans early on but they seemed to really love pass rushing defensive ends. Wright is a great complement to Kenny Britt, if he can stay healthy, and gives Jake Locker a true deep threat to throw to. This is one of the under-the-radar picks in the first round that I really liked. Grade: A+

21. New England Patriots (from Cincinnati) – Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse – Trade details: New England gives up pick #27 and #93. That being said, the value was good on both sides. New England must have really loved Chandler Jones as Belichick doesn’t part with day two picks lightly. New England’s biggest need was undoubtedly at pass rusher and Jones absolutely fits the Belichick mold but I feel that he’s a couple years away from being a major contributor. Jones is still very raw as a player while he has as much natural athletic ability and upside as anyone else in this class, I feel he the Patriots needed someone that was ready to make an immediate impact, something I don’t see from Jones. Pick Grade: C+ Trade Grade: B

22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta) – Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State – Cleveland was apparently targeting Kendall Wright with this pick but with him off the board, they decided to pull the trigger on the next best QB in this class. If Weeden weren’t 28 years old, he would have been a top ten pick in my opinion and I have no issues with Cleveland taking him here. While the Browns like Colt McCoy, he was never going to be anything more than a league average QB and in order for that, he would need above average weapons around him, something he did not have in Cleveland. Weeden will be able to make more of the little talent they have and should present an upgrade. Grade: A-

23. Detroit Lions – Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa – Detroit’s biggest needs lied along the OL and at CB. Detroit sat tight and had their choice of the best center, guard, and second best tackle awaiting them. Reiff will push former first round pick Gosder Cherilus and former franchise player Jeff Backus for playing time as the Lions look to upgrade their protection so they can continue to keep budding star Matthew Stafford upright. Reiff was an absolute steal at this point in my opinion. Grade: A+

24. Pittsburgh Steelers – David DeCastro, OG, Stanford – It seems every year the Steelers stand pat and just gobble up a great player when one falls to them. This year is no different as David DeCastro, the best guard in the draft and a top ten player on my board falls right into their laps. DeCastro should step in and take over one of the OG positions and never look back. He will remind Steelers fans of Alan Faneca. Grade: A+

25. New England Patriots (from Denver) – Dont’a Hightower, ILB, Alabama – Trade details: New England sends picks 31 and 126. After first trading up for Chandler Jones, the Patriots come back and trade up for Dont’a Hightower. The Patriots didn’t have to give up much to move up and I’d say they made another solid deal. The pick itself is a little confusing to me however. The Patriots are running the hybrid defense and I think Hightower is a solid fit but they already have Mayo and Spikes in place at ILB. Hightower is versatile and has lined up at DE, OLB, and ILB at Alabama so Belichick will probably do something similar with him. I’m sure they will be creative and use Hightower all over the field but I’m just not sure there weren’t other, more important needs to be addressed here instead of a jack-of-all-trades type of player. Grade: C+

26. Houston Texans – Whitney Mercilus, OLB, Illinois – With the loss of Mario Williams, it was pretty well known that Houston was planning to look to grab at least a depth pass rusher. That being said, it was a bit surprising they took one this high as Brooks Reed and Connor Barwin were both very good starters last year. Mercilus was my top-ranked pass rusher though so I think Houston was a bit surprised he was still on the board, which caused them to reconsider their initial thoughts. While I don’t love Mercilus as a stand-up backer, he’s a GREAT fit with the Texans and Wade Phillips will use him well. Grade: A

27. Cincinnati Bengals (from New Orleans through New England) – Kevin Zeitler, OG, Wisconsin – Bengals’ starting OG Bobbie Williams is a free agent that is up in age so many felt they would look to grab David DeCastro with one of their first round picks. After trading back, DeCastro wasn’t on the board so they took the next best guard in the draft, grabbing Kevin Zeitler. Zeitler is a technically sound guard with good size and ability. He should be able to step in day one and be the type of OG that you can plug in and forget about the position for a decade. Grade: A

28. Green Bay Packers – Nick Perry, OLB, USC – The Packers had to use this pick on defense after how much they got torn to pieces all season and in the playoffs. One major need area was at OLB opposite Clay Matthews. I was a little surprised by this pick, I expected them to go with Courtney Upshaw here, as I’ve always felt Perry was better suited to play defensive end. I think the value is alright but I really don’t like Perry’s ability to make the transition to OLB as he’s a stiff athlete that doesn’t look very good in space. If he’s used solely as a pass rusher, I think they could be okay but they needed a full-time starter. Grade: C

29. Minnesota Vikings (from Baltimore) – Harrison Smith, SS, Notre Dame – Trade details: Minnesota sends picks #35 and #98. Minnesota needed a safety in a bad way and after Mark Barron, most believe Harrison Smith is the only other safety in this class that will be able to step in an start immediately. Minnesota didn’t want to risk missing out on Smith, giving up their fourth round pick to move up and ensure they got him. Smith was a steady riser on boards and is a bit of a tweener FS/SS that will line up at either, big and physical enough to support the run, but fluid and fast enough to drop into coverage. Pick Grade: B Trade Grade: B

30. San Francisco 49ers – A.J. Jenkins, WR, Illinois – I knew the 49ers wanted a WR but I was surprised with the one they took. Don’t get me wrong, A.J. Jenkins is a nice player but he’s the kind of receiver you can typically get in the 3rd-5th rounds. Jenkins has no real defining quality, decent size, decent speed, good hands, solid route runner, but nothing that jumps out at you as elite and doesn’t really have any upside. What you see is what you get with Jenkins and to me, he’s no better than a number two receiver. I think there are multiple other guys on the board with number one WR potential but maybe the 9ers think Crabtree will step up his game and they only needed a complimentary player. Either way, I think Jenkins is a big-time reach here and I think comparable players will be had in the middle rounds. Grade: D

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from New England through Denver) – Doug Martin, RB, Boise State – Trade details: Tampa sends picks #36 and #101 for picks #31 and #126. Tampa Bay decided they needed to leapfrog the Giants so they could get the number two RB on their board, missing out on Richardson in the first round. The trade was fair, neither team lost any picks, so I think this worked out well for the Bucs. Personally, I had David Wilson a notch above Doug Martin but I think both players are going to be very good running backs and with how little Tampa gave up, I have no issues with this move. Solid player, solid value, solid trade. Pick Grade: B Trade Grade: B

32. New York Giants – David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech – After cutting Brandon Jacobs, it was pretty clear the Giants were going to target a RB in this class to help take the load off Bradshaw. I thought they would go with a bigger back like Bernard Pierce in round two but after missing out on Martin by one pick, it seems the Giants felt an urgency to pull the trigger on Wilson here. I think the value is okay but with how much RBs are devalued, plus already having Bradshaw, I think the Giants would have been better served addressing a bigger need like offensive line or tight end here. Grade: B-

[WT01]

Rob Rang ‏ @RobRang


Sources from multiple teams indicate WVU OLB Bruce Irvin would have been the Jets, Ravens and 49ers pick in first round if available to them

Irvin wouldn't have made it to 43.

[JRTPlaya21]

You lost me at B+ for RG3. Have you not seen our last 12 or so starting QB's???? Giving up those picks had to be done.

[Grizzlegom]

You lost me at B+ for RG3. Have you not seen our last 12 or so starting QB's???? Giving up those picks had to be done.

And Miami HAD to take Tannehill. Does that mean the pick should be graded as an A+?

[BeerBaron]

I'm glad you're not outright ******** on the McClellin pick for the Bears as most people are, but an A seems a little high for a guy of questionable fit. It sounds now like we're going to use him as a straight up DE which....I'd rather have gone Chandler Jones for.

We'll see.

Also, your Weeden love is just too much. He's a glorified Graham Harrell and with this move, the Browns have set themselves back another 2-3 years as he comes in and fails just like every other QB they've had.

[WCH]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/27/report-browns-talking-colt-mccoy-trade-with-packers/

Aha! Called it.

Do it Ted! Pull the trigger!

McCoy will have a short learning curve in McCarthy's system and they won't find a better backup in the draft.

[Grizzlegom]

I'm glad you're not outright ******** on the McClellin pick for the Bears as most people are, but an A seems a little high for a guy of questionable fit. It sounds now like we're going to use him as a straight up DE which....I'd rather have gone Chandler Jones for.

We'll see.

Also, your Weeden love is just too much. He's a glorified Graham Harrell and with this move, the Browns have set themselves back another 2-3 years as he comes in and fails just like every other QB they've had.

yea, my grades are probably too generous when its a player I like (examples, McClellin and Mercilus) and are probably too harsh when I don't like the player (Ingram and Floyd).

Not even going to bother arguing Weeden around here, I know I'm one of the few people that actually like him on these boards but I also know many other "experts" have a similar opinion on him as I do. Time will tell

[bornnraisedwhodat]

Question, if Irvin has 8-12 sacks and is a consistent menace to quarterbacks will it be an "lol" pick still?

But if he went in the 3rd round and was a sack master people would say "how did this guy fall that far?!"

[regoob2]

I had a much higher grade on McClellin then I did on Chandler Jones. McClellin is a much better pick the Jones would have been. We needed a pass rusher. Jones is not that.

[TimmG6376]

28. Green Bay Packers – Nick Perry, OLB, USC – The Packers had to use this pick on defense after how much they got torn to pieces all season and in the playoffs. One major need area was at OLB opposite Clay Matthews. I was a little surprised by this pick, I expected them to go with Courtney Upshaw here, as I’ve always felt Perry was better suited to play defensive end. I think the value is alright but I really don’t like Perry’s ability to make the transition to OLB as he’s a stiff athlete that doesn’t look very good in space. If he’s used solely as a pass rusher, I think they could be okay but they needed a full-time starter. Grade: C

I'm not in love with Perry but Upshaw has some stiffness to him as well. Did not look good in LB drills at all. So if you are choosing between two guys who are a bit stiff and will need to work on operating in space IMO you take the more explosive athlete. I'm hoping they actually get him to cut some weight as 270 is a bit heavy for OLB and should help him work in space a little better.

[Grizzlegom]

Question, if Irvin has 8-12 sacks and is a consistent menace to quarterbacks will it be an "lol" pick still?

But if he went in the 3rd round and was a sack master people would say "how did this guy fall that far?!"

Meh, revisionist history is always 100% right though. Its easy for us to all sit here and talk about how JaWalrus had all the signs of failure but at the time, most people were so enamored with that arm it didn't matter. It goes both ways, if Irvin takes his first payday and winds up in jail, everyone will be saying I can't believe that guy went 15th overall and all the hullabaloo will be justified. For me, I knock for off-field a lot more than other people so it was really hard for me to get past that most recent run in with the law and that made me think that was an awful pick.

I'm not in love with Perry at all but Upshaw has some stiffness to him as well. Did not look good in LB drills at all. So if you are choosing between two guys who are a bit stiff and will need to work on operating in space IMO you take the more explosive athlete. I'm hoping they actually get him to cut some weight as 270 is a bit heavy for OLB and should help him work in space a little better.

Upshaw was stiff at the combine, sure, but he has already proven he can play standing up at the college level. I would feel more comfortable with him than Perry personally but given the Packers recent success in the draft, I wouldn't at all be surprised when Perry is a double-digit sack guy in a year or two haha

[jackalope]

I'm really happy with the Perry pick. I had a slight preference to McClellin in the 3-4, but would have taken Perry over McClellin in a 4-3, which makes the Chicago pick interesting. I honestly think both teams would have been better off with the other team's player, though McClellin likely wouldn't have lasted to 28 anyway.

[WCH]

They drafted Perry because they wanted a fast-twitch pass rusher. People overestimate the importance of the other OLB skills, in this case. Once in a while he'll drop into zone coverage, but he isn't going to be covering Vernon Davis 20 yards down field. They drafted him to rush the passer.

[phlysac]

They drafted Perry because they wanted a fast-twitch pass rusher. People overestimate the importance of the other OLB skills, in this case. Once in a while he'll drop into zone coverage, but he isn't going to be covering Vernon Davis 20 yards down field. They drafted him to rush the passer.

I can hope they ask him to cover Vernon Davis.

[jackalope]

They drafted Perry because they wanted a fast-twitch pass rusher. People overestimate the importance of the other OLB skills, in this case. Once in a while he'll drop into zone coverage, but he isn't going to be covering Vernon Davis 20 yards down field. They drafted him to rush the passer.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all. I had first round grades on Perry and McClellin and had them virtually on par. The front office is confident in his ability to play standing up, and I'm thrilled about his potential as a pass-rusher.

[CJSchneider]

It has been crazy here at school so I have only a short time for comments, but in no random order:

3 RB's in the first round - what can be done?

I can't believe I actually clapped for a Cowboys selection, but as a person who watched Claiborne play HS football, I had to be happy for him. He went to a team that needs him and affords him a pre-positioned fan base.
That being said, I now have to despise him.

Seattle, why U no pick someone in the Bud-Light Green room?

I cannot begin to explain the impact that we will see on draft day from the rookie pay adjustments. Team will much more freedom to trade up for people they covet and allow top pick teams to wheel and deal if they so choose to do so.

I am excited to see just how The Rams construct themselves over the next few years. There should be no excuse for them not to have a strong, perennial play-off team in about 2 years.

[Bob Sanders Dreadlock]

It has been crazy here at school so I have only a short time for comments, but in no random order:

3 RB's in the first round - what can be done?

I can't believe I actually clapped for a Cowboys selection, but as a person who watched Claiborne play HS football, I had to be happy for him. He went to a team that needs him and affords him a pre-positioned fan base.
That being said, I now have to despise him.

Seattle, why U no pick someone in the Bud-Light Green room?

I cannot begin to explain the impact that we will see on draft day from the rookie pay adjustments. Team will much more freedom to trade up for people they covet and allow top pick teams to wheel and deal if they so choose to do so.

I am excited to see just how The Rams construct themselves over the next few years. There should be no excuse for them not to have a strong, perennial play-off team in about 2 years.[
OOO OOO pick me pick me!!! I have an excuse. Sam Bradford sucks.

[BeerBaron]

It has been crazy here at school so I have only a short time for comments, but in no random order:

3 RB's in the first round - what can be done?

I can't believe I actually clapped for a Cowboys selection, but as a person who watched Claiborne play HS football, I had to be happy for him. He went to a team that needs him and affords him a pre-positioned fan base.
That being said, I now have to despise him.

Seattle, why U no pick someone in the Bud-Light Green room?

I cannot begin to explain the impact that we will see on draft day from the rookie pay adjustments. Team will much more freedom to trade up for people they covet and allow top pick teams to wheel and deal if they so choose to do so.

I am excited to see just how The Rams construct themselves over the next few years. There should be no excuse for them not to have a strong, perennial play-off team in about 2 years.

Covered the RBs here:
http://draftcountdown.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2971106&#post2971106

As to the trading, it has been said a few times that teams are truly targeting and going after one guy they really want a lot more often now. And no one has really had to give up the farm to do it (other than Washington pre-draft.) The Cowboys moved up a sizable distance only having to sacrifice this year's 2nd round pick. And lot of the other trades only involved 4ths and later.

Finally, for the Rams, it all depends on Sam Bradford. I made my prediction before that I think he'll start being talked about as a bust by the end of this season. I guess we shall see.

[JRTPlaya21]

And Miami HAD to take Tannehill. Does that mean the pick should be graded as an A+?

Lmao RG3 is clearly a better QB but to each his own. Nice work on the comments.

[ATLDirtyBirds]

I'm glad you're not outright ******** on the McClellin pick for the Bears as most people are, but an A seems a little high for a guy of questionable fit. It sounds now like we're going to use him as a straight up DE which....I'd rather have gone Chandler Jones for.

We'll see.

Also, your Weeden love is just too much. He's a glorified Graham Harrell and with this move, the Browns have set themselves back another 2-3 years as he comes in and fails just like every other QB they've had.


I think the Bears would be better off with using him as a SLB and then kicking him to DE on 3rd downs, but I'd still take him over C. Jones as a straight DE.

[WinslowBodden]

For the people bashing the Weeden pick.

If he was 13 on their board, and H&H have been known not to take the most popular picks or the players that everyone would expect in the first 2 rounds.

So far we have Haden, Ward, Hardesty (ewww), Taylor, Sheard, Little.

Thats 5 out of 6 that I am happy with so far, and Hardesty could be a nice switch up with Richardson.

As for Weeden, like I said, he was 13 on their board and yes he is 28.

Richardson will probably have a shelf life anywhere between 8-10 years, same with Weeden depending on how good he is, and that also is probably the remaining time Joe Thomas will be able to play at an elite or good level.

Browns are clearly building for that time frame and I would assume expect to be in the playoffs or at least seriously competing for it in 2 years. While I am not ecstatic about the pick, he is much better than Colt and will be an interesting addition with Richardson and hopefully a receiver.

[LonghornsLegend]

And Berman needs to go. I'm sick of him. He's not entertaining in any way. He's so god damn full of himself and the stupid things he says...time for some new blood.


Did anyone else catch the commentary after the Donatarius Poe pick? Gruden was goofing off and said something jokingly like "well they think he's got po-tential obviously" and Berman said something a long the lines of "now ya see, if I said that they would be chewing me out for 3 months. But your the fast rising up and comer".


I need to catch the tape of the pick to get it word for word. I mean, corny thing to say by Gruden but Berman is a huge douchebag. I can still see the video of him snapping out on the set after the cameras stopped rolling and piece that with the egotistical comments he sneaks in like a female and it's easy to see what type of guy he is.

[Monomach]

He could possibly replace Urlacher down the line as well. This is just silly, and Sean Jensen is a giant idiot for saying it in the Sun-Times. Two completely different kinds of players. McClellin would need to double his range to do this. May as well say Julius Peppers can play corner because he's excellent in coverage.

And if the Bears suck this year and the coaching staff gets gutted, he'd be a good versatile piece to have to possibly convert to a different defense.
I'm convinced that this is why he was drafted. I have a feeling that anyone we take in the front seven this draft is going to be someone who could project to a 3-4, just in case.

[Mufasa]

But wouldn't the they clean out the front office as well in that scenario?

[BeerBaron]

But wouldn't the they clean out the front office as well in that scenario?

Emery was just hired this offseason and had to keep Lovie. If the Bears are bad this year, Lovie is as good as done and Emery will get to pick the replacement. Coming from KC, he could possibly choose someone with 3-4 connections.

[bearsfan_51]

Monomach, take off the tin foil hat. :)

[Iamcanadian]

Emery was just hired this offseason and had to keep Lovie. If the Bears are bad this year, Lovie is as good as done and Emery will get to pick the replacement. Coming from KC, he could possibly choose someone with 3-4 connections.

Your joking right. Lovie is as safe as they come. McClellin suits a Cover 2 scheme just fine as a DE.

[BeerBaron]

Oh look, it's Iamcanadian sticking up for an established coach.

New GMs want to pick their own coaches. Emery will get his chance eventually.

[SRogers92]

Lions nailed it.

Got a future franchise OLT who fits to a "T" what they want out of an OT. Former Wrestler, very athletic(former TE), well coached(Ferentz is considered an OL guru) and a very, very smart kid(the Colts and Patriots built their franchises on drafting smart player). Perfect pick for what we need. Schwartz says he's an OLT all the way.

[GaMeTiMe]

I think a pick that deserves more attention is Kendall Wright to Tennessee. Everyone had them adding depth to their DL and they still probably will, while adding the WR with possibly the most playmaking ability in the draft. No one had mocked that throughout the process mainly because they couldn't see Tennessee making an aggressive move

[MI_Buckeye]

Upshaw was stiff at the combine, sure, but he has already proven he can play standing up at the college level. I would feel more comfortable with him than Perry personally but given the Packers recent success in the draft, I wouldn't at all be surprised when Perry is a double-digit sack guy in a year or two haha

Upshaw looked like he had a bigger gut every time I saw him this offseason, from the early on to the combine to his pro day, he looked more out of shape every time I saw him. I think he was trying to convince 4-3 teams he was able to play base end, and he cost himself lots of money doing so. My guess is he would have worked out fine at a leaner 245-255.

[LonghornsLegend]

Lions nailed it.

Got a future franchise OLT who fits to a "T" what they want out of an OT. Former Wrestler, very athletic(former TE), well coached(Ferentz is considered an OL guru) and a very, very smart kid(the Colts and Patriots built their franchises on drafting smart player). Perfect pick for what we need. Schwartz says he's an OLT all the way.



Yea that couldn't have worked out more beautifully for them. Looking to the 2nd it might be overkill but I'd be eyeing Mike Adams at their pick and lock up book end tackles for the future. With the way Stafford elevated his play, and the weapons there, the line is important.


Reiff makes a great fit, just what they needed.

[MI_Buckeye]

Lions nailed it.

Got a future franchise OLT who fits to a "T" what they want out of an OT. Former Wrestler, very athletic(former TE), well coached(Ferentz is considered an OL guru) and a very, very smart kid(the Colts and Patriots built their franchises on drafting smart player). Perfect pick for what we need. Schwartz says he's an OLT all the way.

I'm about to start looking at the local media here in Detroit, if they do anything but orgasm over this pick, I will be very disappointed.

[vidae]

I was rooting for DeCastro to go to the Titans. They need interior OL in the worst way and I thought that was a slam dunk pick.

As for Reiff to the Lions, I don't think it could have been any better for them. Great fit, fills a need, and that offense was already really explosive last year. Once they build up that line it could get even better, and that is kind of scary.

I SAID SOMETHING NICE ABOUT THE LIONS COREY. MAYBE NOW YOU WILL BE NICER TO ME.

[LonghornsLegend]

I think a pick that deserves more attention is Kendall Wright to Tennessee. Everyone had them adding depth to their DL and they still probably will, while adding the WR with possibly the most playmaking ability in the draft. No one had mocked that throughout the process mainly because they couldn't see Tennessee making an aggressive move

It was a huge shocker, but when you look at the weapons they are adding on offense, they are really going to be trouble. Wright fits beautifully opposite Britt, Cook really amped it up late and Jake Locker is insanely athletic with a ton of weapons to, oh and lets not forget this is going to be one of the first times CJ has had all these weapons on the offense outside of him.


I expect a big bounce back seasons from him.

[Iamcanadian]

Oh look, it's Iamcanadian sticking up for an established coach.

New GMs want to pick their own coaches. Emery will get his chance eventually.

I hope your right, my Lions would love to see Lovie move on.

[49erNation85]

So I've settled into the pick of AJ Jenkins for sf. He looks to be a great player for the team and should produce good numbers next season. Did some research and feel much better about our pick last night I was just shocked to him go ahead of Fleener or Hill for that matter. I do get my round rankings between the overall draft rankings at position etc.

Jenkins seems to be a great router runner and does some have some good explosion speed off the line. Also has good hands above average from reports. So it will be good to have him on the roster. Not sure where SF will go in round two maybe TE or CB perhaps .

[prock]

I hope your right, my Lions would love to see Lovie move on.

My Vikings are hoping Lovie never leaves.

[stlouisfan37]

Yep, agree. Aldon Smith had a similar role with the 49ers last year (he was also considered a huge reach at #7 overall) and ended up with 14 sacks and second in the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Not to mention that both the 49ers and Ravens (the 49ers made it all the way to where they promised to take Irvin with their first round pick if he made it there) were linked to Irvin in the first. From the sounds of that the Seahawks wouldn't have had a whiff of him at #43.

I have to say, though, that after listening to his interview on KJR is Seattle after the pick, Irvin strikes me as being a bit of a loose cannon. He completely threw his college coaches under the bus, saying that he "had 23 sacks without any passrushing coaching whatsoever, so just imagine what I could do with a coach who actually knows what's going on." When asked about his off-field issues, his reply was, "Yeah, I got in some trouble, but the Lord knows it was all BS." He also said something along the lines of, "I can't wait for my teammates to teach me how to be a great player on and off the field."

Pete Carroll pretty much blew it all off as unimportant. So maybe he really believes in this kid and thinks he is a great kid with a rough past. I just can't help but thinking that this kid really doesn't have a clue as far as what is expected and how much more scrutiny he will be under as an NFL player.

[tjsunstein]

So I've settled into the pick of AJ Jenkins for sf. He looks to be a great player for the team and should produce good numbers next season. Did some research and feel much better about our pick last night I was just shocked to him go ahead of Fleener or Hill for that matter. I do get my round rankings between the overall draft rankings at position etc.

Jenkins seems to be a great router runner and does some have some good explosion speed off the line. Also has good hands above average from reports. So it will be good to have him on the roster. Not sure where SF will go in round two maybe TE or CB perhaps .
AJ Jenkins isn't a bad pick, it's just that no one was expecting it. His flaws are very coachable (release at the line, blocking) and he should probably put on some weight because as it stands, he's literally my size with a ton more athletic ability. This could be a pick where people scratch their heads now but he's more pro ready than Hill, but less of a deep threat and a larger route tree. He'll work underneath and in the intermediate passing game which is perfect for the 49ers. It's really just a scheme fit for him over Hill, and a lot less patience and coaching required.

[Asteinebach]

AJ Jenkins isn't a bad pick, it's just that no one was expecting it.

Bingo. Nailed it. AJ Jenkins is a really good football player. And those smaller, compact, speedy WR's are becoming a hot commodity in the NFL. He's gonna eat up 40-50 catches his first year out of the slot. He might even have some return skills he can bring to the table.

[Asteinebach]

On second thought, 40-50 seems high considering the Niners offensive style. But all their moves this offseason do suggest they want to throw the ball more.

[tjsunstein]

I have to say, though, that after listening to his interview on KJR is Seattle after the pick, Irvin strikes me as being a bit of a loose cannon. He completely threw his college coaches under the bus, saying that he "had 23 sacks without any passrushing coaching whatsoever, so just imagine what I could do with a coach who actually knows what's going on." When asked about his off-field issues, his reply was, "Yeah, I got in some trouble, but the Lord knows it was all BS." He also said something along the lines of, "I can't wait for my teammates to teach me how to be a great player on and off the field."

Pete Carroll pretty much blew it all off as unimportant. So maybe he really believes in this kid and thinks he is a great kid with a rough past. I just can't help but thinking that this kid really doesn't have a clue as far as what is expected and how much more scrutiny he will be under as an NFL player.
His ego is at an all time high right now and he's excited. He's big on twitter and really takes what people say about him to heart. But I will say this, he'll be there to work and he will only get better. It's no secret that WVU had no idea how to coach this kid up but it's a very reckless thing to say coming from him, where WVU gave him a shot after being out of school and in jail then going to a community college. I expected him to be more grateful than the quotes imply.

I bolded what I really agree with. He's flying out to Seattle today per his twitter and I'm sure he'll get a nice little talk from the head ball coach as well as people in the front office.

[mightytitan9]

- I really love Kendall Wright to the Titans. That offense is going to be sick. Locker is a stud and athletic as hell, Britt is a soon to be top 5 WR when he stays healthy who Wright is a perfect compliment to, Jared Cook & Chris Johnson. Speed all over, I can't wait to see them in action. 1 of my favorite picks.



it should make a very good offense for us

[Iamcanadian]

I have to say, though, that after listening to his interview on KJR is Seattle after the pick, Irvin strikes me as being a bit of a loose cannon. He completely threw his college coaches under the bus, saying that he "had 23 sacks without any passrushing coaching whatsoever, so just imagine what I could do with a coach who actually knows what's going on." When asked about his off-field issues, his reply was, "Yeah, I got in some trouble, but the Lord knows it was all BS." He also said something along the lines of, "I can't wait for my teammates to teach me how to be a great player on and off the field."

Pete Carroll pretty much blew it all off as unimportant. So maybe he really believes in this kid and thinks he is a great kid with a rough past. I just can't help but thinking that this kid really doesn't have a clue as far as what is expected and how much more scrutiny he will be under as an NFL player.

I think you hit it right on the head. This was a very huge gamble by Seattle and generally these types of gambles turnout for he worse. Very questionable selection that high by Seattle to say the least but there is always a ray of hope but the pick made zero sense to me.

[mightytitan9]

Brockers, not a huge fan, LSU D lineman, not a fan. I do however, have a bit of trust that Fisher should be able to spot good D line talent. They seemed to have a conveyor belt over in Tennessee while he was there. That's the hope anyway.

That was more Jim Washburn than Fisher

[mightytitan9]

I do not see how the Bears pick of Shea McClellin was a bad pick?


To me, it was a reach because he doesn't seem like he'd fit a 43 defense other than as a wide nine, but we'll see

[Asteinebach]

His ego is at an all time high right now and he's excited. He's big on twitter and really takes what people say about him to heart. But I will say this, he'll be there to work and he will only get better. It's no secret that WVU had no idea how to coach this kid up but it's a very reckless thing to say coming from him, where WVU gave him a shot after being out of school and in jail then going to a community college. I expected him to be more grateful than the quotes imply.

I bolded what I really agree with. He's flying out to Seattle today per his twitter and I'm sure he'll get a nice little talk from the head ball coach as well as people in the front office.

We've had this conversation before. It's talent vs. character. And I'm sure we're beating a dead horse here, but I have to say it. If a player doesn't have his mind right, the NFL will eat him alive. The last thing this kid needs is veteran guards smashing him in the mouth all game long just because he's a loud mouth.

Tjsunstein, what you said about him taking things to heart, that bothers me. It shows signs of emotional immaturity. Those two words are more responsible for causing "busts" in the NFL than anything else. And again, a guy can be as talented as we've ever seen. If his mind doesn't get right, he's ******. Kerry Collins was an absolute stud QB prospect. But he was a head case. The examples are literally abundant in the NFL. Talent rarely overcomes mental weakness.

[YoJoeBucsFan]

Thoughts? Mark Dominik got worked, hard.

[papageorgio]

I dont get how you take a 4-3 linebacker in the top ten.

The only guy who was ever worth that postions was patrick willis and he is a freak.

Kuechly will never make the impact and be the next laurinaitis.

This guy made no big plays in college and only racked up tackles. No sacks,fumble or interceptions.

The panthers made the worst pick in the first round by far.

[stlouisfan37]

I think both Cleveland and the Rams were a complete failure on day 1 of the draft.
The Rams wanted a WR badly for Bradford but when they made the trade with Washington instead of Cleveland, they took the risk that Blackmon won't be there and that is exactly what happened. Then they traded back hoping to get Floyd at a better value and failed again to fill that need. Overall, I'd say round 1 didn't go too well for the Rams.

Cleveland was a complete disaster on day 1. Their failure to secure the Rams #2 overall pick proved too much for them. They paniced by giving up 3 picks to move up one spot in the draft to get Richardson when they could have gotten a solid RB with their #22 pick. Obviously, Minny didn't want to move down too far in fear of losing Kalil so they likely would have accepted just a 4th to trade back with Cleveland who should have stood pat and gotten Richardson for nothing.
They then, probably because their owner ordered it, took Weedon at #22 when they could have used their #37 pick plus one of the picks they gave Minny to move back up into round 1 to secure Weedon if they wanted him that badly.
Just an overall disaster for my Browns.

Their #1 guy was Richardson, then Blackmon. When those two were gone, they traded down to get an extra 2 with the intent of getting Brockers, who they were prepared to take at #6 if the trade fell through. They liked Brockers over Cox, which says a lot about how much they liked him. They were never after Floyd.

Additionally, going into this draft both Fisher and Snead said their goal was to get as much talent out of this draft as possible to start building a foundation for the future. They both come from organizations that consistently carry a lot more talent than what they inherited when they came to St. Louis, even though there are some key pieces in place here. There isn't a panic in St. Louis, and they know they have a HUGE rebuilding project. So I think the Rams had a very positive day. They took a starter with Pro Bowl potential and picked up what will likely be another starter along the way.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl--rams-get-their-man-michael-brockers--ndash--after-their-first-two-choices-were-drafted.html;_ylt=A0PDlM5Q75pPbBYA4AlDubYF

[LonghornsLegend]

AJ Jenkins isn't a bad pick, it's just that no one was expecting it. His flaws are very coachable (release at the line, blocking) and he should probably put on some weight because as it stands, he's literally my size with a ton more athletic ability. This could be a pick where people scratch their heads now but he's more pro ready than Hill, but less of a deep threat and a larger route tree. He'll work underneath and in the intermediate passing game which is perfect for the 49ers. It's really just a scheme fit for him over Hill, and a lot less patience and coaching required.





Bingo. Nailed it. AJ Jenkins is a really good football player. And those smaller, compact, speedy WR's are becoming a hot commodity in the NFL. He's gonna eat up 40-50 catches his first year out of the slot. He might even have some return skills he can bring to the table.



My question to you two is what is the upside of Jenkins? I'm not challenging that, just curious where you see him maxing at out. I don't see him having the upside the a Randle or Hill posses. They were in the perfect situation by having an all time great in Randy Moss(he doesn't have to go out of his way to mentor anyway but just watching them every day can do wonders), their is depth behind him with Manningham & Crabtree so they wouldn't have to be forced to contribute right away.


I think he may be better as a rookie then those two, but for what type of offense SF runs, and the depth in place, give me Rueben Randle or Stephen Hill every time. That's just me though, so it's not to say they were wrong, but it looks like a safe pick to me and one that you can't confidently say that he's going to be a future pro bowler.

[stlouisfan37]

Here's my thoughts on round one...It was a great first round. Lots of good trades. I especially like Dallas being aggressive and moving up for one of the elite prospects. They needed it. The usual suspects won it, again. Pittsburgh and New England both had big day 1's. Minnesota and Tampa both did really well to improve their team too.

I think one of the most interesting things about round 1 is the number of really good players still available in round two. Coby Fleener, Jon Martin, Stephan Hill, Cordy Glenn, Courtney Upshaw, Janoris Jenkins, Jerel Worthy, Silatolu, Lavonte David, Ta'amu, Konz, and more. There's still a lot of teams that are going to improve their rosters in round 2.

St. Louis has such a huge role to play here. They need to just stay put and take BPA for each of the 2nd round picks. They have 3. Adding Lavonte David, Stephan Hill, and Trumaine Johnson falling to them would mean they have the best draft in 2012, hands down.

What if we trade down and pick up an additional 3, and end up adding, say, Stephen Hill, Lavonte David, Josh Robinson, TY Hilton and Senio Kelemete today? And Robert Turbin with the 1st pick tomorrow? Do you think if we pass on Hill at #33 he is gone at #39?

[Asteinebach]

My question to you two is what is the upside of Jenkins?

I think the upside here is significant. Most probably had him falling into day two because of his size. But given the proper amount of playing time and just the ability to stay in the league and gain experience, you could be looking at a player very similar to Devone Bess in Miami. Athletic guy that can accomplish a lot after the catch. NFL training program will have him right about 205lbs next year. He's going to add bulk over the next 2-3 years and the ceiling is probably a lot like Scott Wright's comparison: Nate Burleson.

[Asteinebach]

What if we trade down and pick up an additional 3, and end up adding, say, Stephen Hill, Lavonte David, Josh Robinson, TY Hilton and Senio Kelemete today? And Robert Turbin with the 1st pick tomorrow? Do you think if we pass on Hill at #33 he is gone at #39?

I do. But that's not necessarily set in stone. I had Stephan Hill as a top 10 talent in this draft. I literally think his talent dwarves that of Michael Floyd and Justin Blackmon. Lack of production in a triple-option style offense is the only reason teams are passing on this guy. So, to answer your question, if you can move back to that #37-#39 range and still get him...A+ all the way.

[Iamcanadian]

[QUOTE=stlouisfan37;2971971]Their #1 guy was Richardson, then Blackmon. When those two were gone, they traded down to get an extra 2 with the intent of getting Brockers, who they were prepared to take at #6 if the trade fell through. They liked Brockers over Cox, which says a lot about how much they liked him. They were never after Floyd.

Additionally, going into this draft both Fisher and Snead said their goal was to get as much talent out of this draft as possible to start building a foundation for the future. They both come from organizations that consistently carry a lot more talent than what they inherited when they came to St. Louis, even though there are some key pieces in place here. There isn't a panic in St. Louis, and they know they have a HUGE rebuilding project. So I think the Rams had a very positive day. They took a starter with Pro Bowl potential and picked up what will likely be another starter along the way.

We'll have to agree to disagree. I think they wanted to help Bradford with a top WR, they have nothing to offer him right now and he is going to be 1 unhappy QB.
DT is the best position in this year's drtaft and they could have gotten a stud in round 2.
I believe they really wanted either Blackmon or Floyd and lost out on both. Jacksonville jumped them for Blackmon and Arizona jumped them on Floyd. That's the way it looks to me. I really like Brockers but offense is St. Louis's major weakness and you have to believe they wanted help in that direction before addressing the defense.

[Asteinebach]

I think you both can agree that the Rams have 3 picks in the 2nd round with a plethora of very good WR's and OT's still on the board. It's not too late for St. Louis to have the best draft of 2012.

[tjsunstein]

We've had this conversation before. It's talent vs. character. And I'm sure we're beating a dead horse here, but I have to say it. If a player doesn't have his mind right, the NFL will eat him alive. The last thing this kid needs is veteran guards smashing him in the mouth all game long just because he's a loud mouth.

Tjsunstein, what you said about him taking things to heart, that bothers me. It shows signs of emotional immaturity. Those two words are more responsible for causing "busts" in the NFL than anything else. And again, a guy can be as talented as we've ever seen. If his mind doesn't get right, he's ******. Kerry Collins was an absolute stud QB prospect. But he was a head case. The examples are literally abundant in the NFL. Talent rarely overcomes mental weakness.
In all fairness, it comes down to the individual and I have infinite more faith in Irvin than I do in Janoris Jenkins. I'm not discounting what you're saying at all, but with Irvin, he uses it more as motivation and bulletin board material rather than negatively. He needs to tone down what he says because he's now under a microscope. I don't think Irvin is mentally weak, rather the quite opposite, I just don't think he's very bright.

[Asteinebach]

In all fairness, it comes down to the individual and I have infinite more faith in Irvin than I do in Janoris Jenkins. I'm not discounting what you're saying at all, but with Irvin, he uses it more as motivation and bulletin board material rather than negatively. He needs to tone down what he says because he's now under a microscope. I don't think Irvin is mentally weak, rather the quite opposite, I just don't think he's very bright.

Fair enough. By the way, if you haven't seen Shane's rant on him, you gotta check this out. It's pretty much hilarious.

[stlouisfan37]

Here's My First round Grades:

1. Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford – The Colts cut ties with long-time star Peyton Manning this off-season because they were poised to get the best QB prospect in decades. No surprises here, everyone loves this pick. Grade: A+

2. Washington Redskins (from St. Louis) – Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor – Trade details: Washington gives up #6, #39, 2013 1st round pick, 2014 first round pick – Washington hopes they finally found their franchise QB here. Like Luck, this pick was no surprise. I’m not as high on RGIII as most but I think he was worth being selected this high. That being said, I think Washington gave up WAY too much to get him. In my opinion, no unproven player is worth that price. If RGIII turns out to be a perennial All-Pro and leads them to a Super Bowl, most will forget the price they gave up and say it was justified but anything short of that and this could go down as one of the worst trades ever. Pick Grade: B+ Trade Grade: F

3. Cleveland Browns (from Minnesota) – Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama – Trade details: Cleveland gives up #4, #118, #139, and #211. Cleveland apparently felt the pressure that someone might jump them to take Trent Richardson as they give up three day 3 picks to move up one spot. Cleveland had 13 picks in this draft so they could certainly afford to get rid of a few but I don’t think Minnesota would have been able to find another trade partner and they were likely sold on Kalil so I do think the trade was pointless. That being said, Trent Richardson was my number two prospect and the clear-cut best non-QB in this class. Richardson will step in and replace the departed Peyton Hillis as the bell-cow. His addition should help take pressure off the QB and WRs. Pick Grade: A Trade Grade: C

4. Minnesota Vikings (from Cleveland) – Matt Kalil, OT, USC – Minnesota manages to pick up three extra picks and only moved down one slot and still draft the player they wanted. That sounds like a big-time win for them. Kalil fills the biggest need, allowing them to have a true blindside protector for their young QB in Christian Ponder. Pick Grade: A Trade Grade: A+

5. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Tampa Bay) – Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State – Trade details: Jacksonville gives #7 and #101. Jacksonville needed to get Blaine Gabbert some new toys to play with this off-season and after getting Laurent Robinson in free agency, they come back and get the top WR in the draft here. Only giving up a 4th round pick to move up these two slots, most importantly being jumping St. Louis, was a great deal for Jacksonville as well. Blackmon may not be on the level of a Calvin Johnson or even an A.J. Green, but I had a higher grade on him than Julio Jones and I think he’s great value here. Gabbert should have no excuse for failure next season. Pick Grade: A Trade Grade: A+

6. Dallas Cowboys (from Washington through St. Louis) – Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU – Trade Details: Dallas gives #14 and #45. Dallas desperately wanted to get some help for the secondary in this draft. Its very clear that Morris Claiborne and Mark Barron were the class of the draft in the secondary and they knew they wouldn’t be able to get either at 14 so they packaged their 2nd round pick to move up. After missing out on Blackmon, the Rams decided it was wise to simply move back instead of reaching on another player here. This is a great trade for both teams as Dallas only had to give up a second round pick to move up. Dallas comes away with the top CB in the draft and, while they still need a free safety, this really improves the secondary, giving them at least three quality, starting caliber CBs. Pick Grade: A+ Trade Grade: A+

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Jacksonville) – Mark Barron, SS, Alabama – I think Tampa got a little too cute here. After trading back with Jacksonville, they left themselves susceptible to not getting the player they wanted and Dallas swooped in and took advantage. On top of that, they only got a 4th round pick out of it. I’m all about getting more picks but a fourth round pick isn’t likely to be a starter and it wasn’t worth missing out on the top CB in this class for. Perhaps the Bucs felt they could convince someone to trade up ahead of Miami to take Tannehill but were rebuffed. Either way, the Bucs were left in no-man’s land where they had to either take a player that wasn’t at a position of need or reach. I like Barron and think he’s going to be a very good NFL player but I think his value lied in the mid-teens and he’s a reach here. That being said, he does fill a need and they could have done worse. Pick Grade: C+ Trade Grade: D

8. Miami Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M – Miami hasn’t taken a QB in the first round since Dan Marino in 1983. They’ve tried to replace Marino in every conceivable way, through trades, free agency, drafting in rounds 2-7 and nothing has worked out. They finally decided to take a QB in the first round and went with Tannehill. While some consider this a reach, I was pretty high on Tannehill and I like this fit. Being reunited with his college coach as well as learning under Joe Philbin, Tannehill has the tools to be developed and I like his chances here. Grade: B

9. Carolina Panthers – Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College – This was one of the first true surprises in this draft. Carolina desperately needed defensive help but I thought they were pretty set at linebacker and felt they had enough there to let Dan Connor walk. Kuechly was the best defensive player available though. I love Kuechly and think he’ll be a great player for them. While it is surprising they didn’t go with someone like Fletcher Cox, Kuechly would instantly upgrade any linebacking corps. Grade: B+

10. Buffalo Bills – Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina – After signing defensive ends Mario Williams and Mark Anderson in free agency, the Bills addressed their biggest need. In my opinion, offensive tackle became the top need after allowing Bell to exit in free agency. Buffalo decided to go elsewhere though, taking a cornerback to pair with last year’s second round pick, Aaron Williams. I felt that Gilmore was a reach here. While he’s got a lot of talent and upside, I think his technique and footwork are sloppy. The Bills are a nice fit for him though as he won’t be forced into a starting role day one as they have a few other players that can be competent starters while Gilmore is developed. Grade: B-

11. Kansas City Chiefs – Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis – Based on the rumors, the Chiefs seemed enamored with Ryan Tannehill and Luke Kuechly but weren’t willing to part with picks needed to move up and take either. As such, they missed out on both but Dontari Poe is a nice consolation prize. Nose tackle is arguably the top need the Chiefs had and Poe is a mammoth of a man. Poe had a freakish combine that had him shoot up boards and while its surprising he was the top DL taken, he was a solid value and filled a need. Grade: B

12. Philadelphia Eagles (from Seattle) – Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State – Trade details: Eagles give picks #15, #114, and #172. The Eagles moved up three spots to get the player that most believed they were targeting. Cox was the top DT on many people’s boards and he should provide an added pass rushing element to the middle of the Eagles defense. The Eagles struggled mightily to stop the run last year though and I’m not sure that they wouldn’t have been better off with someone like Michael Brockers, who is a much better run stuffer. I did have Cox rated significantly higher than Brockers though so at the end of the day, I can’t argue the value here. Grade: B+

13. Arizona Cardinals – Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame – Arizona apparently promised Larry Fitzgerald that they would draft him Michael Floyd should he be on the board. Wide receiver was down on the list of needs for Arizona and I think this pick was a mistake. Despite bringing back Levi Brown, the Cardinals’ biggest need was far and away at tackle and there is a significant drop in talent from the first five tackles to the rest of the class. Arizona had a chance to grab the consensus number two tackle here in Riley Reiff and I think they missed big-time in grabbing Floyd, who I don’t feel is a very good compliment to Fitz. How will the QBs have time to throw jump balls to these two guys when the line in front of them won’t be able to block long enough for them to get downfield? Grade: C

14. St. Louis Rams (from Dallas) – Michael Brockers, DT, LSU – The Rams really missed out in the first round. First, they move from 2 to 6, thinking they could still get Blackmon there and the Jaguars leapfrog them. Then, they move from 6 to 14, likely thinking they could get Michael Floyd here, and the Cardinals take him one pick ahead of them. The trade haul they got from Washington is historically great and they will reap the benefits from that trade for a few years. The deal with the Cowboys was less so but they really just wanted to move down after missing on Blackmon. With the two WRs off the board, the Rams probably looked to trade down again but after failing to find a partner, they decided to address their top defensive need. Personally, I’m not a Brockers fan and think this is a reach but the Rams have zero starting caliber DTs on the roster and Brockers will be able to play under DL guru Jeff Fisher now. I think this is a good fit for Brockers. Pick Grade: B- Trade Grades: Washington – A, Cowboys – C

15. Seattle Seahawks (from Philadelphia) – Bruce Irvin, OLB, West Virginia – Seattle knew that the player they were targeting would be available later so they picked up an extra 4th and 6th to move down a few spots. Not a bad move. Unfortunately, they followed that up by once again managing to surprise everyone in the first round by making, in my opinion, the worst pick I’ve ever seen. I thought Irvin was closer to undraftable than the first round. Irvin is a one-trick pony that’s afraid of contact, has consistently struggled to stay out of trouble off the field, and is undersized. His one trick happens to be that he can rush the passer but all he has is a speed rush and you don’t take one-down players in the first round. Irvin is a true boom or bust that I think would have been worth the risk in the 4th round but any earlier than that, I thought would be a mistake. Pick Grade: F Trade Grade: B+

16. New York Jets – Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina – The Jets had to be pretty excited when they got on the board and the only pass rusher gone was Bruce Irvin. I was surprised with the choice they made though. Coples will likely play the 5 tech for the Jets. While I like his fit there, I question whether he will want to play it. In addition, I felt the Jets had a bigger need at stand-up outside linebacker than defensive end but rumors have it that the choice was between Coples and Melvin Ingram in the minds of the Jets’ brass and to me that’s a no-brainer as Coples is MUCH higher on my board. At the end of the day, I think the Jets did well bringing in Coples and Rex Ryan will use him right. Grade: B+

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland) – Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama – The Bengals lost Jonathan Joseph in free agency last year and tried to bandage it with Nate Clements last year. Clements played okay but he’s up in age and they needed to find a more long-term replacement. They signed Terrence Newman and Jason Allen in free agency and brought back Adam Jones so I’m a little surprised they still went corner here but there are no safeties worth this pick. Many feel he may be better suited moving to safety at the next level so its possible that they may decide to have open competition at CB and whoever doesn’t cut it may be asked to transition to safety. Grade: B-

18. San Diego Chargers – Melvin Ingram, OLB, South Carolina – The Chargers wanted to get some defensive help here, with safety topping their list of wants but with Barron long gone, they decided to take a pass rusher instead. They signed Jarret Johnson in free agency but Johnson doesn’t provide pass rush. Larry English hasn’t panned out and the top three players in sacks last year are entering the contract years. Ingram can be moved all around as a rookie and be primarily used to spell Johnson in passing situations and then prepare to take over a starting job next season. I thought Ingram was a reach here and there are a few other players I would have taken over him but this was a much more reasonable spot than the top 10 many were making him out to be. Grade: B

19. Chicago Bears – Shea McClellin, DE, Boise State – After trading for Brandon Marshall, the Bears entered the draft with two major needs, offensive line and defensive end. While there are a few good offensive linemen on the board here, the Bears decided that, with three pass rushers in the previous four picks, they needed to take one now before they all went as offensive line is a deeper position than defensive end. The Bears selected Shea McClellin here. I felt McClellin would be best suited to play stand-up OLB but the Bears’ defense is also a great fit for him. I was much higher on McClellin than most and had him as my second favorite pass rusher so I’m a fan of this pick although it was a slight reach. McClellin should step in and start opposite Julius Peppers from day one. Grade: A-

20. Tennessee Titans – Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor – This is one pick that I didn’t see coming. I had considered wide receiver to the Titans early on but they seemed to really love pass rushing defensive ends. Wright is a great complement to Kenny Britt, if he can stay healthy, and gives Jake Locker a true deep threat to throw to. This is one of the under-the-radar picks in the first round that I really liked. Grade: A+

21. New England Patriots (from Cincinnati) – Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse – Trade details: New England gives up pick #27 and #93. That being said, the value was good on both sides. New England must have really loved Chandler Jones as Belichick doesn’t part with day two picks lightly. New England’s biggest need was undoubtedly at pass rusher and Jones absolutely fits the Belichick mold but I feel that he’s a couple years away from being a major contributor. Jones is still very raw as a player while he has as much natural athletic ability and upside as anyone else in this class, I feel he the Patriots needed someone that was ready to make an immediate impact, something I don’t see from Jones. Pick Grade: C+ Trade Grade: B

22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta) – Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State – Cleveland was apparently targeting Kendall Wright with this pick but with him off the board, they decided to pull the trigger on the next best QB in this class. If Weeden weren’t 28 years old, he would have been a top ten pick in my opinion and I have no issues with Cleveland taking him here. While the Browns like Colt McCoy, he was never going to be anything more than a league average QB and in order for that, he would need above average weapons around him, something he did not have in Cleveland. Weeden will be able to make more of the little talent they have and should present an upgrade. Grade: A-

23. Detroit Lions – Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa – Detroit’s biggest needs lied along the OL and at CB. Detroit sat tight and had their choice of the best center, guard, and second best tackle awaiting them. Reiff will push former first round pick Gosder Cherilus and former franchise player Jeff Backus for playing time as the Lions look to upgrade their protection so they can continue to keep budding star Matthew Stafford upright. Reiff was an absolute steal at this point in my opinion. Grade: A+

24. Pittsburgh Steelers – David DeCastro, OG, Stanford – It seems every year the Steelers stand pat and just gobble up a great player when one falls to them. This year is no different as David DeCastro, the best guard in the draft and a top ten player on my board falls right into their laps. DeCastro should step in and take over one of the OG positions and never look back. He will remind Steelers fans of Alan Faneca. Grade: A+

25. New England Patriots (from Denver) – Dont’a Hightower, ILB, Alabama – Trade details: New England sends picks 31 and 126. After first trading up for Chandler Jones, the Patriots come back and trade up for Dont’a Hightower. The Patriots didn’t have to give up much to move up and I’d say they made another solid deal. The pick itself is a little confusing to me however. The Patriots are running the hybrid defense and I think Hightower is a solid fit but they already have Mayo and Spikes in place at ILB. Hightower is versatile and has lined up at DE, OLB, and ILB at Alabama so Belichick will probably do something similar with him. I’m sure they will be creative and use Hightower all over the field but I’m just not sure there weren’t other, more important needs to be addressed here instead of a jack-of-all-trades type of player. Grade: C+

26. Houston Texans – Whitney Mercilus, OLB, Illinois – With the loss of Mario Williams, it was pretty well known that Houston was planning to look to grab at least a depth pass rusher. That being said, it was a bit surprising they took one this high as Brooks Reed and Connor Barwin were both very good starters last year. Mercilus was my top-ranked pass rusher though so I think Houston was a bit surprised he was still on the board, which caused them to reconsider their initial thoughts. While I don’t love Mercilus as a stand-up backer, he’s a GREAT fit with the Texans and Wade Phillips will use him well. Grade: A

27. Cincinnati Bengals (from New Orleans through New England) – Kevin Zeitler, OG, Wisconsin – Bengals’ starting OG Bobbie Williams is a free agent that is up in age so many felt they would look to grab David DeCastro with one of their first round picks. After trading back, DeCastro wasn’t on the board so they took the next best guard in the draft, grabbing Kevin Zeitler. Zeitler is a technically sound guard with good size and ability. He should be able to step in day one and be the type of OG that you can plug in and forget about the position for a decade. Grade: A

28. Green Bay Packers – Nick Perry, OLB, USC – The Packers had to use this pick on defense after how much they got torn to pieces all season and in the playoffs. One major need area was at OLB opposite Clay Matthews. I was a little surprised by this pick, I expected them to go with Courtney Upshaw here, as I’ve always felt Perry was better suited to play defensive end. I think the value is alright but I really don’t like Perry’s ability to make the transition to OLB as he’s a stiff athlete that doesn’t look very good in space. If he’s used solely as a pass rusher, I think they could be okay but they needed a full-time starter. Grade: C

29. Minnesota Vikings (from Baltimore) – Harrison Smith, SS, Notre Dame – Trade details: Minnesota sends picks #35 and #98. Minnesota needed a safety in a bad way and after Mark Barron, most believe Harrison Smith is the only other safety in this class that will be able to step in an start immediately. Minnesota didn’t want to risk missing out on Smith, giving up their fourth round pick to move up and ensure they got him. Smith was a steady riser on boards and is a bit of a tweener FS/SS that will line up at either, big and physical enough to support the run, but fluid and fast enough to drop into coverage. Pick Grade: B Trade Grade: B

30. San Francisco 49ers – A.J. Jenkins, WR, Illinois – I knew the 49ers wanted a WR but I was surprised with the one they took. Don’t get me wrong, A.J. Jenkins is a nice player but he’s the kind of receiver you can typically get in the 3rd-5th rounds. Jenkins has no real defining quality, decent size, decent speed, good hands, solid route runner, but nothing that jumps out at you as elite and doesn’t really have any upside. What you see is what you get with Jenkins and to me, he’s no better than a number two receiver. I think there are multiple other guys on the board with number one WR potential but maybe the 9ers think Crabtree will step up his game and they only needed a complimentary player. Either way, I think Jenkins is a big-time reach here and I think comparable players will be had in the middle rounds. Grade: D

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from New England through Denver) – Doug Martin, RB, Boise State – Trade details: Tampa sends picks #36 and #101 for picks #31 and #126. Tampa Bay decided they needed to leapfrog the Giants so they could get the number two RB on their board, missing out on Richardson in the first round. The trade was fair, neither team lost any picks, so I think this worked out well for the Bucs. Personally, I had David Wilson a notch above Doug Martin but I think both players are going to be very good running backs and with how little Tampa gave up, I have no issues with this move. Solid player, solid value, solid trade. Pick Grade: B Trade Grade: B

32. New York Giants – David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech – After cutting Brandon Jacobs, it was pretty clear the Giants were going to target a RB in this class to help take the load off Bradshaw. I thought they would go with a bigger back like Bernard Pierce in round two but after missing out on Martin by one pick, it seems the Giants felt an urgency to pull the trigger on Wilson here. I think the value is okay but with how much RBs are devalued, plus already having Bradshaw, I think the Giants would have been better served addressing a bigger need like offensive line or tight end here. Grade: B-

The Rams didn't trade down in hopes of landing Floyd. Once Blackmon and Richardson were gone, they wanted Brockers all along, and would have taken him at #6 if the trade fell through. So Kudos to them for getting an extra 2 and their guy.

[tjsunstein]

My question to you two is what is the upside of Jenkins? I'm not challenging that, just curious where you see him maxing at out. I don't see him having the upside the a Randle or Hill posses. They were in the perfect situation by having an all time great in Randy Moss(he doesn't have to go out of his way to mentor anyway but just watching them every day can do wonders), their is depth behind him with Manningham & Crabtree so they wouldn't have to be forced to contribute right away.


I think he may be better as a rookie then those two, but for what type of offense SF runs, and the depth in place, give me Rueben Randle or Stephen Hill every time. That's just me though, so it's not to say they were wrong, but it looks like a safe pick to me and one that you can't confidently say that he's going to be a future pro bowler.

I don't see him as a perennial pro bowler but he'll fit in well there. Randle, whom I'm a big fan of, and Hill have more upside without a doubt to me. But as you said, it seems like a safe pick and I think that's what it is. I have no problem with it because I think Jenkins can become a nice #2/#3 receiver who finds his way onto the field. Hill is a lot more raw so I see why he wasn't the pick. I would have went with Randle over Jenkins but I'm not in the Niners war room listening to the reasoning.

As far as his upside, hm. I like the Burleson comparison. I can't think of one right now off the top of my head.

[stlouisfan37]

OOO OOO pick me pick me!!! I have an excuse. Sam Bradford sucks.

That all the better you can do?

[armageddon]

The Rams didn't trade down in hopes of landing Floyd. Once Blackmon and Richardson were gone, they wanted Brockers all along, and would have taken him at #6 if the trade fell through. So Kudos to them for getting an extra 2 and their guy.



+100. Brockers was a great pick for what Fisher wants to do. The Rams couldn't stop the run the entire year. Quinn / Langford / Brockers / Long will be one hell of a d-line. Brockers will command double teams and keep blockers off Lariunitus too. What the Rams do with picks 33,39 and 45 will be key though. Those could be key starters for them for years to come. Plus both #1's from the Redskins in 2013 and 2014. The Rams are set up nicely for the future.

[tjsunstein]

Fair enough. By the way, if you haven't seen Shane's rant on him, you gotta check this out. It's pretty much hilarious.
I saw it, hilarious.

I think Irvin can be a really, really good pick depending on what the Seahawks intend to do with him. He obviously won't come in and play every down. He's weak against the run but I think that has to do more with his size than anything. He can afford to put on 10-15 pounds but his pass rush ability was the best in the class and well worth the top 15 pick.

[LonghornsLegend]

How did Quinn look last year? I didn't get to see much of him.

[stlouisfan37]

We've had this conversation before. It's talent vs. character. And I'm sure we're beating a dead horse here, but I have to say it. If a player doesn't have his mind right, the NFL will eat him alive. The last thing this kid needs is veteran guards smashing him in the mouth all game long just because he's a loud mouth.

Tjsunstein, what you said about him taking things to heart, that bothers me. It shows signs of emotional immaturity. Those two words are more responsible for causing "busts" in the NFL than anything else. And again, a guy can be as talented as we've ever seen. If his mind doesn't get right, he's ******. Kerry Collins was an absolute stud QB prospect. But he was a head case. The examples are literally abundant in the NFL. Talent rarely overcomes mental weakness.

Well said. Pretty much what I wanted to say but couldn't verbalize...

[stlouisfan37]

[QUOTE=stlouisfan37;2971971]Their #1 guy was Richardson, then Blackmon. When those two were gone, they traded down to get an extra 2 with the intent of getting Brockers, who they were prepared to take at #6 if the trade fell through. They liked Brockers over Cox, which says a lot about how much they liked him. They were never after Floyd.

Additionally, going into this draft both Fisher and Snead said their goal was to get as much talent out of this draft as possible to start building a foundation for the future. They both come from organizations that consistently carry a lot more talent than what they inherited when they came to St. Louis, even though there are some key pieces in place here. There isn't a panic in St. Louis, and they know they have a HUGE rebuilding project. So I think the Rams had a very positive day. They took a starter with Pro Bowl potential and picked up what will likely be another starter along the way.

We'll have to agree to disagree. I think they wanted to help Bradford with a top WR, they have nothing to offer him right now and he is going to be 1 unhappy QB.
DT is the best position in this year's drtaft and they could have gotten a stud in round 2.
I believe they really wanted either Blackmon or Floyd and lost out on both. Jacksonville jumped them for Blackmon and Arizona jumped them on Floyd. That's the way it looks to me. I really like Brockers but offense is St. Louis's major weakness and you have to believe they wanted help in that direction before addressing the defense.

I'm not arguing whether or not this was the better strategy. But in your initial post you said that they traded down to target Floyd and missed. But that simply isn't true. They never targeted Floyd at all.

[WinslowBodden]

I love how so many people are so ignorantly ripping the Browns trade at the beginning of the draft.

Heckert specifically came out and said that there was a deal on the table to the Vikings for the #3 pick and that the Vikings GM (a friend of his) was up front and honest about it. He knew he had to beat the deal so he did, and acquired Trent Richardson.

If that is their guy then I have no problem with them moving up and grabbing him for a 4th 5th and 7th. TR is gonna touch the ball a **** load in our offense.

[tjsunstein]

I don't mind the trade at the top for the Browns, they secured their guy for (in the grand scheme of things) a very small price.

[stlouisfan37]

I love how so many people are so ignorantly ripping the Browns trade at the beginning of the draft.

Heckert specifically came out and said that there was a deal on the table to the Vikings for the #3 pick and that the Vikings GM (a friend of his) was up front and honest about it. He knew he had to beat the deal so he did, and acquired Trent Richardson.

If that is their guy then I have no problem with them moving up and grabbing him for a 4th 5th and 7th. TR is gonna touch the ball a **** load in our offense.

Yeah, I would have to agree. If the Browns can put together a line for him TR will be a really good back.

And, while I don't think Weeden had good value at #22, I think he makes the Browns better than they were with Colt. I don't think he is a franchise guy, but it is hard to see it as not being an upgrade. He could easily be a 3500/25/12 QB in a couple of years with a decent line and a couple more weapons. I don't think McCoy ever puts up those numbers.

[Iamcanadian]

I love how so many people are so ignorantly ripping the Browns trade at the beginning of the draft.

Heckert specifically came out and said that there was a deal on the table to the Vikings for the #3 pick and that the Vikings GM (a friend of his) was up front and honest about it. He knew he had to beat the deal so he did, and acquired Trent Richardson.

If that is their guy then I have no problem with them moving up and grabbing him for a 4th 5th and 7th. TR is gonna touch the ball a **** load in our offense.

Sorry, but I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale, are you interested. The Vikings had no intention of trading past Cleveland and used Heckert like an idiot. If they trade past Cleveland, they risked losing Kalil which they had no intention of trying. They played Heckert/Holmgren and they fell for it hook, line and sinker.
Well, that is 2 excuses for a miserable draft that sound totally hollow to me. Holmgren saying the Rams turned down a better offer from the Browns for RG111 and now this trade excuse. They have been on the job for 3 years and the best we can hope for next year is another 4 win season. Fire the bothg of them. I'd fire the owner but that just isn't possible.
Sorry to be so hard on a fellow Brown's fan but I'm getting awful sick of this franchise's excuses for mediocrity.

[Monomach]

Monomach, take off the tin foil hat. :)

Sorry. It just makes too much sense. Next up: Alameda Ta’amu.

"Oh, yeah...uh...like, we totally dig his pass rushing skills up the middle. We think they're underrated by all the other teams and stuff because they kept working him out as a 3-4 nose tackle. He should be a force in the under tackle rotation."

[D-Unit]

Sorry, but I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale, are you interested. The Vikings had no intention of trading past Cleveland and used Heckert like an idiot. If they trade past Cleveland, they risked losing Kalil which they had no intention of trying. They played Heckert/Holmgren and they fell for it hook, line and sinker.
Well, that is 2 excuses for a miserable draft that sound totally hollow to me. Holmgren saying the Rams turned down a better offer from the Browns for RG111 and now this trade excuse. They have been on the job for 3 years and the best we can hope for next year is another 4 win season. Fire the bothg of them. I'd fire the owner but that just isn't possible.
Sorry to be so hard on a fellow Brown's fan but I'm getting awful sick of this franchise's excuses for mediocrity.
From the outside looking in, it did look like a panic move. But in the end, they got their guy and Richardson is going to make them relevant in their division once again. Love the addition he brings in such a hard knocks conference. If Hardesty can get off his ass, then the Browns really have something to lean on. That team needed an identity and got it.

Weeden's age is overrated. QBs play well into their late 30s if they pan out. At least you know he can fling it, shows grit on the field and he's got prototypical size.

The Browns moves were not terrible, imo. If they bolster their OL, they're gonna make noise.

[bearsfan_51]

Who cares about what the Browns gave up? A 6th and a 7th round pick is just an UDFA who gets his name on TV.

[Vikes99ej]

I think the Browns trade gave the Vikings the ability to get Harrison Smith.

[LonghornsLegend]

I think it's amusingly ironic how some people can criticize Cleveland so easily and say "Minnesota didn't want Richardson, TB wasn't going to trade up, they got fooled, what idiots ahahahahahah". Yet not even 4 picks later, here is STL sitting at 6, 1 pick away from the guy they wanted, and they got hosed by the team behind them.


So it very well could have happened. If you don't agree with it that's one thing but we already saw sitting on your ass you can get sniped, they wanted Richardson bad and made sure they got him.

[Scotty D]

I really liked what the Pats did. They stopped being cute and traded up to get some very good players for a defense that needed them.

[Asteinebach]

I think Cleveland did well with the trade. They saw the player that they thought would change the face of their franchise and they had the sack to pull the ******* trigger. Not a lotta teams willing to weigh risk and reward that way. To be real, Tampa Bay definitely had their eyes on Trent Richardson as well, as evidenced by the fact that they didn't stand in and take Claiborne. The Browns did the right thing, aggressively, to make it impossible for anyone to get their guy.

[bearsfan_51]

Speaking of that Tampa trade, I'm surprised that so few people are making the point that

Claibore >> Barron + 4th round pick

[Larry]

I don't see him as a perennial pro bowler but he'll fit in well there. Randle, whom I'm a big fan of, and Hill have more upside without a doubt to me. But as you said, it seems like a safe pick and I think that's what it is. I have no problem with it because I think Jenkins can become a nice #2/#3 receiver who finds his way onto the field. Hill is a lot more raw so I see why he wasn't the pick. I would have went with Randle over Jenkins but I'm not in the Niners war room listening to the reasoning.

As far as his upside, hm. I like the Burleson comparison. I can't think of one right now off the top of my head.

I thought Randle was too similar to Crabtree. Both are possession Wr's that won't get you a ton of separation. Niners biggest issue at WR was too many possession Wr's not getting enough separation. Jenkins definitely helps in that area.

[onejayhawk]

How did Quinn look last year? I didn't get to see much of him.

Good enough to be under contract in KC.

J

[onejayhawk]

Speaking of that Tampa trade, I'm surprised that so few people are making the point that

Claibore >> Barron + 4th round pick

From what I am hearing, some NFL people liked Barron better. In any event it is not a one sided assessment.

J

[Monomach]

Speaking of that Tampa trade, I'm surprised that so few people are making the point that

Claibore >> Barron + 4th round pick

THIS THIS THIS.

I don't think Tampa even wanted Barron. I think they wanted Claiborne, but got a little too cute for their own good and got stuck watching Dallas wreck their ****.

[CC.SD]

Ingram's balls to my face

[49ersfan_87]

I don't see him as a perennial pro bowler but he'll fit in well there. Randle, whom I'm a big fan of, and Hill have more upside without a doubt to me. But as you said, it seems like a safe pick and I think that's what it is. I have no problem with it because I think Jenkins can become a nice #2/#3 receiver who finds his way onto the field. Hill is a lot more raw so I see why he wasn't the pick. I would have went with Randle over Jenkins but I'm not in the Niners war room listening to the reasoning.

As far as his upside, hm. I like the Burleson comparison. I can't think of one right now off the top of my head.

A few posters on another draft site i go to (can't mention it) say Santonio Holmes.

People at Illinois apparently said a mix of Brandon Lloyd and Chad Ocho Cinco (or whatever his name is now).

[bearsfan_51]

From what I am hearing, some NFL people liked Barron better. In any event it is not a one sided assessment.

J
Those people are silly.

[kBuc5]

THIS THIS THIS.

I don't think Tampa even wanted Barron. I think they wanted Claiborne, but got a little too cute for their own good and got stuck watching Dallas wreck their ****.

? If we wanted him we would have taken Mo at 5, to cute for a 4th, no.
Barron was the target, Schiano wants a physical D and Mo is not physical.

[phlysac]

A few posters on another draft site i go to (can't mention it) say Santonio Holmes.

People at Illinois apparently said a mix of Brandon Lloyd and Chad Ocho Cinco (or whatever his name is now).

Yeah I don't understand how a "ceiling" could be Nate Burleson. Why can't a ceiling be like a WCO cross between Antonio Brown and Victor Cruz?

[Bucs147]

THIS THIS THIS.

I don't think Tampa even wanted Barron. I think they wanted Claiborne, but got a little too cute for their own good and got stuck watching Dallas wreck their ****.

Unless OBP is full of retards, gambling on Morris Claiborne like that for only a 4th round pick is ridiculous. I could see it if they receive A LOT by tradind down, but they only got a freaking 4th round pick. Barron was their guy.

[kBuc5]

That 4th rounder landed us Martin and David, excellent trade with Jax!!

[Iamcanadian]

Those people are silly.

I disagree. I think Barron will turnout to be the better player. Claiborne lacks elite speed and hasn't a clue on how to use his hands at the LOS to force WR's off their routes. That may work in college but at the pro level, it won't, so unless he can match WR's with elite speed, he is going to be a liability on deep patterns ever now and then.

[Caddy]

Unless OBP is full of retards, gambling on Morris Claiborne like that for only a 4th round pick is ridiculous. I could see it if they receive A LOT by tradind down, but they only got a freaking 4th round pick. Barron was their guy.

I feel like I've said it 801237 times, but our DB coach knows more about Claiborne than probably any other coach in the NFL. If he gave the all clear to pass on him, I'm ok with it.

[Rolling_Thunder]

I'm still sticking to the idea that I put forward earlier that TB may have feared, with Claiborne having a learning disability (which is why he scored a 4 on the Wonderlic it's been revealed), that he might have had trouble digesting a pro playbook, which is much more in-depth than a college one. I hope that's not the reason because I understand Claiborne does all he can to compensate for it and probably will do just fine, but I can't help but think that with his college coach on staff, that may have played a big part in why they passed on him.

[irishbucsfan]

It's been beaten to death, there is no way in hell we traded down for a 4th hoping to still snag MC. There just isn't. I don't think we had Barron rated much higher than other teams, he was going to come off the board within the next few picks after that anyway. I just think we had MC rated lower than others, and with his college coach on staff, that's fairly telling.

Consider this. Our guys going into next season at CB would have been Talib, Wright (who just made bank, for better or worse), Barber, Claiborne. And at safety? It would have been Cody Grimm, Devin Holland, Larry Asante and maybe some time by Barber. With the offences in the NFC South that is a terrifying safety situation. Barron will be an instant starter, and will contribute in our secondary more than MC would have his first year, that's a guarantee.

Also consider, the trade down netted a 4th rounder which we didn't have, which we paired with our second rounder to net Doug Martin and a later 4th. Which we later paired with our 3rd rounder to net Lavonte David. Dominik was playing with house money after that trade and after entering the draft with a [1,2,3,5,6,7] we came away with a [1,1,2,5,6,7,7] the first three of which will be instant starters, or if not in Martin's case, big contributors from Day 1.

Dominik made the first two days of the draft his *****.

[LonghornsLegend]

I feel like I've said it 801237 times, but our DB coach knows more about Claiborne than probably any other coach in the NFL. If he gave the all clear to pass on him, I'm ok with it.

You've also still never answered me. Since when does a DB coach have the final call on a player? How do you know the DB coach didn't pound the tables to draft him and was overruled? You don't know. It just so happens to work better in your scenario to say "well he used to coach him and he told us to pass" but there are a ton of other scenarios your just ignoring because they don't fit your argument as good.

[Caddy]

You've also still never answered me. Since when does a DB coach have the final call on a player? How do you know the DB coach didn't pound the tables to draft him and was overruled? You don't know. It just so happens to work better in your scenario to say "well he used to coach him and he told us to pass" but there are a ton of other scenarios your just ignoring because they don't fit your argument as good.

I was supposed to answer?

He doesn't have the final call obviously, but you can be damned sure he told Dominik every single thing he knew about Claiborne. If he gave glowing reports, I'd bet the house that we would have stayed put at #5 and drafted him, but I just don't see how it could have played out that way.

Might this not have happened? Sure. But I think it is much more likely that this or something similar happened. It doesn't mean Claiborne will be a bad pro, but you have to think the info we got from Claiborne's college DB coach played a factor in our decision to trade down. If you don't think it could have played a factor, you are the ignorant one.

[irishbucsfan]

Exactly. We're talking probabilities here, since none of us were in the war rooms. Do you think it's more probable that a player at a position of relative need drops into a teams lap, their college coach clamours for him and the team just ignores him or tries to get cute and risks not getting him for a 4th round pick? Or that the team rated another player higher who they knew they could get a couple picks later?

I like Claiborne, but it's pretty clear that the Bucs wanted Barron instead.

[TACKLE]

I'm with LL on this one. Anything positive Cooper had to say about him would be completely expected so I don't see anything but a surprisingly negative report influencing their final decision and it's FAR more likely he was an advocate for Claiborne. Positional coaches really have minimal input in the final say to begin with. It seems highly unlikely that the Bucs hinged their draft strategy for their top 5 pick based on the word of a new position coach who theoretically bashed the player who he just coached to a Thorpe Award.

[Caddy]

I'm with LL on this one. Anything positive Cooper had to say about him would be completely expected so I don't see anything but a surprisingly negative report influencing their final decision and it's FAR more likely he was an advocate for Claiborne. Positional coaches really have minimal input in the final say to begin with. It seems highly unlikely that the Bucs hinged their draft strategy for their top 5 pick based on the word of a new position coach who theoretically bashed the player who he just coached to a Thorpe Award.

Eh all our coaches are new. I think the scenario Irish and myself have discussed is more likely, but LL's is entirely possible to. Either way we might never really know so no reason wasting our time arguing over hypotheticals.

[kBuc5]

Take into account also that we still haven't addressed CB in this draft, we will probably but if the coaching staff thinks Talib is going to be there we have our starters in Talib Wright and Barber. Yet we were going into next year with Cody Grim and Larry Asante as our Safties, with all the great TEs in the NFC South Safety was a top priority.

[vidae]

For the record, I really hate the Bucs right now. You could have moved back to 11 and let the Chiefs go up to 7 to get Tannehill, but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.