I have been wrestling over whether I should do an NFL Mock Draft this year. When I see someone like Peter King say that this is most unpredictable draft he’s seen in his long career, I take it seriously. As seriously as someone should take doing a mock draft for their very, very small blog.
There is nothing certain in this draft. There’s a rumor this morning that Rex Ryan told former West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin that he “has a plan for him.” That’s probably the clearest thing we know about this draft. And the Jets pick 9th and 13th. So there are at least 8 other teams that could take Austin and ruin the Jets “plan.” Or it could just be a rumor.
There is a complete lack of clarity with the top pick. Weeks ago, most people assumed Texas A&M left tackle Luke Joeckel would go first. This week though, there have been rumors that Kansas City might prefer Central Michigan left tackle Eric Fisher. And that’s the intrigue in this draft: Which left tackle you never realized existed when you were watching college football this year will go first overall.
I can never remember a draft with this much of a talent vacancy at the skill positions. There is no sure-thing quarterback (there isn’t even a good one). There is no sure-thing running back (there are some good ones). And there are no sure-thing wideouts (in fact, good luck finding someone who agrees on who the best receiver is).
So how do you do a mock draft when you’re both not plugged in to what teams are going to do (that’s always the case for me) AND there’s no consensus about who the best players are?
You list each of the teams and take a wild stab at who they’re going to pick, offer no analysis, hope people follow you on twitter (@midatlanticbias) for your real-time thoughts on draft night, and maybe hit one or two picks.
If you’re new to this, I don’t predict trades because, really, how do you do that? This is who I think each team will pick, not who I would pick. Because if I could pick, I’d try to acquire more selections next year.
1. Kansas City Chiefs select Luke Joeckel (OT/Texas A&M)
2. Jacksonville Jaguars select Dion Jordan (DE/Oregon)
3. Oakland Raiders select Sharrif Floyd (DT/Florida)
4. Philadelphia Eagles select Star Lotulelei (DT/Utah)
5. Detroit Lions select Eric Fisher (OT/Central Michigan)
6. Cleveland Browns select Dee Milliner (CB/Alabama)
7. Arizona Cardinals select Lane Johnson (OT/Oklahoma)
8. Buffalo Bills select Ryan Nassib (QB/Syracuse)
9. New York Jets select Jonathan Cooper (OG/North Carolina)
10. Tennessee Titans select Chance Warmack (OG/Alabama)
11. San Diego Chargers select Xavier Rhodes (CB/Florida State)
12. Miami Dolphins select Tavon Austin (WR/West Virginia)
13. New York Jets select Ziggy Ansah (DE/BYU)
14. Carolina Panthers select Barkevious Mingo (DE/OLB/LSU)
15. New Orleans Saints select Desmond Trufant (CB/Washington)
16. St. Louis Rams select DeAndre Hopkins (WR/Clemson)
17. Pittsburgh Steelers select Tyler Eifert (TE/Notre Dame)
18. Dallas Cowboys select DJ Fluker (OT/Alabama)
19. New York Giants select Jarvis Jones (OLB/Georgia)
20. Chicago Bears select Sheldon Richardson (DT/Missouri)
21. Cincinnati Bengals select Giovanni Bernard (RB/North Carolina)
22. St. Louis Rams select Kenny Vaccaro (S/Texas)
23. Minnesota Vikings select DJ Hayden (CB/Houston)
24. Indianapolis Colts select Tank Carradine (DT/Florida State)
25. Minnesota Vikings select Alec Ogletree (LB/Georgia)
26. Green Bay Packers select Alex Okafor (DE/Texas)
27. Houston Texans select Cordarelle Patterson (WR/Tennessee)
28. Denver Broncos select Damontre Moore (DT/Texas A&M)
29. New England Patriots select Quinton Patton (WR/Louisiana Tech)
30. Atlanta Falcons select Bjoern Werner (DE/OLB/Florida State)
31. San Francisco 49ers select Jonathan Cyprien (S/Florida International)
32. Baltimore Ravens select Kevin Minter (LB/LSU)
6 Bold/Random Predictions:
1. The Atlanta Falcons will likely pool a bunch of picks together to move up in the draft to improve their defense with a potential star player.
2. No, I don’t expect Geno Smith or Manti Te’o to be drafted in the first round. And neither should. Alabama exposed Te’o in the National Championship game. Geno Smith threw more short passes in his time at West Virginia than nearly anyone else in football. His high completion percentage reflects that. Smith is not a good downfield passer. And I think NFL teams know that.
3. In five years, none of the quarterbacks drafted this year will be starting in the NFL. None. And if one is, it’ll be Tyler Wilson.
4. The team that drafts Eddie Lacy will have the likely Offensive Rookie of the Year.
5. The team that drafts his Alabama teammate Dee Milliner will have the Defensive Rookie of the Year. And if it is Cleveland, they’ll be tougher to throw on than any team in the AFC.
6. Even though you might not know the players, it’s still going to be a fun night for those of us who love names being read and awkward man hugs.
Mid-Atlantic Bias 