Draft Breakdown » Andrew Parsons

Andrew Parsons’ Final Mock Draft

Andrew Parsons — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 01:31:55 +0000

Credit the design work to my man Nate James, who you can follow at @ntjms44

Andrew Parsons’ 2 Round Mock Draft (Trades Included): 4/9

Andrew Parsons — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:50:10 +0000

FIRST ROUND

1. Kansas City Chiefs: OT Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M

Haven’t changed this pick. All indications have been that this is their guy.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars: QB Geno Smith, West Virginia

Another pick that I don’t see myself changing as the draft approaches. New QB is the next logical step in the Jaguars rebuilding process.
3. Oakland Raiders: OLB Dion Jordan, Oregon

Last time, I went with Ziggy Ansah here. This time around, I chose Jordan. I know the Raiders signed a couple of free agent linebackers, but they are versatile, and so is Jordan. There’s a lot of options there.
4. Philadelphia Eagles: DT Star Lotulelei, Utah

Versatility seems to be the name of the game for the Eagles, and Star fits that mold better than Sharrif Floyd.
5. Detroit Lions: OT Eric Fisher, Central Michigan

One can easily make the chase that Fisher is superior to Joeckel. Maybe the Lions have more faith in Riley Reiff than I do, but I think Fisher’s the guy they want to bring in to protect Stafford’s blindside.
6. **San Diego Chargers (via CLE)**: OT Lane Johnson, Oklahoma

Many people think the Dolphins are going to move up here, but I could see the Chargers beating them to the punch. I think the Dolphins are likely more comfortable with Jon Martin at LT than the Chargers are with King Dunlap.
7. Arizona Cardinals: OLB Ezekiel Ansah, BYU

Too early for an offensive guard, and the top three OTs are off the board. So the Cardinals chose to add the explosive pass rusher instead.
8. Buffalo Bills: WR Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee

I think the Bills will explore trading down and selecting a QB. However, at 8, they are in a prime position to add a weapon. I considered Tavon Austin here, but there are only so many touches you can give to he and CJ Spiller in space, so I went with Cordarrelle instead.
9. New York Jets: LB Barkevious Mingo, LSU

The Jets desperately need a pass rusher, and Mingo fits the bill.
10. Tennessee Titans: CB Dee Milliner, Alabama

The Titans don’t have a lot of holes, but need a talent infusion. I think they’d be thrilled if Milliner made it to this point.
11. Cleveland Browns (via MIA): CB Xavier Rhdoes, FSU

I think the Browns would highly consider Eifert here, but instead, I think they’d ultimately chose to upgrade their CB corps.
12. Miami Dolphins: OT DJ Fluker, Alabama

The new rumor, and I can believe it. The Miami Dolphins are apparently high on Jon Martin for some reason, and if they truly do like him at LT, then adding a likely upper echelon RT makes a ton of sense.
13. **New York Jets (via TB)**: WR Tavon Austin, West Virginia

I’m saying the Revis deal goes down. Having already added a pass rusher, the Jets decide to add an explosive element to an offense that is severely lacking one.
14. Carolina Panthers: DT Sharrif Floyd, Florida

This might be the fastest run to the podium ever. Most people think Floyd is a top talent, and the DT position is in desperate need of attention for the Panthers.
15. New Orleans Saints: OLB Jarvis Jones, Georgia

A highly productive pass rusher who makes a good deal of sense for a team converting to the 34.
16. St. Louis Rams: S Kenny Vacarro, Texas

S is definitely a position the Rams need to address, and with the combination of Austin being off the board, and the fear of Vacarro being snagged by Dallas, I think it’s very likely he goes here.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers: OLB Cornelius Carradine, FSU

The Steelers add a big, physical pass rusher to step into the spot James Harrison’s release left open.

18. Dallas Cowboys: OG Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina

Whether or not the Cowboys add a free agent right tackle or not, they still need interior help, and Cooper fits the bill.
19. New York Giants: LB Alec Ogletree, Georgia

Ogletree adds an influx of speed and explosiveness to the Giants linebacking corps. He’s not completely there yet, but his ridiculous stop-start ability and speed will help deal with the rest of the NFC East.
20. Chicago Bears: LB Arthur Brown, Kansas State

The Bears experienced some turnover (Urlacher, Roach) at their linebacker position, and despite a few small signings, it’s tough to pass up Brown at this point.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: OT Menelik Watson, FSU

It’s starting to look more and more like Andre Smith won’t be back. There have been numerous rumors about Watson not getting out of the first round, and this seems like a logical landing spot.
22. St. Louis Rams (from Washington Redskins): OG Chance Warmack, Alabama

Fisher stills love to ground and pound the football, and for that reason, he will be absolutely thrilled to see Warmack on the board at this point in the draft. Could potentially rival the Panthers for fastest run to the podium.
23. Minnesota Vikings: LB Manti Te’o, Notre Dame

Vikings fans may not like it, but it’s not like I’m the first one suggesting this. When every talking head is saying Te’o doesn’t get out of the first, I have to believe them. The film says otherwise, but sometimes it’s not always about the film.
24. **Buffalo Bills (via IND)**: QB Ryan Nassib, Syracuse

I think Doug Marrone wants to bring his old QB from ‘Cuse with him to Buffalo. He already added a weapon in Patterson, but now trades up in front of the Vikings to make sure he can secure Nassib.
25. Minnesota Vikings (from Seattle Seahawks): QB EJ Manuel, FSU

Don’t think we’ll see just 2 first round QBs. While none of the teams picking immediately behind the Vikings are a threat to snag Manuel, the Eagles certainly are, so the Vikings decide to grab some insurance in case Ponder doesn’t show improvement.
26. **Philadelphia Eagles (via GB)**: CB Desmond Trufant, Washington

I personally don’t grade Trufant this highly, but it seems as if many others do. Based on current projections, this might actually be a little bit of a slide for Trufant. With teams like New England and Atlanta looming, and GB likely a willing trading partner, this is a good place to make a move for Trufant.
27. **Detroit Lions (via HOU)**: DE Bjoern Werner, FSU

I think Detroit would absolutely pounce on the chance to move up for Werner at this point in the draft. OT and DE are their biggest needs, and earlier I had them add arguably the top OT in this class (Eric Fisher) at #5. Now here at 27, with the trade up, they are able to get someone who was frequently mocked to them at #5 pre combine.
28. Denver Broncos: DT Sheldon Richardson, Missouri

The Broncos signed Terrance Knighton, and resigned Kevin Vickerson, but someone of Richardson’s talent, this late, is just too much to pass up, even with Cyprien on the board.
29. New England Patriots: WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson

It is no secret the Patriots are looking to add a weapon at WR. While I don’t believe Hopkins is a first round caliber WR, most seem to think he is.
30. Atlanta Falcons: CB Jamar Taylor, Boise State

After releasing Dunta Robinson, the Falcons opened up a massive hole at their #2 CB slot. While Dimitroff usually stays away from character concern guys, Jamar Taylor was only suspended for one game as a Sophomore. Considering the amount of pre-draft time the Falcons have spent with Taylor, it’s hard for me to believe it’s a major concern.
31. San Francisco 49ers: S Jonathan Cyprien, FIU

If he makes it here, the 49ers will be ecstatic. Cyprien represents a perfect replacement for Dashon Goldson.
32. Baltimore Ravens: LB Kevin Minter, LSU

Minter is a pick that makes too much sense at this point. Minter may never be an All-Pro, but he’ll be a nice piece in the middle of the new look Baltimore defense.

SECOND ROUND

33. Jacksonville Jaguars: LB Sio Moore, UConn
34. San Francisco 49ers (from Kansas City Chiefs): TE Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame
35. **Green Bay (via PHI)**: DL Sylvester Williams, North Carolina
36. **Houston Texans (via DET)**: WR Markus Wheaton, Oregon State
37. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland Raiders): S Eric Reid, LSU
38. Arizona Cardinals: OL Dallas Thomas, Tennessee
39. New York Jets: RB Eddie Lacy, Alabama
40. Tennessee Titans: OG Larry Warford, Kentucky
41. **Indianapolis Colts (via BUF)**: WR Keenan Allen, Cal
42. Miami Dolphins: TE Zach Ertz, Stanford
43. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: QB Matt Barkley, USC
44. Carolina Panthers: WR Justin Hunter, Tennessee
45. **Cleveland Browns (via SD)**: OG Kyle Long, Oregon
46. St. Louis Rams: WR Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech
47. Dallas Cowboys: S Matt Elam, Florida
48. Pittsburgh Steelers: DL Jesse Williams, Alabama
49. New York Giants: DE Alex Okafor, Texas
50. Chicago Bears: WR Robert Woods, USC
51. Washington Redskins: CB Jordan Poyer, Oregon State
52. Minnesota Vikings: CB Johnthan Banks, Mississippi State
53. Cincinnati Bengals: RB Giovanni Bernard, North Carolina
54. Miami Dolphins (from Indianapolis Colts): CB Darius Slay, Mississippi State
55. Green Bay Packers: S DJ Swearinger, South Carolina
56. Seattle Seahawks: OT Reid Fragel, Ohio State
57. Houston Texans: OT Terron Armstead, Arkansas Pine-Bluff
58. Denver Broncos: RB Lev’eon Bell, Michigan State
59. New England Patriots: DE Margus Hunt, SMU
60. Atlanta Falcons: DL Datone Jones, UCLA
61. San Francisco 49ers: OLB Damontre Moore,
62. Baltimore Ravens: S Shamarko Thomas, Syracuse

Andrew Parsons’ 3 Round Mock Draft (3/27)

Andrew Parsons — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:48:53 +0000

FIRST ROUND

1. Kansas City Chiefs: OT Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M

When adding up all the moves that have been made by the Chiefs this offseason, you have to figure the pick will be used for the guy they’ve been linked to all along.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars: QB Geno Smith, West Virginia

New ownership, new management, new coach. New QB? I think so. Especially with GM David Caldwell coming from an organization (Falcons) that decided to pair a defensive minded head coach with a quarterback that everyone wasn’t sold on as a top pick.
3. Oakland Raiders: DE Ezekiel Ansah, BYU

A bit off the grid with this one. I don’t see the Floyd pick that everyone else does. With the lack of overall talent on the team, signings of DTs Pat Sims and Vance Walker, and the option to move Lamarr Houston inside, I just can’t see another DT being selected. Milliner is an option, but I say they opt for the pass rusher.
4. Philadelphia Eagles: DT Sharrif Floyd, Florida

The Philly kid fits in perfectly to Billy Davis’ new 4-3 Under defense. They lack depth along the line, and need someone to fill the 3 technique spot. Sharrif will likely be seen to fit that role better than Star.
5. Detroit Lions: OT Eric Fisher, Central Michigan

After Jeff Backus retired (and Gosder Cherilus signed with Indy), it has become hard for me to not think OT here. While DE is a need and an option, I think they’ll choose to protect Stafford’s blindside, and not force Riley Reiff into the LT spot.
6. Cleveland Browns: CB Dee Milliner, Alabama

The Browns would love to trade down here, having addressed many other needs already. However, if they stand pat, I think they’d add Milliner to pair with Joe Haden.
7. Arizona Cardinals: OLB Dion Jordan, Oregon

Lane Johnson seems to be the popular selection at this spot, but I think that the Cardinals would instead opt for the dynamic linebacker. Bobbie Massie improved mightily as the season went on, and you can do worse than a Massie-Levi Brown combo in my mind. I think Warmack is actually more likely than Johnson, but the positional value of a guard here makes Jordan’s ability too much to pass up.
8. Buffalo Bills: QB Ryan Nassib, Syracuse

You didn’t think only 1 QB was going to go in the first round, did you? While I don’t think he’s nearly this good, we’re talking about a QB hungry team, who just so happened to hire Nassib’s college coach. The dots are there, so I’m going to connect them.
9. New York Jets: OLB Barkevious Mingo, LSU

The Jets desperately need to create pressure outside of Rex Ryan’s blitz packages, and Mingo can provide that. He can be everything Rex thought he was going to make out of Aaron Maybin.
10. Tennessee Titans: WR Tavon Austin, West Virginia

The Titans are a weird team. They aren’t particularly talented, but they also don’t have many glaring needs. After the departure of TE Jared Cook, I think Tennessee replaces him (Cook played almost exclusively out of the slot) with Austin as their “space” guy. This allows Wright to play outside, and reduces the dependence on Kenny Britt.
11. San Diego Chargers: OT Lane Johnson, Oklahoma

The Chargers absolutely need to do something to protect Rivers, and this is a perfect fit. Lane’s a bit rough around the edges, but has the highest ceiling of any offensive tackle in this class.
12. Miami Dolphins: CB Desmond Trufant, Washington

I’m not nearly as high on Trufant as most, but the NFL seems to love him, and his bloodlines. Trufant does have experience in both man and zone coverage, which makes him a better fit than Xavier Rhodes here.
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DT Star Lotulelei, Utah

In my mind, Tampa will likely be targeting Rhodes or Trufant at this spot heading into the draft. However, when someone with the talent of Lotulelei falls, you simply cannot pass him up. He’ll readily replace Roy Miller as the anchor of a defense, while adding more playmaking ability.
14. Carolina Panthers: DT Sheldon Richardson, Missouri

WR is an option here, but I think the Panthers finally address the massive need they have at defensive tackle. Richardson will provide an inside presence to balance their tremendous DE duo of Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy.
15. New Orleans Saints: DB Xavier Rhodes, FSU

I know that they have Greer, Robinson, and a newly signed Keenan Lewis, but this is a good position to be deep at. Rhodes fits what Ryan wants out of his corner (long and press), but also gives the Saints the added option of playing him at safety.
16. St. Louis Rams: OG Chance Warmack, Alabama

Fisher loves to pound the rock. I can’t think of anyone who will assist with that more than Warmack, and this pick also has the benefit of keeping QB Sam Bradford upright. Tough to think of many better fits than this one.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers: WR Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee

With Mike Wallace departed for Miami, and the uncertainty beyond this season with Emmanuel Sanders, the Steelers add another explosive WR here. Patterson’s game still needs time, but he can contribute right away on those quick screens OC Todd Haley is so fond of.
18. Dallas Cowboys: S Kenny Vaccaro, Texas

Dallas would be elated if Vaccarro was still around here. Safety has been a need for years, and Vaccaro also brings a “home-town” presence that will be easy for Jerry Jones to sell to Cowboy fans.
19. New York Giants: DE Cornelius Carradine, FSU

Osi Umenyiora is gone, and Justin Tuck isn’t the player he once was. In typical Jerry Reese fashion, he pounces on the best player available with Carradine. It’s unknown how much Carradine will be able to contribute early on coming off an ACL tear, but his overall skillset should make him a Pro Bowl defensive end in the future.
20. Chicago Bears: OG/C Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina

After addressing some of their offensive tackle needs with the signing of free agent LT Jermon Bushrod, the Bears turn to the interior offensive line and select the North Carolina prospect capable of playing center or guard for the Bears.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: LB Alec Ogletree, Georgia

While his issues with gap discipline will give DC Mike Zimmer fits, his talent is undeniable. Zimmer should also be able to help Ogletree improve on his biggest flaw (his hand usage), while Ogletree can still contribute immediately by adding speed and playmaking ability to the Bengals linebacker corps.
22. St. Louis Rams (from Washington Redskins): S Jonathan Cyprien, FIU

With Vaccarro off the board, the Rams select the guy that most people have as their second ranked safety. After his stock blew up after the Senior Bowl, Cyprien appears like a lock for the first round, and fills a need for the Rams.
23. Minnesota Vikings: WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson

This is a pick that I’ve had pegged for a while. The Percy Harvin trade and the Greg Jennings signing haven’t changed a thing for me, as I still think the Vikings will look to add this tremendously refined WR.
24. Indianapolis Colts: OLB Jarvis Jones, Georgia

Most people pegged the Colts to snag either Cliff Avril or Paul Kruger in free agency to fill their pass rushing need. They signed neither, and instead signed Erik Walden and Lawrence Sidbury. I can’t say I’m convinced they’re done adding pass rushers after those signings.
25. Minnesota Vikings (from Seattle Seahawks): LB Arthur Brown, Kansas State

I could also see the Vikings adding a defensive back after the Hopkins pick, but I think Brown is by far the best overall player remaining at this point in the draft, who also happens to fill a need for the Vikings.
26. Green Bay Packers: OLB Bjoern Werner, FSU

Earlier on in the process, Werner was mocked as high as #2 overall, but his stock has settled after a somewhat disappointing combine performance. While his pad level issues don’t make him an ideal 43 DE to 34 OLB convert, I think he’ll transition more than adequately.
27. Houston Texans: WR Markus Wheaton, Oregon State

I think it’s pretty obvious what the Texans are looking for. They want a WR who can absolutely blow the lid off defenses, and Wheaton is that type of wide receiver.
28. Denver Broncos: S Matt Elam, Florida

The Broncos desperately need some help at the safety position, and Vaccaro and Cyprien are already off the board. While Elam is not without flaws, he’s still one of my favorite prospects in this year’s draft, and he should be able to contribute big plays immediately.
29. New England Patriots: WR Justin Hunter, Tennessee

The lateral move of signing Danny Amendola, and the addition of Donald Jones doesn’t deter me from thinking the Patriots are done with trying to upgrade this position. I’d suggest looking at the rumors of them considering signing RFA Emmanuel Sanders and Greg Jennings. While Hunter disappointed in his Junior season, he’s an explosive receiver who does a lot of things very well. I think most of his issues this year had to more with letting his knee injury get to his head, as opposed to any lack of skill.
30. Atlanta Falcons: CB Jamar Taylor, Boise State

While at the time of writing this, DE Osi Umenyiora still hasn’t signed with the Falcons, it seems to be a forgone conclusion at this point. The Falcons still might consider drafting Eifert to replace Tony Gonzalez next year at this spot, it looks like they are built to win immediately. To accomplish that, the Falcons chose to upgrade on their number two cornerback spot.
31. San Francisco 49ers: TE Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame

San Francisco is in a fortunate position where they don’t have too many needs to address. Although they have Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker recently left town, and Eifert can fill his void on 2 TE sets. While Eifert isn’t the same caliber of blocker Walker is, he has shown himself more than willing, and sometimes even more than capable of performing. At the very least, he is an intriguing option to flex out wide and make plays in the redzone, ala Randy Moss last year.
32. Baltimore Ravens: LB Kevin Minter, LSU

While I don’t think that Kevin Minter will ever be a star, he’s a ferocious tackler who will help fill the void left by the depature of both Ray Lewis and Dannell Ellerbee. I would also consider a safety and option here, but I’m not sure if the Ravens would pull the trigger on a safety here with Vaccaro, Cyprien, and Elam all off the board. WR is also an intriguing option after the trade of WR Anquan Boldin to the 49ers.

SECOND ROUND

33. Jacksonville Jaguars: CB Jonathan Banks, Mississippi State
34. San Francisco 49ers (from Kansas City Chiefs): DT Jesse Williams, Alabama
35. Philadelphia Eagles: OT Terron Armstead, Arkansas Pine-Bluff
36. Detroit Lions: DE Alex Okafor, Texas
37. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland Raiders): S Eric Reid, LSU
38. Arizona Cardinals: QB Tyler Wilson, Arkansas
39. New York Jets: RB Eddie Lacy, Alabama
40. Tennessee Titans: QB Matt Barkley, USC
41. Buffalo Bills: WR Keenan Allen, California
42. Miami Dolphins: OT Menelik Watson, FSU
43. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: TE Zach Ertz, Stanford
44. Carolina Panthers: WR Stedman Bailey, West Virginia
45. San Diego Chargers: OLB Damontre Moore, Texas A&M
46. St. Louis Rams: WR Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech
47. Dallas Cowboys: OL DJ Fluker, Alabama
48. Pittsburgh Steelers: DT Jonathan Hankins, Ohio State
49. New York Giants: CB Blidi-Wreh Wilson, UConn
50. Chicago Bears: LB Khaseem Greene, Rutgers
51. Washington Redskins: CB Jordan Poyer, Oregon State
52. Minnesota Vikings: QB EJ Manuel, FSU
53. Cincinnati Bengals: RB Giovanni Bernard, North Carolina
54. Miami Dolphins (from Indianapolis Colts): DE Datone Jones, UCLA
55. Green Bay Packers: DT Kawaan Short, Purdue
56. Seattle Seahawks: DT Sylvester Williams, North Carolina
57. Houston Texans: OL Kyle Long, Oregon
58. Denver Broncos: LB Manti Te’o, Notre Dame
59. New England Patriots: DE Margus Hunt, SMU
60. Atlanta Falcons: LB Sio Moore, UConn
61. San Francisco 49ers: CB Darius Slay, Mississippi State
62. Baltimore Ravens: S DJ Swearinger, South Carolina

THIRD ROUND

63. Kansas City Chiefs: WR Robert Woods, USC
64. Jacksonville Jaguars: OT Reid Fragel, Ohio State
65. Detroit Lions: OLB Kiko Alonso, Oregon
66. Oakland Raiders: CB Will Davis, Utah State
67. Philadelphia Eagles: QB Matt Scott, Arizona
68. Cleveland Browns: QB Mike Glennon, North Carolina State
69. Arizona Cardinals: OG Larry Warford, Kentucky
70. Tennessee Titans: DE Cornelius Washington, Georgia
71. Buffalo Bills: OG Dallas Thomas, Tennessee
72. New York Jets: S David Amerson, North Carolina State
73. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: QB Tyler Bray, Tennessee
74. San Francisco 49ers (from Carolina Panthers): OLB Jamie Collins, Southern Miss
75. New Orleans Saints: S TJ McDonald, USC
76. San Diego Chargers: WR Aaron Dobson, Marshall
77. Miami Dolphins: CB Logan Ryan, Rutgers
78. St. Louis Rams: LB Gerald Hodges, Penn State
79. Pittsburgh Steelers: OLB Corey Lemonier, Auburn
80. Dallas Cowboys: S Phillip Thomas, Fresno State
81. New York Giants: TE Travis Kelce, Cincinatti
82. Miami Dolphins (from Chicago Bears): TE Vance McDonald, Rice
83. Minnesota Vikings: CB Leon McFadden, San Diego State
84. Cincinnati Bengals: C Travis Frederick, Wisconsin
85. Washington Redskins: S JJ Wilcox, Georgia Southern
86. Indianapolis Colts: DE Joe Kruger, Utah
87. Seattle Seahawks: TE Gavin Escobar, San Diego State
88. Green Bay Packers: RB Jonathan Franklin, UCLA
89. Houston Texans: TE Jordan Reed, Florida
90. Denver Broncos: DT Bennie Logan, LSU
91. New England Patriots: DT Jonathan Jenkins, Georgia
92. Atlanta Falcons: TE Dion Sims, Michigan State
93. San Francisco 49ers: RB Christine Michael, Texas A&M
94. Baltimore Ravens: WR Da’Rick Rogers, Tennessee Tech
95. Houston Texans (compensatory selection): QB Zac Dysert, Miami (OH)
96. Kansas City Chiefs (compensatory selection): LB AJ Klein, Iowa State
97. Tennessee Titans (compensatory selection): CB DJ Hayden, Houston

Andrew Parsons’ Overall Tiered Big Board

Andrew Parsons — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 20:05:07 +0000

Andrew Parsons’ 2013 Tiered Top 100 Big Board

1. OG Chance Warmack, Alabama

2. DE Cornelius Carradine, FSU

3. LB Arthur Brown, Kansas State

TIER 2

4. OLB Dion Jordan

5. DT Star Lotulelei, Utah

6. OT Eric Fisher, Central Michigan

7. QB Geno Smith, West Virginia

8. OLB Barkevious Mingo, LSU

9. DE Ezekiel Ansah, BYU

TIER 3

10. OT Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M

11. OT Lane Johnson, Oklahoma

12. LB Alec Ogletree, Georgia

13. WR Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee

14. WR Tavon Austin, West Virginia

15. DT Sharrif Floyd, Florida

16. OG Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina

TIER 4

17. DT Jesse Williams, Alabama

18. DE Bjoern Werner, FSU

19. DT Datone Jones, UCLA

20. CB Jamar Taylor, Boise State

21. DE Cornelius Washington, Georgia

22. DT Sheldon Richardson, Missouri

23. DE Alex Okafor, Texas

TIER 5

24. TE Travis Kelce, Cincinnati

25. CB Dee Milliner, Alabama

26. WR Da’Rick Rogers, Tennessee Tech

27. S Kenny Vacarro, Texas

28. TE Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame

TIER 6

29. WR Justin Hunter, Tennessee

30. OT Terron Armstead, Arkansas Pine-Bluff

31. CB Leon McFadden, San Diego State

32. S Matt Elam, Florida

33. OT DJ Fluker, Alabama

34. RB Christine Michael, Texas A&M

TIER 7

35. WR Markus Wheaton, Oregon State

36. CB Xavier Rhodes, FSU

37. QB Tyler Wilson, Arkansas

38. OT Menelik Watson, FSU

39. WR Keenan Allen, California

40. OLB Jarvis Jones, Georgia

41. LB Sio Moore, UConn

42. CB DJ Hayden, Houston

TIER 8

43. S Jonathan Cyprien, FIU

44. OG Larry Warford, Kentucky

45. RB Eddie Lacy, Alabama

46. OLB Damontre Moore, Texas A&M

47. WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson

48. OG Dallas Thomas, Tennessee

TIER 9

49. S DJ Swearinger, South Carolina

50. OLB Devonte Holloman, South Carolina

51. CB Robert Alford, SE Louisiana

52. CB Johnthan Banks, Mississippi State

53. LB Kevin Minter, LSU

TIER 10

54. DT Jordan Hill, Penn State

55. WR Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech

56. DT Jonthan Hankins, Ohio State

57. CB Jordan Poyer, Oregon State

58. WR Stedman Bailey, West Virginia

59. DT Sylvester Williams, North Carolina

60. RB Jonathan Franklin, UCLA

TIER 11

61. WR Robert Woods, USC

62. S Eric Reid, LSU

63. LB Manti Te’o, Notre Dame

64. CB Desmond Trufant, Washington

65. TE Gavin Escobar, San Diego State

TIER 12

66. QB Zac Dysert, Miami (OH)

67. OLB Jamie Collins, Southern Mississippi

68. CB Darius Slay, Mississippi State

69. OLB Khaseem Green, Rutgers

70. TE Zach Ertz, Stanford

TIER 13

71. OT/OG Jordan Mills, Louisiana Tech

72. CB Will Davis, Utah State

73. OLB Quanterrus Smith, Western Kentucky

74. CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson, UConn

75. QB EJ Manuel, FSU

76. OC/OG Travis Frederick, Wisconsin

77. DE Margus Hunt, SMU

78. TE Jordan Reed, Florida

79. CB BW Webb, William and Mary

TIER 14

80. OLB Michael Buchanan, Illinois

81. OLB Corey Lemonier, Auburn

82. LB AJ Klein, Iowa State

83. RB Giovanni Bernard, North Carolina

84. RB Montee Ball, Wisconsin

TIER 15

85. WR Marquise Goodwin, Texas

86. CB Tyrann Mathieu, LSU

87. LB Ty Powell, Harding

88. OG Kyle Long, Oregon

89. DT Brandon Williams, Missouri Southern

90. OG Justin Pugh, Syracuse

TIER 16

91. LB Kiko Alonso, Oregon

92. DE Joe Kruger, Utah

93. C Brian Schwenke, California

94. DT Kawaan Short, Purdue

TIER 17

95. TE Vance McDonald, Rice

96. DB Sanders Commings, Georgia

97. OLB Zavier Gooden, Missouri

98. QB Matt Barkley, USC

99. DE Malliciah Goodman, Clemson

100. DT John Jenkins, Georgia

Note: Positions were a factor in the rankings, but weren’t meant to force a paradigm shift in either direction.

Positional Rankings: Defense

Andrew Parsons — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:18:56 +0000

2013 NFL DRAFT- Defense

Edge Players (43 DE/34 OLB)

1. Cornelius Carradine, FSU (43 DE)

2. Dion Jordan, Oregon (34 OLB)

3. Barkevious Mingo, LSU (34 OLB)

4. Ezekial Ansah, BYU (43 DE)

5. Bjoern Werner, FSU (43 DE)

TIER 2

6. Cornelius Washington, Georgia (43 DE)

7. Alex Okafor, Texas (43 DE)

TIER 3

8. Jarvis Jones, Georgia (34 OLB)

9. Damontre Moore (34 OLB)

TIER 4

10. Jamie Collins, Southern Mississippi (34 OLB)

11. Quanterrus Smith, WKU (34 OLB)

12. Michael Buchanan, Illinois (43 DE)

13. Corey Lemonier, Auburn (34 OLB)

14. Malliciah Goodman, Clemson (43 DE)

15. John Simon, Ohio State (34 OLB)

16. Trevardo Williams, UConn (34 OLB)

TIER 5

17. Stansly Maponga, TCU (43 DE)

18. Sam Montgomery, LSU (43 DE)

19. Lavar Edwards, LSU (43 DE)

20. Brandon Jenkins, FSU (34 OLB)

21. Mike Catapano, Princeton (43 DE)

22. Devin Taylor, South Carolina (43 DE)

23. Travis Johnson, San Jose State (34 OLB)

(Walter Stewart omitted due to injury)

Interior Players (43 DT, 34 DT/DE)

1. Star Lotulelei, Utah (34 DE)

2. Sharrif Floyd (43 DT)

3. Jesse Williams, Alabama (NT)

4. Datone Jones, UCLA

5. Sheldon Richardson, Missouri (43 DT)

TIER 2

6. Jordan Hill, Penn State (43 DT)

7. Jonathan Hankins, Ohio State (NT)

8. Sylvester Williams, North Carolina (43 NT/34 DE)

TIER 3

9. Margus Hunt, SMU (34 DE)

10. Brandon Williams, Missouri Southern St. (34 NT)

11. Joe Kruger, Utah (34 DE)

12. Kawaan Short, Purdue (43 DT)

TIER 4

13. Jonathan Jenkins, Georgia (34 NT)

14. Bennie Logan, LSU (43 DT)

15. William Gholston, Michigan State (34 DE)

16. Kwame Geathers, Georgia (34 NT)

17. Akeem Spence, Illinois (43 DT)

18. Jared Smith, New Hampsire

19. Chris Jones, Bowling Green

20. Montori Hughes, University of Tennessee-Martin

21. Josh Boyd, Mississippi State

22. Corey Grissom, USF

Outside Linebackers:

1. Arthur Brown, Kansas State (Would also be top MLB)

TIER 2

2. Sio Moore, UConn

3. Devonte Holloman, South Carolina

TIER 3

4. Khaseem Greene, Rutgers

5. Ty Powell, Harding

6. Kiko Alonso, Oregon

7. Zavier Gooden, Missouri

TIER 3

8. Gerald Hodges, Penn State

9. Phillip Stewart, Houston

10. Jelani Jenkins, Florida

11. Sean Porter, Texas A&M

12. Keith Pough, Howard

TIER 4

13. Lerentee McCray, Florida

14 Jake Knott, Iowa State

15. Kenny Tate, Maryland

16. Chase Thomas, Stanford

(Michael Mauti omitted due to injury)

Middle Linebacker:

1. Alec Ogletree, Georgia

TIER 2

2. Kevin Minter, LSU

3. Manti Te’o, Notre Dame

4. AJ Klein, Iowa State

TIER 3

5. Kevin Reddick, North Carolina

6. Nico Johnson, Alabama

TIER 3

7. Vince Williams, Florida State

8. Jon Bostic, Florida

9. Steve Beauharnais, Rutgers

10. Brandon Hepburn, Florida A&M

11. Tom Wort, Oklahoma

Cornerbacks

1. Jamar Taylor, Boise State

2. Dee Milliner, Alabama

3. Leon McFadden, San Diego State

4. Xavier Rhodes, FSU

TIER 2

5. DJ Hayden, Houston

6. Robert Alford, Southeastern Louisiana

7. Jonathan Banks, Mississippi State

8. Jordan Poyer, Oregon State

9. Desmond Trufant, Washington

10. Darius Slay, Mississippi State

11. Will Davis, Utah State

12. Blidi Wreh-Wilson, UConn

TIER 3

13. BW Webb, William and Mary

14. Tyrann Mathieu, LSU

15. Sanders Commings, Georgia

16. Terry Hawthorne, Illinois

17. Logan Ryan, Rutgers

TIER 3

18. Khalid Wooten, Nevada

19. Aaron Hester, UCLA

20. Tharold Simon, LSU

21. Josh Johnson, Purdue

22. Brandon McGee, Miami

23. Mike Edwards, Hawaii

TIER 4

24. Adrian Bushell, Louisville

25. Marc Anthony, California

26. Nickell Robey, USC

27. Johnny Adams, Michigan State

TIER 5

28. Dax Swanson, Sam Houston State

28. Dwayne Gratz, UConn

29. Micah Hyde, Iowa

30. Steve Williams, California

Saftey:

1. Kenny Vaccaro, Texas

2. Matt Elam, Florida

3. Jonathan Cyprien, FIU

TIER 2

4. DJ Swearinger, South Carolina

5. Eric Reid, LSU

6. David Amerson, North Carolina State

7. Duke Williams, Nevada

8. Shamarko Thomas, Syracuse

9. Bacarri Rambo, Georgia

TIER 3

10. TJ McDonald, USC

11. JJ Wilcox, Georgia Southern

12. Phillip Thomas, Fresno State

TIER 4

13. Earl Wolff, North Carolina State

14. Tony Jefferson, Oklahoma

15. Shawn Williams, Georgia

TIER 5

16. Rontez Miles, California (PA)

17. Robert Lester, Alabama

18. Daimion Stafford, Nebraska

19. Zeke Motta, Notre Dame

Positional Rankings: Offense

Andrew Parsons — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 12:48:41 +0000

2013 NFL DRAFT- Offense

Quarterbacks

1. Geno Smith, West Virginia

TIER 2

2. Tyler Wilson, Arkansas

3. Zac Dysert, Miami (OH)

TIER 3

4. EJ Manuel, FSU

5. Matt Barkley, USC

6. Tyler Bray, Tennessee

7. Ryan Nassib, Syracuse

8. Mike Glennon, NC State

TIER 4

9. Sean Renfree, Duke

10. Matt Scott, Arizona

TIER 5

11. Landry Jones, Oklahoma

12. Ryan Griffin, Tulane

13. Colby Cameron, Louisiana Tech

14. Seth Doege, Texas Tech

15. Brad Sorenson, Southern Utah

Runningbacks

1. Christine Michael, Texas A&M

2. Eddie Lacy, Alabama

TIER 2

3. Jonathan Franklin, UCLA

4. Giovanni Bernard, North Carolina

5. Montee Ball, Wisconsin

6. Le’veon Bell, Michigan State

TIER 3

7. Zac Stacy, Vanderbilt

8. Dennis Johnson, Arkansas

9. Andre Ellington, Clemson

10. Mike Gillislee, Florida

11. Spencer Ware, LSU

TIER 4

12 Stepfan Taylor, Stanford

13. Kenjon Barner, Oregon

14. Ray Graham, Pittsburgh

15. Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State

16. Cierre Wood, Notre Dame

TIER 5

17. Jawan Jamison, Rutgers

18. Mike James, Miami

19. Montel Harris, Temple

20. George Wynn, Cincinnati

21. Miguel Maysonet, Stony Brook

22. Knile Davis, Arkansas

23. Michael Ford, LSU

24. Robbie Rouse, Fresno State

25. Kerwynn Williams, Utah State

Note: Marcus Lattimore omitted due to injury.

Wide Receiver

1. Cordarelle Patterson, Tennessee

2. Tavon Austin, West Virginia

3. Da’Rick Rogers, Tennessee Tech

4. Justin Hunter, Tennessee

5. Markus Wheaton, Oregon State

TIER 2

6. Keenan Allen, California

7. DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson

8. Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech

9. Stedman Bailey, West Virginia

10. Robert Woods, USC

TIER 3

11. Maquise Goodwin, Texas

12. Kenny Stills, Oklahoma

13. Aaron Dobson, Marshall

14. Marquess Wilson, Washington State

15. Ryan Swope, Texas A&M

TIER 4

16. Mark Harrison, Rutgers

17. Cobi Hamilton, Arkansas

18. Terrance Williams, Baylor

19. Denard Robison, Michigan (Higher Grade at RB)

20. Chris Harper, Kansas State

21. Josh Boyce, TCU

22. Ace Sanders, South Carolina

23. Aaron Melette, Elon

24. Conner Vernon, Duke

TIER 5

25. Jasper Collins, Mount Union

26. Uzoma Nwachukwu, Texas A&M

27. Tavarres King, Georgia

28. Corey Fuller, Virginia Tech

29. Emory Blake, Auburn

30. Zac Rogers, Tennessee

31. Brandon Kaufman, Eastern Michigan

32. Rodney Smith, FSU

33. Marlon Brown, Georgia

34. TJ Moe, Missouri

35. Marcus Davis, Virginia Tech

36. Lanaer Sampson Baylor

Tight End

1. Travis Kelce, Cincinatti

2. Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame

TIER 2

3. Gavin Escobar, San Diego State

4. Zach Ertz, Stanford

5. Jordan Reed, Florida

6. Vance McDonald, Rice

7. Mychal Rivera, Tennessee

TIER 3

8. Dion Sims, Michigan State

9. Levine Toilolo, Stanford

10. Jake Stoneburner, Ohio State

11. Chris Gragg, Arkansas

12. Joseph Fauria, UCLA

13. Ryan Otten, San Jose State

TIER 4

14. Justice Cunningham, South Carolina

15. Jack Doyle, Western Kentucky

TIER 5

16. Michael Williams, Alabama

17. Phillip Lutzenkirchen, Auburn

18. Nick Kasa, Colorado

Offensive Tackle

1. Eric Fisher, Central Michigan

2. Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M

3. Lane Johnson, Oklahoma

TIER 2

4. Terron Armstead, Arkansas Pine-Bluff

5. DJ Fluker, Alabama

6. Menelik Watson, Florida State

7. Reid Fragel, Ohio State

TIER 3

8. Luke Marquardt, Azuza Pacific

9. Manase Foketi, West Texas A&M

10. Brennan Williams, North Carolina

11. Xavier Nixon, Florida

TIER 4

11. John Wetzel, Boston College

12. Vinston Painter, Virginia Tech

13. Roger Gaines, Tennessee State

14. Jamaal Johnson-Webb, Alabama A&M

15. Ricky Wagner, Wisconsin

Offensive Guard

1. Chance Warmack, Alabama

2. Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina

TIER 2

3. Larry Warford, Kentucky

4. Dallas Thomas, Tennessee

TIER 3

5. Jordan Mills, Louisiana Tech

6. Kyle Long, Oregon

7. Justin Pugh, Syracuse

TIER 4

8. David Quessenberry, San Jose State

9. Brian Winters, Kent State

10. Hugh Thorton, Illinois

TIER 5

11. Alvin Bailey, Arkansas

12. Omorgie Uzzi, Georgia Tech

13. Eric Herman, Ohio

14. Jeff Baca, UCLA

15. Earl Watford, James Madison

Center

1. Travis Frederick, Wisconsin (Higher Grade at G)

2. Brian Schwenke, California

3. David Bakhtiari, Colorado

4. Barrett Jones, Alabama

TIER 2

5. Khaled Holmes, USC

6. TJ Johnson, South Carolina

7. Braxston Cave, Notre Dame

8. Mario Benavides, Louisville

“My Guys” List

Andrew Parsons — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:37:44 +0000

In sports when you show an affinity towards a player, or express a higher opinion on him than most of your peers, you become almost linked to that player. This effect becomes amplified in the NFL Draft realm, as being a “draftnik” is far from an exact science, it’s all about projection. Show two evaluators the same tape of a prospect, and it shouldn’t be a surprise if they come to different conclusions. Sometimes the link comes from being at the forefront of recognizing a prospect before he garners major recognition; sometimes it’s about acting like the prospect’s hype man. The exact reason is often unimportant, once others start to pick up on that affinity, or that “link”, the prospect becomes a term we’ve all heard, or have used in describing this connection; the prospect becomes “your guy.”

The idea of a “My Guys” list is something that came to me last year. Everyone has their positional rankings, big board, or something of the sort, but this is something with a different feel to it. Just like the art of evaluation, there is no one and only way to go about this list. There’s no sweet spot for number of prospects, or restrictions to place upon yourself. What I can tell you is that there’s two very easy ways to dilute the value of your list. The first is to simply comprise a list of all sure fire first rounders that everyone likes. We know why you like these guys. It’s because they’ve all established themselves as a head of the pack. Boring. Another way is to simply list just about every prospect you like. It’s not uncommon for an evaluator to like a prospect, but again, this list is about the prospects that you’re banging the table for in the War Room or the prospects that have left an imprint on your 2013 NFL Draft life in some way.

Now that I’ve given a little bit of a preface to the subject, I’ll share with you how I chose to go about the list this year. As previously mentioned, I started this exercise last year, but I composed my list with very little rhyme or reason. I added guys who I thought people were trying too hard to find fault with (Trent Richardson, Robert Griffin III), guys that I had a much higher grade than most on (Devon Wylie, George Iloka), but the two best embodiments of what the list is about for me were Miami RB Lamar Miller and West Virginia DE Bruce Irvin.

Lamar Miller was probably my favorite player in last year’s class. Although he wasn’t my highest rated player (or even highest RB), I still was a tremendous supporter.

Irvin is another shining example. While many mocked the Seahawks for drafting him in the first round, I applauded them.

Most everyone knew who they were and that they had talent, but I took it upon myself to not only rank them higher than most people did (Note: This is not to say they were players I graded out as the best at their position), but I found myself “defending” them as prospects and taking a legitimate rooting interest in their future NFL success, despite neither being drafted by my favorite team. That’s what I’m trying to do here, and I welcome you to do the same. Not only is it an entertaining exercise in evaluation, but it’s certainly something that’s interesting to look back on. So, without further ado, here’s my 2013 “My Guys” list, with a tad bit more structure this time around…

The Guy You Know:

(One of those sure-fire Top Pick Types)

Dion Jordan, OLB, Oregon

Dion was the 2013 prospect that I started with, by nothing more than chance.

I’m no different than most of the NFL Draft Twitter Community. I love Geno Smith, Ziggy Ansah, Chance Warmack, and Arthur Brown. They’re all great football players, and I want to see them do well in the future, and have very little doubt about their success. Dion’s a bit of a different case for me though. While I first became infatuated with Warmack after noticing him in a 2012 game against current Philadelphia Eagle, and former Mississippi State DT Fletcher Cox, Jordan’s the first 2013 prospect I actually evaluated. I spent a good deal of the summer hyping him up, and getting into spirited discussions about him being a premier edge player in the 2012 draft. I’m not sure if I’m the initial conductor, but I can tell you definitively that I’ve never jumped off the train. This all took place in the beginning of May 2012, so by the time he gets selected, it will be the culmination of nearly a year’s work with him for me. That’s a link.

The Guys You Should Know:

(Guys that some may cast doubt or even make jokes about where they get selected (see Bruce Irvin), but I’d applaud the team that pulled the trigger.)

Leon McFadden, CB, San Diego State

I compare McFadden favorably to 3x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro Antonie Winfield.

One of my favorite comparisons that I’ve made this year is comparing McFadden to Antoine Winfield. He’s on the smaller side, and some of the stronger, more physical receivers in the game could give him some issues going forward. However, I’ll take my chances with McFadden. You won’t see him back down; he’ll use his hands and be aggressive with any receiver. He also possesses smooth hips, light feet, a good feel for zone coverage, and ball skills. As a run defender, he doesn’t have perfect technique. However, he’s more than willing to get involved, and has shown the ability to cut down playmakers in space. Feisty is the best word that I can use to describe McFadden, and this quality is a part of what makes him one of my guys.

Cornelius Washington, DE, Georgia

In my mind, the Senior Bowl was only a prelude to what’s to come for Cornelius Washington.

I’ll be completely honest with you here; this is definitely a recent inclusion. This is not an overreaction to his combine, but I can’t claim that I knew a whole helluva lot about Washington prior to the Senior Bowl. The Senior Bowl is exactly where my interest with him was piqued. Every time I saw him in a Senior Bowl practice, he was exploding off the edge, and converting that speed into tremendous power. I remember tweeting out “Cornelius Washington film, now.” When I actually did dive into the film, I saw someone who flashed the same dominance he showed in Mobile, only he was unable to produce consistently due to Georgia playing him at two positions he didn’t belong at (34 SLB, 34 DE). Not to mention the fact that I’d urge you to turn on some 2011 tape, where he looked lighter, more flexible, and much more dynamic overall. The comparison that I’ve placed on him, and like going forward, is Trent Cole.

Da’Rick Rogers, WR, Tennessee Tech

I compare Rogers favorably to Dwayne Bowe, if he has his head on straight like recent interviews would seem to suggest.

“It’s simple, immaturity,” said Rogers, when asked to explain his dismissal from the Vols. “I had to take full responsibility, look in the mirror at who I was and what I was doing wrong. I did those things when I went to Tennessee Tech and it humbled me a lot. I’m still working on those things. It’s a work in progress.

“I play with an edge, and I had to learn to control that edge off the field also. I had to learn how to fix my flaws, and life got easier.”

That’s a quote I pulled from a post combine NFL article , and reading something like that certainly makes it easier to root for Rogers. And I do agree with what he’s saying. He does play with an edge on the field. He reminds of Kansas City Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe in a lot of ways. Da’Rick will likely never be a dominant vertical threat, but he’s a physical force across the middle and is extremely difficult to bring down after the catch. When he’s applying himself, he can also be a tenacious run blocker. His demeanor on the field and lack of effort at times was annoying to watch while scouting him, but hopefully that’s something that’s cured now.

The Guys Not Getting Enough Love:

(Title explains it all. These guys aren’t getting their proper due in my mind, so I’ll give it to them.)

Christine Michael, RB, Texas A&M

Everyone knows he has talent, but how much respect are they giving it? He’s my #1 overall runningback.

Michael saw a major reduction in touches this past season after falling out of favor with a new coaching staff. The previous two years, he had his season cut short due to injury. It’s been reported that he overslept interviews at the combine. None of this sounds good, but it’s hard to not be a fan of Michael when you turn on the tape. He has a powerful build, and shows an impressive burst. Michael is capable of bowling over defenders, or making them miss in open space. In my mind, he’s clearly the best back in the class. I think his situation could very well play out just like Bryce Brown’s did last year.

Mychal Rivera, TE, Tennessee

A highly underrated overall player in my mind. While I don’t see star potential, I think he’ll be a solid-good starter at the next level.

It’s a deep tight end class, and Rivera is getting lost in it. He’s not a tremendous athlete, but he has more than enough speed to threaten the seam. Rivera can make the contested catch, and is flexible enough to contort and snag poorly thrown passes. After the catch, he has some ability. He runs with intensity, and can break tackles via leg strength or a solid stiff arm. While he lacks tremendous lateral quickness and strength, he’s a willing blocker who often does enough to get the job done. In a year in which Tennessee had so much talent only to massively disappoint, it’s hard not to like someone like Rivera.

Ray Graham, RB, Pittsburgh

Prior to his knee injury, Ray was one of the most electrifying players in the class, and one of my favorites to watch.

People have been going crazy (and deservedly so) over how good Tennessee WR Cordarrelle Patterson is with the ball in his hands. It’s an exciting thing to watch, but I’d argue that 2011 Ray Graham was on par in that regard. Graham played with explosion and made lightning quick cuts that left me in awe. Unfortunately, after an ACL tear late in that season, Graham didn’t look like nearly the same guy in 2012. I’ve had to drop him down my rankings a tremendous amount, and it’s not something I was particularly happy to do. I can only hope that he is able to get his chance to rebound, and he makes a full recovery. I thoroughly enjoyed watching 2011 Ray Graham, and I’d like to see that guy again. I can’t help but think that someone with Graham’s toughness will find a way to make some kind of positive impact when the opportunity comes.

“MY GUYS”

(The guys that I have a rooting interest in going forward)

Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama

Strength, technique, productivity, and someone who can strike fear into his opponents. What’s not to like?

My first true exposure to Williams is when a picture surfaced of him benching 600 pounds this summer. Pretty impressive start. He’s never going to be an elite playmaker, but he’s surprisingly light on his feet and very agile for an imposing 325 pound nose tackle. Williams has quick, but heavy hands, and obviously elite upper body strength. Jesse’s top heavy, but he plays with very good balance along the line of scrimmage. One of my favorite things about Williams is how refined he is technique wise. He’s someone who has obviously been coached extremely well, and in an era where every defensive tackle wants to try and run around like they’re Warren Sapp, Williams understands who he is, and he does his job. He does it damn well too. While it’s tough to get behind someone with a “YOLO” tattoo, I’ll manage.

Matt Elam, S, Florida

Despite his flaws, I can’t come away from Matt Elam film thinking he’s primed for anything but success going forward.

Elam’s someone who’s been picked apart throughout the process, and for the most part, deservingly so. While his peaks are high, his valleys are quite low. However, I still can’t help but love the guy. He’s explosive, and he’s a playmaker. Elam plays the game with passion and urgency, and that’s something I always love to see on tape. I think most of his pitfalls are do more to a lack of focus, as opposed to any kind of lack of talent. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do with some NFL coaching. I think he’ll prove me right, and develop into the disruptive, playmaking, big hit dropping, Pro Bowl safety every fan wants to have on their team.

Andrew Parsons’ Post-Combine Mock Draft

Andrew Parsons — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 02:35:56 +0000

2013 Post Combine Mock

1. Kansas City (2-14): OT Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M

2. Jacksonville (2-14): QB Geno Smith, West Virginia

3. Oakland (4-12): DT Sharrif Floyd, Florida

4. Philadelphia (4-12): OLB Dion Jordan, Oregon

5. Detroit (4-12): CB Dee Milliner, Alabama

6. Cleveland (5-11): OLB Ziggy Ansah, BYU

7. Arizona (5-11): OT Eric Fisher, Central Michigan

8. Buffalo (6-10): WR Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee

9. New York Jets (6-10): OLB Barkevious Mingo, LSU

10. Tennessee (6-10): OG Chance Warmack, Alabama

11. San Diego (7-9): OT Lane Johnson, Oklahoma

12. Miami (7-9): CB Xavier Rhodes, FSU (Note: Projecting FA WR signing, Starks tag)

13. Tampa Bay (7-9): DT Star Lotulelei, Utah

14. Carolina (7-9): DT Sheldon Richardson, Missouri

15. New Orleans (7-9): DE/OLB Bjoern Werner, FSU

16. St. Louis (7-8-1): OL DJ Fluker, Alabama

17. Pittsburgh (8-8): OLB Jarvis Jones, Georgia

18. Dallas (8-8): S Kenny Vaccaro, Texas

19. New York Giants (9-7): DE Tank Carradine, FSU

20. Chicago (10-6): OG Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina

21. Cincinnati* (10-6): LB Manti Te’o, Notre Dame

22. St. Louis – from Washington* (10-6): RB Eddie Lacy, Alabama

23. Minnesota* (10-6): WR Keenan Allen, California

24. Indianapolis* (11-5): DT Jessie Williams, Alabama

25. Seattle* (11-5): WR Justin Hunter, Tennessee

26. Green Bay* (11-5): TE Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame

27. Houston* (12-4): WR Markus Wheaton, Oregon State

28. Denver* (13-3): LB Kevin Minter, LSU

29. New England* (12-4): WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson

30. Atlanta* (13-3): LB Arthur Brown, Kansas State

31. San Francisco* (11-4-1): WR Tavon Austin, West Virginina

32. Baltimore* (10-6): LB Alec Ogletree, Georgia

Round 2

33. Jacksonville (2-14): DE Datone Jones, UCLA

34. San Francisco (11-4-1): DT Brandon Williams, Missouri Southern State

35. Philadelphia (4-12): CB Desmond Trufant, Washington

36. Detroit (4-12): DE Cornelius Washington, Georgia

37. Cincinnati – from Oakland (4-12): S Jonathan Cyprien, FIU

38. Arizona (5-11): QB Mike Glennon, North Carolina State

Cleveland (5-11)

39. New York Jets (6-10): QB Tyler Wilson, Arkansas

40. Tennessee (6-10): S Matt Elam, Florida

41. Buffalo (6-10): QB Ryan Nassib, Syracuse

42. Miami (7-9): DE Damontre Moore, Texas A&M

43. Tampa Bay (7-9): DE Alex Okafor, Texas

44. Carolina (7-9): S DJ Swearinger, South Carolina

New Orleans (7-9)

45. San Diego (7-9): WR Robert Woods, USC

46. St. Louis (7-8-1): S Eric Reid, LSU

47. Dallas (8-8): DE Sam Montgomery, LSU

48. Pittsburgh (8-8): DE Margus Hunt, SMU

49. New York Giants (9-7): OT Menelik Watson, FSU

50. Chicago (10-6): OLB Khaseem Greene, Rutgers

51. Washington (10-6): CB Jamar Taylor, Boise State

52. Minnesota (10-6): QB EJ Manuel, FSU

53. Cincinnati (10-6): RB Giovanni Bernard, North Carolina

54. Miami – from Indianapolis (11-5): TE Zach Ertz, Stanford

55. Green Bay (11-5): C/OG Travis Frederick, Wisconsin

56. Seattle (11-5): DT Jonathan Hankins, Ohio State

57. Houston (12-4): OT Terron Armstead, Arkansas Pine-Bluff

58. Denver (13-3): DT Kawaan Short, Purdue

59. New England (12-4): CB Jordan Poyer, Oregon State

60. Atlanta (13-3): TE Gavin Escobar, San Diego State

61. San Francisco (11-4-1): CB/S Jonthan Banks, Mississippi State

62. Baltimore (10-6): OLB Jamie Collins, Southern Mississippi

Don’t Forget Buchanan

Andrew Parsons — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:36:36 +0000

The first round isn’t the only place to find a stud in the NFL Draft. Sometimes, players just fall right into a team’s lap. This is where a team can hit a homerun and get a difference maker much lower in the draft than they should have. In this year’s class, one player in particular stands out to me as a potential match for that description. That player is Illinois DE/OLB Michael Buchanan. My #2 overall prospect in this year’s class is Oregon DE Dion Jordan. When I was watching film over the summer, I felt as if based on his Junior season tape, Michael Buchanan was just a tick behind Jordan, and was potential more developed as a pure pass rusher. In the 2012 Draft, the other Illinois DE, Whitney Mercilus, went #26 overall to the Houston Texans, and I felt as if Buchanan was a vastly superior player. This is all a roundabout way of saying that I thought Buchanan was a really, really good prospect.

A couple of weeks ago, I tweeted, “Does anyone remember Michael Buchanan?” The reasoning behind this is due to the fact that his Senior year saw a massive drop off. This wasn’t only in production, but in overall play. Buchanan looked lethargic and weak. The explosiveness that was displayed consistently in the previous season was completely gone. Recently, we got a little bit more of an explanation on this, and it really helped clarify his play for me. As a Junior, Buchanan was probably around 245, with adding more bulk on the to-do list. This summer, Buchanan broke his jaw, and had it wired shut. As a result, he reportedly lost nearly 20 pounds. While the broken jaw was the result of an altercation, which should be further investigated by any team looking to draft Buchanan, it makes sense that someone who dropped that kind of weight in such a short period of time would look slow and lethargic on the field.

Michael Buchanan flashed at times, but for the most part, when he was blocked… he stayed blocked.

Now, I don’t want to make it sound as if Buchanan was a complete train-wreck. However, if I had just watched his Senior year, I’d likely grade him out as a 4^th or 5^th rounder. An inconsistent player, with some technique issues, that flashed upside. I even think he outplayed his numbers a bit, because I also felt as if there were times where he forced pressure, but came up just a little short of making the sack or tackle for loss, which can perhaps be attributed to not being as explosive. But today, I went back and watched the Junior film again. One really impressive thing about Buchanan is that he has a tremendous feel for space. Not only did Illinois send him on a lot of end twist stunts (Buchanan loops behind the defensive tackle), where he had tremendous success, but I thought Buchanan showed some smooth technique when dropping back into coverage, and in breaking down and making plays in the run game.

Buchanan was left unblocked, but instead of charging up field, he breaks down in space so he can either pursue the QB rolling out, or attack the RB getting the hand off. As you can probably see, he maintains proper balance, not overly committing in any direction.

After Buchanan sees the hand off, his quickly able to adjust and attack the running back. When the RB attempts to make a cut, Buchanan is able to flip his hips, and extends his arm to tackle the RB for a loss.

Also, it appears the Buchanan is very comfortable in working on an island against offensive tackles, which I believe is a vital trait in distinguishing true talent level for someone who makes a lot of plays on stunts. Not only does Buchanan show quickness and explosiveness in his get off, but he does a good job of using his arm length to keep OTs at bay. While I don’t think he has the best hand usage, which causes him to get latched on too frequently when engaged, he does display a nice array of pass rushing moves. The most impressive of which is his spin move. The picture below actually comes from his Senior year, and is one of the flashes that served as proof to me that he’s most likely not a one year wonder, or a product of being on the other side of Mercilus, but rather he was still the dynamic prospect I thought he was.

Buchanan extends his arms to keep the OT off his body. You can see the torque created by the bend in his raised knee. When he drops this leg to the ground, he will explode off it into his spin move.

By the time the RT takes the last step in his kick slide, Buchanan has already completed a full spin. The picture shows him in the process of bending and exploding towards the QB.

So while I’m not suggesting disregarding this past season entirely, I am suggesting that it would be best served to view the season in its entire context, and remember who we all thought Michael Buchanan was prior to the season. It’s very possible throughout the remainder of the process (All-Star Games, Combine, etc.) that Michael Buchanan’s stock rebounds, but I highly doubt he regains that potential Top 20 status. I think he will ultimately be judged too heavily on this past season, and will end up in the Late 3^rd-4^th Round long after the run on the “top tier” pass rushers has occurred. If he gets selected in that area, I think we could be looking at one of the major steals from the 2013 NFL Draft class.

Dion Sims Evaluation

Andrew Parsons — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 18:45:28 +0000

Yesterday, according to Joe Schad, Michigan State TE Dion Sims declared for the NFL Draft as many have long expected. Sims didn’t put up monster stats his Junior season, but he most likely realized that he was unlikely to see a massive increase in his production his Senior year with the Michigan State offense being far from a juggernaut. In fact, more often than one would expect of a TE in today’s game, Sims stayed in as a blocker on passing plays, which certainly hindered his potential production. Much of the intrigue that will come with Sims is due to the fact that he’s 6’6 and 285 pounds. While with that size, you definitely would expect him to be a mauling in-line blocker, Sims has also showcased soft hands and ability in the open field during this past season.

Despite his massive size, I was rather underwhelmed with Dion Sims as a run blocker. While on some occasions he showcased the ability to be able to push his man out of the play, much of the time, I felt as if he blocked more like a receiving tight end. Even in situations in which Sims was able to win on his block, I saw it happening more due to his footwork and proper positioning as opposed to brute strength. There are two main issues that I observed with Sims that made him appear less than ideal as a run blocker. The first issue is Sims’ hand placement. When attempting a block, you want to have your hands inside of the chest of the defender. This allows a concentration of power in the block, and makes it tough for the defender to throw off the blocker, or to simply slide off the block.

Both of Sims’ hands are on the shoulder pad of the defender as opposed to being inside of the chest.

Sims’ hand placement made it very easy of the defender to slip off the block and make the tackle on the RB.

The other thing I’ve caught Dion Sims doing is lunging when attempting to make a block. He most frequently does this when trying to block linebackers on the second level, but it is a bad habit that rears its head throughout all of his blocking assignments. When a blocker lunges forward, they overextend with their arms, and lose all the power in their hips (and any potential power created through leg drive). Another thing that frequently occurs is the dipping of the head, so that the blocker’s eyes are looking at the ground. From a defender’s perspective, there might not be an easier block to shed. Pictured below is an example of Dion Sims doing this, and it’s something that occurs far too often.

Sims bends at the waist, bringing his back to nearly a 90 degree angle. His head is down, and the blocker is easily able to throw him to the ground.

As I mentioned earlier, Sims was often left on the line to help with pass protection. In this area, Sims does show promise. While he is more of a waist bender more so than someone who is capable of sitting into their blocks, he does display good foot quickness in his pass pro slide, and he shows better consistency in his hand placement when in this setting.

Since I don’t think Sims’ size translates all that well to his run blocking (although it does help with pass blocking), it is interesting to see how it plays out as a receiver. One way in which it helps him, is the fact that he’s a tough tackle. When he makes a catch, it’s very difficult to bring him down right away, without him at the very least falling forward. He also carries some serious momentum after the catch, which makes him a tough open-field tackle. Another thing that I really liked about Sims as a receiver is the fact that he is a hands catcher who can use his frame to shield defenders. This trait makes his frame more valuable, as it reduces the distance the ball needs to travel, and makes it much more challenging for defenders to make a play on the ball.

Sims is able to shield defenders with his body due to his massive size, and he does a nice job of extending his arms to make catches.

However, there are two things that I’m bothered by when observing Sims as a receiver. The first is that he struggles to adjust to throws. While he is highly athletic for his size, this talent is more evident as an open-field runner. In space, he has trouble contorting his body to make tough catches. While he shows proper technique on the “normal” throws, he struggles to make the “difficult” catches. The second issue is his burst off the line of scrimmage. While I’ve talked about how well he moves when he gets his momentum going, it does take some time to get that momentum started. In watching him, many times I felt as if he really labored to get off the line of scrimmage. There wasn’t a natural explosion, but rather, he had to shift his body weight before being able to proceed forward. Pictured below is an example of what I’m talking about.

Sims has to rock his weight from right to left in order to get started. He then needs to take several strides in order to reach top speed.

In conclusion, Dion Sims is an intriguing prospect due to things like his massive size, and his open field speed at this size. He also shows good pass blocking skills, in addition to some natural pass catching talents. However, I question his run blocking, and his ability to be a difference maker as a receiver. While he possesses an impressive blend of talent and potential, I don’t think he’s particularly close to harnessing these abilities. I think he profiles more as a fringe starter, with the potential for more if he can improve upon his run blocking. I’d personally put him in the 4^th round range, but I suspect he will go much higher if a team thinks they can correct his flaws, potentially in Round 2.