Draft / FA / Offseason Roster Moves (Merged)

[Paintballguy]

The Patriots, reportedly, will not use the Franchise Tag on Wes Welker. I have a feeling he's about to fall into a long list of New England veterans who bust their tail for that team and don't get paid.

Welker is history in NE. Reports are they are nowhere close in contract negotiations. Also, Brandon Llyod might be gone too because he has a hefty bonus coming up they have to either pickup or cut him prior to give him the bonus.

[The Excellector]

Revis has made some comments about the trade rumors: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/ey...i-need-answers

[The Excellector]

Welker is history in NE. Reports are they are nowhere close in contract negotiations. Also, Brandon Llyod might be gone too because he has a hefty bonus coming up they have to either pickup or cut him prior to give him the bonus.

You're going to expect me to catch 100 passes a season, but call me a wrinky dink slot WR when it comes time to pay for what I've done.

[The Excellector]

Da'Quan Bowers has been arrested, apparently, on gun charges.

[The Excellector]

A fan tweeted a question to Shannon Sharpe, in regards to how many FAs he felt the Ravens would be able to keep. Shannon tweeted that Joe Flacco and Dannell Ellerbe will be top priority.

[NC Raven]

Boldin can fill the Austin Collie role, Torrey Smith can be the deep threat like Pierre Garcon, Dennis Pitta is similar to Dallas Clark, and Patton can be the Reggie Wayne. We have the QB to do it, then we also have the Marshall Faulk that Peyton never had in his prime. Plus an explosive RB to come in for the power run plays, we now just need a TE who can block and catch to support Pitta, then we're good to go.

Agree that Patton would make a pretty close to ideal wideout on the other side from Torrey. Of the WRs that I have actually seen play this year who are in the draft, it's Patton and DeAndre Hopkins who most look that part of what we want on the other side of the formation.

With his size and speed, once the Combine is over, I doubt very much he's available to us at the end of Round 2 as once thought. While he'd be a perfect fit on the Ravens, he'll go to some other team that goes through shiny new toys every year but never actually gets a real team together. Whether they need a WR or not, I'm looking at you, St Louis, Oakland, Minnesota and Detroit....

[wickedsolo]

I watched Mellette closely at the Sr Bowl and he could really be a nice #2 at the least if he's coached well and learns to play physical.

I've got another guy in mind in the 5th round...

[wickedsolo]

Round 1

1. Kansas City Chiefs (2-14) Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M (6’6” 310lbs). After a lot of contemplation and looking back at some of Andy Reid’s drafting tendencies, I don’t think that he will go for Geno Smith. I think Reid will take Joeckel simply because he is arguably the highest rated prospect and it would allow Reid some flexibility on the OL. I also think Joeckel will be a lot easier for the team to digest because he legitimately is worth the top overall pick and would be a significant upgrade over Brandon Albert. I think that Albert could still be retained, but he has already indicated that he has no interest in moving positions and by all accounts, he wants to get paid. The problem is, Albert is an average LT and it is hard to justify top tiered money to an average player. Andy Reid is going to be in KC for a long time, so I think that he will have at least 2-3 seasons to figure out the QB situation. Apparently, Reid really wants to trade for Nick Foles, which could be a possibility. Luckily, they have an outstanding running game to lean on. I don’t think Geno Smith is good enough to be the top pick in this year’s draft. Joeckel is very athletic, a punishing run blocker, and a fantastic pass blocker.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-14) Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah (6’4” 330lbs). Coming from Seattle, Gus Bradley is someone who realizes how important it is to have a plethora of talented defensive lineman. At the moment, the Jags just really need to get better talent because with Terrance Knighton likely hitting free agency; they have zero ability on their DL. This pick might come as a surprise to some, but honestly it shouldn’t because it all starts up front and Lotulelei is hands down the best defensive lineman in this draft. Lotulelei is a massive DT with long arms, good technique, and a nice variety of pass rushing skills. He’d be an ideal fit for the Raiders’ 4-3 front. Lotulelei had 11 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 4 batted passes, and 42 tackles in 2012.

3. Oakland Raiders (4-12) Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M (6’4” 255lbs). Oakland’s pass rush is really anemic and they aren’t very good at stopping the run either. Since Dennis Allen has taken over there, they’ve gotten rid of almost every defensive player that they inherited and I don’t think they’re done with their purge. They really just need to fix their front 7 first and getting an athletic defensive lineman like Moore would really do wonders for their defense. Moore, who could be a similar type of player to Aldon Smith, can line up in multiple techniques and he gives that Raiders line a lot of flexibility. He is also someone that they can build around, as guys like Seymour are getting older and Tommy Kelly doesn’t seem to put a lot of effort into the game.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (4-12) Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama (6’1” 199lbs). I think the Eagles will be targeting the top player, regardless of position, at this stage of the draft. They really need to find a guy who can make a splash early on and Milliner would certainly provide a boost to their secondary that they sorely lacked this past season. Nnamdi has been a huge disappointment and may wind up a free agent and Domonique Rodgers-Cromartie seems to play when he feels like it. He is also a free agent. Milliner is easily a top 5 player in this draft and is coming off an outstanding season capped off by a great performance against the Irish.

5. Detroit Lions (4-12) Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State (6’4” 265lbs). The reality is that Detroit needs pieces in their secondary, but they’re going to be losing Cliff Avril to free agency and they recently cut Kyle Vandenbosch. Werner is just a monster and is absolutely relentless. He has a great bull rush, but he can dial it back and use finesse to get after the QB as well. Unlike a lot of other pass rushers in this draft, Werner is also a stand out run stopper and arguably the best “edge setter” in this draft class. His stock is going to soar. That said, if Dee Milliner happens to drop then I couldn’t see a scenario where the Lions wouldn’t take him.

6. Cleveland Browns (5-11) Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia (6’3” 215lbs). New HC, Chudzinski, knows how effective a dual-threat QB can be. Considering that a big reason why the Browns changed over their staff again was because of their inability to go get Robert Griffin III in last year’s draft, I think that if Smith falls they won’t hesitate to take him. While Smith isn’t the athlete that RGIII is, he is still pretty mobile and has a solid arm on him as well. I think there are some concerns when it comes to his decision making and he does have a tendency to get erratic from time to time, but I think that this new coaching staff feels that with their strong running game and strong OL play, they can get the most out of a guy like Smith.

7. Arizona Cardinals (5-11) Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan (6’8” 305lbs). Bruce Arians may be the only offensive guy who can get anything out of Kevin Kolb. However, Kolb’s biggest issue has never been his ability to play QB, yet the guy just can’t stay healthy. Arizona may have one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, so they really need to bolster it if they expect Kolb to be able to do anything. I’m sure they will consider some other options at QB, possibly in this draft, but they need to concentrate on value and making sure that their top pick will be able to make an impact on their roster from day 1. Fisher is a little raw, but he mirrors defensive players well, he is a natural pass blocker, and he has a great lateral step. He would be a significant upgrade over their OT’s currently on the roster.

8. Buffalo Bills (6-10) Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse (6’3” 228lbs). This is an absolute reach. Quintessential, textbook definition of taking a guy a lot higher than where his stock probably should be. However, the Dolphins did it last year with Ryan Tannehill and because he was able to transition to essentially the same offense he ran in college with the same coaches, it wasn’t such a drastic change. Nassib needs some refinement. He can get erratic and as a result he doesn’t set his feet when he throws, which causes him to sail a lot of passes rather than driving them to the receiver. That said, he’s a big guy with nice mobility and he has the arm strength to make all of the throws and really drive those passes to his intended target. He has a ton of upside and already has some local notoriety. I have no doubt in my mind that new HC, Doug Marrone, is eying Nassib to come in and compete with Ryan Fitzpatrick.

9. New York Jets (6-10) Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia (6’2” 239lbs). Some may argue that Jarvis probably has the most upside out of any player in this draft class. He’s quick and strong, but does have a cloud of character questions surrounding him. It could all be pre-draft posturing, but supposedly he doesn’t put in a lot of hard work during the practice week. That said, he brings it come game day. His speed and quickness will give OL’men fits and they’ll be second-guessing themselves the entire game. The Jets play in a division where they play Tom Brady twice a year. They need to be able to generate pressure on Brady and Jones is one of the top 3-4 rush LB’s in this draft. The Jets also recently parted ways with Calvin Pace and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bryan Thomas next on the “to go” menu.

10. Tennessee Titans (6-10) Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama (6’3” 320lbs). Eddie Lacy and TJ Yeldon had great seasons running behind Warmack, so there is definitely a reason to believe that the Titans could get Chris Johnson going pretty well running behind a guy like that. In fact, NFL.com has Warmack as the highest rated player in this draft. If Warmack were 2-3 inches taller and played LT, he would probably be the #1 overall pick. He is THAT dominating of a player. Along with being a punishing run blocker, he anchors down well in pass protection, he pulls well, and he has a nice blend of athleticism and strength. He’ll probably be a pro-bowler in no time. Mike Munchak has been adamantly displeased with his OL’s performance; in particular their inconsistency with opening up holes for Chris Johnson. Again, this draft has 1 or 2 top rated players and then it really drops off, so why not go for some of the top rated guys that you need?

11. San Diego Chargers (7-9) Jonathan Banks, CB, Mississippi State (6’2” 189lbs). San Diego’s secondary is in shambles. Eric Weddle is their best player, but he can’t do it all by himself. Quinton Jammer is more or less a pass-interference machine at this point in his career (because he can’t keep up with receivers anymore) and neither Antione Cason nor Marcus Gilchrest has really been able to muster up the ability to handle an opponent’s #1 receiver. Banks is a bit on the thin side, but he is aggressive, physical, has nice ball skills, and has a ton of experience as a starting cornerback in the SEC. He faced off against AJ Green and Julio Jones while in college, so he is battle-tested and capable of taking on practically any receiver he faces.

12. Miami Dolphins (7-9) Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU (6’6” 270lbs). The Dolphins have been running a lot of defensive sets with Jared Odrick lined up at defensive end. Odrick isn’t a bad player, but he doesn’t have the quickness to really be an effective DE in the 4-3. Cameron Wake gets far too much attention from offensive lineman to be really consistent, so the Dolphins could really be looking for that difference maker at pass rusher. Ansah is going to see his stock skyrocket. He looked confused and slow during Senior Bowl practices, which is a testament to how raw he is, but during the game he just obliterated the competition. He lives in the backfield. You really got an idea of how much upside this kid has and it is easily going to push him into the top 15.

[wickedsolo]

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9) Matt Elam, FS, Florida (5’10” 205lbs). Greg Schiano absolutely must fix his secondary. The Bucs posted one of the worst defenses in the league last year and a lot of that was because they were just so terrible against the pass. Mark Barron was a bright spot, but they can’t stop there. They really need a cornerback, but Matt Elam might be too good of a prospect to pass up on here and a safety-tandem of Elam and Barron would easily become one of the best safety duos in the NFL. It would also help out the Bucs’ corners a bit because opposing QB’s might think twice about trying to go over the top. Elam can also provide a lot of support as a blitzing safety and an in-the-box safety.

14. Carolina Panthers (7-9) Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri (6’4” 295lbs). Carolina might be a team to try and trade up for a Star Lotulelei or Jonathan Hankins, but if they can’t then I think they will probably target the top rated DT left on the board. Sheldon Richardson is more of a pass rusher than a run stopper, but truthfully, the Panthers just need better players on their interior DL. Richardson will take a lot of pressure off of Charles Johnson as well because teams are going to have to make a decision on whom to double team. While Richardson has been known to take plays off here and there, he could impact the Panther’s defense like Ndamukong Suh has impacted the Lion’s front 7.

15. New Orleans Saints (7-9) Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU (6’5” 245lbs). The Saints are apparently considering a scheme switch to a 3-4 front. Shaun Payton wasn’t pleased with the defensive effort at all last year, so he is looking at either Romeo Crennell or Eric Mangini as his defensive coordinator. As it stands right now, the Saints really don’t have a lot of 3-4 components, so I could see them working hard to build out their front 7. Mingo is a long and lean pass rusher with excellent explosion and closing speed. He has some nice pass rushing moves, but he has the upside to develop into a lot more than just a pass rusher. He also is kind of a home town hero, which would generate a nice buzz around New Orleans.

16. St. Louis Rams (7-8-1) Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma (6’7” 303lbs). Johnson is another guy who has quickly seen his stock rise and for good reason. Not only does he have prototypical size for an offensive tackle in the NFL, but also he is very consistent and athletic as a pass blocker. Jeff Fisher can’t be happy with the protection that Sam Bradford isn’t getting. Bradford already has some durability issues and unfortunately, I think he is going to go the way of David Carr and just be so beaten and bruised that he is never going to fully reach his potential. Roger Saffold is a decent player, but he really is better suited as a guard in the NFL, so the Rams really need to consider upgrading the offensive line…and probably find a new QB.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8) Cordarelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee (6’3” 205lbs). I think that the Steelers could definitely shock some folks and take a player like Patterson in round 1. He isn’t as complete as some of the other receivers in this draft class, but he is just a really talented football player with incredible upside. He’d be a good fit in Pittsburgh since they already have 2 to 3 receivers who are good route runners and can move the chains. They are going to need a deep threat to replace Mike Wallace. This is a fairly deep draft for defensive players, but not so much for offensive skill players. The Steelers are heading into an off-season where they are going to have to really purge their roster to get under the cap. The Steelers would be wise to make a statement and consider getting a receiver early on.

18. Dallas Cowboys (8-8) Shariff Floyd, DT, Florida (6’3” 305lbs). New defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin, is definitely going to install his cover-2 defense. The problem is right now the Cowboys don’t have a lot of the components needed for Kiffin to really get his D going, which revolves around having an athletic group of defensive linemen. Shariff Floyd is a very talented defensive lineman who can really get after the QB. Floyd lined up beside Ratliff and Ware could be a really lethal front 4. Kiffin’s scheme depends heavily on production from the defensive line because of the amount of zone coverages that he runs. He needs defensive lineman that can beat their man and get to the QB quickly and consistently.

19. New York Giants (9-7) Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State (6’2” 215lbs). This is a good spot for Rhodes. For being a 6’2” cornerback, he can turn and run with practically any receiver. He plays press coverage really well and he has nice ball skills. He could be a candidate to eventually move back to safety, but he would be an excellent addition to a fairly up and down Giants secondary. Prince Amukamara has some nice upside, but he is inconsistent. Corey Webster was picked on a lot this year and who knows if Terrell Thomas will be able to return to the level that he was at. Jerry Reese has always been the type of guy who will take the best player available, even if it may not fill a specific need. Rhodes is definitely in consideration of one of the best players available at this point.

20. Chicago Bears (10-6) Jonathan Cooper, OG/C, UNC (6’3” 315lbs). Marc Trestman is an offensive guy and all anyone needs to do is watch some tape of the Bears the past two seasons and they’ll see that the one thing really holding this team back is consistency along the o-line. If Lane Johnson or Eric Fisher falls, I could see them targeting one of those guys to replace J’Marcus Webb, but the Bears still have issues at center and guard. Cooper is an outstanding run blocker, has nice footwork, and mirrors defensive players well. He really is an underrated prospect. He’s smart and while at UNC he was dominant as a run blocker and handled DT’s in pass protection. In the NFL, guard or center are probably the best fits for him, but his natural position is guard. This isn’t a flashy pick, but it is a necessary one and I do think that Cooper has 1st round value.

21. Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas (6’1” 215lbs). The Bengals have a lot of money to spend, so I actually think that they’ll work to bring back Michael Johnson and some of their other free agents. However, I’m not so sure if they will have the opportunity in free agency to address their issues at safety. Reggie Nelson has been decent for them, but they have a major issue at SS because Taylor Mays is really bad. Sure, he can lay some lumber, but he is terrible in coverage and has no field awareness at all. They also tried Nate Clements at safety, but he is really not effective either. They have some young guys on their roster (Miles, Dye, etc), but Vaccaro is arguably better than any of them and frankly, I think it would be quite hard for the Bengals to pass up on a guy who can tackle, play in the box, blitz, and cover. When Texas played against West Virginia, Vaccaro dropped down and covered Tavon Austin 1-on-1 and did a spectacular job.

22. St. Louis Rams (From Washington, 10-6) Jonathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State (6’4” 320lbs). I think Hankins could drop out of the top 20. Not because he isn’t a talented prospect with some upside, but because of some questions surrounding his effort on and off the field. Furthermore, you have to wonder if he is an every down player or a 2-down DT. Jeff Fisher built one of the better DL’s while in Tennessee, so I think he will continue to build out a strong DL. Michael Brockers is a good pass rushing DT, but Hankins would be an outstanding counterpart to Brockers because of his ability to take on blockers and stuff the run. The Rams have considered switching to a 3-4, so the versatility of a player like Hankins might be appealing to the Rams.

23. Minnesota Vikings (10-6) Kawann Short, DT, Purdue (6’3” 310lbs). Short is a really underrated prospect. He has really nice short area burst, he uses his hands and leverage well, and he pushes the pocket well. The Vikings may not necessarily need a DT right away, but their DL has definitely regressed since losing Ray Edwards and Pat Williams. Kevin Williams is still very good and Jared Allen is still one of the best DE’s in the league, but they definitely need to get younger, tougher, and more athletic on the DL. This will also help alleviate some depth issues they have at the LB position.

[wickedsolo]

24. Indianapolis Colts (11-5) Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon (6’7” 245lbs). I think Jordan drops a bit because I can see scouts and coaches being unsure of what he is and what he can do. The truth is, he is an explosive player, but has had some inconsistency problems. Secondly, I think coaches are primarily going to look at him as a 3-4 OLB only because of his size. I don’t see him as having the frame to really add good weight and keep his quickness. So, a 4-3 DE is likely out of the question. Chuck Pagano would likely be all over this guy. The Colts are releasing Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis is old and not really well suited as a 3-4 OLB. Jordan has the ability to rush the passer, but he also does a nice job dropping into coverage and setting the edge, which is something that Pagano will definitely value.

25. Seattle Seahawks (11-5) Datone Jones, DE, UCLA (6’4” 285lbs). Pete Carroll is one of those coaches that have no problem bucking trends. He drafts whom he wants and whom he thinks will fit his team the best. Last year, very few considered Bruce Irvin a 1st round pick, let alone a top 15 pick. The year before, Carroll drafted James Carpenter, who even Nick Saban (his college coach at Alabama) didn’t think was a 1st round selection. Datone Jones, however, has seen his stock steadily rise after an impressive week at the Senior Bowl. He isn’t a finesse pass rusher, but he has some great moves and his versatility is something that any coach can get behind. He also plays the run very well. The Seahawks will definitely need to look at defensive ends who can be every down players now that Chris Clemons suffered a signifigant knee injury late in the season.

26. Green Bay Packers (11-5) Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama (6’ 220lbs). Green Bay hasn’t had a feature back who can carry the load since Ryan Grant was in his prime. They’ve tried the committee approach and it is just really inconsistent for them. Aaron Rodgers is arguably the best QB in the NFL, but he can only do so much when defenses know what is coming. If Green Bay can develop a more robust ground attack, then their already potent passing game will become that much more effective. Lacy is a 1-cut and go type of runner. He has nice explosion and burst. He hits holes hard and he rarely gets driven backwards. He doesn’t have homerun speed, but if he can get into the secondary then he is extremely difficult to take down. His skillset is very similar to that of Marshawn Lynch in that he is a violent runner who doesn’t shy away from contact.

27. Houston Texans (12-4) Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia (6’3” 235lbs). Once Brian Cushing went down for the season, the Texans’ defense became quite porous against the run. They just had so little depth at inside linebacker. Even if Cushing comes back at full strength next season, they really need someone beside him who is a viable starter because Barrett Ruud and Tim Dobbins aren’t going to cut it. Ogletree is kind of a works in progress type of player. By that I mean he has an extremely high ceiling as a linebacker, but has yet to put it all together. That makes sense though because the guy was a safety up until his sophomore year when he made the switch to linebacker. He has excellent speed and range for his size. He is the type of linebacker that a lot of defenses are going to look for with the emergence of athletic receiving tight ends. However, Ogltree definitely needs some coaching on being a sound fundamental player, because too often he tries to run around blockers and over pursues ball carriers.

28. Denver Broncos (13-3) Kevin Minter, LB, LSU (6’1” 245lbs). The Broncos had one of the top rated defenses in the league, but they could still use some better depth and athleticism in the middle of their defense. Wesley Woodyard makes some big plays, but he also can become a non-factor far too often. Furthermore, he isn’t really a good fit as a middle linebacker. Von Miller plays OLB, but on passing downs he definitely drops down to a DE, which is where he is really effective. DJ Williams seems to have fallen out of favor with the coaching staff due to failing NFL substance tests, so Denver could definitely use a boost in their front 7. Minter is incredibly active, has nice range, and really packs a whallop when he makes tackles on the ball carrier.

29. New England Patriots (12-4) Jessie Williams, DT, Alabama (6’4” 320bs). Jessie Williams is the type of player that Belichik loves because he is extremely versatile for a bigger guy. He is excellent against the run and can line up as a nose tackle or an under tackle in 4-3 alignments. He doesn’t bring a whole lot as a pass rusher, but the Patriots certainly know the value of having a solid rotation of linemen. Vince Wilfork is still an outstanding player, but it would be nice for the Patriots if they had someone who could play beside him now and take over for him in a few years when he retires. Williams would also help keep the Patriot’s linebackers clean while giving Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovic more favorable match ups.

30. Atlanta Falcons (13-3) Alex Okafor, DE, Texas (6’5” 265lbs). During the Senior Bowl, Okafor beat Eric Fisher (who is the 2nd rated OT in this draft) a number of times and really boosted his stock nicely. He has solid straight-line speed, but doesn’t have a whole lot as a lateral player. I don’t think he would function too well as a 3-4 rush linebacker, but in a 4-3 as a true defensive end, I think he would be just fine. He has a nice variety of pass rushing moves and uses his hands very well. The Falcons spent a lot on Ray Edwards only to cut him after one unproductive season. John Abraham is well past his prime and quite frankly, no one on Atlanta’s DL really scares anyone. In their playoff game against San Francisco, they had a real tough time containing Collin Kaepernick, so getting an athletic DE who can rush the passer and contain will be a high priority for the Falcons.

31. San Francisco 49ers (11-4-1) Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia (5’9” 177lbs). Michael Crabtree is a pretty solid possession receiver and he can break tackles and pick up YAC. However, he doesn’t really have that homerun capability. Randy Moss will probably retire, Mario Manningham is injury prone and inconsistent, Kyle Williams is injury prone, and last year’s 1st round pick (AJ Jenkins) didn’t register a catch at all this season. Furthermore, Ted Ginn Jr doesn’t have any interested in returning to San Fran, so they are going to be in the market for someone who can be a return specialist. Austin is an absolutely explosive playmaker as a return specialist, a receiver, and even a running back. He has a lot of experience in offenses that utilize the zone-read and Collin Kaepernick would really benefit from having a legitimate deep threat with good hands. The only downside to Austin is his size, but the guy just makes things happen. Who knows? He could be the catalyst for getting the Niners a Super Bowl championship next year.

32. Baltimore Ravens (10-6) Manti T’eo, LB, Notre Dame (6’2” 245lbs). At one point, T’eo was considered one of the top prospects in this draft. He has a ton of leadership qualities that you can’t coach and he has a ton of experience as a starter on the highest levels of collegiate competition. Alabama embarrassed the Irish during the National Championship game, so a lot of folks are wondering whether or not they had overrated T’eo. You can certainly argue that they did overrate him because he was one of the top rated high school prospects to come out as a true inside linebacker and he played for Notre Dame, which can sometimes give status not achieved. That said, he had a big game against USC including an INT and he had 2 INT’s against Michigan and caused another INT. The weird circumstances around T’eo make me wonder about his maturity level, but I think John Harbaugh would be a great coach for him and I think the Ravens’ locker room would be a great fit for T’eo. They’ve already got a lot of leadership and if any team knows that not everyone is perfect, it’s the Ravens. Ozzie once again pounces on a highly rated player who falls.

[wickedsolo]

Round 2

33. Kansas City Chiefs – Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas (6’2” 220lbs). I think Andy Reid will gamble and take the best player in this draft (Joeckel) in round 1 and see what shakes out at QB in the top of round 2. He could also trade back up into round 1. Wilson is a gunslinger with a solid arm and good accuracy. His release needs some work, but overall he is a good decision maker and does a nice job driving off of his back leg to get optimal zip on his passes. I’ve also read that folks in KC’s front office feel that Joeckel in round 1 and Wilson in round 2 is the best-case scenario at the moment. At worst, he would provide nice competition for Matt Cassell and Brady Quinn.

34. Jacksonville Jaguars - David Amerson, CB/S, NC State (6’3” 195lbs). Amerson had an up and down year, but he has the skills to be very good at corner and Gus Bradley obviously has experience with bigger cornerbacks. He does have a tendency to play a little stiff, so the Jags may be interested in dropping him back to free safety. He has excellent ball skills to go along with nice range and size.

35. Cincinnati Bengals [Oakland/Carson Palmer Trade] Giovani Bernard, RB, UNC (5’10” 205lbs). Bernard compares heavily to backs like Frank Gore because of the lateral quickness and bursts of speed. The Bengals could use a more dynamic player at the RB position because BGE is consistent, but pretty average.

36. Philadelphia Eagles – Jon Jenkins, DT, Georgia (6’4” 345lbs). The Eagles are going to have to start making some decisions about the guys they currently have under contract. Cullen Jenkins isn’t a young guy anymore and really never impacted the way that they had hoped. Fletcher Cox has a nice future ahead of him, but getting a massive space eating DT like Jenkins could do wonders for their defense.

37. Detroit Lions – Phillip Thomas, S, Fresno State (6’ 210lbs). Thomas is a solid all-around safety. He has good range, outstanding ball skills, and he can drop down to play in the box. He was already a solid 3rd/late 2nd round pick. His stock has definitely risen after a good showing at the Senior Bowl. The Lions secondary has been a weak spot for far too long. They need some continuity and more athleticism there.

38. Cleveland Browns - 2012 Supplemental Pick: Josh Gordon.

39. Arizona Cardinals – Matt Barkley, QB, USC (6’2” 230lbs). Barkey doesn’t have an outstanding arm, but it is good enough to make a lot of the throws he will need to make in the NFL. In the right offense, I think he could be pretty successful. Many think he may be the most pro-ready QB to come out this year, but inconsistencies and injuries have dropped his stock a bit. I think Bruce Arians is the type of coach that could get the most out of Barkley.

40. New York Jets – Tyler Eiffert, TE, Notre Dame (6’6” 251bs). Some folks in the Jets’ locker room claim that Sanchez just doesn’t have the weapons to be effective. Well, no time like the present to get the #1 overall TE in the draft. The Jets may not bring Dustin Keller back, but even if they did he seems to always be hurt and isn’t a good blocker anyway.

41. Tennessee Titans – Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington (6’ 190lbs). Trufant is one of those players that you know about, but didn’t really hear about because the Washington Huskies were really average. However, Trufant played extremely well at the Senior Bowl and didn’t really get beat by any of the receivers there. The Titans were definitely hurting without Cortland Finnegan last year.

42. Buffalo Bills – DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson (6’1” 205lbs). I actually think Hopkins is someone who could go in round 1. He is that good. He has outstanding hands, runs great routes, and has enough speed to keep defenses honest. Buffalo definitely needs someone opposite of Stevie Johnson because the Bills have no one right now who can move the chains and Hopkins would be a nice addition for Nassib to grow with.

43. Miami Dolphins – Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford (6’6” 255lbs). Ertz is a natural receiving TE with average blocking skills. He is a solid redzone threat and is athletic enough to split out wide or in the slot. Miami needs to continue to build around Ryan Tannehill and that means giving him better weapons.

44. Tampa Bay Buccaneers –Sam Montgomery, DE, LSU (6’3 260lbs). Tampa may not re-sign DE Michael Bennett, but even if they do it is going to be hard to pass up on Sam Montgomery. I think he drops out of round 1 because similar to Courtney Upshaw last year, he does a lot of things well, but nothing really stands out as being a “wow” factor. He is a solid player though and would likely break into the starting lineup for the Bucs.

45. Carolina Panthers – Kyle Long, OT/G, Oregon (6’7” 311lbs). Long started at LG for Oregon, but many think he could probably play offensive tackle eventually. The Panthers have a gaping hole at RT and Jordan Gross is getting up there in age. At the very least, Long would provide a solid starting-caliber RT.

46. New Orleans Saints – Forfeited.

[wickedsolo]

47. San Diego Chargers – Barrett Jones, C/OG, Alabama (6’5” 305lbs). San Diego’s offensive line is putrid. Jared Gaither can’t get healthy, Jeromy Clary is awful, and Nick Hardwick is average at best. Louis Vasquez, their RG, is probably their best lineman right now. Jones could easily beat out Clary to start at RT, but Jones is probably best suited at G until Hardwick retires and then he can take over at center.

48. St. Louis Rams – Da’Rick Rogers, WR, Tennessee Tech (6’3” 210lbs). Rogers has some off-field issues, but on the field he is arguably the best all-around receiver in this draft. Jeff Fisher doesn’t seem to mind too much when it comes to guys with questionable characters (Kenny Britt, Janoris Jenkins, Titus Young, etc), so I think Fisher would be one guy who would take a chance on Rogers. They have to get Sam Bradford consistent weapons. If he can get Rogers and Young to focus on the game, the Rams would have a very dynamic receiving unit.

49. Dallas Cowboys – Mike Glennon, QB, NC State (6’6” 235lbs). Glennon doesn’t look like a physically imposing QB, but he has a cannon for an arm. There is not one throw that he cannot make. The biggest knock on Glennon is his accuracy and tendency to throw off of his back foot. That said, Dallas would be a good spot for him because Tony Romo is the starter there and Jason Garrett is pretty good at developing QB’s.

50. Pittsburgh Steelers – Larry Warford, OG, Kentucky (6’3” 330lbs). The Steelers aren’t going to be bringing back Ramon Foster, Doug Legursky, or Willie Colon. They really need to get better players on their offensive line in a hurry and while their defense still has age issues, I think keeping Roethlisberger healthy is going to be priority #1 for Pittsburgh next season. Warford was absolutely dominating at the Senior Bowl. He is a violent run blocker, which fits in well with Todd Haley’s offensive philosophy.

51. New York Giants – Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State (6’1” 230lbs). Chase Blackburn is a good 2-down inside linebacker, but he is in over his head when it comes to dropping into coverage. The Giants have had an open wound at linebacker for a few seasons now and no one seems to be working there. They recently released Michael Boley, so I think that they’ll be in the market for a new one. Brown may be small, but he is an instinctual player with sound fundamental technique. He flies around the field, does well in coverage, and is a big hitter.

52. Chicago Bears – Margus Hunt, DE, Southern Methodist (6’8” 277lbs). It is going to be hard for teams to pass up on Hunt. He is enormous and is insanely athletic for his stature. He is really raw though having only played organized football for 2 seasons at SMU. Prior to that, he was on course to become an Olympian. Julius Peppers had a down year, so getting someone like Hunt in the fold now would be a good thing for Chicago.

53. Washington Redskins – Eric Reid, FS, LSU (6’2” 212lbs). Reid is an opportunistic safety with solid ball skills and the range to play over the top. He leaves a lot to be desired when supporting run defense and sometimes he seems to shy away from contact. However, the Redskins have two of the best pass rushers in the league, so there will be plenty of opportunities for Reid to take advantage of errant throws.

54. Minnesota Vikings – Jordan Poyer, CB, Oregon State (6’ 189lbs). Poyer is a solid cover corner who isn’t afraid to mix it up at the line of scrimmage. The Vikings are living off of Antione Winfield’s fumes and Chris Cook could go to jail again at any time. They need to replenish their secondary and Poyer has 1st round talent.

55. Cincinnati Bengals – Khaseem Greene, LB, Rutgers (6’ 235lbs). Greene is just an absolute monster. A lot of people actually consider him the best overall LB in this draft class and with good reason. He would be a good fit in Mike Zimmer’s defense. He is very aggressive, quick, and tackles extremely well. The Bengals likely will not bring back Rey Maualuga, who has been a huge disappointment, and Greene would be an ideal candidate as a weak-side linebacker, which would kick Vontaze Burfict inside.

56. Miami Dolphins [Indianapolis/Vontae Davis Trade] – Stedman Bailey, WR, West Virginia (5’10” 192lbs). I can see a lot of similarities in Bailey’s game to guys like James Jones and Greg Jennings. Even though Bailey isn’t the biggest receiver, he gets off of press coverage really well, he runs outstanding routes, and he is a natural hands-catcher. I think Miami will absolutely use this draft to build out their receivers for Ryan Tannehill.

57. Seattle Seahawks – Robert Woods, WR, USC (6’1” 190lbs). Why wouldn’t Pete Carroll bring in one of his own guys? Woods has enough speed to be a vertical threat, but he knows how to dial it back and run pristine routes as well. He had somewhat of a down year due to injuries, but I think this is a good spot for Woods and the Seahawks really need to get better at receiver.

58. Green Bay Packers – Brian Winters, OG/T, Kent State (6’4” 310lbs). Had Winters measured in at the 6’6” Kent State listed him at, he would probably be considered a borderline round 1 guy. He has excellent footwork, good strength, and nastiness to him. I think he could play LT in the NFL, but regardless the Packers just need help on their OL. Winters could man guard while Dietrich-Smith moves to center.

59. Houston Texans – Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee (6’4” 200lbs). Hunter is kind of a straight-line speed receiver, but you cannot discount his size and catch radius. If he can refine his route running skills, he could be a #1 for the Texans when Andre Johnson retires. They really need to find a better #2 receiver because teams are keying on Andre Johnson and Schaub doesn’t have anywhere else to go.

60. Denver Broncos – Logan Ryan, CB, Rutgers (6’ 193lbs). So, Champ Bailey got toasted in the playoffs. The guy went from being one of the best corners in the league to Broncos fans ranting about how he should retire. Ryan is a really underrated corner and just does everything really well. He doesn’t have elite speed, but he plays with good anticipation and awareness.

61. New England Patriots – Markus Wheaton, WR, Oregon State (5’11” 185lbs). The Patriots are very likely to part ways with Wes Welker, which isn’t surprising because the guy drops a lot of critical passes when the game is on the line. Some recent reports even suggest that Brandon Lloyd may not be back with them next year either. The Pats’ bread and butter remain through Gronkowski and Hernandez, but they definitely need to address their lack of depth at receiver. Wheaton is an outstanding route runner and has excellent hands. He is an ideal slot receiver in the NFL.

62. Atlanta Falcons – Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State (5’11” 190lbs). Boise’s pass defense was ranked 4th in the country and a large part of that was Jamar Taylor. He led the team with 9 defensed passes, 4 interceptions and over 50 tackles. Cornerback may not be high on the list of needs for Atlanta, but Brent Grimes may be too expensive for them to bring back. They could be looking for someone to start opposite of Dunte Robinson, who also has concussion concerns.

63. San Francisco 49er’s – Brandon Williams, DT, Missouri Southern (6’2” 340lbs). Williams really shined during the Senior Bowl. He started off kind of slow, but then proved to everyone that he could hang with NFL-caliber players. He is an ideal fit for the Niner’s 3-4 at nose tackle and with Ricky Jean-Francois leaving, Isaac Sopoaga leaving, and Justin Smith getting older, they really need to build out their DL components.

64. Baltimore Ravens – Bennie Logan, DT, LSU (6’3” 290lbs). Logan can play DE in a 3-4 as well as an under tackle in 4-3/nickel/dime sets. He has a nice variety of moves that allow him to pressure QB’s and collapse the pocket. He is solid against the run and also has a knack for batting passes at the line of scrimmage. Ozzie Newsome recently stated that the Ravens needed to get better in the middle of their defense. Teams were able to run on the Ravens far too much and the pass rush from the DL was far too inconsistent.